gLee

Yes, admittedly I am officially a GLEEK!!! I have been running a GLEE marathon with hubby for the last two nights. Thank God for Graboid, I can download every single episode of the first season. I missed them all while if was showing on Star World and only managed to catch the season finale. Even then it was the last 15 minutes. Totally fell in love!!

I have to say that my favourite character is Kurt. I love him - the dressing, the attitude and THAT voice!! Wow!! Simply amazing! I also actually love Sue Sylvester. She can really be a nice person sometimes but her mean-ness is sometimes so OTT that it's funny! Oh and Will Schuster... *sigh* don't you just love his moves?? And what a voice!!

We've finished 10 episodes and only 12 more to go. Some of my favourite songs/moments so far are:

1. It's My Life/My Confession mash-up routine by the boys. The look on Finn's face when he started was hilarious. The guys were crazy hyper after popping some anti-depressants and they were jumping around so much.




2. The episode where they have to do a ballad. And Rachel has a crush on Mr Schu. They sang Endless Love by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross to each other and Rach has this crazy in love look in her eyes while Mr Schu has a look of horror on his face. It was hilarious!! Then what about the thoughts that was running through the other members...

Puck - "I love the days I don't wear underwear. Full commando"

Finn - "I've never realised how nice Rachel's butt is. Crap, I think Quinn knows I'm staring at it."

Kurt - "I could totally sing this to Finn. But screw him if he thinks he's taking the Diana Ross part from me."

You gotta love them!!



I'm sure there will be more scenes that I'll love,, but these two just crack me up!!

McDonald's GCB

I'm lovin' it!
Sent via BlackBerry from Maxis

Grow ye corn tree!

Nadiah insisted on getting some corn seeds to plant at home some weeks ago. So we came home and she started digging around in the flower box and planted 2 seeds.

After just 2 days, we could see something shooting out from the earth. Nadiah was SO excited, and so was I, if I do say so myself. I have never been interested in planting anything but this was kinda fun.





Then today, after about a month, this is how high the plants have grown. And one has started to bloom. Ooo.. how exciting!!! Before long Nadiah will be able to eat corns she harvested herself!! Coolness!!

Cooking With Nadiah

These last few weeks I've been so busy running around that I hardly had time to blog. It didn't help that Nadiah has also been busy wanting to cook every time she goes down to the kitchen.

One day, while driving back from school, she wanted some bananas. So hubby and I stopped by this fruit stall and got some for her. When we got home, without taking off her shoes and uniform, she grabbed the small frying pan; the one we always use to cook eggs sunny side up, and started slicing bananas into the pan. Then she gave the pan to me and said "Cook!"

And I did. I scooped a little bit of butter and added to the pan and cooked, just like she wanted it. I don't know where she gets the idea, that she HAS to cook bananas as soon as she comes home from school. They probably did some experiment or something in school. I have to ask her teacher.

I managed to snapped some pictures...



She really loved those fried bananas!!!

Two days later, she wanted to make pizza. Earlier, she insisted that I buy a pizza pan while we were out shopping. Actually she had wanted that pan for a little while now. It's just that I've been ignoring her request. Well, we've got lots of cookie sheets that work just fine for baking pizza that I just don't see the point of getting a pizza pan just for that. But that day, Baba was pushing the trolley and I had stopped at another section and Nadiah managed to wheedle Baba into buying a pizza pan. Hahaa.... SUCKERRRR!!!!

Anyway, back at home Nadiah again conned Baba into making pizza dough. But the thing is, she doesn't have any patience. As soon as Baba mixed water with flour, she decided to take over. She started kneading and had the dough sticking to her hands and arm and face. Somehow she managed to roll the dough with her rolling pin but it was nowhere near a circle. Basically her pizza dough is just flour and water. Then she got her pizza sauce out and started spreading on the pizza base and sprinkled with slices of cheese (we ran out of grated ones, so sliced did just fine). And lastly, into the oven her misshapen pizza went!!

I have pictures of course...

See that brand new pizza pan? I insisted on the waxed paper so the cleaning part would not be horrendous.

A close up before going into the oven.....


Nadiah seems to love her pizza and ate it with gusto.... after I managed to scrape some pieces from the paper, that is.

So that's bananas and pizza. She's done a lot more. Next I'll post pictures of her baking muffins and making spaghetti... if I remember to snap some pictures though...

The Time Traveler's Wife

Nadiah is not feeling well today. I took her swimming yesterday morning and now she's down with runny nose and a slight fever. That means no school for tomorrow.

While she was taking a nap today, I decided to stop all work i.e. beading and scrapping, and just enjoy a movie. I have been so busy the last couple of weeks that I hardly had any time to sit down and enjoy the telly. I just got some DVDs recently and one of them was The Time Traveler's Wife. Saw the preview some months ago and thought that it would be a good one.

And IT WAS!!! Oh wow.. it's such a sweet story but also so sad. This guy, Henry (Eric Bana), has a genetic anomaly that makes him able to time travel in a blink of an eye since he was 6 years old. The thing is, he can't control when or where he travels. One day he meets a girl, Clare (Rachael McAdams), and she seems to know all about him and has been in love with him since she was a child. Apparently, when Henry is in his 40s, he time travels to the past and popped in the meadow at the back of Clare's family estate when she was just a little girl. Over the years, he keeps coming back to the same place and she would be waiting for him and as the years go by, fell in love with him. In the present time, Henry and Clare got married and it was a lot more difficult for Clare to handle being married to a guy who keeps disappearing all the time. And when she gets pregnant, she always end up with a miscarriage because the fetus would 'disappear'. It's so sad. I bawled like a baby when Henry finds out that he will die soon and when he meets his daughter.

After almost a day, the story is still playing in my mind and I can't help mentally sighing over the love Clare and Henry feels for each other through time...

If you haven't seen it, go out and get the DVD. You won't regret it!!

Autism Awareness

Last Wednesday, I took Nadiah to KFC near our house after fetching her from NASOM. She loves going out for a bite especially to places where we have to order at the counter and get the food ourselves i.e. KFC, McDonald's. Don't even think of Pizza Hut's salad bar coz she would just scoop up just about everything just for the fun of it.

Anyway, we had finished our meal and I was getting up and telling Nadiah to go wash her hands, when a guy sat at the table next to ours with his tray of burger, a drink and Cheesy Wedges. And while she passed the table, Nadiah just casually dipped her finger in the melted cheese and licked away. I was horrified and embarrassed and started apologizing to the guy. But he was cool about it and said that it was okay. Then he asked me if she was autistic. I was really surprised but told him yes, she was. The guy said that it's totally okay because he understands very well about autism. So I asked him if he's had experienced with autistic kids and apparently he did a research on autism and that's why he understood.

The thing is, I've never met anyone in the general public who's not a parent of an autie, or someone who works in a place that deals with auties, and understands kids like Nadiah. Especially in situations like this when she disregards common courtesy and just barged her way in. See, an autie has no telling features that you take one look and know that the kid is special. So when you tell people that she is autistic and a special child , they'll take one look and starts doubting you. And especially around here, autism awareness in sadly lacking in the general public. Not a lot of people know what autism is or has even heard of it.

Incidentally, NASOM Alor Setar will be having a charity event on the 8th of May where we'll be selling tickets of RM20 each and with the ticket, you can come to the even and eat all you want. There will be lots of food and we'll be taking the opportunity to spread public awareness about autism. If you're interested in buying tickets and making donations, do let me know. The event will be taking place at WNS Homestay, from 11.30am - 4.00pm.

Then on the 21-22 May, NASOM Alor Setar will be taking part in another charity event which will be hosted by the Yayasan Sultanah Bahiyah. We'll have an information booth where people can come and ask, read and listen about autism. At the same time, we are planning on selling handmade greeting cards to raise some money. The cards will be made by some of the students, including Nadiah (oh boy, she'll have so much fun making all that mess with sticky glue), and teachers and parents.. well the latter would be me. I've asked for some immediate help for some card making stash from my scrapper friends and am so grateful for their support. Some have already started sending the stickers, flowers and embellishments to be used by the kids and some are even making cards so we can sell them straight away. I'm so lucky in my friends!!

So if you would like to help out in whatever way, do let me know. I hope in the near future more people will be made aware of what autism is and how they can help in giving these children a better life.

How To Plant A Banana Tree

Well... my very brilliant daughter does it this way. First, get a banana fruit and peel it. Then, get a butter knife and using the blunt edge, cut it into chunks. Then get a paper towel, fold it nicely and shove it down a drinking glass. Then, just drop in a few of the banana chunks, and fill it in with water.

TA-DA!!!!

Hahaa... does that sound familiar? Remember that green bean planting experiment we used to do in science classes. I guess N thinks that banana trees work the same way too. We only had to wait a few days for a green shoot to emerge from the paper towel, but N's banana tree would take forever!!

Here's were N got her idea

Ok, on another note, I received a Beautiful Blog Award from my friend, Ica. Thanks, Ica. Didn't know that I was one of your inspirations to start blogging. Feeling so honoured here :D

Now I gotta write 7 random facts about myself. I've actually posted some 16 random facts about myself already some years ago. So now I've got to squeeze my brains out for 7 more that you don't know about. Thanks, Ica *as sarcasticly as possible*.

Ok here goes:

1 - Sometimes I would go to Nadiah's school really, really early and wait under some shade just so I'll have some peace and quiet to read a book.

2 - When I was 14 my family and I went to Italy and we got stuck at the airport for 8 hrs. But boredom soon turned to excitement when the band Duran Duran was also there and I got to meet Simon Le Bon.



3 - When I was doing my A-Levels in the UK, me and my friend, Iza, lied to the house mistress saying that we had to go down to London to see the students' representative on some scholarship business. But in actual fact, we went down to watch David Copperfield Live Magic show ;D

4 - I've gone to an all girl school all my life, except in kindergarten and university.

5 - The first time I found a grey hair on my head was on my wedding day and I completely freaked out.

6 - I hate cooking main dish but love making desserts. I love eating them desserts too!!

7 - I'm a simple girl at heart when it comes to ice-cream. Most times when we go to Baskin Robbins, I would ask to try all sorts of flavour, but in the end I always get myself plain old vanilla or strawberry.

Well.. there you go... I managed to come out with 7 after all. But I'm not tagging anyone. Sorry...

When Tomorrow Is Today

Whenever Nadiah wants to go somewhere like swimming or Tesco or McDonald's, she would say "tomorrow swimming" or "tomorrow Tesco etc. What she really means is that she wants to go now, today.

I am having a hard time explaining to her the difference between tomorrow and today. I thought drawing it down of paper would help. So I sat her down, and drew in a book sort of like a time table with names of days at the top of the columns and under each school day I would write SCHOOL. And I go through with her.. Sunday, you have school. Monday, you have school and so on. And she would repeat after me. Then when we came to Friday, I wrote down SWIMMING.

Since it was Thursday, I explained to her that "Today, you went to school (we just came home from school then) and after you have dinner, sleep and wake up again, it's Friday and you can go swimming". She said, "Friday go swimming". We went through again and again from Sunday to Saturday and Nadiah seem to have grasp the meaning and settled down for the night.

So Friday morning, she woke up and the first thing she said.... "Tomorrow swimming".

"Arrghhh!!!!!"

American Idol Fever

Today was the start of American Idol Season 9. I love watching AI but honestly, I rather love watching the auditions more than the concerts. They're such good laughs especially looking at the horrified looks on Simon and Randy's faces when a particularly horrible singer takes the 'stage'.

I actually had to wrestle the remote with Nadiah because she wanted to watch Playhouse Disney now that she's watching them on TV. A few months back she would only watch PD if I recorded the shows and copy them into her pc. It's weird but we just go with the flow. Now that most of the pcs are either not working very well or not connected to the internet, she has chosen to watch TV. To the despair of my mom because Nadiah would insist on watching it in her room, depriving my mom of her Indon or Korean dramas. Not only would Nadiah keep a hold on the remote, she would also take it with her when she leveas the room. Hehee.. poor mom!!

Anyway, I hope this year AI would find someone as original as Adam Lambert or one with the beautiful voice of Danny Gokey.

Ooo... and I also can't wait to see Ellen as a judge. That would be so, so cool!! I was quite dissapointed earlier when Victoria B was there instead as a guest judge. So not her fan!! Hope Ellen makes an appearence soon.

2009 Recap and 2010 Hopes & Challenges

I hope it's not too late to wish everyone a very happy 2010. May the new year brings you happiness and blessings from the Al Mighty.

I'm trying to remember what went on over the last year. So many months seemed to have passed by in a whizz and others stayed in my mind as clear as day. So let's recap..

In January, it was Nadiah's first day of school at Superkids in a normal class room. Hubby and I were worried but she loved being in school even with hundreds of other kids and didn't mind the big number or the noise. It's just when the teacher started shouting through the microphone that she got upset. Who wouldn't??


Because of the age difference, she was at least a head taller than every kid.

In February I discovered the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon and completely changed my reading genre. ASH IS THE BEST!!!

In April, the girls of Sultanah Asma School class of 1992 had two reunions. One was a karaoke nite in KL and the other was a tea party in Alor Star. It was great!! I had loads of fun at both venues catching up with old friends.




Then there was also Nadiah's 7th birthday. We had a little party at home with cake and lots of little presents for Nadiah to open. I think the best part for her was opening up presents.



In May, I won a mini album challenge for the first time. I made a heart shaped album titled 10 Things I Love About You. It's about Nadiah of course. Please click on the link to see the whole album.

Also, I was honoured to be part of the Scrapbook Showcase hosted by Scrappingville and held at the concourse of Bangsar Shopping Complex. The guest of honour was Tun Dr Siti hasmah Ali. What a day that was.

I also bought myself a new laptop.... which is currently in need of service as it's as slow as a snail *sigh*

In June, I was made a member or a design team (DT) not one but TWO international scrapbooking challenge blog. One is with a Singaporean based blog, Scrappin Kids and the other is with Twisted Sketches, an American based blog. What a major achievement that was!!

In July, I held my first SB/altered arts class in Scrappingville. It was on Perfect Pearls and I don't know if I'm right but I seem to be the only one using PP widely in Malaysia. I love PP because it's very versatile. You can use it dry or use it wet. Either way goes. I could be wrong though. But I would love to see more people use Perfect Pearls.

In August, I held my first of many Beading Classes. But the first was always the most memorable. It was held in WNS Homestay, Alor Star. 17 people turned up for the class. It was tiring but well worth the aches and pains.

In September, I realised that Nadiah had started to talk in long sentences. When she loose something of hers like her fave cat, she would say "Where's my cat? I lost my cat." or something like "My ball is all gone". Not only talking but she had also started to argue. When I tell her to go and get ready to go to school, she would say "No school. Go swimming" or "No school, go KL". And she learned the art of emotional blackmail. How? When she wants something she would come and give me a hug and say "Kiss, kiss". Usually when she wants to get out of going to school. :D I just love arguing with her.

After a few classes of beading, I was able to buy my very own DSLR camera : Canon EOS500D. Soooo proud of myself. That was in November, just after 3 months of conducting beading classes in Alor Star and KL.

December saw me being admitted into the hospital. I was down with pneumonia and was warded at Kedah Medical Center for 6 days. And let me tell you that I was never more thankful for having the forethought of getting medical insurance 4 years ago. First I had a chest X-ray done, then I had to have the water drained out of my right lungs (for which name of the procedure I do not know), then did another chest scan on the CT Scan machine thing. The latter had to be THE most painful experience I have ever had to go though. Not the scan itself but when they inserted the dye fluid into my vein. It was only a few seconds but the most painful few seconds of my life. But thue to my Leo nature, not a tear drop came rushing down. But I cried buckets when I was alone shut out in the toilet. Three days later I had to do a broncoscopy. Another not so happy experience. Right after, I threw up everything I had for breakfast (again in the toilet).

Well, that was life in 2009, albeit brief but full of good and happy moments (except for the hospital part). For this new year, I have a few hopes and challenges. I wouldn't call it resolution per se but rather challenging myself because once I put the label RESOLUTIONS.. they usually don't last very long.

So in 2010 I hope to:

- Have another baby or two..

- Be a DT with at least one manufacturing company. Preferably Prima Marketing but for a start, any would do...

and I challenged myself to making 100 scrapbook layouts and I mean strictly layouts.

Wish me luck and I really, really wish that one of the two hopes will come true!!