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Tuesday 31 May 2016

BeansTalk: You Fix

Bean says the funniest things sometimes. We were getting ready to go out one day and he asked each and every one of us what is it that we fix.

Bean: What (do) you fix?
Girl: I fix my dolls.

Bean: What (does) Daddy fix?
The Other Half: I fix your toy car.

Bean: What (does) Mummy fix?
Hampshire Mummy: I fix dinners.
Bean: No. You fix boogers.

We burst out laughing. That is obviously within the job scope of this mother now.

Bye bye, flu! 
Sunday 29 May 2016

Ramadhan Preparation

Faith-wise, I feel like I am not 100% ready to face Ramadhan just yet. Some conscious effort has to be put in place, for my own good. 

I am not referring to frozen beef rendang cooked in advance although yes, that should also be part of preparation I should be making for The Other Half. I am going to try eating clean food for sahur and monitor if this will help reduce my bloatiness and carbohydrate-induced fatigue.

The only worldly preparation so far is storing up of some organic medjool dates, so you catch my drift by now especially if you were a Muslimah as unprepared as I am!

I am freeing up my work diary to get myself in gear. Faith wise, I may not be able to khatam al-Quran English translation at my beginner's pace so I had better start early. Girl also asked for new short Surah to memorise, bless her too!

My ex-colleague so graciously reminded me so when she postponed our lunch to replace her missed fast. SubhanAllah, His Signs. I feel so thankful for His Hidayah through various people and means. 

Are you ready; or are you also taking a step back to brace yourself for, InshaAllah, blessed Ramadhan? 

Ramadhan Kareem, my lovelies.
Tuesday 24 May 2016

Field Trip


Girl joined her classmates and teachers for a field trip to Pizza Hut and Beryl Chocolate Factory today. Was she excited or was she excited?!

They put together their own Hawaiian Chicken Pizza in personal pan size, and ate it for lunch. Girl was quite sure she had added a lot of cheese and very little chicken but ended up with a pizza with little cheese and lots of chicken. Haha!

The chocolate factory was a little overwhelming for Girl (bean to finished product presentation) as she confessed during home time. Excitedly, she showed me her purchase of the day - 2 chocolates wafer boxes. Strawberry for her and dark chocolate for me. How sweet (literally and figuratively!).
The budget was RM20. She paid the correct price and brought home the accurate change. That is great for Applied Math, hurrah!

I am glad the trip went well and everyone returned safe and happy.

Alhamdulillah. 
Sunday 15 May 2016

My Iron Lady

LaundryMonster no longer rules our roost, alhamdulillah!

Miss M comes over for two hours twice weekly and she has been consistingly producing these great results:


My stress levels have dropped since. I can actually sit down and work every evening for productive 20 minutes or so and still have time to read to the kids if they decide to stay up late on Friday and Saturday nights. Without me losing my mind.

I am not sure if I did share openly about my low period? I was liking The Other Half less because he too, was not coping with the ironing. When I had to put in extra 4 hours a week to just cover for him, I started feeling resentful and bitter. Actually, exhaustion and feeling depleted can be very damaging.

We had a heart-to-heart talk and agreed to budget for a part-time, live-out helper. 

Everyone feels so much better now:
1. The Other Half can also rest and focus on the kids (I believe my next move is to remove the handheld device from him for 2 hours every night when he is supposed to be spending time with the kids!!)

2. I feel less resentment and can actually watch a DVD at night at home once a month with The Other Half without guilt (or running short of things to wear that actually matches). I used to feel like a useless mum not in control of my home and chores because of LaundryMonster. Shopping for clothes is more liberating now because I do not focus on how long it would take to iron anymore and choose base on what looks good on me.

3. Girl has her clothes all sorted out now. I just focus on her Taekwando uniform and swim bags. Those frills and bows, sashes and pleats? Miss M does not mind them one bit. Yay!!

4. Bean has a good choice of shark, cars and trucks tees and pajamas with their matching shorts/pants. Bean's tantrum from not getting what he wants to wear when he wants "it" has reduced significantly. Even when a favourite item is still in the wash, I can just reason with him, "Aunty M will iron it for you after it is washed. She will be here tomorrow." Magic.

5. Miss M is happy with the extra income and since she considers our laundry bulk small for a family of four,  we are an easy family to work with. 

We count of blessings for having Miss M. To think that we had her phone number all these while but not trying out her services until The Other Half and I were recovering from our respective surgery. 

We had been silly, haven't we?



Tuesday 10 May 2016

My "Me Time"

During my recent 2D/1N "holiday" at Prince Court, I truly took time off to enjoy my own company. First time in 7 years!

It started at the reception office itself where I presented my NRIC and Prudential card for check-in/registration. An overly-friendly, chatty and nervous new staff who works as the welcoming hostess then walked me to my ward.

This particular ward comes with a nice view of the city skyline, a real treat for my tired eyes.


The floor carpet had been replaced with laminated wooden floor, which I prefer because the amount of dust is almost zero compared to carpeted ward where The Other Half was last month. Bravo, PCMC!

What did I do?

Enjoyed the city view.

Enjoyed the art installation on the wall:

Then it was flurry of change to OT purple robes, being cleared for OT, being wheeled to OT holding room on my wheely bed, being briefed about GA and breastfeeding afterwards, being wheeled and transferred onto OT bed. Bismillah and I was "switched off".

An hour later, I "switched on" and saw the exit door, felt the warm blankets in observation room and being wheeled back to my ward. It was a good sleep.

Lunch was served, the nurses came to remind me of my bath and as soon as I was able to go to the toilet without dizziness, they left me to "enjoy" my "me time". They remained a buzzer press away and came for routine temperature/BP monitoring.

I slept. I ate. I drank water. I re-watched Sex and the City 2 The Movie. 

The kids FaceTime-d me and Bean slept without me for the first time in his life. It was a milestone. I slept as soon as The Other Half texted to let me know Bean dozed off after 99 Green Bottles reached 45.

I am so convinced now that Allah swt hears and answers our prayers. How He answers those prayers is entirely up to Him.

I have been feeling low, exhausted and prayed for an opportunity to recharge. This one single night away brought me closer to Him, rekindled that lost spark with The Other Half and reinforced my bond with the kids. All I needed was an uninterrupted stretch of good quality sleep to feel myself again.

It was a good lesson. Syukur alhamdulillah.



Sunday 8 May 2016

Happy Mother's Day



How did your celebrations go? 

We had a relaxing Sunday of Thai food for lunch, and Dim Sum for dinner. I was treated to an afternoon of peaceful nap while The Grandparents played with the kids. The Other Half caught up with his chores and reading. He even checked on me to see if I was breathing because I did not once stir. The phone beeped orders for Izumio and Super Lutein and still I slept the best sleep ever.

My two hour nap? It was the best present a sleep-deprived mum could ever ask for. Syukur alhamdulillah! 
Monday 2 May 2016

Iftitah


During the tea break of one of the continued professional training sessions I attended last week, I made notes for myself and Girl. 

It was not about taxation planning at all, far from it!

I was summarising the iftitah portion of solat which I am planning to help myself and Girl memorise so we can pray together. 

Please wish us success in this mother-daughter faith and act of devotion journey of ours. Thank you!

Please also email me at hannah.zulkifli@gmail.com or leave a comment here if you have good tips on solat for beginners. Thank you!


The Free Weekend

By free, I mean we purposely vacated all our social engagements and just spend time with family and try to enjoy our own company. We even changed our minds about going on vacation so we can just huddle, the 4 of us.

Girl completed her homework on Friday and by Saturday, all work had been double-checked and revised for the week. The Big School is issuing a topical test before the term examinations. We take this seriously because the points count and they form part of the 1/3 average. 

Sunday Lunch with The Grandparents was at Absolute Thai Hot Pot, Bangsar Village. We prefer the regular side without hot pot. Somehow, the kitchen at Rain Nudle House delivers more authentic Thai taste despite the all Pinoy cooks and waiters. Kuala Lumpur feels very cosmopolitan in terms of foreign labour, to me.

Bean is at his assertive aka being difficult stage. He insisted on standing in the supermarket trolley instead of being seated and has had some glorious telling off by The Other Half. 

Today, Bean announced to the entire crowd at the underpass at IKEA-The Curve that he wants "Mummy Susu" in protest of a long overdue haircut. His helmet hair style is getting too thick and hot but he just would not agree to a haircut. We ended up in the nursing room, and Bean is 34 months. Our weaning plan is go cold turkey when I am admitted to hospital this Wednesday. I am praying he won't cry too much, and take to the cup of milk before bedtime. Nursing to sleep, waking up about twice nightly - the same luxury Girl had enjoyed. I pray I have been as fair as possible to them both.

Today, Girl followed me to one of my stock pick-up/delivery and she behaved like a good girl. Her reward was one of those RM9.90 mini Barbie which she collects. Honestly, I cannot keep track of those little bits and pieces anymore. The only rule before bedtime is for her to clean up her room and playroom so I can Dyson and put on the Rainbow. Syukur alhamdulillah she has been compliant (the risk of losing little precious bits to the Dyson is real and not merely a threat).

Bean got himself 2 new matchbox size Hot Wheels. His collection "scares" me because he buys them almost on daily basis! Poor us!! We have lost count how many cars exactly he owns. He is not very good with clean up after play time yet but learning to apply what he observes us all. I am sure in good time, he will be just fine.

Was it a good free weekend? Well, it has been a good "disconnect to reconnect" weekend. Minimal work and still some passive income. Time for me to rest before the surgery is precious to me. Syukur alhamdulillah. 

Here is wishing you a great week ahead, my lovelies!