New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year everyone! I hope y'all had a great start to 2012! It's the first Monday of 2012 and of course you know what happens on Mondays around here - Monday Listicles, what else? It's also my first post for the new year and I'm so glad it's a Listicle. This week, Theresa of A Mountain Momma has called upon all Monday Listiclelers to make a list of new year's resolutions you will not keep. Well, I'm making a list I hope to keep. I've never been good at making new year's resolutions and following through with them. Maybe by writing it down on my blog, I'm more inclined to make it happen. Here goes.....

This year I hope to...

1. love more - to give more of me to my hubby, kids and family.
2. worry less - to pray more instead, for the things that are out of my control.
3. smile and laugh more - to think happy thoughts all the time if possible.
4. complain less - to see the good and positive in everything and everyone.
5. give more - to think less of myself and more of others.
6. have more patience - to count from 1 to 10 (or more) before reacting out of anger.
7. exercise more - let me rephrase that, to exercise.
8. eat more fruits and vegetables - to take better care of my health and my family's health.
9. enjoy life more - to not sweat the small stuff.
10. have more faith - in my God, my kids, my husband and myself.

What are your new year's resolutions?

Link them up with the lovely Stasha!

10 Questions

Bridget of Twinism gave a really fun Monday Listicle prompt this week - we get to interview ourselves! Come join in the fun and link up your answers to the following questions.

1. What is your favorite word?

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

2. What is your least favorite word?

The acronym of Fornication Under Consent of the King.

3. What turns you on?

My husband.

4. What turns you off?

His fart.

5. What sound do you love?

My kids' giggles and laughter.

6. What sound do you hate?

The annoyingly aggressive meowing of mating cats.

7. What is your favorite curse word?

Sh@t which has been converted to "shoot" in front of my kids and "Dammit" which hasn't been converted yet.

8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

I've given it much thought - I can't think of any. Maybe.... a professional ice cream taster if there is such a profession.

9. What profession would you not like to do?

A sewer worker.

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Welcome to Paradise Island!

My Hometown

Thanks to Amanda of Lilahbility, I get to write about my hometown, Ipoh. I think Alison did a great job coming up with a list of what Ipoh is famous for. Yes, we're both from the same hometown but have never ever met in real life. We were destined to meet in blogosphere instead. I won't bore you with the same things, so here I present to you a list of random things about Ipoh.

1. It's an aging town. How do I know this? Everytime I attend mass at the local church, I see gray hair everywhere. Standing at 170cm tall I get a pretty good view of people's heads and I can tell you that 80% of them are either gray or bald.

2. Michelle Yeoh and I were from the same school. No, I don't know her and have never met her.

3. There is only one 'happening' mall that serves the inhabitants of Ipoh. Never go there on weekends.

4. You are bound to meet someone you know or someone who knows you or someone related to you or someone who's related to your mother's mother or someone who knew your dog, EVERYtime you go out in Ipoh. It's claustrophobic.

5. Do you like pomeloes? Well, Ipoh's also known as pomelosville to some people. We grow the juiciest pomeloes around. I never liked those things.

6. Do you like beansprouts? Well, Ipoh's also known as beansproutsville to many people. We grow some of the fattest, crunchiest, juiciest beansprouts in the world. I just love them!

7. Ipoh folks like to drive very slowly. I think it has something to do with #1.

8. Ipoh is pretty boring.

9. Ipoh is where I was born and where I grew up.

10. And Ipoh is where I will be buried one day. Or rather, where my ashes will be turned into fertilizer for a tree one day. Morbid, I know.

Her Favourite Words

My 2-year-old daughter's favourite words

1. Pink - as much as I disapprove of it, it's her favourite colour.
2. I want! - when she sees ice cream, fries or junkfood.
3. Milk? - when she wants a fix.
4. Other side? - when she wants a double fix.
5. Princess - what she calls herself and every other Disney Princess looking things.
6. Nothing. - when she just did something she's not suppose to.
7. Mine! - when she claims possession to things she thinks she owns.
8. 'member? - when she's recalling something and asks if you remember it.
9. Are you done? - what she asks you when you're busy on the throne.
10. I'm done! - when she's done on her throne and needs her tush cleaned.

Linking up with Alison & Galit for

& Stasha for 

Hope you girls don't mind :)

My 10 Favourite Photos

I love pictures of my kids; for very obvious reasons - they're cute. Here are my chosen 10.

In case you're wondering, those aren't maggots on his face, they're vermicelli.
He was eating vermicelli for the first time, at 8 months.

This picture was taken by my dear friend Catheryn of PinkBibs.
Love how she managed to capture her smiling so naturally.

My son, at 6 months.
When he was still toothless.

My son, at 9 months.
When he was into drinking beer.
Kidding!
He was teething, his hands were itchy and the nearest thing to him was a can of beer.

Brother and sister.

My son actually took this shot;
when he was playing with my camera.

A true favourite of mine. A profile shot of my son when he was about 5 months old.
We have this printed out in black and white , framed and hung on one of our walls.

A handphone shot of my daughter
flipping me the bird.

My mother and her granddaughter.

The man I chose to make cute babies with.
Obviously, he was a cute baby too.

Linking up with the wonderful Stasha.

More Kids?

For Monday Listicles this week, Jen of Just Jennifer gave us a prompt of 10 reasons why you would or would not want to have more kids. I am going to recycle a post I did back in the day when I was the only reader of my blog. I was contemplating then whether to have more kids and decided that it wouldn't be in our best interest or that of humanity if any more mini-us-es were to enter this world.

1. Having a baby is NOT environmentally friendly. Consider the amount of diapers, wet wipes and disposables a single baby consumes - a baby's definitely not the way to go if you plan to reduce your carbon footprint.

2. Is the world coming to an end? What with earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear plant meltdowns; war and political strife happening around the world right now, it sure feels that way. It's sad to think that my kids' kids or their kids' kids will possibly have to live in a world of despair and suffering. (I'm being a pessimist here)

3. Raising a kid doesn't come cheap. We want the best for our kids and the best comes with a price.

4. At the moment we are a very Ying Yang family. 2 adults and 2 kids. 2 males and 2 females. A third would throw us off balance.

5. My hubby is having a crisis over his grey hairs. He has been pulling them out and a friend told him that if he keeps doing that, he'll be bald one day. He says he doesn't need another whiny, fussy, crying baby to add to his grey hairs for now.

6. Most family holiday packages are for 2 adults and 2 kids. Having a third would just complicate things.

7. Our parents are not getting any younger. We don't think they can handle another grandchild.

8. We only have two extra rooms in the house. One for the son and one for the daughter.

9. I can't see myself packing for another child. 

10. We would like to live longer.

Having said that, we're Catholics. We leave these things up to God. Anyone of you know of contraceptives for Catholics? (preferably one endorsed by the Pope).

What Makes A Perfect Vacation?

1. When it's spent with your loved ones.

2. When nobody gets motion sickness or diarrhoea.

3. When the kids do not throw tantrums.

4. When nobody gets sick.

5. When nobody loses anything eg. passport.

6. When nothing is delayed.

7. When you didn't forget to pack something along.

8. When it's a relaxing one.

9. When you get to extend it.

10. When you already have another one planned.

Pictures of my last vacation in May.
Seems so looong ago.

Thanks to Hopes of Staying Afloat for a great prompt this week. I can't wait to go on a vacation now. Now go share your list with Stasha and The Listicles Gang.

A Halloween List

If you don't already know, I am a Malaysian staying in Malaysia. If you don't know where Malaysia is, look for Singapore on the map and shift your eyes up just a wee bit. That's Malaysia. In my country, Halloween is celebrated in a BIG way - only in the malls. We, as a family, do not celebrate Halloween. But, since the Listmaster Stasha suggested we do a list of Halloween things this week and being one who usually follows the prompt *cough*, I thought I should do one too. Coincidentally, CoffeeChatMaster Leslie over at Time Out For Mom also gave us a Halloween prompt this week. So, I thought what perfect timing for me to come up with a list of How NOT to celebrate Halloween.

1. Don't scour the internet for costume ideas.

2. Don't get a costume or try to make one. Thinking of one is fine. My son told me that he wants to be a skeleton for his imaginary Halloween this year.

3. Don't get a pumpkin to carve. A watermelon is acceptable, but try not to carve anything scary on it. Sweet Leslie, after reading how deprived I was of Fall and the whole pumpkin thing, sent me a link for watermelon carving ideas. I thought I might give this one a go...

Source

4. Don't scour the internet for pumpkin carving ideas.

5. Don't make anything with pumpkin in it.

6. Don't eat anything pumpkin. Pumpkin seeds sold in packets are okay.

7. Don't decorate your house with spooky things. Since we're on the topic of spooky houses, I just wanted to share a scary scene I encountered when I woke up this morning...

This is usually how it looks like...

I thought a Halloween Housekeeping Goblin dropped by.

Then I remembered my Mom is down for a visit.
The Occasional Housekeeping Angel.

8. Don't stock up on candy. Candy that is already lying in the house is okay.

9. Don't play tricks on anyone.

10. Consider this a warning: Do not, I repeat in bold and capital letters, DO NOT go trick-or-treating in a costume around here. The neighbours will call the police.

And a Happy Halloween to those who DO celebrate Halloween!

 :

10 Animal-Related Wishes of a Mom

Cookie's Mom came up with a great prompt this week for the benefit of new mothers  - 10 Tips for New Moms. I have decided to go off topic a little here because I still owe Stasha a list of 10 Things Animal and I have a mind that's a little crazy.

In coming up with this list, I did recall my time as a new mother when I had my first child and how I wish then that I...

1. had 8 arms like an octopus.

2. had a built-in pouch like a kangaroo.

3. had arms as strong as a gorilla's.

4. could sleep with my eyes open like a fish.

5. was nocturnal like a bat.

6. had night vision like an owl.

7. had stripes like a zebra (for visual stimulation of baby).

8. had a tail like Tigger's to bounce my baby to sleep.

9. could pee standing up like a male homosapien.

10. could produce milk like a cow.... wait, I did produce milk like a cow.

And my tip for new mothers: Follow your maternal instinct. Every female species would have it (well, except those that eat their young of course). And actually, all your baby needs is a lot of TLC. Hence the equation:

TLC + Maternal Instinct = Survival of The Fittest Mom

totally made that up

Have any tips for new mothers to share? Share them with the Monday Listicles Gang over at Stasha's.

Thank you Sue for the inspiration this week.

Bentong Farm Visit and A Guilty Pleasure

I actually went to a farm!! Never in my life have I been to a farm (except for a butterfly farm) and yesterday my family and I visited a farm, with real cows, goats, ducks, some chickens and about a hundred over dogs (I kid you not). Thanks to Martha of Growing with Guidance, we paid a visit to Bentong Farm which is about an hour's drive away from where I live. We had a great time, I think, except for the fact that my son kept asking me whether it's his movie and Angry Birds playing day (he gets to do these only on weekends).

1st stop: A durian tree.

"Boy! A durian tree!!"

 "Can we eat it Mummy?"

"Girl, touch it"

 "No thanks, it looks unfriendly"

"Mummy, is today my movie day?"

2nd stop: The tortoise pond

"Boy! Can you see the tortoises in the pond?!"

 "Why are they all running away Mummy?"

3rd stop: The goat shed

"Boy, come and look at the goats!"

 "Why are they not eating my grass Mummy?"

"Mummy, can I play the computer today?"

4th stop: The cow shed

"These are calves boy, baby cows"

"Daddy, wan see seep"

 "Cow, girl. These are cows"

5th stop: Cooling station for some refreshing popsicles

"I want the orange one"

"Mummy, when we get home can I watch a movie?"

6th stop: Lunch and mingling with the dogs

7th stop: Meeting Martha. Didn't take pictures of her though. To date, Martha would be the second online friend whom I have met in real life. She was friendly, sweet and looks way too young for her age. Not that I expected her to look like an old lady but she definitely doesn't look her age!  Must be all the outdoor activities she does. Do check out her blogs for more info on where to go for nature exploration over here in Malaysia.

"Mummy, can I play Angry Birds when we get home?"

8th stop: The duck pond

"Boy, that's a goose!"

 "Can I touch it?"

"I want to touch it again"

 "Ask the uncle."

"Boy, look! The ducks are going in for a swim!"

"Can the goose swim too Mummy?"

9th stop: Home, Angry Birds and The Smurfs.

10. Guilty pleasure for Monday Listicles:

CADBURY Fruit & Nuts

My most recent guilty pleasure. 

I can eat this for breakfast, lunch, dinner...and supper.

It's a consolation for the other guilty pleasures I don't get to indulge in anymore...

CSI, Criminal Minds, sleeping in, shopping alone, wasting time and going braless.

Thanks to Chicktuition.com for today's Monday Listicle prompt, Guilty Pleasures.

My Family Tree

Momalog came up with this week's topic of Family Tree for Monday Listicles, which I found to be quite a challenge, since there is little I know of my family before my grandparents. In fact I wasn't inspired to do a Family Tree Listicle until just a while ago, as I was at the park with my daughter, looking at the trees that surrounded us. So, this is what I was thinking about as my daughter was trying to poke sticks into the ground in the park...

My Family Tree

1. It's Roots are from China.

2. The Ground on which it grows is that of Malaysian soil.

3. The Trunk of the tree is my great grandparents who, as Chinese immigrants, travelled from mainland China, by sea I would presume, to settle down here in Malaysia.

4. It's Branches are the marriages to other families that has given the tree it's many surnames, Teh, Liew, Siau, Chong, Hong, Wong and Oon to name a few..

5. It's Leaves are the many faces of distant relatives that I don't recognise.

6. It's Fruits (it's a mango tree by the way) are the many children borne out of the main trunk.

7. Sunshine that is soul food for the tree are the Christian and Catholic faiths that my family has chosen to embrace.

8. Water is the love that nourishes the tree.

9. The Shade it gives off is the history and sense of belonging that it provides.

10. How Old is this tree anyway? is the mystery that will forever surround the questions of when and how it started growing and who first planted it.

My Life In 10 Slogans

Today's list was inspired by the prompt 10 Things Quotable given by Bits of Bees for Stasha's Monday Listicles. Here, I've picked out 10 company slogans or tag lines that I use in my life

1. Just Do It  Nike
This is what I tell myself when I'm sitting on the fence deciding whether I should do something; like when I was deliberating whether to start a blog. It's also what I tell my kids after they give me a hundred reasons why they can't pack up their toys.

2. I'm Lovin' It  McDonald's
A reminder that there are lots to love in life - burgers and fries included. Life is good, we just need to focus on the positives.

3. We Try Harder  Avis
What I tell my kids when I don't want them to give up on something.

4. Every Little Helps  Tesco
What I tell myself when I think that my efforts are insignificant or worthless.

5. The Best A Man Can Get  Gillette
What I strive to be as a wife.

6. Can You Hear Me Now? Good!  Verizon Wireless
Something I say often to my parents who are hard of hearing in their old age.

7. Keep Walking  Johnny Walker
I don't run, neither do I walk a lot. When I do walk, I get lazy after like, 10 steps (especially when it's uphill). That is when this slogan comes in handy.

8. Obey Your Thirst  Sprite
A reminder to drink more water.

9. Because I'm Worth It  L'Oreal
What I tell me when I'm about to buy myself something.

10. There Are Some Things Money Can't Buy. For Everything Else There's Mastercard  Mastercard
Nuff said.


And I leave you with these profound words from Mother Teresa...
May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

Mommy, How Did I Celebrate My 2nd Birthday?

Well, sweetie, we had a low-key celebration on the day of your actual birthday. Let me tell you in a list of 10 things that happened on that day; because you see, Aunty Stasha over at The Good Life has a linky called Monday Listicles and Mommy would like to link up. You can only link up if you have a list of 10 things to show. I hope you understand. What's a linky you ask? Here, read my earlier post. 


We did have an earlier celebration for you back in Ipoh on 31st August 2011. It was a small party with family and close friends over at Mama and Yeh Yeh's house. Here, let me show you some of the pictures.

So, the 10 Things You Did On Your 2nd Birthday

1. You got up crying. (as usual)

2. We went out for breakfast after dropping Kor Kor at his kindy. We ate at a place called Village Park over at Damansara Utama and we ordered toasted bread with kaya for you.

3. We went home after that and we allowed you to watch TV since it was your Birthday. You picked Barney. Again.

4. We picked Kor Kor up from school and went for lunch at One Utama, your favourite shopping mall. You shared a bowl of teriyaki katsudon with Kor Kor over at a Japanese restaurant called Sakae Sushi.

5. After lunch, we headed over to the play gym for some indoor fun. (entrance was free for the month of September. Daddy would not have taken you there if it wasn't)

6. We went home after that. Just when we thought the day would go by tantrum-free, you decided that turning two just wouldn't be turning two without a tantrum. You were obviously very tired at this point but refused to nap. You asked to watch TV again and when we said 'no', you thought "this is the perfect time for a tantrum". So, you threw one and fell asleep on the couch watching High 5. 

7. At 5pm, Mommy accompanied Kor Kor for his music class while you spent some time with Daddy. I don't know what you did in that one hour with Daddy, but I do know he bought you Happy Meal #293.

8. We had KFC for dinner and you stuffed yourself with lots of fries - your all time favourite food.

9. Daddy got you an annoying toy from a Chicky Meal set.

10. We went home after that and watched a movie - Wall-E.

And THAT was your 2nd Birthday!

Disclosure: A day full of junkfood and TV only happens on special occasions like birthdays.

Glossary: kaya (coconut jam), Kor Kor (big brother), Mama & Yeh Yeh (grandparents)

I'm also linking up with Aunty Leslie over at Time Out For Mom

because we're chatting about Birthdays this week!

No.2 Turns Two

My little girl turns two tomorrow!

To all new parents out there, the Terrible Twos is not a myth, it is REAL. It is a phase the kids go through to show their growing independence and their need to assert their own opinion and decisions. Hence, the defiance in most things you ask them to do. It's also a phase the parents go through where they have thoughts of drowning themselves and disowning their kid. But, there is hope that it is just a phase; and it is something that the kids cannot control themselves.  We've all been made this way (I'm trying to console myself here).

Back to my little girl.

Here she is 5 days old

Looking lobster red and knocked out.

At 4 months old

Cute, bald and stunned.

at 9 months

Loving the sand.

(now she hates it)

at 11 months

Walking.

One year old

Cheeky.

And a year later..

Little Miss Terribly Terrific Two

What can she do now at age 2?

1. She can put on her own shoes and get them on the correct foot. She can also put on my heels and walk in them.

2. She can say 'sorry' after hitting her brother. And sometimes use that 'sorry' as a license to hit her brother.

3. She can say 6-word sentences without grammatical errors. Just on Tuesday, she said, "I can't find it Kor Kor" (Kor Kor means big brother in Chinese); when her brother made her look for a ball he lost. She can also say a 1-word sentence when she needs to, like the time she said "Wait!" when I asked her to come over to get dressed.

4. She's 80% potty trained.  She can tell me when she needs to go, usually when we're at home. She still wears her diaper to sleep at night, for naps and when we're out for long hours.

5. She can hold her poop for 4 days and on the 5th day, poop without the help of A.S.S.- BIG milestone.

Assisted Sh*tting Services (A.S.S.) is a non-profit organization in aid of constipated toddlers. Services include manual extraction of faecal matter, insertion of lubricating agents, emotional support for Post Traumatic Pooping Stress, sound effects to encourage bowel movements and everything else that works.

6. She can be pacified by touching my eyebrows (yes, strangely enough) when I refuse to give her the milk dispensing device that she has become addicted to.

7. She can feed herself without making too much of a mess. Something her mama can handle.

8. She knows her numbers from 1 to 10 and can count till two. She knows her colours but is colour-confused at the moment.

9. She can say "eh-Q me" when I'm blocking the T.V.; especially when Barney is on. She can also say it when she lets out a loud fart.

10. Best of all, she still has short-term memory and doesn't hold grudges against her mom for all the screaming she does. She still gives her mom plenty of cuddles, kisses and endearing moments to cherish.

Happy 2nd Birthday Girl Girl!

We Love You

To Infinity And Beyond!


Wait a second, isn't there a list here?


Wait another second, didn't I just brag about my daughter?