Ho Ho Ho........Holiday!!

18 months, 3 weeks & 6 days old.....

Finally, the much awaited holiday is coming. I'll be away from the office for 11 days. Woooohooo! And because Christmas is also approaching, my whole holiday mood is cheered up. Not to mention the sales too *slurp*.

This is the first ever year we purposely went out to see Christmas deco at the malls, because of you know who lar. Ethan was amazed by the Christmas trees and those dangling deco and it kept him in the stroller longer than usual. We went to the Sunway Pyramid and Mid Valley and I personally find that the deco at the Mid Valley is more appealing. I also went to Orchard Road, Singapore on 11 December 2007 and found that the deco was not as superb as I heard. My colleague also said that the deco was not as good as it was. Economy not good? Luckily it was only a detour from my official trip. If not, rugi lar.

On the way to the Mid Valley. Trying to put his socks on.

Bored! Trying to wriggle himself out of the car seat.
Managed to free his hands from the strap.

Ahhhhhhh.......Christmas tree at The Gardens.

Yay!!! Encore.......Encore!

Yesterday, we went to our first Christmas party of the year at the daycare. They organise it every year and we exchanged gifts. Ethan had a good time running around and parents were busy snapping photos (me too, of course hehe...) and chit-chatting. The carolling started at around 8 p.m. and the most happy person at that time was Ethan. Why? He was the only fella dancing around while the other kids stand by the side watching the performance. I tried to pull him back a few times but he just wriggled himself out of my grab and went to the centre and dance by the carollers. I was so 'segan' but at the same time proud of my little one. Too bad that the moment was not captured because the camera was not with me. Hubby stand at another corner holding the camera. Yes, just holding it! No photos no video. ARGGHHHHHH!!!!! How I wish I could turn back time and I would never ever ask hubby to hold the camera.

'Present! Present! Where is my mine?'

Warming up to the performance before he join them.

We will also be going back to hubby's hometown this year to celebrate Christmas. It has been more than two years since last time we went back. This will be our first trip back with Ethan and it's his first flight too. Can't wait for it. In the meantime, I would like to wish everyone

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAY!

Pacifier No More

18 months, 1 week & 5 days old.....

After 1 week, I think it's pretty safe for me to say that Ethan has successfully wean off the pacifier. YAY YAY!!!! No more worries that he will choke on the broken pieces. I have stopped giving him the pacifier since last Tuesday, the day I wrote the previous post. I bought another 2 pacifiers on that day as I was unsure whether or not to wean him off. It's like asking me to stop taking coffee, man. I can never do that. I even took coffee when I was pregnant, only reduced amount.

So, on that night I gave it a try and he slept without much problem. He took milk and water and dozed off not long after that. Actually, I was the one who was feeling like something was missing as I think pacifier is very soothing. I don't have the heart to force him. I was thinking if he whine or kick up a fuss and refuse to sleep, I will give it to him. To my surprise, he did not. Phew! Then came midnight when he will normally wake up looking for his dummy. I did not give to him either. After a few pat, he dozed off.

The routine continued until today and he will still wake up in the middle of the night whining. Sometimes, when patting failed to cool him down, I have to scold him. Then, he will go back to sleep. If I ignore him, he will come up to the bed or cry even louder. Oh yeah, milk helps too.

Now, I have three spare pacifiers.

Pacifier - Boon or Bane?

18 months & 5 days old.....

Since the previous post, there was no improvement in Ethan's chewing habit. He has punctured another 2 pacifiers and I bought another one last night. Since it's (very likely that this is) due to teething, there's nothing much I can do to prevent him from chewing on things. I just try to limit him from sucking the pacifier but when he cries, I would normally give in. His cries drive me nuts especially at night. Since he only want his pacifier when he sleeps, I think it's not that bad lar. The only thing is I have to keep on checking his pacifier to detect the tiny holes.

Last night, he woke up for milk and had difficulties getting back to sleep. Normally, I would just give him the pacifier and leave him alone. But last night, I slept with him and pat him back to sleep without giving him the pacifier. It worked. Guess I just need more perseverance.

This time, I kept the the punctured pacifiers and did a little test on them. I tore it apart with my bare hands and it's as easy as tearing up a sachet of Mc Donald's chili sauce. It's that easy. The hole (yes, only 1 hole) on the pacifier were very tiny, like only 1-2 mm in diametre. This tiny little hole can cause disaster if we are not careful. To all parents out there, please check on your kid's pacifier for this little hole. You have to pull on it in order to see the little hole because it's hard to see with our naked eyes.

This is the result of my little experiment.

See the danger? What if the tiny part come off while our kids are
sucking the punctured pacifier? The one on the left was
Ethan's old pacifier, which I kept as spare. The other one was
courtesy of my sister as Ethan punctured his pacifier at my mum's
house the other day and I did not bring extra one.

'Pokai' Month

18 months & 1 day old.....

First of all, I got 4 wedding invitations in December. Ouch! Big hole in my pocket. And then, Ethan's chewing habit made the hole even bigger. In the last 4 weeks or so, Ethan had destroyed 5 pacifiers (it's 5 ok) and 2 teats for the milk bottle. I suspect it's the work of the two cuspid.

He has been using the variable flow teat from Avent since he was 3-4 months old. I normally get my friend's help to buy it for me from Singapore. I paid only half of the price here. Luckily, if not more 'pokai'. I normally change the teat after 6 months of use or when it turned matt/dull. Now Ethan seems to expedite the process by puncturing them. Sigh......

Too bad I didn't take photos of the spoilt teat and pacifiers because I was so horrified and I dumped them into the dustbin straight away. I'm scared that he will swallow the torn portion and choke himself. I still remember the incident when a 1-year-old-plus toddler died because he was choked by a pacifier.

I have been thinking of a solution because I cannot be replacing the teats and pacifiers at this pace. For the teats, I will replace it with the soft spout. I think (and I hope) he will not be able to puncture it. My sister gave me a soft spout and a handle (like the photos below) when Ethan was born. The two things can be used with Avent's milk bottle and it functions like a trainer cup. I let Ethan used them when he drinks water but when he started using drinking cup (with straw) few months back, I put them aside. It's high time now to switch him to trainer cup for milk.

For pacifier, I'm giving him the old one, which I kept for emergencies (like now lar!). At the same time, I try to wean him off the dummy. Actually, he has been taking his afternoon nap at the day care without pacifier. But, it's a different story at home. It's already difficult getting him to sleep let alone doing it without a pacifier. I have tried a few times without much success but last night I managed to lull him to sleep without it. Unfortunately, he woke up in the middle of the night looking for his pacifier. Needless to say, I gave in.

(The one in the photo lasted only 2 weeks.)

One, Two or Three?

I'm contended with one, don't mind having two and doubt will have three. The question on 'how many children I want' always lingers in my mind. Until now, I do not have the definite answer. You know, people always ask 'When are you getting the second baby?' or they will tell you 'If you want a second baby, better get it now, don't leave the age gap too big, etc. etc.'. I always tell them 'Not now'.

If I ever want to have a second child, I would want to wait until Ethan is 3, at least. By then, I hope he will be more understanding when it comes to sharing. I miss his babyhood but the thought of having a baby again shudders me. You know, confinement, night feedings, vaccination (which will be followed by fever, most often than not).

For me, the only reason to have a second child is I want my children to have siblings. I have two younger sisters and I think it's a wonderful thing to have siblings. We are very close. We go shopping together and we always share clothes, bags, shoes, until now. My childhood will be very dull without them. I want Ethan to have the same childhood. I don't want to have more children just because I want someone to take care of me when I'm old. Furthermore, I don't want to stay with my daughter-in-law in the future. I bet she will have the same thinking like me now. Hahaha! Nursing homes are so good nowadays. Why worry so much?

Withdrawal to Citibank

It only take ONE day! I thought it will take weeks before I see the money because PayPal says this:

Your request to withdraw funds from your PayPal account to your card ending in xxxx has been received and is in process.

PayPal completes this transfer in 5-7 days, but your card issuer's policies may affect the processing time. For more information, contact your card issuer.

Sincerely,
PayPal

I withdraw the money from PayPal to my Citibank credit card on 12 November. I didn't bother to check my account after that as I thought it will never be done so soon. But when I check my account today, I saw the money has been credited on 13 November! That's fantastic. PayPal charge USD5 for the withdrawal and the exchange rate given by Citibank was 3.35. WOOOOHOO!

Whoaw!

Thanks to babybooned for the Happy Blogging Wish.


Apart from being really happy, I feel so honoured by her comment, which read as follows:

"because hers was the first mummy blog I've ever read (seriously) and reading about Ethan inspired me to start Gibran's blog *huge smile*"

I never thought that my humble little blog (I mean it) will ever, ever... inspire someone to start a blog. I'm contended with a comment or two from my readers. I started the blog to jot down those little yet important memories in raising Ethan as well as my journey in motherhood. Somewhere down the road, I started doing paid post. I want to THANK all my readers who drop by this blog and leave your comments, even thought it's tainted with paid posts :-). No matter how simple or short it is, I treasure it.

Now, I would like to extend this wish to all these mummies and I hope they will never stop blogging:
Sasha - blogosphere will be gloomy without your blablablas
Nadia & Jazzmint - love your scraps a lot
Etc-Mommy & Malaika's Mummy - love to read the notes on your little angels
Darren's Mummy - a totally devoted mother
Judy - thanks for all the help and tips on the paid posts
The New Parent - love your thoughts and tips on parenting

Good News For Baseball Fans

If you are fanatic baseball fans, then you must know Boston Red Sox, also known as 'The Sox'. The professional baseball team, which is based in Boston, Massachusetts had won many leagues in the United States. They are also the reigning World Series Champions. It will be great to watch them play but knowing that it is a famous team, tickets for the games are definitely selling like hot cakes. And, if you don't know, all the home games since 2003 was sold out. So, it is really not easy to get a ticket, let alone picking the seats you want. But everything is made easy now because fans can purchase Boston Red Sox Spring Training tickets online or through a phone call. Payments can be made via credit cards. No queue no hassle.

It Is Not So Tough After All

17 months, 3 weeks & 2 days old.....

Hubby is away for a 2-days/1-night business trip to the Northern states. Last night, me and Ethan slept alone. The last few rounds when hubby was away, I will put up the night at my mum's place. If it happens in between Monday and Wednesday, I have to change the arrangement with the daycare so that Ethan goes there on some other days. I don't feel like changing the schedule this time. So, we stayed at home, without hubby.

At first, the plan was to go home shower and then go out to pack my dinner before picking up Ethan. That was the plan until 5p.m. When I left the office, it was raining cats and dogs! But as I approached my area, the sky was still dark and it wasn't raining yet. I was thinking if I go home first and then go out, I'm sure by that time, it will be raining already. I don't want Ethan to get wet. Furthermore, I don't think I can manage to hold two bags (mine and Ethan's), my dinner, Ethan and an umbrella with my two muscle-less hands.

In the end, I went straight to the daycare and headed straight home. Before I reached the daycare my mind was already thinking on what to eat and how to shower with Ethan around. I don't want the same incident to happen again. To make things simple, we took shower together. No, he did not bang his head this time. I put him on his potty and let him play with the tap while I took my quick shower. First hurdle was completed without much problem.

Then, it's my dinner. What's easier than a pack of instant noodle, right? Since I did not take it often, it's ok to have a pack for dinner. Before that, I fed Ethan yoghurt and gave him cod liver oil. While I ate, Ethan sat on his high chair watching Barney. Gave him biscuits and some toys and my dinner was a bliss.

As usual, I gave him a bottle of milk and tucked him to bed at 8p.m. I fell asleep too in the process but have to force myself up to clean up the mess. The dishes were still in sink and toys all over the living hall. Clothes folded but were left on the sofa. Washed the milk bottle and prepared Ethan's stuff for the next day. Everyday, I pack two sets of clothes, a bottle of water, pacifier and some biscuits for Ethan to bring to the daycare. Like going to school hor?. If he goes to my mum's place, I just bring a pacifier. After finishing the chores, I washed my hair and called it a day.

See, not difficult at all right? The rule of thumb is I must do everything with Ethan by my side within a 1-metre radius. And, I must be visible. If either one of the above rules is not met, he will come running towards me, crying.

Sweet dreams...

This morning, he woke up and said 'Ehhhh daddy eh?'. He searched for a while and I told him 'No daddy, daddy not at home'. He then turned his wrist and said 'uuhh ohhh'. That's the way he says no more/finish.

How To Do It?

If you want to be rich, start a business now. That's a pretty general statement. Like Chinese saying 'one will never be successful or rich by working for someone else'. To me, I think doing business is a huge risk because you need a lot of money to start one. But, things changed. With the advancement of technologies and the development of online business, I think starting a business now is not that difficult after all. The most important thing is to have reliable service providers like web-hosting and shopping cart software.

I have been thinking if I ever start an online business, what would I sell? Hmmm.....the answer is boys clothing. Why? Because boys clothing here, especially for babies, are extremely boring. Colour selection is also limited. You always see 'blue' stuff for boys. Not to mention designs. I see a lot of nice clothing for boys when surfing the net but the shipping fees are exorbitant. Unless you buy a lot, if not it's not going to worth it. Ok, I'm day dreaming again. Where am I going to get the stocks in the first place?

Aunty.....

I was called 'AUNTY' twice in two consecutive days. 'Lei war sei mm sei'. Mind you those two people are not kids. If kids, I don't mind lar. They are in the early twenties or late teen, I guess.

The first time happended on Saturday. I just shrugged it off thinking that I heard it wrongly. But, the second time was loud and clear. I was at Jusco checking out the price of MamyPoko and this sales girl told me there's a discount, etc. etc. I said 'Ok, I will take one packet'. Then right before I leave that place, she said 'AUNTY, CAN YOU FILL UP THIS FORM?'. What the he*k.....If you want to be polite, just call 'MISS' lar. My heart was cursing but still managed to put up a smile and 'guai guai' fill up the bl**dy form. After that, I told hubby, 'She called me AUNTY' wor. No comments from hubby, just a smile.

Want More Money?

If you have a blog and are thinking of making extra income through paid post, you may want to consider bloggerwave. It's one of the easiest way to make money online. If an IT idiot like me can do it, so can you. The good thing about doing paid post is you can choose to write on the subject you want at your convenience. Try it out!

Men and Football

Until now, I don't know what is it with football that men get so excited with. When me and hubby were dating, I used to accompany him to watch football. My eyes will be glued to the t.v. but my mind wandered far far away. I just cannot concentrate on the game. Worst still, I don't know where the ball is most of the time. When he got excited or screamed for goal, my mind will get back to the game hoping to see someone score a goal. After that, I will continue with my day dreaming while hubby still focusing on the game. That's how I watch football, until now (if I ever have the time to sit down in front of the t.v. at night). Anyway, I'm glad that he's only interested in watching football and not football betting. Unlike western countries, I think football betting is illegal here. Not sure about online betting though.

Sun, Sea, Sand & Fun

17 months & 2 weeks old.....

We went for a 3 days/2 nights trip to Kuantan on 2-4 November 2007. It was our first beach holiday with Ethan.

Day 1-Gloomy Sky

We started the journey at around 9.30 a.m. Ethan started fussing and refused to sit in the car seat after 30 minutes or so. I took him out and pat him to sleep. After putting in 30 minutes of efforts, he fell asleep in my arms and I transferred him to the car seat. Phew! I thought we’ll have a peaceful ride for at least another hour. Then, Daddy decided to make a stop in Bentong. That’s barely 15 minutes after he fell asleep! Ethan’s eyes were wide open when the car stopped.

Since Ethan had woke up, we decided to feed him cereal and ate something ourselves. I was so scared of food poisoning but thank goodness we didn’t. We continued our journey and Ethan fell asleep again at around 1p.m until we reached the hotel.

The weather was cloudy and drizzled a little. I like this kind of weather when travelling. After checked in, we rested for a while and I cooked porridge for Ethan. I brought along the slow cooker (borrowed from my sis), rice and pumpkin. But I’ve forgotten to bring a knife to cut the pumpkin. So, I asked the hotel if I can borrow one from them and they offered me a butter knife! Oh well, never mind. Better than using a spoon right?

While waiting for the porridge to cook, we headed to the beach for a stroll. We did not change to swimming suit because it was still drizzling. When, we got down to the beach, Ethan was a bit wary at first. He looked at the beach without much expression. I assumed he’s going to be scared of it. After a while, we sat at the lazy chair and the drizzling stopped. We let him down to explore a little on his own. He walked on the beach and tripped and his hands were full of sands. And…..that’s the moment he fell in love with the sand. Love at first touch! He was afraid of the sea/wave though.

He played with the sand for a while. Then, we decided to change him and let him mess around with the sand. He had a very good time playing with the sand and decided to TASTE them! We quickly carried him to the shower area to wash away the sand and let him play in the pool.

In deep thought....

Exploring....


Love the sand.....

Day 2-Fun, Fun, Fun....

It was a sunny day and we brought Ethan to the beach in the morning after breakfast. This time, I brought along a bottle of water. It proved to be useful coz Ethan rubbed his eyes with a hand full of sand. Again, the sand session had to adjourn and we headed to the pool.

We went back to the room and fed Ethan porridge after shower. He slept at 11a.m. and we thought of going for some seafood after he wakes up. Wait and wait and wait. Finally, he woke up at 2.30p.m. Gave him milk and headed straight to a seafood restaurant. By the time we ordered it was already 3.30p.m. and the restaurant closed for the morning session. There were only 2 groups of customers at that time and we were left all alone after the other group left. The ‘tauke’ and staff were no where to be seen. Of course, they asked us to pay first. It’s understandable coz their closing time was at 2.30p.m.

Then, it’s ‘keropok lekor’ time! It’s something we will never miss. After ‘tapau’ the ‘keropok lekor’, it’s swimming time again. While daddy entertained Ethan at the pool, mummy enjoyed the ‘keropok lekor’ by the pool.

In the evening, we went down to the little garden for a walk. We were still full during dinner time and we didn’t go out as Ethan slept early at around 8.30p.m. Daddy went out alone for dinner and packed something for mummy.

Splashing time!

I don't like to walk on the grass....

Day 3-Record Breaking Day

All the 3 of us woke up at 10a.m.! It never happened ever since Ethan was born. It’s always Ethan who will wake us up in the morning. The latest was 8-8.30 a.m.

By the time we packed and fed Ethan porridge, it was already 12p.m. We quickly checked out and made a stop in Gambang (I hope I got the name right) to buy some dried seafood. The day was hot and Ethan only slept for 1 hour in the car.

We reached home at closed to 5p.m. and I cooked dinner. Dead tiring. And I still mopped the floor after cooking. No choice.

Overall, the trip was fun and I’ve already given hint to hubby to go back.

If you want to know how Ethan tasted the sand, watch the video. Please ignore the scream at the background. Mummy couldn't help it.

My Favourite TV Programme

Ever since I knew about the Discovery Home & Health channel on Astro, I will press on the number everytime I switch on the tv. My favourite programme is 'Till Debt Do Us Part'. Although money shouldn't be the reason for people to go/stay in a marriage, it certainly has tremendous effect on a couple's relationship. Most of the time, these couples went into financial difficulties because of credit card debt. It's not that they have health problems or business failure or unable to work, they just indulged on non-essential items and keep on applying credit cards. There was a couple who had 16 credit cards and chalked up a hefty total debt of $50,000. It's crazy. With this kind of problem, they can only get back on their feet financially with professional help or bad credit loans. It made me realise that 'No matter how much you earn, you will not have enough money to spend if you don't control your spending'.

Potty Training: Part 2

17 months, 1 week & 1 day old.....

We went to My Dear warehouse sale over the weekend and bought a potty for Ethan. It looks similar to the one from Graco shown in my previous post but has less feature. The seat cannot be removed from the potty to be put on the WC. They have at least 10 types of potty in the warehouse but none has a removable seat. So, we chose one that looks like a chair. Actually, hubby made the selection and I'm ok with it. We also bought a safety gate since I have to return the current one to my sister sooner or later. Oh ya! the potty was selling at RM39 only, after discounts.

I let Ethan to sit on it but as usual he can't sit still. The only way I can make him sit longer is to let him play in the bathroom. So, once I know he has started to poo, I stripped him off except with the diaper on and put him on the potty. He cannot tell us yet when he wants to poo so the only way we can find out is from his expression.

He can sit on the potty as long as the water from the tap is running. Hubby thought I was crazy when I asked him to give me the camera and took photos of Ethan sitting on a potty.

From the look on his face, you can tell Ethan thought I'm crazy too.

P/S: Thanks to Sasha for the lovely animation!

Fun Online

There are so many things we can do online now. Online shopping, online games, online casino and the list goes on. No wonder children are so hooked to their PCs now. While the internet is an important communication and education tool, I think there are other unwanted elements it brings to our society nowadays. The worst is porn but there are many ways to block all this evil sites from our children. Even though there are pros and cons on the internet usage, I think the benefits should outweigh the risks if we guide our children properly. I don't mind if they play online games or chatting but they must know their limits.

For the adults, we should know what's good and what's bad. If you think getting a hand on betting is not a bad thing at all, then you would probably be interested to find out which online casino gives you the best deal. You can read the reviews of hundreds of online casinos, if you have the time.

Potty Training

17 months & 4 days old.....

I’ve just started to potty train Ethan at home. I know many kids are fully potty trained by now and their mothers are very proud of their kids. Well, I would be proud too. I cannot explain why I didn’t start to potty train him earlier but I guess it’s still not too late to do it now. Probably, I’m one lazy mum. I think potty training requires a lot of patience and discipline. But I’m ready to do it now.

My mum bought a potty for Ethan when he was a new born. So, I use that for the time being. Whenever he poops, I will quickly put him on the potty and let him finish his business. The first time I put him on the potty, he refused to sit on it, even with the diaper on. After a few times, he can sit longer but needs to be distracted and the ideal place to do that is in the bathroom. He likes to go in there because he will think it’s shower time. Yeah, he loves shower very very much. I let him sit on the potty with the diaper on mainly because there’s no point taking it off when it’s already soiled and I dread to clean the poop-smeared-potty.

The current potty is getting a bit too small for Ethan. I’ve been looking for a potty, which can be used for longer term. I went to many online baby stores, be it local or overseas, and I found the type that I want to buy. It’s potty + stepstool + removable seat like the one shown below (from Graco). I especially like the removable seat, which I can put on the WC when Ethan is older. If you are not sure which type of potty to buy, I suggest you read up some guide for potty training and important features of a potty.

Storage Solution

This a sponsored post.

It will be good to have more rooms or a garage at home especially when we have a lot of stuff. The longer we stay in a house, the more things we will have collected over time. I hate to see things scattered all around the house but that's what Ethan likes to do now. With his toys in the living hall and in the guest cum store room, I seriously think I need better storage solutions. We don't have a garage so, things have to be stored somewhere in the house. Arghhhh!

Could it Be Due to Swimming?

17 months & 3 days old.....

We brought Ethan to the pool on Tuesday evening. The weather was good with sunshine and no rain. It was the first time we brought him to a pool despite being so accessible to the facility. I bought a swim diaper for him before I left for Ukraine but did not have the opportunity to let him use it as it's raining season now. So, when I saw the sun still shining brightly on Tuesday evening, I suggested to hubby to bring Ethan for a dip.

Ethan was a bit scared when we carried him into the pool. He held on tightly to us and refused to sit in the float/trainer seat. So, we carried him and let him sit by the pool side. He had a splashing fun after that. It was pretty cold even though the sun was still shining because it's windy. Less than 15 minutes after that, I saw Ethan's lip turned purplish and he was shivering a bit. We quickly carried him out of the pool and wrapped him in a towel and gave him warm water to drink. He was fussing and wanted to go back to the pool but we do not want him to catch a cold.

Too bad! He got a running nose the day after, which was yesterday. It's been quite a while since he got one. Now, I just hope he will recover fast.

Oh! Getting back to the swim diaper, I searched for it high and low before I found one with a reasonable price at Isetan KLCC. The brand is Water Color and it's selling at around RM30. The sales girl said they only sell it at KLCC even though the brand is available at other outlets.

Where to Get the Best Deal?

This is a sponsored post.

I always think it's better to invest in a house than a car. House always appreciates in value but for car, the moment you buy it, the value depreciates. Many people buy houses for investment and they will either rent it out or sell it. And when some home owners run into financial difficulties, they can take up home owner loan like Home Loans UK for some extra cash. For Magic Loan, they also offer home owner loans but with extra services. Many people do not know which secured home owner loan would be best suited to their particular needs. So, Magic Loan will help them to relieve that concern and to take on the entire responsibility for locating that ideal loan, big or small. They use their extensive network of financial resources to source the most suitable loan in the market. They will also take into account all of your personal circumstances, the amount you can afford to comfortably pay back and tailor-make the loan so that it perfectly suits both your requirements and your means.

Tag: 555

This is a long overdue tag from Malaika's mummy. Thanks for the tag.

5 things found in my room:
- Bed
- Mattresses
- Cabinets
- Diapers
- Toliet

5 things I’ve always wanted to do:
- Go for a cruise holiday
- Slimming treatment
- Stay-at-home 'tai-tai'
- See the snow in winter time
- Tell off the 'woman' in my office that she's a bitch

5 things found in my bag:
- Purse
- Comb
- Tissue
- Mobile phone
- Receipts

5 things found in my wallet:
- All sorts of cards
- Cash
- More receipts
- Mykad
- Mykid

5 things I’m currently into:
- Blogging
- Digital Scrapbooking
- Massage
- Facial
- Parenting

Online Shopping

The shopping malls are mushrooming in our country lately. Whenever I flipped the pages on the newspaper, there are advertisements on openings of new malls. Sunway Pyramid new wing, KL Pavilion, the Gardens at Midvalley, to name a few. No matter what, I still think online shopping is the way forward. Many stores are offering online shopping now even though they still have retail outlets. Not to mention other online shops set up by individuals including stay-at-home-mums. Now, people can even buy merchandises online from pharmacies. I find shopping online is really hassle-free especially when we do not always have the luxury to go out and shop and get caught in the traffic jam. If you have a toddller in tow, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. I guess it's not difficult for one to start an online business now since there are so many companies out there providing services like web hosting, e-commerce software and hosted shopping cart software. All we need is a reliable and good service provider.

Happy 17 Months!

Today Ethan is 17 months old. The more he grows the more I miss his babyhood. The thing I miss the most is the times I cuddled him to sleep in my arms. He will not let me do it now as he likes to move around a lot. Sometimes, I feel he's so grown up especially when he communicates and interacts with us. He can understand what we tell him most of the time and can express himself pretty well. If we ask him 'Where is your ball ball?', he will look at us for a moment as if to interpret what we say and then look for the balls. If he cannot find the balls, he will look at us and says 'Uh Oh!' and turns his wrist. He can tells us what he wants and does not want. If he doesn't want/like a thing, he will say 'Noe Noe Noe' and shakes his head at the same time. Sometimes he frowns too!

Persons he can address are (in sequence of first learnt to the latest word he picked up):

• dau dau (my mum's dog) - jealous! the first person/living creature he can call
  
• poh poh (grandma)
• aah eeee (my sisters)
  
• da deee (daddy)
• ka kak
  
• mei mei (girls younger than him)
  
• ma mei (mummy) - and I'm the last
  

Other new words he picked up are:

• noe noe noe (no)
  
• yae (yes)
• car (also known as brrrrrrrrrr)

Another thing he likes to do is to imitate us. Things he had done so far are:

• put cotton bud to his ear (I clean his ear with cotton bud. Now I have to do it when he sleeps to avoid him putting things into his ear.)
• put the bulb syringe to his nose (after we used that to suck the mucous from his nose)
• used the wooden stick to take balls underneath the cabinet
• fed himself with a spoon (or hand if the attempt with spoon fails)
• pushed his stroller/trolley
• pressed his nose with his thumb and index finger when we say 'eeeeeee smelly'

Other updates are as follows:

• Height: 78-79cm
  
• Weight: 10.6kg
  
• Milk intake: Average 3-4 times/day, 4-6 oz/feed
• Solid: 2-3 times/day (porridge for weekdays & rice with soup at weekends)
• Potty training: started at home but refused to sit for long
  
• Night feeding: once at around 5-6 a.m. (last feed at around 8 p.m. before he sleeps)
• Supplements: Cod liver oil (Scott's Emulsion natural flavour) & Colostrum pills
  
• Daily Snacks: Yoghurt, fruits & biscuits
  

Settle Our Mortgages

This is a sponsored post.

When we bought our house, we took a 30-year mortgage from the bank. Jeeesh! Too painful to think that we have to pay for the house for 30 years. But, we don't have a choice. That's the only way we can own a house and how many people can buy a house without mortgages from the bank? Luckily, we can withdraw money from our EPF and we calculated that we can pay off the mortgage, roughly, in the next 6 years. We were not so lucky because the interest rates at that time was quite high compared to last year. It's really important to get cheap mortgages with low interest rate. Unfortunately, we didn't know much about it at that time. And, it took me quite sometime to realise that a big portion of the monthly payment we made went to the interest. Only very minimal amount went to the principal. Some people go for remortgages to cut down on their mortgage repayment but there are other costs to consider also because I understand that new agreements have to be made with the bank. Also, if you have bad credit history, you need to look for banks that offer adverse credit remortgages.

Tag: 38 Interesting Questions

Judy, thanks for the tag.

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night? Ethan
2. What were you doing at 0800? Checked e-mail
3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Still checking email
4. What happened to you in 2006? Gave birth to Ethan
5. What was the last thing you said out loud? Yeah!
6. How many beverages did you have today? One
7. What color is your hairbrush? Brown
8. What was the last thing you paid for? Kitchen sink
9. Where were you last night? Home
10. What color is your front door? Cream
11. Where do you keep your change? Purse
12. What’s the weather like today? Rainy/Cloudy
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor? Chocolate
14. What excites you? Shopping
15. Do you want to cut your hair? Definitely!
16. Are you over the age of 25? Way over
17. Do you talk a lot? Not really
18. Do you watch the O.C.? Nope
19. Do you know anyone named Steven? Yes
20. Do you make up your own words? I don't thin so
21. Are you a jealous person? Yes!
22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’. Anthea
23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’. *Can't think of any*
24. Who’s the first person on your received call list? My sister
25. What does the last text message you received say? *Can't tell lar, personal*
26. Do you chew on your straw? Used to like it
27. Do you have curly hair? No
28. Where’s the next place you’re going to? The loo
29. Who’s the rudest person in your life? No such person, phew!
30. What was the last thing you ate? Bread and cheese
31. Will you get married in the future? Yeah! next life
32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks? Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (on Astro)
33. Is there anyone you like right now? All in my family
34. When was the last time you did the dishes? Yesterday
35. Are you currently depressed? No
36. Did you cry today? No lar
37. Why did you answer and post this? It's a TAG mar!
38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey. Don't want lar

Something to Stimulate Your Brain

This is a sponsored post.

When you are free or down or lost and don't know what to do, I suggest you go to Quibblo and do some fun quizzes. It helps to build up our general knowledge too. I like doing quizzes and puzzles that are found in the newspapers or magazines. But, Quibblo offers a lot more choices for us and we can search for topics that are of special interest to us like for the young ones, they can do teen quizzes. Better still, if you are not happy or have comments about the topics, you can voice it out at their comment/discussion forum.

Meeting New Friend

16 months, 3 weeks & 4 days old.....


We brought Ethan to meet Darren on Monday (15 October 2007). I think that was our third attempt in arranging a meet up and I'm glad it worked out finally. Thanks to Darren's mummy for initiating it. We had a good time chatting and exchanging ideas on child care. Both of us are first time mummies, so there were a lot of things we shared with each other. I hope we can meet more often. I think Darren and Ethan got along quite well that day. Both of them had a great time at the McD's play area. Darren is very friendly and I'm surprised that he wanted me to carry him even though that was the first time he met me.

P/S: Thanks to Darren's mummy for sending the photos to us.

Visitng UK

UK is definitely one of the most popular countries for holiday makers. I've been there twice and visited London, Oxford and also a brief visit to High Wycombe. There are so many other places, which I like to visit as well but unfortunately did not have enough time. The first time I went to London, I stayed with my cousin and he also brought me around for sightseeing. Lucky me, I got a tour guide at no cost and I saved a lot on lodging. Everyone knows hotels in London are very expensive. My first stay there was quite short as I only had 3 days but I managed to visit quite a number of the tourist spots. Personally, I think that the cathedral and museums are worth visiting but the most wonderful experience was watching a performance at the theatre.


Oxford is also a very nice place to visit. Unfortunately I didn't get to see the place they filmed Harry Potter. It was closed. It was a one-day trip and we stopped at Bicester Village for some shopping. Things are cheaper there compared to down town but I still find them expensive compared to the prices in the U.S. especially for brands like Gap and Ralph Lauren.

If I have the chance to visit UK again, I want to visit other places like Birmingham and Manchester. But, I have to look for the hotels myself this time and I hope the hotels in Birmingham and the hotels in Manchester will be cheaper than those in London.

Toys for Ethan

Nowadays when we go out, we will consciously or unconsciously browsing through the toys section and the problem is, we (or Ethan) seldom left empty handed. I guess this is a common problem for parents. At his age, Ethan does not know how to demand for toys when we go out but we happily show him the toys, happily pay for it and happily watch him play. His favourite toys at the moment are balls including balloons. All sorts of sizes and colours. And 'ball ball' is his favourite word too.

The other day, I bought a set of Happy Meal and got a free robot for Ethan. He likes it so much and refused to let go of it even after playing with it for more than 1 hour. That's the first action figure toy Ethan got. I know what to buy for him next. More boys stuff like robots and super heroes figures. I found a lot of these from www.shopping.com and we can search for a suitable one by brand, type, size or price. I think the variety there is far more better than the toys stores.

Another thing I wanted to buy is puppet. He seems to be very interested with the puppets he saw in the Baby Einstein cd. I've been searching everywhere but couldn't find a decent one. I saw it once at a toy shop but it looks more like a glove than a puppet. I wonder now, do people still play with puppets nowadays?

Crocodile Tears

16 months, 2 weeks & 6 days old.....

This is Ethan's latest trick and he has perfected it since he started to practise few months back. He likes to use this trick to get things that he wants and also when he refuses to sleep, especially time for his afternoon nap. He has no problem taking his naps at the daycare or at my mum's place but not at home with us. Once, when I made a surprise visit to the daycare, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the kids sleep without making fuss including my little one. They just gave him a pillow to hug and pat him at the back. He fell asleep less than 5 minutes. I saw the whole process. Magic. My mother also said he will sleep without much problem, only sometimes it takes longer for him to fall asleep. He does not cry like what he did at home. Parents are easier to bully ar?

Other than crying during bed time, he also cries whenever he did not get things he wanted. Handphone, camera, spoon (the big stainless steel one), syringe, mugs, etc. etc. He masters the skill so well now he can do it anytime, at our request. But he will laugh in the end, because he knows it's just for fun. Watch the video.

Financial Planning: Part 2

Part 1 is about my spending habits in my younger days...ahem, although not so long ago. I know it's difficult to save with my spending habits. Putting money in savings accounts does not work and it ended up as a 'transit' account. Money comes money goes. In order to avoid myself from withdrawing money from the bank accounts, I opened another savings account without the ATM card and also deposited my money into fixed deposits. It worked quite well until now.

Apart from that, I also forced myself to save by buying insurance plan. There are many plans out there, but I chose the investment link plan so that I get medical coverage and savings at the same time. Although my company provides insurance package for employees, I still wanted to get one for myself because I might leave the company one day and left without any coverage. It's risky knowing that medical fees are very high nowadays. Furthermore, you pay lower insurance premiums when you start young and the savings generated will be higher. Hubby and Ethan also got their own insurance plan. My latest attempt in savings is Unit Trust. I read quite a lot of comments about it and also asked friends and colleagues on their own experience investing in Unit Trust, before deciding to venture into it. I hope all these will give us a more secured future.

No matter what investment plans are available out there, there are always pros and cons that come with it. So, I think it's best not to put all eggs in one basket.

Another Money Making Site

I don't know what got into me but I've registered my blog with a few blog advertising sites now and probably will do it again. The latest one is Blogsvertise. The rules and registration process are simple. Payment is also through PayPal, so it's easy. They also direct users to free blog resources for those who do not have a blog yet.

I think I'm doing it because I want to have more options and more offers but that doesn't mean I will grab everything lar. The main purpose of this blog is still about Ethan. I will try not to overflood the blog with paid post. With only one site, it's difficult to get what you want sometimes. Furthermore, if one service provider decides to stop all free blogs from doing paid post one day, I still have a back-up plan.

Tooth Chart

16 months, 2 weeks & 4 days old.....

The last time I updated the tooth chart, Ethan was 12 months old. I thought it was the cuspid, but turned out to be the first molar. The first cuspid just erupted, so are the first molars at the lower jaw. That explained his on-off fever & diarrhea last week.

His teething progress are quite similar to the guide given in the chart and I'm quite happy with it. I'm also glad that his teething didn't cause too much trouble especially high fever that requires hospitalisation (touch wood). Hope all the teething episodes will end soon.

I Need a Break

This is a sponsored post.

Since the trip to hubby's hometown during Christmas holiday is cancelled, I suggested that we go somewhere else. Main reason is I have some Enrich points that are going to expire end of this year. Talking about this Enrich thing, I find it not very user friendly. Anyway, since I got the points from my official travelling, not from my own pocket, no need to complain lar. Get free tickets still want to complain ar. I've checked with them and found out that I can get free tickets for 2 persons to Langkawi but not enough points for the hotel and flight packages. So, all I need to do now is look for a nice beach hotel. I really look forward to it because I love beach holidays. In fact, we had our honeymoon at an island. For a change, I would like to try some other places for holidays in the future. I wanted to bring Ethan to see snow and the nearest place would be either Japan or Korea. I don't think we have to travel to places like the US or Canada to see snow. If we do, we need to look super cheap flights to Canada or US.

When It Comes to Meal Time: Part 2

16 months, 2 weeks & 2 days old.....

After checking out various brands and shops for the high chair, I've decided to buy the one from Ikea. It's the cheapest I can find and I think it looks nice too. I saw some other that cost RM100++ but I don't like the design. The good looking ones cost at least RM500++. I don't know how long he can use it, so I don't want to spend so much on a high chair. 'Kiam siap' (stingy) mummy.

We headed to Ikea last Saturday and got it at a reduced price, RM59 without the tray. It costs only extra RM10 for the tray but it's out of stock. Ethan seems to be ok with it. He can finish his meal sitting in the high chair but as usual, we have to keep him entertained lar. If he's bored, he will wriggle and try to climb out. Another good thing about this high chair is it doesn't have the foot rest. Otherwise, he will stand on it and makes it easier for him to climb out. Overall, I think it's a good buy and hubby did not said it's a waste of money :-)

Entertainment during meal time

Financial Planning

I think everyone should be taught financial planning in high schools because it's a very important lesson for one to learn regardless of their career path. The sooner the better. I'm not aware or should I say ignorant about the importance of it until I got married and have Ethan. Most people do, anyway. The first few years I worked, I never saved. Like what most of the youngsters do nowadays, I spent what I earned and with a credit card on hand, the spending became worst. Thank goodness the bad habit didn't last long. I do pamper myself with nice stuff once in a while now but I don't go to the mall and buy things for the sake of buying. I used to buy things which I don't need but bought it because it's discounted. I know there are people out there who survives on credit cards and when the debts get out of hand, they take payday loans or cash advance to settle their debts. I don't know if that really helps to lessen their burden but I'm glad I don't have to resort to that.

Ideas from VisionBedding.com

After visiting VisionBedding.com, it reminds me of one thing. A bed for Ethan. Actually, we have discussed about that and wanted to get an adult single bed for Ethan so that he can continue to use it when he grows up. Another thing is, we will get more space in the room since we are still sleeping in the same room and have not plan to train him to sleep alone. I still want to sleep next to him :-) But, at the same time I'm also worried of the prospects of him falling off the bed. Right now, he has no problem getting on and off the mattress safely. I don't know how he can get off the bed safely since it will be quite high.

We saw some extendable children's beds when we bought the high chair. They are lower than the normal adult bed but can be extended to fit a single size mattress (I think). Prices are reasonable and the designs are nice too. Maybe we should go round other furniture shops that sell childrens bedding first during this coming holiday. Then, we can buy some nice bed spreads, like the one below, to cheer up our little room.

Extra Side Income

I have been doing paid post (with you know who) for quite some time now but the money I made was pathetic, I would say. The main reason is I do not have much time to log on. Then, the good opportunities disappeared so quickly and even when we get to write what we want, we are only allowed to write a maximum of 2 posts per day? That's ridiculous. I was really motivated at first but after a while, the excitement just faded away. Sometimes, the advertisers want a minimum of 300 words for a meager $5. Then, I found out about Smorty last Friday (thanks to Sasha) and registered my blog on that day. I find it very efficient and blogger friendly. Unlike the other blog advertising service provider...ahem....you know who....everything seems to be slow including approval of blog, getting your post approved, getting paid, etc. With Smorty, our blog will be approved in just 72 hours and get paid in a week. Attractive, isn't it? And, the best thing is we can reserve a job for 3 days. That's what I call blogger friendly. Now, my motivation is back. For those who are interested to get paid to blog you may consider Smorty.

Shopping Craze

The shopping itch is getting on me lately. Probably there are sales everywhere now since there are a few celebrations coming. The Hari Raya Aidilfitri in October, Deepavali in November and Christmas in December. Sometimes I can resist myself in buying things but lately, I've been spending more than usual. Other than the normal household stuff and Ethan's milk and diaper, I also bought clothes for myself & Ethan, toys, not to mention other things I bought during the trip to Ukraine.

I've also asked my sis, who will be going to the states to buy some clothing for me, hubby and Ethan. I know Gaps and Guess are much cheaper there. I wish I could go there again for shopping. Not sure about toys though. Maybe should ask sis to check out as well. We will be celebrating Christmas in 3 months time and if we are going back to hubby's hometown for the celebration, it means more presents and big hole in the pocket.

Changing Furniture

Sometimes, I feel so bored looking at my home furniture. Feel like changing it but I'm sure hubby will say I'm crazy. The dining set, which we are using now are around 5 years old and I got it cheap, rocking cheap, at a showroom closing down sale. Oh yeah, not forgetting the queen captain bed too. So, while browsing through the furniturefromhome website, I found that they have a good selection of dining room furniture and living room furniture. Detail information on the furniture is also given. It's very helpful and convenient too, as orders can be made online.

A Dream in Ukraine

16 months & 6 days old.....

I’ve been hesitating in posting this because it’s cruel. So cruel that it’s difficult to put in words. Difficult because it’s scary and it’s still clear in my mind. I think I better get this off my mind to somewhere else and the blog is the best place I can think of.

It’s a dream. A dream that woke me up 10,000km away from home, scared, lonely and home sick. On that stupid Thursday, I had a dream. I dreamt that I had reached home (even though the place was somewhere I’ve never been to and it felt like I was in the 1960s) and wanted to see Ethan desperately. I knew that day, Ethan was supposed to be with my mum because he’s there every Thursday and Friday. My mum told me he’s under the care of some distant- relative, of whom I know, because she's not well. So, I went there immediately, cycling. My mum and sis followed me, cycling as well. (What a $%^&*@# crazy dream!)

Then, once I reached there, I called out this distant-relative’s name and she appeared from the balcony on the first floor of a shop-house. I ran up the stairs carrying the bicycle on my shoulder. (It’s getting crazier now!) She opened the door and I saw Ethan crawling on the floor. I felt strange. Why is Ethan crawling since he likes to walk now? I grabbed him and hugged him and THEN, I SAW HIS EYES! Why were his eyes looked so weird, so small and half opened??? Suddenly, I realised…..(THIS IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART FOR ME TO SAY AND MADE ME THINK MANY MANY TIMES BEFORE POSTING THIS STUPID & CRAZY DREAM)…….he’s BLIND. I cried and cried and cried….so badly that I woke up from my dream (Now you know why I had to swear at this $%^&*@# crazy dream). That kind of feeling was extremely terrible. It’s even worse when I realised that I had to stay a few more nights before I’m home and hugging my little one again. I thought of him every single day and that dream made it worse. Maybe it's telling me that Ethan was not ok.

After settling down for a few minutes, I sms my sis again. It’s 3am there and 8am in Malaysia. I told her that I dreamt of Ethan and cannot go back to sleep and asked her how was Ethan. She said Ethan had fever the day before but had recovered. I felt relief but sad. Relief that he’s ok but sad because I can’t be with him.

Actually the fever came back on Friday and Ethan vomitted and had diarrhoea too. His temperature shot up to 39.1C on Friday. I think it’s the highest ever recorded. My sis gave him a supp and hubby brought him to the paed. that night. After medication, Ethan had fully recovered by Saturday.

When I reached home on Monday evening (not Sunday as I thought, well, that’s another story), hubby and Ethan were in the room ready for bed. When I opened the door and switched on the light, Ethan immediately stood up and walked towards me and he gave me the SWEETEST SMILE and WARMEST HUG………

PPP: Aluminum Cabinets

This is a sponsored post.

When I think about aluminum cabinets, I always imagine a typical kitchen of a restaurant. All cabinets in the same steel-colour scheme. I never thought that aluminum cabinets come in different colours nowaday and are pretty stylish. I think black would look cool. I wouldn't hesitate to install aluminum cabinets in my kitchen. One thing for sure is it doesn't rot like wood. Plus it also doesn't rust.

Mixed Feelings

Finally, the good news has arrived! A miracle has happened! Something I've been waiting and waiting to hear. I've told the story of my friend, LY's baby earlier this year. Well, I'm happy and glad to know that he has fully recovered from cancer. He will undergo a minor surgery this Friday to remove the tube from his body. I'm really glad that this surgery is finally going to happen. This means that the hospital is very sure that the little boy is well and thus the tube is no longer needed. I'm really happy for my friend and I wish her all the happiness she deserves (though she will not be reading this coz she doesn't know I have a blog let alone talking about her in the blogosphere).

On the other hand, I'm feeling a little down and sad because I have to leave my little precious for a week. No, 8 days to be exact. Sigh.................................

Another official trip. This time is to Ukraine from 15-23 September. I'm not looking forward to it AT ALL! My heart felt so heavy, extremely heavy, to be separated from Ethan for so long. In fact, I told my mum and sis that if this trip is cancelled, I will 'belanja makan' (give them a treat).

But, if I were to tell this to other people especially the people at my office, they will think I'm SHOWING OFF! BLUFFING! NOT APPRECIATIVE! etc. etc. Why? Because majority of them think that it's a BONUS when you get to travel. So, when people say, 'Wah! So good ar, travel again", I will just try to be neutral, neither happy nor sad.

Work is work lar! If I'm asked to travel, I will go. But I never and will not play dirty tricks and politics just to get the opportunity to travel. You'll be surprised if I tell you how far some people will go so that they can travel.

Ok lar, enough ranting. If you want to know how is my mood now, see the photo below, Ethan expressed it so perfectly.

When it Comes to Meal Time

15 months, 2 weeks & 1 day old.....



From the day when Ethan started to take solid, we have been feeding him in the walker until 'NOW'. Sometimes, we will put him in the cot, which has been converted into a play pen. He will play inside the cot while I try my best to aim for his mouth. Another thing is, Ethan is a fussy eater. Food cannot be too cold or too hot, otherwise he will reject it. So, what I normally do is take a big bowl of porridge/rice and leave it on the dining table and scoop a small portion into his feeding bowl. This means I have to refill a few times before Ethan finishes his meal. When Daddy is around to help, his duty is to entertain him and clean him up. If not, mummy will do everything.

Since I'm the one who is always feeding Ethan, I have been thinking on ways to make things easier and better. He cannot be forever having his meal in the walker or cot or worse still, running around, while mummy chase after the little fella with a bowl on one hand and a feather duster on another (if you know what I mean). So, I suggested to daddy that we should get a high chair for Ethan and train him to have proper meals at the dining table. Daddy said it will be a 'WASTE OF MONEY' wor......because Ethan will refuse to sit quietly in the high chair until he finishes his meal. I believe he said this from our many experiences when we eat out.

When we go out, we will put him in the high chair and give him some rice in a bowl and he will help himself with the rice using his two hands. This is just to distract him while mummy quickly feed the little fella. If not, he will stand on the chair and try endlessly to climb out. No doubt, it will be messy but at least it's easier for me to feed him. I also want to teach him that he should finish his meal at the dining table before he is free to go.

Anyway, I will persuade hubby again. The last resort is to use my own money to buy one and prove to him that it's worth the money. Hmm!

P/S: The incident as seen in the photos above happened when hubby fed Ethan

Learning it the Smart Way

This is a sponsored post.

I read the paper this morning and there's an interview with parents on what they expect from the 2008 budget. So, this father is hoping the government to increase the tax deduction for parents with school-going children because he's spending like RM10,000/year on tuition fees for his 2 daughters. My eyes almost pop out looking at the figure. Gosh! That's not inclusive of school fees and pocket money. But, sending children to tuition classes is a very normal thing to do in our country because of our education system. So, I think it's important for us to look for a centre, like Score that can offer innovative tutoring to our children. Better study smart than study hard.

A Patriotic Son

If you see the video below, then you will know how much Ethan loves the Jalur Gemilang. Actually, the video was taken 2 weeks ago. Hubby bought it from the sundry shop and he walloped all the candies inside, leaving the empty flag for Ethan to play. He was so contended playing with the flag for a few days but it has gone missing since then. Now, whenever he sees a Jalur Gemilang, big or small, he will say 'ball'. He thinks it's the same as balloons :-/

Inspirational Blog

If you are bored or down or lost and need some inspirations, go and check out Karl’s blog. The author of this blog is Karl Moore, who is a (good looking) best-selling author and entrepreneur. You can find his daily inspirational messages on his blog. On every Monday and Friday, he will post "Random Act of Kindness" and "Friday Factoid" respectively. I find them informative, inspirational and funny. The blog talks about everything under the son, so it’s suitable for everyone to read.

Tag: One Word/Sentence

It's the second tag of the day. This one came from Judy.

Where is your cell phone? In my bag
Relationship? With whom?
Your hair? Short
Work? Yes, working
Your sister? Which one?
Your favorite thing? Diamond
Your dream last night? Cannot remember
Your favorite drink? Coffee
Your dream car? Never see one in my dream
The room you’re in? I've got no room in the office
Your shoes? What happened to my shoes?
Your fears? Worms & heights
What do you want to be in 10 years? A lady of leisure
Who did you hang out with this weekend? No plan yet
What are you not good at? PR
Muffin? No, thanks
One of your wish list items? Cruise holiday
Where you grew up? KL
Last thing you did? Typing
What are you wearing? Aiyor, so many things
What aren’t you wearing? Lipstick
Your pet? No pets allowed at home
Your computer? Dell
Your life? Good
Your mood? OK
Missing? Holiday
What are you thinking about right now? Quitting my job
Your car? At the parking lot
Your kitchen? Needs a renovation
Your summer? All year round lar.
Your favorite color? Blue
Last time you laughed? This morning
Last time you cried? Last night
School? Left school in 1996
Love? "The first sight of love is the last of wisdom." by Antoine Bret