Soon to be ....

... Full . Time . Working . Mom ...

After 4 years being SAHM, next week I got to leave out the 'comfort zone' and get back to the working world. It will be another challenge to me to have a brand new routine as a working mom.

I have been thinking so long wanted get back to the work force sometimes ago till hubs give the green light recently. The major pull back also due to Terry's recovery on burn which I can't let go to let someone take care of him after the bad accident. Now he has go to school and I feel some emptiness in me which I think I want back my career too as a mom.

So there go, the whole month of April I was busy hunting for jobs through jobstreet.com and went for 3 job interviews. I have been asking myself a lot a lot of questions during my job search, is it possible to go back to my old line as Programmer (sort of), will company now likely to hired a mummy with kid, what other jobs fit a mummy timing which she needs to leave work on-time everyday, what kind of work environment I want, location and expected salary? Since I've leave the working world for quite some time, I really got no idea where to start like a freshie.

I seek God for guide and ask Him to open His way for me. Thank God He listened to my prayers and He did provide along the way. I kinda forget how a formal interview like, the last I attended one was like 10 years ago. Worried that I don't know how to speak too when being questionned. Admit that, after being SAHM for some time, my speed is slow a bit on thinking and responding. The first thing, I prepared myself is a set of working attire, I got none of that and outgrow of many too. Before attended each interview, I just briefly check through the company background and profile then just go for it. Never think of anything and worried so much, just tell myself go with the flow during interview. I submit all my fear and nervous to God.

Firstly, I back to my ex-company (the department is expanding and need 30+ programmers to fill up) to enquired about the Programmer position on 2/4/10. At the end of the interview, I don't find I fit enough to be in the position anymore as it always need to go on long working hours, very stressful and the job requirement also beyond my qualification and location wise also not an ideal one.

Right after the 1st interview, my search continue from non-executive to executive level job regardless position, job scope and job function. In weighting of importance for the job I apply - can leave work on-time, nearby my house, within my IT profession, experience and qualification and good pay. The main concern is I want a fix (yes, very fix) office working hours job that I can leave work on-time to pick up my son from daycare. About this picking up task, no one can actually help and stand-by for me in frequent like few times a week. That is why my top priority is to leave office on-time.

In that short of 2 weeks time of searching and browsing over many job listing in Jobstreet, I found another 2 potential one which I'm very interested in and think should be able to fit in - Sales Coordinator and Customer Service Helpdesk. After I click on 'Apply' to send my online resume, the response from employers also quite fast and immediately they arrange me to go for interview on 6/4 and 9/4 respectively. It turns out quite fine the minute interview ends. Both employers got good impression on me, that at least makes me relief a bit, for I know that is a chance there.

The waiting time for the week when they supposed to call me for reply is not easy for me too. I keep on thinking who will offer me a job first and what if they both turn down my application, where else to go? Just when these worries cross in, the company I most wanted to join they called me (the only one call back) and offered me the position. What's more they also able to offer my expected salary figure. Thats completely makes me satisfied and happy of all in terms of job profession, position, working location and pay.

I will be officially working starting on next Monday (3/5). Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm and on alternate Saturday. For Terry, he will be stay back in his kindy for daycare till 7pm. Will let him have his dinner there too. The charges is RM650 inclusive of school fee. Since yesterday he already started on daycare for 4 days in this week, just to make sure he is ok and let him get used to it first before I start work. He was ok and happy when I pick him up yesterday evening, but merajuk a bit during meal time and at night refused to sleep on his own bed.

Wish me luck, hopefully I can cope with the busy FTWM life..I will be definitely going to miss the time spending with Terry, cook for him, miss my freedom being at home to do whatever I like, blogging and many more..for sure they are lost and gain.

Fondest pieces

I read about many parents are keeping back many fondest pieces/things for their kids which used during baby time like pacifier, hair, baby tooth, clothes and etc...so what my parents keep for me since born? There were a few baby clothes and blankets.


One of the top


Blankets
Terry was wearing the above top during 3 months old and used the blankets too for a few times. And besides that, something unique and people will normally throw and discard everyday....this -

Calendar date of the day I born (oppss...revealing my age)
It was being save down by my dad on the day I born. He passed this 2 pieces calendar paper to me to keep since many years ago and I still keep it nicely in a file. Although I don't find this paper rather useful, but the value of this calendar paper in history was priceless in many coming years. It was one and only day of this calendar day I belong to.

You know what, my dad did practise this too when Terry was born. He got one too..

Win Your Dream IKEA Bedroom

The other day when the IKEA ads - Win Your Dream Bedroom flash through my Yahoo! Mail page, I got so attracted to it and click on to check out.

It was about submitting your very own idea taylormade design of your wanted bedroom and stand a chance to win RM2000 Ikea voucher.

It is very easy to do, just need to download the Ikea Planner app then you can began your idea of creation from there. This application is basically a plan designing tool on your choice of furnitures and how you want those to place it in your bedroom. Just by click and drag only, guide of using it is given here.

I just submitted my design few days ago to try my luck. It is not too late now if you want to join. Contest period: 12 Apr - 2 May and there be be 2 x RM2000 Ikea voucher worth for each. My bedroom design is quite a simple one, it consists of a queen size bed, chests of drawers, walk-in wardrobe, work desk, book shelf, chairs, mirrors and etc.

Just if... I'm really so lucky to win it, this voucher I will fully give it to my parents.

* This is not a paid review

In Remembrance

Backdated @ 28/3/10

Once a year "Qing Ming" we paid our respect and memorial to our late love ones at the ancestral grave sites. This is my 5th time following hubby to cemetery for his paternal grandma and his mum aka my MIL. Normally we make it a week earlier before the actual day.

I bought over bouquet of flowers to the tomb site as my offering. Since I'm Christian, I do not perform the Buddist's praying and offering. This grave visits took more than a half day to finish. Early morning as early at 6am after sent Terry over to my mum (we not brought him out to this place at this moment), we heading down to Seremban. It will be crazily jam for hours if we reached there after sunrise.

We heading to Sendayan cementary in Seremban first for his grandma. Managed to reach there at 7am+ and wait for the rest. Many families from near and far came to offering remembrance, that makes the place suddenly came so lively. There was a bit of 'celebration' feel too when some light up a few meters long of fire cracker.

All kinds of burning items I saw from other neighbors grave like "branded" bag, car, decoder and etc. Thats not the extreme yet, from the newspapers I read that there are petrol station too. Offering foods those I saw are like KFC, packed chicken rice and etc.


This Chinese cemetery park is the biggest one in Seremban, it is very well organised and neat which tombs are place in row by row. It allows cars to drive through zone by zone up the hill. We finish everything here at around 9am+ then we head for brunch at Rahang for some Yong Tao Fu.

After that, we proceed to Semenyih - Nirvana Memorial Park for my late MIL. Ya, hubs lost his lovely mum since 12 years ago when he was 19. The current mIL (I addressed her as ah-yi) was married by FIL during our courtship.

Every year the traffic entering NMP was not a pleasant one. Right at the junction exit to NMP it started to jam. It was slow moving and jam all way in for at least 1.15 hrs to reach the entrance. So tiring and wasting time every year got to stuck in the jam like that. I actually sleep to rest all the way and snap snap too.


There is always competitor in any business next to you. The above was Semenyih Memorial Hills (静安林) located 500 meter before reaching Nirvana. There was a big signboard from Nirvana mention that they are 500 meter away from there (so kiasu).

OK, finally reach, still jam going in from the entrance till the temple. It was mountain ppl, mountain sea and mountain cars too. Since it was burning hot, we kind of do it fast.


Nirvana did provide stand umbrella for visitors, we managed to asked 3 big umbrella to put in front of the grave. Everybody sweating hot while busy arranging the praying and offering things. After everything done, it was 2pm+. Luckily we took the way out heading to Hulu Langat exit to KL was a smooth moving one...the opposite way from coming in will be jam too (jam in and out), so better head for a smooth one. Managed to reach home at 3pm and hubs was extremely tired. He took a long nap and I went pick up my boy.

Thats what we did on All Soul's Day.

An early birthday gift

It is exactly a month to Terry's 4th birthday. Yesterday he found a small pressie inside his school bag on the way home and kept asking me what is this. He still blur blur about his birthday and I'm yet to tell him his birthday is coming soon. He can't wait to unwrap it in the car, good that he can still hold on when I told him to show papa first (so that I can snap too..). He hold it till back home and refused to put it back to the bag.


Once reach home, put down the bag and he opens it without any wait till his papa back or wait till his birthday here. It is too long for him to wait..haha...He was so happy when unwrapping it and found it is a Winnie the Pooh autograph book with a glitter pen. Although it is a small gift, we still very appreciate for the taska being so thoughtful to the kids and send them gift way early before the birthday month.

Meeting with beauties

After so long of saying "want to meet, want to meet", finally the meet up plan turn on last Sunday (11/4). At first she planned to make it on last Saturday at Sunway Pyramid, but she forgetten her chauffeur hubs got something on. So, we changed it to Sunday at IOI Mall. I went to meet them tagging along my naughty boy and together with my good friend and Yan Yan.

So, who were we meeting .........


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The ever funny, friendly and chatty Irene and her family.
We met at Breeks Cafe for lunch. We couldn't really chat much and so do the kids not play with each other too as Krystal was not feeling well and she was crying for comfort throughout the lunch time.

We ordered their RM19.90+ value set meal.

(Click to enlarge)
I had Cajun Chicken Chop while the rest having spaghetti. Heard that it was nice. We are happy for able to meet up with another blog friend of us although it was a quick one. Totally forgot about snapping, understand that Irene is a bit uneasy over her lil missy tantrum, anyway is ok Irene, be a patient mummy ya? we sure can make it again when Krys in good.

Thank you very much Aunty Irene for the Ronald plush to Terry. He has been hugging it like his "bao bei"..no one can grab it away.

A mother first

Below is an article pluck from The Star. It is just the right time for getting to read this while I'm in dilemma. It really helpful to me and support my decision on what to do... and also how to be a good mother.


Wednesday March 31, 2010
A mother first
CHILDWISE
By RUTH LIEW

Mothers may choose different paths for themselves but their roles and responsibilities remain the same.

I HAVE often been asked: “Who is better – the working mother or stay-at-home mother?” Mothers who want to quit working, want to know whether they are making the right choice. While mothers who are full-time home-makers want to know how it will affect their children when they join the workforce.

Whether working or stay-at-home, all mothers share the same fears and concerns. They wonder whether they are feeding their children right or spending enough time teaching them the right values.

You should always feel that you are doing your best for the children. Whether you work or stay at home, you are a full-time mother. There is no place for guilt. If you look after your children with knowledge, skill, love and patience, you are the kind of mother that deserves the highest recognition.

I grew up with a working mother whose own mother was a stay-at-home parent. When I was growing up, my mother and my grandmother often differed in their views on how children should be disciplined or how to manage certain behaviours.

Whenever my mother went on annual leave, we felt that she was cramping a year of parenting into a few short weeks. She made us clean our rooms and gave us extra written work for practice. We were quite relieved whenever she returned to work.

My siblings and I felt much better when Mother was at work. We wanted her to leave us to our own devices. When she was juggling work and raising us, she shared her time with us doing what really mattered. She took us on educational trips and introduced us to arts and culture.

My mother fared better outside the house. She also worked because we needed the extra income.

She could hardly cook but she took us out to great eateries to try out international cuisine. Sewing was not her forte either.

There were many things she did not do but my mother’s mothering style provided us with a great deal more.

We learned to do many things that she could not do. I started cooking at a young age because my mother encouraged me by buying as many cookbooks as she could afford.

Mothers get criticised for their choices. When they choose to work outside the home, many would frown on them and blame them for all the wrongs their children did because they were not able to stay home to spend time with their children.

When my children were babies, I had one stay-at-home mother who asked whether I breastfed my children. She also told me that I would not have much time for my children because of my busy schedule.

A mother who chooses to stay at home with her children is often misunderstood as someone who could not do much outside the home. I know of many well-educated and capable women who are home-makers.

I once met a lady who was conducting a survey on households.

She asked: “Madam, you don’t work outside the home. What is your educational background? Did you finish secondary school?” She looked surprised when I told her I had post-graduate qualifications. She had assumed that I was a stay-at-home mother because I had little education.

I used to have a neighbour who was a stay-at-home mother. Every day I could hear her screaming at her crying son. She was not happy and neither was her young son. She felt stressed out and lonely staying home the whole day with a young child.

What children really want is a happy mother, regardless of whether she is a career woman or a home-maker.

We raise our daughters on limitless possibilities of career choices. We must support them in the choices they make.

Children thrive on their mother’s love; there is no discrimination whether this love comes from a working mother or a stay-at-home one.

Be confident and trust that what you have chosen for yourself is also the best for your child.

Stressful meal time again!

Since baby time, I don't face any problem feeding Terry. Those days his meal time was simply a bliss and very happy to see him eating one spoon after another.

Come to these days since 6 months ago or longer, the no-appetite and not-like-to-eat is just phase in phase out. He has been eating slow, keep the chewed fine food in mouth, don’t want to swallow and show no appetite during meal time. So far what I cook, what he ate, he is not a picky eater when comes to Chinese food. Not a single day (good day, sick day..rarely) he can finish his meal time within 30-45 minutes. If I'm not cook or dining out, I got to think twice. Get prepared that he refused to eat or eat very little, most of the time I prefer to pack the food back home and take his own sweet time to eat.

It is really a stressful time for me to feed him from a hot bowl turn to a cold bowl. Meal time for an hour or near 2 hours is normal for him. Numerous ways I have tried to please him eat and eat fast, but none of them seems work, from getting him boost appetite multi-vits, coax with choc, biscuits, let him do whatever he likes (play toys, watch TV, computer) till whack him up and etc...The most terrible was sometimes he can eat till he said "So tired.." and right away can fall asleep with food still kept in mouth.

Every single days I need to raise my voice or shout at him in order for him to eat. Thats was his daily side dishes already on my nagging. Not many days he can polish off his meal. Am I giving him too big portion? I'm using the feeding bowl which he used since baby, it is Anakku one with side handle. During his baby days, he can finish almost 3/4 full of it. Now his consumption cut down to half a bowl (rice+dishes) and yet he still cannot finish it! Sometimes 3-4 spoons or half of that half a bowl, he calls it enough.

I blame that is he took my gene on slow eating? He top me in this..I'm a slower eater when I'm young, but not as slow as him. How to stay in sane somemore in tolerate a poor eater? He really looks shrink these days especially after schooling days. Some said that they need time to adjust the schooling life and meal time may get effected too..but I don’t see others getting that bad.

Really blood boiling when you cook up some nice dishes yet he told you he don't want before eating! When asked what he want, he keep shaking his head. I have been threatened him that, no rice means no milk and not anything else. I just let him decide and call for food (other than milk). When I get really angry on that, he dares not to ask for it and I got to really give him a lesson, let him starve.

Last Saturday, lunch time as usual 1pm+. Since morning 8am had 7.5 oz of milk then fruits an hour+ before lunch time. We ate together till I finish mine, he only took 3 spoons then tell me he don't want! Can he be full already? This time I'm really fuming mad,

I push the bowl aside angrily and grab the feather duster whack down his buttock and thigh for 3 times. He got pain till jumping up then follow by I push him out to the balcony and shut the door and curtain. He cry, cry, cry there, not even dare to knock the door and ask to open like last few times. The whack leaving down a double line cane mark on his thigh.

He faced down crying there with his "comforter" (nappy cloth). I lock him out there for 45 minutes (sobbing for that long too), open the door later, he came in cry even louder and not wanted to stop. I threaten him again, when counted to 3, ask to Diam still not shut the crying, I hit again till he stop. After 3 times, he got it and hold back the sobbing. Am I a bad mum?

Continue to feed and he eat by force for another 45 mins later only successful finish the bowl of lunch. Eating time to him is really a torture time. It was almost 5pm by the time he finish. So what about milk time? Not making any for him since the lunch time drag till late, else problem again when dinner time.

After this heavy lesson, last few days he seems getting better and attempt to feed himself. I just let him do it and I continue feed if he stop. Strictly threaten that, completely off TV even not watching when on during dinner time. He doing that very well, once saw me serving dinner, he will switch it off immediately even he is watching his favorite cartoon, then happily came and told me he has done that and sit on the dining table get ready for meal.

His lack interest on meal also causing his immune system went low lately, as I found that he easily get running nose and easily get tired. While I'm writing this post, he has past his 4 hours nap.

* Updated on his eye stye: *
It is getting smaller by days and shows sign of rupture with the white spot popping out.

Thomas Collection III

Thomas & Friends collection for Terry is getting more and more, especially during my last year end Singapore trip and some from his Christmas gift.

Here are the Thomas loots from Takashimaya and Toys R'Us, Singapore.

Total of 6 items
Items from Takas the price was quite cheap and reasonable if were not to do RM convertion. These are the least I get, which those I think will not get to see in KL. Before I proceed to the cashier, I have actually drop some back from what I've picked in the basket =}


School bag S$15
Zip pencil case S$5 and pencils S$2.50
Thomas set homewear S$19.95
More Thomas shopping from Toys R'Us in Vivo City. The above was the lovely Thomas's toy and collectible section there, why here don't have one huh? Price wise on toys after convert, RM comes cheaper. Got him a puzzle set and sleepwear set.

Puzzle set S$19, there are 3 in a box. Each puzzle contains 49 pieces and measures 7" X 7" when complete. After 2 hours playing it with my 1 time guide, the boy can fix all sets by himself. Since then, he was so in love with it and been playing it every single day for more than a month time long! Worth buying it.


3D sleepwear set S$11.95. This is definately special, take it without second thought. It has a short sleeve top and long pant. It comes with a film paper spec to watch the 3D effect on the train. I only find the outer yellow colour line on the train got more highlighted and bright when look from the film.

During Christmas, Terry got some Thomas items too from gift exchange.


Lunch box tote and Thomas play set from Mummy Moon

Mega Bloks James train from Mummy Gwen

Others,
Foil balloon from Memory Lane RM7.90. Was so relunctant to bought it, but for the sake of having a peaceful Christmas hang out. I give in..

Handkerchief from Brand Outlet RM5.90 each.
Thomas top from morning market (non-authentic) RM16


This swimming ring was a gift given by Mummy Moon during our first Blogger up meet with Mummy Gwen.

Coming up there are 2 more Thomas stuffs for Terry, which I've prepared to give him for his coming birthday gifts. Will reveal it later.