Moments in My Life

My husband loves mushrooms. I love to make this dish as a side dish to go with steak. Hopefully you will like it too.

Ingredients: Mushrooms (1 pound), 1 tbl butter, 1 tbl extra virgin olive oil, 4-5 cloves garlic minced, 1 tbl freshly chopped parsley, salt to taste.

1. A quick rinse of mushroom and wipe it dry with paper towel. Halve/quarter each mushroom.

2. Heat pan, melt butter and add olive oil.

3. Add mushrooms and sauté.

4. Add minced garlic and continue sauté-ing.

5. Close lid for 3-5 minutes.

6. Add chopped parsley and mix in with mushrooms.

7. Add salt to taste. (I used sea salt)

8. Continue cooking until desire tenderness of mushrooms.

Backdated post

Brandon took his nap around 2pm this afternoon.  It was a little easier but still I needed to give him several warnings about closing the door.  That helped.  After he napped, I quickly vacuumed the floor and mopped it.  I saw ants coming out from the wall scavenging around for food/water.  But they are not at somewhere … one here and one there, no trails.  It was annoying.  That’s why I cleaned up the floor. 

It was around 2:35pm when I was done.   I washed my hands with soap and then pull the furniture back to where they supposed to be.  And then I was about to look for food to eat and the boy woke up.  I thought he might go back to sleep after I brought him to potty but no.  He cried and wanted me to be with him but I on the other hand was looking for food to eat as I was hungry by then.  I didn’t care, I let him cried and ate a breadstick with some potato wedges from our lunch.  I had a small salad earlier around 11:30am when we were out this morning.  I wasn’t able to eat much because of the little boss. 

I am tired … I didn’t have much of a break.  I had wanted to watch some tvb series while eating but that was not possible at all.  Now he is watching tv and I am typing this.

I am so bored with the 3 ringtones that came with my Sony Ericssons cellphone. I need some Rap Ringtones to spice up a little bit. It is easy to do it at Rap Music Ringtones website. You choose the songs you want, enter your cellphone number and they will send to your cellphone the ringtones you’ve chosen. This is a simple and easy way to download free ringtones.

Remember in the middle of last week I wrote out the 9:30pm bedtime?  I was following a schedule for the whole week.  We have to sacrifice and have our dinner at 5pm.  By the time my son finishes his, it will be around 5:30pm.  Sometimes I started feeding his dinner before 5pm.  That means I started cooking around 4:20pm.  People in KL are just starting to have tea time and we here are having dinner.  But it all works out great!

1. Feed dinner at 5pm.
2. Some type of activity 6-7pm. (visit MIL’s house, walking around the block, park)
3. Bath time 7-730pm.
4. Mommy own time 7:30pm-8pm. 
5. Daddy play time with Brandon 7:30-8:15pm.
6. Mommy bath time 8pm.
7. Warming milk 8:15pm.
8. Milk time 8:30pm.
9. Mommy reading time 8:35-8:45pm.
10. Getting ready to sleep 8:45-9pm.

This schedule works for me now.  I will stick to this one.  So no going out later than 7pm for us anymore.  We have to be home by 7:15pm the latest. 

So now he sleeps early, it also means he wakes up early in the morning.  At 7am he will be up.  Before, he would sleep till raound 8-9pm.  I will have some morning time to myself.  Now I have the night time to myself for about 2 hours.  Same same. 

Almost forgot to note, by end of the week, I ended up sleeping (teman) with him in his room.  So no more running otut the room, screaming or crying session.  Being inside the room helps much more than the initial plan of staying outside the room.  He slept faster, no more crying and for me, it saved my energy meter.  Both happy.

Happy 8.8.08 everyone.  Feeling extra lucky today?  Anything special happened?  Win any lottery or 4 digit (Empat ekor)? 

For us, it was just another ordinary Friday.  With the exception that we got to watch the Olympic on NBC channel.  Towards the end of the broadcast of the Beijing Olympic 2008, we had a short conversation.

Daddy: Wah today 8.8.08, sure a lot of people getting married.

Mommy: Yalar, very superstitious mar … fatt fatt fatt, especially for Chinese people.

Daddy: I bet a lot of people want to have their baby born today. May be get induced so the baby come today.

Mommy: Induced also doesn’t mean can arrive today, sometimes it takes very long even after induction.

Daddy: What would you name our baby if born today?

Mommy: Hmm … Wong Fatt … Ehh … better still … Wong Ling Fatt! (Ling Fatt = zero eight = 08)

Mommy: Reminds me of ‘Ling Ling Fatt’, the special agent Stephen Chow.

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 went out with another mommy and her boy to La Romeria Park this morning.  They were already there when we arrived at 9:50am.  We stayed till 11am.  I can see my son is start learning to play with another person.  Brandon loves others to chase after him.  He was trying to get Colin to chase him but Colin preferred to play with the other older kids at the playground. 

Brandon was on the slide, climbing the stairs … he is not a swing person.  He has shown no interested in it at all.  I tried to get him sitting on one, but his legs was pushing hard not to get inside.  I am guessing he didn’t like the ‘roller coaster’ feeling when the swing comes down. 

We played at the playground a little while and then went to the grassy field to run.  Brandon was running all the way.  I have to bring him here more often and let the running and playing tired him out for a good afternoon nap. 

We came home around 11:25pm.  Fed him his lunch.  I made fish porridge prior to the park outing this morning so I didnt’t have to prepare the lunch when we got home.  I just need to feed him.  He likes the porridge and finished two plates fast. 

It was at 12pm when I called MIL to come over but she has a guest.  It is now 12:30pm.  I will probably give him a bath at 1pm and let him nap at 1:30pm.  Will see how the napping goes.  I get a little worry everytime when nap/bed is around the corner.  *cross fingers*   

Even I just had my vacation not long ago, I have the feeling I need another one soon. Well, the last time we went to Malaysia was without my husband. This time is going to be a family vacation. We will need to find a place to go … somewhere far … somewhere fun.

Actually, my husband has never traveled to the East coast. I had. I went to Atlanta together with my father for his work and then we met up with my mother in Orlando. It was end of summer 1996. My father took me to visit the Coca Cola Factory downtown Atlanta and rode the tram up to the Stone Mountain. The view from the top of the mountain was magnificent. I teased my dad to take me to the Wild Adventures Park but he said, “No!”. The rides probably would be too exciting for him. LOL!

If we would have known about Trusted Tours back then we probably would have make our Atlanta tours booking from them. We could have save money from buying tickets online than at the gate.

For now, I will browse Trusted Tours to check out their tours. If I found a nice one, I may drag my husband to go with us for a short family vacation somewhere far (or near) … somewhere fun … somewhere away from our home for a little while.

Brandon, he prefers to hard way than soft talk.  Sometimes I have to scold him until he cries then he would at least listen or go to sleep.  I tried being nice and friendly talking to him and he thinks is all play.  He likes to step on my tail and test my patience every single day.  I don’t have much of that left by now. 

For example - Going to sleep/nap.

Mommy says,

You are tired, then you go sleep.  Why do you want to fight to sleep when you are already tired.  You know the ritual.  After your afternoon milk, you go to nap.  After your night milk, you go to sleep.  But even you are very tired, you won’t want to budge.  

It is very simple.  All you need to do is just close your eyes gently and you will go to sleep.  But not.  You want me to scold you because you kept running out from the room thinking I am playing with you when I am nice.  You want me to scold you because I told you nicely to sleep on the bed and stay there, you don’t listen.  You want me to close the door, even I gave you plenty of warnings and try my best not to close the door but you force me to.  You want to cry and scream when there is no reason to.  You hurt your own lungs if you scream like that.  I tell you but you don’t understand.  The chalazion on right eye will not heal, if you keep on crying everyday like that.  All because you want to fight not to nap/sleep.

Yesterday evening I tried my toddler night time schedule again. I gave him a bath around 7:30pm and I remembered to remind him that we were getting ready for bedtime which would be soon. I took my shower a little later at 8:15pm. Finished up around 8:30pm and he was done with his milk. I went to his bedroom and again, reminded him that it would be bedtime pretty soon. We read two books and played a little bit with his stuff animal and by 8:50pm, I was ready for him to sleep.

Constantly, I assured him that I would be just outside the door and would come in if needed. Kissed him good nite and cuddled and I walked out the door. Pulled up the pink Ikea Mammut stool and sat down reading my Reader Digest just right outside the door. The light on the hallway was on. I only started reading the first line, I saw someone standing besides me. By looking at him, I know he still wanted to play. But I reminded him again it was bedtime and he had to be on his bed. I carried him to bid good nite to Daddy and down the bed he went. I gave him another cuddle and more kisses. This repeated for about 5 times. Towards the 4th and 5th time, I didn’t give him any eye contact or cuddling.

The next thing I gave him was a warning that I would close the door if he ever leave the bed again. And he did it. And close the door I did. He cried a little … I was all the time outside the door requesting for him to go on his bed and I would open the door but he would just stand behind the door crying. It was about 9pm then. He asked for Oh Shee (potty) about 3 minutes into the crying. I opened up the door and brought him sitting on the potty. He didn’t go. I put the pants on and wiped his wet face. He walked himself to his bed and laid down. I gave him kisses and cuddle and assured him I would be just outside the bedroom if he needed me. I walked out. He didn’t leave the bed. I was sitting and reading … and I heard no noise. I went about to do my chores.

About 9:20pm I thought he should have gone to sleep by then, so I went inside his room quietly to pick up some laundry to fold. He heard me and turned over. Our eyes met. I told him I needed to fold his cloths, took the unfolded laundry and walked outside. In about 1 minutes, I heard his anklet bells ringing louder and louder. He came to my bedroom. I left what I was doing and went to him. Eye contact with him telling him that is bedtime. I took him to potty and he did go. He went back to his bed on his own. I gave him cuddles and kisses again and left the room. It was about 9:30pm. He slept.