Miss Vain

JS watching advertisement on TV. I think is an cosmetic ad featuring Claudia Schiffer.
Suddenly she said to me

JS:”Wow, mummy, this auntie is very pretty. She got nice golden hair. I like this auntie”
ME: …..

Honey, What’s For Dinner Tonight

Tonight’s menu:

1) Soup – Chinese cabbage with dried scallop
2) Leek stir fried with prawns (Suppose to have tou kwa, but the tou kwa I bought many days ago, today wanted to cook already rosak, prawns also not so fresh, so add a little Hua Tiao cooking wine)
3) Stir Fried Choi Sum in oyster sauce
4) Twinsmom’s garlic spring onion baked chicken

Drinks:
Yuk Chok, Chinese Almonds with rock sugar

Tadaa…..

Very humble, simple food being served. A bit paiseh/memalukan to show it here. Perhaps now you know why dear hubby sometimes complaint.

爱情与面包 Love Vs Bread

在爱情与面包之间, 你到底会作出怎么样的选择? 是否有了爱情就没有面包, 有了面包就没有爱情? 没有面包真的不能存活吗?就没有幸福吗?多少人懂得珍惜, 多少人会知足?又有多少人能同时间拥有爱情与面包?
(In between love and bread, how would you make your choice? Is it right that if there is love, there won’t necessary be having bread , or when there is bread, there is no true love? Without bread, is it true that you can’t survive? Can’t you have happiness without money? How many people knows how to treasure what they have and how many people knows how to be contented? And how many people are lucky enough to have both bread and love?)

What triggered me to write this post was that moment ago I caught up with my friend T again. From the conversation, it sent me into deep thoughts, gave me a lot of puzzlements and keeps wondering and if I have a weak heart, maybe I would have a heart attack already. (Sorry T, if you are reading this, don’t meant to put you in the lime light. It’s just that this thing keeps twirling in my mind that I have to let it out. It’s your choice, I don’t want to judge whether it’s brilliant or not, you decide yourself and I wish you all the best)

Extract of conversation between T, Y and Me.
T: hi E
T: how r u
E: how’s life T?
T: great
E: how’s ur new job??
T: not too bad, basically surfing and reading papers
T: get to chat
E: kids in ipoh??
T: nope
T: they are down in kl with dh
E: u all ok liao??
Y: ohh what they doin in kl?why there?
T: take care of dh lor
E: N go to which school?
T: nearby L’s place lor
T: in fact she just started y’day
T: stopped for one mth
T: thinking of let her take tuition to pick up
T: wat do u guys think
T: she missed few alphabets
T got exam next mth
E: u siow ah..so young take tuition
E: dun stress ur child lah
T: she missed out mah
E: sure will pick up one lah
Y: over load her tiny brains lah
T: to catch up only
T: she missed a lot
E: exam only ma..no need to stress and fuss lah
T: i am thinking of getting a maid?
T: wat do u guys think
T: pity my mil
E: ooh..ur mil with ur dh
E: where u staying now T?
T: K, GH
T: later will be moving to KD so K can complete his reno
T: he let me stay at his new place cos i din have a place
E: ooh..got new love nest
E: plan to tie the knot soon?
T: not so soon gua
T: actually i dun wan to remarry but no guts to tell him
T: i wonder if he could ever take it
T: he is 34
E:y dun want to remarry??
T: accountant
T: nah….
T: scared dy
T: no confident
T: no more pregnancy for me
E: ur separation procedure final?
T: nope
T he always say no money
T: for lawyers fee
E: need money meh? how much u ask for?
T: legal fees
E: no money is excuse.. dun want to let go lah i think
T: not i wan
T: i dunwan anything
T: yah, i agree
T: he just sent me a sms not to long ago said i will be the only woman in his life and he misses me
T: damn
T: feel like crying
T: i can still cry when i think of him
T: it still hurts
T: he is a nice husband
T: a loyal one
E: how come like that ..so complicated
E: go back to him lo
T: just not doing too well financially
T: nah i can’t
T: K is too nice to me too
E: how long u with K liao? met in previous work place?
T: there is no future for me and the kids with L
T: yes
T: a mth
T: things he did for me….
T: can’t just forget about it
T: he got me out of the nite job
E: what nite job?
T: he is basically supporting me financially
T: i can’t handle it alone
T: tat is why i had to work at hnite to make ends meet
T: cos at nite is like almost double my current pay
T: with tips and free ciggarettes probably more
Y: wow didn’t know nite club pays so much wan
Y: but u gotta wear sexy sexy ar?
T: i dih work in nite clubs lah
T: i work in a healthy pub
T: casual sexy
E: ur bf single n never married b4?
T: single
T: life was hard
T:: this is in fact the first serious relationship i mean after i left the guy i left L for
Y: what happened to the guy lah?
T: still in touch
Y: cradle snatcher man
E: is that the one that gave u the tag heur
T: yes
T: i gave him back
Y: where u meet wan?
T: disco lor
T: in fact i still have some strings attached
T: i have one spore bf
T: one kuantan bfy
T: still not yet tell them
Y: waaahhh all from disco?
E: i tot u have ur priority on family n kids
T: but i’m for real with K
T: cos he got money
Y: how much does he earn a month?
T: 5 figure lor
T: but exactly i dunno
T: i only know his income from one side
T: cos he got two
Y: u never asked meh?
T: nope, never, too early, will scare him off
T: he works for one co and own one himself with his buddy

看了以上的对话, 你的感想如何? 你会为了物质上的享受而忍心抛下稚小的孩子吗?自己的欢乐比孩子还要重要吗?虽然不管我的事, 但这还是困绕着我. 想到无辜的孩子, 因为母亲的虚荣而失去了一个美满欢乐的家庭.金钱能弥补心灵上的创伤吗?对孩子脆弱的心灵又会留下什么阴影?平庸的生活没有乐趣吗?如果早知自己的男人无法满足要求, 为何当初要嫁, 还生两个小孩, 让孩子受罪,拖累他们? 荣华富贵真的那么重要吗?朋友的丈夫有屋让她遮头,有车接送,有份正当的工作,安稳的收入,难道就没有好的将来吗?

我觉得平淡有时会比繁华更幸福.更不会让自己陷入复杂的旋涡里.闹得不清不楚,糊里糊涂.有多少人理解”知足长乐”这道理.

在以上谈话后,感触良深.我以为朋友T会有所保留,也不敢直接多问.但我很惊讶她的坦诚,语气中没有廉耻,羞愧甚至还带有一丝丝自豪.感慨万分.T的两个孩子和我的孩子们同龄,有点心疼.T的母性在哪里?是否自私了点?换成我,我可不忍心我的孩子们受这样的苦.一样米养百种人,也不可能期望每个人能甘心为孩子为家庭牺牲.愿上苍报佑这两个孩子. 总觉得他们很可怜.

感慨之后还是感慨.也不能做什么.每个人都有自己的选择.每个人都有自己的梦,自己要走的路.或许T现在认为这是最好的选择,是值得的.希望多年以后她回首现在,不会后悔.

广东人说”做人中,做人保,不做媒人三世好”,我这个局外人,还是少理不理好.在我的”簿落格”里我写我思,也就罢了. 你说呢?

(Sorry, 2nd part of the post is my own view. The KPC side of me giving me the urge to gossip this. This is only for Chinese reader. Too lazy to translate into English, but you can tell me your views too)

Disney On Ice Is Coming To Town

Disney on Ice will be in town this weekend. JS has wanted very much to go. She saw the ad in the newspaper and in TV. Few weeks ago, she has asked if her Ku Ma is able to get her the complimentary ticket. Until now still no news. Maybe she would be dissapointed this time.

Thanks to SIL#1, we had managed to go for a few of this shows on complementary, else we won’t be spending the money on this.

JS’s first show at 17th month old. The Royal London Circus.

Annie, Genting Highland. 17th Months old

Pinochio on Ice, Stadium Merdeka, 19th months old

Barney, Bukit Jalil, 19th months old

Sesame Street, Bukit Jalil, 2 years old

The last show we went, Disney Princess On Ice, Bukit Jalil. WH’s first show. Almost a year ago

Kid’s Diet… One Fussy Little Eater.

I have one little bandar raya at home (who gulps up everything given to him, touchwood, hope he remains a bandar raya) and a little miss fussypot (she used to be a bandaraya too, but since she turns two, she became a difficult eater)

Baby
Breakfast
Usually will nurse him a little while when he got up. Follow by solid. His breakfast solid are as follow, tried to alternate it so he won’t be bored
Heinz Muesli & Apple, Nestle Cereal – Brown Rice with Camomile, or Nestle Cereal with Orange, Heinz or Gerber Bottled Pureed Baby Food (cut down alot, coz baby doesn’t like anymore), Stewed apple & pear mixes with plain cereal, Petit Miam Yogurt (Only available in Ampang Hock Chun, Cold Storage, Subang Carrefour, Jusco in MidValley or 1U). When he has this, usually will be accompanied by white bread or biscuits.
Drinks: Plain water
Mid morning, will nurse him again. Else maid will give him 4Oz of milk. (Enfagrow)

Since he’s almost 1 1/2 years, want to try for some changes. Must do some research first.

Lunch
Porriadge. Cooked with pre-cooked stock – ikan billis; chicken; mutton; beef stock. All unsalted. Cooked alot, freezed it in individual pack, take out 1 pack each night for the next day. If stock finished and lazy, then just use plain water for porriadge. ( I learned this from JS’s babysitter). Usually chopped a few types of green veges or roots to cook the porriadge with one type of meat, either minced chicken, fish, pork or beef. Since the first visit to TCM, she advise to advoid chicken first, so stop chicken now. Only cook once a day for two meals. How I cook? Dump everything into the double boiler (炖盅) and double boil. No need to take care of fire, not scare of overcook, not worry of burn. (Last time my mum use to cook porriadge in a small claypot over the charcoal, it gives a very good aroma, but now lazy, just use double boiler)
Again, WH needs to have bread. He’s a roti boy.
Drinks : Plain water

Mid afternoon: Nurse him to sleep. When he’s up for his nap, he would have biscuit as snacks. Cheese stick sometimes. Now he has fallen for the packet UHT milk.

Dinner
Exactly the same as lunch. Boring… because mummy’s lazy.

Baby will sit on the high chair to be fed. But sometimes he does request us to carry him around, or have him running around when feeding him. Now he has this habit of requesting me to on the TV during meal time. And also recently, he’s also showing interest to join us at the family table. He will nibble at whatever food serves on the table while having his main meal. I’m surprise he can actually takes in spicy food well. He just got this spirit to try any food we are having. Hope he keeps it up. Baby is still taking his porriadge that is blended into puree. (Using Braun handheld blender) Had tried to feed him coarser food, but he gags and it takes more than an hour to finish a bowl or less. Maybe should try again on his 18th months mark.

Supper
Nurse him to sleep. If he request, will give me another 4Oz of formula. He can’t takes in more than 4Oz a time and don’t take more than 8Oz a day. Sometimes even no formula.

My little boss been fed during dinner time. Look at the way he sits, he’s actually watching tv.

My Girl
Don’t know where to start. She’s just fussy. She was eating quite well, exactly like the brother. But when she turned two, MIL was brainwashing her that porriage is not good for her. Without a slow transition of weaning her from porriage to rice, she has somehow failed to enjoy her food. Maybe she’s just a small eater. Maybe she has kamzik (worm in tummy), she has this habit of keeping food in her mouth, and it takes hour sometimes two to feed her that quarter bowl. Really testing my patient. Many times end up vomitted. How not to get “mang chang”. She just doesn’t take in much, homecooked or restaurant. She’s a milk bucket. She can takes in 7 -8 bottles of 6Oz milk in a day. Her favourites now are unheahtly snacks. French Fries, Jelly beans, chips, chicken rice, noodles/pasta (plain, kosong), roti canai which I try to minimize. Even with her favourite foods she doesn’t take much. She loves fish though, steam or fried. But even with feeding her alot of fish, will not be sufficient for a balance diet.

Breakfast

1 bottle of 6Oz milk. No breakfast. Doesn’t know how much she snacks in school. Offer bread, can’t finish a slice, offer scramble egg, cannnot finish 1 egg, offer poached egg, cannot finish. Breakfast cereal (koko crunch or the plain cornflakes) just take a few spoonful. Buy her pao, cannot finish, just eat the skin. In between breakfast and lunch, she will request another bottle of milk (depends on her mood). Whatever given to her, she will just nibble a bit.

Lunch

After 1 year failed to feed her rice (because she refuses to eat veges, she will eat plain rice) now is back to square one. She’s having what baby has for lunch for weekdays. Weekend she’s on meal break, she can has whatever we are having and I no longer fuss over whether she’s taking enough. We brought her to restaurant, get kids meal, she can’t finish a burger, cant even finish 1 piece of nugget, maybe takes only 2 mouth of pancake. Porriadge but not blended. Sometimes will add in some marmite or ikan billis powder (fried/roast the ikan billis then blend to very fined powder). At least with this, she’s taking substancial amount of food. I have tried making the meal for presentable. (Follow Annable Kramer’s or Mirriam Stoppard recipe book) JS’s is excited to help and have fun, get involves, but at the end , she will just nibble a bit, and the rest goes down into mine or baby’s tummy.(Trying very hard not to eat all the leftover food from the kids, don’t want to put on weight). I’ve tried Twinsmom (this one another must read blog) cream cheese fish puff, everyone loves it, except JS.

After lunch, will be a bottle or two of milk. When JS was very young, she doesnt like milk. I struggle to feed her (was using Nestle NAN and not adventurous to try other formula until we switched to Enfagrow when she turned 1 and then she started to love milk more than food)

Mid afternoon snack would be biscuit, yogurt, cheesestick. Then milk again. (maybe she drinks too much milk, that’s why she got no appetite to eat, try to cut down, but in the end gave up because she just cried and cried and cried)

Dinner

Same at lunch, but she’s welcome to nibble on whatever serves on the dining table. Then another bottle of milk again. Before she sleep another bottle of two of milk.

There was and still a lot of struggle, yelling, threatening, bribery during meal time. I have to resort to TV, computer or her runnning around the house to distract her in order to feed her. There are good times when she’s in the mood and would join us at the table, but I can say that’s rare! As for feeding herself, only occationally.

When I’m in the mood, then I do pasta for the kids instead of porriage. Just very simple one (share the recipe next time)

Since they have been coughing a while, so I have temporary stop fruits or juices for them. They usually would have banana, papaya, orange, pear, apple, kiwi, avocado,grapes, prunes, raisins sometimes strawberries. I supplement them with Cod Liver Oil. (Tried those multivitamin with lysine, but the lysine doesn’t really help to boost JS’s appetite)

Other drinks that I offer them. Chrysthnum tea, Barley drink (they love it), 七星茶, 夏枯草 (these two are chinese herbal drinks), 罗汗果 (Lou Hon Guo)

JS was 18th months in this picture. Enjoying her meal.

Today’s porriadge – minced beef with chopped carrot, spinach and leek. Above is pureed version for baby and below is the non pureed one for JS. I must admit, it doesn’t look appetising and apealing at all. But what to do, how to make your fussy eater eats vege other than this way?

Diaper Bag List

When you have very young kids at home, there are certain things you don’t leave home without during family outings.

My diaper bag is a Mothercare rucksack. Here’s what I have:

1) My indespensable sarong sling
2) 2 – 4 changes of diapers for baby
3) Wet tissue
4) Hats for each kids. Since WH is quite botak, is good to have cap during night to avoid dew get into head ( MIL believes dew will make you catch a cold) and of course hats are good for hot sun too
5) A pair of sunglasses for each of the kids
6) Sweater for each kids
7) Socks for each kids
Hankerchief
9) Handyplast ( JS got herself cut once in the car, bleeding quite badly, stop over 2 petrol kiosks and could get a plaster, that’s why I had handyplast in the diaper bag)
10) Zambac ( JS prone to mosquito bite)
11) Mosquito repellent patch
12) Powder (travelling size bottle)
13) Nappy cream
14) A pair of special fork and spoon from Royal Selangor (SIL#1 bought this for JS, and requested me to bring along whenever we go out dinning)
15) One extra pair of change of cloths for JS ( JS is very prone to vomitting, she vomitted when she refuse to eat, when she cries, when she cough, when she’s too full, when she does not chew her food properly, when… can’t think of the reason anymore, she just keep vommiting so often)
16) A little portable handheld fan (got it from Toy’RUs)
17) Drinking water for the kids

In the car, we have
1) Stroller
2) Potty ( for JS to pee and for her vomitting)
3) 1 roll of kitchen towel (for JS vomitting as well)

Cough… Allergy?

Last night, for no particular reason, JS started to cough again, with wheezing and phelgm. She even threw up after a few coughs. Was wondering what has she taken the day that has triggered the cough. I have brought her to the paed and chinese TCM , both the chinese TCMs and the paed confirmed that she has a sensitive throat (dont know what’s 直气管 called in English, just put throat lah) (直气管敏感)

I wonder if she has inherited the allergies from me. Have make a note to call KPJ after this to check if they run a full allergy test.

For myself, I have a few things that I’m very allergic to.
1) Crab – crab shells make my lips swell like a pig
2) Prawns – prawns shell makes my fingers and lips itch
3) Bird nest – the worst reaction. Itchy throat, cough, follow by phelgm, asthma , then stomach pain. Will vomit for at least 3 rounds follow by rounds of diarhoe. By the end of this process, I’m already a dead fish.

Strayed Man

I have something to say after reading MG and 5xMom (another post) posts on the heated forwarded mail. (MG’s and 5xMom’s blog is a MUST READ! Lots of words of wisdom, humour. GO! GO!GO!)

After reading the forwarded mail, I felt angry and pity, sympathy for the victim and want to ketuk this stupid “miang” (Hokkien called HEOW) man. Most of all it makes me treasure my hubby more. However, I’m not the one that would mass distribute the mail to my email list, because I don’t see it will do any good to anybody, so what if you have seen the picture?? For me after seeing the picture, I dont give a damn to who the “slut” 狐狸精 is. Even if I bumped into her on the street, I won’t recognize her. What’s the effect ?? There is one person that I would forward the mail to. My dear hubby, as a hint… don’t you dare do this to me! Also as a sign from where I got my insecurities sometime. Of course my dear hubby would assured me… no lah…that’s just 1 in a million and I’m not the 1 in the million…:D

There’s no such thing of not being able to live without someone. Woman can make a life for themself. Stop being self pitied, and keep on lamenting with excuses. If you are willing to work, whatever megre job, you will survive, no need to rely on those asshole. When there’s a will, there’s certainly a way. Just walk out, if you feel you have to, and make a good life out for yourself and let the asshole regret later. I have this backup plan.. if I really need a job, I will go teach kindergarten or tuition… it’s a half day , flexi job and I can still spent time with my kids. Now, I need to advance myself..maybe take up a pre-school course. see..all women needs to have backup plans..no matter how trustworthy your hubby is

Trust your hubby, but trust with a opened eye. I believe women are a sensitive lots. Just a little tell tale sign, we are able to sniff it out. You cannot deny your hubby from an outing with his buddies occationally, no matter how goody goody your hubby is, there would always be bad influences. Pester, pester, pester, until he gives in and tell you all about the outings. My dear hubby is someone not good at keeping things from me. though he has not commited any sinful crime, but just make him tells me whatever little naughty things that he did. Control your hubby, but respect his privacy also. Nobody likes their privacy invaded. Just need to be flexible. It’s just like playing kites, you know when to let go, when to hold back. If you hold too tight, it would snapped, if you hold to loose, you lost it….