Another Sleepless Night

Its REALLY been a while

2009-08-09T21:26:00.004+08:00

Dear Shar,

The school hols are almost over..and most of it was really boring and depressing. Stupid H1N1 ! Because of some stupid virus, we've been stuck in Brunei and mainly stuck at home. It s also frustrating when I hear people who've come and gone overseas and, God bless them, are perfectly fine. But with 2 high risk kids, I'll give it a pass. I guess Takashimaya will still be there next holiday.

Am i paranoid? Call it what ever it is but I doubt those people who give me a weird look when i wipe down my supermarket trolley with baby wipes AND Eucalyptus disinfectant spray, will be there for me if my kids were sick and quarantined!

I also missed my first cousin's wedding in Singapore which was really frustrating as its been a while since I've seen my Singapore family. And as a precaution, I have also not attended ANY wedding or any enclosed area activities in Brunei. Tak Salam susah, Nak Salam pun susah, cant be pulling out my hand sanitiser every few minutes! Kiss Kiss lagi..

School starts in 10 days. Tim will be in Year 2 and Muhammad will be starting Pre-Kindy! I've started (well..asked the maid) sorting out their school stuff and labeling all of Muhammad's things right down to his undies). Next week when the Brunei Grand Sale starts, I will be (with a vengeance) buying new school shoes etc etc

Puasa's round the corner and I pray that I'll be strong and patient and hide all distracting items away before Imsak! hehehehhe...especially things that puff!

My Raya clothes should be ready by end of this month (Yes that early as u know I'm one of those ppl that send their fabrics to tailors at least 2 months before Raya) Call it anal if you want, I call it" I dont want the tailors to do a rush job on my clothes and I get frustrated the night before Raya".

Tonight, I made Tim get in bed by 8pm..well 815 by the time she stopped complaining that it was too early. Through out the whole holiday, she has been staying awake way past midnight! And so has Muhammad! So today, Muhammad went without his afternoon nap and fell asleep at 7pm. He's woken up once already at 830pm and I just heard a whimper...Must get bottle ready!

Well...My BIL went to KL and very kindly hand carried us some Krispy's..it was goooodd...but not as good as it would have been having one with you in KL!

Am very sorry but I havent called Nana yet..will do so sometime this week. Oh and a friend of mine who lives in Kl attended a cupcake course and showed some pictures on her FB. Its in Putra Jaya (is that far??) and the blog is bakeryproducts.blogspot.com. They have the cupcake boxes that I've been looking for.

Oh..and u know where I went for lunch today with TC and Tim..you wont believe it..Ms Lo and you like to go there..I'm not snobby just very particular. That Kway Teow place near Gadong River! Hahhahahaha....sorry mate..I could hardly swallow my food. Tim wasnt very impressed either. Before we decided to go there, we went to Thien Thien, Tim scrunched up her face and didnt even want to sit!

Oh and I beaded one of my baju kurungs! Heheheh..out of boredom mainly. I bought tiny tiny beads , semi precious stones and fresh water pearls. Took Lyn and me about 4 days in total. Couple of hours a day. Am tempted to do another one..hehehhe

Havent baked any new cupcakes since..umm..I dont know. But I bake something every Friday for Daddy the Gift Dragon to bring to golf on Saturday. Maybe i can convince Melly to hand carry some cupcakes for you on her next trip. My lemon bars are quite deelish I must say.

Yup..Dibo bought 3 cars and a laptop in the past 2 months. Dibo dibo dibo ding...

Miss you LOTS!

Toot! Toot!

2009-06-25T10:03:00.004+08:00

Last week we celebrated Muhammad's 2nd Birthday by having a Thomas the Tank Engine "little" teaparty.

There was an obscene amount of food (which gladly did not go to waste), Nini made mee siam and cucur udang. We also had homemade burgers, nuggets, sausages, chips and Mac & Cheese. . Auntie Woo made her pavlovas and we also ordered Sugar & Spice kebabs.

I baked 3 types of cupcakes - Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate Malt with Malt frosting and of course my Chocolate Chocolate. The birthday cake was a 2 layer "Banana Lisa" cake with a layer of chocolate cream and bananas covered in Chocolate Ganache. The cake toppers were made by Citscakes of course!

We didnt have any games this time, just took out some toys and the kids were happy. The bigger kids played PS2 in a little corner..

One thing we learnt from this party was that Muhammad can run fast...really fast! Somehow he slipped out the door and ran outside to the fishpond!! No worries..all is well. However I did have nightmares that night of all the possible "what ifs"..

Thank you to everyone who came, ate and laughed and also for all the lovely gifts.

Now that's spoiling your child!

2009-06-19T15:44:00.003+08:00

Hush little baby dont say a word,

Papa's gonna buy you a mocking bird,

And if that mocking bird wont sing,

Papa's gonna buy you a $14 million 7.03 carats Blue diamond ring....

Yeah..thats exactly what this Papa, Billionaire Joseph Lau, did for his 7 month old daughter and named it after her "The Star of Josephine"!

Oh Daddy....

My Baby Boy

2009-06-09T10:51:00.003+08:00

How can it be his 2nd birthday already??

Where and how did time fly past me?

(Note to self..you're still carrying some post pregnancy weight and you cant use Muhammad as an excuse any more!)

Here's a little slide show of Muhammad from Day 1..

Happy 2nd Birthday

Muhammad

May Allah always protect you and bless you

with good health, love and happiness.

With All Our love

Mama, Bapa and Kaka Tim

They won! They won!

2009-06-02T08:42:00.003+08:00

BRITAIN GOT IT RIGHT!!!!!

My favorite act won Britain's Got Talent 2009..DIVERSITY!

They just get better and better. The guy who choreographed this is a pure genius and absolutely talented!

Stavros Flatly

2009-05-27T17:24:00.002+08:00

Again from Britain's Got Talent 2009 - Semi Finals 3

They just make me smile and my heart fills with love watching this father & son dance. Listen to what the Dad says at the end. Its so heartwarming.

I'm not sure if they made it to the finals..still have to youtube it...

Britain's Got Talent

2009-05-26T11:51:00.002+08:00

My favorite act in Britain's Got Talent 2009..I hope they win.

Enter the terrible two's

2009-05-20T11:06:00.005+08:00

The tantrums have begun. The stubbornness has arrived. His character has emerged and its a strong one. Although he is through and through Mama's boy, he sure has his Bapa's determination!

Enter the terrible two's..

Sign No.1 :- Appetite swings

I guess its just the norm to feed Asian babies the usual soup and porridge or soup and noodles, but try traveling with a child who just refuses to eat anything BUT...

Our recent holiday to Perth was a just a foodie nightmare. Thank god we were staying in our own place and thus I had a kitchen at my disposal, Coles and the butcher just nearby. So every few days, I would have to make a pot of chicken stock, freeze them and every morning, make porridge or noodles. Easy? Nope...Muhammad's one of those babies that are fussy eaters when they travel. Although I cooked the exact same thing like we do back home, he just wouldnt eat much. The only thing that worked were "chips" and "keropok" (crisps). So every mouthful of rice, he gets a piece of keropok!

This has continued since. We have our good days where he can polish off a big bowl of porridge without any tantrums and demands for keropok. Lays Classic being his favorite!

So I've made the executive decision to get him off porridge and noodles (mee suah) and to start introducing him to "easily available in restaurants and fast food joints" food. Oh did I mention that Muhammad is vegetarian. He spits out chicken, beef and even fish ! Oh woe is me..

Yesterday was a milestone in our quest..he happily ate spaghetti bolognaise for lunch AND dinner. We've also introduced to him supermarket cereal. I went the healthy way but he's decided he likes Koko Krunch better. But I'm not complaining. The only thing is he eats them dry.

As I write this post, I have a pot of pumpkin soup on the stove. Yes I know its still soup..but he's having it with toast. Cos if he eats toast..Yayyyyyyyyyyyy!

Sign No 2 : Temper tantrums

I only have myself to blame for this. Both my kids are TV addicts. Can you blame them if the Mama is one too. TV is just great. It keeps them quiet and makes Mama happy. Especially when Mama is watching her Korean drama.

So Muhammad loves watching his tv too. He knows which one is the Astro remote too. But most of all, he loves his dvds. Thomas the Tank Engine, Barbie movies and more recently "Bratz"! Yes you read this correctly. My son loves his chicks!

A few days ago, he came to me and said " come.. room..masss " which translate to " come to the room, I want to watch Thomas". Cute eh? Not really.

He has 4 Thomas dvds and if you dont get the right one, he starts crying "change change" or worse, he'll start off alright and 3 minutes later, he'll want to watch something else. Currently he is sitting on the sofa watching Bratz. You should see him and Tim fight over which Bratz movie to watch!! My God! The tantrums he throws.. and the things he throws. Cushions, Blankets, Toys, Raisins and Biscuits too..The other night I got showered with raisins because I was watching Oprah and he wanted Bratz!

Am open to advice and recipe tips...

I have to go blitz the pumpkin soup and and cut out stars from toast..

But amidst all the stubbornness and tantrums..how could you get angry with this face?

I'm thinking chicken nuggets and chips tomorrow...

Fairies & Pirates & 2 Nurofen tablets

2009-05-14T07:58:00.004+08:00

Its been an insane and crazy week leading up to Tim's birthday party. This included mad rushes in and out of shops searching high and low for fairies and pirate goodies, both Tim and Muhammad had the cough and flu 1 week before the party, Muhammad had a really high fever (actually he had a fit but will save that story for another post) and was admitted to RIPAS overnight (4 days before the party), baking 100 cupcakes and 1 giant cupcake like Martha Stewart on Speed, Staying up till 1am and 2 Nurofen tablets to do the lootbag balloons (refer to photos and you'll see what I mean) and morning of the party (at 545am), Tim woke up with an ear ache and a fever AND Muhammad bumped his nose, and blood came out of his tearduct! Do I need any more drama in my life? I only like the Korean kind!!

So I started the morning of the party with another 2 Nurofen tablets and a BIG cup of Coffee...

Amidst all of this craziness, the party went really well..

A BIG Thank YOU and Much Love to my darling niece Legs for helping out with all the party preparations. She wasnt just my LEGS, but also my Wheels this year :) Also Thank you and Much Love to Adek for helping out during the party.

Mai - Thanks for the lootbag equipment and the yummy chicken pitas

Dr A - Thanks for the bubble machine and balloon lootbag tutorial..

Nenek Long - Thank you for buying the lootbag balloons and sending it all the way here from Spore. Much love.

Miss J - Thank you for loaning us the party tables and stools. Keeping them till Muhammad's bday ok.

Lil Bro and Umi- Thanks for the satay delivery and making sure all the food went in the correct places..hehehehhehe

The Platoon of maids and drivers and gardeners that helped with the party preparations and obscene amount of food.

and especially to Cits who made the most gorgeous fairy and cupcake toppers.

And also to Nini Mummy for her yummy mango cheesecake. (sorry I missed this out earlier hehehehe)

Dear Family and friends,

Thank you for coming to Tim's birthday party and for all the lovely presents. Hope all of you had a great time. Till next year....

F4

2009-05-12T19:59:00.004+08:00

Oh I heart the F4!

I know I should be posting Tim's birthday party photos..but I just had to do this first...

Gu Jun Pyooooooooooooooooooo.....

ok..back to uploading photos...

May 14, 2009

Pls refresh this page..if the latest post on Tim's fairies & pirates party is not showing.

Absolutely Exquisite!

2009-05-12T14:32:00.005+08:00

Dearest Cits,

Thank you so much for the BEAUTIFUL cupcake and cake decorations that you made for Tim's party. They were absolutely gorgeous beyond my imagination. The Fairy was exquisite and really looked like Tim.

I took a really close look at the fairy. The hair? They were really like strands of hair. The details on her dress..tiny little pearls, individual tiny leaves and flowers...OMG! How many hours did it take you to do that?

I was so scared that the fairy would fall of the cake and I didnt dare let go of it until the candles were lit up and held my breath till the singing and candle blowing and cake cutting was done! hahahahahhaha...

And the cupcake decorations were to die for. Tiny tiny flowers, wands, butterflies and those pirate toppers were so cute. The treasure map??? What the ?? all those details...brilliant work as usual.

Best part is..the fairy and toppers distracted everyone from my sloppy piping skills! hahahahaha..

Truly beautiful Cits. We truly appreciate all the hard work that you put into making Tim's party a success!

Much Love

Sleepless and family

p.s. Muhammad's next ok? :)

Think Twice

2009-05-08T19:06:00.001+08:00

There were these 4 guys --- a Russian, a German, an American and a French, who together found this small genie bottle.
When they rubbed the bottle, a genie appeared. Thankful that the 4 guys had released him out of the bottle, he said :
"Next to you all are 4 swimming pools, I will give each of you a wish. When you run towards the pool and jump, you shout what you want the pool of water to become, then your wish will come true. "

The French wanted to start. He ran towards the pool, jumped and shouted : " Wine ! " The pool immediately changed into a pool of wine. The Frenchman was very happy, swimming and drinking from the pool.

Next is the Russian's turn. He did the same and shouted : " Vodka ! " and immersed himself into a pool of vodka.

The German was next and he jumped and shouted : " Beer ! "
He was likewise very contented with his beer-filled pool.

The last is the American. He was running towards the pool when suddenly he steps on a banana peel. He slipped towards the pool and shouted, " Shit !!!!!!!.........."

LESSON: ALWAYS THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU SAY SOMETHING, BECAUSE SOMETIMES ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN !

Am I taller?

2009-05-04T11:41:00.003+08:00

Tim turned 6 today.

When I woke her up for school this morning

and wished her "Happy Birthday Darling",

first thing she said was, " Am I taller?"

She had the first of MANY cakes to come, 26 cupcakes at school this morning..

Another one with the family tonight..

(yes I've been busy baking up a storm, like Martha on Speed..)

Testing out my 3D cupcake pan..

The back ache and sore wrist all went away when Tim saw me icing the cake and said

"Wow its so pretty..you're the best Mama"

ALL WORTH IT..ALL WORTH IT

And another gazillion cakes to bake this weekend,

My Darling Fatima,

May Allah bless you and protect you always.

Happy Birthday

With all my love

Mama

When parents go WILD!

2009-04-28T13:56:00.003+08:00

It was that time of the school year again. When us parents go WILD! Our competitive streak comes out at its worst...hehehehhehe...nah.

Year 1 and Year 2 sports day. IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY! Despite wearing a long sleeve tshirt, jeans and a hat, I was burnt!

As usual, Tim picks what events she wants to do..she only likes running. None of those complicated tricky stuff like kicking a ball round some cones or an obstacle course. Just straight forward things.

She can run though..really fast! Those long legs are not useless..

She came in 1st in the 100m..but hehehe..she was in the last group to run and there were only 3 of them left! hehehehhe...in my daughter's defense, she did leave the other 2 a mile behind!!! heheheheh..

This year, I took part in the parents tug of war. WHY? I dont know...my arms were nearly yanked out of their sockets!! Us Year 1 parents lost...damm!

A yummy surprise!

2009-04-22T17:14:00.002+08:00

Mummy called the other day and said, "SOMEONE dropped off SOMETHING for you here at home". Refused to tell me who and what???

So there I am driving back home and racking my brain trying to figure out who and what it was..

So My Dearest CL,

Thank you so much for the yummy chocolate cake. So kind and thoughtful of you to remember our birthdays. We enjoyed it very much and shared it with the family.

Much Love from Sleepless and TC

Perth..again :)

2009-04-06T21:27:00.003+08:00

Since our trip back in December, I was really missing Perth. I cant explain what it is about Perth that I heart so much. So for Tim's 2nd term school break, we decided to go back to Perth for some R&R. The weather was absolutely perfect. During the day, it'd be about 25-27 degrees with a nice cool breeze, early mornings and nights its like someone switched on the big aircon!

We took the kids to the zoo. Last we were there was back in 2005 with a two yr old Tim and it hasnt changed much. But this time it was with Muhammad. The orang utans shocked me. They're HUGE! And there was this huge crocodile...HUGE...SCARY. Creeped me out until I started visualising it as A HUGE CHANEL CROC TOTE! Hahahahahhaa....

I'm ashamed to say that after all those years living in Perth, I've never been to Rottnest Island!? hehehehhe...sad but true. Was never interested..I dont know why. So with a hubby and 2 kids in tow, I finally made it to Rotto.

The ferry ride sucks, I was so sick on the way there. Tim started feeling sick halfway thru the journey and Muhammad started crying and refused to sit down. So there's a seasick me standing up in a heaving ferry carrying a crying baby!

Ok...Rotto is a beautiful island. I'll give em that. The beautiful beaches, the clear blue seas (ocean?), the fresh air and the cool breezes.

We rented bicycles to use on the island. Apparently Rotto has the largest bike rentals in Australia. There were a LOT of bikes. The cutest thing was Muhammad sitting in the bike trailer and the maid pedaling away. As for me, I havent been on a bike since I was what..ummm...probably 12 or 13. Like they say, you never forget how to ride a bike and you definitely wont forget how much it hurts!!! My bum was so sore and my thighs felt like they were gonna break! Never again...

Oh yeah...the quokkas...eerggghhh...eewwww...I'm glad that they're only found on Rotto cos THEY CAN STAY THERE!! Imagine a RAT that SWALLOWED a CAT! A BIG CAT!

Of course I did some shopping..Summer sales are over though and its all Winter clothing now. I did go to Kitchen Warehouse, Wheel & Barrow and House. Once again, I drooled over the Pink Kitchen Aid range, Le Creuset Pots and Pans.

Anyways...it was a great family holiday. Enjoy the pics.

Dear Shar

2009-03-03T09:24:00.008+08:00

I know I know..its been a while since I blogged. Sometimes so malas and well...not much to blog about! hahahahha...dull life or what? Unless you wanna hear about the latest Korean drama I've been watching..hahahahha

So I thought I'd just give you an update on whats been happening so far...

I heart this picture of our kids!

look at all our kids with Tok and Nini

and Muhammad doing his smile

SUCCESS! got Tim off our bed.

Although she is still sleeping in our room but at least its on her own mattress. I heart the cupcake bedset. Muhammad also loves his Kaka's bed and tries to sleep on it. Sadly he gets kicked/rolled off it.

Qaly turned 2 last week.

Mama Ning baked her a double layer choc cake with a sinful amount of chocolate frosting.

Miss you and Love you lots...

Going Bananas?

2009-02-06T11:49:00.003+08:00

My dilemma this morning is ......

what am I going to do with the 7 ripe bananas sitting in the kitchen?

My first thought was to bake Choc Banana cupcakes...but I just baked those a few days ago. Gave some to CL too...just hope she doesn't sue me for any weight gain! (note to self. must inquire about disclaimers when giving out cupcakes)

Then I started going through my recipe books..Banana Caramel Tart...mmMMMmm...sounds good..ingredients include 1 can of condensed milk!! Yikes...plus I have to make some pastry first...Im a bit lazy when it comes to making pastry. Maybe I can just use a biscuit crust?

Then my baking mood started to decrease....what about Banana Cake? Preferably a one bowl mix...hehehhee...with cream cheese frosting?

any suggestions?

Tuts my barreh???

2009-02-03T18:30:00.001+08:00

If you're ever feeling depressed..just watch this..

A sweet surprise!

2009-02-02T11:59:00.003+08:00

Dear CL,

Thank you so much for the yummy cupcakes! What a wonderful surprise to see you at Mum's place cupcakes in hand..The Coffee Walnut's were perfect with my cup of coffee. I'm saving the chocolate cuppies for my afternoon snack.

Love lots

Sleepless

P.S. Sending you some asap...you fat? yeah right??? bleeehhhh...

Hana turns 2

2009-02-02T06:47:00.004+08:00

Time sure flies...Hana Banana is now 2 years old. And as all two year olds go..they love Barney. Something about that funny purple dinosaur..at times he's cute but sometimes he can be just a little bit stuck in a closet. Anyways..we spent a lovely Sunday afternoon down in Tutong celebrating Hana's 2nd birthday.

It was also Barney ala Kampung...we had the usual party fare..sausage rolls, chicken wings etc but we also had Nini Mummy's nasi lemak and Ambuyat!! And of course Cits Cakes

The kids played musical chairs, newspaper dance, the two legged dance and as if the kids weren't rowdy enough, they played the classic game of "get me a..."

Tim had a great time and especially enjoyed Nini Mummy's nasi lemak..she ate 2 packets and brought home another 2 for her dinner! Muhammad went wild dancing with the bubbles.

Happy Birthday Hana Banana...

What are your dreams made of?

2009-01-12T22:13:00.004+08:00

Mine are made of moist chocolate cupcakes

with a rich bittersweet chocolate frosting.

Home and Away

2009-01-12T08:06:00.001+08:00

The last round of photos from Perth..

But Bapa, why does the king have a park?

2009-01-06T14:00:00.004+08:00

What's a holiday in Perth without visiting King's Park? The sun was out but there was a cool breeze. Tim and Muhammad were happy running around. Especially Tim who at every opportunity will walk/run around barefooted because "in australia, its ok not to wear shoes Mama!"

I heart King's Park..

Strawberry Fields

2009-01-02T14:45:00.000+08:00

One of the things that we managed to do on this holiday was to go strawberry picking. So we drove up North to Wanneroo Road and visited Strawberry Fields

It was a quiet day at the strawberry farm as it wasnt a processing day i.e picking or packaging day. The only thing is, you'd think that you just pay and pick and eat as much as you can but sadly that was not the situation. There's no entrance fee. You can get a choice of two plastic containers and you can fill it up and pay for it. All in all, it was fun and something different to do especially for the kids. Although Mummy and Daddy enjoyed it too.

But the strawberries were delicious, sweet and juicy. In the end Dad bought a box of 2nd pickings (those not big enough to be sold) strawberries for just $10. And thats what we snacked on the long drive back home. By the end of the day, I didnt want to see another strawberry!

Strawberry Fields

2024 Wanneroo Road, Neerabup

Western Australia

Open 7 days, 9-5pm

Freo and Cicerello's

2008-12-26T23:29:00.005+08:00

As most holidays go in Perth, Sundays are spent at a market..Freo to be exact. There hasnt been much change to Freo market, there's always a show outside the market entrance, usual whip lashing fire eating performance and same stalls selling the same stuff. So after stocking up on some tea tree and arnica ointments and a few packs of Morish nuts, I made the customary two rounds of the market.

Its more about being at Freo than anything else. I loved being there. Sadly I didnt get to eat my fav french crepes..not sure why though..could do with some nutella and banana crepes..yummy

[Note to Self: good time to try out the crepe maker that you bought with those 20 Supasave stamps + $69]

And its off to the jetty for lunch. Cicerello's of course.

Here's us being "wah..you tourist tourist one ah" heheheheh...

[2nd Note to Self: Tomorrow's the last day to use those Supasave stamps. Must get the sandwich press]

I heart Cicerello's

I miss Perth

2008-12-22T15:50:00.011+08:00

Pheeww...finished unpacking the suitcases and boxes. Funny how you think you've bought a lot of stuff, but once you've unpacked it doesnt seem like much..weird..Im sure I shopped more than that. My wallet says so!

Perth was great. A very relaxing holiday. None of that rushing to get here and there. Most mornings, I was just lounging around the house, cooking brekkie, lunch and dinner. Tim helped with the chores and played Wii Fit. Must post video of her doing the Hula Hoops on Wii Fit.So cute!

Did a lot of baking. My Aunt and Uncle are hooked on my Choco Banana cuppies. Left them a supply of 5 dozen in the freezer to tide them over till our next trip. (Dear TC..lets plan for that soon ok)

We didnt make it to a lot of planned places..just too lazy lah..although we did the customary stops..Freo Market, a quick visit to the City, Kings Park, Mill Point Esplanade..and of course ate Nando's!

Only shopped at 2 malls...Carousel and Garden City..as usual the shops are quite similar. But I heart Wheel & Barrow! And definitely in love with Kitchen WareHouse

This trip I was obsessed with buying kitchen/baking goodies..could not resist popping into every kitchen shop I saw. Bought every PINK utensil/gadget I could find. From pink spatulas, pink whisks, pink ice cream scoops, pink oven mitts, pink rolling pin etc etc. Even bought a pink tool set! It was silly. Or anything that had cupcakes on it..Tim and I have matching cupcake aprons! Even Tim got excited in the kitchen shops!

Anyways..there were a lot of place I didnt go to but one of the places I did promise I would go to was Lucy and Ghan...

Dear Shazzy (hehehehhehe)

Currambine has changed so much! Its no longer whoop whoop town! The freeway goes all the way to Hodges Drive! And ends up near the BP and Blue Mountain Dr. So many houses there now. I remember there used to be a lot of vacant land between our houses..but its all built up now. Remember that large piece of land opposite the BP...its has studio apartments now! That spot of land that we used to cut thru near your house to get to the train is full of houses now. Sadly I didnt make it to Lakeside..but I saw how BIG it is now.

I got a bit teary eyed as we drove through Lucy and Ghan. Reminiscing our good old days. Made me miss you so much more! Was it really 10 years ago?

Especially for you (and Gayn and Boboy who were there with us too) ...now go cry buckets!

The little park between our homes

I dont even remember that tree!!

Love you loads..

Ningy...hahahahhaha...

More Perth photos coming soon...

On a Break...

2008-12-04T22:07:00.003+08:00

Gone Shopping.....

Dear all,

This blog will be on holiday for a while...

Back soon..

Love

Sleepless

Playgroup

2008-11-14T07:55:00.008+08:00

I've started taking Muhammad to the ISB playgroup on Wednesday afternoons. For just $4 (3-5 pm), he gets to play outdoors in a safe and clean environment. I love seeing him run barefoot, getting all rosy cheeked and sweaty.

Photos from his first playgroup day.

All played out..

The Ultimate Cupcake

2008-11-12T11:15:00.006+08:00

I almost fainted when I saw this bag in SATC, The Movie....

Judith Leiber Cupcake Bag

And it also come in these 2 colors..

Oh..I heart cupcakes

Lemon Kisses

2008-11-10T09:47:00.004+08:00

Lemon Kisses Cupcake

My 2nd attempt at baking lemon cupcakes resulted in a

moist and tangy cupcake topped with tangy lemon frosting.

I was very pleased with the results especially that these cupcakes

keep very well in the fridge in an airtight container. At least a week.

Which works well for me as Tim absolutely loves cupcakes and

I have to keep a steady supply in the fridge.

After my Choc Choc cuppies, I think these are my 2nd favourite.

I call them Lemon Kisses cos thats what Tim's lips taste like

when she kisses me "thank you for the yummy cupcakes, Mama"

I want to ride my bicycle

2008-11-10T08:10:00.006+08:00

We took the kids out to Damuan Park yesterday. Mainly to let Tim try out her new bike plus I really wanted the kids to play out in the fresh air. Tim's bike is about 3 weeks old and she's been riding it IN the house and occasionally outside on the gravel driveway. (its so bumpy mama!). So we loaded the bike, the kids and drove off to Damuan Park. It was slightly drizzling though.

The playgrounds are in pretty good condition and quite clean. Am happy to see that there's no litter. Although the empty foodstalls are quite an eyesore. Tim loved the climbing frames and Muhammad loved running around the grass.It was a good day and the kids came home all sweaty and had rosy cheeks.

[Oh Yeah...When Tim first got her bike, it took her about a day to get the hang of it, then she started singing this song..."I want to ride my bicycle...I want to ride my bike" (ummm...i thought she just made it up.) Turns out its a Queen's song! Apparently the maid taught her that song..hehehhe]

So I youtube-d it...warning..some (actually quite a bit of T&A) nudity.

You're 18?

2008-11-07T10:46:00.008+08:00

Dearest Legs,

Time has definitely flown by..its mind boggling that you are an 18 year old ADULT (well..thats debatable heheheh) now.

My wishes for you:

to achieve your dreams,

to be a kind and caring woman,

use your head at all times, not just your heart (this can lead to disastrous results, ask your mum for examples hehehhe)

always remember that your family loves you unconditionally, ( sometimes we can seem old and boring and lame, but we do it all out of love)

always remember that yes life can suck, but you and only you can UNsuck it (is there such a word?),

never fall in love 100%..just 80% cos you need the 20% to get you back to reality and sensibility,

Happy Birthday Darling Iman,

May Allah always bless you with love, good health and happiness.

All Our Love

Mama, Daddy Man, Fatima and Muhammad

and this video is especially from you....why are we all shocked and surprised that all you want to do is dance? You were imitating this video at age 2!!

spoilt rotten!

2008-10-31T14:27:00.008+08:00

Is it possible to spoil your children too much? I love this website..its so drool-able. The ultimate in children's luxury goods. Sometimes I wonder what kind of people would actually fork out this much money for their kids. I guess only Fabulicious Kimora Lee Simmons would buy this adorable playhouse for her 2 adorable girls.

Some of the gorgeous luxury playhouses that Tim and I absolutely love...from poshtots.com

The Victorian Playhouse will cost you US$23,400!

It can be installed with electricity, water and airconditioning

The Cottage Playhouse is slightly cheaper at US$19,500

Tim wants us to buy this one so she can go live in it..me too

And I would love to get this for Muhammad...

Pedal Race Car US$379

Oh and this...if I had an extra US$52,000 lying around..

Red Beard's Revenge Pirate Ship

Kids nowadays are spoilt for choice..

Domestic Goddess....the pursuit

2008-10-22T11:31:00.009+08:00

I want to be Martha Stewart by day and a PussyCatDoll by night and I so HEART these...

LE CREUSET stoneware pots..I drool everytime I see these at Takashimaya Singapore. But they are just really heavy but ever so perfect for cooking. I want the roasting dish too. Maybe I should start small and build up my collection. Am so getting the cocottes and spatulas...

I read about these aprons on one of my favourite baking blogs..the ever impressive Bakerella

These are aprons from Jessie Steele

Gorgeous aprons with matching oven mitts, tea towels and pot holders. Plus childrens aprons. I'm loving the cupcake print too...

Aaaah....the ultimate shoe. I believe that there are 3 men that every woman should have in their life...Choo, Blahnik and Louboutin.

These ultimate sexbomb shoes are from Christian Louboutin, which I found while browsing on Shopstyle

Although I dont think I could walk around in 5in heels...but these are the ultimate FMS! Im dedicating these shoes to her

P.S. I think its time to start my Louboutin fund...hehhehe

After 4 days of raya-ing...

2008-10-05T22:52:00.010+08:00

I feel so bloated...but would really like to eat more keropok udang and acar..and kacang gajus and serunding daging...
(translation: prawn crackers and pickles / cashew nuts and beef floss)

Anyways..some photos of Fatima and Muhammad...

Fatima looks all grown up and proper here...

Fatima and Nora

"hat hat"

With Alania

At Pak Besar's house

To nenen or not to nenen?

Eid Al Mubarak

2008-09-30T15:24:00.002+08:00

Salam to all...

In a few more hours, we'll soon know whether we'll be celebrating AidilFitri tomorrow or Thursday. (I can hear the distant moans of tailors and bakers..begging for it to be on Thursday)

So Dear Family and Friends, near and far..

Wishing you a beautiful Eid Al Mubarak.
May Allah always bless you and your family with love, good health and happiness.

Much love
Sleepless and Family

Skinny Dipping!

2008-09-16T07:51:00.004+08:00

Muhammad couldnt resist getting into the pool with Auntie Woo and his cousins.

He couldnt even wait for me to get his swim nappies,

so he went ala natural!

A quiet month

2008-09-14T23:03:00.006+08:00

Time flies and its been 2 weeks of fasting now..so far so good..

Its been pretty quiet though..Tim's in school. She's in Year 1 now and handling it really well. Its quite a tear jerker when I see her (well..when I peek thru the classroom window) and see her sitting at her desk concentrating on her schoolwork. Big change from being in Reception. Not so much playing now..

Muhammad's 15 months old now and the fastest thing on two little legs! You cant let him out of your sight..he's zooming everywhere. "Why walk when you can run" must be his current motto. His vocabulary has now included "car", "kokok" (chickens) "ber" (bird) and now walks around patting his chest saying "baby baby". He also knows where his belly button, nose and teeth are. And if you ask him "where do you put your hat?"..he smacks his head! He is currently fascinated with cars and loves going out for drives. Especially picking Tim up from school.

My big boy trying out his new clothes.

Our recent trip to Spore also resulted in Tim needing some glasses. She had been complaining that things looked blurred to her. So hopefully these glasses will correct her eyesight. She has one of those things..umm..not sure how to spell this but i think its astigmatism...(someone correct me pls)

100% Papa's girl right?

Aah yes..an update on the shoulda coulda woulda list. Well actually this wasnt on my SCW list..but was contemplating it. I had a haircut. Nothing drastic..same look..just shorter and not so limp...hahhahaha

Oh yes...In Spore I had my Burger King hehehhehe...ate one at the airport and two in my handcarry! hehehhehe...

Have a Blessed Ramadhan everyone...dont waste food..

My Sungkai Top 5 list

1. Kuih Malaya

2. Roti John

3. Air bandung + cincau
4. A BIG cup of Hot Sweet Tea

5. Inhaling "fresh" air! hahahhahaa...faham faham saja lah

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda - updated

2008-08-29T23:07:00.004+08:00

Today I baked..in fact tried 2 new recipes!

Choc Banana Cupcakes and Lemon Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting..am waiting for comments and criticism from some tasters...personally I like these 2 new recipes. The Choc Banana was nice and moist, not too sweet thanks to the dark chocolate chunks in the cupcake..I didnt have time to make the chocolate ganache, but they were quite nice just like that. The lemon cupcakes were soft and fluffy with enough lemon zest in it. Normally I would slather on the frosting but I was running low on cream cheese.

Havent taken any photos of the cupcakes as I will be baking a big batch tomorrow. My niece's birthday party is this Sunday and I shall be making 100 mini cupcakes!! ummm..lets make it 80.

These past few days I scrapped... 2 LO's

I went back to basic scrapbooking..nothing too fancy...no new styles..no new techniques...just cardstock and photos. A few embellishments here and there. The mojo's not back yet...but I can see it just over the horizon..

Well, thats 2 out of my shoulda, coulda, woulda list...I think next will be the wardrobe overhaul!! Time to buy those vacuum bags and containers...BGS is on now..so its a good time to shop. Come to think of it...I should also check out British India..since I'm gonna be making some space in my wardrobe...hahahahahhaha

p.s. Melly, didnt forget about you, my chief taster...will send you some soon

Fatima and Mama Day

2008-08-23T18:38:00.008+08:00

Last week, Tim and I went on our "Just Mama and me" Day..our own special day..just the two of us..we spent the day at the Mall. Tim bought some sweets, books and a DVD..and Mama bought some makeup and accessories...hehehhe. We ended our day at Swensens where we shared a Choc Malt Shake, Sourdought 69ers Chicken Sandwich (yumm...our fav) and a banana split. As Tim said " this is the best day Mama"

I love you...

Thinking of you

2008-08-23T18:06:00.005+08:00

Dear Shar,

Ms Lo, Melly and yours truly were at a party last weekend. We took this photo especially for you. Banar...we even said "Sharrrrrr" instead of cheese...hehehhehe

Miss you

at the bottom of the garden

2008-08-19T09:46:00.003+08:00

Instead of fairies, I found princesses playing in the garden..

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

2008-08-14T18:52:00.003+08:00

I should bake...a lot of new recipes I want to try out. Especially Red Velvet Cuppies and Molten Chocolate Cake (yeah..the one where chocolate oozes out when u dig into it)

I should scrap...photos are piling and many more to be printed. I made a promise that I will not buy any more scrapping stuff until i finish what I already have. Im looking at 2010..hehhehehe

I should sort out my wardrobe...lets face it I will never be able to get into those clothes ever again! Keep, Donate or Hand it down (I can see Legs smiling). I dont think sheer blouses will be making a come back anytime soon. OMG! what was i thinking??? Unless Emma throws a "your worst fashion look" party!

I should really get a new hairdo...errr....no I dont think so.

I should learn to upload photos from my camera...but after hearing TC's instructions, I give up.

I should also learn to take better photos...just like her. Those underwater wedding photos were amazing!

There are a lot more things that I should do...but for the moment, Im happy just being me.

Me...just me..

Note to self. Butter and milk going to expire soon. Pls start baking.

Family Fun at Angel Beach - Part Two

2008-08-07T15:42:00.005+08:00

Yes we ate ambuyat at the beach...picnic brunei style..hehehehe..

Like the cupcake pops? Courtesy from my extremely talented cousin who makes beautiful cakes..me jealous cos been wanting to make those cupcake pops for quite a while now.

Family that plays together, stays together...hehehe together-gether..

For those who are interested in renting 16 Angel Beach, please contact Haris (Owner & Caretaker) at 8981614

Family Fun at Angel Beach - Part One

2008-08-07T00:42:00.003+08:00

Family, Great Food, Beautiful Beach, Good Fun.

Nuff Said...

Another break..

2008-08-06T18:35:00.005+08:00

Oopps..we did it again. TC and me flew off to the Lion City for some much needed retail therapy..hehehhee..well not really lah..just a break. (and Ms Lo, it was not another honeymoon)

Tim was pretty ok about being left behind again..as long as i come back with a Barbie Mariposa (errgghh...there's always a new "barbie" every year!!!). And Charlie & Lola books (yes Shar, she finally started reading those).

So on the shopping front, it was the end bits of the Singapore sale..not too bad lah. I was hunting for shoes ( note to Ms CL, yes Mr Choos are divine and they were 50% off!) & evening bags. A couple of much needed dresses and shirts. Top up my cereal supply ( me likes old school cereal so I got Apple Jacks, Corn Pops and Peanut Butter Crunch) and pods.. not the "i" kind but the eating kind. Oh yeah, got a new M&M dispenser too...hehehhee

Oh and Yes..after over a year of craving, I ate McD's Sausage & Egg Mc Muffins for brekkie..twice!! eerr...ok..Im weird like that.

And on top of all that great shopping, I got a new niece too! Misha Ashidiq was born on the 24th July at Gleneagles Singapore. Mama Sam's water broke after we visited her at their spanking new "red light district" home!

Our last night in Spore was spent eating Sup Tulang at Beach Road..the REAL McCoy sup tulang OK!! (note: I dont eat that so I had mee mamak heavily cooked in red food colouring!) DEELISH but oh so bad...

disini, disana dan disitu...

2008-07-27T11:50:00.002+08:00

Oh..just the things thats been happening here, there and everywhere this month...

M & M's

2008-07-16T10:09:00.002+08:00

I heart M&M...dispensers, tins, dolls..whatever.

Am always on the lookout for them. Next on my list is the roadster dispenser. Anyone knows where I can get m&m clothing? hehehehehe

Not Home Alone

2008-07-09T18:40:00.004+08:00

Dear Melly,

I know I know..I did it again...In my defense, I have not been able to blog as Fatima is home 24/7. Its school holidays!! All my free blogging and baking time has been occupied with her. At 5yrs old, she has conquered the computer. Barbie.com and pollypocket.com is now our preferred website. As well as dominating the computer, Fatima has also appointed herself chief assistant baker. So everytime I bake, she "assists". She's very good at testing the frosting and is also creative director of cupcake designs! So it will be a while till I send you cupcakes to test..hehehehe...(am working on a new recipe)

love you....

see you in your dreams..melly..hehehehhe

Dear Shar,

All is quiet on the scrapping front. Same reason as above. Every time I'm in the scraproom, Fatima decides to scrap. The other day at Shabby Chic, she bought for herself a PP and ribbon!

Oh..last saturday, while channel surfing, guess what I stumbled on..BEVERLY HILLS 90210 !!! OMG! do you remember?? those nights that I would come over to Ghan Place and we'd watch that show together. Remember the amount of Tim Tams we would gorge ourselves on??!!! I still use my tim tam as a straw u know...yum yum..nothing beats sucking tea through a tim tam..ya allah..nyaman nya!

Aaahh...Lucy Lane and Ghan Place...how I miss thee.

Surprise!

2008-06-30T22:34:00.001+08:00

Me and Hong Kong

2008-06-24T08:37:00.002+08:00

So I finally convinced TC to take me to Hong Kong... traveling without the kids..Its a first for us ever...cant believe we finally went away without Fatima...it was exciting..weird..strange..empty...you start getting paranoid..a lot of what if's start getting into your head..it doesnt help that a few days before our flight..Hong Kong was experiencing typhoons and floods!! Yikes

It took me a while to convince Tim that Mama and Bapa were going away without her...a lot of bribery and promises...5 sleeps is a long time you know...

This is my first trip ever to Hong Kong..so i wasnt sure what to expect. I know food was going to be a problem..so a couple of pop mie's in the suitcase ( plus one empty suitcase for all my shopping..hehehhe) and we were off...

[guilty conscience: we left on the day of Muhammad's actual birthday! ]

1. Eating krispy kremes as soon as we arrived in HK airport

2. It was amusing to see the funny antics of the maids on their day off. They dont just sit around buildings and parks but they line dance on the streets! (i wonder if this why those streets were closed off)

3. Saw this sign while waiting for TC at the camera shop. Yay...i got my own camera bag..but they didnt have it in pink..bummer

4. View of Hong Kong island from across Harbour City. That is one obscenely BIG shopping mall. I can shop just as great as the next woman..but Man! thats a big shopping mall..I couldnt take it! Gloomy weather lurking around...

5. Star Ferry..I know that its been around a very long time and is a safe ride..but me and boats dont go so well

6. Advice given by Sally..ride on the upper deck unless you want to breathe in the ferry fumes.

7/8/9. Pottinger Street, Central HK.. Ok those steps are a killer on your thighs but I love this place. Little stalls crammed to the ceiling with everything you could possibly need for a costume party!! At very reasonable prices!

10/11. At Complete Deelite - Wilton baking supplies shop (pre-travel online googling) and signed up for a cupcake deco class.

12/13. The Mandarin Oriental was recently renovated. Mmm...i didnt get to use the tub nor did i check out the hotel pool..

14/15. Decided to sign up for another baking class. Learn to bake the perfect chocolate cake..I finally got to use a Kitchen Aid mixer! Note to self: Kitchen Aid's are powerful mixers..so cover bowl with a cloth until all the flour is mixed in..this is what happens when you dont!!

16 - 21 Stanley Markets..I love this place! Its so beautiful. Cousin Pearl took me there for a quick trip but I made it back there again the next day all by myself! A 35 min bus ride..which was a little scary as the double decker bus went up the winding narrow road. Gorgeous gazillion dollar homes. Stanley Markets are not just for buying souvenirs but also kids clothes! Pick your choice: Fakes, rejects or factory over runs..the stall keepers are happy to tell you which ones they are.

22. On my last day, all alone..i watched Sex In The City!!! armed with popcorn, icy cold coke and haagen daaz! To be expected, majority were women and a few unfortunate men that got dragged! The movie is everything I expected and more!

23. Of course, we stopped at Krispy's again before leaving for Brunei. Armed with 5 dozen krispy kremes, I was an anxious mama on the plane...

Thank you TC for taking me to Hong Kong..although I never saw much of you during the day...Love you

Row Row Row Your Boat..

2008-06-20T09:58:00.005+08:00

My Dearest Shar,

Happy Birthday..May Allah always protect you and bless you

with love, good health and happiness.

The strength and patience to live life,

laughter and smiles to make it all worthwhile

and 3 lattes a day to remind you of

me, melly and frances..

the people who love you unconditionally.

Love you lots

My baby boy is one year old today

2008-06-09T00:17:00.002+08:00

Its amazing how the year has just flown by. I cant believe that Muhammad is now one year old. The day he was born is still vivid in my mind ( Scrapping note: Make LO of day Muhammad was born before I forget). I remember what a beautiful pregnancy I had with him..barely any sickness or hardly gained any weight (that was the best part)..

And look at him now..enjoying his first birthday cake..his first taste of cake and sugar etc..
(he doesnt have much of a sweet tooth though..not like Tim!)

My Darling Son,
May Allah always protect you and bless you with love and good health.
My prayer for you is that you will grow up strong and protect your family.
All my love
Mama

Scrap Me

2008-06-07T00:29:00.000+08:00

Our Dotty Day!

2008-06-06T21:40:00.004+08:00

Dots, dots and more dots...

Pheww..It finally happened.

Fatima and Muhammad's Polka Dot Birthday Party. ( we decided we might as well celebrate Muhammad's 1st birthday and spare me the exhaustion!) And believe me..I was exhausted.. in fact I'm still exhausted to this day!

Preparations started months ago..(you know lah, how easy it is to find party stuff in Brunei..Yeah..the usual party themes are easily available.) Of all the themes, Tim wants a polka dot party. So for the past few months I have been polka dot hunting everywhere! It was tiring (borderline frustrating)..but I think I got it dotty enough. The only thing I didnt buy in Brunei were the polka dot balloons !!

But it was a great party!! We had kebabs from Sugar & Spice, Satay Salim and from our kitchen, spaghetti, hot dogs and chips. And I made sure I had an obscene and sinful dessert table. My auntie's Tiramisu and Mango cheesecake, Big Sis's Chocolate rice bubbles/corn flakes and wobbly jello. And I baked 2 birthday cakes and 130 cupcakes! (yes..for the past few days leading up to the party I was like Martha Stewart on speed). Plus I could only decorate the cupcakes the morning of the party..so me and the piping bag were on a roll.

BUT I must give a big shout out to Cousin Huda and my niece Legs (they even slept over the night before) who helped with the party decorations, help with the cakes/cupcakes and entertain all the kids during the party so that I, who could not even swallow a cupcake after all that baking, could enjoy a few minutes of socialising. Thank you girls..I really do appreciate it.

The party was even more special as my Singapore Aunties and Uncle were in town and it was their first time celebrating a birthday in Brunei. Now they understand how full on our kids parties can be...hehehehhe

Thank you to all our family and friends who came. And thank you for the wonderful gifts.

Girls Gone Wild...well...some of us

2008-06-05T15:39:00.003+08:00

A look behind the closed doors of Suite 2701....

Cake No2 at ISB

2008-06-03T21:22:00.002+08:00

Chicken Pox free and happily back at school. So here comes cake No 2...

TC the Barber

2008-06-03T20:45:00.002+08:00

It was HIGH time Muhammad had a haircut. I've been postponing our trip to Mo's cos Muhammad had the chicken pox too. So TC got fed up and decided to do it himself...eerrrrr

Conversation with S.I.L

Me: ummm...hehehe u know what..TC's gonna give Muhammad a hair cut..
SIL : huh? are YOU sure?
Me: No...

But I must say..it was a nice father-son moment to watch. TC did a pretty decent job and Muhammad just sat there quietly watching the day go by. (we did it poolside so there was lots of things for Muhammad to see)

Chicken Pox Birthday

2008-06-03T18:48:00.002+08:00

We woke up a spotty Tim on the morning of her birthday..to surprise her with a "Wonder Shop". An amazing wooden stall complete with wooden fruits, veggies, steak, fish and chips. Plus a cash register and weighing scale!

Cousin Abd Aziz (chicken pox free) came over to celebrate with us. We made party hats and goody boxes. Then had pizza and birthday cake for lunch!

Will Power

2008-05-22T20:42:00.004+08:00

Today I tested my will power....

I avoided the internet..

I avoided the TV...

I avoided the radio...

I avoided the newspapers....

I covered my ears when people were talking about it...and sang out loud..(not a good thing..trust me)

I was probably the only person in Brunei who didnt know about it....

I waited patiently for time to pass by....

And Now I know....

I Heart David Cook...

Sea World

2008-05-13T09:23:00.002+08:00

The last of the 3 theme park! We almost didnt go to Sea World..thinking do we really wanna see aquariums and such...I'm so glad that we did! Sea World was lots of fun!!

Tips:

1. Come early. Sea World is huge and there are lots and lots of things to see.

2. Pick up the park map and plan when to see the shows. My favourite was the Dolphin show. Cannot miss one!

3. Wear comfortable walking shoes.

4. Bring bathers and towels. There's a kiddy fountain and a water park. Tim didnt as the weather was a bit too chilly.

5. Sea World and Movie World are in the same family, so if you go online and sign up as a member, you can print out discount coupons that SO worth it. We also receive a book full of discount vouchers from the car rental company.

Look who's 5 !!

2008-05-04T09:03:00.006+08:00

Look at our baby girl, all grown up...

Today, 5 years ago, you gave new meaning and purpose to our lives,

Every day you bring happiness and love (and a few tantrums) to our lives,

May Allah always protect you and bless you.

Happy 5th Birthday Dearest Fatima,

With all our love,

Bapa, Mama and Adik

Gummi Bears and more

2008-05-02T15:43:00.005+08:00

Dear Shar,

Thank you so much for taking the time to buy me the gummi bears and more. They were perfect for decorating Nadiya's cupcakes and of course for Tim's and Muhammad's birthdays which are just round the corner.

Sad thing is, Tim's come down with allergies and we had to postpone her party till she gets better. Ironically, she's covered in polka dots...hehehehhe. Everything was ready for the party but I could do with a bit more time hahahhaha....

Miss you and Love you Lots!

Tutong Beach

2008-05-02T15:22:00.010+08:00

Great day..the kids built sandcastles, we watched H paramotoring and we dug around looking for clams (kunau?). Although we only found 7, they were yummy...hehehhe. A fun day at the beach followed by yummy ambuyat at Hana's house.

Ever the romantic...yeesshhh

Kunau hunting

Noooo...I wont go into the water....

Readyyyy...Jump!

Thats H way up in the sky

The Beach babies

Fatima came home with sandfly bites.... :(

Movie World - Part 1

2008-04-22T08:14:00.009+08:00

I've been to Movie World....

well..thats what it says on Tim's souvenir Tshirt and the earth friendly bag that I bought.

Movie World was awesome! We spent about 6 hours there and it was NOT enough!! But we manage to see most of the attractions and especially the WB characters. I met the ULTIMATE KITTEN and I got the photo to prove it! ( coming in the next post)

TC took a gazillion photos...but its taking forever to upload onto to blogger ( AS USUAL). So these 5 photos are what I managed to upload these past few days.

Grumpy as usual

Tim couldnt get the bumper car to go in straight

so she just spun around and around!

Thats me again on the carousel!

After that nauseating teacup in Dreamworld, I'm sticking to carousels!!

Grumpy Part 2

But she won that Pooh bear all by herself!

Grumpy Part 3

Police Academy Stunt Show

Fantastic!

Will post more photos of Movie World.

But its Tim's birthday coming up and I'm covered in Polka Dots!!

Dreamworld

2008-04-16T20:40:00.016+08:00

Off we went to Dreamworld..about a 30min drive from Gold Coast...

Spongebob show...was so so lah..

Tim loves the carousel...

its always the first ride she picks

The Blues Clues ride just go around around...

supposedly goes up too but their's didnt!

The Dora seaplanes just go up around and around too

Aaah..the things us parents are willing to do for our children. Even go on rides that just give you a bloody headache after!! We did all the kiddy rides...

But NOT this one!! Gila kali!!

Probably the ONLY reason why we went to Dreamworld.

DORA!!

Who only came out and stood for 5 mins!!

Then we went to see the Tiger Show......

What kind of tiger show were you thinking of?

Then to Wiggle World....

Tim's outgrown The Wiggles but since we were there...

it was kinda boring

Thats me getting sick on the Teacup ride.

The most nauseating ride I have ever been on!!!

Then TC went to fatten up his dinner....hahahhahaha

Paying off my bribes....

Had to bribe Tim into taking a gazillion photos

so we went to buy some ridiculously over priced candy floss!!

Well at least the candy floss was bigger than her head!

Dreamworld was the first theme park we went to...only because Dora and Spongebob was there. It was kind of a disappointment as these two characters only came out for 5 mins...and that was it. There were no other Nickelodeon characters around! There was a water park there, but we didnt go to it as most of the rides were too dangerous for Tim.

To this day, I still feel that it was a complete waste of time and money...but at least Tim met Dora!!

Duck Bus!!!

2008-04-10T20:47:00.007+08:00

I reckon this is one of the MUST DO'S if you get to Gold Coast. One of Tim's most favourite part of our "Just the 3 of us" holiday.

We went on the Adventure Duck Tour. An aquatic bus that first takes you on a tour of Surfers Paradise, then goes down the river (Tim was so excited that the bus was "changing into a boat"!) and then back into Surfers Paradise again. Its about an hour long and you get to see so much. Worth the money (approx aus$35 for an adult and kids under 6 ride free...i think) and we had an absolutely good time.

Tim really enjoyed "driving" the duck bus..

got a certificate to prove it too

This what the bus looks like as a "boat".

Although thats the other aquatic bus... AquaDuck

Thats the Palazzo Versace in the backgound (which i didnt get to go to)

Why sail when you can fly?

Then of course you have to buy the $10 quacking duck!!

QUACK! QUACK!

A Diva in the Making

2008-04-08T08:18:00.004+08:00

Happy 9th Birthday

to our dearest Kaka Nadia

With Love

Fatima & Muhammad

March recap

2008-04-07T09:03:00.012+08:00

Before I get another complaint SMS from Melly....

Qalyana's 1st Birthday Party

and I baked a 100 of these for the party!

Fatima dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood

for ISB Book Week

Muhammad @ 9 months old

Shar and kids were in town!

Fatima making her "Ang's Glider"

Eerr...she watches Avatar

Coming soon...Our Fun Fun Fun holiday on the Gold Coast..

Out in the Sun

2008-03-15T20:19:00.009+08:00

Took the kids here....

for some much needed fresh air...

WANTED...

2008-03-15T18:58:00.006+08:00

No further explanations required. Sleepsuit says it all....

I threw this in for further cuteness....

Women, as explained by Engineers

2008-03-11T14:56:00.004+08:00

Oops..I did it again. Got an sms from Melly again. Times flies by so quick and its been almost a month since I last blogged. I blame our fantastic internet service!! Plus havent any photos uploaded...not much scrapping done though...so I searched through my emails for something amusing and blog worthy...

So Dearest Melly, my faithful blog reader...this is just for kicks

On the baby front, Muhammad is now 9 months old and crawling like a lipas! 3 of his top teeth have made an appearance. At today's clinic visit he weighed 8.7kgs and 77cm long.

Fatima has finally decided that she wants a POLKA Dot birthday party!! So I'm on the lookout for everything and anything polka dot. Her birthday's in May so I only have 2 months to sort things out! Yeah...Im organised like that (read anal)

Most exciting thing of all: SHARON AND KIDS ARE ARRIVING TODAY!! In fact, Im rushing off to the airport in about 15 mins time!!!

Byeeeeeee.....

I'm big enough!

2008-02-20T08:08:00.004+08:00

**soundofheartbreaking**

If you were anywhere in the vicinity of ISB this morning...you would have heard that sound when Tim said to me " Mama, you just send me to the gate..Im big enough..I can walk by myself"

My almost-5 yr old daughter doesnt want her Mama to walk her to the classroom anymore. She even gets embarrassed now when I smother her with kisses before I leave...

I reluctantly stopped at the gate, and watched her walk all by herself, carrying her books, snack bag and book folder, (sanggup angkat sendiri lagi tu!!) all by herself. She even stopped to look back to see if I was following her!

But of course she "WAS" dilly dallying...and the bell had just rang...so of course I HAD to run up to her and get her to hurry up!! hehehehhehee...

What's a mama to do ah??I hope this is just a phase...am not ready to cut the umbilical cord!!

I dread the day when she just wants me to drive up to the main gate and just walks off by herself!

56 episodes!

2008-02-13T13:49:00.005+08:00

Got an sms from melly this morning..a complaint sms...ya..ya..it been 2 weeks since my last post and I totally blame the salesgirl at the DVD shop at Q-lap mall! She has yet recommended another Korean drama and I have been doing nothing but that!!!!

Everyday I watch at least 4 episodes of "Song Of the Prince", its yet another Korean drama set back in Ancient Korea.

Its the story of an illegitimate prince (but he doesnt know he's a prince, his mum was a court dancer who got preggers by the King, the royal guards tried to kill her but the King told her to go away and gave her a necklace which would help the child prove who he is and so on and so forth)

...long story short..this boy grows up and endures ALL sorts of trials and tribulations of trying to find out who he is through the wisdom of the Master. The thing about these kind of dramas...is how courageous and stubborn they are...even if they are tortured or turned into slaves..they will fight for what they believe in....Oh ya...he falls in love with a Princess from an enemy country!

So Melly,I hope this explains why i have not been blogging..let alone facebooking for the past week...just four more episodes ok..(its a 14 disc dvd..56 episodes!) hehehehhe

On the babyfront, Muhammad has started crawling and saying "ba ba" so TC is proud lah! He calls me "mam"..must be cos of the maid!!!

Hope you'll make it to brekkie this week!!

Lots of Love

P.S

Ms Lo..thank you so much for the M&M dispensers!!! People..I finally have the M&M golf dispenser..compliments of Ms Lo!!!

Note. Shar and kids coming next month!!!

The best of both worlds

2008-01-30T22:41:00.000+08:00

Those close to me, know that 2 of my favorite things are M&M's and Star Wars. I love to eat em..and I can watch em over and over again. Ask Mel. She once had to endure me watching Episode One, over and over again. I used to just leave it playing...for background music...hahahhaha

Mel...the Star Wars virgin. I wonder if she has actually seen ANY of the Star Wars movies.

Now my love for M&M's goes way back...remember that slogan they had.."melts in your mouth..not in your hand". I remember that I would buy big bags of M&M..and separate them by colour into different bottles!! hahahahhaa....early symptoms of Monica-ism!!

I dont just eat them..I collect the M&M dispensers..all sizes. I should scrap them one day. I usually get them from Singapore..dutyfree candyshop has quite a selection. The thing is, when you arrive at the airport, you see them but you're rushing to get to immigration so you say " aah...I'll get them on the way back"....but then, as always, you never have time to do much dutyfree shopping when you're leaving!! So there are many M&M dispensers out there that I still want. Especially the one with the golf bag!!!! So I am making it a point that this time, when I arrive Changi, I am going to buy them immediately.

I also have to bribe my best friend's 6 yr old son if he'll give me his M&M lunchbox. I offered to buy him the SpongeBob lunchbox. HEHEHEHE....

Anyways, this post is to share my joy and excitement. Lonely and bored me was surfing around..actually was looking for ideas for birthday parties...when I stumbled upon this!!!!!

These are actually xmas ornaments...but who cares..I WANT THEM!!!!

But they dont do international shipping... *sob* *sob*

For Hana

2008-01-29T10:29:00.001+08:00

I made this LO quite some time ago. Was actually my submission for Shabby's challenge. I had the shadow box made at a local frame shop.

Happy Birthday Hana Banana!!

Hana Banana!

2008-01-29T09:51:00.000+08:00

This little flowerbud celebrated her first birthday last weekend amidst bubbles, balloons and 50++ shrieking kids!! Fairies, Genies, Wizards and Witches, Superheroes, Pirates, Soldiers, Princesses and lots more...It was like Disney gone wild and high on a sugar rush!!

Scenes from the party....

Classic party game: the newspaper dance

Number 1 rule: always pick a partner that is smaller than you!

The Lootbag!

Even babies got a special lootbag

filled with baby organic crisps!

Rub-a-dub-dub

2008-01-29T09:46:00.000+08:00

Darling TC,

We need to get the kids a bigger tub...seriously!!!

Live Laugh Love

2008-01-29T09:33:00.000+08:00

After being scrap-less for the past few weeks, I managed to alter this cookie tin for Big Sis, who celebrated her birthday last week. Actually it was a good morning for me, after sending Tim off to school, I baked some cookies (to fill into the tin) and did some scrapping!

Shar, I finally got to use the CK KOTM stamps you got me!!

My painting skills suck!!

Well, the tin was filled with homemade chocolate oatmeal cookies, but I forgot to take a picture of the cookies...

Happy Birthday Big Sis...

7 months!

2008-01-14T15:50:00.000+08:00

Muhammad

Age: 7 months

Weight: 8.02kgs

Height: 78cm

Fav Food: Bananas and Sweet Potatoes

Loves: Biting his bapa's fingers and pulling his kaka's hair

Photo Swap

2008-01-11T07:59:00.001+08:00

Dear Jazz,

Thank you so much for the beautiful LO's.I was very surprised and touched that you actually made 2 LO's for me.

photos of Tim and her friends taken during Ms J's wedding.

..and you're so sweet to even give me these lovely rub-ons!

Much Love

Sleepless

p.s. Dear Emily, I'm so sorry that its taking me such a long time to finish your LO..I must be the last one..Its almost done..but there's just something missing..so am not satisfied with it yet..

Muhammad

2008-01-11T07:51:00.000+08:00

I did this black and white LO sometime ago..

I feel like something is missing..

4 sleeps in KL

2008-01-09T10:21:00.000+08:00

After 3 rainy days in KL, TC and Tim were finally able to swim at the gorgeous infinity pool at the MO. Tim was quite upset about the weather..and it didnt help if this was the view from her room!

Obviously I didnt take this shot!

But the following photos were taken by me..experimenting what little camera skills I have...

Suria KLCC to your left

Convention Centre to your right

Then I got bored...so started taking photos of my feet..

I even took photos of Baby and Maid looking down at us.

Look closely...you can see them..the 2nd floor window

An absolutely beautiful pool....

Happy Birthday!!!

2008-01-06T22:53:00.000+08:00

Happy Birthday to our darling Dira!!!

May you always be blessed with love, good health and happiness.

With All our Love!!

Dear Shar

2008-01-02T21:40:00.000+08:00

Dear Shar,

Does this happen to you? I took this picture of TC, Tim and Baby at 12:02 am and found myself without any space on the bed!! But what really made me smile was the way Tim's and Baby's foot were positioned!!

Definitely a Scrap Moment.....

Lots of Love...

Family, Love and Happiness

2008-01-02T21:34:00.001+08:00

To all my family and friends

May the new year bring you all that you wish and all that you deserve.

May Allah protect and bless you and your family with love, good health and happiness

Much Love

Sleepless...

FINALLY!

2007-12-27T18:19:00.001+08:00

It was a wet KL morning as I dragged myself to BSC. Although I was coming down with some weird bug, I was really happy and excited as I'm FINALLY coming.......

....here!!!!

I snap you...You snap me

SV has a happy country garden feel to it, not too big, not too small,

not too cluttered, not too neat.

Lots of Sizzix stuff!

I love the way SV displays its goodies.

Reminds me of an old-fashioned candy store!

Handmade cards for sale

Hey...thats me...and me...and me again!!

I like this storage idea..but I guess I'd have to tip the jar,

to get that itsy bitsy stamp at the bottom?

Window display

Christmas spirit well and alive at BSC.

I really like this shot...hehehehehe

Clearly Listed

2007-12-27T10:33:00.000+08:00

On a cold and wet Friday EARLY morning, I hauled myself (me nursing a fever, cold and sore throat too) out of MO's soft warm bed and got ready in record time to visit SV for the first time and also to attend a class. Aahh...the things I do for Shar. I got myself into a cab ( a hotel one as the bellman warned me about scrupulous taxis in KL) and headed off to BSC. It was a big day for Shar and SV as Kah-Mei Smith was in town to teach us how to make a 6x6 clear album. Me...I was just excited to see SV and meet some scrappers.

Our kit included FontWerks stamps, papers, stickers, rub ons, tags, chipboard,

a Heidi Swapp clockface, beads etc.

Kah Mei demonstrating how to apply gold leaf paper

a.k.a foiling to our embellishments.

The Mess

You can only imagine how mad it drove me....

SV's shop assistant always ready for a photo op

What I loved about the class was how different scrappers can be. They either sit or stand whilst scrapping. Some follow instructions to a T and some..well..do as they please.

Festive cupcakes!! Too pretty to eat!

With Kah-Mei Smith, Shar and Min (who looks gorgeous at 7 months preggers)

Thank you SV for having me and Thank you Kah Mei for sharing your scrapping secrets with us.

P.S. My album is almost finished...sort of...

Merry Christmas Shar!!!

2007-12-24T14:38:00.000+08:00

This is for you and me...

Miss you so much and Love you lots and lots

Fun Fun Fun

2007-12-17T11:37:00.000+08:00

One of our "must-do" when shar and kids come back to Brunei....

Muhammad's feet touches sand for the first time

More pics on that flickr thingy....

Talkie-Walkie

2007-12-15T01:09:00.000+08:00

Dear Shar,

U ingat tak "talkie-walkie" Barbie yg u belikan the girls? Tim loved it so much that she didnt let it out of her sight. (actually I havent seen it since we came back from Kl) aaahh...u know kids, toys go out of style faster than anthea turner cleans houses.

Well..this is Tim after we came home that night from Nini and Tok's

Love you lots

Divas win President's Cup 2007

2007-12-11T13:53:00.000+08:00

It was hot! I'm not just talking about the weather! Divas won the President's Cup 2007 on Sunday 2nd December. The finals were between Divas and Vixen. I missed the first 2 innings. It was hard to crawl out of bed that morning.

I didnt take photos of the game...me busy concentrating and cheering bah! So its mainly behind the scenes and after the game shots...DIVA Style..

The ever so ready Divas

"Ih!..malas ku kan posing posing bah!"

and strikes 5 continuous poses...hahahahaha

He was sweating bullets!

He also likes to take photos of my cute double chin

and blog them for all to see!!!!!

More photos to come cos Blogger wont upload my photos.

Oh yeah..the score (I think) was 21-5.

Playtime@110

2007-12-09T18:42:00.001+08:00

Dear Shar,

Well...what can I say, the Kl trip was too short. We didnt get to do all the things we planned but its ok. Coming back home was blah..i rested on the flight. TC, Tim and Baby slept through most of it.

I just want to say again, thank you for being there when Muhammad had his little snip snip. That was very painful for me. Thank God you were there.

But you know what, the 2 weeks you were back here, we spent a lot of time together..and our kids did too..

Our Playtime

Batmobile?

I miss you so much. I know what's in your heart. I understand how you feel. You are always in my heart and in my prayers. Im sure it wont be too long till your next trip back home.

Love you lots,

We've come a long way, girls

2007-12-09T15:28:00.000+08:00

Well...we're back from KL. Four very short sleeps. Too short. I miss Shar already. Although we didnt get to do all the things that we planned but what Im glad we did was spend some quiet time together. Just the two of us.

Some people dont understand the bond between us. We dont have to see each other everyday (although that would be fantastic) to know how we are feeling. Its that kind of unbreakable bond. Many a times Brunei Airport and KLIA have been flooded with our tears. The hubbys just laugh at this but they understand.

I have many close friends. Different friends. But there are 3 women in my life that know me, understand me, accept me and most important of all...love me unconditionally. We go way back...so far back..

When Shar was back in Brunei, the four of us spent an afternoon together and had our photos taken. It was to celebrate our friendship and most of all, the sisterhood between us. We're all in our 30's now, married and parents, inshallah soon Mel will be a mother too. We promised that we will do this again when we are in our 40's.

The photo session was great fun as Eyan was an easy going photog. We were just being ourselves..talked, laughed, had serious conversations which resulted in screwed up foreheads.

Here's 4 of out 332 photos of the day....

Guess who Smiled when Eyan shouted "Smile!"

(hehehehheheh....)

MMMmmm...wonder if we'd still be able to take this shot when we're 40?

Thank You Eyan...you've captured the very essence of our friendship..

InStyle November 2007!

2007-11-22T08:26:00.001+08:00

It was high time that Muhammad had a haircut.

That fringe was just not happening!

So off we went to Mo's! It started off really well....

2 minutes later...

How you doing?

Henry comes to stay!

2007-11-21T22:51:00.000+08:00

He was short and furry. Kinda smelled too. That's where Febreeze comes in handy. Im talking about Henry the Bear. He's Tim's class bear that everyone takes turn taking home for the weekend. He comes in a Pooh backpack complete with his journal. The idea is that Tim takes him everywhere she goes, takes photos and writes in Henry's journal. It was really fun to do this..well..the first day lah..then it kinda becomes a chore!

Henry having his lunch.

We had to boost him up on some phone directories.

Saturday..crispy duck pancakes at Saffron

Followed by gelato at Gelateria Fiorentina

After spending the night at Tok and Nini, Henry went to the Pasar Bunga.

Followed by breakfast at Jollibee. There's a funny story behind this. Tim told Tok and Nini that she wanted to eat Kaya bread for breakfast. Naturally they brought her to Jing Chew, so Tok dropped Nini, Tim and Henry off first then went to look for parking. 2 mins later, Tim walked out! She said it wasnt a nice place...heheheheh...spoilt!! She does the same with Thien Thien too..I have to bring her to more kopi tiams!

Doing some altered art with me..

Well..Im happy (read "relieved") to report that Henry is safely back at school. TC did a really cool job with his journal. We played with Comic Life and I'll blog that soon.

No excuse..

2007-11-18T21:01:00.000+08:00

Ok Ok..I know..I have no excuse for not blogging for such a long time...Call it boredom..if you must...even scrapping has taken a back seat. Since the last post..life's been..well...pretty normal and routine..I guess..as usual...nothing out of the ordinary.

But I did go to a HOT party last week!! The GoodEggs had their housewarming or as Reeds calls it "memanaskan rumah". It was a great party...great food...great music...great company...If you've been to a GoodEgg party, you know what Im talking about. And I must say the new nest is pretty swanky!! Ummm...I dont have the pictures to prove it..maybe I can bum some off Reeds.

Watched 2 DVD's today.."I think I love my wife" and "License to Wed". I did watch a korean movie "Hwang...something" but the subtitles suck!!

Something struck true while I was watching I think I love my wife...why is it when married couples get together..all they talk about is their kids? Do you remember what it was like way back then (in my case when I was young, hot and sexy hahahaha and not older, fat and trying to lose all this damm post pregnancy weight?) when we could talk about everything and anything else? When did BORING become part of marriage and parenthood? To all my single friends out there, I apologise if I have bored you to death with 1001 stories of my kids and their antics.

I guess the moral of that movie was "you can only blame yourself"

Oh well..I guess we are all creatures of habit...

I missed the GoDivas match today. It was just too damm early to get up to watch softball. I went to their "new?" field last Sunday. Its somewhere near the hockey stadium. Man..that is one sad field. I hope they think twice before inviting any foreign teams to Brunei. Membari malu saja...especially since its been raining...it gets all muddy (cos there aint no grass!!) and these woman slip and slide all over the place...expect a decrease in Dynamo stocks in BSB.

On the domestic front, I've been trying to cook more now...its alright..I quite enjoy it but how many ways can there be to cook chicken??? Someone help me...Im running out of ideas.

You know I was watching Andrea Turner " Perfect Housewife"...there is no way that woman can maintain a house like that without any help and still have time to do her hair!!!

Oh Scrap...I've lost my mojo. I did an LO for Emily and it was 95% complete. Today I looked at it and just said "no". So i cut out the picture and quotes...and chucked it away. Sorry Emily...it wasnt good enough for me.

Oh...Happy 1st Anniversary Shabby Chic! I have been meaning to pop in...but I promised Shar that Id wait for her.

YAYYYYYYYYY...Shar's arriving tomorrow.

Night all..

Back on schedule

2007-11-05T11:03:00.000+08:00

Phewww...Tim has totally recovered from the chicken "POPS" and is happily back at school today. (dont know who's happier...her or me!) It hasnt been easy entertaining an active 4yr old stuck at home for 2 weeks! We played letter of the day and had activities based on that letter..we had an "F" day and the whole day was based words that had the "Ffffff" sound..seriously now. You know like Fish, frogs, fairies and butterflies and of course Fatima. Loads of arts and crafts.

So thats my excuse for not having time to scrap. I missed out on the ScrappinKids 1st challenge but I did manage to submit an LO for shabby's challenge#2. Thats only because I had been working on it for the past 2 months! Coincidently it fitted the theme "Ribbons and buttons". Its actually a present for my cousin's 10mth old daughter so i have yet to give it to them.

On the scrapping front:-
1. I should get cracking on my little photo swap project. Sorry ladies..I will be a little late with it. Thats on the top of my scrapping list.
2. Shabby's anniversary challenge!! My God..the grand prize is a Big Shot. Ive been wanting one for so long as I have been using my very dependable Sizzix and Sidekick. Even if i dont win..just making it to the top 10 would be awesome too..shabby's giving away MM goodies..and I LOVE MAKING MEMORIES. My dilemma is do i have time to make a mini album all about ME..??
3. ScrappinKids challenge #2 has a really good theme too..First Smile..and I have the perfect photo for that LO
4. I am forever cleaning up and organising my scrap room. Im not happy with it yet :(

Some good news :- We've started having Kitten lunches again..YAY!! We've had 2 so far..The first one was at the Bijoux Bungalow as Emma wanted to show off her little baby kitten Aman. But she was about to fall asleep so I was unable to take photos of her. On a sad note, the GoodEggs are moving from the Bijoux Bungalow to the house Over The Hedge. So that lunch will probably be our last there...

Farewell Bijoux...Good Fun and Good Memories.

Some more good news: Daddy and Mummy are back from Perth!!

TC and I had some together time yesterday. We went to watch Stardust. It was good BUT it could have been better if that couple sitting right next to us would have STOPPED TALKING THROUGH OUT THE WHOLE MOVIE!!!!

I DONT NEED A BLOODY NARRATOR AND LEAST OF ALL I DONT NEED A COMMENTATOR! GOD! SOME PEOPLE HAVE NO MANNERS! THE WORST PART IS EVEN AFTER I ASKED THEM POLITELY TO KEEP IT DOWN..THEY JUST LAUGHED AND KEPT ON TALKING!!!

I think cinemas should start putting up signs about appropriate cinema behaviour. I do like that froggy one that plays at the Empire Cinema but i think its too subtle. It should be point blank and straight shit.

Overall..its been a good week. I even managed to watch a dvd few afternoons ago. Its called "The Ultimate Gift" and its really good. Its about money and what it can do to people.

Now for the BEST news of all: Shar and the kids are coming down soon!!!!!

MUAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHA

3rd day of Hari Raya

2007-10-28T11:02:00.001+08:00