Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Old Pals - Reconnected

Not sure how many of you still in contact with your primary and secondary schoolmates? As we aged, most of us already upgraded as parent, there is lesser and lesser time to do our own stuff which including catch up with old pals. In fact, this is not an interesting topic but I think I would like to update the reunion of my primary and secondary schoolmates.
Am quite amazed with today's communication tools... friendster, my space, a few online friendship or relationship searching tools, you name it. Got my hubby from Internet too... LOL... but any single lady out there please do not simply go out with stranger you meet through net. It's quite dangerous nowadays and I consider myself very lucky! Well, never underestimate the power of today's technology as I also found back my long lost primary schoolmates with the help of this high-tech information tools.
It is quite nice to reconnect back with old pals be them still staying next door or far away from reach. I even got myself a few pretty good net friends for the past few years when I was very active connecting to the virtual world. We share ups and downs of life, experiences from the day we were single till now, the parenting days. The best part is most of the time their email or messages really brighten up your day. I wish I'm able to keep in touch with all of them till the day I lose all my teeth, sitting on a rocking chair and able to realized that we never let go of anyone.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Hyperactive Baby


It's really difficult to recall how many times En En being falling... from bed, from unstable standing, from her non-stop moving body be it standing or sitting. She just starts to learn moving her steps but still can't really balance herself to walk.
Today, she fell again (Ouch!) and this time hitting the concrete floor, must be real painful. Pity her but she's just too active till everyone in the family are tired with her. She held on a big empty box which is a little shorter than her which we used as a divider to prevent her from crawling to the stairs. En En was so excited about the box and in fact felt irritated as the box blocked her way. She held on the box and made the box as a tool to assist her standing up. She never stand properly but instead move around while standing and pull the box towards her. Hah!!! Since the box is empty, her weight is more than the empty big box... so "TIMBER"!!!
Of course she cried out loud, it's really hurt and I got to apply oilment to the back of her head while she's sleeping. I hope she will learn the lesson and of course we are getting even more caution with whatever she's trying to do. I really afraid of this if it is to happen again. Cross finger, I wouldn't want any from now on.
p/s: Photos above taken during Chinese New Year 2007 - 9 months old.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Why En En is naughty and yet cute?


1. She always pull away hanky from her neck if she refuse to take water or milk
2. She likes to use her walker as a bumper car to hit every corner in the house then will show her nasty smile when run away quickly after the hitting
3. She will place whatever toy she has on hand into the mouth and bite it while turning her head away if she refuse to eat
4. She will stop crying immediately and change to a loud laughing when you bring her to open the door and step out from the house (she's excited & cheering!)
5. She will stare at whoever is taking the door key and will be the one to rush to the door quickly be it in the walker or crawling
6. She is able to imitate whatever sound she had heard and noticed - since 6 months old she knows to make "burrr-burrr-burrr" sound by pushing the breath out from the mouth and turning her lips; at 10 months old, she is able to push her tongue towards the upper mouth to produce "tuck-tuck" sound.
7. She will respond us with the snoring sound if we use the snoring sound to make her sleep, which never successful
8. She started to make sigh* sound like "Hai...." or a deep breath out from nose since 3 months old. She still do this today if she feels boring
9. She will throw away toys or anything we give to her if she starts to nag and no longer want to stay in the highchair, walker or stroller. You give, she throws
10. She will "climb" up anyone's body by stepping on the tummy then chest when we hold her and won't stop turning left and right, up and down when she's in our arm (she's a super active worm!)
11. She will pull out her sock and talk non-stop like scolding us for putting on the sock for her and we end up only manage to make her wear the sock when she is sleeping
12. She needs at least two persons to change her diaper whereby one of us is responsible to entertain her like a monkey (Oh God!)
13. She is our "Candle Princess" (puteri lilin) who dislike the environment when it is warm or hot. She will be extremely happy to enter in air-con room with an "Ahh...." sound (she really knows how to enjoy life)
14. She can reply us with a fake smile or a fake laugh just to make us continue laughing (what a good pretender!)
15. She loves to slouch on daddy's big bolster and give you that lazy look
16. She will get a smooth surface toy on floor and place one of her hand on top of the toy then push the toy forward. The toy will move fast and she will crawl even faster with one hand on floor and the other continue pushing, just like surfing ... haha LOL!
17. She loves peek-a-boo and vigorous games, super hyperactive and playful and all of us need to think for new tactics to make her sit still and be quiet but not really all works. *Sigh*
18. She made her mummy decided to record down every detail movements and growing path no matter how busy the mummy is!

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Supermum

I never thought of writing blogs or journal can be so fun and creative. I think one must have time to do it and it is meant for people who are from SOHO group or who doesn't really work full time.
I was amazed by a group of FULL TIME WORKING MOTHERS who's been striving hard to take care of their children, have shifts work and outstation assignments, not to mention need to look after the olds or youngs in the family....and they have one thing in common - love blogging and some even have hobbies like doing handicraft, art works, origami, cooking and book scrapping! Wow! What type of decade we are in now?? Reading their blogs made me feel inspiring, more grateful to each day and full of confident. Maybe I'm more pessimistic and bad temper. Every mummies nowadays are supermums, lots of credits and salutes from me!
Today's motherhood is far more different from the old time. Up-to-date information and knowledge can be easily retrieve as long as you are connected online. I guess if I'm not in IT line, I may not know or miss the opportunity knowing all these supermums. Great respect goes to supermums who's multitasking and am really wonder how they are able to do so many things in just 24 hours given? I wish I could be one of those supermum one day but I think I'm just stepping in the beginning of my long journey.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Nursery Rhymes

Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been
(En En gave me a wide smile once I started singing)
I've been up to London to look at the queen
Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there
(En En started to look at the picture for the cat)
I frightened a little mouse under her chair
(En En laughed with her cute dimple showing on her face)

It is always be my wish to sing rhymes for my kid and most of the rhyme I still able to remember since childhood. I guess my mum did the same to me and also from my memory when I was attending music school at young age.
I found this big Nursery Rhymes card board in Popular bookstore 3 weeks ago and without a second thought, quickly paid for it. I did buy books for Good Night Stories and nursery rhymes to read for En En but she is not so interested to sit quietly together with me. She prefers to crawl up to my bed then down to the floor. Up and down and up and down till she's tired enough to sleep.
This big illustrated nursery rhyme pasted on the cupboard door by daddy and En En was delighted to look at it and will sing by herself.
There are 9 rhymes in total and every time I sing to her I'll use my finger to point on the words and most of the time En En will follow my finger and recognize the picture of the rhyme. When my MIL sing to her Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, she will quickly turn to the cupboard and look for the picture. Most of the time, she's able to identify which rhyme belongs to which picture. She even can do Twinkle, twinkle little star since 8 months old with both hand by grabbing and releasing her five fingers together. What an achievement!

Monday, March 19, 2007

Baby's Milestone

My little girl is a very busy fellow. She won't sit still or play the same toy for a long period of time. She is very active, and paed even labeled her as hyperactive but she's in fact a healthy baby who reached her development milestones as expected.
She started to respond to her name at 2 months plus; played with her hands & toes at 3 months; started body turning left and right in the end of her third month but turned up with tummy on at 5 months (she learnt to do that in 2 hours time, Wow!); first sitting & crawling session at 7 months plus and became very steady in just 1 week time; tends to stand at the end of 8 months and able to squad up and down as well as standing at 9 month. Right now at 10 months, she's trying to stand without holding anything even most of the time, she'll fall. She likes to push her walker and tends to stand up while she do the pushing. All of us afraid she might fell if the walker been push away but to our surprise, she just quickly squad down once the walker moves.
En En started to make sound at 3 months, called "papa" at 4 months plus, called "mama" at 7 months, always murmuring or shouting if she feels irritated and angry. Replicate her daddy's snore at 8 months old with her pacifier on. Every time we try to make her sleep by making the snoring sound, she will respond back the same thing plus a big smile.... For the past 2 weeks, she been making sounds of a tiger and mimic the sound of a dog barking!

An Umbrella

This evening suddenly rain poured heavily... I was about to attend an interview which already scheduled last week. I was so worry as I left my umbrella at home!
As usual, the first thing I can think of is my hubby. I already used to call him no matter what type of emergency I'm in and I know he sure will have a solution for me. (I think I'm too dependant on him but who cares? Sometimes I feel I am so silly but thank god I have a multitask + very hands-on hubby and I think the god created us quite fair)
I just know that I need an umbrella and the place I'm going is near to my hubby workplace. He has an umbrella in the car and I know what I requested from him is a silly act but when I'm in doubt, I tend to ask silly questions. My hubby decided to meet me at the place I'm attending and passed me the umbrella even he's all wet!!! Oh God... what had I done?? I don't think others will threat me like this and suddenly I feel so sorry to him and I shouldn't be asking him to do this. By right, I should get the punishment to wet myself for not checking on my umbrella in the car!
I'm very touch and he is so sweet. The first thing I reached home to do was quickly talked to my hubby and apologized on my silliness. Guess what he answered me?: That's the reason why you need to have a husband!

Appreciation

I feel happy and valuable if I got feedback from my music students. Most of them are little girls, always feel shy to talk to their teacher (I'm not fierce, but just look serious)and I try to talk to them in order to encourage them to talk back to me. Most of the time, younger ones are easier to sweet talk with... Ahah! They are also the group that are more playful and like to bargain with me if ask to complete their theory or do more practise. Weird! How come the younger ones are so good at working out with these tricks...
I did a replacement class for *Kathy and by a chance, I was assigned to be her music teacher starting this month. Kathy is 11 years old, a big girl who has better understanding. Just one class with her then I was told that she likes me and she understand more about what I taught her. She even requested to change teacher!!! What a surprise for me as I never thought that I will be good at teaching.
This appreciation from a little girl really encourage me and I feel it's worth for me to try out in education line.

Friday, March 16, 2007

Welcome home!!

My daughter was back home from grandma's house yesterday. Hence, ended her trip in Alor Setar and quiet house been returned to my parent. From today onwards, En En's voice will fill the house and everyone will start to be busy serving our little princess again. Last night was a bit torture to me since I was "on holiday" for almost a month for care-free nights, now heading to sleepless nights .... all in all, she's not that difficult to handle but she used to scream a bit when she fall asleep which already turn into a habit.
I was working yesterday (of course, which day else that I do not need to work?)and felt so excited to see my little girl coming home. My heart already returned home when the clock strucked 5 in the evening and without saying a word, I quickly packed my stuff waiting to rush out.
Reached home around 6pm, little girl not in living hall and the house was quiet. Felt a little awkward since she's loves to make noise. Then, my father in law (FIL) told me mother in law (MIL) was bathing En En. Hubby even went home earlier than me, so eager to see the precious one. I called En En from downstairs and was told that she's seeking where am I. I went up and called her, she looked at me curiously and within second she smiled at me. Yes, she knows that mummy is home.
Looking at her feel contented, I think the same goes to my hubby even though he couldn't sleep well since day 1 En En came into our life. En En knows how to kiss someone she likes and the way she kiss is opening her mouth wide with saliva then press it against your cheek or nose! That is the move she does whenever we say "sayang"!!! Isn't she adorable?

Monday, March 12, 2007

Stress and Hypertension

People nowadays suffer pressure and stress from work. Do you ever imagine what happen to people who really stress out and never aware about their health? be really careful as this is a silent killer too... you or him or anyone around you could develope this disease. Prevention is always better than cure.
For a person who work for long hour under stressful environment should know about this. The heart muscle is working every single second to pump blood into the body. When a person is overstress and force the body to work, in long run maybe after a few years you will discover that you are more prompt to headache or migrain, sudden numbness of the body part, high blood pressure, heart palpitation and serious one will get stroke.
This happen to 2 of my close friend and family, they are not elderly but only in late twenty and early thirties. The cause of it is the stressful workload and unspeakable pressure developed from the workplace.
Both of them have thicker heart muscle compare to normal or healthy people. The thicker heart muscle caused the heart to work double or triple faster than normal people in order to deliver sufficient amount of blood into the body. In other words, it means the heart works more harder. To overcome this, one needs to learn to let go the stress, relax the mind and practise healthy living style and mindset.
Learn more about stress at http://www.medicinenet.com/stress/article.htm#what

Learn more about hypertension at http://www.medicinenet.com/high_blood_pressure/article.htm

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

My Little Angel


She is cute, she is pure, she is innocent, she is the center attraction for everyone, she is curious, she is eager to explore everything, she is the vocalist (at home), she is the cheeky baby I love so much, she will call "papa" and "mama" when she look at our wedding photo, she even will trick us to bring her out after meal, she is the mirror of CK and I, even she doesn't possess a good temper, she is a cute and bright baby.
At 9 months plus now, my little angel is busy learning to walk. With everything that she can hold, she will stand up from there but still doesn't in control to move the steps. Another 2 months to her first birthday!
http://www.babysites.com/sites/enenlee is my angel's photos album.

Attractive Teaching Tools



Never thought that the teaching materials for music are so wonderful nowadays. They even created games and cards to help students for memorizing while playing. This creative idea is very handy and useful especially for the young ones. Shown here are some creative products by Hal Leonard.
How I wish that we had this back in our old time so that I won’t feel so dull and boring whenever I was attending the lesson. Music is all about enjoying and sharing activity.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Worry... coz it's near!!!

Since I started to continue back my music lesson, I regain joy and contentment. The feeling I searched back was already long lost for more than 10 years plus. Music is to enjoy!!! Unlike in western country, music is an enlightment, gift to life. Too bad in our society, it's part of an academic where parents force their children to learn at a very young age. The young one won't know what music is really for.
I understand the meaning of learning music at a later teenage life and now as a mother, I treasure every moments that I can play and involve with music. Right now since I need to sit for exam on this coming Monday, I have the fear coz I have not going for exam for a long time.
I guess I better go home and do the last revision and pray that the exam day will eventually over.

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Music student

I still remember the interesting and stunning conversation with my student. I teach music for part-time. Most of the time it's about how they throw back the answer to me, they have very direct reply and always with that innocent look. I found it's very funny to have them around too... :O)

5 year old Catheryn* showed up in her pretty pink cheongsam with nice hair tied and clipped with pink foral hairclip.
Teacher: Why you wear so pretty today? Where are you going later?
catheryn: No lah! I don't go anywhere, it's chinese new year mah. (It's Chap Goh Meh)
Teacher: Did you do your homework teacher gave you last week?
Catheryn: (with confident)Yes! I finish all already.
Teacher: So, you must know all the notes very well now?
Catheryn: What notes?
Teacher: The homework I gave you have it all (open the book and show her), all these, can you remember?
Catheryn: I don't know... (tried to avoid the conversation by looking elsewhere)
Teacher: You did the homework and must know to tell teacher what notes they are. Nevermind, we do another exercise.
Catheryn: Teacher, I don't want to do because I don't know.
Teacher: You don't know then must learn and teacher will teach you.
Catheryn: (nagging)I don't want... I still don't know....
Teacher: Do you want to have stars and happy face chop on your book? (kids love to receive the stamp of a star)
Catheryn: (nodded head happily) Can I have candy too?
Teacher: If you are able to tell teacher the notes....
Catheryn: Yes, I know now!!!

See how a child is getting more clever nowadays.