Reset 2023/24

Hi!

I know...

It has been a long while since my last update. So many plot twists to this story called Life. InshaAllah I hope to post more regularly than before. 

One of the most major chapters in 2022/23 were when I returned to "full time-work from office" at PETRONAS hence the long silence. Corporate life, what more can I say?

My children are both just happy I am now once again a "work from home parent". This was a deliberated decision over many cups of British builders' tea to fully manage the family. I admit being the sandwich generation as carer of my beloved parents-in-law and school-going children is tough work. Present tense wherever you read them are intended as this is work-in-progress.

Bismillah for my return to this space and role. Yes, I am still in the legal and corporate secretarial profession. Yes, I am still in the practice pool for private investment holding. Yes, I still work between 8 AM and 2 PM Mondays to Thursdays. Yes, I do get work done but sometimes squeezing in an hour or so in the evening and weekends are simply inevitable. Yes, it is now 25 years experience and counting. May there be many more years, inshaAllah.

Do I miss my tall towers and jet-set work diary? Nope!

Whilst I have certainly enjoyed my time serving the nation, I love my family life too. This, I hope, is striking the balance I seek.

Infected!

Salam my lovelies,

Our long battle staying away from the much feared COVID-19 virus has finally ended with not one but four infections! Our entire household braved it together in one fell swoop from 17 to 31 March 2022.

Here is a short account of how it happened and how we recovered from it.

Bean and Girl attended school in person on 17 March 2022 as it was their photoshoot day for their year book. They both had the most wonderful time at school and came home so happy that day, with lots of stories to share. Bean's Homeroom Teacher noted particularly that Bean was extra helpful and had gone to assist his classmates, one by one, with their cultural diversity poster. His PowerPoint presentation file was saved in his Microsoft Tab drive at home and since he had completed his entire presentation to her satisfaction the day before, he was allowed to "help" his classmates.

I was on the fence about letting them attend the photoshoot at first, but after considering that this counts as a milestone event in their school calendar, I finally relented and agreed to it the night before, at dinner time. You could say I went against my gut feeling or better judgment. Anyways.

At 7:07 a.m. on 18 March 2022, just as Bean was coming down the stairs all dressed up and smiled brightly as he anticipated another exciting day at school, he saw my face fell as I read an email that had just come in from his class teacher.

Yes, the much dreaded school email during pandemic parenting: one positive case had just been reported in Bean's class and that the class was to immediately revert to online learning with close monitoring using RTK until the following Monday. One classmate who was already at school stayed there with the Homeroom Teacher and TA until he was collected later that day. Most had to U-turn whilst on their journey to school. You can imagine the chaos.

Since we were at still at home, we quickly tested Bean and his RTK results were negative. He logged in online while Girl attended school in person as sibling(s) of a close contact with a negative RTK need not quarantine as per guidelines applicable at that time. Girl came home extra bouncy and happy that day. After dinner, we were all huddled closely for our weekly Friday movie night at home. (You will all be thinking at this point: no huddling! You all need to isolate!). 

Saturday came and went without us visiting The Grandparents that day. To err on the side of caution, we isolated ourselves from them and everyone else. Bean's RTK results were still negative and we went on to huddle up for another weekend of movie night at home. (You will all be thinking: BIG mistake! No huddling is allowed!).

By Sunday, Bean started having fever, chills and aches. He was whiny from noon onwards (he is hardly ever whiny!) and his RTK results were still negative. Suspecting something was amiss by late that Sunday night, we decided to bring him in for PCR test at Ramsey Ara Damansara Hospital first thing on Monday. 

The Other Half drove Bean there. They both got tested. They came home and we isolated Girl just to be sure - but you all know that was too late. The Other Half mentioned he had a sore throat and wanted rice porridge for dinner.

That Monday night, after Isya', the hospital rang. Both PCR results for Bean and The Other Half were positive. We quickly rang The Grandparents to inform them and worked out our isolation dates. We nursed Bean of his high fever, sponged him and tried to break his fever. Nothing worked. His saturated oxygen level dropped to 94% at one point and I do not remember sleeping much that night. I only remember constantly sponging his hot body and tried to keep his fever below 38.8C, and fed him paracetamol and water at regular intervals.

I started to have a sore throat by early Tuesday morning and as soon as Girl woke up, I got her changed and drove her to the same ER. The nurses there remember Bean and The Other Half from the day prior, and they swiftly processed our PCR tests. We came home to wait out our results. By wait, I meant care for 3 sickly ones. 4, if you counted me in. My entire day was spent rescheduling meetings.

The much anticipated phone call from the hospital lab came around 11:30 p.m. that night. Girl and I were positive too. We were told there would be no real need to isolate ourselves in the household now but to keep all touch points sanitised as best as we possibly can, and to use our own bathrooms. We were also told not to share any personal items or meals. We declared the COVID-19 party time at home had commenced and our only aim was to preserve as much normalcy and routine as possible.

My nurse duty marathon lasted 3 whole days. One by one started to feel better after that, except myself. I still have the occasional cough and thick sputum now but I am so glad the worst is over now. Having friends who have caught COVID-19 and survived to share their secrets to surviving this was handy indeed. Their WhatsApp support round the clock alleviated a lot of my worries.

Honestly, we were too tired to watch Netflix or read all night like some patients have reported. Even our eyes were sore and the best cure was sleep! We definitely drank a lot of water, consumed many bowls of soup and porridge, ate a tonne of fresh vegetables and fruits, applied RC essential oils from Young Living to our chests and Thieves essential oils also from Young Living with carrier oil to our feet and unbashedly accepted gifts of Manuka honey lemon drops-Lian Hua vegetarian botanical pills-masks-get well soon wishes. Only I took the Lian Hua pills. 2 tablets twice day for two days, after food. My fever broke and my nose started bleeding so I stopped. The feeling of the fever and chills leaving my body was my moment of pure gratitude so I can imagine how the other 3 must have felt too. Everything improved from that point onwards.

The Management Office where we live were most supportive with our double bagged trash disposal and deliveries - all doorstep service with great social distancing. We deeply appreciate their support during such trying times.

On the bright side, we have ticked this item off our 2022 "bucketlist" if there ever was one for catching and surviving the dreaded virus. We survived - syukur alhamdulillah! We also pray we do not catch future variants!

Oh, and we discovered our absolute love for cold soya milk treats from The Soyamilk Factory. Yums! 

The million dollar question now is: are we Ramadhan ready? Yes, inshaAllah. We would like to wish all our Muslim readers a very blessed Ramadhan ahead. Take good care and stay safe!

 

Start of T2 AY2021/22 and Omicron Uncertainties

Salam my lovelies,

Please pardon my being away from this blog. As a family, we have been making an effort to stay offline to make time for our in person presence with The Grandparents. This long drawn pandemic is starting to feel a wee bit harder than it was as we now battle the raging Omicron. Luckily, Girl and Bean have received their first dose of vaccination and we cannot wait till the next dose. Whilst we understand vaccination is not 100% protection, we also understand that reduction in symptoms and complications from infection are key to their wellbeing. I know I would feel less anxious about letting them attend school in person if they have been fully vaccinated.

School has been most supportive with offering them online schooling option even when in person lessons are available. This hybrid mode has been key in our recent "circuit breaker" for 3 days and co-existence with the virus so far. Personally, we have 6 more weeks of this to contend with and we shall review our family coping strategy again in early April. April because it will be the second dose vaccination appointment for Girl and Bean. By then, Term 2 would have come to its tail end and we hope to start Term 3 with more confidence!

On the bright side, Girl and Bean have both attended 100% of all their online lessons and we are so proud of their resilience. Their discipline in being punctual with the attendance register, access to lessons, attention and diligence have surpassed all our expectations. They keep producing satisfactory, quality work and remain happy with the occasional healthy expression of "When is it safe to go out again?" or "Can we go swimming today?" Usually, we take them out to the park.

Bean is still getting 2 hours of extra help with his English language (he is a native speaker but can do better with structure and sequence). He also keeps a two online playdates per month with his friends from Early Autism Project Malaysia. Girl spends 3 hours weekly with her artistic gymnastics coach and fellow gymnasts. They both still take piano lessons once weekly. Looking at these detailed breakdown makes me realise that they do get sufficient outside world contact, albeit done online, for now. That is also why I have not signed them on to any extra activities on top of their school CCA. Down time is crucial too.

Like most families in our community, we take calculated risks during occasional outing to the quiet, clean and relatively safer local malls. These sporadic meals at a family café and window shopping allow us all some form of semblance to our pre-COVID19 lives. Strict compliance to SOPs have worked in our favour so far, Syukur Alhamdulillah. Daily park and play time allows us some much needed fresh air and sunshine, I cannot highlight this enough. There is no denying that we miss our aeroplane travels so that is definitely still in our bucket list. Something to look forward to!

Here is wishing everyone our very best belated wishes for 2022. Stay safe, my lovelies.

Lunar New Year: Year of the Tiger

Salam my lovelies,

Happy Lunar New Year! We are happy to share our gratitude all around despite the rise of cases due to Omicron.

Reunion dinner was a simple but warm family gathering. We hosted The Grandparents for a simple Prosperity Toss, homecooked dinner and tea ceremony followed by board games. They brought over cookies, chocolates, fruits and hong bao. It was a fun evening!

On another related anecdote, Girl turns 12 soon and we are so excited for her first cycle of the 12 zodiac signs. Such a bittersweet milestone it is for her as she grows into a fine young lady with grit and grace.

We are also grateful for our team success in helping the school PTA raise more than RM2000 from our cookies and crackers fundraiser for Ti-Ratana Welfare Society. It was definitely a proud moment for this community achievement considering there was a flour, sugar and egg shortage leading up to delivery time. Milky Way Food Industries Sdn. Bhd. has never let us down and we strive to continue our collaboration with them for the foreseeable future.

Here is to wishing everyone a safe and happy year filled with prosperity, good health and abundance of wealth. Gong Xi Fa Cai, Xin Nian Kuai Le!

End of T1 AY2021/22

Salam my lovelies,

We are well into the final 2 weeks of the first term. Bean is settled into Year 4 and Girl is spontaneously comfortable/bonded with her new teachers and classmates in Year 7. Moving to upper primary and secondary were definitely remarkable milestones (and school fees increment!). Parent Teacher Evenings are lined up for the week ahead so wish me luck!

The Christmas charity is up and we have sold 50 Sarawak Penan Bags to raise RM1260 for donation to Rumah Charis. Syukur alhamdulillah. The gift pledge cards are hung on the school Christmas tree and steady stream of presents are expected until 17 December 2021. Considering the economic outlook is not as bright as we have hoped, the generosity of many never fail to impress us. May this charity be long and blessed.

Last Friday, the very first COVID-19 cases was recorded in secondary school. The Senior Leadership Team, teachers, staff, students and parents have mostly remained calm and orderly. As of press time, there have been no new cases, no cluster has been formed and we will continue to trace and test. The year group in question are being self-isolated and lessons will continue online. Grit on! Our first school case since March 2020, what an amazing feat while it lasted.

Girl and Bean were in school for total of 2 days during their turn in rotation. The community we live in recorded 2 cases by the end of their second day at school and we immediately opted for online learning/work from home module with trips out to the grocer only when necessary. This self- imposed/strict discipline/err on side of caution have worked well for us as 3 more local cases were recorded. The Other Half stalks the community e-bulleting like a hawk and we will remain vigilant, inshaAllah. May Allah swt grant us all the strength, stamina, financial resources and protection while we ride out challenges of Omicron, Delta and annoying political situation in Malaysia.  

A little note to celebrate: I got my Pfizer booster dose!

Here is a quick update on my journey of luxury minimalism. Many of you know that I am an investment-conscious, work-from-home mother with no helper and have limited fund for frivolous spending. I used to purchase luxury purses and shoes using my annual bonus and this habit stuck. In 2020, I started curating my items mindfully, adding only a couple of key classic pieces so that I have a good rotation to choose from.

By 2021, my closet declutter items that were identified had been sent to a local reliable consignment company known as Labagatory. They sold some of my items in record fast time - one noir Hermes Bastia coin purse in Epsom leather which is now obsolete with e-wallet being so prevalent, one red Salvatore Ferragamo belt with GHW which I bought for Christmas and CNY "uniform" but never wore, and one pair of black Salvatore Ferragamo Vara jelly that I never quite broke in because leather shoes are so much more comfortable. I also sold a carmine red Salvatore Ferragamo shopping tote and black Anya Hindmarch work tote to another luxury reseller at Bangsar Village.

However, there were also some items from Carolina Herrera the wonderful people at Labagatory assessed and decided not to take on. I guess these will be donated, same as I had done with the bundle of Coach, Oroton, Braun Buffel, Frankitas and several other contemporary branded intems that were quickly snapped up in my neighbourhood preloved group.  

My consignment success also did not extend to a brand new Balenciaga City Classic. Maybe I will ask if I can dye the distressed lambskin from denim to all black so that I can make it work better with my capsule wardrobe closet but I know that denim colour can work just as well with my casual/weekend pieces. I just need to put in some coordinating effort when dressing myself?

I feel so light and free from having a smaller but cohesive wardrobe and those of you on this journey will agree with me that less is more. I do not understand how I ever "lost" my capsule wordrobe as I always had one since small until my early 30s. Boy, am I glad I hit my resume mode?

Pardon my rambling on. I better get back to decluttering. I bet I have a whole lot more items to donate, if I care to properly assess. I am already looking forward to less clutter.

Stay safe, everyone!

End of AY2020/21 and Summer Break 2021

 Salam my lovelies,

Pardon for the long silence as we trudged on the final term of pandemic-online-schooling. Syukur alhamdulillah Girl and Bean both did exceptionally well in their GL Assessments. Girl graduated in our living and dining room. Bean scored an award for Most Improved Student of his class. The Awards Ceremonies were surprisingly interesting! We applied for access to be granted to The Grandparents so they joined us online to watch both ceremonies. Both of the children's homeroom teachers will be returning to England, alas. They will both be sorely missed.

Girl and Bean somewhat enjoyed their online Sports Day as the novelty had worn off. We will suggest that the programme be updated next year as repeating the same routines and challenges from AY2019/20 annually were not exciting nor engaging for the most part. Morion, their sports house, did not win this year but put up a good fight. Sportsmanship can be tough under pandemic-fatigue as we witnessed first hand.

International Week came and went without much pomp and gala as the overall spirit was dampened by high daily new cases and long-drawn lockdown. Girl's class was assigned Thailand, and Bean's year group was again assigned China (same as when they were in Year 1). Girl's Thai costume arrived after International Week Dress Up Day, and Bean donned his Lunar New Year red costume. There was not much decoration of study space, except reusing all our Lunar New Year deco items for Bean's China-theme. I must remind myself to order Bean's new costumes as he is outgrowing them soon.

We cooked some masa harina pancakes (the recipe is a keeper) and ordered Thai food during International Week. Bean missed his xiao long bao and la mien so much he kept reminiscing his meal at Din Tai Fung KLCC when we could last venture out.

Summer break is finally here and we are spending every single day indoors, same as most Klang Valley dwellers. Our 9.2 acre park is still shut but we enjoy the greeneries and fresh air. This is our first holiday-less indoor long break. We ordered a whole series of The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer and a few more titles for Girl, including a new release from David Edward Williams (David Walliams). Bean is working on his Horrible Histories series, still. His stamina for reading is nowhere near that of Girl's, not that I am comparing.

Personally, I am working on re-motivating myself. I have a lot to be grateful for and reaffirm myself of this fact daily. Although The Other Half and I have been fully-vaccinated, we are not taking our chances and are very aware of the fact that both children have yet to reach their respective vaccination threshold age. We are certainly taking all precautions and coping the best we can with what we have.

On the fluffier side of life, our balcony plants are thriving and they bring much joy. Both children are painting, colouring, crafting and playing online games. They usually transition into movement breaks without cue. Dances and balloon-volley indoors are so fun with them! We must include more of our stationary bike and rower considering we have been eating well could use some extra exercise.

We hope to spend the rest of this summer break in good health and happiness. All school fees have been paid and their books for Y7 and Y4 are arriving from the warehouse. Hopefully, Girl's new secondary uniform will be available as soon as the bookstore is allowed to open (on-site at School and it is not currently permitted under Phase 1). I am still in awe she is going to Y7 and knowing me, I may get all emotional come September.

Ending this post with much love and peace to everyone. Stay safe and healthy. May happiness and joy come your way daily. 

Transitioning

Salam my lovelies,

We have been busy!

Transitioning is an active, fluid phase and we as a family is experiencing this process. So far, alhamdulillah, we are taking it in bite size daily although there are certain days when it can all feel overwhelming with heat/exhaustion/traffic. Good self-care skills for each and every one of us are vital!

Girl is doing double academic work, both from The Big School and The New School. There are obvious continuity and convenience despite being in two schools, as both are using British Curriculum. There are some differences in materials for Mathematics, French and Malay. We encourage her to embrace and appreciate the learning curve with our home tutoring support. We do as much as she can cope using whatever pockets of time we can carve out. So far, we have had not pushed ourselves that much so as not to burn her out.

Perhaps, the reason of my chillax mode is exhaustion. We have all been fully utilising all our available time and resources to put the new home ready in time for the relocation to be close to The New School. The Other Half supervises the work that is on-going at the new abode, while I do the paperwork (budget and finalizing quotations), research (so much to admire on Instagram and finding an affordable/available option) and purchases (driving, negotiating, loading, and sometimes pick-up of smaller items). Tick tock, the relocation date is looming close.

Girl had to follow me on some occasions after school. She loves interior design and has ambitions to be one since two years ago so she is truly enjoying this valuable process. Whilst she has her dreams up with the stars and clouds, her feet are firmly rooted (especially when it comes to choosing the most practical/affordable/child-safe materials be it curtains or kitchen backsplash). Bless her!

Bean has weekdays ABA therapy at home from 2:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. so I have been taking him home 3 days a week from The Big School by 1 p.m. That also means I have limited shopping time between 10 a.m. to noon. He gets into the bath tub to clean up and cool down as soon as we arrive home. He works best by timer so after 20 minutes of soak, he gets his change of clothes then eat a snack (fruits, usually) before his therapist arrives. So far, he has not missed any sessions as the team from EAP is reliable. There is always someone from the rotation pool. He has grown really fond of his Senior Supervisor, Supervisor and one of his three therapists. 

There is still some task avoidance and communication challenges but overall, we have experienced marked improvements in his quality of verbal output, eye contact, co-operation and attendance (lessons at reading class, The Big School and therapy). It is nice to be able to eat meals without the device on all the time. His meal norm is now actually engaging with members of the family (especially Sunday lunches with The Grandparents) and friends (during meals at The Big School). Reviews are fortnightly so we are constantly on the feedback-action plan-execute cycles. Alhamdulillah for this early intervention.

His EAP Team has visited and met with his teacher at The New School. There will be another visit in April before the start of Term 3 for his Personal Learning Assistants/Shadow Aides to familiarise themselves with time-table, locations of lessons and activities etc. Social stories will be prepared so as to set his expectations/predictability and reduce stress for everyone.

Girl is turning 9. I pray she gets the best in this life and the next. There are some symptoms of hormonal changes leading to emotional outbursts occasionally so we make it a point to exhibit our love and support as well as open communication. Mother: Daughter 1:1 dates are crucial, as are her Father: Daughter 1:1 school pick-up. She is a supportive sibling so we do not ever want her to feel like she is getting any less love or attention just because Bean seems to get more by virtue of the additional attention from his therapists. It is a delicate balance so wish us luck!

Till the next update, please take good care.

School and House Hunting

Salam my lovelies,

I admit that I have been Girl-centric in all my 2012 school hunts prior to Bean's condition being discussed. Heck, Bean was not even born until 2013 so I do not blame myself. The Big School has been near perfect in terms of academic rigour, sportsmanship and performing arts with so much more for Girl. The right location, syllabus, CCA, performing arts, sports, support network and fees far outweighs the minor discomfort every now and then.

In fact, Reception this academic year for Bean has been near perfect because he is learning in a Reggio Emilia environment with classmates he has known since pre-Reception. The Reggio Emilia environment has not deviated from the DNA of The Big School in terms of mind, body and soul.

So what changed?

Why are we even school hunting again?

The answer is simple.

The Big School does not have the structure to support learning differences. It does not allow any shadow aides into its premises. Said so by the Principal after consultation with Chairman of The Big School. My witnesses were The Other Half and Principal of Early Years (who personally believes and supports Bean whole-heartedly and has pleaded with us to let Bean finish up the academic year with her, bless!).

One of the suggestions from the Principal is to hold Bean back in Reception until he is ready before he goes to Year 1. But we have already done so, and The Grandparents are not keen this time. The Grandparents fully believe and support that applied behavior analysis (ABA) with hippotherapy, Bean will be able to cope in Year 1 at a school that nurtures learning differences.

To cushion the blow, the Principal agreed to waive notice period for Bean at The Big School (without the same waiver for Girl, so we have to serve notice on or before 31 March 2019).

I had compiled comparison for 3 shortlisted schools and presented it to The Grandparents and The Other Half. The spreadsheet is quite detailed, as I wanted to cover as many factors as possible for the benefit of Girl and Bean. Out of the 3, they agreed with my preferred choice for St. Joseph Institution Malaysia as Plan A.

GEMS International School Tropicana Metropark was Plan B. It is a newly built school with proven track record overseas since 1959.

Nexus International School was Plan C. This option was quickly shot down and they did not even want to consider it (despite Plan C being touted as most supportive of students with learning differences). It turned out that there was no available spot for Bean when I asked, so we had that crossed-out.

Last weekend, they spent their precious Sunday morning with us 4 at Plan A. They attended the presentation, asked questions, went on school tour and endorsed my shortlisting. Luckily, they understood my "impulse" payment of application fees before the November Malaysian Private International School Education Fair. The Grandad and I were in public mission schools before so the DNA of Plan A is something familiar and not frightening per se.

We went to lunch after that school tour and I presented a relocation option suggestion. They went, they saw and they got The Other Half to place a conditional booking at Dianthus, Tropicana Petaling Jaya. It was a smaller unit, no bath tub, no ironing room, no surau, no fourth bathroom - but a mere 3 minutes from Plan A. Can you imagine how much time/petrol/toll we can save for the next 13 years? Well, the conditional booking has a minimal non-refundable sum of RM1000 and 2% credit card service charge in the event The Bigger School does not offer Bean a place by end of January 2019. We have time to hunt for alternative relocation options, really.

That is exactly what I have been doing the entire week since. Property Guru, iProperty and Waze apps are my current highly used apps. Viewing appointments of bigger units at Tropicana Grande, compiling options, presentation for discussion with family on repeat mode. Different tab to be added to the spreadsheet, just for clarity and expansion. Both Plan A and Plan B locations are covered for good measure.

When I count my blessings, I always include my Belang Moms.They are lovingly supportive friends and their prayers are greatly appreciated. Without them, I would have slipped into sadness, fatigue or even depression with all the weight that is on my shoulders at the moment. Even The Grandparents have opened up to their network of friends to discuss early intervention and such. Bless.

To be honest, we as a family never saw the challenges for someone like Bean until recently. We are so used to designs and plans for a neurotypical world. We acknowledge this time that Girl may have to uproot herself from The Big School and start over but she already has friends in Plan A (they left The Big School in 2016 and 2017!). Hopefully, we hear favourable news and that transition to new school and possibly home, be smooth.

Our acceptance and empathy to embrace Bean holistically have set in. As family, we want to facilitate ease for him as much as possible without breaking his sense of independence or freedom. We do not intend to cut open the cocoon just to force our butterfly to spread its wings before it is ready. Far from it. We wish to better nurture the process so he can eventually spread his wings and fly strong. Metaphorically speaking, of course. 

All that, with minimal disruption or negative impact on Girl. We still afford her the best that we can possibly can for her best interest. In fact, she is beginning to see Plan A as the better school for her in the long term. She has some performing art teachers in Plan B so she is not too fussed, bless. In fact, she did her school tour with me one weekend and was one of the best dates we had. Her views were valid and honest. Bean has a trial class/assessment at Plan B next Monday so we hope that is a safety net we can fall back on if Plan A does not go well.

Having said that, Allah swt is The Best of Planners and we offer this up to Him. Please do pray for everything to work out and that Allah swt will grant us ease in our journey. Amin.

The Flooring

Salam my lovelies,

We are not quite ready to place laminated wood over our marble flooring just yet. Upon second thoughts, second opinions and further reading, it "cheapens" The Flat and whilst we are not selling our home, we are not completely certain that laminated wood is the solution to our concerns.

What if the air cond leaks when we are away? The warranty says "waterproof" and yet we are not 100% certain to commit.

Speaking of the air cond...the unit near our playroom is wonky. It turns off and on before settling on "on mode" upon being switched on. Then it blows warm air. After a while, it will blow cold air if it is a cool day outside. On a hot day, it blows warm air. Needless to say, the contractor is coming to "sign its death warrant" this Friday.

The other air cond unit at our dining hall is somewhat better behaved. Alhamdulillah for that.

With these pending work and the move to The Flat At Block B (home away from home while we renovate), I am going to be bogged down this October. In my quiet joyful moment, forced spring cleaning is always good for my soul as all our worldly possessions go into keep, donate or recycle categories. Most of the children's books and art go to keep, their outgrown outfits find their way to the donation box and random 1001 items that do not spark joy end up in recycle box.

This is one journey I am determined to enjoy and be thankful for, inshaAllah. Wish us luck!

The Search

Salam my lovelies,

Before we decided on carrying out the minor renovation to upkeep The Flat, we considered flipping The Flat for a landed property closer to school.

We saw 3 units of double-storey linked houses at Taman Tun Dr Ismail and my parents-in-law even tagged along. The first was too dark, the second was too depilated and the third was facing Petron! All 3 quickly got struck off the list despite what we call "Mummy's eternal love for Taman Tun Dr Ismail". I spent years living there and I know the area well enough. Unfortunately, things do not work out this time.

Then, we saw this wonderful double storey semi-detached house at Kiara View. The garden patch on both sides of the house, double security gating, and fairly quiet neighbourhood were all charming. However, the main power grid in that area was too close for comfort. That outshined our minor complaint that the street was both cul de sac and narrow. We were hoping to escape the upcoming 5G EMF radiation in the city so we were careful in our search to avoid transmission towers and power grids.

There is a house facing the school which is still being put up for sale but the price tag is beyond our budget. I still say a prayer every now and then for the house to wait for us...and maybe I will stop when The Kids have both gone to university.

So, here we are. Selecting the main-contractor to help us maintain The Flat in good order for the next decade, inshaAllah. In any case, I am looking forward to filling The Flat with more plants.

Wish us luck!

The Flat

Salam my lovelies,

We have been living at The Flat since Deepavali of 2011. Seeing Facebook Memories from the time we received the keys to furnishing and adding some final touches to The Flat brings me fond memories. Back then, I was so much more confident in my choices, and resilient in dealing with interior designers, delinquent contract workers and bouncing back from it all to delivering The Flat satisfactorily.

I did all that while Girl was an active 16 months old and The Other Half was still working 12 hours a day for 4 days in a week. We had no helpers and I remember driving Girl home one evening at 5:30 p.m. after seeing off the contractors for that day. She cried and threw a tantrum in the car from exhaustion and there was once the 3 of us walked from Corinthian to Hampshire en route dinner at Ampang Park to peep at our lovely wallpapers and lights. I was definitely younger and had more energy...

The reason why I am noting this journey with The Flat is because I am out of "fire" or courage and need to find that brave old me. 

We are in the midst of searching for a suitable main-contractor to help us with some maintenance and upkeep of plaster ceiling, door frames and wall. The plaster ceiling has suffered some leaks from the central air-conditioning leaks over the last few years. In the last 6 months, the leaks have finally stopped but left some unsightly watermarks. We were in a quagmire about replacing the central air-conditioning or not before repairing the plaster ceiling. So far, it appears to be working well and we just have to take the plunge at some point to carry on.

Our door frames have been the worst nightmare for us as they left paint bubbles that cracked and released fine dust which we have covered with wallpaper for "interim" measure. It trapped all that fine dust since 2012, and 6 years of interim measure has been working so well for us. Now, to replace the door frames will mean cracking wall and floor tiles which we are not ready to finance. It looks like we have to resort to conventional ratification of stripping, sanding down and repainting of the door frames. 

The wallpapers in all bedrooms and living/dining areas will be removed in the process of us repairing some cracks and concealing some wires. We seem to find external wiring with white PVC tubing covers done by the air-conditioner installers when we replaced 2 units of air-conditioners for The Kids' room disturbingly unsightly. That will call for the walls to be repainted. Our wallpapers have hit their lifespan, but they were the loveliest way of concealing settling cracks on our walls since 2011. 

On a positive note, we have found Floor Depot to be still the best fit for all our flooring needs (cracked and chipped marble to be covered up with laminated floor boards) but that is the last item on our top to bottom sequence. We can only book and lock in their current sale price once we confirm the main-contractor next week.

In the past week, we have met 4 different possible main-contractors who showed up at The Flat for an assessment. All the leads came from Kaodim but we cross-checked their reviews on other websites and apps too, just to be safe. We are likely to select the one with the best review, albeit more pricey as the best and honest opinions have come from that fourth and final appointment today. The Other Half and I share the same sentiment that we may have to pay a small premium for the best possible outcome with the team who seem to understand our concerns and targets.

Wish us luck!

End of Spring/Summer Term 2017/18

Salam my lovelies,

Thank you for still sticking around and asking if all is well.

Alhamdulillah, majority of segments in our lives are. We have so much to be thankful for, despite challenges and trials. All Believers are tested, I remind myself.

I returned to workforce last 20 February 2018 and praying hard for things to fall in place. I know for sure now how much I truly enjoy corporate law; and how much I do not appreciate liars who cover their own backs. One thing about corporate law is that compliance and governance both in substance and form reveal those cracks and lies. I have not made up my mind yet if I want to stay or leave. My love for law says "stay" but my heart says "leave". I said I shall offer it up to the Almighty to Reveal to me.

And He did, so swiftly. SubhanAllah.

Bean's undergoing speech therapy and occupational therapy to address some issues and his need for my time and devotion at the moment calls for some difficult decisions. I have one chance with him, but plenty with career. Career is not a ladder, but jungle gym. Mine is quite a jungle gym with many fresh, different and challenging obstacles so far. What does not break me will make me stronger. Yeah, I have been reading Lean In. Sheryl Sandberg has many nuggets of wisdom and some have filled me well.

The answer is clear to me. Alhamdulillah for that too. Whilst my heart breaks to leave my two legal mentees who have been the most cooperative colleagues turned friends, I have no regrets about leaving office for my son. I am glad the two legal mentees are now friends who stay in touch and keep me filled in as to their progress in life.

On the bright side, it is now end of academic year. Bean had his Pre-Reception Year End Concert on 6 July 2018. He played the role of a policeman as the theme is Everyday Heroes. He is my everyday hero indeed. He performed on stage without any tears and remembered all his dance/movement steps. He did not fumble when it was roll call, handshake, prize and photo session.

Girl will have hers, on 27 July 2018 before we break for summer holidays, InshaAllah.

Have a lovely summer, and lots of love from us all. See you again next term!

Commencement of Spring Term 2017/18

Happy New Year!

The fireworks at midnight of 1 January 2018 were good. The kids slept through them all, syukur alhamdulillah. The Other Half and I watched The Hundred Foot Journey to find some light and entertaining source of inspiration and we did! We were kept up till 3:30am by FRU trucks, police siren and dispersing revelers.

The kids resume schooling today and I am really glad to have them back into their routine. The long Winter break was...too long for our liking as we had to stay put. In fact, when we looked at the calendar for 2018, there are many long holidays which will mean increased holiday expenses (staycation, play dates, etc.) and for the sake of my own sanity, I shall try to book some local holidays after I pay off annual insurance premiums. Langkawi and LEGOLAND come to mind.

We had a great kickstart to the long break by arranging for a batik and play date at Little Green Tomato at Persiaran Ritchie. We then went home and swam before a lunch picnic at the deck. At 5pm, we picked up two new bicycles for the kids. According to the kids, that was a perfect first day of holidays.

The Belang Moms then left for their respective holidays and we were left mainly to our own device in Kuala Lumpur. We discovered Kiddomo at Starling Mall, Jurasicca at The Gardens and indisputably the best part is still Taman Tun Dr Ismail's Lembah Kiara Park where we went as often as we possibly could. The only biking break we had was when my 11 year-old car went through a major part replacement last December and I am glad it is still in good service despite the hiccups we have had since 2015. I am not shopping for a new car as I am not ready to take on a hire purchase agreement at the moment. The freedom that comes with being debt-free since 2009 is something I want to hang onto. We shall see. 

Career-wise, I have something brewing and hoping the plan will work. This is perhaps the better timing as the support network and age of children are gelling better than the last few years. Obstacles that only The Almighty can remove had been offered up in prayers so I keep my fingers crossed for the best.

What will 2018 bring, we don't know yet but we sure pray this will be a great year. Bismillah to 2018 and have a great one, my lovelies!

Reception Anniversary

I last wore lash extensions 8 years ago? Wow. Time flies. I am going to make an effort to dress and behave better this year. InshaAllah, solat too. I am a real piece of work-in-progress. Wish me luck and strength to make marriage happier and easier. Onward to bliss!

Niqah Anniversary

8 years of marriage. Syukur alhamdulillah. May Allah swt protect us forevermore. Amin.

Girl and Bean

I have not been updating about them for a while.

Girl is having her Term 3 final exams for Year 2 and progressing to Year 3 this Autumn. She won a gold medal for sports carnival at school together with her other Harimau House team mates. She even sang in a trio on Appreciation Day on stage. I find this commendable as it was a super short window to rehearse, perform and overcome her stage fright. I had tears in my eyes as I sang along with her from the front row of audience that 16 May 2017. The song is Better Place by Rachel Platten, you can watch it on YouTube. The lyrics get me every single time. I cannot believe she can now play the piano fluently (bravo me for not allowing her to quit!) and sew neatly (bravo her for having such talent and patience!). Alhamdulillah, she is becoming a better version of herself and inshaAllah grow up to be a good Muslimah.

Bean is turning 4 this month and his love for animated movies, Cars, Ninjago, Minions, storybooks and languages amazes me. The sporty, active and often sweaty boy is my Bean alright. His favourite treats during school run at The Big School include chocolate chip cookies, frozen yoghurt and iced Milo. Boo me for giving in to his sweet tooth. He zaps the TouchNGo card as if the balance will never hit zero. Not one to sit still, or keep quiet - as Drama Queen can probably attest by now. I am planning to enrol him into The Big School just to ease the school run schedule so we shall see if he is ready for pre-Reception this Autumn (or if The Big School will accept him since he does not read, write or count independently yet). He sings, sits down for many stories and chats - so I hope those skills are acceptable. Of course, my prayer for his is that he becomes a good Muslim man someday.

They have both been eating well and still fight like cats and dogs over me. Yes, me! Well, also over particular toy they happen to not want to share - just like 1001 other children do. Girl is somewhat more tolerant and gives in a lot but there are just days when you know she guards her territories like a fort. Bean is strong for his age so I am glad they have not really hurt one another.

The days are long; and the years will seem short.

I just pray I can be that healthy and happy mother to see them through these and more, inshaAllah. They have taught me unconditional love and I love them for who they are.

Engagement Anniversary

We were engaged on 14 February 2009. Sweet memories indeed. Syukur alhamdullillah we are still married today despite the horrible/tough/challenging year we had as a married couple last year. May Allah swt bless our marriage. Amin.

Happy New Year 2017

Salam my lovelies,

Happy New Year! May this year be better than ever for you and your loved ones.

I am so glad my 2016 taught me invaluable lessons about people, business, friendship, marriage, parenting and so much more. It was difficult, sure, but Allah swt sent me help and signs in so many ways through so many people I am really thankful for it all although it was tough to express the same at that point of time. Syukur alhamdulillah for 2016.

InshaAllah, 2017 will be our best year yet.

Summer in Sydney: Day Five

Final Day in the city, kids strapped us to Queen Victoria Building and did the long walk along Pitt St. to Darling Harbour. We came home to pack, did as much laundry as possible and got ready to vacate for an early flight home the following day.

My poor health could be felt and I did not push for much. Just the slow and easy pace and ample self-reflection, tried my best to be grateful and quietly learnt ways to be friends with The Other Half again after a very difficult time. I was quiet, contemplating my course of treatment options. I told myself the fever and pain will go away soon. I made a new friend in Pauline Hor and it has been Godsent. Our children go to the same school so she understands my routine and struggles too well.

By the time we boarded the plane to head home, all my unresolved issues with Sydney came to a peaceful closure and acceptance too.

Goodbye, 2016. Thank you for the lessons but please let 2016 remain in 2016. Forever. Amin.

Summer in Sydney : Day Four

Paddington Market Day! 

Kids played at the church playground, The Other Half and I took turns to shop for handicrafts. Once it got boring for us adults we hitched another taxi back to Hyde Park to let the little ones run free. 

Hyde Park Barracks Museum provided the much needed afternoon shield from summer sun. Another long trek to Botanical Gardens. Kids thoroughly enjoyed the red choo-choo ride around the vast garden.

It got too hot, so Bean threw a major tantrum at Sydney Opera House as he wanted to order cold chocolate at one of the lounges that serves only alcohol (big oops and drama there!). We persuaded him to go to ice-cream stall at Circular Quay but have you ever met a toddler with tantrums? Yes, that was us. Spectacular!

I basically carried him all the way back to Circular Quay, he almost got his foot caught at the train gap and then fell asleep in my arms at Queen Victoria Building. Precious, right? The sweaty mop of hair, flushed cheeks and calm snoring that weighed just about 15 kg of dead weight. 

As soon as we got home, everything settled down for a much needed rest for everyone. Girl and The Other Half kept to their habit of buying Shopkins from Woolsworth before 10 pm nightly. Bless.