Stories

23.08.2009 - Wow, it has been a really long time since we last updated Kenny's website.  Time just seems to be flying by for all three of us here.  Check out the "pictures" link and you can see some of our highlights over the last few months.

A couple of months ago, we went to Penang to watch the Malaysian National Equestrian Championships. Kenny wasn't competing, but it was his first big horseshow and he loved all the excitement and colour.  He took along his helmet and got a little riding in on the site, and cheered on Coach Fariz and Coach Imtiaz as they competed in the dressage and show-jumping events respectively.  We stayed in a really nice place called the G-Hotel and Kenny had a great time at the seafood buffet and (of course) the swimming pool.  It was a very nice little holiday and we can't wait to go on another one soon.

Speaking of horse-riding, Kenny continues to make some really good progress.  His usual horse (Greta) pulled up lame a couple of weeks ago and is taking treatment now, so he has been riding a much younger and more spirited fellow named Bush Baby.  BB isn't at all easy to ride, but Kenny has been doing very well.  We're extremely proud of him.

We'll get back to updating the site more regularly from now on and will add some photos of Daddy's convocation and some of our other family activities shortly.  In all, though, everything is continuing to go really well and we think of you all often.

16.02.09 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KENNY!  Our little Prince turned SEVEN years old today!

And we all had a great birthday weekend, starting on Saturday with a riding lesson with Greta and Coach Deva at the Perak Equestrian Training Centre ... and then trips to the Ipoh Polo Grounds on Saturday and Sunday to play on the swings and the climbing apparatus.  At school on Monday, the class threw a lovely party, with presents, games, lots of pictures and cake!  After reading class that evening, we all went to Pizza Hut (Kenny's favourite restaurant in the whole world) for family presents, pizza, tempura prawns, ice cream and (more) cake!  He received birthday cards from Auntie Cyn and Grandma, and read them over and over. It's hard to believe he's growing up so fast.  It was a great birthday celebration, but could have been a lot better if you'd been here to join in with us... 

25.12.2008 - Merry Christmas everyone!  We've had a beautiful day in Ipoh with lots of happiness, surprises and fun! 

All week long, Kenny has been busy wrapping presents and waiting for the Big Day to arrive.   On Christmas Eve, Gong Gong and Auntie Siew Poh dropped by for a nice visit and dinner.  Then it was off to bed to fall asleep with some difficulty, waiting for the morning to come. 

When the morning finally arrived, Kenny was downstairs like a shot to find a new bicycle waiting for him under the tree.  He couldn't wait to take it for a spin, first around the Living Hall and then outside in the patio.  With the training wheels, he's getting the hang of it very quickly.  We were happy to see that he already insists on wearing his helmet, even when he's just in the yard at home. 

We all opened stockings, and Kenny found a package of his favourite rice crackers and other snacks, as well as some new CDs, school supplies and workbooks.  He was really happy.  Right afterward, all three of us headed off for a yummy breakfast at Peng Tau, the Chinese restaurant just up the street from our house.  Kenny brought macaroni from home, while Mommy and Daddy had curried noodles and some peppery soup. 

Then it was back to sit under the tree and open up all our presents.  Everyone seemed to get what they wanted and a few surprises also.  Kenny got a new set of puzzles and flash-cards and a whole lot of very nice clothes, including a wonderful t-shirt from Auntie Siew Poh and a pair of purple Barney slippers from Auntie Jasmine.  Teacher Andrea gave him a toy car.   He really loved them all. 

What probably got him most excited, though, was when he realized he was getting Daddy's old computer and flat-screen monitor all for himself. He now has a little work-station in our upstairs library and spent most of the day looking at his favourite You Tube videos over and over and over.  He found a version of Diana Krall singing Jingle Bells with her big band ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFHE0NxBJu4 )  and didn't seem to want to leave it. He's becoming quite a jazz and blues fan, even at Christmas!

We had our Christmas turkey in the evening and it was a great success.  Kenny opted for potato chips instead of mashed.  Then it was time for just one more Sesame Street video and singing Jingle Bells and a few carols before bedtime.  He was alseep almost as soon as his little head touched the pillow.

So, in all, it was a perfect Christmas!  The weather was hot and sunny, but there was a nice breeze through most of the day, just enough to rustle the leaves of the fruit trees in Daddy's patio garden.  We kept thinking of everyone in Canada contending with all the snowstorms we've been hearing about!

Mom and Dad had a really nice day, also, although we find that we've really been missing family and friends from both near and far this year.  Mommy got a nice cactus garden for her office at UTAR and a new set of pots, as well as an Inukshuk necklace from Grandma Downe. Daddy got some really interesting reading material, some new ties and is overjoyed with the 22-inch flat monitor that Mom gave him.  The day could only have been better if we'd been able to visit with you all.

Next week promises to be a busy one, with a long weekend and two horseback lessons at the Equestrian Centre.  No doubt there are all sorts of exciting adventures just around the corner for Kenny and his little family, and we'll post them here as they take place.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL, WITH LOVE FROM THE DOWNE FAMILY!!

05.10.2008 - Kenny started riding horseback at the Perak Equestrian Training Centre about three weeks ago and it has turned out to be one of his favourite current activities.  He goes about twice a week.  So far, he's just getting used to sitting in the saddle and walking around the dirt track.  He's hoping to start formal lessons sometime after Christmas, and is already showing a lot of promise.

Kenny rides different horses each time he goes but he has two real favourites, Misty and Greta.  Both are very gentle and respond well to him when he's in the saddle.  Although neither are very big, Kenny still has to climb up a special ramp to get mounted. 

He's been busy with other things too!  Last weekend, Kenny and Mommy mixed up some flour, whipped cream and water on his table and drew designs in the dough.  He couldn't stop laughing at all the 'happy faces' they could draw in the mixture. 

30.09.2008 - Our little Prince took his first trip to the hospital yesterday.  He was playing outside at his grandparents' house and decided to try standing on one foot on Gong Gong's motorcycle and ... ooops!  He took a knock on his forehead on the way down and cut himself on the fence.   It was bleeding quite profusely so Mommy called Gong Gong who came racing from work to pick him up and courier him to the hospital (Daddy was still on campus about 40 minutes away).  At the hospital they cleaned the little boy up and put a dressing on his forehead.  No stitches were needed, fortunately.  Gong Gong summed up the whole incident best: "A 50-cent reaction for a 5-cent injury!"

01.09.2008 - So many exciting things happened in August, it is hard to know where to begin!  Mommy left on her big trip to California at the beginning of the month and attended the American Academy of Management conference where she presented her paper on strategic alliances.  She did some sightseeing and shopping all around Anaheim and had a great visit at Disneyland, giving Mickey and Minnie all the best from Kenny.  After the conference, she flew to Calgary, Canada where she spent a couple of lovely days with Auntie Cyn and met up with Amanda and Vincent again.   Lovely breakfasts, listening to Cyn play the piano and touring around Calgary was a really wonderful way to end the trip.

Meanwhile, Kenny, Daddy, Po Po and Gong Gong all coped amazingly well over the 10-day period when Mommy was away.  Kenny was an especially good boy, working hard at his schoolwork and settling into new routines very nicely.  His reading skills are coming along very well and he spends a half hour or so most evenings before bed working his way through his collection of Ladybird readers.  He's still attending the Vital Years reading programme three times a week, also, where he sometimes likes to spend as much time playing tag as he does with the reading books. 

A few weeks ago, a dentist came to the Lighthouse School where he attends kindergarten and Kenny seemed to really enjoy the presentation about looking after his teeth.  He had a check-up and received top marks for brushing and eating the right things!

Mommy brought back a silver scooter for Kenny from California and it was an immediate hit.  After only a couple of tries, he became really adept at zooming around the large patio outside our house in Ipoh and is now hinting about taking it for a spin on the highway.  He'll have to wait a little while for that, though!

Most weekends, we go to the big park at the Ipoh polo grounds, where Kenny continues to love flying high in the swings, climbing up the slides and riding like mad on the rocking horses.   He can run really fast, too.

This past weekend was the Merdeka (Independence) Day holiday here in Malaysia and Kenny celebrated by getting a new wading pool and spent hours splashing away happily. If he were allowed to, we're sure he would stay in the pool until he turned blue!

As for Daddy, his new semester at UTP is now almost half over.  It's amazing how fast the time flies by.  On August 20-21, he was back in Kuala Lumpur to chair the 5th Annual Contact Centre Asia Conference, hearing some good presentations and meeting new colleagues from around the region.

So all and all, things continue to go very well for the little family.   Ipoh is really feeling like our first home these days and, between school, work and playtime there never seems to be a shortage of things going on.  Be sure to check out the latest photos (there's lots of them) and videos of Mommy's trip to Anaheim and Kenny's activities on these links.  We'll write again soon ...

10.03.2008 - With moving and starting new jobs, the little family hadn't been having much "fun time" recently so we took last weekend off for a nice little holiday.   We drove back to Putrajaya and spent Saturday and Sunday at Cyberview Lodge - Kenny's favourite hotel in the whole world.   On the way, we stopped at a mall for a little shopping and a sushi lunch (Kenny had rice!).   Then it was on to the hotel, where he spent hours running across the lawns, exploring the grounds and splashing in the swimming pool. He liked swinging back and forth in a big hammock most of all!   Later that evening, he got online from the computer in the hotel room to check out his website and re-read all your lovely messages in the guest-book!

The next morning, he woke up Daddy and Mommy nice and early and, after a big buffet breakfast, it was back into the pool again.   Daddy spent some of the time eating oranges and reading the newspaper in the sunshine, while Mommy tried to ride Kenny's inflatable motorcycle.   Finally, we all climbed back into the car and made the trip back to Ipoh to get ready for nursery school, lecture preparations and another week of adventures!