once upon a norza

In 2012, I want....

2012-01-01T03:57:00.000+08:00

To be a better Muslim.
To eat healthier. Wlll try to avoid making more desserts (very hard!!!)
To not splurge.
To save more money.
To give away things that we do not need. No more hoarding.
To be true to myself.
To dress bette.
To love the people around me who have stood by me and have compassion.
To be an awesome Ibu.

It's been a long time

2011-11-25T16:42:00.001+08:00

Guilt

2011-09-11T21:07:00.003+08:00

sharing another reminder as we meet our relations today, especially if we do not see them often and do not know what their personal challenges are: “Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.” ~ Anonymous. Another good way to remind us that "semua orang ada dugaan masing-masing"... may Allah ease our hardships and grant us strength ameen.

I was reminded of this when we visited hubby's relative and briefly met with a distant cousin of his who was rushing to work. In that brief encounter, he was smiley, warm and affectionate towards Umar, full of hospitality. Only after he left did we learn from his mother that his wife is battling cancer and his son recovering from an accident.

An acquaintance on fb shared this on her wall. It's a timely reminder for me because a grandaunt just passed 2 days ago. I felt sad not because I was close to her but I havent visited her for the past 5 years...even during Hari Raya. There are some years which we can't go visiting because of valid reasons and try as I might, Allah know better.

But I know could have made that extra effort to visit my relatives to foster and maintain the silaturrahim. Singapore is small but everyone is too busy with their lives to have the luxury of visiting each other. Yes, Hari Raya is only a day but if we dont try to visit people who matter, we will simply drift further and have that can't-be-bothered attitude.

My baking mojo

2011-08-22T02:19:00.006+08:00

To this date, i havent started my kueh-raya baking yet (well, except for the ll doggies cookies which I did on the night before I got stomach flu). I still remember that a year ago at around this time, I started my very first baking adventure and I was hooked after. I baked almost every few days and I was inspired discovering new food blogs. I began following food bloggers on twitter and favourited a lot of recipes. As months go by, my baking mojo suddenly disappeared. It's not that the passion died but I think i may have baked the same things over and over again.

And if I thought photography is expensve, baking is worse! I bought a lot of baking trays and equipment. And that's not all. Ingredients need to be replenished ever few wks to bake more. But like photography, I think I need a retreat too from baking. Besides hari raya can wait. My mil has ordered so much goodies already!

Happy birthday, singapore!

2011-08-09T16:58:00.001+08:00

Koran by heart

2011-08-08T16:56:00.004+08:00

I got this video from one of my fb contacts. We maY be fortunate than them in terms of material wealth but they are actually much more fortunate than us cos they have the quran in their hearts. Subhanallah!

p.s. Oops. The original version was taken down by HBO due to a copyright infringement. Fortunately we managed to see it.

Timeout

2011-08-04T08:42:00.010+08:00

Ramadhan is here again. In a few months time, Aisyah will be in Primary 1. How time flies. Alhamdulillah, she got into Madrasah Al-Irsyad, our choice of school since we knew the school is moving to the Islamic Hub. Although she has passed her qualification tests, she still needs to do some 'extra work'.

Aisyah doesn't have any problems but she needs lots (and I really means lots!) of prodding to do her work. Schedules are made to make her life (and mine) easier. Of course, ample breaks are given in betwen the exercises and I include playtime/snacktime/tvtime for her. Tests ought to be primarily about measuring the ability and understanding of students, rather than their Stakhanovite ability to put in hours of work. Practise makes perfect but even adults need timeout.

The runner

2011-07-29T21:16:00.007+08:00

Sarah tends to fall a lot when she's walking. I think it's caused by her clicky left knee whch she had since she was a baby. The doc did tell us that it might cause her some walking problems when she's bigger. However I am not sure if this condition is the real cause or she's just weak caused by malnutrition since she doesn't eat much.

She scraped her left knee badly walking back from grocery-shopping last week. And that's not all. She fell again and scraped that side of the knee again the next day (when the wound is beginning to heal nicely). Her right knee was scraped too but it doesnt look as bad as the left. Now she got both knees bandaid'ed. It takes some cajoling to change the dressings after every bathtime. But I am sure her knees will get better in no time.

Bersih 2.0

2011-07-13T08:58:00.004+08:00

I didn't follow Bersih 2.0 but if this is what democracy is all about, then their policemen ought to be ashamed of themselves!

A journey

2011-05-20T03:14:00.002+08:00

With the receNt news of a girl who fell to her death last weekend, someone in m4m sums it best.

Life is more than going to a certain school, meeting a certain type of person, going to a certain place... life is the journey - and the destinations you end up in might surprise you with what you learn about yourself and the people around you.

I've known failures and society can be unforgiving at times. But i also know not to let failure STOP me. We all fail in various areas of our life. It's normal. We can be the biggest cheerleader for ourselves, at the same time, our worst critic.

Change is good (I hope)

2011-05-08T13:45:00.002+08:00

All this will change in the next 5yrs in the name of upgrading.

Miniature Town : Potong Pasir from togusa chan on Vimeo.

Your vote is secret!

2011-05-05T13:52:00.000+08:00

symmetry

2011-04-20T02:10:00.000+08:00

What an amazing concept!

Symmetry from Everynone on Vimeo.

Homemade oreos anyone?

2011-04-10T23:40:00.009+08:00

Why would anyone do a homemade oreo when the oreo is already nice? Nabisco oreos are almost perfect until Aisyah saw the oreo recipe in Flour Bakery cookbook (which just which just arrived last month)and asked me to make them.

I made oreos a few days later and it was aweeeeesooooooome! I don't think I will be buying another bag of Nabisco oreos because homemade ones just taste nicer. Besides I have never liked the white cream cos it just tastes too sweet. The husband had bought organic oreos once at Vitakids and I remembered them as horrid. The girls won't even touch them...haha.

The recipe's (get it online here)quite manageable if you follow the recipe closely BUT it's really really long to make. I had to reassure Aisyah that the cookies will be done when she comes back from school the very next day. One thing I will change if I make another batch is to roll the dough smaller cos 2.5 inches is a bit too big (well, not for me but smaller ones will look cuter).

A year older

2011-03-23T01:50:00.000+08:00

The good'est dropped by my place yesterday to give me these! And there's even 2 little dslrs on the set. They're just too cute to eaten. hehehe.

Tasty tuna bake

2011-03-11T05:03:00.001+08:00

I would always receive a "dunno" from Aisyah whenever I asked what she wants for breakfast the night before. It's even more frustrating when you have a kid who is a very fussy eater. Besides the internet, I would always visit the library and scour the books for inspirations (btw, Bishan library has one extensive collection of cookbooks and I love it!).

I wasn't a picky eater when I was a kid. I ate whatever's being served on the table and didn't complain. Heck, even the kids my mom babysitted last time didn't complain one bit (or maybe they were too afraid or tahu jaga diri...heh). That made my mum's life easier. I've always dreaded mealtimes because Aisyah can take almost 1.5hrs to finsh a meal if she doesn't like it and finish everything with 30min if the dish gets her stamp of approval.

Soooooooo I found this recipe in a cookbook (for kids actually) which sounded delicious and also simple to make. I prepared everything within 30min (cooking+baking time) and presented it to lil-miss-fussypot. I almost jumped with joy when she two thumbsup and asked for a second helping. Nowwwww that's REALLY rare. I heaved a huge sigh of relief and included the tuna bake in my breakfast menu list.

Tasty Tune bake
from Little Kitchen

1 small red capsicum, seeds and white membrane removed
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
3 pinches of black pepper
1 x 425 g can of tuna
1½ cup cooked white rice
1½ cups grated cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the capsicum and onion into a food processor and blitz it to a paste. Tip the paste into a small bowl. Heat the oil in a frying pan.

Carefully scrape the paste into the frying pan. Add the tomato paste and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Add the milk, flour, salt and pepper to the frying pan. Mix well and cook over low heat for a couple of minutes. Add the tuna, breaking up the chunks carefully and mixing it in very well. Spread the cooked rice over the base of the baking dish. Spoon in the tuna mixture and spread it over the rice. Finally, top with the grated cheese.

Bake into the oven and cook for 14 minutes, or until the cheese is golden. Remove the baking dish from the oven and divide it into 4 big portions.

mcD's 1-for-1

2011-03-02T04:51:00.002+08:00

Did anyone grab the mcD's 1-for-1 deal? The girls and I ordered mcnuggets and mcspicy only. Well, this is also our first mcD meal for 2011. I'm tempted to order more but it will be such a waste cos there are only 3 of us...make it 2 since Aisyah+Sarah eats v little.

Relek one corner

2011-02-14T23:05:00.008+08:00

There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

Hamlet

I believe that it's all in the mind. The more expectations we have of people, the angrier we become when they don't live up to our expectations. Why not we "relek one corner" once in a while because we're the ones who control how we react. We can't change people, that's for certain.

A weed is only a weed when we don’t like it. Children are only naughty if we don’t like their actions. Life only sucks if you judge it as bad.

The Elements of Living Lightly

When I did cinnamon palmiers last week, I didn't expect anything but the end result was so satisfying that I made another quick batch for teatime. It's a very frugal treat with just ready-made pastry, cinnamon sugar and butter. Very easy to make but you get a fancy-looking treat that uses very little ingredients. I can even make this everyday till I'm bored of it (which of course, I won't!).

Recipe for Cinnamon Palmiers | from Indulgence Petit Fours

Ingredients

4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 x 25 cm square sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
30 g unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar onto a clean work surface, place the pastry on top and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Gently roll over the pastry with a rolling pin to secure the sugar, brush with half the melted butter and slice in half. Use your fingers to gently roll up one long side as tightly as possible to the middle. Repeat with the remaining side and the remaining piece of pastry. Brush with the remaining butter. Wrap the rolls tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for 15-20 minutes, or until firm.

Use a small, sharp knife to cut across each roll into 1 cm thick slices. Place the palmiers, cut side up, 1-2 cm apart, to allow for spreading, on the prepared tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until beginning to caramelise. Remove the tray from the oven and carefully flip the palmiers. Bake for a further 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, caramelised side up.

Fudgy brownies + cheesecake

2011-02-10T00:37:00.000+08:00

It's hard to say no to creamcheese brownies. Well, at least for me. I have always loved brownies and cheesecake. So when I found the recipe for creamcheese brownies, I knew I had to try it.

It was a very easy recipe because I baked a few hours in the morning before we visited my parents. Besides my mum loves brownies and cheesecake too so I thought I could bring some for her. I made half of it with cream cheese and the other half without because the husband don't eat anything cheese.

It's fudgy and moist and something that you can’t go wrong. If you like fudgy brownie + cheesecake, this is like the best of both worlds!

Recipe from My Kitchen Snippets

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 oz of unsweetened baking chocolate
1 1/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 cup of flour
1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt

For the topping :
1 (8 oz) low fat cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup of sugar

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 8 x 8 inch square baking pan. Set aside.

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth (4 to 7 minutes). Remove from heat.

Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add flour, baking powder and salt; mix just until all ingredients are moistened and brownie mixture is smooth.

Spread brownie mixture into prepared baking pan.

For the topping beat the cheese, egg and sugar until smooth. Dollop the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie batter. Swirl together using a knife or skewer.

Bake for 25 to 33 minutes or until brownies just begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely and then cut into bars and serve.

Just the way I am

2011-02-05T01:36:00.000+08:00

I AM very late but I just found out about Bruno Mars when I did a SoundHound while doing grocery-shopping at NTUC today. True story!

It's been quite a while since I made quick trips to junction8 with Sarah (while her sister is at school) because of the rainy season. I felt a sense of joy when we managed to rush to junction8 to do some errands. Yep, even to NTUC. I know I'm becoming so makcik already! :p

Twitter addict

2011-02-01T00:54:00.002+08:00

When I started IRC (internet relay chat), I got so hooked on it that I'd still be awake after midnight just to chat. I attended a few gatherings, met quite a few people and even made a couple of good friends through irc. My best'est and I would always say we would never stop chatting till we're old. BUT we did stop. The 'old-timers' left the channels we frequent and newcomers came. It felt boring to re-introduce yourself again and again so I left too.

I was hooked to twitter too and would publish just about anything what I was doing at the moment. I noticed I'm tweeting lesser now (just like blogging). I used to tweet about my breakfast, lunch and dinner. hah. Nowadays I check my tweetline to chk out new recipes left by fellow bloggers. Even my friends don't tweet much nowadays.

I also tweet because my husband reads my tweets and his handphone can't receive mms (canggih hor my hb? hehe) so I spam my twitterline with the girls' pictures and (boring) updates about what the girls' are doing. And since my tweets are published in my facebook, my mum gets updated too. Of course, I can mms her but mobypic'ing is FREE. :D

I tell myself that I think I will still be tweeting when I'm old but there'll always be new social platforms in the future. I'm sure I will leave twitter one day when it feels like a chore to just tweet. heh.

2010 memories

2011-01-12T10:28:00.003+08:00

And what do you know. It's 2011 already! Honestly I can't recall much about 2010 and that's why I keep so many blogs just so I can remember what's going on in my life. Sometimes my failing memory scares me. I can forget what happened 5 minutes ago and it takes me ages to memorise a simple phone number. My forgetfulness frustrates me and also the people around me. :( Maybe I haven't been exercising my brains enough. But I hope I can improve my memory power by using these tips:

1. Use Repetition - Repeating to yourself the thing you want to remember may be simple, but it really does work. Repeat a phone number several times, for example, and you should remember it for a short while. This works even better if you "sing" it in your mind to engage other parts of the brain. To remember things long-term, repeat or review them several times upon learning them, then the next day, the day after that, the the next week and the week after that.

2. Write It Down - Let the paper remember for you. The point is to have use of the information later, and if that's more easily done by way of an "external memory device" like pen and paper, why not take advantage of these tools? Also, writing things down is another way to more strongly "fix" something in our minds.

3. Clear Your Mind - Sometimes to recall something you just need to relax and empty your mind of all the other stuff going on in there. Take three deep and slow breaths through your nose and relax your muscles. Pay attention to the air moving in and out of your nostrils. Afterward return to whatever it is you need to recall or work on.

4. Feed Your Brain - This means feeding your body of course. Your brain needs a lot of energy, and will generally function better if you eat some good proteins and complex carbohydrates. Trail mix, with nuts and dried fruit works well for some. Fish has been shown to immediately speed up brain function, as well as improve memory and other brain functions long-term improvement if eaten regularly. Also, the distraction caused by hunger can interfere with your concentration and ability to recall things.

5. Drink Enough Fluids - Dehydration is not always recognized, and can both distract you in ways that get in the way of clear thinking and memory, as well as more directly impacting the functioning of the brain. You can experiment to see if this is happening in your case. Just drink a glass of water and note whether your mind seems to work better.

6. Exercise - Physical exercise has been shown to improve brain function both immediately (after ten minutes on a treadmill, for example), and long term. The short-term effect is because of the immediate increase in blood flow and therefore oxygen to the brain. The long-term improvement in memory and other brain functions that come from regular exercise may also be due to the physical improvement of the brain and body that comes from this repeated increase in blood flow and oxygen.

7. Learn A Mnemonic Technique - There are many good memory techniques for remembering names, numbers, lists of things and more. A simple list of items can be "fixed" in your memory, for example, by linking them together in a crazy story that you visualize. You can find some of these techniques (as well as other memory tips) covered here on the website and in the Brainpower Newsletter.

8. Imagine The Use - If you think about how you will use information, you're more likely to remember it. For example if after learning a new algorithm in a math class you imagine using it during a test, you'll probably remember it better - particularly when taking a test. Imagine meeting someone again in the future and using his name, and you'll likely recall it when that does happen.

9. Avoid Toxins - Smoking is the obvious one here. Although it may actually help a person concentrate in the short-term, the damage smoking does may later hurt brain function in general, including memory. Many prescription drugs and of course illegal drugs can also have a negative effect.

10. Reduce Stress - When you're stressed, your body releases cortisol, which at high levels interferes with the part of the brain that handles recent memories. Chronic stress has even been shown to cause brain shrinkage. Meditate or do other self-work to learn how not to be stressed out. This may be the most important of these tips on how to improve memory, good not only for the brain but for your whole body and life experience.

Doughnuts + Choc = yummm!

2010-12-08T23:33:00.009+08:00

We love doughnuts and any recipe with chocolates is a sure factor to get us excited. But the lazy me balked at the thought of making fried doughnuts and would rather buy them if I have a sudden crave.

However I immediately took out my butter from the fridge when I saw the 'Baked Chocolate Doughnuts' recipe by Lara Ferroni. I had some petitmiam strawberry yogurt expiring soon so this recipe is good to finish up the yogurt. The girls had been down with cough and yogurt is a no-no during that period of time.

Based on previous doughnut-baking attempts, this recipe also sounds more delicious and boy, was I right! The doughnuts were a hit! We didn't put any glaze but covered the top with sugar. Even the little-miss-cerewet, Sarah, had 2 of the doughnuts at one go. That's a good sign considering this girl basically survives on breastmilk mostly. hurhur.

Baked Chocolate Cake Doughnuts
By Lara Ferroni

130 grams (~1 cup) all purpose flour
2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
75 grams sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fine grain salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil
1/4 cup buttermilk (I used my batch of sourcream because it was near expiry :D)
1/4 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Lightly grease a doughnut (or muffin) tin and preheat the oven to 350F.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda, and then whisk in the sugar, nutmeg and salt.

Add the butter, and using your fingers, rub it into the dry ingredients until it becomes coarse crumbs.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, yogurt, vanilla and egg. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix, or your doughnuts may be a bit rubbery.

Fill each cup 1/2 to 3/4 full. You can do this with a spoon, but I prefer using a piping bag to fill each cup more evenly and cleanly. It’s important not to overfill, or as the doughnuts rise, you’ll lose the hole.

Bake for 6 to 10 minutes (depending on the size of your doughnut pan), until the doughnuts spring back when touched. Let cool slightly on a wire rack before glazing. If coating in powdered sugar, let them cool even a bit more.

Makes about 15 mini doughnuts.

Round one: FIGHT!

2010-12-04T00:15:00.006+08:00

I had to post this hilarious picture of the girls. My girls quarrel everyday over almost every single thing. We usually buy two of the same things like stationery sets and small toys to avoid conflicts between them. We also encourage them to share and play together. But sometimes things happen and the fights get intense and both will start to scream at each other. Sarah is the one who always "bullies" the kakak by pushing and pinching her. Fortunately Aisyah is "kakak" enough not to hit back. Both usually cry together because the kakak will be in pain while the adek will be reprimanded by me. I had to calm both sides too. And when all things fail, I will also scream with them (which is not a pretty sight!). Ok, so this is wrong. I tell myself to be more patient with them after the episodes and give a hug each and all is well again.

Ending sibling fights

•Try to let them resolve the issue on their own so they learn to negotiate. But step in if there's a real possibility of harm.
•If you do need to intervene, try not to get in the middle. Let each child express his complaints without whining, then help them figure out a way to come to a resolution they'll both be happy with. For example, when it comes time to split something (say, a cookie), suggest that one child do the splitting and the other child gets to choose.
•Don't respond to tattling. It'll only encourage the tattler to tell on his sibling more.
•If all else fails, use bright yellow-and-black caution tape to divide their play space, and tell them they can't cross to the other one's side of the room. Make believe you're arriving at the scene of a crime and the giggles should help them forget what they were fighting about!

Summary

Besides love and support, siblings provide constant practice for relating to others. Paying attention to each child's needs, and giving them each some one-on-one time, goes a long way toward helping your kids build the confidence they need to succeed in life. And by teaching kids to resolve squabbles on their own, you help them learn important problem-solving and relationship skills, as well as bring them closer as siblings.

Squeeeeeeze

2010-11-20T21:28:00.000+08:00

"Ibu, when can I stop squeezing this orange? My hands are getting tired, you know."

Life-learning

2010-11-14T23:29:00.002+08:00

I am now trying to instill housekeeping skills into the girls and they seem to be enjoying them...well, for now. Aisyah now puts her plates on the kitchen sink when she's done eating her snacks and helps a bit in the kitchen. When you're small, everything seems exciting.

Yes, I admit, it isn’t efficient. It is messy most of the times and I get frustrated at times. I just wiped the kitchen counter just now because the girls spilled some flour mixture while arguing who gets to whisk it. BUT...it is training them in life learning. They need to understand that we need to work together to make things happen. They need to be responsible and help whenever they can. I believe that this will make them impotant and be more competent.

When the situation arises, they don't need to be all panicky to get things done. Just like I did when my parents went to umrah years back and I had to look after Aisyah all by myself and cook my own meals. And I realised that I can't depend on my mothers to cook for me. I have to be able to take care of my children (and husband :p) and feed them well too. Of course, I still have a long way to go to that agak'ration level like my moms who do everything by taste. They just chopped this and that and throw everything in a pot, some salt and pepper and there you have it...a delicious meal!

My husband has begun to like some of my dishes and I like it. It gives me hope. That I can be a good Ibu to the girls and someday they will tell their friends that "My Ibu cooks the best _________ (fill in the blank with their favourite food)!"

wordless wednesdays

2010-11-10T00:00:00.000+08:00

An auwww moment

2010-11-03T22:41:00.005+08:00

Sarah was hopping around when she stepped on a toy and cried in pain. Aisyah immediately took the bottle of minyak telon from my room and massaged her sister's foot. "See. I sayang you, you know. You aje asyik nak cobit and marah kakak aje!"

Should I...

2010-10-28T22:23:00.003+08:00

...move my blogs to wordpress? Not that anyone cared but is wordpress better than blogger?

[Ok, after doing a bit of googling...I'm staying on blogger.]

Donna Hay's Chocolate Cupcakes

2010-10-16T22:31:00.001+08:00

Only Aisyah and I love cupcakes in the house so I don't bake cupcakes that much. ANd if I do, it's always something chocolatey, our fav! I also don't decorate them with buttercream because I'm just lazy. But a cupcake is not a cupcake if it's not decorated, me thinks. But it’s just so much hassle with all that icing, decorating and so on.

I made my first batch of choc cupcake a couple of months back and I don't quite like them. But thanks to @sugarspunsista, I found out that Donna Hay's Double Chocolate Cupcake is awesome lah! And it's so good that it tastes nice even without any frosting. haha.

Donna Hay's Double Chocolate Cupcake
from Evan's Kitchen Ramblings

ingredients (makes 12) :
125g salted butter, softened
1 cup plain flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1.5 tsp double-acting baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g dark chocolate, melted

for the chocolate buttercream frosting :
250g butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 cup milk

directions :
1. in a bowl, sift together plain flour, cocoa powder & baking powder.

2. in another bowl, whisk together butter, sugar & vanilla extract for about 10-12 mins until pale and creamy. add in eggs one at a time and beat until well combined.

3. add in milk and flour mixture alternately in 3 additions, mixing well in between each addition.

4. fold in melted chocolate thoroughly.

5. fill cake mixture in cupcake liners until about 2/3 full. bake in a preheated oven of 160C for 20 mins or until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. leave to cool on wire rack.

6. to make the chocolate buttercream frosting, whisk the butter in bowl for about 6-8 mins until pale and creamy.

7. add the icing sugar, cocoa powder and milk and whisk for another 6 mins until fluffy and creamy. pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

The mini birthday celebration

2010-10-13T23:57:00.007+08:00

Aisyah had a mini birthday celebration at school yesterday. It was her first time and she was really excited because she had been talking about it ever since she knew about the celebration. I'm amazed she didn't show her excitement when everybody sang her the birthday song. hehee.

We got goodybags filled with Lyra Rainbow Super Ferby Pencils (I love Lyra pencils!) and fat Staedler pencils for her classmates. We also included a couple of mini choc bars. Seriously we don't know what to buy for the kids. It seems that each month, Aisyah will come home with a bag full of colorful 'treasures'. And within minutes after telling me who gave the goodybag in class, the novelty wears off and the discarded goodies eventually end up in the trash. Recently a classmate gave out a book on his birthday and Aisyah enjoyed it very much. Such a great gift! We will probably get books for her goodybag next year.

I baked lil brownie bites for their snacktime. I wanted to try cupcakes but well, you can just pop the lil brownie bites into your mouth and that's it. Easier for makcik to clean up the mess also after the party...heh.

It was also my first time baking for non-family members and I was really really nervous. Although it's just a simple recipe, I'm just soooooo afraid that Murphy might make the baking process difficult. The end-result wasn't spectacular but I didn't expect much either. As long as the hubby and Aisyah gave their thumbs-up, I'm ok. I will definitely work on the aesthetics if given the chance again.

Cinnamon sugar rolls

2010-10-11T00:33:00.005+08:00

Long long time ago, I told myself that if I ever do start baking, I will avoid doing anything that has yeast in it. But Aisyah wanted to eat pretzels after watching an episode of Blues Clues one day and I immediately searched for the easiest-looking recipe on allrecipes and found the Buttery Soft Pretzels recipe. I followed everything and knead the dough like crazy. I leapt with joy when the dough rise twice its original size 2hrs later. The end result was satisfying although a batch was overbaked and I had to throw that batch away.

After reading other bakers' reviews on the recipes, I made some adjustments but the dough didnt rise at all on my 2nd try. I suspected that the water was too warm and it killed my yeast. I tried again on the 3rd try and here it is. The best out of all three.

Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels (Adapted from The Little Teochew)

Dough
- 1 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 cups regular flour
- 1 1/8 teaspoon salt

Topping
- A tray of cinnamon sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted

For boiling the pretzels (I skipped this)
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda

1. In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add sugar and stir to dissolve.

2. Add flour and knead dough until smooth and elastic. Let rise for 40-60 minutes at least.

3. Shaping the dough: Divide the dough into parts and roll it out. Make sure to keep both the ends thinner than the rest of it since the ends will be tied together and become thicker eventually. Also, make sure that you roll them out thin, not more than 1/2 inch in diameter, because they will swell up twice - once after the water bath and then when they are baking.

4. Next, boil the two water and add the baking soda. Reduce heat till you get a gentle simmer. Drop the pretzels in the water bath and let them stay in for about 5 seconds. After the pretzels are removed, make sure you dry the excess liquid on a kitchen towel before placing on the baking sheet/silpat/baking stone.

5. Place the pretzels on a baking sheet and brush with a lightly eaten egg. Bake in a preheated oven at 220 degree celsius for ten minutes or until golden. Let cool on a wire rack. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle the sugar cinnamon all over it.

The recipe sounds easy but kneading the dough is torturous to my prata arms. lol! Seriously I don't know when to stop kneading the dough.

“How do you know when you’ve put in enough flour?” and “How/how long do I knead?”

I’ve seen the same recipes you’ve seen. Ones that say “5 to 6 cups of flour.” How frustrating is that, not to know exactly how much of an ingredient we’re supposed to put in something?! It kind of makes you get a little hot and sweaty as you slowly keep adding flour, hoping that the dough will eventually look “right.” The sweating continues as you frantically knead, eyes on the timer. When it goes off, you still wonder, “Have I done enough? How do I know if I have done enough?” Let’s look at these techniques one at a time.

Mixing the Dough

First, almost any bread recipe will give you a range for the amount of flour called for. This is because, on any given day and depending on the protein content of your particular flour, it will accept more or less water depending upon the humidity and temperature in the air and the humidity and temperature of your flour.

If making a standard, four ingredient bread in a stand mixer, a good rule of thumb is to add the last few ounces of flour a bit at a time, stopping when the dough doesn’t stick to the sides or bottom of the bowl when kneading. If you’re making the dough by hand, knead in the last few ounces a bit at a time until the dough is no longer sticky. Even that is a vague instruction: add flour until the dough is soft and smooth, not wet and sticky, but not completely dry, either. (See why I say that this takes practice)?!

To get a better feel for this, make your dough with a stand mixer, and then take it out of the mixer bowl when it clears the sides and bottom. Now you can examine it for feel and texture before you knead.

Here’s another rule for you: never add more than the maximum flour called for in the range. If you have to err, err on the side of too little flour rather than too much flour—a bit too little flour will give you a very good rise; too much flour will yield a dense loaf.

Now, on to kneading.

First, here’s a quick definition: kneading is the process by which you align and elongate gluten strands to develop them to the point that it can hold the gasses that the yeast give off. This makes your bread rise and then set in the oven. The more well-developed your gluten “web,” the more gasses your bread will hold, the higher it will rise and the more open and airy its texture.

Kneading also helps to evenly distribute the yeast and the gasses it creates throughout your dough. This will result in a more even crumb in your finished loaf. Everything you try so hard to avoid doing to pie dough, you try to do when making bread.

from How to make Homemade Bread at Home

The recipe said that once my dough is soft as a baby's bum, I can stop. I added a bit of cooking oil and flour in between the kneadings. I kneaded for almost an hour and it's still gooey. By then I got frustrated and almost wanted to give up. I told myself to just let it rise and if it doesn't, I shall not attempt to make pretzels anymore.

Somehow the yeast worked its magic and the dough doubled in a couple of hours time. I didn't make any pretzel shapes so I just coiled it round and round making rolls instead. It was already dinnertime for the girls and I actually wanted to surprise the husband and I simply had no time already. And off they went into the oven with a Bismillah and the rolls came out better than I expected. Everyone enjoyed the rolls and I was glad that my efforts paid off. phew! I will definitely try this again because I have a few sachets of yeast expiring next month!

A relationship

2010-10-09T15:40:00.006+08:00

I have been away for quite some time from the wedding photography scene. Of course I miss the rush in a wedding but the girls (especially Sarah) need me more now. I hope to make a comeback next year...insyaAllah. Or maybe venture into something new like baking or even both. We'll see.

Business is like a relationship. To be successful, you have to like what you are doing and work at it. The major problem you will face is being able to know the difference between what you like to do and what you are good at.

from Ken Lim in Entrepreneur's Blueprint

It's just me and the girls for now. :)

Baking fun

2010-10-05T23:15:00.004+08:00

My mixer which was given by my mum got wonky last week and I had to resort to manual mixing for baking. Of course, like most people who are into baking, I dream of having a KitchenAid one day but I don't make money of my hobby so any mixer is fine with me. :D There are a lot of recipes out there which require no mixer. Just pull out your favorite mixing bowl and your wooden spoon and have at it! Besides, kids can help their mumies out in the kitchen too and have some fun.

Aisyah and I did lil brownie bites last weekend. Preparation is key with the ingredients all laid out so once Sarah takes a nap, we started our activity. Aisyah helped me with the mixing till she complained of tired arms. lol! After the brownie pieces were baked, she decorated them by putting some colourful sprinkles and chopped almonds on top of the ganache. That's definitely her favourite part of baking! The pretty brownie bites were ready by the time Sarah woke up. Now I can't wait for Sarah to grow up a bit and have her join in the fun.

Maher Zain

2010-09-22T22:36:00.003+08:00

Maher Zain (born 1982) is a Swedish singer and music producer of Lebanese origin. His first album 'Thank You Allah' of 13 tracks and two bonus songs was released on 1 November 2009. His music videos on Youtube has collectively gained more than one million of views.

from wikipedia

What's not to like about his songs?

Salam Aidilfitri 2010

2010-09-17T12:26:00.004+08:00

Aisyah: When does Hari Raya end, Ibu?
me: We celebrate Hari Raya for only a day...
Aisyah: But how come people are still coming to our house?
me: Because some people don't have the time to visit their friends' and relatives' house on Hari Raya sooooo they visit during this one month of Syawal.

I hope it's not too late to wish everyone a Salam Aidilfitri! :D

Love your ride

2010-09-13T13:02:00.001+08:00

Gotta love this. Who cares whether there's Singlish or not?

Nak beli iphone baruu

2010-09-10T21:37:00.000+08:00

I dropped my iphone so many times that I no longer feel any heartpain. haha. And ever since the screen cracked after I accidentally dropped it on the pavement, the girls havent been bugging me for it. Sarah even asked me to get a new one.

the perfect brownie?

2010-09-04T23:35:00.002+08:00

My mom used to make us brownies using the BettyCrocker mix and I absolutely love them. I also love the brownies from The Royal. I was ONLY interested in eating the brownies last time and not making them obviously! :p I've tried dense and fudgy ones and crumbly chocolatey ones. I like them all but I love love love chewy ones the MOST! The hubby likes his brownies with nuts so I sprinkled some chopped almonds on the mascarpone brownie. But is there such a thing as the perfect brownie? I don't know and doubt I will ever find out.

A reminder to myself

2010-08-26T02:58:00.000+08:00

So ....if things get crazy around you ...let it just stop and get off and smell the roses. You will be so glad you did and guess what? ...they take all the stress from your mind when you focus on them. They are like puppies ...they love you regardless of who you are and what you are feeling. Maybe this thought will add some calm to your life when things seem to get out of hand.

To my baby

2010-08-20T12:38:00.002+08:00

My birthstory of Aisyah is a very short one...nothing like those stories which will send anyone tearing. Found spots of blood while I was peeing one night and off me and hubby went to the hospital. I was already 2cm dilated. My gynae arrived and checked her heartbeat. The result was worrying because heartbeat seemed to be slower. He broke my waterbag and the water was already brown which means the baby has pooped inside. She must be under stress to come out. :p

One condition that may affect a newborn's health is meconium aspiration, also referred to as meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). Although it can be serious, most cases of MAS are not.

MAS can happen before, during, or after labor and delivery when a newborn inhales (or aspirates) a mixture of meconium and amniotic fluid (the fluid in which the baby floats inside the amniotic sac). Meconium is the baby's first feces, or poop, which is sticky, thick, and dark green and is typically passed in the womb during early pregnancy and again in the first few days after birth.

from kidshealth

By then I was only 5cm dilated and it would be too dangerous for us to wait so off to the operating theatre for an emergency csect. She was out in the real world on 9th Ramadhan, 12/10/05. I didn't anticipate the pain and it felt like someone had stabbed me many times and left me to die. I didn't die, of course. I survived to take up another challenge. To be a mother.

It wasn't easy. Aisyah was constantly crying as a baby and she grew up to be someone whos a tad too sensitive. I like that she's being sensitive but the fact that she whines over anything and everything is a bit annoying at times. I really REALLY hope she will grow out of it as she gets older. She is very particular (I know...like me) and remembers the tiniest details. She can remember very well where she puts her stuff and gets annoyed when I move them.

She can be honest...too honest sometimes that she can just tell that person that she doesn't like him/her. Very embarassing when she does that. *sigh*

She picks up things really fast and had no trouble at school. Her teacher once remarked she's amazed that she can read simple words at 3. I don't know how I did it. I don't believe in flashcards but I did a lot of reading *of almost anything... cereal boxes, bus ads, scraps of bills, etc* with her.

It wasn’t long that I was pregnant with Sarah. I know that it was a tough transition for her who's always been an only child. It took her quite a while to adjust but she is now the best of friends with her adek. Sarah adores her to bits and I am sure Aisyah will be a good sister to her siblings (IF we decide to have more children).

My heart is filled with love for my girls but today's her day. It seems like yesterday that I sat beside her and staring at her in amazement. I still look at her now while she is sleeping, still in utter amazement. Happy 5th birthday, Aisyah. You will always be my baby. (Maybe you'll feel embarassed when I call you that in public 20yrs later...heh)

The good thing about baking...

2010-08-19T23:04:00.000+08:00

...is I can put lots and lots of chocolate syrup on my bakes and nobody can complain...well, except the hb is starting to get tired of his wife's choc craze. hehe.

Coba by Faizal Tahir

2010-08-17T00:05:00.000+08:00

This song is playing in a loop in my head because of a Malay drama series, Matahari, which just ended a couple of days back.

jackpot...!

2010-08-14T01:01:00.005+08:00

...cos I baked 3x within a month. weird, I know. but it's a good feeling because I got to do something different (and fun!) than photography. Maybe this is becoming a new hobby.

Fight Creative Exhaustion

When you have to be creative on-demand in your day job, things can get very tiring. Adding new creative muscles will help you feel and think differently, especially if they’re in a totally different field. There are lots of benefits to taking up a new art:

1.Feed your need to be creative without worrying about making money.
2.Make creative connections and be exposed to new influences.
3.Take a break from working on a screen.
4.Learn things that’ll influence your day job.

from Creativity Reloaded: Why You Should Try New Creative Activities

Now back to my baking adventure, I did smores brownies.

These brownies have a crunchy graham cracker crust on the bottom and a layer of rich chocolate brownies in the middle, all topped with toasted marshmallows and semi-sweet chocolate chunks. They’re a chocolatey crunchy ooey gooey mess just like real s’mores. You’re going to love them!

from The Craving Chronicles

yes, I LOVE them but the marshmallow part was a real mess and really tricky. The crust didn't stick that well and crumbled (must be a lack of butter) and my brownie is a bit too dry (i like mine chewy!) and not sweet enough (I made the mistake of mixing the flour in first instead of last). I didn't add enuff sugar this time round (only 1/3 cup). Well, the marshmallow balanced the taste of this treat but I gotta use more sugar next time. There will definitely be a next time for this recipe.

Another baking round

2010-08-09T23:08:00.007+08:00

Aisyah: "Ibu, can we make cupcakes?"
Me: "Erm, ok."
Aisyah: "Now?"
Me: "This weekend, ok."

So I made choc ganache cupcakes last wkend. I took Ina Garten's recipe for the cupcakes. The choc ganache was adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

3 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tbs confectioners’ sugar (I didn't add this)
2 tbs unsalted butter

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of shimmering water.

Stir the butter into the chocolate. Dip the top of the cupcakes into the ganache while giving it a slight twist.

It is quite an easy recipe to follow. The cupcakes are rich, dense & have an intense choc flavor but they were too sweet (must be because of the Hershey's Choc syrup). I put choc chips in some cupcakes and Aisyah sprinkled her batch with rainbow bits...hehe.

2010's first bake

2010-07-23T15:23:00.005+08:00

I may look skinny but I sure eat a lot. I love cakes, pastries and such. The more chocolatey, the better. Unfortunately I can only drool at those pretty things when I see them in bakeries bcause they are usually not halal. Those halal bakeries sell the usual boring cakes (I may be wrong so pls leave a comment if I am) :D

Recently starhub was kind enuff to air the FoodNetwork for free and we love love love the recipe shows! Even Aisyah was smittened and begged us to subscribe to the channel. But there was a lot of repeated fillers and their website is pretty comprehensive enough (and I wouldn't want Aisyah to watch tv that much) so it's a no-go. I thought that if we can bake together, that would be a better activity for her (and me too).

I started on the looks-easy Nutella Bread Pudding, thx to ovenhaven. Aisyah wanted her pudding to be like mini cupcakes so I used cupcake molds. And she requested to add rainbow sprinkles on them too. The end result is a funny-looking bread pudding with lots of nutella+sprinkles on top. Not too bad-tasting on first try. Everyone likes it so I guess this won't be my first and last baking adventure of the year. :p

Just for Aisyah

2010-07-18T01:41:00.002+08:00

Well, the song's not that great but I'm just feeling the urge to yell out "Baby, baby, baby, ooohhhh...". Very annoying. I know I'm definitely too old to drool over some small boy. hehe. the song's 'disappeared' in my head but made a comeback cos Aisyah heard Justin Bieber's Baby over the airwaves at pizzahut this evening and she had been repeateadly singing the "Baby, baby, baby oooohhhhhh..." at home.

Waka waka eh eh!

2010-07-14T01:29:00.001+08:00

I didn't watch any worldcup matches but this Waka Waka song is just too catchy for me to ignore it. Shakira is awesome! :p

Dolly love

2010-07-06T12:38:00.006+08:00

Believe it or not, my sis and I never had a doll as a kid. My mum once told me that she even gave my birthday doll away when I got it as a present from an aunt. She just doesnt' want us to grow up too girlish. I grew up being fascinated with remote-controlled cars and Lego bricks instead. My primary school friends were mostly boys who talked about handheld games most of the time. My bestfriend's name in primary school is Jeremy and I like him just because he owned a donkeykong game.

Anyway the girls got their first doll last month and they are now in dolly love. She cries and chuckles after a feed. She even pees and can poop although we haven't really tried that because you got to change her diapers when it's full = more $ to get diapers..*urgh!*. Well, after a few weeks of abandoning it in the shelf, they're now back feeding her and checking her diapers. Quite obviously, she is adored by the girls.

Our zoo trip

2010-07-05T23:40:00.006+08:00

Aisyah had her first zoo trip last month...like finally! We had intended to bring her there when i was pregnant with Sarah but I was either too tired, the hubby was sick and/or both of us were sick and tired.

// I can't resist taking a macro at the zoo...heh.

The funny thing was Aisyah didnt seem to be excited but her Ibu (thats me!) was superduper excited. The last time I visited the zoo was when I was single and that was like 7-8yrs back. At that time, I was into shooting wildlife and the next best thing to do that is at our Singapore Zoo.

More pictures from this set.

Unfortunately i didnt take much pictures this time because I had to concentrate more on the girls lest they might wander off into the gorilla's cage...*gulp!*. And the husband would be complaining if I took too much time taking pictures...hehe. I didn't bring my dslr with my lenses but I brought my trusty gxr although I wish it has a longer zoom. 50mm is just not enuff!

I survived!

2010-07-02T23:53:00.003+08:00

I survived the skool holiday...yeah! I have to put my sanity on the line to look after the girls although I am at home everyday. On skooldays, Aisyah would be too tired to be bored and just laze around and doing small activities after her lunch. It's just me and Sarah in the mornings which is pretty a breeze for me.

But during the skool holidays, the girls would be up from 7am onwards, with 1-2 short naps for Sarah (and just-me-and-Aisyah-time or if she's on the computer, then it's me time). And of course, there are the inevitable "I boring lah, Ibuuuuuuu." and "I don't want to friend you har!". It's as if we, the parents, have an obligation to keep the kids entertained 24/7 which is impossible. Having a daily activity/menu plan helps for me as I'm muddle-headed.

The girls would be showered and fed by 9am. Lunchtime is at about 12pm with a light snack and some homework time before that. A secret to keeping the girls happy is to treat them with lots of snacks...fruit, fairy sandwiches, scoops of Ben&Jerry, etc. It keeps them busy too while I cook and clean everything up. Lunchtime is also tvtime because there's SuperWhy, Hi5, Animal Mechanicals and YoGabbaGabba during that period.

It's activity time after that with just something simple like fingerpainting or blowing bubbles at the corridor. The good thing about having siblings is that they can entertain each other after a certain age (for a while only though before the lil one ventures off to climb somewhere) for me to rush to the loo, perform my solat or have a quick lunch. It is good for them to just have time playing and interacting. I will sprinkle a bit of playground time or bring them out to NTUC for some quick grocery-shopping if the weather is good. Well, such activities did help to minimise any brain damage during a month with the girls and I'm already looking forward for the upcoming skool holiday.

interviewed

2010-06-02T01:19:00.001+08:00

Aisyah's questions after I told her I'm meeting someone later:-
"What's her name?"
"Aisyah kenal dier tak?"
"Boy or girl?"
"Rambot dier panjang ke pendek?"
"Dier pakai specs tak?"
"Dier suker gosok gigi tak?"

pixelatedtheory

2010-05-14T03:22:00.007+08:00

Mother's Day is over but pixelatedtheory's promotion is still running! :)

[Click image for a BIGGER image]

In case you don't know, pixelatedtheory is my freelance photography business which was originally a school project I did manymany years back. It was just my photography portfolio initially but hey, I thought why not make some $$$ with my camera? So I invested some $$$ to get a couple of good cameras and charge people for the photographs that I took. I get to have some fun and I get $$$ too. Clients are happy = I am also happy. I don't take up too much projects for fear of being jaded because I believe that once you are a slave to your passion, it kills the fun of it all.

My baby monitor

2010-05-03T01:01:00.010+08:00

I don't know if I can live without my iphone. It's loaded with a lot of useful apps which I use almost everyday. Well, maybe the Android might catch up one day but in the meantime I love my iphone to bits (i'm not an apple fangerl btw :p). It's like a mini computer and a compact camera on the go. Nowadays I used it as a baby monitor using the PocketCam app. With the Gorillamobile, I just place the iphone anyway I like and voila! I get a baby monitor.

PocketCam lets you use your iPhone as a wireless webcam for your Windows-based computer or Mac (OS X 10.5 or above). PocketCam automatically forwards video captured by your iPhone camera, which can then be used as if they come from a virtual webcam.

So while I do my work in the computer room which is 2 doors away from the girls' sleeping room, I can monitor them from my pc and see whether Sarah needs a feed (before she screams for me and wakes up everyone up!). The app doesn't utilise the iphone mic though. I think this is due to the iphone constraint which can't multitask. bah!

How can I avoid raising a “spoilt” child?

2010-04-27T02:07:00.003+08:00

Got an email notification from Dumex and I think it's pretty useful for me:

The greatest fear of most moms is creating a spoilt child. Your child will not become spoilt by being given what they need and a bit of what they want. Spoiling doesn't come from being good to your child in a normal way, and it doesn't happen all of a sudden. It is not about what your child gets, but how your child obtains it, and it never comes from giving too much love and attention. Your child may become spoiled if unreasonable needs are constantly met, annoying whiny behaviour is tolerated, and minor wants are met at great cost and inconvenience to others. In the end, being spoiled is not a product of how much your child has, but can occur when money and material objects continually replace love, time, and affection. Trust the “mother knows best” instinct in you and your child will be just fine!

Roxanne , Careline Advisor

Sarah has learnt to 'buang' herself on the floor and has perfected the art of throwing the perfect tantrum with screamings and the works. Her sister never did this so this is entirely a new experience for me. Nowadays the 'buang diri' part has become worse with each session stretching up to 15min! I need to remind myself that kids at this age are struggling to communicate their needs, as their language skills are immature. Wouldn't anyone be frustrated if nobody understands them?

can cook?

2010-03-20T23:23:00.001+08:00

I don't like cooking much but I don't hate it either. However I wish I'd listened to and learned more from my mum because it would make my life easier. now i cook a lot frm recipe books and websites. Both my mums dont need recipes...they cook everything frm their heads while i've to refer to the recipe step-by-step. My most frequented sites are allrecipes and epicurious since they are also available as iphone apps. They also have reviews and suggestions to make the recipe work better. I also have a favourite recipe folder to keep all the delicious-sounding recipe (has to be easy too) I found online. With the internet, there are no excuses. Anyone can watch How to cut an onion or How to make the perfect omelette.

So far I've tried asampedas (FAILwhale), sambal tumis telor (can lah but its been a couple of yrs since I last cook it...:|) and some other easy-looking ones in Asmah Laily's cookbooks. I loathe cooking Malay dishes...too much tumis-menumis and troublesome to make. Fortunately I'm married to a man who is not THAT into Malay dishes (phew!). The husband likes simple but nutritious dishes (think of salad...) and he's ok with trying out new dishes I 'experimented' in the kitchen. I cook for the girls mostly (except on one weekend when I cook for the hb) and mil cooks for everyone else on any other days.

With the amount of cooking 'skills' and time I had, the dishes I mastered are very few. I’m embarrassed to admit it but I just mastered doing fishball soup. Nope, not with dodo fishballs but using real tenggiri fish. Soup sounds easy but not everyone can cook good soup. I prefer my mum's soupy dishes over my mil's. I knew I had mastered it when the hb likes it. He's not a soup person so when helps himself for a second helping, that really makes me happy. :))) The hb can be quite a critique but it's really helpful because its the easiest way to improve myself. I can be quite an egoist sometimes to admit I'm wrong. hehe. And what's next on my list? mil's version of sambal goreng. *gulp*

RESPECT- How to TEACH it & SHOW it

2010-02-28T23:16:00.002+08:00

Too useful not to be shared. Thx to zee for sharing this.

RESPECT- How to TEACH it & SHOW it
by Steve McChesney

One of the most important things you can teach your child is respect. Keep in mind that respect is not the same as obedience. Children might obey because they are afraid. If they respect you, they will obey because they know you want what’s best for them.

The best way to teach respect is to show respect. When a child experiences respect, they know what it feels like and begin to understand how important it is.

Keep in mind the saying “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Respect is an attitude. Being respectful helps a child succeed in life. If children don’t have respect for peers, authority, or themselves, it’s almost impossible for them to succeed.

A respectful child takes care of belongings and responsibilities, and a respectful child gets along with peers.

Schools teach children about respect, but parents have the most influence on how respectful children become. Until children show respect at home, it’s unlikely they will show it anywhere else.

How can you show respect to your child?

Be honest – If you do something wrong, admit it and apologize.

Be positive – Don’t embarrass, insult or make fun of your child. Compliment them.
Be Trusting – Let your child make choices and take responsibility.

Be fair – Listen to your child’s side of the story before reaching a conclusion.

Be polite – Use “please” and “thank you”. Knock before entering your child’s room.

Be reliable – Keep promises. Show your child that you mean what you say.

Be a good listener – Give your child your full attention.

Children learn from everything we say and do. Make sure that you are modeling respectful behavior. Some of things you can do are:

Obey laws – Follow rules.

Be caring – Show concern for people, animals and the environment.

Avoid poor role models – When you see examples of disrespect, discuss them.

When you set rules at home, explain to your child why the rule is important. For instance, if the rule is “No TV between 4:00 and 6:00” it is because this is homework time and homework is important to keep grades up in school.

Teach your child to respect themselves. Self-respect is one of the most important forms of respect.

Once we respect ourselves, it is easier to respect others.

Your opinion means a lot to your child. If you believe your child can succeed, they will believe they can as well.

Build their independence. Give them responsibilities as soon as they can handle them.

Help them set and achieve goals. Their self-respect will skyrocket when they see themselves achieving those goals.

Encourage honesty. Let your child know that they may be able to fool some people, but they can’t fool themselves. There is no pride in stealing, cheating, or lying.

Most importantly, show love! Say ‘I love you” often and give plenty of hugs and kisses.

If your child makes a mistake, remind them that they are still loved.

Age affects children’s respect. Children and adults deserve respect at every age. Here is a guideline based on age:

Babies – They are too young to show respect but when you meet their needs, they learn to trust you. This helps as they get older because respect for authority is based on trust.

Toddlers – They are old enough to learn to say “please” and “thank you”.

Preschoolers – This is a good time to teach rules and consequences.

Elementary age – They show the most respect for adults who make fair rules. It helps to let them have a say in the rules that they are expected to follow.

Middle and High Schoolers – Allow them to show independence, such as clothing or hairstyles, but make sure you have guidelines. They will appreciate the respect you are showing them. We respect you and the incredible job that you have, being a parent.

Have a great day!

- Steve McChesney
http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/respect/

all grown up

2010-02-26T00:35:00.002+08:00

Sarah looks grown up in this picture but she's really little for her age. After going through Aisyah's slow growth, I don't have much worry for Sarah since she showed no signs of distress.

When I was with Aisyah, all the contradictory advice given by self-appointed experts were taken seriously. The more I read and hear, the more confused I became. For e.g. some told me to co-sleep, but others tell me "what for?". Some advised me to let Aisyah sleep on her tummy while some told me sleeping on the side is better. (Anyway Aisyah likes sleeping on her side while Sarah loves to sleep on her belly.)

All these leave questions in my head which sapped my confidence of my own abilities. Am I doing the right thing? As time goes by, I accepted that all I need is some common-sense analysis and just follow my instinct.

on your mark

2010-02-11T23:25:00.002+08:00

Aisyah can finally ride her bicycle properly. She used to do those 'half-cycles'...erm..something like left leg push > retract back > left leg push, gwim? It's funny if you can see it. She was often frustrated whenever we try to corrrect her many2 times (we get frustrated too!) but well, she figured out on her own last Sunday and cycled several rounds Way to go, Aisyah!

February

2010-02-02T22:11:00.006+08:00

As I watched Aisyah board the van for the first time last month, my last image was of her terrified face as the van drove out of the carpark. It was her first time afterall and I felt bad afterwards.

She refused to go to school the next morning, saying that she didn't have any friends. She would purposely wake up late in the mornings (her van comes at 0745hr) for the next few days making her miss her van. I persuaded her, promised her a brand new bike (which we later bought since we are going to get it anyway) and even threatened (i know I'm a bad Ibu) to take away her new bike.

I met her teachers and informed them of Aisyah's reluctance to go to school. Talking to your kid's teachers do help a lot because things got better after that for me. I'm glad to report that Aisyah has adapted to her school routine remarkably well now...Alhamdulillah. She even does her homework diligently now with lots of motivation, of course.

getting comfy

2010-01-18T00:32:00.004+08:00

We usually sit on one of the benches and just snack away on biskots or icecreams we bought at the nearby 7-11. Aisyah will either be on her skatescooter or bike going countless of loops around the court. I just let Sarah walk aimlessly. She likes it. Sometimes she will spot a mynah/pigeon nearby and try to catch it before it flies away. Most of the time, she will just wobble around the court till its time to go back. Nowadays the girls have gotten really comfy with the place that even Aisyah will 'golek-golek' on the ground.

Now....I'm not one of those parents who go 'eee, dirty!' every 5min. As long as there's no obvious najis (what is najis?), they're free to roll about or sit on the floor. Of course, licking the floor (like Sarah once did) is a no-no. Sarah, Sarah...tsk tsk.

the new year

2010-01-11T00:23:00.009+08:00

So what's new for 2010? Sarah's walking everywhere now. As soon as we put her down, she's off to somewhere and won't stop. She's usually into something and lately she's even managed to swallow a battery behind my back. It was a traumatising experience not for her but for us. But Alhamdulillah it was all over now. She managed to poop it out to our relief (no puns intended!) on the 4th day, after 2 xrays and lots of laxatives.

She adores her sister very much and tries to be near her while she play, watching her every move and imitating her. Most times, Aisyah finds her entertaining, but irritating at times too. Sarah can be quite a menace and even bites her sister with her 2 teeth. What's funny is one tooth is growing on the top right and another one is growing on the bottom right. I should try taking a picture of this. lol!

Aisyah? She has started K1 this year. I get some time alone with Sarah in the morning when Aisyah is at school from 7.45pm-12.30pm (including travelling hrs). But she's not liking school at all and goes into "I don't want to go to school" mode every morning. I'm making a guess that since she's the "new kid on the block" (we just transferred her to the Kovan branch from the Tampines one), she might be feeling a bit left out.

It's also her first time on the school transport this year. It used to be me or my mom sending her and/or fetching her to/from school. Since she'll be starting Primary ONE in a couple of years time, much time is spent in the classroom compared to last yr. Fortunately she can read now so we have one less thing to worry....phew! I have talked to her teachers and shes fine in class. It's the going to school part that is causing a headache. We just have to give it a week or two and see how it goes.

iPhoneography

2010-01-08T01:02:00.001+08:00

Ok, so I bought an iPhone late last year. I've never been an Apple fan and the iPhone isnt exactly the phone that I want either. But I was intrigue when I saw the Hipstamatic app online and decided that the iPhone is what I want (for now). It makes boring pictures interesting without the use of any image editing sw on the pc and well, I began taking pictures almost every moment. I downloaded more photography apps later with Camerabag and Format126 becoming quick favourites.

Photography on the iPhone or iPhoneography has become a freeing experience for me and lends itself to more spontaneity. Of course, I can say that about any other handphones that I owned but the photography apps is what makes the iPhone different. Even my old SE K800i takes better quality pictures. Ultimately the image is all that matters and it is in the eye of the artist.

(p.s. If you want an excellent resource for iPhone photo app reviews, pls visit www.iphoneography.com. I got most of the apps after reading the reviews here.)

Hitler And ERP Woes

2009-12-07T01:48:00.002+08:00

yawns

2009-12-05T02:22:00.004+08:00

Somehow entries on their birthdays slipped my mind in the midst of assignments. Will update about them after a couple of entries. :D

colorwave

2009-12-04T02:57:00.004+08:00

As if choosing which camera to buy is not bad enuff. I'm sure new owners of the Pentax K-x will have a lonnnnnnnng time deciding what colours they want. hehehehe.

round 1: fight!

2009-11-29T00:55:00.010+08:00

And a few minutes later...

Competition is good as long as its just a bit of friendly push and shove. But it can be rather chaotic when the lil one has learnt how to assert herself and knows she can hurt her sister with her nails and her toothless bite. We've been quite lucky that Aisyah is a sensitive girl who can take great care of her younger sister although the screamings for Sarah to get out of her way can be a bit out of control sometimes. I don't blame Aisyah because Sarah is at a stage when she wants everything her sister have and follows whatever Aisyah is doing. It gets really annoying when Sarah grabs whatever Aisyah's holding and tears it apart.

Well, I really really hope that they will grow out of this screaming phase when they're bigger. Maybe it's in their genes (definitely not frm the hb's side because mil kept telling me that hb+siblings didnt quarrel much last time...lucky her!). I remember quarelling with my sister when we were in our teens (pulling each other's hairs even!!!). Perhaps what my mum says after our quarrels, "One day you'll feel what I'm feeling right now.." is becoming true...*eeps!*

How to prevent sibling rivalry?

The approaches for preventing sibling rivalry vary for different situations. In other words, a single approach may not work efficiently for all situations. All that it requires is a combination of ideas that works best to stop sibling rivalry. So, here are some of the ideas to help prevent the attacks of sibling rivalries in your family.

- Never try to compare the siblings’ capabilities or skills to one another.
- Frequently show your children that you love them equally with lots of kisses and hugs.
- Praise children for their getting along behaviors.
- Spend most of your time with the children. Pay close attention to each child by allotting special time individually.
- Never label the children as “the brilliant one” or “the irritated one.” Always encourage the children to develop their own inherited talent.
- Don’t be partial in solving the siblings fight. Never react excessively to sibling fights, as it encourages them to complain against one other.
- Be a role model in problem-solving style. Discuss about rivalry with the children separately and make them understand their mistake by emphasizing it.
- Educate children about compromising and cooperation and how to do it on their own.
- Assign household chores to siblings equally and encourage them to share their tasks/feelings with each other. This develops a sense of unity, cooperation and responsibility among siblings.

Working towards these simple ideas can help prevent sibling rivalry and provides peace in your family. However, remember that sibling rivalry can strike at any time. So, be ready to confront it!

from The Parents Zone.

Days of my father

2009-11-20T02:48:00.002+08:00

Beautiful words and photographs at Days With My Father by Phillip Toledano. Very heartbreaking. I remember a fellow SH07 member did something like this for her grandmother; something different from her usual conceptual style. As for me, I did a documentary on the girls in my life (before Sarah comes along); my mother and Aisyah. I needed to find the connections between them. My mother used to babysit Aisyah when I worked fulltime a few years back and they have a rather close relationship.

Revolutionary

2009-11-12T00:59:00.001+08:00

I had the amazing gx100 but its af can really get on my nerves on some days. But to me, a compact camera is one which has to fit into my lifestyle and gets shoved into my pocket. The gx100 is just all that. It takes wonderful pictures and there's always noiseninja for the hi-iso. I wouldnt want my camera left back at home or becomes a burden. Heck, I wouldnt want to carry my dslr around. I already have sarah in my sling and I have only the other hand to take the girls' pictures.

However I already sold gx100 to someone who will continue using this wonderful camera. Call me sentimental but I still miss it sometimes (although the feeling is disappearing cos I'm looking forward to get a replacement...hehe). Of course, I was ecstatic when I saw the video of ricoh GXR. It's going to be expensive and I have a budget to get another good compact so I'll give this a miss. But isn't this revolutionary?

the last few

2009-11-06T02:24:00.002+08:00

Just a couple of pix (out of many) that I took with the gx100 before I sold it off recently. Shall blog about it in my next entry. It's 2am and I just finished designing a logo. I'm tired and it's time to sleep now. Nite!

potong potong potong!

2009-10-28T02:08:00.001+08:00

one of those days...

2009-10-23T00:33:00.001+08:00

and nope...this is not a posed shot. :P

mcm yeye orh ajeee

2009-10-16T08:21:00.002+08:00

I thought this was pretty funny when I was looking at some photos this morning. Took this while everyone's menu reading at Earle Swensens. Their salad spread was pretty impressive and food wasnt that bad.

tired kid = cranky kid

2009-10-16T01:18:00.012+08:00

It's been quite a while since we stepped into Terminal 3 at Changi Airport so when the sil suggested we have dinner there, Aisyah was really excited. The last time I went was with some of my mummy friends and Aisyah was 2, I think.

The trip was a refreshing change to the usual vivocity. Aisyah loves vivocity but loves the airport even more! It's really a good place for her to run about. There are also lots of food outlets there.

But she got cranky towards the end of our excursion. She didn't take a nap before the trip and as her tiredness set in, Aisyah got into the 'My Hyde' mode. She demanded for a lot of things and wailed when she didn't get her way. I'm aware that people were watching us and its a lot more difficult to think of what to do. We were mentally exhausted at the end of it all. The next time we went out for an outing, I will make sure she's properly rested first and follow these 7 tips:

Tip #1: Start off smart
Some careful prep work can head off some tantrums before they start. When you're at home, role play different scenarios. Give kids a chance to practice responding to various situations. For example, if your tot has his eye on a cool toy that happens to belong to a child who isn't keen on handing it over, what could your child do or say? Work through a few options, and stress that not everyone will share. Consider having your child bring a toy of his own.

Tip #2: Set expectations early
It's also important to set expectations before you leave the house. "We're going to the store to buy milk, eggs, and bread. We are not going to buy a toy." Have your child repeat the information back to you, and keep discussing it. "We are not going to buy a toy. Jack is not going to scream or cry. Are you going to scream or cry?"
Lots of repetition will help make your point, as will having your child rephrase your words back to you.

Tip #3: Be prepared
If you know all the other moms bring snacks to the park, pack something for your child to munch on. Don't drag your child on a three-hour Target run and expect him to stay cheerful and serene the whole time with no reward. And don't take your kids to a restaurant that will make you wait over an hour for your appetizers.

Tip #4: Be clear about your rules
If you're making an exception to a rule, be clear about what you're doing. For example, if you never buy ice cream in the park, but you're choosing to do so today to celebrate a successful potty run, say so explicitly. "We don't usually buy ice cream here, but today is different. Today we are buying ice cream because you used the potty! Today is different and special. Tomorrow we won't buy ice cream, but today we are."

Tip #5: Ignore judgemental strangers
You prepped, you planned -- and somehow it didn't work out right. Now you're stuck in the middle of a store with a screaming child, a cartful of groceries, and a crowd of unfriendly eyes watching your every move. What do you do?

First off, remember that strangers are just that -- strangers. They don't really matter. Anyone who actually has kids is just saying a silent prayer that it's you in the hot seat today. The judgmental ones?

Who needs them? Put them out of your mind, and concentrate on your kid. Also, remember that although we generally think everyone is watching us, most people are actually far more self-centered and are too busy thinking about themselves to focus on anyone else.

Now, if you're not in a rush, take your child to a relatively quiet area of the store and park him on the floor, in the cart, in a chair, wherever. Sit or stand nearby and pull out your cell phone, a book, or anything else that you can focus on (or pretend to) for a few minutes. Ignore your child, and do not respond until he stops screaming. Do not make excuses for his behavior, do not apologize for having a child, and feel free to make snide comments to anyone who feels the need to comment on your parenting. Remember, they are not your problem.

Eventually your child will calm down, and you can give him a choice: either we finish this trip properly, go home and have some sort of treat, or we pay now, go home, and he spends an hour in his room.

Tip #6: Don't give in
But what if you have to finish your shopping? Then do it. To the extent possible, ignore your child. Do not respond, and do not give in to the temptation to say, "Stop whining!" If you have an iPod, put it on. Channel your inner Zen master and focus on not hearing your child.

"Tantrums become a problem when parents give in to the child too soon or too often, teaching the child that a tantrum is an effective way to get what they want," says Diane Ryals, University of Illinois Extension family life educator. So don't. Do what you need to do, get your child out to the car or back home, and let him know how disappointed you are.

Tip #7: Be consistent
As long as you handle tantrums effectively at home -- that is, by ignoring them and not giving in -- they'll eventually lessen when you're out and about. Although it seems difficult to believe now, there will come a day when you'll actually ask your teenager to join you on an outing. Until then, stay strong, and you can have some ice cream when you get home.

from sheknows parenting

Hari Raya'ing at the hospital (an afterthought)

2009-10-09T07:23:00.016+08:00

I have so many good things to say about the girls' paed, Dr Oh Meng Choo, but I guess you can read about her yourself if you do a bit of googling. She visited Sarah twice a day at the hospital (everyday) and gave us a detailed review in layman terms everytime. She even called us up to ask about Sarah's condition before she was hospitalised and answered our phone messages promptly. Aisyah (who's fussy about doctors) is also comfortable with her and we're glad that Sarah was in good hands...Alhamdulillah. She's one assuring doctor whom you can trust. Of course, we've met good paeds (Dr Vanessa Tan from Kidslink Sengkang, Dr Elizabeth Khor from Elizabeth Kids Clinic) and I would recommend them. But best about Dr Oh is her clinic (Kids Clinic, Bishan st. 12) is just a walking distance from our place so its really convenient.

And did I mention that our experience at Mt.A (St. Gabriel's ward) had been very pleasant. All the nurses were nice and they went out of their way to make everyone (yeah, not just me but I heard them talking to other patients) feel comfortable. They allowed my husband to stay there (this was probably an exception because of Sarah's age) and even passed us extra blankets and pillow to him without we asking them.

When it's medicine time, the nurses will always ask me whether Sarah is ready and when she's not they'd ask me when is the best time. I would be either breastfeeding her or lulling her to sleep since administering antibiotics thru her drip when she's sleeping is the best way. The staff was so incredibly kind and caring because there was once when I woke up and one of the nurses had just finished giving Sarah the nebuliser while she's in my arms. I'm a light sleeper so I know that she did her best not to disturb my sleep.

The hospital food is superb (didn't quite like the hospital food at Gleneagles Hospital on both occasions I was there)! The halal menu is pretty limited though at Mt.A though but I finished every single piece of food on the tray (ermm..except some veges :P). Of course, if you compare Mt.A with other hospitals, it's a pretty boringgggg (yawnzzzz) place but there's free wifi there and I'm happy when there's Internet. :D

There isn't any place to shop (well, there's a gift shop) like KKH where there are so many shops there. The cafeteria is non-halal and there's only one sandwich-dispensing (that's halal) machine (apart from another keropok+choc dispensing machine). Hubby said the sandwiches were not that bad and he won't go hungry. hehe. I can understand the lack of halal food availability since the number of Muslim patients there must be really little. I didn't even see one the whole time I was there...probably like most of well-meaning relatives+friends asked me, "Why go to Mt.A? It's a Christian Church and there's a cross in every ward." Correction...it's actually founded by a group of Roman Catholic Sisters and yes, there's a crucifix in every room.

Hari Raya'ing at the hospital (part deux)

2009-10-06T08:51:00.019+08:00

Of course, I know that it will take quite a while to recover from a flu attack. We let her antibiotics to take its effect after 3 days and prayed that her fever will clear. But it never did but her temp rose to almost 40deg on Wed (16/9). By then Sarah drank very little and had no appetite to eat. We called the paed and asked for nurofen since her fever is >38.5deg. We were advised to go to nearby hospitals to request for her blood sambles to be taken and possibly get an xray too. Our paed suggested mt.Alvernia (MtA) since she can attend to our case if Sarah is warded but we decided to try KKH instead since it's a cheaper route.

We saw the doctor pretty fast since Sarah got fever when we reached KKH. She was given the pink fever syrup and we had to wait for an hour to see the doc to see if her fever goes down. After struggling and crying so much when the doctor checked her, her fever cleared so we were asked to go home and we can visit KKH again on Sat if she gets a high fever. Her temperature continued to rise that very night and Sarah was super-cranky and I was carrying her almost the whole night in my arms. We were lucky that Aisyah was with my parents since I wasn't feeling that well either.

The paed called to check Sarah's condition the next evening and she advised us to get to MtA to get her checked immediately. We arrived at MtA at almost 10pm and got Sarah on drip since she wasn't drinking much. I can still remember her tired screamings as the doc and nurses took samples of her blood and inserted the drip needle in her hand. I quickly comforted her when the doctor was done with it while she just looked at me with tears helplessly. MasyaAllah, only He know how I felt at that time.

Sarah slept a lot especially on the first and second day. She refused any milk at all on the first night. She only started to drink again on the second day...Alhamdulillah! She had associated strangers with medicine time because she would be fed with meds everytime a nurse appeared and would whimper everytime she saw an unfamiliar face. Her temperature was like a rollercoaster ride...up and then down and up again, disappointing us everytime the nurse announced her temperature.

From the xray results, her right side of lungs was filled with water+phlegm and our paed was afraid that it would be the dreaded pneumococcal disease. Now I have read reports of the disease and the fact that both of the girls havent gotten the vaccinations really made me worry. But results of the blood samples came and a bacteria called Pseudomonas Aeruginosa was found in her blood...well, its equally bad anyway. Our paed speculated that everyone in the house must have gotten it (except the hubby and father-in-law) from each other.

My dear friend, Yanni, wanted to visit us on the 2nd day too but I told her it's a possible bacterial infection so the doc don't actually encourage any visits. *hugs!* Thanks to those who still visited us although it was just for a while especially kak rosi *hugs hugs!* & nephew+niece who came on the eve of Raya and Cik Liz+family who visited us on Hari Raya upon knowing the news of Sarah's hospitalisation. There were no other patients on Sat(19/9) and since it's a big room with 4 beds, the place was realllly dead and empty. Even Sarah got bored and she just had her favourite 10 tiny tadpoles book to keep her company.

Despite being woozy from the medication, Sarah was almost her bouncy self again on Hari Raya, trying to bite the tubes off her wrist and crawling on the floor(!!). The paed gave us the green light to go home on the 2nd day of Raya and of course, we were excited giler. Not because we wanted to celebrate Hari Raya (no mood already liao!) but we missed the comfort of our own home. I slept very little and I was feverish too by then.

Ok, I'll blog more about our pleasant experience at mtA. Gotta sleep now...toodles!

Hari Raya'ing at the hospital (part un)

2009-10-05T00:59:00.008+08:00

Both girls' baju kurongs are all ready for raya. I had even rummaged the closet for a baju kurong to match theirs. But we spent hari raya at mt. Alvernia instead. Well, theres cold ketupat, sambal goreng pengantin and ayam masak merah during the raya night to make up for it. Hah.

Anyway I should have known that Aisyah's falling sick when she told me shes tired to go to school days before she got sick. Theres the same pattern everytime shes about to fall ill...no mood to go to school, body's tired easily, and dwindling appetite. Her late sleeping habits also contributed to her low immunity. She has been getting ill for a few times since she started skooling this year. Usually she would just fall sick and recovered only days after. But nowadays she got sick for longer periods. And Sarah will always get the bug too since they play/sleep together.

Aisyah got sick again during the Sept holidays with the usual symptoms of a flu. Usually we will try to self-medicate her since the meds we have are still pretty new (<4mths old). We went to the nearby paed only after she wasnt feeling any better on the 3rd day and Sarah has started getting the sniffles too. She got better soon after but her cough suddenly got worse (phlegmy now!) after she ate some nuggets on Fri. I blamed myself for this actually because she didnt have the appetite that day and I thought it would be good to ask the hubby to takeaway some nuggets after his Fri prayers. By now Sarah's cough has started to get more frequent and shes been getting feverish too. So off to the paed again. Both girls were given antibiotics and paed assured us that both would get better in no time.

After almost a week of meds+antibiotics, Aisyah got better but Sarah's fever seemed to only clear when the fever med was given. Her temperature rose up again a couple of hours later. She was crawling when she was ok and then then will just hold onto me like a koala when her fever sets in.

sibling rivalry

2009-09-01T00:44:00.006+08:00

I often wonder how our parents coped with more than 2 children. The previous generation seemed to have it easy with many kids at home (my aunty has 12 in malaysia!!) while it's a struggle for me keeping everything in place. Both my mothers also say their children never gave so much trouble as the kids these days do. Somehow kids are more obedient during those times or is it because it's the way we discipline them. Just by giving dagger eyes to their children, the kids can sense that what they're doing is wrong. The older ones help to look after the little ones when their parents are busy.

Aisyah has helped me look after her sister quite a number of times especially when I have to do some serious business at the loo. If she wants something urgently and I can't help her because I am busy with Sarah, she will always say, "Takpe...Aisyah boleh jaga Sarah..". I never leave her alone with Sarah unless Sarah is strapped to her seat with a tray in front to stop her from throwing herself forward.

Sarah enjoys looking at her sister's antics and Aisyah loves to make Sarah laugh...a LOT. Of course, there were instances when both growl at each other. Aisyah will want whatever Sarah gets her hands on (and vice versa). It's ridiculous because the toy that Sarah was holding is something that Aisyah wasn't playing with. There was once when Sarah grabbed a part of Aisyah's face in anger when the latter snatched her toy. We will often praise Aisyah that being a nice girl and all, she should be sharing her toy. She is ready to share her toy after a few moments of cajoling. Like her grannies would say, "nih nak kena kipas ajeee..." hehe. Oh well, I expect more sibling rivalry issues in years to come.

fairytale ending

2009-08-18T00:14:00.004+08:00

Although we havent been seeing each other much, I know she is one of the few people in my life that I can depend on. I still remember how she had all of these wonderful things to say about him during out meetups. I really believe that Yanni deserves all the joy and happiness after what she went through with the 'wrong people' and I'm glad that she has found her fairytale ending with Azmi...yay! Congratulations, you peeps!

(p.s. stop making us jealous with those Greece honeymoon pix, can?)

just for the record

2009-08-12T00:48:00.005+08:00

Aisyah surprised me by writing her name on the card all by herself. I'm surprised because I only remembered we wrote her name once or twice together on her worksheets. I'm not one of those parents who makes sure she can read/write by a certain age although I'm not one who's bochup either. Aisyah loathes writing so she rarely touches her pencils. I guess the set of Kumon alphabet-writing cards which she does when she feels like it helps a lot...heh.

my lil vegetarian

2009-08-06T00:20:00.010+08:00

Sarah is still more of a vegetarian (read: fruits and vege puree + oats/rice cereals) at 8months old. She gave me this "euwwwww!" look when I gave her a few spoonfuls of fish porridge last weekend. I've even asked my mil to cook some fish porridge for her the 2nd time round (with sprinkles of grounded ikan bilis) in case she don't like my cooking but the results are still the same! I will probably introduce codfish (with lots of fruit/vege puree to hide the taste!) next time cos it's less fishy'er than threadfin. I can't stand the taste of threadfin either. x_x

Oooh, and chk this link out. Was surfing around for recipe inspiration when I saw this website.

time

2009-07-22T02:02:00.009+08:00

"Time is the only thing we really own and relationship is the only thing we can buy with it." Homeschool Diva's tagline

portraits of Aisyah

2009-07-16T08:17:00.006+08:00

Nowadays it's hard to get a picture of her. Whenever she sees me pointing the camera at her, she'll either cover her face or run away, "Don't want to take pictures!!!".

my sister's wedding

2009-07-15T00:52:00.003+08:00

And so here are a couple of pictures from my sister's wedding. I still remember how Aisyah excitedly announced that "Unty loves uncle Shah sebab tuh dier nak kahwen!" when Shah came into the room with the wedding ring. hehe.

More pictures here.

iNteresting

2009-07-09T00:53:00.002+08:00

I don't have any Apple products but this is very interesting.

kanak2 ngowo

2009-07-08T14:27:00.004+08:00

Found these photos while I was backing up my photos. These were taken during adek's wedding and Aisyah+Imran were watching "Cars" while taking a break in my parents' place. I just found their expressions amusing. :)

yes, i'm still here

2009-06-27T07:32:00.004+08:00

I have so many things to blog about...Aisyah's skool holidays, my adek's wedding, Sarah's first makan experience, etc etc. But the girls are up from 0900hr-1100hr and when both are sleeping, I'm also sleeping with them...hehehe. But I'm not complaining. Afterall they are small only once and I'm happy just to be spending my time with them (ok, and a bit of online shopping too. :P)

the mommy's day post

2009-05-14T02:21:00.004+08:00

I’ve been trying to write something about both of my mothers. Well, of course I have to write something about my mother first because she will get jealous if I talk about my mother-in-law. hehe. (she reads my blog btw. :P)

I could write about how much she means to me and how much I appreciate her. I could also write about how much privileged I am to be able to write this as a mother...Alhamdulillah! I could write how surreal it feels and how deeply grateful I am.

I still remember the day Aisyah was born. Like most mothers, it was the happiest day in my life. I remember holding her and it hit me then that being a mother is a life long journey. My patience is tested lots of times. There are days when I need to close my eyes and breathe in and out in a midst of the storm which only a toddler can create. It's complex and daunting but it's also fun. Motherhood taught me selflessness and compassion.

In celebration of the mother’s day and being a mom, here’s some mother hood humour I got in an email:

- My mother taught me LOGIC… “If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can’t go to the store with me.”

- My mother taught me MEDICINE… “If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they’re going to freeze that way.”

- My mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD… “If you don’t pass your spelling test, you’ll never get a good job!”

- My mother taught me ESP… “Put your sweater on; don’t you think that I know when you’re cold?”

- My mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE… “What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you…Don’t talk back to me!”

- My mother taught me HUMOUR… “When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.”

- My mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT… “If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.

- My mother taught me ABOUT SEX… “How do you think you got here?”

- My mother taught me about GENETICS… “You are just like your father!”

- My mother taught me about my ROOTS… “Do you think you were born in a barn?”

- My mother taught
me about the WISDOM of AGE… “When you get to be my age, you will understand.”

- My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION… “Just wait until your father gets home.”

- My mother taught me about RECEIVING… “You are going to get it when we get home.”

- And my all time favorite thing–JUSTICE… “One day you will have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU… then you’ll see what it’s like.”

to the hort park

2009-04-14T13:54:00.004+08:00

Phew, here I am again. My schedule has been rather hectic. Sarah's getting more clingy nowadays while Aisyah can really test our patience these days. Sarah's clicky is improving so far. We heard less of the clicky sounds nowadays. Aisyah's on/off runny nose & cough has also improved after several rounds of consultations of the paed. She's now on ketotifen (a lung tonic)...hopefully, it will get better with her system getting used to the school environment. I wouldn't want to be jinxed by sharing this. :p

She just had a lapse of cold after her first school outing. She missed the previous outing to the fire station cos of her cold. But she managed to join the trip to Hort Park with me as a parent volunteer.

Ironically, it was also my first time to Hort Park and I thought I might check out the place. Aisyah was initially surprised when I joined the kids at school and even told me not to be there..hehe. I was assigned to help look after 5 kids in her class, including herself. It was initially 5 which I had to really look after in my group but teachers soon told me to look after the class together. It was a rather simple task but when kids are tired, they get left behind easily and that's when I made sure none get lost.

The kids had a mini breakfast the moment they reached Hort Park. Mats were spread out and everyone sat on the floor. Chicken nuggets and sliced fruits (watermelon, honeydew) were distributed. The kids ate their own food as well. Aisyah had some of her bread with nutella during the break too. Teachers called out those who wanted to go to the toilet during this time. Everything was rather organised although the place was crowded with the kids from other Hanis centres.

There was a guide to tell us more about the different plants/herbs and introduced himself as uncle Alan. Aisyah looked quite sleepy and tired too during most parts of the outing. Well..probably it's because she had to wake up quite early in the morning to get ready for the outing. The kids got cranky and one girl even cried till the end of the trip because she was too tired.

We stopped for another toilet break at another open area and everyone got to fill up their water bottles at the water cooler. By then most of them looked really tired and even I was already dragging my feet. It's been a long time since I walked this much. Blame it on my lazy self. :P I also noticed about quite a few volunteers who were looking after their own kids instead. I might be wrong and these parents might travel to Hort Park themselves instead of taking the school bus but I hope that these won't happen in future.

The kids perked up when they reached the playground which was the last stop of the outing. They got pretty excited upon seeing the slide and queued up for their turns even in the scorching heat. Aisyah didn't even touch the slide because it was too hot when she was sliding down.

Actually there's so much more to see at the place but walking around in the afternoon sun can be a killer. I would love to be back again for some macro photography and appreciate the tranquility and serenity the park provides.

happiness...

2009-03-23T07:29:00.001+08:00

...is waking up to the people i love.

tengteng'less

2009-03-10T23:48:00.005+08:00

It's been a week that Aisyah's without her tengteng. *yay!* She had gotten a blocked nose due to some nose allergy and we went to see her fav paed (yep, she got a fav doc at Sengkang) last week. Noww...a blocked nose and a pacifier dont go well together. The paed spoke to her that she's not a baby and she shouldnt' use her tengteng anymore.

We went back home and she immediately threw her daytime (she got another one too for sleeptime) tengteng into the bin after me and her nenek talked to her about how tengteng is making her feel sick.

We didnt manage to make her throw her 2nd tengteng that night though. But somehow she decided to throw it away when she woke up the next morning, thx to her nenek's coaxing. We spun a story about how we found tiny fungus on her tengteng and we wouldn't want it to infect her mouth...hah!

She did make some noise on the second day, looking for her tengteng when she wanted to take a nap. And of course, we didn't give it to her although we secretly have both her tengtengs somewhere in the house. We kept reminding her that she's thrown both tengtengs into the bin and she accepted the fact on the 3rd day. She's gotten used to it by now...no more tengteng for comfort or sleeping. And I hereby declare she's tengteng-free! weehoo! Aisyah, Ibu and Ayah are so proud of you. :)

acceptance

2009-03-02T04:46:00.004+08:00

And they say, the terrible 2 stage requires wisdom, patience, understanding and above all...unconditional love. All i needed to do was to continue to be consistent in my teaching and firm at the same time when she's misbehaving and patting her on the back when she's ok. Aisyah is 4 and yet she still hasn't overcome the stage (basically she's terrible at every stage...hehe). What we are still learning to adapt is her temper and demand for attention. These are not new but they're getting more extensive these days, especially after the appearance of her sister.

It's never easy disciplining your child, what's more staying at your parents' place. One word of discipline disapproval will brand you a dictator instead when all I wanted to do is just the best for my kid. Yes, all parents go through this phase of self-discovery but when people labelled you as such, you begin to wonder about your discipline method. My method may not be the best but I'm doing my best to raise my own kid. I read from someone's blog (alamak, can't remember who)...

That’s why mothers need either plenty of wisdom to go through motherhood OR the patience to endure OR…the sanity to survive it.

Anyway I have a beautiful story by Ibnu Rashid, a father of 3 (and 4 soon...insyaAllah). It's truly a reminder for me to practise more patience with my children.

The boys made a mess today.
Toys everywhere.
Water colour marks decorating the walls.
Haiyak!

All I could do was paused and looked at the "masterpiece" being done.
Bit my lips ( tahan marah )
and prepare myself a cup of crysanthemum tea.
Relax...take a deep breath....
heee....hoooo...heee...hooo

Then,
I remember how Mak handled me well when I was at my kids' age.

Mak,
in particular,
had an incredible knack of being able to delight in me.
She could verbally express her joy to me
and show it with her body lang,
in every way she acted.

She could enter into my kiddo world and see life through my eyes.
She could jump into my minds and understand my perspective.

I was 6 years old then.
One of my daily play routine was
"war time" between plastic soldiers and die cast cars.
I would ramped the toy soldiers with the cars and alas,
created a big mess in our Circuit road 3-room flat!

One day,
while Mak was doing something in another part of the room,
I slipped into the kitchen and saw an opened packet of flour.
As I ran the flour through my fingers,
I began to think of the "winter war season" that I used to watch on tv.

I walked around to our main hall where the "zero ground" situated.
Flinging handful of "snows" in the air,
and soon "winter season" affect was created
and covered the whole "zero ground"!

For a few moments I was in sheer ecstasy!
Then as I looked around and suddenly realised what a mess I had made.

Sure enough,
Mak happened along a few minutes later and discovered the mess.
You wouldn't blame a busy mother for hitting the roof at a moment like that,
but I recall what happened like this:

Mak reacted much differently.
She entered into my world and understood the delight and ecstasy
that I had felt when I was spreading the snow everywhere.

She sat down and cuddled me and we talked about
the war game and the thrills of it.

She entered into my dreams and let me relive my feelings.
We laughed about the snow that was everywhere
and then we cleaned it all up together.

That snow incident beautifully illustrates what acceptance is all about.
I know till this day that you actually didn't accept the mess.
In fact, you let me know that it was indeed a mess
and they'd better get it cleaned up as quickly as they could.
But at the same time,
Mak .....
you didn't destroy the wonderful feeling
that I had from this experience.
I you Mak!

Instead of clobbering or bawling me out,
Mak lived something out with her son that was very important.

This 'winter season' escapade is just one example of countless times I can remember how Mak would express her acceptance and delight in her child.
She wasn't permissive and didn't let her child get away with anything he pleased.

She always let him know what was right and wrong,
but she always put her acceptance ahead of everything else.

I grew up as if hearing Mak says,
"Being your mother is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done.
There is nothing I would rather do than be your Mak!"

And I've learnt that how showing my acceptance in dozens of ways to my kids will benefit my long lasting relationship with them.

of ebm and assignments

2009-02-21T04:37:00.009+08:00

It was a 3 days of assignment for me last weekend starting from a maternity studio session on Fri, a birthday party on Sat and a wedding on Sun. It was pretty challenging for me this time because I am still bfding Sarah. I have to make sure that I expressed enough bottles of milk for her especially for the wedding which was about 8hr long. I expressed milk everyday for her to get use to bottle-feeding while I'm away and she has at least 1x of ebm everyday.

The research tells us that exclusively breastfed babies take in an average of 25 oz (750 mL) per day between the ages of 1 month and 6 months. Different babies take in different amounts of milk; a typical range of milk intakes is 19-30 oz per day (570-900 mL per day).

We can use this information to estimate the average amount of milk baby will need at a feeding:

Estimate the number of times that baby nurses per day (24 hours).
Then divide 25 oz by the number of nursings.
This gives you a "ballpark" figure for the amount of expressed milk your exclusively breastfed baby will need at one feeding.
Example: If baby usually nurses around 8 times per day, you can guess that baby might need around 3 ounces per feeding when mom is away. (25/8=3.1).

from kellymom

For Sarah's case, she takes an average of abt 80-120ml every 3-4hrs and I gotta prepare at least 8 bottles of 1-2ounces of milk each. I started preparing for the day by expressing more on Friday since fridged ebm is best consumed within 48hrs in our climate. Small amounts are preferred as sometimes Sarah can refuse to drink huge amounts at one go. But that's not all. Sometimes Sarah just like to 'attach' herself to me for comfort nursing which a bottle can't replicate, of course. :)

Baby's need to suck. Babies have a very strong need to suck, and the need may be greater while mom is away (sucking is comforting to baby). A baby can control the flow of milk at the breast and will get minimal milk when he mainly needs to suck. When drinking from a bottle, baby gets a larger constant flow of milk as long as he is sucking. If baby is taking large amounts of expressed milk while you are away, you might consider encouraging baby to suck fingers or thumb, or consider using a pacifier for the times when mom is not available, to give baby something besides the bottle to satisfy his sucking needs.

from kellymom

But Alhamdulillah, despite the worries I had, she passed the test (with flying colours, I must say). The only thing thats a pain in the a** is the engorgement while I'm on assignment. Even though I carried my pump, I only have like 10-15min in between breaks to relieve the engorgements. Ok, its better than nothing.

And then there was the issue of storage. I stored my ebm directly into the Pigeon FTG bag but when I got home, everything was not cool as stated on the packaging of the bag. I was disappointed because I had done my research and this bag is supposed to be what I'm looking for. However there was a period of time when I noticed the zip has been opened. I will have to run more tests to see whether this is due to the bag or a negligence on my part.

wordless

2009-02-04T10:01:00.001+08:00

at school

2009-01-15T11:48:00.013+08:00

Aisyah's first day of school didnt go quite smoothly. Well, she was excited at first but grew bored after a while and wanted to go home. Her school allowed parents to stay in class for the first 3 days so I was able to observe her. My plan was to be in her class for the first day and left her there after that. She constantly reminded me not to stray away while I was there.

It was worse on the second day even though me and her nenek had given her a prep talk the moment she woke up. I told her I will be waiting outside her class when it's time to go home. But she threw a tantrum in class and refused to let me go. I allowed her teacher to take her away and there was no turning back. I could hear her screaming away whilst outside her class and no prize for guessing who's the loudest amongst the kids who cried that day. She only stopped crying when she puked and that's already like half a school day gone.

I'm glad that I didn't pacify her because there was an improvement on the 3rd day. She didnt cry as much as she did previously. We would have to do this crying game all over again if I had given in. Alhamdulillah, she didn't cry for the last 2 days of the week although she refused to budge upon nearing her class and chanted 'Aisyah taknak pergi sekolahh...' all the way to school. She even donned the tudong on Friday for her solat practical lessons. :)

Anyway it has been only 2 weeks so I cant comment much about the school. The uniform is a bit too fanciful with double layers and huge gold buttons (urgh! reminds me of makcik2 design ley) and I would prefer a simpler design and more kiddy. Aisyah hates the main uniform at first but I guess when she sees her friends are wearing it everyday, she's fine with it now. She has learnt some positive bits and pieces from school and I'm sure she just needs some time to adjust to the new environment.

home sweet home

2008-12-28T17:53:00.003+08:00

Managed to return home for a while after Sarah's visit to the doc for her 1st month jab. Packed some clothes and ate a late breakfast of kfc's am platter meal before making our move to Pasir Ris again. It sure feels good to be home. After almost 2mths of staying at my parents' place, nothing beats having staying at my own place, lying on my own bed to golek2, cooking in my own kitchen (although I very very seldom cook) and having my own set of rules. I even miss the bathroom...hah.

As for Sarah's checkup, she still has jaundice and her 1st jab at the hospital is somehow infected. :S The doc prescribed antibiotic cream for her and we'll have to return to the doc in a week time for the doc to squeeze out the pus. Furthermore the doc found a condition in Sarah's left knee called a clicky. There's a clicky sound whenever she moves her legs. We'll have to monitor that too till she's a bit bigger.

1 month

2008-12-24T12:55:00.000+08:00

Sarah is 1 month today. At the moment, it's all about adjusting to the new addition. Having a csect operation was no fun. I was moving around in pain for 2 weeks. After the urot2 sessions, body feels 'lighter' and my tummy don't feel much discomfort. The makcik urot says the right side of the wound is still 'basah' and I still need to down lots of jelly gamat and pati ikan haruan besides the jamu and multivits. I have no probs with confinement because I do want to be healthy in the long term run.

It's been a month too that I've been a human 'cow' for Sarah...Alhamdulillah. On the day of my operation, both my milkbags were already leaking. Maybe my body knows that Sarah's going to be out soon. Unlike my first csect, the milk came almost immediately this time so those who will be doing a csect, do not worry that you won't be able to breastfeed. :)

My milkbags were engorged like crazy at the hospital. I remembered reading up the forum articles that hand expressing and massaging will help. It was a painful experience but they helped relieve the engorgement. Having a newborn is very tiring. Feeding time can even stretch from 10pm-2am. She will sleep while feeding and fuss again for milk. I try to nap in the day in between stealing time for internet and entertaining Aisyah.

As for Aisyah, she has been behaving like how any good sister would. I'm glad that I have my dearest husband and family to help look after Aisyah so that she won't feel left out while I am with Sarah. She hasn't showed any signs of jealousy yet. She knows that adek Sarah needs 'susu ibu lah' when Sarah wails loudly and tells her to be patient (which is ironic because she herself isnt when she wants something..hehe). She will announce to everyone that Sarah just farted and that means we must clean up her poop. Aisyah will giggle whenever Sarah's arms uncontrollably touch her. She thinks Sarah is tickling her.

So that's that. At the rate I'm going, this blog is going to be updated monthly. Even they update their blog faster than me. heh.

sweet pea

2008-11-09T10:15:00.008+08:00

A lot of people would have noticed that Aisyah looks like me. She's a 'mini Nor' as the hubby would always say. She's a lefty, throws tempers quite easily (ok, maybe she's in the terrible 3 stage but still...), obstinate and always wants to have the last words (ader aje alasan dier nak beri).

When I can't control my temper, I would raise my voice and nag at her as if she understands. Like most kids, Aisyah would always forget about everything and move on unlike us, adults. I would always feel bad of scolding her and apologising later for being too harsh. She would reply, "It's ok, Ibu." and give me a hug and plant a kiss on my cheek. And I thank Allah for this little lesson of forgiveness.

snippets

2008-10-22T12:06:00.004+08:00

- So far we've only jalan raya to 2 houses; my mum's and my wak's.
- I am most likely to undergo a csect next month on 24/11...insyaAllah.
- I'm done with the lil one's clothes except for some stuffs which I need to get like hairbrush, baby oil, etc.
- I have NOT packed my hospital bag.
- Had most of my cravings fulfilled from Sofra's asure to the geylang serai's putu piring. *muacks to the hubby*
- Oh yah, and I watched Susuk yesterday. I must say, it has a good storyline. And I wonder why people never susuk their brains for intelligence maybe?

wts: Combi stroller (repost with reduced price!)

2008-10-13T11:00:00.001+08:00

Selling a used Combi stroller (Super Mechacal DX TM-359DX) for $70. (price reduced!!). Selling to make space in my house and we've already bought another stroller.

Bought it 2yrs ago and stopped using it when I bought the Maclaren volo.

Condition would be 8/10 with moderate user marks and scratches but well-maintained and cared for. Suitable for babies as it can recline almost fully. It also has a reversible handle design so mummies can see their babies all the time (though not advised while you're walking ^___^).

View features here > http://www.taising.com/images/Combi_TM359DX_feature.jpg. Collection is at my place in Bishan or Pasir Ris (from Nov onwards). Just lemme know in advance. Sms me at 9389 6545 if you're interested. Thx!