Makeover

Hello!

It’s been a while.

For a minute there, I thought I wasn’t going to be able to successfully log into my wordpress account.

What an eventful 1st quarter!

I lost a good friend to cancer last March. Jay, I miss you. I’ll make sure to keep your memories alive by telling my two daughters about you, about how much you have inspired us with your strength and courage.

 

On the lighter side, let me share with you the surprise I got last Saturday.

This.

Surprise make-over. We were really “surprised”!

Can you tell who the hairstylist is?

Yep!

The one with the huge grin at the back.

Good thing hair grows back. I take solace in the fact that it was apparently a joint consented venture. The first and last thing our nanny heard was Mikaela saying to the very compliant Ayana, “throw it outside the window”. They were unanimous in throwing evidence away. As if they can get away with the now painfully obvious “result” of their creative-partnership crime.

My fervent hope now is that Ayana will not disown me when she hits puberty and finds out I posted it on my blog.

Classic.

Bedtime Conversation

The Scene : Mikaela and her Ma busy besting each other with Temple Run 2 high score. Ayana Rhys and Pa bonding, cuddling.

Dear Husband : Who wants to sleep beside me tonight?

Ayana, the dog/cat : ME!!

DH : Who went to market (wet) with Papa last Saturday?

A : ME!!

DH : Did you see many fishes?

A : YES!

DH : Did you see the goat’s head?

A : YES!

And yes, this is how we roll. Rolling heads and all. Pardon the pun.

DH : Did you see the pig?

And by pig, Dear Husband meant the slaughtered pig, head definitely not attached to it’s body already.

A : YES!

DH : Did you see the chicken?

A : YES!

DH : What else did you see?

A : A turtle!

DH : Turtle? There’s a turtle in the market? You mean the turtles at Maigo? (DH’s hometown)

A : YES!

Mikaela chirping in : “Pa, I saw the turtle pissing!”

DH : You did?

M : Yes!

Ayana not to be outdone,

A : Pa, I saw the turtle pooping! And it farted too!

Me?

Laughing my head off!

Good night everyone! Hahahaha!

Laugh. Love. Live.

Bottle Battle

When the last 2 weeks of December 2012 rolled by, I made a really important household announcement. NO more bottles, feeding bottles in the house by January 1. I did the countdown.

By January 1, all feeding bottles were stowed.

The 3 year-old was surprisingly the least resistant. Well, with her track record, I shouldn’t be surprised. She was off the day time diapers at 1.5year old and potty trained by 2.

The 5 year-old however, took time to acclimatize.

Track record?

• She was 4 years old when she eventually got off the night-time diapers but it was still a “hit-miss” mess.
• She was 4 and a half when she is officially continent.

Two months into the new “rule”, Mikael is now eating “real food”. 

Real, as in rice and candies.

 Seriously, we bungled on the bottle weaning with our first born.

How was your bottle-to-glass transition like?

To Jay. For Jay.

Dear Jayo,

Cancer is a word I’ve dread and always associated with fear.
I’ve heard a lot of tales about someone fighting from it.
Yours was the first that hit really close.

It changed things for you.
It changed things for me.
It changed things for us.
It forced us to look at our mortalities.

But it does not and cannot diminish LOVE.
Love from family.
Love from friends.

It does not change YOU unless you allow it.
It does not destroy friendship.
It does not claim good memories.
It does not take away the spirit.
It does not put out hope.

Despair? I’ve never seen or felt this overwhelm you.
Only FAITH. Realistic and rock solid faith.
Steady.
Strong.

Your spunk.
Your grit. Your backbone.
Your firmness of mind and spirit.
This continues to astound me.
I’ve never know anyone so steadfast!

When given a choice to sit this out
You stand up, put up your best stance and FIGHT!

If I haven’t met Michael, I would be taking a page of your book, and just read and travel, travel and read.

I feel guilty feeling happy or going out when you are at your hospital bed. But I know you would not want me to feel this way. I don’t know how to end my message, and I am crying now. I am comforted by the fact that you have amazing women in your life. Mama Des, Bjen and Langga. They are taking their cues from you. You are their glue. You are the glue that sticks them together. As Mama Des say, you are still the consummate planner. Always on top of things.

You are an inspiration!

Love you,

Ava

Mikaela’s Pink Christmas Wishlist

First, she wanted a toy guitar. Of course it is anything but generic . She wanted a pink, Barbie guitar. Then, she wanted to have a pink whistle.

When I bought a Tinkerbell pillow some weekend back, she magnanimously made the concession to give it to Ayana and told me that I should buy another one for her, of course she wanted a pink Barbie pillow.

One Saturday morning after her morning shower, she told me that she changed her mind about the pink Barbie pillow. She wanted to have one unicorn carriage and she emphasized, she wanted ONLY ONE, unicorn carriage. No, not just a toy carriage, she wanted a REAL unicorn carriage.

Is there any Christmas wish harder than this? 

#wanaymaslisudpaani?

Thank heavens she changed her mind, again. After the ONE UNICORN carriage, she told me if Santa can give her a floater. 

Me : You mean the arm bands for swimming? 

Mikaela : No Ma! Look at me first. Look!

Turning around she managed to act-out someone playing a flute.

Trying hard to contain my laughter, I said, “Okay, I think I know what you mean Ate Kaela. It is actually called a recorder Ate.”

Mikaela : I want a pink one Ma!

Santa only managed to give the pink guitar and the whistle, unfortunately, not pink, but a red whistle.

I had a hard time processing the ”only one” unicorn carriage request. Does this get better as they grow older?

#firsttimetobesanta

#pinkchristmas

Originally pinned by Eliane Davis onto Pink Christmas