the cikuwi wanderlust diaries

eventful week of 5-11 Dec

2011-12-11T11:09:00.001+08:00

what an eventful week...wrapped up 5 orders this week, which is a big load for me considering the girls r on school holiday and I take care of them alone when D's at work. Thank heavens my sis Surifah Tweevran was able to help me babysit the girls n cook some meals when her schedule allowed it...super big help. On a sad note, my uncle Wak Man took his last breath yesterday...he was our non-judgemental, funny unique uncle who always bought us sweets n snacks when we were little kids...will miss him n wish him in a better place :(

starting of year end school holiday for the girls!

2011-11-15T21:38:00.002+08:00

the girls will start their school holidays from 18th Nov all the way to 3rd January 2012 (!!).

i will try my hardest to update this blog every once in a while as i tend to forget it, as i am always on facebook instead!

we have been busy living our lives, doing our thing...D with his work, me with my work at home (family life) & continuing with my baking orders & the girls busy with their preschool activities.

hoping to go for a short break shortly after Christmas till NY period.

hanging on tight to life's daily grind! cheers to all still faithfully reading this blog of mine-sorry to have kept you waiting for ages!

one of my fav blessed tunes by Ali Farka Toure-Hawa Dolo

2011-11-15T21:36:00.000+08:00

Lombok, Indonesia 4.9.11

2011-09-13T23:16:00.001+08:00

here's a photo for Thomas & co...all is fine here...when i have time, i will upload more pics for u in my blog & facebook ya :)

happy 3rd birthday Shirin & others!

2011-08-08T11:06:00.009+08:00

cutting cake with family & siblings on 6.8.11

sisters hugging mode on 7.8.11

wearing red & white for s'pore national school celebrations at school on 8.8.11

arrgh! just realised my last post was in end May. that means we have been settling down at new place for 2 months now...i'm always on facebook & thus have been ignoring this blog of mine. sorry if i have been keeping u waiting so loooong!

so shirin has turned 3 two days ago, 6.8.08. she's had her share of five cakes (3x celebrations, first celebration had 3 cakes as i needed 2.5kg cake....2x1kg cake & 1x500g cake!!) they were store bought as i was too busy to bake my own daughter's cake!!! also, now we are in the 8th day of fasting month....busy with handling matters at home w/o anymore maid in tow...kids sleeping later, we have more housework to do & house is never completely clean (too tired & not enough time!!) & i'm still taking baking orders here & there when i can spare the time. D has been a good help...ironing clothes, washing dishes...doing laundry..helping with anisha's weekly homework (this takes up quite a lot of time in the weekends)....yeah...so just trying to keep things together & stay sane in this crazy family of ours, hehe! ;)

glimpse of "ivory tower"

2011-05-25T15:21:00.006+08:00

settling in slowly but surely....

2011-05-25T10:57:00.005+08:00

we moved to our new place on Monday 16th May.

we've had a few mishaps since moving in the new place: on Tues 17th May, shirin got quite sick & we had to send her to A&E KK hospital since it was a public holiday (Vesak Day) & all the clinics were closed. she had a mild bout of pneumonia but luckily there it was not neccesary to admit her. this had happened 4 days after mom's passing & the day after we moved to new place. that same day, Is had sprained her right foot when she had walked too fast & stumbled in a pothole on the way to the provision shop! i only knew abt it when i noticed she was limping while walking! she didn't tell me (typical of Is style). later that night Mimi helped D send Is to the KTP A&E hospital to check her foot. thankfully it wasn't fractured or broken & it healed soon after after an injection & few rounds of painkillers + anti-swelling medicine. that same day, we had mom's 3rd day passing religious gathering so shirin went to hosp before the gathering & Is went after. aya & D got sick too...i had to send aya to baby bear & she got similar prescription like shirin & D managed to get 1 day MC...as for me i had to battle the virus best i could by taking paracetamol & my telfast....for that first few days & nights at the new house i had to be strong....to take care of the kids since my helper Is was down & D was overcome with his cold.

this is the second week at the new place. thanks to Mimi, Ipah & Seri's help, we managed to unpack about 90% of our boxes. we still have some things left in the storeroom of the old place...but we don't have to rush as Mimi won't be selling his place yet.

thank you for the condolences you've given us. we are slowly coping with the loss of our beloved mother....last saturday 21st May, we had another religious gathering to offer prayers for mom's 7th day passing. it was a good closure for me to be with close family members & it felt good that i was able to help with packing of the food etc.

p.s. abt the new place, there are still touch ups to be done. and i still haven't started baking yet. will jumpstart in June: i already have a few pending orders.

pp.s on a good note, the girls are in love with the swimming pool because it has this big yellow slide & the kids pool is shallow enough for them to splash around in.

ppps. everyone is on the road to recovery (touch wood) from their coughs, colds & sprains. hopefully.

goodbye to our beloved mum (14.5.11, 07:31).....

2011-05-15T08:37:00.004+08:00

i remember how super talented she was: she was a great cook -she cooked all the food all by herself for her nasi padang stall her whole adult life & also cooked amazing food for the family (she made the most wicked Assam Pedas!!!!) that was how she supported her children all by herself.....she made crafts like flowers......yummy desserts...(i feel blessed to have a smidgen of her talent). she always had an easy friendly smile for everyone. she never went to school but she was always clever in her own way-she had a good business mind-good with numbers!!. good with the chinese dialects also-she picked them up fast!! she never gave up supporting us even when the going got tough. it must have been an unbelievable weight on her shoulders for her, a super huge burden but she's not one to complain but instead to WORK ON IT & get on with it, to MAKE IT WORK. i really admire her humility, perseverance & strength. she's a SUPERWOMAN WITH A BIG HEART in my eyes. Goodbye mom, rest well. you are amazingly loved & appreciated & we'll miss your sweet sincere smiles & warmth.....ILYSM :_(

Mum with her granddaughter Shirin, who never failed to bring a smile to her face with her antics...

exquisite fruit :)

2011-04-09T22:04:00.002+08:00

happy 5th birthday, anisha! :)

2011-04-09T22:01:00.003+08:00

taken on her actual birthday 7.4.2011 :-)))

sunset view from our new place, 2nd April 2011

2011-04-09T21:59:00.001+08:00

mummy rainbow

2011-03-29T14:28:00.003+08:00

"Mummy & Rainbow" by Anisha 4y11mths old, March 2011
Anisha drew this for me a couple of weeks ago when i was super busy with my baking orders, just to cheer me up! i found this when i was filing loose artwork/paperwork it did cheer me up the moment i saw it again! love the butterflies & vibrant colours. we thought Aya managed to capture my resemblance too ;-)

projected move in date

2011-02-28T15:01:00.004+08:00

our projected moving date to the "Ivory Tower" will be early May '11. so we'll still be hanging around here at the old place for 2+ months more. Ipah's foot is healing slowly but surely. she seem to be having some issues with "absorption" i.e. her body is not absorbing the iron/calcium at a normal rate, so the healing process is taking a much longer time for her. she's been in the fiberglass foot cast for 2 mths now. she needs abt 2+ weeks more. at least she has been much more mobile eversince her doc gave her a special "shoe" so that she can walk (with the help of a crutch). and she has gone back to work for couple of weeks now so that made her happy & kept her busy. Arti is going back to indonesia in a week's time. so Ipah will have a new maid & hope mom will like her new helper. mom is v particular/sensitive to liking her assistant.

i had a crazy/super busy past 2 weeks with my bakes. this week is quite free for me so i'm thankful for the breather. good opportunity for me to settle other things while i have the time.

girls are settling in their pre-school routine but anisha having problems with her chinese homework. we also having prob with dealing with girls' second language (Chinese/Malay/German). the time will come soon to deal with anisha's pri 1 school registration. big headache for me. can't deal with the 'kiasu' & 'stressful' primary school registration system. me, i'm trying not to freak out! either volunteer or just let them 'assign' a school for her which may be faraway frm where we r living (my ex primary school does not exist anymore!). we have got to figure it out.

ruchti girls in Feb '11

2011-02-28T14:56:00.002+08:00

busy times!

2011-02-24T10:27:00.004+08:00

Portrait of Anisha (wearing her all-time fav Ariel dress!) & Grizzly (her teddy bear-best friend for the whole 5 yrs of her life; a gift from her Omi). This drawing is too sweet!! makes me wanna weep!! lol...
drawn & coloured by Anisha, Feb 2011

We have been busy with our work! D with his work & me with mine. Baking business has been good in January & Feb. So gd that i had to turn down some orders or reschedule :-/
Also busy with getting the renovation work started. We are in the process of choosing a suitable contractor.
We have been busy guiding Anisha with her school homework: English reading & writing Chinese characters.
Everybody is busy doing their own things, including Shirin who has been talking a lot more lately, fomulating complex adult like sentences! hehe...
Greetings for our families in Swiss-land!!

"strawberry shortcake & her friend"

2011-01-25T11:36:00.000+08:00

Drawn & coloured by Anisha
January 2011

CHinese New Year season & mom's b'day at Hg

2011-01-25T11:23:00.004+08:00

at Jurong Point

happy 67th to our dearest Mum

on our way to the playground at Hougang

22 & 23 January 2011

shirin's first day at pre-nursery class! (2.5yo)

2011-01-04T21:06:00.003+08:00

"daddy on a plane"

2011-01-04T20:42:00.003+08:00

"daddy on a plane" drawn by Aya on 4.1.2011
she drew this to cheer up D who's on a business trip to Shenzen for 2 weeks :-)

p.s. daddy's sitting somewhere in the middle there & this pic's complete with balloons & the Swiss flag!

"a line of girls"

2011-01-03T23:16:00.001+08:00

drawn & coloured by Anisha on 3rd Jan 2011

"an imaginary family"

2011-01-03T23:15:00.002+08:00

drawn & coloured by Anisha on 3rd Jan 2011

vielen dank for the new watch + all the other Christmas presents, Omi! :-)

2010-12-29T11:42:00.000+08:00

playtime!

2010-12-28T23:02:00.002+08:00

taken @Northpoint rooftop playground

family dec 2010

2010-12-19T20:28:00.000+08:00

for our swiss family, with love from singapore

shirin's mischievious smile!

2010-12-19T20:26:00.002+08:00

D & his girls

2010-12-15T11:06:00.003+08:00

at the void deck waiting for a cab to bring us to Hg for our weekly visit
12 December 2010

Shirin, Nov 2010

2010-11-27T10:39:00.002+08:00

apple pie from hubby for my birthday :)

2010-11-26T08:51:00.002+08:00

D was sweet to bake me an apple pie for my birthday last night. right after work, from 7.30pm to 11pm!!! love you honey & thanks for all the effort. really appreciate it & it tastes yummy! :-)

Cinderella & her Prince

2010-11-21T20:37:00.002+08:00

drawn by Anisha on 21 November 2010, when we were at Hougang.
she's been drawing princesses & their princes. her favorite princess for the moment is Ariel, the little mermaid!

sunset in wdlands

2010-11-14T19:28:00.002+08:00

taken from our entrance room window

happy birthday to our beloved Ipah :-)

2010-11-14T19:21:00.006+08:00

we had a simple cake cutting celebration during our Sunday Hougang visit on 12 Nov 2010. cake made by yours truly, the very same morning! lovely family moment to remember :-)

my latest cake

2010-11-12T09:47:00.003+08:00

you can see more of my creations at my baking blog www.sweetscrumptations.blogspot.com :-)

family (mixed bag), oct

2010-11-10T12:06:00.010+08:00

at woodlands waterfront (facing Johor, Malaysia)....

Aya's favourite after school snack-toast with condensed sweetened milk & Milo powder...

changes coming our way soon....

2010-11-10T11:58:00.002+08:00

we have made the biggest purchase of our lives. and now finally we will be 'tied' down!
one percent has been debited (omg it's real) & everything is going smoothly so far (it is a lot of work).
looking forward to finalizing it as our own. there will be many things to cover the next 4mths.
hope all will work out for the best!!

batik girls

2010-10-19T09:21:00.002+08:00

taken at Hougang 17 Oct 2010 :-)

this family loves sushi!

2010-10-16T11:35:00.002+08:00

Thomas & co. eating japanese food to their heart's content! :-D

brothers....

2010-10-14T10:09:00.002+08:00

they finally get to meet again & spend quality time together :-)

the four kids went swimming....

2010-10-14T09:59:00.001+08:00

while D & i went for....SPA! haha...

the 2 ruchti families in bali :-)

2010-10-14T09:48:00.004+08:00

visit to a balinese temple

@ the Bali Bird Park. it was a beautiful lush green park where the birds could freely roam about.

bali temple pic with girls

2010-10-13T12:01:00.003+08:00

hope to be able to upload more pics soon. Thomas & co will fly back to Switzerland tonight...

Next stop Bali for Thomas & co.

2010-09-29T12:11:00.002+08:00

after 7 days in Singapore, Thomas & co have left for Bali today, Wed at 14:40, 29 Sep. We will join them on Sat 2 Oct & our two families will return to S'pore on Sun, 10th Oct. :-)

welcome to singapore! ;-)

2010-09-27T09:57:00.000+08:00

thomas & co on the north-south line, after a lunch of sushi :-D

Swiss fam Thomas & co visit to Sg & Mimi's wedding weekend!

2010-09-24T17:35:00.003+08:00

so it's gonna be a jam-packed weekend no less. happy to have received Thomas & co's safe arrival at the Sg airport yesterday evening & it was WONDERFUL to see them again! we have also managed to work out the sleeping arrangement in our apartment. shirin now sleeping with me & D in our existing bedroom, aya alone in her room, Thomas & Rosmarie in shirin's room, Is in her existing room & the boys in the tv/living room (each boy on one side of the sofa!). been very nice having dinners at home together too...we have also received SO MANY gifts from Switzerland:::thank you ALL for the presents, Gisela & Konrad & Patricia, of course Thomas & Rosmarie too...really appreciate every single gift... :-D

we will be having a jam packed weekend...it's my big bro Mimi's big day! am super thrilled for him but i am also trying not to hyperventilate over the weekend....and i hope the cake i made for him will stand up long enough till the cake cutting event!!!

random Aug-Sept 2010 pics

2010-09-13T23:27:00.007+08:00

Visitor from Switzerland

2010-09-04T07:32:00.003+08:00

today, our Swiss friend Chantal will arrive from Switz & stay with us for 1 week. she will fly to NZ on morning of hari raya (next Fri 10 Sep)...so it's gonna be an interesting week.

i wish i wasn't so busy with my prior commitments though, so that i could spend more time showing her around. oh! speaking of which, i will have a crazy 4 days before hari raya-i will be baking up a storm in my kitchen to fulfill customer's orders (especially my sisters'!)

p.s. i have started 'rebuilding' my wallet slowly...new bank card...new ez-link card...new library card...etc...& yay, new sunglasses, thanks to my DH!

the day my bag got stolen....

2010-09-01T20:37:00.003+08:00

my handbag with all my important things (wallet, handphone, Identity Card, new sunglasses) got stolen while out grocery shopping with my helper Is & my younger gal Shirin on 31st Aug afternoon. partly my mistake. my bag was slung low over one of the pram's handle. the thief must have swiped at my bag the one minute i was busy looking away at groceries. apparently i am the second victim.... the first victim got 'robbed' of her bag (also hung from her child's pram) 1hr+ before me, also at same place. 2 policemen & an investigator actually came down to cold storage to write a report, take photos & investigate my case.

i had to cancel/block my bank cards, call up about my other membership cards (reminder to self: library card!!)
i will have to wait 1 week+ before making new IC (that will cost me $100 to replace!)
i will need to think about a new mobile phone.

i suppose in times of desperation during this festive season, people are willing to do anything to get what they want/need. i just wish they would take the money in my wallet & give me back the rest of my things!! i am so in disbelief that i don't know what to feel about this incident. beyond disappointed & i'm not expecting to get any of my things back.

MIA...again

2010-08-28T06:19:00.002+08:00

i have been neglecting this blog of mine again...sorry, to my regular readers who keep looking out for updates!

have been busy (too busy?) baking in my kitchen..keeping up with customer's orders. the orders have been streaming in constantly this whole month & for next month. in fact i've been getting advance order enquiries for few mths down the road. because i'm a one-woman show, it's hard for me to mantain my "high standard of quality" (hehe...me being a control-freak!) while covering too many orders...so i actually had to turn down a few orders this busy Raya period/Mimi's wedding period/pending Bali holiday period. clash clash clash. also since the kitchen is now like my workplace from 9am till 5pm, i hardly get to spend time with the girls & my tension headaches has made a comeback (thinking, working while fasting is really a challenge, especially when i can't casually pop 2 panadols to ease the migraine due to fasting).

so past week or so, i was in my pace-it mode & war mode (this is the mode i adopt when i have to slug it out workwise).

so it's been pretty tiring days, weeks & i will have couple of challenging weeks to go through. an occasional challenge is good...whips me back to form & makes my mind clear again.

looking forward to our 1 week break in Bali in Oct--->me deserve a good pampering after all these hard work! ;-P

sisters 9th Aug 2010

2010-08-09T18:24:00.000+08:00

taken on Singapore's birthday ;-)

happy 2 years old, shirin!

2010-08-08T10:37:00.010+08:00

cake i made for my little jengrut shirin :-D

ruchti family pic. so happy that she liked her cake :D

very happy with her presents

with my long-time girlfriends jay, her baby ethan & jan

with my parent buddies

with our relatives

happy birthday, darling!! u r our little sunshine girl! *hugs & kisses*

anisha's masterpiece

2010-08-01T09:37:00.002+08:00

a picture of our family drawn on 29th July 2010

at home in july 2010... :-)

2010-07-31T22:41:00.010+08:00

shirin showing her caring & motherly side

a worn out Grizzly, anisha's faithful sleeping companion (a gift from Omi when aya was a newborn baby, so grizzly is 4 yrs old too)

the girls after their evening bath

me, the mother!! (taken by shirin)

arranging books the shirin way

homemade pizza waiting to be baked (with homemade crust using only flour, olive oil, water & salt)

anisha & shirin's work

i found shirin's dog on the diaper table as shown. it was aya's doing, hehe

snapshot of Nirwana Gardens beach in Bintan

2010-07-15T11:07:00.005+08:00

the seawater was very clear & cooling, perfect to "hide" from the blazing hot sun!!

Short break

2010-07-07T11:45:00.002+08:00

The four of us will be going for a short break with Ipah & Cik Bandi's family to Bintan, Indonesia this weekend, Fri 9th to Sun 11th July. It will be Shirin's first time on a ferry & Anisha's second. and the ??? time for me & Ipah. lost count how many times Ipah & i have been in Bintan...for many years we'd frequent there to indulge in spa sessions. hoping to get that same chance during this short weekend!

Shirin 21 mths (May 2010)

2010-07-05T20:42:00.002+08:00

in 1 month time she will be 2 years old! currently she's going thru the terrible 2's; she's getting more willful/stubborn/sensitive & prone to whining & trantrums if things doesn't go her way! but she is also getting closer to her big sis & daddy, thanks to the recent holiday. she's also best friends/soulmates with her Nenek.
p.s. this pic was taken the day before mum had to sent to the a&e :-(

my girls & cats!

2010-06-30T20:52:00.008+08:00

yup, they seem to have inherited my love for cats (they also love dogs, elephants, birds...all sorts of animals)....we will go crazy when we see a cute one walking around. anyway, here are some pics of our 2 kitty encounters when we were in Chiangmai.

foto for Omi (80+ pc puzzle set)

2010-06-30T20:40:00.004+08:00

here she is looking proud over her achievement. she completed this puzzle set sent from you, Omi, all by herself (she's completed it by herself 2 or 3 times before) & she wants to show it to you :-)

hanging around at our hotel-Holiday Inn @Chiangmai

2010-06-25T15:40:00.011+08:00

view from our hotel room

shirin's little cot that was provided by the hotel. good thing she adapted sleeping in it quickly. it was also worth packing their little pillows & snuggle soft toys.

anisha's little mattress bed that she loved

daddy trying to catch a (very rare) breather

crash!! first 2 of 8 days & already super tired?!!

excited little buggers. aya thought the hotel was our new 'house'

our girls couldn't get enough of the hotel lobby carpet! the moment we reached the lobby they would take off their shoes & run, roll around as if it's really at their own house! haha...

post chiang mai holiday: girls getting closer

2010-06-18T21:05:00.005+08:00

i think it's too good to be true. can it be?? our girls are sleeping together in shirin's room as i'm writing this. it's been 30 minutes since i've heard anything so hopefully that means they are sleeping. this is the first time they are sleeping together in the same room in this woodlands apartment. i think anisha was open to this idea after the trip. in the hotel during our trip, the four of us had slept in the same room together. me & D on the king sized bed, aya on the mattress on the floor next to the right side of our bed & shirin in her little cot on the left side of our bed. i suppose the whole experience was like 'camping' for the girls. in fact, anisha refused to sleep with us in our bed when we had offered it to her! she is in the stage of "i can do everything & anything myself", partly influenced by same title episode from the cartoon Charlie & Lola.

today at the playground, anisha held shirin's hand while they played together. it was really nice to see. melted my heart. and when it was time to go back home, shirin called out aya's name "ta, home" & even wanted to hold aya's hand to lead her home. sigh =)

visit to Doi Suthep Temple, Chiang Mai 7 June 2010

2010-06-18T20:56:00.005+08:00

Maesa Elephant Camp, Chiang Mai, 7 June 2010

2010-06-17T20:51:00.007+08:00

lovely paintings by the brilliant elephants!

artist at work

watching the elephant show. my 'weapon' to make the girls stay put during our travels: constant supply of snacks in our bags. it really saved us parents.

Chiangmai trip June 6-13 2010

2010-06-17T14:24:00.008+08:00

visit to the mixed hill tribes

hanging out with the karen hill tribe clan

elephant ride at the Maesa Elephant Camp. it was AWESOME! =)

will update more next time!

The Wiggles show in Singapore 5th June 2010

2010-06-17T14:19:00.002+08:00

this time Shirin & Ipah came along! Anisha really enjoyed the show. Shirin sat during the first half of the show but was running around for the second =/
p.s. i bumped into my ex secondary girlfriend, Michelle P.!

zoo with shirin, Saturday May 29

2010-05-30T00:17:00.016+08:00

anisha is sleeping at Ipah's (anisha said "aunty ipah is my best friend!") place tonight. the house is very quiet without her loud constant chatty voice. so D & i figured out that it's an opportunity for us to have a special day with shirin, WITHOUT our helper Is. so we decided to bring her to the zoo. luckily her fever has gone down a fair bit & stabilized (after a few rounds of paracetamol, ibuprofen & suppositries-her fever had shot up to 40 deg cel on friday morning, started on thursday morning; dr teo said it was probably fake measles).

at first she was not convinced but towards the end of the trip we could see that she was very happy to have mommy & daddy for herself! i also thought wow, i felt like i was getting to know my little girl no.2 all over again...because most time, sad to say, my helper Is is the one to spend most time with shirin...especially since i started my home baking business....i didn't have much time to take care of my little shirin. so i really enjoyed it today =)

the start of our special trip. as you can see, shirin didn't seem keen on the idea at initially...

the polar bear looked very hot & thirsty :-/

shirin got excited when she saw the orang-utans hanging out at the trees

it was a super hot day, as you can see Daniel was sweating like mad!

a very beautiful & frisky cheetah

she was very happy to eat ice-cream during our snack break!

shirin really liked this monkey statue so i took a pic! =)

shirin's special day with mummy & daddy

on our way home after dinner at *drumrolls* 8pm! shirin normally goes to bed at 7pm+!

messy, May 25

2010-05-30T00:12:00.004+08:00

a typical scenario at home during daytime: mess of dvds lying everywhere on the floor. this one was thanks to anisha pretending to sell our dvds at the pasar malam IN OUR KITCHEN & when shirin saw what her big sis was doing, shirin helped anisha finish the job! :-O

big eyes

2010-05-25T16:22:00.005+08:00

shirin 15 may 2010, 21 months

shirin & aya 11 may 2010. their favourite activity for the moment: throw down all the sofa pillows on the floor & jump on the them! *sigh!*

food update: the girls LOVE to eat fresh fruits. especially strawberries, bananas, apples (peeled), mangoes, grapes (seedless). i found that i have to keep running to the supermarket to stock up on 'em. i suppose they got it from me because i am crazy for fruits all my life, hehe ;-D

girls' sundresses

2010-05-18T20:41:00.004+08:00

this may be the first & last time they wear these dresses, which were presents from Emily. it's a little bit tight for their chest/armpit area & the top somehow often get pulled down showing something what shouldn't be shown...they look cute in 'em though :)

a daytrip to the East Coast of S'pore...

2010-05-15T19:18:00.007+08:00

shirin kept making this "jengrut" face due to the glare of the sun

MCP!!!

the cab fare for the 5 of us cost about $25 from woodlands to parkway parade at the east coast. we went there today for D's appointment at the chiropractor (to assess his spine). after his appointment in the morning we did a quick recce from parkway & ended up walking all the way to East Coast Park. it's been ages since i've been at the beach there. it was quite nice there then because the weather wasn't too hot & it was windy. we played with the seawater...shirin was open to the whole new sensation but anisha held back & was scared! so, quite a nice with the family today. tomorrow we will visit mum at hougang.....hope to see mum fitter & smiling more, well she definitely will when she sees our girls!

many things (logistically) to think about...

2010-05-14T11:25:00.002+08:00

the girl's education>our housing matters>
these are the two main points to tackle. i'd say we have maximum 2 years to figure it out?! until aya goes to primary level school that is.
other points to tackle:
helper extension or not>stopping or continuing with my homebaking business>or back to full-time homemaker etc.

our lives has gotten to be very busy lately.

mum discharged from hospital today...

2010-05-14T11:23:00.002+08:00

she seem to have improved since wednesday...well her face looks better. mimi said she will be discharged today. i am just happy & relieved that mum fought through...again.

busy june school holiday plans

2010-05-12T23:32:00.002+08:00

anisha will be having her 1 month school holiday in june...we have decided to sign her up for two out of the many camps that her school is offering. so she will go for the 3 day "art & sensory camp" & 3 day "cooking & counting camp".

shirin will have her first official holiday (we're not really counting her first flight to switzerland as holiday since that was like going back to our 2nd home) with us as family of 4 in the middle of june! we will go to Chiangmai, Thailand (north thailand, hopefully away from the chaos in Bangkok) for a hopefully wonderful 8 days & 7 nights. just the 4 of us without our usual helper Is, so that means, D & i must play tag & support each other like mad (key to our survival!!!) to keep our girls in control & happy (hopefully we won't have to need another holiday to recover from this one?!!) the Chiangmai holiday date: 6th June to 13th June.

i am looking forward to this very exciting trip because...it will be very challenging & i believe eye-opening. and i will get to experience the full impact of having to take care of my 2 girls 100%. a super great bonding time, guaranteed!!! :-D

mum warded in hospital...

2010-05-12T23:03:00.004+08:00

our two families spent mother's day together on sunday...we had lunch at charco's at AMK, then mimi drove us to Upper Pierce Reservoir for some easy hang out time. that's when we noticed something was amiss with mum.

she just kept slumping over while seated in her wheelchair. her arms just hung by her sides & her head was drooping to the side, downwards too. she just didn't look good. we were worried...later the next day on monday, mimi took half day leave to bring her to the polyclinic to check & the doc recommended she be sent to TTSH A&E b'cos her heart rate was beating quite fast. after the mandatory check ups, they decided that she should be warded for further 'investigations'. so that evening, monday night, D & i went to the hospital to visit her while she in the 'holding area'. it was very hard to see mum in that condition & both mum & i just broke down when we met...mum's speech has deteriorated pretty much since the past 1 or 2 years & it's difficult to understand what she's trying to say...she knows what she wants to say but it sounds very slurred... :-(

she had to wait in that holding area from monday evening till tuesday morning 4.30am (!) due to the lack of beds in the wards for female patients! mum kept on crying with the thought of shirin. they seem to share a special bond, mom & shirin...she cried twice while calling shirin's name, so the next day i brought shirin along to visit mom at the hospital...later in the evening it was anisha's turn to visit mum. seeing the girls really brought an easy smile to mum's face...it felt so good to see mum cheer up.

it's been decided by the doctors that part of mum's brain has degenerated, thus affecting her speech, motor skills & balance. she can't drink too fast/much or her throat would rebel & she'd end up choking. she now has to drink slowly, by the spoonfuls. food has to be soft too...and...actually the doctors have also found a benign tumor in the back of her brain...mimi will discuss the causes, circumstances with the neurologist tomorrow morning. speaking of mimi, he has made a lot of sacrifices dealing with this situation...not once has he complained & he's been with mum every step of the way. i really am thankful to have a big bro like him...

at the moment, mum seem to look a lot better. she seem to be enjoying the attention she has been getting from the nurses, doctors, specialists & of course visitors...she has been getting lots of them. she has started smiling & laughing at the silly jokes we make...her old self seem to be back & that really is a huge relief for all of us...my mum has always been a fighter...this amazing woman who has gone through 10 times of what i have gone through in my life so far, she who had to bear the weight of responsibility of bringing up her 4 children on her own, with her own blood, sweat & tears...the proof is in her worn out hands & body....oh mum...the things you had to go through in your life....

health reality check

2010-05-04T17:26:00.005+08:00

Dani took a health test at work some weeks ago & got his result last week. his cholesterol level result was about 330, way above the acceptable limit of 200! he also has 'fatty liver', from eating too much good food we suppose...AND so for the past 1 week, our family have started to cook & eat LESS meat, fried food, chocolates, cakes, cheese, cream....ladilada-ladilada.....he has lost about 1kg + so far. it has not been easy...he has been pretty strict on himself. he would just drink his water when we watch TV at night instead of the usual bar of chocolate (shhhh!) or chips!!!! but good news for him is that now his jeans are a bit looser & he seem healthier now, after sweating all the toxins out!

p.s. i should really go for my health-check up too...especially to check my cholesterol & sugar levels...high time but i have been very busy with my freelance baking business!

Belated Easter Chocolate Bunny makan time!

2010-04-23T10:53:00.003+08:00

Shirin @20 months

thanks Omi for the chocolate! it was yummy!

Family April, 2010

2010-04-21T14:41:00.001+08:00

here are some photos taken by Daniel's VSL colleagues during his colleague Henry's wedding reception at S'pore Botanic Gardens, 11th April 2010. i love the way they turned out! perhaps it was the professional camera used, hehe...

RIP Adik, my cikuwi (yes, that's how i got the name for this blog of mine)

2010-04-21T14:36:00.005+08:00

Adik was laid to rest on 19th April 2010. we will always miss you & love you Adik. may you have fun in cat heaven with Mami & Onyen *cuddles*

~According to Ipah, Adik was not eating & drinking well & after staying at the vet's clinic for a few days, they diagnosed her with having cancerous clusters in her intestines which explained why she puked what she ate or drank. so it was either her going through a slow painful death or letting her 'pass on' to end her suffering. It was a difficult decision that my sister Ipah had to make, as Ipah was very close & fond of Adik. Adik was with us for about 14 years. RIP Adik. thank you for the wonderful memories.

Dani in Brisbane, Australia

2010-04-13T20:28:00.001+08:00

D has left for Brisbane, Australia on Sunday night (11th APril) for a business trip (troubleshooting). hopefully he can fly back home to Singapore on Thursday (15th April).

the girls april 2010

2010-04-12T17:00:00.004+08:00

Anisha with the orange dress Jacqueline gifted her.

Daniel managed to catch Shirin standing like this while watching TV!

Anisha 4th birthday celebration at home 10th April 2010

2010-04-12T12:55:00.022+08:00

Omi's box came just in time that Saturday morning!

Anisha said "That's a silly present!" when she thought Omi had given her a water cooker as a present...hehe! But of course she got excited when she opened the water cooker box & found the contents in the box! :D

happy with her presents from her Omi Gisela

lucky girl!!

happily trying out her presents

Anisha & Shirin opening their presents from their Aunty Ipah & Uncle Mimi

Blossom Powerpuff cake i made for Anisha, as requested by her :-)

happy birthday to you!!

getting ready to blow out her 4 candles

cake time!

Haisah & her 4 year old son, Tijani

in 4 months time it will be Shirin's turn to celebrate her 2nd birthday!!

birthday girl & daddy Daniel bonding time

Cik Bandi was happy that Anisha said "thank you" to him for her b'day presents

my long time ex-colleague & friend Mavis & her 4 year old son Leo

Mavis's husband Alvin & their 2 year old daughter, Charis

our big family picture!

with our friends (neighbours) Kyoko & almost 2 year old daughter Hannah. Unfortunately Peter was not able to make it as he was back in Scotland.

Parting shot. The kids were fussy & cranky by then!

Anisha is 4!

2010-04-07T11:34:00.003+08:00

4 years ago today at 3.59am, a screaming & unstoppable bundle of joy was born & now she has grown into a fiesty, sweet & loving little girl who knows what she wants & won't let anything get in her way to have it! happy 4th birthday to our little terror, anisha nadine! mummy & daddy love you lots! *hugs & kisses*

some photos from her birthday celebration at school:
anisha with her girl classmates. we had to take 2 separate photos because we couldn't fit everyone in the pic!

anisha with her boy classmates.

anisha with her mummy dearest hehe

with her "boyfriend" daelyn (pronounced as dylan)

minnie mouse i made for her, as requested

later at home after school-she was very happy with her package from her Aunty Jacqueline from Switzerland:
she was happy to find this package waiting for her when she came home from school!

very happy with it!

weekly trip to HG (das ist fuer dich, Gisela)

2010-04-01T10:31:00.012+08:00

my big sis Ipah with her new haircut!! :-)

march, part 2

2010-04-01T10:24:00.007+08:00

anisha with her favourite activity: window art painting

view from our window

shirin with her favourite activity: munching!

the ruchti girls, march 2010

2010-03-17T16:32:00.017+08:00

shirin is always a happy & smiling "jenggrut"

2 ikea chairs + imagination = small playground

always watching too much tv!

drinking yakult (a cultured milk drink)

shirin wearing anisha's "Dora" raincoat

at their favourite 'take photo together' spot

mommy & her girls

shirin with her runny nose

the girls playing around

anisha with her two short curly ponytails

anisha drawing & painting at home during the 1 week march school holidays

visit to the "chest & internal medicine" specialist

2010-03-12T18:00:00.003+08:00

backtrack: i have been having this cough from november/december 2009 till now march 2010

i just paid a bomb to see the "chest & internal medicine" specialist this morning. she did a breathing test, chest (lungs) x-ray, & physically checked/listened to my chest/lungs. luckily dr amy said my lungs look normal, eventhough my second microplasma blood test came out positive (the first test was done in december 2009 by dr aw & that was also positive). she said i could have either asthma, post-nasal drip or reflux or all three & more! we are going to take it one step at a time. she has prescribed me a nasal spray & oral tablet to help remedy my post-nasal drip & a special inhaler for my cough & lungs. i will see her again 2 weeks later, hopefully recovered by then & armed with maybe a cupcake of two since she was so keen on my baking business!

PTM (parent-teacher meet) 12th March 2010

2010-03-12T17:54:00.002+08:00

PTM, Nursery Class B (Anisha 4 y.o.):

during anisha's PTM (parent-teacher's meet) today: teacher declared anisha to be one of the best few who can colour well although she takes her time at it. the chinese teacher said she's a "good & friendly girl" who listens to instructions (which can be different story at home) except for the few times when she talked non-stop & shouted in class! :-O overall she's less shy & reserved as compared to last year.

well what can i say, anisha loves this school (kinderland woodlands civic centre); her teachers & friends. it's a good thing she's learning mandarin for fun too. the more exposure to different languages, the better. though her german needs a whole lot more of work! when daddy try to speak to anisha in german, anisha will say "no, speak in singapore language!". she means english, lol...

post CNY holidays & current events

2010-02-22T11:10:00.005+08:00

hi, again, i've been neglecting this blog of mine. sorry if i have kept you waiting! so we didn't go anywhere special during the long CNY break. in fact i was busy baking for orders during that period. D came back from NZ on 13th feb Sat & so we mostly stayed at home. So while D rested, i was busy working in the kitchen. i am free for now though, orders have stopped coming in so i will rest, clean up, organize whatever i can in the kitchen/baking books etc. i have also gotten myself a new counter-top Rowenta 38 litre oven. i cannot wait to try it out! now is a good time to sort out packages to be sent to our family in Baselland since im free now~so in summary everything's back to the normal rhythm :D

anisha: we've been reading her 3 story books & singing her 3 songs (mickey mouse clubhouse, barney's i love you, thomas & friends theme song etc..) for her bedtime ritual every night. in addition, i will sit/lie next to her for "6 minutes" before kissing her goodnight & closing her door.

shirin: she's "talking" a lot more, imitating words & saying words like stuck, banana, cheese, bath, milk...showing more affection, joking, teasing, flirting...being charming especially with her Daddy & with strangers. often she's paved the way for anisha who is more shy & reserved.

the two girls can often quarrel over toys or place to sit or for attention but sometimes they can be sweet to each other, like stroking each other's hair or giving each other hugs & holding hands :)

here are some photos from 14th Feb, Sunday. we decided to take a walk to a nearby newly made park at admiralty. the weather was too hot to enjoy so next time we'll go in the evenings. as you can see in the first photo, D looks very sweaty. after his NZ trip, he had to get used to S'pore's hot humid weather again!:

shirin's last vaccination & health check up

2010-02-09T12:45:00.002+08:00

so i brought shirin for her last vacc at marsiling polyclinic this morning. shirin was happy throughout, she seem to have forgotten that this was the place she got injected many times before. when the needle went it, she let out a short "mmekk". a short whimper but she didn't cry. she only got irritated by the alcohol swab that i had to put on the injected site. her 11.5kg weight is in the 90th percentil (at this age, anisha was 50th percentile!), her 87cm height is in the 90th percentile (the nurse & doctor said she's tall for her age) & her head circumference is in the 75th percentile (up from 50th percentile few months ago). so she's a very healthy little girl & progressing well. luckily the next time we have to go back is only for her health check-up in Aug 2011, when she's 3 years old.

pretty 6 feb 2010

2010-02-09T12:40:00.003+08:00

anisha has gotten more vain lately. she would ask to put on hairclips, hairbands etc then she would look at herself in the mirror & keep asking us if she's pretty or not!

where's daddy??

2010-02-05T20:35:00.006+08:00

i think i held up pretty well the first week & into the second week of D not being around at home...even survived the first weekend w/o him by occupying ourselves with activities, but now as are entering the second weekend, i suddenly feel so lonely w/o D, & the girls have asked me where's their daddy...so i explained that he's coming home soon (his flight back to Sg has been re-scheduled to 12th Feb, arriving in Sg on 13th Feb) , mummy misses him too (hope he misses us too??!). weekdays are bearable but weekends are hard!

in other news...
this week was the busiest week for me workwise in a long time since i left my job at the educational publishing house 6 or 7 years ago!! i was baking everyday from tuesday till friday fulfilling orders, which i'm grateful to have received of course. it was tiring but a 'satisfying' kind of tiring, haven't felt that for a long time. so far i have 4 more orders to fulfill for this month. perhaps it's just the customers 'testing the waters' period, but i hope for the best in the long run. i hope the quality of my bakes will speak for itself & that i can 'mantain'!

so tomorrow sans D, i will probably bring the girls & our helper out for lunch, shop for shirin's shoes & see how, maybe window art painting for anisha. and then go visit mum on sunday...

pushin' around! 2 feb & anisha on 3 feb

2010-02-04T08:48:00.004+08:00

nice pic except for her shaggy wet hair! (we were in a hurry hehe..)

playin' around! 19 & 25 jan '10

2010-02-04T08:34:00.006+08:00

D in Auckland, New Zealand & scrapping of CNY holiday plans

2010-02-02T21:28:00.004+08:00

my husband D has been working there for 1 & a half weeks now (since 25th jan, monday). at first we thought he was coming back on on 30th jan sat, but then it had to be postponed to 6th feb, sat & unfortunately today i received news from him that it had to be postponed for 1 week more! sigh, there's not much we can do about this as there's a lot of work to be done there (a major bridge)...we just hope that he will be back for the long CNY (chinese new year) holiday weekend (saturday till tuesday). we tried making holiday plans but we were just too late. all the regional spots were fully booked. even if they were not, the flight & accomodation prices are sky high since it's the peak period!! so no go & perhaps we will wait for the next 1 week march school holidays or month long june school holidays.

and i hope i get to see D soon.

good thing i've kept myself busy with my DIY part-time baking project! (i suppose i i was spurred to start my own little project when he left NZ for his!)

food related inspirations

2010-01-31T12:05:00.001+08:00

all i can say is...brilliant!! i have finally found something that i can relate to & that really inspires me.

excerpt from "Under The Table" by Katerine Darling:
the art of creating something that would give someone else pleasure, whether it is a simple slice of bread or an elaborately constructed five-course meal, is a noble and satisfying thing. there is an immediate gratification in the act of cooking, a happy result that i could see within hours of beginning work, unlike my old job, where results in the form of a published book took months, even years to see. for the first time, i knew i had made the right decision in coming to (chef) school. in the upcoming levels, my classmates and i would be creating, feeding people every day, like actual chefs in a real restaurant. i couldn't wait.

excerpt from "Chef's Story: 27 Chefs Talk About What Got Them into the Kitchen" Edited by Dorothy Hamilton and Patric Kuh:
from the Charlie Trotter chapter:
people who are drawn to this field are generous by nature. you're doing something for someone that's very personal and very elemental. you don't just say, "i'll throw it together, and here it is." so giving comes naturally to us.

carelessly performed acts will eventually lower the level of attention with which every gesture is performed. then it becomes acceptable; then it becomes an atmosphere. the moment that happens, you've lost your focus. it's gone.

my new sister site

2010-01-29T12:10:00.004+08:00

please feel free to visit my new site "SWEET SCRUMPTATIONS" & tell all your friends about it! cheers! :D
http://sweetscrumptations.blogspot.com/
or you can click on the photo of the apple pie on the right side bar for the link.
Su

mom's birthday lunch

2010-01-17T21:11:00.003+08:00

mom & her 3 remaining children. RIP sulas, wish you were there to celebrate with us, sis.

mom turns 66 tomorrow. we celebrated her birthday with a lunch at bedok, an eating place called 'spize', together with the tweevrans, the ruchtis & the supandi family.
17th Jan 2010

i'm crazy for baking

2010-01-17T20:41:00.006+08:00

hmmm i think my blog is slowly turning into a foodie/baking blog! i have been taking a few small orders here & there, mainly from my sister Ipah & her colleague Susila. they would normally order apple pie, cherry tart, cupcakes (vanilla cupcakes with creamcheese topping & chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing)....maybe about 15 to 25 cupcakes (per flavour) each time, with a tart/pie or two. so i don't think i earn much profit since the cost price of my ingredients are on the expensive side since i always try to use the BEST ingredients & i do put in a lot of effort with my bakes but that's alright for me since i have such a big interest for it that it doesn't seem like work (BINGO!)....! besides, i get these orders like say once or twice per month, so i won't be suffering from a BURNOUT anytime soon! Lol...

on saturday i had my 2 long-time friends over, jan & jay & they brought their hubbies along. so i baked them my apple pie & they liked it so much that they insisted i should charge a higher price for it since it was so good! ^-^
i will think about it since i do put a lot of effort in it...but i also don't want to SELLOUT. haha.
so i think i'll just keep it to a homey tiny little freelance 'homebusiness' for now. anyway it's not registered & maybe i'm just not ambitious enough for a FORMAL EXPANSION & getting it REGISTERED etc. or maybe i'm just clueless! :P

but i am willing to take more order though. i ENJOY it so much!!!!
i can't tell you how inspired i get reading other people's foodie (baking) blogs, reading cookbooks (baking books) & of course watching my current favourite cooking show BBC's Lifestyle's Masterchef Goes Large & ALL cooking shows. simply addicted! :D
yay, i think i found my calling, hehe....

one of my customer's recent order on 15.01.2010:

apple pie for j & j

2010-01-17T20:37:00.002+08:00

apple pie i made for tea with my 2 old time girlfriends Janice & Jay, 16th January 2010
p.s. my older girl anisha helped me decorate the top!

apple custard tart (apfelwaehe)

2010-01-09T20:17:00.002+08:00

apple custard tart (or apfelwaehe as my MIL would call it). the topping was nice but the store bought flaky pastry dough was soggy as i had not rolled it thin enough & baked long enough initially (currently using a panasonic microwave cum conventional oven & it tends to heat up 10 deg cel more than usual & the tops always brown faster than it can cook the inside). one day i'll get a proper oven!!!
Jan 2010

our homeplants in Sg

2010-01-09T10:14:00.004+08:00

Jan 2010

shirin & her witch headband

2009-12-20T10:22:00.002+08:00

this was a lucky shot! because of our ecstatic reactions, she loved wearing it even more to get our attention! LOL...
taken this morning 20th Dec 2009

homemade blueberry pancakes for breakfast on a beautiful sunday morning

2009-12-20T10:08:00.003+08:00

nothing could taste better than this, coupled with fresh sugar coated strawberries & whipped cream + a fresh cup of coffee of course!

current mood: blissful & satisfied!
20th Dec 2009