Miss Daisy and Miss Minnie

We were back to hubs hometown last weekend to celebrate my father in laws' birthday and also to perform Ching Ming prayers to hubs grandparents and great grandparents.

It was Amber's second Ching Ming experience and her cousin sister's first. We were told of certain do's and don't during Ching Ming :

- do not call out the each other's name, else the 'spirits' will hear and follow you home
- do not step on other's 'home'
- do wear a red packet with 2 red RM10 notes - for kids only
- do tap sand and grime off shoes after peforming Ching Ming. Do not enter car with dirty shoes

I for one, is not a superstitious believer but if the elderly calls for it, we'll just follow, with due respect.

The kids were talking about it and her cousin sister cheh cheh YW, warned Amber not to call out each others names or else they'll end up with distorted mouth. Both were discussing the fears of it..


My Miss Chatterbox Blabbermouth will have a hard time not-talking, not-calling out names. She too, is worried and suggested to YW that they they better tape their mouth shut !

I nearly died laughing when I overheard !  Poor kids were full of fear, spirits and zombies hovered over their thoughts. I came up with an idea and asked them to choose a pseudonym. If you call Mickey Mouse or Goofy... I'm sure the spirits wouldn't know, right ??

So, Amber wanted to be Daisy Duck for the day and YW was Minnie Mouse.

We started the day very early, leaving home at 5am and arriving at the cemetary before 6am. Both kids were horrified, staring blankly and the pitch blackness and frankly, if not for the big group of us going, I would be scared too. Our iphone flash guided us the way and the kids clung on to us like glue.. very, very quiet until we arrived at hubs greatgrandparents grave.  We did the obligatory simple prayers of fruits, fatt koh, dumplings, roast pork, tea and wine and burnt paper offerings and fireworks. The kids were yapping out to each other Daisy and Minnie.

It was a fun experience for Daisy and Minnie and they were drained by afternoon. !

Ching Ming

Today is the actual Ching Ming day, 4 April 2012. It always falls on 4th (on leap year) or 5th April every year, exactly 105 days after Winter Solstice - 22 December. Families pray for their dearly departed 10 days before of after the actual date.

My mom told me a lot of Chinese important dates and festivals and the significance of each. She will remember all the dates and birth/death date of our grandparents, and dutifully, she'll perform the praying rites at family altar, as passed down by our grandmother to her. I was the youngest in the family and I look forward to help out burn the paper/money offerings and she'll tell the the meaning of each item burnt. I look forward to help her out and always hoping it doesn't fall on a weekday when I'm at school.

Mom has passed on and it has been a long 17 years. Never one day that I do not think of her. She's in my thoughts every day but my tears have run low. I hope she has re-incarnated to a better life *wink*

My brother has passed on 15 years and according to Chinese customs, only the younger ones or 'lower in rank' ones can pray for a dearly departed and in my family, I'm the younger that of my brother and my nephews and nieces will join along to pray for their ah-gu and ah-chik.

The photo above was taken last year and Amber was helping out. She's very inquisitive on Chinese cultures and such and will always offer to help whenever we or her grandma perform some praying rituals.

Ching Ming is all about remembering our ancestors and roots and also those that have gone too soon. People who were once in our lives, will remain in our hearts, with fond memories.:)

Great Gifts for Moms for Mothers Day

Special Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day

Being a mother is one of the hardest, yet most rewarding, roles in the world. It’s no wonder that we get a holiday to ourselves where our families indulge in our every whim and shower us with appreciation.

Okay, maybe not every whim.

Every day we experience a thousand gifts from our children, from hugs to refrigerator art, but there is one day a year when we can really feel the love: Mother’s Day. Although the kids will be bringing home magnets, cards, and artwork galore with the help of their teachers, here are a few ideas for those husbands and children everywhere who hope to brighten mom's day.

First of all, there is no such thing as too much pampering. A day at the spa is a perfect way to relax and celebrate such a special day. Anything along the lines of a manicure/pedicure, facial, or massage would be a glorious gift for any mother. But don’t think that an expensive appointment is the only way to pamper – a gift basket bursting with oils, facial masks, lotions, and nail kits will create a home spa just for her.

Speaking of gift baskets, fill one up with other goodies that speak her love language. Candles, a CD of soft music and bubble bath would mean an evening of uninterrupted bliss or a new mug, her favorite coffee or tea and a bit of chocolate could start her morning out right. Her next book club book or a subscription to her favorite magazine would complete the bundle and last well beyond the holiday.

Moms also don’t mind a night off from the kitchen. If the plan is to stay at home, taking charge of the meal planning for the evening and perhaps including her favorite meal could mean the world to her. If it is a night out she would prefer, take her to her favorite restaurant or a new place that sounds fantastic.

Besides taking over the kitchen and making a home cooked meal, take a look around the house for other chores that could be taken off her hands. While she puts her feet up, perhaps tackle the dishes, take care of the laundry, or sweep and mop until it shines. Not only does this give her a break from everyday tasks, but it will also probably free up her weekend as well.

Flowers are another Mother’s Day favorite. Remembering and showering her with her favorite flowers will most certainly be a delight. Of course, pairing the flowers with some new jewelry never hurts, either. Those earrings she has had her eye on or that necklace that is just her style would be a nice surprise. Take it one step further and make it personal with an engraved bracelet, ring or picture frame commemorating a year of appreciation. If she is not the jewelry type, have a special picture placed on a mug, key chain, or blanket that will always make her smile.

Personalize the house in another special way with pictures. You know that every mom love pictures of the family and can never have enough memories around the house. Frame your special moments or gather them in a collection as a collage, scrapbook, or album she can look at repeatedly. Homemade projects really show her you care and wanted her to know it.

This is, by no means, an exhaustive list, but hopefully a good start. Dads can also visit dadblogs for more ideas and encouragement when trying to steer the kids in the right direction and make this Mother's Day stand out. No matter what, make her feel loved and it will be one of the best days of the year.

Sources

Gifts.com (2012)

Mothers Day Central (2012)

MarthaStewart.com (2012)

The Concert - A little goes a long way

Amber's kindy concert was held almost nearing end term. This year, she danced Korean pop - Sorry Sorry by Super Junior. 

Excited, she was, as I am. Woke up early, showered and applied powder over her body to make her more comfortable as  her costume is the itchy, pokey type. She pestered for makeup and I applied some lip gloss on her or else we'll never hear the end of it and never leave home.

 

The kids had to go to school first and leave for the concert venue by bus whilst us parents made our way there. 

When I saw little fart at the venue, I was surprised with her matured Korean pop look :

A little makeup goes a long way.

Teacher Jo, the principal gave a speech and  part of her speech is a gentle reminder to us, parents.

Love your children more .. 

and love is spelled as T-I-M-E !!

This concert is the last for Amber, she will not be graduating from the kinder next year. We have changed her to a chinese syllabus based kinder.

We've made many good friends from her kinder and we'll keep in touch with some of the teachers.

Adios Kinder D and we'll miss you !

Anniversary Weekend

 Last weekend was our 10th Anniversary.  10 years passed in a flash and our proudest moment is being parent to this little fart..

We didn't do much of a 'celebration' except for a quick lunch, just the 2 of us at our 'pak-tor' jaunt - Ma Maison at Ampang Hilir. Year end is always such a busy period and we didn't think much of a celebration to be had.

We checked in to the hotel where we were married, sorta like a reminiscence of a sequence of event happening on the same day, 10 years ago. 

Hubs taught Amber to play chess and of course got into an argument later.. Amber whined "Papa don't let me play".. and Papa whined.. "You cannot play until you learn the moves"..

I'd stayed out of the argument and left them both to battle. I can-never-play-chess-so-don't-ask-me !!

 

We took a monorail to Bukit Bintang and the train ride was already an adventure for her. Kids just love train rides and the RM1.20 fare goes a long way to her make happy :D

Saw Santa Claus, Santarina and carollers at Fahrenheit. This Santa is very generous, gave us a pressie- free coffee and cake from Pacific Coffee.

Had dinner at Hutong Lot 10 - the Jalan Imbi meat ball noodle, which i'm very sure is egg-free, mushroom-free. Have to be more diligent now and only go to stalls which I'm 110 % sure.

Went back to the hotel and our annivesary gift from Amber was a body massage. Macam macam style ada...

 

The following day.. caught up with Arthur Wee who was also staying in the same hotel. We checked out after breakfast and a swim and  did another touristy thing. Went up KL Tower. First trip for Amber and me.

Nothing much.. and we couldn't spy our home, blocked by another tall building.

Amber took the pony ride and we also went for the 6D motion master *very exciting* but can't take any photos.

 

and that... was our Anniversary Weekend.. ......

My kitchen wall

... been invaded adorned  with her art pieces.

but.. never mind, it makes the house more 'warm'

Here's what she has pasted on the wall :

 This is a King.. but sometimes she'll tell me it's Daddy ! too funny !

 

She drew this at school, during her spare time. I love how she hung those ketupats up...

 and this is part of a school craft, in the spirit of Merdeka.. they made a paper hand glove

 I like this best . .. how she accentuates the pouty lips and blushing cheeks.. and this is Amber .. 

This is a colorful house. 

 Another school craft .. the elephant trunk is a toilet roll.

writings to tell me she's been good and practising her handwriting..

Momentoes.. a bit here and there.. maketh the house warm. :)

My Little Helper

When I took this photo.. I was half dreaming of her baking a whole cake.. beating the butter, knocking in the eggs and such... With her egg allergy back, baking will take a back seat. She wants to help me as much as I want her to BUT.. baking your cake, wafting the aroma and NOT being able to eat, is cruel eh ?

I let her do little stuff like here.. doing the finishing touch on my tiramisu

 

She loves kitchen work, this girl will make a good kitchen helper/wife/baker !

One day.. one fine day..

Allergy Update

Amber had her allergy checked 2 weeks ago. I suspected something amiss when skin between her toes started itching and cracking.

Readings :

Dairy -0

Dust mites -5

Colorings - 0

Latexx - 0 

Candida - 0

Eggs - 0 

My heart sank. I freaked. I felt cheated. I don't care much about the dust mite allergy. I cannot eliminate dust mites.. they're like.. everywhere and hello??? I can't walk around with a vacuum cleaner but I did put in 200% to make sure she abstain from eggs ! Edgy eggs ! I hate E-G-G !! Just short of 6 months to complete the whole allergy cycle, she had to come into contact with eggs. The poor girl has to start all over again, another couple of months or two to total elimination , no trace of eggs in her body and another 12 months countdown before we can introduce eggs to her.

there goes.. the dream of baking her a proper birthday cake with eggs, butter and all

there goes ... our longing to bake together... cookies, cakes and such.

BLAH !!!!!

I couldn't figure out what she had eaten. We've been very careful at home and she hardly eats out except for very specific food. I Love Yoo's porridge, Nyonya Colours kuih lapis, McDonalds fries and fried chicken and Madam Kwans fried whole leg and nasi bojari. We zoomed down the possibilities to Madam's fried chicken. I've asked the staff before and they've said it's egg free but it's really hard to say. I'm pretty sure McD is strict with their food preparation and when they said no eggs..they mean it. So..we've axed Madam's fried chicken from her list of permissible food.

I feel very much for her. I wished I am bearing the brunt of food allergies and not her. If I could make this Christmas wish come true, I would. 

BAH !!!!!!!!!

Amber's passport

Sometime last month, we brought Amber to Jabatan Imigresen at Putrajaya to apply a passport for her. It was for her first trip out of the country, to Singapore to visit my sis, friends and to do a little shopping.

 

With a passport now, little Missy is asking for more trips abroad. She wants to go Germany to visit Malaika, Australia to visit her friends, Lauren and Owen and to Philippines to visit her kakak's family.

Hang on girl.. slowly eh.. slowly.. Air Asia just increased it's surcharges !

Little girls are made of these....

Last night, I went out with my besties to celebrate a birthday. Amber was jealous to miss out all the fun and lamented on how she never had a birthday celebration. Not a proper one at least, with party and surprises and such. She was supposed to have one this year and something happened and was called off, she still remembered, with bitterness in her heart.

 

Our friend Joanne suggested we light up some candle and cake for her. I brought out 2 cupcakes from and lighted candles and sang birthday song in 4 languages - English, Bahasa, Mandarin and Cantonese and let her blow the candles all over again.

Her mood lifted immediately and was a happy girl.

Little girls are made of.. sugar, spice and birthday surprises.

Love this photo of her.. with lights off, at her request !