Ordinary

A post before the upcoming holidays.

Many people I know are already making plans where to go, what to eat, where to eat, even where to go for a short day-trip. But for Princess Ribbon here, it makes no difference. Still another ordinary day. Means, I'm staying at home taking care of the kids again. Boring?

Back to the kids, if they don't fight, I am happy. It's tiring to be alert and keep an eye, especially after what happened to G. But well, am not complaining, this is what I have to do, as parents, comes together in the package if I want to have kids. 

G's not interested with toys or the TV. When Kz is playing with something, G comes and attack, and vice-versa. So, they fight - all the time. Here's their rack. Would you be interested with this? Do you find it impossible that G doesn't even like one thing from this loot?

Ok, now come lunch. Lunch when I'm alone is simple. I only cook simple food. I will be making something like this - again. Soupy noodles with egg and assorted balls. Boring?

After the kids nap, my turn to eat. No, I don't sleep when the kids sleep. That's the time for me to eat and do house chores. I don't eat instant noodles all the time, but if I want something fast (so that I can start doing my house chores) this is the easiest thing I can whip up - Mamee Chef tomyam instant noodles! *Slurp*

Yep, I'll be eating this in my smelly pyjamas, oily face, messy hair, oohh with a stinky mouth too. *I only brush my teeth when I shower in the afternoon after both of them nap*

So dear readers, I guess this is how my holiday will look like - from this Saturday until next Wednesday. Happy holidays!

Sometimes They Come Back - Again

I promised that I would blog about this. About my attacks. No, not heart attacks bimbo! I think they are panic attacks, or anxiety attacks. Yes, I have these attacks. I look perfectly cute *ahem* and normal on the outside. I'm not praising myself, but really, if I tell people I have (mild) depression, they will choke on their saliva out of disbelief.

First encounter happened about one year ago. I was lying on the sofa. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was choking, something was in my throat. I couldn't even swallow. I looked up the ceiling, it was spinning. I was scared. Scared of everything, anything. I couldn't get up (I should've). Someone "accompanied" me til I felt alright, by messaging with me on the phone for two hours. I survived.

These attacks come and go during this one year span. Happened many times in between. I survived, of course. 

Then, three weeks ago, it came back, again. It was Saturday morning, hubby went to work. I was sitting on the couch. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe. My heart was beating very fast. Cold sweat all over my body. It was like I was drowning, couldn't breathe. I had to get up.

Someone promised to call at 9am. But it was only 7.30am that time. I couldn't wait. I got up again, had a cold shower. I felt better. Made myself busy, quickly fed both kids, bathed them, and rocked G to sleep, eyes kept looking at the clock.

And waited for the call. And kept praying. And survived.

Monday came. I went to work as usual. I felt completely normal.

Depression doesn't have a face. This (pretty) face *ahem* certainly doesn't look like having depression, does it? Dearie Phong Hong, if you are reading this, I want you to know that I'm alright, am dragging myself out of it, and I've read this post a million times, and still reading.

Lunch

Inspired by many bloggers, I shall do a really quick and simple post today - lunch post. 

Went for lunch with colleagues at this place, located somewhere at Subang New Village.

Heard they are popular for their soupy "loh shi fun". So our friend ordered this. To me, it was just so-so. Soup was bland. Need to add soy sauce+cili padi baru sedap.

Next came the ginger-duck yee-mein. Recommended by the lady boss. But to me, it was also just so-so only.

Ahh, here comes my favourite, the stewed claypot pork. I love the fatty pork, rich in collagen.

And there's the dry claypot "fei jau" fish, with shallots and ginger.

Lastly, some greens to complete the meal.

One person's share was RM14. There were 9 of us. Price ok. 

But make sure, if you want to eat here during lunch time, please tie up your hair, roll up your sleeves (if you are a guy) and wear sleeveless (if you are a girl), haha, the place is HOT HOT HOT !!  

Meeting Up For The First Time

Yep, it's her! Surprise! Met up with Sheta for lunch, and guess what? She's petite and so sweet in real person, really! I called her when I reached our lunch place, and when I heard her voice in the phone, I was like "OMG, she sounds so small, like a little kid", teehee.

Anyway, she's currently working next block to my office, the world is so small, yes? She whatsapp-ed me the other day, showed me her office address, and asked me, "You work nearby right"? I replied, "Whoa, that's so near babe! We can do lunch anytime".

So here's our lunch photos. Sorry, no food photos, we talked like non-stop from the moment we sat down til we left the place, Sheta was laughing non stop the moment  she saw me, I didn't know why - LOL. If you still want to know, well, I had "mun farn" with fried egg and she had fried rice with chicken. Burrrpppp* 

Nice meeting you girl!

I Hate Smokers

If you are a smoker, and you are reading my blog now, don't get offended.
Life is short, Just do it, Break The Rules, But Know The Boundaries.
YOLO - You Only Live Once!
Now, how cruel (or sarcastic) is that?

I hate smokers. FIL used to be a heavy smoker. But he has stopped now due to lung problems. Let me story you. Many many donkey years ago, when we were still dating, we were saving up to buy a house and to get married. Then FIL was admitted to hospital due to lung problems as he has been coughing for the past few months. All these due to his smoking problems. Spent a lot of money on operations, checkups, you know, those small little things, those small little visits to the hospital every now & then, hubby and BIL paid for the bills as they are the sons (and yes, we had to delay in buying the house due to money issues, hubby had to borrow money from his brother to settle some debts and all. Ooops, too much said here).

So yes, I hate smokers. Period.

Someone promised to quit. And he did. 10 months ago. And now, 10 months after, I just got to know he's on the ciggy again. I asked why coz he'd promised to quit. He said: No reason, just feel like it, that's all. I don't have to report to you right. I have a lot of things to think about. When I smoke, I can forget about them for a while.

So, it's true a leopard can't change its spots. I hate people who never honor their word. I hate fake people.

Source: media.photobucket.com

Our Sunday

This post is about kid's food and kid's faces again, coz really, I stay at home ALL the time. Even if we go out, it's either to the mil's or to my mum's.

Anyway, my Sunday begins with preparing food for the kids. For a change, I didn't cook porridge that day. I made pancakes with strawberry jam, scrambled eggs, cut up some oranges and made a cup of Nestum for Kz.

As for G, I let him hold some pancakes and he loves it. 

P/S: Can you see the scar on his forehead? Yep, the stitches are healing, but there's still a scar. Sigh.

Oh, you didn't know what happen to him? Here.

The picky eater slowly enjoying his breakfast, but I don't think he could finish all. Well at least he ate SOME of it.

After he left the dining table, this was what left. Better than no eat at all, yes?

What? No more? But the title is "Our Sunday". So what happens after breakfast? The same old thing - they watched TV, then nap, then lunch, then play, then nap again and ta-daaa, night time already, everybody sleep. 

That's my life.

Butter Orange Cookies

Long time no baking post already, so here's one, which I baked last weekend. There were two oranges in the fridge. A big chunk of butter and miserable very little icing sugar left. 

So, what else? Butter cookies! The 1,2,3 recipe. Yay! 100g sugar+200g butter+300g flour makes the best melt-in-the-mouth butter cookies recipe! Oh and zest from approximately 1.5 oranges. Optional, but my cookies, my sukak, my like! That's all you need, really! But makesure you use good quality butter, baru "heong" (fragrant). I used Emborg, if you want to know.

I mixed all ingredients with my hand. Rolled them into balls. Pressed down some patterns with a fork.

Baked at 180 degrees for about 25 minutes. These was the first batch.

Then second batch. Something wrong with the lighting?

This recipe makes about 50 pieces cookies. If you have a bigger oven and also the time, you can shape it smaller (then bake in 2 batches), and you will have > 50 pieces.

Not self praising, but hubby ate >10 pieces the moment I took them out from the oven. If hubby eats my cookies, means those are good I tell you. He doesn't like sweet stuffs like cookies/cakes, and normally won't touch more than 2 pieces nomatter how hard I begged. But this time, wow. Really, I was like, wow. 

WOW! 

Short, Sweet & Simple

Inspired by SK, today Princess Ribbon also wants to post something nice & short & sweet & simple & easy to understand.

Had lunch with colleagues at somewhere in Subang Jaya yesterday. Oh, wait, the place called Ho Ho Sek @ Chow Yang SS2. Didn't bother recognizing the place as I wasn't the one driving anyway. And, it was too sunny to take photo of the food court plus I'd look pretty silly standing under the scorching sun to take photo of the food court's name.

I ordered 'mun farn' plus an additional fried egg. RM7.00. To me, it's rice in 'banjir' eggy (wat-tan) gravy. Call me jakun. Yesterday was the first time I tried 'mun farn'.

So does this look like wat-tan-hor?

Routine

Simple post today. This was saved in my draft before G got sick. Short one. Sunday. Nothing special. Routine.

First thing when the kids wake up, drawing on the Doodle board, playing blocks, alphabet foams, number foams, the usual ABC-123 thingy, G chewing on flash cards and book corners. I serve breakfast at 7.30am. Porridge for G, and oats for Kz (if there's no bribe), else, I would feed both the same porridge. After breakfast, I steamed Milo cupcakes again, *backside itchy*.

Shower time around 8am. I now shower them together to save time ever since G started walking and could balance himself while standing.

YouTube time after shower. G naps after that. I do house chores and prepare lunch while he naps. Kz would sit at his corner happily with his tablet, a bowl of Koko Crunch, yogurt and juice. I would be watching the Korean drama -  "The Sun Embracing The Moon" at this time. 

Lunch at 11.30am. Both naps after lunch. Here's G, asleep in the stroller. Don't ask. I need the stroller to make him sleep. 

Fast forward, prepare to cook dinner around 4.30pm.

 #1 - My trademark oyster-sauce-tomato-sauce roast chicken

#2 - Vegetables with glass vermicelli & fried fuzhuk

#3 - Simple steamed fish with ginger slices & tomatoes

I do more when I'm at home - during the weekend or when there's a holiday (and hubby needs to work). Am sure most (mummies) agree with me. When I'm working (in the office), I do less, and more relaxed . Afterall I spend most of the day in the office, and by the time I get home, it's already evening *guilty confession*. Anyway, am not complaining. It's normal becoming a slave playmate and play"maid" for the kids :)

Janji everyone hepi!

G's Story

Not sure if readers would like to know what happened to G, but I'm writing for my own record.

26.05.2014, Monday - G had his MMR jab as scheduled (1 year old vaccine)

27.05.2014, Tuesday - G didn't have appetite and seemed to be less active than usual. Was it the effect from MMR?

28.05.2014, Wednesday - G woke up with one side swollen eye and a fever. Took him to the paed, was given antibiotics due to throat infection. Rectum tablet inserted to control his high fever.

29.05.2014, Thursday - G did not get any better and his fever did not subside. Rectum tablet inserted to control his high fever.

30.05.2014, Friday - G's not getting any better. Temperature spiked up to 39.8 degrees and we were uncomfortable with the rectum tablet already. Decided to admit him to the hospital. Throat very swollen with white spots. His hand was hooked up with the IV line from Friday til Monday.

02.06.2014, Monday - Throat cleared. Discharged.

Went home. High fever came again. Rectum tablet inserted. Temperature came back at night, I kept sponging his head and forehead to control the temperature.

03.06.2014, Tuesday - Temperature spiked up to 39.3 in the morning. Rectum tablet inserted. Seek 2nd opinion. Went to another doctor. Recommended by hubby's boss, this doctor is very popular with kids having high fever (and not subsiding) and all. Came back in the afternoon, took the medicine and the fever never came back! If I'd known earlier, I would have brought G to this doctor, and he didn't need to be admitted.

Just when we thought the nightmare was finally over, G fell from the bed, knocked his head, back to the hospital again, and received 3 stitches! The hospital had to call the neurosurgeon and the anesthetist. I felt like killing myself.

04.06.2014, Wednesday - Recuperating. 

05.06.2014, Thursday - Better.

06.06.2014, Friday - Better.

I'm back to work on Monday, 09.06.2014, G's with my mum for a week. Too tired to write anything else.