The 1, 2, 3 sounds familiar

When I used the 1, 2, 3 formula, amma recognized the 1, 2, 3 from the days that she was cautioning us (thambhi and I).

Amma, I learn from the best on how to bring up my children. I found that the 1, 2, 3 formula works on my kids the way it worked for us ;)

Psst, I even use the formula whereby “if you come here, I beat you once (or do not get any beating), if I get to you, I get it double!” That works very well too!

I count 1, 2, 3 to give them a chance to stop any wrong doing, and the boys will stop whatever they are up to before I get to 3. If they don't I would have to get there to smack them!

We walked down the aisle

.. this day, 4 years ago.

And this year's gift for us is another bundle of joy ;)

Sayang, as I feel lucky and blessed everday of my life, I would like to just say, I love you sooooo much! *hands open wide apart*

.. and I know you love me more than I love you!

Every time I ask apps "How much you love me?", he says "More than you love me." :)

Memoirs of 2006

2006 seemed to have passed in a blink of an eye!

It has been 15 months since I started blogging, but I feel like I just started yesterday! Somehow, I feel blogging has made me not realize the days passing by so fast...

Nevertheless, I look back at this year with lots of beautiful memories. Countless!

In our 2006 memoirs...

. Family trip to Lumut . Champion's 2nd birthday . Lil' President's 1st birthday . Amms trip to Shanghai, China . Family outing to Port Dickson . Train ride with the family . Amms birthday celebration in Genting . Birthday invites .

The 2005 memoirs captures family outings, kidz at play and other cuties.

Hmmm, seems to me that the memoirs of 2006 for me is all about the both of you!

... and I thought you were braver

I have always been scared of the dentist. Never fond of visiting them, even when I was younger.

I remember how thambhi used to come to my classroom to accompany me for my routine dental check-ups in school. He was the brave one, when it came to dental check-ups. So, the nurse will hand him my card and ask him to bring me. They knew I was scared and would dodge visiting them! It was pretty embarrassing when he comes knocking on the classroom door, asking my teacher permission to bring me to the dentist. But now, I feel proud.. that he did all that!

Last week, before we met thambhi for high tea, apps and I went for our dental check-ups. Even there, I sent apps in first when the nurse called for either one of us to come in the examination room. I was trying to buy time ;)

After 15 minutes, it was my turn. I knew I cannot run away.. so, in I walked.

After scaling/polishing, the dentist filled one of my tooth. He did mention that I would have to extract my wisdom tooth sooner or later as there is not enough room for growth. The tooth does cause some pain every now and then, but I told him that I give it a rain check. Hehehe..

Phew! I am done with it.. at least for now.

When we met at the high tea, I boasted to thambhi how I was braver now, on how I was able to stand the filing procedure.

He told me, "I cannot stand it. The last time I did filing, I asked the dentist to give me a local anesthesia!"

"Huh?" I exclaimed. "You scared of that also ah? Hahaha.. There's nothing much to that lah." *grinning*

Show off, huh? But I know I am gonna freak out in another few months when it is time for my wisdom tooth extraction!

I can, but they can't?

We were at the petrol station, when Champion suddenly said, "Amma mangkuk!"

I was shocked with what I heard, and asked him, "What?"

He repeated what he said.

Wondering why he actually said that out of no where, I looked straight at him and asked him back, "What does that mean?"

He thought for a while and was about to say "Stu..." but he coolly turned to lil' President and said, "Thambhi's head"

Somehow, I thought he knew what the word 'mangkuk' meant in that phrase and was clever enough to manipulate the word 'stupid' that he was supposed to use to describe the meaning when I ask ed him what it meant. He knew he is not suppose to use such words.

I know Champion learnt these words from his school going cousins. I wonder what else he will end up learning when he starts going to school! *sigh*

How much I don't want my boys to use those words.. I recall how thambhi and I used the words ourselves :)

From calling each other 'mangkuk', we continued to other utensils (in Malay); pinggan, cawan, garfu, sudu, kuali and any other kinds of utensils we can think of.. How silly! I guess these utensils are suppose to mean 'stu..' I think we were in our teens then and we were always playfully saying things like these to each other ;)

What a minute.. I think we still use those words on each other even now, jokingly!

Hehehe.. Now, how do I correct my children when I myself used such words?

Looking back - we played what they don’t

We played then, what they don’t, now.

I notice that children nowadays play modern toys, video games and modern sports. After school, they occupy themselves with tuition classes, music classes, self defense classes, sports lessons and so much more other activities. I wonder whether they have time for the simple games we played during our times..

I remember.. we used things around the house to create a variety in our games. As we grew older, we got bored with toys and we became more creative in our games.

We used to play ‘batu seremban’ (5 tiny bean bags in the size of 3cmx3cm) is school. Thambhi and I got carried away with it, I even made ourselves our own ‘batu seremban’ using green/red beans to be played at home.

We played ‘congkak’ in the school library. We found that interesting too. So, when we get home, for many days, we would collect small stainless steel and plastic bowls and line them up to make the ‘congkak’ board!

We also had the all time favourite, the Barbie and Ken dolls. We made doll houses in our garden. We took small bricks to make the walls of each room. We padded the floor with some fine bamboo leaves...

We made used of the rubber bands too. Amma taught us to throw the rubber bands into a standing nail. and nail. After that, we had a craze of the rubber band jumping rope. We collected as many rubber bands as we could and tried to make real long jumping ropes. This, we played with the neighbourhood kids. It was real fun..

Other than the jump rope, we played something what we called slipper! Yeah, it is a funny name for a game! I guess it got its name because slippers was the main element in this game. 3 pieces of slippers made to stand against each other, making it look like the Indians tent. Then, we would be divided into groups. The persons from the group who built the slipper tent (group A) would have to protect it while the other group (group B) would have to destroy it using a tennis ball. Every time Group A got the ball, they would try to hit the persons in Group B to ‘kill’ them. Similarly, Group B would have to kill everybody in Group A while trying to destroy the slipper tent. The games goes on till everyone in either group is killed.

Apart from that, we played ‘tenteng’ (hop on one leg in a T-shaped box, make a turn and then back), played with marbles, wooden tops and made our own kites which most of the times dropped almost instantly!

On rainy days, we played house in our house. We made a make shift house using our double decker bed. One of us would be living upstairs and the other downstairs. We visited each other and served Twisties or Cheezels as snacks.

We didn’t like using the ladder to climb on to the upper deck. Like monkeys, we would place our foot on the side of the lower deck and place the other knee on the upper deck and pull ourselves up!

How I miss those games.. I will definitely teach my boys how to play those simple yet fun games when they grow bigger!

My first dance

I was 18 then. It was our Form 6 prom. We were allowed to bring a partner.. and guess who I brought?

Thambhi!

There were more boys than girls in our year. Thus, not all girls could have a partner.. and since we were allowed to bring outsiders, I brought thambhi.

No, he didn’t stand out as a stranger among the Form 6 crowd. Apparently, both of us were studying in the same school. Although it was a boys school, the Form 6 classes were coed. Thus, he knew almost all of my friends.. and being a school prefect, he was no stranger to them too.

We had a nice time..

The opened the dance floor.. as I was not a dancing type of a person, so I resorted to sitting back and watched others dance instead :)

Then came the slow dance.. and my classmate came up to me for a dance!

Hmm, now I have a problem.. I have never slow dance with anybody. Nevermind I thought, it should be easy. Just hold each other and sway to left and sway to the right..

We joined the others on the dance floor.. We placed our hands on each other.. on the hip and on the shoulder, respectively.

Thambhi was dancing with a friend of mine. I can see that he was pretty comfortable. Not suprising!

Suddenly, I see thambhi gesturing and signaling towards us.. both of us did not understand. I was already shy dancing with a guy for the first time, and here he is, watching his sister!

Thambhi couldn’t take it. He came over to us.. removed my hands from my partner’s hip and place it on his shoulder, removed my partner’s hands from my shoulder and placed it on my hips.

Arrggghh!

By the way, after Form 6, amms enrolled thambhi and I for dancing lessons where I learnt many types of dance steps. Sadly, over the years, due to lack of practise, I think I forgot it all..

Looking back - it was them

It was because of them that I am what I am now.

I remember.. how they provide me with home tuition. They found traveling to tuition classes in town or to the neighbourhood areas time consuming and inconvenient. The trouble we had finding a good teacher.. *sigh*

I even sacked a couple of Mathematics and Physics tutors as they were not knowledgeable and couldn’t answer my questions. They also didn’t know how to teach. They would not settle down until I find a good tutor.

As the BM paper was important for the Form 5 examination and GP paper was important for the Form 6 examination, they looked for the best.

For the BM tuition, appa found out from somebody who had lost the contact number, but claimed she was good. The only thing they could recall is that her husband is a Doctor in Shah Alam and the clinic name. Appa hunted for the clinic and asked him for the number. Phew!

Then I started the BM all the way in Subang Jaya (from Shah Alam). Appa would send me there before his afternoon shift and amma would fetch me after work. Luckily, her car pooling friend didn’t mind making a short stop in Subang Jaya, waiting for me to finish my BM tuition class and head back to Shah Alam.

For my GP tuition, I attended the famous Kasturi Tuition Center. If appa was working, I would go by bus. But if he was not working, he would wait for me right in front of the tuition center just in time, so that I don’t waste any time waiting for him.

But how could I forget my basics.. Everyone wondered why I liked Math and Science. Many were shocked I got straight A’s for Math at university. It’s all because of appa. He sat down with me and thought me these subjects. He set a good foundation for me in Math and Science.

For Science, if he was not sure of a topic, he would study the book a day before and teach me. He will bring the book to work and study during his free time.

For Math, he would race me to finish off test papers. Everyone knows the answer, but during an exam, the time is the limit. So, the race taught me to solve math problems fast!

The loads of sacrifice they made and their enthusiasm in our education allowed us to reach this far.

Looking back - naughty

When appa was on his night shifts, it would just be amma, thambhi and I.

I remember.. amma would allow us to watch TV. She says we need a little of TV now and then. She said we shouldn't study too much. Of course, appa says there is no such thing. He was against it and expects us to use our free time studying. Appa would scold amma and say that she is spoiling us by allowing us to watch TV during our study time, 7.00 p.m. till 9.00 p.m.

So, in the nights, we would be watching TV with our books right next to us. The moment thambhi or I catch the slightest sound of appa’s motorbike (we were very good at sensing appa’s motorbike..), we would rush to open our books. Amma will also join in the rush to of the TV.

When appa comes in the house, it would seem as if we were studying and amma was reading newspaper or doing something. Most of the time he doesn’t know what we have been up to. But sometimes, we just can’t help it and our giggles will give way. Appa would frown.

However, if it is too late and it was way past our bedtime, we would straightway jump into our beds the moment we hear appa’s motorbike. Worst of all, thambhi acts as if he was sleeping and would even snore!!! He was only about 8 years old.

Looking back - naughty

Appa worked on shifts while amma worked normal office hours.

I remember.. we waited for ever time appa left for work. We would wait a few minutes and when we are sure he was not coming home for anything that he forgot, we would lock the house and leave to the playground.

We would play like we have nothing to worry. Some neighbourhood kids would join us too. We were all about the same age..

This went on for sometime, until a neighbour aunty decided to drop a bomb on us. She informed amma that we played in the playground nearly all afternoons till she came back.

BOMB!

I don't know why we did that even though we had a scheduled playtime nearly everyday.. that's when amma comes back from work at about 6 p.m. She will allow us to play till about 7 p.m.

Sometimes, we have tried to overlook our watch and go home late.. and say "Ooo, we lost track of the time. We didn't know it was 7 already!" So, amma would tell us, "When the street lights are on, it's 7! So, you should be back when the lights are on." After that, we had no excuses, when the lights were on.. we would be at home!

My surprise birthday party

Suprise birthday parties are fun. Our latest suprise birthday party for thambhi's MIL made me remember mine.

My surprise birthday party was a memorable one. It was organized by thambhi and apps, just before I got married. So, it was my first birthday with apps as well as my last birthday being single.

Sunday, 15 December 2002 - Apps brought me out early in the morning.. we had breakfast, went for movie, lunch, ‘jalan-jalan’ then went to church in the evening. As my family had the custom of having family dinners on birthdays, both of us were suppose to be back for the dinner outing.

Somehow, I notice apps looking at his watch a few time, to see the timing that we were arriving home after church. I was telling him it was just in time, while he was saying we still had time. All the while I was thiking he wanted to spend more time with me..

After a phone call, we headed back home. On out way, apps told me a couple of times to freshen myself; wipe my face, apply lipstick, comb my hair, etc. I was like, "For what.. I’ll do it at home, before we leave for dinner".

When we reached in front of the house, apps was looking at the house.. which made me look as well. Hmm, why are you looking, I was wondering. The house was dark. Why? I noticed thambhi looking out through the glass sliding door, from the dark living room. Hmm, they don’t usually off the light like this, I thought.

Apps asked to me to go in first, while he parked the car. As I reached the glass sliding door, thambhi came out, leaving a small gap of the door open. Something amiss, but I didn’t know what. I stepped into the house...

SURPRISE!

Oh my goodness. In that shocked, I stepped out of the house. What was that?

I didn’t expect a surprise birthday party for me at all, and it was definitely a grand surprise. Thambhi pushed me back into the house. Apart from appa, amma, sinnamma’s family, dare devil uncle’s family, karu uncle’s family, my MIL, FIL, SIL, BIL as well as all their children were there, looking at my shock stricken face!

Phew! That was one good surprise, but it was memorable one :)

Memoirs of 2005

We are now saying goodbye to 2005, and a hello to 2006. Time really flies eh?

I look back at this year with lots of beautiful memories. Countless!

In our 2005 memoirs...

. Champion's first holiday trip on Star Cruise .
. Champion's 1st birthday .
. Mr. President was born .
. Amms trip to Cyprus .

The 2005 memoirs also captures family outings, kidz at play and other cuties.

I look forward for more of these special moments in the coming year...