Moments in My Life

We went to Disneyland this past Sunday.  It was the first day after the long summer black out dates for our annual passes.  California Adventure had opened a new ride, called Toy Story Mania during the summer.  Alan was excited about this new ride and had wanted to take off Monday 8/18 to visit.  But that plan was cancelled because I had signed up a 2 weeks daily swimming class for me and Brandon which begins on 8/18.  It was perfect for us to go on Sunday anyway since we didn’t have other plan for it.

When we arrived at California Adventure at 10:40am, the line for this ride was only a little over 60 minutes long.  How did I know how long the wait is?  Because as each check point, they have a sign that says, “From here to ride - 60 minutes wait.”  We quickly joined the line to wait.  Want to continue or not, we’d decide later. 

I knew Brandon was not going to like to wait that long and do nothing.  He didn’t even know what ride it is.  But luckily, Alan went all the way to the front to check if we were on the right line.  He found many many ceiling fans above some of the waiting/queing huts. 

So while Bradon was enjoying the ceiling fans, we walked with the line.  It moved rather quickly.  I was also feeding Brandon his lunch.  It was 11am already.  Luckily, I had brought some char-siew cheung fun which I bought from a to-go Chinese dimsum place at Cerritos. 

When he was done with his lunch, we had just reached the half point, “From here to ride - 30 minutes wait.” Brandon didn’t really give us any hard time except he demanded for us to carry him most of the way during the last 30 minutes wait in the line.

This is a 4D ride and require to wear the 3D glasses. We took our glasses from the bin when we were almost on the ride. Brandon didn’t want to wear it. When it was our turn to ride, I told him to look around to see others wearing it. He then let me helped to put it on him. I personally love the ride. Not sure if Brandon really likes it. He was sitting by himself next to me. While Alan has to sit behind us.

The ride is based on the Toy Story 2 Adventure. The objective of the ride is to shoot and get as much point with the spring-action shooter.

Each moving platform has two cars on it. Each car will take 4 persons (2 facing forward/2 facing backward).

When we are inside the ride, there are screens with different animations (such as ‘Green Army Men Shoot Camp‘ and ‘Hamm & Eggs‘)and . We have to shoot the target points by pulling the spring shooter. In the beginning, I was pulling rather slowly. Then I tried pulling it none stop and the darts continuingly coming out and it was like a ‘machine-gun‘. It kinda tired out my arm at the end of the ride. Sometimes when my dart popped a balloon, air (sometimes water) would squirt to my face. That’s 4D experience. If I remember correctly, there were 5 different animations. I was too busy attending to Brandon, using my left hand to play his shooter while my right hand on my own. We like the ride and will go back again next time if the line isn’t that long.

At the end of the ride, Brandon scored 8300 while Mommy got like 136000. May be if Brandon is not next to me, I will be able to get higher score. That’ll be next time.

Alan’s cousin invited us to attend her son’s 6th birthday party at her home. The party started from 12pm to 4pm. Brandon napped from 12:30pm to about 1:15pm and we immediately went over after he woke up. We were late. Got there around 1:45pm.

By the time we arrived, they already sang the birthday song and were cutting the cake already. I went to look for the birthday boy, Jason, whom was playing with his new Lego toys inside the room to wish him, ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’. Then I asked him where I should leave my gift, he pointed to the dining table where the other gifts and greeting cards were left.

Brandon already ate his lunch before he napped. So I wasn’t worry much about getting him fed. It was just me and Alan that were trying to grab things to eat as we were pretty hungry. Brandon saw a bag of tortilla chips and he kept pointing to the bag and said, “Cheep. Cheep. Cheep.” It was funny the way he said it. I took a few pieces out and broke it in smaller pieces. Put them on a paper plate and let him feed himself. But it was quite windy, and twice the wind blew away the paper plate and spread the crumbs around the ground. We weight it down with a soda can.

Bryce, the birthday boy’s younger brohter, joined us afterward after he woke up from his nap. He and Brandon were born same year but Bryce is 7 months younger.

Here are pictures of Brandon and Bryce eating ‘Cheep‘.

Brandon was in a nice mood that afternoon and was kind enough to share his plate of ‘Cheep‘ with Bryce. We had to place the plate in front of Bryce for his convenient.

Playing Bubbles.

The other older kids were playing water slide on the backyard and some were inside the house playing other toys/watching tv.

We had such a nice time staying over at PNB Darby Park Executive Suites that we may return again if we ever go back to KL. We booked a 2 bedrooms apartment suite on their executive floor with view of the KLCC for RM650/night. Included in this price was breakfast buffet for 4 people at their 39th Restaurant on the 39th floor.

The check in office for executive floors was on the 32nd floor. We took the elevator straight up to the 32nd to check in. Upon check in, I was requested to put down RM100 as deposit for incidental damages. It was around 3pm but our room was not ready so we were given an upgrade to the 35th floor which I was glad. Actually, my booking was for an apartment on the 23rd to 31st. Our room number #3512, a corner unit facing the KLCC.

I had a very nice feeling entering the apartment. It looks elegant. There are 2 bedrooms with bathrooms attached. There is a powder room by the main entrance, a working kitchen with all utensils, a dining area with seating for six, a nice size living room with TV and DVD player and locked balconies. I like the open layout of this apartment.

Here is the living room. My brother was taking a break there to watch TV. They even have a DVD and Karaoke players.

The dining room that opens to the living room.

My father and brother slept in this 2nd bedroom with two single beds. This room has the view of the KLCC from the huge window.

My sister and I (and our kids) slept in this Master bedroom on the king size bed.

The master bedroom has a master bath that is attached. The bathroom has a shower as well as a bath tub. Too bad, the bath tub doesn’t have a shower curtain. The management should think about getting unique shower curtains that have a nice KLCC view on it. With out this curtain, the water will splashes out easily wetting the floor. We don’t like the bathroom floor to be wet so we didn’t use the tub. This bathroom should also have two sinks but they only have one.

We are trying to save up more money for a down payment of a new home. I think my husband and I probably need to sit down one night (after son sleeps) and put our financial planning together to see how much we have now and how long more to go before we have enough down payment for the new place.

Lucky for us, we are able to manage our own finances and we owe nothing except the mortgage. I know some other people whom don’t even know what is saving up for the rainy days. Someone I know spends as much as he earns. Even he was making a lot of money, he doesn’t know where his money goes. He almost busted all his credit cards and now he only manage to pay the monthly minimum. He doesn’t own a home which is sad but he can’t afford it. I think the best way is for him to have Debt Relief Help from some place like Freedom Debt Relief.

Freedom Debt Relief offers a 10 free minutes of consultation at their toll free number. After the consultation, if you feel they are the company that you can work with to help with your situation, you should sign up and let them assist you with the financial debt problem. With them working with you, you can be out of debt within 12-36 months. They also can help to lower what you owe by as much as 50%. I am thinking to recommend this place to my friend and I do hope he will get things work out or else, one day he may need to file for bankruptcy which I hate to say.

Logo credit: Copyright © freedomdebtrelief.com

There are so many costumes and we have yet to decide what we should dress Brandon up as this year for Halloween. The first year, we got him a caterpillar and last year, we dressed him as an octopus - very cute! We usually go out for trick or treat at this specific area in South Torrance. The homes are usually decorated very nice for Halloween. I am almost a witch all the time. I have the witch hat, a orange color broom, and a dark piece of fabric which I cut here and there to make it look like an old witch rag. Hubby always in his regular cloth, may be this year we will be able to get him to dress up as someone or something.

This past trip was the first Brandon met his tong-tong.  Amazingly, he was quite attached to him considering it was the first time they met.  He always wanted to take picture with his tong-tong. You see, he even smiled for the camera with my father in it. I can hardly take a picture of him smiling with me in it ok?

My father arrived on 7/3 and we saw him everyday till we left KL. We also spent a full day together when we went to stay at the service apartment next to KLCC. It was a fun day to see how the kids (Brandon and Ethan) interact with their grandfather.

My son is very playful around tong-tong but rarely listen to him when my dad said NO or DON’T do this/that. Well, my son listens to nobody. He will only listen to ME or stop his mischief when I get angry/upset at him.

This is a picture of Brandon and his favorite grand aunty. The above picture was taken at Pasta Zenmai at One Utama. We were waiting for our food and Brandon was playing with the chopsticks and pepper/salt mill. I like this picture.

Unexpectedly, he was easily aquainted with my aunt immediately after we arrived. May be he recognized her from our previous trip. I was not sure. My son is not an easy person to deal with. I was able to go out twice by myself alone. Thanks to my aunt.  Once I went for facial at Lancome Parkson and once for haircut. I left for my errands immediately after my son took his afternoon nap. And my aunt took over to care for him (and Ethan) when he woke up. The first time I left him, my aunt was able to calm him down only after she they took him out for a car ride. From my understanding, he had woke up crying and looking for me. They weren’t able to calm him down with fans, tv, books, toys … but the car ride solved the problem. Second time was much easier. He woke up not crying and was playing with Ethan when I came back from my hair cut.

When we return to LA, my son woke up in the middle of the nite asking for, tam-poh (kam-poh). I think he misses her quite a bit. Well … tam-poh, you better come visit us quickly! Someone here can’t wait to see you again.

Two years ago, my father sold our condo and we moved all the furniture and things to his wife’s home in Prima 16. I was in Los Angeles and wasn’t able to help with that move at all. My father helped to pack the things that were in me and my sister room in boxes and moved over. My brother was there so he was able to help with the moving.

Now his wife sold her home in Prima 16 and we had to move again. This time, we were going to move the furniture to my sister’s condominium at Damansara Perdana. She has a three bedroom condo that is currently vacant so my father thought it would be a good idea to move all the furniture over so she can rent the condo as furnished. He had looked for many home moving companies and fortunately able to find one with full service on last minute notice.

If I ever needed to move, I will definitely check around at Moving Companies Online for best quote on the service. I am not sure if we need to hire a full service mover or DIY, but I can find quotes for both at Moving Companies Online. The moving companies that they work with are licensed, bonded and insured. Besides moving companies, you can also find quotes for storage, auto transport or truck rentals. So you can find all services you need for moving at one place.

My brother has planned to visit and work in Europe after his graduation. He had wanted to apply for any accounting position that was offered online through, AIESEC, the world’s largest student organization, as a student transfer to UK. However, there was a technical problem with his online application and his information and resume were available online for the prospective employers to view. Therefore, his plan was in a halt for a few months. And in early April, he decided to come here for a visit while waiting for any response from AEISEC regarding the technical problem that they have been working to fix.

Although his plan didn’t work out as he wanted, I think one day, he still can visit UK as a vacation by himself or with his friends. I am guessing he may want to stop by the city of Manchester, since he is a big soccer fan. Since it will be the first time he is visiting, I think I will recommend him the Manchester Directory where he will be able to find information and reviews on restaurants, shops, car rentals, entertainments and more. With this directory, he can make his own itinerary prior to his trip.  He can make reservations or buy tickets to any event earlier even before he gets there.  I think there is one place that he as a soccer fan must visit while in Manchester - the soccer stadium.

We had a family gathering on June 7th at my aunt’s house in TTDI. It was a grand event for us as it was a very long time ago we had such an event. We didn’t get to have everyone to be in the picture as some of our cousins couldn’t make it on that day. But it is one of the most complete family portraits we have.

Initially, I’ve suggested that each family coordinates a different color top, but that suggestion didn’t get to everyone. It is difficult to get an agreement when you have a big group of people that doesn’t participate in group thread/email.  At the end, only my family (at least we tried) to wear WHITE color top with jeans. May be next time we can have custom t-shirts for each of us and it make the family portrait looks even better.

Here is the picture of our Kee Family: My sister and Ethan, my brother Joo Yee, Me and Brandon.