Sunday, March 30, 2008

My gals and their cheapo play to occupy themselves

After the imaginary playground, my gals came home and started having more creative play moments between themselves. Since their ko ko (twins) more fond of playing bwteen themselves, these two gals became closer to each other in terms of conversation and playtime. They've become the best of playmates. Perhaps God has blessing in disguise when he made me conceived Jasmine by "accident". A good companion for Juliana since the girls age gap is big with their ko ko.

Juliana came out with her own version of Popping My Bubble game. She would make a big bubble with her mouth and ask Jasmine to pop and burst it. I'm very amused by them...entertaining themselves when their brothers were busy with their own Bubblebreaker PC game and ignored them.




Look how Juliana made her bubble for Jasmine to pop.
Wow not bad if they continue to creating new games their economical way to save mummy' pocket. Right?

sunday banking for us, play gym for the gals




Did our Sunday banking today. While the boys wanted to stay home to watch movies, the gals followed us to the bank. As hyperactive as their
ko ko, they cant sit still as usual. The gals started climbing all over and in between the banking chairs. Jasmine my 2 yrs old exclaimed.."Look mummy ! This is my new playground!" as she climbed over the metal of the chair. Juliana my 3 yr old then started swinging around in their imaginary playground.

Though they were making quite a bit of noise in the bank, I was not annoyed but happy that my gals were very imaginative and could come out with imaginary "playground" to occupy themselves when their mum and dad were busy with their banking.

Take a look at them:
Do your kids do that, too..having their imaginary games at times?

Early Cheng Beng

Went for Cheng Beng one week early. The actual day is next weekend but it coincides with my convocation. Yup I finally finished my Degree in Applied Rehab with Teeside University, UK. I took year extra (extension) due to the reason I was pregnant with my 4th child when I started and was on my 2nd week confinement whenI had to finish my last dissertation project. Since it was very taxing for me to work and breastfeeding that time ..i extended 1 year and now I finally graduating on 5 April 2008.Must admit not easy but I did it. I've always wanted to be a role model to all my kids especially my 8yr+ twin boys. I want them to knw if mummy can still study after part of her brains have degenerated(after leaving college so long), they should be able to study better. I always tell them if they want a good life in future, they must study smart and learn hard.

As for Cheng Beng..we didnt have to go to the graveyard. Just prayed at the Kek Lok Seah temple where most of my ancestors and deceased relatives' memorial plaques are. Also went to Bercham Crematorium to offer prayers to my dad in law.

Mayb because it's one week early..i find not much crowd at the time we were there.

Monday, March 24, 2008

easter at clearwater sanctuary batu gajah










Took our kids to Clearwater Batu Gajah for Easter Ostrich egg colouring contest. We paid RM5 for each egg. As the contest only open to 7 yrs and above, I had to bring my own chicken egg shell for my 2 and 3 yrs old girls. Daniel's egg won 6th out of about 20 places. Denis was upset he didnt win anything. I told him it's OK but he was sad.
Do u encounter kids cant except being a looser?

family exercise







Last week we went to Perak Stadium at the Kelab Belia & Sukan. The kids did quite a bit of track running. Even my girls did quite well better than their daddy. Boys as usual hanging around like monkeys. They also had a great time with the reflexology You can see frm their pics:)

DO your kids enjoy sports? For those of you who have girls after boys, are your girls as tomboy as their kor kor like mine?

my maid's myterious story?? believe or not to believe?

was busy with my maid issue. She later told me that she fainted because she was robbed and hit by the robber and pengsan. she lost quite a sum of money (her own) and her handphone. Lost her passport but later managed to retrieved by the Indon police.Sounds "dramatic" but i got no choice to give her the benefit of the doubt coz she could have just runaway but she promised my youngest daughter she would come back. She loves her very much.

Anyway, she is home safely and i dont need to go through the hassle to take unpay leave and new maid and can cont to have time blogging..:)

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Pass it to the front

First copy and paste it.
* Do not remove any content.
* Just add One word related to your blogs.
* If you don’t like the concept, please say no.
* Our main goal is we are going to circulate our number of friends.
* The more people join the “pass it to the front” the more links we generate.
* Lastly write only one word “short” for your blogs.
* Keep it simple and short, I know some of you have more than one blogs.
* The color is only black, gray, or white plssss avoid using any color okies. Let me show you:
1.Filipina, 2.Darling allen, 3.Abroad, 4.Halfway, 5.life, 6.culture, 7.interracial, 8.pinaystories, 9.pinaysinglelooking, 10.health 11.Miscellaneous 12. Children13. my experience 14.family 15. milestones 16. Home 17. shopping18. wonderland 19. memories 20. bliss 21. freak 22. physiomom

Let’s pass it on to :

see yoon

My maid didnt come back as scheduled

Oh my god! What happenned to my maid? She supposed to catch her return flight by Air Asia from Jakarta to ICCT K.L. But she didnt check in. I happened to knw when i called up Air Asia call centre to confirm her boarding the flight. Apparently Air Asia cancelled the flight and rescheduled another. However she didnt catch any of the following flights. Supposed to have arrive by Yoyo bus at 3am this morning. Still no sign of her.

Me panic liau. Starting tracing my phone bills for last number she dialled out. Thank God managed to get her contact in Indon (her friend). I managed to speak to my maid. She claimed that she fainted when she arrived in Palembang after Air Asia's flight was delayed from K.L to Jakarta. She had to wait till next morning without food until the next morning (7 hours) before she could catch a flight to Palembang. At the transit she couldnt get access to food and drink. The immigration didnt allow her to carry her own drink. So she pengsan and her handphone was stolen. Some good samaritan sent her to hospital and police manages to trace her contact in Indon from her contact details in her travelling bag.

I praise the power of Universe for the great light to lead me to this information. I was worried sick and didnt have good nite sleep wonderig what happened to her.

I have to leave home for course in K.L 3 days today. Had to seek help from my close relatives to take care of my 4 muskeeters until my hubby (who also works outstation) to be back. My maid still have yet to call back as there were no flight confirmed yet.

Air Asia reimbursed 50% for the cancellation of flight and she has to board MAS because Air Asia seats are fully booked.

I'm thankful that she is alright and will be home to be with us soon. Or else just cant imagine the hassle having to take unpay leave and train up the new maid and be on waiting list, blah blah blah..

wahlau! still got CNY left overs!




When cleaning the house, found out that there are still one box of Mandarin oranges in the fridge and boxes /tins of cookies in the cupboard.



How to finish them huh? Some were give to us in hampers..some my m.I.L bought..

Any creative recipes to get rid of those oranges?? Sayanglah to throw.Still good.

Vacation turned creative activities at home

Yes, as I mentioned in my previous post, I'm maidless and had to clean the house. My hubby said achool holidays need not be spending time and money on vacation. We can spend time at home doing things together with our kids.So here's what they did while poor mummy be the maid for the day:
1) Preparing their own set breakfast: French Toast the Malaysian way and Apple Juice
Easy recipe for kids to have hands on at the kitchen. all you need are the following:
* A multipurpose electric cooker
* some oil
* beaten eggs
* pinch of salt
* bread
* honey and strawberry jam

The rest of the instruction..i'm sure you already know. Let the slides speak for itself.

My twins also created and made their very own "banana flavoured popsikel" from ice-cream mould, water and crushed banana..and shared with their sisters. The Elmo's spirit of "learning to share", indeed!





It was simple yet fun for the kids. The twins were also trained to wash dishes as they are old enough now (8yrs +).

Maidless for 3 days...school holidays vacation cancelled

Gosh being on leave is more tiring than going to work.
That's because I'm maidless for 3 days. Maid went back for some urgent matter to settle. I have to do housework not that I've not done before but can be quite difficult with the 4 musketeers around this school holidays.

Found a creative yet simple way to clean and wipe the floor without much bending and causing aching back. Just use an old towel, wet it and start working your legs.
Like this....




THis way it's faster. It can keep your back straight while toning your thighs as you move your hip left and right. or can also trim your buttock as you kick your leg back and forth with the cloth. Clean floor, good exercise for the hip muscles.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Election is over..what's Malaysian's future???



Went to vote for 2nd time in my life on 8 March which happened to International Women's Day and Samy Vellu's birthday.

Missed previous one due to transfer. My voting area was at a nearby school.The majority who form the longest queue when I arrived were mainly senior citizens may be because this town is a retiring town for them.

Hopefully Malaysians are happy with the result announced and hope the winning parties wont let their voters down.

Poor Samy Vellu...what a birthday gift!

Check out this funny video clip which i just discovered after election day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnBPBFtc310

Jasmine c.pox vs Juliana c.pox

Jasmine finally has fever as expected like her one year older sis Juliana.
Fortunately she behaves well and easy to handle. Probably because she already seen how her sister was managed for her condition. Giving her PCM to control her fever, sponging and puting calamine lotion is all my maid and I need to do.

You notice the sponging was done on her neck as advised by her doctor with the rationale thet there are more blood vessels near the neck and this would cool them down faster as compared to the forehead region.



The main difference i noticed is in the lesions. Ju has them all over especially face and the back. Jasmine on the other hand has more on the vagina area and less on the body. maybe too soon to say.. will continue to monitor her.

lucky i'm on leave for the school holidays. might need to cancel vacation plans as jasmine needs attention and my maid has to go back urgently to settle some "will " problem in jakarta.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Jasmine also got chic pox, too

Guess what?? My youngest daughter finally had chicken pox lesions appearing on her face and body after 3 weeks exposure from her sister Juliana.
Pretty tough to take so long to get I would say.

She was so mad when we congratulated her on getting the chicken pox and exclaimed "Not chicken pox lah...sphagetti pox! everyone burst into laughter.

No cane, no gain in Jurong West, Singapore?


Do check this out:
You pay to enjoy your gain from being caned???Sounds weird but happening in Singapore. read on:


THEY sat on red plastic stools in a loose circle at an HDB void deck in Jurong West, waiting for their turn to be caned.

They pointed, whispered to one another and occasionally cringed as they watched an elderly man in the middle use a slim wooden rod to repeatedly strike at a bare-bodied man until his flesh turned red and raw.

Some passers-by stopped to stare before continuing on their way with a shudder.Mostly middle-aged and complaining of backaches and muscle soreness, the crowd of about 25 who had gathered at Block 987C in Jurong West Street 93 on Thursday afternoon believed caning to be a form of physiotherapy.

'My shoulders used to be very stiff but after my first caning session four days ago, I feel much better,' said bus driver Chua Cheng Hui, 55, who was on his third visit.

'I want to catch Master Goh one last time before he leaves,' he added, referring to physiotherapist Goh Seng Guan, 72.

Mr Goh, a Malaysian, was on a one-week trip to visit friends in Singapore from last Saturday to Friday.

But he ended up working throughout his holiday after a Shin Min Daily News report on Monday on his unusual form of therapy sent readers knocking on the door of his Singaporean hosts, Mr Png Peng Siah, 60, and Madam Qui Em, 56.

He promptly set up a makeshift shop outside their ground- floor flat, with Mr Png and Madam Qui taking turns to record customers' names and issue queue numbers.

Over the next three days, he whipped a steady stream of about 50 to 70 customers a day, working from 10am to 10pm with short breaks in between for meals.

He charged about $20 per person. The cash was discreetly pocketed at the end of each five-minute caning session.

Mr Goh, who runs two orthopaedic centres in Betong, southern Thailand, and Penang, Malaysia, with his wife, said he learnt the skill from a Tibetan lama when he was 20 and has been doing it for the last 50 years.

He claimed to be a certified Chinese physician in Thailand, but did not have his certificate with him.

His work tools: home-brewed medicated oil with his portrait on the label and 11 wooden rods of varying lengths and thickness laid out on a small wooden table.

The caning helps to loosen up muscles and improve blood circulation, he explained, as he pointed out black bruises that had appeared on clients' skins, indicating 'toxins that were being purged from the blood circulation system'.

Madam Qui, a cleaner, first met him in 1996, when she sought treatment for a pain in her shoulder at his Thailand centre, on a friend's recommendation.

His first visit here was with his wife last December, when Madam Qui invited them for a holiday.

Many of his customers, an equal mix of men and women, said they were trying it out of curiosity.

One resident of the same block, painter Ramdan Sardon, 45, who complained of a chronic backache, said: 'I see so many people here queueing from morning to night, maybe it works.'

Maintenance officer Vincent Loh, 35, said the pain was bearable, but acknowledged that he would have to wait a few days to know if the caning was effective, by which time Mr Goh would have left.

Insurance agent Raymond Goh, 53, said he came because the acupuncture treatment he had received for his sore calf in the past year was not working.

'It's more painful than death - this is the first and last time I'm doing it,' he said as he hobbled away with a swollen calf.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners interviewed were sceptical about the effectiveness of this treatment.

Physiotherapist Simon Toh, 55, said there used to be a shop specialising in caning therapy at People's Park Complex run by a Taiwanese woman, but it shut after less than a year.

He said: 'Singaporeans prefer to play safe with conventional methods of treatment. People might try it only as a last resort, after taking Western medicine or seeing TCM physicians.'

Retired TCM practitioner Liang Ming Na, 60, said it was a 'very ancient practice' which originated from rural villages and is not orthodox.

Thye Shan Medical Hall's Madam Tang Eng Hua said: 'It does not have any scientific basis. The bruises could be a result of repeated hitting and anyone can rub a sore muscle to make it loosen up and feel better.

'Furthermore, it must be done with skill and care. If not, you could end up hurting someone, especially when it's the elderly.'

One passer-by at the scene, interior designer Wendy Goh, 41, saw the queue and quipped: 'Why should I pay someone to beat me.

Debbie Yong

Sun, Nov 11, 2007
The Straits Times

Thursday, March 6, 2008

no cane no gain in London??

A London gym has come up with a new exercise class which captures the spirit of well known musicals such as Saturday Night Fever and Chicago.

Cane'rcise is a dance-based fitness class choreographed by Phillip Aiden, a successful dancer who has performed in shows such as "Chicago", "My Fair Lady" and "Evita" in London's West End.

Cane-rcise the Broadway?? I think we can be more creative and do better with our very own Malaysian way with ROTAN.

Monday, March 3, 2008

how to get kids to do homework & study for exams?

I have problems getting my 9 yr old twins to do their homework and study for their exams willingly and independantly without having to tail them with "rotan".

As I work outstation, it's pretty exhausted once i get home and have to still run after them on that matter.

Sometimes I also pity them for having too much chinese school homework.

Any suggestions and good tips to tackle this "universal" problem.

Do SAHM have better advantages against working mums on this issue?

Saturday, March 1, 2008

trip to Betong Thailand





Though Betong is such a small town, it has a 5 star hotel believe it or not?
Communist Tunnel, Hot spring,shopping for local specialities, massage, etc etc.

Check out my trip to Betong Thailand at http://vacationphysiomom.blogspot.com.

Ju had chicken pox!


Ju with her dried up lesions.

When i was carrying Juliana at 8 weeks old in during my 2nd pregnancy, i contracted chicken pox from my twins boys who were about 5 yrs old then. So I thought Ju could have immunity and will not get the virus again.

I was proven wrong when 2 weeks ago, she came back from nursery with many ugly lesions which developed very fast all over her trunk, upper limbs , lower limbs, face and vagina area.

Having had the experience before, taking care of her this time was easier. Put calamine lotion and gave her paracetamol for her fever and antihistamine syrup for her itchiness. Her scalp had the worst problem. MAde sure her hair was washed everyday. Abstain her from nuts, black soya sauce and prevent her from scratching (or at least taught her how to scratch with her finger pulp instead of nails).

Thank God she is recuperating well. Should be able to go to school next week after 2 weeks of absence. Her teacher was nice enough to deliver her homework to her.

How did u manage chicken pox for your kids?