Long Day of Travel....

Okay. Flight from London to Singapore is only 12 hours long.....but I had to take the tube from High Street Ken to Paddington, and from here catch the Heathrow Connect (much cheaper than taking Heathrow Express!!) train to Heathrow T3. I was a little out of breath by the time I settled into my seat in the train. Rushed like crazy to NOT miss this 8.33 am train. And my bags (mid-size trolley bag, a hand-carry and my handbag) were not helping either. 

Anyway, reached the airport in 30 minutes...did my VAT Tax Refund (Very quick. No queues and new system was efficient), checked-in my bags, bought some chocolates (Actually, H wanted me to get the netbook from here. The Tax Free price is half of what we would pay back home. But as I had to hand-carry my Wedgwood plates and stuff, I was "excused") and then proceeded to the gate. Flight was pretty good. As soon as the doors were shut, I quickly went to "chup" the three empty seats in front. Yeah. Three seats ALL to myself. I slept. Played Luxor. Ate. Watched Body of Lies (the one with Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCarpio). 

Had more than 2 hours of transit time at Changi before my connecting flight. Walked around the terminal but nothing to buy...so had a coffee at Starbucks. Wah. Didn't realise that Singapore is so pricey! 

Flight this time was packed.....as usual. But still manage to have a short nap after the meal. On arrival, and after immigration ....all I could think of was A HOT SHOWER and then BED. And then I turned on my phone.

TWO messages. One from my mom. And the other from H.....asking me to go to school to GET S2. 

ALAMAK. AGAIN. NOW. 

Called to inquire to see if S2 is okay....Yes. He is fine. School nurse says he is okay but teacher wants to send him home. 

Okay. So...off I went. In the car. For a journey of another hour and a half to the school...to collect S2. As the car pulled up the driveway. I see S2. He was supposed to be RESTING in the medical room but he wasn't. Had a chat with the nurse. Guess what she said?

My S2 actually went out to PLAY FOOTBALL!!!!  This was when he was supposed to be SICK??? You say lah!! How lah?? Of course I nagged and lectured him about "pretending" again...and he said he coughed and vomited. I guessed the teacher just got too overly-cautious and want him sent home. Even before we left, he had to run off and do a bit of "kepoh-ing" first. 

*sigh* And another 45 minutes of traveling to get back home.

Ahhhh.... a hot shower and then a nap. BLISS.....

What do you think?

H had wanted to get the boys their own netbooks for Christmas.  This would be quite advantageous as boys are increasingly utilizing the computer and the internet for their homework. However, I felt that they were still too irresponsible to have a netbook each. And I just didn't want to be policing their usage every single day. Thus I've vetoed H's purchase. But as the boys are currently sharing my old laptop, squabbles over who should have the right to use the laptop, or who had longer usage, etc. is starting to wear me down. I am starting to have second thoughts...... Perhaps a netbook each will STOP all these silly arguments between the two boys. What do you think? 

Really Really BAD MOMMY!

Mentioned that I was a BAD Mommy in my last post....

Well...I stand corrected. 

I am a Really Really BAD Mommy!

Early yesterday morning (Tuesday, 17th), S2 barged into our room and whinged about having a headache. I just told him to stop whinging and just go back to bed. And as usual, I woke the boys up at 6.05 PM. S2 was still whinging etc etc. I thought he was just trying to get out of going from school so I nagged, lectured, scolded blah blah blah....and H came to give him an earful as well. Anyway, to cut long story short....he did go to school. But at 8.45 am. I received a call from school. His teacher had requested that I come pick him up. I was like "oh man...." When I picked him up, he was abit wheezy (which is not uncommon due to his allergies). Otherwise okay. 

On the way home, we stopped by at the Pinata Shop to order a pinata for his birthday party. When we got home, I told him to rest and settle him into bed. Got the maid to make him some porridge and then proceeded out to my lunch appointment. 

Yes. Really Really BAD Mommy!

Barely an hour later, I got a call from my maid informing me that S2 was crying and said his chest hurts. 

WALIOW!!! I tell you...I quickly went home, picked him up and headed to the clinic. 

I didn't realize how serious it was until the nurses tested him with the O2 saturation kit and immediately ushered us to the Emergency Room to have the nebulizer administered....using the Oxygen tank rather than the nebulizer unit! Then a doctor came...and then another... 

Was told that he was having a severe asthma attack. S2 was exerting a whole lot of energy breathing. Doctors showed me how to check the severity of the attack, ie. by looking at the contraction of the belly and throat areas with each breath he takes. 

All the while, S2 did have asthma attacks...but never this severe. Most times when he is wheezing,  I do not give him his inhaler unless I can hear it distinctively without putting my ear on his chest. And when I do administer it, his inhaler would alleviate the symptoms quite effectively. This attack was different. Much more severe than all previous ones. 

(I've just started S2 on the BioResonance therapy for his allergies. To date, only 3 sessions of various allergens. Depending on the extent of each allergy, the number of treatment session per allergen varies. Go here and here for some further read-up. As this is an alternative treatment from mainstream medicine. Insurance will not cover.)

After a couple of nebulizer sessions, the doctors decided to administer a steroid drug intravenously for a more prolonged effect. The use of steroid inhalers were brought up...but I've read that in order for them to be effective, they have to be continuously used long term. I do not feel comfortable putting S2 on long-term medication when his attacks are not exactly that frequent to warrant it. 

Yes. He has had more wheezing episodes in the last 4 months (perhaps the weather is the trigger It is the rainy season...). But even then, the use of his current inhaler (used as-and-when required) is only about once a month. I mean if he were to require it every 2 - 3 days, then I would consider putting him on long-term medication.... 

Anyways, we stayed at the clinic for 3 1/2 hours....more nebulizer sessions until the O2 level in his blood was at a more acceptable level. And to rule out anything more sinister, S2 also had an X-Ray of his lungs. By the time we left the clinic, it was already 4.10 pm. Initially, our plan was to all go to the airport to pick up GOOD Mommy aka. Grandma, and then to dinner in a restaurant. But with S2's breathing just stabilized. Decided to just send the driver and wait at home. 

Was going to sleep with S2 to monitor him for the night...but both boys wanted to be with My GOOD Mommy! Yes. Even S1. The three of them cramped-up in S2's room. 

And this morning..since GOOD Mommy is around to guard the fort, this Really Really BAD Mommy stuck to her plan to tour the National Museum with the All Explorers Group (Hey! Otherwise rugi the pre-paid USD 15/- ticket lah. Besides, S2 was much better...Chatting. Playing with his games etc....and summore want to go to Sushi Groove for dinner!!! ). But did drop by to order his birthday cake on the way home... 

But this Really Really BAD Mommy is flying off tomorrow morning.....leaving My GOOD Mommy to look after the boys. 

In Conclusion, I am a Really Really BAD Mommy!

Bad Mommy. Good Mommy.

The BAD Mommy obviously is ME!

As you can see from the Lilypie.com Ticker above.... S2's birthday is round-the-corner. 

And YES. 

BAD Mommy will NOT be around for S2's BIRTHDAY!....because she will be somewhere in the WestEnd. :-P

The GOOD Mommy is obviously MY MOM aka. GRANDMA to the boys. My GOOD Mommy will be flying in on Tuesday evening (17th Feb), to babysit the boys while BAD Mommy goes gallavanting halfway across the globe. :-P

But in order for BAD Mommy to NOT feel too guilty; BAD Mommy is trying to sort out the planning of S2's Birthday Party before she leaves. The Party is to be on the 1st of March. 

Yes. Yes. Belated. But it's not a good idea to have it on the actual day anyway....as it is the School's Half-Term and MOST of his friends will be away for holidays (It's true. Not saying that just to make BAD Mommy feel better!).

This is what I've done so far...

-  Booked the venue (Not having it in my house this year. Don't want to have icing on my sofa again!!!!! And I dread having more than ten kids running amok in my house!!)

- Pre-ordered 20 x tea-time snacks for the kids

- Pre-ordered 10 x coffees/teas for the adults

- Designed and Printed-out the Invitation Cards

- Printed-out the design for the Cake and Pinata

I've still got to do the following before I leave...

- Order the Cake

- Order the Pinata

And when I come back, I will have to...

- Source where I can get Popcorn in bulk 

- Purchase the sweets and stuff for the Pinata

- Decide whether I want to give out Goodie Bags. If yes, then more work!!

So many things to do...so little time! Plus driver's NOT coming to work tomorrow!!! Will have to TAXI everywhere...

Not what we assume....

While shopping at a mall the other day, I was surprised to find a Christian bookshop. In addition to books, it stocked Christian videos and dvds too. Why surprised? Because this IS the world's most populous Muslim majority nation. But on second thoughts, this shouldn't be a surprise at all as there are more than 20 million Christians in this country. I think it's the constant negative media portrayal of the country that makes many foreigners assume that other religions are suppressed. 

Birth Order of Children

Got this via email...... Think it's so funny!

1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your doctor confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.    
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.
_______________________________
Preparing for the Birth:

1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.
__________________________
The Layette:

1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?
_____________________________
Worries:

1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you pick up the baby.
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.
_____________________________
Dummy:

1st baby: If the dummy falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the dummy falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.
______________________________
Nappies:

1st baby: You change your baby's nappy every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their nappy every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their nappy before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.
_______________________________
Activities:

1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.
___________________________________
Going Out:

1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.
____________________________________
At Home:

1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.
___________________________________
Swallowing Coins:

1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin, you deduct it from his pocket money.

More Rantings

How do you teach kids to be more responsible??

I told myself NO more rantings. NO more nagging. 

BUT. BUT. BUT. Really CANNOT lah.

I gave S1 about USD 5/- to reload his school swipe card (for lunch) the other day, which he didn't. So I asked him for it this morning as I would be at school, and could do it for him. 

And you know what?

He answered soooo nonchalantly with "I don't know where it is".

Me - What?

S1 - I put it on the table blah blah blah but it's gone.

Me - Are you saying you are being careless? Or are you saying the maid has taken it?

S1 - I don't know.

Me - If the maid has taken it, I will have to get rid of her. 

S1 - I don't know.

Tell me lah. What kind of answer is that???? I don't think it's the maid as S1 is so careless and irresponsible. 

I really donno lah. Tell me how????? How to teach my kids to be more responsible??

And to value money and their stuff????

One Week to London....

After my brief ranting about the kids, thought that I should write something more pleasant. :-P

Laundryamah asked if the air-tickets were FREE..

The answer is a BIG FAT NO!

Not only they weren't free, we have to pay the NORMAL fare....in order for H to COLLECT Elite miles for his card. He needs about 10,000 miles to be eligible for card renewal. (SIA actually has a SPECIAL fare on promotion now...but this SPECIAL fare does NOT allow mileage accrual. Thus, we could NOT purchase this SPECIAL fare....). Well, I did say that the reason for our travel was a SILLY one...

Anyways, don't think we will be doing the touristy stuff.....Actually, one thing that I want to do is maybe take the boat up the Thames. But H says NO WAY! Hehehehe.... 

London Eye? No lah...don't fancy being stuck in some cable car for 2 hours...

Maybe will just go visit my OLD college lah...

Museums? Mmm...this one donno. Maybe the British Museum. FREE maaa...hahahah

As for musicals, will be watching The Lion King (Take 2! Since gave sis the first batch of tickets that I bought for New Year's Day...). I think all H wants to do is EAT. EAT. EAT. I think top on his list is the Greek restaurant in Bayswater. Don't know what is the name...only know how to go. Have English Toffee ice-cream from Baskin-Robbins (we can't find this flavor anywhere else), kebabs from Bosphorus in South Ken, ready-made foods from M&S, Dick Barton's fish & chips and donno what else.

I'm actually quite excited. The last time I was in London was like 5-6 years ago... Not that London is THAT special. It's just the pleasant memories of living there that makes it special. A lot of times, it's our past experiences and old memories that invoke special feelings about a certain place. Don't you think??

Oh ya.. I wanna go 'chi akk' (feed ducks in Hokkien) in Hyde Park! Hahahah

Reminiscing and for old times sake...kekekeke...used to do this almost every Sunday with my leftover bread... Remember a time when I was chased by some swans. Aiyo...soooo scary!

Okay...better go to bed now. Got to be a good mommy tomorrow...volunteering in S2's class for Art.

Kids these days...

...are so very spoilt....to the extent that they absolutely do NOT value the things that they have. They have this idea that it's their RIGHT to own things, be it the latest iPod or mobile phone or game consoles. They do NOT see that these things are a PRIVILEGE.

Why do I say this? 

H bought both boys a Nokia mobile phone each for Xmas. It may not be the top-of-the-line model, but does have the music and camera functions; and cost USD 100/each. 

What do you know?

S1 has lost his phone....and this is less than 1 1/2 months of owning it (as the received the gift after we came back from Malaysia in early January)!

Boy. Was I mad with the irresponsibility.

What made it worse was when I queried him, he said "It's not my fault".

GOSH!! Then whose fault is it?? 

I was so cheesed-off and ANGRY WORDS were exchanged between S1 and I, coupled with ugly and aggressive facial expressions from S1 (and me, I'm sure!!) 

Then in exasperation, he said "Alright, it's just a mistake. Ok????" (think to shut me up!!)

Which got me going about the time he left his gameboy on the plane....and at that time, this was what he said as well. The gameboy incident did NOT improve his responsibility on taking care of his things. So when will he start to be a little moreresponsible????

Told him that he has to use his own pocket money to purchase another phone. I will NOT be paying for it, and he is NOT going to get his dad to buy it. IF the dad buys one, I will confiscate it (When I told H about this, he said he will pay for HALF of the new phone. I said "No way!! " He has to learn to be responsible. If he loses something because of his irresponsibility, he will have to suffer the consequences. I don't want the kids to think that money grows on trees and that they can anyhow abuse the privileges that are bestowed on them!). 

Also, S1 had been looking forward to upgrading his online game character this weekend. And as a punishment for his TIDAK-APA attitude, I will with-hold this privilege for a MINIMUM of one month. I'll evaluate his level of responsibility during this time and decide if he deserves this privilege. 

At the time of writing this post, I've calmed down ALOT. You should see me just now. Eyes bulging OUT of my sockets, and the tongue lashing NON-STOP! And when mom called to wish S2 happy chinese birthday, she could hear me scolding and screaming. After the phone call, she texted me to tell ADVISE me that scolding and screaming does NOT work....hrmmmf (I seem to remember mom scolding me and chasing me with the rotan last time...but now, when I scold my kids, you can actually see her tears forming in her eyes...why ah??)

I donno...I still say KIDS these day are blardy SPOILT.

Sounds Silly, I know...

...as to why we have to travel.

Yes. Am flying off to London with H next Thursday.

Have to travel in order to KEEP H's Krisflyer Elite Gold card valid.... 

Have to travel to Europe at least.

Have to travel by end-Feb. 

Otherwise, he will have to start accumulating points all over again, and it's tough to do it from the start....especially so as he doesn't travel as frequently as before.  Initially, he thought his recent trip to the States would have been sufficient. But he made a mistake when checking his statement....looking at the mileage points instead of the Elite points. 

I know it seems silly to travel all the way to London just to keep card. But it does allow for quite a bit of privileges like Lounge Access, Priority Waitlist, extra 10 kg baggage, Priority check-in and boarding, and possibility of upgrades (remember the upgraded seat for our flight from Melbourne to Singapore?)... 

Actually, H and I had scheduled a trip to London over the New Year holidays...but I urged him to cancel due to the scary financial turmoil plus some other issues. Guessed it is in my stars that I must make the trip to London anyways.... Of course, H could go on his own...but silly man said that if he were to go alone, he's going to have a meal after arrival, and take the next flight out back. Gila.... 

As for hotel rooms.... So many 4* hotel rooms for about GBP 85/nite. So many choices...donno which to select. Was deciding Gloucestor Road/South Ken  vs. High Street Ken vs. Paddington areas. These areas were shortlisted because they were my "thei tau" when I was living in London. :-)

Gloucestor Road/South Ken - My OLD college is located here....plus the Natural History, Science and V&A Museums are all located in this area. And also served by the  Piccadilly line...very convenient if taking tube from Heathrow, or when going to Harrods or ChinaTown. 

Paddington - Used to live near Chilworth Mews about 300 metres  from Paddington BR. Convenient if taking the fast rail from Heathrow... Otherwise nothing much here...

High Street Ken - Only has Circle/District lines. So not exactly the best....but I used to walk from my old flat on Lexham Gardens to High Street Ken and then through Kensington Gardens to Bayswater. Alot of pleasant memories. So decided to stay in this area. Plus there's a Marks&Spencer, Safeway, lots of cafes etc in the area...  We've booked into the Copthorne Tara. Very good rates.... less than GBP 75/nite (incl. VAT). We'll be staying for 4 nites. Thereafter, H leaves to come home first. I will be staying an additional two days, thus will stay over at my sister's house.

Now..got to go check out what musicals are on...

Changing to Another Car...

Did I mention that we are in the process of changing our car? We've had the Toyota Fortuner since we moved here in August 2006; and the driver has been complaining that the engines have been making weird noises. We could have the car serviced or the coilovers changed. But since the car is leased and there isn't any penalty in the change, we figured that we would be better off getting a car of a later model. H actually wants a sedan but I insisted on a 7-seater. After-all, I do want to be able to accommodate guests. Not much choice...so we will be going with the Mitsubishi Grandis, I think....

Nothing Happening....

Yeah. Nothing happening. So boring. 

So nothing much to blog about. :-(

Actually, our internet access has been ZILCH for the last one week. H's secretary did sort out the phone bill, but apparently we have yet to pay the Internet Connection bill. And it's a GRAND SUM of  20 US Cents! Called the ISP support and they absolutely CANNOT unblock the line.... All this INCONVENIENCE over 20 US Cents! Aduh!!!

Oh...in case you are wondering how on earth I manage to blog, I am currently 'borrowing' from my neighbor. Shhhhh..

"So what do you do everyday??"

This is the most frequently asked question that an expat wife gets. 

I've conferred with fellow expat wives from all four corners of the earth... and indeed, this is the question that they most frequently get from their friends back home. 

WE really dread this question....especially if it comes from FULL TIME working women friends. No matter how well we try to answer THIS question, somehow it doesn't sound right. I bet you are confused now. But really. I can't really explain it. The 'funny feeling' I experience whenever I have to answer this question. Seems so much easier if I could just say "I run a small business".  It is possible...after-all, there are already quite a number of expat wives who are running their own businesses, from jewelry to cinnamon buns to exclusive furniture. The small business opportunities available is quite extensive. Getting into business is easy. However, COMMITMENT to the business is the hard part.
Willing to sacrifice your free time, anyone???

"A Dubious Equality"

The title of this article in the Reader's Digest caught my eye. The opening caption was "Decades ago, women were 20 percent lss likely than men to die of heart disease. Today, unfortunately, they've evened the score".
Yes. For as long as ever, women had always strived for equality in this largely men's world. This "Equality" as mentioned in the article was certainly NOT the type of "Equality" we wanted. 

As my family has a history of high cholesterol and heart diseases, I am trying to lead a healthier lifestyle with regular exercise and a more controlled diet. Despite all these positive steps, perhaps it would be prudent to also have some kind of insurance. Think I should get some quotes from the online life insurance companies, and see what are the options available. 

This and That...

Donno why I used this title.... Basically, this will post will be mish-mashed.

Goodies from H

H came back home from his work trip to the States on CNY eve. Not much stuff for me other than these (not that I am complaining)...

Mochi from Narita

MAC Eyeliners

Prada Toiletries Bag

"Ho Mia"

H came home last Friday and announced that his company has implemented NO INCREMENT NO BONUS worldwide throughout all ranks of staff, with immediate effect.

Aiyo. With this worldwide financial crisis, still have a job is "Ho Mia" (good-life) already. Don't even dare think of increment and bonus lah. Everyday, all you read in the newspaper are BANKRUPTS, JOB CUTS and MORE JOB CUTS. D@mn scary!! And 5 minutes ago, the ticker on CNN flashed something about 20 million unemployed workers in China.... 

ADUH! Scary. Scary. Scary. 

Snowy London...

Sis mentioned that she was snowed-in and couldn't get to work in London....This brought back memories to the time when I was a student. Didn't realize that it was almost 20 years ago until I heard it over the news "Worst snow for almost 20 years.... in the year 1991....". Wah... So long ago ah???? I so old liow meh??

I mean London does have snowfall, but the snow seldom collect. But that year, the snowfall was rather significant. The temperatures was pretty low too.....the snow was too cold even for snowman-making. Can't remember if the tube service was suspended or if classes were

 cancelled. But I do remember having to lug my dirty laundry all the way to the coin-laundromat, in the snow...and finding that I do not have my wallet with me. Thought I had dropped it along the way. 

Can you imagine the scene? 

A frantic chinesey woman with a BIG bag of clothes treading along the snowy path staring on the ground??? Summore I used to wear this yucky dirty brown jacket. Probably look like some bag-lady. Treaded all the way back to my flat, and found my wallet sitting nicely on the table. WALIOW! Blady frustrated!! 

There. My snowy memories of London.

Work-in-Progress

These are two of my current work-in-progress in the "Painting Department". They are the Angkor Wat ruins. I've used a powdered-media to apply to the canvas to create a textured 3-D effect. This will be the base before I apply the oil paints.

Forgot to take a photo before I started....

Will post the completed paintings once I'm finished. Will start on the oil paints next Monday...

"Not Developed Yet"

Over dinner the other day, S2 was telling me about his friend, "Mom. L is very hamm-sapp. When playing tag, he tagged the girls by touching their chest".

Me  - Errr...The girls don't have anything on their chest yet. But yes, you are right. Cannot simply touch.

S1 -  Mom. You should say "the girls' chest are not developed yet"

Waliow..... this coming from my 11-year old.

All in a Day's Work...

Not that I actually work WORK. :-P
Today is definitely a productive day....

Woke up at 6 AM (as I always do on school weekdays) and showed maid how to make fluffy pancakes for boys' breakfast. After boys left on the bus; didn't go back to bed (as I usually do!!!  ). Managed to finish reading the book "Inside Islam" (okay...I skipped a few chapters ...hehehehe), and then the day's papers (not that there's much interesting news other than the depressing worldwide financial turmoil).

Then it was time to go to the Newcomers' Coffee Morning at the Heritage Society. Oh Yeah. Figured that I should learn a little bit about our host country before we leave.... As mentioned, we might be leaving in August (Where to? I donno.) or not!!???!?! Either way, no harm done. Became a member and will be joining the Explorers Group, whereby we will visit places of interest every fortnight. Errr... my first visit would be the National Museum next Wednesday. Yes. Yes. I am not exactly a museum girl...but but but...... 

Anyway, the Coffee Morning ended with a Lion Dance Performance (my first for this OX year), which was just in time for my lunch appointment with fellow Malaysian ladies in the adjacent shopping mall (how convenient!!!)

Thirteen LOUD women Lou-Sang over at the Crystal Jade Restaurant. Other patrons were staring at us when we left the private dining room!!! After lunch, received a telephone call from an old friend from Bangkok.... met when we were living there. Chatted for quite a bit, and had some updates about another Bangkok friend. 

Did some grocery shopping at the mall's supermarket...and then headed home. 

As I would be going to another Coffee Morning (this time, to meet mommies from S2's class), I told the Class Mom that I would bring some muffins. So I had to get to work the moment I stepped into my house. Made 2 dozen of these gooey jam mini-muffins. Will only be bringing 10 to the Coffee Morning. 

My Jam Muffins from 'The Domestic Goddess"

Think I must have been bitten by the Baking Bug (if there is such a thing???) and decided to bake something else. Since I had a packet of dessicated coconut in my larder, and a bottle of Malibu, decided to make a Coconut Cake from "The Domestic Goddess" again. I donno whether it's my weighing machine or what... somehow the batter didn't look too right. I didn't put all the coconut that is called-for, and added Malibu and milk to the batter to make it more right. I tweaked a little bit further, by piercing the cake and then sprinkling with more Malibu. 

And finally, iced the cake with butter icing (flavoured with more Malibu, of course!) and a sprinkling of toasted coconut. So...will see how it taste tomorrow.

Malibu-laden Coconut Cake

After all the baking, it was time to make dinner. LASAGNE.

With a new maid...naturally I had to show her how to make the meat sauce, cheese sauce and then assembling the dish. Once done, a quick shower...short chats with boys and it was dinner time. 

Surprisingly, boys ate their dinner pretty quick. No screaming  nor shouting from mommy today. Not this morning. Not when they came home. Not over dinner. Not after.

WOW!!! Today must be my lucky day!!! 

Think last week's SHOUTING episodes involving the boys MUST DEFINITELY be due to the Solar Eclipse!!!!

And now...I'm updating my blog. Not bad for one day, huh??