Get yourself a panini maker.

The previous weekend we had a blast at A famosa, Melaka. During Matta Fair Sep10, I rented a 4 bedroom banglo, fits 12ppl, with a private pool for a FREAKING RM310 for 3days 2 nights. DAMN CHEAP RIGHT!!!!!!!

So I gathered my parents, grandparents and my aunt's family with her 4 boys(it wouldn't be a blast without them) to join us. I also bought 10 tics at RM50 for 3 parks and that was also cheap considering the original price is double that.

Anyway.. going back to the topic of the post, the banglo didn't allow us to cook. So there was no stove or bbq pit. Bummer.

But I did bend the rules and brought my panini maker so that at least we could make some breakfast or supper. With that many boys they eat like nobody's business and we had to bring some food because their eating time is like all over the place.

Seriously, go get yourself one. You think its only for making paninis.. but its not. I used it to cook my sausages, eggs and sandwiches. Sure you can get an induction cooker, but than you have to bring your pots and pans with you right. But with the panini maker all you need is 1 thing to make your english breakfast.. your panini maker.

I bought mine in Perth at Target. I tried looking for one in Malaysia but never had any luck. I haven't checked Harvey Norman's though. But seriously..I sooo recommend it. Mine only cost me around AUD 45. That's roughly less than RM150.

Month of weddings

Since december is a month of weddings (yelah..cuti sekolah kan) Here's a poem dedicated to all the newly wed couples. Personally it describes my exact reason why I chose to marry Asa. Especially the 2nd para. hehehe

Why Marriage? Mari Nichols-Haining

Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person,
With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body...

Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me,
Who won't hold them against me,
Who loves me when I'm unlikable,
Who sees the small child in me, and
Who looks for the divine potential of me...

Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night
With someone who thanks God for me,
With someone I feel blessed to hold...

Because marriage means opportunity
To grow in love in friendship...

Because marriage is a discipline
To be added to a list of achievements...

Because marriages do not fail, people fail
When they enter into marriage
Expecting another to make them whole...

Because, knowing this,
I promise myself to take full responsibility
For my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness
I create me, I take half of the responsibility for my marriage
Together we create our marriage...

Random..

I don't mind going out of my way for someone who would do the same for me, but I do mind for someone who won't.

I'm just saying.

Alimkids playgroup

Since April 2010, I've been sending Azalia to a weekly class with Alimkids playgroup. I stumbled across the playgroup when I was googling for weekend play sessions because I thought its time Azalia learn socialise. Then I found ummikusayang website and it lead me to its branch in TTDI. It was a home based playgroup ( but will soon move to Kota Damansara) and the session lasts an hour.

At first Azalia was a bit hesitant which is understandable because it's her first 'schooling' experience.. but I could see she's starting to take interest as she participated in the arts and crafts session and enjoyed it and started interacting with teacher Fatin. So I immediately enrolled her and till this day she looks forward to going to teacher Fatin's class every Saturday.

What I like about the program is it teaches them the basics like alphabets, numbers, colours and animals.. but these are taught using the khalifah concept where they incorporate Islam in the basics. Azalia easily grasp the concept of Islam through the songs she learned and I never imagined that at 3 my daughter would already know her 5 pillars of Islam and started asking questions to understand them further.

And it is not only Azalia who learn things in the playgroup. I also learned a few stuff by observing the teacher's interactions with her. I was able to learn ways of teaching my own daughter. I was also made aware of a lot of suitable learning products to make learning fun for her which is a bonus in my opinion.

The new modules are going at RM200 and each module has 8 classes.Seriously I think this is cheaper than other playgroups that I've surveyed. Most are going for more than RM180 per month and that's 4-5 classes only(I'm comparing with PJ area here so kalau ada murah dkt area lain tatau ye). They have several branches around KL in Selangor. The program is suitable for kids from 2-4 year old and I highly recommend them. Since it's a playgroup.. mothers sit with their kids in these sessions. You can visit their website for further info.

ASB dividend 2010

It was announced today that the dividend for ASB will be 7.50sen and bonus 1.25sen. I guess a lot of people are celebrating today.. yes?? no??

Bruno Mars - Count on me

Work = blankie.. Gasp!!!

The blankie is very important to Azalia. She loves it and it literally is her security blanket.Anyway..I think she sees work as being my blankie. Reasons for my conclusion..

1. The last post on her blankie.

2. We were doing one of her activity books and we were required to draw our favourite things. She of course wants me to draw for her, her blankie. Once I finished she suddenly said... "mak draw lah work mak dekat sebelah blankie tu"

That hit me.

I guess it makes sense she thinks that way. After all I HAVE to leave her on the weekdays to go to work. AND whenever I study or at the computer I would say I'm doing work (even when I'm surfing... hmmmm maybe I shldn't really say I'm working..my bad). And most of the time.. when the babysitter takes time off.. Asa would take care of her and I would go to work because he has more annual leaves than I do and the arrangement makes practical sense.

I wonder if this is a bad thing. I hope she doesn't think work takes precedence than her. Although it might look that way but if she needs me to be with her..I would drop everything in a second. Note.. I'm saying need and not want. She wants me all the time.. heck.. she wants everything.. like all the books in MPH. ok I'm going off topic here.

nyway... I know she loves me more than her blankie.. she said so herself.. so I think she knows I love her more than work. It's not that I love work.. I like working but it really is more of a need and have to work than want to work right now.

Anyway... I'm just saying, work is important because basically it is Amanah... but you are my biggest Amanah so you take precedence everytime Azalia.

p.s: Just in case you're wondering when your bigger and thinking I love work more than you do.. :)

When out of sight........

Azalia came into the room while I was surfing and told me she wanted to play with scissors. So I went to my craft box and took out a pair and searched for some papers for her to cut them. Then we went into the living room and she sat down on the floor and I put the scissors and papers in front of her.

I sat on the sofa and waited for her to start cutting. She looked at me and said

"Mak masuklah bilik"

I was surprised. She always wants me to do things with her I asked her why and she repeated the same thing.. but with a mischievous grin on her face. I knew something was up.. and told her I'm not going anywhere..and knows she's up to something.

She grinned and stared at me for a few seconds before taking out my green thick double sided tape from under her bum

"Alia ada ni.. heheheh"

Apparently she swiped it from my table and wanted to cut them but knew I won't allow her too so that's why she told me to go to my room.

Bertuah bertuah.

BTW.. this is not the first time she does this. Take note.. if your toddler gladly wants you out of their sight... they are almost always up to something no good. I learned my lesson the hard way. She poured baby powder all over her toys and books when I thought she was watching tv quietly.

Buy buy buy... kids nowadays...

Today in MPH Azalia wanted to buy 3 books ( she already bought 2 last week and 1 the week before, so seriously this buying book thing can't happen every week) so I told her no, she can buy this in a few weeks time because she has too many of them and have not finish doing/reading them.

After all her pujuk rayu tak dilayan ...guess what she said.

" Mak, Alia ada idea. Kita kasi orang buku Alia yang lama lepas tu kita beli buku baru. Haaaa.. macam tu boleh lah. Ok Mak!!!"

I like that she's thinking of giving away her stuff but the thought of her buying and not using and giving them to others just so she can buy another one is NOT something I want her to learn so I had to firmly say no.

She wailed and cried in MPH OU that all heads turned and apparently Asa who is in the floor downstairs can hear her cry too. Oh well... life's tough. You can't really get everything that you want Azalia. Most of the time you have to earn it. Jadi maknye pun tebalkan muka and walked out the store with a whateverlah-labu face.

Of course.. that cry was half made up and half real so it only a distraction for her stop crying. By the time we got to the car she's all better and came up with another idea

"Balik ni.. kita buat semua buku lepas tu kasi orang lepas tu datang kedai beli lagi ok mak"

Haih.. bijak bijak... kopak kopak...I think its time to introduce her to the library.

Of fish and fridge.

Azalia wants a pet. She wants a fish. A pink fish to be exact. I told her to ask Abah. So when Asa got back from work.. she asked

Azalia: Abah, Alia nak fish

Abah: (who couldn't hear clearly because he was hungry) Kan dah ada.

Azalia: Tak ada lah.

Abah: Kan atuk baru beli. Mari sini Abah tunjuk (he brought her to the new fridge my parents recently bought). Ni ha.. baru lagi.

Azalia: Itu fridge lah bah. Alia nak fish..

Asa..still blur

my sister who overheard: Fish lah.. ikan.

Asa: Oh... (slaps his head) Kalau abah tak kasi beli mcm mana

Azalia: Alia beli sendiri lah. (said as matter of factly)

Asa: (dumbfounded... I... want.... food.. can..not...think..any...more.)

1 big happy family.

Right now I have 5 kids in the house. 4 boys and 1 girl. I have to be their mother, entertainer and housekeeper.

They bring me joy and anger at the same time. I can laugh my head off with them in one minute and scream bloody murder the next. They seem to take advantage whenever I'm not on guard. How do mothers play and discipline their child(ren) at the same time I always wonder. No wonder my mom said.. she has to be the disciplinarian and my dad is the fun parent because... it really is hard to do both.

Kids are clever you see. They know you desperately want to be both. Especially the fun parent part. So sometimes.. they take advantage of it so that they can get what they want. People say kids are born pure and innocent.. well I say they are born a genius.

But I take comfort in knowing that even though my mom was the disciplinarian.. We still adore her now more than ever. So yeah... I want my daughter to be the best person she can be so I am willing to be the 'bad' parent now... and because she is a genius.. she will understand why I have to do the things I do now and love me for it in the future.

And for my 4 boys... After the 8th I can be their fun kakak Anis again because they'll have their own disciplinarian back. A big phew in my part... I have to say.

The birds and the bees

Azalia found a bunch of my photos during my student days in Disneyland Paris and she was like

Alia: Mak.... mana Alia.. kenapa mak tak bawak Alia pegi sini? Kenapa mak ada gambar dengan Pluto?? mana Alia mak? Ni bila?

Me: Ni dekat Disneyland lah masa mak student lah. Alia tak ada lagi.

Alia: Alia pegi mana mak?

Me: (oh no.. its too early to have this conversation!!!) Mak tak kawen dgn abah lagi macam mana Alia nak ada..

Alia: (confused face)Mana Alia mak? Alia pegi mana mak? Alia nak pegilah mak. Alia nak pegi Disneyland.

She shoved photos after photos in my face and demanded to know what is in the photo and repeatedly saying.. Alia nak pegi jugak and why I didn't bring her along.

I told her I'll bring her to Disneyland when she's older. Thank God she's satisfied with that answer and stopped with all the questions. I don't think she would understand it if I talk about the birds and the bees right now.

Hypothetically speaking.....

Me: Azalia, kalau blankie Alia hilang macam mana?

Azalia: uwaaa(starts mock crying)

Me: Azalia.. mak cakap kalau je lah.. kalau blankie hilang mcm mana?

Azalia:(stops mock crying and looks at me intently and says) Kalau kerja mak hilang macam mana.

Me:Haha.. Ok got it.

Taking a break

I've been watching Criminal Minds episodes from season 5 and 6 everyday for the past few days and I think it's time to take a break from the show. The show is excellent but I think the heinous crimes has affected me to the extent that whenever I do something as simple as walking in a dark room or close my eyes I imagine those moments before the victimes were attack or during the attack. So.. yes... although I love you CM.. but for my own sanity I will have to take a break from you... just for awhile.

The eulogy of Haley Brooks.. Hotch's wife.

Hotchner: (at Haley’s funeral) W.S. Gilbert wrote, it’s love that makes the world go ’round. And if that’s true, then the world spun a little faster with Haley in it. Haley was my best friend since we were in high school. We certainly had our struggles, but if there’s one thing we agreed on unconditionally, it was our love and commitment to our son, Jack. Haley’s love for Jack was joyous and fierce. That fierceness is why she isn’t here today. A mother’s love is an unrivaled force of nature and we can all learn much from the way Haley lived her life.

Haley’s death causes each of us to stop and take stock of our lives to measure who we are, and what we’ve become. I don’t have all of those answers for myself, but I know who Haley was. She was the woman who died protecting the child we brought into this world together, and I will make sure that Jack grows up knowing who his mother was and how she loved and protected him and how much I loved her. If Haley were with us today, she would ask us not to mourn her death, but to celebrate her life. She would tell us…she would tell us to love our families unconditionally and to hold them close cause in the end, they are all that matter.

I met Haley at the tryouts of our high school’s production of The Pirates of Penzance, I found our copy of the play and I was looking through it the other night, and I came upon a passage that seemed…appropriate for this moment. “Oh dry the glistening tear that dews that marshall cheek. Thy loving children here in them thy comfort seek. With sympathetic care, their arms around thee creep. For oh they cannot bear to see their father weep.”


I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks when I watched this. A fellow follower of the show would have understood the impact this episode had on me. Watch the episode when Haley was killed (the 100th episode) and you would understand too.

Criminal Minds mode... ON

Rossi (to the team): Can somebody explain to me the appeal of these sites? 'Having sushi tonight yum!' 'Boss is keeping me late at work Grrr...'

Morgan (to Rossi explaining the phenomenon of twitter): that’s the running joke, right? Nobody is but we’ll all like to believe that there’s an audience out there that wants to follow our every move.

From episode 5.22 - The Internet Is Forever.

"Don't hurry, Lauren. Just take it easy. Allah is waiting for you. Ignore those who tell you: you must do this, wear that, have your hair like this. Follow your instincts, follow the Holy Qur'an- and let Allah guide you."

The sheikh who converted Lauren Booth in London.

Yes you can!!

You can do anything you want to do as long as you make up your mind. You can do it.

Dick Hoyt of Team Hoyt.

p.s: so please.... make up your mind

"There are things we don't want to happen, but have to accept. Things we don't want to know, but have to learn. And people we can't live without but have to let go."

JJ in Criminal Minds

Marriage

“We need a witness to our lives. There's a billion people on the planet... I mean, what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things... all of it, all of the time, every day. You're saying 'Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness'.”

Susan Sarandon in Stepmom

P.s: And I'm happy that my husband's back from his 1 week work meeting in Mauritius :).I didn't go because tak cukup cuti.. Booooooo.

French Macaroons (Macarons) @ Babycakes G Tower

pics from eatdrinkkl.blogspot.com

They are heavenly and for RM2.20-RM2.50 a piece I don't think its too much considering the ingredients, effort and skill to produce these babies. And having them just next to my office building is just awesome because whenever I crave for something sweet I could just drop by and pop them in my mouth. Bliss..


pics from eatdrinkkl.blogspot.com


My favourite is the salted caramel and bitter chocolate. And the red velvet for me has just the right amount of cheese and sweetness. The Green Tea was an acquired taste. I liked it but my friend didn't. I find the crunchiness of the casing was just nice and made even better because they kept it in a chiller instead of room temperature. The fillings were thicker than the average macarons but that's not something I'am complaining about because they are just delightful. Although appearance wise it's not the perfect macaron (read: perfect dome and foot) but it reminded me of the large macarons I once had at Paul's in London. Plus the size is larger than the ones at Whisk.

All I can say is it's a must try for macaron lovers. If you want to give it as gift or hantaran even(so pretty as hantaran!!!) they come in a lovely black box of 8 or 15.

p.s: I've tried the ones at Whisk but the filling is much too sweet for my liking.. But that's just me.

Eid Mubarak

Wishing everyone Eid Mubarak, Maaf Zahir dan Batin.

I wish I'm in Kuching this year because Eid in KL is so quiet. When I didn't have Azalia, I didn't mind so much, but with her around, I wish that I can give her the havocness of Eid every year. Due to the number of relatives I have there.. its havoc heaven. Why lar abah dun want to raya in Kuching this year.

I have a feeling its because Mak Nek is no longer around and also since my maternal grandparents are here he feels we should spend Eid with them. Well.. that's what I think.Although he says its because our relatives are coming here the week after Eid for my cousin's wedding. Not the same lah Abah.

Don't get me wrong, I love my family and relatives in KL too.. its just that I wish we have more kids around. Normally we would have Adam and family, but since its their turn to raya in JB, and Aariff and family will be off to Perth on second day of raya so..Azalia will be the only kid running around the house this Raya.

Oh well.. I need to get my Eid spirits up.. so again.. TO EVERYONE....EID MUBARAK

Music..at its best.

Freshly baked Samperit... I like....

This raya I've decided no more biskut tunjuk2. I'm sick of buying cookies which turns out to be a disappointment. And by cookies I just mean 1. Samperit. My absolute favourite. The best was my late grandmother's Samperit. I miss her. I miss the biscuits she used to make. Its been ages since I've tasted her Samperit or others that taste similar to hers.

So I decided to try making one. Got the recipe from mat gebu. But I've decided to make it into a rectangular instead of a flower. I prefer it in that shape.

It turned out great. I was sooo happy!!! Got my dad's stamp of approval too. It wasn't exactly like my grandmother's but it's almost the same. I seriously recommend those who attempt to make Samperit to try this recipe because it's to die for. It really does melt in your mouth.

p.s: Azalia helped out in the mixing and shaping of the dough. She was in charge of cutting the dough when I've squeezed it out of the cookie shaper? Anyways... after maybe about 2 trays, she said " Dahlah mak. Alia bosan ah" APEKAH??!!! And she just left me with dozens more to go. Ape laaa...

But she loved the cookies too since it's not too sweet. Anak ku tak suka manis2. Favourtie drink pun air kosong. Tapi kaki gula2 and chocolate. Bende lain manis tak suka. Ada pelik? Memang ada sikit pelik.

Next up... Checkerboard cookies. Also can't find good ones out there. But it's such a hassle to make. I've left the dough in the chiller for 2 days now.. alamak. Hope it's still good. If not have to start all over again.

MPH Warehouse Sale - the verdict

We had a blast. Azalia and I. We were there around 9.30 only to realise it was at 10am (silly me) luckily ada playground so Azalia had a good 20 minutes of play time. Once the door opened..all system go.

We went straight to the RM5 pile (Cakap we mcm Azalia tau je what's happening, when in fact she went all excited when she saw the playhouse Disney's, Princess' and Ben 10's magazines that I had to pull her away because the sale was not good enough there).

I told her where to search for her books (in the boxes underneath the bins because there are good finds there) and we found loads of activity books for Azalia at the price of RM5 and under. We even found Angelina tin set for RM5, some Stories from Quran for kids which usually cost us RM19.90 outside but only freaking RM5 there. We had lots of fun and Azalia was a good sport (I think because she got to buy almost everything she chucked in the basket)

I bought myself a book titled " Why men can only do one thing, and women never stop talking". The title was funny and it was only RM3 so I thought why not. hehehe. A Jeffrey Archer book (LOVE IT!!) and althought I wished I could be there longer but it was getting crowded and we already spent nearly 2 hrs in there so it was time to go.

To Azalia, you've showed me you can handle the crowds at warehouse sales (the first time was at Diethelm warehouse sale) so from now on you will be my partner in crime..heheh your father will be so pleased he doesn't have to follow me around anymore. HAHHAHAAHAH.

Overall.. the sale in my opinion was good because I love books. Most items were on 30% sale. There were some new titles also on sale. Kids books are so worth it. Don't be scared to rummage through the RM2 and above bins. Be early and you'll get better air circulation in the hall. Cashiers are a plenty and they accept credit card. In total I spent RM163 for 25 books. Hehehehe... best best. Told Asa to remind me not to buy books anymore but he said when did that ever stopped me... :p.

5 is 10 bahagi 2

Its our 5th wedding anniversary today and we forgot about it.. HAHAHA

I only remembered around 11am this morning. Gave him call and wished him. His response.. "Ye ke hari ni anniversary kite. Tarikh hari ni berapa?? ooo a'ahlah. So nak buka puasa dekat luar ke?

Unfortunately I'm not feeling well sooo... no special dinner because it's just not worth it if I can't hold it in.

So..to another 5 years and more. Amin.

Must make Azalia wish us happy anniversary today.

I'm reluctant to tell my mother that it's my anniversary because it'll just remind her of the fact that her favourite aunt passed away a week after our wedding. She was my favourite grandaunt too.

Al-fatihah.

MPH Merdeka Sale

Received an SMS

Event: MPH Merdeka Sale
Date: 30/08/2010 - 05/09/2010
Location: Dewan D'Kelana, PJ

Discounts up to 70%

RM10 MPH voucher for every RM200 spent and many more for CIMB Bank credit cards.

From previous experience, the MPH sale are usually worth it. At least for kids books because I usually borong kids books during these sales.

Go check it out!!!!

Lara's Place - Baby Ballet

Saturday was Azalia's baby ballet class. We had it at Lara's Place. It was near the house so very very convenient. It was at 8.45am and as I had expected Azalia was moody that morning due to lack of sleep. That was my fault. I came back late from dinner with the girls and she waited up for me.

Anyway.. she was a bit clingy.. which was also expected but did what the teacher told her to. There were 3 other girls in her class. I thing they are around 4-5 years old. She needed a bit of a push and she wanted me to be with her all the time but I think she followed directions ok. That is until another teacher came in and suggested that maybe I wanted to wait outside so that she won't be too clingy.

That was a huge mistake. She heard and started crying. Like really bad like I was going to leave her and never come back. Tried to console her but to no avail. She kept on saying she wanted to go back. But when I asked if she wanted to do ballet she said yes but she wants to go home and she's sleepy. Hmmphhh.... after maybe 15mins of trying to console her finally she was ok and was half willingly to join the class. But then it has already finished.

But I signed her up for a month anyway because she seemed interested.

Have to make sure she sleeps early every friday night now.

The fees?

Trial class - RM10
Ad-hoc class - RM30pw
Class-monthly- RM80
Reg.Fee - RM20

P.s: heard from another mother talking about the teacher how her 4 year old daughter had a short attention span and even in mandarin class can't seem to stay put. I was like whooaaahhh 4 yo and already in mandarin class. But isn't it normal for kids to not be able to stay put for an hour at 4 yo?

Just wondering.

Ill in Perth

When in Perth, Azalia was diagnosed by the doctor as having a 'tummy virus'.

Yes we actually went to a clinic there because she was vomitting quite frequently and couldn't hold anything in. That diagnose cost us $80(no medication given but it was worth knowing she would be alright)

A day before we went, she was down with fever. But she was ok on the day we left. The next day she was alright, playing at the beach and all but that evening she started vomitting. At first I thought it was gas because she didn't have a high temperature but it turned out to be more than that when she even couldn't hold her milk in. All she could take was water. She vomitted a few times that night and even she she slept she would wake up suddenly and vomit. We went to the emergency room at the nearby hopital but they said we had to go to the children's hospital because they didn't treat children there.

We waited till morning to see her progress, and while Asa went to pick up the car, I called their healthcare line and after telling the nurse all of her symptoms they suggested I go to a nearby private clinic. It was so bloody near that I just walked there with Azalia and didn't wait for Asa. Turned out she had a tummy virus or better known as stomach flu. Or in medical terms, gastroenteritis. The doctor didn't give any medication (which I expected because when mum said australian doctors wouldn't really give any medication to young kids unless its really2 necessary) and advised me to just keep giving her water and she'll be feeling better later that night.

We were soooo relieved.

we went out to Fremantle later that afternoon because the doctor said all she needs is a lot of rest and since we'll be driving and she'll be in her stroller the whole time we're there we thought it'll be ok to get her out and have some fresh air and rest at the same time. The ride was only about 30mins and Azalia slept through it. We had a good time at the markets and Azalia just slept in her stroller. I brought a few plastic bags for her to vomit in. We used 3.

When we got back I made some soup just in case she wants to eat later that night. She looked better but suddenly she had a temperature. So I put a suppository panadol up her a$$ and let her rest. Luckily we brought Asa's laptop and her barney cds so she spent the whole time watching that. I could see the improvement from the night before. She slept and I stayed awake and watch TV. It was only around 8pm. Asa went to a BBQ at his brother's friend's place. I insist that he went because they've been so nice to invite us. Plus he could bring me something to eat. hehe.

Around 10pm Azalia woke up and her temperature's gone. She called out to me and asked for some noodle and soup. I quickly made her some and was so happy to see her slurping away. It wasn't much but she didn't vomit them out so that's good news!!!.

Next morning Azalia woke up with her usual "maaakkk bangun" And I was delighted. She even uttered an "ok, fine" which indicates that she's back to her usual self. I quickly gave her some rice and soup before we went out and she happily at them.. aaahhh all is well again.

Her name

Azalia can spell her name about a week ago.

It first started with

A-Z

then progresses to

A-Z-L

Then it improved to

A-Z-L-I

Finally she got it right

A-Z-A-L-I-A

How do u beat that??

I've read a lot of articles on how we should rationalise and explain to our child/ren on what theyshould or shouldn't do. We shouldn't just say no to this and no to that without any explanation because ...well.. I can't remember the reasons... its suppose to be good for them.

Anyway...What do you do if you have a child/ren who when you try to tell them the reason for not doing something... it backfires. You see... with child/ren, when they want something, they'll give bucketload of reasons to do it and they just won't accept your reason NOT to do it. That is why... sometimes you just have to say... BECAUSE I SAID SO. Yes it's in capital letters because I imagine it being used when the mother is at her wit's end.

An example of my own situation with Azalia

Azalia was in her carseat and rolled down the window while I was driving.

Me: Azalia, tutup tingkap

Azalia: Tak nak. Azalia nak angin. best.. weeeee!!!

Me: Azalia tutup pls. Dangerous.

Azalia: Kenapa dangerous mak?

Me: Because nanti ada car lain lalu, and you put your head or hand out nanti kene.

Azalia: Alia tak letak dekat luar lah. Alia rasa angin je lah. Car pun takde. (we were the only car on the street)

Me: Mak drive laju ni nanti angin kuat Alia terkeluar nanti.

Silence for a moment. then a seconds later.

Azalia: Mak, Alia tak terkeluar lah. Alia pakai seatbelt. Kalau Alia tak pakai seatbelt baru Alia terkeluar... Apelah Mak ni. Tak tau pulak (yes she says tak tau pulak often)

Me: Tutup je lah.

Azalia... Hmmppphhhh *grunts*

Now.....this is just one out of many occasions where Azalia would non-stop giving me excuses for doing things I tell her not to. Guess what the last sentence usually are... Just do what I tell you to.


Hahaha.

Washing dishes

I just want to record this moment. I have it on video. What moment? The moment when Azalia, at 3 years old, excitedly helped me wash the dishes after we break fast. I want to record it and show it to her when she's older and whining how she doesn't like to wash the dishes.

I want her to remember how excited she was and how happy I was when she helped me the first time. But most importantly I want her to know how proud I am that at 3 she voluntereed to help me with the dishes.

And also to remind her if she can be responsible at 3 why not when she's 13 or even 23. hehehe..

Al-Fatihah

At 3 years and 3 months, Azalia has memorised her Al-Fatihah.This was a pleasant surprise. She could recite it half way before but about 2 weeks ago I noticed her reciting it all the way. I've been reciting it to her before we go to bed ever since she was a baby and I guess that's where she picked it up. Alhamdulillah.

Ultraman

Azalia's current obsession interest is Ultraman Cosmos and Princesses. Thank God the princesses are there alhtough Ultraman Cosmos takes precedent everytime.She now has a princess school bag and pink ultraman water bottle. Nasib baik pink. At least her girly interest is still there. Current favourite colour is Black, White, Pink and Purple. She said it herself.

Since its Ramadhan, I've been trying to teach Azalia about fasting.. but she keeps on responding to it like this.

Me: Sekarang Ramadhan, bulan puasa. Semua pun puasa. tak boleh makan and minum ok.

Azalia: Alia tak puasa sebab Alia Ultraman. Ultraman tak puasa.

Pulak dah.

Perth

Our holiday was great despite a few hiccups. But hey... travelling with a 3 year old there's bound to be a few hiccups here and there.

Our biggest hiccup was Azalia getting ill from the evening of the 2nd day till the whole of next day. She was puking almost every few hours and couldn't eat anything. Everything that goes in she'll vomit them out almost immediately. We even brought her to the doctor to make sure everything was alright and he said she got a little tummy virus and it would be gone later that evening. True enough the morning of the of the 4th day she was all cheerful and we were so happy tu hear her being so noisy that morning.

Overall it was fun and 6 days is just not enough (2 were travelling days so we actually only had 4 days and everything closes at 5pm and it gets dark at 5.45pm)

I had a glimpse of a dolphin's tail at the harbour in Harbour Park (I think that's the name) but I wished I could have gone to Rockingham and fed wild dolphins. (It's closed during winter)

We shopped and I went slighlty over budget because of a purchase that I just had to made because it's really pretty. hehehe.

Perth is definitely a place I would come back to for a holiday because of its people, its laid back attitude and its attractions. We did not have time to see all of Western Australia so we definitely will come back. Plus.. its only 5-6hours flight and there's no jet lag so.. why not?? hehehehe

So here's what we did and the list of the places that we got to visit. I wished we had more time to spend on each place.

Day 1: Arrival - dinner at Taka on Barrack St.They serve Japanese and the Sushi was fresh and delish.

Day 2: Caught a train and bus to AQWA. Had fish and chips for lunch by the beach and Azalia played with the sand. hooray!! sand phobia gone. Maybe because the beach was clean. Evening - Azalia started not feeling well.

Day 3: Morning to clinic. Noon to fremantle by car (doctor said it was ok) and we spent the whole day in Fremantle markets and wanted to have dinner at the famous fish and chip joint, Cicerellos by the harbour but it was cold and Azalia was still not feeling well so we packed some for dinner and went back.

Day 4: Azalia is feeling much better!!! Off to Caversham Wildlife Park in Whiteman Park, Swan Valley to see Kangaroos, Wombat, Koalas and Wallabies. Great place!!! After that to Margaret River Choc Factory for some chocs

Day 5: Shopping day. Woke up late (so we didn't have time to go to Kings Park..boohoo). Went to Harbour Town Factory Outlet and borong Rubi shoes for myself, my sister and Azalia. Walked to the Swan River at night and took pictures of the city lights and the Bell Tower.

Day 6: Souvenior shopping day and off to the airport around noon.Sob Sob.

Now I'm back at work and feeling miserable.. Sigh... its the holiday blues.

P.S: Happy Ramadhan everyone. Do not over feed yourself during Iftar K.

Bila nak tak ade, Bila tak nak...merata2 ada.

I'm talking about macaroons.

Had a craving for them since early this year and I can't find any. Then when my sister went for her euro trip last month, I begged her to bring them back for me from London. And bring them she did all 2 dozens of them.

Now that I've satisfied my cravings suddenly they popped like mushrooms all around me. First I found out they are sold at Whisk in Empire, and then in G Tower right next door to my office building.

Sheesh...

Hence the title for today's entry.

Passport Malaysia - Info for Sarawakian in Semenanjung Malaysia

Apparently getting a Sarawak Malaysian Passport in Semenanjung will take you 5 working days instead of 1 day. Plus.. you have to apply on a work day and not a weekend.

Because of this we ended up going to the Immigresen 3 times to do Azalia's passport. 1 time because system was down. 2nd time we only found that we can't do it on a weekend. and the 3rd... finally we submitted our form. We have to go on our 4th trip to pick up the passport.

Anyway... what you'll need in is:

2 copies of birth cert
2 copies of ic
2 pictures.

And then wait for 5 workings days to pay and collect the passport because the Imigresen Department in Sarawak will have to do the passport.

The difference?

Well... you'll have a K instead of A(for Selangor) and I guess you're considered a Sarawakian. Oh ya... only Sarawakian can apply for this laa.. (Duuh)

Funny thing is... Although I'm the one with the Sarawak blood in me, Asa was the one who insisted on it. I just thought it was a hassle and wanted to settle with whatever is the fastest.

So don't wait till the last minute and expect it to be done in a day ok??!!

P.s: I'm posting this because I'm pissed this info was not in the Imigresen Dept Website and I ended up taking several trips to the dept. Sheesh.

Blood test result

The results of the blood test I took came back (well actually it came back a few weeks ago but I'm just not into sharing at the time) and everything came back negative, except for one (but they said that one is unlikely because we had Azalia). So that means there's nothing wrong with my blood that causes the miscarriages.

How do I feel(at the time)?

To be honest, I felt worse. Why? Because if there was something wrong then I would know how to fix it but since there's nothing wrong.. and nothing to explain the miscarriages I'm left with the unknown and that sucks. I should be thankful I know but I so badly want a reason to why everything happened the way it happened that I can't be grateful that everything's fine. This just makes me more hesitant to get pregnant because.... I seriously DO NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER ANYMORE. But I do want another child. So how??

The other day Azalia said she wants adik. and she asked me

"Mak.. kenapa adik lari mak. Kenapa adik takde dalam perut mak?"

Heartbreaking innit. I just said that God loves adik more and they are with Him and not with us. One day insyaAllah you'll have a sister or a brother. If not you'll always have me... InsyaAllah.

But the truth is I no longer picture myself with another child. I think that maybe it's not meant for me. Call me pessimistic but I just have that feeling.

I told Azalia that I'll be one clingy mother because she's the only daughter that I have. So beware future Azalia's husband because her mother will always be with her..hehehehe.

Anyhoo... I'm late last month and I checked and it was negative and I was relieved because having had 3 miscarriages I no longer look forward to being pregnant. I want to be pregnant and I want more kids but those miscarriages have taken away the joy of being pregnant and finding out that I am pregnant. We're won't stop trying because.. we're only 27. BUT.. I know that deep down I am hesitant because like I said.. I'm scared. And thats the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me GOD!!. I guess Allah knows best and it's best that I put my faith in him. But that doesn't stop me from feeling the way I am feeling.

Of Reading,Spelling and my merapu-ness.

I've decided that I'm going to start teaching Azalia how to read. Sure she loves books. Everyday before going to sleep she insists on reading a book and she reads like.. a lot(although I know she memorises the stories and look at the pictures and not actually reading)yeah she can recognise a few words and sometimes I think she actually memorises them. But I want her to know how to read. Like proper reading. Like if I show her any word she would know.

She knows all her alphabets ages ago but now I want her to know how to put them together and form a word. Yes... reading. Not memorising, not just recognising w-a-t-e-r is water but knowing w-a is wa and t-e-r is ter and if there's w-a-f-e-r she would its wafer and not water. You get what I mean.

I might be too hard on her but then again...apparently primary school nowadays is was advances so I have to start now...takde dah 1+1 dah in primary 1.

I have nothing against flashcard but personally I think its more of memory rather than knowing how to spell. Yes.. I want her to know how to spell.

Reading with her will widen her vocabulary and phonics might help her to recognise the words but I want her to learn how to spell.

Yes spelling. I want to teach her how to spell and that will lead her to knowing how to read. Sure it'll take longer but I believe that it'll benefit her more in the long run.

I won't cast phonics aside altogether but I want to do both spelling and phonics together.

We started tonight and I think it won't go as smoothly as I hope because guess what... she inherited my ability to simply not ignore my mother and in her case.. I'm the mother so woe is me. I guess what goes around comes around.

Must.try.harder.No.Giving.Up.

Cikgu dengar.. mak tak dengar... aisehman. Oh yeah.. Azalia still attends her playgroup (alimkids playgroup) and she loves it and can't have enough of it. Kalau boleh tiap2 hari nak pergi rumah teacher Fatin.

Still a long way.... from being a minimalist.

I've been reading a lot of stuff on being frugal/minimalist etc. I just love the idea of being less of a consumer and not having a lot of stuff. Coming from a family of 'collectors' I know how easy it is to fall into the Don't-throw-I'might-need-it-later mindset. Just a few days ago I was getting rid of my baju kurung from way way way back when I was a teen(they are still in good condition and the only reason I don't wear them now is because of design) and I was thinking maybe I should keep them in case I want some materials to play with when I feel like teaching myself sewing.

Before I started having any more ideas I quickly stuffed everything in the plastic bag and put them in the donation pile.

Phew. That was close.

At least I didn't have any trouble donating my shoes. Anything that is uncomfortable goes straight into the donation pile.

I've already sorted Azalia's clothes and toys that are still in good condition but I still have not made any decisons on what to do with them.I'm still contemplating whether to donate them or keep them...you know... in case we have another baby girl.

Plus.. there's also the keepsake factor. You see my parents have kept some of our toys and good clothes for their cucu tu wear. Time and time again I've ridiculed them from keeping and bringing them to each new place we moved as I grew up(and we moved from Sarawak to PJ ok so that was really a commitment taking those clothes with us). But my mom were adamant in keeping them despite all the hassle. Then finally when Azalia arrived in the world, my mom washed those clothes and proudly put them on Azalia and seeing that made me want to keep her clothes for my own cucu to wear. But seriously... is it worth it? Maybe just a few? We'll see.

But I really want to clear those spaces because I hate knowing that deep in the cupboards I have tons of stuff just lying there... not being used.

Hmmm... decisions decisions. Need.to.decide.soon.

At least Asa's stuff is kept at a minimum.hehe.

Next up..... my handbags.(oopsss.. just bought a new one yesterday... ;-p what a minimalist wannabe. blurghhh)

p.s: Just got back from a 2 hour massage and body scrub with Deenz and it was just what I needed. The massage was just the right pressure and I chose a ginger scrub to 'buang angin' and it worked. A lot of angin came out (atas k bukan bawah) after we finished. Was tempted to get the package but it was way out of my budget. Sigh. Maybe next time. Thanks everyday.com.my for the voucher!!! (we only paid RM80 for it.. hehe)

Should I or shouldn't I

Asa just got news that he's going for a meeting in

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MAURITIUS!!!!!!!

Huhuu... I am so tempted to go. Checked the price for flight tickets and it's RM5-6k per person.. huhuhu..

Did I say I'm soooo tempted to go!!!!!

If I go.. should I bring Azalia along. I mean... she would have a great time there kan!! Plus Asa will be at work most of the time and my plan (if I go) was to go nearing the end and maybe he extends his stay for another 2 days so that he can spend time with me/us, but in the mean time I'll just wonder around Mauritius on my own (with Azalia if I decide she comes along) hehehehehe.

But if I bring her around than that'll add maybe another RM3k (If the airline has half price for kids) and.. the almost 24hour flight would be soooooo looonnnng with a toddler and I don't think I can handle it.

ARGHHHHHHHH

Decisions..decisions...

Should I go or shouldn't I??? let's decide on that first..

THE PLACE IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! KALAU TAK PEGI SKRG BILE!!????!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe we can make it our 2nd honeymoon???!!??? kekekekekeke

GILE BEST HONEYMOON DEKAT MAURITIUS!!!!!

Ok I'm about to go bonkers here because the thought (ni baru the thought) of going is soooo exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alia goes pee pee.

Yep... today I mark the day my daughter went to the toilet on her own.

Not her potty but the toilet.

You see, Ever since she's been diaperless, I've been training her to use the toilet because the potty is such a hassle to clean and when we're out there's no potty and there's no way I'm going to bring her potty everywhere. But I know at her sitter's she still goes to the potty. And sometimes when she needs to go she would do it on her own at the potty because it's reachable, unlike the toilet. Anyway at home she would usually ask me to bring her because she can't get to the bowl. But today she did it all on her own.

What happened was I was on the computer.. surfing, and Azalia was playing in the living room. Suddenly I heard her opening the bathroom's door and moved her bathroom bench(she uses it to get to the sink to wash her hands, brush her teeth etc)I called out to her to ask what she's doing. She mumbled something and I went to the bathroom to see, and lo and behold, she's already on the toilet bowl doing her business pants down and everything. She looked up to me and said

"Alia kencinglah Mak"

Good girl!!!!

Now all you have to do is learn to clean yourself up and mummy will be one happy lady!!!

heheheheeh

Tada, kimi wo aishiteru

*snort*

I cried buckets watching this.

And I'm not a mushy type of person.

But this movie was so simple, beautiful and meaningful.

No one said"I love you" directly but it was said and shown in so many ways.

I love love this movie.

The ending was bitter sweet but I wouldn't change it. Not even a bit.

Plus the photographs taken in this movie were awesome!!!

*snort*

How affected I was with the movie?? well... I was telling the story to Asa and I had tears in my eye. So sad.. So hauntingly beautiful.

Of Kucing and Kuching

1.
On the plane

Me: We're going to Kuching
Azalia: (Jumping ecstatically) Yeay yeay.. Kuching.

Arrived at Kuching airport

Azalia: Looked out the window and asked me.. Kucing mana mak?
Me: Ni lah kuching
Azalia: Tak... Kucing meow meow mana mak??

2.
In the car going to my aunt's place after the wedding reception

Azalia: Alia nak balik rumah kita mak
Me: Kita dekat kuching lah.. rumah kita jauh
Azalia: Ooohh kita nak balik rumah Kucing?
Me: Kita nak balik rumah mak bon (thats what we called my aunt)
Azalia: Mak bon to kucing?

I think my little girl is a bit confused on Kuching the place and kucing the cat.

Going back was AWESOME!!!

Going back to Kuching was just AWESOME!!!And already I'm thinking of when we're going back there. I hope it won't be another year till we go back again. Abah please raya Kuching this year.. pls pls.

Sister is on her euro trip when we got back so our floor of the house is a mess. Spent half a day cleaning it up and I haven't even started with her room.

Back at Kch I think our waist grew a couple of inch wider because other than going to the wedding all we did was eat and sleep.

My dad threw a small party to celebrate Azalia's and my cousin's wedding the evening we arrived and looking at all my younger cousins playing with my dad brought back memories of the times when my older couins and I were their age. Yeah... everytime my dad was around, the cousins would gather and play all the outdoor kg games. He was the entertainer of our school holidays back in the days.. and apparently still is. He was always great with kids.

Azalia on the other hand was a bit hostile towards everyone in the beginning.. and I mean.. EVERYONE. I guess she was so used to being alone that when there're all this people fussing over her and wanting to play with her she got a bit overwhelmed. Plus it didn't help that my aunties loved to tease her. She was also very verbal about telling people off and I think she got that from me. Which is a reminder for me to really watch what I say and do because she's mimicking me all the ways and my behaviour is not the best model for ANYONE.I was hoping she would follow her father's more gentle and well behaved behaviour. Sigh.

But she warmed up to her little aunties (a.k.a my cousins) and started joining them. Although kejap2 she would ask me if we can go back and then when I said no she would continue playing with them.

Alwi was also there and he was the center of everyone's attention because they haven't seen him since birth.

The wedding was also great and it brought everyone together one roof and it was a huge roof too.

All in all... I love going back and I love the fact that Asa loves going back too and I think Azalia also loves going back too although she really needs to get used to the many many relatives that we have back there.

And we're leaving on flight AK5204.

Yeay!!!

Tomorrow we're off to Kuching for my cousin's wedding. It was ages since I last went back. The last time was about 1 year ago. Didn't realise it was that long. Anyway.. I can't wait because the atmosphere back in Kuching is just wonderful. It's going to be loud, chaotic and just pure awesomeness!!!!

Too bad we're only spending 4 days there. After that I have to hit the books and only have about 6 days before my paper. Somehow after the exam I took last week, I can't seem to focus on this one. My mind is already on that holiday we're going to have in August.

CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT TOOO!!!!!!!!!

Ahhhhhh so many good things to look forward to.

On the downside.. Asa has been really busy this past few weeks. He comes back in the middle of the night, and at one time.. 4 in the morning. Sheesh.I just hope his work schedule would get better starting tomorrow. I'd hate to see him on the phone..working. Azalia even has grown accustomed to not seeing her Abah at home and would automatically say Abah is at work or Abah is doing work when I ask her about him. At one point she even nagged.. "Abah work aje."

Speaking of the little one... she's going to be 3 tomorrow!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALIA!!!

I have no idea what to give her. She kept on saying she wants a toy (and sometimes she would say a book) but what toy or book. Dah banyak dah buku!!!!??!! Her babysitter got her a talking baby doll.. She loves it!!!! Hmmmmm should I get her playdough????

I should finish packing. Latersss~~

The dreaded 3 letters of the month.... P.M.S

Last weekend I was PMSing. Worst thing about it... I didn't realise I was so there were a lot of emotional roller coaster going on and the one who had to suffer it most are my family because I was on leave the whole week.

You see.. if I knew I was PMSing then I would have known that was the reason behind my moodiness and would have stopped myself from thinking others had something to do with it .But since I didn't know, everyone... and I mean eevveerrryyyonnneeee in my family got a piece of my emotions. And they were not very pleasant and pretty.

I hate it when I'm PMSing because I can be the least likeable person EVER!!!!!!!!Even I can't stand myself. That is why I would always try to be aware of myself when I'm PMSing. But this time I missed it because after 4 months of no period I forgot how it felt like. Non-family members won't really notice. Good friends would notice because I would keep to myself more. Family would definitely notice because they are the ones who I show my emotions to. Trust me... when I'm like that, you do not want to be my family.

And you know to whom I felt guilty the most??!!! AZALIA!!

Huhuhuh sorry sorry..I thought last week would be a good week to spend some time with you. But instead you ended up with a very grouchy mother.

Sheesshhh...

Now that I'm in my 3rd day, I'm all cheerful again.I wasn't even angry when Azalia spilled water when she was painting today.


Till next month....sigh.

p.s: I miss the 10-month-period-free time I had after I gave birth because seriously.. I had NO mood swings AT ALL during that time.

Pants on the floor!!!!

Today Azalia ran after Adam and her pants fell down.(the pants were loose because I couldn't be bothered to buy a belt and thought she would fill it up soon but apparently my child is not a big eater and it would be awhile before she fills those pants up.. sigh)

What did she do?? She continued running and shouting "Adam, Adam". And when I finally pulled her pants up and she continues running while holding on to her pants at the back...

My mom couldn't stop laughing and singing William Hung's "Pants on the ground" which coincidentally was on American Idol a few nights back.

Should have had my camera with me.

p.s: Azalia now refers to American Idol as Idol, Glee as geli, The Oprah Winfrey Show as Opwah and The Suze Orman show as suze omen. This is the result of the tug-0-tv-war she has with my mom to watch playhouseDisney in my mom's room.

Wanna be lucky???

We always here people who complain saying how they're never lucky with queues or parking, or luck was never on their side when it comes to getting that bag u wanted so much on sale or getting good deals at warehouse sales or those free seats on A*ras*a.

I believe it is not luck that we should be banking on but proper planning. I am a planner. I plan the time to go out and what route I should take to avoid traffic. I plan the day and time I grocery shop because I don't want to be stuck searching for a parking space or waiting in a long queue and . I plan my shopping and when I shop so that I don't waste and I get the things I want at a sale. I plan my travels so that I get really good hotels at bargain prices and get those cheap seats.

I realise that when I don't plan.. that's when I am stuck with all the things that you would consider unlucky.

Here are some tips..to get"lucky".

1.Grocery shopping

DO NOT do your grocery shopping on the weekend that you get your pay. Chances are everyone gets their pay the same week, so everyone would be doing their grocery shopping on the same weekend. If you really have to go, do it in the morning. At least you don't have to search for a parking space for too long. This saves time AND petrol.

2. Bills and banking

Do your bill payments and banking online. If you really have to queue, go early in the morning. Do not go nearing lunch time because it is more convenient for most people to take early lunch to settle any banking or bill payments.

3. Park

The further the parking space, the less people would want to park there. So.. do not waste time searching for a parking space near the entrance. Go straight to the back and park there if no parking space is visible once you enter. Another tip, if you see someone exiting and heading towards the parking space, follow them. Most of the time I get my parking space is by stalking these people. hehehehe.

4. Travel

Go on holidays on a non-school holiday. If you're single or married with no children, go during weekdays. You'll find that the hotel offer better rates as it's a non-peak season.

5. ASK for discounts

Don't be afraid to ask for discounts or free gifts. Call up your bank's customer hotline and request for a waiver on the annual fee of your credit card. Most of the time they would gladly do so because it's easier to hold on to their customer then to get a new one. ASK the sales person of your favourite store if they can give a discount on that item you really and if they can't, then ask them when's the next store sale and when the item's going to be on sale. When you buy at a store and owner's there, ask for discounts or even a free gift. It's easier to get them when you ask the owner then the sales person.

6. Calling goverment offices or GLCs.

Try calling during these hours:

8.30am-10am
11am-12pm
2.30pm-3.30pm

I've always stick to these times have yet to have any problem in reaching them.

7. Send your income tax early to avoid website congestion and getting you tax return early. I did mine as soon as the submission was open this year(early March) and guess what, I got my tax returns 2 weeks after my submission.. YEAY!!!!

So start planning and you'll turn from being unlucky to being lucky all the time!!!!

Of persistence and manipulation

An example of my daughter's persistence


Alia: Mak nak colour book ape?

Me: Mak tak nak colour lah.

Alia: Mak nak colour book ape?

Me: Alia pilih lah

Alia: MAK NAK COLOUR BOOK APE!!!???!! (Yes tone voice sudah tinggi)

Me: Tom & Jerry lah

Alia: (cheerfully and voice back to normal) Mak nak Tom & Jerry? Ini ke? Ok. Jom jom colour.



She has also mastered the art of manipulation, example:


Azalia found a bunch of cartoon pegs that I bought ages ago for some projects I had in mind and I was hiding it from her

Alia: Mak ni ape?

Me: Tu mak punya tu jangan kacau. Simpan balik.

Alia: Mak ni Alia punya ke?

Me: Mak punya. simpan simpan.

Alia: Oooo Mak punya?? Alia tengok boleh tak??

Me: Simpan. Tak yah tengok.

Alia: Alia nak tengoklah.. boleh lah.. pweassseee (mata kelip2.. ) cantiklah.

Me: Tengok kejap je. lepas tu simpan.

Alia: Ooooo cantiklah. Mak ni Alia punya kan. Mak beli untuk Alia kan. Thank you Mak. Alia saaayyyaaannngg Mak.

Me: Eh!!! Mane de.

Alia: Iye lah. Mak beli untuk Alia. Thank you. (went off with the pegs in her hand and kept it along with her other toys)

Me: HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??!!!!

Oh happy thoughts, where at thou?

This week is certainly bitter sweet. We had some good news and not so good news BUT I prefer to focus on the good news although some has chided me from ignoring on the not so good news.

It's not so much of ignoring it. I know it's there, I realise the effect it has on my friends and me... BUT I do not want to dwell on it. I prefer to focus on what is good and be happy.

Does that make me a lesser person?

Hmmm.... I don't think so. But when a few people comes to you and say

"what's so happy about it?"

"How could you just let it go?"

"You're the only one who thinks it's ok"

You tend to second guess yourself and whether you like it or not... instead of focusing on the good stuff, you start dwelling on the not so good stuff. Which is annoying because you just hate being unhappy.

Arghhhhh.....

Susu Ibu

My friend and I had a heated discussion on breastfeeding. It was so heated that we didn't see Azalia pushing her daughter (who is 2 years younger..thus.. still a baby). Why she pushed?? tak nak kasi pergi dekat TV katanye. Good intention but wrong action. Mama's fault for not watching you kids.

Anyway.. back to the breastfeeding story.

Ok first, my friend and I give our kids breastmilk. She breastfeeds while I bottle feed. She's still on it till now (daughter is 11 months) and I stopped when Azalia was about 10 months. We are very much pro breastmilk BUT what we were discussing on was the way people are trying to encourage mothers to breastfeed.

She's a doctor and currently in her hospital, all doctors and nurses are required to attend a lactation course. She was appalled by the way the presenters were judging non breastfeeding mothers. They didn't bother to understand the reason for their inability to breastfeed but go straight to being overly judgemental on them. Like WTH lah kan.

I think.. the best way to encourage mothers to breastfeed is to

1. Cheaper breastpump. seriously... the cheapest is a manual pump but even a good quality one cost a few hundred. One would argue that you save more compared to giving them formula, but forking out a huge sum at one time is a burder to some who have very low income. And plus, they dilute their formulas so that it would last more. Isn't that sad people.

2. Longer maternity leaves. 6 months paid and 6 months unpaid(optional of course). Enough said.

3. Lactation rooms at the office/workplace. Employers need to be understanding and provide this convenience for mothers. We don't want to pump in a toilet do we. Plus, clearly the country's workforce are dependant on women but at the same time women are expected to perform not just at work but also at home. So why not provide women some well deserved benefits. A lactation room isn't that hard to give. All we need is a room with a fridge. And of course electrical points. If that's too hard you wonder why mothers find it hard to exclusively breastfeed their child.

4. Did I mention cheaper breastpumps??!!!

If you have the money, knowledge and education yes you won't have any problems. But there are many others who do not have this privilege. So stop judging and start educating and solving. I think what should be in lactation courses is other than emphasisng on the benefits of mother's milk, one should also share experiences on how to express milk at work, the choices of breastpumps we have and their prices, sharing other problems and solutions to breastfeeding.

Mother's know the benefits of breastfeeding, they just need help in executing it.

Some good news.

We need a break. We desperately need a break.

So we book a flight to Perth for 6 days 5 nights.

YEAY!!!!!!

I want it to be a laid back holiday. No rushing, no hectic schedules... just some quiet time with the loved ones. So Perth is the perfect place for all that since it's a small city surrounded by national parks and farms.

Can't wait!!!!

But first... I have to hit the books. June is just around the corner.. sigh

Today and Tomorrow

Today I might be filled with grief and sorrow. But tomorrow, tomorrow I will hope again.

The Silent Love, Adrienne Ryan

Excerpts from the book which I found online. If only the book is available in Malaysia.

To those who don't know what to say but want to show that they care

"The greateast gift anyone can give grieving parents is the gift of understanding. But there is another great gift, the gift of acknowledgement - the acknowledgement that we had a child who died and that we have lost the potention of a life that, for us, held the promise of something quite extraordinary, the acknowledgement that our lives will never be the same again"

And this... explains exactly why it hurts.

"To move through the devastation of miscarriage was to mourn someone I had never actually known. The grief, in this case, involved the loss of the future, not of the past. Normally, when a person we are close to dies, our memories of that person help reconcile us to the loss. “But when a baby dies, no memories exist to help us reach such an acceptance. We are not able to look back and remember things about our own child that might make us smile, and it is this fact that is fundamental to the explanation of our grief and that makes it a grief unlike any other. It felt like a strange limbo, because even though I had lost a piece of the future, the future still beckoned with promise. This is the inherent paradox of miscarriage: Making one simultaneously open to both the possibility of death and the possibility of birth allows one to see just how closely intertwined the two actually are.”

I was pregnant.............. but only for 4 days.

Well actually 7 weeks. But I only found out 4 days before I miscarry.... again.

At least I didn't snort when I cry this time.

When the sac came out it was much smaller than before. It was a white clear sac. Stained with a little blood but when I rinsed it, it was a white clear sac. I felt it coming out while I was praying Subuh this morning. Subhanallah.

Sure I cried. I also wasn't sure what to do next. Some has shown their concern by pushing me to investigate the cause of my recurrent miscarriages. Part of me wants to do it but part of me just want to sit still for now and wallow in self pity.

So this morning I did both. Made an appointment for tomorrow. Then I ordered some pizza and watch tv the whole day. It helped to distract me from the fact that I had 3 miscarriages in a row.

Azalia was also my comfort. She's my miracle. She's my little fighter.

p.s: mom and aunt suspects my immune system is rejecting the feotus because the pattern is that my miscarriages are between 7-10wks. I was also bleeding when I carried Azalia but maybe because it happened at 12weeks, she survived. Can't remember what the condition is called but should check with the doctor. I'll only know once a blood test is done.

Pray for us.

And please.. I'm not looking for any pity. I have enough of self pity. Hehe.

Madge

I've never been a fan of Madonna. Her songs well actually her voice, somehow.. never appealed to me. But when the Glee casts sang it (and they have a great voice)... I could finally appreciate her songs. Cool.

Somehow I can see Madonna's songs used for a musical just like Queen's songs in 'We will rock you'.

Did I say I love that Glee's back.

hehe

Banker to the Poor: Micro Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty, Muhammad Yunus

One word. Inspirational.

I was totally blown away by the honesty, the frankness, and the sincerity of Muhammad Yunus in wanting to eliminate poverty in this world.A must read in my list.He started Garmeen with a simple act of kindness and turned it into a bank that has helped millions of others. Reading the book made me want to be part of Garmeen Bank. I even googled Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, a program here in Malaysia based on the Grameen program. Truly an inspiring read.

Hello GLEE!!!!

Glee is back!!!!!!

And with a BANG I must say. Loved Rachel's and Jesse's version of Lionel Richie's "Hello".

Of taylor swift and freaking Ultraman cosmos.

Swift's fairytale song(don't know the title and not bothered to find out) was on radio when I picked Azalia up the other day and she actually commented that she didn't like the song. Her exacts words were

Azalia: Mak, kenapa dier nyanyi mcm tu?

Mak: Sebab dier suka. Kenapa?

Azalia: Azalia tak suka lah.

ngeh ngeh...

But... she likes ultraman cosmos so much now the theme song is my head because she kept repeating the dvd. ARGHHHH

Rants

Selfish people are not aware of the consequences of their actions. They do not think of others nor do they care. All they care is of themselves which is the reason why unless you tell them their actions effects you, they wouldn't know.

Arghhh...

Today I may be a little out of line. I pointed out to someone that they do not actually contribute anything to this whole organisation. Jahat kan(although it's true). Sigh. I didn't know what came over me. Well actually I know. I'm angry. I'm angry at selfish people. I want to be selfish too because seriously.. being selfless means you have to take a lot of shit. So there you go.. I was being selfish. But I'm bothered now that I've said it. Damn. I'll be taking a lot more shit from the looks of it.

My senior told me sometimes I'm too direct when I tell people off. But I'm not the type of person to sugar coat my words. I tell it as it is. Yes... it usually gets me into trouble because no one likes the taste of medicine.

"Do onto others what you want done to you"

I can take it. Albeit a bit hurt but I can take it. I prefer direct than sugar coating it. Sugar confuses me. Let me have it and get it over and done with. Am I being selfish?? Well maybe a little. But I don't do it to EVERYONE.. just to those who I think deserves it.

Another sigh.

Shame is a double edge sword. It can bring you out from that bubble of yours or just make it more solid. It all depends on your ego and your willingness to learn.

p.s: I'm a bit unsorted today. Forgive me.

$$

So... this mother went a wee bit crazy last week and spent some moolah on the lil one's educational (I repeat... EDUCATIONAL) toys and books. hehehehe. Gile nak justify pembelian kan!!!

Anyway... it was my first time at the Smart Kids Expo and bought some wooden puzzles and toys for Azalia(it's cheaper than outside ok!!!). I also bought 3 interactive posters which will be introduced to her one by one. The toys will not be given to her all at once but one each month. Org kedai siap tanya "untuk sekolah ke kak?" I sheepishly answered "tak untuk anak". Nasib tak tanya anak berapa. hehehe

Thank God at the time I had little cash and little time (pergi during Friday lunch time maaa)If not I'm sure I'll be tempted to look for more stuff.

Baking and playing

I'm waiting for Azalia to wake up so that we can start baking. Yup, we've been baking this weekend and I intend to make it a weekend ritual if there's nothing planned. Yesterday we made cornflake cookies and since we have some ripe bananas, I thought today we can make a banana cake.

I've also enrolled Azalia to a playgroup. It's going to be every Saturday at the teacher's house and we had our trial class yesterday. In the beginning, Azalia was very apprehensive about joining the singing and dancing, all invitation by the teacher she responded with a very strong "TAK NAK" and did exactly the opposite of what everyone did. (when everyone sat she stood, when everyone stood up, she sat etc) But when the teacher took out the colour pencil for arts and crafts time she warmed up and finally joined everyone.

Although most of what they're doing is something that Azalia is already familiar of, but I think this is a good start for her to have a group of kids that she can play with regularly even if it's only for an hour, once a week.

p.s: maybe one day we can organise our own playgroup. That would be fun!!!!!!!!!!!

Ultraman Cosmos

Me:Alia buat ape hari ni (at sitter's place)

Alia: (Dengan semangatnye with gaya tumbuk2) Alia tolong ultraman cosmos lawan dgn monster haiyakk haiyakk..

Yes.. my daughter likes ultraman. When we were at the Hot Air Balloom Fiesta and my parents offered to buy her one helium balloon, she said

"Nak ultraman cosmos. Alia suke sgt"

Roles Reversed

Lately Azalia has become the mother..... to me

1.She told me off for being lazy

"Mak jangan malas. Alia tak suka. Ok!!!

2.She reminded me to go exercise

"Mak pergi exercise, mak dah gomok.

I told her I'll do tmrw and she said

"OK, Mak buat kerja dulu, sat gi mak exercise OK!!!

3.She would also remind me of her hygiene and sometimes mine.

"Mak, Alia nak wash hand dgn sabun"

"Mak, Alia tak nak pakai pampers dah"

"Mak, Alia nak wash teeth skrg!!!"..... "Mak wash gigi jugak ok!!!"

"Mak, tunggu, Alia nak kemas dulu"

"Mak pergi salin baju!!!

"Mak per makan dulu, nanti baru mak naik atas tengok TV ok!!! (OK actually this was her way of buying time so that she can watch her cartoon first.)

So...is this a sign that she's mimicking me when I was the one who told her to do all these things OR is she picking up my slack when I'm sitting on my behind.

Kids can sense anger

Last weekend, Asa had some work to do and I was upset because I had my plans and I had to scrap it because of course his work takes precedence. but somehow I was feeling moody all day soooo... I didn't like talking when he got back.

Anyway.. I didn't scowl, I didn't yell.. I was just moody and when I was putting Azalia to sleep she suddenly said

"Mak jangan geram dekat Abah ok. Abah sayang Mak"

I was surprised and wondered if Asa told her I was angry.

The next morning, I was feeling much better and so I was talking again. Asked Asa if he said anything about my mood to Azalia and he said no. Nevertheless he was flattered that Azalia defended him.

Note to self: Control your temper. She's watching you.

Of Queen and Princesses

We were playing Dora and the Snow Princess on NickJr.Com and we had this conversation

Alia: Alia nak game princess

Me: Ok. Dora princess ke dlm ni?

Alia: Ye.

Me: Alia princess ke?

Alia: Taaaak. Alia queen (dengan selambenye)

Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, 2010

Yeah we were there!!!!!!!

Arrived around 8am on Saturday the 20th and already the tics for the balloon rides are finish. But it was a great sight watching the balloons take off.

Azalia was asleep when we arrived and she immediately had a huge smile on her face when she saw the balloons. In her head she must be thinking she's in her favourite movie, Up.

I was excited when I saw in the map there was a petting zoo but when I went to the site it was so pitiful. The animals are in a small tent and I could hear the goats mbek-ing. Didn't go in because there's no way I'm supporting having those animals caged in such a small place.

Was hoping there's a horse ride for Azalia. Sigh. Never mind. there's always Tasik Titiwangsa and it only cost us about RM1.50 each for the ride and that's dirt cheap ok. Plus the horses are well kept too.

Anyway the event is worth waking up early and driving all the way to Putrajaya. Only wish they have a real hot air balloon ride around Putrajaya and not the tied down balloons

Me Time

Took last Monday off to have my much needed me time,

Asa ran some errands and I told him to pretend that I'm not around and NOT to invite me to join him.

Th whole morning I did no chores except tidied up Azalia's play area and did what I miss most (channel surfing) from 8am-Noon. Yes I did stop for breakfast but thats only like half an hour.

Arnd 1.30pm I walked to the LRT stn(since Asa had the car and it's only 5 mins anyway) to return my rented book at Amcorp Mall and pick up a new one. Then I scoured Popular, BookXcess for magazines and bought 3 imported cooking magazines with pictures of desserts that is to die for. I am determined to make french macaroons one day.

Then I read the magazines with a glass of chocolate drink and just lazed there for about an hour.

Aaaaahhhh around 5.30pm, it's back to being a mother when I pick up Azalia at the babysitter's

I should do this once every month.

Hehe.

Success

The potty training is finally over.

At first I thought of easing her into it. This is mainly due to the failure of the previous training a year ago.(when she was almost 2)

So I started by putting her in diaper pants and told her to tell me when she wants to poo and pee. At first she only told me when she wants to poo and then after a few times she told me when she wants to pee as well.

I have to give credit to her babysitter for her being diaper free during the day. And then just last week she insisted (yeszzaa she had to insist because I DID NOT want to deal with any 'spills' in the middle of the night because it's a work night) be diaper free at night too. So we tried it and alhamdulillah, till this day, there's no 'spills' and no more diapers!!! (well except that one time when we were out and I couldn't find a toilet and she said she wants to pee so I quickly put on her diaper pants)

So yeah... finally my daughter is potty trained!! and seriously I only initiated it but she was the one who is determined to finish it. YEAY!!!

Trouble sleeping

I am having trouble sleeping lately and I think one of the reason is because I am not happy with work right now. Well not actually work but more off the people at work.

Actually there's only 2 in particular. One... it was my fault.. I definitely went overboard and terasa lah hati org tu. I apologised and now the ball is in her court. But the other one... only distance can help me with this person.

So mcm mana ni. I need to grow up.. and just swallow my bitterness towards this one particular person and be civilised.

This is going to be hard.

Update Project Dapur Berasap

To date I have baked....(Bake ok.. bukan cook..yang cooked malas nak list down kan..tak byk pun but nothing special. Sister is at home often now so Ayahanda dan Bonda lagi teruja nak masak sebab kesian tengok anakanda yang sorang tu kurus kering duduk luar. Tapi yang bertambah montel adelah anakanda yang sorang ni dan menantu(eh menantu bahasa istana ape ah??)

Anyway.. back to the list.

1.Baked Eggs twice for breakfasts

2.Bread Pudding twice, 1 for Dina's Babyshower and the other for the whole family

3.Cheesecake for Dina's Babyshower and twice sebab teringin nak makan

4.Brownies (ntah berapa kali dah.. I lost count)

5.Pizza (the fastest way...using off-the-rack naan bread)

I bought the ingredients to make a blueberry muffin but the cost of the blueberries stopped me. Maybe next time when the cost is much much less.

Paris, with love.

No..no.. not the movie.

I'm the midst of helping my sister out with transportation and accommodation in Paris and London..(Oh did I tell you she's going on a EURO TRIP which includes SPAIN, GERMANY(munich, salzburg and vienna), LONDON and PARIS!!!

JEALOUSNYE!!!!!!!

You see, every semester her course has a trip to see buildings (yes they are doing architecture) and since this is their final semester, they've decided to go all out and do this trip. (No sponsorship laa.. sendiri2 punya)

Anyway.. when I was going through my sister's accommodation choices in Paris it got me reminiscing about the time Asa and I was there.. Although we did do all the touristy stuff but what I enjoyed most was when we strolled along the Sienne one afternoon and explored Paris on foot and discovered some lovely cafes.. such blissss...

I lost it... AGAIN!!!

UWAAAAAA

I lost my pendrive AGAIN!!!!!!!!!

Ini semua gara-gara ada payung dlm beg. Confirm tersangkut and terkeluar dari dalam beg tatkala(Geram punya pasal terus guna TATKALA!! HAHAHAHA) mengeluarkan payung bilamasa( eh ade ke word ni??) hujan.


ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Oh and plus.. it's not even mine in the first place. It's actually Asa's and he gave it to me. Time pinjam je ok plak. Time dier isytiharkan I can have it.. terus hilang..

Double ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Sob Sob

It's tax season!!!

YES IT IS!!!

This time around I decided to file my taxes in the first week e-filing is open and guess what... I GOT MY TAX RETURNS ALREADY!!! That was super fast!! only 2 weeks and already I got my cheque.

I guess I'm back in black this month!!!!ka-ching!!!

ARGHHHHH!!!!!!!

I curse those who put disgusting pictures on facebook and tag people on it. You are practically forced to look at them. Argghhh!!!!!

Principle of indemnity

Did you know that if you have a medical card(insurance or takaful) and you are covered by your company you can't claim from both parties for your treatments. You can only choose to claim from one, or if the company only covers part of it you can claim the other part of it (provided it is under your coverage).

Apparently this falls under the principal of indemnity in insurance and takaful.

What is principle of indemnity

Definition(quoted from my notes):

"Indemnification henceforth is the restoration of an insured persion to his or her approximate financial position prior to the occurence of the loss".

Basically the insurance/takaful that you take will only cover you up to the point of your financial position that you have lost. So lets say you spend RM10,000 on some operation and your company only covers you up to RM5,000. You can only claim from you medical card another RM5,000.

Another example is your car. If you are involved in an accident and you need to get some spare parts for repair. Unfortunately that particular spare part is no longer available and only the upgraded and enhanced version is available and at a much higher price, so under the principle of indemnity, you will be covered only up to the price of the old spare part and the rest, you will have to pay. Unless of course if the company wants to waive it.

So, next time you're looking for any coverage ask your insurance agents to explain further about this. If they can't then they don't know their products well enough. Hence you should ask yourself, do you want to buy something from someone who don't know what they are talking about.

Think, think, think (Darby, My friends Tigger and Pooh)

Term takaful

My knowledge on takaful is rather limited. Yes I read materials on the products and etc, but I couldn't find a takaful agent who thinks about my pocket rather than his/her own pocket. That is until a few days ago.

Asa and I see that takaful should be treated as an expense, hence we did not want to sign up a investment-linked or a savings-linked( the term is standard takaful in the industry). However, due to our lack of knowledge before, the first takaful we signed was an investmet-linked takaful.

After further readings we realised what we actually wanted was a term insurance. It provides protection and none of the savings(maybe only a little) or the investment element. We tried asking for this product from a few takaful agent but they rejected our request saying they do not sell it, or they don't have it. Apparently, a friend, who is also a part time takaful agent told us that the product actually gave agent very little commission hence their hesitance of promoting the product. Well boo hoo... thinking about their pocket and not ours... well to each their own I suppose. Fair enough.

Anyway, I attended a personal finance course the other day and the lecturer was a takaful agent. So I took the opportunity to ask him about his company's term product under the pretense of asking for the sake of the course and not for my own. I knew I would get a straight answer because this was a course and he was not trying to sell me his products and indeed I got a straight answer from him.

Apparently, term conventional insurance for individual are available BUT for takaful it is sold as a rider. Finally!!! the answer I was looking for

So after class I told him my situation and asked him about the product further and he told me what he could do is he could sell me a standard insurance (savings-linked) but with min coverage but insert a term takaful as a rider with the most coverage he could give me.

Why do we want term insurance so much..??

Ok here's the difference.

With a standard takaful, we would have to pay RM4k for a RM1 mil coverage (not that I want a RM1 mil coverage.. this is just an example)

But with a min standard takaful + a term takaful added as a rider we would only have to pay RM1k for a RM1 mil coverage. How this works is the standard takaful would cover RM250k and the term insurance would cover RM750k. U see.. the contribution that you have to pay for standard takaful is more that term takaful.

Now comes the difference between a standard and a term insurance

The contribution in a standard takaful would be portioned to your protection account and a savings account. This portion will change according as you grow older. It's the savings part that's expensive. It's like you're hiring your takaful company to invest your savings. (same goes for investment linked)

With term insurance/takaful, the contribution would mostly go to the protection account and only a little would go to the savings account. Yes after 40 years the amount in the savings account of a term takaful will be less than the amount if I'm taking standard takaful but since we have the capability of investing our own savings and getting better returns thus the main reason why we want a term insurance.

So.. yeah.. I finally found a takaful agent I can trust. Now it's only the matter of introducing him to Asa and discuss what is most suitable for us. YIPPEE!!!

Being creative

A song that Azalia sang much to our surprise (and she sung this when both of us were staring at the computer and basically ignoring her..she really knows how to get our attention). It goes

(tune dier lagu ABC mcm biasa ok kawan2 and nyanyi dgn suara kecik comel tak naik suara pun and of course with some cheekiness add to it)

A..B..C..D..E..F..G..mak marah alia jerit...HIJKLMNOP..alia jerit pastu mak marah.. QRSTUVWXYZ.. habis dah..(finished with a cheeky smile on her face)

Nampak sgt mak dier selalu marah but she didn't seem bothered by it. I think she got that trait from Asa.... sigh.

Errr..what do you say to that!!!

Azalia is now in a stage where she's learning to use our words against us.

Scenario 1.

I would usually switch of the telly and tell her it's time to go to bed. So one night, while I was watching my show, she told me she wanted to go to bed early. I told her to wait until I finish my show. She went to the telly and switch it off and said

"Mak tutup TV pergi tido sekarang. OK. dah night time. Jangan tengok TV.cukup.cukup"

Scenario 2.

One time when Azalia felt lazy and wanted us to pick her stuff up. Asa said to her

"Alia ada kaki kan. Alia pergi amik sendiri"

Last night, when we were preparing to go to sleep, Azalia wanted Asa to get her storybook in the living so Asa repeated the above to her and her come back was

"Abah ada kaki tak? Adekan. Abah pergi amik k"

Scenario 3.

Azalia has a habit of unleashing her geram towards me to Asa everytime I scold her. When she does that I would usually tell her that she shouldn't talk like that to Asa because that's her father.

Now whenever I am angry at Asa and started sulking and raising my voice. Azalia would say this to me

"Mak jgn marah. Abah awak tu (refering to Asa). Mak pergi duduk tengok dinding (her naughty corner)"

Listen to the world and take that leap.

How I Met Your Mother, Season 4

Lily: Ted, why do u even want it(to be an architect)

Ted: Because I have to be an architect, that's the plan.

Lily: Screw the plan. I planned on being a famous painter, Marshall planned on being a environmentalist, Robin planned on being a famous tv presenter, Barney planned on being a violinist. (Background to the show: none of them are what they planned.)

Lili: Look, you can't design your life like a building. It doesn't work that way. You just have to live it and it will design itself.

Ted: So what, I just do nothing?

Lily: No, listen to what the world is telling you to do and take the leap.


Some might say we have to pursue our dreams. Whatever it takes. We should go for it. But sometimes... things doesn't go as planned and we just have to go with it and not dwell on what is not meant to be. That leap might not be towards something that you want but who knows... it might exactly be what you need.

To quote The Rolling Stones,

"You can't always get what you want, But if you try sometimes you just might find, you get what need".

The potty training. 2nd attempt.

1st day.

Not bad. Alia didn't pee or pooped in her Drypantz. What I did was to bring her to the toilet about every 3 hours and let her pee in the potty. Pooping was a wee bit difficult because although Azalia knows she should poop in the potty but she doesn't want to stop playing so she prefers to poop in the diapers. But when she started to squat I quickly brought her to the potty and yerpss... she pooped in the potty. so yeay!!!.

Night time is a different story though. We had an open house to go to and we went grocery shopping after that so she did pee i think once in her drypantz. And she still pees when she sleeps although she went potty before she goes to sleep so.. I guess diapers are still on at night.

2nd day.

Didn't go as well because we went out at noon. But when we're at home she went potty and didn't do any dirty business in her drypantz so that's good news. But just when we thought she had pooped for the day, she went pooping for the 2nd time in her drypantz. Oh Poo... Need to remind her over and over again that she needs to poo in the potty.

But I guess we're off to a good start. Need to remind Asa to tell the babysitter that she should be potty trained there too.

Paragon 202

Asa went surveying new developments around cyber/puchong/seri kembangan area the other day just for fun with his colleague and he found Paragon 202. It's so pretty!!!!.



Those interested can google for the info. All I know is it's a terrace, it's located at Equine park, size 20x70, built up around 1500 something, and the price is around RM290,000. Apparently Asa said the size of the first phase was 18x65 and the price was around RM220,000. It's all sold out now. I wonder if I would have bought this place if I saw it before the one that we bought. No regrets with the one that we bought, for sure.. but the exterior is prettier than ours.Plus it's landed where as ours is a townhouse. But I'm not too sure about the location though. But then again I never thought I would buy a place in Puchong. HAHA.

On another note.. the place that we bought is sold out despite the developer's increase in price!! WOO HOO!!! I don't think I would flip it though. Currently we've decided that we most probably want to rent it out.

First on my to do list is to

POTTY TRAIN AZALIA!!

I think it's high time that I get serious with potty training that little girl. She's turning 3 in June for goodness sake. Please lah jgn malas mak nye!!! Somehow I was hoping that she would miraculously want to go on her own. Dream on!!!

So the plan is to start this weekend. First thing first, get training pants. Should I get those disposable once or the reusable ones? Then, I have to remember to roll up the carpet because if there's any accident it's easier to wipe the floor than the carpet.

Arghh... my mind is all over the place. Talking about the carpet I suddenly remembered what an eyesore the sofa set in our upstairs living room/Azalia's play area is. I wish I can just throw them away but it's actually my aunt's and mom said I have to ask her first if I want to chuck them out.

Oh btw, I got my period, AGAIN. WTH??!!!! It's only been a week since the last day of my previous period. sheesh. What's happening to me??!!!!

Told Asa and he was like " are you pregnant??!!!"

Apekah??

I so don't want to be pregnant if I'm spotting. Previous experiences have taught me that it is NOT a good sign.

OK.. I think that's all I have in my mind right now.

I'm falling asleep reading my own writings.. sigh.

I find my writings to be rather dull lately. I wonder if I should stop posting my thoughts since I'm not putting much effort in jotting them down lately. Sure a lot of things have happened, are happening and will happen. But currently I'm not really bothered to put them all in writing.

To Do do

The thing about having an active 2plus year old is you're always thinking of activities for your active child. You want the activities to appeal to the child and also for them to get really active and tired on the way so you can get your weekend rest too.. well at least that's the plan.

Anyway... we've always find things to do for a 3-day weekend. The 2-day weekends are a no brainer but more than that.. we have to put some thought into it. Usually the first day it'll be household chores day. Activities are normally to the playground/swimming pool and at home. The second day we would usually go on an outing, most of the time it's the shopping malls, ie bookstores, kiddy rides, etc. Sometimes to my in-laws. But when we have more than 2 days it's time to put on my thinking cap and think, think, think (to quote tigger, pooh and friends)

The last 3-day weekend we went to Bird Park. Before that it was brunch at Seremban and swimming pool the whole day at Allson Klana Resort with the whole family. Yeah the Yatim clan conquered the whole swimming pool because no one in their right mindh would swim at 2 in the afternoon. So... what about this week??

Well I'm thinking something in KL. I wanted to go to Zoo Melaka and stay there 1 night (WHAT??!! AGAIN!! hey what can I say.. we love the place) but it's a super peak period so that's out of the window. So... my choices are

1. Taman Tasik Titiwangsa - playground and horse ride

2. Zoo Negara

3. Deer Park in Kuala Gandah (ok this is not in KL but it's near so we can make this a day trip!!)

4. Maybe FRIM?? but I think Azalia can't appreciate this yet.

5. Aquaria

6. KLCC park

7. Metropolitan park - playground and KITE!!!!!

Kalau tak mak dgn anak main sorok2 dekat rumah je lah..hahaha