Time out from blogging...

This is to announce that I'll be away from blogging for a while until I settle my handover in my current workplace.

There is so little time yet so much to do, but praying that all things will work out great at the end of the day. I used to set some time to blog (if possible) before the start of the day and sometimes during lunch :p but for now, my priority is not here, so....

Adios! :)

Being a full time stay-at-home Mom...

Well, well, well.... what can I say about this?

First day was quite alright.... I gave her my full attention - played with her, watch TV with her, eat together, etc... It was only when she had her morning and afternoon nap that I had time on my own to do things, but I could only spend those short hours doing laundry, cooking, have a quick bite, clear house mess, check emails, etc... (Really not much time actually...)

Second day? I thought i'd do something a lil different... "Kill 2 birds with 1 stone!" I know that as long as mummy is near her, she will be able to play on her own (just knowing that I'm there... - well, that's what I thought). She was alright only for a short while. After that short while, she demanded 101% of my attention. As she played on her own, I decided to do laundry (2nd half), clear the dishes, manage my personal billing and filing, glue her torn books, surf the net (on how to discipline toddlers! :p), etc... unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as I thought... It was rather difficult as she kept wanting me to play with her. I managed to divert her attention to different toys many times but almost all the time, it lasted only for a short 5 minutes. I asked her, "You want mummy to play with you?", and she kept nodding her head.

Some incidences...
When she saw me with my pen and my organisor, she would place her hand onto my pen and thinking she was playing with me (as I write...). Then I decided to sit at the table. She demanded my attention at first by crying and holding on to me, but I kept telling her to play on her own... So, finally she got my message, but unfortunately, she was doing things like throwing toys all around the house, tear her books, etc... It seemed that all she wanted was my attention and nothing else!

It's a different stress being a stay-at-home mum & a working mum... It was challenging - really really challenging! I was mad at her for tearing the book (because I just glued it back!). I felt at that moment my blood pressure went up! I scolded her and did some "time out" with her. No TV, no toys, no "pao-pao" (carrying), no this & that... Looks like it didn't work out too. It seemed that she understood my intention. She knew I was angry. She was even scared to look at my eye. But her rebelliousness seemed pretty dominant. I was praying that I would continue to keep my cool, because it was really difficult to discipline a child when a parent is as mad as I was yesterday! I tried a few methods on my own - scolding her, explaining to her, ignoring her, crying out loud (she looked at me and sayang me (funny!)), sighing out loud... etc. I'm not sure what method is best at the moment. Different child, different method... :-/ Looks like more homework for me to know what suits my girl.

I will be doing more research on this... I think Sarah will be my "guinea pig" in my research... I know that kids her age has no limits in exploring, but what's the limits of us parents? I've found some really good sites on disciplining toddlers, but have yet to put more time & attention on it.... once I've got some extra time that is.

Alright, till then...

Monday @ home...

I'll be a full time stay-at-home mum today and tomorrow because MIL has gone with FIL for their church camp since Sunday. So, when MIL is "on-leave", I have to be on leave too.

This week is supposed to be the busiest week for me and my fellow colleagues as the office is in the midst of moving. I know I wont be totally off from work these 2 days. It started already at 7+am that I had to check emails and reply some emails to get some work going... However, I must say that it's not easy to work from home especially when I have one active little toddler to look after at the same time.

She has finally gone to sleep and connection fr macbook is more stable now... so here I go with the first post of the week. I do hope I will have more time to blog my days, but we'll see... it's not a priority at the moment, but we'll see.... :p

More teeth for Sarah...

Last night, I discovered Sarah's upper teeth are growing more in numbers - 2 canine and another 2 first molars!

WOW! She's really growing fast. The total number of teeth she has now is 14!

Read previous post here.

[Article] Kids & Multivitamins

by Tracy Lew, Corporate Nutrition Advisor, Nestlé

"While a properly balanced diet should be enough for your child’s daily needs, providing additional nutrients can help make a difference in case of a deficiency."

We all know that growing children need the right vitamins and minerals to support their proper growth and development. Certain nutrient-specific foods like milk and some vegetables are highly recommended for kids, and parents are constantly looking for ways to include these in their child’s meals.

Although already aware of what your child needs, as a caring and responsible parent you may have noticed the many advertisements for multivitamins for kids and have asked yourself: “Does my child really need multivitamins?”

The role of multivitamins

Ideally, the normal food your child eats would always be healthy and nutritious, providing all the necessary vitamins and minerals he needs to grow up healthy and strong.

But the reality is that so many factors – from physiological to environmental - may affect your child’s growth that it is understandable for parents to worry if the nutrition regular food provides is enough. While a properly balanced diet should be enough for your child’s daily needs, providing additional nutrients can help make a difference in case of a deficiency.

When considering giving your child additional nutrients, here are a few things to remember:

- Giving your child a balanced diet is the best way to ensure he gets the vitamins, minerals and nutrients needed for proper growth
- Multivitamins are only meant to supplement a balanced diet, and should never replace healthy food
- Consider giving your child enriched foods, which provide additional nutrients in a more natural manner
- Formulated milk is a good way to help ensure your toddler gets the right nutrition during the weaning years when his dietary needs change
- Always consult your doctor, nutritionist or dietician before giving multivitamins to your child

Farewell to me @ LRM...

Farewell lunch for me was at least 3 weeks before my last day at work. Pretty early, huh?! Hehehe...

Pastor Dexter was leaving for Melbourne for a few weeks until end of August so they wanted to have an early farewell for me.

We had our lunch in Brussels Beer Cafe @ Jaya One on 7th August. Err... no, we didn't have beer that day... ! Hahaha!

A BIG "Thank You" to Ps Dexter, CEO Elijah & wifey Sarah, sifu Andrew, accountant Iris, designer Caleb, kiddo Olivia & guest of honor - gwamma Stephanie for the lunch. I wish I had prepared a speech that day, but I did not. (Har! Har!) There were so much to say, yet unsure of what to say at the same time... I wish I could tell each and every one of them how grateful I am having them in my life (seriously!) & being a part of my journey at work here in Latter Rain Mediaworks. It's been many years working here. The knowledge, the guidance, the exposure, the fun times & the hard times (uhuh!) are beyond measure.

Some random shots just outside the theater @ J1...
Top-left: Pretty Sarah :)
Bottom-left: Don't ask me what Oli was doing... hmmm... LOL!

Well, with the limitations of my camera (+ I have not read my camera manual book yet... :p) and with very little lighting, this is the best shot of all... even though it's a lil blur... :)

Picture (from left to right): Iris, Caleb, Ps Dexter, me, Andrew, Olivia, Gwamma, Elijah & Sarah

Pastor Dexter once told me that wherever I go and in whatever I do, even though there were times (since college days) that I felt as though I was "wasting my time" and uncertain of where I am going and what I am doing, it was NEVER wasted. Those were treasured moments of learning & that the time will come when I will use these treasures of knowledge in places where God will one day lead me to.

I would like to dedicate this post to my bosses & colleagues too... These TQs are for your eyes only (Har! Har! Yeah... right!)

Ps Dexter,
thank you for praying for me, for guiding me and for teaching me what's important in life. Thank you for encouraging me at all times to run towards the prize & being excellent in everything I do for His glory. Thank you for being my father on earth. On the day my daddy passed away, you told me that you'll always be there for me whenever I need an earthly father to go to. Thank you for accepting me. Thank you for loving me.

Elijah,
thank you for being the boss who trusted me... sometimes trusted me too much! (Haha!) Thank you for giving me opportunities to expand my wings in the organization, and now for blessing me to expand further to where my passion leads. Thank you for sharing your knowledge to me in all my years under your leadership. Being pioneers of many things in the church and the business made me see what it takes for one to be a leader. Thank you for this opportunity to learn to be one.

Andrew,
i thank God for bringing you into my life as a "sifu", though it was only for a short while. It has only been slightly more than a year that I knew you but you were truly a catalyst for change - in the organization and in my life. You are a great listener & a great encourager, I must say. You told me to run after my dreams - what I am passionate for. In fact, for the past many months, you reminded me what I sometimes forgot... my passion. Thank you for being a "big" brother to me... for "scolding" me in a very very nice way.
Thank you, thank you, thank you... :)

Cho Hon aka Iris,
thank you for being my colleague and most importantly, for being a friend to me. Thank you for the great times shared when we not just talk about work, but about God, personality, health and about life as a whole. I sometimes take for granted these precious moments I have with friends (dear me!). Thank you also for helping me understand what it's like being in a "corporate world" though sometimes I do feel I am still in a "coconut shell" like in that malay-saying "katak di bawah tempurung". Hehe...
Thank you for sharing with me what I ought to learn being "out there"! :)

Faith,
you're a person full of faith! Ho ho ho! Yes, you are! That's one most important thing that I learned from you - your ever faithful spirit in your walk with the Lord. There were times when I saw you through the glass window, reading the Word before the start of each new day. That is something I know I've been missing in many many days of my life, but i thank you for reminding me that we are all stewards of God, even in the business world. Thank you for showing me what it takes to be good stewards of God.

Caleb,
you became my colleague for only about half a year, though knowing you for such a long time already. It still feels rather weird to be called "colleagues" :)
Thank you for joining in at the time when your "service" is definitely much needed in the organisation. It gave me the opportunity to sit back (and relax?) and pray through what I really want to do in life. Hehe... I guess God knows when to bring the right people in at the right time in our lives. Thank you for being one of them! It's a great blessing indeed!
Remember to keep talking crap at work! It's good for your soul! Hehehe...

Olivia - the kiddo... :D
well, i didn't really want to call you this, but since everyone else calls you that... so....... :)
you're a great kiddo to be with, who lightens up the days of those around you! *cheers*
Let's see... you taught me this: o.O and this: -.-' and this: -.-" online...
... that speaks a lot about being a kiddo right? LOL!
Thank you for being there for me during the critical times of my life (@work).
Firstly, the Lord sent you to help me around in office during my pregnancy. That's a great blessing for me as we all know pregnant ladies shouldn't be doing the hard work (if possible!)... :) and then you took my place at work during my confinement months (it's indeed a great timing, ya?!)...
Secondly, He sent you here when He knows it's time for me to move on... (double blessing!) Thank you, Oli... for everything. You've really been a blessing to me. And sometimes, you just can't believe it, right? Well, i guess i need to knock your head harder to tell you, "YES! You're a Blessing! Don't doubt that!"
I know you can sore very high in where the Lord calls you to be. Don't limit yourself as you know God is an unlimited God! You're young & you're a very capable person. Fly as high as you can go because the Lord is with you.
"Keep Moving Forward!" :)

Above all, I thank God for every moments of good and bad that I've experienced in all my years of working here. It's truly by God's grace that I am what I am today. I pray that He will continue to guide me and lead me to places He wants me to shine... Shine for His glory because I know without Him, I am truly nothing.

Sarah & her body parts...

Last night before bedtime, Sarah chose the book "Me and My Amazing Body" for reading. She's already very familiar with most of the body parts, so this round, mummy decided that perhaps she would like to learn more about the parts of her body that cannot be seen.

New words for the day: brain, heart & lungs!

"Where's Sarah's brain?" and she then pointed to her head.

"Where's Sarah's heart?" and she pointed to her heart and says, "dub dab! dub dab! dub dab!" Hehehe... :)

This was really funny... I couldn't stop laughing hearing what she said.
She pointed at the picture of the lungs and said, "butterfly!" LOL! :)

Har???!

Last night, Sarah & daddy spent some minutes of reading before sleeping. One of Sarah's favourite book is the fun flip book.

Sarah tore some parts of the book and daddy asked her, "Why you tear the book??" Sarah replied, "Har???!" (pretending not to look at you and with a naughty smile!) and daddy repeated the question over and over again (almost more than 10x), and Sarah replied the same!!!

Oh boy... she was so playful that it was at times difficult to discipline her. Her response was kinda cute as it never came across our minds how she reacts to situations like these... It just seemed so spontaneous of her to react as such!

Crocodile or Hippo?

When we were at Ikea, where Sarah spent most her time playing at the waiting area, there were many of "these" hung on the ceiling....What do you think this is?

Sarah pointed at those and said "crocodile!"

Daddy, on the other hand, insisted it was "hippo!"

I disagree with daddy, and told Sarah she was right! Hmm... Anyway, I was browsing Ikea's website this morning and found out that both Sarah & mummy are right! LOL!

Hey daddy, it IS a CROCODILE! Eventhough it is a stuff toy and can be different in color (depending on the designer...), they can't fool kids! Daddy said it was a "green hippo"... Hehehe.... But i dont think they will change the "main" color of the animal just because it is "a design"...

Take for example... pink = pig, green = crocodile, brown = bear/dog, yellow = duck, etc.... ;o)

[+video] My weekend...

Well, i didn't really achieve as much as I hoped for (from my TO-DO list) last weekend... BUT... i didn't feel that something was missing. Praise God! I guess my heart was quite settled, compared to previous weekend. I was able to rest (physically, mentally & emotionally). Thanks to hubby for taking care of Sarah when I had to sleep during the afternoons. It was a relaxing weekend (kinda...), but i guess the main thing achieved was having to spend time with Sarah & daddy, and also manage to do some shopping at Ikea... :p

Sarah @ Ikea...


Sarah was happily playing on her own until...

Well, I guess from here, we can see that she's pretty adaptable to having new friends!

Sarah... busy as a bee @ home...

The cute pink jumper was a gift from Uncle Kenny & Aunt Rebecca for her 1st birthday!
She loves wearing it because she knows she looks pretty & cute in it! Hahaha... :)

The man who loved unconditionally...

Today is a very special day... it's 17 August and it was my late dad's birthday! Here's wishing him in heaven a very Happy Birthday! If he's still living today, he'll be 70 years old. :)

Last night, my dad-in-law came back from his weekly badminton session with his friend, and upon reaching home, Sarah would "help" him with his racket bag or water bottle... it was a really cute sight. I couldn't help but remember my dad when he was still alive many many years ago. My mum was a baby-sitter and sometimes she babysits more than 1 or 2 kiddos at a time. There was a particular season when she took care of 2 girls (of the same age) since they were babies. As they grew up, one of them somehow got more attention from people around than the other. Reason being (I believe)... she looked a lot like a "gwailo" and being gwailo-look-alike, she looked so cute and everyone who saw her would say how cute she was and would love to carry her, etc... the other little one looked very much like a china-doll. Attention wasn't given as much though... (well, that was how much I could remember - i think i was only about 15-16 years old then...)

I remembered everyday, when daddy came home from work, he would carry the little one that had lesser attention. Somehow we saw that he loved her more. He carried her out "jalan-jalan" almost every evening. The love she showed the little girl was amazing. He came home from work and that little girl would wait for him to be carried. My daddy came back from work everyday by bus, and so little girl had a new bus ticket from daddy everyday. hehe...

I believe till today, that little girl had a special place in my daddy's heart.

When I saw little Sarah with Yeh-Yeh last night, I remembered my daddy and that little girl... wishing that my daddy was here too to carry Sarah in his arms. Eventhough he is now in heaven, I do believe that our little Sarah has a special place in his heart too. When Sarah grows older I will surely tell her about kong-kong in heaven who loves little children like her.

Here, I would like to say "Thank you, daddy"... for leaving behind such legacy in our lives... the love you've shown to those who was a little less fortunate... was truly amazing... truly unconditional. Happy Birthday, daddy! We love you very very much!"

YouTube: Lionel Richie - Dancing on the Ceiling

Have a great weekend, friends! :)



Man what in the world is happening down
At the end of the hall?
I don't have a clue?
Let's check this thing out!

What is happening here
Something's going on that's not quite clear
Somebody turn on the lights
We're gonna have a party
It's starting tonight

Chorus:
Oh, what a feeling
When we're dancing on the ceiling
Oh, what a feeling
When we're dancing on the ceiling

The room is hot and that's good
Some of my friends came by from the neighborhood
The people startin' a climb the walls
Ooh it looks like everybody is having a ball

(Chorus)

Come on!

Everybody start to lose control
When the music is right
If you see somebody hangin' around
Don't get uptight
The only thing we want to do tonight
Is go 'round and 'round
And turn upside down
Come on! Let's get down!

So come on! Let's get loose
Don't hold back
'Cause ain't no use
Hard to keep your feet on the ground
'Cause when we like to party
We only want to get down

(Chorus)

(Scream, whistles) Say what?
Can't stop now
Just getting started
Everybody clap your hands
Come on
Everybody let's dance

Chorus:
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
Oh, what a feeling
When we're dancing on the ceiling
Oh, what a feeling
When we're dancing on the ceiling
Oh, what a feeling
When we're dancing on the ceiling
Baby, baby
We gonna dance all night
Till the broad daylight
Keep on movin', keep on groovin'
Oh yeah
Oh, what a feeling
When we're dancing on the ceiling
(Begin fade)
Oh, what a feeling
When we're dancing on the ceiling...

Nice ending for the week...

Yippie! TGIF!

How do i feel now, as compared to earlier this week?

"Oh, what a feeling.... When we're dancing on the ceiling..." hehehehe.... :P

No, i guarantee you that it wasn't due to PMS! (LOL!)

So, as I shared earlier on, it was due to stress that I went through what I went through this week since the weekend. All this that happened to me, both in my conscious and sub-conscious mind, is so vital for me to learn time management as well as character management. It's not something that is totally new to me, but I know the approach that I use has to be different this time...

When I shared about my "unknown reason" for my troubled-mind (& heart & soul), my sifu, Andrew, says... "Well.. you've got just under a month to get that under control..."

I was thinking to myself at that time, "What is it that needs my attention at this time? What is it that needs to be under control?" I know it is something I have to deal with before I "close" this chapter in my life.

Days later as I realized the amount of stress that I have to manage, I know it's a phase I need to go through to step up & move out from where I am.

Again, I shall say to my readers & friends... do pray for me and wish me the best! A new path is awaiting me... and I know there are lots of challenges ahead of me. How much I achieve would depend on how well I take it.

Some of you may wonder... what's this richrach's babbling about? Well, I'll keep you updated with what I'm going through in the coming posts... hahaha... IF my plan succeed, I shall allocate some time to blog about this new journey in the coming weekend... :p

On being stressed up... Part 2 - and just one more thing!

BLOGGING!

There are just some things that I would really love to blog about, but cant find the time to do it yet. That thing! That one thing... is taking a space in my mind. Also, another reason of having peace-less-ness within me. Have you felt that before, my fellow blogger pals?

Oh boy... I wonder whether this is some kind of "mess" that I need to clear too. Perhaps it is... I'm praying that this coming weekend will be a fruitful weekend for me to complete some tasks in my TO-DO list. Besides the work, it's some part of my personal life that needs some attention! Wish me all the best in this too!

On being stressed up...

I think I finally found the reason of my "peace-less-ness"... It is a simple and direct reason, something I go through many times before but the only difference is my sub-conscious went ahead before me... it's called "STRESS"! LOL!

During the weekend and right up till Tuesday, little did I realized that stress has taken a toll of me. There was just much to be done yet so little time. I kinda lost touch with how fast time flies, and suddenly I realized it was only 2+ weeks before the move... WOW! The list of things to do can be quite overwhelming. It's time to accelerate some things... I sure hope I will still find time to blog. Hehehe... Wish me all the best! :)

What NOT to do on a Monday night before you sleep...

Watch a horror movie!

No, not because I ended up with nightmares or anything near that. In fact, I didnt even finish the movie! Hubby forced me to go sleep as 1) horror movie is not my kind of show... 2) it was getting late and it's past Sarah's bedtime...

This morning... I had to deal with the consequences of my actions.... *sigh* I'm just so tired - physically & mentally... Dont know how to continue the day.... it's only 8am+.... HELP!!!

What's missing?

My reply to those who ask me about my weekend... "Something's missing..."

To be honest, I really don't know what's missing... something's just missing and I have yet to find out. There is this troubling thoughts and feeling that something is missing in my (life)? It started since Friday... Hmm... a "mess" that I've yet to clean up, but what mess? I did my laundry, I cleaned the house, but something is still telling me that there's some "mess" that needs to be cleaned up (or perhaps something I need to do) but ain't sure what is that... It's sad not to know what it is at the moment... Sad and frustrating... *sigh*

Could it be something related to my current job? Or my future job? Or my ministry? Or my "to-do" list? Or.. or... hmm... or perhaps just be still?

I pray that the LORD will reveal to me His thoughts and heart... as the peace is yet to find its place in my heart.

Have you ever had those feelings before? :-/

Some useful stuff we bought during this flu season...

Still down with flu... and hopefully recovering fast... i'm still wearing a mask in the office as I am typing this... Just to share a little about what we got for the house and on the go since I got this flu...

1. Dettol brand disinfectant spray

It says on the spray... it kills flu virus!
It kills 99.9% of GERMS in seconds!
Well, how true is that? Anyway, better than none... hehehe...













2. Protex brand hand sanitizer - this is totally useful when you are on the go. Not just for the use when you're unwell but you can use it anytime and anywhere. Another common brand that you can find is Dettol brand...

It says it kills 99.9% BACTERIA...
Sounds cool.... hmm... but same like the disinfectant spray, I wonder what happen to the 0.01% bacteria? Super hard to kill i guess... something like the A H1N1.... sadly....

When animals become food....

What's this?"Pork!"

LOL! She was more advance than us to see that this "pig" has turned into "pork"! :D

We couldn't help ourselves but laughed upon hearing her reply last night. So we went on with the other "meat" in the book...

That's "Beef!"... McDonald Beef Burger!

And that is "KFC"!

And the pix on top here is... "Mutton Curry"!

She just parroted all the way.... hahahaha! :D

Getting the "Package" once again...

Currently, typing this post with a mask on my mouth... yeah, so unfortunate that I'm going through yet another phase of the "package"... it started off with a slight cough on Monday evening. By Tuesday morning, the cough got worsen and by evening, i started having fever. The joints on my whole body was aching quite terribly that I couldn't even stand straight. When I went to see the doctor on Tuesday night, my temperature was at 38 degree. Before that, ie before my shower, I think my temperature could have been at 39 or 40 degree as I was really feeling the heat all over my aching body then.

I took MC for the next day and slept almost half the day. Praise God the fever left. Doctor says if by Thursday (today) there is still fever, I need to check for A H1N1. Today, the cough still persisted and signs of flu came... :(

Praying that I will get well soon. My bro-in-law is also having the cough and some other flu symptom I think. We were both wearing masks at home... praying that the kids don't get infected by this virus. On the other hand, Daniel's daughters, Ashley & Andrea, are also having fever, cough, flu & sore throat. We must really pray for for each and every one of us for God's protection and shield against any virus. Pray for healing upon everyone who is unwell and speedy recovery too.

Converse shoes from Gwamma...

This post is dedicated to gwamma Stephanie! Gwamma & uncle just came back from Hong Kong and look what she got for Sarah!

It's a really pretty Converse shoes... I haven't seen one like tht here... or maybe i just didn't do much shopping for this as children's shoes are really expensive these days... Sarah has got "big" feet, or rather broad feet i'd say... At 14th months, she's already wearing size 5 shoes! She could wear size 4 but now, it seemed just fitting without the socks. This pair of shoes is about size 5-6... we foresee she's only able to wear it for another 3-4 months or at most 5 months... So, we will let Sarah wear it as often as she could to make it worthwhile - such pretty shoes! Sarah rocks! :)

Gwamma, thank you for such lovely gift for our little princess...

A Word for me...

Holy Spirit says to you:
My Presence is ever in you...
Magnified...
Expand - green pasture...
Lily of the valley...
River in beauty land...

Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Last Friday, a sister in my CG gave me these words. It was my first time seeing her and talking to her in cell, yet she had a Word for me. She said, "These are not my words, these are HIS words..." She wrote it in a piece of paper and gave it to me, saying that Jesus loves me, and He has so much more to tell me... personally.

Praise the Lord for assuring me from time to time that I am not alone. I thank God for being with me and for giving me this faith as the key to enter into this new path with greater joy, peace, strength & hope. Lord, I commit my life into Your hands... in Jesus' name, I pray - Amen!