Report Card Day

Last weekend both our boys had their dreaded report card day at school. Ian’s session was especially exciting for us, as it was his first ever Parent Teacher meet. Aiden on the other hand has had this numerous times, and truthfully I don’t get much from his class teachers in public school - which is quite frustrating really. For example if the class teacher teaches a particular subject then he or she can dive in on how Aiden can improve, but that’s about it. Very rarely the class teacher knows much about his performance in other subjects, other than from the grades listed in the result slip. I remember back when I was in Seri Puteri, the subject teachers were on standby (in the school hall) to clarify specific concerns. I wonder why they don’t do that anymore.

So anyway, as expected I didn’t get much from Aiden’s class teacher, other than the usual fact that he lacks focus in class and needs to improve on his Malay (what else is new). His results; Alhamdulillah string of A’s for English and Maths, two more marks to an A for Science, and a B for BM Pemahaman (wowwww). Unfortunately his BM Penulisan dragged him down significantly. Which was frustrating for me cos we had practiced the essay “Aku Sebuah Basikal” a couple of times but in the exam he went and embarked on a completely different essay question instead. *pulls hair in frustration*

Kiasu Mummy was first in line. Ian kept me company while Aiden was still at Friday prayers with his Daddy.

Thankfully I bumped into his Malay teacher, and as expected memang Aiden banyak main in class and due to his lack of focus, selalu tak sempat copy things from the whiteboard nor finish his homework. *stress* I guess I can’t really blame him - if he doesn’t understand the language, memang concentration pun akan ke laut lah. Masuk telinga kanan, keluar telinga kiri. *sigh* So, in a nutshell, more BM practice needed for Aiden! But anyhow, I’m still a proud Mummy. Due to the pregnancy I did not prep his as well as I usually did for his past exams, so I still believe his results are quite commendable given the situation.

Next up, Ian! We teased him mercilessly the day before his report card day, asking whether he behaved in class and whether his teacher was going to say good things about him or not. *chuckles* But I shouldn’t have worried at all, because his class teacher gave him an absolutely glowing report! Hubby and I were both quite shocked! Honestly, we know that Ian is quite the opposite of Aiden; he listens to instructions and is a bit more reserved when in the company of others. He even recognized alphabets before we enrolled him in school. But we certainly didn’t expect such great feedback! Ian’s teacher even expressed that she was impressed with his development and progress especially since he wasn't enrolled in any schools prior to this one. Even his motor skills and social skills are at par with those who have been in school since they were 3 or 4. I guess there really wasn’t much harm done by us deciding to refrain from sending him to school too early; my helper’s ‘homeschool’ was just as effective! *giggles*

Cheeky boy decided that he loves all subject, except for music!

Other than that, we received feedback that Ian loves writing, mixes well with others (walaupun dia lambat sikit warm up and he has a certain chosen clique that he plays with) but barely speaks Malay (sebijik macam Aiden). He participates and even volunteers in class (wowwww). His ustazah said that he shared in class about his solat experience whilst his swimming coach said that his confidence level in the water has improved significantly - now dah boleh blow bubbles from the surface but is still hesitant about putting his head underwater.

Super proud of you my boy!

English memang takde masalah lah, especially writing. Interestingly, he loves numbers too! Just like Aiden. (Confirm anak-anak engineer!)

Full marks for "cooperates with teachers"! Well, this one I've never seen with Aiden, ever!

My only request to his class teacher was for her to coax Ian into trying out the food at school. Yer lah, sampai bila nak makan Oreo, ChocoTeddy or KokoKrunch for breakfast kan! Even she agreed that Ian is such a picky eater! But she shared that once, Ian out of nowhere agreed to try porridge and the teacher got so excited about it! *chuckles* If I were in her shoes, I would have been excited too!!! For the record, Ian still doesn’t eat rice or noodles. He lives on biscuit/cookies, bread, cereal, milk, macaroni cheese and his absolute favorite - roti canai. *smacks head in dismay*

That wraps up the boys’ mid year performance. On the same note, I’m scheduled for my own mid year performance review with my boss next week. Wish me luck!

Happy New Year 2018!

Thought I should pen this down before I start clocking in to the office. Planning to take this entire week off, but preparing myself in case work calls!

Why a week off? Because the dreaded day has finally arrived; despite his many many pleas of "I don't want school", Ian finally headed for his first day at kindergarten.

Excited face, pre-waterworks.

I tried so many psycho tricks, from taking him shopping for new stationery, getting him to help me with labeling his books, to asking him what food he wants to put in each lunch box. I guess it finally worked because yesterday he proclaimed, "I want to go to school!"

I was ecstatic but really, very wary about the proclamation. Put him to bed early hence he didn't have an issue waking up this morning. He got dressed excitedly and ate his cereal breakfast without a fuss. Got into school and walked him into the classroom. Sat him down, told him that we'll be waiting outside, kissed him goodbye and walked out. Thankfully his class had a glass window by the side so I was able to peer inside to see.

As expected, the waterworks started almost immediately. No wailing or anything like that, but just really sad tears rolling down his cheeks. Sampai tersedu sedu, his head jerking with every sedu motion. OMG my heart broke into a million pieces. Tears welled up into my own eyes!! I felt like scooping him into my arms and running out of the door. #ohthedrama

Hubby was no help. He wanted to get breakfast. Keras hati sungguh! (And people say I'm the garang one hmmpphh) After a while, I saw a teacher holding Ian's hand and walking him and his friends to the sink to wash their hands for morning break. Finally I mustered up the strength to pull myself away from the window and allowed Hubby to drag me to breakfast.

Real Kids mummies, reunited for breakfast!

Sharp at 10am (school ended early the first day), we picked him up. His first words? "Just now I cried but after that I didn't cry!" Phewwww he must have stopped crying then. Lega! Coaxed him to tell us more about his day at school, and even managed to record it on my phone. Interestingly, he ended his story with "I don't want to go to school." *chuckles* Wish me luck with tomorrow!!! Met up with his teacher who reassured us that he stopped crying, made some friends, and even asked his friends to call him Iskandar! Hahaha that last one was quite a shocker!

Well done baby boy, for your first day of school!

Anyway, enough airtime for Ian. Aiden had his first day of school today too. Tapi anak bujang nie memang tak payah worry. He knows his way around school already. Maklum lah, dah jadi senior sessi petang! But since it's our yearly ritual to send him to school on his first day, Hubby and I made it a point to walk him in, and stayed with him in line until it was his turn to walk to class.

Otai sangat senior nie, sampai tie pun tak nak pakai. *giggles*

Standard 3 already! Time certainly flies.

Gave him a kiss on the cheek before he went to sit with his friends, and he actually wiped it off! Ish ish ish. Ok lah, so mum's kisses are no longer allowed in the school compound. You're growing up too fast, Aiden! This year, his class is all the way at the top most floor (yet again), but he specifically requested for a non-trolley bag. I hope he can cope with the weight of his books. *sigh* Other than that, he looked really happy to be back with familiar faces and friends.

Ended the day with a pizza dinner as a reward for an awesome first day at school for the boys.

Phewww Hubby, we survived the first day of school!

Random Thoughts While Cramming for Aiden's Exams

I've said this once and I'll say it again - I think the standard of public education in Malaysia is tough on kids. It is hard enough that Aiden's Bahasa Malaysia literacy is still below par, but what is it about giving crazy Mathematic sums to an 8-year old??? Does Malaysia really think that by making the syllabus harder, we will produce cleverer kids?

Anyway, Aiden is having his last day of exams tomorrow. His last paper is Pendidikan Islam, and I am not proud to admit that I usually leave the coaching of that subject for Hubby. (Hey, this mother has bent over backwards for the core subjects i.e. Malay, English, Maths and Science!) So for today, I can breath normally - hence why I am blogging at this hour.

I'd just like to share some random thoughts that came to mind while I was teaching Aiden for his core subjects:

• For BM: What's with the diftong, digraf and such? I don't remember learning it during school! I actually had to google what it meant... and if one had to google it, it meant that one never had to use it when one was older!
• For BM: Muram, simpati, mendung, bangkit, muara, rumpai,sulam, cuai, nyiur, maklumat, skital,segak, lekuk, sajian, perpaduan. Here are some of the words in his Tahun 2 workbook... bombastic enough for Aiden to leave him absolutely clueless. *sigh*
• For Science: What's the benefit of having to remember which jari is used for typing which alphabet on the keyboard? I am a single finger typer, and proud of it! My typing skills and speed can rival most conventional keyboard loving folks too!
• For Maths: I don't remember doing these complicated sums when I was 8. Probably when I was 10. I'll give you an example: A sold 1 bag. B sold 2 bags more than A. C sold 3 bags more than B. Okay, you must be thinking... the question is probably, how many bags did C sell? No! The question was, what is the difference of bags sold between A and C! Oh, replace the numbers with ratus numbers, and replace the English words to Malay. That was the question. #ipulledmyhairsohardthatnight
• For Maths: I see darab coming up!!! Didn't we do this when we were in Standard 4 or something??? OMG OMG OMG #pullshairevenharder
• For English... Hmmm... I actually have no qualms with English. Probably because it is too easy for Aiden's level. That is the problem with coming out of an English medium kindergarten. It simply doesn't correspond to the level of English syllabus at Sekolah Kebangsaan! The latter is super easy if compared to his kindy classmates who has moved on to international school.

Anyway, as a reward for completing his exams, I decided to allow Aiden to inherit my Enid Blyton books. Rummaged through my bookshelves, and guess what I found???

This book is 25 years old! *chuckles* I am such a hoarder!

P.S: Since I'm reminiscing about childhood memories, who else is frustrated about the Beauty and the Beast ban in Malaysia? I am so frustrated, that I am contemplating watching it in Singapore with the kids, since I will be there again for a business trip next week. *sigh* Disney and the Malaysia censorship board... please come to your senses!

Happy New Year 2017!

Happy New Year everyone! ;)

(I'm just four days too late but better late than never!) *giggles*

I am still on annual leave. Why? Well I recently hit a record of 10 service years with the Dutch Oil Company hence my annual leave entitlement was automatically increased. I thought the increase was to 20 days, but it turned out to be 25 days! Therefore at the end of December, I had an extra 5 days which I needed to use by the end of the year. My understanding boss agreed for me to bring forward the 5 days to the first week of January, hence here I am! I initially thought of using this first week off for sending Aiden to school and visiting him at recess time. But... it is just the second day of school and he is already insisting on taking the van to school, and declining my offer for me to accompany him for recess. Dah besar dah anak Mummy! #clingymummy

And so I find myself in front of the computer, blogging instead!

So what have I been up to? Well, for starters, I am struggling to finish drafting my birthday blogposts. I still haven't found the time to sift through the photos of our renovation and our recent trip to Pangkor Laut Resort. We recently bought a fish pond, to accommodate our tortoises who have outgrown their mini aquarium. Shopping wise - I bought a full year's worth of candles at the recent Bath and Body Works sale, plus some new tops at the Zara sale. I just finished wrapping all of Aiden's school textbooks. Ian is still refusing school, so no first day of school excitement for him. Last but certainly not least, I have just embarked on a new home project; decorating Aiden and Ian's room to their chosen theme of Star Wars. I just hope I have the strength and perseverance to kick them out of our room!

Anyway, I'm going to end this post with some select photos of Aiden's first day of school:

Best formal photo for the year.

Posing with his Star Wars bag and lunch box.

And speaking of Star Wars, Aiden has been bitten with the Star Wars craze too. He insisted on everything Star Wars. Two water bottles, cos I am so extremely sure that he will misplace one soon. Plus a stern warning that I will not be replacing his lunch box if he loses it!

Walking into school. Didn't even bother to look back! *chuckles*

Busy comparing Star Wars merchandise. His friends were decked in Star Wars too!

Excuse my eye bags. I was too busy enjoying my extended annual leave!

Recess time.

I thought the place would be flocked with parents accompanying their kids for recess. I guess parents don't do this anymore for their Standard 2 children??? There was barely a handful of us at the canteen.

I told Aiden that he could have anything from the canteen as a first-day recess treat. He asked for 'roti canai cheese', but cautiously told me, "But it's two ringgit ok?" Of course lah Mummy cair and agreed.

Best family photo we have from yesterday. Seriously, we totally forgot to take a proper family photo!

Ian wanted to follow his Babang to class. Siap lambai tangan lagi!

Unfortunately, no photos from the first day of pickup, because Ian decided to bless us with some projectile vomit in the car. We had to make a quick stop over to strip Ian while Hubby wiped the car clean. Not only was I covered in vomit, but I then had to walk in the heavy rain to pick Aiden up from school. Oh the drama!!!

Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying your first week of 2017. New year resolutions? I'm still drafting mine, so I hope you guys have better luck than me! *chuckles*

The School Uniform To Buy That Will Last Throughout the School Year!

Well hello, school holidays!

After months of waiting, it is finally the end of the year and finally time to start preparing Aiden for Primary Two! So why have I been waiting for this moment with bated breath??? For the simple reason... of going shopping.

*sigh* Aiden's Primary One school uniform and shoes did not survive the wear and tear of his active lifestyle. Boys will always will be boys... you can never expect them to sit all prim and proper in school. They run through puddles and play catch and hopscotch during breaks. Then they come barreling home wearing uniforms stained with roti canai dhal and ice-cream streaks.

By mid-year, Aiden’s shoes were so scruffy and worn out; it was barely hanging by its soles. His uniform on the other hand, had been bleached and cleaned so much that they won’t take anymore, and are permanently dingy with no way of bringing them back to life. It was such an eye sore all throughout the year that I vowed to make better choices for the upcoming Primary 2 school year!

So this year, I’ve decided to invest in the Professor Red Label school uniform. In all honesty, I’ve heard of the Professor brand for quite some time. Not only did I grew up wearing Professor school uniforms, but since they have the most comprehensive range of extra curriculum activities uniform and accessories in Malaysia, I find myself visiting them often in my teens, for my Girl Guide needs.

Professor school uniforms have been around since 1982. Professor owns their own uniform factory; hence they guarantee excellent workmanship in every piece of uniform.  I brought home a few sets of school uniforms for Aiden, and upon inspection I noticed that that the stitching is immaculate, the form well-tailored. As for the fabric, not only are they more durable, (bye-bye fading!) but they are cooling and breathable ensuring that the children will feel comfortable even when they wear it the whole day. It was a far cry from those synthetic feeling polyester fabrics so commonly found in the market nowadays.

Aiden wearing the Professor Red Label uniform. Aside from a shorter trim for the pants, it was a perfect fit!

Aiden in the Professor Baju Melayu set. Even after washing, the cooling fabric stays smooth without any excessive ironing. The material also keeps to shape, even after several washings.

Breathable fabric that will keep the kids feeling pleasant even when they wear it the whole day.

Upon closer inspection, I found a key feature that is oh-so important for children who are about Aiden’s age. Hidden within the folds of the pocket, was a zipper! Did you know how many wallets Aiden misplaced throughout his first school year? A grand total of 5!!! Hence, this feature is very much welcomed in preventing the loss of money and coins at school.

A zip is hidden within the folds of the pocket.

What about price, you ask? My advise – don’t select the cheapest in the market. Instead, strike a balance between cost and quality. Good quality school uniforms will guarantee you the run for your money. For this purpose, choose the Professor Green Label school uniform. This range caters to the demands of cheaper uniform without compromising on the workmanship synonymous to the Professor brand. If you are budget conscious, you can opt for this range and be assured that your children will get the quality and durable uniform that they deserve.

So if you’re planning to start on your school year shopping soon, make your life easier by choosing to shop at Professor. Not only are they a one-stop shop for all your school needs all year long, but they also offer a wide selection of extra curriculum activities uniform, outdoor camping equipment and related accessories.

Professor has 12 outlets within the Klang Valley, with their first outlet located in SS2 Petaling Jaya. Check out the links below for more information:

Website: http://www.professoruniforms.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProfessorUniforms

Store Locator: http://www.professoruniforms.com/locations

Countdown to Turning A Year Older

I'm back!!!

After spending the week in India, it's good to be back home. Although I love the business class seats and frequent flyer points, I honestly rather stay home and get squashed in bed by the kiddos all night long (worse than economy seats)!

Anyway, November is a special month for me, because yours truly was born on a historic day in this month. Although my birthday is a good one week away, my gang pagar sekolah decided to kick start my birthday celebrations before the school breaks for year end. (Frankly, I barely see the girls when it's the school holidays!)

Since our usual haunt was closed, we decided to visit the new cafe that had just opened at D'Bayu Bukit Jelutong. I had pretty low expectations, as I'm rarely blown away by any new joints that are simply mushrooming around town. But I must say, I was pretty impressed with the food. Real Pit Stop, Bukit Jelutong, you have my two thumbs up. Your Soft Shell Crab pasta was finger licking good, and your Nutella Oreo ice-blended was so rich, I'm still processing the calories. *giggles*

Nutella Oreo ice-blended. It even came with mini Chipsmore, 'glued' to the side of the glass with sticky chocolate.

Soft shell crab pasta... soooo good!

I had so much fun with the girls. I was especially touched with the gesture from Min, who baked a pretty birthday cake just for me. It was just the right size too, as we all managed to finish the whole thing in one sitting.

Petite chocolate cake.

Candle problems, due to the strong air-conditioning.

It's my first birthday! :P

Thank you ladies, for taking the time to celebrate my birthday (albeit a week too early). *chuckles* I am extremely blessed to have friends like you. Without you ladies, I may not be quite on top of Aiden's daily homework and school runs.

My takeaway thoughts from the birthday session today? Love your friends selflessly. Surround yourself with friends that offer you positive vibes. Friendship isn't simple, but don't cry over poor friendship choices. Love without judgement. At the end of the day, "You owe yourself the love you give so freely to other people."

Looking forward to turning a year older!

Aiden's 7th Birthday at School

Heh... I had a whole long entry drafted in my phone for this, but of course that went down the drain together with the wiped out iPhone. *sigh*

Anyway, here's my attempt at rewriting it. So Aiden's actual birthday fell on a school day, Friday to be exact; two days before the big party at Kizsport. I was nervous about having his party at school, as all my previous experiences were at the kindy where class timing was flexible and teachers were more than happy to accommodate to your request for a party.

Big boy school was a whole different ball game. Not only were we not allowed to have the party in class, but we were confined to having it during recess time, with simple food that could easily be cleaned up afterwards.

Simple food? It was a toss up between a KFC single drumstick set or a McDonalds Happy Meal. In the end we decided on the latter as it also came with an additional toy to complement the party pack. We pre-ordered the meals two days before the party at our local McDonalds.

On the day of the party, I was running late from a prior facial. McDonalds had already called me twice to remind me that the food was ready for pickup. By the time I arrived, loaded the boxes and boxes of Happy Meals into my tiny Mini, and ordered additional Big Macs for Aiden's teachers, it was past the school start time. Problem was, Aiden was still at home waiting for me to send him to school! *pullshairout*

I drove home and texted the teacher to inform her that Aiden would only be joining his class post recess (which explains why his hair is still neatly combed in the below pictures) and that the party was still on! Thankfully she was quite accommodating, she even offered to ferry the kids to the canteen ten minutes before the stipulated recess time so the kids could enjoy more time at the 'party'.

As we pulled up into Aiden's school, the kids were already at the canteen, eagerly waiting for our arrival. They got super excited when they saw the Happy Meal boxes, but I refrained from giving them their toys and goody bags until the end of the party. With the help of Aiden's ketua darjah (a very responsible sweet girl, memang boleh buat calon menantu type!) the class formed a line and the teacher started distributing the food.

Aiden posing with his class teacher. Check out that hand trying to grab Aiden's Happy Meal ;)

Best friends.

Best 'girl' friends.

Boxes of Happy Meals left unattended as the kids were busy playing together.

Ian not impressed. *giggles*

The happy birthday boy posing with his best friends.

As everyone was busy gobbling down their food, I took the time to setup the cake cutting table. To my dismay, I realized that I forgot my cake stand! #DIYmummyproblems

Aiden wanted a Star Wars themed cake for both school and his official party. Realizing that I wouldn't have time to make two Millennium Falcons (even making one gave me a huge headache), I decided to embark on a simple two dimensional BB8 cake. I baked a full nine inch cake for the body, then a six inch cake (cut in half) for the head. Covered the entire thing with white fondant and then I used orange and grey fondant for the detailing. The best part? In all my rush I forgot to take pictures of the finished cake!!!

Best picture I got of the cake, before the kids ate the whole thing!

Fireworks candle - total havoc in the canteen! Sorry teachers!

Happy 7th birthday, Aiden! (Ian still not impressed!)

The fireworks candle sure caused quite some havoc in the canteen. Since Aiden couldn't blow out the fireworks, we allowed him to do extra cuts of the cake. After the cake cutting session, we distributed the sliced cakes. But I guess the kids were full from the food (or they were just excited about getting their goody bags), that they only ate BB8's head. In the end we told Aiden's teacher to bring the uncut BB8 body into the Bilik Guru for the teachers.

Distributing goody bags.

Good thing I had Aiden's ketua darjah beside me, cos some kids from neighbouring classes decided to queue up as well! And she would confidently 'shoo' them away, "Eh, awak bukan dari kelas saya, awak tak boleh amik!" Hah, I love this girl already! *chuckles*

Love this photo of the boys posing as super heroes.

Happy 7th birthday Aiden. We hope you enjoyed your birthday at school!

Farewell May

I know, I know. I've been rather quiet in May. April was quiet due to the preparation for Aiden and Ian's birthday. So what's my excuse for May?

Truthfully, I've been busy with work. With the kick off of the first offshore campaign just a week ago, I've been busy firefighting last minute issues left right and center. I've even succumbed to synchronizing and pushing my work emails to my personal phone (which I suspect is the reason for the iPhone crash) because at this critical point of the project, people just can't wait overnight for an email response. Not only that, I'm due to mobilize for the second offshore campaign soon too. With the way things are progressing, hopefully I'll get Ramadhan onshore but will probably be spending the bulk of Syawal month offshore! *cries*

So other than the phone wipe-out, here are the highlights of May:

• My eldest brother visited from US. He had a pleasant surprise for us (biarlah rahsia dulu) and in return we treated him to Fatty Crab and durians. It's been quite a while since the whole family gathered, so of course we couldn't resist taking a sibling photo.

• A fellow gang pagar sekolah invited us for her daughter's wedding. We enjoyed the event very much, but the kids enjoyed it even more. They literally took over the photo booth. Here are some hilarious snapshots of the boys (and us!) posing.

• Ian absolutely loves Angry Birds, so I took the boys out for the Angry Birds movie. I went in with extremely low expectations, expecting to just act as chaperon, playing with my phone to kill time. But surprisingly, I enjoyed myself! Believable plot and smart humor. Now I understand why the birds are so angry with the pigs! Ian sat engrossed in his seat for the entire two hours, and as the credits rolled he asked, "ann mowe tyme??" (One more time?) *giggles*

• Last but certainly not least, the SPK gang had our last dinner out before Ramadhan. We chose to have buffet at Makan Kitchen, Doubletree by Hilton. It was also Ayu's birthday and yours truly was tasked with finding her a present. I scratched out branded toiletries and an Arzu scarf before finally deciding on a Chanel lip gloss. Here is a photo of Aiden and Ian making themselves at home at the Chanel cosmetics counter, and some photos from the night.

Here's to welcoming June!