The time is mine

Perhaps the problem is just me.

Perhaps I should just stop trying so hard.

I should not feel guilty about doing all the things that I've always been doing before. After all, when you offer your help once too often, you get taken for granted. Next time I'll just wait till it's asked for.

Yep, that's just it. No worries.

Things I must do:
1. Back to yoga.
2. Meet up with my girlfriends.
3. Go for my spa/facial/massage/etc therapy.
4. Stop feeling guilty about enjoying myself.
5. Go pick up the bloody violin. *bleah*

Yep, that's it. :)

Nothing beats having a pep talk to oneself.

*****
The annual dinner was quite disappointing. I was actually looking forward to it, until a few unhappy incidents. There was a bitchy Ah-Lian in the office whose yapping barks got on one's nerves. Hmm, actually that was the only incident. But like I've always tell my students, dogs are actually nicer animals than their human counterparts. And we do not speak the language of beasts.

Anyway, I was hoping to doll myself up with all the latest gold shimmer stuffs I got from Bobbi Brown. But my hair spa took longer than I expected and by the time I finished, there was only time to pick up the car and hubby, picked up baby, go home, dressed baby in something nicer, dropped hubby at work and go for dinner. Damn. All my new cosmetics never used. *sigh*

And I didn't quite like my new hair styling. I got them to blow straight, but it was too flat. I guess rebonding is out again. Did I hear Wen sigh? :P

Some gossipy stuffs: I think my colleagues (well, some of them, especially the older ones) must never have ever gotten the chance to dress up or put on makeup. The night was a night of awful makeup and gaudy dresses. God, you don't blush your face till it's red on both cheeks, and go with BLUE eye-shadows. And if you're ugly to look at in the first place, makeup doesn't make you any prettier.

Am I bad or what?

Still there's some pretty eye-candy. I hope she wins. :)

Old School

You know when old girls get together, chips would fly. :P Even though I've never ever spoken to her, not a single time, and yet we chatted like old friends. From bulldogs to whatnots.

Her face looked vaguely familiar. And I don't even know her name. But it was kinda fun trying to see how many people we both knew, and we so prattled on. Makes me kinda wished I've made more friends when I was in school. We parted and we promised to keep in touch. Yet I wonder if she really knew my name too. Me super low profile one. heh.

Anyway, the children nutrient talk turned out to be a children nutrient supplement talk. It makes a world of a difference you know. Not that they did any hard sell, but the sublimal message was there. The scare tatics, the guilt trip, the professional speaker. Well, I guess supplements is like a religion. Quite hard for me to buy it. And quite a lot of the talk my mom could have told me. Or a good book. Nothing was new.

Nevertheless, it was fun meeting new people, hmm .. or old. Whatever. :P

And I guess the best nutritious food is still home-cooked.

Boo!

Three girls squated around in a circle in an empty classroom in the middle of the night. The room was dark and the place was quiet. Each of the girls held a lighted candle. The first girl spoke and told them that each of them must tell a ghost or scary story then blow out the candle. When everyone has blown out the candle, each will take a turn to count out the number of people in the room. There will be an extra person in the room and she wants to know if it's going to be true. Then she blows out the candle and it's the second girl's turn. When all three had told a ghost story and the room became dark once again, they started counting. 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... ...

Now that is a really frightening ghost story! :P Anime: Ghost Hunt. I wonder when the second episode will be out. heh.

Unfortunately I didn't get to tell the kids about this one. I'm sure it'll freak them out big time.

I went to the library to grab a book and went away with Classic Ghost Stories. These classic kind of books are usually not very frightening and the language tends to be long and winding. However, some of the stories can really chill the bones and set the pace. So I always like reading them. A couple of my students saw me with the book, they were very excited and picked it up to read. I think they couldn't even make one paragraph, so they begged me to tell them the story. :P Well, I obliged, but it wasn't really very fun telling ghost stories in broad day light and when the story itself wasn't very frightening. So I embellished a little, put in some sound effects, and my boy was listening till like his eyes was popping out of his head. It didn't take much for his friend to creep up behind him and do a boo. heh heh heh.

All said and done, I still don't read the book when I'm all alone at home. Baby doesn't count!

*****
Wen has been waxing lyrical over her Jap dessert in her blog. That day I happened to pass by and decided to try some.

Unlike her who is sooo not hardworking and never provide us with any pics, here's a photo ... :P

Verdict? I didn't like it very much. The ice-cream was so little, see, it's not even one full scoop, and the jelly didn't taste nice at all and too much, too dry and no taste. And most of the stuffs are just canned. It confirms my belief that that Jap place isn't good at all. I didn't like any of the food there either. And when a Jap place doesn't serve free green tea, it's a place where no respectable Japanese will go.

Beta version

Finally did something to my blog, though not much. First I changed it into the beta version. Not sure it was a wise choice ... but hey, it's always good to try something new eh? One thing for sure, a lot of stuffs went missing, and I've been trying to put them back as much as I could.

One thing I'm very happy about is that I've managed to put an image as my header. No more just boring words or that ugly tiled blued thingy. Heh. Not that my image is very nice though, that picture was hastily sketched and scanned just to try out. I might draw another one in future. Maybe. :P

I've managed to get my haloscan comments back. Thanks to a few instructions and all. And this webpage is a gem if you're looking for more hacks. I'll take my time though, me not very ambitious. :P And I'm still exploring how I want my page to be.

Weekend stories

We shared the lift with some neighbours and their big baby boy this evening. When we got home, dear hubby remarked to baby dearest, 'You are now only known as Cute Rascal. We just saw a Handsome Boy.'

It was fun attending the Bobbi Brown makeup workshop. This time, it was the Gold Collection. We had some lovely refreshments before the workshop started. It was a pity Min couldn't join me, but I managed to get HM to go with me. She enjoyed herself very much too. This time I think I've really learnt how to use the eye-lash curler! I'm going to like my gold glitter lip gloss very much. I'm not sure the lip shimmer and the gold shimmer brick compact is going to be much used, but girls will be girls will be girls. We were so totally sold on the pretty gliterry gold stuffs! The make-up instructors were the same, and we had a nice chat with the young chap who instructed me and Wen the last time we were at the workshop together. Yep, I'm collecting certificates. Haha. Darn, and I haven't even used the lip tint I got at the last workshop! These pple are good at sales!

After the make-up session, my friend turned to me and remarked that she thinks both of us are the prettiest amongst the rest of the participants. I hooted with laughter, said that shouldn't be so, then took a good look around the participants and had to agree with her. We both fell over each other laughing manically.

It's quite strange to be looking at my friend's wedding photos. BTW, baby is soooooo photogenic! He looks handsomest of all, ahem, I meant cutest (rascal) of all. :P But I digress, it's strange because both the bride and groom were my classmates, and when we were classmates in JC, the two of them were the most unlikest couple! And you remember that when we were all in JC, he was scuffy and sleepyheaded and throughout the two years, I think I've only spoken to him once. And my girlfriend whom I was quite closed to was just the same now and then, and I'd never have thought them to be together. Oh well.

Hmmm, quality of photos seemed quite bad though.

Anyway ... I'd better sleep. :P

The calm

Actually I immediately felt better after ranting. It's strange eh? Some people feel worse after ranting. Me? After writing all those stuffs down, I suddenly felt I can face life again. :) Went down and smiled at my parents and gave baby a hug. Don't feel annoyed with hubby too. Ahh ... the power of writing. Leave your words and anger somewhere and don't carry it in the heart. :)

I think it was also because the paracetamol finally started to kick in. :P No more body aches or headaches or fever. Heh. Gotta stock up more. Zarin it is. Something wierd about it though. I managed to dig out two last tablets, one from my own stock and another given to me by a colleage. One left of each because I only took one during those times. And the one given to me by the colleage tasted really bitter whereas the one which was originally mine didn't. Placebo? Hmmmm ....

Neighbour came over with her two month baby to say hi. Gosh ... two month old J is sooooo soooo light! I missed carrying a two month old baby. And he was sooo cute, sleeping in my arms. And he has a head full of hair! My baby is fat and heavy and has no hair. But... he's still cute. Heh. Shh, now he's sleeping. I stuffed the pacifier into his mouth, with one hand, I held his hands down, with the other, I held on to the pacifier so that he doesn't spit it out, and finally he falls asleep with the pacifier. *whew*

Anime now. :D

I am not responsible for you

The house got so many ants! I just found their nest and sprayed it. Now going to clean up the dead ants.

Correct response: Here, let me help you.
Or: Hey, you can get those ant bait thingy, will stop them from coming.

Incorrect response: You're so dirty, eat already never clean up. So messy, always leave food around. Got time go and keep the place clean instead of idling.

Arrgh.

I have a full time job. I come home and have to take care of baby. I have to cook for the hubby. I have to wash the clothes. Sometimes I have to help the hubby. I've lost weight. I don't have time for myself. My hubby owes me money. My money goes to pay the bills. I want to buy nice things for myself. I didn't have a wedding present. I didn't have a birthday present. I didn't have a birthday cake. My in-laws starved me. My in-laws did not give me anything when we married. My in-laws did not give me anything when I had baby. My in-laws only helps with baby when they are free. My mom wants to go away end of October. Who is going to take care of baby? Who did they expect to take care of baby? My body was aching and I had to cook lunch. And the hubby wasn't too happy that it took so long (45 min to cook rice and chicken wings?). The cleaner didn't clean the place clean enough. I had to supervise her. I get dropped off at the MRT and have to take the train home with baby at night. Sometimes he would cry and would not want to be in the pram and I had to carry him in one arm and push the pram in the other.

My body ached and my head ached and I was running a temperature.

Correct response: Let you mummy rest okie, come gonggong play with you.
Incorrect response: Your mummy doesn't want you anymore.

Everybody can go and be damned.

How to drive me nuts

I'm so glad that my parents came over today. However ....

Why did you not eat the oranges? So long already rot already!

Why never eat the apples? See, rot already!

How come fridge so messy! I just tidied for you the last time!

Why never cook fish in the rice cooker for baby?

Etc.

And I was running a temperature with a bone weary ache.

And I had to run around the house listening to her and look for my paracetamol.

*sigh*

A week passes by

On Thursday, Mom cooked a mean pot of pig trotters. It was absolutely sinfully delicious. And coming right after a day of a non-dinner night. :P Mom sat by me and we chatted happily while she encouraged me to take one more. All together I had 3 and a half or was it 4 and a half? Sharing with her some of course.

Three hours later, I threw up every single bit of that yummy dinner. :( *sob*

That was the third time ever in my life that I got a headache so bad that it made me vomit.

I hurled out the whole contents of my stomach till it was empty and my throat felt raw. Then I threw up again and again till even the gastric juices came out. My headache was that bad. Or was it a migrane then?

So I had a jab, and was finally pain-free! Dear hubby said it probably made me a bit high as it was an opiate family. OH well. :p

Mom was so disappointed when I told her I threw up everything though. So was I.

Must be triggered by the stupid haze.

*****
Baby climbed up the stairs. All two flights of it, under the watchful eyes and encouragement of his grandpa, grandma and me. We tried to teach him to climb down properly, but I think he was too elated and tired to try. Next time. :)

Baby doesn't quite know how to crawl properly, he scoots around on his tummy, like a seal. :P The other day I saw him lifted up his buttocks and crawled on his hands and knees and I shouted excitedly to my mother, only in the next second, to see baby flopped back on his tummy again and scooted towards the kitchen. Lazy bum I guess.

If you put out baby's toys in front of him and mix something which is not his toy in the mess, baby will unwaveringly reach out for the object which is not his toy. We will not buy anymore toys for him.

Baby dearest is going on ten months, and he's already ten kilos.

:)

Swim dunk

We brought baby to swim on Wednesday evening. :)

He was afraid.

He was cautious.

He was just a little wide-eyed and worried.

My parents were around, and my father (being the strongest) carried him to play with the water, but baby was just too scared.

So me, the mummy held him tightly to show him that there was nothing to be afraid about.

And me, the mummy slipped on a step and went dunking into the water.

All the way head in trying to find my footing.

With baby in my arms.

All the way over his little head.

Baby was simply too stunned to cry.

I think that was fortunate = he didn't breathe water?

heh heh heh.

Shall we try that again? What is the best way to learn swimming? Definitely a little dunking to start with.

:P

My time is mine

Only early in the mornings or late at nights, when baby sleeps soundly with hubby. Only at such time can I do things for myself.

In the mornings, I would quickly do the laundry (that was yesterday!), clear the house, or bathe. Today I read some blogs, write my blog, and will have to clear the study room soon. Perhaps I should get some exercise too before I feel sleepy again. :P

Sometimes I wonder where all my friends have gone too. All work and study and no one to play with. Yesterday, I took baby and myself off to town to shop and walk. Stictly speaking, I wasn't alone then. We visited the bookshop and I got myself a cookbook: Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking. And got hubby a car magazine. Yep, finally spent Min's bday present! :) Thanks Min! :) :)

I also bumped into an ex-classmate with her hubby and baby took that time to wake up and cry. Or rather, when they made faces at him, he started crying. Heh. I didn't have too much time to spend in the bookstore, so I couldn't really browse through all the books properly and choose a good cookbook and it's always a problem to find out which cookbooks are good. Wonder if Wen got any good ones, must go look at her collection first. Heh, at least can browse in the comfort of her room, with only her dogs poking their cute little noses at me. :P

After that I fed my dear baby and we went to watch a fashion show. That was the main purpose for going out yesterday. We were late and couldn't get good seats, so ended up standing by the side. That was the first time I've ever attended their fashion show, they always invited me, but I never could find the time. Well, the whole thing was quite informal ... wasn't glam or anything like that. The models all looked the same, tall skinny, brown long hair, wavy, fair skin, sharp features. All mixed I think. Well, I guess when one is tall and skinny, ahem, I mean slim ... whatever clothes one wears looks good. Besides I didn't quite like the autumn-winter collection as everything was black black and black.

Anyway, baby and I had fun. :) I packed some sushi home and put baby to sleep, so that I could wash the clothes. I poured out some sake but had only one bite of my dinner before baby woke up and cried. So off he went standing at the coffee-table wreaking the place while I had my dinner in peace. :P

Just another quiet Saturday spent.