no ordinary momster

Life As Is

2012-01-30T10:48:00.001+08:00

The bus ride

Few weeks into the school routine, I can safely say it’s all going well. The usual loss of pencil every other day, missing colour pencils, missing erasers, missing aikido belt, missing socks… things I have predicted coming. But I have prepared myself mentally that my son is in the process of adapting with so many new things, as with Mr hubs and I too. I was at the PTA meeting (and parenting talk the school organized for parents throughout the year) last weekend, and I see parents who can be a little bit pushy, parents who wants things done their way, parents who felt things should be done a different way, parents who want immediate results – just because they are paying some amount to send their kids to the school. But Alhamdulillah, there aren’t many like that, and the school, with their own Khalifah method applied, I’m sure can get through all the hurdles wisely.

I, only requested for the teacher to ensure kids drink lots of water throughout the day to avoid getting dehydrated (since they stay at school 8 hours a day, some days more). Imtiyaz drinks cold water at home, so when it’s not cold, he needs some encouragement to drink up. It bothers me when his urine is not clear when he comes home. I know children tends to ‘forget’ a lot of things when they are surrounded by friends. Too busy playing, too busy to remember mama’s note to drink lots and lots of water.

The girl, on the other hand, is getting too cheeky these days. What’s not to love about a toddler that age? Walks non-stop, babbles her own language and able to imitate people already! She can understand simple instructions like sit, stand, mandi and laughs when we make funny faces at her. Night time routine has pretty much established, with her settling in her room the same time as her brother – so yes, Mr. Hubs and I do get our own time at 9pm every single night now, which is really a dream come true.

Boo!

2012-01-18T08:40:00.001+08:00

I was told so many times that Hanan is a splitting image of Boo, from Monsters inc.

I really should try tying her hair like that!

Curious Minds

2012-01-12T14:13:00.001+08:00

Having brought up by someone who had formal education of Islam, I have had the luxury of asking questions about everything my young logical mind can’t accept. Truthfully, I don’t know the details of my father’s education, work, etc and only roughly know bits and pieces of it – the things that he had told me before.

My father lived in Makkah since he was of secondary school age, excelled at the University of Al-Azhar with a first class honours degree and emerged as the best international student when he was there. He did his Ph.D in Scotland, (if I’m not mistaken in Islamic Civilization), whom his tutor back then was not even a muslim, but recited and understood the Quran more than a muslim does. Completing Ph.D in the early 70s was tough without the internet, he even had to go to Vatican City himself to get a copy of a document for his research. He speaks flawless arabic, and one of the things I loved to do back then was eavesdrop when he was talking the language with his friends, eventhough I did not understand almost all of it.

At times I do wonder why my father was not as strict as some of his friends who was in the same field. I wasn’t asked to put on the hijab until I wanted to. I remembered I am still allowed to hold the Quran without wudhu’. I was allowed to participate in school performances. I can wear what other youngsters wore at that time. Things that most people in our community felt it was wrong to do, especially if one’s dad was an ustaz, or someone that’s supposed to be religious. When I got the only B in my PMR for islamic studies, he just laughed it off, and had no shame when his friends asked him. Obviously to him, B is just on paper. What’s built up inside (faith) is more important. I guess his experiences, his surroundings, the people he gained knowledge from, made him the man he was.

Now that I’m a grown up and have a son as curious as I am, I am slowly starting to understand. These things do come with reasons. Like I’m allowed to hold the Quran without wudhu’ – it is good to be able to do so, but it is not compulsary. I have to agree with this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGBornAuY3Y. Good explanation, and to me, if it is made compulsary, and someone wants to read it on the way to work on the LRT for example, I’m sure it’ll just stop him from doing so – because he doesn’t have wudhu’! As for participating in school performances, way of dressing, donning the hijab – I believe he wanted me to experience life as everyone else did, whilst slowly telling me what is required in Islam, as the after-effect of being deprived would be worse, I’m sure. Besides, anything done drastically will only have a short term effect, right?

Trust me, my mind unintentionally became so active as it is now. Just because the boy comes up with unthinkable questions every so often, I had to come up with my own version of unthinkable questions too!

I do notice there is a difference in the way of teaching when someone is well-versed and have done numerous years of research about Islam, compare to those who only learnt a little and considered themselves qualified. Those who knows little tend to be more rigid, and gives illogical reasoning and focuses more on the things that we can actually do without. I have heard so many different opinions lately and it triggered a lot of questions on a lot of issues. At this point of time, I chose to just continue what I have learnt, believed and practiced since young and at the same time do more readings and gather as much information as I can.

And yes, this made me miss him even more. Especially now when I need so much guidance to answer my own curious mind and also the little ones’ challenging questions.

p.s. The boy asked me the other day why he needs to wash certain parts of his body (wudhu’) to solat, when he’s already clean n just stepped out of the shower. I had to google to find the best answer for him!

When You’re Up, You’re Up

2012-01-10T15:35:00.001+08:00

Life is just like when you are on the London Eye. When you’re up, you’re up. When you’re down, you’re down.

As much as I like to always be in the mid section – not too high, and not too low, there is no way I’m going to get it. Unless of course, if I go on the carousel instead – a little too safe for an adult, don’t you think? *winks*

Monday Blues

2012-01-09T17:17:00.001+08:00

… cured!

The Start of 2012

2012-01-06T09:02:00.001+08:00

Alhamdulillah, it has been a good start to the new year. The boy has started school without much drama and he seems to enjoy it with no complaints. Our planned routine went much better than expected too - boy goes to school by LRT with the hubs on the way to work and I got permission from the management to move my lunch hour forward to be able to pick him up in the evening. Timing-wise has also been accurate these 3 days, I can’t possibly ask for a better arrangement. I believe it’s also a good practise for the boy as he gets to enjoy the view and the rides whilst asking lots of questions along the way, rather than getting sleepy in the car.

Hanan has also started sleeping in her own room when she turned 1 year old last December. It was much easier than expected as she has been sleeping in her own cot all these while, so it was just a matter of moving it to another room. I believe it’d be much tougher if I were to move her into her cot AND a different room at the same time. She has been sleeping really well and only wakes up once for her night feed, and will fall asleep again right after. Hubs and me wakes up much fresher these days, which is really what we needed most to get us going for the busy day ahead.

A good start, and I pray for better days, insyaAllah.

Realization

2011-12-22T14:16:00.001+08:00

Personally, I always felt informal learning leaves more of an impact. Look around, and I’m sure there is something new that you’ll learn every single day.

It hit me just this month, that my boy is moving on to a different phase already. His behaviour, his questions, his defence mode, his sensitivity – made some turn recently. He is still very much his gentle, non-aggressive self, but becoming more defensive at times – even with words. There will be times he will question why someone else is getting different treatment, or another person gets to buy something that we feel is not of benefit to him at the moment.

Just this morning, I had to explain to him to not always see people who are more fortunate than he is, instead look at those people who had none. It was tough finding the right words to suit his young mind and interpretation, but he managed to appear cheerful again just before we reached my mum’s place. I hope I made it clear to him that one does not have to have everything that money can buy just to have fun. By using what’s available around him too, he can have all the fun in the world.

It’s a material world, no doubt. He sees people having everything, he assumes they have money. He questioned when his Babah would have lots of money too. What he doesn’t know was, those people with everything not necessarily have money, and those without might even have more. But of course it is too early to start explaining on credit cards and debts, no? Maybe it’s gentler to start educating on wants and needs, instead. A gentle reminder from the Babah though - even if we have lots of money, it does not mean we need to spend it all. It’s not good to just have something for the sake of having it. We need to make sure we really, really need it.

My boy is growing up fast, and we have to catch up and twist our way to be able to cope with his demands. He’s learning from us, and we are learning so much more from him.

Vacation 2011

2011-12-13T13:52:00.001+08:00

So we went to Singapore to spend quality time together. Singapore, because it’s near and driving is possible. Singapore, because I love that place. Singapore, because there’s so many place for the kids to enjoy.

Driving into Singapore for the first time, am I glad it went smoothly and we didn’t get lost finding the hotel. It helps to be prepared, printing out the directions earlier on. We only drove into Singapore and parked at the hotel. The rest, we relied solely on the efficient taxi and MRT service.

First stop on the first night is the Night Safari. We’ve been to Singapore Zoo when Imtiyaz was 3 so decided on the Night Safari this time. Lovely, happy place to be! It was drizzling when we were there so Imtiyaz decided to ride the tram twice! Some animals got so near to us, and the wilder ones like the lion and the tiger looked grand with the lightings. We even managed to catch wolves howling on the second round on the tram, thanks to Imtiyaz. Photos at the safari had to be with Mr. Hubs coz I seem to have none.

The next day was Sentosa Island coz Imtiyaz insisted on going to the Underwater World and also see the Dolphin Show again. He still remembers his last visit there so I guess he must’ve enjoyed it a lot.

The kiddos waiting for the dolphins and seals to show up

It was a tiring day and we did a lot of walking, not to mention HOT! I must’ve turned a few shades darker on that day alone.

At night, we decided to have a walk around Orchard Road just to see the christmas decor. Not much to see yet, coz it’s still early of the month, but the walk was relaxing and the kids enjoyed it. Glad we brought with us 2 strollers, coz the boy, eventhough partly a grown up already, can get pretty taxing to drag around when he’s tired.

Imtiyaz : Oh, we’re supposed to enjoy the lights right?
Hanan : I need my bed.

The next day was Universal Studios, where Imtiyaz wanted so much to go on the Transformers ride, so he did! He came out looking dazed and shouted, “That ride is dangerous!”, to which his Babah told me he was shouting to get off throughout, coz honestly, it was a bit too much for a 6-year-old. It sorta dampened his mood after that, but luckily he still wanted to try out more rides and watch all the shows we can find. His favourite had to be the Donkey Live Show.

All smiley before the Transformers ride.

Check out Hanan! She even went for the Shrek 4D show and was an angel all day.

Later that night we went to Lau Pa Sat where there is endless selection of halal Satay to try. Mr. Hubs loves satay so that was heaven for him. The satay were different, but juicy and yummy nevertheless. I’d go there again the next time, for sure!

At night, the whole stretch of Boon Tat street, south of the Lau Pa Sat is blocked to give way for the satay stalls.

So that’s about it. We managed to checkout Johor Premium Outlet on the way back to KL the next day, but didn’t find it as enticing as factory outlets overseas. I didn’t feel the urge to just grab things I see because I still had to stop long to think if it’s worth buying. Yes, it was more expensive- as expected. Maybe if they have further reductions, and the place is a little bit more established, then it’d be more fun to go. When we were there, even the food outlets did not seem ready enough to operate.

So that’s our 2011 vacay! Alhamdulillah for the time we get to spend together, and now we are gearing up to a more challenging and hopefully blessed 2012 – with Imtiyaz starting primary 1 and Hanan reaching more milestones, insyaAllah.

Technorati Tags: johor premium outlet,singapore,night safari,sentosa island,universal studios,lau pa sat

When Baby Turns 1

2011-12-13T10:17:00.001+08:00

Her first ice cream cake (chosen by Imtiyaz, of coz). She finished off a whole slice!

Hanan turned 1 last Sunday on 11.12.11. It felt just like yesterday when the whole family were back in Penang for a cousin’s wedding leaving only me and Mr. Hubs preparing ourselves to check in to the hospital to be induced. Delivery was much quicker than the first, followed by a fairly speedy recovery.

Her brother adores her to bits, and I can’t possibly describe the feeling to have her in our lives.

Happy birthday baby, and don’t grow up too fast!

p.s. Just in case you are wondering why the background is a hospital bed, we brought the cake to be shared with niece, Sarah Jameelah who was hospitalized that day.

His First Graduation

2011-11-21T15:31:00.001+08:00

I started falling ill with high fever and truly bad cough just 2 days before his graduation and concert, but I was determined to go and told myself to only give myself up to the hospital if I still had a temperature AFTER the concert. To make things more challenging, Hanan fell sick on the same day as me too, and until this morning she’s still a bit unwell. And to make things extra challenging, the hubs too had been unwell with terrible cough for more than a week, so imagine how we took care of each other the whole time. I am just glad the boy has been his healthy self throughout so he gets to enjoy himself.

It was really pleasant to see the boy in kilt and performing a Scottish dance that day. Definitely brings back some memories!

Poem Recital

Performing My Beloved Scotland

With his best friends

Lucky this time I remembered to snap us!

I wanted…

2011-11-14T13:27:00.001+08:00

I wanted to do a posting a little bit opinionated but felt I should just keep some things to myself.

I wanted to post about the family, but figured I’ve done a lot of that.

I wanted to post about recent vacation or travels, but unfortunately I’ve been pretty static.

I wanted to brag about recently bought luxury items like most, but I have none.

I wanted to talk about my job, but I don't see the reason why.

I figured I just wanted to be a little bit more private, so I’ll do just that – for now.

Look Who’s Talking?

2011-11-03T11:48:00.001+08:00

The boy who used to be scared of every other living creature has now improved!

For the boy, some words are best spoken in Bahasa Malaysia, like susu and seluar.

Put on your pants, boy.

Can you say SELUAR please. We are, after all, Malayyyy…!
*with full dramatic expression, I think if he knows how to roll his eyes he would*

Then why are you speaking English like ALL THE TIME then?

For the first time ever, he was speechless – but not for long.

Now He is Six

2011-10-28T11:57:00.001+08:00

He gets to choose his ‘bestfriends’ to sing with him in front of the class,
and he claims he doesn’t need his uniform coz it’s his birthday!

Hanan was impressed with the whole thing.

Imtiyaz celebrated his 6th birthday last week, 21st October 2011. Mr. Hubs and me still can’t believe he’s 6, and spent the night before reflecting on what he has achieved so far.

I have to admit I am not obsessed when it comes to exam results, or extra curricular activities outside of school or comparing my children with other children who might seem superior, or more matured, or maybe smarter than he is. Of course, I try to make him a better person inside out, but only based on his own capabilities and his own interest. I believe we as parents, if we spend more time with our children, we’ll notice every single signal he gives out to us - his concerns, his frustration, his happiness, his proud moments, etc.

Imtiyaz, I admit, is doing very well in school. He can read and write by the age of 5 and he loves music, arts and craft, computer, swimming and his gym classes so much. But that wasn’t my main concern. When I was asked what was my objective sending him to school last 4 years, I answered I wanted him to be able to interact and express himself well. And that’s exactly what I got now.

The boy speaks his mind, and expresses himself freely, but at the same time he chooses his script wisely, cautious not to hurt anyone. What got me truly impressed was his ability to express his love openly to each of us, especially now that he’s got his little sister. He warms our heart every now and then and that’s one quality I hope he’ll keep with himself for the rest of his life.

He's going to ‘big’ school already next year and we have high hopes for him – reason why we carefully chose a school that we hope will benefit him (and us too) not just academically, but also spiritually. Again, I was asked what I wanted by sending him to the school of choice. This time, I answered, I wanted him to have a solid foundation, spiritually, because I believe with the right foundation, if (Allah forbids) one day he decided to swerve a bit, he’ll know how to come back. I also mentioned I wanted him to know every reason why he has to perform the ibadah, instead of just doing things for the sake of doing and being asked to do. I needed a school that works hand in hand with the parents.

Babah, Mama and Hanan loves you so much, Abang and we hope you’ll grow up to be a true muslim and will give your best in everything that you do. One thing you need to work on for now is to handle your frustration and to know that it’s ok to do something wrong because we do learn a lot from mistakes. We hope Hanan will grow up to be just like you!

The Negotiator

2011-10-24T13:42:00.001+08:00

I think he meant to coax the Babah to not go to Seoul this week.

Babah, do you know next time you can actually change your mind?

Babah answered,

But Babah have to work, sayang.

And the boy replied,

Remember when we went to Ikea it says “It’s OK to change your mind”?

Of Living Dangerously

2011-10-20T15:06:00.001+08:00

My boss from Norway commented how very common it is to see parents holding their young children on their laps in the car in this country. He said that was how they were when he was a young boy (and he’s a grandfather now!).

Another one my Norwegian colleague commented,

We lived dangerously back then!

And I sarcastically said,

Ouh. We still do!

(eventhough I can proudly say I am a hard-core user of the baby/children car seat)

I know how expensive it can be, here in Malaysia, and that’s a different story altogether. But if you do have it (which I’m sure most parents nowadays do), spend a few seconds strapping them on properly, and please don’t use it only for when-there’s-no-one-to-hold-the-children-for-me moments!

Safety first, people!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T13:26:00.001+08:00

***The Comots 2011***

A Better Person

2011-10-10T14:06:00.001+08:00

It’s funny when good intentions are mistakenly translated to something bad.

It wouldn’t turn out bad if the arrogance is lowered, the mind is opened up and the ‘in-denial’ mode is turned off. Have faith, broaden your knowledge, read more, befriend good and knowledgeable people, use up your time wisely and always try to find good points in people, instead of focusing on the bad.

Your loss if you decide to stay the way you are. :)

Why am I here?

2011-10-05T09:17:00.001+08:00

Photo was taken for his primary school registration, when I was away.
Trust the Babah to get him so ‘properly groomed’! :P

Ever since Hanan was born and still in her rear-facing car seat, Imtiyaz sits in the co-pilot seat strapped on to his high-back booster, and I sit at the back - at least until Hanan is over a year old and can hold her own feeding bottle.

Yesterday, he opened up the sun visor and read the safety info on it. I don’t remember how exactly it’s being written, but it’s something like this :

Children under 12 can be killed by the airbag.

Mama, what is killed?

Killed is when something causes death.

You mean die?

Yes.

Then,

Mama!! (while reading the next line emotionally). The back seat is the safest for children. Why am I sitting in front?!

*yikes!* Mama have to take care of Hanan at the back now. But it’s safe for you coz you are strapped on to your booster seat and you are facing forward. Insyaallah you’ll be fine.

I’m not sure if he was satisfied with the answer or not, but yeah, he can read AND understand now. It’s not about trying to read or make out the sounds of a word any longer. He understands, and we have to be more prepared for the questions to come!

No Better Request

2011-10-04T10:46:00.000+08:00

Imtiyaz and Hanan with Siti. For the boy, Siti does not fall under his family category.
Family (to him) = Dad, Mum, Brother, Sister.

The boy makes it a point to thank Allah every night before he goes to bed. It could be from a simple one for having a good day to a much complicated one, like this :

Thank you Allah for giving us Hanan. I really love her and I hope you can give me a baby brother as well.

Told ya it’s complicated!

Autumn in London

2011-10-03T09:37:00.001+08:00

***Photo from Annida-thanks Aan!***
The tudung looks so kembang like a cobra here for no apparent reason,
but I like the unreadiness of it.

Being able to escape the hot Malaysian weather for a bit, I have no complaints whatsoeva, especially since we were blessed with no rain there, almost throughout.

Towards the end of the trip, gone are the boots, cardigan, jacket etc. The sun was shining oh-so-bright and I was actually sweating with the amount of walk I did, and the ride up and down the tube. I was on my own most of the time, and it felt great – having the much needed ‘me’ time, despite missing the family back home.

The extra 2 days I extended, the host and her family were very much accommodative, and at the same time letting me be as free as I wanted to. Really appreciate that, and my roommate for the 2 nights was one very fine girl indeed. My only regret was I forgot to take photos with them! Did I say I did not have a camera with me this time? Saja malas. But my phone camera was good enough actually. ;)

Lovely weather.

My first time up the London Eye.

The Louboutin that costs more than 2k (pound sterling) and ugly too!
Bila lagi nak merasa kan?

A runaway bride!

All in all, it was a very good trip. I managed to squeeze in everything from shopping to meeting up with friends, to a bit of sightseeing. As what I have tweeted, since I always have Mr. Hubs with me on most of my trips, this time I was much more independent and it took a toll on my physical wellbeing. I was aching all over from carrying shopping bags, and walking so much – until my shoe felt so tight on board the flight home. Yes, my feet was swollen as if I was pregnant!

At the meeting venue – Wembley Stadium.

In the changing room, yo!

No, I am not in the sports industry, just in case you are wondering!

After Almost 7 Years

2011-09-21T11:27:00.001+08:00

… I will be off to London tonight for a meeting, and thennnn… it’s leisure all the way.

Among the activities scheduled :

Dinner cruise on the Thames on board MV The Elizabethan
Mamma Mia the musical
Panoramic sightseeing
Dinner at La Porte des Indes
Bicester Village

… and of course, the infamous stroll along Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street!

Not to forget, meeting up with friends in London too. Can’t wait, but deep down inside I still have the unexplainable sadness and worries for leaving the family behind. It doesn’t get easier no matter how many times one goes through it. *sobs*

Last Weekend

2011-09-20T13:08:00.001+08:00

Some photos from Mr. Hubs’ cousin’s wedding and I didn’t snap any of the bride and groom! Left that to the professionals of course. And where was Imtiyaz throughout – sleeping uncomfortably in the stroller fully clad in baju melayu because he was not feeling well. Poor boy!

Not often we would remember to snap our own photo!

Can hardly stay still now.

Cousins!
The one in sunnies had eye infection and was the main victim-to-be-teased
by Mr. Hubs’ all through the night.

Babah’s girl.

Hanan and Hafidh

Stupidified!

2011-09-13T15:56:00.001+08:00

So, I accidentally cursed a ‘stupid’ car last night. The boy looked at me and asked,

Can we use the word stupid?

Yes, sometimes, when situation allows. (whilst silently cursing the stupid car for making me say the word stupid in front of him)

But we can’t use it for our families, right?

No, you should not.

Can we use it for other people?

No.

Then we can only use it for things?

No.

But you just called that car stupid?

Arghhhh!

Knowing I’m a little bit on the wrong side here, upon seeing his Babah, he excitedly went,

Babah, we saw a STUPID car just now!

Victory, I know!

Can’t Live Without

2011-09-12T11:23:00.001+08:00

A rare scene on weekends now.

Getting really hyper!

Raya weekends are always more hectic than normal weekends. As much as I love being around family and friends, deep down inside I still yearn to just stay in and plan our own things.

Super glad the bunch of us managed to visit Rina, who is back from Dublin after the passing of her father. She’s off to Dublin again today, so hopefully we’ll see you again soon dear, and pass me the photos at your place plz!

Since it was the first time Imtiyaz had a party invite from his classmate outside of school hours, he was excited beyond words, and true enough, 2 hours during the party he played non-stop and participated in all the activities. Made me realize his own birthday party is coming, and I need to plan a little something too.

Then there’s the Raya do at Shasha’s house, which I don’t get to snap a photo. But will put them up if the rest are kind enough to pass them to me! *hint hint* Yummy homemade food from the host herself and great company as well! Too bad we can’t stay long to accommodate the rest of the commitments we had for the day. Super tired!

At the end of the day, we reached home at 8pm – rushed to get everything done by 9pm for the kids’ bedtime. Mr Hubs and me were in bed by 9.30pm and managed to get a good night sleep, thanks to the girl who decided to let us rest well for the night.

So here’s to another good week hopefully!

Sleep Deprived

2011-09-09T10:46:00.001+08:00

My almost 9 months old girl – this was not snapped last night obviously.

No amount of eye creams or concealers can heal this. I need my sleep!

Being kept awake by a crying girl from 12 – 3am last night, I sure wish dark eye circles can be pixelized just like that!

Eid Mubarak

2011-09-08T09:47:00.001+08:00

A very cincai photo of us at Mr. Hubs’ grandparents house.
Need to go snap a proper one pronto!

Alhamdulillah, our Eid celebration was extremely good, and thankfully we weren’t stuck in the horrendous traffic jam along the PLUS highway both to and fro. Our prediction worked this time.

As much as I would like to complain about the scorching hot weather up North, I kept thinking of how much I hated to don thick winter coats every time I need to go out back then. So I kept my mouth shut, and bear with the hyper sweating sensation which took a toll on my complexion now. But to tell you the truth, I still prefer ultra coldness, than hot, anytime. Up to the point of asking Mr. Hubs to celebrate Eid somewhere colder next year. Wishful thinking though.

It’s gonna be busy days till the end of the month – with a cousin’s wedding coming up soon, and the business, plus leisure trip in 2 weeks time. Not to mention the visits to relatives and friends houses whenever I have the chance.

Believe it or not, as with previous Hari Raya, we haven’t even opened up the kids’ raya packets up till now. I kinda liked the fact that the boy does not bother much about his raya packets – a value I hope he’ll carry on throughout his life, for him to know that raya packets (or any other contribution or gifts per se) are sincere from the heart and the amount does not matter. InsyaAllah.

Something Worth Watching

2011-08-19T14:42:00.001+08:00

8 months already!

2011-08-18T11:11:00.001+08:00

Starts to crawl, starts to climb, 2 bottom teeth emerging, starts to memunggah too!

This made Imtiyaz upset this morning, saying it’s dangerous for babies to do that! I can sense over-protectiveness from the abang.

Favourite morning activity – wardrobe stock inspection.

Both on nebulizer yesterday. Surprisingly, the girl didn’t make much fuss!

Over the Weekend

2011-08-15T12:58:00.001+08:00

Hopefully these 3 will be as close as their mummies! Aliyah was born in June 2010, Amanee in December 2010, just a week before Hanan.

Celebrated Irfan, Jad and Arianna’s birthday too!

I’m really out of words these days. But it’s better to remain silent when there’s nothing to talk about, right?

Training Mode : Ramadhan 1432H

2011-08-08T12:28:00.001+08:00

A true super hero ;)

This year we decided Imtiyaz should start fasting. He’s been fasting for more than half a day since day 1, and managed a full day yesterday for the first time. Alhamdulillah, am grateful he had the determination, and willing to follow our suggestions whenever he feels thirsty or hungry.

I admit, training a child to start fasting needs determination and courage from the parents as well. I would get teary-eyed when the boy claims he’s thirsty or hungry and kept on rubbing his stomach. On school days I would usually just give in coz I know there is no one to help distract him from thinking about his hungry stomach. For me, as long as he starts to understand the bits on niat, sahur and breaking fast only when the sun sets, I’m okay. He did question why Allah wants us to go hungry, and I answered because He wants us to remember the unfortunate who doesn’t get food so easily and for us to always be grateful with what we have. I also added it’s one good way to cleanse our body & let the stomach have some rest too, and if Allah wants us to go hungry, he wouldn’t even let us eat at sunset. Tough explaining that to a 6-year-old but I believe by repeating the same thing over and over again, he would eventually absorb it.

For sahur, I would usually bring up a piece of bread with jam, a packet of milk and cold water. He would sit up in bed and eat a bit of it, if not all. He’ll go back to sleep right after, before waking up to get ready for school later on.

During the day, what we did was to distract him from thinking about his stomach – from watching TV, to play games, to colouring and painting, to going on a car ride. Of course, throughout the day, shower him with lots of hugs and kisses and words of praises. He did seem like he would give up at some point, but we can of course tell if it’s really affected by hunger and fatigue or it’s just in his mind. If it’s just in his mind, at some point he’s still able to jump up and down, and shout/sing etc. Whereas if he’s really tired, he’d be lying down and doesn’t talk much, at some point even cried when requesting for a drink.

And when he did it - his expression when we high-fived him after he took a drink at sunset was priceless. I can see he’s happy with his achievement just from his smiling eyes and was I glad when he’s still up for it the next day. *smiles*

del.icio.us Tags: ramadhan,training children to fast

Sweet Tooth

2011-08-05T17:50:00.001+08:00

My sister, my youngest brother and I (mum included too) have the same favourite chocolate, as far as I’m concern. We’d shriek in delight every time we see it, and eventhough at times it is available in Malaysia, I would safely say it does not taste the same - weather and all the travels must have some contribution to its freshness.

*** Pic googled ***

It all started in London when I was 7 years old. Dad always comes home from work with a Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate because that was what we liked back then. One day, he came home with the dairy milk chocolate AND Cadbury FLAKE, which was something new to us. We fought over who’d get the dairy milk choc of course and were reluctant to try the FLAKE. I forgot who gave in, in the end, but that was the start to our relationship with it. That’d be the only choc we’d order if someone were to go to the UK, or returning from there. And that’d be the most number of chocolate I’d buy (and eat) whenever I’m there.

*** Pic googled ***

Lets not get me started on the chocolate swiss roll from Marks and Spencer. No. 1 item for my hand luggage! Yes, no expensive, luxury chocolates or desserts for us! These two would always be our number one favourite for many more years to come.

Best part is, I wouldn’t have a problem thinking what to bring home for the family too whenever I get the chance to go there! ;)

Be Careful What You Wish For

2011-07-29T14:15:00.001+08:00

modern closet design by los angeles architect Lisa Adams, LA Closet Design

*** Photo credits to http://www.houzz.com/photos/closet/start=24 ***

The only similarity Hanan’s wardrobe is to this, are the white hangers. And they’re as tidy too, I suppose. Dresses facing the same way, neatly arranged according to length and same amount of gap between the hangers. I’m OCD-ed that way.

I do apply the ‘same amount of gap between hangers’ for my wardrobe too, but just because there are no more gaps involved. The wardrobe is too tight already!

I sometimes wish I’m more of those messy, why-need-to-be-so-tidy kinda person. But be careful what you wish for! ;)

Just Another Weekend

2011-07-25T14:15:00.001+08:00

*** Hanan busy pulling Imtiyaz’s hair ***

I don’t know about you, but me, being in the house means I would forever be cleaning the kitchen, washing the dishes, doing the laundry, or maybe simply reorganizing some of the things. Top it with cooking, bathing the kids and feeding them, I can count how many times I actually relaxed and just sit back on the sofa doing nothing.

So we thought it’d be good to bring the kids to KLCC Park yesterday evening, coz it has been a while since the last time we were there. And yes, at least I’d have some time out for myself. The kids, especially Imtiyaz had a blast and is already asking to go again! I don’t mind going but when the place is crowded, I tend to get annoyed with some ‘funny’ characters on show. For example, a father who simply spanks his son because the son was trying to be a good brother and played a little wild with his little sister. I’m sure he didn’t even know what he did was dangerous coz the only thing he got from his dad was spanking – no explanation involved.

And guess what? The house is starting to feel a little cozy now. The painting my sister bought for me is finally framed and up on the wall, after much of travelling and following us everywhere in the car. You know those what-ifs moment you think might come your way. What-if-we-saw-a-decent-frame- shop-around-here kinda thing. Little did we know 1000 frame shops along the way does nothing when there are 2 kids in the car at the same time. We finally got it done when the boy is at school and the girl is with the babysitter, and both of us off work.

And finally, I have a HUGE mirror in my bathroom, which can be both good and bad at the same time. Bad because I can now see every jiggly bits, loud and clear! Not so good for the self esteem, really, which kinda explained why the impatient me managed to put it on hold for so long!

Every addition from time to time makes me long to just stay in and enjoy everything. If only weekends are not so packed!

Waterfall, in shades of green.

So how has your weekend been?

A Good Laugh

2011-07-22T13:48:00.001+08:00

“Who looks more like a Datin now? Me or you? *LOL*”

Always trust Jayne, (an old friend from my first ever company 9 years ago), for making me Laugh Out Loud!

Jayne : You have the datin look la, the humble type.

Jayne : but then again, remember last time I thought you were snobbish?

*Ehem* Jayne, I don’t think humble and snobbish look goes well together. It’s EITHER OR!

Sunshine through my window

2011-07-20T13:10:00.001+08:00

… that’s what you are, my shining stars…

One Night Stand

2011-07-19T13:23:00.001+08:00

To get the boy smiling is to include some child-friendly activities of course!

So we were in Kuala Terengganu for one night. Mr. Hubs’ cousin got married and supposedly we could arrive there on time for the reception. But some schedules on their side were changed last minute and since there was no point rushing, we took our time and stopped at Kedai Kopi Hai Peng in Kemaman to enjoy the coffee and toast. Sedap!

Eventhough we missed the reception and the whole wedding thingy, it was still great catching up with family and showing off the little princess - a first time for most of them!

del.icio.us Tags: Kedai Kopi Hai Peng,Kemaman,Pantai Batu Buruk,Kuala Terengganu

Binge Shopping

2011-07-15T17:22:00.001+08:00

This is the way things are – abang plays PSP, adik pulls the string.
And yes, she got under the bed herself & decided to stay there.

I’ve been doing a lot of online shopping lately – be it for myself or for the kids. Most of the time I’m satisfied with what I purchased. Other times, well… it could’ve been better. One thing I don’t dare buy online would be shoes. Did that once 8 years ago for my wedding hantaran – an Ungaro for myself and a Miu Miu for him all the way from Italy, and all I can say is - shoes need to be tried on. Period!

At times, online shopping is a blessing especially when you can’t get much done doing it ‘live’. With kids, of course, and I let you do the rest of the imagination yourself. I wouldn’t call myself a fussy shopper, but I always know what I want and I do a lot of weighing, whether I really need it or not. Whilst I need the time to decide, in between handling the kids and their antics, I would usually decide it’s time to go home. Good on the wallets, but not so good for my well-being, honest!

Of course, my sensible self could take a 360 degree turn when I specifically decide it’s bingeing time! I don’t set a tight budget for it, but of course I have some rough ideas on how much I should and could spend. This, usually happens on my shopping trips – especially to Indonesia. It’s so much cheaper and irresistable anyway, and they do stock up more on suitable clothes for hijab wearers like me. Mr. Hubs still can’t forget this one time we were in Bandung where I just stood there amongst the lovely rolls of chiffons, cottons and laces, and only nodded or shook my head away the whole time. He was standing just outside the shop, not actually able to see the whole picture, and got a shock of his life when I told him I just purchased almost 20 sets for myself - and that’s from only one shop!

He wasn’t around to see me amongst the little girls clothes during the last trip though! Hehehe.

So this online shopping thingy. Most of the time it’s stuffs I could do with, but can live without actually. I still get guilty shopping for no reasons too. But hey, a girl gotta do what a girl gotta do, no? Besides, I do believe in rewarding myself, however big or small.

BUT, if I’m not careful now, I’ll be left with none when it’s time for the upcoming trips. You surely know how the small things add up to so much, don’t you?

“Not going out = Save money”?

Things just don’t work like that anymore! (I don’t know whether to laugh or cry!)

Sharing the Number 11

2011-07-12T16:30:00.001+08:00

Darling Hubs turned 33 yesterday. Celebrated with a quick run to KLCC to have lunch at Ben’s before my appointment at a nearby hospital.

33, young at heart I suppose – still wears the same kinda attire like 14 years ago when we met.Not that I want him to look older of course. A loving Babah to both kids. A loving husband to me Alhamdulillah. Favourite food is still Satay, no doubt. Two things to get him excited would be Swiss watches and shoes. He can wear his newly bought shoes in the house and I’m sure if I don’t make noise about it, he’d sleep in it.

On his birthday, I think it was him that made me happy beyond words – with God’s will, the most important 5 would be completed when the time comes, insyaAllah.

And the little girl – she turned 7 months the same day. Getting noisier by the day, flips and turns like an expert, always ALWAYS wants to be out and about, a favourite with insects (she gets bitten all the time!) and wants to be included in all activities – relevant to age and capability, or not! :P

Happy birthday my darlings! Another year older, another year wiser I hope? ;)

Home Sweet Home

2011-07-08T11:16:00.001+08:00

There are the out-of-stock sofas that needs waiting.
There’s the art piece that needs framing.
There are the wall shelves that needs drilling.
There’s the Kufic Script that needs ordering.
There are the walls that needs painting.
There are the photos that needs printing.
There are the carpets that needs purchasing.
There are the stuffs that needs reorganizing.
There are the lights that needs replacing.
There’s the mirror that needs installing.

Whoever said turning a house into a home is easy?

How to Make It Work?

2011-07-04T16:04:00.001+08:00

So I’ve learnt over and over again that taking out a 6 year old and a 6 months old at the same time is not an easy task. Sometimes, satisfying the 6 months old is so much easier. No wait, most of the time it’s easier.

The 6 years old – well, he needs to be entertained most of the time. And with all the walking, he gets tired and cranky after a while, and demands to go home. Can’t bribe him with chocs or ice cream, coz the boy doesn’t take bribing when he doesn’t need it. (Good attitude though) When that happens, no amount of PSP or games or chalk mats or playlands or miniature rides or anything will make him smile. And the mum gets cranky coz what needs to be done is not even done yet.

“ Oh hippo, I’m super tired and Mama’s still not done!”

Boy, how many times Mama told you not to be selfish when we go out?

What’s selfish, Mama?

Selfish is when you only think about yourself and don’t care about others.

Ohhhh… RIGHT! But can we go home now? I’m tired.

Grrrr…!!

On the bright side, the boy still doesn’t mind sitting on strollers when we go out, but the 55lbs limit for the Maclaren really makes the 66lbs boy super hard to push! Tell me, any strollers that takes more than 55lbs limit and still allows pushing with ease? It’d be a dream come true!

***Catching up on sleep after a long day out.***

Honestly, children’s products should really cater for bigger kids. It’s not my fault they’re bigger than average!

p.s. I wanted an exersaucer to entertain Hanan at home and guess what? Weight limit for most is 25lbs and up to walking age, and Hanan at 6 months is almost 25lbs as of last month. *sigh*

del.icio.us Tags: stroller for bigger kids,exersaucer,entertaining a toddler,long day out

Who’s the Boss?

2011-06-30T10:04:00.001+08:00

Imtiyaz : Mama, I need you to do 2 favours for me today.

Mama : And what are those?

Imtiyaz : First, you need to try to on the computer for me. Second, you need to charge my PSP.

Several minutes later.

Imtiyaz : Mama, have you done the favours I asked you to?

Mama : Hmm… I switched on the computer for you already.

Imtiyaz : Then I cannot RADIOLATE you!

Mama : What is RADIOLATE?

Imtiyaz : RADIOLATE is CONGRATULATIONS! *frowns*

Mama : Ooooo… it’s CONGRATULATE darling, not RADIOLATE!

Imtiyaz : Nooo…! It’s RADIOLATEEEE!!

Haihhh… degil sungguh anak teruna sorang ni!

Her First Road Trip

2011-06-27T12:13:00.001+08:00

Mum wanted to go back to Penang, to visit grandma and to attend the kenduri at SIL’s shop. We took the opportunity to bring Hanan for her first road trip, and to visit her great grandma. And we wanted to try out Puncak Mutiara Cafe, since the rest has been several times (Imtiyaz included), but it was a first time for Mr. Hubs and me.

Lovely atmosphere, great selection of food. On most nights, the place can be super crowded and service might be a bit slow, but you can always go have a look at the goats or the ostriches at the farm which is within the same area. Imtiyaz loved the place, and since it was his 3rd time there, he already knew what to expect and where to go. He was having fun with the laser lights on show too, which seems to be a great way to amuse the kids.

Food-wise, I had the sizzling lamb chop and Mr. Hubs had the lamb grill. Delicious, but next time we’d order more of the lamb satay and the roti arab with gulai ayam kampung. That is much more satisfying for our tastebuds! And the ABC is super huge so make sure to share. It was so hot that day that we thought we could finish one ourselves, but it turned out the opposite.

*** Pics from http://www.puncakmutiara.com/ ***

A must try, I should say!

del.icio.us Tags: Puncak Mutiara Cafe,Kg Pelet,Bukit Mertajam

Pillow Talk

2011-06-23T16:27:00.001+08:00

Last night, when the kids are asleep, I told my husband these days a lot of things made me realize how easy it is for the devil to twist our minds. When we have to prioritize, how easy it is for us to want to forego the more important things for the benefit of our mind and soul, for the benefit of the life after. Instead, we tend to choose to proceed with the less important, the ones that we actually can live without.

When we don’t do what we have to do, we come up with a lot of justifications. Justifications that were made up just to ease our own minds.

We tend to go overboard sometimes when the talk includes the state of the country as well. How sad it is that our leaders these days can’t follow the steps of Caliph Sayyidina Omar (ra). Here’s one of my favourite (taken from http://hamzaberat.blogspot.com/2011/04/justice-and-candle.html)

A friend of the Caliph Sayyidina Omar (ra) visited him after the sunset. He was working on administrational papers and government plans. Caliph blew out the candle on the table and lit up another candle before starting the conversation with his visitor. His visitor was surprised at the candle change. He couldn’t help asking:

O Commander of the faithful! Tell me why you did change the candle.

Caliph Omar (ra) replied:

The previous candle was of the state and belongs to the bayt al-mal (state treasury). I utilize it during my state related duties. The second one is mine. If somebody comes and visits me, I do not use the candle of the treasury as it is an individual meeting. It is haram to use the property of the state for personal uses. That’s why I lit up the second one.

If only.

p.s. Such serious pillow talk! But then again, I wouldn’t want to expose the non-serious ones, of course. ;)

An Invitation

2011-06-23T11:28:00.001+08:00

***Pic from my inbox***

Just to preview. Not to buy, of course. I can’t possibly afford this place now, and can’t imagine the amount of money and time and effort to turn it into a home. Heck, my place now is still very much empty and it’s like half the size of this?

And no, I’m not planning to get a bigger house even if I can afford it. The maintenance (without a helper) is just beyond my sanity.

It’s located at one of the housing areas we shortlisted previously, hence the preview invitation from the developer.

It doesn’t hurt to just go and drool, perhaps just to get some ideas for the interior decor, maybe?

Time to Knock on the Boss' Door

2011-06-17T17:18:00.001+08:00

***Pic googled***

My husband always says I have things easy for me. My journey was smooth sailing all the way. I went to good schools, earned a scholarship, went to uni, graduated on time, immediately landed myself on a job and kept on changing jobs one after another with ease. He said I’ve never had any failures in my life.

That’s his point of view but I don’t see it like that myself.

I see myself as someone who was not given the chance to pursue what I want to pursue due to the country’s economic crisis back then. Also due to the country’s demand for graduates in certain fields, I just went with the flow - out of frustration, maybe. I ventured something that I have never considered before in my life. Something that I still don’t actually learn to love until now. But along the way, I also learnt the reason why it was never made easy for me to venture into what I wanted to do earlier on. God does work in mysterious ways.

Reflecting on his side of the story, I admit it was not as smooth sailing as mine was. A late bloomer too, I shall say. But his short few years effort pays off tremendously than my almost 11 year of working life – which seems rather unfair, honestly.

Unfair, when I’m thinking like a snob. Totally fair when I think of all God made him go through before. No, I’m not saying this based on salary range alone. It covers a whole lot more.

*sigh* I’m just a little bit frustrated with this year’s salary increment. That’s all.

Brother’s Day

2011-06-14T13:36:00.001+08:00

Imtiyaz : Last time it was Mother’s Day. Now it’s Father’s Day. I want Brother’s Day!!

Are they playing together already?

Time Out with The Family

2011-06-09T17:15:00.001+08:00

We’re taking the day off tomorrow just to bring the kids out. The school hols is coming to and end and they have been indoors most of the time. Saturdays and Sundays are just so jam-packed with people so hoping Friday won’t be so bad.

What I have in mind are :

1. Get on the hop on hop off bus and be a tourist in our own city for a day. The boy would love the double decker bus, and I’m sure there’s a lot of spots I haven’t been to myself.

2. Go to i-City’s Snowalk just to escape the heat for a while. But I heard it’s a bit slippery and dangerous, so maybe I’ll pass.

3. To the National Zoo. Any zoo is an absolute favourite with the boy!

4. Head over to One Utama to check out the huge Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee.

5. Head over to IPC Shopping Centre (Ikano) to checkout the Smurfs Village. Not that the boy lives in the Smurfs era and knows what Smurfs are, anyway, but I’m sure he’ll be equally fascinated if it’s done up really nice.

I still have to keep in mind that the boy has not fully recovered though. He’s jumping up and down already, even kicking balls at times. He doesn’t do the screaming - I do.

Have a good weekend!

A Different Kind

2011-06-08T11:07:00.001+08:00

My father was a very simple person. He rarely talks about money, he’d accept invites to give talks without discussing about money, he’d say Alhamdulillah and tells me or my siblings to open up the gifts or envelopes given by organizers after his talk without showing any interest to what’s inside. He’s never muttered a word of complaint should the gifts/money did not even cover his expenses to get to the place. He’d always tell me to just get whatever I needed for myself, whatever the cost. At times, I would be the one worrying more – to which he would reply “Money is something we can always look for.”

He was never in debt. He has never even owned a credit card. He’s the type that stores loads of cash in his pocket which I believed could be dangerous if that is practiced now. Operation-wise, he gave his ATM card to mum to manage the household finances, and he never queried on the spending.

When we’ve all grown up, to him, our money is for us to manage. He doesn’t need a portion of our money. He’s never asked for any. If it was given to him, he’d accept it. But only to give us more in return. Downpayment for cars, downpayment for houses, wedding expenses, anything big that needed help – especially for any of us who just started working with very minimum pay at that time.

Alhamdulillah, when he passed away, he did not leave any debts behind. Mum was also very well taken care of and is able to live in comfort without much worries.

He must be a man who values a whole lot more of other things, than money. And I’ve learnt to appreciate him even more, now that I am faced with a different kind.

p.s. And no, Mr. Hubs is not my father now – just in case you are guessing he’s the different kind of father I’m talking about. :)

And It Hasn’t Grown Since

2011-06-06T13:36:00.001+08:00

*** It is still very small today, Mama. It hasn’t grown! ***

Reached DSH at 730, registered and waited to go into the day ward.
Off to the day ward at 800.
Changed, and waited for the pediatric surgeon to come. Imtiyaz’s circumcision was done by Dr. Razak, for those of you asking.
He walked into the OT with his Babah. Did not cry, but gave some physical resistance until he was actually sliding on his slippers whilst being pulled by side by side by his Babah and the doctor. A cute sight, really.
Mr. Hubs came out of the OT a few minutes later, after he was put to sleep.
We went for breakfast downstairs for half an hour.
Went up and was told the procedure was done, and he is still at the recovery area.
About 10 minutes later, Mr. Hubs was called in as he has already woke up.
Came out drowsy and went back to sleep. So we just waited.
He woke up, asked for his sister Hanan and already on his PSP in no time.
Did vomit once, and twice in the car on the way home.
We were already on the way home by noon – had to wait for bills, etc.
Reached home, he slept for another 2.5 hours.

All in all, I was impressed with the fact that he can put on his shorts right after. No sarongs like years ago, and he can actually lie on his stomach, sideways and in whichever position he wants without hurting himself. In fact, the next morning when I was wondering how to bathe him, he actually went and sit in the small baby tub full of water, like he always does.

The only sign to know he has just been circumcised is when he holds up his shorts sometimes, not wanting the cloth the be in contact with the penis.

Alhamdulillah. I am glad it went well, and I am glad there isn’t much pain involved. Another milestone reached, and in no time, we’re gonna be busy enrolling him into ‘big school’ already!

Kids Q&A

2011-06-02T14:38:00.001+08:00

Blessed with a child who is always curious with his surroundings, I do get challenging questions which are of course tougher to answer, coming from that little mouth. Things get worse if I don’t know what he’s talking about. At times I would feel blessed having my blackberry and google in hand, thinking to myself now I have a valid reason to keep on using it (I am getting quite sick being surrounded with too much technology these days).

For instance, he asked about the earthquake one day. I explained what I know, and I relate it to God.

He replied,

Does Allah have big muscles, Mama?

Prepping him with the circumcision which is gonna take place tomorrow morning, he asked me,

Why Allah gives us K**E, Mama? (referring to the penis)

He asked me what constellation I see, whilst pointing to the sky. I quickly googled CONSTELLATION and got my answer. You too can google it now if you don’t know. *winks*

He saw a construction work along the way and it’s called TREEZ, he asked,

Why some people spell TREEZ and some spell TREES?

Out of nowhere he would ask,

Why is there ‘eye’ as in eye to see and ‘I’ like me?

(He comes up with a lot of these same sound, different meaning thingy)

He sees car plate numbers and asked,

Why that man likes that number, and that man likes a different number?

When I say there’s no game on the laptop coz there’s no internet at the mo, he’d go,

Can you try the other computer?

It’s amusing sometimes and I try to answer each one carefully, hoping I provide a satisfying answer each time. I try not to whisk anything away, for fear of him not wanting to ask me anything ever again. I believe in positive interaction with the boy (eventhough I admit I’m only human and don’t have the patience to be a walking dictionary 24-7) and I like the fact that he turns to me for answers now. Of course, I do pray all the time that this will continue forever – to be the person he turns to whenever he needs an answer.

Now I can’t wait for this little one to start talking. Can’t imagine!

Negative Kind of Positive

2011-06-01T10:27:00.001+08:00

When someone nicely tells you what you are doing is wrong/not so nice, and you quickly justify that person is jealous of you.

When you have never gotten your condition checked, and you drill down to genetic and your readings and your assumptions – that you are good to go.

When you see your child misbehave and you straightaway compare with the nearest kid to you, and think to yourself he’s actually much better than the other kid. And you left him to continue misbehaving.

When you don’t allocate time for your kids, and you quickly justify it’s to develop their independence.

When you think only what you are doing is right, And what others do is useless.

When you keep on preaching about being positive but you don’t actually portray it yourself.

When you think God loves you alone, coz nothing has ever gone wrong in your lifetime.

***Pic googled***

Unexplainable

2011-05-27T13:38:00.001+08:00

***Pic googled***

Some father and son relationships are totally unexplainable. I sure hope Mr. Hubs will forever be Imtiyaz’s best friend! :)

The Grandfather

2011-05-25T10:21:00.001+08:00

“Mama, I look like a grandfather!” Yes, he really said that when he saw this pic!

But look what this ‘grandfather’ did last Saturday!

He won a gold medal in the obstacle race!

He may not be the fastest runner or the ‘sportiest’ of them all, but I love the team spirit and the hard work he displayed. He even said to me earlier on,

“Even if I don’t win, I still have to cheer for my friends, Mama.”

That’s the spirit, my boy! We’re so proud of you!

beaconhouse, grandfather, sports day, team spirit

Diamonds on Dial

2011-05-23T12:07:00.001+08:00

So I turned 33 last Friday. Beautiful number, and I’m feeling utterly grateful for the life I have. It may not be perfect, but I’m loving every minute of it. Alhamdulillah.

We celebrated 2 days late because Mr. Hubs was away and managed to come home just a few hours after 20th May ended. The next day was filled with visits to the doctors and the boy’s sports day, so our schedule was packed to the brim.

Chose to have lunch at Canoodling at Bangsar Village II so we can eat in peace, whilst the boy doodles all he wants on the paper-covered table (with colourful crayons provided) – clever, innit?

The love of my life – can’t possibly ask for more.

Love the lightings!

The boy loved the restaurant so much, he wants to go again the next day!

5 months – 9.2kg, 83cm

I was tricked into believing that one of his luggage containing office equipments did not reach KLIA, so we had to go pick them up after the boy’s sports day. Truth was, he bought something for me there and wanted to collect it on his way back – only to reach KLIA past midnight and the shop was closed.

Mr. Hubs’ artwork :)

Simple celebration. Perfect company. As much as I am grateful with what I’m given by Allah, I truly hope people around me are grateful to have me around too, all these 33 years of life.

Hoping I will be a better person in the years to come, insyaAllah.

del.icio.us Tags: canoodling,birthday,bangsar village

Pre-School Check Up

2011-05-19T11:13:00.001+08:00

I have my own glasses now – and it’s from the Ben 10 range! Mama was looking for something more Harry Potter-like but they don’t have any!

Since he’ll be starting school next year, we thought it’d be good to bring him for checkups. To the dentist to make sure his teeth are good to go, to the ophthalmologist and optometrist to get his eyes checked. And in the next 2 weeks time, to the pediatric surgeon for his circumcision.

He’s always had this habit of watching things using the sides of his right eyes since he was small. We thought it’s just a habit he’d wear off in time. But when he started to watch things closer and closer, I suspected something was definitely not right with his eyes. He didn’t complain of course – kids won’t really know how things are supposed to be like. They’d think everyone sees things just the same. We did test him sometimes, like on the road, to read car plate numbers etc. He seemed fine. And he was able to learn in class just as well – his teacher even commented he was above average in class.

But I sure am glad we made the decision to do all these pre-school checkups. And I’m glad his eyes are in good condition, nothing more serious to worry about. Well, except for the short-sightedness, of course. I really hope it will not affect his self-confidence, and it will not limit his activities in school. He does look good in glasses, no doubt, eventhough I was hoping the choices here are much wider! I had in mind a turquoise tortoiseshell Harry Potter-like frames for him actually. Or maybe the one side square, another side circle frames I saw Marina Mahathir’s daughter wore once on TV! Hahaha. Mama memang selalu over kan?

Baby Product Review

2011-05-16T09:25:00.001+08:00

When Imtiyaz was a baby, I didn’t worry too much about having enough time and patience to prepare his food. One, because we were staying with mum. Two, because I didn’t have another toddler to take care of. So everything just went into place, and he had his share of healthy and home cooked meals all the time.

For Hanan, well… I knew I needed to get help. With office work, house work, challenging Q&A session with the boy, etc. Anything that would make my life easier, I am willing to invest. First I got to know of is the Beaba Babycook, which is a little too pricey for my liking, and requires quite a bit of cleaning. Time is crucial here, my friend, that even an extra piece to wash makes a big difference to my well-being.

Then, I found out about this Philips Avent combined steamer & blender, which somehow appeals to me since I just need to flip it over after steaming - to blend. Less parts to be washed, less time required. That makes me a happy mum, indeed.

The white and lime colour is oh-so-fresh!
*Photo googled*

It’s so easy that the only thing you needed to spend some time on is to wash and cut your raw food, be it fruit, vege, meat or fish. Cut them into small cubes, steam, flip it over, blend – and it’s done! My girl had her share of chicken, broccoli, spinach, rice and mango already - only in her first week on solids. Actually, it’s me who got excited and went a little overboard!

On to the 2nd kitchen helper now - To simplify storage of the freshly made food, these baby cubes really come in handy. Each 2oz size is just enough for a one-time feed. The lids are attached directly, and it’s one of the features I liked best about it. No more lost lids now! It’s microwave, freezer and dish-washer safe too.

*Photo from http://www.babycubes.com/*

So. If you feel you don’t have much time, and at the same time still want your baby to have freshly made home cooked meals, it’s highly recommended. Price-wise, I got the Avent Steamer and Blender for RM359 from http://www.happybaby.com.my/ (it’s on sale now!) and the baby cubes, you can get them from either http://www.tinytapir.com/ or http://www.fabulousmom.com/. Normal price for the 2oz size is RM36.90. I got mine with a 20% discount.

Have a good day!

del.icio.us Tags: fabulous mom,tiny tapir,avent steamer and blender,baby on solid food,baby cubes

Stays a Dream

2011-05-12T15:50:00.000+08:00

“Look… one teeth down!”

Imtiyaz : Mama, I wish it can be like in my dreams - When I want to watch TV, you’ll always say YES.

Mama : That will stay only in your dreams!

Smart way to get the message across to me, but not smart enough to get it! :)

Ouh, here’s what he made me for Mother’s Day. I told Mr. Hubs to try beat it!

-----

And… here’s my little Spongebob,

… and here’s another one Mr. Hubs said is Liza Abdullah version as in one of the old local films (the headband). If you don’t know who is Liza Abdullah from the 80s, go google! I have very vague memory of her honestly. Trust Mr. Hubs to remember all these seasoned malay actors! :P

Hanan, back to the 80s!

del.icio.us Tags: 80s movie,liza abdullah

People and Such

2011-05-11T10:46:00.001+08:00

I don’t know how to start writing this. I haven’t even taken this thing seriously thus I don’t see the need to fret over it, or get depressed over it or even talk about it. It has gotten a little out of hand for the other party that I feel sorry for them – the need to get angry over something they themselves triggered. I guess the nosiness in her has finally trapped her, shaken her out of her ‘in denial’ state that people actually knew her actual behaviour, and already staying away from her – even before her name was mentioned.

I didn’t do the damage. She already had the ‘reputation’. But I guess for people like her, the best thing to do is to blame others. I mean, she can’t possibly be wrong, can she? And for that, she leaves no room for improvement, resulting in more people to back off. Come on, this is the same person a friend told me that another friend actually told her to have pity on her, because she doesn’t have friends anymore. And this friend, being an angel as she is, took pity on her and started being friends again (after several fallouts) and yet to be back on square one again now.

This is also the same person who would always compare what other people have in terms of material and makes assumptions out of it. Come on, however hard you try to compare and to win and to be the best – whatever you always try to find out you’ll never get the correct figure anyway. Coz most of us are not like you. What we have, what we acquire is not to be blabbed, or compared, or to be proud of until the stage of walking with our nose high up in the air. Until the stage that no one else matters. Until the stage that it’s okay to make enemies with people. Because we won’t know when we would need that someone to help us, when our paths would cross again, when the other party that you point your finger to might be somebody who could bring you down in an instance. We wouldn’t know.

Just because you don’t have the kind of friendship other people have, doesn’t mean you can try to break it. No one in the rightful mind, would copy a simple tweet from me, forward it to another person and tried to convince her I’m talking about her. No one in her rightful mind, would have such luxury of time to do just that. And yes, I bet it got you by surprise that this person actually called me up to clarify this matter. You are humiliated which resulted in anger. Humiliation is something you can’t handle. Being hated, you can. In fact, you are used to it.

You forgot that this friend of mine has such honesty in her, and such bravery that she confronted me. You? You don’t even dare come face-to-face with me. Instead, you sent your shivering-with-anger husband to wait for us, and at such a ‘convenient’ place – the hospital! The words he said, wanting to look for my husband at his company is just super duper funny! I’m sure you would know by now where I live, from all the ‘research’ done on your side. You can easily ask for my number and address from any of my friends too, just in case you don’t have them – which I doubt. Why the need to go to his office? Oh right, I forgot. That dialogue is always used in TV dramas, right? Maybe he was expecting to create some dramas at the hospital, and maybe win a fight. Just like you, maybe it’s some of the useless things that he enjoys doing. I wouldn’t know what’s the intention, coz honestly, if I didn’t notice you before that, I wouldn’t even remember how he looked like, I wouldn’t even know who he was. I don’t even know how your kids look like. That’s how ignorant I am of you. Unlike you, of me.

For god’s sake, don’t any of you have any sense, but only to care about your anger, and your need to display your good-for-nothing thoughts, without even thinking about others? The hospital is NOT the place to get even with anybody. The hospital is also not the place to HIDE away from me. I feel sorry for myself now, having to get involved with you, coz obviously our mentality and wave lengths don’t match. Yours lower, of course.

Just bear in mind. Even if your name was not mentioned in any tweets, people already knew about you. And it’s all because of your own doing. The tweet was just an outcome of what you did to me, a tiny portion of all the feelings of resentment you’ve triggered in the world. We can always do a trail and see what’s the cause of the tweet mentioning your name - IF you dare. Then we’ll know for sure who is to be blamed. But hey, hiding away from me is already a living proof on its own.

Stop pointing fingers, stop blaming others. And please, be thankful with what you have – coz the act of comparing and wanting what you could not have will only make you more depressed and brings out the worst of you – IF you could get any worse, that is. If you think you are much more superior than others now, then be it. The satisfaction will definitely bring out the happier you.

All the best to you and family!

p.s. You can start calling any of my friends now, and tell them I’m actually writing this about them. ;)

When One Has Too Much…

2011-05-05T16:52:00.001+08:00

One writes NONE!

When I see what’s happening around me, I made a mental note what to blog about. But when the time comes for me to write, I don’t know how to put it in words.

I don’t like to leave the blog abandoned for too long, so let’s just bore you with photos of the kids!

Wondering Out Loud

2011-04-28T13:41:00.001+08:00

My ‘free hair’ girl! *LOL*

Is the usage of ‘Hijabi’ appropriate, just like the usage of ‘Free Hair’? Why should we label people on what’s going on with their hair? If one is hairless, and not covered up with a hijab, would she be labelled as ‘Free Head’ then?

Nope, she would just be called ‘botak’!

p.s. Whoever came up with the term ‘free hair’ anyway?

del.icio.us Tags: hijabi,free hair,labelling,free head

Brave & Bold

2011-04-25T12:42:00.001+08:00

I was standing beside him on the carousel and wanted to jump off coz it made me dizzy – but it went too fast, didn’t want to risk humiliating myself!

A lot have been going on for the boy, I worry if he gets too overwhelmed by it. The biggest would be the move to his own room, which was put on hold since the failure a few years ago. He kept on coming back to our room and crashing on our bed back then, we thought we’d just wait a bit longer.

It has been a week already, and surprisingly it wasn’t too tough. He’ll fall asleep within 5 to 10 minutes after we tuck him in and some nights he does wake up, only to ask his Babah to accompany him in his room until he falls asleep again.

At almost 6 years old, he still wants his milk in bottle. So with the big move to his own room, am only limiting it to bedtime for now. Felt a bit too cruel to take everything away from him at one time! And to make him take full cream milk directly from the box every morning is no easy task, but Alhamdulillah, he’s getting there.

Said he wanted to buy the question-mark-shaped-thingy the dentist used to suck the saliva.

He also had his first visit to the dentist last week. One of his teeth seems to be a bit loose and is being pushed to the side by an emerging tooth. The visit went perfectly well, and he wasn’t traumatic by it. There’s a follow up visit in 2 weeks time to get the loose bit out, so I hope that’ll go smooth as well.

He also thinks the National Science Center is a cool place, and wanted to go there every week!

Next up, would be to prep him for the circumcision early June. So this baby of mine is definitely on his way to manhood, and most probably with gaps between his teeth too!

p.s. He’s going to his first theatre – “The Ugly Duckling” next week too – with his school friends! How ‘posh’ more could a child get these days? *LOL*

Bila Masa Sesuai untuk ….?

2011-04-22T13:04:00.001+08:00

An interesting article that is in line with my own thoughts. A thought that may contradict with most.

Have a read at :

http://drzubaidi.com/blog/?p=1155

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T09:37:00.001+08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T11:00:00.001+08:00

The Blue Lagoon (Reykjavik, Iceland) – Winter 2008

del.icio.us Tags: Blue Lagoon,Reykjavik,Iceland,Geothermal Spa

Life’s Lesson

2011-04-12T16:03:00.001+08:00

Don’t assume a person who appears uninterested, is truly uninterested. For all you know, they know the inside out of your life more than you know it yourself.

Glorious Pees and Poops

2011-04-07T09:32:00.001+08:00

I’m sure all parents who went through the same can recall how the pees and the poops never looked as disgusting as it was before! *LOL*

A Deep One

2011-04-06T11:16:00.001+08:00

How do we grow our money?

Do you need it to grow?

Yes.

Why?

For the future. For our kids. For us.

We’ve seen people doing super well at young age, and when they’re old, they have nothing right?

Yes.

We’ve seen people living in moderate when they’re young and stick to conventional ways of saving, and when they’re old they live in comfort and have nothing to worry about right?

Yes.

We’ve seen people investing here and there, supposedly for the future, but when money is needed, their investments are unreachable, right?

Yes.

We’ve seen people who don’t earn much, but when we go to their houses, we feel calm and at ease. We see smiles and sincerity on their faces. And they don’t look poor. They don’t feel poor. They look rather ‘rich’, in fact.

Yes.

We’ve seen people who has everything. The lifestyle, the material, everything you can ever think of. But when we go to their houses, they don’t look at ease. We don’t feel at ease. They are ‘poor’ in some ways, only they don’t realize it.

Yes.

We’ve experienced a very simple life. Life without a car. Life with only a small space to live in – with the dining, kitchen, bedroom all dumped into one space. Life when a bus ride is a luxury – we’d rather walk. Life when McDonald’s is a celebration. But we were so happy, weren’t we?

Yes.

You’ve experienced major changes in your life. From a small start to a big jump in salary, almost an unthinkable one, back to normal life again, and now slowly working yourself towards your dream. All those while, our life remains the same, right? When money was easy, and when money was a bit tight, everything remains the same. We stayed the same.

Yes.

Whatever it is, let’s hope whatever is in our possession is with barakah. However small, it will be enough. However big, it will be shared and will still be used in moderation. InsyaAllah, we won’t have to think about how to grow them. They will find its way.

A very meaningful conversation I had with Mr. Hubs. It’s always good to remind each other all the time to stay grounded - especially when one is in doubt, when one is feeling uncertain and confused.

p.s. Guess who’s the Yes Man in this conversation – me or Mr. Hubs?

Smile

2011-04-05T15:57:00.001+08:00

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

Sweet Gesture

2011-03-30T13:15:00.001+08:00

Everytime I come home from work, I am always greeted with either a ‘mail’ from Imtiyaz with his drawings carefully put inside an envelope, or flowers plucked from Mum’s garden. Most of the time he’ll have one each - for me, Mr. Hubs and Hanan.

I asked him once and I’ll store it in my memory for as long as I live.

Why do you give flowers to Mama, sayang?

Because I love you.

Short and precise. Mama loves you too!

Distinction and Love

2011-03-29T13:47:00.001+08:00

Before Hanan was born, we have decided on the name Hessa. From the internet, the name Hessa means destiny, and yes, we strongly felt she was our destiny’s child - especially after the tearful period of miscarriage a few months before.

I don’t straightaway believe what’s written on the internet especially when it comes to meaning of names. I checked with a family friend who confirmed they (both husband and wife) were unsure if the meaning for the name Hessa even existed. So we opted for the next available option – HANAN. Don’t ask me why I’m attracted to names starting with 'H’ this time. No absolute reason behind it, we’re not sentimental that way.

This name too had several versions - Hanan AND Hannan, which again, we had to ask about the difference in spelling and pronunciation.

To the Malaysian tongue, both spelling does not make any difference to the pronunciation of course. But in arabic, the addition of a ‘sabdu’ actually changed the meaning. HaNan means loving, tender, compassionate. HaNNan means Most Merciful – one of Allah’s attribute, making it more suitable for a boy.

We love the simplicity of the name. We love the meaning of it. We love how it sounded when we call this new love of ours.

Truly, these two will always be our mark of distinction, excellence and love.

del.icio.us Tags: Hanan,Hannan,Imtiyaz,Love,Distinction

Material World

2011-03-24T14:48:00.001+08:00

When any new gadgets are announced, people queue up for it. Some already high in debt add on to their debts just because they want it. Some saved up long just to have it. Some just can afford to get it anytime they want.

Some want it because they love to explore – they need to know the latest technology, they need to try it because it’s somehow related to their work. It’s their interest. They are crazy about it. They can do so many things with the gadgets they buy and make full use of the features available, even generate income out of it.

Some want it just because people around them have it. They don’t want to feel left out. They want to know what people are talking about. Deep down inside, they don’t actually want it. They don’t even care.

Some want it to appear cool - even to people they don’t know. It’s a shame to carry around something old fashioned, something obsolete. They want it even if they don’t make full use of it.

Some want it to be nothing less. Old gadgets = Moneyless to them. Image is important to these people. Usually they have nothing else to be proud of, so they need to show off as much as they can. People in this category tend to be judgmental towards others too.

Some want it because some of the features can be useful to them. I believe a lot of people fall under this category, but most of the time these people can easily fall under the categories above if they feel the need to change to a newer and updated gadget every time (with just some additional features which might not be useful to them anyway).

Some want it just because they have money to spend. And since it’s nice to have, why not?

Some just wants it. They like it, they buy.

Honestly, I’m sure a lot of people falls under the 2nd, 3rd and 4th category too. But would you admit it? ;)

p.s. Momster is wondering when is Mr. Hubs going to change his oh-so-obsolete phone? Not that he needs a new one anyway – as long as it works eh? ;)

Recharged

2011-03-22T14:06:00.001+08:00

I had glorious days shopping, glorious food, unlimited supply of alpukat (avocado juice) and not to forget 5 days of diarrhea and vomiting (I suspect I had an overdose of alpukat). I even have a record now at one of the clinics in BDO because of that.

And again, I have to stress why I love to shop in Indonesia. The stuffs and prices are secondary. The service deserves standing ovation. Where else would I get a sales assistant to follow me around carrying my loots, asking me what else I need, finds the right size, waits for me outside the changing room just in case I need to change size, follows me around again for hours – until I’m done. And when I’ve paid, the driver comes in and carries my stuffs to the car - all with a BIG smile plastered to their faces.

Ask where can you get top ups for your Indonesian number, they do it for you. Ask for money changer, it comes to you.

Again and again, I am reminded why I don’t shop that much back in homeland anymore.

Thanks to my brother-in-law, the kids had some time at the BDO Zoo or we’d have to put up with their ongoing tantrums throughout. Imtiyaz, I would say, behaved extremely well this time. He enjoyed the aircraft landing the most – both times!

If you have limited time in Bandung and need to shop for the whole family, head over to The Secret or Rumah Mode for men, women and childrens clothes, Anakecil for only children and some maternity wear, and of course Pasar Baru for the kain and tops. Of course, if you have ample time, can always explore the rest of the hundreds of outlets available.

And since Mr. Hubs promised a visit to see the sharks when we’re home (since he missed the trip), that’s exactly what we did. Imagine how tired I was with the diarrhea, the visit to the paed and the visit to Aquaria. Not to mention the unfinished mountain of laundry at home.

It was a good break, for Imtiyaz and me at least. It was also a good chance for Mr. Hubs to experience becoming Mr. Mama for once, and he did receive a lot of compliments for being able to mind for Hanan, all on his own. That, I know I can always count on him!

p.s. At 3 months, Hanan weighs 7.4kg, length is 68cm.

Count on You

2011-03-14T10:27:00.001+08:00

Eventhough sometimes I do get pissed when the boy uses my camera for endless photos and recording his voice, I still can’t deny how I enjoyed going through it and selecting the worthy ones, and deleting the rest.

I’ll put up some voice recordings he did soon (if I can figure out how) and thought maybe I should take him casting one day? ;)

Here’s what he captured yesterday.

All smiles when she sees her brother.

Her 3 mths checkup will be next week and we always guess her weight before going. I’d say she’s more than 7kg now.

Sedetik Lebih Selepas Selamanya

2011-03-11T17:05:00.001+08:00

*Ehem*

Mr. Hubs, on his attempts to be a romantic, asked Imtiyaz to sing along with him, dedicating this song to me. Unfortunately, Imtiyaz is very well known to be someone most capable to spoil the mood.

‘Sedetik lebih selepas selamanya’ is part of the lyrics, which I assume means ‘a little bit more than forever’?

Being an unnecessary thinker, here I am thinking if that’s even possible.

But I appreciate it, darling. I really do. :)

Loving the Weather

2011-03-11T14:49:00.001+08:00

I think it’s utterly beautiful when it rains. I even dreamed of a house with a conservatory just to be able to watch and enjoy. At home, I’d make sure the curtains don’t block the view when it rains, and sipping coffee and just staring at it seems so much more fun than anything showing on TV. It’d be much more meaningful when the house is all quiet and the kids are asleep so I can enjoy the tip taps of it all.

Gosh, I sound mushy!

And this AFTERNOON, if I wasn’t heading towards the office, I’d continue walking in the rain even if my shoes and jeans are soaked. It was just so nice and therapeutic. But I succumb to the shuttle provided half way through, just so I don’t make a ‘wet’ entrance.

And why was I at the office only in the afternoon?

This photo comes from Mr. Hubs, carefully hiding the parts that is not supposed to be seen.

I was at the hospital getting those needles in! It’s to be called Pain Management, not Acupuncture. (but I still refer to it as acupuncture anyway, people understands better). Honestly, it wasn’t painful at all, just some tingling sensation. I have another 3 sessions to go, before deciding whether it worked on me or not.

Apart from that, this little girl’s 3 months old today. 13 weeks to be exact.

Imtiyaz’s fave activity now is to snap photos using my phone. Some of the photos are useful for blogging, especially when the Mama is so lazy to snap!

She’s outgrown most of her size 0-3 months clothes by now, and 3–6 months ones seems like a better fit already. I’ve already switched her diapers to size M too! Can’t believe the amount of clothes I have to buy for these 2 next week - it’s like a whole new wardrobe for them!

He tried snapping this one himself but failed miserably. That’s when he asked for help.

The boy actually shares my passion towards the rain. Things on his wish list are :

1. Spideman jacket
2. Rain coat (to play in the rain)
3. Wellington boots (to enjoy puddles when it rains)

And when I say he sometimes snapped useful photos, this one is excluded, eventhough I do find it quite ‘artistic’.

Have an awesome weekend, people!

A Matter of Opinion

2011-03-08T14:35:00.001+08:00

A lot have been on my mind, especially when I read other blogs - their thoughts, their perspectives in life, their assumptions of people around them, their wants, their needs, their actions, their priorities, the ‘air’ in them, the ‘insecurity’ they possess, their needs to impress, their humbleness, their level of maturity, etcetera, etcetera. It’s like sipping coffee alfresco and people watch - only better.

Whilst I may agree with some, I may not agree with every single thing that comes from the same source. To agree and to disagree does not make them right or wrong, of course. It’s just a matter of opinion.

But it’s obvious that each and every one of us have different perspectives in life, and no matter how good or knowledgeable or smart or rich or poor or experienced you think you are, one would just have to accept that if others don’t think like you do, it does not make them stupid. If others choose one over another, it is not a bad choice. If others refused, it may not be in their list of priorities. If others are less opinionated, it does not mean they don’t know. If others don’t show, it does not mean they don’t have.

Live your life how you want it and put a fullstop on comparing, assuming and criticizing others - especially if they are not like you. I’m sure the world would be a better place, and you’d be a happier person too!

It’s OK to be vain and stare at ownself first, before others.

I May Sound Old

2011-02-28T15:51:00.001+08:00

Having back pain for almost 6 years, I decided to go visit an orthopedist last Friday to get a 2nd opinion. The last time I talked to an orthopedist was more than 5 years ago, to which no exact finding was found. I then turned to chiropractors for a few years which helped tremendously, but I wasn’t 100% healed. I still had problems sitting down for prolonged periods, and whenever long travels especially air travels are concerned, I secretly wished I can back out.

So I did some x-rays which required poses equivalent to Angelina Ballerina’s on Playhouse Disney Channel. I had some problems on L4-L5 facet of my spine but as expected, nothing was discovered near my coccyx area - which was the start of my problem earlier on. My guess was that area is sort of healed already, but the pain has moved upwards. Haha. My very own assumption. I’m sure somehow or rather my poor sitting down posture due to the pain has caused the problem to travel upwards and downwards.

I am then referred to a neurologist, which according to the orthopedist, would be performing acupuncture. It’s refreshing to hear medical doctors practicing alternative medicine these days. I am also scheduled for some physiotherapies starting this Friday.

Looks like my ‘me’ time now would mostly consist of doctors visits and therapy sessions. And I still haven’t found time for the facial, haircut and mani-pedi sessions I badly need up until now! Grrrr…!

Make Time

2011-02-28T12:16:00.001+08:00

Modek, me, Zian, Ija & Rina at the back. Dydd was minding baby Amanee and Shasha has already left when this picture was snapped. Nor and Enal, we missed you!

I am glad that after 16 years we left school, with all the commitments we have now – family, work, etc., we still have time for each other, and we always come up with all sorts of reasons just to meet up!

Modek has just completed her Ph.D in New Zealand and was in KL for the weekend, and Rina is back for holidays, from Dublin. So we’re celebrating two different types of doctors this time! I played host, but food came from everyone. And paper plates & cups saved a lot of the cleaning-up hassle after - eventhough less environmentally-friendly!

And since we still couldn’t get enough of each other, another picnic is already planned for this coming Sunday! Come on girls, shouldn’t we get sick of each other already by now? Hehehe.

I leave you a photo of Baby Hanan and Baby Amanee (age-wise only 1 week apart) struggling to have a peaceful sleep when everybody else was so loud that night!

Hanan’s left hand just can’t stop moving!

Duhai Anak

2011-02-21T17:10:00.001+08:00

2010 Class Photo I snapped off the fridge

"Mama,can you ask the officer at your office if I can do small jobs there?"

Nampak sangat ke Babah & Mama sengkek sampai nak tolong carik duit? Hehehe.

**Note : ‘Officer’ for anyone who works in the office. Just like ‘Trainees’ are for those riding on trains.

Schools and such

2011-02-21T12:45:00.001+08:00

I can’t believe my Drama King is going to ‘big school’ soon!

We have been on the lookout for schools for Imtiyaz and have taken some time visiting the schools and asking loads of questions. We have been keen on an integrated islamic school for him, and preferably one with a small student-teacher ratio. Not that I have doubts in public schools, but more of because I know how my son is. He’s one lacking of focus and that has been my major concern. He’s smart and learns really fast Alhamdulillah, but I think if you put him in a class of 30 students and the teacher only teaches in front without checking on him, I don’t think he’d get through. And yes, I am also worried on his command of the national language. I know children learns fast, but I’m more worried if he gets bored in the earlier stage when he hasn’t got the hang of it yet.

Another major concern is of course on the islamic education. I want him to know why he needs to learn certain things and why he needs to practise them. I don’t want him to only learn and memorize every single thing, and does not actually know why he needed to know them. Yes, that will be our responsibility as parents to make it known to him, but it will be so much more effective if he’s in that kind of environment most of the time. The challenges these days for children is so much tougher for them than it was during my days.

I have always believed the foundation in Islam is the most important – even if along the way we stumble and we forget, with the proper foundation I’m sure one will be back on the right path insyaAllah.

Ouh. School hours is another thing. If it’s integrated, it means Imtiyaz does not have to go home and change into another uniform and rush to a separate school after.

So the school we’re keen on is the Khalifah Model School >>> http://www.islamic-world.net/kms/school.php. We love the Khalifah method they use (eventhough I’ve only the rough idea for now), and the security of the place seems rather impressive. Main communication and teaching language is English so I’m sure Imtiyaz is already happy on that. They also offer after school care (school ends at 4pm) at an affordable price, just in case either one of us can’t reach there on time due to work or traffic jams, etc. There will be an interview or more of a getting-to-know session soon and I read that they are pretty selective on who gets to enrol in the school, just because they expect parents and families to work hand in hand in applying the Khalifah method at home too.

We’ve visited At-Tarmimi International Islamic School in Subang as well, but not too keen on the location and the security of the building they’re in. I understand they’ve just moved to the current building so maybe a lot of things are still Work-in-Progress. As for Khalifah Model School, location is a bit out of the way for both of us as well, but at least Mr. Hubs’ office is easily accessible from there. Let’s not talk about traffic jams for now. I truly hope things would be easy for us when the time comes.

If rezeki permits, I do hope we can make this happen. Nothing is confirmed for now, but at least we know what we want for him, and we know what options we have. It’s good to start planning earlier anyway.

But for now, it’s time to plan for his circumcision next! I think he’s oblivious towards the whole circumcision thingy, eventhough I’ve prepped him on it from time to time. It’s me that’s more nervous actually! ;)

del.icio.us Tags: Khalifah Model School,At Tarmimi International Islamic School,Khalifah Method

The First Week

2011-02-18T16:09:00.001+08:00

How things are done at work have changed drastically since I left for maternity leave, leaving me with no space to update this blog in between work now. But here I am anyway, first time updating from office for year 2011! :)

Can you spot Hanan in the pic?

Truth be told, nothing much to be written anyway. Some things got us excited but might not interest you. We finally have a dining table in the house – and surprisingly found an 8-seater that fits the space perfectly without disrupting the walkways. We decided to bring down the TV coz I hated settling housework alone downstairs while the others are upstairs. And upstairs means 2 floors up! Imagine my grumbling when the boy shouts to me from upstairs, be it a question, or a request (more of demand actually) and when I shout out my reply he’d go WHAT? like millions of time. I haven’t even climbed up the stairs, but already tired from shouting.

So now I have better control of everything. The top floor is now a multipurpose area for us – library, study, guest room, game room… however you want it! And the space downstairs is now the most used, and messiest of them all!

Mr. Hubs’ favourite frames.

I’ve finally gotten some frames up the wall too. Some even mum’s unwanted stuffs - as long as my walls are not empty. :P Haven’t had time to get some photos printed and displayed yet though, but that’ll soon come I hope.

Imtiyaz and Hanan’s things are already in their own respective rooms, but the rooms still look undone for the lack of beds. Their beds are now in my room, and I hope I’m able to get them to sleep on their own soon.

The most used item in this room would be the changing table of course.

Place mats from Ikea for Imtiyaz’s walls.

So that’s about it. Happy I managed to get some things done, and happy the house feels much more of a home now. Before, the only ‘alive’ spaces were the kitchen, my room and the upstairs TV area!

Now, play dates for the kids and mummies, anyone? ;)

Recharging

2011-02-11T13:41:00.001+08:00

First day at work after about 3 months working from home + maternity leave sure left me a bit dazed and clueless today! Especially now my allocated parking has been given up to another company and I’d have to park about 20-mins-normal-walk away, and truly lucky if able to get a spot if I arrive after 9am, which I usually do.

Today’s the first day Hanan is sent to a babysitter. Lucky to get someone mum knows to babysit her. Initial plan was to get a maid, like we did when Imtiyaz was much younger. But maid hunt has turned out ridiculous these days, as for legal ones, one had to be willing to fork out almost RM10k – without any guarantee too. What if things would turn out like last time? 3 maids within 2 yrs… we’d be totally broke I’m sure! So babysitter it is, and a cleaner for the house once a fortnight. The rest, with some help from Mr. Hubs, I’m sure we’ll be fine. :)

Ouh. Forgot to mention it was Imtiyaz who was a bit emotional knowing Hanan would be sent to a babysitter today. He started wailing in the car then kept quiet for a long time before asking, “Babah, are you sure Hanan will be fine?” Awww… breaks my heart to hear that!

I’ll just end this entry with some photos!

Adib’s birthday party at Titiwangsa. That’s the birthday boy with mummy and daddy!

Happy to overtake another carriage and won the race!

A short ride on the LRT just to satisfy his train-crave, left him wanting more!

And little missy-big-eyes who seems to be awake more than she should at daytime!

What I Need To Do

2011-01-23T14:02:00.001+08:00

Since tomorrow I’m already allowed to be out and about, and be functional again, these are what I need to do first :

Go grocery shopping. I’m sure the supplies at home are running low.

Get started on his and hers bedrooms. I really should have done this before delivery but let’s just blame the hormones then. Now, I’d just have to do stuffs when Hanan is sleeping.

Dining table hunt! Not easy when you want something durable, looks good and at the same time easy on the pocket! :P

4 Days to Go

2011-01-19T11:57:00.001+08:00

Since confinement is almost over, let me just say how glad I am this time around it’s during the rainy season - no air-cond and socks on all the time was not much of a problem.

Too bad this cute and comfy slipper socks arrived all the way from Dublin only the last week of confinement, or it could easily become my favourite! Thanks IDB for the thoughtful gifts for both Hanan and me. :)

Let’s check on those chubby cheeks now, shall we?

Lesson for Today

2011-01-18T09:56:00.001+08:00

Me : Imtiyaz, why you ‘korek hidung’?

Imtiyaz : What’s korek?

Me : Korek is like digging.

Imtiyaz : What’s hidung?

Me : Hidung is nose.

He kept quiet for a while. Then,

Imtiyaz : Then you should say, “Why you SHOVEL nose?”

Hmmmm.

The Birth Story

2011-01-17T12:33:00.001+08:00

I am writing this just to remind myself what I went through just a little over a month ago. Also not to leave my blog abandoned for too long. :D

I was scheduled to be induced on 11th December 2010 at 38 weeks due to my anemic condition. Doc didn’t want to wait until the baby gets too big as it will be taxing to my heart to produce or pump more blood. At least that’s what I understood. I don’t mind being induced as I felt it’s much more convenient than having your water bag burst in the middle of nowhere, or not being sure whether it’s a real contraction or just braxton hicks.

So the medication to soften the cervix was inserted at about 9am, The last time with Imtiyaz I only gave birth a few minutes past midnight (also induced) so I was really hoping to have a quick one this time. I don’t really remember when the drip was inserted to help with the process but I remember the pain started at about 2.30pm. Nothing too bad, but as I had already set my mind on an epidural, the anesthetist was called, and came at about 2.45pm. It was a very quick and pain-free procedure just as I remembered it last time (same doctor whose actually the daughter of my dad’s old friend ). What made me panicked was when I was told that the epidural this time was diluted to make me feel some pain to be able to push. Damn, I thought. I wanted a totally pain-free labour. Haha. Such low pain tolerance!

At a little over 3pm I felt a popping sound from down under. Called the nurse as I knew my water bag just broke. First time Mr Hubs saw how the water looked like. If I didn’t tell him what it was, I’m sure he’d think I peed! The first time he wasn’t too aware of what’s happening as he was too nervous I guess. After that I was feeling some pressure down below that I called the nurse and asked is the epidural working or not, just in case. As I wasn’t feeling any contractions, obviously it’s working but the diluted version is making me aware of what’s going on waist down. Nurse said maybe the baby’s head is already pushing. Checked for dilation and it was already 5cm.

At 4.15pm, checked again and true enough it was already 8cm. I didn’t think the last 2cm would be so quick at that time. Told Mr Hubs I want to perform my Asar prayers first, when the doc came in and said I’m gonna have to start pushing soon. So I solat, and right after I pushed. After about 15 minutes and vacuum assisted, Hanan was born.

I am grateful for the fairly quick and easy delivery. Also for the minimal pain post delivery. Alhamdulillah.

Ouh. A lot of people (especially Mr Hubs’ colleagues) have been asking why we chose DEMC, and not the so called ‘poshest’ hospital in town to deliver, (employees of his company is encouraged to deliver at that hospital since it belonged to them).

Well, apart from the doctors (gynae, anesthetist and pediatrician) whom we are familiar and comfortable with, there is another valid reason why we prefer DEMC – the suites! Each suite comes with a different theme – Malay, English, Japanese, etc and apart from having a separate living hall and 2 lcd television, it comes with an adjoining room with a single bed for the accompanying person. So there’s no need to bring pillows and mattresses OR pay RM80 per night to only open up a sofa bed in the room.

Picture from http://www.demc.com.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=89&Itemid=92

Lovely, isn’t it? Even better since everything was paid for. *grins*

Let me see...

2011-01-07T17:13:00.000+08:00

Haven't updated the blog via phone lately. Just need to see if I can upload a photo correctly.

Here's one of Hanan after shaving her head last 2 weeks. Ouh... I still kept referring her as a HE sometimes. Old habits die hard huh?

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device via Vodafone-Celcom Mobile.

Remember Me?

2011-01-04T16:10:00.001+08:00

5 years leaving this ‘confinement business’ behind, I’ve forgotten how hectic it could get. Silly me for thinking this would be the best time to rest and relax!

Apart from the 1 week of massage, there’s the tungku thingy which I religiously do at least twice a day for about an hour or more each time. Then there’s the barut or bengkung as some people would call it which helps to flatten the stomach. Of course, there’s the baby to attend to at all times as well but I’m lucky to have mum to assist in almost everything, also Mr. Hubs when he’s not at work. A lot of times I wished Mr. Hubs produce milk as well though!

For the past 25 days, my menu only consists of rice and steamed fish, plain bread and crackers, plain water and milo/horlicks. I weighed myself at day 18 and yeay, I lost 10 kgs! Hope to lose another 10 and I’ll be lighter than my pre-pregnancy self. Wishful thinking! ;)

Hanan put on another 600grams at day 18 when we went for a follow up checkup at the hospital a week after she was admitted to hospital for jaundice so she’s now at a healthy 3.5kg. She’s drinking well, not sleeping too well unfortunately at this point of time, but if I remember correctly, is sleeping much better than Imtiyaz was at that age.

And Imtiyaz – a big brother now, is coping well with the big change in his life. Complained in the earlier days why Mama is forever babysitting the baby, why his grandma sometimes takes longer time to get things he asked for, and why does Babah sometimes comes home late from work. Complains all the way, but I can’t blame him, can I? Tried our level best to make him understand, and hopefully after this confinement period when our routine returns to somewhat normal again, he wouldn’t complain so much! :)

I’d better publish this before the little one wakes up. Mr. Hubs still can’t believe he’s got 2 kids now. As for me, sleep-deprived and sore boobs – there’s nothing not to believe is there? *winks*

The Introduction

2010-12-18T10:25:00.001+08:00

Hanan Tajul Izham

11 December 2010

4.45pm

2.93kg

Of Labels

2010-12-09T14:58:00.001+08:00

Out of the blues, I asked Mr. Hubs,

So, bila you nak belikan I Louboutin?

His response,

Apa tu? I ni sebut Louis Vuitton pun tak betul lagi, you dah nak ajar yang baru…

Such excuse pun ada kan? :P

Home Alone

2010-12-09T13:57:00.001+08:00

…is obviously no fun! I stayed in my bedroom most of the time, lying down. Thanks to my blackberry, I can connect to the internet from my laptop.

Missing the boy who seems to be having a great time in Penang. Good for him actually, rather than be stuck with Mama who can’t do much to entertain him now. When asked if he misses Mama and Babah, he answered with a very confident “No”. Haha. But he does end the phone calls with his ‘secret question’ everytime – “Has adik come out, Mama?” Trust me, I’m not sure if he’s more excited to see his ‘adik’ or to receive the ‘present' adik ‘promised’ to get for him. ;)

It’s past lunch time and I don’t know what to eat! Haven’t been stocking up on groceries coz we’d be at mum’s house most of the time during my confinement later on. Only Mr. Hubs would come home occasionally just to ensure the house is being occupied, if not every day.

Need to go ransack the fridge now! Ouh… congratulations to ‘you’ on the great news! I think you know who you are… ;)

The Waiting Game

2010-12-08T08:54:00.001+08:00

I am on sick leave this whole week. Nothing’s the matter, just me needing the rest, and with the boy in Penang with my mum until Saturday I guess it’s the best time for me to just chill.

So this week, it’s just me and Mr. Hubs, with him following each and every request I have (food-wise). I am well into my 38th week and is scheduled to be induced this coming Saturday. So, doa for me, and let’s hope everything would go smooth.

My EDD-partner Dydd already gave birth (a very quick and easy one minus the labour pain, can you believe it?) last Saturday so there goes the wish to share the same birthday!

Notes from the heart…

2010-12-02T16:04:00.001+08:00

I still can’t imagine myself handling two children, what with the 5 years gap, I’m not sure how well I’ll cope.
Imtiyaz’s behaviour is pretty much predictable by now that I can’t help wondering how the next one would be.
I’m starting to feel I’ll be needing extra help around the house. If not to take care of the baby, maybe just to help with the endless house chores – the laundry especially.
Both Mr. Hubs and me has been comfortable with our daily routine starting from the time Imtiyaz wakes up, to school runs, to meal times, to playtime, to mengaji time, to bedtime which is pretty much fixed every single day that I’m already praying for extra energy and good health for both of us.
If time and situation permits, I’ve already set my mind on the epidural. Honestly, I don’t see any reason not to take it coz I’d have better control of myself anyway. Sorry to mothers out there who feels one should feel the actual labour pain to heighten the maternal experience. Epidural or not does not make one a better mother anyway.
As much as I want to breastfeed this time, I’d let nature decide. No point putting unnecessary pressure on myself coz only I understand my own body and my own wants and needs, also my limitations. It’s God’s willing and if God decide I can breastfeed this time, then I can. I know a lot of mothers who had things easy for them would look down on people who fails to breastfeed for a certain period of time. Oh well, think of it this way – if the mum fails to watch what she herself is consuming in her diet, would the breast milk still be the best milk for the baby? I don’t think sooo!
I can’t help wondering how my baby would look like. Mr. Hubs wants the baby to look like me, which I’m taking as a compliment eventhough it’d be much better if he compliments me in a more direct manner. :P
I hope to follow the traditional pantang regime as much as I can (the logical ones of course). I believe it’s more beneficial looking at how the elders are in much better health than we are now. And since it’s only for 44 days, no point declaring yourself too modern for such nonsense. Besides, when else would you get people to do everything for you for more than a month, right?

My Little Samba Guy

2010-12-01T08:48:00.001+08:00

This was taken early in the morning, so excuse the messiness in the background ;)

My compact camera weren’t capable to capture him in action on stage, unfortunately. Always at times like this, I feel I should invest in a good camera!

His performance was called Fruity Samba and he did really well! Not forgetting the steps is one thing, but without a hint of nervousness & enjoying himself on stage deserves another round of applaud.

I love the costumes on parade too that day! Girls… let’s do a costume party where the kids can reuse their concert outfits! :)

An Invitation From My Favourite Boy! ;)

2010-11-24T10:11:00.001+08:00

That’s in my agenda for this Saturday… can’t wait! *Baby H, please stay in this week ok? ;)*

Talk about Self Confidence!

2010-11-22T10:10:00.001+08:00

Just before bed, I told Imtiyaz to finish colouring his homework, whilst asking him to read through what he’s done. He doesn’t actually read yet, but I’d say he’s coping quite well especially if it’s a 3 letter word. Longer than that, he’d whine “That’s a lotttt of letters!” ;)

And the Babah, as usual, would try to annoy him whenever he could. He would ask questions, and if Imtiyaz answered, he’d ask back,

Are you sure? How do you know that?

And the reply last night deserves an applaud,

Because I’m an expert at anything!

Hahaha.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me : How much do you love Mama?

Imtiyaz : One hundred million!

Babah : Babah?

Imtiyaz : Two!

Babah : Two hundred million?

Imtiyaz : Nope. Only 2!

*LOL* Kesiannnn Babah!

Some photos from mummy-o!

2010-11-19T13:48:00.001+08:00

I think we’ve got all the mummies in! The kids were all in their PJs already.
Missing Shasha, Zian & Adle.

Eat now, worry later! Haha.

Thank you all!

Delicious spaghetti and sandwiches.

Dydd’s cherry cheesecake. Yumms!

I’m sure many haven’t met Raz’s latest addition – Aliyah. Geram!!

The Baby Shower

2010-11-18T10:39:00.001+08:00

I’ve never had a baby shower before. The first time pregnant, I just got back from a year stay in Scotland and I still haven’t got the hang of spending more time with friends and socializing and everything. In fact, at the time, most of my now-close-friends seems to also be on the same boat – busy adapting to married life, busy juggling family activities of both sides, busy with their first born. We were all busy learning new things, apart from the fact some were still staying with parents which explains the lack of gatherings and meet up.

When we started to get the hang of things we also started to socialize more. And then comes baby no. 2 and 3 for most of them, and the start of baby showers. As sensible as my friends were, the baby showers were often very low-key, an intimate gathering of only the closest friends where we can just talk and talk and eat and talk (of course there will be breaks in between when the children get cranky and need to be fed and bathed and stuffs). Even the gifts were sensible and not much of a surprise coz we’d always ask what the mum-to-be would be needing (since the shower starts at baby no. 2, most of the things were still usable). Most importantly we were able to exchange notes on a lot of things, and the husbands were supportive too and don’t really mind staying for hours letting the wifeys yak all they want! Haha.

I was hoping the hormones would make me wanna take more pictures this time, but no. All are in mummy-o’s camera! I only have this of the gifts and stuffs I brought back that day. ;)

There’s an electric breast pump with double pumping kit, a diaper cake made by Raz, an electric bottle warmer and sterilizer (which is supposed to be a gift too, but long story… hahaha…) and a pack of girly tights I got for Dyda’s baby and can’t resist getting one for myself too! :P

Thank you so much dear friends for the time, effort and money spent! As nervous as I am now, the baby shower actually made me a bit impatient to see the l’il one! Love you guys to bits!

Looking for Wall Decor?

2010-11-12T10:24:00.001+08:00

I fell in love with these kufic script art pieces whilst browsing the flea market at Amcorp Mall last Sunday. But since we still haven’t got much furniture in the house, we thought it’d be inappropriate to place the wall decors just yet. The only wall decors I’ve put up is on the upper-most floor, where the only pieces of furniture available is a recliner sofa and a bean bag – and it’s meant to stay that way. :)

***Photo taken from Kufi on Kanvas***

Lovely isn’t it? If you look at it closely, it’s meant to be read from the red coloured writing, and goes round in a circle.

Just google Kufi on Kanvas for more info. From my understanding, they do not have any permanent shop or website for reference yet.

*Note : Kufic script is the script that the Original Quran was scribed in before the advent of Nasakh script currently used in today's Quran

p.s. Congratulations to my nephew, Muiz for scoring 5As in UPSR!

del.icio.us Tags: Kufi on Kanvas,modern khat

, kufic script

Bila Kesabaran Tercabar

2010-11-09T13:39:00.001+08:00

Interesting topic on the radio this morning. And it seems to go well with Mr. Hubs’ state of mind at the mo.

Sangat kesian, but when it involves specific people, there’s nothing one can do about it. Respect just had to come above everything else.