Sports Day 2009

Sports Day - A day that's full of fun. That's how I remember it when I was in school. I was always active in sports. My main event was the high jump. But besides competing and winning medals, I loved the thrill of cheering for my teammates and friends.

Unfortunately, my idea of sports day has changed. Now, it's a time to be roasted in the sun. This year was the second time of attending the sports day at my daughter's school. But this year, KokoD was also involved as the preschoolers also get to join in.

The preschoolers are wearing orange T-shirts. See my poor little boy roasting in the hot sun, waiting for their turn. This 'kan-cheong' mommy standing close on stand-by with big bottle of Isotonic drink and hat.

See, his hair already turning brown colour. Hahaha. Actually, his hair is naturally brown. I don't know why. But I'm sure the sun just made it more light brown.

Their sports day is stretched over 2 days - Sat and Sun. Saturday is more for the younger primary children (Special Ed. class, Preschool, Std 1-3). They have the 50m or 80m dash and also "sukaneka" (fun team games) such as balancing a ball on a spoon, throwing bean bags, filling up bottles with water etc.... Sunday is when they have the relay races.

Well, this year K is again running the 80m individual race. I told her to tell her teacher we are not available on Sunday, so no relay races for her. Definitely learned my lesson after what happened last year. Last year, her event was the last on the agenda. We waited for HOURS. In the end, there was a mix-up during the race: Her partner had taken someone elses baton. So, when K got to the pass-off point, she couldn't find who to pass the baton to. She stood there, holding the baton, looking around very confused. In the end, she just passed it to someone from another team. So all the waiting, waiting, waiting ended up in a lousy ending. I wanted K to experience the fun and thrill of Sports Day like I remember it. Unfortunately, it wasn't very thrilling for her.

Well, this year is another "fantastic" experience. The kids have been practicing for their sports day in the hot sun the entire week. Friday night, K develops a fever in the middle of the night. Saturday morning I gave her some fever medicine and told her if she don't feel any better, tell the teacher that she can't run. I kept checking on her before her event to see how she was and she said she's fine. Well, guess what happened as she was running the race? SHE FELL! The poor girl. I asked her why she fell? She said she was trying to run faster. Well, this is my little analysis: her body is already weak, so when she try to run faster her body cannot keep up. Hence, the dust eating episode. Poor girl had sand in her mouth when she crossed the finish line. Thank goodness she didn't hurt herself. So again, another lousy sports day ending for K. Well... maybe not entirely. Her team took first place in the "sukaneka" event.

"Wah, so many gold medals for me????"

KokoD on the other hand had a better outing. He ran the 50m dash and took 3rd place. Even the "sukaneka" events, there is no loser. Everybody wins a medal, even if your team was last.

Who can spot what's wrong with this picture? Look at the colour of the medals closely. KokoD is standing in 3rd place but his medal is silver. Aiyoh, lucky this is not Olympics man!

In the end, what is the result of Sports Day 2009? SICK CHILDREN!!!! The heat these days is so terrible and the kids had to roast themselves the whole week. K had fever, followed by KokoD and BabyD. Now, DH also not feeling well. What to do? Just keep giving medicine and chase them to keep drinking water. So, where's the excitement of Sports Day??? Sigh! Sadly, it is no more.

BUT, I did learn one thing.....
You can turn a chair upside down and turn it into a garbage bin! And I literally had to go back to school to learn that. Hahahaha.

Mamas Parenting Tips for Sports Day:

• Always arm yourself with 1-2 big bottles of water, hand fan, umbrella, hat and some food when you attend Sports Day. Oh, of course don't forget your camera.
• Expect to wait, wait and wait. Very rarely do these things start on time.
• Don't take toddlers or babies along. If you can, leave them home. Not only is it too hot for them, they will not have fun there.
• You don't have to confine yourself to the spectators tent. Well... not in my case. I was like a mother hen making sure my children didn't "pengsan" (faint) or something.
• Bring a book/magazine to read or something to do because you're going to be waiting, waiting, waiting. I think I cannot mention the "waiting" part enough.
• When you go home, have a goooood rest in an air-conditioned room. Aaaaaaaahhhh.

Supermummy Amazing Blogger Award

Malaysian Supermummy is hosting the first Supermummy Amazing Blogger Award and I'm one of the nominees. What does that mean?

I NEED YOUR VOTE!

(Just click on the banner below. You'll be taken to the Malaysian Supermummy website. Nothing to fill out. Once click, your vote is already recorded. Contest ends 30th April 2009)

Well, am I really a supermummy? I think we all are in our own ways.

How about an Amazing Blogger? Well, not as amazing as some other mommies but I'm trying my best. I share my experiences and hope it enriches someone. Of course I am also trying to make some pocket money online. But until I get a 4 figure check in my mailbox every month, I'm still short of Amazing!

Anyway, let me just list a few things about me (related to supermummy) so you know who you are voting for:

• Have 3 children and all delivered without anesthetics. Ouch!
• Breastfed all 3 (for 1-2+ years) coz' didn't want to spend extra money on formula milk. Oh, and of course breastmilk is best! Hahahah.
• Still moping wee-wee off the floor.
• I'm very thankful if I only have 1 basket of laundry to do a day.
• I'm an advocate of child labor - what I mean is I make my children do house chores.
• A strong believer that we should constantly read books to our children.
• Gave up my good golfing track record to raise this family BUT I don't regret it. I'm waiting to join the senior tour. Hahahah.
• I can breastfeed a baby, stop WWIII (it feels like that when siblings start to squabble) and blog at the same time. I'm sure you can do this too. Its just something every mother is equipped with. After that we need to give ourselves a break so we don't succumb to mental breakdown.
• I hide from my kids when I eat ice-cream, sweets and other junk foods. We're not suppose to let them eat too much of these unhealthy foods right?

Ok, so that's a little about me. And because I know you're going to vote for me (heheheh), I'm giving you a heartfelt "thank you" gift. It's a free e-book called "HEALTHY SNACK AND MEAL IDEAS FOR YOUR WHOLE FAMILY". Just click on the title to open the file up or right click and select "save target as" to put it straight into your hard drive.

This free-ebook is only available until the 30th April, which is also the date the voting ends.

REMEMBER!

VOTE FOR ME!

CLICK ON THE BANNER!

4th Month of Pregnancy

Morning sickness is over. YIPPEE! I'm eating better and have a little more energy now. Last check up at the clinic, I put on about 3kg. I'm now 67.4kg. This little baby likes spicy food. I've been enjoying Tom Yam noodles and anything with sambal. It's funny I never ate spicy food growing up. Now, I love it! So, what do you think? Spicy baby means boy or girl? Hahahaha.

I'm still eating apples like crazy. And must have my mint sweet after meals too. I find that I can't eat much even though I now can eat. I'm get bloated easily and feel like I'm having indigestion. I guess baby is getting big and that means less stomach room. Which is sad coz' the other day we celebrated the Relief Society Birthday at church and the food was super yummylicious -- the lamb was tender, the sauce tasted great, the mash potatoes with gravy was heavenly and the teriyaki chicken was to die for. I wanted to eat more but was not capable anymore. Sigh!
(By the way, the Relief Society is the women's organization in my church and it's now 167 year old. It's one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the world.)

When I was at the clinic for the checkup, the nurse used a doppler device to hear the baby's heartbeat. Unfortunately, she couldn't detect it. Then she asked if I've felt the baby move. I answered "no". This all got me a bit worried. I mean, no heartbeat, no movement... WAH, is baby ok? BUT the nurse didn't seem worried and just said, "maybe too early." Checkup was last week and I was around 16 weeks preggy. Did a little research on the internet and read that you can pick up a baby's heartbeat from 10 weeks onward. But some could only detect about 15-18 weeks. So the next checkup, I should definitely be able to hear it.

About feeling baby move, I think I felt something a few days after the checkup. It was like little bubbles popping. I quickly called kokoD to put his hand on my belly and he said he felt it too. But I haven't felt anything since. Belly is getting bigger and my bump will start to show through my clothes soon I'm sure. So, that's a good sign that baby is growing.

Summary of my 4th month of pregnancy:

• Increased appetite
• Increased energy levels
• Bloating and indigestion
• Constipation
• Bump beginning to swell
• Already have stretch marks from previous pregnancies.
  
• No matter how hard my kids are trying to hear baby's heartbeat by putting their head on my belly, they can't hear it that way. Sorry kids!
• Maybe felt baby's movement for the first time.
  

Getting Better At Bahasa Malaysia

Image via Wikipedia

Since going to kindergarten and mixing with all the Malay students there, KokoD's Bahasa Malaysia has improved. How do I know his Bahasa is getting better?

1. He uses the word "bodoh"* to scold his sister. (Of course with much disapproval from me!)
2. He will often answer me in Bahasa e.g. "tak mau"*, "faham mak"*
   
3. He diligently memorized the national anthem "Negaraku" and today he was singing "padan muka, padan muka, padan muka"* to the tune of Negaraku. (Errr... no intentional insult to the national anthem, just kids being crazy. Also reprimanded by me already okay. Don't send the police to my house ya.)
4. He comes home telling me about his friends in school which shows there is communication going on. I asked him if they are speaking Malay, and he said yes. I asked if he understands what they are saying, he says yes. I ask if he talks to them, initially he said no. But these days, he says yes.

Note to parents:

• Kids pick up a lot of bad language in school. Even though I'm happy KokoD is picking up the language quickly, not everything he is learning is good.

Translation for non-Bahasa speakers:
*bodoh = stupid
*tak mau = don't want
*faham mak = I understand mom. Teachers usually repeat this phrase in school "faham tak?" (do you understand?) and the children will chime together "faham cikgu" (understand teacher).
*padan muka = serves you right

How Do You Encourage Creativity In A Child?

I find that KokoD has quite a creative mind. He is able to fill his time with legos, blocks, workbooks, drawing, sometimes reading, computer games, cycling and other stuff without bothering me much. I like how he occupies his time independently.

A friend of mine graciously gave us a set of big blocks and I thought the kids would be bored with it after a while. But they still take it out to play occasionally and haven't abandoned it. KokoD really does a better job than me at creating things. He makes robots from his legos. He made a helicopter and airplane with the big blocks. I caught him making this a few weeks ago:

So, how do you encourage creativity in a child?

• I'm no expert but I believe having time for free play is important.
  
• Also giving them toys and tools that encourage them to create like legos and blocks. Not forgetting making readily available lots of recycled paper, stationary and art materials. I really don't fancy toys that require battery and make a lot of noise.
  
• In the beginning you may have to spend some time teaching them how to play with the stuff. But you don't need to include a whole lot of instruction. Just show them how to work it / use it / assemble it, give some examples to showcase the many possibilities of what can be created, then let them have fun with it. There is no right or wrong. For example, if they color an apple purple, don't tell them it's wrong.
  
• Praise, praise, praise.
• Show your appreciate their creation. I still keep most of my girl's "cards" and mini books that she made for me. These cards and mini books are really small pieces of paper that she took time to write and decorate. After a while, this bunch of tiny papers will look like junk. But she knows I keep them and that is my way of saying "your work is appreciated." Even taking pictures of what they have done is motivation for them. Sometimes they will make something and run to me shouting "mommy, take a picture of this!" Another thing you can do is hang their creation on the wall or stick it up on the refrigerator. Showcase it.
• Allow them to observe what you do. Don't chase them away and say they are "disturbing". Yes, they may be disturbing but they are learning too. One way to make them "less disturbing" is to involve them somehow. So, if you are cooking, maybe let them name the ingredients you are using. If you are folding clothes, give them a hankerchief and let them figure out how to fold it. The trick is to keep them occupied with something related to what you are doing but that will also keep them out of your way.
• Read more books and less television.

Children can be creative if you give them time to be creative. Hope your children are not too busy doing homework or trying to score A's that they have no time to create.

Marketing to Digital Moms: How To Reach Out To Today's Tech-Savvy Moms

Gone are the days when the word "Mom" conjures images of a female who cannot operate the video recorder or navigate her way through the latest video game, and only switches on the computer to send an email to Grandma.

According to a study published in 2009 by Razorfish and Cafemom, up to 27 million (84%) of Moms online are tech savvy. They use Web 2.0 platforms and shop online. In fact, they use communication technology and social media to connect with others, find advice and information, express themselves, do research on products they're interested in, and simplify their multi-tasking lives.

"Digital Moms" have become so dominant on the Internet that the researchers concluded they are not a niche, but are rather the mainstream.

If you aren't reaching out to digital Moms online yet, you might just be missing out on a significant market. Consider these numbers from the United States Census Bureau:

• Women control 80% of household spending. Even if they earn only a part or none of the total household income, women determine how much of the household income will be spent.
• Women do 60% of online shopping. Women do a lot of research online before making a purchase and actually make up more than half of online shoppers.
• Women buy 81% of all products and services. Women shop not only for themselves, but also for the home, family members, gifts for friends, teachers and associates.

The problem is, many online businesses just don’t seem to know what to do when it comes to marketing to digital Moms. They make the mistake of treating all Moms online as if they all had the same needs and reasons for using the Internet. Not true, according to the Razorfish/Cafemom report. For example, younger Moms tend to be more comfortable with social networking and mobile surfing. On the other hand, Moms 45 years old and above gravitate more towards online news, product reviews and podcasting.

What is the best way to reach out to today's digital Moms?
Here are three tips:

1. Provide relevant content. Some of the online Mom's interests depend on what life stage she is in. For instance, digital Moms with young children naturally look online for information about parenting and child health. But there are topics that most digital Moms are interested in, no matter how old their children are. These include fashion and cooking.
   
   Mom PLR Ebooks provides regular private label rights content just for Moms. For a monthly supply of PLR recipes and product reviews, check out the "All Mom Content" package of All Private Label Content.
   


2. Be present in the channels digital Moms are using. Again according to the Razorfish/Cafemom study, more than half of digital Moms use email, search engines, social networks, gaming and online news. Emerging channels used by about one-third of digital Moms include online videos, consumer reviews and blogs.
   
   Aside from PLR Ebooks, your monthly subscription to includes a 5-day Ecourse and 26 newsletter topic ideas - perfect for digital Moms who use Email everyday. If you're interested in providing consumer reviews, All Private Label Content includes 10 product profiles reviews every month.


3. Know the particular needs, interests and online habits of your Mom audience. Digital Moms have varying needs and surfing behaviors, depending on their age and their children's ages. The best way to accurately understand your particular Mom audience is to listen to them. Ask your list subscribers what their concerns are. Conduct your own surveys. Hang out in Mommy forums. Pay attention.>/li>

The majority of mothers online are digital Moms. They are tech savvy, smart consumers who make informed decisions when shopping online. They're also online for social networking and even gaming. But they have varying needs depending on their life stage and their children's ages. To market effectively to digital Moms, you need to give them what they're looking for online, be where they are, and pay attention to their needs. Take care of digital Moms and you'll have a profitable online business.

Easter Ideas For Your Family

2 weeks ago we did our Easter party for the children. Almost every year they do egg coloring. This year, the Primary president wanted to do something different and asked me for some ideas. I suggested we put chocolate eggs into a decorated container along with an Easter message and pass it out to friends. So she got some small plastic containers and the children stuck stickers onto it. We put in some colored crepe paper that had been shredded to make it look like a nest. Then added the chocolate eggs on top.
Another craft we did was a lollipop flower. Here is what it looks like:

You can write your messages on the petals making it a more personal gift.

Click here for more instructions on how to make a lollipop flower. You can make this for lots of occasions, not just Easter. I made these for Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and even Teacher's Day. If you are more adventurous, you could try making Candy Bouquets.

Need more ideas for Easter Sunday? Grab these free quick 'n' easy Easter ideas!

9 Simple Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat More Veggies

Image via Wikipedia

More Help Can Be Found At Dine Without Whine

It seems like a never-ending battle with the kids. Although you and I know veggies are delicious and they’re also good for you, they act like vegetables are a plague they want to avoid at all costs.

If you need creative ways to get your kids to eat more vegetables, here are 9 ideas to incorporate into your daily meals right away:

1. Make healthy choices readily available and put the sugary and greasy snacks away. This doesn’t mean totally depriving yourselves of these delightful treats, but making healthy eating a normal part of your day goes a long way to helping kids develop better eating habits.

2. Add veggies like carrots or even asparagus to smoothies. Kids love fruit smoothies and they’ll never know you put in a little of those dreaded vegetables in.

3. Sneak vegetables into other foods. For example: Add grated carrots into spaghetti sauce or make a zucchini chocolate cake.

4. Try dip. You know kids love to dip everything. Just make sure they know they have to eat the dip stick and not just lick it!

5. Take your kids shopping with you. Let your child pick out a new vegetable in the grocery store that they’ve never tried. Then prepare the vegetable together.

6. Be patient and consistent. Avoid having a tantrum yourself when your child has a tantrum about vegetables on their plate. Sometimes it will take several times of serving the same food before your child is even willing to try it.

7. Make it artistic and fun. Place veggies into a smiley face on your child’s plate or decorate a pizza with them.

8. Let them choose: raw or cooked. Some children may have a definite preference as to whether their veggies are cooked or raw.

9. Plan your meals. Sometimes it’s easy to forget the veggies when you don’t have a plan…allowing your kids to get into the habit of veggie-free meals. Plan your meals and grocery lists in advance, so you won’t come up short on the greenery.

To make your meal planning a whole lot easier, sign up for you 1 ¢ no-risk trial at Dine Without Whine. They put together your weekly dinner plan and even make a quick and easy printable grocery list for you.
Click here to get started

Family Outing to FRIM

This is about our family outing to FRIM (Forest Reserve Institute of Malaysia) during the last school holidays. We wanted to go somewhere near and cheap - so FRIM was the right choice for us. The day was really quite interesting and at the end, there were a lot of "thank you"s to say to Heavenly Father.

First of all, the car tyre was flat even before we left the house. DH managed to replace it. About 10 minutes into our journey, there was a weird sound from under the car. It was getting louder and clearly, something was wrong. DH said maybe it was the car's arm coz' the mechanic did say it needed changing. We turned around to go home. Poor KokoD was really disappointed. He was looking forward to playing at the waterfalls.

The car was getting difficult to maneuver but we managed to get home all right. The moment DH got down from the car, he figured out what was wrong -- he hadn't tightened the nuts on the wheel when he changed it. He couldn't tighten the nuts when the car was jacked up. He was going to do it after he lowered the car down. But the kids were being noisy (as usual) and he claimed to be distracted (as usual), and so forgot to proceed with the tightening. Soooo, we got those nuts tightened and off we went again.

First stop at FRIM was to go look at the huge Toman fish they were rearing at a pond. DH said there was an 8 feet Toman but we didn't see it. I think the biggest we spotted was about a 4 footer.

On the bridge looking for the elusive "monster" Toman.

Then off we went to the waterfalls. We picked a spot towards the bottom of the falls because K had scrapped her knee earlier in the week and couldn't walk properly. (In fact, she was hopping on 1 leg the whole week, like she was suffering from a broken leg. But that is another "dramatic" story). So, there was no way we could climb higher.

This looks like a nice place but it's too high for K to climb.

Here we are at the lowest part of the falls.

BabyD at first complained that the water was too cold. He chose instead to help himself to the goody bag. This boy just loves to eat. Throughout the day, his hobby is looking for things to eat.

But eventually, he found his way into the water and enjoyed himself thoroughly. They splashed around for about an hour or so. When they declared they were ready to call it quits, DH made a surprising discovery as he was helping them get out -- SNAKE!


Yes, lurking nearby under the rocks was a black and yellow snake. That just made getting out of the water a speedier process. No one got hurt (including the snake). We cleaned up at the public toilet nearby and headed to look for a place to eat lunch. KokoD was a bit traumatized... actually not really traumatized but quite disturbed. He kept saying "stupid snake, stupid snake." In the end we had to tell him we were kidding just so he would stop saying "stupid snake."

GRATITUDE LIST FOR THE DAY

• DH didn't give up on the idea of going to FRIM even when he saw the flat tyre (and that his mood didn't turn black as thunder.)
• We didn't get into an accident because of the loose tyre that was wobbling all over the place as we drove.
• That the snake didn't decide my kids look like yummy lunch or decide to join in the fun.
• I didn't get morning sickness while we were out (but crashed on the bed when we got home).
  

London Bridge Is Falling Down - New Version

This is KokoD's version of the nursery rhyme London Bridge is Falling Down:

London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down,
London bridge is falling down,
My fat lady.

Build it up with iron balls, iron balls, iron balls,
Build it up with iron balls,
My fat lady.

3rd Month of Pregnancy

I'm already a little past the 3rd month of pregnancy but the morning sickness is still around. It's not too bad during the day time but I really get uncomfortable in the evenings. At least I'm hardly puking anymore. Energy level is still down. Doing a little bit of work still exhausts me. If I need to do anything, it has to be in the morning. That's when I feel the most normal.

Eating is still a big problem. Gone is my appetite for noodles like "Chee Cheong Fun". Now, the only thing that strikes my fancy are sandwiches: chicken ham- a slice of cheese- pieces of apple, tuna in mayo-scrambled eggs-pieces of apple.

I was eating a lot of oranges last month. This month, the fruits of choice are watermelon, plums and apple. The mango tree at the back of my house started fruiting. What good timing. I managed to pull some down (while getting bitten by some angry red ants) to make 3 jars of pickled mangoes. Aaaah, a pregnant women's dream food.

I don't know what kind of mangoes they are but they are not that sweet. Anyway, I pluck them green so I have sour mangoes -- just nice to be pickled or to eat with rojak sauce. To pickle it is very easy. After cutting it up, I just rub them with salt. Leave it on for a while. Then I add on lots of sugar and put them into jars. After 1-3 days, you will see the mangoes give off some juice. So, don't need to add water or anything. This is how my FIL did it, so I just follow his method. I'm sure there are other ways to pickle mangoes.

Last checkup at the clinic, I lost 2kg. I'm now 64.2kg. I've not been below 65 kg for a looooong time. I'm sure I will start piling up the weight once I get my appetite back. I'm soooo looking forward to eating curry mee.

The tummy seems to be getting a little bigger. I haven't felt baby's movement yet. Hmmm... when do you start feeling the baby move? Pregnant for the 4th time and I still don't know this fact. Hahahah.

Baby Milestones: 27 Months Old

I guess I shouldn't call these posts "baby milestones" anymore coz' BabyD is really more of a toddler now. It's been a while since I've done an update on him so I'm sure I'm going to leave something out. Well, these are some of his latest developments:

• He still isn't speaking very clearly, so he still gets a lot of puzzled faces from us. Most of the time we only hear the vowels in the words. For example, "orange" becomes "o-in". But the important thing is that he is trying to speak and is now able to string 2-3 words together. You just need to have a mother's ears to interpret what he is saying. Actually... let me rephrase that... you need to have MY ears coz' I think other mother's won't get what he is saying either:)
  
  
• He likes to count. I'm surprised that he can count from 1-12 and not miss a single number.
  
  
• He still loves to read books. I now leave out the last words to the sentences in the book and let him fill in the blank.
  
  
• He is pretty good in playing matching games. He can identify which pictures are the same. I will sometimes do activities with him to match shapes, colors and alphabets. I played a memory game with him -- you know, picture cards that are laid face down and you try to pick 2 that look the same. I was surprised that he could remember where some of the pictures were.
  
  
• He is now a computer addict! I introduced him to starfall.com a few weeks ago and now he is hooked on it. After 1 week, he learned how to navigate the mouse. He now will move the mouse and click the images on his own. His favorite alphabets would be "T" (that's where the choo-choo train is), "A" (coz' he loves the dancing astronaut), and "Z" (coz' it's got that catchy "zig-zag" song).
  He can even do some of the activities on the website. For example, there's one where he has to put the capital A in one basket and the smallcaps A in another. He gets it done with 100% accuracy. And for the letter T, he has to identify which of the 3 letters don't make the /t/ sound. He gets that right too. Okay, I'm sorry if I sound like I'm bragging. Really, that is not my intention. I'm just always amazed when they learn things so fast.
  
  
  Even though engrossed with the computer, he still can take a break and give mommy a pose for the camera. Now a pose means saying "cheese" and making the peace sign.
  
  
  
• He is totally weaned off breastmilk. I decided to do it 1 week before Chinese New Year. I tried using the chilli sauce trick but it wasn't very successful. I also tried the "nen-nen is injured and have to put a bandaid" trick (which worked for KokoD) but that failed too. So, I had to use the cruel method - just refuse to give in. Sigh! Stressful I tell you. Sometimes I would be able to distract him with other goodies like juice or biscuits. If he was sleepy, I would bargain and say I would sing him to sleep instead. I must say, he is really a good little boy and give in to some of my bargains. Unfortunately, bargains don't work at 4am. Mommy and daddy just have to endure the angry screaming. Poor neighbours too. Thank goodness we didn't receive any complains. I would say his early morning protests lasted for about 2 weeks? Or maybe it was 1 week but felt like more. Hahahah. Anyway, it just goes to show that there is no one way to wean a child. I had to do it differently for all 3 of mine. You just need to find a way that is suitable for the child.
  
  
• We are still working on the potty training. There are still plenty of accidents. A successful day depends heavily on our memory to remind him to go. And though he will tell you that the toilet is the place to poo-poo, I still need to catch the little grunts that indicate there is some "big business" going on.
  
  
• He is very thoughtful and quite well mannered. If you do something for him, he will immediately say "ta-too" -- that means "thank you." One night, he laid his head on my tummy. After a few seconds, he got up and looked at me. Pointing to my tummy, he said "ba-bee? Uack, uack?" He was concerned if he slept on baby, I would feel like vomiting. Hahahah. Now that is consideration I wish my other 2 kids would practice a little.

Do You Have What It Takes To Start A Home Business?

Starting a home business these days is a very viable option. However, there's always the fear and the doubt of whether you have the "stuff" to pull it off. Well, if the idea of starting an online business ever crossed your mind, but you just weren't sure if it was right for you - I just found something that might help. It's a quick quiz that will show you if you're suited for an at home career, what type of business you might set up and additional tips to help you get started.

The quiz only takes a couple of minutes and you can take it right here, just click the text below:

QUIZ: ARE YOU READY TO WORK AT HOME AND START YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

2nd Month Of Pregnancy

I realized I've never recorded any of my previous pregnancies. So when people ask me if this pregnancy is any different from the rest, I can't say much coz' I've only a vague memory to draw from. Yes, I admit that I have a problem with memory. My DH will attest to that.

The only few things I can remember from past pregnancies are these:
1. With the first, I had a lot of migraines. And I ate a lot of oranges.
2. Second pregnancy, I ate a lot of mangoes. Also had a short craving for KFC's Zinger burger.
3. Third pregnancy I lived on toast bread for more than a week. I fancied western food over asian food.
4. With all 3 pregnancies, morning sickness lasted for about 3 months.

Well, this time round I thought it would be good to journal down my pregnancy experience. I think I shall call it "MY PREGNANCY CRAZIES".

Image via Wikipedia

Let's see, I'm a little over 2 months preggy. Morning sickness is not as bad as the 3rd pregnancy. I'm not vomiting as much though I do feel uncomfortable throughout the day. I burp constantly like I have a dragon in the tummy. Where is all these gas coming from? I'm pretty okay with lunch but struggle with dinner. The morning sickness feels worse towards the evening. So, it is almost certain that my face will be looking down at the toilet bowl at night to make several disgusting deposits. Oooh, how I hate the taste and sore throat after. (Sorry if this is all disgusting to you. Pregnancy can be a disgusting affair. Hahaha).

I think all my body's energy is channeled to growing this baby that I have no strength to do anything else. I've employed my children to do the sweeping and mopping of the floor. Regular chores like these leaves me utterly breathless. So, the past few weeks I've been vegging out on the couch or sprawled out on the bed. Boy, I really do feel NON-FUNCTIONAL. Thank goodness I have a wonderful DH who has taken over the kitchen and the business of feeding the family. So single girls out there, make sure one of your criteria to look for in a husband is that he can cook.

I miss enjoying my food. It is torture to see food that I love but be turned off by it. I run out of the house when DH starts cooking coz' the aroma just makes me feel worse. Yes, I actually take a chair and sit outside the house until the cooking is finished.

I have had some cravings. It usually happens when I'm taking a nap; I start dreaming about the food I want to eat. I feel like a crazy woman. A few weeks ago I so badly wanted to eat hokkien fried mee and cantonese style kuey teow. Yesterday, I dreamed of eating "chee cheong fun". Unfortunately, I am not living in PJ anymore where it is easy to buy these stuff. And sad to say, I don't have one of those DH who will drive 1 hour across town in the wee hours of the morning to satisfy your craving. My craving was so strong at that moment that I even had a few choices for DH -- 1st choice = chee cheong fun, 2nd choice = tausa pau, 3rd choice = mee konno (kicap mee). DH finally agreed to satisfy my craving after I broke down and cried. YA, crazy! I actually broke down and cried. Crazy pregnant hormones. Unfortunately I had to settle for choice #3. It was the easiest for him to do. I'm still holding out for my "chee cheong fun" though. Pasar malam is tomorrow and I know they have it there :)

Regarding clinical checkups, I have opted to do them at the government clinic (Klinik Desa). The clinic is only a stone's throw away and it's FREE! Sure beats forking out RM80-RM100 for a doctor's visit. My last pregnancy I went to UMMC for check ups. That was cheap too - only a few ringgit each visit. I feel that the government facilities do a more thorough checkup than the private ones. They do blood tests for HIV and other stuff. There's also the glucose test. First time visit is always the longest because they have to take down your history and do all the necessities. Well, I haven't really decided where to deliver this baby. Thinking about the Sg. Buloh hospital but I think I'll have to visit the place first. Anybody has any experience there?

9 Questions Tag

Okay, this tag is to show Family First that I can write fun posts too :)

1. Have you ever been on TV?
Yes. It happened during my golfing days. Usually it would be during the sports news. They would either show me playing or it would be a short interview. I was also invited to be a guest on a children's game show. Can't remember the name of the program now. It was really a crazy thing. I was on the golf course playing a round when someone from the National Sports Council (MSN) called to tell me I was supposed to be at the studio for the recording. So, I had to quit my game half-way and rush over to the recording studio. There I was all sweaty and I had to change into a pair of track suit they gave me (which probably made me look fat and ugly). What was my job? Lead the kids in a short stretching session for them to warm up for their game. And then, as they played, I had to cheer them on. Felt a bit stupid as I would just stand around and yell "cepat, cepat adik" or "laju, laju lagi" (translation = faster, faster). I was actually very embarrassed about the whole thing and didn't tell anyone. But still some of my friends with young kids watched the program and informed me that they saw me (*blush).

2. Have you ever sung in public?
Does karaoke count? Hehehe. But I guess I will say yes to this question as I was part of the school choir in primary school. We sang during concerts and also for competition. Public is involved in that right?

3. Have you ever dyed your hair blond?
If I had continued to play golf under the hot, hot sun, I think I would be blond now. But no, I never dyed my hair blond. It's damaged enough.

4. Have you ever eaten frogs' legs?
I think so, I can't remember. If I did, it was a very, very, very long time ago.

5. Have you ever received a present that you really hated?
No. Don't get many presents (sob, sob) so I appreciate what I get. It may not be what I want, but I won't hate it.

6. Have you ever walked into a lamp post?
If I did, it probably caused some amnesia that I don't remember it.

7. Have you ever cooked a meal by yourself for more than 15 people?
I've cooked a meal by myself but not for 15 people.

8. Have you ever fallen or stumbled in front of others?
I'm sure I have. But no big deal that it would stand out as something memorable.

9. Have you ever done volunteer work?
Yes. A few years back I would visit the pediatric ward once a week to help out an NGO do some children's activity for children with cancer. I stopped when I got preggy with no.2. Also after the devastating tsunami, DH and me volunteered half a day at the buddhist temple to pack stuff that people had donated.

So, who shall I tag now? Who needs to have a some fun injected into their blog?
1. Health Freak Mommy
2. Min
3. J@n!ce
4. Footyman
5. Mumsgather

9 Simple Ways to Save Money on Your Groceries

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It never fails, we budget for our groceries, but the bill always ends up being more. We underestimate, run out of things faster than expected and overall, everything is becoming just too darned expensive! To make things a little bit easier, here are 9 simple ways you can start saving money on your groceries.

1. Go with a List: Yes, I know…it’s a pretty obvious suggestion, but it’s amazing how effective it can be. You can purchase only what you need and avoid all the other yummy distractions of the grocery store.

2. Meal Planning: Planning your meals in advance makes it easier to get your list together and ensure you buy only exactly what you need. You can get help with your meal planning at Dine Without Whine AND they actually put your grocery list together for you too.

3. Eat Before You Go: Another classic tip. If you’re hungry, you’ll want to buy (and instantly eat) everything! Have a meal or good snack before you go to avoid impulse purchases.

4. Stock Up on Staple Items When They’re On Sale: If you see ketchup or your family’s favorite sauce on sale, stock up. Or if it’s a certain type of soup or frozen vegetable your family eats all the time, buy a bunch of it. As long as it doesn’t spoil and you have space to store it, you will save money in the long run. The nice thing about this is if you continue to stock up on a variety of items, you’ll have a nice pantry full of food at any given time.

5. Cook from Scratch More Often: Yeah, yeah…it sounds easier said than done, but it doesn’t have to be too complicated. It’s no secret that pre-packaged items and convenience foods come at a premium price. They save you time in preparation, but they eat up your budget and let’s face it, time IS money. Plus, if you’re using Tip #2 and planning your meals, cooking from scratch more often is a whole lot easier.

6. Comparison Shop Before You Leave Home: No, I’m definitely not suggesting you go from store-to-store looking for the best deal. That takes too much time. Check the flyers that come to your door and see who is offering the best deals on what you actually need. If you don’t have any flyers at your door, visit the store website as they generally post flyers online.

7. Use Coupons Sparingly: Sure, coupons offer a great deal, but most coupons you’ll find are for items you don’t really need or use. Resist the urge to think, “Wow, that’s a good deal” and search for coupons based on items you need to purchase instead.

8. Keep the Little Ones At Home: If you have young children that want everything that they see, it’s easy to get into the trap of buying items you don’t need, treats that aren’t healthy and become victim to other grocery store distractions. Keep the kids at home with Daddy (it’s a good bonding opportunity) or a relative. You can even swap grocery store shopping times with your neighbor. Not only will you save money, but you’ll save your sanity too!

9. Make Quick Stops for Fresh Ingredients: This may not be easy if you’re on a tight schedule, but if you can work it in, it can save you a bundle. One of the biggest culprits in grocery budgets gone bad is spoiled food. If your fruits, veggies and other perishable items are always going bad, consider shopping for them more frequently, but in smaller quantities and restrain yourself from buying items you don’t need. If you have any teenaged kids, this would be a great chore for them too.

There you go – 9 ways to save on groceries. But in order to make these tips work, you really need to have a plan in place. You need to know what your family needs and what you’ll be eating. To make your meal planning a whole lot easier, sign up for you 1 ¢ no-risk trial at Dine Without Whine. You and your grocery budget will be glad you did.

Chinese New Year 2009

I know, I know, this Chinese New Year post is a bit late. Celebrations are already over. I'm probably one of the last people still blogging about it. But that's what happens when you have a preggy lady still in her 1st trimester -- will update on my pregnancy later.

Well, family reunion started on my side of the family first. Didn't go back to my mom's house this year. My 3rd brother played host at his new house. That made it very convenient coz' we don't have to travel far and fight traffic jams. My mom did most of the cooking. I only contributed one dish - sweet and sour pork. My brother told me NOT to open a restaurant. Humph! Okay-lah, standard can be better but what do you expect of a pregnant lady who can't stand the smell of food! Nevermind, I will redeem myself next year. Heheheh. Also took the opportunity to let my brothers know they have to prepare extra "ang pow" next year.

The Lim Clan
(Well, my side of the Lim family. If you didn't know, me and hubby have same surname)

By the way, my 2nd brother lost a lot of weight. He has been taking HerbaLife. If you too have some weight to shed or are looking for a work-at-home opportunity, you can visit his website at
http://www.WorkandPlaytoday.com or http://www.ShapeUpStore.com. Sorry-ah, doing a bit of promo here but really, my brother has lost a LOT of weight. His belly is GONE!

Then after midnight, we drove back to Bukit Mertajam to my in-laws place. Save some toll money because got discount travelling at that crazy hour. Only thing exciting was our half-day trip to Penang Youth Park. The two older kids have been there before but not babyD.

The wading pools are still there.

The park is also still lots of fun.

Only thing missing was that jumping thing that K tried last time (you can see the video here). But still lots of things to climb. BabyD definitely has some monkey blood in him.

I would have taken lots more pictures but stupid me forgot to charge the camera and didn't bring the charger. So, that's my tip for today: MAKE SURE YOU BRING THE CHARGER FOR YOUR CAMERA WHEN YOU GO FOR HOLIDAY!

My New Family Book Store

I've been doing some modifications to my bookshop (Value Bookshop) and now you can see the differences I've made. Not totally complete because I don't have that many products up yet. The "cupboard may seem a little bare", but there is stuff there for you to check out.

Just to give you an idea on what's going on, the bookshop is now focused on digital products. So, no more shipping fees. After payment, you can download the product immediately unto your computer. But not everything requires payment, there are some FREE guides and reports there too. Products are catered towards making you a better parent. So I'll scout for e-books that touch on parenting, home management, cooking, recipes, children's education etc....
Latest entry is a FREE Valentine recipe card giveaway. There's also a product to help you learn how to make money from writing - be a ghostwriter.

So, scoot over to my new FAMILY BOOK STORE and tell me what you think about it.

Do Your Little Ones Act Like Vegetables Are Poison?

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Kid's meals should be easy, delicious and healthy. Getting children to eat vegetables is a major negotiation. Finding a way to get vegetables into the mouths of babes is easy when they are part of the fun. Coming up with creative ways to get kids involved in the preparation and the cooking of kids' recipes is part of the fun. Child friendly recipes will allow you the peace of knowing your children are eating healthy and they will enjoy feeling in control of what they are being fed.

Take your kids shopping with you. Let them choose the fruits and vegetables they enjoy. This is generally the simplest way even with children as young as 4 years old. Children learn to eat healthier when they are a part of the cooking and the meal planning for the family.

Children really like color. Even with food, kids will look, then smell, and finally taste. So a variety of color in meals is great. Eating a mixture of foods greatly improves the chances of consuming all the nutrients you and your family need for optimum health.

A exciting way to get your kids to eat vegetables is to use the vegetables as part of a project. Kids get to count, make shapes, and then eat what they create. You get the satisfaction of knowing that you are giving nutritious foods into their diet.

Kids Recipes for Create My Own Soup

Let your children count the carrots and celery pieces. Let them spell their names with the noodles if you include alphabet noodles. You may find other novelty noodles like car shapes, etc. Create a topic of the soup creation.

Cut star shapes out of the carrot slices and zucchini (using an aspic cutter) then set to the side.

Ingredients:
*1-2 carrots
*1 zucchini
*4 cups low sodium chicken broth
*1/4 cup shaped pasta
*Dash of sage
*3/4 cup chopped, cooked chicken
*Salt and pepper to taste

Bringing it All Together:

*Let the kids help you wash the vegetables. Once finished you can wash the carrots and zucchini softly with a vegetable brush.
*Cut the vegetables into 1/4-inch slices.
*Cut star shapes out of the slices, and set them aside.

*In a medium sized pot, bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat.
*Add the carrot stars and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
*Add the pasta, zucchini and chicken. Continue cooking the soup for another few minutes, stirring occasionally, just until the pasta is done. Makes 4 servings.

*Let your kids find their names or count the number of shapes in their soup bowl. The kids will like the adventure and fun, you will feel good knowing they are eating their vegetables.

Would you like more Kid-Friendly Recipes? Christine Steendahl – “The Menu Mom” invites you to visit Kid Approved Meals at http://www.kidapprovedmeals.com to download your personal 13 week breakfast and lunch menu made just for kids!

Free Valentines Report and PLR Giveaway

Valentines is coming up. This report "14 Valentines Fun Ideas for Whole Family...Plus 5 Romantic Ideas for Mom & Dad" just came out. If you're looking to make Valentine's Day special for your children and hubby, then you'll appreciate the ideas shared.

On top of that, here's a super PLR offer and you won't have to log into your PayPal account or whip out a credit card to get it. All you have to do is go to:

http://www.valuebookshop.com/valentinesplr.htm

You can customize and brand the above report. You get the full 4-page report plus:

- opt-in page template to build your list with the report.
- 4 ecover graphics to promote your report and give it a professional look
- 3 promotional banners to further spread the word about your fun report

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, so grab yours and start promoting now! Again, the link to claim your PLR is at:

http://www.valuebookshop.com/valentinesplr.htm

If you have your own online business or thinking of starting one, your readers will love receiving the report!