National Service versus Love

Remember my bursting passion to serve my national oil company?

It is back on, almost like a never-ending relationship. Blows hot and cold. Back at square one. Even if the offer is to start from the beginning, like a career comeback. If given a second chance, the next 25 years still seem like golden opportunity to contribute and grow together.

My pulse never left the industry, my network is still growing and news of people movement keeps finding its way to me despite the 6 years gap. Against the odds following the side step manoeuvre to start and grow a family. 

Signs? Only He knows. 

On the flip side, I really enjoy working from home and readily present for my family 100%. Once my gratitude sets in, fear (of lacking) is removed. Such is faith, simply.

In my 6 years of not being in typical full time employment, I have experienced freedom from corporate life, freedom from office politics, freedom to travel and so much more. Life is good, syukur alhamdulillah for His Blessings. He Crafts The Perfect Plan. 

Keeping the faith. May Allah swt remove the obstacles, constantly send me clear answers and shower His blessings upon this area of my life. Amin.

Snippets: Peace & Quiet

"Mummy, R was absent from school so it was all peace and quiet during my lunch. He was not there to step on my shoes to make it all dirty! He was not there to ask me to finish my spicy food. Yay!", The Little Girl happily exclaimed during our drive home.

Then, softly, she added, "I wonder if he is OK. I hope he is not sick."

R and The Little Girl remind me of one of those grouchy but contentedly married couples in their 80s. Romantic squabbling and endearing affection for one another when together and missing the other like crazy when apart.

May Allah swt Guide your heart in the right sense and increase your compassion for others, my baby. Amin!

An update as of 30 August 2015: R left The Big School to join another school. The Little Girl felt relieved because this means peace and quiet without dirty shoes by Monday lunch time. May R grow sensibly into a gentleman, Amin!

Holiday Plans 2015/6

We were informed by my MIL that our family holiday plans for 2016 have been made, and partially paid for. In sha Allah. 2016! It sounds like a long time to go, right? Lots of prayers required here.

Now that 2016 is planned for, we looked into shorter term plans for 2015 *chuckles*

Our August 2015 plans have also been confirmed and paid for. In sha Allah, we will hunt for organic farms and let the kids ride in a tractor. It is about time they learn about sustainable food source and the science behind it all (without the confines of a laboratory of a formal school!).

The summer holiday is relatively long so we have slotted in a beach holiday too; so let's pray for good weather. Hopefully the kids will be excited to put some effort into turtles conservation come September 2015. The Little Girl was very happy to add Peninsula Malaysia East Coast as one of the places to visit.

In sha Allah, December 2015 is going to be a "repeat" holiday like December 2014, and we hope to improvise on the "weaknesses" from 2014. Innovative parents, with unoriginal ideas of where to go, much. Last week, we asked The Little Girl where she would like to go this December 2015 and she chose a local theme park destination, bless her!

Key points:

1. Instead of a long drive, we will break the journey into shorter sprints with fun overnight stays in between cities. Port Dickson and Malacca both seem sensible as en route points to and fro Johor Bahru. We are keen to try out Grand Lexis at Port Dickson or YTL Malacca. 

2. Instead of 2 connecting rooms, we paid for a 2 bedroom suite. I will be the happiest mum if the washer/dryer at Doubletree Johor Bahru works so that we can pack our suitcases home without any wet clothes from the waterpark at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort! I will also be sure to order a delicious bowl of laksa Johor before 11pm!

3. Instead of single entry one day park tickets, we bought a two day park and water play with option of multiple exit and re-entry. It is going to be a matter of time we opt for annual tickets for cost savings.

Wish us luck!

Do you also pre-plan annual holidays, my lovelies? Or are you an impromptu/last minute traveller? Please do share!

Frozen Meals

Impending sahur and sawm, frozen meals have been prepared with a few more portions of dishes to add. 

This is the time of the year I cook "insane" amount of beef rendang and chicken with honey sauce. 

The typical serving at sahur is one portion of beef rendang, rice, cucumber slices, carrot sticks, hard boiled egg, cashew nuts and dates. Followed by at least 2 big glasses of Evian and a cup of hot drink.

We refer to a printed manual in plastic laminate for those 3.30 am meal preparations. This is a wonderful precedent set by my MIL. She had once forgotten to press the cook button on the rice cooker! Luckily for us all, she bought loaves of bread as saviour during unfortunate moments, how clever! Having the sahur SOP has helped me autopilot quickly/assist The Other Half with taking over in the kitchen especially on nights when Bean wakes up for his feed.

Iftar is usually a small meal, to avoid indigestion. The norm is a cold overnight oatmeal with fruits and nuts, dates and hot drinks. Sometimes, The Other Half asks for banana-chocolate smoothie with chia seeds, or rose flavour jelly to soothe his parched throat.

How do you prepare sahur and Iftar, my lovelies? Please do share!

Snippets: New Route

This week, I decided to look for another route to The Big School.

Truthfully, I was pleasantly surprised by the ease and speed (barring freak road congestion owing to accidents and mishaps) via Sungai Besi and East-West Link. 

The Little Girl had this to say, "Good job, Mummy!"

Verbal development must be her magic milestone this year as she proceeded to compare our route options. She noted views and differences along each route, with special emphasis on time it takes for her to stay belted in her booster seat or time it takes for the songs to loop on her JMC Primary 2 CD.

Never a quiet drive.

And just like that she made my day.

LaundryMonster

This is precisely why I am NOT active on Facebook or possess any other social media account.

As The Other Half puts it, "Something has to give". He has a good point because Allah swt gave each of us 24 hours per day equally so when time is preciously limited, we need discipline to use it wisely, for whatever good cause close to our hearts.

Chin up! Iron on! It is just another week of LaundryMonster! 

 

Snippets: Homework

It was 8 pm and I gently reminded The Little Girl of her bedtime. 

Her quick retort was that she did rather complete her Mandarin homework and sleep 15 minutes later. 

I wanted to see what she really was up to so I relented. How could she be so eager to write her Mandarin homework?!

15 minutes later, 3 rows of very scribbly characters for grandfather (ye ye) and grandmother (nai nai) were found outside the confines of the square checks she was meant to adhere to. 

Correction work tomorrow is going to be interesting as I anticipate her point of having completed her Mandarin homework, cakar ayam and all.

Being a "banana Chinese" myself, I know the difficulty and challenge in learning Mandarin. Perhaps this is why I feel even more for The Little  Girl!

Oh well, what does not kill us makes us stronger. 

Dui ma?