2013 in Reflection

The last day of 2013....

2013 has been quite kind to me. Alhamdullilah...

We managed to get some traveling done in and out of Malaysia. Marveling in the different cultures and seeing the world :) Love that the children managed to learn new things from our trips and hopefully it will help shape the way they view the world, one day... 

In Sha Allah more trips to come....

Throughout 2013 I see Ryan, Iman and Ranya thrive mentally, emotionally, physically etc They are learning so fast and I hope Lan and I can provide them with good examples that they need. They each have new interest, acquired new skills and is fiercely interested in learning. So my new year resolution is to do my best to play more with them, indulge in loads of creative play and learn session and minimize their usage of smart phones/tablets.

Major accomplishment of 2013 : They only play with the tablets if we have to travel or in need of major distraction (during long majlis or something) I can safely say they play with my tablet about 5-8 times a month and  at the very most around 10 minutes)

We need to work harder on TV time though...Need to MAJORLY supervise the kind of shows Ryan watch on TV. Urrrgghhh the quality of cartoons nowadays is horrible. Too much fighting (Ultraman and the likes of it), stupid gags (Spongebobs) and horrible language ( benci shows like Boyboyboy and Bola Kampung, the aku and kau is one thing, but "bodoh" "tak guna" etc on a CHILDREN SHOW is unacceptable)

I can't control the things they watch in Kindy but we try our best to limit these shows at home. Ryan has been asking for some of these programs but I said NO because I truly don't see any benefits to the kiddies anyway. We try and stick with shows like Sesame Street, Upin & Ipin, Prophet Cartoons (Ryan managed to retell stories of Nabi Yusof and Nabi Nuh already, how awesome is that??) and SOME Disney cartoons like Doc McStuffins (No-no to major princess exposure - this is more Daddy than Mummy :p)

The twins are sleep trained successfully Alhamdullilah.They sleep in their own bed which is adjoined to our bed, two more years until they sleep in their own room.

2014 baby training plans (In Sha Allah) :

1. Ryan to start sleeping in his own room in February 2014 (in sha Allah) I'm kind of nervous.At the moment he's quite excited at the prospect of choosing his night light and bed sheets, but we shall see how this will go.
2. Potty Training & bottle weaning the twins : Hahaha this will be an adventure of its own... not one but TWO little girls, wish me luck. Ryan was off the bottle & diapers around 3.5 years, we're aiming for the same timeline with the twins but decided to start a bit earlier this time around. No harm right? :p

There are some "off moments" and bad decisions made in 2013. I rather not highlight them. Dwelling in negative stuff brings nothing but misery. With all the happenings all around the country and the world, it is best we prepare for the worst but pray and hope for the best. May Allah blessed all of us with an awesome 2014.

But for the time being : Alhamdullilah, Alhamdullilah, Alhamdullilah for the blessing that has been bestowed upon me and my family so far...

Signing off for 2013. See you next year In Sha Allah :)

Love,
Far

Ryan is FOUR

I can't believe my little cheeky cheeks in FOUR... Alhamdullilah :)

My little best friend in the whole entire world. We fight all the time but he "gets" me you know :p

He knows the way to my heart :) Always complimenting me (I'm a sucker for those) and my little gentleman.

He can be a bit stubborn at times, but I love his latest acquired trait where he will after an argument, sit back and reflect his actions and will slowly whisper to an adult around him (Hmmm Ryan buat so and so, Ryan kena cakap sorry-la) He will go to the person he hurt, extend his hand and apologize.

Ryan, 

Mummy hope you'll grow up to be a soleh young man with impeccable manners, be responsible for your actions and please take care of your little sisters. I love you so much my little Imam *hugs*

December = Family Time

December is an extra special month for our family :)

1. Because it's Ryan, Iman and Ranya's birthday month

2. There's a lot of holidays for mummy and daddy

3. School holidays for Ryan

Lan and I usually make a bit more effort in December to take leave to spend time with the kiddies doing family activities. Not that we don't spend time together in other months but since Ryan is on school holidays it is easier to bring him out without interrupting his school activities/timetable. 

So these are some of our December 2013 activities that we managed to cooked up for our little ones:

2 days 1 night trip to Genting Highlands.

We stayed in Awana and later took the kids up for their first cable car ride :) The twins was a tad bit quiet but Ryan enjoyed it very much.

Too cute la this little girl in her sweater dress and pearl necklace :) 

Blue Coral Aquarium, KL Tower & Pavillion KL

On the much hyped out date -> 111213: We went to Blue Coral Aquarium for an early celebration of the twins birthday since Lan was away on 121213 (their actual birth date) for a course. Not that it matters to the twins :p

If you're planning to visit Blue Coral check out more info here:Our Visit to Blue Coral Aquarium

But to cut a long story short it was only a 5/10 experience for us as the place is very small and crowded with not much fishes.

So we moved on to Pavillion where Ryan took a ride on the carousel. This cheered him out because he was complaining about the "small sharks" non-stop earlier.

With my "cinta hati". 

I don't get to eat a proper meal, my tudung senget, my sleep interrupted when these 3 is around, but life without them around has little meaning. Alhamdullilah for them, ya Allah. 

 2 weeks short from turning 4, Lan finally gave me the green light to bring Ryan to the cinema . Malas nak rehash his excuses and "reasoning" :p . Anyway the only kid-friendly movie was "Frozen", Ryan and I enjoyed it and he manage to keep still. We're already planning on our next outing to go watch "Walking with the Dinosaurs" end of this month

Check out Ranya coloring her brother's Spiderman book. This little girl love her books and coloring. Shall go get her some new books and her own art supplies

Ryan working on a new project with mummy. I shall post out the finished products soon. So proud of my little man handy work :)

Our December adventure is far from over, can't wait for Project Birthday 2013 which is coming very soon *in sha allah*

Iman & Ranya Turns Two

Dear Iman & Ranya

How time flies... today both of you turn two... feels just like yesterday, when I first set my eyes on you and instantly  fell in love with the two most gorgeous girls I've ever seen in my life :)

You're mummy and daddy's greatest teachers. You thought us to be patient and strong while raising both of you and your big brother. You also helped turned mummy and daddy into better and more efficient team :) If mummy can multitask before, she's even better at it now, having to learn to read two books at once, take 3 different breakfast orders and carry two toddlers on a run etc...

 Iman,

You're the most caring and loving big sister to Ranya,You even address yourself as "kakak".  I love seeing how you always try to console your little sister and help her get into her dresses and get her bottle for her. You're also Ryan's favorite play mate mostly because of your laid back nature. You love Elmo and jumping and you're totally obsessed with Atuk. Out of the 3 of you, you're the closest to Daddy and I can tell (and hope) you'll always be daddy's little girl... May you continue to be the intelligent and responsible young lady that I know you are and I hope you'll grow up true to your name. Love you, Kakak!!

 Ranya,

My spirited, fun loving and manja daughter. You're so cheeky which makes you so cute. I love that "glint" in your eye when you're up to no good. You love "Tinkerbell" and will automatically put your hands on your cheek trying to imitate the Tinkerbell we met in Disneyland :p You LOVE books. Everyday without fail, you'll drag out a book and make me read to you again and again. I do hope you can try and minimize the fighting with Ryan :p Both of you are so alike in terms of bossiness and stubbornness which is why I suspect you don't see eye to eye often. Dedek, Mummy and daddy love you very much and we hope that Allah will bless you with all the happiness in the world.

Alhamdullilah, Thank you Allah for the blessing that is both of you... 

The wonders of playing with dirt...

Maybe it's turning 30 but I've recently acquired an interest in gardening....

I mean I've always love flowers (which girl don't,huh?) but this is the "kinda find me on all fours, digging dirt, trying to avoid worms" kinda love. I find it to be very therapeutic, being able to "berbakti kepada tanah" :p

When stressed out I usually turned to retail therapy which usually results in burning a hole in my pocket and me spending hard earned money on things I want but don't necessary need. With gardening the satisfaction is on a whole new level. I love waking up in the morning seeing my flowers blooming and basking in the sweet smell of roses :)

 Loving the colours : The real eye candy *masya Allah*

My husband should be thankful because in case he ever need to give me emergency flowers he can always run outside and pick this up :p 

Yummy belimbing buluh...sliced this up into your masak lemak or turned it into sambal hitam.

 I've recently graduated to edible plants. Trying my hands in planting red chillies and tomatoes. Wish me luck, if this works it will mean cost saving and clean and organic food :)

I recently burned my fingers after getting splashed with hot oil, after the pain have subsided a bit, I put fresh aloe vera leaves from the garden for cooling effect..Alhamdullilah, felt so much better after that. This plant is also awesome for the hair, arwah nenek used to put it on my hair  :)

A new hobby which can help feed my family, good for health and at the same time makes my house prettier and smell wonderful. What not to like, huh? :p

The one on travelling Hong Kong with small children

Since I came back from Hong Kong, I've received several request to do a short review of my trip and to share travel "tips". Since several of my mates is planning a trip down to HK in December and early 2014, I shall do some community service (like real) and share my 5 days 4 nights travel experience with 3 children in tow.....

1. Check the weather 

Hong Kong is affected by the four seasons. Winter (Dec-Feb), Spring (March-May), Summer (June to August) and Autumn (September- Nov). According to the travel blogs, autumn is the best time to visit Hong Kong as it is not hot or cold with sunshine. I can attest to that as I find the weather very comfortable to travel in and despite the sun, it was not to humid. Typhoons seasons is in May - November so keep that in mind before booking your tickets.

2. Pre book/buy your tickets online
I bought my Ocean Park and Disneyland tickets at a discount from this site Hotel in Hong Kong, not only did we save some money on the purchases we also save a lot of queuing time, especially if you plan to travel during the weekends.

3. Octopus Card

You can buy purchase octopus card/ airport express card package at the counter right outside the Arrival Hall, the staff speaks English so they can help you choose the perfect package for your needs. We depended a lot on the MTR to get from one place to another. Even if you're traveling with children, the public transportation system is very comfortable and trains usually pass each station frequently (every 3-5 minutes). They don't accept credit card so make sure you have enough HKD to cover the expenses.

Make sure you do not dispose the card and return it to the Airport Express Counter at the end of your trip and collect your HKD 50 deposit refunds. For more information check out this link MTR Tickets

Ranya enjoying her train ride with daddy :)

4. Traveller's Sim Card

I did not subscribe to Celcom roaming, so I bought myself a broadband sim card from Smart Tone to ensure that I'm connected to the people back home (Actually I did not care much about the people back home, I'm just hooked to the internet haha) The sim card is HKD80 (around RM40), and the maximum charge per day is  HKD 24 (around RM 8 per day). There are other brands offering the same packages for consumption.

5. Halal Food

I won't say that halal food is easily found in Hong Kong but it is available. There's halal restaurant in Disneyland (Tahitian Terrace and Explorer's Club), Ocean Park (Lakeside Restaurant) and Airport T1 (Popeyes). Anyway while restaurant hunting and if you fail to find the venue, just remember to look up, based on my experience some of the restaurants is situated in 1-2 floor and may not be accessible to strollers.

Since out hotel suite has a small kitchenette we brought food from home like packets rendang, curry, cereals, soups etc.  If you have small children do remember to bring an extra packet or two of milk formula if needed and do bring some of their favorite snacks like cookies or treats for them to munch in between rides since we can't just readily buy anything we see in the cafe's or stalls (this is mostly to minimize temper tantrums due to hunger :p) Chocs like MnMs sold in 7Eleven do have halal signs so that is mostly safe to feed the kiddies (though not advisable because they'll be on sugar rush haha)

Check out this page for more info : Halal Restaurant List

p/s: mineral water in Hong Kong is crazy expensive (around HKD 20 per bottle =RM8). My advice is to bring empty water bottle from home and fill it up in the hotel. Most restaurants don't mind you bringing in your own water.

6. Travelling with small children

There's no such thing as "traveling light" when you have a pre-schooler and 2 toddlers tagging along. We practically brought everything but the kitchen sink with us :p You don't have to actually bring EVERYTHING with you as you can buy things like diapers in case you run out but just keep in mind most things in HK is a tad more pricey than in Malaysia.

Anyway I find Hong Kong to be a pretty child friendly place. They have "family restrooms" in the malls, airports and theme parks which means daddy's can come in and help change diapers too which I find very handy (imagine going in and out of the toilet 3 times.. horror to horror). You should bring your own strollers to ensure your child comfort but I suggest a small umbrella stroller because most of the streets and doorways are quite narrow for bulky double strollers.

If you plan to visit Disneyland I strongly suggest that you opt for the 2 days tickets instead of 1. Reason being the park is quite big and it would be very tiring and rushed if you plan to do a one day tour (especially if you want to go on the rides and since 80% of the rides are kid friendly I'm sure you would want your little darling to go on all of them) Anyway it is just an additional of RM50 so I say it is truly worth it :) 

If possible plan your visit to the theme parks on weekdays. At least you can avoid the crowd and minimize queuing time which can take up to 30 minutes or more. We were so lucky that we only waited up to a maximum of 10 minutes in both Ocean Park and Disneyland because we were there on work days.

First in line for the Disneyland Express Tour :)

Be flexible and be ready to change your perfectly scheduled itinerary on short notice. Alhamdullilah our trip went smoothly despite some minor temper tantrums due to overtiring and over excitedness :p I also found out on this trip that the twins especially Ranya are nervous fliers. I'm so spoil by Ryan being an awesome traveler that I expected the same experience from the girls. Thank god for 3 Tabs, smart phones and an Ipod for distractions during the 4 hours flight.

For more pictures and some commentaries on our trip, please check out the following links:
Hong Kong Day 1
Hong Kong Day 2
Hong Kong Day 3
Hong Kong Day 4&5

AWOL

I'll be away from work (and blog) for 11 days for a much deserved break with my family (or so I would love to think). Pray that I'll have a safe and fun filled holiday *In Sha Allah* and see ya later, alligator.

This boy got talent *masyaAllah*

Date : 6 October 2013
Venue: Hotel Goldcourse, Klang

Earlier this month, Ryan's kindy had organized a Graduation Day (for the 6 year old) and Talent Day (for the 4-5 year old). It was a successful and fun filled event. Watching the little munchkins perform (and forget) their steps warms my heart. I couldn't help but tear up a little watching little strangers reciting Surah Yassins by heart and accepting their diplomas after that. That would be my little boy in 2 years time *in sha Allah*

Time is moving very fast, hopefully, I will get to enjoy this phase to the maximum because I would sure miss this moment when my children would be too old and too cool to hang with mummy :'(

with my handsome little boy at the start of the event :)

The "doorgifts" for the kiddies, kinda cool that they remembered the "celebrated" by providing toys to all the little men and ladies. Ryan was of course over the moon to get this "CARS" garage set which made him totally pumped up to perform

I admit I was crazy nervous, totally afraid that there would be a repeat to his sports day tantrum. Alhamdullilah Ryan proved to be a total champion, remembering all his steps and looking as if he was having the time of his life on stage.

The biggest surprise of the day : Ryan and I was awarded the Most Creative award for his class for the Fun English at Home programme. I did not expect this but I would say it is kinda awesome when your hard work is recognized even if I was just doing something I truly love and enjoyed, which is arts and crafts and spending time with Ryan. Now I'm all pumped and "kiasu" to win it again next year:p

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A short video of Ryan doing the 'Endang'. A Negeri Sembilan dance, which is quite fitting because he is 1/4 N9ners anyway hehehe. My extended family members (my aunt and uncles) semua excited tengok the video because it is part of our "heritage. Enjoy :)

Baby Harness : Yay, Nay or Ada Aku Kisah?

I've always been a huge supporter of using a baby harness. I first came across it in some random parenting blog. Admittedly my first reaction was "macam doggy" :p but after further reading and research about the harness, weighing in its pros and cons, Lan and I decided that we're going to get one. 

We first started talking about baby harness a few weeks before our Jakarta trip. Ryan was around 19 months old then and just entering the "discovery phase" and I was seven months pregnant with his sisters. I know there is no way that I'll be able to get him to stay in his stroller for hours and letting him run free is not an option. It was my 4th time going to Indonesia and I'm fully aware how crowded the parks and shopping mall can get especially during the weekends and being heavily pregnant, I know I won't be able to be running after him all the time. I went straight to Mothercare after that and bought the cutest backpack-like cow harness for him. 

The thing about using a harness on your baby means you have to be ready to deal with stares/people pointing and even snide comments. I've had someone said to my face "macam anjing", laugh at us, and whispered loudly "kesian anak dia" when they think I was out of their hearing range. Ignore them I say especially if you have your babies best interest at heart.Keep in mind that should anything happen to your kid because you lose your concentration for a split second, these same person would be the first person to turn around and accused you of being a bad parent. Parenting to me is doing whatever that works for you and your baby.

Some people thinks that using a harness is the lazy way of disciplining your kid. I actually read a comment on Babycenter, where this mother of 4 was chastising everyone who is even considering of using a harness. Quoting her "if you can't teach your kid to follow basic instruction like holding your hand and standing close to you in public than he/she should stay home until he/she learns". Maybe she is one of those lucky mothers with children who never misbehave but I find her response totally harsh. 

Please understand that, using a harness is not a license to let your kids run around unattended. I still hold my children hands while using the harness and I don't tug and "pull" the harness to get them to stop running. To me a harness is just an extra precautionary step to ensure that I have all my kiddies within arms reach. If you've ever been in a situation where you need to run errands while holding countless shopping bags and at the same time is trying to ensure that your child is safely within reach, you will appreciate the handiness of the contraption.

Harness is very beneficial for toddlers, who is usually very curious creatures. They will run first and think consequences later and that is very dangerous. I would usually use the harness in an open area like shopping malls, theme parks or playground. Avoid using a harness in confined spaces and if you're surrounded by fragile items. Trust me you would not want to be in a situation where your little darling suddenly realized that they can now lift that gorgeous crystal swans off the shelf, keep them strapped in the strollers for this kind of situation :p

I love using the harness so much that we've continued the practice with the twins. Using harnesses with twins takes  on another separate new skills because the " rope" do get tangled together which may caused both of them to fall or I may be caught in a situation where the twins are tugging me to two separate ways :p I also have to endure with the extra annoying attention because there is now TWO cute little girls walking hand in hand in the mall. Some of this attention is of the positive kind but it kinda scares Iman and Ranya when some random makcik suddenly physically zoom in to them. People should really respect other people personal space even if the subject in question is two cute little munchkins hehe

I guess I can relax a bit nowadays because I have an extra hands and a pair of eyes that will help me monitor Iman and Ranya. Big brothers are the best, huh? especially if you have one that is as cute and protective as Ryan :) Alhamdullilah....

Reebok is getting married....

Another "member" of Ferum 7 will be joining "alam perkahwinan" soon :) As a part of our tradition, we decided to throw the bride to be - Reebok (bukan nama sebenar haha) a Geisha Hen Party. This is the group 4th birthday shower, so we were literally scrambling for ideas to find a different theme, suitable to the bride's personality and preference. Hope she enjoyed herself...Anyway my task was deco's and party favors.I forgot to take the final deco pic but I think it turn out pretty cute even if I say so myself :p

What is a geisha party without the headgear huh? As always with most of my DIY project, I visualize the end product in my head. I don't plan everything to a T so this is a results of leftovers felts, headband, glue, glitter, origami papers and flowers :)

Next in line -> Photobooth props. You can buy ready made ones from those shops available online but I say why waste money?  esp since you can make all these using Microsoft words. Print it out, get some sticks (lidi sate) and it is all ready for major cam-ho session. Anyway my efforts was totally worth it since the bride decided to recycle it and use it during her wedding day...

Another idea for place mats... I bought a few mini bottle, put the attendees name on it and printed some friendship quotes for the inside... walla..my own message in the bottle...

what are parties without favors, right? I used a bunch of old envelopes as the wrapper. Knowing the girls, most of them are not exactly the sentimental type that will keep wrapping paper :p  so why waste??

Cath helped me hunt for these cuties. A fan in honour of the theme (and to be used on hot days) and a mirror because my friends love mirrors and it is one gift I know all of them would appreciate (hahaha) I totally caught Tinie using this minutes after she unwrapped the packaging...

THE PARTY

We had an awesome lunch in Minori Royale Bintang, Damansara. The food was good and price was reasonable. The best of all we had our own private room, which was real cool since we had plan for some wedding shower games, which would be totally awkward to be done in public

Task 1
Design a wedding gown using a tissue paper. We used Nia as a model. She's one of the most fashion forward 5 year old I know (a bit bossy too, I think she takes after the mum haha) Anyway we won, because we're awesome like that.

We also won the Wedding Charades 100,000,000 to 3 
(I'm exaggerating of course or maybe not. Yes I'm kiasu and I LOVE WINNING hehe)

The Ferum 7 girlies... 
We went through a lot together. 
The good and the bad : 
first love, first heartbreak, breakup, major fights, 
hair pulling (at least 2 of them did haha), weddings, babies etc

We're all grown ups now...
No longer teenagers with teenagers problems...
We've gone through so much individually and as a group
Some events pushed us closer, some pushed us apart
There are months that went by without so much as a simple Hello..
There are periods where we see each other every week..
I think we have all accepted the fact that our friendship has grown pass what it was 12 years ago.
Hopefully we'll stay connected and this friendship will last till Jannah
In Sha Allah

Vain and loving it :)

My first 2 friends in UiTM :p

I rarely take selfies now that I have children. 

I'm still vain ( I'll admit that) but I think I've managed to tone it down quite a bit

My IG and FB accounts are now filled with pics of my children :p

I guess that is why Allah blessed with the lil munchkins, so that I can take away the self obsession and shower the abundance of love and attention to someone else other than myself hahaha

To Reebok who secretly reads my blog 

Though I'm not sure if she still does but what the heck....

 

 Dik... 

Congratulations and good luck with the wedding and more importantly the married life

Remember there would be times when you may not like Iwan and his lil annoying ticks (if any) but love is taking care of each other even when you're angry. Protect your marriage and remember this is the person you have chosen to spend the rest of your life with and till Jannah so cherish and love each other, ok!!! May Allah bless you always and will miss you bunches when you moved back to Kelantan... Dulu kaula satu2 geng aku kat flat7 lepas aku baru kawin dengan tennis... now semua dah besar kan? dah takleh toga toga dah...

Love you bokkie...