Twillight Zone

I know NOW how it feels to be in the twillight zone. Indeed I do.

Since watching the movie Twillight and now being suck-ed into Meyer's Twillight saga, I have been leaving in a land of ambiguity between 2 conditions.

Condition 1 is a light,far away, dreamland-ish kind of place. Somewhere in Forks.
Condition 2 is here.

I prefer to be in condition 1. But that is kind of tough considering.

When you are in twillight zone, you want it to end and you don't want it to end.

I love and hate being in the twillight zone.

Have you seen the movie? Or read the book? Maybe I will also see you in Twillight Zone!

Sure beats being in tummy flu land!

Tummy Flu

So, we didn't go to the ENT in the end. Why?

On Friday night from 12 am till 4 am, boyboy was vommitting non stop. Reckon he vommitted some 8-10 times until there was nothing left to vomit but acid juice.

Poor boy. With every vomit, I could feel the upheaval in his tummy.

So, we decided not to put him through any other turmoil the next day. And he was having a mild fever as well anyway.

But lo behold, on Sunday evening, I told hubby I feel like vommitting too. We didn't know at that time we could get it from boyboy.

I vommitted from Sunday evening till Monday afternoon. And oh the aches that come with the fever! Terrible....all my joints hurt like mad that I lay in bed and cried and cried.

Hubby started vommitting on Monday morning at 2.30 am.

We didn't have the strength to take care of boyboy or even take care of each other or ourselves!

Had to SOS my parents to come down! Thank God they were free.

If your kid is vommitting too, please do take care yourself. And the minute you feel like vommitting too, please look and see if there is someone to help you. Coz when it hits you, it hits REALLY BAD!!!

Nose bleed....again.

2 times in 8 days. Does that constitute a need to visit the ENT?

laundry again.
worried again.

Pray.

We will see what happens tommorrow.
An appointment has been made to see ENT Dy John Tan from SJMC.

Peace of mind is most important.

Right brain, left brain

I was looking up the Shichida method of learning yesterday. Not sure what started it but got me surfing.

The Shichida method is really about maintaing the 'activity' within the right brain. When kids enter the schooling system, the teaching method activates the left brain (analytical part) and the right brain (slowly) becomes 'dead'!

So, this method actually trains the right brain to constantly be in use all of the time. And that is the gist of it really.

So, are there other ways to train the right brain? Of course?

But before that, do you know if you are a right brainer or a left brainer? Go google 'left brain and right brain' and chances are you will come across the site asking you if the dancer is turning clock wise or anti-clockwise. And you will also have some sites having questions for you to determine if you a right or left.

I am 50% right and 50% left (as indicated by tests I did in more than half of the sites). And the other sites indicated I was more left than right (of course given our schooling system, right?)

So, since the schools already 'activate' the left, how can we parents 'activate' the right?

Have to do more surfing here....but I came across this article. It made me laugh at the end.

Why? Because sometimes that is the way I think - I 'see' it!!! Do you?

You Tube (then?)

Sometimes while I work, I would open another window and look up some You Tube music to keep me company.

When to google and typed in You Tube....but didn't know quite what to look for.

So. decided to try something new and looked for You Tube Michael John. Thinking that perhaps the David Foster song will be displayed. But of course the top search displayed was his American Idol Bohemian Rapsody.

After that was done.....looked through the other result list and found Bohemian Rapsofy sung by "The Ten Tenors". Interesting piece....



And from there....came across Teatro and their Music of the Night. Loved it!

Love this song and love the way Teatro enunciated the words!

Scent

Do you wear scent - perfume for the ladies, cologne for the men? Or perhaps just some body splash?

There are only 2 scents in my vanity drawer. A perfume oil for night dinners and an Ocean Pacific for light day wear.

I remember the perfume oil was given to me by my sister, maybe some 12 years ago. Perfume oil doesn't loose its scent as easily. The OP was given to me by a friend some 7 years ago. I put it in my cupboard so it still retains its scent.

Scent to hubby is more important. He will never be without a bottle of cologne and sometimes he has 2.

I remember someone gave us 2 bottles for our wedding - one perfume and one cologne. But to date, it is still lying in my inlaws cupboard. It is a branded version but the scent is out of this world - in a bad way!

My hubby's GAP cologne is running out. Bought this from US, can't be found in Malaysia. He is looking at some in Loccitane. He has expensive taste! hahaha....

Maybe I will get him some Thierry Mugler perfume.

So far, although I don't wear scent, I love the scent on hubby. It ascentuates 'something'! :)

But give me a lotion with scent anytime....I love scented lotion or scented soap or the scent from shampoo. It's a feeling of utter comfort! Maybe it's when I use it that matters.

Do you wear scent? Is your hubby crazy about scent too?

Bitter Gourd anyone?

They say as you get older, you will learn to appreciate the bitter gourd for its bitterness.

And this year, I acknowledge it right.

Went to this restaurant I saw in Taman Megah, PJ "Fu Kua" (literally translated to Bitter Gourd) and decided to try it on my birthday.

Had too much a sweet cake, had to balance it off with some bitterness!

This is the menu.

We ordered 2 bitter gourd dishes

1) The bitter gourd soup

2) Frog with chinese wine and bitter gourd (no pic)

Both dishes were yummy. THe chinese wine frog was a superb blend of wine-sweet, bitter and ginger-hot.

And the soup was a cooling remedy to our heaty body!

Also tried their bitter gourd drink which was good while you drank but the after taste could be a little too 'raw'!

Will definitely go back again especially in this hot weather! Bitter gourd is excellent to get the yin back in the yang!

What a weekend!

On friday, I was thinking, this could be more tiring than it is fun.
On saturday, I was thinking, a holiday overseas with boyboy could be possible.
On sunday I was not thinking.
***
Checked into Parkroyal on Friday. Hubby got this free 3D2N stay compliments from the hotel for the 3 workshops he conducted for UNICEF there that came with the free room he did not stay in.....

We stayed in the Executive Suite.

***

I didn't know much what to eat in KL. Ask me where in PJ and I can give you a whole list....but...somethings we ate are worth mentioning!

Clockwise :

Tangkak Beef Noodles, Jln Imbi

- we ate the mixture of beef balls, tendon and stomach!

Chewy Custard Puffs, Pavillion Food Court

- one bite took me 24 chews...really different texture!

Hokkien Fried Prawn Mee, Pavillion Food Court

- this one I have been looking forward to since my last trip to Singapore!

***

This cake was a present to me from an old friend. She ordered Angeline's signature cake, the Chocolate Walnut! It was totally yummy.....like a chocolate brownie that is a cake! It was covered with melted chocolate and the flowers were made of icing sugar.

***

And some pictures and antics from boyboy!

This baby chair he sat at the hotel buffet breakfast - he can climb it!

And he can do so in a matter of 1-2 minutes.

And he enjoyed himself tremendously at the hotel!!!
***

I found it really cute the way he acted so differently at the hotel compared to at home!

When it was time to go out, he will climb down and sit on the carpet and try to put on his shoes.

Then he will walk to the door and wait for us....

When we open the door, he will rush out and walk to this luxurious carpet and run a bit or walk on it.

Then he will press the elevator button to go down!

He will hold our hands when we reach outside to the street.

Coming back, we will press the lift and wait.

He will enter the lift when it opens.

When we reach our floor, he will rush out and run to the door.

(The first day, he stood at the wrong door....and that got him laughing and a bit embarassed!)

When we open the door, he will sit by the carpet and take off his own shoes.

Not much need for me to hold his hands and take of his shoes....

One thing we allowed him the freedom within the hotel...and it was carpeted, so it was rather clean.

***

It was a great gift from hubby....although he didn't have to pay for it.

"But dearie....not all great gifts require monthly installments.

And it was your previous hardwork and good nature that resulted in the hotel giving you this executive suite free of charge...

and for 2 nights what more!

Thanks for the wonderful hotel gift. Looking at boyboy's smiling away was the 2nd greatest birthday gift you have given me. "

Recreate from what's at hand

I had 2 ounces of boyboy's left over milk from this morning, 4 stale pieces of bread and going to rot carrots. Hmmm...took out my mince pork, 2 eggs, ketchup, onions and celery.

With what was at hand, I made meatloaf!

Toasted the bread and crushed it in the same bag.

Cut off and cut up the carrots and onions and celery.

Thawed the mince pork - marinating it with dark soya sauce, light soya sauce and some sugar. Mixed the egg and the bread crumbs with it.

The last time I made this was while I was studying in Australia. I vaguely remember what poportion of what is required. And I was too lazy to look up any recipie....so, decided to go with instinct.

Whipped up 2 loafs of meatloaf.

1) Kid's meatloaf - using up boyboy's milk and bigger chunks of bread.

2) Adult meatoaf - added tomato ketchup, a mixture of Italian herbs, pepper and the rest of the breadcrumbs.

Meatloaf #1 held up better becuase of the bigger bread chunks. Meatloaf #2 tasted better becuase of the ketchup and the herbs. But it didn't hold up very well because I didn't have sufficient bread crumbs!

One 'dangerous' thing about baking is that you don't really know if the result is fit for dinner until it is ready and cooled down and tried.

Nose bleed.

I was at work when my phone rang.

It was hubby....it was just after 7 am. Why was hubby calling at this hour?

"Dearie....boyboy's nose is bleeding....non stop....I don't know why....there is blood everywhere....our whole bed is filled with blood...and his face has so much blood....and it is still coming out"

(conversation and clarification)

"I think you better come home."

And so like a mad woman, I ran back to my car and drove home. Thank God the traffic was still alright.

When I reached home - boyboy was cleaned up and the bleeding had stopped.

But what a sight....there was blood everywhere....on the mattress, on hubby's shirt, on the pillow cases....on the comforter...and even on the mattress protector.

At least boyboy was alright.....

Just for precaution, took him to the pead to have a look up his nostrils....

So, this was what the doctor said:
1) If the bleedng happens again today or tommorrow, bring him to an ENT - suspect then could be a growth or an injury
2) If we notice any blue black marks/bruises occuring on any part of his body, bring him to the hospital - indication of blood problems.
3) If nothing happens anymore for the next few days, it is a one off thing.
This reason is the most likely (I am optimistic??) because that little monkey of mine has knocked his nose before. And the doctor has said that if a person every knocks his nose, it will tend to bleed easier!

So what do we have to do?
1) Giving him some oral medicine to clear the congestion. Also giving him nose drops to clear his nose.
2) Have to put a basin of water in the air-con room now to increase humidity in the air.

And if it happens again....I can reuse the same medication.

So, if your kid has a nose bleed, think of the above and that may stop your panic or your rush home!

Now....back to my 2nd load of washing with 2 more loads to go...and I can put this episode behind me.

A Hesitant Entry

I was very uncertain about writing this post. I had wanted to for a long time now...since the feeling started. But well, something stopped me. THis feeling leaves me very very vulnerable, very open to criticism too. And looking at the 2 scenarios, it would certainly spell disaster.

In my previous post "Waiting till it aches", well, I was not really talking about my job.

Although my job is the deterring factor that is causing me to have to wait.

I yearn and ache to hold a baby again.

I wrote in my comment....The feeling hit me like an old friend giving me a surprise slap on the back. Sudden. And on a bright cheery morning. And the mark remains. The reminiscing begins.

The extent, the depth, the hollowness, I have never really experienced.

You will say "I've got boyboy."

It is true. But.....

Waiting till it aches

I yearn.
I ache.
And yet have to wait.

Job.

I need to move on.

Sigh.

Foodies Weekend

Little Taiwan - LOVED the fact they had rice with pork and stewed egg for boyboy. One portion serving enough for his tummy! I love this kind of shops only for the many many drinks they have - especially bubble tea!

Did our bit for our babysitter! :) It was a fun day out. Christopher enjoyed the walk in the not too hot Saturday morning.

Not in the picture is my babysitter's home made otak-otak, which I will take when I open it up to eat and Christopher's oyster, peanut porridge, which he finished while we were still there!

Mothers' Day? Had it more for my mother inlaw. But it was marred by a celebration of my father inlaw's belated birthday dinner. Bought both my father in law a shirt and m mother inlaw powder from M&S.

Also had a cake from RT Pastry - black forest! Award winning design - but the cake was only so-so. Anyone know where to get a GREAT balck forect cake?

Too much of a word is tiring

Talking about overusing a new word!!!

Christopher's new and MUCH overused word today is Nonononono....

I mean he has been saying it days before but today I think I have heard enough of it!

I went out with him today.

I took the necessary snacks - all his favourite ones...except the wheel chicken biscuit/junk food....which he had finished.

Decided to go to Ikano since there was a small playground there and more space to run around. Surprise surprise, he didn't want to play at the playground. Instead he wanted to sit in those (idiotic) moving stationery cars!! I indulged him in one and thus he wanted to sit in every one within eye sight.

(I was thinking should have brought him to Giant instead...sigh)

So, after a few rides.....I managed to persuade him to get down and see the 'wow-wow'.

OK enough...we walked to the Pet Shop. Had a gala time looking at the dogs. He got excited when I showed him the big fish and chased them in the semi-big aquarium.

Then we walked out.

And SHUCKS....there was this snack stall in front and it was selling his favourtie wheel biscuit.

A little ruckus here as I tried to persuade him to go into Popular bookstore while he adamantly shouted "nonononono" and pulling me to go buy his biscuits.

Who won? Neither.

I didn't get to go to Popular, he didn't get his biscuit.

We made our way to Ikea, all the way I was wondering how I would manage getting his food while still carrying him/holding his hand.

I arrived Ikea at 11.07 am. SHUCKS....the warm food will only be ready at 11.30 pm!

I was like COME ON !!! Sigh....

Decided to give boyboy some biscuits (Cocoa Crunch, what more!) to pass the time. Was debating now if I should go to Kluang Station to eat instead.

I hate it when I am indecisive....sigh...

SHUCKS...he passed the baby chairs stacked up in Ikea and insisted he wanted to SIT. I tried to persuade him to go somewhere else to eat.

I was given the "nonononononono" feedback.

OK...maybe then a little play time at the kids section would be easier to pass the time away.

"Nonononononnnoooooo....."

Who won? Both of us did (more him than me though).

He got his baby chair, I got my grown up chair. And he got some cocoa crunch.

I decided to bring him to Kluang Station to eat instead.

Took him off the baby chair and both of us walked down.

SHUCKS the staircase, why can't they have escalator?

So, we were walking along. I was glad I made up my mind when...

SHUCKS....boyboy spotted some IKEA toys downstairs on the way out . He pulled to play with them. I tucked him along to go "mummm,mummm".

"Nononononono......"

Who won? Boyboy of course.

Sigh....a little play time will not hurt...and after that I could go back to Ikea to eat.

Now, you all must be wondering why my obsession with eating in Ikea.

1) He loves the fries (and meatballs) there. And they are the big thick kind, not the overfried McD kind.

2) He has his own plate and cutlery there.

3) Nice place to wash up after eating

4) Noisy enough for boyboy to make noise without being noticeable

5) Spacious

So, true enough after playing, we headed back to Ikea.

23 minutes never felt so long.

Took him for a wash of hands.

He played with water, touched the hole where the water was going through, had to wash his hands again.

On the way out from the bathroom, it was "nononononono" again.

Why everything "nonononono" ? Hai.....

Lined up to get the food. The person in front of me was packing food - for a while kampung !!! So, you can imagine the wait and how impatient boyboy was getting. He kept pointing at the food and giong mummm, mummm.... and then pointing at the food that didn't require waiting when I kept telling him to WAIT !!!

Mummy's arms were aching. I was tired.

You may ask "Why no stroller?"

You see, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to cope with a running boy or carrying the boy AND a stroller or a stroller at the escalator.

We got out food - just one kids plate and one drink.

He insisted to put the plate in front of him...since it WAS a kid's plate.

He insisted he wanted to hold his own fork....since it WAS a kid's fork.

And any attempt I got from trying to cut up his food or feed him or EAT was given a "Nononononono....."

Sigh....he made a mess....

His clothes were all gravy laden, including his hair and including my shirt.

Thank God nothing on the floor though, if that is any consolation!

I let him sit through it all - the mess, the independence, whatever.

One thing I have learnt as a mum is to let things be and take it easy. Why bother cleaning up after every small mess when bigger mess is bound to happen. Just let them make a mess as much as they want and THEN clean them up when we can leave.

Oh....leaving.... Did I tell you eating is a nightmare now?

Christopher LOVES his plate and cutlery....no matter WHERE we go!
So, I don't only have the MESS that he makes to deal with...but the tantrum I get when I try to take away his plate and cutlery and clean him up after that!

Here, I admit, I got the STARES !!!

And I admit, it didn't bother me!

(Sigh....maybe a little.....)

Managed to get him up at last and into the bathroom for another cleaning session and change of clothes.

OK....HOME BOUND!!!

I parked in Tesco. If you purchase something, you get free parking.

On the way back, boyboy walked happily....ran a bit in fact and let me carry him when we reached the escalator.

So, I thought why not a bit in Tesco.

Put him in the cart and NOT 5 minutes, he was screaming to get out and be carried.

Who won? Neither.

He stayed in, I got my ear drums filled with screams and "nonononono...."

Greedy me....but I mean.....TOP was on offer and so was Darlie....and so was boyboy's milk powder.... Grabbed TOP and darlie...milk powder will be too much for me and headed to the counter.

It is a Friday you know....not many people in Tesco at that time. So boyboy's cries were actually echoing in the big warehouse!!!

I got the STARES. Truely can say I didn't BOTHER at all.

Paid up. Boyboy was attempting to climb down by now from the cart.

No choice, carried him out, backpack being, 4 kg of groceries in one hand and a 11 kg sleepy boy in another.

I felt my arms were running a marathon!!! It was close to breaking point. And so was my spirit.

Got another "nonononono...." when I strapped him in the car seat. And a death defying scream when I closed the car door on him.

He slept the minute the aircon came on. And I drove home in peace.

At 12.30, school was out and had to contend a jam on the way home.

Took a turn into my kampung road and for once had no patience whatsoever for the idiotic brat that turned out of the house on his motorcycle not wearing his helmet and yet not looking at the cars! Had no patience whatsoever for that car who hogged the lane by driving in the middle of it! Had no patience for the renovation truck that was parked semi blocking my gate.

Had no patience, no patience at all! Sigh....

I think I am not experienced enough a take-out-kid-alone mum!

SALUTE to all you mothers you handle your kids alone everyday. Salute salute indeed!

Right now....I need a bath, some ointment for my arm and some food!

By the way, did I mention, boyboy crashed into my lips last night and I have a swollen, cut bottom lip now? Which was 'glued' shut when I woke up this morning due to the dryness and the caked blood? Sigh....so glad hubby will be back later today.

Tired out.....

Home Alone

Last night was my first night alone in this new house.

It wasn't scary.....I have been alone before (in previous houses, at previous ages). But it was lonely.

And I really applaud those mothers you do ALL the ferrying, picking up, cooking, cleaning, throwing rubbish, ironing, washing clothes etc.

But on hindsight, chores keep me busy and help me mark the days down! (hahaha....I am that pathetic!)

So, yesterday was bedsheets washing.
Today will be ironing and cutting boyboy's hair.
Tommorrow (Thursday, the last day) will be thorough sweeping and mopping the whole house.
Friday, intend to bring boyboy out shopping. I am wondering if I can handle him alone.

So, one night down, one chore down, 2 more nights to go, 2 more chores to handle....

And don't talk to me about cooking or eating....I am eating frozen food daily and junk for dinner!

Looking forward to my night out with a good dinner on Friday...and maybe some pressies.....

Somewhere in the depths lie good food

My mum sent me down to old town Ipoh in search for Mistress Lane and a particular coffee shop. According to her, this coffee shop is very popular and people from Penang even come all the way down to eat in this coffee shop.

It is a regular shop that only opens for lunch and closes ANY DAY they like, so the owner admits!

After getting the number, decided to walk in the lane back to the car. Got to say the lane is quite quaint. Wafts of operatic Chinese music coming frmo a house, inter-mingled with another house blasting English oldies, continuing with another house playing mahjong....

Birds and clothings perched on the same bamboo stick hung at the 2 windows across the lane.

All their doors open out into the lane, quite like the old Chinese serials I am hooked on to these days....
Anyone tried this place? Anyone been on this walk?

The shop is and the lane starts opposite Khong Heng, the famous old town coffee shop in Old Town, Ipoh. And opens up into another road which houses this new dinner place my mum told me to try.

She actually told me to eat the fried fish and one more anchovies dish...but I didn't know what it was called and the waiter also didn't know what I was saying.....so, we ended up with a usual fare instead.

The servings were big and the food was just fare. Not somewhere I would go again IF I had only a few eating days in Ipoh.

But there is ONE place I am dying to go!

Restoran LYJ in Kampung Sungai Baru Sungai Buloh. My colleague went there over the weekend and she ate the famous 'poon choy' and a chicken dish stuffed with lotus rice. And it also seems the pork knuckles is also great and there is a cold paku (local fern) dish with lime.

Anyone interested to join me? Anyone been there?