Monthly Archives: February 2010

This is why they are sisters

Posted by Misty Mom on 28/02/2010 4 comments

The one thing that both my girls have in common is that as babies, they played well by themselves. I could leave Arianna alone and cook, and she’d happily play with her toys and books. The same goes for KR who would quietly play with her blocks or whatever she can grasp within her reach and entertain herself while I do my own thing. She would of course continuously turn around in circles coz that’s all she can do at this point, no signs of any attempts to crawl just yet.

They are geniuses, you see. :P MIL is of the opinion that the both of them are/were slow to crawling and walking simply because if one can be carried around, why bother to crawl or walk yourself? *lol* “Smarter than your average bear!” is her normal chirp of the day. It’s funny! And while I have to admit it, after all they are my children…one cannot but wonder what makes a child learn or want to attempt to crawl faster or slower. Is it because I don’t encourage KR to crawl and put her more often on her tummy? I do this every now and then but when I do, she whinges and after some ‘push-ups’, she surrenders and lies her head down to rest. It’s like she can’t be bothered to even try. Once I even got her on her knees with arms supporting herself and all she did was stay in that position until it must have hurt coz them she started to cry. Poor thing!

I’ve sort of given up ‘forcing’ her to try and crawl. And while I do envy kids who are her age and younger being able to do so much more, I think each baby will come by when they are ready. And each baby is different from one another. While I convince myself that she is all ok, it’s hard to just be as if it is. Sometimes I wished her was more like the other bubs but then I fall back once again to the sort of thinking I should have, ‘She will when the times comes’. It’s really much easier said than done.

But that aside, the other thing that binds them together as sisters is this….

No mistaking why theya re sisters

No mistaking why theya re sisters
You can’t get any more sisterly than this! :P

Junk mail is everywhere

Posted by Misty Mom on 25/02/2010 None comments

Just when you thought that people were more environmentally friendly and have decreased the use of paper for advertisements that residents just chuck out into the bin without looking at it, you get a constant stream of junk mail choc block in your mailbox! Grrr…..

I find that really annoying and as much as I understand why it needs to be done ie. advertisement and what not, I don’t really care to look at it. What I normally do is I clean it out and make sure there aren’t any of my mails stuck in between and it all goes into the bin. More often than not, the job of clearing out junk mail is done by our unit cleaners. They are the ones who cut the grass and clear out the bins and stuff. And he normally cleans out any junk mail he sees sticking out. And most of the time I appreciate it but sometimes I also wonder if he checks to see that the junk mail he tosses out might have some actual real mail in between. Guess you can’t really have your cake and eat it. Could be the reason why I had missed out on that parcel pick-up notification too. Who knows?

One of the most common things that end up in the bin is insurance offers. They are like the plaque. I mean, if people really wanted insurance, I’m sure they will go out and look for it. If ever we were looking for quotes, it would have to be an auto insurance quote coz our rego is expiring soon and Ted hasn’t really been looking about much lately. And….ok, maybe some home protection insurance too I guess. Apparently the crime rate in the area is hiking up so it’s better to be safe than sorry, I guess.

Preschool

Posted by Misty Mom on 24/02/2010 2 comments

After I read on Aida’s blog that Avarayna was going to start preschool next year [I think she’s turning 4 next yr]. I thought that maybe we should get Arianna enrolled as well. She turns 3 this year but while one part of me thinks that it is a little early to start school keeping in mind that 1st Grade will be the start of her official school years, and that is like when she turns 6 or so. That would mean that she’d be in school a whole lot longer beforehand and I just don’t think it’s necessary.

While I have nothing against parents who enrol their kids in preschool and kindy as soon as possible, I personally don’t think I would do the same. After all, I only went to kindergarten 1 year prior to starting Standard 1. And I don’t think I turned out bad. And back then teachers actually TAUGHT you numbers, alphabets and simple words. But these days, your kid would be considered slow if he/she didn’t know their numbers before enrolling in preschool!

Perhaps it’s just my laid back, easy going attitude towards early education that makes me think that there is no need to put pressure on them when they have a lifetime of education ahead of them. While I am all for education as I definitely believe it is important, I just don’t see why it should be turned into somewhat of a rat race. Kids could really do without parents who are kiasu* about wanting to ensure their kid to be the best at all cost. I’m just not one of those parents.

One doesn’t have to look far to notice how early parents are trying to turn their kids into geniuses. Every toy you find on the shelves these days emphasises a promise of stimulating the child’s mind and indirectly making them smarter babies. Aren’t there any toys out there today made just so the child can have fun, for the sake of having fun and not having to gain any knowledge from it? I highly doubt it coz I think something like that may not bring in the sales. And that is something I think is very sad. And to be quite honest, when Arianna was slow to start talking – she was slow to start everything mind you, I was a tad bit worried. But she miraculously picked up things very fast and I’m not that worried anymore. I do have to thank Sesame Street for teaching her numbers and her alphabets.

People think that TV is evil and while I agree to a certain degree, I think it’s God-sent as well! :) I always believe that anything in moderation be it food or anything else, if taken moderately it, it all works out fine. So that said, when is Arianna going to preschool? I say we’ll start when she turns 5, I reckon….till then, she’s got all her books and various ‘smart’ toys to play with. O, and Nana’s flashcard too!

*A local term used commonly and liberally in Malaysian/Singapore which literally translated to mean scared to lose

O, to resist the temptation!

Posted by Misty Mom on 24/02/2010 2 comments

All that walking I’ve been doing will soon be useless if I carry on what I’ve been doing almost daily!! >.< Where I work, my office is located in the canteen – literally. Fatty foods like chips, wedges, nachos and my absolute fav, hot choc is really just around the corner and it is no joke to resist the temptation to just walk around the corner of less then 5m to get any one of those indulgences! Of course they have other evil foods like ice cream and choc too but I try to not take notice of them. I really do blame Kate for this. Just coz she’s got her no xplode to help her out, having her around taunting me with her plate of chips and gravy is just absolutely unnecessary! That wicked, wicked woman…..

When I first came here, I told myself that I wouldn’t spend money at the canteen coz they are a bit pricey but I soon caved in when I first bought me a bag of chips. =.= That was my downfall….my crumbled Berlin wall, my ever leaning Pisa tower. I was defeated. Tragically. I’m actually having a hot choc right now!!!! O.O

And to add insult to injury, it’s Lent and it is the month of abstinence. Here I am gorging my face with things that I should sacrifice. I did tell Ted that I’ll take my little charity box to work and each time I feel like I’m going to go get something to munch from the canteen, I’d put the money in there instead. I have haven’t done it yet. I really must do something about this. I feel guilty but at the same time, I’m really enjoying my hot choc. It is my fav drink….so while I wallow in my guilt today while enjoying my last cup of hot choc for the week – we get to indulge ourselves on Sunday, I will begin anew tomorrow. Promise.

Spending the day at Grandma’s

Posted by Misty Mom on 22/02/2010 None comments

Ted had to take the kids to MIL’s today coz he has to take FIL for a doctor’s appointment. Guess my utter surprise when he told me that he had left both the girls behind! The reason why I was so surprised is coz KR is still a little iffy with the ILs coz we are only there once a week and it takes time for her to warm up to MIL. Also, she seems a lot more attached to me than to Ted so she’s would normally look around for me if Ted isn’t there. But apparently, when Ted walked in, MIL took KR and she was ok. She even allowed her to give her the bottle, which is another surprise but a good one nonetheless.

So both kids stayed back while Ted took Dad to the clinic and now he’s pretty much just waiting for them to wake up from their nap. MIL even got them to bed!!! Way to go, Mum! ? I’m actually quite proud of her coz she managed to do all of that and is still alive! *lol* The girls can be quite a handful especially when they are not a 100%. Still recovering from their runny nose I reckon but they love sleeping at Grandma’s so here’s hoping that the long nap they are taking now will do them a world of good. I’m pretty sure Grandma will be out of puff early tonight. But I think she enjoyed herself for sure.

It’s actually the first time that we’ve left BOTH kids with her. So looks like it won’t be long before we can leave them there and both of us can actually have some time out on our own like go watch a movie or something! ^_^

Ahhh, the memories!

Posted by Misty Mom on 22/02/2010 None comments

Penang Hill Railway
Some of you may recognise this but this was what Penag Hill Railway looked like many, many moons ago.

I sort of still remember it as a kid. Actually, I remembered that it was bright when we started the journey, had fun riding on the rail tram and then having fishballs for lunch on the bench at the top and then finally, coming home when it was dark and rushing to jump onto the last train! *lol* Why we waited till the last train, I can’t quite figure out but as a kid, I don’t think I really cared! *lol* As long as I had my fun on the way up in the train, it was all good.

Penang Hill's funicular railway
Here’s another view of the track a LONG LONG time ago.

Penang Hill's Station
The station then.

Apparently, there is another way of getting to the top, which is to actually hike up! I reckon that would be a heck more interesting than taking the best weight loss product in town! I may not be an outdoorsie person but man, I bet it would be so adventurous to actually hike up. I once knew a guy who would hike up there EVERYDAY after work. What a nutter! But he was into nature and all so he really enjoyed. I say, good on ya, mate!

Second wave

Posted by Misty Mom on 22/02/2010 None comments

*Sigh* Just when I thought it was all over, we seem to be getting a second wave of whatever bug that has been in the house lately, again. It seems to be the runny nose bug which I absolutely hate coz it’s easy to get but a pain to get rid off. :(

And with kiddies, it just seems unfair that you can’t take it away from them. Whatever pain or discomfort that they may be experiencing, they just have to stick it out on their own. All I can do is comfort and give in to the whinging and not wanting to eat properly. It’s really tough more so when they are you own! With other peoples kids, you sympathise and move on with life, but with your own, uuggh…..you just wish you could take their place!

And with kiddies, there aren’t many meds that they can take. And just like all the research you do before you get the best face cream around coz we all know how much importance we place on how one looks like, the same amount can’t be used in meds for kids. Going to the doc would only mean getting advice about taking some baby Panadol and lots of rest, and water to keep hydrated. Like I said, we just have to ride it out. I just pity poor KR who has the snuffly nose. She can’t clean up on her own like Arianna can so she’s all upset about it. Poor little thing! I really hope they get over it soon.

Has Mama gone wacko?

Posted by Misty Mom on 22/02/2010 None comments

Hehe, I most likely have! But that said, I don’t think I’m the only one out there who has the habit of downloading free patterns for a rainy day, literally speaking. Or at least, I’d like to think that I’m not the only one! ? Whenever someone in the forum says that there’s a free pattern somewhere, I’m off like a flash of lighting to check it out. And more often than not they are patterns for tote bags or aprons which I’m not really big about. I’m of course talking about sewing!

If they are patterns or tutes for kids clothes, then I’m definitely there! If you asked me how many I’ve got, I seriously have no clue at all. Some I’ve printed out with serious intentions of making, a large chunk of it is sitting quite happily in my Favourites folder on the PC. I haven’t bothered to see how many I’ve marked coz there’s just so many creative and clever, AND generous people out there who are willing to share what they’ve come up with. And I’m ever thankful for that!
It really does take a lot to come up with a complete photo tute of what you’re sewing coz not only do you have to stop and take pix of every step you’re sewing, you’ve got to type out the steps too. And if you’re like me, I don’t like to stop while I’m at it. I’m like a locomotive…no stopping at stations please, only one destination for me – the END! So you see why I really appreciate it when people take the time and put in so much effort to share.

I only have done one mini tute and it was because I personally found the instructions a bit vague in my most humble opinion and apparently there were others like me too. So when I did figure it out, I did a mini tute on how to sew the outer and inner piece of a reversible jacket from Ottobre magazine. And I think a few of the girls from my forum found it useful which is a good thing.

Having that number of pattern and sorting them out is actually quite painless, if only I had enough fabric to match then that would cause some serious work out plan for me coz then I’d have to physically use my strength and get my ‘sewing room’ sorted out! :P I think to crafty mamas like me, they would prove to be the best fat burners for women! At least in my humble opinion, I’d like to think so. ?

The day I needed a long black

Posted by Misty Mom on 19/02/2010 None comments

Today was the first time I ever had a long black and it nearly blew me out of my chair! O.O Literally had me bug-eyed too. I’m no fan of coffe and least of all the ones you get here. In simple words, I like the Chinaman’s coffee from the kopitiam and not those cafe coffees like Gloria Jeans, Starbucks and all that. To honest the smell of coffee, THAT coffee, puts me off.

But today, I had to make an exception. I was up almost all night last night. Poor KR got a bad case of the cold and she’s just been dreaful. Poor little thing!! On top of a snuffly and runny nose, she also developed a fever. The fever was nutters! One time up and drops a little then goes up….thank goodness I have those stick to your forehead fever cooling patches that are meant for babies coz I wouldn’t know how to keep a wet towel on her forehead!

She was such an unhappy little vegemite. The longest stretch she ever slept through was 2 hours. And then she’d wake up crying. So pitiful. I really hope she’s better now. And thank goodness it’s Friday coz another one of those nights and I’d be a walking zombie!

Hence the reason why I have resorted to buying me a long black. Omg, it’s so thick and bitter….. >.< Being one who likes drinks sweet, I have actually poured in 5 serves of sugar and diluted the coffee. Icky I know but it's still so strong! I have no idea how my cousins can drink short black without sugar. =.= I think if I tried that, I’d just go bald on the spot!

Nothing will ever beat my good ol’ teh tarik!

My poor babies

Posted by Misty Mom on 19/02/2010 None comments

The poor darlings are down with runny noses. Poor little things! I don’t know what’s caused them coz they weather has been alright recently and it’s not as if they’ve been playing in the rain. However, the only thing that could have possibly brought it on with Arianna being the first to get it, is that the air cooler in her room is sort of on her, although no directly. I’ve got it oscillating to ensure that it doesn’t hit her but who knows, must be one of those things, you know?

And without a doubt, when 1 kid is sick, the other one would sick catch the bug as well. Normally I would be the next one in line since I would be handling them directly but with me at work, Ted is doing quite well by not catching the bug. *choi choi choi* As for me, I felt an itchy nose and a slight headache coming on yesterday but it was gone in the morning. But now….I’m getting it again. So I will have to dose up on the Vit C + Horseradish + Garlic pills Ted bought eons ago. I tell you, the moment I popped the lid a couple of night ago, the garlic pong nearly knocked me off my feet. Thank goodness you don’t really TASTE it. Although when you do burp, you get a slight after taste which is terribly blek! But as with anything that is good for you, they don’t normally taste good.

I was just reminiscing about the times when we were growing up and how Mummy used to dose us with all those Chinese herbs. I practically grew up on them coz of my ‘bad blood’. Apparently it was this that caused my severe acne issues and I’ve had dozens of herbal soups that was supposed to help with the acne. And I also have to add that my mum was always on the looks out for the best acne treatment she could see or find out about.

However, I can’t say for sure if they really worked. I think faith also played a part in it all. With my girls, they haven’t had the privilege to try them out as I don’t know where to get the herbs and if I did know where to get them, I think it will cost a bomb and if I screw it up cooking it for them, then it won’t work. So I’ll most likely get them dosed up real good when we head back to Malaysia where Mum will know what to get them. I think I’ll most likely get those which will help boost their immune system.

Gee, I really hope that it’s not coz I stopped breastfeeding KR at 8 months is the reason why she’s got the bug so quickly. That would suck big time on my part….. =.=