When your in-laws have 10 siblings each and your parents have 7 from each side, Eid is a frantic affair. Its the 2nd week of Eid with no end in sight- it will get even busier before I get a chance to kick back and let the kids open up their green packets (at the moment neatly piled together labelled 'Hana' and 'Sara', because I'm anal like that).

Being pregnant has its pros and cons over Eid. There's food glorious food at every house, I'm sure I just got lots heavier over this past week alone. Everyone would smile encouragingly when I stuff my face at every house. They would nod in understanding as I sit like a permanent fixture at the buffet table and go for 2nd and 3rd servings- family.. gotta love them.

But with all that houses to cover (12 houses this weekend alone!!), my feet has shown signs of swelling. Housework is virtually nonexistent and I have had to learn to co-exist with dust balls at every corner of my house. Note to self: start looking at biodatas for Helpers by end month.

What I love most about Eid is the catching up with the old folks- we only see them once a year after all. Arissa is always interested to know which side this old, wrinkly folk came from- Nani? Nenek? Atok? late Atok? And I in turn get a refresher course about the varying branches and sub-branches within our combined massive family tree, and its origins- Guangdong, Palembang, Banjar Masin, Melaka- they all started as FTs you know... :p

Its a journey back to one's roots and my MIL is always happy to tell and re-tell the glorious tales of their life journey.

I'm just happy to capture the special moments when these munchkins act cheeky. They fight like cats and dogs, biting involved, but when there's love they can be oh-so-adorable.

Congratulations to my brother, Shahril for successfully persuading a beautiful woman to marry him.

And Emilie Joson, we embrace you as a new SIL and a new Muslim.

Amin Ya Rabbal Al-Amin.

Hola again!

Four months of writer's block (although I'm not exactly calling myself a writer here), but that's a long time to be away from blogging. I just got a little bit more involved with short-form writing- called Facebook- and started to get chills at the thought of writing longer pieces.

So anyway, where did I leave off? The P1 registration drama, but of course. Anyhow, I went with my initial gut instinct and now it is decided my firstborn will go to a neighbourhood school called Greenwood Primary School where P6 pass grade is "above average" and there is Mendaki tuition in school on weekends. Its a bit more comforting to put her in an environment I'm familiar with, to be honest. And the moment I walked into the school on registration day, I'm greeted by an assuring banner that says "You have made the right choice. Thank you for entrusting your child with us at Greenwood Primary School".. if there ever was a sign from God to allay my fears, then that would be it. If not from God, then at least the School Principal, whatever.. my doubts are laid to rest for the moment.

Next.

Moving the family logistics to Woodlands once again. I've put in the internal transfer form for Sofia to be moved to a My First Skool near home. We will next engage a Helper, hopefully someone just as good and low maintenance as my last one. I put a call to my previous agent and was left feeling totally ripped off. Higher agency fee, higher salary, less work days (if contract starts 2013) but absolutely NO GUARANTEE of a more efficient or more proactive Helper because, hey, that depends on my luck. What ghetto justice is this?! Last I checked, my luck is free.

So anyway because we need one desperately.. we will start looking at biodatas after Eid. Something I'm not very excited about.

In the meantime, I'm 'happily' putting the two girls through bottle weaning and teeth (not tooth!) extraction (Arissa) as well as toilet training (Sofia). I shamelessly dangled a $2 bribe per tooth that Arissa pulls out on her own and she has given me 2 teeth so far, saving up money to buy herself more 'Little Pet Shop' toys. As long as the craze is there, I will continue to milk it! ;p

My brave little 'Toothless' 
 

Also in the works was getting their room ready, that's Daddy's gargantuan task and getting them  accustomed to sleeping in it, which is my endless job it seems! A month and a half later, I'm still sleeping on a mattress in their room, foregoing my resplendant new King bed- a true mark of a Mother's sacrifise might I add!

Before

 Not-Fully-After

And this last piece of news is the best..

I am now 7 month pregnant with a baby boy. :)

Alhamdulillah. Amin. Now can close shop without feeling guilty.