Sunday, November 28, 2010

Anything cheap


My dear sis in law introduce me to Pandora jewelry. The range is slightly cheaper than Tiffany and of course I get hook to it instantly. While browsing for the jewelry range, I mumble something like this...hurm the gold range is expensive. I'll wait for hubby to become partner for this range. As of now...silver range is fine with me.

Very interesting that hubby who hardly listen or can hear my soft voice can answer yes ma immediately....and I look at him with this thought in mind. Anything cheap he will says ok and automatically heard it! Huh!

Friday, November 26, 2010

Learn and adopt


I learn a lot new things in my current role and could not help to share it with hubby for our own development. For some reasons hubby will absorb it better than me and gosh I hate it when he used it against me. How you might ask?

OK we admit we are both crazy couple...same age, having similar career when we begin our life together, we have this husband and wife bonding, friends bonding (since we start our relationship as a friend) and also colleague bonding (yes we work together for quite a while). Sometime people are confuse the way we communicate can be formal, over friendly like buddy buddy or dead romantic.

Lately we play more on professional bonding role and parenting role. Depending on how we feel that day after work we usually will talk about masalah negara, sosial dan sebagainya and followed by how it impact our children and our life. There is one day we play a mentor menti role where I start giving him lecture on where is his career should be heading and what he should do and what is he lacking and yada yada....then we start buying/borrowing some leadership, motivational book. I start introducing him to some website that I learn from my current role that I think would benefit his growth. Next thing I know he start becoming my mentor by correcting my conversation and my defensive mode and my way of holding him hostage and yada yada and oh boy!!! that is how he turn it back all around me.

At night when we reach home, we then turn ourselves back as husband and wife or maybe more to loving parents as we will spend our time with the boys. We will start with how was your day today? Some days they will just become boys and says, I don't remember and some other days they will tell us non stop of what they did the whole day. We try to make it a habit for them to update us what they do as it is important that it will be part of their nature to update us until they are big later. This followed by dinner with 4 of us on the table sometimes join by my parents. Fawwaz now can feed himself well with his hand....(owh bebudak ni mengada btw dulu tak pandai makan pakai tangan) and we make sure that it's a tradition that all of us need to have at least one meals together in one day. We then clean up our own plates, which is good thing that without bibik now the kids are more responsible with their own mess and make some effort to help each other on the house chores. Then we drive back home, snuggling on my bed either reading story book or watching youtube. Yeah the latest craze for now is watching science experiment from the youtube.

I love this part of my life as well despite the hectic life that we are having now. One thing that I realize how do we value each other in our family and make our life more rewarding is that when our routine change, we adapt to it. How difficult life going to be, it will not take away our happiness from us. We have time that we can travel as much as we want....they are time that we have those extra to splurge on what we want, time that we feel like we are on top of the world, time that we feel work sucks and draining our energy. Time that we are free to do what we want and time that we are constraint by all other responsibilities around us. Any situation that we face we stick together as a family and try to make it work. Look for option and solutions to make our life meaningful and I guess that is the key of our happiness.

I'll have to ask hubby later if he agree with this ;)

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Love


I just realize that it has been a while that I did not use my problem solving skills, communication, thinking and etc. Since I came back a while ago my work is mainly development work and not much interaction with people. The things that I need to resolve for my development work also is very specific to the system. Very2 technical and straight forward. 2 years in that organization that I really feel burnt out and hence the change in my career. So far I did not regret.

9 more weeks to go before the new addition in my family will pop!. For some reasons I feel so close with my kids now. So in love with hubby. Sometime when I close my eyes I remembered how we met and how that we suddenly get close to each other and decided to get married. It was quick and spontaneous. Poor hubby as now he is so tired as he has to do most of the house chores. For me, anytime that I get a chance at home I will try to rest and sleep.

Aariz is a sweet boy as usual. So helpful and concern about me. Though sometimes he does complaint, but I will give him reasons that he finally just nodded and help me anyway. I know I am a bit harsh to him at time. Example the other day when he spilled a full cup of slurpee in my car. I could not help yelling and punish him for that. I know it is not his intention. We are suppose to meet up with his favorite cousins and it has been a long day for me. So my punishment is for all of us not to go for dinner with them. He was so upset and quiet in the car. Almost crying too until I take a deep breath and ask hubby to take him out for a walk and tell him what mistake he has done. By the way it is not entirely his fault. Hubby was suppose to buy us some drink at 7E and Aariz took the slurpee cup by himself. Hubby allow him to have the slurpee in the car and that is where the accident occur. I am pretty careful on what the kids should get from the shop and what they can have in the car. So by getting them both out from the car for a walk and reflect what went wrong give me time to cool down and also give them time to think about what went wrong. Anyway we all went for the dinner after everybody come back to their sense.

As for Fawwaz, he have this major love hate relationship with me. That everything I do will irk him. And everything he do will irk me too. We ended up enjoying annoying each other and make each other mad at the end of the day. Of course this get into Aariz and hubby attention as well. Keep on asking what's wrong with both of us as we are so loud especially when Fawwaz start to throw tantrum!. Or even me haha! But then just before we get to sleep or when he wakes up in the morning, we will just snuggle with each other.

But both of them has change to become more responsible and independent. It's like a preparation to welcome the new family member. As for me, I will enjoy every moment of their growth and milestone.

I'm in a love mode! Feel loved by my family and have so much love to pour back to them. So excuse me for this post....which has all the lovey mode element :)

Monday, November 15, 2010

Huge and Round


I am huge and round that is what I think. Hubby said I looks ok…but hubby being hubby la kan. If I asked hubby what he think about me now being round and not proportionate, then he will replied, you are pregnant dear. Then I continue, if I stay this way and not to come back to my initial shape…then he will reply it’s ok dear…hurm sounds convincing but I wonder 

Anyway I am entering my 31st week which means they are 9 weeks more to go. In that 9 weeks time I have to complete my timeline and also the handover. I have a mock up session to handle by December and a few more other stuff to look at. Time is running out.

Then back at home I still have maid issue. The local maid that I manage to hire apparently has some attitude issue that I could not tolerate. I guess she is too young as I have the same attitude issue with the foreign maid back 6 years ago due to the age. Now I am waiting for the replacement.

Then my first child is entering primary school and we have settled at least his school uniform. Outstanding is the school shoes, then stationeries, books, etc. By the way we enroll him to the swimming class since mid this year. And as of now he can swim properly as what the instructor commented. I am so proud of him even though I have not seen him swimming for a while. Usually I send him and accompany him but due to my heavy tummy I let hubby do the job. He is now in advance class and I am planning to send little Fawwaz next year to join his brother. But of course in the beginner class 

Then finally is about the little baby that is own his way to see the world. The whole family is excited now. You see at night when I was lying down (well I barely can do anything at home now) and the kids all sits next to me, some time they will as questions. Like the other day they were trying to suggest some name for the baby. It started with some funny names that I told them that if they keep on giving funny name, I will give the funny them to them and have their name for the baby. Then only they decide to be serious: p. We have fun naming the baby inside while each of them taking turn touching my tummy and argue why do we like or dislike the name. Finally that night we agree on one name which I shall not reveal yet. So the kids has started calling the baby with they name that we agree. I am not sure if I will still decide to use that name when the baby is born later. We shall see.

Some other night we just talk about the arrangement about the new baby arrival. Like where he should sleeps and how should we taking turn of changing his diaper and feeding him. It was fun as they are all excited and would want to cooperate with me on the arrival of the new family members.

So you know…despite the work is piling, the maid issue and time is running out for all deliverables by January. The life with the family just balance out everything. And again for that, I thank God.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

The roller coaster life of mine


Last year I really thought that this year will be the year of restructuring our finances and life. By next year our life should be stabiles. Kita hanya merancang tapi Tuhan yg menentukan right!
It happens life is not as simple as that! The more we plan the more things we realize and the more challenge that we have to face. One point we felt that we already on top of everything, but when we explore more then we realize how small we are. To get to the next point is to transform ourselves and we have to do it quick. Clock is ticking.
Well no point to dwell on that in details pun kan, as the vision is still blur on the direction for the next few years. But plan A, B and C is already there. To execute which one tu yg kita hanya merancang but final says is always from God.
On the pregnancy, I went for a check up yesterday since I am not well too. I refuse to say I am not well actually, I mean pregnant lady it is normal to be a little bit dizzy and of course all other symptom that some of the unlucky one will have that can impact your productivity for the day. So yesterday check went well. Baby is growing as per expected. Mom gain weight of 10kgs from her initial weight….I has an infection that should be cleared by taking an antibiotic. Since I have a history of high sugar during last pregnancy, doctor suggested that I monitor my blood sugar every week from now. Other than that, we are good!.
I note that during each of my pregnancy, I am always in a peak of my career. The busyness I mean. I do not get pregnant when I am lady in leisure, or when I can work from home, or when I can have my own sweet time doing stuff. Aariz I get pregnant when I join a consulting firm and expected to take a role which is not my bread and butter. I have to work late; I have to digest new information, be pro-active and is not a pregnancy that I can take a 5 mins naps in between even though I am drop dead tired. When I am having Fawwaz, we were in Miri project assignment. The work is manageable but we are traveling pro and fro from Miri to KL almost every week. Frequent flyer during pregnancy it’s so tiring especially when the flight is delayed every other week. Then this pregnancy, even I manage to get a month break, then I start with a new job when I am about to enter the third trimester. Though I like the job, I have to admit it’s also tiring when I have to pick up new skills due to change of career, a lot of talking and and also the work require lot’s of traveling although just in KL area. Mengah makcik tau!
But besides all that I do really enjoy the challenge as somewhat I believe it impact our kids big time haha. When I look at them now, how persistent they are, they are determination and communication skills. Selalu terasa ni mesti pembawakkan budak masa I pregnant. This time round I am lucky to have the opportunity to listen to the speech and meet up with some of the prominent figures in the corporate world. Wondering how my third one will turn out to be.

This morning I had an intelligent chat with hubby discussing about people, the firm, the corporate world, strategic item and etc. Then I realize that Aariz is listening attentively in the car dengan mulut ternganga. Trying to digest ke apa I tak sure. But when we drop them at my parent’s house, Aariz suddenly give me a big kiss. Then I walk out from the car and give him a big hug. He then said, Ma you and papa work hard ok so that we can build our big house. Then he happily walks into the house. I wonder if he is fascinate/appreciate by our discussion in the car or what. But that give me a boost to work and at the same time thinking how great it is if I can stay at home back with them :)

Monday, November 1, 2010

The Local Maid


We hold first the review of the hotel that we went. It’s lovely btw….and of course mak buyong enjoy the food fiesta from day till the very last day. Sampai rumah that night…makan indo mie sebab malas nak keluar dah and penat. Ending pada makan2 yg sgt tak best kan? Hurm L

Anyway I just want to share with you about the local maid that I have been raving around here a while ago. I’ve got mine yesterday. Too early to tell but hey…I’ve been waiting for a long time that I feel like sharing my feeling right now.

I am still not sure about how am I going to handle the local maid. Mine is young…around 22 years old, but has experience teaching in taska for 4 years and don’t mind doing housework. Well my criteria always someone who can do housework and also taking care of my child once a while since my parents is at home. No joke, she needs to do quite a bit of housework. What complicate more is that since during day she’s at my parents home, she need to do major housework there and when we bring her back home at our house, she need to do some minor housework like managing our clothing and little bit of cleaning. To be precise taking care of 2 houses is my major concern cause I know is kind a bit tiring to do that. Hence I don’t mind of paying a little bit premium.

We of course are trying hard to justify our choice of having a local maid. As you know the monthly is not cheap compared to foreign maid. But then I keep on reminding myself about the pro and cons. How foreign maid is if we go via agent can cost you from 5k to 7k. Not to mention about most of them has a hidden agenda when coming down here. And what if they run away? What happen to my deposit of 7k?

They are time where my parents might be away for a trip or balik kampong and the thought of having a foreign maid to watch over my 2 kids and maybe my baby later give me a second thought as well. Always the question mark is their cleanliness and though we can teach them but sometime it took us forever to get them to understand our level of cleanliness. The IQ level is also questionable sometime, if purely taking care of housework we can discount on that. But when communicating with the kids and the values that they show is another thing to consider.

It is too early to tell. I have to experience this first and let you guys know about the pro and the cons of having local maid later. However this already takes some of the burden from me. Now I can concentrate on baby preparation, aariz school preparation, hubby can go for his job hunting ( hi dear ;) ), and hopefully things will be smooth for us. Insya Allah.

Note: for those who interested to explore more on this you can go to http://sites.google.com/site/pembantuanda2/