Bread time

Have been looking around for a nice and simple bread stick recipe for a while. I found one which did not require yeast, but I gave up after two attempts. The dough was stuck EVERYWHERE!

Since I was back rather early from work today and needed to de-stress, I decided to give another recipe a try. This was a simple recipe too. And after my experience over the weekend making the pizza base, I learned not to dump everything into the mixing bowl instead slowly adding the water. The dough raised quickly within an hour and after dinner, I shaped the dough by cutting and twisting some then added some flavour and 20 minutes into the oven later.. voila!
You were happy to eat the bread sticks. There was some with garlic, some coated with butter and some with cheese.

I'm so glad that I'd tried this recipe. We can make them next time as appetizers when we have a party.

Playing in the Dark

You've got so many toys to play with I wonder how you decide which toy to play with at any time. For your 4th birthday, Uncle Sin Chuan bought you a "Glow Station" from Crayola.

Recently you decided that you really liked playing with it. It is a canvas which comes with a light wand and some stencils. Here you are waving your light wand all over to create a design:

Here you are waving your magic wand all over to create a design:
And your resulting "artwork": Creating a "design" from what we have.. our hands:

Ta-da:

Luckily daddy reminded me to turn the canvas around otherwise I'd get a fright if I woke up in the middle of the night to see something glowing in the room!

Tonight's Supper

Daddy wanted supper to go with his football match tonight. So on the way home from work, we stopped by Tesco to pick up the ingredients for his supper. As I was looking for the raw ingredients, I overheard a couple saying that the ready made thing was quite good.

So in the end, we bought both the ready made one and the raw ingredients to make our supper. After our shower, so started to prepare supper. You were a great help.. tasting our raw ingredients!!

What is daddy having for supper as he watches his football match? Pizza...

This is the pizza which you and daddy made. The ham which we bought was not the nicest tasting thing (blekk.. tasted like liver!). Otherwise, it sure was yummy.... Aussie Pizza. MMMmmMMMmmmm....

You ate one slice of the ready made pizza which was pepperoni pizza (added more cheese and tomato puree) and ate two slices of the pizza that you made (cheese + ham + eggs).

We've got one more pizza base in the freezer. I'm thinking of a Margherita Pizza.. daddy says he wants to try the Aussie Pizza again. We'll see..

What's in the fridge today?

Actually some of it has been sitting in there for quite a while. I was told that I could only open it when it is my birthday. Okay... but but my birthday is many months away still? But no go, the "artist" told me that I had to wait. Alrighty then.. I'll wait.

You've been bringing back lots of little pieces of artwork from school. I've stuck quite a number on the fridge. I'm running out of magnets!

And some night before going to bed, you'd say that you wanted to draw and not read a story book. So you'd be drawing with a pen on my bed. Otherwise, we've got little pieces of papers stuck all over the house with your artwork. You've been "warned" not to stick on the wall (your artworks are stuck to the furniture using cellophane tape). Here's one of it stuck to the banister:

We need to buy a new drawing block.

Afternoon Naps

For the whole of last week, you've not been taking your afternoon naps. Ah Ma says that you refuse to take a nap. I told myself that I'll have to get you to take your afternoon naps, otherwise you'll have difficulty waking up when school starts on Monday. Of course you keep telling me that you don't want to go to school still.

But never mind, after a little persuasion and some "good" reasons as to why you'll need to go to school, you stopped telling me that you did not want to go to school anymore (for now...). Without your naps, you seemed very tired when evening comes, and you were watching too much TV. And by the time it's dinner time, you were either too groggy or super grouchy (or both!). After dinner and a shower you were recharged (oh no!) and would dance and play and laugh till close to 11pm. Of course that meant you'd not wake up very early the next day.

Although I wanted to put you back on a schedule with an afternoon nap, by the time we got back yesterday it was already 5.30pm but you didn't need much persuasion, you fell asleep in the way home. As for today, we got back from our kai-kai by 2.30pm so we both went up (although you insisted that you were not tired) and by 3pm, you'd dozed off... still sleeping as I type this. Yay!! Success!

Hopefully you'll be able to sleep earlier tonight and wake up on time for school tomorrow. *keeping my fingers crossed*

Daddy's day would not be complete without something handmade by you right? After all today is Father's Day. So here's what you made 2 weeks ago before you started your school holidays. You had wanted to give it to daddy then, but after some explanation and telling you that it was to be a big secret, you finally agreed to let me keep it safely in the drawer first.

The front of the card

And the inside of the card

So when you finally woke up this morning, you were smiling away when I passed you this card to give to daddy. Daddy was so surprised and happy to receive the card (great actor that man.. hehe! He'd already spotted the card a while back when we were searching for our passports high and low).

But hey, it was a lovely card. Very nicely made.

Happy Father's Day, daddy!!!

On the third day of your school holiday..

.. you told me "Mummy, I don't want to go to school anymore..."

WHATT???!!!!!

And this is actually the first day we are at home since your school holidays started. We were away in KL and only got back late yesterday evening.

When I told you that you cannot be a clever boy, you just kept quiet and didn't respond to that. Lately reverse psychology doesn't seem to work on you anymore. Just like "If you don't finish your dinner today, you wont get supper.."

And what's your response to this? Certainly not a "NNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!" at the top of your voice. Instead I got an "OK, then I don't want supper tonight". Arghhh.. now how do I get you to do things for me? Like going to school willingly????

Excursion to Penang Butterfly Farm

When I received the letter requesting for consent from school, I had asked you if you wanted to go to the Penang Butterfly Farm. Of course, you wanted to go..

On Thursday evening, you told me that Teacher Sharmine had told you to wake up at 8am the next day. I asked if she said to reach school at 8am or to wake up at 8am (which would make you very late to school). Then you decided that she said to reach school at 8am.

Of course we didn't make it to school by 8am. I tried to wake you up earlier but having napped for 3 hours the day before you only went to sleep at around 11.30pm! After a lot of persuasion and reminder of the excursion, you decided to wake up. Breakfast was milk and poached egg which Ah Ma had prepared for you and off we went.

By the time we arrived in school there were already 2 buses parked outside the school. To my surprise they were not school buses, but express buses. Of course you were very excited when you saw the buses.

We dropped you and went back to work. Since it was your last day of the term, we decided to pick you up. Daddy kept asking me if you'd be late seeing that the journey to and from the Butterfly farm would take at least 1 hour each way. But I told him that they school had not mentioned anything about being late. So we arrived at your school past 12.30pm, but the guard said that you were all not back yet. Oh now.. we waited and waited and finally at 1pm, we saw the first bus arriving.

You got off the bus (a little blur) and started to follow your friends into the school. It was not until we called out to you did you realise that we were standing there.

On the way back, I asked you how the excursion was. What was the response? "On the way there my friend and me slide here and there and here and there". Um.. ok, it more about the bus ride than the Butterfly Farm. You were so excited telling me the ride. When I asked you how many butterflies there was, it was just a "A lot".

It seems like the highlight of the trip was the bus ride just like last year's excursion to the Penang port. Oh yes, and some snack that Teacher Sharmine gave you!

Unwell on a Long Weekend

You had not been feeling well for a while, with the cough and runny nose. So we decided to bring you in to see Doctor Mary on Thursday night. You ended up with a big bag of medicine enough to last for 2 weeks.

Ah Kong was shocked when he saw the big bag too. It's just the usual 3 types of medicine. On Thursday night, you felt a little warm, just as we were going to sleep. Put on the fever patch and an hour later daddy woke me up to say that your fever had gone higher. So I had to wake you up and give you some PCM.

That night you kept waking up coughing, but good thing you went back to sleep. On Friday we had visitors: Ashley Kor-kor and Uncle Dennis. Daddy wanted to bring them out to eat laksa but you did not want to go out for lunch. In the end, after a lot of persuasion (note: a lot!) you went out with us. We'd packed your lunch, but you ate only a little bit.

In the evening, we decided to go out for nyonya food for dinner. It was in town and we went out in 2 cars, daddy driving kor-kor and Uncle Dennis and we went in Ah Kong's car with Ah Ma. Daddy managed to get to the restaurant quickly but we took a different way and got caught in the jam all the way (due to the Wesak Day procession), being forced to detour many times before we finally parked nearby New World Park and walking to the restaurant. Daddy came to meet us and he carried you to the restaurant. You seemed well as you had a good time and finished nearly all the rice that was on your plate along with the "tau eu bak".

It was a late night and we finally went to bed close to 12 midnight. When I checked on you at around 4am (you were coughing) you had a fever again. Fed you PCM again and we all went back to sleep. Woke up that morning and you seemed ok again.

We had breakfast and Ah Ma had bought for you kuey tiau th'ng but you didn't seem to have any appetite. Kakak cooked moi for you and you ate that before we all went out for lunch. Kor-kor and Uncle Dennis were leaving after lunch and we decided to bring them to Butterworth for some seafood and simple food.

You didn't want to take a nap. Mummy KO-ed instead and only woke up when you came up to call me. I got ready and left for a wedding dinner. You were supposed to join me, but in the end daddy said he'd take care of you as you didn't seem too well still. When I got back, daddy said that you napped until past 8pm and so it was another late night. We went to bed close to 1am after watching Transformers movie on DVD.

This morning we all slept till close to 10am. You woke up asking for water and continued to sleep. And continued to sleep till around 11.30! It reminded daddy and I of one trip to KL where you also slept and could not wake up. You only wake up to say that you were very hungry, took some milk and continued to sleep. And you perspired non-stop as you slept. I had to change you into a clean pair of t-shirt and shorts as your PJs were all wet.

Well now you seem to be ok. Had 2 bowls of moi moi and watched endless cartoon and now playing with the game on my phone. This certainly was not a relaxing weekend. I hope your fever is over although I know it will take a while before your cough and runny nose will go away.

Not My Baby

All grown up.. FOUR years old as you keep reminding me. I was just telling you off for not finishing your dinner. Told you since you don't seem to be able to finish your dinner most of the times these days, you will not be able to grow up. Instead you'll be all small and tiny.

Mummy: Since you become so small you be my new baby, ok?

Evan: No, I don't want to be baby.

Mummy: Then what do you want to be?

Evan: Be your assistant..

Mummy: What? (could not hear you)

Evan: Be your assistant

Interesting.. now where did you pick up such a word?? You said that your teacher said you are her assistant.

Mini-Me

Managed to get this picture off Facebook which was taken by Uncle Jamie. It's a picture of you with Chek Kong. Me and "Mini-Me", both in the same striped shirt and striped tie. Only missing thing is your coat.

Here's another picture of you and Lourdes Ah Mm. You were in a cheeky mood and I think right after that picture was taken you both fell down. I think her heel landed a little on your finger, but after much persuasion that there was nothing wrong, you were a brave boy and did not shed a single tear.

Wedding Dinner

The dinner was to start at 7.30pm. But before that daddy and Uncle Jamie headed over to the house to collect all the alcoholic drinks which were to be served for dinner at around 5p.m. While they were away doing the "hard labour", we were at the hotel room, getting ready for the dinner. I'd let you have some tea as I was not sure what time dinner would start. In the meantime, I had my shower.

As we did not have a car yet (the car was the bridal car..), we had to rely on either Uncle Jamie or Uncle Dennis to give us a ride to the Tropicana Ballroom. In the end, Ah Kong and Ah Ma hitched a ride with Uncle Dennis while we waited for daddy to come back and get ready. Then we left the hotel with Uncle Jamie as well as Eu Jin Ah Pek and Lourdes Ah Mm. We dropped daddy at the house (as he still needed to fulfill his job as the driver for the day) then headed to the ballroom.

Surprisingly, by 7p.m. there were quite a number of guests already there. Your kor-kors were busy helping the guests sign up and also to check on the seating arrangements. But of course we all still had time for pictures.

Our little handsome boy

I don't have a picture but you were actually wearing a miniature version of 5th Chek Kong's shirt. Hehe.. too bad you haven't got a coat. Then you'd surely look like a "Mini Me" of Chek Kong.

Here's some pictures of the decorations, the reception table, the signature book and also the corsage.And here of course is the beautiful couple.

And guess what? Your final job for this wedding.. was to be the page boy for the night. Annabelle che-che came dressed in her pretty white dress and Ashley Kor-kor asked if you'd both want to be the flower girl and page boy and you both said "OK" so.. OK you were both "it". Hehe.. we showed you how to walk and you were both reminded to walk SLOWLY and you both did a wonderful job (although halfway you covered your mouth when they turned on the "smoke machine".

Dinner was soon served and you enjoyed most of the dishes. And the main highlight of the day was when Sue Kor-kor presented you with this:
She salvaged the ribbon from her corsage and presented you with a "bouquet" of chocolates. And what did you both do after that? Go around other tables, asking for MORE chocolates. That's how your "chocolate bouquet" ended up to be almost as big as Jackie Ah Chim's flower bouquet!!

As the dinner ended, instead of getting more tired you seemed to be more energetic! You were jumping around, laughing and playing with everyone.
Of course, most importantly is for us to take a family picture. Just the three of us....

After having more pictures taken, we headed back to the hotel. Daddy dropped us before heading to the house to remove the decorations on the car and coming back to the room. You ate some supper (amazingly) and finally went to bed at close to 1am. And of course, decided that it was time to wake up this morning at 8.30am. Guess who got to continue sleeping and who didn't....

Wedding Ceremony

On Saturday morning, you decided to wake up early, despite a rather late night. Daddy was still fast asleep as his alarm had not rung yet, which means it was not even 7.30 am yet. The room air-cond was very cold and I guess that's why you needed to wake up and go wee wee. So I had no choice but to get up too.

After that I gave you your breakfast while I took a shower. Since daddy got back really late that night morning, I'd gotten you ready before I woke him up. He had to get ready to go soon as he was the best man for the day and also the driver of the bridal car.

We hitched a ride with Uncle Jamie and headed to the house. Jack Chek chek was in the room as he was all dressed up but feeling very hot (and woozy too.. hehe.. I wonder why...). at around 9.30 the bridal entourage left the house, with a sporty red car leading the way followed by the bridal car and 4 Harriers.

At around 10.30am, we received a call to say that they were on the way back to the Ipoh house. Everyone got all excited. Here's the 2 of you (a father in-law to be and a little boy with an important job to do) waiting for the car to come. At last, we would hear the sound of car horns sounding in the distance and we soon saw Ah Kong's car turning into the house. And when the car finally stopped and it was time for you to open the door.. you refused... (faint!). Mummy had to stop taking pictures and "help" you to open the door.

After praying to the Gods and to our ancestors, it was time for the tea ceremony. When everyone had given or received the ang pows, we had lunch outside. While everyone enjoyed the "nice weather" outside, we sat inside and enjoyed the air-cond while having our lunch.

We hitched a ride back to the hotel with Sue Kor-kor and Uncle Jamie. Before that we stopped for a while at the ballroom to take a look at everything before heading to the hotel for a much needed rest for all of us.

The Wedding Eve

After months of preparation.. THE DAY is almost here. On Thursday evening, we got a call requesting that Ah Kong's car be the bridal car. So on Friday, daddy and I had to take the whole day off (instead of the afternoon half off only) as we had to send Ah Kong's car for polishing, to buy the biscuit orders for everyone, to send Ah Ma to get her car wash, to pick up daddy's book, buy the wedding present and then pick you up from school. All done with Ah Ma's car as daddy's car was in the workshop with some minor paint job being done.

So after we picked you up, I had to finish all the last minute packing and when Ah Kong's car was finally ready at close o 3pm, we quickly packed the car and headed to Ipoh. You took your nap as promised and didn't even wake up when we dropped by the Ipoh house to drop off the tapioca kuih and cream puff. You'd only woken when we arrived at the hotel.

Took a while for us to finally check in as there was problem to get our requested non-smoking room. The hotel was fully booked due to a hockey tournament being held in Ipoh. When we finally got our room, we took a quick shower and it was time to bring the car to be "dressed up" and for us to help out before the guests arrived.

The "decorating committee were also busy decorating the garden with flower petals and I was told that you also helped to put the decorations on the tables.

In between, Uncle Dennis also kept you entertained so that you didn't get into everyone's way.

There was lots of food served that night. There was a whole roast pig (the guy chopped the roast pig there and then for us.. it was YUMMY), fired beehoon and fried rice, several dishes and the kuih and cream puff which we brought from Penang and many other things too. Oh yes, there was even a "Lok Lok Stall".

At around 9pm, Jack Chek chek and Jackie Ah Chim requested that you were brought to the bridal room (before you fell asleep). You were given the "green light" to do something which you'd generally be told off for doing.. Yup.. jump on the bridal bed. What started off as you shyly standing on the bed ended up with you all excited and jumping and rolling all over the bed. Daddy wasn't around to take pictures of you jumping around. I'll post the pictures when I get them from Natalie Kor-kor.

We headed down and at around 11pm, we hitched a ride with Jack Chek Chek as he was going to drop off Jackie Ah Chim at the hotel. But before we left, you kor-kor's were in the kitchen concocting a "yummy surprise" for Chek check and his "heng tai's" for the next day. Poor thing, these were along the things which they prepared... Look at the cheeky looks on their faces:

After getting ready for bed and calming down, you finally went to bed. I had to creep out of bed to finish hemming your new pair of pants which we'd bought that afternoon and ironed a mountain of clothes which you and daddy were to wear the next day for the afternoon ceremony and dinner.

Daddy for back later with Uncle Jamie that night.

Abby's Birthday Party

Yesterday, we celebrated Abby's 4th birthday. It was a pool party @ Cool Bananas.

Anyway, we arrived a little past 3p.m. and all the guests were already inside the pool, splashing at everyone. We'd also packed your swiming items in case you wanted to join. Daddy brought you to the pool and you said that you wanted to join. So he got you changed and went into the pool to join Abby and her classmates. There were 3 adults in the pool who supervised the children playing, with water guns and balls.Then came the clown. He was splashed by you kids and after a while he managed to persuade you all to leave the pool for the hi-tea buffet (which was for the kiddies).

As it was time for food, you decided not to join the other children who were having the buffet near the beach. So we joined Ah Kong and the rest of the family in the restaurant area (which had air-cond and fans.. not very much cooler but better than outside).

Here's baby Ian.. he's growing so fast.

Tou-tou also seemed to be having a good time, judging from her smile.

And here you are enjoying the food. In the end, you digged at all the cheese which was the topping for the Nachos. By the time we left, it was already past six. The initial plan was to attend this party then go back to BM to celebrate a perpetual 18th birthday. But the BM dinner was postponed. So we stopped to buy dinner for Ah Kong and you (the food served didn't suit Ah Kong and we worried that you may be hungry later on) then headed home.


Despite it being a day without an afternoon nap, you managed to last till close to 11pm.

Happy Birthday, Abby!

A Song Just For Me...

And in Bahasa Malaysia too. Wow! You were not too sure of some of the words (you just mumbled or changed the lyrics althogether) but hey, it made my heart melt listening to this song. You even wrote the word "ibu" everywhere.

Happy Mother's Day

Of course with Mother's Day today, you had something special for me when I got back home after a department event on Friday. You had "hand carried" the precious cargo from school. I was told that Teacher Sharmine had told you all not to keep it in your bags in case it gets spoilt.

So what was it that you had brought for me? You asked me to go downstairs and this is what you gave me:

.. A handmade flower along with a "I love you, mummy" and a kiss.

As the flower could not stand on its own, we made a "flower pot" this morning. You decorated the paper and I helped you stick it to the container. We collected some stones from the garden to fill into the pot. Washed our hands and poked the flower into it's pot. You proudly showed the pot to kakak. Then you moved Ah Ma's money plant aside to make place for my pretty flower.

Thank you, sweetheart for such a pretty flower this Mother's Day.

P/S: This year you have relieved daddy of his "duty" to get me a card. A task he has not missed for the past 4 years. Muakkssss to daddy for his thoughfulness.

So Early???

Gosh.. I was up till late at night and on Saturday morning, you decided to wake up at 7.30am (you had a rather late night too.. you seem to know that Fridays = no afternoon nap and late nights too). What did you want to do?

You insisted that you had homework which you needed to do IMMEDIATELY!!! Thank you very much.. I had to get up, turn on the lights and bring your table and chair over to my room for you to do your homework.

While you did your writing (only a few more "C's" left to write) I dozed off. And after you were done, I woke up for a few seconds to check if you wanted to do something in your activity book and went back to sleep.

We even woke up, went down to have breakfast and got back to the room to continue with your activity book while I continued with my sleep.. till around 10 am. All this sleeping and waking up only gave me a bad headache which I had to put up with the whole day. Didn't even get a chance to take an afternoon nap.

And what was daddy doing while you were busy with your homework and activity book? Sleeping like nothing is happening around him!!!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

This morning you screamed shortly after I started to brush your teeth. Yup, super blur mummy put our Colgate toothpaste instead of your children's toothpaste for you. Not too sure why this happened, but I do recalls several times when I almost picked up our toothpaste to put on your toothbrush!

I was telling a friend and she commented that good thing it was Colgate and nor Darlie toothpaste. Wow! That would be even spicier.

Funny thing is I think you can take a little bit of spicy food. There was once when you came back from school with black Hacks. Wow! That's the spiciest of the Hacks sweets. I told you that you could not take this as it was very spicy. But you insisted that you wanted it (Samantha from school gave it to you.. ). Ok fine, so I gave it to you. You were very happy to take it. Daddy even commented "Wow! He can take it".

By the time daddy went up and came down, the sweet was already spat out. Hehe.. you could take it for a while until the spiciness set in! Could not wait to spit it out! See? That's the easiest way to convince a little boy that mummy is telling the truth. Let him try it! Let's see what else you want to try next time (as long as it's not something dangerous...)

12 hours

That's how long you slept from last night till this morning. Reason: because you did not take your afternoon nap. You had followed Ah Kong and Ah Ma to run some errands then had to go straight to Annabelle Che-che's house to see how Tou-tou was doing. He had fainted earlier on.

Daddy and I also had to leave work a little earlier to drop by to see how Tou-tou was doing. You were there playing by yourself as Anna Che-che was having her Mandarin lessons. We left about an hour later and when daddy asked if you wanted to nap, you said "No".

As Ah Ma did not cook, we went out for dinner and on the way back you fell asleep. And slept right through until this morning. For once you woke up in a happy mood, without me having to spend at least 10 minutes to wake you up. Hhmm.. note to self: make Evan sleep earlier.

Good thing you even managed to wake up at around 5.30am to wee wee (although you had wet your pants a little already) and continued to sleep.