Eid Mubarak - 1 Syawal 1428

Raya was marvellous...as usual... No 'happenings', no saucy gossips....just the usual...

We celebrated first 'raya' in Perak...my 'kampung'...this year. Last Syawal, we've spent a week in Kelantan. Not because my 'ever dearest' AB have loong holiday...It was because my MIL passed away a few days before 'Raya' and we were there for the funeral and for 7 days of 'tahlil'.

This year we celebrated in Lenggong. Yup...Lenggong is a very small town (a 'cowboy' town to be exact) in Perak.

This year first Syawal...all my brothers were there. This was the first time all of us were there since...10-20 years. Before this there must be one of us who celebrated first raya at their in-law's. We did take family pictures (which were taken using my eldest bro (Long's) very 'canggih', brand new SLR camera- he is very into photography). He haven't email me those pics. I might post them here once I get them from him. (p/s- kakak, pls remind abah to email me those photos).

Some were taken using my Ngah's O2 (who are in US since 2nd raya and I doubt he will ever email me those photos). A few using my Chik's digicam.

And not forgetting, a few numbers of pictures taken by my Mr. AB using his new 'raya' toy- which he had wanted to buy for quite sometimes, only to be delayed by his lovely wife (that would be ME), because I still doesn't think that he need that PDA phone. Anyway I'm glad he bought them...because I am sooo...happy seing him being so 'jakun' and everything with that 'toy'. He even slept with it the first week he bought that PDA. ehhheheh (actually, he already owned a PDA, which had been broken by his most beloved wife (which is ME)- I sat on it, and broke the screen). Thanks darling for not being angry with me...

And may be I would download the photos from his PDA later, since he's busy watching football at the moment.

We had plenty of food. One of my SIL brought lots of home-cooked food which she had prepared from KL, including her delicious 'chicken sambal', ketupat, chicken rendang, etc. The other SIL prepared 'kuah kacang'. Another SIL cooked 'nasi hujan panas' with 'ayam masak merah'. And my mum prepared 'lemang' and rendang.

We spent the day eating, eating, eating and eating. Oh yes...we also visited our uncles and aunties houses.


The night- I went to a small gathering of my ex-schoolmates, which was held in Tasek Raban Resort. I brought some cupcakes. My hubby tagged along (actually, I forced him to tag along...hehhe). I left Umar with 'atuk'. Not many turn up. Anyway it was great.

I went back around 11pm, only to see Umar waiting at the door, hands on his hips. As I stepped out of the car, he started with his 'motherly' speech...'why you go out until late at night? You should come back earlier. bla bla bla....' (and now, he had taken over the job as a mom...). Talking about freedom....my free days had long gone.... I can't even go out late at night...if it's not the hubby...then it's the son who started nagging at me......

To those who attended the gathering (I know some of you have been the silent reader of my blog)...it was really nice meeting you guys...

Asmeda, Lynda and Nozie...time really flies...x sempat habiskan gosip2 terkini...we shud meet up again...

To the seniors...which I only knew from the 'cyber' world all this time, (and thru phone calls and sms)...all of you have been great sport... and very friendly....thanks...

AND TO ALL OF YOU......have a great raya... don't stuff yourself tooo much with all the lemang, rendang, etc..... If you do...don't complain if your pants size increase a few inches...it's your own fault...:):):) (and don't blame your 'baju', - the 'kain' did not shrink...okay!!!)

Ramadhan.....

This year Umar started to fast. (at his own will)

"I want to fast too",..

By noon,
"Umar, adik is having her lunch. do you want to have lunch with her?", I asked him. He's still young, and this is his first attempt in fasting...I thought he might want to break fast by noon. (moreover, I did not wake him up during sahur).
"No, I'll eat when you eat".

By late afternoon,
"Mama, can I have a taste of what adik is having? Just a little, tiny miny. i don't want to break fast yet, I just want to have a taste."
After a long explaination to him, he break fast at 3pm.
I think that's good enough for a five year-old.
I didn't expect him to last later than lunch, to begin with.

Recharging myself....

I arrived in Ipoh yesterday.
And today, I just stay at home, doing nothing..( nothing in a mother's dictionary is taking care of the kids,making sure they eat their meals, bath, read books to them, tidying up the house, etc- that's doing nothing...ok)

I'll write about the wedding later, may be tomorrow.
As for today, I'll just leave you with the pictures of my 2 kids on the reception day.

Durian Story

I was down with flu. Yes...I'm not well. Too much durians... :) (not to mention-the hot weather nowadays).
It's all started with a trip to my mum's durian orchard.
We went back to my kampung last Saturday. As we arrived, we can smelled durians from outside the gate. Once inside, my 'ever dearest' finished up one whole durian within 5minutes. Then another, and another.
By late afternoon, he complaint of headache. However, we still have an appointment with the 'durian' tree after Asar. So, he swallowed 2 PCM, and off we went to the orchard. It was a small orchard, used to be so large, but after my grandparents died, my mum and her other siblings had to divide it equally. So, it's not that big, but enough durians for us, and enough to make lots and lots of 'tempoyak' storage that will last until the next durian season.
I still remember, when I was still a kid, we used to go there every single year, without fail. my granddad would spent the nights there to gather all the durians before the 'wild animals' managed to grabbed it first.- either the tiny miny squirrel, the playful monkeys, and even tigers. (well-that's what he used to tell us-that tigers eat durians too)
During those days, we made a trip there ( me, my aunties and uncles, and my cousins), brought along 'pulut' and coconut milk for a feast of 'pulut durian'.
Once there, me and my cousins started collecting the durians, and we would compete who could gathered the most. By noon, we would sell 'our' own durians. The buyer would pay us as much as rm2 to rm5. What a great memory.
However, after my grandparents passed away, all that is not routine anymore. The cousins would prefer buying durians rather than go to the orchard.

Anyway, just to let my kids have the experience, I brought both of them to the orchard.
Dress them up nicely (but being a forgetful me- I didn't bring their shoes nor their longsleeves t-shirts). Laiqa wore her beautiful shoes, Umar and daddy were wearing their sandals, but... mummy brought her shoes, and her long sleeved t-shirt...hehehheheh. Sorry guys...didn't mean to pack only for me.
We had to drive for 10minutes from my parents' house, parked the car by a tobacco plantation, and walked another 10-15minutes through a rubber plantation and bushes.
We had to walk pass these.

Umar had a great time- collecting durians and fooling around. Laiqa...well...she's always not comfortable outside, especially in places like the orchard. Anyway, she'll get used, I hope.

The kids with 'atuk' and 'nenek'.

By 7pm, we started heading home.
And guess what??? Who was the one that was fully clothed with socks, shoes, long sleeves, etc, and who got bitten by 'pacat'?? Me...yes, it's me. D***, that s***** 'pacat'.

Sunday...we headed back home. I baked some durian cupcakes (will post the recipe next week). A friend came to visit, so, we served them 'pulut durian' what else...:)
By late evening....the flu bugs attacked... :((



This picture has nothing to do with this entry.

My Ever Dearest opening his pirate's eye patch

My 'ever dearest' was on medical leave today. Reason-his right eye was swollen since yesterday. He can't even opened his eye this morning. His small eye, got even smaller...hehheh :)
Just FYI, I did not punch him right on the eye. Nor it was caused by any injuries whatsoever. So, he must caught some kind of infection somewhere.
Bought him some medication to relieve the symptoms-swelling and itchiness, which he refused to take...claiming that engineers believe in 'naturopathy', in other words...being in pain and feeling uncomfortable is better than taking medication. But the truth is he's afraid of anything that has to do with drugs-the drugs itself, the procedure (eg. IV, injection), the place (eg. clinics, hospitals) and the personnel (eg. doctors). But how on earth that he end up marrying me.....hahhahaha

p/s anyway darling...hope you get well soon. If it turned out to be an infection, don't go around spreading it to others.
p/ss if you feel any increasing in discomfort...pls take your medication...:)

Am I A Good Mum???

Yesterday was my lazy day. Have lots of things to do, until I don't know which one I should do first. I tried starting my chores by mopping the kitchen floor, only to be 'dirty' again in just a few minutes after I have done. I hate the kitchen. The floor is sticky, smudges everywhere, eventhough I cleaned it daily... and the one (or rather the two) that are guilty as charges...are of course my two kids.
Why are this two small kids always knock on their glasses (they spill their drinks at least 5 times a day).
Why are they always moving around all day and still be energetic by night.
Everyday I hope they sleep early, so that i would have time for myself, to read novel (my long lost hobby), to at least clean the house, or just watch TV.
My boy, he's better now, I always send him to bed by 10pm, eventhough with much argument (he is very talkative and have way with words).
But this small little girl, my baby, I have trouble getting her to sleep. Last night she only dozed off by midnight, regardless of me keeping the room dark. May be small kids have better eye sight in the dark. :)
I am a bad-tempered person, but since I have kids, I learnt to be patience, lots of patience. But sometimes I do blurted out, and felt guilty afterwards.



Anyway, as they sleep, all the tension, depression, exhaustion and even guilt, flies away. They look so peaceful, so innocent, so serene.
I can spent hours looking at them, tears running down my cheek sometimes, as I felt guilty if the day ended without me teaching them new things, without me being a good mother.
And I pray every night, that ALLAH give me the strengh to be a perfect mum and a perfect wife. Amin.

My Two Sweethearts

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup -hockey final

What a day...
My 'ever dearest' is really a sports enthusiast.
However, sad to say, I don't share that passion. I just hate sports, whatever the game is.
Anyway, as we are staying in Ipoh, and the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup was held here, my husband brought us to the final match between Malaysia and Australia. Being a good sport for him and for my son (he really wanted to go) so, I tugged along.
We went in the morning to buy the tickets, only to be told that it's free.
The game started around 5pm. By the time we got there, the Sultan Azlan shah Hocket Stadium were very, very crowded. We can't even get a glimpse of the hockey field. The stadium was extremely full of people, and we can't even get in.



The most that we get, was standing at the entrance. from there we could only see the cameraman who was standing next to the score board.



After a few minutes, we managed to push through another metre or so, and this was what we could see after straining our neck like a giraffe.



After a while, we decided, it was best to go back home and just watched it from the tv. Anyway, that was a good exposure for my kids (who rarely go to crowded places).
And it started to rain as well.
The final score- Australia won 3-1. They are the world champion anyway.



Eventhough my son only got a glimpse of the game, but he had fun. Especially the part of running back to the car when it's started to rain. (and the car was park 500metres away)

My naughty hero.
Very naughty, but yet very smart...



My sweet little girl...
Can be very stubborn at times.