Potty and manners

It was a one week half term holiday last week. All the kids at home and happy that they can get up late.

So suddenly feeling like a good mom. I thought why not potty train JackJack. I rolled up the carpets for unwanted spills, which are aplenty on the first two days. Benda nilah yang malas nak layan bebudak ni. On the third and the fourth day, he responded when I urge him to pee on the scheduled time. And soon after he began to understand the feeling of wanting to pee.

And this week he shouted "Ibuuuu, Jack nak tintin!! (Jack wants to pee!!).

So yayyy. *flip

But of course I have not been very discipline about it. He still wears diapers going to sleep and when we go out. But then again, I am in no hurry. Just going with the flow. My flow.

The other thing, Jackjack, surprisingly, loves his please and thank yous.

Buu, Jack nak thuthu, please buuu. (Jack wants milk pleassseee)

Jack nak power rangers please buu (Jack wants power rangers please buu)

Boleh Jack nak biskut please (Jack wants biscuits please)

and when you give him biscuit for example, he would say thank you bu.

He made me melt that way. Even when I don't really want to give him susu (milk) or biscuit, and he said pleeeaasssee with his smiling pleading eyes, little button nose and slight pouting lips, I would just give in. Gua cair babe. Cair!

My lover said I am so lembik with him.

Where did he get that? These thank yous and please anyway? I don't think it's me. Seriously, he he, I don't think I have that much of a manners. I don't remember saying please. More like "Sya ambik baju tu lipat cepat!!(Sya pick up your mess).

While we are on that note, somebody commented about Batrisyia. That she wondered why is it that Batrisyia is so soft spoken and so sweet mannered. Surely not from me. I am after all, quoting the screwboy, an epitome of loudness. (In this case my friends, I am not angry with her. She is my friend..so it's ok)

Lacking in manners and also a walking hailer.

I suppose not all traits go down to your children eh?

Weird

The doctor in the farway land of Ireland has tagged me. She wants to know how weird I am. At least six of my weird traits. As the ethics of blogging goes, so here I am, ready to bare it all to my very few followers. Just a caution though, a goddess like me is like any of you. So don't be too surprise.

So here goes

This one not so weird I think. Many women I know are as as elephanty as I am. It's just that some retent memory more than others. You see I may not remember where I put my keys last, but if you say something to me, and you said something else later (to me or to anyone and I get to find out), I will always remember. ALWAYS. That's how I waste my memory cells anyway, remembering useless things.

When I eat, I don't like the gravy on my rice. Entah apasal entah kalau nasi yang top dengan lauk tu I tak makan. I suka kaut sikit-sikit lauk tu. Tak suka kuah apatah lagi kalau banjir melampau. But roti canai banjir sesekali ok.

I am very skema person. My thought process is all skema skema skema. Books I read are all skema books. Dory can testify to this.

I think I would prefer to listen to the youngsters and children speak rather than adult. Sometimes in a gathering I make self excuse to be with the younger ones. Usually in the pretext of feeding my children. Perhaps I want to avoid dengar orang mengumpat. But in general I love children and I talk to them as if we are on the same level.

I get sewel if my kids don't eat proper meals at proper times. Or eat snacks before meal. I will never let them go away with dah kenyang at meal. I am a control freak mother that way.

I think I am a bit of a masochist. Have you ever got those tiny chipped fingernails on the side of your finger and you pull it off? Then you feel pain for a few days. I love that pain. And I would find myself enduring the pain by pressing the finger down. Also I like pressing down my bruises. Having said that I hate joint aches, the one that you get when you have fever. I hate pain that I cannot control.

I don't think I will be tagging anyone because I don't think I have six to tag anyway. I will, instead, put a picture, in tribute to all the weirdos in the world. Long live weirdos.

Pot luck aje

Banyak gila aku kena pot luck minggu ni. Satu on Khamis malam Jumaat, pastu Jumaat pagi pastu Jumaat tengahari. Sampai tiga berturut-turut. Sampai tak ada idealah aku nak masak apa. Ayooo

So aku pun citalah kat lover aku perihal hal ini. Sebab ni masalah berat kan? Masalah duniakan? Kalau tak cerita susah rakyat-rakyat dalam kingdom venus ni nanti. And because I can and I want.

Lepas tu dah memang sahlah martians ni. Aku cerita-cerita bukannya nak suruh dia kasikan penyelesaian ke apa. Aku cuma nak dia dengar dan perhaps sokong sikit-sikit. But nooooooo, martians mesti nak tolong kasikan jalan penyelesaian kepada masalah duniaku. Pastinya bila dah kasi penyelesaian tu Martian akan rasa, sungguh amat berbakti dia kat orang-orang Venus ni yang dia dah tolong selesaikan masalah.

Penyelesaiannya : Tak yahlah bawak pot luck.

Hellllllooooooooooooo

OK memang itu akan selesaikan masalah kena bawak pot luck yang berturut-turut. But at what? At the risk of raised eyebrows? Domestic Goddess tak bawak pot luck??? Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Tak nampak tu makcik Eet tu dah geleng kepala perlahan-lahan. Are you crazy? Lok lak lok lak tak mau masak beli and bawak pun ok. Bawak Dunkin' Donut pun boleh. (But ehem ni aku takkan bawak ok. Sorry morry Domestic Goddess nak bawak dunkin' donut. apa kelas?) Baik aku bawak buah. Tapi pasal aku domestic goddess, buah pun aku buat fruit salad tau.

Adaka dia suggest tak yah bawak pot luck?!!

Apa alasan aku nak bagi?

Demam? Baik tak yah datang.
Tak sempat? Buat apa tadi.
Tell the truth? That is tak tau nak buat apa? Alaa bawak buah pun ok. Tak pun bawak Dunkin' Donut (Yeah right!)

Aku bukan nak penyelesaian ok. Kalau nak bagi solution pun the least boleh suggest nak masak apa. Jangan suggest beli kek bodoh sudah.

Anyway breakfast Jumaat tu ada makcik ni bawak nasi kerabu. Ada kaler biru-biru. My mee goreng basah, udang besar-besar and kaler sungguh menggoda itu look so pale in comparison. Nasib baik aku punya asam pedas Jumaat tengahari yang berdengung itu recover balik posisi domestic goddessku.

On another note I am so craving for Mee Kari Special Neng kat Bangsar dengan ayam goreng garing chop chop letak kat mee kari betul-betul sebelum serve.

So I had to make it myself

Teaching Miss Sya

I try (sometimes hard) to teach my children (HAziq and Sya) to read the Quran. Generally, I don't know why, subconciously I would put up the strict cikgu ngaji (Teacher) look. I have no idea why I do that. But yes ngaji time is serious time.

Unlike her brother, Sya has a more carefree relax attitude. Sometimes I think she is not scared of my threats. When she recites the jawi letters (arabic letter, she is always making something out. Like when she say alif she would go alif, feh, feh, feh. or jiim, mmmm, mmm, mmm.

Off late she has been jiggling about when she recites. So I asked her, "Nak kencing ke? (You wanna pee?). No, she replied. "Then why are you jiggling about?"

"Oh! I am writing"
"Writing what?"
"I am writing these jawi letters"

Indeed she was. Like when she reads ALIF she would move her head as if it is one big ball pen, up-down. So she wriggles about as if she is writing all those wriggly letters.

SHIIN must be the funniest letter of all. For she would move her head up down twice for small wriggle and one big wriggle. And the dots, she would peck three times. You really need to look at her to understand what I am saying. It's hilarious!

She is my biskut butang. The pink one.

Oh Oh oh. I have also been teaching her to read Malay, using the bacalah anakku book. She is doing ok. Not that I am pressuring her or anything. She is now on book 4, so I thought of introducing her to some Malay literature namely the BAWAL books.

And its like discovering a whole new world altogether with Sya. I took for granted that she knows malay words since I converse with her in Malay.

We started off the first book, "Sara Kenal Warna". Then I found out that she doesn't know jingga (orange) nor ungu (purple). She knows now, and I have added one more colour for her.

Merah jambu.

And pink is her favourite colour.

Yayyyyy.

HAR! HAR! HAR!

That's our faux pirate laugh. Our as in myself and the commitee of the ASS.

I had been very busy this past week. I had never, ever in my entire life organised a game event. Not anytime at all. And now, here I am, from scratch, organising a treasure hunt game (of sort) for the members of the ASS!

Man! I had the most fantabulous time.

The preparation.
Recceeing site.
Observing surroundings.
Cracking up questions. (Thanks to my lover we came up with excellent treasure hunt questions in MALAY!)
Calling up people to join.
Preparing packages.

But most of all, I take pride with the children's treasure hunt game that I prepared. Well, it is not that much lah. I know most of you can do better. But me being such a left side brainer, nothing creative run in my bones, I thought I did somewhat well.

I am such a jakun eh? Such a small teeny weeny thing, and here I am excited like a little girl with a new dress. But do excuse me for jumping about, anything like this is like a big do for me.

We seamed the adult's treasure hunt game with riddles and tasks to do. they had to count things, tie up knots and do magic trick. And also one of the questions is obviously done by me. It went.

"Bunga di antara kumbang-kumbang MAQ (Roses among the MAQ thorns)."

You see I am the only lady in the ASS (MAQ=ASS. ASS is a short form for association)). Har har har sungguh gila glamer aku ni.

For the kids I came up with a gila bodoh crossword puzzle. they need to break codes, find clues, solve maths questions and also solve a riddle haiku. The credit for the haiku, of course, must be given to Dory.

Cocoa makes is brown,
It's creamy, sweet, it's cruncy,
Spread, bite, drink, yummy

The answer is?

It took me some persuasion to coax the rest of the ASS to agree on the kids' game. They are so not interested in doing it. So tedious . I just wanted to do something for the kids, because I perasan bagus and also I think the kids need it. After the game, and I saw their enthusiasm, I am certain they need it.

I pity my chatting buddies. I don't seem to be able to talk about anything else except the treasure hunt.

sexy friend : Gentleman masuk hospital.
Me : Oh dear. Let's pray for him.
Eh! You wanna see this photo I will be using as a clue.
Can you guess what it is?

Singing friend : So I am packing and trying to sort out what to bring. Any tips.
Me : Well. I would bring you know ikan bilis, udang kering, cili kering
Eh can you help me with a word for the crossword puzzle?

moshjantan : Wei did you see my rain picture?
Me : Uhuh. Why?
moshjantan : Not bad eh? That one was my phone camera.
Me : Not bad. Eh you know I am trying to catch aeni. Eh! You've done treasure hunt before?

Like as if my life is the most important event of all. Shori mori you people.

Now the event is finished. I was so tired. Still am. But all I could remember was the people's happy faces. And I am still smiling.

I didn't get much photos because I was busy running about. Here are some though. Click this link for more

Me photographed?

I have always like taking photos. Like forever. When I was 13 (we didn't have a camera), I have always liked looking at pictures in the magazines. I would cut out pictures that I like and paste it in my secret oh secret scrap book and named it.

I only got myself a second hand camera when I was in my second year. And since that I have always taken photos of everything except myself. I would look at the photos for hours and would sort out the ones I like. Some special one with a little technicality applied or I simply like the composition, glued in a scrapbook. Mylover is used looking at me flipping photos (then). Now I would be glued in front of the computer looking at the photos I took.

Having said that, I am not saying I take good photos though. The point here is I like taking photos albeit plain and all. Shutter speed, f-stops, depth of field escape me. And my composition really, entah apa-apalah.

The problem with being the only one taking photo, I rarely get my own picture taken. And worst still, we rarely have family photo together. Especially when we travel. Sure I have tripod, but I am too lazy sometimes to drag it everywhere, along with the camera and lenses. Makcik malaslah kekadang.

But oklah, I use the tripod sometimes. Still too lazy to tighten certain screws. And this is what we got.

Ha ha ha. There I was running to catch the camera before the camera's weight overcome the tripod and drop on the pathway.

And sometimes I do want my photo taken. Ask someone to take it for me. And these are what I got.

Blur. Image too small, you could hardly see me. Or i look too fat, you couldn't even load it up to this site.




Blleeeerggghhhh.

The Travelling Children

Macam apa je tajuk

Alhamdullilah my kids behaved very well all throughout the journey. They were their naughty selves alright. But well it was all tolerable. They made a mess in the car with their crumbling crisps and water spills. We got tired of nagging but still nagged anyway. They still do it now. Nagging is pointless really. But I will still do it. It keeps me sane.

I prepared each child a folder before the travel. There was a map of our journey, the very same that I kept putting up on my past entries, a drawing block, an A4 sized photo of each of them so they'll know whose folder is whose (eh betul ke ejaan whose ni? macam salah je) and also a set of pencil colours each. They drew (Sya) and wrote (Haziq) and scribbled (Jack) on the nights staying in the hotel. But since I do not know how to draw nor do anything creative I didn't really supervise them. And by the end of the journey when we spent most of our nights out, the projects were somewhat stalled. *shame*.

But the map was very fruitful especially for Haziq and Sya. With Haziq I went even more detailed naming him the border post and all. Sya seems to show an interest in reading map but kept asking question over and over again.

"So now we are here", pointing to a point on the map, which I showed earlier.
"And we are going this way", tracing her fnger following the route we are going.

Five minutes later.

"Are we here now?", pointing to a point like hundreds of km away. I pointed to her, that we are still here. At the same point I showed earlier.
"Still there? How come? The last tower I saw just now are not there anymore"

Makcik tak kuasa nak cerita konsep distance and time ni lah kekadang i just said we have a small map, you cannot see everything in here.

We also brought a big tupperware of medicines. You know for the cough, dry, chesty, non productive. Cold and fever. Even for us. Sneezing sneezing cold or blocked nose. We have it all. Zachary had fever before we left for Oman, and it got worst along the journey. When we reached Dubai, I knew it would be a sleepless night for me. His fever was bound to go on for days. What more with a hectic journey like this. Pop goes the suppository, and his fever subsided the day after, albeit a bit of cold.

We also brought with us 20litre of water in a jerry can. Equipped with a siphon type pump. This is to serve for wudhu, general cleaning, radiator and kids easing themselves in the middle of nowehere. But we didn't use much of it, for mosques are everywhere. So it wasn't so bad. Perhaps a 5 litre one would suffice the next time.

I think the children learn tremendous. At least I hope. I know Haziq learned about beraucracy and what nots, a bit of geography, everchanging landscape, sembahyang Jamak Qasar and meeting people whose english is also their second language. Batrisyia was clearly improving her reading. She showed so much enthusiasm in reading everything she sees.

OM-AN...ahah..OMAN. Yayyyyy!
MUS-CAT. Yayyyyyyyy!
She tries to read the book I read.

Jack, the oompa loompa, likes to say these two words. Salalah and Wajaja. We only went to the latter. Haziq and Sya love asking him, "Where are you going Jack?" He would rely astoundingly, "WAJAJA!!!" Uproar. Wajaja! Wajaja! Wajaja! Salalah! Salalah! Salalah! Falala! Falala! Falala! And all the made up words.

They made the travel easier. Bless 'em children.

So I had fever

I had a terrible fever yesterday. Woke up at my usual 530 a.m. time with a throbbing head and aching joints. Not to mention blocked nose and tight chest. I so feel like I want to sleep my head off under the warm duvet. But alas a domestic goddess had to prepare breakfast for the school going cherubic. Haziq had requested tuna sandwich.

I couldn't even stand up to cut up the cucumber and what not. Had to get the chopping board on the table.

Oh the head! The head! The joints! The joints! The pain throbs like a non stop hammer all over me.

I finally said to lover, I don't think I can send the kids to school. Can you instead? I have meeting this morning, he said. Oh yeah..I know. Busy busy. And plus his work is like one hour drive from Doha anyway.

I was already shivering by then. Everything is cold cold!

Oh the head! The head! The joints! The joints! Shiver! Shiver!

Lover send the kids to school anyway. I know he cannot resist my pouts. And I went straight to bed and curled up like a boiled prawn. Had to wake up later anyway for Zachary was up and about. Aahhh he needs his breakfast, his bath, his blues clues, his power rangers. I couldn't stand this any longer and popped panadol and slurp amedramine however you spell it. Drowsy drowsy. Neeeddd sleeeeeeeeep.

I called lover and pleaded him to fetch the kids. Now that would be hard. I know I know. Busy busy. Work far from home. Meeting meeting. Work work.

He called back later and said that he would fetch Haziq since Haziq finished class late but I still need to fetch Sya. He wouldn't make it on time. I said OK but I am not cooking lunch today. I will tapau lunch, he said. Nasi Briyani again. I really hate tapau here. Not much choice. I want koay teow goreng with udang besar besar.

So I slept again and set the alarm clock which didnt turn for I set the am pm wrong. But woke up anyway. I don't think I slept well. Woke up like every 5 minutes.

Dragged myself to the car. Talked to jack Jack and wish he can drive instead. Pulled the seat belt and ouch it hurts. No parking at Sya's school. Had to park really faaaaarrrrrrrr. Had to take a looongggggg walk.

Oh the head! The head! The joints! The joints! Shiver! Shiver! Move muscles move!

Got to the playground where she would play with the swings while waiting for me. She was not there.

Walk further to the shade where there are benches where sometimes she would sit down and do her homework (WHAT??) She was not there either.

She must be in the office said Miss Laura, her teacher. Yeah she likes to feel important sometimes, I said. AND SHE WAS NOT THERE EITHER!

Oh the head! The head! The joints! The joints! Shiver! Shiver! Move muscles move!

I know I should panic. But I did not. You know why? Because I didn't see her friend Zoe either. There was this one time my car battery went flat on me when I was about to pick the kids up. I had to ask Ms Amel (Zoe's mum) to pick her up and Ms. Shim to pick Haziq up. I reckoned, out of worrying that I was not able to drive, Sya went home with Zoe. I also believe that she is just creating a reason to go to Zoe's house.

OK. OK. Relax. Go back to the car. Get my handphone. To call Ms. Amel and confirm it. Walk back! Walk back! Jack repeatedly ask, "Mana kakak? Mana kakak?"

Oh the head! The head! The joints! The joints! Shiver! Shiver! Not panic! Not panic!

Got to the car. Frantically searched the handbag three times. I left the phone at home. Buueeehhhhhh!

Walked back to the office. Oh what a long walk it was. Decided to use the stroller for Jack. Oh the stroller has put on weight that day. It was so heavy! About to search for Ms. Amel's number when she called the office asking if I was there. So she confirmed that Sya was at her house. The principal and the teacher were relieved.

Now had to drive to Ms. Amel's house. Agghh so many roundabouts.

Oh the head! The head! The joints! The joints! Shiver! Shiver! Focus! Focus!

I missed a junction to her house. Why? Why? And was cursing myself for it. Finally got to he house, Sya was playing with Zoe. Both of them had a tiara on their pretty heads. Chat a bit with Ms. Amel.

Went home and went straight to bed wearing a shirt, jumper, leather jacket zipped up, flat sheet, comforter and a fleece blanket. And it was still cold.

I was so sick, I didn't have the energy to be angry.

Sya kept coming to me ever so often. Ibu Jack wants to eat coco pops. Ibu Jack wants to eat milo. Ibu this. Ibu that. I said ok to everything.

Lover came home and screamed who had been eating milo on the carpet.

All I wanted was sleep.

That's about it lah

I think that is about my salient points of my happy hours in Oman. Well, sure there are other things, but you wouldn't want to know that would you?








Surely you do not want to know that I went to a traditional boat factory in Sur. I am clueless about boat making. They told me its traditional way thus it must have been. No big docks. No fancy cranes. I was also told the insulation still uses shark fat. I don't know how mush is needed. For a boat this size can cost you about 300 thousands which I thought was not too bad.

But what do I know?

I had KFC in Ras Al Khaimah. And I still like KFC in Malaysia.

But you already know that.

That the fact that Sohar, traditional capital of Oman was the name of Prophet Noah's descendent. And it was so famous that it was the birthtown of the fictional Sinbad the Sailor from the great book 1001 Arabian nights. Sohar was the state that first embrace Islam when our prophet Mohammad (peace be upn him) send his message in year 630.


We went round and round the Wajaja area (north of Sohar) to look for the blue pool. We found the exit to the little village. Had to cross a small stream to get there. It was raining. Then the graded road become narrower and started branching out. No signboards anywhere. At the back of my mind I was worried that the stream level would rise when the rain started getting heavier. So I decided to not take the risk. I hated that actually.

So what is there to tell when I didn't even get to see the place.

Just like when I was looking for the town Bat to find the strange bee hive tomb. It was getting dark and we are already late. The road became so quiet. Perhaps because it was Eid Al Adha the next day. I had to abandon that.

Boring eh?


In Al Ain Hill Archeological park I saw four men intensely talking to each other. They are wearing different style of Arab headgear and dishdash.

But well so they wear that everyday eh? You don't need to know that from me.





Or or or in Al Ain we decided to wash our car. It was already too dirty. And we went to the automated car wash. That's the first time for the kids. First time for me too. I felt like a kid myself. And gleed in delight.

As you can see, I have nothing more to tell.

Well maybelah, we'll see.