Books that I read

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Hao at 2 years 8 months old

My "good"+"nottie"+"fatty"+"sexy" boy!

And.I.just.can't.stop.loving.him

99.9% of those who has met him personally will say this "Wah, he looks like angmoh."

This boy of mine, unlike me, hb and his sister, all three of us our hair color is very black, but this boy has blonde hair! His hair is fine and smooth also, made me so jealous! He also has rosy pink cheek. Hb said if I comb his hair very neat, he really looks like an angmoh boy!

I think boy is really a boy. Hao likes to jump around, run around and climb around. And he still likes to be carried, always ask me to carry him.

Beginning of this year, he has stopped using milk bottle totally. At home I never give him milk bottle. Since 18 months when I started to give him fresh milk, he's always been using the cup to drink. Only at child care he will use milk bottle. However at child care, all children at age 3 will not be given milk bottle. So now I can throw his milk bottle away. :) I also have stopped bf him 4 months ago. So he is fully on fresh milk now. 

Hao is an easy child especially when come to food. He's not very choosy, as long as the food is easy for him to chew, he will wallop everything. This boy can really eat. As long as there is food still available on the table, he won't stop asking for it. As he is not a very talkative child, he pays full attention on his food. He can finish half bowl of rice, plus the meat and vegetables so it's about one full bowl of food. Sometimes he will still ask for more. Not much change on his preference on food. He still loves butter, cheese, bread, rice, yogurt, ice cream and biscuit. But I notice he does not like jelly. He's gaining weight, getting bigger in size, rounder face, and almost going to have double chin. Sometimes I like to tease him "fatty boy". Hahahaha! He looks so sexy if I let him wear shorts that very short and fit. And I like to pat his buttock. LOL! So sometimes I call him "sexy" boy. :) The last time I weight him few months back, he's about 15kg. Can't remember what his height is though. It should be between 90-100cm, but I can't remember the exact number.

Hao has very different character as compared to Lynn, but they have common thing too - stubborn. And Hao is the more stubborn one. Being hard on him usually does not work very well with him. I have to be soft to him, and persuade him until he's willing to corporate with me. Sometimes I walk away and return to persuade him 5-10 minutes later, and sometimes I need to repeat this several times before he gives in. Sometimes I use Lynn to trick him as he likes to imitate the sister. Playing ignore is not that effective to him as compared to Lynn.

Hao still pretty much a cry baby at this stage, which annoy hb very much. This maybe also related to he cannot express himself very well yet. His speech development maybe slower than his peer. Sometimes we could not grab what he's talking about too. And he's also not a talkative child. Many times I have to encourage him to speak up and answer me. On the opposite, Lynn is talking too much. Hao can speak English, Mandarin and little Cantonese.

Besides can eat by himself, Hao can wear and take off the shoe by himself, wear the clothes by himself with some assist, can take off and wear the pants by himself, know when need to go toilet, willing to sleep by himself without me (together with Lynn on the same room). When I shower him, he started to show sign want to shower by himself. He would like to apply the shampoo to his hair himself, and will ask for body shampoo for his body too. However he will give up quite easily. Like he wants to button by himself, but after a short while (like one minute or maybe less) if he still can't, he will give up and tell me "I can't" and want me to button for him. Maybe he's the last born; he is less initiative and give up easily. He's a child who needs lots of encouragement. Or maybe he is too well taken care by Lynn, until we have to ask Lynn to stop doing things for him, let him learn to do by himself. Because sometimes Hao will get annoyed with Lynn on helping him also. Not sure what's in his mind, but recently lots of time he rejects Lynn helping him, he wants me instead.

This boy, despite Lynn always share food with him, always share the toys with him, lots of time he refuse to share his food, and share the toy with her. He even not willing to share his food with me! I'm still working hard on this part.

Hao is a very friendly child, especially to adult. Sometimes I think he's too friendly. When we go to the regular shop to buy groceries, even though it is his first time meeting the Bangladesh or Pakistan workers there, he won't be shy to greet them, or even go hug them! *FAINT* Sometimes I feel so worry that he may follow any stranger to go home. However, he scares of crowd. When we go shopping mall, seeing lots of people walking around, Hao always ask me to carry him as if he panic seeing so many people.

Hao is going to be 3 years old in 4 months time. I won't say he's giving me a "terrific 2" or "terrible 2". He's not a 100% good boy all the time. But I won't say he's very naughty also. There are times that I do get mad at him, but there also lots of times that he made me smile. He gives me a totally new challenge. Not sure why, I get less irritated with Hao. Of course I will be firm with him when I need to. I treat both children equally. I love both of them. 

p/s: Boy I really wish you can learn sharing and be more loving to your sister!

(Ops, did not realize such a long post. Did not feel like I have so much to talk or write about. >.< )

Thursday, February 17, 2011

My Best CNY Dinner!



Today is Chap Goh Meh, we suppose to meet up with some family members and family friends for dinner. However last minute MIL informed us the dinner is postponed to Saturday. So this gives us a chance to celebrate Chap Goh Meh just us and the kids. I always enjoy eating just 4 of us. Kids usually more behave with us, and also no disruption from other kids, means play less. We definitely can eat in a much more relaxing way!

Earlier in the week we wanted to go Puchong for shabu-shabu for Chap Goh Meh dinner, but then we so used to heading home after picking up the kids. We already more than halfway reaching home, so instead of turning back I suggested to hb going for the steamboat not too far from home. We pass by this steamboat restaurant all the time on the way home from office. I think it opens a year ago. There are few other restaurants there too but so far we only have visited the Japanese noodle house once. Hehe.

We went to this Yummy BBQ Steamboat Buffet  任意唰唰屋

 

There are 3 types of choices available - Steamboat with BBQ, Combination of 2 choices of soup base, or Milk as soup base. We have chosen the Steamboat with BBQ as it has been a long while since I have this! 


There are many choices of food available. These are the meat for BBQ - pork, chicken and beef. Some are marinated and some are not.



Various types of meat balls, kids' favorite! 

Seafood corner. Mussels, prawn, clams etc. They have crabs too! 


More fish balls, for my kids only. As me and hb don't fancy fish balls. Hehehe.

Mushrooms, taufu, vegetables and noodles. 

Free flow of Chinese tea and soft drinks.


Don't have finger food like nugget or fries, only have fried chicken, fried rice and fried noodle. Not too sure taste good or not as we did not take any of this. :) 

Dessert is ice cream and jelly. Only one type of jelly available.

Many types of sauces.

We were given 2 this kind of trays for getting the food from the buffet table. And each table has this small basket for the collecting the bones, prawn skins, shells etc. 


Hb managed the BBQ while I took care of the steamboat. The food are yummy and fresh! Except that the bowl and plate given are plastics. And there are some burn marks on it from placing it too close to the hot pot. The table is not too big for a table for 4 considering 2 are children. The environment is quite good, clean and I feel comfortable and quite relaxing eating there. There were not many patrons, maybe it's a working day. There were only 3 tables including us, and then 2 more groups of people coming after 8.30pm. So the food is more than enough for all of us.

The price is quite reasonable, considering the choices of food available and fresh too.
Adults: RM 23.80
Children (Age 5 - 12): RM 11.90
Free for children below 4 years old.

We enjoy the meal very much. We will definitely come back again. :) 


Name: Yummy BBQ Steamboat Buffet  任意唰唰屋
Address: 2A, Jalan Alam Damai 1, Taman Alam Damai, Cheras.
Opening Hours: 5pm - 12am, Monday to Sunday. Closed on Wednesday. 

Monday, February 14, 2011

It's all started from 10 years ago...

Today is Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day brings me lots of memory, both good and bad.

10 years ago (Wow time flies, I feel that I'm so old now! LOL!), hb and I went out for the first time on Valentine's Day. It was my very first so-call Valentine's Set Dinner at a hotel, together with another couple. And that was also the only Valentine's set meal that I ever have. And coincidence, the other couple and we get married on the same year and same month.

3 years later, on V-day too, hb and I registered with the Registrar of Marriage at Thean Hou Temple. We paid RM150 for the group registration.

Few years back, our relationship was at a very rocky state. It happened right before the Valentine's day. So the V-day of that year brought me lots of pain. But eventually we have survived.

Can't remember is it last year or 2 years ago, we had the worst V-day meal. It was a working day. Both kids were with us. We did not particularly go for anywhere for the celebration. We wanted to dine at the western restaurant near our house, but it was fully pack. Both of us did not like to wait long for the food. So we went to another restaurant, serving western food too for our dinner. We have been to that restaurant few times only. Usually this restaurant had very few patrons, as the food were so-so only. But that night, the food was terrible. Hb and I swear that we won't go back there again. And not too long after that, the restaurant closed down.

This year, earlier I was thinking where should we go to dine for the V-day, and was hinting hb I have not received V-day gift for many years. However something unexpected came up last week making us on a very tight budget. We decided not to buy any V-day gift. Tonight follow the usual schedule; we will be having dinner at my parents' house. So it will be just another normal day for us. But more important is we are still loving to each other, we still care for each other, raise our 2 kids together. Nonetheless, we still wish each other

Happy Valentine's Day!

Friday, February 4, 2011

The Brotherhood Book Review and Give Away



Boone Drake always wants to put away the gang members. This is the reason he become one of the Chicago Police Office and working hard rising rapidly through the ranks of the Chicago Police Department, so that he can land in the Organized Crime Division.

Boone has a beautiful and supportive wife, and a young son. When his probationer period is over and his raise kicks in, he proceeds to get his family a house. Everything is going as per his plan, everything seems so perfect. Until one day, a tragedy destroyed his perfect world. His personal life destroyed and his career and future in jeopardy. Boone buries himself in guilt and bitterness as his life spirals out of control. Then he started to search how to communicate with God, he started to pray.

The Brotherhood is a realistic fiction story. It could happen to any family. It is also a story about healing and letting go. Boone did not give up his life, his career. He was struggling to let go what had happen to his family, and find ways to reconnect back with the God. He was sad but he did not let the sadness overtake him. The book reveals many Boone’s feelings and thoughts. It made me view the world through the eyes of Boone Drake.

Again, the book made me think a lot. I was crying when I read what happened to Boone. I cannot imagine if same thing happen to me. But I always believe things happen for reasons. It's our destiny. And if it happens, I will learn to accept it and move ahead. Life still needs to move on. The way how Boone reconnect back to God, to have the faith to God again actually intrigues me. And also how the God affects the most vicious gang leader Chicago through his mother telling me that God can change the hardest heart and forgive the worst of crimes. The Brotherhood is the first in a police trilogy. I'm looking forward for the second book.

The Brotherhood is written by Jerry Jenkins. Jerry B. Jenkins is the most prolific and highest-selling evangelical novelist of our time. He is the author of more than 175 books, including the 63,000,000-selling Left Behind series. Asked how he is able to write so much, Jenkins says, “I don’t sing or dance or preach. This is all I do.” Jenkins moved to the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village as a teen where his father served as police chief from 1963 to 1979. In addition, Jenkins has two brothers who were career law enforcement officers. His knowledge of a cop’s life and his familiarity with Chicago has enabled Jenkins to write his first police thriller with a voice of authenticity. He himself actually worked briefly as an undercover narc in the early 1970s. Jenkins and his wife Dianna now live in Colorado and have three grown sons and six grandchildren. Visit Jenkins blog and website at www.jerryjenkins.com.







Win yourself a copy of The Brotherhood

Good book is meant for sharing, right? I'm hosting a giveaway for a free copy of this book (courtesy from Tyndale House Publishers). To participate, leave a comment to this post that you want to join the giveaway. This giveaway is open to all readers (international included)!  It will run until midnight (12am GMT +8) on February 20th. Winner will be picked randomly from Random.org.

You may also purchase this book from any consumer site such as Amazon.com or ChristianBook.com. For more information please visit www.tyndale.com.

Note: I received the eBook free from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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