MrGart Turns 37 38 Today

Edited to reflect the true older age of MrGart

*snicker snicker*

That's so close to 40.

*snicker snicker*

Ancient !

*snicker snicker*

ANYWAYS.

Happy Birthday Sayang! *muahs*

The Little Spelling Bee In The House

Mummy .. Ariz tau nak spell ELEPHANT.

S .. D .. E-LE-PHANT !

Mummy, mummy. Iz tau nak spell RAIN.

S .. D .. RAIN !

Daddy, Iz tau nak spell Bubbles.

S .. D .. BUB-BLES !

Mummy, mummy. Ariz tau nak spell Mummy.

1 ..S .. C .. MUM-MY!

These sessions get ALiya and Asha and Adani in stitches. They'd be so tickled by this and I would be squinting warnings to them to not say otherwise. Menjaga hati!

Yikes! Exactly how do you disagree with a very opinionated 4 year old. He holds out 4 fingers and confidently says "ONE". After the 4th cycle of "ONE la", Mummy lets go and nods her head.

And why or why, everything is spelled with an S and a D?

Melaka Was Fun

Sometime in January, my maid went home for a week visiting her ailing mother.

We were at Melaka one day to pick her up at the port. The kids saw the signages for the Zoo Melaka a number of times already and since we're still ahead of the schedule, we thought we'd pay those Melaka-ed animals a visit.

It was amazingly big and clean zoo. I'm sold.


Kiddos sitting atop a fake turtle, eating ice-cream for the 4th time that day and MrGart (ignore the belly, yikes!)


They also have this long bridge on stilts over a safari. Kalau sakit kaki, jenuh jugak nak menapak. But the kids were excited. It's drizzling and there were a pack of zebras taking shelter under us.

After Andes safely arrived, we saw this Taming Sari ride and the kids pestered us. So, there. MrGart was trying o hide his gayat-ness. Although this is really high, but sangatla harmless.

2-Tiered Cake For Amalina

E71 takes such poor pictures under poor lighting or closeups. Or was it poor photographer ? Hmmpfft!

Anyhow.

This cake was meant for a little get-together for Amalina's friends. A neighbour. She just wanted a cake. I wanted to experiment. So I made a 10" of All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cake on NeoClassic Buttercream and a 8" Perfect All American Shocolate Butter Cake with Chocolate Cream Glaze.

Those little balls are made of fondant, rolled and cut out with a cutter to get uniform sized balls.

p/s if you're wondering, I'm bored, and realise I have pictures abound. So bear with me.

Chocolate Domingo

This is the most melt-in-the-mouth-before-you-blink chocolate cake ever. This was so good, even I had seconds.

This was Aliya's 11th birthday cake on the 9th January 2009.

And here's the clan and their cousins.


I just realised I have not posted this yet.

Aliya doesn't like thick icing on cakes, so I choose this cake, which is rich and does not need icing. Just a dust of icing sugar. Scrumptious!

This came from the book Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. I am just a huge, huge fan of her book. If you need the recipe, just shout!

Is That A Threat ?

A note found in Asha's school bag on Monday night :

Untuk Ayisha. Mula dari esok bawa :

1. Satu kotak.
2. Beads.
3. Kertas Manila warna biru
4. ...
5. ...
6. ...
7. ...
8. ...
9. Duit 30 sen hari isnin-khamis, 20 sen hari jumaat. jumpa kami di lobi 3.

*takes deep breath*

WHAT???

Initially MrGart thought it was a list of Arts class, except that item 9 was super-suspicious. I lost sleep Monday night pondering this over.

Should I talk to her teacher ?
What if I speak to the teacher and she suss these kids out and then they retaliate against her for ratting them out?
What if this destroys her budding confidence ?
Should I speak to the suspected bullies themselves ?
Haven't I made myself visible at the school enough that these kids would see what Ayisha's mother would like ?
Do we give her too much money to school that she immediately becomes a target?
Was that note a sick joke ?
Who would write such a note ?
Are these extortionists boys or girls ?
How old are they? In the afternoon sessions, there are only Standards 1,2 and 3. Ayisha is Standard 3. Could these be her friends ? Classmates ?

Questions. Questions. Questions.

No answers yet.

I have not had a chance to speak to Asha seriously about this as she has tuition last night and was just tired and got into bed.

But yesterday, while I was at school waiting for Asha, I climbed the stairs to the school's office. There were 2 lady teachers and I cordially asked them if there's any reports of money extortion at the school this year. And I told them of the note. They were suprised and agreed that there could be a threat in it. I did not think any of Asha's friends I know, would have the mind to do that.

But then again, I could be wrong. Not some months ago, I blogged about Asha being targetted as a "Fund Manager" for a girl who used that fund to generate income for her, no interest nor dividends was disbursed to these Fund Managers, mind you!

So, you see. Need advice. I'm not sure how should I broach this topic to Asha without her feeling as if she's ratting out on these kids, nor should she feel that she's running to Mommy everytime trouble hits. I also need her to know that she can and should tell me everything, right or wrong.

*worries myself sick*

p/s btw, a BJ kindy and the addaris is closed for the rest of the week for an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFM), so folks, keep an eye out.

*worries even more. HFM is a viral infection with high-grade fever.*

Tok Is Well Again, Considerably

Last week has been quite hectic, for us, the clan.

On Wednesday, struck by a fever-induced infection, Tok went into a delirious state, refusing water and food and it soon got kinda serious. Dehydrated and all. BTW, she's about 88 years old and has only been bed-ridden for the past few months, having spent a few years on and off wheelchairs.

When I was at Mak Ndak's place (where Tok is )and I was looking at a picture on the wall of us all during Hari Raya in 2003 (Adani was still a baby and Ariz was well, not here yet) and Tok looked strong and nowhere near the frail old body she's in today and her eyes looked the same, just much much more sadder. Time sure flies.

You see, my Wan passed away on the 5th April 1996 of lung cancer. It was a huge blow to the family and to Tok. Incidentally, then the four of us, cousins were not informed of his demise until we came home for the holidays. We were studying at that time in UK, Ireland and Liza was in Australia. This was new to us because we never experienced the heartache and the worry and the prospect of a death in the family.

So, when Mak Ndak called crying telling us that she didn't know what else to do cos Tok looked like she's given up and now is just in the "berserah" state. We all came running. My uncle, Pakcik Awi, Tok's favourite who was at Gloucester, UK, was in tears over the phone and 3 days later came home. Even Tok's favourite cucu, studying medicine at Indonesia was sent packing home.

I picked up Nobita from her hospital on Wednesday and drove to Senawang where everybody's already arrived. Liza and Airena, the doctors of the family were already fixing her IV line, since she refused food and water and even hospitals. She was delirious, not recognising some of us. She remembered us, the twins, but she didn't remember us having babies of our own.

In fact, she was mumbling about the time my grandfather was still a policeman and they were living at the police baracks at Alor Setar. She was muttering 9644 over and over again and Pak Lang told us that that was Wan's police number. I was a baby then. She kept asking whether all her 9 children were home already. Pakcik Awi was en route from the UK and we prayed that he would hurry.

Anyhow. Alhamdulillah. By Friday after Pakcik Awi arrived, she got better, drinking and even eating a little. And she's a lot calmer too. My aunties and uncles are still berkampung at Senawang.

Yesterday, we made it back to Senawang and she was a lot of better.

Alhamudulillah. I pray that Allah eases her suffering and I pray that Tok would have patience through this test Allah puts her under. Insyallah.

Ariz Zuhayr Turns 4 Year Old

Remember this ?


and this?


and this?


and of course, the infamous this? *shudder*


and this chubby baby who coaxed even the most grumpy person on the street to come and pinch his cheeks and would always always be shocked to know how an 8mo baby could weigh 11kg and worse, he's on full breastmilk, no solids whatsoever?


and who could forget this sunshine-y little benjol-ed 1 year old?


Well people, let me tell you this. I'll shout this in fact.

ARIZ ZUHAYR IS A BIG 4 YEAR OLD BOY!!

Cake is Moist Chocolate Genoise with Dark Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache, easily decorated with Spiderman cake toppers and a Spiderman candle. Mummy ada sedikit malas!

Look at him, my little man !!

He turned 4 on 14th February 2009 and it's such a great joy to see him today, all lean and muscular and happy and mischievous and pretty much a nuisance, as only 4 year old boys know how to be.

We celebrated his birthday at my parents. I baked his cake, a two-layered chocolate butterless genoise because I know he won't mind as long as it's chocolate and as long as it's covered in chocolate ganache that he could lick. The girls have specific requests! Grrr!

He's been off diapers completely and since he's still on the breast (that seriously needs a review), no formula milk is available in the house at all. Since he started kindy, he's used words like "huge elephant" to MrGart's suprise and he's talking less about his imaginary friends, though he's constantly fighting aliens with his animals and ben10 friends and transformers' peers.

He goes to school willingly these days, if you consider, showering and dressing him while eyes tightly closed is "willingly" la. At least he WANTED to go to school and goes EVERY MORNING without fail. He kisses girls in the van, which I think needs a man-to-man talk with MrGart.

Hes's crazy over ribena and requests for a "Ribena yang SEDAP" every now and then. Because I used to make him (and the family) diluted sirap or ribena, just to be less sugar, but he equated that with "tak sedap". Now he gets Daddy to make him Ribena yang sedap. Insulting eh?

Anyhow.

Alhamdulillah that he is 4 now. Alhamdulillah that he has been healthy and happy and just being a 4-year old. Alhamdulillah that I get to breastfeed him as long as he wants to and I want to. Alhamdulillah that we are a much happier family since the day he was plopped on my chest, the day, I gave birth to him. Alhamdulillah.

Sangkut Kat Amcorp

Hari ini I have a day chock full of SWOT analysis for one of our subsidiary's business.

All I need to say that the laksa johor and kuih ketayap dia sedap! can't wait for lunch's menu. Saw a subway downstairs. wud love to have a BLT on harvest wheat, but maybe not.

shud get back to looking interested. Ciao.

Excited Excited Excited

Sorry folks for not enlightening you of my rather sedentary and less colourful life these days. Just feeling slightly lazi-er than normal.

But since Jo & azGROWLen were so eager to get me to post stuff again (after which I guess they'd regretted their choice words in the comments), I guess I just couldn't stop.

Kids wise .. inspired by Loll's adventure in islaimically educating her brood, I've started my journey with the kids too. Our first Aqeedah lesson was after Maghrib prayers and it was last week. Adani & Ariz are still talking about it, especially the part of "if Mummy doesn't see you punch me, ALlah does". *kurang khusyuk sikit bila dengar macam tu, heh! bangga pun ada!* But I shall blog more about it later.

Baking wise. I've gone completely crazy over ROse Levy Beranbaum. I have all 3 (minus the Pie & Pastry book) books and I've been baking crazy. Saturday, I took an order for a tray of lasagne and a 2-tier chocolate & vanilla cake, retro design. Raving reviews for the lasagne. I made a little batch for us for dinner and the kids were licking their spoons and plates. Me too! Sedap weh. I impressed myself even. Kah kah kah! Perasan! That I shall blog more later too.

What I need to break to you guys are .. jeng jeng jeng ..

WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR TO OURS!

It's confirmed. We put down the downpayment yesterday, after winning the bid. It was really cheap, considering the British owner was desperate to let it go and he let it go real cheap. The kids are happy. We have doubled our living area from 2100 sf to 4100 sf and I have images of a island in my large kitchen, a bedroom for each of the kids, the extra master bedroom which will be turned into a walk-in wardrobe and a musolla and a large study. Weeheee!!

Walaupun we're not sure when to do these things. But the house is ours now!

*doing a chicken dance. Not pretty. But super-excited*

Yeehaaaaa

Quiet Quiet Time This Has Been

Guys!

I need things to read.

Reflections to ponder upon.

Puns and jokes to make me keel over and break out in stitches of laughter.

You guys have been so quiet.

What's up?

Blog, people blog?

I need you.

p/s I guess that goes out to me too eh? This blog counts?

Cuti Hari Wilayah

Hmm rare indeed.

Am at my fav gynae waiting for my number to be called. Nope. No babies. Just removing my soon to expire impl@n0n and insert a new one in.

gabra jugak sebab being reading reviews yang scary. But machola katakan.

Will sambung later.