a MaMa's thots on Tots

TheyPad

2011-12-07T17:45:00.058+08:00

Kids as young as 1 year olds these days already know the existence of an iPad, and most other electronic gadgets and gizmos such as the iPhone, PS2, etc. And some can even make a proper pronunciation. Ikhwan and Irfan however would normally say "Ayoh, Mama... nak main aPek" :-D

Families going to restaurants bring their iPads to distract their kids as well as to keep them seated and well-behaved is such a normal scene lately. Yet somehow I'm not impressed. Unarguably, it shows the public that you can afford an expensive toy for your kid, when in actuality it is not a toy, but don't you think we should verbally communicate with our children more, rather than let them do it with a device?

Rick Williams has recently reported that according to a psychology professor from Wake University, interacting with such devices cannot replace the one-on-one, face-to-face interaction with people and in fact, she says it could discourage young children from being conversational.

So, are they really good or bad? I just know it's both. Read more here. Unless, of course, the applications allowed for them are only of those educational ones.

Escapade to Chow Kit

2011-11-28T00:05:00.021+08:00

Fresh apples

I've been meaning to visit the famous market for a long time, and just recently I finally did! Women have widely gossiped about how cheap things are and how vast the spread of the market is. Well, it's true.

Go ahead, call me a jakun, it doesn't bother me. It's not like aku ni tak pernah pegi pasar, okay? Cuma aku tak pernah pegi pasar Chow Kit je. Chowkit road tu pernah ler pegi, but not the market.

I have to admit, after a colleague mentioned about it, the first thought that came to mind was... "YES, something to shoot!" And then instantly "YAY, something to blog about!" I knew I wanted to bring my camera along. Kasi test power sikit. Hehe.

Cendol pun ada

See, after possessing a DSLR camera of my own, I find myself always screening for objects to snap and interesting images to capture. (The kids are often my number one target, haha). Not that I dont trust the EOS1100D's capabilities, I'm just still at the crawling stage of awing at every snapshot taken, admiring how camera technology can really make you look like you-know-what-u're-doing at photography.

Considering being a beginner that I am and the fact that I often use one single mode throughout my shots, I dare say they're not too bad. However, photography is about creativity, just as much as it is about technicality. You not only have to know how to shoot something, you also have to know what to shoot, where to shoot, and when to shoot. I have yet to reach that point. It's amazing how a simple object can look so much better when captured at a different angle.

So, in between having to carefully select the fish and fruits, TASTING the fruits, bargain for discounts, hand-carry the heavy plastic bags, cautiously walking along the market's wet narrow paths, busy looking for anything/anyone eye-catching and worth capturing, kena label wartawan pun ada (some guys even tried to pose for me), under the incredibly hot sun, drenched in perspiration... wa-lah, here are a few of the output of my outing, on that one fine Friday lunch break.

Oh, and u know what, despite all the obvious trouble I had to go through, I bought and brought back oranges, grapes, persimmons, plums, mangoes, mata kucing, jambu air, keropok lekor, keropok keping, bawang merah, ikan kembong & ikan gelama! Indeed, u can imagine the blisters it had caused on my soft, pretty hands. Tsk tsk. Had I had more time, I think I would have took home MORE!

The chickens in a cage, waiting for their fateful turn

Those chickens look like they're showing us a sign of peace

A myriad of household items

Some of the jamu I have not even heard of;
But I'm a jakun, so it doesn't count

Bapak ikan bilis *I think*

Ikan bilis, confirm :D

All sorts of bananas you can find

Among the papayas, there was a sleepy tired-looking cat

Our take-away tauhu goreng

Air kelapa muda never failed to quench our thirsts

Forcing a smile after the wearying adventure

Motion & Emotion

2011-11-18T20:26:00.006+08:00

Each photo speaks for itself. Welcome to the family. :)

The french are getting the knack in designing vehicles of late

I especially love the interiors!

The tagline for the brand

Feast of Sacrifice

2011-11-12T13:30:00.005+08:00

Whoa, looking at those cute innocent faces, imagine putting a knife directly to their throat. Unthinkable, huh? And obviously not easy. But that is what it's all about - sacrificing our own fears, our own needs, our own wants, even our own logic, for the sake of obeying His orders. They're all just a test; a test of whether or not we are willing to do it for Him.

Society often speak of sacrifice for love, as in love between two human beings, mostly between men and women. At least that is what the Bollywood movies have taught us all these while. Although it is not to be ignored, it is definitely not the most important.

It should be to ALlah, our Creator. We're placed on earth for that ONE reason in the first place; to serve Him. He created us, He made us (and everything in the universe); so He has the most right upon us. Whatever He asks us to do, and asks us NOT to do, we are obliged to obey. If He says slaughter your son for Him, we have to slaughter, no questions asked. We're required to pray at least five times a day, not any less, we just do it, like it or not, in every single day, for the rest of our lives. Similarly for the need to cover our aurat, no matter how hideous we feel we look, no matter how badly we want the public to physically see our beauty, we have no choice but to follow the rules that have been detailed out for us.

We have to; try our very best to do it all, do them right, and right away; without postponement. Why? Because He said so. Explanations are unnecessary, we just obey. I'm reminding myself more than my readers here.

Mothers mostly sacrifice their own personal needs for their children. Parents are expected to sacrifice their time for their children. Husbands are required to sacrifice their energy for the sake of providing for their wives and families. Life is ALL about sacrifices.

Here are our pictures during Eidul Adha.

Ikhwan & Irfan main bola in their jubahs

Triple Pox

2011-11-01T17:20:00.052+08:00

It's that season again; virus attack. Fever, cold, flu, you name it. Maybe it's the weather condition. Hari-hari hujan. This reminded me of the outbreak that hit our family back in June. Under my roof, it was a case of chicken pox. Oh yes, ~~not double, but~~ triple chicken poxes. Dini caught it first, but thankfully she suffered only a few spots, and they lasted merely two days. But shortly after, it caught Ikhwan, and then later Irfan.

At the same time, my sister's two daughters caught the dengue fever. While she was looking after them in their shared ward at TMC, suddenly she became shivery and ill. And what do you know, she too was tested positive for dengue. Terkejut semua orang. The saddest part was, I could not be there for her even though I so badly wanted, because my own children were sick at home and have to be quarantined. I'm glad to say we went through that short hurdle with patience and grace. Somehow, even without our own mother's care, we managed, right sis?

"Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un", to ALlah we belong and to Him is our return. It also means, whatever we have is not really ours as it belongs to ALlah. Our health is no exception.

Nak hilangkan boring, we took them out for a drive in the car

Their miserable days at home

Brought them to the office on a weekend for some fresh air

Beginning of a Journey

2011-10-15T13:20:00.007+08:00

I relaxed throughout the drive, with my feet up high on the dashboard

Leaving our children behind with their grandparents in Kota Bharu, we began our trip with a six-hour drive back to Kuala Lumpur.

Let me get this straight. The word honeymoon actually means "a holiday taken by a newly married couple". We went for a holiday, yes, but we're not newly married. So, no, that means we're not on our honeymoon aaa? A getaway is more precise, just to spend time being with each other while exploring other parts of bumi indah Allah. I'm talking about our last trip to Europe in September, which I will post more in my future entries.

Despite feeling anxious of our upcoming vacation, we still could not stop thinking about our children. Nak excited lebih-lebih rasa macam bersalah. Nak risau lebih-lebih, kang membazir pulak bayar mahal-mahal IF we don't enjoy the trip. There were too many "what if" questions playing around in our heads. Padan muka, sape suruh glenya nak pegi bercuti? All we had was our du'a, the main one being to let that day not be our last moment with our kids or their last goodbye to us. ALlah has been kind to us, so far. We should really count our blessings.

Whoa, full speed!!!
(Agak-agak kalau JPJ/PDRM baca blog aku ni, kitorang kena saman ekor tak?)

Better Late than Never

2011-10-12T00:50:00.005+08:00

Raya dah habis dah pun, tapi aku baru nak terkedek-kedek letak gambar. Takpe, yang penting, belum lapuk.

Our Eid celebrations was nothing out of the ordinary, except that this year I had the chance to go to the mosque for Eid prayers, after missing the opportunity for several years.

To me, that is what makes Eid so special. It's an indescribable feeling, because somehow you know and you can feel that sense of satisfaction and inner peace, being in the mosque that Eid morning, bertakbir, dengar khutbah... especially after one whole month of fasting. Plus, also knowing that plenty of food is waiting for you upon your return, hehe. And that you're then allowed to eat at ANYTIME during the day, as much as you want. (I sound like a woman so obsessed with food, don't I?) Teruk betul.

Nevertheless, this year's Eid became more meaningful because our children have grown too, which means they don't cry a lot (particularly the twin boys), they like to move about independently so we need not carry them a lot, they're less fussy when it comes to food... therefore, less stress equals to? Happier parents.

Wait. No, no... let me rephrase that. Grateful parents. Now that's more like it. :) Here are some snapshots during the last Hari Raya. Maaf Zahir Batin everyone.

Almost the entire family of Wan Mashor & Nik Zakiah

Ikhwan & Irfan in their baju raya

Can you spot a toddler anywhere around these three handsome brothers?

Mama's parents and siblings

Hubby's grandparents

Adik ipar supir-pilot dan mama nya

With hubby's cousins

Dini with her first cousins

Ikhwan & Irfan tengah sedih sebab pop-pop habis

Mini bapak-bapak

Ladies in shades of purple menunggu ketibaan tetamu

Men (in no particular shade of colour) menunggu ketibaan tetamu

Irfan & Ikhwan penat makan & layan tetamu

Ayoh Big, the family iPad guru for the kids

That's me with my own family

New Pastime

2011-10-11T21:50:00.004+08:00

It is one of their most current activities, which was recently discovered... that is, to lie flat on their bellies, grab their father's legs while he walks and drags them away.

It does look/sound painful, doesn't it? But it evidently brings joy to the children, you know. I personally think if their father had an extra leg, probably the three of them would be doing this all at the same time, haha. What a pleasant sight THAT would be. Even so, I'm pretty sure it is quite strenuous for the father.

But hey, it can also be good exercise for the legs, right? We can forget about the trouble of having to go to the gym, as we've got our own 'weights' to lift right in the comfort of our own home.

Well, HE can. I need to preserve my legs' energy to run around the house for other chores. Cewah!

Catching Up

2011-10-10T12:20:00.002+08:00

Enough excuses. I'm just giving it a go, slowly retrieving past memories and events, for my loyal readers out there.

Our twin sons turned two last June, 23rd. Yeah, that's more than three months ago. Guilty, as charged. Although I hate the idea of making birthdays such a big of a deal, but I also wanted the boys to know their lives are celebrated then, by their immediate families at least. So I made mihun goreng singapore, ordered nasi briyani, bought the super-delicious cupcakes from Wondermilk, tiup belon, and took the time to make simple mini-gift-bags for the kids. It's the boys' first celebrated birthday, anyway.

Our three children and their first cousins make only five kids altogether, so I invited Mijoe's family, just to noise it up a little. So there, all eight kids, four boys and four girls, with eight mini-gift-bags, who probably had one short excitement for a night. The adults, including their grandfather, were there to simply witness Ikhwan and Irfan cluelessly blowing their birthday candles. Not going to be an annual thing, but definitely will do it again, for silaturrahim.

Oh, and thank you Kak Zavia for the home-made chocolate cupcakes!

Haha, their staged-joy (as instructed) are so obvious

They were asked to show me the bags

Curiously exploring their gift bags

Ikhwan and Irfan with Atuk, and the coloured cupcakes

Change Again

2011-10-09T14:30:00.001+08:00

ONCE there has been a change, there can always be a SECOND change. Why the fickle-minded head? Yes, I loved the "Fair & Square" concept and all, but now, somehow I feel it is not quite so relevant to my blog. Don't you think?

"They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom." ~Confucius.

That quote was just to further justify my sudden decision. Not that I need to (justify), though. Hehehe. Welcome. Again.

Even weathers change.

♥ ♥ ♥
M a m a D i n i.

Ooops! I Did It Again

2011-08-18T15:10:00.005+08:00

Almost three months of muteness. IF you're interested, here's why:

JUNE - month of sickness and illnesses
JULY - month of laziness but busiest
AUGUST - month of challenges (fasting, hehe)

So now I've found my mojo back. It's probably because our vacation is back ON. Yippeee! More on that after it actually happens, okay?

My sincerest apologies if I've kept you coming back and forth to check for updates. Trust me, my excuses are most of the time solid and valid.

Nowadays, it gets harder to blog at home, because the minute I carry my lappie with me, put it on the table, switch it on... then you can be sure the three toddlers would come swarming around me and ask to be carried to sit on my lap. Such busy-bodies. Hehe. Since my ultra slim legs can only fit two kids at a time, I would normally dismiss the idea of blogging, switch off my lappie, and do something else instead.

I will try my very best to find some of the lost neurons in my brains for all our memories in the past months and keep you posted. Till then, to all Muslims around the world, have a blessed and meaningful Ramadhan.

Bojeng Time

2011-05-31T19:40:00.012+08:00

Since it was their first having it done at a proper mamak salon, I felt the need to bring my camera along. Jangan marah. *wink*

Ikhwan stayed still all the while, but Irfan was very fidgety and full of expressions throughout the session. Oh, they're such opposites, most of the time.

Their father insisted for "nombor satu", but this time I got my wish for "nombor dua" after the barber himself agreed with me. ("yay!")

I know they look 'cleaner' after, but somehow I still prefer them with longer hair. Hope they'll have enough hair grown for Hari Raya. :D

Anxiously waiting for their turn

Ikhwan being his cool and calm self

Irfan had "fear" written all over his forehead hahaha

Before and After

Jingling Nona

2011-05-30T18:50:00.079+08:00

D Lagos Holiday Home
Email yummy_0251171@yahoo.com
or call 012-3176150 for details.

This is a backdated post. We went to A'Famosa Resort, Melaka a few weeks back, during the Wesak break.

That short trip marked our kids' first visit to a proper animal zoo. It was supposed to be a trip for just my family, but at the last minute, I invited my sister along. It's true when they say, the more the merrier. Our children particularly enjoyed their cousin's company. I was just fortunate that my sister decided to tag along, because she brought her cook with her. Hehehe. Food, yay!

Although it was just a one-night stay, I'm glad to say that everything went quite well. From the day we arrived, then the pony ride, the Cowboy Town at night, and the Animal World Safari the following day. We left out the Water World on purpose, with the weather being so hot and all.

The only thing I regret most was the inconvenience of not bringing our kids' strollers. My hubby thought of it as always being insignificant, but to me it was actually quite a hassle especially at the animal safari, because the kids got tired easily due to the long walks. In the end, we had to take turns to carry them, including Dini. And, oh, the twins slept throughout the ride on the safari trucks. Luckily that was our last activity, or maybe that was why they were so exhausted. Enjoy our captured memories.

14/5/2011 - In and around the A'Famosa Resort

Dini on a pony ride, not looking too amused

Wafa obviously had a bored face when riding the pony

Faatin never failed to pose even on the back of a pony

Cowboy Town - Our boys macam jakun tengok cowboy-melayu perform

The animal parade - super entertaining

Fireworks display - my personal favourite part

Around the cowboy town

15/5/2011 - A colourful start to a beautiful morning

Enjoying a pop of lollies each (given by one of the rangers)
while watching the multi-animal show

Among the animals featured from the show

The RM10 per head elephant ride!

A ride on a raft heading towards the Monkey Island

Dini was not afraid of the monkeys

Us feeding the monkeys (and a peacock)

The long walks within the safari

Last but not least, the safari ride on a truck

No Biggy

2011-05-08T16:20:00.003+08:00

August, 1986 (9 years old).
Umi has always loved my cheeks. She has many
times said that they could heal her headaches
when pressed against her eyes.

Okaaaaay, so it was Mother's Day. BIG deal. I've got no reason whatsoever to celebrate. Why? Because, number one: we never did (celebrate), even when arwah Umi was still around; and number two: I'm motherless now.

Listening to the radio every mornings on my way to work did not have any emotional effect on me until the week when Mother's Day weekend was approaching. My heart literally sobbed whenever callers dedicate their wishes to their mothers. I became somewhat angry because I thought they were pushing it too far, about the whole day and all.

But all those feelings were merely pure jealousy. I AM aware and I DO know what I'm missing, having a mother, even at this age. She wasn't perfect, yes... but she will always be that someone whom you always want to have around.

Even as I write this, my eyes become glassy and watery. :-(

Among the things I would DREAM of having her again is to exchange notes of being a mother myself. I wish to ask for her advice on raising kids, share the joys and laughter watching the children grow, and oh, cry on her shoulders when things get to be unbearable. Having a sick bay to run away to would be a plus ;-)

There has to be a good reason behind all this. As a Muslim, we cannot doubt that fact. There must be a reason why that 'mother' figure is taken away from me (and my sister) so soon. Having faith and praying that she's in a much better place helps a lot.

Despite not being too festive about the day to celebrate mothers around the world, I cannot say that I was not deeply touched when I fetched the kids from nursery one Friday afternoon, when all three of them had a cute, pink tag around their necks which had "Selamat Hari Ibu" written on them. I know they know nothing about it, but thank you kids (and the teachers) for the lovely gesture.

Read this poem by Wiz on her blog post, it's simply too beautiful not to be shared. Hope you don't mind, Kak Wiz. Here it goes:

What makes a good mother? I am often bothered by this question.

Especially after feeling guilty of punishing my children.

Does a good mother only listen and never whack?

Does she reserve herself to only watch and never smack?

Does she only whisper and never shout?

Does she only believe and never doubt?

A good mother is all that is good and bad.

She is in for the happy times and also the sad,

She may be stern at the same time understanding.

She can be strict and yet compromising.

She is serious and silly all together.

She is full of tears and overflowing with laughter.

Am I a good mother? That is a question I will always ask.

Especially when I am bothered,

If I have carried well this God given task.

Change of Name

2011-05-05T15:40:00.009+08:00

I've decided to rename this blog.

Why "Fair and Square"? Maybe that's the best phrase that suits me? Entah. I just like it. It's symbolic of being honest, just, ethical, jujur, amanah... traits of which I don't necessarily possess, but I definitely love most.

Adjectively, the phrase means free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules.

Wow... I wish the whole world is all of those.

♥ ♥ ♥
M a m a D i n i
(no longer a "DaBomb")

Hush Hush

2011-05-01T11:00:00.020+08:00

Carcosa Seri Negara, Persiaran Mahameru

I think it was sometime in March (punya la awal the planning started) when I suddenly received an email from someone by the name of Shahril *beep*, with a subject entitled "HUSH HUSH - Invitation to *beep* Marliza's Suprise Birthday Get Together".

At first I thought, who the h*** is this Shahril, coz I honestly could not recall. Rupa-rupanya Marliza's hubby. Now isn't that nice? I was totally impressed by his email, and excited at the same time. Tak sabar-sabar aku tunggu 23 April, to be held at The Gulai House, Carcosa Seri Negara pulak tuh; it's one of those ancient (built in 1896) and exotic luxury hotels in Kuala Lumpur.

The best part was, my first (and my last before the birthday event) visit was way way waaaaaay back in 1990's, most probably in 1992, when I was in Form 3. I made a study on the hotel, for a History project. I remember how arwah Umi used to be such a loving sport and took the time to drive me there, and offered advice on what to do, what to look for, pergi Arkib Negara, etc. At one point, it had a brief emotional effect on me, and I did pause for a moment, because being there reminded me of Umi. It was somewhat like walking down an-almost-vague memory lane. :-(

I was convinced by Nurul to pose this

But, once the commotion started, getting together with a loud CBN crowd, I quickly recovered. Having the rare opportunity to lalala and huha-huha with old school friends, oh it was such an enjoyable day! Especially during the Win, Lose or Draw game. I really, really, REALLY let it all out.

Here, I wish to thank the lovely couple, Marliza and her husband-mithali-of-the-year, for having me included into your special day. Shahril went through all the trouble to the whole details, where he prepared a program itinerary, complete with our personal menu choices, sketched parking area, seating arrangements, everything! Fuh!

And he even wrote in one of his emails, (Marliza! Take note, aaa?) and I QUOTE:

"This is birthday bash right? So everything is on me. All you need to do is to turn up...... What to bring: Empty stomach and a smiley face."

Beautiful family indeed

"The reason I am doing this surprise is because Liza sometimes feel that she is disconnected from her friends because of her ‘stay-in’ full time mom status now. So this is my effort to make her feel that her friends and family are always there for her. I hope all of you can make it and will have a good time."

Awwweeeeeeeee.... I almost wept okay? How's that for BEYOND mega sweetness??? Seriously, impressive giler. Mana nak cari suami...? Ooops, I better stop before I... damdididu... lalalala...

No no NO, I'm not trying to hit or hint anyone relevant here. It's just that I was deeply KAGUM nak mampos. Tak tau dah nak cakap macamana. I mean for a GUY to meticulously organise such an event is one thing. But for a husband to his wife? That's another. Sigh...

ANYHOW, they also had a theme in place, which was RETRO. Attire: "Funky". What the....? Argghhhh the stress it had caused me! Hahaha. Mana la aku reti bab-bab dress-up fancy nih. I actually took the trouble to pay a visit to Century Fiesta located at Desa Sri Hartamas, just to look for a suitable dress to wear! Poyo gila kan? Although I ended up geledah-ing my own wardrobe instead, but at least I got to know that there is such a place for costume rentals. Interesting find.

The most FUN part for me was when we posed, and posed, and posed, and POSED like crazeh! Thanks to Jas, our-diva-like friend, for organizing the shoots. Hope you readers will love the post-FB-published pictures, as much as we enjoyed posing them. And to my super-HOT friends, see you ladies soon yea? I think there's going to be another reunion in June, right?

The preps and props

The venue and menu

The FOOD! Clockwise: broccoli & leek soup, delicious choc birthday cake,
macaroons, panna cotta, colourful drinks

Potong kek - macam anniversary pulak hehe

Marliza opening her presents

Marliza's whole family was there

Clockwise: with Aini, with Putri, with Fatin

A round of Win, Lose or Draw game

They goofed and gedik-ed :-D

L-R: Putri, Jas, Hani, Aini, Nurul, *me*, Fatin

Everyone looking at the birthday girl... err, birthday WOMAN :-D

The whole LOUD clan

Supposed to be a class-photo pose, giler skema

Saturday night fever!! (I didn't nail it, the rest did)

Good bye!!

The spooky room turned into a Surau

There Stood Three

2011-04-29T14:40:00.011+08:00

This is going to be a boring entry. Simply pictures of our kids, as usual. Sorry peeps! The creative side of me just does not seem to be ticklish at the moment. Have a wonderful long weekend to all Malaysian labours. And to Mama, Happy Birthday!

Enjoying a pop of lolly each

Watching tv on a normal weekend

Twins exploring the use of crayons and colour pencils, under Dini's supervision

Highway Sunset

2011-04-28T17:40:00.002+08:00

Took this amazing shot while it was slow moving along E11 on April 22nd. Such a perfect circle, and beautiful colour! Subhanallah.

Bang Vs. Ka-ching

2011-04-19T15:25:00.010+08:00

Whenever there's a "BANG" on a Beamer, there's a potential "KA-CHING!" for Ingress. Hehehe.

Errr, for those who do not know what "Kaching" means, NO, it's not kencing okay? It's a well-known impression for the sound of coins, or in other words, money in. Dollar $ign, get it?

Our Body and Paint workshop in Kepong has marked its first year of operations. There was a mini celebration in early April, where IASB employees and myself get to indulge to a wide choice of seafood BBQ, including the famous delicious roast lamb and also satay, by Diners Caterers. Yum yummy! Keep it up with the revenue, guys!

We were served with roasted lamb, satay, seafood bbq, ais kacang, and many more

Some interesting posters at the workshop, and its management

Sedih aku tengok keadaan kereta-kereta ni semua, remuk teruk!

Luncheon with Siti

2011-04-15T13:05:00.011+08:00

Bukti kehadiran ☺. Picture is fuzzy; ain't my fault, as I was not the one holding the camera who made that shot. Such a rare opportunity... what a loss. Not the end of the world, though. By the way, that's me in the purple tudung. Siti was really, REALLY right next to me. I can't believe it until today!

I finally have the proof (and comfort, sebab ramai peminat dia kena kutuk) of knowing that this famous songbird is worth admiring all these years. She is not THE number one for nothing. Her voice, it's a gift. True, that gift should be channelled somewhere else; probably just to her husband. But boy, can she really sing!! Her beauty is obviously way above average, but not uncommon. I do not envy her looks, her fair skin, or her voice, but oh, if only I had her complexion. Flawless, okay?? Tengah berpeluh tu pun, under the spotlight, takde langsung nampak biji-biji whitehead ke, pori-pori terbuka ke, oil seed ke... serious takde! Forgive me for the details, dah dapat tengok upclose, so I'm kinda ecstatic now. *gush* Underneath all that make-up, the foundation, compact powder, concealers, etc. I still believe she has that natural beauty, complimentary well-deserving.

I really appreciate the gesture for arranging this (especially without costing us); those closest to me would know how much Siti Nurhaliza's aura can overwhelm me. Romantic, so unlike the original you, but thank you Mr. Hubby. Memories of that day will be cherished forever. And now that you agree with me about her star quality, makes me appreciate the meaningful day even more. :D

It was held on April 5th, at Matrade, Jalan Duta sempena minggu setiausaha (rupa2 nya). I spotted Dato' K (who's even more handsome in person), sat close to Chef Wan (who brought his mother along), got to watch Adam (who sang two songs for the opening) kebetulan pulak lagu first tu lagu Marc Anthony "My Baby You", lagi la aku berbunga-bunga, and witnessed how funny Dee is as the emcee. I cannot say I was not entertained. Lawak dia mostly menjadi, and she (eh? it's a he!) did not overdo it. Tapi, kenapa kena buat ala auw-auw baru nak kelakar? Tak semestinya. If he had been his true self on stage, kemungkinan besar boleh buat kelakar jugak. He's a comedian what...

Siti, entah bila la dapat jumpa lagi kan? Tahun lepas terserempak kat Madam Kwan's KLCC. Tahun ni kat Matrade. Tahun depan...? Maybe, kat airport pulak kot. Haha. Just my wild imagination. Thank you for visiting our BMW showroom once before. Come again another time, maybe make an actual purchase, and then regularly send that car for service. Somehow I think you still owe me one unblurry picture of us together. Hehehe. Till then, I guess I'll say, see you around Siti!

A note to Faudzi: hang nak kecam aku pun, suka hati hang lah ya? Aku tak pernah kata aku ni baik sangat pun. Sampai nak create debate kat Facebook pulak over my presence at the luncheon, supo takdok kijo laing weehhh... But you're right la, that place, the event itself, listening to a woman sing, dengan aurat yang terdedah pulak tu, berjoget depan bukan muhrim, is not the best place to be, and most definitely not where I would want my life to end at.

Disney on Ice

2011-04-14T13:10:00.006+08:00

Gulp! Erk, I accidentally swallowed a gum while chewing one today.

I forgot to forewarn everyone. Jaga-jaga bila baca blog aku dengan wajah baru ni. Takut nanti time sentuh monitor atau screen laptop tu, termasuk pulak selumbar dalam jari. (Hehe, lawak bodoh)

As promised, behold, our pictures at Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil on April 2nd 2011 for the Disney on Ice show. The theme this time was "World of Fantasies". The highlight was Tinkerbell, but sadly that was the most boring part for us, even the children. My sister and I obviously grew up with Cinderella, Snow White, Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, etc. and surely not Tinkerbell. Not our time la. Susah nak appreciate. Plus, cerita tu takde la best sangat, unlike Rapunzel, also not our time, but very very very catchy. All in all, I don't think I'd be interested to attend such an event again. Tinkerbell is to be blamed, not Disney on Ice as a whole. :-)

I was soooooo excited when Mickey and Minnie made their opening appearance. Almost forgot that I have a child of my own with me, when I acted child-like myself. Hehe.

Ariel and Eric from the Little Mermaid did not disappoint us.

Pride land from The Lion King was brought to reality with cool props and casts such as Rafiki, Simba, Mufasa, Scar and Nala.

Lastly, Tinkerbell. Too much verbal scripts, rather than beautiful singing and dancing.

Sights and Sighs

2011-04-13T17:05:00.008+08:00

Sigh, I'm going to miss her...... Hey, guess what? As I was on my way back from PNB Darby Park today, we sighted our old Mini car along Jalan Yap Kwan Seng. Boy, did she look goooooood! How I wish I still am the one on the driver's seat. Another sigh. (See inset).

Oh, don't try this at home. Dini at the age of three, allowed to hold the steering wheel, while the car is moving, okay?! If I tried that, sure kena marah kow-kow punya. Double standards.

My entries on Disney on Ice and Siti Nurhaliza, coming up!

♥ Mama Dini.

Sound of Music

2011-04-10T17:20:00.003+08:00

Whoa... SEVEN kids! Do I look like Captain Von Trapp's wife or something? Naaahhhhh... Captain Jack Sparrow? Nope, he's not married. Captain Big? Maybe. Minus the captain, yes.

This is a continuation to my previous post, when Wafa & Faatin were around for sleepover. Took them to Damansara to visit Mijoe, and they managed to talk me into bringing back Alia and Alif (Mijoe's kids) home. I would normally hesitate... bukan tak nak, tapi tak berapa berani nak jaga anak2 orang ni, unless the situation requires me to. But given Mijoe's condition at the time, I gave in to their wishes. It was actually quite fun for me.

First there was lunch, home made soto ayam, yum yum.

Then it was a session of karaoke - a sing-along to nursery rhymes to be exact

Then, what else, none other than the famous mini pool backyard party

After the swim, they fed the fish... and posed too!

Alia & Alif jadi mangsa obsesi aku mengambil gambar kanak2 melompat :-D

Ikhwan and Irfan could only watch, as they're not able to lift their own weights to jump yet

Then finally, balloon time!

And all of those in ONE day!

Jumpin' Jumpin'

2011-04-04T14:30:00.003+08:00

As their parents went for a business trip to Thailand, I was given the responsibility to look after their two kids. Hooray (for my kids), but scary for me. Would not want anything bad to happen while they were under my care, like burglary, earthquake, etc. Hmmm, bab2 pikir benda2 negatif ni, serahkan saje kat aku hehehe.

I became their obsessed-photographer throughout their 2-days stay. Wafa and Faatin were both overjoyed each time they see the result of their 'jumping' shots and didn't mind one single bit whenever I asked them to jump even more. I just love the way their long hair and funny expressions froze in every shot. Oh, and the funny-shaped shadows... simply hilarious! Take a look.

Dini was obviously new to this, she needs more practice

More jumping, indoors

Bicycle ride (boring, coz I didn't let them go further out of our porch hehe)

These pictures were taken by my nieces, without my knowledge (not bad, ey?)

Finally took them all to 1 Utama for confirmed-fun

Ice Cream Time!

2011-04-01T17:10:00.002+08:00

Woooo, our hip-hop twins enjoying their ice-cream... the image, priceless! The only way to keep them well-behaved - feed them with any form of food, be it fruits, biscuits, apatah lagi aiskrim. Pictures of Dini with Wafa & Faatin were captured quite some time ago, but relevant for this post. Have a good weekend peeps! I know I'll enjoy mine, coz I have something to look forward to - our Disney on Ice show tomorrow night, yippeee!!

Animal Zone

2011-03-31T15:40:00.004+08:00

Our children have not been brought to the National Zoo, can you believe it, but this was close enough to its sort. The KL Tower Animal Zone allows you to get up-close with a wide range of rare and exotic animals under the comfort of a covered and air-conditioned space. Due to the unpredictable weather these days, we dare not expose our kids to the real zoo yet. I'd rather wait until the twins are a little older, so that their immune system is a lot stronger to withstand all sorts of viruses out there.

I was particularly awed at the sight of the humongous snake! Serious besar! Ikhwan and Dini were both equally hesitant to go near it but somehow Irfan was not; it's either he's still too young to know fear, or he's such a macho guy. I prefer to believe the latter :-D

Subhanallah, I was also impressed by the creativity of ALlah's designs in the world of animals. Macam2 pelik yang kita tak pernah terfikir. Now I know ada albino monyet, albino katak, even kura2 albino pun ada!

Do Not Slander Fever

2011-03-29T17:10:00.008+08:00

Rasulullah PBUH has said, "Do not slander fever, because it takes away many wrong actions, just as the blacksmith’s bellows remove dross and impurities from iron.” (Sahih Muslim). Truly, it is upon ALlah's favour that any adversity is landed upon us in order to erase our past sins from our accounts while we are still alive. From another hadith, Rasulullah PBUH said “Whatever trouble, illness, anxiety, grief, hurt or sorrow that afflicts a Muslim, even the prick of a thorn, Allah removes in its place some of his sins.” (Sahih Muslim).

Who would not want to have his/her past sins removed? Everybody has sins they need to get rid of. Indeed, we should be grateful even if SOME of them are. Although, it's not easy to be thankful when tested with any illness, because the pain caused can sometimes be too hard to endure. At least hurt or sorrow are still bearable.

Anxiously waiting for the time of operation

The same goes to our cousin, Mijoe. It breaks my heart to see him in such a condition, especially considering his three still little kids, and his strong wife. It only started as a minor injury from a game of futsal, then became alarmingly more serious from pneumonia to lung infections. It got to a point when even the C word was mentioned. Subhanallah, it shows how much we cannot predict what's in store for us in life, no matter how fit we think we are. But Alhamdulillah, he was tested as negative after the second operation. What a relief!

Rasulullah PBUH also once said when visiting a sick man of the Ansaar, “Have patience, my brother, for if you do, you will be rid of your wrong actions as easily as you acquired them.” (Hey, that means it IS easy to commit sins, huh?) If we have enough faith in the Prophet, we must endure it, no questions asked. May Allah protect Mijoe and our whole family. He's back home now, and recovering positively, inshaALlah. You're in our prayers, Mijoe... and we miss you at the office.

Mijoe was wheeled to the Operating Theater

The impressive architecture of Prince Court Medical Centre

Early Prep

2011-03-13T18:00:00.001+08:00

Guess what, I've already taken Dini to the tailor to make her baju kurung for raya :D (and mine too, sssshhhh!). Too early? I think not. THIS is what time management is all about. Or maybe that's just an excuse to diminish my feeling of guilt; my debt towards Allah banyak lagi, tapi baju raya dah siap tempah dah. Ish ish ish... Time for a Puasa-marathon!

Within the Vicinity

2011-03-02T15:20:00.005+08:00

I don't have a lot of time in my hands lately, so this time I'm just gonna dish out our children's weekend-activity pictures, most of which were spent within the vicinity of Kota Damansara, hehehe :-D. Happy viewing.

Ikhwan & Irfan always fascinated when feeding the fish.

Wafa and Faatin's new purchased cat, named Rapunzel.

Short play time at the toy department, Ikea.

Quite a number have pointed out of Irfan's similar looks as of his Atuk.

One-Ringgit ride at The Curve.

My turn to baby-sit my two beautiful nieces.

Dini playing the 'big sister' role to her twin brothers.

Tricycle ride at our porch

Mini pool party at our backyard

Dinner at Burger King, Mutiara Damansara

Walking GPS

2011-02-28T16:15:00.004+08:00

Flattered to be referred to a friend as 'his navigator' once, I can be considered as a walking-GPS to some, especially Mr Hubby. But that is not an excuse for me not to own an electronic GPS myself. I'm currently loving it, especially when the 3-D map appears. I often had to borrow my sister's before, but not anymore. Yay, good choice, valuable purchase.

Theme Parking

2011-02-24T13:35:00.005+08:00

We ran out of ideas for the kids' entertainment. They have had too much TV's and DVD's, too much of window shopping, the weather has not been too kind for swimming activities too. So, between being under the hot sun and funny-yucky smells of the zoo or the cool highlands of Genting with expensive fees, we finally opted and made our way to the Indoor Theme Park at Berjaya Times Square instead. Haha, very creative (not!). Dan, bukan murah jugak pun.

However, since my kids have never been there, so they got pretty excited. Something new, something different, and something fun. They didn't get to do much before this, coz when they were barely 12 months old, our activities had to be limited. The boys did not respond positively towards crowd. Now that they're bigger and more well-behaved, we can start exploring. Next would probably be the Bird Park. Somehow kids love animals, maybe because they're adorable and can move about, which makes them even cuter. Their dad had to work, but luckily their cousins were more than happy to lend their company.

Was Featured!

2011-02-06T11:10:00.005+08:00

Hey, Dini's cake was featured in Wiz's blog recently, and I just viewed it today! Just look --> click!

Awweeee, you're most welcome Wiz! Thank YOU, actually. I'm one of your blog followers now, as I enjoy even just viewing your more-than-perfect cakes, reading your wonderfully constructed writing (you're really gifted) and also skimming through your other beautiful pictures and adventures. You inspire me to become that perfect home-maker! *wink*

Three-Day Company

2011-02-05T23:50:00.003+08:00

Our 4-day break from work for the Chinese New Year was not such a complete disaster after all. Thanks to my brother/sister-in-laws for coming over and giving my kids the much needed extra sounds and colors to their normal routine life. Besides having their dull grown-up crowd to hang around with, now they had their own fun age to play with i.e. their cousins Alya and Damya.

They pretty much just ran about around the house mainly, once dipped in the mini pool and also took them to a nearby playground or to the mall to run around some more. Hahaha!

All Made Up

2011-02-02T17:25:00.001+08:00

Finally made it to the free make-up service at Bobbi Brown, in Pavillion yesterday. They put me on Nude, then Glam and lastly Smoky-eyed kind of make-up. They even taught me how to apply concealers, make-up base, foundations, shadow base, blushers, whatever base, base, base, base, bla bla bla... ugh, baik ambik cat aje senang, and paint all over my face with it!

Wei, penat la nak buat semua2 tu just to appear with a better look? The result? See for yourself. Biasa2 je kot sebenarnya. But somehow I did look more of-a-ghost off-camera. Dalam gambar, macam nothing pulak. The only thing different I managed to notice was the 'look' and attention I get right after, be it from passers-by or shop attendants. More than a few simply smiled almost the minute I walked in, even from those yang vogue gila2 tu. Normally, I would not get that from them, considering my ala-kampung attire. It's amazing what overly-done make up can do for impressions.

But it was an interesting session. I got the basics; mission accomplished. Thank you, June and Simone! ;-) I cannot guarantee I am ready to practice it yet, hehehe.

So-called Retreat

2011-02-02T15:53:00.028+08:00

January, 23rd. Last year it was the annual year-end stock take. This year it was a RETREAT for all levels of management of the Company, to brainstorm on how to manage future challenges. A hectic retreat was what it is, really. Hey, they should call it HECTREAT next time, baru kena! :D Looking on the brighter side of it, since it was also my wedding anniversary, we got to spend two nights minus the interruption of our very-much-missed kids (their grandmother had to be flown all the way from KB to babysit). Happy birthday to me as I've reached my 34th year of existence on Earth. God knows how many more years I will have left.

Astaghfirullah, I would want to have a longer life, and it shouldn't be because of not wanting to leave my children behind, although the thought of leaving them mother-less can bring me to tears in a split second; it should always, always be of wanting to do more good deeds, serve Allah better and attend to all obligations under the Islamic teachings. One day, someday... aku akan ikut jejak langkah arwah umi, untuk mendalami lebih banyak ilmu-ilmu yang mendekatkan diri kepada Allah Ta'ala, masih jauh ketinggalan pengetahuan aku. That is my wish, a wish that only I can help to grant and fulfill, not others.

Thank you Ingress for buying a cake for me... that was soooooooooo thoughtful. Even though it was from the hotel, tapi sedap jugak kek tu. And congratulations for successfully embarrassing me with the birthday announcement. Tak kuasa aku melayan, tapi terpaksa. Boring gila. Hehehe.

Oooooohh, the best part of the trip which I enjoyed most was when we rode on that four-wheeled vehicle along the coastal waters. Tremendously fun, fun, fun! I think I reached that few-minutes moment of actually feeling "free". While the men had their beach volley and soccer activities, we decided not to just sit around and be their foolish pom-pom girls. The expensive rate for the rides (RM40 for 15 minutes) did not stop us from trying them out, and we didn't regret it one single bit. But I lasted barely 15-minutes; the hard suspension left my hands trembling and sore. But Kak Farah was the heroine, she went on and on and on, back and forth, back and forth... so I guess she got her money's worth. The ride is going to be a must for our kids soon!

Off Balance

2011-01-19T09:30:00.005+08:00

I initially disapproved of such physical movements, as some other normal parents or grandparents would, but as I looked it up online, apparently it is good for the stimulation of the baby's vestibular system (relating to sense of equilibrium), subsequently improving the baby's sense of balance. Read it up here.

I tried these sort of activities myself sometimes by swinging and spinning them, but would often stop almost immediately sebab AKU yang dizzy, bukan budak-budak tu, hahaha! ONE problem whenever we begin to swing or turn them upside down, though... they would ask for more!!! And with THREE little more-than-10-kilograms of mass as weights each, I dare not even begin to nowadays. Let the man of the house, hopefully with the muscles and enough energy do it. Count me out.

However, I was right all along; this should not be done right after the baby has had his/her meals. Look at them go, huuuuuuu yay!

The Minidels

2011-01-14T16:45:00.002+08:00

*Minidels = Mini Models :D

Gosh, kids nowadays, really do know how to pose AND look good while they're at it. My time? Bluwah, forget it. Ugleh and terribleh. Unlike these three minis, whatever Dini's mak long suruh buat, semua ikut. Enjoy the pics, photoshoot around Pavillion, KL.

Suria Bliss

2011-01-11T16:55:00.005+08:00

Didn't realise how much I've missed Suria KLCC until we were there last Saturday. Come to think of it, I was an almost-weekly visitor back during the days when my office was in Ampang. But now, it's either The Curve, Ikano, or 1U. Boring. Nothing beats the feeling of being in the lobbies of THE famous twin towers.

Our kids were overjoyed to see the fountains as they could not stop pointing their cute little chubby fingers at the high-rise waters. Irfan ran about like a cat who just got released from its cage! Ikhwan was somewhat careful with his surroundings, assessing whether he's in a safe place or not. Maklum lah, jarang tengok. Dini also hopped and hopped, sometimes kejar Irfan, other times posing for her mama.

Badly wanted to dine at Chili's that nite, but unfortunately there was a long waiting list, as expected. We settled for Little Penang coz even Madam Kwan's was packed. A good weekend, it was.

Welcome home, Dora

2011-01-02T20:50:00.005+08:00

Hooraaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy!!! Izadora Mustaffa is back, for G O O D!!!

Had a mini reunion at home; thank you ladies for coming all the way. What I love most about this group of uni friends is that they never fail to make me laugh out loud. I needed that, A LOT. And whenever I'm with Dora, can't help feeling goofy and bubbly. Love you for that, Do! Sampai mulut anak-anak aku semua ternganga tengok gelagat mama dan kawan-kawan nya, hehe. Hope we'll do this often, I won't even mind if it's not at my house. Just as long as there's good food! ;-)

Till we meet again.

A New Year

2011-01-01T13:30:00.004+08:00

Happy new year to all my readers. I could clearly hear the booms and bangs at twelve last night, but didn't even bother to look. It's a new year, okay, but I think there's no reason to be all too festive about it. There's still so much to do, with so little time. Dunia pun dah nak kiamat, tanda-tanda terlalu banyak. Masalah sosial tak habis-habis, malah makin teruk; minum arak dah jadi perkara biasa, nyawa manusia pun takde harga. Kalau lah ditakdirkan Dajjal muncul esok lusa, pasti masih ramai yang akan gagal nak menempuh ujian besar tu.

Instead of all those undoubtedly-beautiful firework displays, we should all have prayed together instead, for another better year, prosperous economy for the country with quality people in it. "Ya Allah, jauhkan lah negara kami dari segala malapetaka, bala bencana, wabak penyakit berbahaya, serta peliharalah nikmat keamanan rakyat jelata dan sahsiah golongan anak-anak muda. Amin ya Rabbal alamin."

Time flies so fast, it gives me the creeps... This has been long overdue, but here are our Eidul Adha pictures, in and around Kota Bharu.

A belated congratulation wishes to cousin Asyraf and Mira too for tying the knot then. We pray for your every love and happiness; semoga kekal bukan sahaja di dunia tapi juga di syurga bersama. Eveything that's halal for both of you now also comes with greater responsibilities; enjoy the nikmat but don't forget what's more important in life - our main purpose that is to serve Allah SWT. May your life together along with your kids and future generations bring more meaning to your life and the whole world.

Celebs - Spotted!

2010-12-30T12:50:00.003+08:00

Upin & Ipin do fall under the celebrities category, dont they? ;-) There was a promotion at Giant, Kota Damansara weeks ago where we had to buy two packs of Huggies diapers in order to get a free Upin & Ipin bag, plus we get to meet the characters themselves as well as a free photoshoot with the giant twins. Dini was so excited and talked about it for days. Siap salam dengan Upin & Ipin okay? I just wish they would talk though, instead of just shaking their hands and heads. Apa salahnya cakap, walaupun suara tak sama dengan kartun tu. I tried to make them (talk); I said "assalamualaikum", but none of them responded, haha. The real cartoons would have replied in a second!

Last two weekends, we took Ciksya out to Pavillion, saje jalan-jalan. Kebetulan her husband was away, and mine chose to golf to kill his precious-family-time. And when we had our lunch at The Loaf, we spotted Wan Zaleha Radzi with her hubby and two others. That's them on my right, behind me! She still looks as beautiful as ever walaupun nampak agak cengkung sikit. I badly wanted to go over to her and ask for a photo snap together, tapi seperti biasa, I chickened out, only because none would support me! :-((

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Dini is THREE

2010-12-28T10:50:00.007+08:00

Ugh, when can I find the time to blog nowadays? :( And I've got soooooo much to write!

Dini has just turned three on Monday (December 27th). She's three already, but it was her first birthday that we celebrated, hehe. She's too young to understand anyway, and it should not be a big deal where I came from. So anyway, I ordered a Barney cake through wizcakes; Wiz makes beautifully-decorated-sculptured fondant cakes, very impressive I tell you. Dini loved the figurines, and she got to share that moment with her friends at the nursery. Together with her twin brothers too!

We took the time to join the kids during our lunchtime, just to show our poyo-support. (Ok, ok, mama je yang poyo, ayoh was just being extra nice that day). I especially wanted to join in simply because, what else, to take pictures. Here they are!

And oh, Dini.. this was the day you got your first REAL bicycle. Pink Raleigh, you know. You're most welcome, dear. We love you! Happy Birthday!!

That's Dini with her cousin Damya, at An's house in Shah Alam. They both share the same birth date, cool huh?

Worth Another Shot

2010-12-16T16:45:00.010+08:00

Yet another attempt to a slimmer me.

My sister and I have signed up at Curves, a fitness center for women, located less than five minutes away from my home; Sunsuria Avenue to be exact. It's been almost a month already, and I'm still in the high-spirited-mode about it, thankfully. Hopefully it'll last for a year... at least!

What I like about this center is they have a system in place, quite different from many other fitness centers around us. We have to attend a minimum of 3 times a week, and only 30-minutes workout for each visit. They provide a circuit that combines cardio and strength training which will work every major muscle group specifically designed for women, and apparently that can burn up to 500 calories. Each circuit contains 8 machines and 8 recovery stations; 30 seconds on each station. Click here for the demo; only if you're interested.

We were required to write our goals and targets on a coloured piece of paper to be displayed on their notice board. My sister's had Angelina Jolie in it, something about being slim, lean and mean. Errr, too ambitious of a goal, if you ask me :-D. I only put there, well... see for your self. The zoomed orange hand-paper is mine, tehehe.

More than 10k

2010-11-23T10:40:00.013+08:00

Whoa, after the one-week break for Eidul Adha, number of visitors for my blog page reached more than 10,000. Thank you, peeps! Tapi still tak boleh lawan blog Aidid (10,000 visitors DAILY!), Uncle (in 15 days visitors mencecah sejuta!) or the sweet-and-famous blogger Hanis of course. Darn, I wanted to snap a screen when the number was 9,999 the way I did when it was 7,777. Terlepas lah pulaaaakkkk...

Eid pics coming up soon!

Happy birthday, Kak Farah! I love you so so very much. I pray for every happiness for you and your family in this world and the next. Mmmuah!!! Your beauty is always my envy, your kindness is always my awe, your love is always my life. Hope you'll enjoy cooking with your new coloured cooker. Imported from Germany, you know... ;-)

Just a Dose of Fun

2010-11-11T12:00:00.007+08:00

Some may disagree to this sort of play; boys main pakai tudung. But what to do? Kakak dia nak pakai tudung mama, diorang sibuk nak try jugak. Siap berebut-rebut tuuuu...

Some pics are very blurry; that's becoz they simply cannot sit still! Susah betul nak ambik gambar. My apologies.

Inspired?

2010-11-10T17:35:00.000+08:00

The new Proton Inspira was finally launched today, 10 November 2010. I was forced (hehe) to tag along with my two colleagues who were very much interested to witness it first-hand at the Proton showroom in Mutiara Damansara.

My only comment is "not inspiring enough". But I must say the package offered for the 2.0 engine is quite appealing - leather seats, paddle shifts, skirting, PLUS if you make your booking before 15th November (that's only within 5 days after the official launch), you'll be given 2 years free service. I thought that sounded tempting, tapi kononnya that's to cover for any likely defects and hiccups for first few batches of new cars. Haha, sabar je lah.

Surprisingly, we were told that waiting list is up to 3 months for the 2.0 engine, and only 1 month for the 1.8. The tagline for this model, though i.e. "Smart guys get it". Wha...??? Hmmm, I know I don't get it.

Insha ALlah

2010-11-10T16:45:00.006+08:00

I've fallen in love with Maher Zain. Not personally, but his beautiful singing and his soulful songs. I have attached his famous track -"Insha Allah". Do listen. (Go buy his album too, you won't regret it!)

I can now relate to the massive craziness now, but still cannot understand the drool over him created by many Asian women (sadly). According to iluvislam.com, apparently during his concert here in Malaysia last October, most female audiences went berserk, probably screaming away when Maher appeared and sang on stage. To me that is totally embarrassing and plain stupid.

Admittedly, not only can he sing very well, but his looks are admirable too. Not to mention his physique. But hey, grow up la peeps! You're supposed to absorb the messages in his songs, not his face! Ini lagu-lagu memuji Allah, bukan memuji korang pun. Ini konsert nasyid, bukan konsert Amy Search. I bet kalau Raihan yang perform, takde la terjerit-jerit macam tu kot? But then again, Raihan members tak se-hensem Maher agaknya. Tak tau lah nak kata. Harap-harap budak-budak aje yang buat perangai tu, jangan kakak-kakak atau makcik-makcik sudah. Kalau tak, lagi memalukan. Na'uzubillahi min zalik. Nasib baik aku tak pergi konsert tu, kalau tidak mau aku jeling setajam-tajamnya kat mereka-mereka tu.

Anyway, whenever this particular song is played, my thoughts would almost immediately turn to my aunt (arwah umi's younger sister) who has recently been diagnosed positive of cancer :-(

InshaALlah

Everytime you feel

Like you cannot go on

You feel so lost

That your so alone

All you is see is night

And darkness all around

You feel so helpless

You can’t see which way to go

Don’t despair and never loose hope

Cause Allah is always by your side

Insha Allah x3

Insya Allah you’ll find your way

Everytime you commit

One more mistake

You feel you can’t repent

And that its way too late

Your’re so confused, wrong decisions you have made

Haunt your mind and your heart is full of shame

Don’t despair and never loose hope

Cause Allah is always by your side

Insha Allah x3

Insya Allah you’ll find your way

Insha Allah x3

Insya Allah you’ll find your way

Turn to Allah

He’s never far away

Put your trust in Him

Raise your hands and pray

OOO Ya Allah

Guide my steps don’t let me go astray

You’re the only one that showed me the way,

Showed me the way x2

Dr. Di

2010-10-26T16:50:00.001+08:00

She says she's cooking, but with the two syringes in her hands, I'd say she looks more like a nurse than a chef. Ok ok, maybe a doctor, baru ganas sikit. Hehe.

This has become a common scenario in our kitchen nowadays, everytime I begin to prepare for lunch or dinner. Dah besar esok2, agaknya tau je mama masuk dapur, terus dia menyorok jauh2... ye ke Dini? *wink wink* They won't get too far, becoz I'll make sure I have a proper duty roster waiting for them!

"Get back here, kids!"

Aku ni mengelamun je lebih... back to work!

New Collective Noun

2010-10-24T23:46:00.007+08:00

A pride of lions...

A herd of antelope...

A school of fish...

A flock of birds...

A tribe of natives...

A board of directors...

A troupe of dancers...

A cart of (Rabian & Huda's) kids...

For a comprehensive list of collective nouns, click the following links:

Splish Splash

2010-10-24T13:55:00.002+08:00

What is it with kids with water? They love it so much, I sometimes dare not let them go near it, coz when they do, they don't seem to want to stop! It has to come to a WAR first, with loads of scream and shouts, before they will finally give in (often unwillingly).

But not in the swimming pool, though. For the twins, that is. They finally have their own swimming gears now, including those support things on their arms (what's it called anyway?). Their first experience in the pool, which I was extremely anxious about, prove to be a disappointing one. Instead of hearing their laughter and joys of excitement, all we heard was their cries. We suspect the water temperature was too cold, even on that particular hot day. If only I could warm it up somehow, because I know they would have enjoyed it. Or maybe they just weren't ready.

Oh by the way, Ikhwan is having a bad hair day. Forgive him, hehe.

Guess? Boys

2010-10-23T14:30:00.004+08:00

Don't they look like they came out of a jeans ad? Guess jeans made in Kubang Kerian, that is. Haha. Santai betul masa tu, at their grandparents' cozy home, cool breeze rubbing against their soft cheeks while eating home-made spaghetti. Mmm...

Buon Appetito!

2010-10-22T10:40:00.002+08:00

Voila! We were all-Italian last night and the night before. For dinner, at least. Actually the night before we ordered pizza delivery; Ikhwan was not too well, which was a valid-enough reason for me not to cook. Hehe. But last night, I felt like trying out my all-time favourite Italian dish - Aglio Olio. I knew it looked like an easy-to-prepare dish, despite being so tasteful.

True enough, as I googled its recipe, and with a little input from my dear friend Dora, I can say it was quite a success! Although, my hubby thought it was only "OK"; his opinion is sometimes irrelevant coz his standards are often too high. For a first-time effort, I think it was more than OK, for ME laa... hehe. Apart from the ready-made beef salami bought in the stores, the rest of the contents are pretty healthy.

Buon Appetito! (that's how the Italians say Bon Appetit!)

Intentional Neglect

2010-10-18T11:50:00.029+08:00

How I've missed blogging.

When was my last post? Let's see... 27 August? My, my... that's almost 2 months back. Never got the chance to wish my viewers Selamat Hari Raya. Sorry! It's been quite a 2-month period. My whole family were constantly attacked by virus during puasa month, then hari raya came and it was strings of open houses on weekends. Tiring, really, really tiring.

I have also got into the habit of sleeping early; at just 9.30 p.m, it's already "lights out!". Apa lagi bulan puasa hari tu. Rest has become my top most priority, just to make sure that my energy is replenished fully. I'm just going to put up some of our hari raya pictures (not much, this year, my hands were full!) into this post today. Will write about other significant events later on.

Oh, wonder why suddenly I can find the time NOW (to blog)? Irfan has got some blisters in his mouth; took him to the clinic this morning, and he was suspected to have early signs of HFM (hand, foot and mouth) disease. So there, I have to stay home and watch him, and right now, he's asleep. It's a very contagious disease, apparently. I don't know if it's possible to separate the kids at home.

Yet another test from the Almighty. Life can never be smooth, for if it is, we tend to forget our main purpose in this life, that is to serve our Creator.

First day of Hari Raya - Kota Damansara

Second day of Hari Raya - Kota Bharu (In-laws' open house)

At a friend of father-in-law's house

Family dinner at Horizon Restaurant

Kids around the house in KB

BBQ at Cik Lah's house

Fun Dip

2010-08-27T07:20:00.005+08:00

No, that's not what they actually said. But it was a happy moment. Must do it often, Mr. Hubby. You be the lifeguard and I'll be the cameraman, macam biasa... ;-)

Eyes of Innocence

2010-08-18T15:25:00.004+08:00

D i n i
I k h w a n
I r f a n

Cat Shit One

2010-08-12T10:23:00.023+08:00

Came across this vid from a blogger's page.

Apparently the movie just came out after eager anticipation by many (so I've learnt). It's an anime adaptation of the Japanese series Apocalypse Meow (Cat Shit One). The story takes place in a fictional world about the misadventures of three elite soldiers who happen to be cute little bunnies that can speak, walk on two legs and ready to take on a village of terrorist camels. That's right, CAMELS.

Yep, that's a hit on a sensitive spot there, where Arabs i.e. Muslims (the camels) are portrayed as terrorists. That's unfair. So what else is new? Minus that, I agree that the movie is adorably cute and funny, and probably worth watching. But HEY, it's currently only viewable in Japan. Darn. It will most definitely be banned in most Muslim countries anyway.

Hmmmm, downloadable, perhaps? SSssshhhhh...

Oh, I've recently added some background music into this blog. Feel free to scroll down (below, far right end) and click the pause button if you find it distracting. You may even need to do so before playing the vid.

Come on, camels.. I mean, bunnies!

By the Lakes

2010-08-10T13:15:00.016+08:00

If you have been to Taman Rimba Riang in Kota Damansara, you will understand our disappointment. Tasik 'teh-susu' dia ada banyak sampah sarap, kerusi tempat duduk patah-patah, atap wakaf pun koyak rabak, and there was even one lamp post tumbang (and still on the ground, mind you). Very poorly maintained. Surprisingly, there were quite a number of visitors. Agaknya dah takde tempat lain nak pergi kat KL ni, hehe.

So anyway, my hubby was determined to bring us all to Tasik Shah Alam instead, where he used to 'lepak' during his bachelor days. We did, three weeks back, and yes, it was far better. Didn't get to really walk around a lot though, for we arrived quite late, and once Dini set her eyes on the playground, there was no way for us to do anything else. Well, the outing was for the children anyway, so we gave in.

I was particularly overjoyed to 'set the twins free'; watching those two tiny mini-human walk among other giants (us) was so cute and amusing! Ikhwan forgot himself; he simply walked wherever he wanted to, siap nak kejar burung pun ada, even once headed towards the lake (yikes!). Irfan is still a beginner, but I could tell he was happy; his face lit up simply for being able to actually use his two feet on his own. Enjoy the pics.

Later, we went to An's house for Maghrib, and then out for dinner somewhere in Section 7, including Ridhwan, my soon-to-be-a-pilot brother-in-law. Here's Dini with her cousins, An's two daughters; Alya and Damya.

Journey to the Nursery

2010-08-09T12:45:00.002+08:00

Since I've started to send all three kids to the nursery now, every morning and afternoon would be the most chaotic for me. Often wanting to make the effort to get them showered and fresh each time they arrive at the daycare center, MY mornings are the most hectic. Needless to say, in the car, one of the kids would be crying for wanting to sit in the car seat, another would be crying for NOT wanting to sit in the car seat. Irfan would cry everytime the car stops, and I once had to play with the brakes (normally at a red light or junctions), just to keep him quiet. Dini would always want her cd to be played, and Ikhwan would sometimes be mad for fastening his car seat belts. In the afternoons, each twin has to have a biscuit in their hands, if not, "waaaaaaaaaa!!!" would be all I could hear. What a journey... wonderful. Hehe.

Car Boot Sale... not!

2010-08-08T10:15:00.001+08:00

They're in a car boot, yes... but they're NEVER for sale, ok? *Wink*

Gone Away

2010-08-02T16:30:00.011+08:00

Speaking of gone, a lot has been going on during my absence in the virtual world.

The most significant of all was the passing of my dear father's mother on 30 June 2010. After too many years of on-off trips to the hospital, Mok's time finally came at the age of 88, that particular morning. We could all see it coming, but never thought it was going to be that soon. She was buried in Banggol, right next to her son's grave, a few metres from her husband's. She will truly be missed by many, for she was famous for being a witty granny through her honest and laser opinions.

Being a frank person myself, I think I may have gotten it from her. ;-)

Having to rush to Kelantan that morning with our battalions took us extra hours than I had hoped for. But alhamdulillah, I made it right in time masa jenazah tengah dikapankan. When I kissed her cold cheek for the last time, I whispered to her "Mok, kirim salam Umi deh?". I will never know if she heard me, nor will I know if my salam will be conveyed. Nevertheless, what's more important is Allah's forgiveness and blessings. May her soul rest in peace, may her body be well-protected, and may her graveyard be spacious and bright with Allah's nur and mercy.

Oh, I hate it when people reply through texts or facebook status or ym the word "Al-Fatihah". Rightfully, when one sees or hears OR READS the word, he/she is supposed to RECITE it, not to create replies with the same exact word again. Society really needs to be educated about this.

Mini Ma'mum

2010-06-16T12:20:00.002+08:00

Everytime Dini attempts to perform jemaah prayers, it is never easy to refrain from giggling. Especially when we're the ones praying, haha. Just look!

Ooooo waaaa yay... look at our flowers bloom!

Our "Mr. T"s

2010-06-15T15:55:00.003+08:00

Yep, the twins are now officially BALD... again.

Mama misses your hair, boys!!! :-((

Allah knows Best

2010-06-04T12:34:00.010+08:00

I rushed to KB two weeks back to visit my one-and-only-grandmother-left who was in a very critical condition. Took Dini along with me, and flew together with Ayoh and Mummy. That's us in the Golden Lounge.

After two weeks leaving Dini behind with my in-laws, we drove back again, this time with everyone tagging along, including the twins. Stopped by Gua Musang R&R to have a short break; the twins seem relaxed on the wakaf there, while eating their food.

Mok was really ill due to the high level of urea in her blood. She went unconscious at one point, even her lips got distorted. We had to call for an ambulance and let the paramedics take care of her. Kesian, Mok. By the way, she's already 88 years old now. As of today, Mok is still holding on ever so strongly, at HUSM, but very, very weak and fragile. Whatever that is going to happen, ALlah knows best towards His servants, and He has a right to do as He wishes. May ALlah forgive her, and all of us.

Oh, I See...

2010-05-20T17:50:00.009+08:00

As I was on my way home from work, in the middle of a massive traffic jam along the NKVE, I witnessed something new.

Never thought that streetlight bulbs were changed in SUCH a manner! All these while I thought they would have to climb all the way up, change the bulbs, and then climb back down. Tiba-tiba terasa jakun and somewhat fascinated, so I snapped some pics, while driving, hehehe.

Ala Lala Latok, Ala Lala Latok, Tok J.a.n.g.a.n S.a.m.a.n !

Yum Seng

2010-05-12T11:15:00.012+08:00

We attended Ho's wedding at Equatorial Hotel on 10th May. Ho is our koi fish supplier, and also provides maintenance services for our fish pond. A very humble and extremely funny guy. He ditched his working life as a chartered accountant and started his own business revolving around fish, ponds, etc. Doing so well too!

Ho insisted we brought our child along, even prepared a babychair for Dini. My hesitation and worries proved to be a mere paranoia. There were many others who brought their child along, those who qualify under babychair-sitters. Luckily Dini behaved herself - and she especially loved the crabmeat soup!

That night marks my first encounter for the famous "Yum-Seng" at a Chinese wedding dinner. Didn't know they have to go "Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum" ever-so-long and then "Seng" ever-so-loudly! Haha.

The host was considerate enough to segregate our seating arrangements, and non-alcoholic drinks were served to us. Very accommodating.

Also my first night to see a man in a suit with a child in his arms... my heart almost melted.

History, as it Happens

2010-05-04T17:44:00.007+08:00

Today, at around 4.50 p.m., the total number of my blog visitors reached 7,777; that's Seven Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy Seven! Cool...!

I have a screenshot to prove it :-D

Another Mommy Blogger

2010-05-03T15:31:00.000+08:00

Here's a warm welcome to Muna, another Mommy blogger, "gone artsy" apparently. This young full-time housewife neighbour of mine (who also happen to be my junior from CBN) creates personalised canvas paintings and artworks, and sells them of course. Made to order only. Oh, and she does shawl-business too! (that's selendang, in BM).

Beautiful, Muna. I looiiiiike 'em a lot! Those are truly MY kind of art - neat, clean, colourful, fun, vibrant and exciting. Hope you can teach me one day *wink*. Don't worry, I will make my own purchase too someday. And I admire how you can manage everything on your own. Jealous betul.

Here are a few samples obtained from her blog... For more information and views of her impressive collections, visit her blog or email her at msmuna@gmail.com.

Muna, do I get any commission for this free-ad? Hehe.

Despite the Outbreak

2010-05-03T14:03:00.012+08:00

While Wafa was quarantined for H1N1, Faatin came over for the weekend (2 weeks back) for a company of her own age. Poor Wafa, stuck at home, for two weeks, with no friends to play with. But syukur alhamdulillah, she's so much better now and relatively cured.

Congratulations to Zaid and his wife, for tying the knot recently. May happiness be yours always, dunia dan akhirat. And, hey, didn't know you could sing well. Such a wonderful surprise from a groom to his bride!

Congratulations to Hatadi and his wife too, but unfortunately I didn't get to snap pictures in their bridal outfits. Sape suruh lambat sampai? Hehe. Takpe lah, ambik gambar tiga dara pingitan ni pun dah cukup.

Cuaca panas terik, sampai Dini & Wafa tak boleh bukak mata.

Tapi Faatin maintain!

A Dedication for my DNA Matchers

2010-05-01T23:30:00.017+08:00

B.L.O.G. It's not an uncommon word these days, but where did that word originate from? Apparently the word goes way back in July 1999 (that's when MIRC was soooo popular, and hotmail was the 'in' email host for many... remember?). Back then, we were not familiar with blogs yet, maybe Malaysia particularly. Wikipedia describes blog as a type of website, maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, description of events or other materials such as photos or videos. Note the word "regular" guys; so kalau blog korang dah bersawang tu, you may call your "blog" as "block" now ok? Hehe.

I see some of my friends use their featured space for info sharing, personal diaries, or to express their feelings; sadness, inspirational and sometimes anger (towards their peers, bosses, or spouses). I have Facebook for that now, ssshhhhh... *wink*! Some even begin to start their own small businesses and use their blog for marketing purposes. Some display their cooking skills, art skills, and other skills. Mentang-mentang ler camera ada kat handphone sekarang ya, semua benda nak ambik gambar ya? Yeah, yeah it's free anyway (tak payah pegi kedai bayar untuk cuci gambar), so what the heck yeah? Yeah, agreed. (Berapa kali "yeah" daaa..) But I feel it is also a challenge not to make it boring too.

Bloggers have their own personal reasons to make their online presence. Someone have creatively listed the top 33 reasons to have your own blog. I especially agree on the part where it keeps you disciplined (la la la...), besides the unlimited space of absolutely everything you wish to write about, and most importantly it keeps you on top of things (you stay much more attentive to the world, always looking for inspiration). So true!

Like me, for instance. The reason why I blogged in the first place, was only to safe-keep and describe memories (mainly pictures) of my family and children, so that when I die one day, the people left behind can always look back and read them all. Arwah umi used to have this sort of intention too, but she had to use the old ways of doing it - albums, cut-outs, her creative art using magic colours, etc. Occasionally, I do like to blab a little bit, depending on my swingy mood. However, as of late, I find that I do not want to miss and forget on the kids' development, so I will always find opportunities to snap their shots anytime I can! I once minded to be called "poyo" about it, but now I dont really care. Because I know, these memories WILL one day be cherished, sooner or later, if not now already.

So children, this blog is for you. Enjoy our safe-kept memories.

Lots of L.O.V.E.,

Mama.

Pssst... lets hope that the host for this blog will keep it free until forever. If not, and I'm no longer around, please pay for the charges ok kids? Hehehe.

This is Ikhwan and Irfan on/in their bed

On our way to our neighbour's house for a Kenduri Doa Selamat

Apple of My Eyes

2010-04-28T16:12:00.009+08:00

Aren't these pictures soothing to the eyes? Ahhhhh.... our very own Imams... InshaALlah.

Wondrous Weekend

2010-04-26T23:00:00.001+08:00

It was a good weekend for me last week. Not only did I get to meet up with my old school friends again for yet another mini reunion, I also went to SACC Mall with my sister, along with Dini and Faatin to look for new tudung designs. But this time, I only bought one or two, thankfully. Hehe. Anggerik is THE place for us okay, like, like, like a tudung-heaven... the only place in town where we love to shop for hijabs. Kitorang cerewet sikit, tak semua jenis tudung boleh pakai. The ones with the awning... ugh, tak seswaaaiiiiii... though I envy those who look good in them. Some really do look pretty walaupun muncung macam paruh burung.

Dini and Faatin sibuk menerai tudung2 jugak... kacau daun betul. Tapi cute! Faatin forever pandai posing, Dini so innocently playful with the tudung. We bought one for each of them, specially for kids... will snap their pics with it some other time.

As for the Class of 94 Reunion, what can I say... it was literally: eat, talk, laugh, eat, talk, laugh, eat some more, laugh, drink, laugh, laugh out loud, burp, eat, laugh... well, you get the picture. Teruk betul kan? Hehe. Somehow I was teased for being such a bully for my witty remarks. That's ME, ladies! I'm sure I will be missed had I not make it that day, betul tak? I was also bugged for eating a lot too. Actually, the amount of food was not much la wei... aku bangun pegi ambik banyak kali, yes. Tapi tiap-tiap kali ambik, sikit je. What do you expect? No rice :-(

I finally get to be at Hale's Kitchen, Plaza Rah, in Kg Baru, owned by our very own classmate. Impressive, Rahmah. Great job. Delicious food, too. Apparently we're going to have this sort of event half-a-yearly. Brilliant! Here are some of our pics.

All who attended - about 30 of us!

Meehoon Curraboo

2010-04-26T22:27:00.011+08:00

Ok, so it's not a really, REALLY special dish that is worth boasting in my entry or even in anybody else's, hahaha... the reason why I'm playing that "it's MY blog" attitude tonite and decided to put up these lovely pictures is simply because................................ I just LOVE the colourful elements in them (the photos, that is) and that's it.

Wa-lah! There you have it, Kerabu Mihun. Very healthy: oil-free, lots of veggies, simple and extremely easy to make. Was my first attempt on this particular recipe, got it from a cooking book by our local celeb, Sheila Rusly. It was done in less than 40 minutes, prepared from scratch. The taste? Delicious!.... I think. Well, I hope?

P/s: Whoever wishes to try it, may call Sheila directly.

In a Twilight Zone

2010-04-25T22:20:00.003+08:00

Hey, believe it or not, we found a live CRAB in our pond last week, BESAR youuuuu! How could it possibly end up in there?? Guess what, it remains a mystery until today.

My main theory would be this malang crab must have escaped from our next door neighbour's (main suspect) house, from a bag of pasar borong plastic, OR off a plate maybe (reminds me of Sebastian from The Little Mermaid). What else could it be? But, the even bigger question is, how the hell did it walk its way through? By the way, can a crab climb up a 90 degrees wall? Err, not if it's a lizard. But, knowing how little I know about the animal world (or any world for that matter), I could also be wrong. Or maybe, did it walk all the way from my neighbour's kitchen, through their main gate, into OUR main gate, and then turned left, and jumped into the pond? Hmmmm... musykil nya wei! It drives me insane just thinking about it.

The crab was alive at first, swimming in and around the pond, but it died the following day. Badan dia terbalik. Penyepit kat tangan dia tu siap ada tali kena ikat, which proves my theory that it came from a pasar somewhere. When it was still alive, I was somewhat frightened by it... ooohhhh the way it STARED at me! OMG, seram sejuk gila... dah la dia duduk diaaaaaaaaaammmmm je dalam kolam tu. Mungkin jugak dia dah tengah nazak, huhu. I initially wanted to snap a shot at it while it was still alive, tapi tak sanggup nak stare balik kat muka dia. Ugh, goosebumps.

Tiny twin-explorers' home activities

2010-04-20T10:45:00.000+08:00

18 April 2010 - around 8.00 p.m.

They are almost 10 months old

What was...

2010-04-16T00:20:00.009+08:00

Favourite pic of the lot so far.

Left to right: Ikhwan, Irfan, Damya (their cousin) and Dini

Watching the twins grow and play is becoming a daily must-have for me lately. Hilarious, simply hilarious. I've finally found my laugh-out-loud laughter back! They are able to crawl for the past one month or so already, and now they mostly crawl just to go to the nearest place to stand on their feet. Berebut toys pun dah pandai. Dini has shown a lot of positive progress too on being the big sister to the boys. Four thumbs up! (Mama's thumbs and Ayoh's thumbs)

I'm just going to post their play pics in this entry. Will write later when I feel up for it. Sorry! Or should I say, "you're welcome"?

Dini watching tv; Twins watching Dini

Irfan and Ikhwan - view from under the chair

Dini posing atas basikal with her twin brothers

Ikhwan and Irfan's favourite spot; by the fish pond, at home

Nawwar's (second cousin to our kids) first birthday party in Gombak (party hat Dini senget!!!)

Sneak a Peek a Leak

2010-04-09T23:35:00.005+08:00

My involvement in the publication of the company's Annual Report prove to be quite an entertainment. Not only did I giggle a lot (sebab nak tergelak tengok aksi orang berlakon dan berpura-pura), the professional photographer somehow inspired me to take up photography as my new hobby. Not till the kids have grown, of course. I've always loved well-shot and well-aligned pictures; those nearest to me would know what a sore pain-in-the-beep I can be whenever inspecting pictures others take. But I'm not any better, actually. I'm such a critic, that's why, since forever! Haha.

Here are some photo leaks of the session three weeks back. I would have snapped better pictures if I had my actual camera with me. Bagi chan kat cameraman tu tunjukkan kebolehan dia... nanti dia tak boleh nak cari makan ;-) Kan? Kan? Kan? An interesting point to note: the photographer was a successful banker before he took up photography as his hobby. Then he left his job to start his own business revolving around photography, self-taught and untrained! Such a risk-taker. I must say the pics he took were not bad at all... kudos to you, Seth, for pulling it off!

Intruder Alert

2010-04-05T12:40:00.007+08:00

My, my... has it been more than a month? Wooopsie. But somehow, I dont feel guilty as I normally would, coz this time around, I have the most excusable reasons to explain why.

Late in February, I was tremendously busy for the Majlis Aqiqah for our twins. Then, as my hubby left for Europe, my whole family was attacked by virus; fever, that is. Not only did I have to cope without hubby's extra hands, I had to deal with sick kids too. First it was Dini, then Ikhwan, then me, then Ikhwan again, and finally Irfan. Dini and I both also had viral conjunctivitis to add up to our misery.

I panicked for a while because Dini's temperature was extremely high for almost a week so I took her to the hospital for a blood test, just in case. First time Dini kena ambik darah. Dah la aku disuruh keluar for them to perform the procedure. Unsurprisingly, I shed a few tears while waiting; simply knowing that my daughter was inside (a room) about to get hurt by someone while I was outside and not next to her... oh, oh, I just could not hold back :-((

Here are some pics at the hospital. Dini seem to look fine coz she was just given her medication. But her eyes... sepet betul.

This is Dini after getting better... she had lost a few pounds, but did not lose any single amount of cuteness ;-)

Congrats Aziz & Eva

2010-02-22T00:30:00.005+08:00

:: What a small world ::

Received a wedding invitation from my ex-colleague earlier last week. I got the shock of my life when I actually read the card. Apparently Aziz is gonna marry Eva, my ex-school mate! Hahaha. Macamana ler korang boleh kenal dan jumpa ni......... Well, itu lah yang dikatakan JODOH, betul tak?

Anyway, I would like to wish you both the very best, always always always take good care of each other (feelings and well being), and most importantly never forget to make constant du'a, humbly ask from Allah so that He will keep the love between you both strong and everlasting hingga ke akhir hayat, no matter what the challenges are. Good luck! ;-) This same advice goes to everyone, especially ME.

Read this from a Friend's blog by an unknown author:

"No one falls in love by choice, it is by chance...

No one stays in love by chance, it is by work...

And no one falls out of love by chance, it is by choice."

For the rest of my colleagues and school friends who missed the event, enjoy the pics below. They were shot from a camera-phone, which explains why they're all blurry and far from sharp. Sorry! Oh, special thanks to the host for putting up a cozy, homely and sweet event (Felda Villa is not such a bad place to have a wedding). The food... SUPERB! Well planned, food lavishly and deliciously cooked (siap ada roast lamb tu!), well displayed, and well organised! Bravo!!!

Dum Dum-Dum Cheng

2010-02-17T01:15:00.015+08:00

While the Chinese happily celebrated their New Tiger Year, we were happily chillin' and lazin' around the house with the kids. Wearying, valuable times. I managed to steal some time to clean-up and reorganise the kids' playing area under the staircase, hooray! We also did kick out some of the boring times by going to KLCC on Sunday, honestly thinking that the shopping complex would be somewhat deserted. We were dead wrong. Ramai gila nak mampos! Full of foreigners namely Banglas, Indons and a few Arabs. Probably they had nowhere else nice-place-but-cheap-transportation to go intended for the V-day celebrations. I still can't understand the whole big fuss over the overrated Western-originated day.

Irfan menjerit menangis sampai nak bergegar twin tower tu; we were there for about a half an hour, terus kena balik. We had to, sebelum tower tu runtuh. Hehehe. Irfan is often impatient in a crowded place, even KLCC okay? He can only sit calmly in his stroller for hardly 15 minutes, then he'll cry for attention mintak didukung, without fail! Ikhwan cool je; he can stay still, tengok surroundings, tidur, jaga, minum susu, tidur balik, all while in the stroller. They may have shared the same placenta while growing in their mother's womb, but they're such opposite characters; each possessing their own personal traits. Yang pasti, with charming personalities... Amiinnn. (Is it me, or do my boys have cleavage?)

We had dinner at The Curve last night, at Gardens. Good place, good food. English garden themed, everything was white and green (plastic green, that is), complete with a grand white piano as their centrepiece. I liked the environment, and surprisingly, the food was more than acceptable even for my taste. Not too expensive too (small portion, that's why). Would definitely visit there again, coz I managed to glance at some of the other plates around me which looked worth trying. *Drool*

Wiser, Sexier and...

2010-01-26T15:38:00.026+08:00

"Older means wiser, ageing means sexier", those were the words wisdomly created and written in a book gift from my dear sister-in-law, Arn (Terimo kasih banyok-banyok). SO TRUE!!! Particularly for ME, muahaha. She should have added one more word, though i.e. FLESHIER! (iyaaa, gue udah agak gendut sih) I have turned 33 on 23rd January. Happy birthday to me! At 33, with 3 kids. Quite an accomplishment. But to accomplish having high-quality kids is even more of a challenge. I find it to be a daily-sub-conscious worry... Hmmm, what else? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

This year's birthday (and anniversary) had to be the worst in my life so far. I spent the whole day at work (including the day before and after), morning till night. Razif was nice enough to buy a birthday cake for me while we were busy keying in and reconciling the Stock Count figures. One H**L of an experience, ey Razif? Hehehe. You're right, nasib baik aku tak pregnant time ni, boleh jgk aku tolong korang macam biasa. Count your blessings this time around, but don't count your luck for the next! ;-)

Our fifth wedding anniversary day was spent at the office in Damansara, makan nasi tomato and mihun goreng, during the EVC Briefing. As for my birthday the next day, there happened to be a Chinese New Year celebration at the office, so that was what I had - Yee Sang (first time aku dengar dan try, with my neighbours who were kind enough to attend the event; thank you for coming, guys). First time jugak aku tengok Naga bukak pintu kereta; BMW pulak tu, Z4 pulak tu! Amboi-amboiiiiii... Gong Xi Fa Cai!

EVC (Executive Vice Chairman) Briefing

Tepuk Amai-amai

2010-01-25T11:15:00.008+08:00

Tepuk amai-amai, belalang kupu-kupu

Tepuk adik pandai, Mama upah susu

Susu lemak manis, santan kelapa muda

Adik jangan nangis, Mama pergi kerja

I was working day and night throughout the weekend since Friday (on my birthday AND anniversary); found myself teary eyed when leaving the kids for work today (on a Monday morning). Also maybe because I was too exhausted.

Mama will make it up to you, boys.. that's a promise.

Qal's Birthday Dinner

2010-01-19T11:32:00.013+08:00

Yesterday was Heiqal's 26th birthday. Thanks to Mummy we all get to indulge our hungry appetites and fork our longing tastebuds with a delicious lavish Lebanese food last night at Al-Amar Restaurant, Pavillion. Sedap, memang sedap giler, especially the large grilled prawns. Tapi mahal nak mampos! Nasib baik orang belanja, hehe.

Oh, and guess what, this is the restaurant where you get to see complimentary belly dancing (tarian gelek) every week, Saturday nights. Watch out, ladies! Make sure your husbands are with you each Saturday night! *wink*

A blogger revealed that an extremely sexy dancer will emerge from the kitchen as you eat your dinner and the middle-east-inspired music will be cranked up so loudly you can't hear yourself speak! (Oooo, I can already imagine the men going "wooooo!! fiuwwit!") Apparently this imported dancer can be booked at RM1,000 during other days. We were offered for free for our large crowd last night, according to Mummy, but she specifically told them "please DONT!" Hahaha. Good. Walaupun menarik untuk dilihat, berdosa tetap berdosa.

Anyway, happy birthday again, Qal. May you achieve everything that you want in life and be under Allah's protection & blessings always.

Manchester United inspired Strawberry cheesecake

Dini with Atuk

Welcome, Arianna Sofia!

2010-01-18T10:45:00.006+08:00

We were at The Curve on Sunday morning to look for new born gifts. While hubby went for his regular hair-cut, I took Dini for some lego fun time. She appeared excitedly happy; probably too happy sampai terberak-berak sambil main. I had an interesting adventure while cleaning her up, but dont worry, I don't intend to share the yucky details in here with you guys, hahaha. Dini later joined her father at the Peek-a-boo salon for her own hair trim as I shopped for baby gifts.

"Juruhnyo anok aku ni..."

CONGRATULATIONS and welcome to parenthood, Wani & Hisham! Nik Arianna Sofia is so adorable and cute. Picture below - courtesy from Mimi.

In and Around 1st Day of School

2010-01-05T17:00:00.006+08:00

Despite my own hectic schedule that day, I made a point of attending my niece's first day at school on Monday, January 4th 2010. It was truly an amusing experience. My own fun days in school came back flashing in my memory. Only my days were filled with girls, but Wafa's had boys as well. Gosh, I hope she will not get distracted by those playful boys.

The classroom was separated into two sections, girls and boys. I could see the girls obediently sitting at their places, day dreaming, some with sulky faces while some with their mothers. But the boys... fuh, such a vast difference! There were quite a number who was running about, ready to lawan dan bertumbuk2 dengan kawan2... looking at their naughtiness, I could afford a smile and giggled slightly. But if I were their teacher, seriously I dont know HOW I would react. Sure berasap-asap kepala nak handle budak-budak tu. I wonder how my twin boys would be when their time comes. Erk! I overheard some of the boys said to their friends "penakut! penakut! penakut!" Oh my, whatever the issue is, geram nya aku nak sound budak-budak tu. "PLEASE BEHAVE!"

Took a few memorable snapshots of my sister and her daughter. Also helped Kak Farah selected Wafa's Year 1 text books in the SPBT room. Some parents even took the effort to exchange those books yang dah lunyai atau buruk. Us? Ambik je leerrr mana yang ada tu, hehe. Asalkan ada, isi nya sama je. Ilmu tu yang penting... (ayat-ayat nak cover kemalasan masing2, hehe)

Oh yes, Happy New Year everyone! I have my own resolutions I intend to execute, all of which I choose not to disclose, takut tak jadi. Hik hik hik. Dini has turned two years old on December 27th (I was on my honeymoon on her birthday, teruk tak? That reminds me, got to upload the pictures soon) and the twins are now 6 months old. Hope they'll remain healthy and happy throughout the years to come. InshaALlah.

Proud as a Peacock

2009-12-20T20:45:00.001+08:00

Thanks to my supplier, Kak Pah, I am now a proud owner of Tupperware collection. I just love looking at my dry-food cupboard lately, they're such a pretty sight for my eyes. Anything is, when properly arranged in a systematic manner.

2nd International Muslim Unity Convention

2009-12-15T22:17:00.008+08:00

On 14th December 2009, by my hubby's invitation, I was given a chance to attend a Welcome Dinner for the Second International Muslim Unity Convention (first time I heard of such a thing) hosted by OIC Today (the magazine). It was truly a private dinner, attended by merely 60 people... the hall was fairly huge, but only six tables were set (10 pax per table). Since IASB partly sponsored the convention, they got a chance to display some of their BMW vehicles to participants, local and international; mostly Arab scholars. A good marketing effort, I must say.

Although the dinner was rather dull for us, (food was also not that grand either) but the appearance of Tun Mahathir and getting to see him up close somehow lighted up the night for me. His spontaneous speech was impressive and we met quite a few interesting people too. Nevertheless, I remember wanting the night to end even before the food was served, haha. Sorry dear... but thank you so much for taking me along. It was such an honour. XOXO.

I only have one personal comment (again, don't I always?). The night was supposed to revolve around MUSLIM thingy, which means it should portray accurate Islamic teachings. Unfortunately I still witnessed some hand shakes exchanged between male and female attendees most of whom are non-mahram I should think (mostly by our locals). Sigh... So sad. :-(