GARGANTUAN steps

Monday, December 08, 2025

letters to a daughter - a little three-sure

My dearest Elizabeth~

Happy 3rd birthday to you!!! And how you've grown over the past one year - as you can see from the pictures, your closely cropped hair has now grown to one where it can be easily braided. You've also grown to be so chatty and so vivacious, and sometimes, your energy is just impossible to contain. You scream and you shout to get what you want, you fight tooth and nail just to get your way, you manipulate with your tears and your pouts to get others to do your bidding. You are, in all sense of the word, a little princess! But you are very much loved by those around you, for being the life of the party with your tricks and your antics, and we can't help but be entirely smitten by them. 

The last year has gone by in a flash (a recurring theme for me), and it has been a busy year for you as well. You started the year off at a new school, you've done quite a bit of travelling, and you're just on the cusp of being potty-trained (just for the day though!) But that's much faster than your brothers. You're still totally infatuated with the colour orange, and now on top of that, cats! Populated in your cot, just before you sleep, are orange toy cars, orange toy fighter jets, an orange cat etc. Just about anything orange demands your attention. It is quite adorable, but also really peculiar!

Meanwhile, for your second birthday celebration, we had lunch with 爷爷 and 奶奶, as well as uncle Ben and his family, at Diamond Kitchen at Laguna Park. Your birthday is also a really special day because 爷爷 and 奶奶 got married on the same day way back in 1980! So I think that makes you extra special to them as well. After you had your afternoon nap, we were off to an indoor playground where you just couldn't let go of a toy orange and a toy mini-pumpkin. I really wonder if you'll ever grow out of it, but I secretly hope you don't!


Celebrating your birthday at Diamond Kitchen


Carrying your orange fruits around the indoor playground


With mama


And with papa


One more slice of cake to end off the day's celebration

You begun the year at your new pre-school, Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Pre-School, which both of your brothers attended. One is for the ease of fetching you back and forth together with Daniel, and also, because it is a really good school! Both your brothers learnt a lot there, with their Chinese improving by leaps and bounds, and also learning important lifelong skills and values, which are even more important. Your previous pre-school mostly taught in English, and papa and mama felt it paramount that you get a better education in Chinese since we mostly converse in English back at home. After a few days of fretting and adjusting to a new school environment, you have now taken to it like a fish in water, and absolutely love school! I'm really pleased about that, and it makes me happy that this is a really good school for my children to be educated in.


Kor kor Daniel being the older brother and showing you around the school during orientation


Kor kor Daniel accompanying you on the first day of school


N1 Care Class photo


Individual shot with a bunny


Together with kor kor Daniel


After your school performance
You are such an engaging performer, and despite being the youngest in your class, you are probably the most fearless, and the teachers had no qualms about putting you right in front of the stage


Here you are, right in front of the stage with your classmates

Since your last birthday, we have been on a few family trips, each one a little more exciting then the previous one! And this year, we are even spending your birthday all the way in London, although it'll be a particularly cold one. We went to Ipoh during the December 2024 holidays, for a little foodie trip, plus some amusement park fun for the boys! But I think you're still a little small to enjoy such holidays thoroughly, but I'm sure you will once you stop having to nap in the afternoon. Most afternoons, whilst the boys were out having fun, you were having a nap in a pram, and typically being pushed around by papa! How I wish we could swap places and I could have an afternoon nap. In Ipoh, we visited a pomelo plantation, although the weather entirely unappetising. We then spent a day visiting Ipoh town itself, together with its delectable selection of food. I must admit though, that as papa and mama hopped from breakfast place number one to breakfast place number two, all your stomachs were already filled. Such a pity! The last day in Ipoh was spent visiting the amusement park the Lost World of Tambun. You got to feed some bunnies, but mostly, you spent a good proportion of your time napping in the pram. 


All drenched at the pomelo farm in Ipoh


Jumping with the Ipoh street art


Sharing a few bowls of their Funny Mountain tau huay 


Feeding a bunny at the Lost World of Tambun


Napping in the cooling shade beside the hippopotamus enclosure


Posing with mama

Our next trip as a family was during the June holidays, where we went together with uncle Ben, aunty Lynette, and kor kor Raphael as well, to Danang in Vietnam. I've written more about it in my blog (https://gargantuansteps.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-sun-sand-and-sea.html) and you can read it there! This is the first holiday as a family that I've written about on my blog - usually, I'm just too tired after a trip to type one up, but I made an effort this time round. The weather in Danang was incredibly hot, but we stayed at a lovely resort and that was well worth the trip itself! We tried to do some sight-seeing but I've come to the conclusion that a holiday for kids should remain as that, and not be squashed with adult-catered activities. Visiting ancient temple ruins just doesn't cut it for little children such as yourself, and we adults too couldn't appreciate as well as we could! But never mind, it was still quite the experience! We visited another amusement park - the Ba Na Hills - which required us to take a 30-40 minute cable car ride up. You didn't get to try any rides since you were below the height requirements, so once again, you and papa found a cosy cool corner to have an afternoon nap. My Son was the Hindu temple complex ruins that we visited but was barely appreciated because it was just too terribly hot. We then spent a day in the old town of Hoi An though we spent a lot of time finding a cool place for respite. Our final morning was spent climbing the Marble Mountains, which was right beside our hotel, which offered us some splendid views of the surrounding, before we had to head back home to Singapore.


Waiting for our flight at Changi Airport


Atop Ba Na Hills with the Golden Bridge behind 


An afternoon siesta in the French section of Ba Na Hills


At the Hindu temple complex ruins of My Son (pronounced Mee Sorn)


Posing with mama and kor kor Nathan and Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu god


Standing on your reflection by the beach


Building sandcastles 


Burning in Hoi An by the Thu Bon river


Feeding the bunnies at our resort


Instagram pose with mama at our resort


Pointing to your zodiac on Marble Mountains - the Ti-Girl


At the peak of Marble Mountains

Here are a few photos with those closest and dearest to you! I hope these will bring you smiles when you read this when you're older. First up, the Ting family.


Celebrating Christmas with a self-constructed Nativity Scene by 婆婆, with help from her grandchildren


Chinese New Year in matching orange outfits with 婆婆 and 公公


Along the Mandai Board walk with Uncle and Aunty Chok, who had flown all the way from Vancouver

And here are some with the Yan-side of the family, with your cousins, both near and far. This time, even more cousins from England came to Singapore than just jie jie Morgan. 


Christmas at grand-aunty Lucy's place, together with Graham in the high chair (unfortunately Gwyneth was having her afternoon nap)


You with Gwyneth!


Resting in a shady area at Bollywood Farms after a morning spent at Hay Daries


CNY visiting at grand uncle and aunty Ong's house


The annual family shot with the grandchildren and 爷爷 and 奶奶


爷爷 feeding you on your birthday! You are his dearest


Celebrating 奶奶's 70th birthday!


Jie jie Morgan was around to celebrate as well


With your cousins (and my cousin) from UK! That is Nigel with his two daughters - Heather (centre) and Ruby (centre right)

Here are some photos of you with your older brothers! Being the youngest, they give in to you the most. And you are also the loudest, and demand, very loudly for your share (and more), expecting everyone to give in to you. Which we do, most of the time. You're very lucky to have two lovely older brothers who are always on the look out for you! May you all continue to love one another deeply, and always remember that as a family, it is important to stick together and be there for one another! That's what papa and mama would want most of all for the three of you.


Celebrating Christmas with your party hats


Celebrating New Year's day at Marine Cove


Matching outfits (from papa) on the first day of Chinese New Year


Exploring a new playground at Chinese Gardens

And here are photos of our family, which are most precious to papa and mama! I rarely get a chance to be in the photo with you all (since papa is usually the one holding the camera). But it's alright, I quite enjoy taking nice photos of you all too, and I enjoy looking back at them even more. I hope you and your brothers will do too!


Customary family shot for CNY


At the Jurassic World exhibit at Gardens by the Bay


Exploring the southern-most end of Singapore - at Sentosa

Finally, here are some solo photos of you! You clearly are the most photogenic amongst the three, and also the most charming of the lot. It is an innate ability of yours, and you really know how to tug at our heart strings. Not sure how you achieve it so effortlessly as well, but you can see the photos for yourself! Papa is going to have to guard you very closely as you grow older!


With Chako - grandaunty Lucy's dog


Posing with a yellow umbrella at Dunbar


Punk girl look!


Too noisy!


'I know I'm pretty but please do not touch me.'
Definitely going to be a heart-stopper


With your Viet Cong get-up post-Danang


You love wearing anything orange, especially if they belong to mama. I'm not too sure I want you to be a Paediatrician though


With your orange 小猫咪
Papa and mama can't stop buying you orange cat-related stuff, mama especially 

Here's wishing you the happiest 3rd birthday! May you continue to love so unconditionally, laugh even more unrestrictedly, and bring joy to those around you like you've done all these years. Hope you'll stop screaming to get what you want though - I'm perfectly fine if you pout (haha) to get your way. Remember that you are always well loved by those around you and remain an important part of our lives! 


Happy 3rd birthday, Elizabeth!

posted by Gabriel Yan at 8:00 AM

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