End of November 2007

Today marks the end of the month and also the end of my resolution to lose 1 kg in one month through "proper eating habits". What's the verdict? I did it..... a round of applause please. Thank you, thank you.

Now, the next target is to lose another 1 kg but that would be in January 2008 because there will be loads of celebrations and family gathering in December 2007, hence too challenging. I will however, aim to maintain my weight for December 2007 in the midst of all the fiesta. More doable!!

Movie: Mr Margorium's Wonder Emporium

We (Hubby, me, Ryan and Christopher, Ryan's cousin) watched Mr Margorium's Wonder Emporium last weekend. The kids enjoyed it and I must say it's pretty colourful. And Ryan thinks it is better than The Bee Movie which I agreed.

All I can say is that the kids enjoyed it and for me it's pretty average, nothing much to wonder about.

Book Fair in the Office

My office organised a small book fair and there were also second-hand books/magazines for sale. The proceeds for the second hand books/magazines will go towards an underprivileged home for children. And here is what I got:

For hubby = 34 copies of National Geography
(Past issues in very good condition and a few issues were produced more than 10 years ago)

For myself = 3 copies of Australia Weekly magazines &
2 chick lite books & 1 fiction book

For Ryan = 1 new book on how to tell time.

Yipee !!!

Dinner with Family

We went to eat crab on Sunday night. For me, it was special because it has been a long, long, long time since we had crab and cousin Freddy was telling us about this fantastic place in Kepong.

We went early and got a nice big table (there were 11 of us, including kids) . We ordered 2 kgs of crabs; 1 kg of butter cheese crabs and another 1 kg of salted egg yolk crabs + many other dishes. Service was fast and food was good and the price is reasonable. Where else can you get 1 kg of crab for RM18? I was so hungry that I did not take any photos (even though I had my camera with me) and I was busy eating. No choice, I had to download these images from the net. And I would have eaten more if not for my hubby's gentle reminder that I'm watching my diet!!!

Thereafter, Jim took us for a drink at one of the many kopitiams around. It was a nice way to end the week.

Book: Girl Meets Ape

I have just finished this book in record time as it was on loan from a friend and she was actually half way through it before decided to let me read first. Therefore I feel obligated to return it back to its owner ASAP.

This is my first encounter with this author and I must say that I enjoyed reading it. The story is quite humorous and I caught myself chuckled at times. I like her writing style and the pace is just right.

I would rate it a 7/10.

Baby Ryan

I just can't resist this.
These are photos of Ryan before his first birthday and he was so cute then.
I remembered there was peace and quiet. There was no screaming, throwing tantrum, arguing, protest, demonstration, jumping up and down like a monkey and talking back. No need to negotiate. He will just eat and sleep.

Argg ... I miss those time and I think it's time for another baby!!

Latest Me

This is a recent photo of myself. Still trying to lose that one kilo that I set out to do early this month, with not much success but hey, I am still trying, and there's another week to go before the end of the month. My motto - Never give up !!!

I am looking forward to celebrate hubby's birthday and go shopping for a dress for Christmas. I don't usually buy dresses but what the heck, this is the new Shir you are talking about. So I will make an effort to look good, part of my ongoing resolution to look good and stay good.

What I have learn so far is that I need to coordinate. I may have a nice blouse and a nice skirt/pants but both may be nice together. So I need to coordinate from the style to colour and I have not even start on accessories. Now that I know it's not that easy (to look good) and that it takes a lot of effort, I really admire my colleagues/friends/people who look gorgeous all the time. But its never too late to learn. Who knows? Sometime next year this time around, I will be a Mrs. Stylo Mylo and it ain't just wishful thinking. All I need to do is just work on it. Yay !!

Open Your Eyes Big Big

Ryan always ask for our help to find his things, his toys, books, bags, shoes, pencils etc. and most of the time, it's because he did not look properly in the first place. We, in turn, will respond by asking him to "open his eyes big, big", so that he can see better. And being a 5-year old, he will take it literally and he will make his eyes as big and round as he possible could. And when he does that, it's quite comical and it never fails to make the mummy laugh.

Ryan's Treasure Chest

Before Eunice left the country, we took over a few of her furniture and one of them was a drawer which can be slided underneath a bed and when we move to our current house, the drawer was hidden underneath a bed in the guest room and we totally forgotten about it. We rediscovered it recently and have since put it to good use.

The drawer is now Ryan's treasure chest. So far, he is using it to keep part of his story books collection. We started reading to him before bedtime when he was still a baby and somehow this has develop into a habit and he will ask us or Aunt Jo to read for him or he will just "read" on his own.

And now it's very convenient, with the "treasure chest" underneath his bed!

Ryan's Comic Books

We went shopping one weekend. Ryan was fidgeting and was bored as we were dragging him from one store to another. He was asking when can we take him to the bookshop to read books. Any other parents would be overjoyed that their kids loves to read but in this case, it's actually hindering my shopping. So we do what most parents do; we bargained.

We will have another one hour of peaceful shopping with no whining from him and thereafter, we will go to the bookshop and as a reward, he gets to buy a book. There you go, a win-win situation.

So after window shopping, we went to the bookshop and Ryan chose his book. Imagine my surprised that instead of a "proper book", which he normally picks, he chose a pokemon comic. I know the comic book is colourful and looks interesting but he's only 5 years old and he does not know how to read (well .... not yet) and I was totally unprepared! But he was adamant and a deal is a deal so we ended up buying the comic. He has been "reading" the comic for the past few days, carrying it with him wherever he goes.

In the future, I will shortlist the books before getting him to decide (lesson learnt) and I did not know that boys start reading/looking at comics that early an age. Maybe it's normal. Maybe it's time for me to accept that at age 5, Ryan is no longer a "baby" and he has starts to develop new interests. Arrghh.......my "baby" is so grown up now.

Book: The Summons

I have just finished this book, The Summons by John Grisham. The pace is kinda slow and half way through the book I was bored. But I finished the book anyway. The whole plot was pretty lame, no twist and quite straight forward. Definitely not one of the author’s best efforts.

I would rate it a 4/10.

Ryan's Pet

Ryan have been asking for a pet, specifically a dog. And the answer is definitely a big NO because we do not have the time and the energy to take care of a dog plus I don't really like dogs or cats. Hubby does not mind having a dog but again, there's no one to take care of the dog; so we got him a pet, in the form of 2 fighting fishes. One fish is red and the other blue so we decided to name them Reddy and Bluey.

Why fighting fish?
Because they can live in a tank without oxygen and hence no need to invest in any gadget. So far, Ryan have not been feeding his fish although he was quite enthusiastic the first few days and mummy have to make sure that the fishes are feed everyday. Daddy was given the task to change the water when it's dirty and Ryan? Well, he's just the pet owner. I don't think we will ever get a dog. Just too much work!!.

Off to the Dentist

The whole family went for our yearly dentist appointment. Everyone is cavity free. The dentist did scaling and sent us off..... Yipee.

Inspiration from Nature

I love plants, big or small and they're simply amazing. With tender loving care and lots of water, they will just grow, grow and grow. There is this plant and at one point in time, it was not doing well. So what I did was I cut all the infected leaves and branches, resoil and fertilised the plant and I remember it looking absolutely horrible. That was then. Now it has blossom; and it's really healthy with beautiful leaves. It's still in my garden and I will always it's amazing recovery.

Ever since, I started gardening at my new home, I will make it a point to water my plants early in the morning before I leave for my work/start my day and again in the evening. When I water my plants in the morning, I feel like I am mentally preparing myself to face the day. The plant with their "water supply" for the day and I, with my "energy" for the day.

The plant need to face the scorching sun in order to grow and I too need to face all challenges for the same reason. And not matter how hot the weather, with plenty of water, soil and fertiliser, the plant will grow. In a way, it's the same for me. No matter what are the challenges, with plenty of love, courage and energy, I will grow. Grow to be wiser, happier and healthier.

I look forward to ......

1. having fun with my family
2. chill with my good friend, Sham
3. go on a date with hubby
4. go for a holiday
5. good bargains /shopping
6. gardening
7. drinking coffee
8. reading
9. blogging and e-mailing friends
10. pay day ........ hehehehe

The Secret : Great PLANNING Skills

I am on a 2-month break from my studies. Yahoo...... I have been having a great time blogging (one posting a day this month), reading other interesting blogs, surfing the internet, catching up with my reading and doing nothing ..... oh just heavenly. Better enjoy myself before another semester starts.

I have learn that I can accomplish a lot more if I plan my days ahead. Juggling between a full-time work, studies and family is no joke and at times, I am not sure if I can do it. But I need to be persistent. With so many things to do and a demanding child, I have no choice but to get my act together.

So basically, I will plan my days in advance and will slot activities in between. So far, every Monday and Thursday nights, hubby will be going for his Qigong classes. He had signed up for 3 months starting November 2007. Friday night is badminton night for the family. On Saturday evening, we will be at my in-law's place, returning only at night. If my classes starts, I will be away two evenings every week and on days which I do not have classes, I will be studying. :(

Therefore I will make sure that there are family activities each weekend, simple ones such as running/cycling in the park, going for picnics etc. Me and hubby will take turn to organise the activities. And I will also think of projects together with Ryan. Then, once every month, me and hubby will go for a date, just the two of us. So far so good. Hectic yes, but we have learn to cope, somehow and we are taking one day at a time, living each day to the fullest!!

Creative Cake Deco

Hubby is very close to his family and we usually go to my mother-in-law's house for dinner every Saturday. Have been a practice since Day 1 of marriage. I am happy with the arrangement because hubby gets to eat good home cook food and drink nutritious soup at least once a week. I am not a good cook and I don't cook often enough (guilty).

After Ryan's arrival, the weekly gathering becomes more significant so that Ryan can bond with his grandparents as well as get to know his cousins better. Somehow I believe the more fighting sessions you have with one anther while growing up will help foster deeper bonding when you reach adulthood. Hey, just look at me and my brother Jimmy.

Anyway, last week, while I was there, I helped my brother-in-law and his wife to decorate small pieces of cakes. The cakes were for an orphanage and I get to decorate it however I fancy.
Yipee, I had fun and not bad for a first-timer; don't you think so?

Baby Making Aids

It's not what you think. I was at the pharmacy a few days ago and I happen to know the pharmacist there, a very friendly lady. We got into a conversation and I was lamenting that until today still no sign of kid #2. She then suggested that we add some supplements to our diet since both me and hubby are quite stress with work (plus Ryan) and that we should go for a holiday.

Both of us need to be more relax ...... hmm.... come to think of it, I was pregnant with Ryan a month after returning from a 2-week honeymoon and I was pregnant (but had a miscarriage) during my holiday trip to Australia last year.

Yeah, more reason why we should be going for a holiday.

Bye Bye Bag

I am basically a one-bag person. Therefore to ensure that my handbag can match with my entire wardrobe, I always choose a BLACK handbag. You can never go wrong with black. It's boring no doubt but that the price to pay if you wish to make use of only one bag. (The bag hubby bought me from US is still in the cupboard)

The best thing is that me and my best friend, Sham have the same bag only in different colours. There were occasions where we mistakenly took each other's bag, especially when we were rushing. After many months of "batter and abuse", it's time to bid my bag farewell as it is showing signs of the abuse.

I am now on the lookout of another bag. Perhaps, I should consider another colour and a trendier bag. Let's just see what catches my eyes and happy hunting to me.

Ryan's Ultraman

We finally allowed Ryan to paint his Ultraman figurine in whatever way/colour he fancies. It kept him occupied for 30-minutes, although I was hoping it would be much longer.

My only comment is that he absolutely cannot draw or paint anything straight and yes, he likes to mix all his colours and the end result - a very unusual Ultraman. Look more like a monster who failed miserably in trying to disguise itself as an Ultraman.

Anyway, the important thing is that he had fun ...... and so did the parent.

The Bee Movie and TGIF

Today is Deepavali and a public holiday. We decided to go watch "The Bee Movie" with Ryan followed by lunch with Aunt Jo and my cousins; Freddy and Doris. Movie was just okay (no where near the the Incredibles or Nemo as the storyline is a bit flimsy) but food at TGIF was superb and I threw my diet plan out the window. I think I gained 2 kg stuffing myself with everything ..... everything tasted so good. To balance my lavish lunch, I had diet coke; well..... that's the least I can do and yeah, will have to skip dinner tonite.

And also, I bought a book on pregnancy for sister.

Baby in heaven

Ryan gave me his drawing from his playschool. Like most kids his age, he drew a picture of the family and he said ……

“There’s me, papa and mummy” (at the bottom of the picture)

“The two rockets going up, up, up in the sky”

“and there’s my baby in heaven” (in a box on top of the page)

Hmm .....

Late last year, I suffered a missed miscarriage. The doctor could not detect any heartbeat and we received the confirmation on my hubby’s birthday. It was heartbreaking for the family as we have been trying for our second child for sometime and Ryan has also been asking for a “baby” since most of his friends in the playschool have brothers and sisters.

When we discovered that I was pregnant, we encouraged Ryan to talk and sing to the baby and wish goodnight to baby. I went for D&C and we were so preoccupied with everything that we did not explain to him what had happen but somehow he knew. I guess he must have heard the adult talking. We told him that his baby is no longer in mummy’s tummy but is safe in heaven.

I think he missed the baby as much as we do. We are still trying so wish us luck ……

Fond memories of Australia

Around this time last year, me and family (including my mother-in-law) were enjoying ourselves in Australia. At that point in time, Hubby was in between jobs and thought it would be a good opportunity for us to travel and we chose to visit my friend Eunice & family who had migrated to Melbourne a few years ago.

Eunice was a great host and she helped me plan the whole itinerary. We were there for 2 weeks (more or less) and we visited a lot of places. We explored Melbourne city and made a few trips to the outskirt. Among the memorable journeys were the one to Phillips Island (I love the Nobbies), the drive along the Great Ocean Road (fantastic views), gold mining in Ballarat and the nice drive along the hills at Dandenong.

One thing I noticed is that everyone in Australia loves the outdoor and there are plenty of parks around. My personal favourite is the visit to Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens and we took lots of photos. There were flowers everywhere and nice big exotic plants. The park is so huge and beautiful and the children enjoyed themselves running wild.

Yes, I have fond memories of Melbourne and hope to visit again.