Getting along

Saw the girls sitting like this last weekend and ran for my camera. Now wouldn't it be nice if we can get along nicely like this EVERY DAY? :)

*engrossed*

*still engrossed*

When you have a little sister...

You have to share your favourite chair. Sometimes you're ok with it...

JE: (Sucks fingers happily)

SE: Su-su sit here with jie-jie

Sometimes you just think she's a pest.

JE: She's there again

JE: Don't want this Su Ern to be there

SE: Hmm? What? 

Actually this is hubby's chair. Which he doesn't have much chance to occupy once JE was old enough to grab it! And now SE likes it as well.

(Yes, SE is not safely seated and can fall off any time. But she does keep doing that! I make her move her lil butt down to the main seat whenever I notice. And sometimes have to make sure JE doesn't push her away, heh.)

Runaway maid

Only a few days after my previous post, Ilyn ran away. Came downstairs yesterday morning to find her missing. Pottered around by myself thinking maybe she'd gone to the toilet. Then I noticed the gate was slightly open and quickly went to check her room. Cleaned out! Aiya.

She has days off and I always had concerns whether she'd return from them. But she always did, for almost 11 months. And now that she has only 2 more months with me, I was thinking I should be safe. Sigh.

Ilyn took good care of the kids, especially SE.  I had been worried about SE missing her. JE is older and has seen maids come and go. So yesterday I made it a point to explain to SE, "Kakak go away already. But Mummy still here, Papa still here". She thought for a while and then said, "Want Mummy!..... Want Papa!" Attagirl, SE.  :) And she hardly asked for Ilyn the whole day. Normally she'd be looking for her 'Ta-tak' all the time.

On the positive side, our lives had been good since she joined our household. She worked fast and always looked for more work. My Tupperware craze started and she washed and organised the products. She was a cleaning machine during our recent house reno. And was a trooper when our dog Shadow died - pulled the huge dead dog out of his hiding place, wrapped him up, lugged him to the car, cleaned up the smelly stuff that'd flowed out. She joined us to Port Dickson, Ipoh, Camerons and basically everywhere. She was the best maid I've had and I'd better lower my standards for future maids!

We like our kakak!

Ilyn vanished on a Saturday morning... weekends are for cleaning the house, the cars, the garden, making baby food, cooking and kiddy activities. Gahhh. It will be 2 months before our new maid is due to arrive. Gotta have buckets of patience, make peace with dust and rely a lot on Mr iPad. Not going to be an easy time for anyone.

When the maid gets bored

This is what you get... haha.

Do I look nice?

A China doll! And another one!

*Busy* Play play play iPad.

At least everyone had fun!  And I bought proper hair tie-bands after that. These plain rubber bands are a pain (literally!) to remove from the hair.

Kakak tied our hair nice-nice

On our maid... Ilyn has been with us 10 months now. She has been good - pleasant, hardworking, independent and great with the kids - but she wants to leave for better pastures. What to do? Can't force people to work if they don't want to. I have already shortlisted another maid and hopefully that works out fine. Ilyn has another 2 months to go. I'd better get my "me-time" while I can!

My way, or...

SE wants things done HER way. If she wants to feed herself, she will bat away any offers of help. If she wants to spear a piece of food and you spear it for her, she will shake that food OFF and then spear it again by herself. If she wants kakak to pick her up, she will hit Ah Mah if Ah Mah comes instead. If she stacks things up and cousin baby Jayden comes and takes one, she will smack him.

Kakak go away! I do this myself!

See? Can feed myself. See?

But she's small and powerless, and can't get her way ALL the time. And when that happens, it's the CRY way!

Waaaahhh! WaaAAAAAHH!

Jo Ern is 4!

My big girl is four years old! Old enough to request her birthday dinner to be 'at home', old enough to choose her cake. :) She saw this balloon design at King's a few months ago and liked it on sight.  Good for me heh. No need to hunt for complicated designs or, worse, having to make it myself!

Water supply was supposed to be out due to water rationing. But fortunately taps weren't dry that night. Cooked up a few things:

1. Salad with sesame dressing

2. Braised pork belly - 1.7kg

3. Smoked chicken - 1 whole chicken

4. BKT soup

5. Stir-fried veggies

6. 'Kau yuk' beehoon - 1 pack, with canned stewed pork

7. Steamed rice - 7 cups

I underestimated the quantity slightly... overall just about enough food for 14 adults and 5 kids heh. I did have half a smoked chicken on standby but everything on the table was polished up.

Can I eat my cake now?

Yums!

My SIL noticed all my photos were blur after the candles had been blown out. Luckily she did, or I wouldn't have had any photos from the night at all! Quickly changed camera settings to auto and posed for a second round with the cake. Also got this nice pic with Ah Mah, Ah Kong and all the grandkids...

Say cheese everybody!

Happy birthday, my Jo Ern!

NB 9 Apr... Add pic of cake. :)

Swinggg!

This swing is another of my recent purchases.  Good when it's raining or when Mummy is too lazy to walk to the playground. :)

I can swing all by myself

JE: And I can help push Su Ern

SE: Wheeeee!