The few days since I last wrote a post here have been busy ones. We made numerous trips to several tile shops to get some tiles for our new home. Many that we saw didn't seem to hit the nail on the head and after much looking around and consideration, we finally placed orders for the ones we decided on yesterday. We also visited the Homedec (home reno & deco) exhibition at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Saturday afternoon, leaving Caitlin at my bro's home with my parents, nephew baby Ryan and sis-in-law Ee Ling.
She was okay to be rid of us since Pa had brought along from Seremban two stray pups that we've 'adopted', one of which Caitlin has said she wants as her own. She's named her Jenna (remember, all her friends, pets etc must be female!) after Jenna the husky in Balto) and the male one Chestnut (after the great dane in a movie by the same name).
Eugene and I spent over three hours at Homedec but did not commit to purchasing anything from there. Our home is currently undergoing minor renovation to the wet kitchen, front porch and we're also painting some walls and addding more power sockets. Once this phase is done, we'll move on to fitting in the kitchen cabinets, fixing the iron grilles, autogate, lights and airconds, and all the other minor fittings like curtains etc. Then only we can move in bit by bit. Date of moving? Big question mark. We are not setting any dates. We live one day at a time.
On Sunday, we treated Caitlin to the latest kids' movie, Madagascar 2, at TGV KLCC. She enjoyed herself thoroughly with popcorn and water, while bopping about on her seat and laughing crazily at the funny parts.
Over the weekend, we also missed my car Elmo which was admitted to 'hospital' on Friday. The thermostat went bust without me realising it. I usually drive short distances around our home and did not notice the engine overheating. When I did and sent it to the workshop, enough damage had been done to present Eugene with a hefty repair bill of over RM4K! :(
We have spent a lot on unexpected things plus home reno this month. We expect to spend a lot next month too with a trip to Langkawi which was planned with Eugene's family months ago, Christmas, Caitlin's entry to primary school (uniform, shoes, books, supplies), home reno and moving.... I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Eugene's year-end bonus will help ease the cash flow.
There are many things on my to-do list these days with all these happening. Luckily, Caitlin is still going to school these two weeks for a holiday 'camp'. December will see us spending time with both sides of the family. Mine with my elder bro and his family visiting for two weeks from the US, and Eugene's with the Langkawi trip and Christmas. We also have an Orientation Day to attend in December at Caitlin's new school.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Hurray, hurray, it's a holi-holiday!
Yippee! Today's the last day of school for 2008! Caitlin's in party mood. Last night we made some brownies for her to take to school today for her class party. School is dismissing early today and all the kids can wear their favourite party clothes to school instead of their uniform.
The teachers are in party mood too. This morning, at the daily morning assembly where they sing fun songs to start off the day, their songs were even catchier and all the teachers and kids were grooving away. What a nice way to start off the day and celebrate the start of the holidays.
Caitlin will however continue to go to school the next two weeks for a fun and activity-filled holiday camp. The highlight of the camp is an excursion to Aquaria KLCC. I can imagine all the fun she'll have. It makes me nostalgic to recall my schooldays and how much fun my classmates and I had on the last day of school.
Since we were in primary/secondary school, we still had to wear our uniforms but we had really fun parties. We were always excited, bringing party food, board and card games and toys, and we'd decorate the entire classroom with streamers and draw nice pictures and patterns with coloured chalk on the board. When our class teacher arrives, we start the fun with food and games and have a jolly good time joking, talking, and exchanging autographs. Aah, those were the fun, carefree days.
See how Caitlin's school set the mood for today. The video quality is rather poor because I had not planned to stay on after sending her and didn't go prepared with a proper camera. The shot was from a balcony upstairs hence the bird's eye view. See if you can spot Caitlin bopping about in her light green halter neck with striped tights and marine blue ribbon on her hair (she's got weird sense of fashion). After she dressed herself up, she proudly paraded in front of the mirror and said, "Wow, I look like a fashion model..." That's Caitlin!
The teachers are in party mood too. This morning, at the daily morning assembly where they sing fun songs to start off the day, their songs were even catchier and all the teachers and kids were grooving away. What a nice way to start off the day and celebrate the start of the holidays.
Caitlin will however continue to go to school the next two weeks for a fun and activity-filled holiday camp. The highlight of the camp is an excursion to Aquaria KLCC. I can imagine all the fun she'll have. It makes me nostalgic to recall my schooldays and how much fun my classmates and I had on the last day of school.
Since we were in primary/secondary school, we still had to wear our uniforms but we had really fun parties. We were always excited, bringing party food, board and card games and toys, and we'd decorate the entire classroom with streamers and draw nice pictures and patterns with coloured chalk on the board. When our class teacher arrives, we start the fun with food and games and have a jolly good time joking, talking, and exchanging autographs. Aah, those were the fun, carefree days.
See how Caitlin's school set the mood for today. The video quality is rather poor because I had not planned to stay on after sending her and didn't go prepared with a proper camera. The shot was from a balcony upstairs hence the bird's eye view. See if you can spot Caitlin bopping about in her light green halter neck with striped tights and marine blue ribbon on her hair (she's got weird sense of fashion). After she dressed herself up, she proudly paraded in front of the mirror and said, "Wow, I look like a fashion model..." That's Caitlin!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Gym class
Yesterday was the last gym class at school for Caitlin since it's the school holidays next week and also Caitlin will be leaving the school for her new one next year. Her gym teacher Mr Chan, wrote his phone number on all the palms of the kids for them to contact him to remain friends. How sweet and cute. Caitlin copied the number down on a piece of paper which she plans to keep safe (I hope).
I asked her if she had fun at gym and she boasted of how well she performed. She said she "really focused, and did the forward roll and landed very well"...and everyone said "Wah..." Then she continued telling me that everyone else did well except for N, a girl in her class who is bordering on obesity. She said "N needs to practise a little more because she is fat. Mr Chan had to help her by pushing her 'bum bum'!"
I couldn't help but laugh actually. But I also had to tell her what should her appropriate thoughts be on that. Aiyo...my kid...I truly hope she will not grow up to be the typical know-it-all, full-of-herself, only-child kind of kid (no offence meant to anyone in particular who is an only child). Sigh, that's where the effort and skills in parenting come in I guess.
I asked her if she had fun at gym and she boasted of how well she performed. She said she "really focused, and did the forward roll and landed very well"...and everyone said "Wah..." Then she continued telling me that everyone else did well except for N, a girl in her class who is bordering on obesity. She said "N needs to practise a little more because she is fat. Mr Chan had to help her by pushing her 'bum bum'!"
I couldn't help but laugh actually. But I also had to tell her what should her appropriate thoughts be on that. Aiyo...my kid...I truly hope she will not grow up to be the typical know-it-all, full-of-herself, only-child kind of kid (no offence meant to anyone in particular who is an only child). Sigh, that's where the effort and skills in parenting come in I guess.
Normal?
My mornings this week have been totally taken up with errands to get things going for our new home. At first, we hoped to move in by November but it's definitely not happening now. The defects have yet to be fully fixed by the developer. We have hit a snag for the slightly uneven flooring upstairs as the developer's sub-contractor appears to be dragging their feet.
These days, my life revolves around making phone calls, dropping in to the site office, tile shops, kitchen fittings and other suppliers' premises. I sometimes wish I have a camper van as with all the driving around, I'd might as well live in my car. In between, I've to make sure lunch and dinner are ready, the laundry is done, and I'm keeping in time with Caitlin's schedule. Forget about tidying up or cleaning the floor. Our place is a real dump right now.
The phone calls and visits to the site office to enquire and get some commitment to an estimated date of completion for rectification of defects has been in vain so far. That's the problem when the developer is not one of the big players in the industry who has an image to maintain. But then again, if it were, we'd probably have paid double the price for that house in a prime location. As they say, you pay peanuts, you get monkeys but what to do, peanuts are all we can afford.
Multitasking is tiring when you have to do it everyday, non-stop for years. Sometimes I wish I am employed or running a full-time business. There's a salary or profit to earn, with sick leave, medical and other fringe benefits and paid holidays. As a stay-home mum, there's no income, you're on call 24/7 and you work come rain, shine, hail, sickness, for better or worse. It's a choice I had made, however, over three years ago. Family comes first and yes, there are rewards, the kisses and hugs from the kid, a healthier and happier child in all aspects, the jokes, teasing and tickles we share, the assurance that your child is safer to some extent instead of being transported to and from school and extra-curricular activities by strangers....so I guess, it's not right to compare apples with oranges.
There must be a balance however in the work that a stay-home mum does. She should have some personal time for herself, her own interests and pursuits. Easier said than done. I'm no supermum. There's no such thing as supermums in fact, in my humble opinion. You can't have it all, something's gotta give whether you choose to believe or live in denial of that fact.
I think working mums and dads have it easier to achieve the balance due to the nature of their lifestyle. They leave the house in the morning, focus on the job they've been employed to do, leave the workplace and 'switch modes' to become mum or dad when they get home and over weekends. Stay-home mums are always in mum-plumber-chauffeur-cook-cleaner-administrator-contractor-designer-disciplinarian-teacher-nurse-doctor-blogger-feelancer-grocery shopper-etc mode all at the same, same time all the time....
You know you are burnt out when all you crave for every other day is a long, long holiday in a far, faraway place with nothing but a book in bed or by the poolside all day, or spend the entire holiday luxuriating in a spa, not even shopping, sightseeing or other touristy stuff. You know you really need a break when all you crave for is good, tasty food cooked by someone other than yourself. A family holiday with spouse or kids or extended family is the last thing you'd dream of, as much as you love them and enjoy their company at 'normal' times.
That's why I always take my hat off to stay-home mums who have many kids and yet can manage to keep everything in place without the help of one or more maids and still have a somewhat perfectly balanced life...no hang-ups, character defects, grows old gracefully... Anyone like that out there who's willing to share her secret? I truly doubt. So I guess I'm normal...lah!
('lah' is a frequently-used adjunct-type word in Manglish aka Malaysian English).
These days, my life revolves around making phone calls, dropping in to the site office, tile shops, kitchen fittings and other suppliers' premises. I sometimes wish I have a camper van as with all the driving around, I'd might as well live in my car. In between, I've to make sure lunch and dinner are ready, the laundry is done, and I'm keeping in time with Caitlin's schedule. Forget about tidying up or cleaning the floor. Our place is a real dump right now.
The phone calls and visits to the site office to enquire and get some commitment to an estimated date of completion for rectification of defects has been in vain so far. That's the problem when the developer is not one of the big players in the industry who has an image to maintain. But then again, if it were, we'd probably have paid double the price for that house in a prime location. As they say, you pay peanuts, you get monkeys but what to do, peanuts are all we can afford.
Multitasking is tiring when you have to do it everyday, non-stop for years. Sometimes I wish I am employed or running a full-time business. There's a salary or profit to earn, with sick leave, medical and other fringe benefits and paid holidays. As a stay-home mum, there's no income, you're on call 24/7 and you work come rain, shine, hail, sickness, for better or worse. It's a choice I had made, however, over three years ago. Family comes first and yes, there are rewards, the kisses and hugs from the kid, a healthier and happier child in all aspects, the jokes, teasing and tickles we share, the assurance that your child is safer to some extent instead of being transported to and from school and extra-curricular activities by strangers....so I guess, it's not right to compare apples with oranges.
There must be a balance however in the work that a stay-home mum does. She should have some personal time for herself, her own interests and pursuits. Easier said than done. I'm no supermum. There's no such thing as supermums in fact, in my humble opinion. You can't have it all, something's gotta give whether you choose to believe or live in denial of that fact.
I think working mums and dads have it easier to achieve the balance due to the nature of their lifestyle. They leave the house in the morning, focus on the job they've been employed to do, leave the workplace and 'switch modes' to become mum or dad when they get home and over weekends. Stay-home mums are always in mum-plumber-chauffeur-cook-cleaner-administrator-contractor-designer-disciplinarian-teacher-nurse-doctor-blogger-feelancer-grocery shopper-etc mode all at the same, same time all the time....
You know you are burnt out when all you crave for every other day is a long, long holiday in a far, faraway place with nothing but a book in bed or by the poolside all day, or spend the entire holiday luxuriating in a spa, not even shopping, sightseeing or other touristy stuff. You know you really need a break when all you crave for is good, tasty food cooked by someone other than yourself. A family holiday with spouse or kids or extended family is the last thing you'd dream of, as much as you love them and enjoy their company at 'normal' times.
That's why I always take my hat off to stay-home mums who have many kids and yet can manage to keep everything in place without the help of one or more maids and still have a somewhat perfectly balanced life...no hang-ups, character defects, grows old gracefully... Anyone like that out there who's willing to share her secret? I truly doubt. So I guess I'm normal...lah!
('lah' is a frequently-used adjunct-type word in Manglish aka Malaysian English).
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Cupcakes
Caitlin spent the whole time at school today making cupcakes. She brought two home, one butter and another chocolate flavoured. Her teacher told them yesterday they would be baking today so she was very excited.
She said the butter one is for me, but she actually ate the whole thing in the car on the way home. I only got one nibble of it. This chocolate one is reserved for daddy when he comes home late tonight from Kota Kinabalu.
She plans to write a note and place it next to the cupcake on the table before she goes to bed tonight to surprise him. Caitlin enjoys coming up with ideas to surprise people.
Here's a recipe for cupcakes which I got from this website dedicated to cupcakes.
Ingredients
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add shortening, milk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape side of bowl with a spatula.
Add eggs to the mixture. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape bowl again. Beat on high speed for 1 minute 30 seconds until well mixed.
Spoon cupcake batter into paper liners until 1/2 to 2/3 full.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely.
Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost with your favorite frosting recipe or decorate as you desire.
Although it's one of the simplest of cakes to make, I've yet to actually try making them. The last time I made cupcakes was ages ago in home economics class in school! They can be really nice comfort food, especially if decorated prettily.
She said the butter one is for me, but she actually ate the whole thing in the car on the way home. I only got one nibble of it. This chocolate one is reserved for daddy when he comes home late tonight from Kota Kinabalu.
She plans to write a note and place it next to the cupcake on the table before she goes to bed tonight to surprise him. Caitlin enjoys coming up with ideas to surprise people.
Here's a recipe for cupcakes which I got from this website dedicated to cupcakes.
Ingredients
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add shortening, milk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape side of bowl with a spatula.
Add eggs to the mixture. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape bowl again. Beat on high speed for 1 minute 30 seconds until well mixed.
Spoon cupcake batter into paper liners until 1/2 to 2/3 full.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely.
Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost with your favorite frosting recipe or decorate as you desire.
Although it's one of the simplest of cakes to make, I've yet to actually try making them. The last time I made cupcakes was ages ago in home economics class in school! They can be really nice comfort food, especially if decorated prettily.
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