the next chapter

The next chapter for us, mommy and daughters, will be a challenging one. I'm not sure how it will pan out but as usual, am keeping an open mind and live each day as it comes. Easier said than done actually because I'm not one to go without planning...for anything. There..something I have to keep at learning.

As you know, Ash will be 4 next year. That invariably means she will need to be starting school. During my time, a couple of hundred years ago (heheh..), 4 year olds will still be lounging at home, jumping up and down the sofa and attempt all sorts of crazy stunts to stun their parents. You know...whatever. But, not kids these days; they have to be in school or need to be in school. One reason is because it gives SAHM's like me a couple of hours of break each day. Another reason is because kids these days are so much more alert, intuitive and active that they need challenges after challenges and amazingly, they are able to cope even when you think they couldn't...they will amaze you.

So, anyway, yes, Ash will be going to school next year. I've met the teacher last weekend and we liked her instantly. Ash was reserved as usual. Which is why I said in the opening of my post that next week will pose somewhat of a challenge to us both. For starters, I am bracing myself to having to go through the motion with Ash for a week or so.

And then, lil Em and I will begin our playgroup together which is what I am looking forward to really. As cliche as it may sound but I did enjoy the sessions with Ash the last time. It gave us plenty of time and freedom without interruption to interact. I didn't have the distraction of household chores, the computer, the cooking, the baby...it was just me and Ash for a good 45 mins each time. And, the rest of the day after that. With Lil Em, it will be similar but then I may have to break the routine a little bit when I pick Ash up from class. So, it may be less amount of time to spend with Lil Em compared to Ash but I am hoping to strike a deal with MIL for her to take Ash in after class during those days when I have the playgroup sessions with Em. And whilst concocting this plan in my head, I will have to be mindful of the fact that MIL isn't getting younger and with each passing year, her stamina and strength wont' be the same...as such, Lil Em's exclusive time with me looks to be a whole lot shorter. I wish for more. Of course I do -- handling 2 is a handful! But seriously, I need that time with her. I feel I owe her that much. I need to be satisfied that I've honestly giving my time fully to her as I've done so with Ash in the first 2 years. Am I even making any sense here?

See what I mean about me thinking too much...over-thinking things? I suppose I will cross that bridge when I get to it and hope for the best in the process.

Twas' the night of Xmas Day..

Traditionally, Christmas dinners are often had on the eve. That's when everyone get together and eat and be merry and then the kids'll leave milk and cookies for Santa to thank him for coming down the Chimney (no Chimney here so...down from the roof?) to place their gifts under the Christmas tree when everyone has gone to bed. Daunting and dangerous task for ol' Santa isn't it?

Well..that is tradition. But...we, we broke tradition this year. We had our dinner on Christmas night itself heheh..We don't officially celebrate Christmas as you would've gathered from my previous postings; this is just to fulfill one of Ash's wish. We've done all and am delighted to ell you that she's indeed a happy camper. She has not asked for "snow", "beach" or "Christmas tree" since. It's as if everything that she's ever wanted in her life, she's gotten them and is now a very contented child - NOT!!! hehehe...while yes, it's true she hasn't repetitively asked for those 3 things but she's been asking for other things. We've been doing a pretty darn good job at persuading her not to get those "other things" thus far. How much longer can we hold up? - I don't know but so far...so good.

OK..back to our dinner. So, we had my family over and PIL. We are all small eaters so lucky me I didn't have to cook much. My mom made the fried mee-hoon and MIL bought satay. We had to have a little fusion to our menu that night because we're talking about 2 of them folks above the ages of 75, another 2 above the ages of 65 -- they seriously needed some familiar tastes. The roast turkey became roast chicken instead because, when my sis found out that San Francisco were selling them at RM200++...we shoved the idea down the drain. Oh..I wasn't about to roast the bird all by myself, are you nuts? Nope..no...no.

It was great fun in the end. Even my Dad participated in the gift giving and receiving. If you knew my Dad, he's hardly a sporting lad. But, I guess one really do mellow with age and will do anything for their grandchild(ren). Everyone had presents. I, of course, made Ash give away presents as well. I bought them all books...hehehe.

I have a feeling this may be a yearly affair from now on. When I am brave enough in later years, we will even have more people over and do the whole turkey thing. I don't know -- I haven't thought about it much. I am simply glad that everything went well that night and we all had a good time. Now, here's hoping for more family Christmas dinners together..

"Oh Shit!!!"

My soon-to-be 4 year old been saying this a couple of times now. I heard her.

Shit!! Double shit...

I have a strong feeling she learnt that from us (or me?), don't cha think so??

hmmm.....

Merry Christmas!!

Have a grand celebration!!

x

what to wear for Christmas?

What should I be wearing on Christmas Day? I know at least the first half of the day, I will be all sweaty and smelly from cooking in the kitchen. No, I'm won't be cooking up a storm but just that, you know, it's the kitchen -- it's bound to get stuffy and really really hot.

All presents have been bought and wrapped except mine cos I need to use it on Christmas day :-). So, everyone else will have a blast opening presents. Ash's been asking us for presents to be placed underneath the Christmas tree. She even cried when we told her we will get...soon...but didn't tell her when. We almost brought out their presents for her but decided against it because we know she will want to rip open them that instant. So, we'll wait and thankfully, we've been quite successful in distracting her with other stuff.

Anyway, so...dinnertime...what on earth am I going to wear? But, I DO know what I will NOT be wearing - a prom dresses. I don't think my butt can fit in them anymore. As sad as it may sound but anyone of you attempting childbirth, be warned of the many side-effects. One if which is that your bum..it'll never be the same again. Can't say I didn't warn you. :-).

the tree

Thanks to my dear dear cousin and family, we have a Christmas tree!!

And, not forgetting, I have to thank my sister and mom too for lending me the decorations. Some of them are 20++ years old. My mom threw away our old tree when they were renovating the home recently but kept most of the tinsels and ornaments. I am just so thrilled and excited and relieved all at the same time. For a minute there, I thought we were going to have to disappoint Ash. But, she's all happy now. Except of course, she kept asking for presents. But, she doesn't know it -- we already have the girls' pressies all wrapped up and hidden somewhere...in the house....where they can't find them..heheheh.

This will be our first year celebrating Christmas with the girls. We'll be having roast turkey too. Hope my sore throat heals before then..**fingers crossed**..Will tell you more after that. In the meantime, there are a couple more photos of the tree and it's retro decor over here...have a peep if you'd like :-).

Geniuses at work..

Remember folks - my post about the girls turning the walls of my (once) beautiful home into world famous art pieces?

Well...wonder no more..

May I present you....the evidence :

"we are busy...mom"

" smile...for the camera people...smile.."

I rest my case!!

let your blog do the earning

If you have a blog or own a blog, chances are you will be itching to get it monetized. Some have done so with their blogs but some prefer to keep their blog free from advertisements, paid reviews and all that jazz. Some will want to maximize their time on the internet by earning some extra cash (if you already have a full-time job) with their blog. I mean, why waste precious minutes with your blog and not get paid for it. Even peanuts cost money.

I am definitely not expert but if you dwell deep enough on how people actually make their blog earn them cash, you'll find words such as 'SEO', 'ranking', 'directory submit', 'text-links', 'content advertising' etc...Just some words that are associated with blogs that earn money. How do they link up? - HOnestly, I don't know because as you see, I don't monetize my blog as heavily as others. This is more of a personal blog. I don't even have ads on the side-bar.

If you want to do some heavy-duty blog monetization, I would suggest you go seek advise from seasoned gurus or google for tips. There are plenty out there but just make sure you go look for them at the right places...

Book Review : If I Could Keep You Little by Marianne Richmond

Before I became a mom, I would often hear my grandma telling me how wonderful children are and how we must treasure them with all our hearts. If she could have one wish, she'd wish for a trip back in time; to experience once more her kids' childhood.

"Sometimes, you'd wish that your kids will never grow up"..she'd tell me.

Naturally, at the time, I had no idea what she meant. Shamefully, I always thought when saying those words, it was just the "old-age" doing the talking. I mean, my grandmother is, after all, 95 years old.

But, you know, after having kids, after being a mom for a couple of years; experiencing someone's growing up years first hand...I understand now what my grandmother was trying to tell me all these while.

As a matter of fact, just a few weeks ago, I casually mentioned to hubby how much Ash has grown and how much I miss her baby days.

And I realize also that soon, when she develops her own interest and having made more of her own friends...I know I'll miss her even more. On the other hand, I know I'll be jumping for joy at the freedom I'll gain from her independence...hehhe..but still -- I'll miss her (if you know what I mean).

Having had all these mixed feelings inside...and I was sent a copy of this gorgeous and easy to read book by Marianne Richmond. It's a keeper this one. Every page speaks my inner thoughts about my kids, my fears for them, my joys of them and my wishes for them.

What this book does to you is that it will speak straight to your heart as a parent, exploring the powerful feeling that every parent has: the push/pull feeling of wanting your child to grow and savoring and holding on to every moment.

Truly a must-have treasure in your bookshelf.

____________

Note : Thanks to sourcebooks for this review opportunity!

i saw the dino move...

This has been a very short work week indeed. We accomplished quite a fair bit this week notwithstanding hubby being extremely busy.

Lets see -- I got the wardrobe cleaned out, sorted through all the clothes to be given away. I also gotten my stash of old handbags sorted and keeping only the ones that I love. Found my XO sauce at Bangsar Village. I tell you, of all places...it's got to be there. I scoured all the major hypermarket and none had it. We also visited the national science center. They were having some dino exhibition going on, and even though Ash is a little too young to learn anything from there but she still had fun with the kids. Managed to complete Round 1 of my Christmas shopping. You know, the next 2 weeks will be even quieter what with everyone going away and all.

We still haven't found the ultimate Xmas tree. I know, I know...it's awfully late. I have a very strong feeling we will end up not getting it anyway..hmm..we shall see.

Anyway, I wonder what my dear hubby's getting me this Christmas. I know, I sound awfully mean don't I? - to always think of a present for me and none for hubby...hehhe..I have got to write it down don't I..you know, in case he reads this so he'll be reminded without me reminding him. Just as long as he doesn't get me one of those pedestal sinks, I'll be fine.

The weekend is here and we will have yet another busy 2 days. Lets hope they are productive. You guys have fun, ya' hear!!

questions of the universe

the many 'whys'.

Sometimes, I am just so stumped.

Like when she asked me why I used my hand (fingers) to eat my prawns and not the fork. Or when she asked me, why I'm only using my fork and where is my spoon? (I was having my prawn spaghetti).

The questions, the whys -- they seem simple enough to answer...but, my problem is, after you answer, there comes another question. Am I the only mom experiencing this? I do appreciate my daughter being intuitive and curious and want to know..but..don't you think it's getting rather annoying?

You know, I am almost glad..no, actually, I am VERY glad she hasn't asked me anything complicated because if she were to start asking me about polaris rzr accessories, I would bolt!! RUn. as fast as I can. And let the father handle those toughies. Don't you know already? - I am such a whoozzz..O_O

changing

Ash is 3 years, and...well, she's 3 years going on 4. And changing every single day. She's picked up good habits, and of course, bad ones too. I don't know - I mean, how can anything be bad for a 3 year old? It's probably bad because we adults deem them/it to be bad, but to them, they are all good.

Anyway, she's been acting up again in the mornings. She would cry and cry when her father goes to work and will insist on him changing his work clothes back to his pjs. And, she would cry and cry again until he is out of sight. Then, she comes to me sobbing and she'd say "Ashley girl so sad...Ashley girl cry...". Then, I'd have to pacify the sobbing little child. Yeah, the things we moms have to do.

She used to cry a lot in the mornings when hubby went to work. This happened when she was...oh, i don't know, when she was 2? 2++? Then, she stopped crying or wanting her father home. Now, she started acting up again.

So, this morning, hubby got up early, went to her room to check on her and was surprised to find her awake but just lying in her bed. He took her downstairs, had a nice quiet father and daughter moment (quiet because this mommy and Mini was still sleeping). I think she enjoyed her 1-on-1 time with her dad. Something she's been missing since Mini came about. Plus, hubby's been really extremely busy lately with work that he's not been with the kids as much.

That mere 10 or 15 minutes apparently did wonders because she happily saw him off to work this morning. She said goodbye and when she saw me, she told me with a smile "Daddy go (to) worp". The thing is, hubby doesn't get to spend much time with them in the evenings. By the time he gets home, it's dinner, feed Ash if she's been slow with her food, wash the girls up, and then, it's time for bed. Hardly any quality time with the girls and they are feeling it too.

Seeing as how we have found a solution to Ash's crying problem, and there's no longer a need for me to search for said solution from a website directory, hubby has decided to wake up earlier to have breakfast with Ash. I can tell you this'll definitely save me lots of time without having to pacify the little one..hehehe..

facial cleanser for little girls

I only started using md clear exfoliating & cleansing scrub when I began getting breakouts. How about you - when did you start using facial cleansers for your face? Before, when I was a kid, it was just the Johnson&Johnson baby soap that my mom buys. I remembered using the shampoo and the soap.

Naturally, for my girls, I used the same. Well, not exactly the same but the lazy version of Pureen Head to Toe liquid wash so I don't have to buy them separately or have the soap place separately. I would buy a big tube and I can use it for both the girls..heheh...Technically, I shouldn't use it on Mini cos she has pretty sensitive skin and is prone to getting eczemas at the creases of her arm. Luckily they are mild and will quickly disappear after dabbing on fish oil. I'm not sure why but those things really works. It can get messy but it works.

Anyway, before digressing, do you use special cleansers on your kids' face? What type of shower products do you use on your kids?

Malaysia and her Ipad

So, finally, the Apple Inc Ipad has finally made their way to Malaysian soil.

What took them so long?

I remembered a friend was so disappointed when he found out that the local stores didn't have them a couple of months ago. So, if you had seen people at starbucks or at the airport, working on their Ipad, they probably got them from US or Singapore.

Anyway, I was telling hubby about it last night after dinner about it and if you wanted one now, it's available in RM. He asked me how damaging is it to the purse if one got one and I told him, it's RM1.5K++. He looked at me like "Oh!! That's cheap...I thought it's like a RM5K or RM6 thing".

No, I'm not getting one nor do I own one. It's just that...I thought I'd let you in on a typical boring conversation we have when we're having our dinner or when the girls are in bed. I mean, we have come to a point where we end up watching CSI or Hawaii FIVE-O, or whatever hubby gets from the DVD shop. Then, we're off to bed. In between, he'll be on his lappie and I'll be on mine...scouring the net for acne treatments an example. Then, we'll fall asleep on the couch because we're so exhausted from cleaning up after the "storm" (the living-room always looks like a tornado came by for a visit). Then, we'll get up only to find that we've missed half the show...seriously, and truly...routine and boring.

So...what's your routine like with your hubby..after hours? hehhe...You can skip the intimacy bit...hehhe..