5 weeks till school reopens. There's so much I want to do but while the spirit is willing, the flesh is oh, so very weak. Some parents are really very good; they spend so much time, effort and energy on their kids. It's not that I don't love my kids; it's

Musicals & Illnesses... Glad it's Both Over... For Now...

So Dunearnite's over... I got really sick and was down with fever and tonsillitis for about 5 days right after Dunearnite. Haha. I survived though although at times I felt like I would never get better. To make things worse, Fuddin was down with the fever as well and I was too weak to take care of him at all. It was my parents who rescued me in the end (as always) as they valiantly nursed my poor son back to health. As for me, I had my devoted other half who took such good care of me that I felt really bad making him work so hard. Still, I suppose when you're down and out, only then you realize that the people who really love you are the ones who take care of you despite the limitations they themselves face. To my parents and An, thank you. I am forever indebted to your kindness, understanding and unconditional love you shower upon me.

I've got some pics of Dunearnite here but they ain't that great. Still, the fact that everyone was raving about what a great show it was was well, great. Everyone really worked hard and deserve to know that yes, we did put up a marvellous show. So guys (cast, crew, teachers, etc.), have your well deserved rest. You people deserve it.



Sad to say, other than surviving my illness, I haven't done much. We brought Ayra to her best friend, Marissa's birthday party on Sat but I seemed to have deleted the photos. She had a great time though with all her friends (and a magic show!). Fuddin has been enjoying his once a week theraphy with Teacher Rozi and we have been busy scouting around for the toys, materials she needs to teach him. She says he's been making progress and I'm really glad.



I haven't been cooking much coz I was so sick but my life will resume now that I'm better. I started jogging again last night and will be cooking soon. I also want to clean the house, organize our and the childrens' wardrobe, change the world... haha... yes, as you can see I am pretty ambitious.

About 5 weeks till school reopens. I will not waste my time away.

Cooking, Jogging... what next?

So Roshan and I were discussing what to cook last Sunday. After tossing a few possibilities, we finally decided on the simplest. Fish and chips! It's not your typical chef's delight but hey, be kind to the couple who never used to cook, huh? This Sunday's meal will be a simple one coz I'll be home late after the musical on Sat. Any ideas, anyone?



Finally brought the kids swimming after many botched attempts. Fuddin, as usual, had a ball of a time, purposely submerging his whole body and head into the water and then, just as quickly, try and get himself out of it. It's pretty hilarious really. Ayra as usual, would pretend that she's really swimming. It doesn't matter really as long as she's happy doing it.



As for my dear An, he's finally back to work today after a 2 week hiatus. I hope it's not too tough on him. We've spent so much time together these past 2 weeks that it actually feels weird to not have him around all the time. We've even taking up jogging! Incredulous! Haha.

For me, there's really not much on my mind now except for the musical. For Pete's sake, the songs are constantly being played in my head. I'm totally consumed.

Alright, till I next blog, wish me loads of luck for "The Sound of Music".

Complexities of Life...

Why do people change? I guess when circumstances change, when dilemma strikes, when you survive a rough patch... all these will affect you.

When some people commented earlier in the year that I've changed, I didn't see it but now that I'm actually observing others, I suppose one person can observe change in another person.

They say a leopard can't change it's spot but now I disagree. Some people I know have changed (for better or for worse) so much that they are just a shadow of who they were before.

Humans are such complex creatures. Sometimes I wish I don't have to deal with them. It's just that I don't know how to react. Am I expected to play along? Am I supposed to say something? I really am clueless.

Well, I suppose that's life. You learn from your mistakes, make sure you don't repeat them and hope you die happy. It sux but that's just the way it is.

I am not one to sugar coat my views. I take my problems one day at a time. I am who I am. Yes, I make mistakes and I'm trying my best to make up for them but I'm human too. I have problems to face everyday as well, just like you. I'm sorry if I come across as unfeeling, obnoxious, self-centred and crass. It may seem like I'm not trying but I am. I am not making excuses for myself. I am difficult... for that I apologize.

Me, a cook???!!!

An and I had a talk the other day about how we don't have a common interest. We started brainstorming ideas on what we could enjoy doing together and we came up with cooking. Neither of us are very good cooks but we love to experiment and our standards are not very high so we decided, why not? I proudly told my mom that she doesn't have to cook on Sundays anymore.

We started off with Tom Yam last Sunday and this week it was pizza!



Doesn't look too bad huh? We had too many ingredients loaded on the pizzas but who cares? Even my usually critical mom thought it was alright. sis also came over and ate a few slices. So the point of it all is that I can cook. Hehe. Simple stuff for sure but edible yah? Next week, we plan to cook up Chinese style cuisine but we'll see how it goes.

And where was Fuddin in the midst of all this excitement. Haha. He was oblivious, enjoying his afternoon nap. This was when he just got up, groggy and very moody! Hee.



I'm also glad to announce that Fuddin is more experimental with the food he eats now. In the past week or so, he has eaten food that he normally wouldn't even give a second look. Now that we've cut off snacks from his diet, he doesn't have much choice but to eat whatever is given to him. Poor boy... no wonder he's always in a bad mood now. Still, it's healthier for him.

MMI Concert 2008

Yup, the much anticipated day finally came. Ayra was clearly excited and raring to go. After putting on her costume and applying some light make up for her, we were off. We were a bit late and Ayra was really worried but it all turned out fine. By 2 pm, An and I were seated in our first row seats!

After the graduands received their scrolls, it was her turn! Ayra and her emcee partner started the ball rolling.



Ayra was clearly nervous but she pulled through and said her lines well. I was so proud of my little girl.

Then we watched the other performances by her peers. Those kids are really energetic, that's for sure.



Then it was Ayra's turn with the dance number "Kathala Kanalley". I thought the dance was really good and well choreographed although some might label me biased. (Hopefully I can get the video uploaded soon).

Soon it was over and it was time for the grand finale.



When it was all over, we had to brave the crowd in order to "collect" her. In the midst of the chaos, we managed to snap a photo of ayra with some of her classmates.



Then I realized that we hadn't taken a photo with my little superstar so we quickly posed by the car before we got in and zoomed off. Phew. such a mad rush to escape the crowd!



We went to Suntec and finally Ayra had a quiet moment to sit down and eat! I had brought along a change of clothes but Ayra was happy walking around in her costume so I thought if Ayra isn't bothered, why should I be? It was quite funny seeing people's eyes widen when they saw her and the way the looked at me, wondering why in the world I would dress my child up like that. Haha.



So that's it. Another year before the next and final MMI Concert. Till then, life returns to normal for the CCK MMI preschoolers.

To the Science Centre

I suddenly had the urge to go to the Science Centre last Friday so off we went; me, An & Ayra. We've brought the kids there once or twice before but every visit is different but equally fun! We had a great time trying out all the exhibits, especially father and daughter. I was not as enthusiastic as they were. They even teamed up to play a few games. Such spirit! Anyway, Ayra claimed it was a great trip and she is looking forward to coming back soon. Long live the Singapore Science Centre.

Birthday...

Hmm, so my birthday came and went. It was quite uneventful really, just had lunch with An and then spent it at home with the kids. The day before was Deepavali and my whole family gathered to eat mom's super delicious corn rice. We even had a cake. For those who sent me SMSes and wished me a happy birthday, Thank You... and for those who went a step further and bought me gifts, I do appreciate it a lot. Thanks everyone.

Other than that, we didn't really do much. An has been on MC for the past few days. The doc gave him 10 days MC for the op he had on his elbow so we've been hanging around, enjoying each other's company. I was telling him that it'll be painful for him to go back to work after such a long break. Indeed.





As for me, I've been going to work but at odd hours. The Dunearnite rehearsals go full swing next week. Busy, busy, busy. Here's the makeup we bought for the cast of Dunearnite. $500 worth!



I've also bought a nice (and cheap) dress for the gala performance but there's still so much to be done. Everybody is pitching in so I'm really grateful for all the help. Those of you who still wants tickets, they are still up for grabs at $20 each.

Alright, gotta go. I need to do work. I'm a woman on a mission. Got to do as much as I can before I go off at 2pm. Gonna bring Ayra to the Science Centre most probably. Tomorrow is her concert day. Exciting!!!

Long, boring weekend.

Went to Delifrancewith the girls on Friday before we had to rush back to school for a meeting. I had a nice tuna sandwich. I don't know why but I'm into tuna sandwiches now. It's not that fattening (I think) and it fills me up.

Boring Weekend

Long, boring weekend.

Went to Delifrance with the girls on Friday before we had to rush back to school for a meeting. I had a nice tuna sandwich. I don't know why but I'm into tuna sandwiches now. It's not that fattening (I think) and it fills me up.



Fetched Ayra home on Saturday after her class and guess where we went? Delifrance again! Sheordered the chicken wings kid's set and I didn't have anything (or so I thought) coz the foreign waiter couldn't really speak or understand English and I ended up with a cup of hot chocolate. Ayrawas nice enough to finish that up for me though.

Didn't do much the rest of the weekend. Moped around, folded clothes, slept at the couch... boring! Watched Valentino Rossi win the race at the Sepang trackthough. He's a true world champion.

Brought Fuddin to the void deck for a while. Poor boy. We should bring him out more often. We will. We will. He's really hyper and mischievous now but I think it's healthy. He's growing up. Give him some space.



Another week of school and then school officially closes but it's only the beginning for me. Yup, Dunearnite is coming. I won't complain. It's a challenge.

Me and An wanna go for a mini trip so badly. We'll see. Ayra wants to tag along. Maybe just to Batam. Economical, 45 minutes by ferry and cheap shopping... sounds good. Haha. Yeah, we're cheap like that. Shoot us.

Alright, gonna get on with my week. Like they say, "Time waits for no man, much lest me."

Sick but Happy!

And so I nearly died on Tuesday and most of Wednesday. From the cold! Yes, the dreaded fever came or more accurately; tonsillitis. I haven't had real solid food for 2 days! I miss food! The good thing is I have already lost a kilogram... hehe.

Roshan had to work but he's really sweet. He took good care of me when he was around. Seriously, I am a nightmarish Medusa-like monster when I am ill and only he can tolerate and cater to me when I am very ill. No one loves me like he does; that I know now.

It was his birthday yesterday. He had to work and I was half dead so there was no celebration, right? Wrong! Armed with a 39.5 degrees celsius fever and my daughter, I attempted the impossible! A trip on the MRT to Westmall to get a Swenson's ice cream cake for hubby! Ayra also wanted to get him a gift and she ended up buying him a flower with a glass bear holding it. Haha. I wanted her to get him a towel but she insisted so I gave in. Roshan had to pretend to be really excited about the gift. Haha. Poor man.

We then went home (it was raining). After doing up the food hamper and putting our birthday cards to him in it as well, I took my meds and crashed for an hour or so. At 4.30 pm, I slowly opened my eyes! I was sweaty and hot! No fever! Woohoo! My throat was sore as hell though but who cares? I could function. Hello World!

An finally reached home about 8.15 pm and we had our little celebration, complete with mock champagne and strawberries. So who says I can't plan a good birthday? Even when I was sick, I did a pretty good job. Imagine what I could have done if I was healthy!



An oh! I must rave about my hubby's birthday gift to me. He bought me a Coach wristlet. Sweet! I love!



Okay, I'm getting delirious. I think it's the remnants of the fever. I will attempt to swallow a little bit of solid food down my very sore throat after this. I am Hungry!!!

To my beloved,

Happy Birthday.
I'm Yours for Life.
I Adore You.
No More Worries...Ever.

Defying the Stars.

I refuse to give in
and let my worries dictate my life

I will count my blessings and accept the fact
that problems are challenges
and are lessons in life,
Not the end of my life.

I defy you Destiny.
I defy you Stars.
Come what may.
I stand strong.

Another Raya Weekend

Another Raya weekend. I hope it's the last. I know of some people who are really hard core about visiting friends and relatives during the whole of this festive period but I'm not like that. Neither is my family. We only do the basics and when we're still visiting the second week of raya, it really is quite a big deal.

So on Saturday, Ayra skipped religious classes coz her cough was acting up so we brought her to the doc's instead. In the afternoon, Marissa and her mom finally came over! Ayra was really excited and promptly brought her bestie to her room.



Then on Sunday, Auntie Rozie came over for Fuddin's class. He seems to be warming up to her so I'm really glad.

Then we had to get ready to go visit Baby Eryna! Yes, the new addition to the Chik's family. She's as cute as a button! So cute that even my mom says she doesn't mind if I have another baby provided it's a girl. I simply snorted and said "Never again." Haha. For sure. I love babies but to have 3 children when I can't even handle 2 is one IMPOSSIBLE feat.



Then we were off to my sister's place. Although my sis is like me and can't really cook (especially traditional dishes), she had whipped out a very tasty meal of fried rice, chicken wings, garlic bread, samosas and my mom's favorite, cheng teng! I think I ate too much which is why I'm never eating again (haha) but it was a good lunch. Her usually spotless place was turned into a disaster area in no time at all, complete with screaming children ranging from about to to 14! I also met Baby the cat (our ancient 18 year old cat) who seems considerably older and thinner this time round. He's still cute though. Then in the evening, we made our way to Kak Tijah's house as Ayra demanded to see her favorite kakak. Fuddin was kicking up a fuss by then so he stayed home with my mom and dad. By the time it was all over, it was 10pm and I heaved a sigh of relief as I plonked myself in bed and had my well deserved rest.



So today is Monday. The graduating classes are back so I actually have to go to class to teach! Like why do they come back? Seriously, I don't understand. There's really nothing much the teachers can do in 3 days. Stay home and mug!

Alright, I'm off. Here's a pic of my two favorite boys to cheer myself up before I go to class.



Adios.

Aidilfitri 08

Ok here goes; my all-in-one entry for Aidilfitri.

I won't bore everyone (and myself) with the details so I'll let the photos do most of the talking yah?

Ok bright and early, before we went over to my mom in law's place, I thought we would take a nice family photo. Easy right? Haha. So wrong.



As you can see, Fuddin had other ideas. Finally, after 4 botched attempts, we managed a fairly decent looking one. Hooray!



Off we were to Nenek Cik's house where An's side of the family gathered. This year, the kids are in the middle of exams so the celebrations were kept low key. They couldn't even come over for the customary dinner we whip up for them every Aidilfitri. I took some pics which were badly taken coz there was no flash so sadly, this is all I've got.



Anyway, I must mention here that my sister in law, Lin, is about to pop any moment now. It's so exciting. I do wish her all the best but she's a brave girl. She'll be fine.

Then we went back home coz Fuddin was grouchy as he had been up since 4am that morning. So he took a short nap (so did his father). when my siblings came over with their families, it was a
riot (in a good sort of way of coz).



Then we were off to Pak Long and Mak Anjang's house. It was good seeing them after so long but Fuddin was really acting up so we stripped him to singlets and shorts but he was still unhappy so we didn't stay too long.



We got home pretty early so An took yet another nap as he had the sniffles while I took care of the kids and folded clothes! Haha. How glam! At 7 plus, we decided to pop by Kak Ruby's house but not to Kak Tijah's house as Anissa was sititng for her PSLE English paper on Friday.

And that was basically it. My uneventful Hari Raya. I am proud to say that I didn't cry (while seeking forgiveness) and smudge my mascara till the last moment... blame my sis in law... All in all, it was a not so tiring but meaningful Aidilfitri. I'm glad. Ok now for some other pics.

Here's the two loves of my life trying hard to get along and pose for the camera. Aren't they absolutely adorable? And then there's cheeky Yusuf posing pretty as well.



To finish off the first day events, here's me and my beloved. An has lost like tons of weight the last two months so he's not as camera shy now. Haha.



Then on Thursday, the second day of Aidilfitri my colleagues and I had a mini gathering at school.N othing fancy. We just pot lucked our Raya goodies and presto! A party was born. Of course, mini me didn't want to miss out on the action and since she had no school that day, she made an appearance.



Alright, almost done. Now I just wanna end off with a little self indulgence.

Compare specimen 1 and 2. Spot the similarities. LOL.



Ok Phew! Enough. I'm going back to the real world. See ya.

My Little Diva...

It's a custom for us to buy stuff for our kids with the "Hari Raya" collection money they received. I know it sounds mean but really, it's economical and the kids get a sense of satisfaction, knowing that they've "earned" and bought their own stuff. We bought some electronic toys for Fuddin which he dismissed at first sight (but actually interested in). As for Ayra, you have to see it to
believe it.



Haha! She is really a Diva in the making isn't she? It's scary sometimes to see how much she's evolved - into ME! Horrors of horrors!

Siqqi is 3!

It was Siqqi Syahmi's 3rd birthday yesterday. We went over with presents and a "Power Ranger" cake to have a mini celebration. I know how much little children LOVE to blow birthday candles (I wonder why) so I just had to make his day.

Here's to the very cute Siqqi. Bibik Rina and everyone else in the family loves you Baby!