Vacuum Cleaner

I always used to spell vacuum wrong....

But anyway, I would like to know, what brand of vacuum cleaner do you have?

We got a Electrolux one when we first moved in. I was previously not really a vacuum cleaner user but we got it becuase hubby wanted one. You know...to suck up all that dust at the window sill....and also to suck up all that dust after you sweep....

But reasons aside....I have takes to using it more frequently now. It sure makes getting rid of all the fallen hair and crumbs easier to deal with.

But I also know the bad thing about vacuum cleaners is that after a while the inside filters get too dirty and when the vacuum cleaner comes on, there will be some smelly air that comes out. This smelly air actually hurts our lungs....

So, now, I am thinking....

Cost of the vacuum cleaner bag aside, are the water based ones better?
If you are using a water based one, do you ever get that foul smell after say 3-4 months of heavy usage?

Anyone has the Cosway Steam Vacuum Cleaner? Is it easy to use?

Info info please.....too lazy to research since hubby's assignment research itself is already killing me....illnesses and kids aside.

Coming at all directions

I've got a swollen gum...reckon the wisdom tooth is creating problems.
I've got an infection in my eye.....it's D*mn itchy and started to get painful.
I've got a flu hitting my system.

Herbal tea, eye drops and Actifad.....that's the workings for the day!

Only that hubby's assignment requires help and
Christopher is still as demanding as ever...if not more.

Mummy, daddy.....I need your help!

7th Heaven.....again

Was going through Youtube....just realised that wow! too many things happened in the later episodes.

I so wish to be able to catch the entire thing right through....

But as I was going through the later parts...came upon a few Youtubes that well, I want to apply...

Gifts.

In the one entitled "Lucy's Gift", a person Lucy's dad helped decided to adopt all the 5 kids from one lady, who I guess could not keep them. And in return she gave Lucy's father a gift to give to Lucy - the gift of courage. Something to help her get back the courage to have another kid (she had a miscarriage).

I don't know what is inside to signify courage....but I thought this kind of meaning behind the gift is really truly meaningful.

The other one entitled "Mary's Gift" was a brown box wrapped around a little eraser. An eraser because as a young mum, Mary had made a little mistake which she could not forget that has held her back in the best of ways. Forgiveness belongs to God, but if we can forget the mistakes that we make, perhaps it will be easier for us to go on being our best. And so Mary's gift was that of forgetting (and in essence forgiving). This gift, although for Mary, was also given to Mary's father by a lady who has also been touched by her father.

The final one was entitled "Simon's Gift". I guess as a growing teenager, Simon must have lost his way. And a mother who had a son that Simon's father nurtured back to the right path gave this gift to Simon. It was a scarf curled up around a gift. To get to the gift, the scarf had to be unfurled and then the gift had to be somehow unravalled from the coverings. And the gift was a gift of purpose.

I think as a parent it is great to be there for people as much as we can and help them....that our kids may see the good in themself through the good we see in people. That people may always see the good in our kids through the good they see in us. And it is great when gifts in wrapping paper mean more tahn just the excitement of the moment. That is brings life long changes, more tahn money can buy.

Think about this perhaps as Christmas come.

Birthday gifts are forever meant to be frivolous!!! :)

7th Heaven

No...nothing delirious happened!

I am talking about the series "7th Heaven". Have you ever seen it?

I started watching this series when I was studying in Australia. It is currently showing on Astro 711 at 3 pm. Since I am blessed enough to be home by 3.30 latest, I usually will turn the TV on to catch the last 30 minutes or so.

It is really a feal good family show. A show I feel I would love my kids to watch as well. I mostly always cry at the end...partly because there always is a lesson to learn in every show and well....the lesson is always learnt with some degree of 'repent'.

I wish that there would be reruns of this show when my kids are bigger enough to understand and yet young enough to let me dictate their TV time.

If you have the time, do try to catch it. Well.....you may like it....or may not. I am just one sentimental fool latching on to a good cry.

Losing and gaining

No, it is not weight I am talking about....though it is somewhat correlated!

I lost it on Tuesday evening...

.....picked boyboy up from school at my usual 5 pm and as soon as he was sitted in properly, he started on and on about wanting to sit with me at the steering wheel. But I ignored his cries and just told him "mummy is driving. When we get home, you can sit here." His cries got on louder and louder and I was already driving at this point.

I was at the junction waiting to turn out when boyboy started squirming out of his car seat and kicking and crying. At this very moment, I was about to move in to the island in the middle before turning into my lane....when a fast car swerved out of the corner gaining quickly towards me.

I pressed on the petrol harder.....I still had to stop at the island.....and then slammed my brake harder when I reached the island.

All this while boyboy was trying me.....so I lost it.

I yelled at him to STOP THIS RIGHT NOW. JUST SHUT UP. MUMMY IS DRIVING!

Silence immediately. Sat really still. I don't know if he was shocked coz I was really busy driving. Drivers can be unforgiving in BU!

When I reached the traffic lights, it was red....thank God. I looked over at him and kissed him. And told him (again) "When mummy is driving, you cannot cry like that. Mummy cannot look at you and give you what you want....yadda yadda yadda...."

I lost it....and gained maybe 1 kg eating chocolates after that.
***
My son has 1 guitar, 1 keyboard and 1 drum set.....apart from the real piano he insists on tinkling on. And he would frequently ask me to strum the guitar (toy one) while he bang on his drums or play his keyboard and request that I "sing, sing, sing"!

And now, apart from the usual story book time before bed, in an effort to ellloonnnggaaatteee the night, he would request for me to sing songs to him.

So, it would Twinkle Star, Jesus Loves You, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, ABC etc. He sings along when I sing Twinkle Star, ABC and Jesus Loves You.

And there he will lie, just beside me, slightly lower than me. So that when I am done and he is done....and we clap...and he looks up and I look down....and we start all over again.

But what a look....when he looks up and smiles at me and signals for me on to my "next" song.

It is pure joy .... angelic .....

And in that moment, hungry or not, I can sleep.....

When I am counting down....

How do you get through the week? Do you actually realise that it is already mid week - Wednesday?

I used to count down by means of TV programmes....like Tuesday would be 90210 (a poor excuse I know to couch it out!) and Thursday will be xx programme.....you get my drift.

Then recently, I counted down using food....like what day to cook what.....Wednesdays will be soup days, Thursday will be spaghetti day....etc.

And this pass few weeks, it has been Wednesday is hubby's class day, Thursday is grocery day....

Monday and Firday you seldom need to factor in at all in the counting game. Occasionally Tuesday, but it is too early in the week to want to be reminded you have 3 more looonnnngggg days to go.

The weekdays will be easier if my son doesn't pull up a fuss in sleeping.....and just GO TO BED at 10pm when he is supposed to! Or maybe I should be flattered he wants to spend more waking hours with me? right.... :)

Today seems longer....

Strange day today. It seems different for a Monday. Not blue at all. Like a day that happened since a long weekend.

Strange day today. The weekend seemed long....and sufficient.

Strange day today.

So everyone know MU was in town? I should know best since well, they made hubby go back to work Saturday morning. Well...not them per say, rather the fact that they were here. And NO...I didnt' get anything out of this except maybe a ticket to see their game today?? Which wouldn't bring me any good now would it?

Strange day today....
.....that I am supposed to have some blues but I am just irritated with the inconvinience.

Strange day today.

I wished someone would not ask me questions and when I tell her the best I can, she turns around and decides to do some research and then declares that I am wrong. Wrong about what? The lack of information does not make whatever information I have given her wrong. Incomplete maybe, but still not wrong. I wish for her to take it back....but why create trouble? It finds me easily enough.

Strange date today.

I wish to be part of the group in giving, yet the decision to be in that group is not mine for the choosing. Whatever is best....

Strange day today that it is nearly 2 pm and I feel the day has indeed passed by too quick. I should be glad shouldn't I?

Strange day today....that I feel the need to escape into my music. It is need, not a form of entertainment nor a want.

Maybe it is not the day that is strange.

I think I need some protein....and a new tag.

Old manual vs. New auto

This is a post on what I feel driving my new car.

My previous car was a manual Wira 1.6. My current car is a Myvi 1.3

So, my first difference would of course be my ability to speed at 130 km/hr. At 5.30 am, you bet it is possible to drive at that speed along the highway on my way to work. :) Now, I find the fastest I go is a 100 km/hr.

Next, I am able to be more courteous to the highway toll booth operator. I am able to say "Thank You" when she collects my money and then opens the bar up quickly! Of course this has to do with the car being new and that the auto windows work...... so I am not struggling to open the door and consciously aware that I need to close the door and drive off quickly before the person behind me starts honking.

Also getting out of the car park is easier since I am also able to open the window. There is a bump created where we 'teet' to go out. And most cars do not have to go over the bump since the bump was created just at the right area to 'stop' the front wheel of the car and the 'teet' machine will be where the window usually is!

Reversing is a breeze - the Myvi is a much smaller car than my Wira.

But I realised that auto cars use alot of brake power. And that the hand break doesn't really work if your car is still in Drive.

I also have accepted and even enjoyed the fact that an auto car in Drive can move by itself for quite a long distance.

I seldom drive in neutral now unlike with my manual Wira car.

And oh, the power of balancing!!! My heart doesn't skip a beat now when I know I have to face slopes laden with slow vehicles!

The Myvi though is a higher car and therefore more difficult to wash on the top!

I am listening to CDs now and not tapes and seldom the radio.

The additional features especially with regard to the wiper functionality is sorely limited in the Myvi. Something which I have found quite irritating since the speed is either to slow or too fast for me. In the Wira, I could manipulate the speed to suit the rain conditions.

All in all.....of course the Myvi is an easier drive. It being auto makes the main difference. It being shorter makes up the other.

But I think I still have no preference. A car is still a car. Avalibility of CD player aside.....

I want "Ice...hold!"

He wants ice cream.

He doesn't want those from the box.

He wants the cone.

So....we ate half of it.

And gave him the bottom half.

That is my hand propping him up else

he will lean on the pillows and lick slowly.

Much ado about MyLot

A bandwagon is something you have to jump on. It helps that the bandwagon helps you pick up pennies along the way.

Since I love to surf, blog, read and write.....MyLot seems just about the right bandwagon passing my way.

See some of you there. Add me if you may - myLot User Profile . And if you cannot folllow the link, then just look me up at esp2_mayn.

Discuss, share, write and read.....all can help you earn money and make friends you know.

MyLot, the latest bandwagon in town! Jump on it!

Yeah....this is not a sponsored post. Just a required one. :)

I can market....

If you are involved in something totally, you will be able to market it effectively.

There are 2 things I am able to 'pull' people in too well currently.....

1) Reading the Twillight saga*
2) Eating Pearlin**

The first addicts you to romance, the second helps you live it out.

(smiles)

*Anyone want a read?
**Pearlin has been recommended (by me) to women who have been trying hard to conceive

Christopher's day out!

We were all geared up for it - a weekend at Awana Kijal on occasion of my cousin's wedding. The bags were packed. Christopher must have guessed we were going somewhere coz he saw he stuff being packed as well.

Friday morning came. We were taking our time to leave given we would only be able to check in at 2 pm. But around 10+ am, I noticed my little one looking tired.

Brought him upstairs to sleep.

One hour later, after his nap, I noticed he was frequently lying down and holding his head and when he was satnding up, he tended to double over. He also looked a bit flushed and was warm to touch.

His fever ran to 39 degrees and he vommitted a couple of times.

Sigh......something was on its way.

Friday night I unpacked the bags and put everything away. I decided as much as I want to go, the risk might not be worth it (given my cousin is marrying an Australian and there will be like TONS of Aussies/Sporeans in the house - H1N1 you know!).

On Saturday morning, I knew for a fact that Christopher knew we were indeed supposed to go for a trip. And that his grandparents were going and he was NOT. I had the hardest time dragging him back into the house and closing the door. I had the longest hour trying to coax him into doing something else and stop sitting by the door crying and pointing to go out.

It was heartbreaking. Truly.....really.....never had to deal with a case of disappointment as bad as this.

He cried himself tired and slept.

It was a Saturday and I couldn't bring him out - partly due to his fever and also hubby was out for classes. So, disappointment coupled with disappointment added with a fever = TROuBLE!!!

I was close to losing it by Saturday night. We needed a night out.

So, when hubby came back at 5.30 pm (one hour later due to car battery trouble), I was dressed and eager to go out!

***

Now.....there are many memories we can build into our kids mind.

When we think back on the days gone by, actually it is the routine things that brings back warm fuzzy feelings.

True, holidays are memorable. But warm chicken soup when we were ill or mum's curry chicken or dad's famous fried mee hoon or weekday evenings at 6pm watching Chinese serials with mum or Saturday night family dinners......those routine things are the ones that remind us of home, that pull us by during lonely cold college days, that makes us remember mummy and daddy's love.

I have made it a point since Christopher could eat adult food (somewhat) to make Saturday night out enjoyable for him as well as for us. Some family time together.....

So, this Saturday - disappointment 2 times over, a fever breaking through and a day stuck at home half crazed, I decided something different for dinner would be good. It does help that Christopher's concept of FUN is also a good meal!

So, where did we go? What new food did Christopher get to eat?

JAPANESE @ Sakae Sushi.

Fever also can eat Japanese? Umm, cannot?? Well, my little one had chawan mushi and Sushi rice rounded up with green tea ice cream pancake.

He declared "Good" and then "I want this (pointing to the sushi rice)".

He ate 7-8 rolls of sushi rice, 3 quarts of the chawan mushi and half the green tea pancake. He walked around, ran around and laughed outloud. Brought him to the toystore and he played pee-ka-boo, climbed up and down, banged some drums....all that in slightly more than an hour.

Change of clothes after eating and pooping!

I reckon he had fun. It is not really a biggie making my son happy. It shall be our 'tradition' to have a family Saturday night out FUN. Well, at least as long as he is young enough to want to spend his Saturday nights with us.
Until that time arrives, I will always want him to remember the Saturday nights with mummy and daddy doing something oh-so-enjoyable and eating that oh-so-wonderful dish!

It might just pull him through one lonely night when he is in college far far away and homesick!