My Favourite Month of all... Ramadhan

Dear Friends & Family,
Selamat berpuasa & beribadah. May Allah accept our fasting, forgive our sins, and guide us all to the Straight Path. May Allah bless us all during Ramadan, and throughout the year, with His forgiveness, mercy, and peace, and bring us all closer to Him and to each other.

I'm always looking forward for Ramadhan. A month where my soul finds peace, sincerity and serenity..yes, the word is serene..calmness.

My Sya'ban this year was pretty trying, so i hope my Ramadhan will bring all the barakah to our family, Insya Allah.

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So, what did you have for Sahur today? We had a simple meal, white rice+sambal ayam+Coffee+Orange Juice+Dates. But most importantly, my sahur was spent with my most important person in my life. My love, hubby & Lana (tho she was still sleeping)...
Hahahahaha sorry..saya syahdu, jiwang karat di petang Ramadhan ;-)

Anakku 'MALU' untuk bersalaman..HELP!

I think the word MALU is totally inaccurate. She's not 'malu' all the time, sometimes she makes excuses sampai dipaksa utk salam & cium tangan sedara mara.. haisyyyy.. malu mak!

She's almost 5 now, and this salam & cium tangan issue is still worrying..

Can anybody share how did you cope with this ? How to pujuk? We've talked to her & tried so many ways to pujuk.. ada improvement sket la, but I'm still wondering what went wrong & what we haven't done to encourage her??

and...please don't give me these: "alaahhh biarlahh kecik lagi, nanti pandailah dia, jangan paksa..." .............no thank you. I've heard soo much ;-)

Fruit Day & Dinner for this Week

Tuesday is Fruit Day for Lana's Group (Red Group) at school. We've missed a few weeks(MY BAD!) but finally this week we're back on track again..

Our 'theme' for d fruit day this week is Buah-buahan Tempatan..hehehe supplied by Atok of course.

So, this is what she had packed in her school basket today ....

'Orambutans'..... (her version of rambutan)

.......... and Our Dinner Menu for this Week:

Monday (2/8/2010):

• Ayamas Crispy Fried Chicken+ Potato Fries+ Garden Salad+ Corn on Cob

Tuesday (3/8/2010):

• Fish Curry (Pomfret)+ Rice+ Sambal Tempoyak+ Stir Fried Vege

Wednesday (4/8/2010):

• Burger+ Cheese+ Egg Salad

Thursday (5/8/2010):

• Sambal Udang+ Omellete+ Udang Goreng (Lana's)

Friday (6/8/2010):

• Pasta Nite!

.............................. Have a Great Week Peeps! ........................................

"You're late again mommy ..."

L had been asking me to fetch her from CH since last week.
(She goes to CH-Children House: 8.30-3.30pm, PH-Playhouse:3.30 onwards)

I don't dare to promise her anything as my daily work schedule is really unpredictable though I normally had it arranged at least 2 days earlier.

Wednesday morning:
L: mommy.. can you fetch me cepat2 today? all my friends go back early, Iman,Amina, blablabla.. their mommy fetch them at CH..their mommy only works 'a short while' (hhaisyyy!)
MJ: (sedihh + guilty!) InsyaAllah.. I'll come early if I have no meetings okay?
L: you'll fetch me at CH?
MJ: no. i'll fetch u at PH.. i'll try to be there before 6.30pm... I promise!
L: hmmm.. but y? y not CH?
MJ: Lana...I have to finish my work today & can only leave after 5pm..okay tak?
L: hmmm okaylahhhhh
MJ: (hmmm..pujukkk!) I think I won't be busy tomorrow.. I promiseeee to fetch you early tomorrow..okay tak?tomorrow, Thursday! So, today I'll come by 6.30 k?
L: yeayyyy!! thank u mommy!.... (her face glowsss..i'm really touched ... huhuhuh)

................................. I arrived PH around 6.45pm that day (i knowww, 15mins late!i hate PJ's traffic!huhuhu) .............................

MJ: Hi baby!
L: mommy...you're late!!! u said u wanna come early...this is not early
MJ: I'm sorry..I've tried.. I'll make it up with you tomorrow k?remember my promise this morning?
L: mmmkayyyyy .... (her favourite 'okay' version when tak puas hati)

Thursday morning:
MJ: I'll fetch you at CH today okay??
L: yeayyy..
............................... 6 hours later ...................................

Client: We'll be having a 'quick' confcall at 5pm..We need to finalize the thing by tonite.
MJ: Dangggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.............................. 9.45pm ..............................

MJ: Hi Lana, sorry I'm late..huhuhu did you had fun with Uncle Dot & Baby Ariq?
L: Okayylahhh...But mommy, You're late again (muncunngggggg!!)
MJ: I'm sorry..i have to work..Baba was also in meeting.. but you gets to play with baby Ariq! kan best? that's why i asked Uncle Dot to fetch u..so, what did you play with Ariq?
L: i dont know .... (merajukkk!)

............................ huhuhuhuhu! I can hardly keep any promises with my daughter! I should think of an option urgently. I wanna spend 10 hours a day with her! Not 4-5 hours only! ....................

Danger Alert! Swimming Pool & Chlorin

Yaikss! This article really freaks me out! So, should I just enjoy our swimming pool's view just from 19th floor then? .... how bad is my family's health as we've been swimming 'jakunly' since we've moved to CT?.... P.A.R.A.N.O.I.D!!!!

Article by D.P Noe via http://www.helium.com/

If you have children that are swimming in chlorinated pools, this can increase the risk of having asthma attack. Chlorine is also a substance that irritates the skin and even causes burns with direct exposure. Chlorine burns your eyes and your throat. Children have very sensitive skin and it is a wise decision for any parent to make sure their children are not swimming or playing in any pools with chlorine.

There is a another interesting point for you to consider. Water evaporates, as water evaporates in the swimming pool the chlorine evaporates right along with it. This releases chlorine into its gaseous state into the environment. So another danger is the parent sitting at the side of the pool being exposed to the gaseous vapors of chlorine. The non swimming group at the side of the pool can have high level of trichloramines in their blood. Trichloramines are released when the chlorine water in the swimming pool reacts to organic materials such as sweat or urine. Trichloramine is suspected to cause the destruction of cells that surrounds your lungs and increases your cancer risk. This is a cause for concern because just because you are a non smoker and believe you are living a healthy life style, you have just increased your risk for lung cancer and you where not even aware of it.

Exposure to chlorine in tn a swimming as a long list of other risk factors:

* Exposure can cause atherosclerosis,
increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke

* Buying all those expensive moisturizes to keep your skin young will not stop the skin to age more quickly form exposure to chlorine in a swimming pool.

* It increases the risk of developing skin problems such as eczema or psoriasis

* Chlorine exposure will cause the build up of dioxins that stay permanently in the human body and are known to be cancer causing .Dioxins accumulate in the fatty tissue of the human body.

* There is a link about chlorine causing infertility and birth defects.

Would you purposely walk into a room that was full of dynamite and about to explode? This is what you are doing if you expose yourself to chlorine in swimming pools. Would your purposely take a pill that causes you to age quickly? Everyone is trying to stay young, but it is known that chlorine exposure advances the aging process.

The best advice is to avoid chlorinated swimming pool .If you have a swimming pool, make sure you use natural products that do not contain chlorine.. Also go beyond just the swimming pool and use water filters in sinks and showers and bath tubs. Water filters will protect you against the harmful effects of being exposed to chlorine. Installing a water purification system in your home will help to eliminate dangerous chemicals such as chlorine before you cook, drink or clean with water. The bottom line stay away from and eliminate chlorine in your environment..

Blog War!!!

Came across a Blazing Blog War this morning! Between a pair of successful (to my eyes) mommy bloggers. It looks pretty dirrtyyy now & it has gone legal!

All I can say is........... Wowwwwwww! Takut seyyhhhhh...

But come to think of it, sometimes we tend to forget that such thing might happen if we're being very loud & sarcastic towards others, ait?

Hohoho..Hope it won't happen to me.. the last thing I want is to expect people to take sides due to my actions..

Nauzubillah...

L & Birthday Parties ...

L goes here http://www.smallwonder.com.my/. Half of her life now is all about the House, the lovely teachers & dear friends. To date, there is nothing in the House that I can call it as a flaw.. an honest & sincere testimonial from me. *wink*wink*

One of the best part of being in SWCH is your child gets to attend ALL birthday parties held at the House. Parties are attended by everyone in the House.. so, imagine, 11 months = X Birthday Parties! Weeeeeeee!
Owh, not to forget that L is at the House during both sessions.. AM & PM .. You do the Math ;-)
I have nothing against this.. In fact, I'm really happy that she has the chance to experience various styles of birthday celebrations.

Since she's been attending birthday parties a few times every month, plus some more parties of her other circle of friends, she basically has some 'ideas' of how her 5th birthday party will be. Well, the plan changes each time after she attended the latest one, but still... dah pandai 'plan' pulak cik kak tu.. haisyyyy.. Not to mention her 'party pack plan' ;-P

So, such cita2 of hers has pushed me to scribble a few sentences... below.
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Mommy is really impressed with your plans, ideas & bday wishes thingy, dear. But, deep down inside, mommy is pretty worried if you can't control your desire of wanting something beyond our means. Mommy has to have a 'plan' for this.. to educate you, to mould you & to make sure that you know that like it or not, "We Must Live Within Our Means" ......
To Mommy J's lovely daughter, Wan Lana Zahra, mommy will try her best to bring out only the good things in you, InsyaAllah. Wanita Solehah, InsyaAllah...
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So, that's it! Fuuuhhhhh..lega! But, we both know.. It is easier said than done! Doakan saya peeps!


p/s:
talking about Party Packs, nak kena pack many sets of stationaries (hasil tangkapan from all party packs) & send them away to L's cousins.. sharing is caring ;-)

If you prefer personalized dresses...

Some of us prefer personalized girls dresses, tops or even skirts for your girls. Well if you are still browsing around, drop by to http://girl-charms.blogspot.com/ , owned by my dear friend, Shikin.

Shikin started designing & sewing for her girls since 2-3 years back (if I'm not mistaken) when she only has 2 girls (she has 3 now..). Since it's not cheap to get a 'lovely' dress from the store, she started designing & making some dresses for the girls, Arisha & Ariana. With some sewing experiences in helping & learning from her mom who was once a seamstress, she successfully created a collection of dresses for her girls which leads to this mini online biz.(i bet it is no longer mini now..)

Girl Charms had also been featured in our local newspaper, covering its products & services. As for Lana, she has quite a collection of GC's dresses.. which she wears them as her school 'uniform'..

p/s: did i tell you that Shikin is working full time? amazing huh? m proud of you babe!

*** Photos courtesy of http://www.eyesofgrace.net/ . Another talented dear friend. A passionate children's 'shooter' she is.. (she'll be featured on my next Business Review)

Richard Gere, Miracle Water & Botox...

As my 33rd birthday creeps ever closer (I’m a January baby!), I am becoming more and more paranoid about looking old. I have THIRTY gray hairs that keep coming back in a patch on my head, regardless of how many times I pluck and merayu never to return. As ridiculously curly, frizzy and puffy as my hair tends to get, I’ll have no choice but to color out the grays to avoid looking like Richard Gere no matter how ‘yummy’ he is!. In my case, I use Henna.

I have also recently resorted to applying facial essence during both the day and night to my aging face. (I have visible laugh line. Do u have?) Although I am not yet completely overwhelmed with worry about wrinkles, if I dwell on it long enough, I begin to feel a bit anxious.
So based on a magazine review, a testimonial from my dear friend, and the company’s own commercial, I purchased the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence- A Miracle Water.

Sounds serious, right? Well my pocket won’t allow me to purchase the whole kit, so I use a cheap brand of facial wash (it’s washable, so what’s the point of splurging if your skin suits the cheaper one?) as well as the toner, moisturizer & a year old Clarins Eye Cream.

So does it work? All I can say is that it has not caused me any breakouts. So far so good, the pigmentation are still a bit visible but some say my skin looks fairer & glowing (hahaha!don’t puke!). In retrospect, I should have snapped a ‘before & after’ photo of my face when I was starting this regime so I had a point of reference in a few more weeks. (konon!haha!)

As it stands now, I’ll happily take suggestions for other facial products, Botox testimonials, as well as plastic surgeon referrals. Vitamin C or Collagen injection..whatever! ………Or NOT? NO lahhh! Just kidding.. Astaghfirullah..

Anyhow, I’m glad & bersyukur to be given a chance to live the life that I have now..and most of all, I’m healthy. Alhamdulillah… Healthy MJ makes a healthy & happy family! (Wahhh…boleh buat slogan!)

Les Petit Chef by Les Enfants Family

2 of my mommy frens (aka FP fren/FB fren) just opened a kindi recently, Les Enfants Kindi located in Cahaya SPK, Shah Alam. They are both parents and based on their personal experiences, I can see they've lined up some pretty good activities for the kids.

I personally admire these two ladies. One of them is a lawyer/partner by profession & a mom of 3. The other one is a teacher.. in fact a veryyy creative teacher! She owns: http://www.chomelcraft.com/ .. she makes & sells cute accessories for lil girls, eg:hairclips & etc.

***Hmmm talking abt talented friends, I'll make another entry about another 3 friends of mine. They are my dearly beloved friends since in the 80s and have been doing pretty well in their own expertise! Really proud of them!

Opening my own montessori has always been my little secret wish for the past one year, taking Pn Jelita the owner of Lana's school (http://www.smallwonder.com.my) as my personal role model.. But, bak kata orang, belum ada rezeki lagi..hmmm..InsyaAllah.

Back to the topic, Les Enfants will be hosting a fun cooking class for you & your child!

by Azza:

Cooking activities are a great way for kids to express themselves and
enjoy their creations. Therefore, Parents register your kids now at our
classes!! (places are limited to 8 les petit chef per class). Mommy (or
even daddy) can join in classes that we provide for u and your kid!!
Cooking together is a great way to have fun and share some productive
time and experience with your kids. Fee for mommy and kid class are ONLY
RM100! join us for some cooking fun! So peeps! don't miss the fun & book your seats now!

Let's Read this ...

Have anyone read this? I haven't! Can't wait to grab a copy of it anytime soon.

"When it comes to giving advice on divorce issues and impounded pets, 13-year-old Theodore Boone is first choice with his teachers and classmates. Theo knows more about the law than most lawyers.

But he also knows he has no business getting involved in his home town's first murder trial in years.

That is, until a witness tells Theo he saw things the day of the murder that could bust the case wide open. The only problem is, he's too scared to talk – Theo is the only person he'll trust.

With the trial about to be lost for lack of evidence, and a witness who won't take the stand, suddenly Theo finds himself caught in the middle of his – and the town's – biggest case ever . . ."

and.......... for a light reading... (well, actually I'm more excited to read this piece!)
.... Pre-Order segeraaa!!!

What do you do to occupy your kids in a traffic jam?

We live 10mins (minus the traffic jam) away from L's school. Unfortunately, our routes include some regular traffic jam spots; Trpc-NKVE-SJ & SJ-KJ-LDP-Trpc. Therefore, traffic jams are no alien to us!

To prepare in case if we're stucked in jam, this is what we normally have & do in the car:

The Survival Kit:

- Oreo (a quick bfast too!)

- Drinking Water

- Bahulu (kuih fav L ni!)

- Some books/activity kit

- Cushion

- Make Up bag (Mine!)

******* can you imagine how messy my car could be? Well, you might find baby roaches if you're lucky!

Favourite Activities: (besides regular daily school updates)

- Role Play... most popular: 1) cikgu garang & murid ketakutan, 2) doctor & nurse

- Berebut radio channel

- Berebut Songs Playlist

- Zzzzzzz

Soo? how about you?

This Week's Dinner Menu!

Monday: (Daddy J hats the Chef's hat - alang2 he's at home, on MC!)
Ayam Masak Lomak (+Potatoes+Tomatoes) & Rice
Boiled Eggs + Salad

Tuesday:
Hot Plate Yee Mee + Chicken + Vege
***** my version of hotplate = wok

Wednesday:
Lempeng + Chicken Curry (+Potatoes+Tomatoes) + Sambal Goreng 'Datin Azizah' (for Mommy & Daddy J)
**** or if tak sempat, Chicken Curry brand Original Kayu Nasi Kandar... hehehehe

Thursday:
Chicken Chop + Creamy Mashed Potatoes + Steamed Vege

Friday:
Bihun Soup (Chicken Soup) + Sambal Kicap 'Datin Azizah'

Lana on Astro Arena 801..

(mommy sgt excited!siapa tak suka anak masuk TV kan??Live tele-cast lagi!)

It was on last Saturday, 17July2010. She was there to usher some national squash players to d court for their final matches. The tourny is called TC Malaysian Nationals 2010 premiering Datuk Nicole Anne David, Ong Beng Hee, Azlan Iskandar to name a few..(errr in fact i only know those three, not really familiar with Squash tingy haisyyy..).

Thanks to a mommy fren, Kisha for the invite (via L's school, SWCH). Besides her, there were also her frens: Shael(Kisha's son), Festes, Elizabeth & Lana's cousin ChaCha as her partner.

L & Cha2 walked twice for the show: Veteran & 2nd Division finals.

I havent managed to catch up the show in Astro just yet..they said it'll be repeated for 2-3weeks..

Looks like Astro Arena 801 wil b my new fav! ;-D

Deworm

MJ : Lana, yr tummy is buncit la. I think we need to get you dewormed

L : What's deworm?

MJ : Deworm is blablablabla..

L : Why I have worm in my tummy. ewww ewww ewww! i told u to buy vitagen not nutrigen.. (muka cuak nak nangis dah ni!)

MJ : Vitagen/Nutrigen/Yakult are all the same Lana..they fight the bad bacteria, remember the tv advert?

L : owh ok..then how? i have to go to hospital? doctor wil cut me? (dah start nangis)

MJ : Nope..we only need to buy a chocolate flavoured deworm syrup. u've tasted it last year..sedap kan? (hahaha..yer ker sedap?)

L : Ok mommy. but i think u should drink the chocolate medicine too. your tummy is big.u have worms like me

MJ : uh!okay Lana (buat muka suka walau rasa seperti ditampar!)



On the background , Daddy J is LOL! hoh!

It wasn't me! Blame the Gas...

We've just moved to our new abode a few weeks back. Since it's only minutes from my workplace (minus the traffic jam of course) plus taking into account of Lana's(& us!) lack of healthy weeknites dinner, I set a resolution to try serving my family wit healthy homecooked food. (oh My! I can't remember when was the last time...LOL!)

I know it's not easy (especially for me!), but Alhamdulillah, I've managed to fulfill the goal for the first two days!woohoo!

Back to the topic.... while I was 'busy cooking' on the 3rd nite (thanks to Pacific West! i know! it's not catagorized as Healthy..i know! it's deep fried! hehehe), the gas went dead! HOH!

Tried to call a few suppliers but none of them can deliver after 7pm. Haisyyyyyy... to cut it short, Homst TTDI, Original Kayu & my aunt in Ampang had been serving our dinner since!

Told ya! It wasn't me! It's the LPG!

L's Monthly Fever = Tonsillitis

We've been consulted by 3 doctors (2 paed, 1 gp).. all of them diagnosed L's frequent high fever was caused by Tonsillities. And yes, has to face a minor surgery to remove it. The procedure is called, Tonsillectomy.

From www.kidshealth.org

"Enlarged Tonsils without any symptoms are common among kids. Doctors might recommend surgical removal of the tonsils, called Tonsillectomy if he/she has the following:

1) persistent or recurrent tonsillitis or strep infections

2) swollen tonsils that make it hard to breath during sleep

3) sleep difficulty that might affect the child's daily activity

4) snoring and obstructive sleep apnea

5) frequent high fever with or without any of the above's symptoms

Procedure: Child will be on GA, procedure takes 20-30mins. The surgeon can get to the tonsils thru your child's open mouth, no cutting needed!

It is advisable for the child to go thru this surgery to prevent the fatal high fever (frequent). "

So, there you go! looks like another family member will enter the OT door again! Do pray for her health peeps..thanks ;-)

Salam! Olla! Hallu!

Back to Blogging 'business' again! i used to blog here http://raisinglanazharif.blogspot.com. But stalled....and stopped after our Allahyarham Umar passed away (due to Biliary Atresia, @14months).

Been trying to live our life to the fullest after the tragedy (and Alhamdulillah, we did!). So, here I am again.. scribbling every bits, sharing things that i know or i just knew. May this blog's link will be my children's favourite (or not?) sometime in the future...


Regards,
Mommy J