My Way

It's drizzling funny!

Light rain sprinkled on us yesterday evening.

Iesha: Habis basah otak kita kan Mummy?

lol

Read aloud: Allah Made Them All

It is creatively written story of Allah to teach the young minds and even for the old ones (me).  It has beautiful illustration.  All the creatures in the world are created by Allah; small or big, tiny or huge.  My girls love the idea that Allah is so powerful that He can create all these animals, insect and fish.  With the little knowledge on this matter myself, (creation), I tried to deliver and answer all their questions the best I could.  And if you have any good answers, please do let me know.  Really appreciate it! Here are their questions.

Iris:

1. Macamana Allah buat monkey?  Dia guna tangan Dia ke?
2. Allah ni kreatif kan, Mummy? (Nek Ma taught her the word kreatif)
3. Rumah Allah ni sebenarnya kat mana Mummy? 
4. Kenapa Allah buat lightning?  Iris takut-lah.
5. Allah ke buat buku ni, Mummy?

Iesha:

1. Macamana Allah buat monkey, Mummy? Ye guna tangan Ye ke Mummy?
2. Allah ni kreatif kan, Mummy?
3. Rumah Allah kat mana Mummy?
4. Kenapa Allah buat lightning?  A-cha takut yah.
5. Allah ke buat buku ni, Mummy?

(Note: She repeats after Iris)

True Rest

This is in fact, so true.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I was 19, I remember all Oasis's songs by heart.
Slip inside the eye of your mind, don't you know you might find, a better place to playyyy...

In my 20s, I never get jaded with Aerosmith.
Hey, j-j-jaded, in all it's misery, it will always be what I loved and hated...

I thought that by singing all these songs would give me inner peace.  My thought is wrong.  And so I tried and keep trying new method; by remembering Him.  I talk to Him in congested traffic on the way to work, I beg for Him to grant my wishes to be able to finish my studies, and be a good mother, a good She to Firdaus, to find cheap Lego, and to grant me ultimate gift, Syurga, and many other wishes.  I found peace when I read His Book.  I found peace when I do small givings to the unfortunate.  I found peace when I share good words about Him.

Yes, by remembering Him, I do find rest.  So, let us find true rest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note: Once in awhile, Firdaus and I took half day off, and had our karaoke time.  We left the girls at school, and brought our husky voice over to the RedBox. I would choose my songs and he, by contrast, sang My Way by Frank Sinatra and Nyanyian Serambi by Ramli Sarip.

Keluar pagi balik petang, adakala sampai malam, cari rezeki bawa pulang, buat orang yang tersayang, oooo bersabarlah...

By the time we done with the karaoke, he would suggest"Abang rasa She try nyanyi lagu yang chorus tak tinggi sangat lepas ni."

Back to the main point, let us remember Allah with all our hearts.  There are times that we don't, but when we do remember, try to be as close as we can to Him.

Note: I created the poster using this.

Read aloud: The Cuddliest Cuddle in the World

I read the title with all my heart, "The Cuddliest Cuddle in the World!"  

I got their attention.  

They waited for my next overacting gesture. 

I read the names of the writers, "By Sarah Nash and Daniel Howarth."

I explained a bit. "Sarah-lah yang tulis buku ni.  Daniel pulak lukis semua gambar dalam buku ni."

We discussed the cover page.  Who hugs who, how many dragonfly.

I stopped for surprised questions by Iesha, "Kenapa kuku Mummy Ye-ped tu tajam, Mummy?", "Kenapa dragonfly tu ada satu, kenapa tak ada dua?"

I needed to be quick to answer such questions with the best answers.  

When my brain didn't working at its best, I asked them back, "Iris, Iesha rasa kenapa ye?"

Pointing at the first empty page, I asked them, "What color is this page?" 

They answered me in unison, "Orange!"

Then I started the read aloud session. 

The book is about a lonely baby leopard.  His Mummy is off searching for food.  He misses Mummy's cuddle.  Bear, snake, and monkey all try to make him better with their hugs, but none seems to work.  The bear hugs him too tight.  The monkey's too swooshy.  The crocodile's too snappy.  The hyena licks him.  The spider offers to hug him too and that makes him smiling, "You are too small to hug me, Spider."  This is a nice and warm book, albeit the scary illustration of hyena and python.  We would have our group hug at the end of reading.  The tightest and cuddliest cuddle I could ever give to them.  I'd love to be the hyena too, licking Iesha on her cheek, she would scream, "Jangan-yah Mummy!!!  Dirty-yahhhh!!!"   Hehe, funny.

I want these!

Only Once

Happy Monday!

Note: I created the poster using this!

Recommended Taska in Kota Damansara

We love this nursery!

Why do we love Taska Ameen?

1. It is legally registered.  Check here!
2. It has good reputation.  Kak Ummi, the founder of the nursery will cry if the children get sick. Of course they sent the children to the check up after that. I mean, is it just a good sign?  Well, at least for me.  They also let us in whenever we drop by, unannounced.  
3. They have clear policy.  They will hand us information on daily activities, the menu, the holiday break. And they have strict illness policy for when there's a contagious illness like last time they took 2 days off since there was Rotovirus attack.  
4. They have varieties of activities.  The girls brought back their colorings, the paintings, the cupcakes and donuts and many more.  They even have once a year big field trip to fun places.  Last year they had a trip to Kidzania.  Iris and Iesha also showed me how to chicken dance which they learnt at school.  Gosh, how I love silliness!  
5. They have trained staff.
6. The staff are forever smiling.  
7. They have their fair share too.  There were times when Iris or Iesha was bitten by some other kids, but the staff were honest to tell the truth.  (#whatgoesaroundcomesaround.  Perhaps I was cheating on my job that day?  Online shopping or facebooking, hence I got my share.  I believe it that way.)
8. They have report cards.  This is super fun!

When I told Kak Ummi (the owner) that Iris would registered for preschool, she cried.  That's that.  Taska Ameen, we love you!

Note: I created the poster using this.

Edited (as of January 2015): We have moved somewhere outside Kota Damansara, and we no longer transited here in Taska Ameen. As we may not be able to reply each of you guys, here's the number to contact: Kak Ummi Taska Ameen - 010.220.4748

Journey to Literacy

Began yesterday, 9th January 2013.

Read! In the name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists) -96:1

Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous- 96:3

Go Iris go.  Learn to read and please our Lord!

Read aloud: The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Sophie was having tea with her Mummy when suddenly there was a knock on the door.  Sophie's Mummy wondered, "I wonder who that can be?".  It can't be the milkman, or the boy from the grocer, or it can't be Daddy.  So they opened the door and much to their surprise, the tiger with a big appetite dropped by to eat mostly everything in their house!  The tiger didn't eat just one bun.  He ate all the buns on the dish, and all the cake, and all the milk, and all the drink on the tap, and all the stuff in the cupboard!  Then he left and said good-bye to Sophie and Mummy.  There was nothing left for Daddy when he came home.  So they went out to have their supper.  Later on, they bought basket full of groceries and Sophie bought Tiger Food in case the tiger should come to tea again.  But guess what?  He never did.  Last night, after finished reading this book, Iesha had asked me, "Boleh tak Mummy beli tiger kat Iesha?"  I blamed my education and imagination, that I never have thought such a thought.  Not to displease her, I started googling "How to purchase a pet tiger."  Here we go.

How to purchase a pet tiger (Source:ehow.com)

1. Go to the Get Pets Online website.
2. Be prepared to pay up to RM 90, 000 for the tiger cub.
3. Have a veterinarian on call to treat your baby tiger as needed.
4. Purchase a suitable cage for the tiger.
5. Obtain the legal permit to be able to keep the pet tiger in your territory. 

Then I told her, we can purchase the pet tiger, but "Mummy tak cukup duit, tiger mahal sangat."  She seemed a little bit upset, but then Iris suggested to have a cat.  Well, we'll see.

Another firm favorite book of my girls.  Tell me how could not it be favorite?

Iris and Iesha will trace the word good-bye.