New Year New Beginning !

Year 2010 is approaching tomorrow and oh boy that is quick right. 2009 just went in a blink!.

Looking back at 2009.
- I can't think really what has happened throughout the year except for the recent one. I know I work pretty hard since I am in project all the way this year ..3 project to be precise so no time wasted just work and work harder.
- I had the opportunity to work fr home pretty frequent. Frequent enough till the kids are so close to me.
- We made a few trips this year. Local and overseas. We went to HK, Bali, Singapore, Penang, PD. Not much really .... especially for local trip ...(which i'll have a new year resolutions for this)
- Now I remember, we are pretty quiet this year because we are renovating parkland house and moving in this year. All the time and money spend thinking about the renovation, buying furniture, electrical stuff, curtain and oh boy a lot more. That is one of our major achievement for this year.
-I had a business trip to Nigeria. A wonderful experience eventho it's during ramadhan. Hubby has been travelling a lot too. Contribute to a quiet year to me.
- Major refinancing. We bought another house, is not a plan purchase but we thought that we should buy it for a various reasons. The purchase has a great impact to our financial and if it doesn't goes according to what we plan for then we are in losing situation. But if it does ! Oh boy am I not the happiest person in the world. We refinance our parkland house as well to be under my name since the new house is under his name. Owh we do not share name for our properties, accounts since if anything should happen (God forbid) it will be easier for both sides to manage the situations. The other reasons for refinancing is to take advantage of the lower BLR, change our insurance plan from MRTA to MRLA and the new loan is a flexible loan that should help us to reduce the interest paid and hopefully pay off the house sooner.
-What else hurm we are supposed to try for our third one. We succeed at first but God has a better plan for us. Hence the miscarriage happen during my birthday week.
-Finally the kids. So many great achievement from them. Like Fawwaz being potty trained. Aariz and his math...he really loves math more that other subject. Owh he loves science too experimenting things. A lot more to write but I keep on telling you guys things that you have known ;)

So 2009 is quiet for me cos we don't go for jalan2 a lot. I really need a travel fix every month but due to our hectic schedule and also financial...we have to stay put this year. But overall I am pretty satisfied with our parkland house and our new hse purchase cos it increase our networth. Major spending where we used a big portion of our cash means 2010 is a recovery year for us.

So 2010 what are we up too?
-Career hubby and I need to work hard to make sure we are relevance to the market ;) Especially hubby right ;) But we still don't know what's going to happen really.
- Travel, hubby has allocated 2 minor travel or 1 major travel (overseas) only for next year. Other than that all will be local travel which is a good idea. This I can start to plan ahead and really looking forward for that!
- Still blur lah...for 2010. I just know the fact that we need to save more to fix the damage made in 2009 (saving year peeps!).
- I have to concentrate more on kids especially Aariz. He's going to school 2011 means I need to ensure he is ready. And more headache to think where should I put him for primary school.
- Owh project for new baby shall continue. But it will be later in 2010 cos I don't want to miss Aariz first day at school.

Happy New Year all and hope it's gonna be a better year for all of us!

When I grow up I want to be....

Aariz asked me today why God created us and the world. Why people get old and die? And why he need to grow. So I explain to him about circle of life. We are created by God to make good things, to learn how to live, to take car of the world and so on so forth. I told him that we all grow. First you are baby then you become big like Fawwaz then bigger like you then like Uncle Jeyin (my brother Azrin) then bigger like Papa then older like atuk then even older like moyang. So when you are baby grown up people like mama and papa will take care of you, when the time come, we will be old where we cannot take care of ourselves. Then you need to take care of us. People will die and baby will be born.

Then of course he will be giggling as usual can't wait to grow bigger so that he can do what he want to do. And of course waiting for the moment where he is bigger that his parents...so that we can scold him anymore.

Later after lunch he still thinking about it and ask me again that is it true one day he will be big like Uncle Jeyin. I said yes. Then Fawwaz who are listening to our conversation frowned. Are you sure mama abang will become big like Uncle Jeyin. His face shows that he doesn't belief that it could happen. So I said yes Fawwaz you will grow big like Aariz then bigger like Uncle Jeyin one day. Then suddenly get very excited. He said , I will grow big like Uncle Jeyin and abang still small so that I can hit abang...Err why lah this kids can't wait to grow up and have a sweet revenge. Sigh.

Kindergarten story

Lately I don't feel anything to write or spill over here. Pretty much exhausted at the end of every day. Get motivated and demotivated with my work depending on the respond from the team member. Thinking about where am I heading too in the next few months. The kids, the school, the house, financial, works and a lot more going around my head. Nothing in specific that I can think just yet, everything is still in pieces like a puzzle.

On the other note let's talk about the kids. Yeah what else la kan. Last year we send them to a kindy near to our house. Suppose the kindy is good and I know the teacher is somewhat better than the previous kindergarten Sma** Read** where I find it's a bit disturbing to have a teacher yelling to a pre-schooler. No I am not the type of parents who think my kids is always right. Having a mischievous kids with lots of thing running on his head I know is a bit tough handling them. But is a bit sad to see how the teacher handle kids nowadays when they yell instead of reasoning with the kids make them afraid of the teacher rather than respect them.

So when I send to the second kindy with a fair expectations since I know most of our teachers for kindy in Malaysia don't have Early Childhood Diploma but instead being train by the franchise itself. I just hope my kids get to learn basic reading, math and have some fun. I can close my eyes when I saw the receipt or the message book is written with some wrong spelling. Maybe they are in hurry so the just do mistakes. I still can accept that when I have told them that hey you might want to take body temp of each your students during the H1N1 seasons just to be on the safe side but no action taken. Also when my kids bring back lollies or snack from don't know who the manufacturer, whether is halal or not which we do not dare to buy or give to our kids and since they are screaming in the car to have it stime we just let it be. But when during the year end concert, they are using an adult pop song as the music. I get very annoyed. You know when your kids go home and sing a song with a cursing word and keep on repeating it. For God sake this kids are babies and they are not suppose to be expose with this yet. Not sure about you but when the the lyric contains word like *itch and *uck it is really get into my nerve.

I get very irritated. I told them upfront earlier about the songs and how I feel before the concert. Interestingly it still being used. During the parents teacher meeting again I mention about my thought where they are many more appropriate songs can be used, dance steps can be tailored better for 6 years and below children. And the respond given were, at the center level (means when they do inter-kindy concert) they are using the same song (from a different branch) and the center are ok with it. Well I told the teacher that then it might be something wrong with your program and your center then. The songs is inappropriate and they are no parents complaint at all ? The answer is no...No parents complaints. So as if I am one crazy parents that think the songs is inappropriate.

It's interesting that I get that kind of respond where rather than sorry received I keep on hearing that the center and other kindy with their parents is OK with the songs and how the concert is being done. I might be orthodox I might be over protective. But hey my little kids are just 5 and 3 years old ok.

So now we are changing kindy again. A new center open a bit far from my house. Means my routine starting Jan 2010 will change. We have to wake up early get ready early so that I can send them in time for school. The new center is huge and well equipped. It's spacious which I kinda like it with a science lab, mini libary, computer room and a kids gym. The only thing is that if I were to send him for extra activities means both of them will retire by 3, the lunch served is not by muslim. Even tho they ensure us that the menu will be chicken or fish only, but they can't ensure that the meat is halal. So If I were to send them to the after kindy program I need to pack lunch for them. Why after kindy program...hurm I need to give my parents a break as well from taking care of the 2 little boys. Other than that if they go home early the routine will be watching TV from 1 to 3 or 4 pm anyway. But that will not be for Jan or Feb, maybe March onwards depending on the situation.

Well not easy having kids nowadays especially when you want the best for them. I'll try to relax a bit and not to be a kiasu parents. Hopefully the new one is OK and Fawwaz can continue later until he is ready for the primary school. As for Aariz ..poor fellas. He has been changing kindy for the 4th time since he started at 3 years old. One good thing is that he easy to adapt...but the cons...I am sure he is a bit confused with a different system on how to read, write and count.

The pening of being parents doesn't stop here. I am now thinking about where should we put Aariz for primary school on 2011. One year to think !

When D&C is not required...

We wake up early, send the kids to my mom's house and off we go to see my gynae. I am scheduled for a D&C today if the thing still there. But as what I have predicted I am not required for the procedure.

After we went for the check up last week I started to bleed and it's getting heavy day by day. The peak is on Wednesday when I felt something slippery came out and off I rush to the toilet. There I saw a white ring around a blood clot and that was the sac for my unborn child. Good thing that it happened naturally as I am pretty frantic with the thought of having a D&C. The bleeding reduce after a few days until I met my gynae today.

She did an ultrasound and saw just a small amount of blood clot still left in my womb. Small that is not necessary for the procedure. However she gave some sort of pill that need to be inserted in the vagina to help the blood clot to come out soonest. Err not really sure how to do it and I haven't done it yet :D.

Other than that she gave me some antibiotic to ensure no infection on the womb. I have to do a blood test as well to ensure that my HCG level back to normal. From my reading on the internet and base on some of my friend experience I could tell that the test is to rule out any molar pregnancy symptom which is good.

When it comes to this kind of situation where we are not sure what is best for us especially when it is first time...get help!. I did ...husband and family help a lot to lift up the grief from me. They spend time bringing me out and keep me busy. I made a few phone calls to my friends who experience the same thing. Pretty good advice and at least I get to manage my expectation towards my situation. Of course by searching the net to understand what's happening to me make me feel much better too. And lastly I blog about it..let it out from my system and by spilling out I get to understand my feelings better and move on.

3 mama and 2 papa

I wish I have 3 mama and 2 papa. Aariz told us last night. Reasons being is because one mama can sleep with him, one with Fawwaz and the other one with Papa. Being papa always want to lock mama with him in the room every night and not give a chance to the kids to sleep with mama make them so jealous of papa.

Papa of course not very happy since the kids love me so much right. So he ask how about him. 2 papa is enough according to Aariz. One for us (aariz and fawwaz) and one for mama. I laugh...since looks like they can share papa but not mama. Am I not the happiest person in the world? Being loved by my 3 heroes ;)

Anak-anak saya

Advert posting di bawah tu cume testing. Sebenarnya dia bermula dari aksi saya blog hopping. Dari satu blog ke satu yg lainnya ada la beberapa posting pasal advert tersebut. Menariknya walaupun tajuknya pasal budak yg curious seharusnya gagah dari dalam. Saya berimaginasi tentang budak2 yg beraksi lasak ataupun bergelumangan dengan kotoran. Yeah imaginasi saya tinggi. Tapi kebanyakkan posting adalah bersama anak2 yg berpakaian menawan dan berposing supermodel ihiks.

Lantas terkenangkan terus zaman kenit2 saya semasa zaman persekolahan di kiwiland. Wah memang terkejut saya hari pertama kembali dari sekolah. Macam baru balik berkebun ataupun berperang. Bajunya masyaAllah. Cantik betul....hasilnya setelah habis hampir dua tahun kami di sana...70% bajunya ada pewarna tambahan. Kesan yg kami dapat tu berpanjangan kisahnya. Sampai sekarang ni susah betul nak yakinkan pada mereka jgn la diconteng2 baju yg ada tu. Terutamanya bila duduk di rumah. Mmg habis dikerjakan. Macam semalam. Baju Ralph Lauren warna oren yg papa dia belikan. Bibiknya pakaikan di rumah...dah tentu kalau saya perasan saya kata jangannnnnn. Pakaikan aje baju2 buruk kalau di rumah. Kerana akhirnya baju oren itu diserikan dengan bintik2 biru dari magic pen hasil dari main perang2 di dalam bilik. Jangan la tanya saya apa kaitan main perang2 yg akhirnya ada bintik3 biru itu. Yg saya nampak hasil kreativiti mereka...terhasil la pedang panjang setelah di cantumkan beberapa lego, yg boleh masuk dalam kaki meja plastik (meja dah tak jadi meja...empat2 kakinya jadi pedang) dan dihujung lego tu tak pasti bagaimana ada lego berbentuk panjang boleh muat magic pen...dah terhasil la pedang sakti yg bermatakan pen magic kaler biru. Mungkin kalau dah kena bintik biru tu indikasi mengatakan yg lawannya dah mati ke? Hurm imaginasi budak2 zaman skrg.

Jangan mula dengan aktiviti main diluar. Memang di luar kawalan. Nak ditegah karang terbantut pulak curiosity mereka. Jadi dibiarkan sahaja. Tapi bila sudah dibiarkan... Wah boleh mati anak katak dikerjakan mereka. Owh tapi mereka tak la hero sgt. Kalau nampak ulat ke cacing yg meliuk2...geli jugak mereka tu. Cuba2 nak jadi berani tapi terjerit satu kampung jugak jadinya. Kalau neneknya dan datuknya tanam pokok jadi di gali tanah dimasukkan anak pokok jadi tumbuhla anak pokok. Datang anak si kartini ni...di galinya tanah keluarkan pokok. Ape la nak jadi kan haha. Sudahnya datuk nya buatkan satu kawasan yg boleh di gali dan dikambus sesuka hati.

Tapi disini kita bekerja travel time sahaja sudah mengambil masa. Di kiwi land...balik pukul 5...530 sudah sampai rumah dah masih ada masa untuk buat pelbagai aktiviti lain. Jadi memang kadang2 terkenang2 zaman disana. Walaupun semua perlu di buat sendiri tapi kita masih ada masa yg lebih banyak utk diri sendiri, keluarga dan kawan2. Membuatkan saya terfikir bila lagi suamiku ni nak dapat overseas posting. Hurm tgh mode berangan. Owh saya dalam mode nak post gambar2 kenit masa di sana. Nantila yer. Malam nnt ;)

Curious Kids Need to be Tough Inside

How I ensure that my two little heroes that is curious enough to explore things become tough from the inside ?

You’ll see as parents we want the best for our kids. 1001 rules we try to apply to them to ensure that they are all safe, clean and proper. Though we forget that the best immunization comes from their body to fight it naturally.

When I first got Aariz I am pretty concern when he plays with dirt. Each time I will try my best to get him cleaned, feed him well with good foods means a lot of veggies and fruits which is a battle. I remember when we were in Miri we send him to nursery where they bath them like 3 times in a day, play in the compound and we end up pick him up clean and well feed but not a very happy child.

I am sure a lot of parents did this..when they spill the water we get upset. When the play in the puddle we said no. When they explore and open the component of the remote or the toys that we bought them we scream. When they climb and open the Tupperware and start to play with milk or milo we said no as well. When they try to feed themselves we said no fear of getting the designer shirt that we bought the get spotted from the food or the drinks or the crayon and water colour that they are holding.

Things change when we get our New Zealand assignments. We have to send both our kids Aariz which just turn 3 years old and Fawwaz that is 8 months old to playschool since both of us is working. Things are pretty different there. They let the kids to choose their activities and do what they love to do. And what they love to do means they are free to play indoor or outdoor. Be it with the mud sand or water. Climbing and jumping and running and cycling...do whatever you want to do basically. They let the kids curiosity to lead them wherever they intend to explore. Imagine our horror for the first few weeks when we have to scrub them almost half an hour everyday to remove their face painting, not sure what tangling from their hair and those dirt that trap in between their nails ?? Let alone their shirts which I do not care to scrub anymore. Let it just be coloured with whatever painted on it.

Our routine changed dramatically there. Since the curiosity being fulfilled and their brain keep on stimulating by doing what they intend to do the most, their eating habit become much better. It is no longer a battle. They’ve been taking milk, yogurt, cheese, rice, meat, fish and fruits without no complaint. Even for the little one. I’ve been packing their lunch and some extra finger foods and all be gone by the end of the day. The playschool provide finger fruits, veggies and crackers with cheese during morning tea. And according to the teacher Aariz and Fawwaz is taking their food well. I take it since the brain is running and they are doing many physical activities the body just tell them to get the right food so that they can keep on going.

Of course during the first 6 to 8 months both of them keep on getting cold and fever and also diarrhoea. It could due to the change of weather, the food or the outdoor playing as they are becoming extreme on what we used to say no before. Since we know that the kids get exposed to the germs more that they used to be, a good formula milk like Friso® Gold come in handy. The nutrition from the milk can help to boost their own immune body system to fight bacteria.

Now after almost 2 years we are back in our own soil Malaysia. I start to let them be curious in their own way. It is sad not to get the same quality of playschool back here in Malaysia as we parents are very concern with their hygiene rather that to help them explore and satisfy their curiosity.

For us parents to Aariz and Fawwaz we decided to stay near to our parents house which still a virgin village. There they could still play bicycle at open space, explore the mud and the drain, looking at the caterpillars, beetles and worms alive. Well not really looking ...most of the time they just pick them up and examine the insects themselves!

Surprisingly after the series of fever and cold for the first 8 months in New Zealand. They come out as healthy boys. Hardly catch any cold or fever and if they do..they recover quite quickly with minimum helps of medications. Tough kids I have and it’s all starts with their curiosity that help to build their body immune system.


(even the papa germs above get dissappointed when the Friso kids kill the baby germs!)

(Aariz is washing away the germs from him)

(Fawwaz being amused with how many germs try to attack him. Sorry dude you have failed!)

(Shoosh away germs...I do not need you over here!!!)