Tara's Milestone @ 10 months

The baby finally knows how to crawl properly. Some knocks expected, as she's still trying to learn how to coodinate her limbs. She always wants to start crawling, but unaware that one of her hand is still stuck under her leg. Some crying expected, but it's part of the "learning" process. Last week, she even had 2 bruises on her forehead.

Her crawling also posed another "problem" for me and Bob. We can't sit down and watch TV in peace! Okay, at the most 10 minutes and we will be chasing after her, because she will be rummaging through drawers, tugging at the newspaper or trying to poke her hand into the fan.. it never ends. No amount of toys would keep her occupied. She will be so interested in the surroundings, and especially drawn to the fan. Was telling my mum that a couple of months ago, I'm still wondering why she hasn't start crawling, but now, maybe a bit later is better.

I wonder once she start walking... Whoa! I can't imagine! She also starting to pull herself up to stand. And she would pull at anything. The sofa, the table, our hands, our legs, and embarrasingly, sometimes, my top. I'm talking about loose fitting kind of top where a little tugging is enough to give a free show to anyone who's fast enough to catch a glimpse. And I'm talking about a public place where she always gets some attention (either her big doe eyes or her shiny little head).

The baby also starting to talk in gibberish, alot! I guess she's trying to engaged in a conversation with us, except we don't understand a word she's gibbering. But it's funny sometimes. She's also starting to bite. The day before Bob left for KL, she gave him a "love" bite on his wrist. Bob, was just like a kid, showing me the redness on his wrist, complaining that the baby had bitten him, at the same time trying to hide the grin on his face without success. Funny Daddy, think he's a masochist. I've also got a few bites from her. My shoulder, my hand, my leg.

The baby can now follow simple commands. She will clap hands when we say "pai pai shou" (clap hands), wave bye bye when we say and wave "bye bye", kiss us when we say "kiss", lean herself towards me when I say "hug hug". Sometimes, when she's in a good mood, she will crawl towards me when I beckon her to. When I say "wash hand", she will search around for her purple basin, and when placed next to her, she will put her hand into the water, waiting for me to help her clean. It's so cute.

Another 1.5 months to her first birthday. Time really flies....

What my birthday means....

Your Birthdate: May 22

While sometimes employing unorthodox approaches, you are capable of handling large scale undertakings. You assume great responsibility and work long and hard toward completion. Often, especially in the early part of life, there is rigidity or stubbornness, and a tendency to repress feelings. Idealistic, you work for the greater good with a good deal of inner strength and charisma. An extremely capable organizer, but likely to paint with broad strokes rather than detail. You are very aware and intuitive. You are subject to a good deal of nervous tension.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

hmmz.. so untrue! hiak hiak hiak...

Privilege or Right?

Over the years, I've heard a lot of stories of how children hate or blame their parents for not sending them overseas for further education. Most of the time, the parents wasn't able to afford the high expenses of sending their children overseas, and sometimes, of other reasons.

Their parents brought them to this world, fed them, clothe them, provide them the basic education (up to tertiary at least!). They work really hard to provide for the family and yet, they still get blamed for being unable to send their children overseas? I mean, what's wrong with these people! How ungrateful they are. I really wonder if they will in turn provide the same amount of care and provide for their parents when they get old. They have the cheek to demand and even hate their parents?! These people make me angry.

If they really have the capabilities of going for further studies, they can either get a scholarship, or get a bank loan and pay off themselves when they start working after they got their "toilet paper". Don't demand from parents! Even if they have loads of money, they have the choice of giving it to the child, or keeping it for themselves. What makes him / her think that they can use THEIR money, which him / her have most probably used a lot for the past 18 to 20 years. To me, these people are just spoilt and narrow minded. They are so used to getting what they want. Hello! It's a privilege ok!!

Grrrr... they really make my blood boil. I wonder if they still know what is respect and fillial piety. For those people who are hating their parents, please, one day, if your parents are 6 feet underground, you can sit beside their graves and go on blaming them.

Cheaper

Baby: *Coughing*

Daddy: How I wish I'm the sick one.

Mummy: (Aww...) Why leh? You don't like to see her suffer is it?

Daddy: No lah, I see doctor only $20. She see docter $70 leh!

Mummy: ..............

Long Awaited Family Day

It's been quite a while since we had our last family day. As in the 3 of us family day. Everytime I saw other young couples bringing their kiddos out, I'm so envious. I was so looking forward to it that I left office as soon as I've done my stuff.

Bob decided to bring us out for high tea and we went Hilton's Checkers cafe. $26++ per person. Variety not much, well, it's $26 after all. But the food quite yummy. The satays especially, taste just like the ones I've had at my favourite stall in Pasir Panjang. Didn't really tasted the cakes because I'm so full, and stomach so bloated, I look like I'm 6 mths pregnant. But I did get to eat a Green Tea Cake and it's so awful! I almost puke man...

Very cranky Tara

We went to Hard Rock to check out the area for Tara's 1st birthday bash, looks pretty good, but my experience with them wasn't that good so far. I hope the service will not be as bad on the day itself. We shop around Forum and saw this red doggie kiddy ride. Tara's first time on a kiddy ride, she had to stand and hold the wheel. It was so cute. Saw a shop with nice baby clothes, will keep it in mind when I go shopping for clothes for Tara's birthday bash.

Tara on the doggie kiddy ride

At Toys R' Us

The little devil

Bob got bored after a while, and was giving me a can-we-go-home kind of look though it's only 2 hours! I mean the hi-tea and the shopping was only 2 hours and he wanted to go home, it was so disappointing. There I was, so happy that this long awaited family day finally arrived and he don't share my sentiments. Pretty pissed also, if it's with his parents, he would happily bring them wherever they want. Sometimes, I really hate going out with him.

Looking pathetically bored

Anyway, we went to Cold Storage to get some groceries for today. I totally love their shopping carts, it comes with a baby seat, which was useful as Tara had fallen asleep so we strapped her on it. Got a little attention from the other shoppers, guess they seldom see a baby sleeping so soundly on a shopping cart before.

Not so happy family day, but it's better than nothing. Just hope that we will have a better one next week. I hope...

Tonight's Dinner

Tonight's dinner, a good mix of meat, spaghetti and vegetables. Taste? 6 out of 10. Guess I've gotta learn how to make a good sauce for the steak.

13 going on 30

Last week, I had a movie marathon. Started with "Meeting the Fockers", followed by "13 goint on 30" and finally "Ocean Twelve".

"13 going on 30", very enjoyable show. It's about this girl, wishing that she could be 30 years old instead of 13, with bigger boobs and stuff. So on her 13th birthday, after some unhappy events, she made her wish, opened her eyes and found that she indeed had turned 30.

But when she was 30, she found out about the nasty things she had done to gain popularity, fame and $$, and in the end, lose the guy whom she loved. So she wished that she could go back to 13 again.

She reminded me of myself. Many times, I hope I can turn back time. I hope to do those things that should have been done and avoid things that should not have happen. I wish I can go back to schooling days when all I need to worry is my studies. I wish, I wish... but there's no way to turn back time. But then again, I tell myself it's a blessing in disguise. I might not marry my husband if I had not met assholes before. Now I have a very happy family, a loving husband, whom I can always rely on and my sweet darling, whom makes me happy everyday.

Anyway, back to the movie, in the end, the girl wished she would become 13 all over again and how do you think the story end? Well, happily ever after loh.... Very nice show, I don't mind watching it again... hehe..

My YBIL - Photoshop and all..

I've been trying to learn photoshop. There's so many photos I need to enhance and edit before I send them for print again. Those photos were scanned from the hardcopy, so you can imagine the quality.

I learnt, I tried, I failed. My colleagues will run miles away when they saw me approaching with glint in my eye. They are sick of me, asking them endless questions on how to use the photoshop. In the end, I gave up, and started doing other stuff instead.

Until one day, my saviour, in the form of my younger brother-in-law (let's call him YBIL) came. He's a graphics design-based guy, but now doing more on directing photoshoot (wow, how cool is that!). He lived in KL but was here doing the weekend visiting his folks, who are staying at my place.

The day he arrived, he brought a super cool Canon camera, those kind that professionals use, and started taking photos of my little girl. That night, I download the pictures, wow! Why do I still need to send my girl to those photo studio, when there's a professional right in front of me.



He also showed me and Bob some of the stuff he did back home. The photos taken were okay quality (as compared to magazines lah) but after his magic hands did the editing, it's so NICE! I grabbed the chance to ask him how to do editing on those photos that I chucked aside.

I chose one, where the face details was overexposed, as in the light was so bright on our faces that we can't see where's our nose. My YBIL just did a rough editing, to show me how it's done and the effect was "WOW"!! Bear in mind it's rough editing leh! But he was too fast with his shortcut keys and the clicking. I can't catch up. Too bad I can't sit down and learn from him that night, as I still need to take care of Tara.

*Top photo before photoshop, bottom after photoshop, notice the size of my mouth? Yup! He made it smaller.. hehe*

Haiz, still have to rely on myself, eventually.......

Pandan - Where my Childhood Memories are..

Brought Tara to Mum's place this morning, as usual, I will meet Mum at the coffeeshop and as usual, I will order a bowl of kuey teow mee soup. But today, I didn't have the appetite so decided to take something light. I sat there for more than 10 mins, not knowing what to order. All the food there are either too oily or too heavy. Looked around and saw the pastry shop. Hey! The last time I ate their pastry curry puffs was years ago! Happily, I walked to the shop. After so many years.. the uncle looked older, and more skinny but still full of energy. The curry puffs selling at 60 cents only. 60 cents! Where else can I find nice and yummy pastry curry puffs at 60 cents? I wonder how the Uncle survived with the little bread he sold everyday. My heart ached for him. Hoping to help, I ask him how many puffs he makes everyday. I ordered 20 and he said I had to place order 2 days in advance. For 20? I can imagine how difficult it is for him to survive. I'm not sure if the money he makes a day or a month is enough for the rent. I arranged to collect the order on Thursday. Uncle did not even give me a receipt, guess there's no need for one, and just told me to remember to collect. I left the shop, promising myself I will try to come back if I should need pastries.

I still remember the Uncle had to help me take the puffs because I was too small then, to reach the rack. Now, the same girl has grown up and a mother of one already. The memories of my childhood came flooding back.

I lived at Pandan all my life. Mum said we've been staying there since I was less than one year old. They always say, how old I am means the number of years we've been living at Pandan. I grew up in a "concrete jungle". Alot of people told me about kampong life, how much fun it was staying at kampong, and some said how hard life was then. They said my life is good, I lived in flats, where water is just a turn of the tap, and heat is just the flick of a switch. I would reply them, how I was brought up, in what kind of environment, is not up to me to choose. Yes, even though I don't have the fun and "freedom" those kampong people have, I do have my own kind of fun and my own set of fond memories.

As I've mentioned, I lived in Pandan all my life, hence my memories revolved around this area. I still remember how I learnt cycling at the walkway down my block, my brother's friend, Gene, taught me. My brother and I would catch rats or other small insects in those small concrete drains. We even named one rat Suzy. I had dislocated my left elbow at the playground. Mum told me even Chinese sinsehs were not willing to treat me, because of my young age. Hence I was sent to the hospital, where the doctor cast it up. One month later, the cast was removed and my arm no longer look the same. I'm not sure if it's a "mistake" on the doctor's part? Did they fixed it back wrongly? It didn't affect my life as a whole, just that it's pretty obvious and lots of people ask me what happen. I had to repeat the story again and again. My dear hubby even call me a "boomerang", how cruel can that be? Years ago, I was attending a tutorial class on the bone structure of the human body. I asked the lecturer about my case and he told me most probably, the doctor could not fix the elbow back, that's why it looks like this now. I'm not convinced but what can I say.

I remember there was once, my brother and I went to the shops a few blocks away to buy some stuff, we were stopped by those Christian Evangelists. They spoke to us for more than an hour, trying to convince us to join their church. We were so young then, we didn't know what to do so we sat there and listen. When we finally reach home, Mum was waiting for us with a cane. She was worried sick when we didn't reach home earlier, of course, we got the caning.

Whenever Mum brought us to the coffeeshop, my brother would always order his "kek huey" (chrysanthemum) and I would order my "dao ni" (soya bean). I'm not sure if we particularly like the drink but it's one of the first hokkien I learnt to speak.

There was once, we were playing in a group, which include my cousin, my brother and my uncle (couple months younger than me, but higher in "rank"). We saw a suitcase at the void deck and playfully, we open it up. To our horror, a snake sprang up and stare at us! And it's a bloody cobra. We ran and hide, and I can't remember what happen later. Initially, I thought it was a dream but I verified with brother and my younger uncle and realised it actually did happen. How dangerous! We are a group of young, ignorant and defenseless kids facing a poisonous cobra. It was lucky that all of us got away unscathed.

The Pandan reservoir was a few minutes away from my flat. I ever went there for a run with my neighbours. Hell, it was such a tiring and endless jog. That was the first and last time I made a full round at the reservoir. I even did stupid stuff, being young and ignorant, I profess my undying love for a cute guy who's staying the next block. Together with Suyan and the other friends, we threw this love note into the "sea" (the reservior lah). Jian'an (cute guy) dived in to get the note, I jumped in too, trying to snatch it back. Someone shouted at us to get out of the water and we start running away, we thought he was trying to catch us.

I still remember my "playmates". Windy, Jane and Joy.. my neighbours. I used to sit at the steps of their house and talk to them. Sometimes when I'm lucky, Uncle will let me in to the house to play with them. They owned toys that I don't and I love to play with them. They have since shifted to a condominium when I was in Secondary, I think.

There's lots of other fond memories of staying at Pandan. Though it might not be as fun as the kampong people might say, but it's another kind of enjoyment that the kampong people will not understand. Every shop, every tree, every bench, everything.. has a special place in my heart. I'm no longer living there, shifted out after I got married. Years after I've shifted out, I still feel I'm part of the place. It's the place I grew up, it's the place I call "home"..

September Gathering

This month's gathering was held at Vivian's house. Simple and nice layout, something I like. Everytime when I look at other people's home and knowing that it's an "er ren shi jie" place, makes me feel so warm, and yet envious at the same time. I know I will not have that kind of "enjoyment" again.

Anyway, Davin (Vivian's hubby) is so friendly and nice. He talked to us quite a bit and even came out of his room to greet Audrey when she came later part of the night. That's nice... How many hubbies can do this kind of thing?

We browse through Vivian's wedding photos. She told us they spent $10k overall!!!! That's a shock man! Even spending $8k is way too much but $10k!! Oh gawd! They are rich, man! But I can guess why. The photos are so well taken! If it's me, I think I would want to buy all the photos too. But guess who will say no?

Cyrus was so mischievous last night, all the other kids received some "nice ones" from him. Tara was slapped by him a few times too. Guess Cindy really find him hard to handle, she finally could not take it no more and gave him a hard slap on his face. Poor Cyrus, it must have been so painful. But as a parent myself, I understand what Cindy is going through. But dear gal, hang on there, I'm sure Cyrus will grow out of this phase very soon. I remember Ron & Jan's boy was like that too, when he was at this age, but the last time I saw him, he was about 3 years old, and have mellowed down a lot.

I gave the gift to Jaime, I'm not sure but I guess she likes it. It's my first "scrapbook". I'm also introducing the craft to sis, who's just like me, very into crafts kind of stuff. I'm sure she will picked the hobby real soon, then I'll have a scrapping buddy! Scrapping alone is pretty boring. There will be a day where I will run out of layout ideas and I will definitely need someone to help me. With a scrap buddy, we can give ideas to each other. So fun!

Anyway, will continue with this entry later, cos Bob driving me today and waiting downstairs now. =). Nice weekend!

Mummy & Tara

Same eyes, same nose.. Me and my baby girl