Assalamualaikum!
Yes, this blog has been left to collect cyberdust for ages. My other blog was more active until I found Goodreads that helps me keep track of my progress and read other reviews (some of which are literary gems in their own right!). The only reason that I am blogging right now is to keep myself occupied while waiting for darling Abang Long @ Nuaim to finish his homework.
Kids grow up so fast. When I started this blog (it wasn't so long ago, was it?), Nuaim was hardly more than a baby. In a way, this platform has seen the growth and development of my children - it was my constant companion throughout my confinements, with detailed records of all the pantang-larang and special post-natal menu. Now here I am, keeping Abang Long company while he finishes his Std 3 homework. Standard 3! And younger Abang Ngah is in Standard One! Aiesyah is now in pre-school, and although Sofiyyah is still too young for kindy, she actually looks as big as a four year old and is as talkative as her older siblings.
I'll be leaving them for two nights to attend a meeting in KL. As compensation, I have a lasagna in the fridge ready to be popped into the oven tomorrow evening, just before I leave for the airport from home. I have not told my in-laws of my impending trip - they'll usually take it upon themselves to stay the night at my house when I'm not around, much to the changrin of my domestic helper who feels put upon by MIL's nitpicking. I was planning to do so tonight, but as usual Nu'man would use up my phone battery playing 'Angry Birds' while Nuaim is just being an angry bird himself with his constant excuses to delay doing his homework. Now he's complaining of tiredness: he says it's because he did not take his nap this afternoon. I tell him it's because he spent all his energy on a tantrum about missing playtime instead of doing his homework earlier.
Aiesyah and Nu'man are still wide awake chatting away in my room, whereas Sofiyyah again decides to sleep downstairs with Disney Junior on TV. I'm not sure the sleeping arrangements will be like tomorrow - it depends on whether or not I get to tell my inlaws I'll be away. They'll probably get really annoyed with me if I don't tell them.
Sunday 6 January 2013
Friday 7 October 2011
Poor princess
Get well soon dearest.
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Saturday 10 September 2011
This blog is still active...
...just about.
I admit that Facebook, being more accessible, has been the recipient of most updates.
There are also more paper notebooks and diaries lying around that I have decided to use (I need to justify my constant purchase of pens in various hues by doing some amount of writing). And of course, there is also the Global Reading Challenge that has updates on my book blog.
As a result, this blog has not received as much attention from its owner as it used to. So sorry about that.
I will remember to post some raya stories and photos, as well as next weekend's Malaysia Day trip, InsyaAllah. Right now I am planning to go for a short stay somewhere near, just some quality time with the kids and Hubby.
I admit that Facebook, being more accessible, has been the recipient of most updates.
There are also more paper notebooks and diaries lying around that I have decided to use (I need to justify my constant purchase of pens in various hues by doing some amount of writing). And of course, there is also the Global Reading Challenge that has updates on my book blog.
As a result, this blog has not received as much attention from its owner as it used to. So sorry about that.
I will remember to post some raya stories and photos, as well as next weekend's Malaysia Day trip, InsyaAllah. Right now I am planning to go for a short stay somewhere near, just some quality time with the kids and Hubby.
Monday 7 February 2011
Butterfly butterfly, happy all day
Nuaim had a whole week off for Chinese New Year. We spent the first half of the break in Alor Setar - as I still had work at the office - then drove down to KL on Wednesday. I had promised Mak we would spend the first night at Putrajaya, so after a short two-hour stop at Damansara to offload and repack we arrived at dusk. My nieces and nephews were already there, they were spending the whole week 'balik kampung.'
The next day was a picnic brunch at Taman Putra Perdana. I made the mistake of skipping breakfast, so by the time we reached the picnic spot all I could think of was food. As a result of satisfying my hunger pangs, I missed out on all the fun of walking and running around the park with my kids. Must plan this again sometime.
That afternoon we were back at Damansara, where my sons would spend the next two days engrossed in PS2 whilst Aiesyah and I had girly lunch and coffee breaks. On Saturday we drove back to Sg Petani, only to find out Sunday was still a school holiday. I decided it should be a daytrip to Penang for the kids en route to sending off my brother at the airport. Having given Nuaim a choice of places to visit, he picked the Butterfly Farm and the Snake Temple. We could not make it in time to the Temple, so I will have to plan for another daytrip soon.
The next day was a picnic brunch at Taman Putra Perdana. I made the mistake of skipping breakfast, so by the time we reached the picnic spot all I could think of was food. As a result of satisfying my hunger pangs, I missed out on all the fun of walking and running around the park with my kids. Must plan this again sometime.
That afternoon we were back at Damansara, where my sons would spend the next two days engrossed in PS2 whilst Aiesyah and I had girly lunch and coffee breaks. On Saturday we drove back to Sg Petani, only to find out Sunday was still a school holiday. I decided it should be a daytrip to Penang for the kids en route to sending off my brother at the airport. Having given Nuaim a choice of places to visit, he picked the Butterfly Farm and the Snake Temple. We could not make it in time to the Temple, so I will have to plan for another daytrip soon.
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| One butterfly that managed to stay in place long enough for me to snap a picture. |
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| Beautiful specimens in the latest trendy colours. |
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| Aiesyah having fun with my mini-highlighters at Starbucks. |
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| Posing in front of Pavilion KL |
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| The clan at Taman Putra Perdana. Shirtless Ziad is pretending to be Rambo while Hanina is damsel in distress with a blistered toe. |
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| Sofiyyah among the cushions at Tarbush Restaurant, Batu Feringghi. |
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Monday 27 December 2010
The week that was
This week back in KL has been a whirlwind of activities. My itinerary of social engagements began even before we reached home on Saturday, with Abg Ashraf's eldest son's birthday party in Shah Alam. Initially Nuaim was not keen, but when we arrived, albeit one hour after the party was supposed to be over, there were still many of my cousins and their offspring around. By dusk and it was time to leave, I had some difficulty prying my children off the various wheeled toys.
The party mood continued the next day with an outing at Taman Desa Water Park to celebrate Naufal's birthday. He is two months younger than Aiesyah but a couple of inches taller, and they got along like a house on fire. With his cousin around, Naufal appeared more gungho and less timid, and my daughter was literally leading him on in her usual flirtatious manner.
Monday till Thursday I had a packed training session. There was a large group of us, about 18 persons, and as the last two days involved individual practicals (it was a Training of Trainers course) we only finished at six in the evening.
I was looking forward to a relaxing Friday but my kids had other ideas. They were looking forward to the Dino's Alive! exhibition at the National Science Centre, so my brother and I took the three of them there on Friday afternoon. I had learnt not to expect much, so I did not end up disappointed. Apart from a large T-rex and Apatosaurus in the foyer and two replica fossils in a chamber just inside one of the exhibition halls, the rest of the 32 models were small and repetitive. There must have been at least six velociraptors in various poses, mostly based on their appearance in Jurassic Park. My kids and brother had more fun playing with the permanent science exhibits and demo equipment. Fortunately the science exhibit is free, so I will make it a point to take them there for another visit in future.
That night Ain and I had to attend a wedding on behalf of our parents. It was the son of a close family friend who happens to be distantly related to my parents, and the bride's reception was at PJ Hilton. We were a bit stumped when a member of the meet-n-greet committee asked if we were attending Anita's wedding - neither of us had bothered to check the invite, and we weren't too sure of the groom's real name either (he had always been Abg Wi to us). Fortunately there was only that one wedding there, and some recognisable faces had already arrived so we joined them at the family table.
Saturday morning was shopping time. I had to buy Nuaim his new school clothes, and to get him to agree I promised that he could go to Kidzport after that. And so three sets of school uniform, two sets of sports clothes, two pairs of shoes and a new set of briefs later, the trio were safely dispatched to the play area and Ummi was RM90 the poorer for it. That amount of money also bought me about two hours of solo shopping, which of course meant more money was spent. This was in addition to a significant amount I already spent on stationery the day before. Kudos to Jasema for being a Pilot G2 retailer in so many colours.
Dinner was a family outing of sorts - Abg Wi's parents threw a small alfresco party just for relatives at his aunt's business premise, and the whole household was invited. The kids had a fun time running around, obviously there was still some excess energy from the day's events. However they had a dear price to pay for all that exertion.
Nu'man woke up the next morning complaining of a fever. After a dose of Panadol, he seemed better, but by teatime his temperature was high again. Since it was Sunday, I had to take him to the hospital where they administered a suppository to bring the fever down. This morning, after another dose at bedtime, he appears on the road of recovery. Unfortunately his brother is now suffering and received the same treatment from a private clinic.
Right now we are on our way back to Alor Setar with my inlaws. I am praying that the girls are hale and hearty enough not to fall ill like their brothers, and that the rest of the year will be smooth sailing. This week has been memorable enough.
Nu'man feeling better on the journey to Alor Setar.
Nuaim and T-rex
Aiesyah and cousin Naufalsaurus.
The party mood continued the next day with an outing at Taman Desa Water Park to celebrate Naufal's birthday. He is two months younger than Aiesyah but a couple of inches taller, and they got along like a house on fire. With his cousin around, Naufal appeared more gungho and less timid, and my daughter was literally leading him on in her usual flirtatious manner.
Monday till Thursday I had a packed training session. There was a large group of us, about 18 persons, and as the last two days involved individual practicals (it was a Training of Trainers course) we only finished at six in the evening.
I was looking forward to a relaxing Friday but my kids had other ideas. They were looking forward to the Dino's Alive! exhibition at the National Science Centre, so my brother and I took the three of them there on Friday afternoon. I had learnt not to expect much, so I did not end up disappointed. Apart from a large T-rex and Apatosaurus in the foyer and two replica fossils in a chamber just inside one of the exhibition halls, the rest of the 32 models were small and repetitive. There must have been at least six velociraptors in various poses, mostly based on their appearance in Jurassic Park. My kids and brother had more fun playing with the permanent science exhibits and demo equipment. Fortunately the science exhibit is free, so I will make it a point to take them there for another visit in future.
That night Ain and I had to attend a wedding on behalf of our parents. It was the son of a close family friend who happens to be distantly related to my parents, and the bride's reception was at PJ Hilton. We were a bit stumped when a member of the meet-n-greet committee asked if we were attending Anita's wedding - neither of us had bothered to check the invite, and we weren't too sure of the groom's real name either (he had always been Abg Wi to us). Fortunately there was only that one wedding there, and some recognisable faces had already arrived so we joined them at the family table.
Saturday morning was shopping time. I had to buy Nuaim his new school clothes, and to get him to agree I promised that he could go to Kidzport after that. And so three sets of school uniform, two sets of sports clothes, two pairs of shoes and a new set of briefs later, the trio were safely dispatched to the play area and Ummi was RM90 the poorer for it. That amount of money also bought me about two hours of solo shopping, which of course meant more money was spent. This was in addition to a significant amount I already spent on stationery the day before. Kudos to Jasema for being a Pilot G2 retailer in so many colours.
Dinner was a family outing of sorts - Abg Wi's parents threw a small alfresco party just for relatives at his aunt's business premise, and the whole household was invited. The kids had a fun time running around, obviously there was still some excess energy from the day's events. However they had a dear price to pay for all that exertion.
Nu'man woke up the next morning complaining of a fever. After a dose of Panadol, he seemed better, but by teatime his temperature was high again. Since it was Sunday, I had to take him to the hospital where they administered a suppository to bring the fever down. This morning, after another dose at bedtime, he appears on the road of recovery. Unfortunately his brother is now suffering and received the same treatment from a private clinic.
Right now we are on our way back to Alor Setar with my inlaws. I am praying that the girls are hale and hearty enough not to fall ill like their brothers, and that the rest of the year will be smooth sailing. This week has been memorable enough.
Here's hoping for a vibrantly colourful new year! (One pen for each month)
Nu'man feeling better on the journey to Alor Setar.
Nuaim and T-rex
Aiesyah and cousin Naufalsaurus.Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.4
Saturday 13 November 2010
Siren Song
She waits.
His image is a shapeless thought, she is wary to give it a true form. Afraid of what the thought can be, and the calling that comes with it.
There is a familiar thrill, like an old friend returned from a long journey unchanged. But she herself has changed, and she is afraid of what this thrill can lead to.
He is near, too close by to miss her song if she sings it. She lets her thought form a name, hesitates to say it. Already his image is clearer, she can see his face in her mind. The name and the face. Nothing else.
She sends the thought out into the night air without a voice. And waits.
************
He feels her song probe his mind. A voiceless call, yet it thunders in his soul. He has been waiting for it, knowing more than she that eventually it would come to this.
The siren cannot refuse her nature, and her call must be answered.
His image is a shapeless thought, she is wary to give it a true form. Afraid of what the thought can be, and the calling that comes with it.
There is a familiar thrill, like an old friend returned from a long journey unchanged. But she herself has changed, and she is afraid of what this thrill can lead to.
He is near, too close by to miss her song if she sings it. She lets her thought form a name, hesitates to say it. Already his image is clearer, she can see his face in her mind. The name and the face. Nothing else.
She sends the thought out into the night air without a voice. And waits.
************
He feels her song probe his mind. A voiceless call, yet it thunders in his soul. He has been waiting for it, knowing more than she that eventually it would come to this.
The siren cannot refuse her nature, and her call must be answered.
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Saturday 30 October 2010
Red Woman
She is strong and tough, sometimes stubborn. She expects to be in command, and others to willingly follow.
She is a woman of ambition. To be the best that she can be, first among equals.
But she is also a woman of needs and desires, and wishes to be needed and desired.
She is a woman of ambition. To be the best that she can be, first among equals.
But she is also a woman of needs and desires, and wishes to be needed and desired.
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