5 years old

My Princess is 5 years old today. To grant her wishes, I bought her a birthday cake to be shared with her classmates in kindergarden.

As for her birthday present, I bought her a new school bag and a blanket. Her current school bag is trolley type and she has been carried it on her back. It can be pushed around but since her class teacher commented on safety in the class (worry about other kid's feet) so my princess resorted to carry her school bag since then. Sigh!

She choosen her own birthday presents. A black Hello Kitty sling bag and a pinky blanket.

Happy 5th birthday, Princess!

Going green

In Kuching, most of the outlets, departmental stores and supermarkets are going green on every Saturdays. People are been educated on less usage of plastic bags, bringing own eco-friendly shopping bag and exposure of campaigns on recycling.

It is still new for local businesses to practise "going green" as the idea is relatively new over here. However some companies do implementing green marketing ideas such as providing buses to pick and send their workers to work, encouraging car pooling and reducing the usage of electricity. Like my previous company, we have the practice of switching off computers and lights during an hour lunch break. Even when we have our take-away lunch, we are taught to bring own container to pack our food instead of asking for plastic or styrofoam packs.

I learn many great green marketing ideas from social entrepreneur blog. If you want to know more about ways of preserving the Mother's Nature and how to have a greener business, do join the social entrepreneur blog. You would be surprised how those ideas can save you money and help your business too.

Little buyer

This morning, I asked my princess to do a thing that she never did before!!!

I asked her to buy her school snack herself. We stopped by her favourite bakery store and after passing her RM3.60 for 2 pieces of croissants, she hopped out from the car and went into the store herself. With me able to view from the car, she was seen looking around for the croissant. I have told her to ask the staff to assist her, but she told me in the car that she wanted to look for it herself.

So after few seconds, I saw her asked the staff since she could not find it. She happily paid and run back into the car.

Well, my Princess is going to be 5 years old next week, so it is another new milestone for her!!! No need mummy to buy her snack anymore. Lol!

Online prospect

My brother has been doing his online computer accessories sales for few years now. Recently he is upgrading his website as his business is expanding, not within the country but accross other Asian countries.

Initially he did it out of interest, but his clientele is expanding and more demands on his accessories. So the other day he used a free web hosting to re-build his website for better efficiency and customer services. I am glad that he is able to earn extra incomes from his online business. Being single and able to earn and spend his own money, no wonder my parents are chasing him on marriage. Lol!

Cheeking phase

Both kids are entering a new phase I called "cheek-ing" phase. Why?? You be the judge.

Baby Jay
He is more sentimental and emotional than his sister. He does not like to be left alone and been deserted. When ever we hugged his sister he will make a pitiful face and pretend to cry. So we need to be equal in showing our love to both kids.

Princess described her brother as a cheeky boy. When asked her why she said that, she said her brother very naughty and sometimes will slap or hit her. I saw him slapping his sister's face twice. When been reprimand, Baby Jay will show his sad face and started to cry and complained to his daddy. Lol!

He always make us laugh and smile with his cheeky smile and happy face.


Princess Jan

She is the matured one. Always been a matured girl since she was young. But she can be mischevious when she wanted too. She can be a sweetie pie, a busy body, chatterbox and a headache at the same times! She know when and who to use her charms on.

A great nagger she is growing up to. Like for instance, she has to remind me on her birthday cake almost every day. Duh! Either she worries I forget, or she wants to share her cake with all her classmates in school.

She has always been good with her words, but she can be a little liar too. Few times we caught her lying. Yes! She can lie now. What ever it is, she will blame that it was her brother's work (messing thing) when the actual fact was she the initiator in the first place. Sigh!


HAPPY WEEKEND, EVERYONE!

Too loud for her

As usual, I switched on Hitz.fm on the radio. When the song "Rocketeers" by Far East Movement was sung, my ever clever Princess commented to me that the song was "too loud". Faint. While her brother was happily dancing in his car seat, Princess kept complaining about the noisy song.

She has an old bone in her!

TIme with kids

I have been busy since early this year and seldom have time with the kids at home. With my Indonesian maid left us in January and my staff turnover episode, I am stucked in the shop most of the day. So it was a great relief and a break for me when I would be able to spend times at home especially with my two lovely kids.

Yesterday is one of those days. Big J helped close shop last night, so I took the opportunity to be lazy at home. Anyway I need a break too. Spending times with my Princess and Baby Jay, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in the room. Chatted with Princess on her school and her upcoming birthday. Now my Baby Jay started to watch cartoons. Everytime the theme song was played, he will stand up and dance; just like Princess when she was small.

Princess' command of Mandarin is improving since last year. She speaks more Chinese to me now. As for Baby Jay, he is still having his baby talk but he can say "She mek?" (What?). He understand when we talk to him. He will hug, kiss and wave good bye when we ask him to. He is getting very lovey-dovey to us too. He understand more Chinese than English, so we believe that he will speak Chinese first.

You know what?? I think I only heard Baby Jay called me "mummy" once. Some of his first words are daddy, che cheh (sister), mum mum (eat) and nen nen (milk), but not mummy. *sob sob* Now his vocabulary is getting more, he can say "bye bye", ter (water).

I just realised my kids are growing fast. Baby Jay - 20 months old, Princess - going to be 5 in 2 weeks times! So I cherish the quality times I have with my kids. I miss them.

Duck? Goose? Swan!

Big J won an inflatable toy from Petronas over the weekend. When Princess saw the toy at home, she commented it was a duck. And Big J told her that it was not a duck, but a goose.



When I reached home that evening, my Princess was so eager to show me the duck. So when I saw the toy, I wanted to laugh off. I corrected both Big J and Princess that it was not a duck neither a goose. It was a swan! Or was it??

Mr Right

Please do not get me wrong. My relationship with Big J is as strong as ever. Just that I recently read an article on relationship and I could not help myself to post it here for sharing. Please read on.......

DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON?


During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question. She said, "How do I know if I married the right person?" I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, "It depends. Is that your husband?" In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?"

Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer. EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse/partner. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies (unconventional behavior/habit) .

Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love... Because it's happening TO YOU.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet." Think about the imagery of that expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria (excitement) of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages or relationship breakdown. People blame their spouse/partner for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage/relationship for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, excessive TV, or abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it. I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could.

And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE/RELATIONSHIP IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the expression "the labor of love." Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage/relationship work. Sure true love can only happen after you've fallen out of love. When you begin choosing to love, even if you don't feel like doing it ---- that's true love. And that's the foundation of a lasting and strong marriage.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable. .. you can "make"love.

Love is indeed a "decision".. . Not just a feeling. You'll not just go away with your relationship just because the feeling is gone. In the Bible, love is a command. You make it happen.

Remember this always:

"God determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go." - Ruth Beltran

It's inspiring, isn't it?