A confession of a klutz

A klutz, I am. Just found out about the word in QOTH blog, and finally I have a word besides "being clumsy".

I tend to easily hurt myself, I mean I got small bruises all over. One on the waist from that corner of a table, one on elbow for trying not to fall off the stairs, some on thigh that I have no idea from where, even on the cheek after hitting a table (again) while getting up after picking up a pencil from the floor. The one on the cheek that I got while shooting during my ROTU days does not count, anyway;).

That's one of the reasons why I love being pregnant. I just blame it all on the hormonal change;).

But this happened when I'm not.



See, the ugly finger. I'm sure everyone knows we only get that if we slam it with something, for example....er, car door. Can't really think of anything else.

I realised that I slammed my finger, and it was stuck at the car door when trying to pull it with all my might, but it was still there. It took me a few seconds, a few seconds of disbelief that I actually slammed my own finger...before I felt the PAIN.

Off course I could just throw everything in my other arm/hand on the ground to release it. My handbag, my breastpump bag, the kids' bag, Bea1's school bag but not my BABY!!!

I hollered to hubby. He was unbuckling Bea2 at the other side, and it was the longest seconds in my life before he finally got to me. And that seconds became longer as amidst utter disbelief, hubby mumbled that people do get their fingers accidently 'terkepit' at car doors, if somebody else shut the door. Not slamming their own fingers of the same hand that close it.

I was finally released but no words to comfort me.

All I wanted to do right away was bury my face into the pillow, and cry and to be left alone.
But I need to unlock the padlock at the front grill, climb 4 full flight of stairs, unlock another padlock, and find the key to another keyhole before I even entered the apartment.
And cried my heart out, I did while doing all that with all the 'luggage' and Bea3 in my arms.

The pain is gone but the 'mark' is still there. At least till my nail grows a few more millimeters, and I don't know it is genetic or not my nail grows very slow.
Then I have this idea, the whole thing is not that bad. With it, I can actually estimate the rate of the nail growth.



You see that is a cross section of a stalagmite. The layers represent growth laminea. The records of how much rain, and the chemistry of it etc are stored there. Since people are able to date the layers, we can actually estimate its growth rate and study past climatic conditions and predict the future climate with it. And I'm talking about geological time here.

Anyway, the bummer is I can't remember exactly when I hurt my finger. I estimate it is about two months ago.

One of the reason sometimes I have a doubt if I really am fit to be a mother...in a hurry, I did knock the baby's head on the grill door once...bad mama:(.

Sup Bunjut

I guess a blogger can't claim she/he cooks until she/he blogs about it.
contentedmum asked me how I make Sup Bunjut, so I thought I'd just blog it. I know, I know a lot of people who are used to it can cook it with both eyes closed;).

It is one of our favourite food. One dish for the whole family, even if you have a baby who just gets started on solid. And making it is a breeze.




In the plate on top right, I have sliced shallots, garlic and ginger. The spices come in the 'bunjut', that can be easily found in the market.
The others are chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery, spring onions, parsley and a dash of lime juice.

Heat a bit of oil and saute everything in the plate till brown. Add water.

Do what is necessery to the chicken. I prefer to remove the skin, trim off fat and cut into smaller pieces. Cut potatoes, carrots, celery and chunk everything in the pot.

Let it boil on slow fire, and simmer. Then all you got to do is wait. I would normally get the baby to sleep, wash whatever in the sink, join the two girls doing the 'cooking' (For a way to save money on toys, read more here) while singing "mix and mix, mix and mix...." ala Colin in Playhouse's "Bite Size" or even give my man a good shave.

To feed a baby, scoop a ladle before adding salt. If it is too soon to introduce too many in one dish, just take carrot and the meat only, for example. Normally I add a little rice and mash with the back of a spoon. If the baby wants smoother texture, just use blender.



Sprinkle spring onions and parsley, and hubby loves his with some lime juice. We love having it with a baguette.

A wholesome nutritios home-cooked meal, made with some bonding moments with the kids. It won't take you more than 15 minutes in the kitchen, off course not including simmering and waiting-to-cool time.

There you have it, mama23beas' first food blog but the bummer is the pic on the kids' version of soup is in the camera. Can't get it downloaded yet.

If you were in my sister's shoes...

I have a story to share, and it is rare that you would not get story about my girls, it is about my big sister's.

The 2 eldest ones (she has 5 girls, and 1 boy) were about 11 and 10 years old, and they went to the same tuition class. The tuition center is about 15 km from their home, which is also near my parents place.

The routine was simple. Class finished at 5 pm, and it is either their parents picked them up, or the teacher sent them home.

But on that day, my sister decided that she wanted to go shopping and asked the girls to get the teacher to send them back. But, the girls somehow decided to wait for their mother, as they were just eager to know what she bought for them.

They just told the teacher that they would wait for their mom.

Thinking that the girls were ok with the teacher, my sister just went straight home.

After waiting for an hour, the girls decided to walk, hoping that their mother would see them if she drove on the road. By the way, 'kampung' girls got no handphone and it just happened that they just didn't have a 10 sen coin to make call from the public phone.

At home, my sister started to get worried. Search and calls to the father, teacher, babysitter's, my parents' place showed that something was not right.

She started to imagine the worst but tried to be calm and started to look for them. She drove back and forth from home to the tuition center, a few teacher had gathered there, she stopped everywhere that she thought the girls would be. It started to get dark, while others were trying all they could to locate the girls, my sister could not do anything but weep.

At 9 pm, she was back at home and while waiting for some news, she thought her world already was crushed, and she felt like she'd die (that's her words, ok!).

At 9.30 pm, she heard some noise at the front door, and the two girls could barely stand due to exhaustion, but apparently very angry with the mother.
It seems that, my sister had done everything that she could do to find them except for one thing: look at the roadside.

Amidst the tears of relief, my sister insisted over and over that she didn't see them.

Then came a small voice of her then 4-year-old from behind "Amy nampak!".

All the while, the little girl that my sister brought along during the search saw her big sisters, but maybe since she didn't understand what the fuss was all about chose to be quiet. Well, anyway, she is the quietest and the cutest, too!

According to the two girls, they waved like crazy everytime the car passed them. There is a friend's house on the other side of the road, but the girls insisted that the cars were all very fast and they just scared to cross it.

Asked why they didn't just ask for some money from some traders near the tuition center that they all know, the started to argue. The younger one said she wanted to do that but the other one insisted that she was just too embarrased.

Lessons learnt:
1. Don't underestimate a 4-year-old
2. Know your child well
3. Get them handphones...hehe

Actually, I was reminded of this story when hubby asked, what would I think in the same situation. To him, my sister was just worried about herself more than to really think of the possible actions taken by the girls. She was more worried on how she would do without the girls, rather than think about one possible thing: the girls would walk.

And hubby asked me how I had feel when we realised we had lost Bea1 in Ikea that day. I said I was pretty sure Bea1 was ok as she knows the place well.
Actually, she never can wait till we finish our meal and run towards to kids' section whenever she likes. That day, failing to find us, she returned to the cafe and being a smart girl, she wailed her lungs out. A staff brought her to the information counter and for the first time, mama23beas heard the announcement on a missing child meant for her own. Anyway, I was cool all the time, my insticnt told me she was ok and the good thing is she has learned her lesson.

Ops, didn't I mention that this post isn't about my girls;). Heh...long rambling post again!

A new toy, I got!

All this while I'm just happy to have a handphone merely for the convenience to make calls and sms, plus to know the time from the clock.

I admit that I'm not very interested on all the other exras that come with handphones today. I'm not easily lured into something just because everyone else is into it, American Idol or Akademi Fantasia for example;)...hehe, no offence for the fans of the two shows, ok;). Call me "katak bawah tempurung" but I'm not inclined to it!

My handphone was passed down from hubby about 41/2 years ago, and I think he had been using it at least 2 years before that. It has been giving me problems, particularly the battery that just would not get charged. I thought I just need to change it, the battery and not the phone!
The problem became more serious the last few days.

And 3 days ago, I had a miscommunication with hubby (who left his phone at home). While the train approaching the station where we supposed to meet (hubby's plan), me and the girls moving to the opposite direction, to his office.

After a long walk to look for a public phone that works, a huge mess that the girls made in his office while waiting, and 3 hours later, we were reunited!

A resolution needed to be made, he annouced. He said I must get a new phone. I insisted, I just need the battery and he needs to get one of those straps so that he would not forget his phone again!

And last night, I saw a Nokia paper bag on his table. Started to get excited. He brought it home and get a spanking new handphone's battery charged. But he was playing a game, he would not say anything unless I started it first.

I was about to explode when I asked"The new handphone, is it mine?"
He went "Huh?"
I almost pleaded "Let it be mine la...next week is my birthday, remember?"
"Oh, next week ka?...Ok lah (with a grin)"

I was floating in the air but trying to be cool and went about the chores as usual.

It is still far from the hi-end technology (I mean the 3G and whatnots) that people can get from a handphone nowadays, but according to hubby since he saw me loves snapping pics lately, he got one with a camera;).
And it puts me on the par with most of the students;).



And to show that he had enough of getting answered by my voicemail, he recorded his voice to be my ringtone. And it goes "Angkat talifon tu mama, angkat talifon tu (pick up the phone mama, pick it up)", it goes over and over. It would be a 'disaster' if it rings in meetings, conferences etc. I either must remember to put it in silence, or change the ringtone fast. I have not got the time to play around with my new toy yet;), but I just love it, love it, love it;). And it is merely because it is from him!

From an apartment into a home (part 1)

Since we signed up the S&P agreement of the purchase of the apartment 3 years ago, I've been dreaming on how I would make it into a comfortable home for us. That also mean a lot of flipping Ikea catalogues, and yes so far all 3 of them. The purchase was done just after hubby bought our current apartment. Since all my attention is more on the new apartment, only basic stuffs are in the one that we are living in now.

We are preparing to move now. And this is how one of the 3-year dreams went out the windows:

Me: Abe, think I'd found suitable pendant lamps for the dining table. Cheap only!
Hubby: What? Pendant lamps ...mana boleh. You see lah...the girls will climb up the table and the lamp, and swing like a tarzan. Then if we get boys in the future, they will climb higher to the ceiling
Me: Arghhhh...(so it won't really look like a Ikea showhouse!)

But I feel a lot better after reading a good piece from Friday's child.

For many years, if I were to have a dream house, it would be anything within not more than 5 km from my office/babysitter/schools. I just hope I won't dwell much on how small it is etc.

While lrong makes me all fuzzy wuzzy with his new neighbourhood and garden, think once we settle down in our new home, I will cherish the time that we have reading at home, instead being stuck in a traffic jam. Or the time that I have watching the girls cycling around the playground, instead being in the car (or worse if they catch me cursing at some stupid drivers;)).

And most importantly, I'm just grateful that we have a roof over our heads!
And the apartment will definitely be a home, and I also don't care if the girls turned the walls into yet another huge murals;)

Through the eye of a kid

I had taken some of the drawings on the walls of our apartment. They never fail to amuse me and I would try to get the meanings of some of them:


Bea1 said it is papa on the left and mama on the right.
I asked her where she was. She said she was still small and stayed in my tummy. Asked where Bea2 and Bea3, she gave me one look and said off course they are not around yet. She knows the sequence;)

I asked what was in between us. She grinned and said papa and mama are holding hands.
I wondered, as at home we rarely hold hands. If we get the chance, it is outside the house without the kids.
Asked hubby for his opinion. He just went "Ohhh...that's papa pinching mama's buttock". Looking at the expression on hubby's face (in the drawing), think that one is more likely the case.


This one shows mama on the left. I know, she initially wanted to fill my 'face' with some color but hubby cheekily said she was just angry with me and started to 'conteng' my face.

Both pics have the squarish object with a dot on the left, she pointed to the bedroom door when asked. That makes me wonder, she might be wondering what papa and mama are up to behind the closed door while letting her and Bea2 watch Playhouse Disney...;).



I forgot to ask her who this is, but I can see he/she has a huge mole on the left cheek!

Hubby would go "tsk, tsk, tsk" when seeing me busy looking for more drawings with a camera in my hand. But he actually has this as the background on the laptop, taken from my blog obviously.




Bea1 was delighted when she saw it the first time and recognised her artwork. She must be proud!
Another one is started to get under the art attack, and I'll get myself busier, snapping pics here and there.

The 4-things tag

February is done and so as a piece of writing that I'd been working on. Time to have a breather, maybe to finish off some of blogs that stay as drafts. Was surprised to see that I got tagged by Simon, well I'm honoured;) as like 5xmom once wrote tag=love...hehe!

Ok, better get this done first


4 jobs you’ve had in your life
1. Rubber (getah sekerap...whatever the call it) collector...I still can't get rid of that smell
2. Waitress in Swensen
3. Sale Assistant in a watch shop...I know how to change the batteries!
4. Secretary in a company owned by some British...cute boss and too bad I didn't pick up the accent! Made me want to go to UK
Ok, I'm not happy with 4, I have more
5. Floor staff in McDonald's in SS2,PJ and Bristol
6. A guest house kitchen helper, I got free room and breakfast for that.
7. An assistant in a car accessories shop.
Ok, better stop here.

4 movies you could watch over and over.
1. Shawshank Redemption...love it, love it, love it;)
2. Death Becomes Her...yes Simon, I watched it many times...love the part when Meryl Streep asks Bruce Willis to stop breathing!
3. English Patient
4. LOTR

4 TV shows you love(d) to watch
1. House
2. CSIs
3. Alias
4. Friends

4 places you’ve lived
1. Kelantan
2. PJ
3. Kelang
4. Cheras

4 places you’ve been on vacation to
1. South Korea
2. Western UK
3. Budapest
4. Some parts in Japan
And many parts in Malaysia, off course

4 places you would rather be
1. Gua Tempurung, before it is turned to some wild party spot by some undergrads (ok, joking only). Read more here and here.
2. Sicily, visiting a friend
3. In our new apartment with the family, still waiting for the cf *sigh*
4. Ikea, alone;)

4 of your favourite food
1. Pasta, cream-based
2. Pasta, tomato-based
3. Ice cream
4. Rice, esp. from mom and mom-in-law


4 websites you visit daily
1. thestar.com.my
2. mychevyclub
3. the U online library
4. mymomsbest


4 tagged
It would take me forever to choose that 4, so anyone feeling like doing it, just let me know;).