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Once I caught a fish alive...

Imran has been singing lots of kids as well as adult songs. But it took me quite a while to figure out which song he's trying to sing. Especially when he was enjoying himself singing 'So What by Pink'. I could opnly make out the 'So, so what.. blablabl... rockstar' As for Hani she tries very hard to say the words, but could only come up with.. 'oohh.. oohh..' Good enough for me.
Last weekend we spent 2 nights at A Famosa Resorts in Melaka. Overall the security was good but the service? Bad!! Hubby's aunt wanted to have late lunch at their clubhouse cafe and ended up waited half an hour for nothing! No apology or anything that resembles their regret but somehow came up with an arrogant excuse of they only have one kitchen to serve 2 restaurants and they have members to serve. Well, they were in for a shock because Hubby's aunty just gave them one look and said ' That's not my problem! I ordered 1 Mee Curry and 2 plates of fired rice. And you came with 1 mee curry and 1 fried rice. If you can't handle that simple order then maybe you should re consider the tasks. Just because we're not one for your club members doesn't mean we're not paying customers!' That's not her exat words.. but how I wish it is. She did bambooed them for the bad service.
Durign the stay we decided to go for the Safari World, but had it cancelled due to drizzling rain. However we ended up in the 4-feet deep swimming pool in the rain! Hahah.. Oh, I forgot to mention we stayed in one of the villas which provided a not-so private pool. Imagine how happy the kids were when they saw the pool right beside the car porch. Imran's cousin was cheeky enough to wonder why can't they spent swimming in the pool until night time? Surrounded with 6 kids below 6 was priceless...
Sad to say even the cowboy world trip had to be canceled. It didn't matter though. They already planned to get up early to have the first dip in the pool. Ad this time Imran has finally found the courage to get into the pool. He got himself those round floaties and started to paddle all around the pool Guess he was phobic of not being able to keep his face out of the water with his arm-floaties.
I'll see if I can post some photos of the trip. Right now I have to wake Hubby up becasue we have to go out for grocery shopping. I hope I can persuade him to do some window shopping but he got his sinus problem again. So not so sure whether he would be in his usual grumpy mood or the good side. Hahaha.. Either way, after the long and enlightening chat with a someone, I have come to conclusion to stop being jelous of others happiness. Just be happy with what I already and about to have. Amin.....

After the grueling days at work..

I finally found my way to my ever so loyal PC. Hahaha... It wasn't that grueling at all actually. I sat there staring at my two monitored PC doing training module one after another. And watching my new-found colleagues answering phone calls and ever so expertly looking for information on the monitor while making sure the previous task which was interrupted by the call is not lost. With all the datas that needed to be entered and validate, phone cals to answer, queries to handle, there was one things that hit me. The place is somehow silent. After few hours I realized, the keyboard was not making so much noise. I remember back in my data centre day, we had complaint about the loud sound we're making just by hitting the keyboard. Gosh.. I really missed them.
To make matters worse, I realized that I did not miss my kids. Does that make me a bad mother? I don't believe so. Apart from I don't call to ask whether they're alright with MIL, I don't even talk about them. Well, the part where I don't talk about them would probably because I'm the only one with 2 kids. There's another lady with 1-year-old son but we haven't had time to chit-chat yet. The rest of the team? One word. YOUNG! Hehehe.. Imran has gotten used of me going to work. But it'll take Hani some time and loads of distraction to keep her occupied enough just to stop looking for me. She's getting along just fine with Hubby.
What can I say about Hubby, he's my guardian angel. These 2 days has shown me how dedicated he can be to support me. He has successfully managed to shower both kids before sending them off to MIL. Went to work and came back home and starts to prepapre for dinner! I have definitely underestimated him! He even help out to do laundry. Not that he never did before. But I know how exhausted he is when he came back from work, but somehow he also understood that it would take me some time to adapt myself to the routine.
If only I can get my pay earlier... Sad to say I won't be getting my salary until end of February. So I guess I have to get a belated birthday present for him. Hahaha.... Or an early anniversary celebration? Hmm..

Last weekend...

as a stay-at-home mother will be spent in Jengka with my mom. Dad is stuck in CH because his chauffeur, my ever-busy sis had to work on Saturday. Besides I still have last minutes shopping to do. Wait, did I say shopping? It's more of grabbing whatever I can have from my mom's collections. Hehehe.. I've already got loads of office attire. But still yet to accessorize. Handbags and shoes are on top of the list. And where else can I get them other than my mom. Don't be surprised, she can actually have some very interesting collection of handbags and shoes. For a close-to-retirement-age lady. Huhu... Sorry mom!
Apart from that, I'm still wondering about make-up. Face powder and lipstick. I really need a good compact powder because I tend to shine by noon. Hahah.. As for liptsick, well.. to give colors to my face? Hehe... As for eyeliner, blusher or whatever other people use, I suck at it. Seriously. Eyeliner.. poked my eyes. Blusher... what cheekbone? The rest..? Come on. Give it up already. Just how much product can you put on your face. Okay, I'll take that back. I can still remember how heavy my make-up was on my wedding day. Gave my mom a shock because that lady destroyed my eyebrows! Hahaha...

Killing time....

while waiting to pick up the kids...
Today is the fourth day MIL has been taking care of Imran and Hani. Let me summarize the event...

Day 1 - Send around 10 o'clock. Imran was alright.. Hani was looking for me all over the house. Toilets, rooms, kitchen, including under the stairs.. Picked them up around 2.30 because Hubby has to go to work.

Day 2 - Send around 9.30. I left and stayed at home. Around 4.20 pm MIL called saying Imran is crying and screaming he wants to "B.A.L.I.K". Arrived at MIL's to find he's sleeping soundly in her Sorento and Hani was messing with all the buttons and dials on the dashboard. She was a excited to see for like 5 seconds then went back to her gadgets.

Day 3 - We went to Puching to donate things for an orphanage. MIL wanted to borror Hilux cause she has promised to give bags of rice to them. So, no issue from both kids. And we bought tricycle for Hani which made her cry all the way back home.

Day 4 - I set up Imran's V.smile game console and left both Imran's bike and Hani's trcycle at MIL. So far no emergency call. I'm waiting until 6 to go pick them up.

Tomorrow will be another day of training. Next I'll start work and hopefull I can come back on time. I have been warned about the flexible hours. But until I can get a reliable maid to help, I would really want to get home by 7 pm.

Does that sound like a wishful thinking? I really hope not.

The value of money

Hubby and I went scouting for maid agencies today. We were shocked to learn that the initial cost has gone up to RM8k. And the monthly pay has increased to RM550 a month. Some even charge more for younger maids. If it's not for Hubby's tie-breaker, I would have opt for nurseries.
I can't believe the cost of hiring a maid has gone up so much within 4 years. I read in random forums that people used to pay RM350 a month and the initial cost of booking and processing documents was around RM 4k. That was few years back. With fuel price fluctuating, cost of living has definitely gone up higher than average. Maybe there will come a point where people can't afford to have savings due to a lot have been spent on daily needs. Food, clothing, basic needs which require an average of 80% of your monthly pay.
I worry about the future. Sounds a little cliche? Of course. I'm already preparing my kids for the future. I want them to be able to enjoy themselves without the financial burden. But how can I guarantee the financial freedom when all that we see is financial debt increased within seconds. I'm not a financial expert. Obviously! Hehe.. But I do know the difference between the 'want' and the 'need'. I want that so-called slimming program but what I need is to spend 30 minutes on the treadmill. FYI, Hubby bought a treadmill and it has been unused for few months now. I used to run 30 minutes a day. And Hubby saw the change. But somehow I got tired of the regime and quit! Hahahaha... But that's another story.

Cause we are
Living in a material world
And I am a material girl
You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl
- Madonna's Material Girl lyrics...

Can anyone please

share with me the experience on the process of getting a maid? Or perhaps recommend agencies for it?
We have decided to go for foreign maid but since neither of our parents nor us have had long term experience with hiring full-time live-in maid, we have to get help. Hehehe..

If you can't stand it, change your diet!

Wonder what I would have reacted if I was being exiled to Mongolia? All work and no play? children start helping out as soon as they can understand orders? Make me feel so blessed living in this country. Though one say the grass is greener on the other side. I am quite content with the grass right here. Hahaha...
I have seen a couple of shows where families being sent to Africa, Mongolia and yes there was one family sent to spent 9 days if I'm not mistaken with an family the deep forest of Sarawak. Apart from the culture shock that they faced, one thing that really struck me big time. The animal slaughter. What on earth were they thinking every time they took a humongous bite of those greasy hamburgers?? A humanely killed pigs? Hahaha... Would you eat meat with poison in it? Of course not. You'll ended being humanely euthanize yourself. I guess electric shock could do the trick but that would be way too costly.
I guess being brought up in a not so small urban area is not too bad. I've seen cows, goats, chickens and not forgetting rabbits being slaughtered for their meat. And yes I've eaten most meat except for buffaloes. At least I think I've never eaten it. I can understand when vegetarians and PETA protesting these animal abused because they really believed that animals should have their rights to live because they are living beings. What I seems to have problem is with those people who eat their medium raw steak cooked by a well-known chef and claimed that killing animals are cruel and should not be tolerated. Now these hypocrites should be taught some lessons regarding the circle of life. Huhu..

There goes my shopping spree...

Hahaha... NOT!
I have yet to even start my job when another dilemma decided to drop by. It is something both of us have actually put into consideration. But never expected it to visit this soon. MIL requested for us to apply for a maid. We have been discussing the matter of her taking the kids and definitely have put some consideration that she would not be able to handle them with her current condition. Don't get me wrong, she's an angel. She truly is. But for someone with a soft heart to take care of my ever hyper kids would definitely drive to her physical limits. Especially since Imran have started the tendency to bully her baby sister. Of course Hani can defend herself. But both of them would start to wail like no ones business and that would definitely drive everyone crazy!
So, I am already contemplating on how to save money in order to be able to pay for a maid. The initial plan to get a job was to pay my student loan. Which unfortunately have accumulated quite a sum of arrears. Then comes the expenses of commuting to work. Tolls, gas, food etc. Then the car we're about to buy for me. Just some cheapo car will do. But still, the monthly payment? I would like to be able to pay for it. Can't just blindly depend on Hubby. He's already paying for the house, Hilux, insurance, not to mention my make-ups. Hahaha.. seriously. I really do want to help.
We're not a big fan of spending our money for luxury things. We don't shop at boutiques, we don't eat at Tony Roma's because we chose not too. We chose to prepare ourselves with a better future. (I know.. I know.. yada yada.. just bare with me okay? This is MY blog..) Am I wrong for not sending Imran to a well-establish kindergarten just because I feel there's not need for it? He can still learn to read and write at other kindergartens. Hubby and I graduated from Tabika Kemas. And proud of it. As for Hani, I'll let her decide on what she wants when she can.
As for the maid issue, we have deliberate (hah!) and decided to go for it. MIL's trying to get one locally but I'm pretty sure none is available. Most probably we have to settle for foreign aid. I'm not too keen on having a live-in maid but MIL wasn't too keen on nurseries. Hehehe.. Hubby became the tie-breaker and decided on maid. Good for him! I just pray it wouldn't take too long for us to get the right one.

Tips for Stay at Home Moms Going Back to Work - Leslie Godwin, MFCC

From this site.

1. The first thing to do is to be very clear about why you are going to work, what you need to earn, and what schedule will work for you.
I'll be working Monday to Friday, 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. Seems perfect to me.

2. Don't feel that the company who offers you a position is doing you a favor just because you have been out of the workforce a while.
Definitely not. I know I have actually impressed them with my experience and the way I handled the interview even though I was out of the corporate world more then 3 years. (So perasan!)

3. Most moms returning to the work force worry about the gap in their resume.
I actually did worry. How am I suppose to 'sell' myself when all I have been doing is taking care of my children. Then when the interview came, I just realized I was doing management work as well as admin when I was handling the laundry shop. Hahaha!

4. Talk to your spouse and find out what his concerns are.
He requested that I get a job. The main concern? My student loan! Hahaha.. Dang!

5. Talk to your kids.
This one is quite a dilemma. How do you explain to a 3-year-old and 1-year-old that mommy will be leaving them with grandma for maybe up to 10 hours (includes commuting). Not so easy. Especially when the little is still BF.

6. Help is available.
Help is all around us. Thank you for my ever-so helpful MIL. She has been an angel to me and my family. If she can't handle my ever so active kids, there's always nurseries and kindergartens.. Last option, a maid.

7. Practice interviewing with a friend.
Hahaha.. never got the chance to do this. Wish I had.

8. If working outside the home doesn't work, be willing to change jobs, look for work you can do at home, or return to being a homemaker full time.
I pray that I don't have to face this.

Suze Orman's 2009 action plan

I got this from watching Oprah's Best Life show on Hallmark. I got hooked with Suze Orman when my MIL introduced me to her show on CNBC. Just love how she kept saying "NO!!" to ladies who spend too much on luxuries when they're not suppose to. Hihihi...

1. Do not spend any money for one day.
2. Do not use credit card for one week.
3. Do not eat in a restaurant for one month.

One lady could not agree to the third plan. I couldn't agree more with her. Why..? I can get very sick of my own cooking! Hahahaha....
I can stop myself from spending any money for one day. Haha.. Just wait till I get hold of my own money. Wonder what damage I will do. I definitely can live without using credit card for more than one week. Plastic money only for emergency cases. Remember when Hani was admitted to PMC Klang for 3 nights? Had to borrow MIL card because mine had exceed the limit. Hubby was in London. Definitely need a higher credit limit for those emergency expenses. Don't be mistaken, she does have insurance, but had to pay and claim later.
But the part of no eating outside for one month.. I really wanted to give that a try. Especially once I started working. Wanted to see if I can discipline myself to bring food from home. There are loads of one-dish recipes out there. Just need the time, discipline and obviously the gadgets to do so. Haha.. another excuse for shopping? There goes my financial plans!

After the long wait...

As some might have guessed, I went for a second interview last Tuesday. And today I got a call from them asking me to collect my offer letter tomorrow and get myself a medical check-up. Obviously when I said I can start immediately it is acceptable that they wanted me to start next Monday. But given the thought of how am I suppose to leave my kids without some warning would give me terrible guilt feeling. I requested for one week delay.
So I'm head over heels about getting this job. Since I have yet to get back my pre-married size, I have to settle with the traditional Baju Kurung. Courtesy of my mom. I can do a monthly rotational with the ones she gave me. Not including the one I bought for raya. Hahaha...
I pray that my kids would be alright. And I have to start a new cycle for Hani. What was it, reverse cycling watchamacallit?
Gotta go.. Hani and Imran are having fun in the shower.. Geez, wonder how am I suppose to survive the hours without them screaming....

Mission 1/2 Accomplished...

hahaha... funny ain't it? How can I secure a half worked mission...

because I have to wait for the outcome within 2 weeks time.

Thanks to your prayers, (CT and MQ) I have recovered from the nasty cold. Hubby's sharing my antibiotics.. (kad insuran tak dapat lagi, sebab kena bayar dua orang je ambil ubat... huhu..).

Told ya!

See... I completely forgot to update. So here is my first post for the year 2009!

I'm down with a terrible cold, therefore I have to get a full bed rest today. Tomorrow I got a very important mission to accomplish.