Tag: Number Tag

I got this tag from Peridot&Sapphire.

Two names you go by:
1. Lian
2. MOOOOOMMMMMMMMYYYYY (Usually in a screaming, pleading or whiny tone)

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. Bracelet
2. T-shirt

Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship:
1. Synergy
2. Honesty
(Just so there is no misunderstanding, I have these things)

Two things you like to do:
1. Eat desserts
2. Digital Scrapbooking

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. House with good interior design and comfortable furniture
2. My baby to stop biting me with his new teeth!

Two things you did last night:
1. Iron my husband's shirt
2. Figuring out how to widgetize my http://blog.valuebookshop.com

Two things you ate today:
1. Chicken ham sandwich with eggs, onion and cucumber.
2. Cup of Milo

Two people you last talked to:
1. My daughter
2. My son

Two things you’re doing now:
1. Homeschooling my daughter
2. Computer stuff

Favorite Day of the week:
1. Sunday (get to go to church for worship and meet friends)
2. Monday (all my TV shows lined up on Monday night)

Two Favorite Holidays:
1. Christmas
2. Chinese New Year

Two favorite beverages:
1. Herbal teas
2. Fruit juices

Two things about me! Things you may have known:
1. I was a national golfer
2. I have an online bookshop selling children's books

Two jobs I have had in my life:
1. Worked at Nike
2. Played golf full time

Two movies i would watch over and over: (and do)
1. Lord of the Rings
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark

Two place i have lived:
1. Malaysia
2. US

Two of my favorite foods:
1. Jelly
2. Char Kuew Teow

Two places I’d rather be right now:
1. Watching sunsets at a beach resort
2. Spa having a good massage

My two favorite people to tag:
1. Cindy
2. Mom to Ashley

Band of Brothers

They were so cute together playing on that plastic horse. Baby's feet couldn't touch the ground and so Koko-D held him tight and pushed them back and forth. I can just imagine them many years from now cruising down the road together on a bike with wind blowing through their botak heads. Hahahah. Oops, sorry! Forgot they have to be wearing helmets leh.

B - Best of friends
R - Respect for each other
O - One heart and one mind
T - Together through tough times
H - Helping one another
E - Everlasting love
R - Realize that there is strength in unity
S - Seek out to do only the best for the other

Toys and Collectibles: Trains, Vehicles and Raceways

When I was young, I loved train rides. I didn't have much opportunity to sit on trains then. It's not like now with commuter trains and light rail transport (LRT). People who live in places where riding the subway is a way of life probably thinks I'm crazy to desire to sit on a train. But living in Malaysia before the 90s, if you sat on a train, it was to go on a long trip north/south. For me, that usually meant rare holiday trips.

However much I liked to sit on trains, I never did play with train sets. My kids haven't asked for them either. I know my son is more into dinosaur and dragons then into trains and cars. But I do know of many other kids (friend's children) who are obssessed with trains as my son is with his dinosaurs.
Usually when you talk about train with kids, Thomas the Tank Engine is mentioned. Well, if you are a train collector, or is raising one, Shopping.com has a good collection of trains for you. They have 962 different kinds of trains cars and train sets for you to choose from. Caboose, stock cars, steam engines, diesel engines, tanks, box car, food service car... you name it, they got it. You also have 27 different brands to choose from. Thomas and Friends, Learning Curve Toys, Seth Thomas, are more suitable for young children.

Not into trains but into fast cars and heavy duty machines? Just check out their "vehicles and raceway" category. Not only cars and excavators, but also available are planes/helicopters and spaceships.

For each item, they have price comparisons from various shops. You can also read shop reviews to check out customer service and customer satisfaction. This way you can decide if you can trust the seller or not.

Malaysians Can Now Withdraw Money from Paypal

If you haven't heard the news yet, Malaysians Can Now Withdraw Money from Paypal!

Woohoo. This is indeed good news to all you many bloggers who have been blogging for money and have accumulated your mountain of wealth at paypal. Also good news to people like me who are doing some business on the internet and use paypal as a payment option.

Withdrawal is through a credit card or debit card that is Visa or Mastercard. Minimum withdrawal is US10 (they have a table of minimum withdrawals for different currencies). They charge USD5 for each withdrawal.

So, what you waiting for? Go get your money and then "belanja" me!

More Readers For Your Blog

Have a Blog? Join in and Get Massive Traffic

When on the road, traffic is a 'bad' word. But in the blogging world, traffic is 'good'. Actually, it is more than good, it is essential. It's as vital as the blood that runs through your body.

So, how do you get traffic to your blog? Ask a professional internet marketer and they will have a list up for you in a jiffy. Me, I'm no professional but I do know one thing, content is important. Oh, blog hopping and commenting on other people's blogs help too. Okay, actually there is another thing. It's pretty new but there's been a lot of hype about it already (thanks to the many internet gurus out there). It's a get-traffic-widget called BlogRush.

I already have one up on my sidebar. Just keep strolling down, you will see it. Basically, you join the network of BlogRush-ers and your blog posts will be distributed to other related blogs via the widget. So join in and be a BlogRush-er, and wait for new blood to flow through your blog.

Homemade Costume: Cloak

I made this cloak for my girl back in 2004 for a halloween party. You guessed it, she was Little Red Riding Hood. 3 years later, this cloak is still one of my children's favorite 'toy'. If you read my post a few days ago on "Motivating Your Child to Brush Their Teeth", you will notice my son wearing that same cloak. Of course he is not Little Red Riding Hood. It's his superhero cloak!

Kids just love playing dress up. This cloak is really simple to do. Well... I did screw up a bit trying to figure it out. But as you can see, my screw up also looks okay. If you want to make one for your children, click on the link below for the instructions:

NO SEW CLOAKS

Dancing Days

During my secondary school days, my group of friends me and did our fair share of dance performances. I remember we did one on the cha-cha and another on the rumba. We even did one we called the "mongolian" dance. Crazy! We totally made it up. Oh yes, there was also a perfomance on the Jive Bunny. Does anyone remember that album? It's a mix of jive, twist, Hawaii Five-O etc....

So, where did I learn all these dance moves? Believe it or not, I learned some at school. Do they even teach dancing in school nowadays? Plus, my mom also has dancing feet. She taught me a few moves too. Nowadays she is into line dancing. They have a group that practices at the golf club every week. Yeah, talk about the golf club. They used to have ballroom dancing classes. I would be the youngest there amidst all the "aunties" and "uncles". Some preferred to fox trot around the room. Me, I was into jiving. One of the 'uncles' there invited me to jive with him and I gotta say, he was a good leader coz' he was twisting me here and there. After that I was quite dizzy :) It felt really effortless on my part. Thank goodness I didn't get my feet all tangled up.

I haven't done any dancing in a looooong time. Nowadays people are into salsa and belly dancing? Hehehe, I'll have to think twice coz' after three kids, there are lots of jello to shake now, you know what I mean? Of course I could always lock myself up somewhere with some instructional videos and hide from prying eyes. But then again, with kids, there is no place to hide.

Well, if you are ready for some boogeying, DanceCrazy.com is the place to check out. They have a good collection of instructional dance videos. They offer step by step instructions that are easy to follow. With them you can put some fun dancing into your life.

Baby Toys

With the latest recall and awareness of lead painted toys, I'm sort of glad I didn't invest much in commercial toys for my kids. So, what do my children play with? I've found that children have a greater interest in "real" everyday things such as the laundry basket you see in the picture above. Their list of "toys" also include:

• cardboard boxes
• plastic cups, bowls and spoons
• back scratcher
• pots and plastic ware found in the kitchen
• ladles (also found in the kitchen)
• plastic bottles - you can make your own shakers, but right now baby is happy just banging an empty one on the floor

Balls are also a favourite in my home. Baby at 8 months now have already learned to throw the ball. It's a small ball just the right size for his tiny hands. One thing I learned at Kindermusik was to label the actions as we do them. So, I would roll the ball to baby and say out aloud "Roll the Ball". Or there is a song/chant that goes along with the actions.

Here is one that you can sing to the tune of "Farmer in the Dell."

We roll the ball, it's rolling.
Now roll it down the track.
We roll it down to Baby,
And Baby rolls it back.

Then when you bounce, throw, toss or kick the ball, you just change the words accordingly.
Baby also has developed a love for books. Yes, more often than not they do end up in his mouth. But I also see that he is trying to control his hands to open and close the book.

Mamas Tips:
Don't get caught up too much with commercial toys that entice you with their brain development capabilities. "Toys" that you find around your house are not only inexpensive, but they also do help in baby's development. Actually, non-battery operated toys probably do more in encouraging creativity as children think of different ways to play with it.

So, what are some toys your children play with?

Nice Award

This nice award was presented to me by a nice person: Peridot&Sapphire. She says she is my silent reader. Thanks for not being silent this time. Heheheh.

So, what am I exactly awarded for?
The originator of the Nice Matters Award states that it is meant for “those that are just nice people, good blog friends, and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others, that are there to lend support, or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!”

Wah, so nice to have people view my blog that way. That is certainly my goal anyway. So, to pass this on, I will have to nominate 7 people. I see many people already have this award. If you are awarded 2nd or 3rd time, nevermind-lah hor. Just means you are doubly and triply nice :)

1. Scribbles for My Angels
2. Jenn
3. Min
4. J@n!ce
5. Joy
6. Jean's Diary
7. Singapore Girl

Addition (24 September 2007)
I'm also giving this award to Ken because he so "nicely" hinted that he'd love to receive it one day. Those lovely pictures of you children curled up in bed do inspire me to curl up in mine :)

Digital Photo Frames

If you are like me, you have tons of digital photos stored away on your computer. Mine are mostly pictures of my kids. Some of these pictures make it to my blog as I record down my adventures and misadventures of life with children. Like many parents out there, I too want to capture my children's growing years and leave behind a journal that will remind me of those magic moments. Children grow up so fast, don't you agree? Before you know it, they will be heading out the door ready to fly and build their own nest. Sob!

Anyway, back to those photos you have on your computer. Don't you sometimes feel it a waste that hardly anyone gets to see them? I know you can load them onto an online photo album, but what if you get visitors to your home? How do you share with them the photos without turning on your computer? Or if you have parents like mine, who not only do not have a computer, but don't know how to use one too. I've been procrastinating for the longest time to get some photos of the kids printed out for their grandma. So, I was very excited and impressed to learn about digital photo frame.

Unlike a traditional photo frame where you can only show one picture, a digital picture frame allows you to showcase pictures on your memory card like a slide show. Not only pictures, but home videos and background music.

So imagine if grandma had one of these? All you have to do is copy all your photos onto a memory card, and pass that to her. I'm sure she'll watch the digital photo frame more than she'll watch t.v.!

I would love to have one for myself too. The kids are always pestering me to show them their pictures and home videos. And I would be so happy to finally show off my digital scraps. Okay, so here's one for the Christmas list.

Inherited Naughtiness

(Pix is DS1 caught playing with powder a few years back)

Often I get mad with my kids' foolish decisions, loud and unceasing chatter, and boundless energy. But you know what, I think compared to me as a kid, they are indeed better in many ways.

My brother came over one night and started to relate some of the 'naughty' things I did as a kid. He reminisced about the time I lashed out my anger by throwing down the many pewter trophies on the shelf. He says, “why do you think we have so many dented pewters?”

I also remember slamming my mother's bedroom door many times whenever she scolded me. The louder the better. That habit came to a complete stop when my father decided to give me a good whipping for showing such disrespect. That was the only canning I ever had. That was the only canning I ever needed.

Another “naughty” memory was the time I pulled out all my mother's clothes from the cupboard and just heaped them into one big pile on the floor. I was angry at her for something and figured it was a good way to get back. Yes, revenge was boiling in my blood.

And here is another story often recounted by my brother -- my foolish act of jumping into the deep end of the swimming pool and almost drowning. My brothers were doing it and I thought why not join in the fun. Thank goodness my brother spotted me and pulled me out.

I was a chatter box too. Aunties and uncles would entice me with monetary rewards to get me to be quiet for 5 minutes. Embarrassed to say, I never did successfully earn those rewards.

My DH is no saint either. He has 'horror' stories tucked away under the carpet too. Pulling his cousin sister's hair and dragging her across the room is one of them. His tally of canning sessions greatly exceeds mine. Sorry I can't write too much about DH's naughtiness. It is under the X-files folder :) BUT it does exist.

After my brother's little visit, DH is quick to remind me where my children inherits their negative traits. I, of course, say he has a part in it too.

Mamas tip
When the kids get a little out of hand and you are going berserk, try to remember that you once was someone's headache too.

So, what are some “naughty” traits your children have inherited from you?

Smorty: Earn Money Blogging

Blog for money, that seems to be on everyone's mind these days. Blogging for money is a hot trend right now. I know many of you bloggers out there have already signed up with a “get paid to blog” program. Well, here is one more to add to your bag – Smorty.
No need to worry about having to blog about things you don't know or don't want. Some people can blog about anything under the sun. Me, I have a problem with that. I'm very picky over what I write. If possible, I would like to maintain my blogging theme which is about parenting, kids and family life. Okay, so once in a while I also blog about how to earn extra income. So if there is an opportunity to write about credit cards, accounting software or home loans, I would totally skip it. This freedom to choose is one reason why I signed up with Smorty.

Minimum payout is US$6 per post. Depending on your pagerank and Smorty smart score, you can earn up to US$100 per post. I eagerly await the day I earn that much for writing a post that is only 150-400 words long. I think my hands would shake as I write. Hahaha. How often would you get paid for approved blogs? WEEKLY! Yeah, you don't have to wait forever.

Motivating Your Child to Brush Their Teeth

If I ask my children how many times they need to brush their teeth in a day, they will confidently answer "two times - morning and night." So clever hor. But in reality, they usually only brush once a day. They always forget to brush in the mornings, after they wake up.
Well, I also very tired of reminding them. So, what to do?

2 days back
Me: Who brushed their teeth this morning?
(No answer)
Me: Nobody brushed?
DD: We forgot.
Me: Ow, that's too bad. I wanted to give 10 cents to the person who had brushed their teeth. I guess nobody gets it then.
DD: Okay, I'm going to brush now.
Me: No, it doesn't work that way. From now on, I will give 10 cents to the person who answers "yes" when I ask "who brushed their teeth this morning?" BUT, you won't know when I will ask. I won't ask everyday. If you want the 10 cents, then just make sure you remember to brush everyday. So when I do ask, you can say "yes".

Yesterday Morning
Me: Did you guys remember to brush your teeth?
Children: Aiyah, no.

This Morning -- They woke up early and had already gone downstairs. Not long after I see them rushing back into the room and into the bathroom.
DS: Mommy, I'm going to brush my teeth.
DD: Me too.
(After brushing)
DS: Mommy, can you give me 10cents?
Me: But I haven't asked the question.

Later he asked me again if I was going to give him 10 cents. Again I said he must wait for my question. Eventually I asked the "golden" question and they both got their 10 cents. I didn't want to disappoint them. And the funny part was, he came to me a few minutes later and said "here Mommy, you can have back the 10 cents, so you can buy food." Hahahaha.

Mamas tips:
Some might not agree with monetary rewards to encourage certain behaviors in children. They say intrinsic rewards work better than extrinsic rewards. Meaning, it doesn't help when children do something just to get a reward. It would be better if they did it because of internal motivation e.g. brushing teeth so my teeth don't rot, so my breath is nice, or so my teeth are clean and white.

So why am I doing this?

• Well, for one thing, telling them I'll give them a hug after every brush just doesn't seem to work anymore. I had to get their attention and offer something that would stick in their mind (for a while, anyway). I know they have been playing with their pile of coins lately, so I decided to go with that current interest.
  
• They still don't really understand the value of money. So whether it is 10 cents or $100, it doesn't make a difference. The 10 cents is just a gift token. You could replace it with anything that is of value to them, e.g. a sticker, an ice cream etc....
• How you play the game matters. There are different ways to apply positive reinforcement. You could give the reward every time your child brushes his teeth, or you could make your reward schedule unknown. I chose to do the latter. Meaning, my children won't know when they will be rewarded. According to my psychology lessons (that I learned way back in Uni), having an uncertain reward schedule works better. An example is why do people get addicted to gambling? Because they don't know when they might hit that "jackpot". It is the "I might win this time" that gets people hooked.
  
• Of course this reward is only to get them started. I will eventually stop using it. The "proper" reasons for brushing teeth will continue to be taught. AND hugs and praise will continue to be given :)

p.s. And I thought my psychology degree was just a wall decoration :) I guess it does have some use afterall. Hahahah.

Adelaide anyone?

Australia seems to be a popular holiday destination among Malaysians. I remember when I was in primary school, I would envy my friends who would go there for holidays. Australia also seems to be a popular choice when it comes to migration and studies. Again in primary school, I lost a friend as her family moved there. Sharon Liew, I wonder where you are now. After SPM, a whole bunch of my friends also selected to do an Australian based program. Me, I took off to the United States.

Well, I got to visit Australia eventually. My golfing adventures took me to Perth and Brisbane. I have good memories of Perth. My first trip there was a tournament at Joondalup Country Club. My second trip was a tournament at Lake Karrinyup Country Club. The family I stayed with was wonderful to me. Jan and Barry, I still think of you. Sorry I haven't written for soooo long.

The one thing that really struck me in Perth was the pace of life. Compared to bustling PJ, it's very quiet and peaceful, especially in the evenings. I could never get enough time for my souvenier shopping because by the time I was done at the golf club, the shops were already closing. But I hear Adelaide is even quieter.

Thank you badjonni for this beautiful picture of sunset in Adelaide)

Now, what would one do in Adelaide?

• I hear there is a Botanic Garden, a place with tranquil lakes, landscaped gardens and shady trees.
• Central Market where you can find the freshest food in Australia.
• Mt. Lofty Summit to feast your eyes on the beautiful panoramic view of Adelaide.
• St Kilda's 1.7km Mangrove Trail where you can learn more about the mangrove ecosystem.
• St. Kilda Adventure Playground. A place that will put a big smile on your kid's face as they go crazy with numerous swings, slides and flying foxes.
• Adelaide is also known as the City of Churches. So, why not visit some of the churches, especially the Holy Trinity Church which is one of the oldest.
  

If you are already settled down in Adelaide, check out this Adelaide classifieds. Trying to earn a few extra bucks, you can put up things for sale. You can advertise your services such as babysitting in the "Jobs in Adelaide" section. It was interesting looking through this section as some things you would never find in Malaysia like fruit picking and topless barmaids! They also have a "Dating in Adelaide" for the lonely souls. Of course, do be careful with internet dating.

Well, I hope one day to bring my children to visit Australia. I would love to introduce them to Ms. Koala and Mr. Kangaroo.

Baby Milestone: 8 Months

I was soooo happy yesterday when I saw baby trying to stand unaided for the first time. He has been using the chairs to pull himself up and would enjoy himself standing up. BUT I really didn't expect him to let go. The video is actually his second attempt. His first attempt was only a few minutes before that. I quickly called DH down to catch this magic moment. This is one BIG advantage of working from home - you get to catch many of baby's FIRSTs.

Anyway, here is baby D's other 8 month milestones:

• Just had a checkup at the clinic today. He is 9.6kg.
  
• Still loves to chew on everything and anything. Here he is with some teething toys bought by his #1 fan, Sister Joyce from church. The one that looks like a Bee actually buzzes when you bite on it. Talk about gum massage. Hahahah. But his favourite is the one that looks like a hand. Thank goodness those aren't my real fingers. Imagine a shark on a feeding frenzy!
  

• He has upgraded his crawling technique. No more army crawling. He is now up on his knees. He is still trying to get the hang of it, so he crawls fairly slowly this way. Of course I'm sure he will step on the gas and be speeding on 5th gear very soon.
• He has been babbling "papa" for a few weeks now. DH wants to believe that baby is referring to him. I say baby is actually trying to say "pau pau", meaning please carry me (hehehe, this is mean Mommy trying to spoil Daddy's fun). Anyway, today he kept saying "mama". YAY! Mommy sooooo happy indeed. Of course, there is also the possibility he is actually saying "mum mum" meaning give me some food :)
• Talking about food, this baby is also a snacker. He is okay with the main meals we prepare for him. But you should see his enthusiasm when he spots someone snacking (be it on bread, mooncake or sweets). Check out how he hunts and mauls his brother who just raided some chocolate from the fridge.

Well, hopefully the videos don't take too long to load. Do enjoy his antiques. So this is baby D at 8 months old.

Ambitions

Mommy: Son, what do you want to be when you grow up?
Son: I want to be a postman.
Mommy: Huh, a postman? Why a postman?
Son: Because I like to deliver letters.
Mommy: That's all?
Son: And I get to ride a motorbike!

You know how you hear of parents wanting their children to be doctors or lawyers? How about you? Do you have high dreams for your children?
When I heard that my child wanted to be a postman, I admit I was not very enthusiastic. As parents, you hope your child will choose a profession that will be highly reputable, plus if possible, bring in a big, fat check. Am I right?
Of course my son is only 4 years old. And so I quickly dismiss his intentions of being a postman as I know, sometime in the future, his ambitions are bound to change again. Just a few months ago he wanted to be a policeman. Also a few days ago, I heard he wanted to be a Pokemon trainer and part of the Fantastic Four team member.
I'm trying very hard not to be bias towards any profession, nor look down on any. Although we do not wish our children to end up as a garbage man, you still have to teach your children to be grateful for them.
And so my question this time is:

• What sort of profession do you see your child doing?
  
• What sort of profession will you object to? (Of course anything that gets you in jail or immoral activities are a clear no-no, what else?)
• Will you give your child 100% freedom of choice to choose their own vocation?
  

PINGO: Over 5 Free Hours of International Phone Calls!

Just recently, some of my friend's children came home from their studies in the United States to do an internship. Being around them reminded me of my university days... assignments, early morning classes, quizzes, tests, writing reports etc.... But most of all, the feeling of missing home.

I remember when I first arrived in the United States, I wanted to call home to tell my parents I was okay. But I soon realized I couldn't as I didn't have an calling card. It took me a few days to figure how things worked before I could make that call back home.

Deciding on an long distance phone card can be just as confusing. You're not sure which one will give you the best deal. Well, you don't have to be in a limbo like I was.

Pingo is a prepaid calling card service that saves you big money on long distance calls. You don't have to worry about hidden fees. The price you see is what you pay. The only other fee you have to pay is a nominal monthly maintenance fee of USD 98 cents. The calling rates at Pingo are very low and very competitive. To see the full list of countries Pingo reaches and their calling card rates click here.

PINGO also has a Business & Family Plan. You can create sub accounts for business associates and family members, then manage those accounts from a single master account.

Pingo is a great communication option. For example, if you are going away on a business trip, get an International Prepaid Phone Card. Stay in touch with your loved ones for an affordable price.

Now when you sign up with PINGO, you'll receive $8 in FREE Calls! You will receive up to 5 hours of free International calls. Here is the code for the special discount: “ppp3”. It is valid for $3 off Pingo. So, in summary, you receive $25 phone card for just $17.

Also, you can join Pingo’s calling card affiliate program. Earn $15 for each friend you refer.

Tag: I Am Loved

I am so honored to received this tag from Mumsgather. I love reading her blog too as I feel we have a lot of children related experiences in common.
Okay, so spread the love, spread the love. I spread the love to:

• Big Pumpkin - I just love your little pumpkin.
  
• The New Parent - You have such wonderful insights.
• Hijack Queen - I like your photos, especially the food ones.
• Marsha Maung - I enjoy your writing and thoughts, plus you crack me up sometimes.
  

Sleeping In Their Own Room

I'm sure everyone has a story to tell when it comes to their children's sleeping habits. Just look at how my daughter sleeps. She is a master contortionist. I don't know why they like to sleep froggy style???? Something to do with reflections of the time they spent in the womb, maybe?

Anyway, my topic for today is getting children to sleep in their own room. Many parents are afraid to co-sleep with their children because they are afraid they may never claim back their sleeping space. The question "how to kick them out of my bed later ah?" weighs heavily on their minds.

Well, I'm here to tell you there is hope. You won't believe it, my daughter decided ON HER OWN, to sleep in her own room herself. And with the door closed too. Yeah... no hassle, no bribing, no pleading, no tantrums, no running back to my room, no nice decoration to make it enticing, no nothing. I didn't even ask her to go! And sometimes, her brother decides he wants to sleep in the other room with his sister too. Wow, a 2-in-1 package deal.

How did I do it? Errr... I really don't know. The following may have helped:

• It's their playroom. So, maybe the room is associated with fun.
• We keep referring to it as THEIR room. Maybe she likes the idea of ownership.
• When my mom comes to visit, she sleeps there with her.
• We keep telling her that one day she will have to move to her room. There was hinting that "one day" would be the day she starts Std.1. Well, she starts next year. Maybe the deadline helped.
  

But she does keep asking for that double decker bed. Sorry dear, no money now.

So to all the parents out there who fear you may have to pull out all your hair before you get your children to sleep in their own room... it may turn out to be not so bad after all.
I'm just glad I still have my small baby to cuddle in bed while my other babies are growing up. Sob!

Teaching Kids About Safety

I was quite tickled the other day when Baby D tried to crawl after his siblings as they rushed out the door to go play outside. Thank goodness my daughter remembered to close the gate, or I'm sure he would have crawled out with them. I can already see the impatience in this little baby's eyes to do the things his siblings are doing. Oh no! Another 'Energizer battery' in the making.

Mamas tip:
1. When your child gets about 3+ years old, teach them how to lock/unlock the door. Their fingers and hands should be strong and skillful enough now to learn how to turn a key. Reason for this is not so they can flee like a refugee, but rather for emergency cases like you pengsan (faint) and they need to let the paramedics in :)
2. When they can open the door:

• tell them when they are allowed to open it and to whom and for what.
• teach them to close and lock it at all times (you'll hear yourself repeating this for a few years). Children are so innocent that they don't know how evil lurks out there. I keep reminding my children how open doors may just be an open invitation to unwelcome visitors. I tell them about the knives or guns these people might have and their intention to steal things or to harm us. Not that I want to scare them (well... maybe a little) but they need to learn that there are consequences to their actions.
  

3. Oh, and one more thing, make sure they know not to leave the keys in the keyhole or anywhere near the door after they lock it (this is if you have a grilled door).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KARINA

Okay, here is my Happy Birthday Karina scrap. Sorry dear girl, Mommy is a few days late. The birthday was really simple. My birthday tradition for my children is I take them to the store and give them RM5 to spend on whatever they like, plus we cook whatever they request. Oh, I also promise a birthday outing but have to put that on hold for a while. As usual, money will be spent on junk food. Food request this time was Roast Chicken and Mash Potatoes.

So, what is a 6 year old Karina like?

• She is good at making Baby D laugh. Loves to carry him and will hug and kiss him goodnight every night.
• Good at reading.
  
• Is very helpful IF she wants to be
• She is very tall (that's what people say) -- 4 ft
  
• Barbie fan
• Wants to be a police when she grows up (in case her postman brother turns bad, she can put him in jail. Aiyoh!)
• Loves to cycle and have lots of energy to spend outdoors.
• Talks and scolds like her mother. Sometimes you'd think she was the mother. Hahaha.

Mamas tip:
If you want to make your own birthday cake and frost it, here is an icing recipe that worked for me:

3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs milk

I'm no pro at cake decoration like Mama Min, but my children are also easy to please. This time, I chose an orange color icing which actually makes the cake look bright and nice. Got some waffle flowers for easy deco.

For the cake, I bought the Betty Crocker Lemon cake mix. Yes, I'm a cheater :) But I really like the lemon cake mix. This is the second time I've made it. It's really nice and moist. As you can see, I also left the cake in the pan. That serves 2 purpose:

1. I don't have to ice the sides.
2. Easy to store the cake after eating.

Okay, that is all for my really amateur, cheapo cake baking-decoration effort.

Chinese Women Don't Like To Breastfeed?

Just want to share with you my little experience of taking baby D to the government clinic for checkup. The area I live in is primarily a Malay area. I am probably the only Chinese woman that takes her baby to this clinic for a checkup. Anyway, this is how the conversation has gone almost every time I'm there (I've been there 4 times already) :

Nurse: What do you feed baby?
Me: Breastmilk
Nurse: You breastfeed? No formula at all? (Sounding very surprised)
Me: No.
Nurse: Normally Chinese women don't like to breastfeed.
Then they will comment on how big, heavy, solid baby D is.

Anyway, I just wanted to know how "real" is this misconception among the public that Chinese women don't like to breastfeed? I was quite surprised to hear this statement because I know many Chinese moms out there who are breastfeeding. Or is our number so small that we are overshadowed by our Malay breastfeeding friends?

If this statement is true , what is it about the Malays that makes them more successful at breastfeeding? Or what is it about Chinese women that makes us less successful?
- culture?
- religion?
- upbringing?
- mind set?
And what about our Indian counterparts?

Do share your thoughts on this. It would be interesting to know if there was a difference in breastfeeding trends among the different races.

Mamas tip: BREASTMILK IS BEST!
(I know breastfeeding week is over. But this fact rings true throughout the year, and for centuries to come.)

Baby Milestones: 7 months

Everyday is a busy day now with baby roaming around the open spaces. He isn't yet crawling on all fours but rather crawls army style. But I'm sure he will 'upgrade' soon. He can pull himself into an 'all fours' position, rocks to and fro before lunging forward.
I call him my little 'octopus' because it seems like he has 8 hands. Plus everything goes into the mouth that is now sprouting 2 tiny but razor sharp teeth.

It is easier now that he can sit steadily. But he is not much of a sitter. He is always trying to pull himself into a standing position.

One thing I find rather amusing and amazing is how he 'gravitates' towards the playroom and to his siblings. When I put him down on the floor, he will crawl to the playroom, push the door open and invite himself in. He looks so contented just being in the room with his siblings making noise and havoc around him. Once in a while he will look my way and give a cheeky smile.

Mama's tip for 'octopus hands' babies:
1. Don't snatch things away from them. It is normal for us to sort of panic when we see them put dirty, inedible things in their mouth or when they grab something to the point of destruction. We yell 'NOOOOOO' and then try to snatch the thing away as quickly as we can. Make a conscious effort to 'nicely' tell baby that you want the thing e.g. "Baby, please give Mommy?" and then gently take it away. I find that when I do this, baby will usually ease up his grip. So if he's grabbed a piece of paper or a book, I am able to take it away without ripping it apart. Plus, baby will grow up not learning to snatch but rather be exposed to good manners. Now, I just have to train my little babysitters (his siblings) not to snatch things away from baby :)

To Quit or To Endure

I was reading about a mother's stressful experience getting her young child to study music. She expressed how her child would not sit still during the lesson, be disruptive or just plainly not listen to what's being taught. Getting the child to practice is another battle.

Reading about her experience I wondered, why not just call it quits in the music lesson? Seems like unnecessary stress to me.

But then I remembered a story related by my friend, on how she 'suffered' in pushing her uninterested, lazy son to learn music... and now her son is happy to have persevered as he makes a tidy sum giving violin lessons. However, she also has another daughter that was pushed to finish her piano lessons, and after finishing her grade 8, she didn't bother to touch the piano anymore.

So what kind of parent are you? Would you push your children to do something they didn't like?

Here are two sides to the argument:

1. You know it is good for them e.g. the acquisition of knowledge and skill, the discipline etc.... You are the parent and know better. They will thank you in the future. Suffer now but they will reap the benefits later. You want to teach them not to quit halfway, that they must finish what they start.
   
   
2. It is tooo stressful, for you and for them. You are tired of the screaming and the nagging. You wonder if you are doing the right thing by 'forcing' them to do something they don't like. You'd hate it if someone did the same to you. You don't want to create a hatred or aversion to learning. Plus, if they don't enjoy and have no interest in the activity, what are they actually learning?

I was fortunate to have parents that didn't push me to do things I didn't like. I too had taken piano lessons when younger but decided to quit after my grade 5 exam. I can still tinker on the piano. I admit I'm glad to have been given the opportunity to study music. If I was given a second chance, I still will quit at grade 5 :) Hahahahah.

I believe that many times, the decisions we make as parents are guided by the things we had or didn't have. For example, you didn't learn Mandarin when you were younger and regret now that you don't know how to speak the language, even though you are Chinese. Therefore, you make a vow that you will "make" your children learn Mandarin whether they like it or not.

Our past experiences makes us 'wiser' than our children, however it may also be a tool that can do a lot of damage. I'm sure you've heard of parents trying to live their dreams through their children? On one hand you are here to guide them but on the other hand, you also need to give them freedom to live their life.

Anyway, write in and let me know your views on this. Would you or wouldn't you push your child to do something that you think is important, but they think is 'boring', 'waste-of-time', 'uninteresting', 'not-my-cup-of-tea' etc.... When should you endure and when should you quit?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAMUS

This little nut of mine is 4 YEARS OLD! Happy Birthday babypoo.
The month of August is birthday month. In a couple of weeks it will be K's birthday. What does this mean? It's time for their Birthday blogs of course.

How do I describe Damus?

• Always smiling and laughing. You'd think he is in clown training school.
  
• Won't stand for nonsense, he will fight back
• Bandaids are a common sight. Shedding of blood does not deter his spirit - as long as there is a bandaid.
• Shoes... somehow gets on the wrong feet STILL. I'm beginning to think it's gonna be his trademark.
  
• Always ready with his kung fu to battle monsters and bad guys.
  
• Still mommy's boy. Always ready for a hug, kiss and cuddles.

Mama's tip for birthdays: Try not to cry as you both age a year older.

Tag Time Again

Time to once more catch up on my tags.

J@n!ce tagged me on 10 random things about MY MUM.
Here it goes:

1. My mom joined a beauty pageant when she was a teenager (I think, not sure how old, or rather young she was), and got third place. That picture is somewhere in the photo album.
2. My mom still plays golf in the mornings and sometimes, line dancing after. Yes, still very active. Not sure if it's polite to tell you her age but here's a hint, she is born in the year of the snake.
3. She used to play badminton for the Tunku Ampuan of Negeri Sembilan team. I remember going with her on a badminton tourney trip to Terengganu. They had chartered a bus and we were suppose to stop to see the turtles at Rantau Panjang but it rained :(
4. My mom is a pro-mahjung player (but she don't like to play the type with jokers). She says she has stopped playing but she's said that many times in this life time. Hahahah. Sure you can stop ah mommy?
5. She don't like western food. She's a "char kway teow-hokkien mee" type of person.
6. She was a primary school teacher. I know she taught English and music. Not sure if she taught any other subjects. I asked her just the other night if she had taught me how to read. She said "no". Apalah Mommy, you are an English teacher but never teach me how to read? Hahahah.
7. She has a D24 durian tree that has been fruiting very nice durians the last few years. All her neighbours and friends benefit from her generosity. Including me lah :)
8. As a baby, she was given away to her aunt as there were a lot of girls already in the family. So her aunt became her mother and her mother became her aunt. Aiyoh, pening kepala when we visit relatives from her side. We are always asking "real relative or not real (as in adopted) relative"?
9. She can play the piano without notes. She taught her ownself how to play and plays by ear.
10. She loves gardening. Her garden is full of flowers.

I tag:
1. Mom2Ashley
2. Mia Bambina
3. Tracy

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Next tag is from The New Parent. He wants to know what I'll do with $1000000 (One Million Dollars)?
IFFFFF I had that kind of money, of course I will do the normal of investing to generate more income, invest in my children's future, upgrade the house and car, donate to charity etc....
BUT the one thing I think would be kewl to do is to open a dinosaur themed restaurant with a not-to-be-missed gigantic play area. YEAH! If anybody actually do this ah, better pay me some sort of fees okay. I'm gonna copyright this idea. Come to think of it... I think $1000000 is not enough leh.

I tag:
1. Faye
2. Lyanne
3. KarenYiau
4. Mommy of 2 Angels
5. Hui Sia

Rules of Engagement:
Proposition: If You Have $1,000,000.00…………………………………

Requirements:
1st - Tag 5 bloggers, list down their blog and link to their blog.
2nd - Let the blogger you want to tag know they have been tagged by commenting on their blog.
3rd - Add your own blog link to the list below.

What They Would Do With Their $1 Million:
1. SYH will spend for Family.
2. Miche will give to the needy.
3. Montessorimum will keepsake
4. Healthfreakmommy will keep, invest, spend and give to the needy.
5. The New Parent would use for education and charity.
6. Mamas Bag of Tricks would open a dinosaur themed restaurant

Song for Wheezing and Coughing Children

My children are coming down with a cold. This song I found called "Cover Your Mouth and turn Your Head" seems very appropriate for the occasion. It's a very cute song that will help your children learn hygiene and manners.

Gift Voucher RM30 To Be Won

Just to let ya'll know that my bookshop is running a contest for this month. It's the Merdeka month plus my kids' birthdays. So the contest is our way of celebrating.
To enter the contest, all you have to do is add a caption to the picture below. Submit your answers as a comment at the contest post at the bookshop's blog.

Let's see if the mommies/daddies imagination is still alive.
Of course the judge of the contest are my kids. They will decide who is the wittiest of the lot.
Contest ends 31 August 2007.

Do spread the word around. Thanks.

Complain, complain, complain

Welcome to the customer service department. Feel free to unload all grouses. Even if we do not speak your language, we promise to show empathy and lend a listening ear. We do not discriminate against babies. In fact, they are our favorite customers.
The above video is an example to show you what I say is true.

Translation of the above conversation:
Baby: What kind of management is this? No service at all.
Me: You are not happy with our service?
Baby: Of course not. I am suppose to be carried.
Me: You need to go somewhere?
Baby: I always need to go somewhere. You know I can't walk yet. You expect me to fly like this?
Me: We will try to do better sir.

Mamas tip:

• Enjoy your babies babbling because when you know what they are saying, it's not quite as fun anymore.
• Don't think babies can't have conversations. Talk to them often.
  
• Don't scold and nag in front of baby too much. See what he's picked up from me? :)
  

Humor in the Home

During our homeschooling with K, I thought I'd give her something fun. I found this book called Imagination Works! (Grades 3-6) that gives exercises to promote imagination. And I chose to do this:

Assignment = What did the dog say to make the doctor laugh?
Here's the conversation:

Me: So, what funny thing can a dog say to a doctor?
K: I am sick.
Me: That's not funny.
K: How about, there is a boy carrying a tree across the road. Is that funny?
Me: No.
K: Mmmm... you are a dog. Is that funny?
Me: No. How is that funny? Sounds more like an insult.
K: I don't know.
Me: You are so clever to use your imagination when you play. Use your imagination now lah.
K: Everything is funny to children. But not everything is funny to adults.
Me: Hahahahah. Now that is funny.

So, this has turned out to be a lesson for mommy instead -- Everything is funny to children. But not everything is funny to adults.

I tried to explain what is funny by giving her an example, AND I couldn't even think of a joke! Alamak. Where has the humor gone in this family??? No wonder she can't think of anything funny. She has not been exposed to "funnies." Everyday is scold, scold, scold, scream, scream, scream. Sigh!

Mamas tips:
1. Don't forget to practice some humor in the home.
2. Teach your children how to tell good jokes.
3. When you come across something funny, explain why its funny. They might not get it.
4. Watch Mr. Bean (but make sure they don't emulate him).
5. Read funny comic strips together. Maybe put them up on the fridge too.
6. Next time you buy them a book, get one that is funny.

Rocking Girl Blogger Award

Mumsgather and Anggie's Journal graciously presented me with this award. Backache like crazy but looks like I'm rockin' in other ways. Heheheh.

I'm to pass this badge on but I think many super-duper fantastico ladies out there already been given this. So I must dig deeper. I give this badge to:

1. J@n!ce
2. Momofcairo
3. Big Pumpkin
4. Blur Mommy

Cooking Lessons

I've always had my kids help me whenever I bake cakes or muffins. But I decided to give K a go at cooking a dish all by herself. Scrambled eggs seemed easy enough. I let her do everything -- cracking the eggs, putting the seasoning, beating the eggs, turning on the gas, putting the oil, pouring in the eggs, scrambling it and dishing it out. I just stood watch and played the boss barking out orders. The pictures I took above is actually her second time cooking eggs. First time must pay more attention to teaching and making sure no one gets hurt (including the eggs) instead of taking pictures you know.
Well, now she wants to be the official egg scrambler in the house. I have no objections. What she doesn't know is that this is mommy's sinister plan of having her take over all cooking tasks in the future so mommy will have more time to blog. MUAHAHAHA. Just kidding.

I think apart from scrambled eggs, other essential beginning cooking lessons are:
1. How to cook rice
2. How to cook instant noodles
3. Cooking sausages (the Americans call them hotdogs)

With these 4 lessons, I think they are saved from starvation.

What was the first thing you learned how to cook? For me it was cooking rice. I remember my amah would make sure I didn't wash it too many times (or else all the vitamins will be gone). Then how to measure the water. I remember one time she commented on how nice the rice turned out. Wah, felt so proud about it. But I also remember she didn't trust me to cook the fish. I knew that I knew how. But she took the opportunity away from me and did it herself. I remember thinking in my head "how am I going to learn if you don't let me cook?"

Mama's tips:
1. Encourage your child to learn living skills - don't chase them out of the kitchen.
2. Trust them... even though you don't.
3. Once in a while, let go of your need to shelter them (or do everything for them). Give them room to learn and grow.
4. Eat their cooking even if it's a bit flawed (yes, a BIT flawed, not plenty flawed to the point of giving you food poisoning). My kids would eat all my less-than-perfect baking like it was the best thing they ever had. So it's only right that I return the favour.

SAHM or FTWM tag

I was tagged by The New Parent on whether I would choose to be a SAHM (Stay-at-home-mom) or FTWM (Full-time-working-mom). Let me include the rules to this tag first.

Here are the rules:
1. If you are given a choice, SAHM or FTWM? Give at least 3 reasons.
2. Include your name in the thread below.
3. Tag 3 other people.

List:
1. Immomsdaughter prefers to be a SAHM
2. Miche prefers to be a SAHM.
3. Msau prefers to be a PTWM.
4. Everydayhealy prefers to be a SAHM.
5. Jazzmint prefers FTWM.
6. Cheryl prefers to be a FTWM but will consider SAHM.
7. Mom of Cairo prefers to be a PTWM.
8. The New Parent is a WSMWTMC (but would like to be a PTWD).
9. Lian choose to be a SAHM

My choice would be... SAHM
And that is what I am now. Why?
1. Don't have to go crazy fighting traffic jams everyday.

2. Don't have to go hunting for the right babysitter/daycare and then worrying if they are okay, or if they are exposed to negative influences, or if they are getting the right kind of stimulation, or if they are being disciplined the right way, or if they being instilled with the right kind of values. By staying at home with my kids, I take full responsibility on how they grow up. In this crazy world today, it is vital for mothers to be in the home.

3. Still referring to babysitter/daycare, I think it puts a damper on how many children you can have. If you have one, it's still okay on your pocket. If you start to have 2 or 3, then it starts to get expensive. By staying at home, I don't have to limit the number of children I have according to how much I can pay a babysitter/daycare. Also, kindergarten is expensive. By staying at home, I can homeschool my kids. Kindergarten level -- I can still handle. Teaching calculas -- maybe I'll think twice :)
What I'm saying is, by choosing to be a SAHM, my choice of how many children I want to have is not influenced by money issue. I believe having children don't have to be expensive. It only gets expensive if you make it so and choose all the "must-haves". Some of you may think, "wah, it must be crazy with 3 kids now." Actually, let me tell you, it's not so bad la. You might not think you can handle it, but when the situation presents itself, YOU CAN. Of course this doesn't mean I'm planning to have 8 kids!!! Hehehehe.

Being a SAHM is definitely an adjustment. Plus, it depends on your attitude and what you value in life. For me, I want my children to know that anytime they come home and yell "Mom?", they will get an answer "Yes, what do you want?" Children need that kind of security. As long as I am able to give that to them, I will.

Of course, if you really need to earn a little extra cash, there is the option of being a WAHM (Work at Home Mom). That's why I have my little bookshop. So, come and support me okay?

Now this tag is passed onto:
1. Big Pumpkin (because I love your writing)
2. Hui Sia
3. Health Freak Mommy

Baby Milestones: 6 months

1/2 years old already. My, my, my... time has gone by quickly. Let's take a quick look at what BabyD has been up to:

• The discovery of feet.
  At first he would just grab and play with it. Now it's considered a food item, just like all the other things he grabs. He makes it look like it's so yummy. Maybe I should have a try too. Baby's feet that is, not my own feet lah. Don't you wish you were still that flexible?
  
• Mastered the art of turning.
  He is wayyyy more active now. He turns so effortlessly onto his tummy and back again.
  
• Octopus hands.
  Grabs everything in his sight... and so quickly too, much to the distress of dear mommy.
  
• Inch-ing like a caterpillar.
  He is always on a lookout for something to grab. He is so adamant that he can actually move his butt inch by inch towards the object of his focus. Really like a caterpillar that wriggles and lifts the butt to push himself forward. This activity is often turned into a form of entertainment for us dear parents as we put things just out of his reach for him to grab. Kinda like a donkey with a carrot in front. I'm sure we will grow to regret our motivating him to reach out for things. It's like encouraging an octopus to grow more hands. But it's okay. We'll sacrifice our sanity for the sake of development :)
  
• The making of U-hu glue.
  He is entering into the stick-to-mommy phase. When someone else is carrying him, he will constantly check to see where I am. If I am nearby, he will sound his signal that time's up and that he needs to return to the comfort of my arms.
  
• Apprentice in training.
  Baby is always observing what his siblings are up to. His eyes are fixed on them and you can really see him just taking it all in. Scary! You won't believe it but he will sometimes call for his siblings. He will cry when they suddenly leave his presence and be pacified when they return again.
  

Time-Out Box

Fed up of seeing 'barang-barang' (things) left on the floor? I AM!

Really tiring to always repeatedly tell the kids to NOT leave things on the floor, to put their things back where they belong. I even tried the soft approach; cooking up a story about how their things have a home, like how they have a home. And that the things need to 'go home'. How would they feel if one day mommy took them out and forgot to bring them home? Well, that's how their things feel. Nice story eh? But not effective.

To always pick the things up for them would be to spoil them. To collect the things and throw them away would be cruel and also not economical. So, I decided to come up with THE TIME-OUT BOX.

The Time-Out Box is the home for all 'homeless' things. The box I use is quite big because it has to accommodate badminton racquets. The ideal 'treatment' would be to just pick things up and put them in the box. But I still have a soft spot and give warnings before I do a sweep for things.

How to redeem? Well, I have a chart to record down the days they give me 'good attitude' during study time. Every 'good day' earns a smiley face. For every smiley face, they get to redeem one item from the Time-Out Box. Of course you can set up your own conditions. It could be every kind act or every time they clean-up their plate. In a way, you get to reinforce two behaviors at one go; kill two birds with one stone sort of thing.

Okay, that's my latest trick.

How To Eat Spicy Food

We've been trying to teach our children to eat spicy food. Only one, so far, seems to have inherited this trait from the father - KokoD. Jiejie K is like me -- can't take so much spicyness.

Mamas tips on how to eat spicy food:

1. Eat, DRINK, eat, DRINK, eat, DRINK some more :)
2. Don't scare your child or make it sound like something negative. We are always trying to protect our children. So when there is any spicy food, we automatically sound the warning "*Lat-lat ah. Eat this one instead (give something non-spicy)". Psychologically we already train them to stay away from spicy food. Instead we should encourage them to try. Of course warn them of the spicyness, but don't turn them off e.g. "This is a little spicy, wanna try? I have some water ready."
3. Don't give up on your first try. If they don't like it this time, maybe try again another time. My kids, at first, didn't want to eat the curry chicken we cooked. Only after many attempts at introducing it did they venture to try. Now they love it.

*Lat-lat means hot-hot in chinese

Language Problems

Here is a funny one for you guys:

I was sitting on the floor with baby on my lap. My leg then fell asleep and started tingling all over -- pins and needles. 'Koko D' comes around and tries to move my leg:

Me: Don't touch my leg. I've got pins and needles.
Koko D: Where got? No. No pins and needles (looking at me like I'm the biggest liar).
Me: No lah. Mommy's leg feels prickly all over like pins and needles poking because Mommy sit here too long with baby on the lap. When you feel like that, you say you've got pins and needles.
Koko D: I see no pins and needles.
Me: Yes lah. I just FEELS like there are pins and needles.

Poor guy. He must think we talk crazy sometimes.

Secretsss....

Dani over at Lonely Hurts mentioned in his review on my blog that he and his brother kept secrets. It made me wonder if my kids kept any secrets from me. Actually, I wonder if they even know what a secret is. He is an account of my "interrogation":

Me: Do you guys know what a secret is?
K&D: No.
Me: A secret is like when something happened, and you don't tell mommy. Is there anything both of you know but don't tell me?
D: No
K: Yes
Me (getting curious): You have a secret, K? What is your secret?
K: Kung Fu!
Me: Huh? Kung Fu?
K: Yes, Kung Fu.
Me: You mean you have secret kung fu moves?
K: Yes lah.

So, I guess I am safe for now. If her only secret is about her kung fu, I have nothing much to worry about, or do I?
Conclusion: Mama's interrogation tips can wait till they are older.

Tag Time

Okay, it's time to catch up on my tags. I have been tagged by Miranda, Big Pumpkin and J@n!ce to do 8 random facts about myself. Actually, J@n!ce's tag says 7 things but nevermind-lah. 8 facts it shall be.

The Rules:

• I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.

• Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

• People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

• At the end of your blog, you need to choose people to get tagged and list their names.

• Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Okay, let the tag begin:

1. I got my golf handicap when I was 11 and started to play competitive golf thereafter. I won my first state open at the age of 14. It was the Perak Open at Royal Perak Golf Club.
   
2. I was honored the title Malaysian Sportswoman of the Year 1992.
3. I was conferred the award Ahli Mangku Negara (AMN) by the Yang diPertuan of Negeri Sembilan when he was Agong.
   
4. I am the only Malaysian to have won the Malaysian Ladies Open and did it 5 times.
5. I hate, hate, hate migraines. I get them at least once a month. No it has nothing to do with my menstrual cycle. I get it when it's too hot, when I'm too tired, when there is haze etc....
6. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some people know us as the Mormons. Getting baptized is one of the best things that I did in my life. I have learned so much from the church: what is this life about, how to be happy, the importance of family, how to be a good parent, how to face trials and tribulations etc....
7. I love reading good children's books. That's why I started my online bookshop for children and parents.
8. I love to sleep in and hate waking up early in the morning. I am a night person.

Okay, hope I didn't sound too braggy at the beginning. Just some of my achievements that are kept in the cupboard since becoming a mother. So since the opportunity was presented to me, thought I'd bring them out :)

This tag is now passed on to:

• LonelyHurts
• MiaBambina
• Monster Mom

Now on to the next tag. Karen Yiau and Momofcairo gave me Blogivitis. I'm to list 10 symptoms that define me as 'infected'.

1. I gladly sidetrack into blogging and blog hopping instead of posting up books to sell at my bookshop.
2. Camera is always ready to take pictures for blogging purposes.
3. Cannot just post the pictures, but must scrap them first (when time permits). Must add some 'spice' to the blog so people will come back. Everyone enjoys scraps. Plus give me an outlet for some creativity lah.
4. I use my blog to blackmail my kids -- "I'm going to show all the aunties how naughty you are".
5. I also use my blog to encourage my kids -- "Wah, so clever. Let me go tell all the aunties how clever you are."
6. It makes my day to see comments on my posts. Blogivitis makes me crave for more, and more, and more comments. Good comments okay, not spam and hate mail. Don't you agree that your motivation to blog increases when you see more people visiting you.
7. I know more about my bloggy friends than I do my neighbours.
8. I eat 2 packets of Tom Yam noodles so I can torture myself with the spicyness (I'm one who can't take very spicy food)... so I can get rid of my headache (and it worked)... so I can finish this post and publish it tonight.
   
9. I am sitting here, cracking my head as to what other symptoms of blogivitis I have instead of going to bed (it's now 12:35am) and getting the sleep I need.
10. AND last of all, I know I have blogivitis when my children asks to use the computer and I tell them NO, with the excuse that mommy has to do work on the computer... when actually it's just blogging.
    

Okay, now passing this infection to...

• SiwwyPig
• Mommy of 2 Angels
  
• Jean's Diary

That's it for my tags this time.