During the time of the big hu-ha (laptop dying + snowfall + sad miserable cold Sila), we had a welcome visitor here in Southwestern Ohio! Unfortunately, the weather being what it was, we were unable to take our visitor out to sight-see very much. We decided instead to relax indoors. Allie got along well with Flat Cavebaby: [[image:cavebaby1.jpg:Allie posing with Kakak Flat Cavebaby:center:0]] Allie enjoys “tummy-time” with Flat Cavebaby: [[image:cavebaby2.jpg:Allie demonstrates being on her tummy for Kakak Flat Cavebaby:center:0]] [[image:cavebaby5.jpg:Kakak Flat Cavebaby, Allie and Lulu hold hands and sing Kumbaya:center:0]] Cavebaby is very excited that snow is falling: [[image:cavebaby4.jpg:Snow falling on the back deck:center:0]] Too bad Auntie Sila is grumpy and hates the cold. By the way, it was way below freezing and the snow just keeps falling and falling. Grumpity grump! This is not really normal weather for Southwestern Ohio. We get some snow, yes, but the weather does […]
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On top of spaghetti all covered with cheese
A list of our family’s adventures through this simulated universe. Strangely, this is represented by several methods. Firstly, my thoughts in words and then a host of two-dimensional images configured for the human visible spectrum. Finally the blog itself as a medium of information. Also, sometimes there is cake.
Makan Time!
On Monday, February 2 2009, Allie was introduced to solids. Her doctor had cleared her for her first taste of non-milk at her 6-month checkup the week before, but we were snowed in for a week so did not get out to the grocery store for the recommended first food: rice cereal. Per the literature, every new food is to be introduced by itself for 4 consecutive days to check for allergies so Allie would eat rice cereal every day for the next 4 days. Here she is, happily (and unsuspectingly?) hanging out while I prepared her lunch. [[image:makan01.jpg:Before Makan:center:0]] Note: Makan means “to eat”. And of course, please mouse over the pictures for added captions. First, preparing the food. [[image:makan02.jpg:Rice Cereal:center:0]] [[image:makan03.jpg:Dry cereal in a bowl:center:0]] For the purposes of the very first makan, I used Vin’s yellow bowl, that his mother gave to him to take to college. […]
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Ashley and Her Parents Come for a Visit
Teik Sing, Michelle and adorable little Ashley took some time to come over for dinner with us on Friday. They fly back home next Saturday. Clear skies, guys. Check out the photos: By the way, Irfan is at the age where Teik Sing and I first met in Standard 1.
Continue readingLines of Communications
Commemorating Sila’s birthday on the 29th, we have here a series of screencaptures taken from Skype on Atok Irfan & Alya’s computer in Sitiawan The proliferation of the internet and its communication applications has been one of the most amazing things to be invented in the last decade or so. I remember in the early 90s, when my sister’s vacation was over and she had to return to the States, it was the saddest time ever for me. Nowadays, or at least the last couple of times Sila and Vin were on their way out of here, I was all like, “Going? OK, see ya when you get home.” So here are Alya, Alya’s Mom and Dad in webcam view. Alya catches sight of the webcam and is intrigued. Perhaps it tastes good. Grab the sucka! [[image:alya-skype-jan2009-01.jpg:Incoming flyer!:center:0]] [[image:alya-skype-jan2009-02.jpg:Attempting to acquire target:center:0]] Who are these strangle people crowded in the […]
Continue readingAllie’s 6 Month Birthday
It happened! Last Thursday, January 22, 2009 (also Yong’s birthday, happy birthday Yong!), Allie was six months old! She is filling her (and our) waking moments with giggles, squeals, chuckles and lots of love. She is an excellent hugger and cuddler, but hasn’t quite yet mastered kissing, and she can be quite the babbler. She still enjoys tossing her toys overboard and making us pick them up for her, and she is getting quite good at manipulating toys, books and such. Vin’s and my glasses are rarely without her fingerprints on the lenses somewhere. Some biggies: she rolled over on her own steam! Yayyy!! She can practically sit on her own (we need to help her balance a little but she holds herself upright quite well). We are done with the stories of Ambrose Bierce (the Civil War short stories turned out to be too disturbing for us) and we […]
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The Exercise of Vital Powers
Another month, another new year – making this the third new year in two months. What’s a new year – especially Chinese New Year – without a vital trip to the nearby FELCRA seafood restaurant, as previously seen in this entry from a couple of years back. As usual, the highlight of dinner is the fried calamari a.k.a. sotong celup tepung. The crew depicted above is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the squiddies. However, Irfan is easily distracted as shown in the following photo. When the stingrays were done, Irfan fed its gristle to the cats, who as far as we can tell appreciated the food. Above, Ain happily shows off the batter-fried calamari, which is the best we’ve had the pleasure of tasting. The dinner commemorated group of three birthdays and one anniversary, some of which had just passed and some has yet to come.
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Intersections in Real Time
The counter ticks up for Ain every year on January 22nd, which makes this the thirteenth year I’ve been around her to hear the counter tick. This year also marks first year Irfan contributed to his mother’s birthday card. We, including Cik Ma and Cik Su, travelled to The Mines to consume some chicken at Kenny Roger’s Roasters. However, there was a chicken shortage there. So instead we invaded Nando’s instead for some peri-peri chicken. In conclusion, I loved the peri-peri sauce and Ain did not. More for me! Happy birthday, Irfan’s mom.
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Moments of Transitions
In anticipation of Irfan’s schooling days, we bought a new desk for him, which came by pretty cheap at Carrefour. After hauling the furniture, allowing it to percolate for 2 days before assembling it last weekend, Irfan finally had a Homework Desk. However, he didn’t seem too interested about it… until his first homework was assigned. Comparing with some of his photos in the rotating, blue-tinged header images on this blog, it seems like he’s really changing fast from being a little kid to a big kid. We see him hard at work, in the picture above. He learned what the colour ochre looked like just minutes earlier. After his homework, he planned on doing his Ben 10 jigsaw puzzle which is current favourite activity. He’d already done it twice before working on his homework. But before he could start on the jigsaw puzzle, there was a knock on the […]
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The Long, Twilight Struggle
With preschool ending last year, it’s now time for Irfan to experience actual public school education, warts and all. Waking up earlier than he is wont to, Irfan took a bath, suited up and had some breakfast to eat, namely some freshly fried noodles. The previous night he tried togo to bed with wearing his tie. Unfortunately, he fell asleep at the table before he could even grab a bite: Then he rides down the elevator where the car awaits to take him to school. (Of course I had to drive the car, not him): He kisses his mother goodbye in his class before saying, “Mom. You and dad can go home now.” : During the assembly, it’s not too difficult to spot Irfan in the crowd. It’s like he’s surrounded by Nelwyns: We very much hope at this point he won’t captured by brownies, accosted by trolls and incinerated […]
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Ye Olde Good Widow Village
Breathing a little mountain air is said to do one good. So we decided to saddle up and head uphill… so we can inhale lots and lots of mountain air. 4,000 or 6,000 cm³ per inhalation, I should hope. Soon after, we found ourselves at the little mountain village of Janda Baik because of a friend, who has a tract of land up here upon which he’s made a campsite with lots of trees, split-level terrain, a simple gazebo, an artificial creek and waterfalls cutting across the site… and a natural stream across the path from his land. It’s still a work in progress, so there are still lots to build. But it’s good enough for me. Irfan, of course, enjoyed himself and said he’d love to return. And when we return, we shall bring in tow: a tent, a couple of sleeping bags, a torchlight and some delicious consumables. […]
Continue readingAllie’s 5 Month Birthday
Yet another month has passed! On Monday, Allie was five months old. She is growing into her own little person, smiling and reaching out for a favorite toy, and able to spend more and more time amusing herself. She has a bedtime and a daily routine. She listens to short stories by Ambrose Bierce at nights and seems to enjoy watching football (American football) on TV (oh no!!!). She giggles and squeals and sings and is generally a good-humored baby. She is getting quite good at manipulating things with her hands, including picking up and sucking on the rubber ducky at bathtime. She finds it amusing to drop a succession of toys onto the floor when she sits in the stroller, and watch us pick them up and hand them back to her. In short, she is a total joy. And of course, pictures! * Mouse over the pictures for […]
Continue readingDecember Musings
Here we are, December again. There was snow on the ground last week, and it has since melted. However, as I write this entry, it has begun to snow again. Winter has arrived, even though it is not yet December 21st. This bums me out majorly… 🙁 The difference this year is that our lives are filled with happiness as Allie grows and grows. Every day she learns new things. Every day she seems a little bigger, a little stronger, and a little cuter. And even the bleakest, snowiest days don’t seem quite so bad. [[image:allie116a.jpg:Giggle giggle:center:0]] And before I forget, a belated Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha to everyone! Parenthood is definitely one of the coolest things in the world. I never really understood it (only imagined it), but watching your child change daily, reading parenting books, trying out what the books say and seeing her react, it’s just amazing. […]
Continue readingAllie’s 4 Month Birthday
And just like that, another month has gone by. Alya turned 4 months old yesterday. It seems so unreal that she is now 4 months old, and able to do more and more, and becoming her own little person. She now squeals and babbles regularly, sometimes going into the only-dogs-can-hear-her register. She is starting to sleep better at nights (and thus, so are we), and wakes up happy and smiling (as do her parents). She’s really tugging and yanking at the hanging animals on the gymini, and has been busily at work massacreing Yellow Belly (the little hanging insect at her right-hand side off the car seat handle) and the Bee Buzzer. She can almost sit up on her own (I need to give her very little support), and she can stand and support her weight if we hold her up. She’s just learning new things every day! It’s totally […]
Continue readingAnd the Kitkat ups the Ante – I
It seems like since Allie was born, Lily has seriously upped her own CQ, as if to compete with Allie? Check it out: [[image:lily25.jpg:Usurping the gymini:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions [[image:lily26.jpg:Resting on the stairs:center:0]] [[image:lily27.jpg:Washing a paw:center:0]] [[image:lily28.jpg:Bengkok sini (bend this way):center:0]] [[image:lily29.jpg:Bengkok sana (bend that way):center:0]] This is what we call the roly-poly kitkat, who rolls around being cute so we will play with her or pet her, or pay attention to her. 🙂 [[image:lily30.jpg:Checking out the vibrating chair:center:0]] I’ll put more of the numerous cute Lily pictures that I have soon. Enjoy!
Continue readingHair! The Sequel
So, I finally did it! a) I got a haircut b) I left Allie at home with Vin for the first time. Oh my. It was more than a little nerve-wracking. Vin had expressed milk in the fridge, and a baby in a good mood. I was showered and dressed to go out. So. I left without her. It was quite strange, I felt discombobulated and scattered. Like I had forgotten something. I kept checking my pockets and my purse. (Was I expecting to find Allie on my person somewhere? I don’t know). Anyway, it was a successful outing. Hair that desperately needed to be cut (can we say post-partum hair loss? aka telogen effluvium) got cut, and I didn’t have any real separation anxiety attacks. And when I came home, Vin had kept a detailed note of what he and Allie did together. Wasn’t that sweet of him? So […]
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Psst, Computer. Define Dancing.
Dancing: A series of movements… … involving two partners … … where speed and rhythm … … match harmoniously … … with music.
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