Giving up Art Class

After this post, I managed to keep my promise and arrived earlier to fetch YX from the art class. He was happy and so was I. However, this does not last long. After attending the classes for a few more times, YX calls it quit. He started to find excuses again for not attending the class. Worst of all, he cried when he arrived at the art center. Not wanting to force him, I decided to let him let go of the class. He seems to be very happy when I told him he doesn't need to attend anymore art classes starting from January 2012.

Even not attending art classes anymore, YX still enjoys drawing. He will draws whenever he had the mood and are free from homework. There are still many more art works from him which I've not posted in his drawing blogs.  Hope I will be able to post them up soon as a record for YX to see when he grows up later.

Hotel stay during Christmas 2011

As early as in June 2011, hubby's friend (Mr. L) already told us that he had booked a hotel stay in the Klang Valley and invited us to join his family for a Christmas holiday. I was really looking forward to this short vacation because it will be going to be our 1st hotel stay as a family. We stayed in the Sunway Putra KL (formerly known as The Legend KL). While sorting out the photos, I only realized that I DID NOT take a single photo of the hotel except for the swimming pool !

24th December 2011
We worked till 6pm that day. After a simple dinner with the in laws, we drove up to KL to meet up with Mr. L and family who had checked in into the hotel earlier. We arrived around 9pm and joined them for another round of dinner as they were having steamboat in the hotel room. That day was also Mr.L 5 y.o daughter's Birthday (JS) and we celebrated for her after the steamboat.

The 3 kids were shy when first met. YX was not very cooperative as he complaint of sleepy. Normally, by 9pm he was already fast asleep at home. But the other day, he was still wide awake even at 11 pm ! 

JS was looking at YX who was camera shy while XJ was posing readily.

When we get the kids to take photos together, YX showed his moody face. XJ was very obliged for her photo to be taken while JS was very friendly too and does not make any fuss. Looking at YX's bad mood, I quickly change him into his pyjamas and barely 5 minutes, he was sound asleep !

25th December 2011 
We woke up at around 8am. Both kids had a glass of milk which I brought from home while hubby and I had coffee which was provided by the hotel. Mr.L and family were still sound asleep (we stayed in a connecting room), so hubby and I decided to bring the kids to the swimming pool.

XJ happily dipping herself

On the way to the pool, both kids were excited. It was a very sunny but windy morning. However, upon arriving at the swimming pool YX had a mood swing. YX complained of the sun shinning down on him. No matter how we coaxed him, he just refused to enter into the pool but choose to seat on an empty chair by the pool side looking very grouchy! Meanwhile, XJ enjoyed herself in the baby pool.

We did not bother him for a good 10 minutes before I went over to sweet talk with him. Soon, he was feeling better and started to dip his feet into the pool. *Shake head*  

YX started to warm up while XJ who was already thoroughly wet, continue to have a great time

YX soon forgot about the sun and started to enjoy together with XJ. About half an hour later, we went back to the hotel room for a warm bath. Just then, both kids complained of hungry. So was I ! Mr.L and family were still sleeping so we had breakfast on our own. I bought a loaf of bread from one of the hotel's cafe on the way back from the swimming pool. The 10 inches long bread cost me a whooping RM 8 but it was delicious !

Having fun despite the sunny bright sun

At around 10 am plus, Mr.L and family finally woke up and had light breakfast in the hotel room. After getting ourselves ready, we headed down to Sri Petaling for a Japanese buffet. To our dismay, the restaurant was fully booked for a function. We then went to the Pork Place in Puchong to have our lunch before heading to the Berjaya Times Square.

3 of them started to be friends

After some warming up, 3 of the kids started to hit off. They became good friends and was constantly holding hands with each other forming a long line in the shopping mall.

Posing creatively

They even posed spontaneously in their own creative way for photos. After browsing aimlessly around the shopping mall, Mr.L suggested to bring the kids to the indoor Theme Park. The tickets were rather expensive considering 4 adults and 3 kids to enter the Theme Park. At the end, we decided to bring the kids to the arcade instead.

3 decided to squeeze into the small carriage whereby there are 3 empty horses

For the kids, it was their heaven. They started to run from one machine to the other ignoring us. Both mothers had to keep an eye on the kids while the 2 fathers when to change some tokens.

Water spraying game

Over in the arcade, I was glad the grouchy YX was so cooperative. As most of the machine only allow 2 players at a time, YX offered to XJ and JS to play while he waited for his turn.

YX waiting patiently for his turn

Same goes to this game, he waited patiently and did not make any fuss. Phew !

XJ got a fright when the plane moves

The kids then went to conquer the kiddy rides. This time, we put in the coins for the rides, as normally we don't. Just as the plane started to move, XJ got a fright and refuse to sit in !  haha.....Hubby quickly carried her down leaving YX alone to enjoy the rides.

3 musketeers !

After all the tokens were used up, we windowed shop around the mall. Kids enjoying posing and taking pictures with each other.

Another pose by the 3 musketeers

We then headed to Low Yat Plaza's food court to have some drinks and bread. The food court over here was not crowded, so it was quite comfortable to rest our tired legs. The kids were famished. After some drinks, the 2 fathers shop for some computer stuffs while the kids and mothers stayed at the food court waiting for them.

Best of friends !

The kids became best of friends in less than 24 hours ! After a whole tiring afternoon in the mall, we headed back to the hotel for a short rest while JS requested to swim. She had missed the morning session where they slept in late.

Swimming again in the evening

Both my kids joined JS for a swim again. This time, there is no more grouchy YX. He was thrilled when he knew we will be heading down to the swimming pool. In the evening, there was no more sunny bright sun but it was very very windy !

splash !

Splash splash !

Afraid the kids might caught a cold, we only allowed them to dip into the pool for about 20 minutes long. The wind was so strong until it nearly blew away the pool's towels. Luckily hubby and Mr.L was nearby and managed to catch hold of the towels.

All the 3 kids were very cooperative and went back to their respective room for a warm bath. At around 8pm, we went to have roadside fried hokkien noodles recommended by Mr.L's father. On the way to the noodle stall, XJ fell asleep in the car while the 2 other older kids were still very active.

26th December 2011
Again, we woke up earlier that Mr.L's family. We started to pack our bag and get ready to check out. We left the hotel earlier as hubby wanted to visit his sister in Puchong before meeting Mr.L & family for the buffet lunch in Sri Petaling which we did not manage to dine in earlier.

The restaurant name

We were glad that this time, there are no more functions and we managed to get ourselves a place. To think back, I wonder why we did not make any reservations earlier. Hmm........This restaurant is located on the road right opposite the Hotel Sri Petaling.

The front page of the menu

The buffet work this way. Each table will be given a menu and we will need to write in the column provided on what we would wish to order. The waitress will note down our order and served the food to us. We can order the same dish again and again. Any wastage will be charged accordingly as what is stated in the menu.

One of the page inside the menu

As I was too engrossed in the food, I forgotten to take the food photos. haha ..... but if you are a Japanese food lover, it's the right place for you. After the sumptuous lunch, we went back to Seremban. This time, both kids fell asleep in the car and continue their slumber at home.

Kuala Selangor / Sekinchan Day Trip

Getting ready for the trip

Two days before the long school break, the principle of YX's kindy informed that they are organizing a day trip to Kuala Selangor & Sekinchan departing on the 28 Nov. The principle open the trip to anyone who are interested, so I invited MIL and both my parents along.

Both kids woke up around 5 am that day but did not make any fuss, unlike every morning when they woke up for school ! Everyone gathered at the kindy and our bus departed at around 6.30 am. We made a few stops along the way. First, the tour guide brought us to a Health shop selling nutrients.

Banana cake for breakfast and vitamin C and goat milk tablets for tasting

This shop was located somewhere near Damansara. We were being ushered into an air con room where a staff gave a 15 minutes talk about nutrients and about our body. After the talked, we were being served with cakes and nasi lemak for breakfast while a few staffs promoting their products over the counter. Every table have a small plate of vitamins for tasting. I bought a bottle of goat milk for the kids and a box of Cordecype for hubby and myself.

The signboard

Next, we proceeded to the sesame oil and sauce factory. Once we got down from the bus, we could smell the sesame aromas. The in-house guide brought us around the factory explaining to us on how they produce the sesame oil and sauces. He then gave each of us a small bottle of sesame oil as a free sample.

Black sesame

We were being told that sesame oil are made from black sesame. This was my first time seeing raw black sesame.

Soy sauce

After visiting the factory, we were being treated with steamed chicken and cucumber accompanying with various of sauces. Everyone just had a small cube of chicken for the fun of dipping it into the sauces.

Steamed chicken, cucumber and variety of sauces

Paddy field

We also visited noodle factory and bag warehouse which was situated along the sauces factory. Each adult was given a packet of uncooked noodle and rice noodle as a free sample. After lunch, our guide drove us to Sekinchan to visit the rice factory. Along the way, we saw many patches of paddy field. It was a beautiful scene. 

Raw paddy

Upon entering the rice factory, coincidentally a lorry was unloading a large load of just harvested paddy. The kids rushed to have a look at the pile of paddy. Even I was excited as it was my first time seeing this.  

Sophisticated machine

We were then being directed to take a seat in an open area whereby a lady explained about our local rice.  She then showed us a short clips which had been aired by ASTRO before about their paddy field. With the modern technology, farmers no longer need to soak their feet into the swampy paddy field. The above machine was used to plant the paddy plot by plot. 

The sun was shinning directly at them making them difficult to open their eyes

Our guide then brought us to the mango farms somewhere near to the paddy field. The mangoes were very huge. 2 big mangoes can weighed up to 3 kg. The mangoes were very sweet too.

After visiting Sekinchan, we proceeded to Kuala Selangor to visit the famous Bukit Melawati popular with monkeys. The kids got excited when being told they could ride on a train up the hill to see monkeys.

The train ride cost us RM 1 per person and it was about a 20 minutes ride. Along the way to the top, we could see monkeys standing at the road side waiting for food. Some tourists prefer to walk up the hill and feed the monkeys with long beans which was sold by a vendor. The train did stop for a few seconds for people to get down and get close to the monkeys, but we choose to glue to our seat.

Silverleaf monkeys

After the train ride, our bus brought us to Klang to buy the famous pau ( I don't know where exactly was that place ). We had dinner in that shop too as they served 'dai chow' before proceeding back to Seremban. By the time we reached home, it was already 9 pm and surprisingly, the kids were still full of energy ! They did not even sleep in the bus!  I was death tired and knocked off immediately after a warm bath.

Gathering on 19 - 11 - 2011

YX posing at the KTM station with his weird look !

On the 19 Nov, I brought YX to attend a mini gathering with 3 of my ex-classmates. At first we planned to held it somewhere in the city but Mummy-J suggested to have it at her home instead. That was indeed a great idea because the kids can roamed freely at home without us worrying of their safety. I took half day off and took a train at around 1 pm. By the time we reached Mummy-J's house, it was already nearly 3pm.

Mummy-J prepared mi hun kuey for our lunch and I bought Mamak rojak and Seremban siew pau for our afternoon tea. Another friend brought home made coconut jelly for dessert. Literally, we just ate and chat non-stop once we met until we departed.

Mi hun kuey and mamak rojak

The mi hun kuey was delicious. Mummy-J shared her secret recipe with me. She uses fried anchovies powder to add into the soup. She pre fried those anchovies and blend them into powder form. The soup was so tasty and she was very generous in the ingredient too.

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Loaded with ingredient

The mi hun kuey was flooded with mushrooms, fishcakes, fishballs, crab claws, meat and etc, and that makes the soup even tastier. Even YX had a 2nd helping !

After the kids finishes their meal, they started to turn Mummy-J's house upside down. Toys were everywhere the house. Laughter and crying makes the house even merrier. While the kids were playing, we adults chit chat while continue eating.

Home-cooked steamed herbal salted chicken.

Soon, it was around 6.30pm and Mummy-J started to cook dinner for us. She prepared steamed herbal salted chicken and turnip soup to goes with rice. Despite we were still full after the late lunch and afternoon tea, we still managed to gobbled down the chicken and soup.

The 3 kids

Before we left, we took photos with the kids. I was glad that YX did not show his weird posed which he normally did, but smile naturally.

Mummy-J's hubby sent us to the KTM station at around 8pm. Once we were inside the train, YX knocked off immediately. He was so tired that he slept all the way back. Somewhere near Seremban station, I woke him up as I don't have the strength to carry him and that makes him a little annoyed.

Thank you to Mummy-J for the space and delicious food, SP for the Christmas gift to my kids and SL for the delicious home-made coconut jelly. Hope to have such gathering again, soon.

New Year 2012

After a long break, I've finally come back to my blog to post something. This will be my first post for year 2012. Happy New Year everyone. I know I'm late in wishing, but late is better than never, right ? Haha ...

Well, what have I done over the past 1.5 months ?

19.11.2011 ~ YX & I took a train up to KL to meet up with my ex-schoolmates for a mini gathering at Mummy-J's house. This deserved a post on itself, so I've scheduled it to be posted up on 12 Jan. Come back to read ya.

26.11.2011 ~ YX's school organized a day trip to Kuala Selangor & Sekinchan. It was the school first ever trip and it was a success. We had a great time. This also deserves a post on itself and I shall be posting this up after the gathering post. ^_^

30.11.2011 ~ It was my birthday. Thank you to all who wishes me via sms and FB. Am sorry that I did not reply the FB greetings but I do appreciate your wishes !

My parents happened to be in Seremban and we went out for a simple dinner. The next day, we had a mini celebrations with the in-laws. This year, I got myself a birthday presents - Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 ! It was such a good buy and an awesome gadget. Not only the kids are addicted to it, even hubby enjoyed playing the games and constantly reminded me to harvest the crops on Smurf Village. LOL ! 

Yummy bak kut teh

4.12.2011 ~ Hubby's friend invited us to Klang for a day trip. His main purpose was to eat the famous Bak kut teh. We left home around 9am and spend the whole day in Klang itself and by the time we reached home, it was around 9pm ! We windowed shop at Jusco Bukit Tinggi and Klang Parade before looking for food around Klang by using the GPS. It was such an awesome gadget too. After a sumptuous seafood dinner, we left for home. It was such a satisfying trip but very tiring too.

5.12.2011 ~ XJ goes to school ! She attended the same school as YX. The principle advised to let XJ get used to the school during the holiday classes so she won't have problem when school officially started in January 2012. I was glad I heed the principle's advise. XJ enjoyed school even she did cried during the 1st 3 days. She came back telling us what she learned everyday and can now recite colours and numbers in 3 different languages. Money worth spent !   

16.12.2011 ~ In laws went to Taiwan for a holidays. I have to bring both kids to the workshop and it was a tedious week for us. In the morning, we got to rush XJ to school before fetching her back to the office during lunch time. Hubby and I ate out but I cooked simple meals for the kids while in the office. Time pass rather fast and just a blink, it was already bedtime. 

24.12.2011 ~ The day I was looking forward to finally arrived. It was the hotel stay with hubby's friend and family in Klang Valley. I will blog about this in a separate post later.

31.12.2011 ~ SIL came back and we had a BBQ party at home to usher year 2012 among family members. We BBQ-ed till 12 midnight and managed to see some fireworks displayed.

1.1.2012 ~ Both hubby and I woke up at around 8.30am and found our 2 kids were quietly playing toys together at the corner of the room. Ahh....such a wonderful scene. In the evening, we brought both to a public swimming pool to have a dip. It was our first visit and both kids enjoyed themselves so much that both asking us to bring them back again. We had planned swimming as our weekly activities and hopefully, hubby and I can get some exercises, indirectly.

Look at how happy my mum was ! All the kids had the chance to cut the cake together !

7.1.2012 ~ We went back to Johor and gave a surprised visit to my parents cum pre-celebrate their birthday which falls on the 16th January. My brother was already back in Johor earlier but did not tell mum & dad that we will be back too. Upon seeing us, they were full of smiles.

XJ happily singing Happy Birthday to her doting grandparents