Mac & Cheese and Cooking Class

You just started eating macaroni & cheese (previously you eat macaroni and you eat cheese but not both together) - so at Chillis, KLCC, I asked you "Would you like mama to learn how to make macaroni & cheese?" You put down your food, (you ordered the usual pizza & for the 1st time ever - the mac & cheese!) turns to me and says "Yes Ma." Then you patted me on my back and with wide-eyed innocence & seriousness and a hint of compassion, you added "You should go to a cooking class, an old people cooking class" :) Then you continued to eat.

You are Six!!

It is so wonderful having a birthday when you are a kid!

This year we were able to hold a party at our house yesterday 22 October 2011 and you were so happy and that made me and your Bak so very happy. You wore your beautiful Rapunzel costume and you got to play with your cousins and friends. Then you got lots of presents. You got your Toy Story cake. This year we only blew out the candles once. Malu dah agaknye Arwen in front of so many people, right?

The day before, Friday the 21st, Bak and I brought your much requested Boboi Boy cake to school along with party packs for your friends.

Later, after school we took you for lunch at Chilli's at One Utama. You were so happy because you told us "I love my birthday" and then added "Chilli's is my favourite restaurant!" mostly because you love, love the kids' cheese pizza. Yummy!

I hope you know how to appreciate and be grateful for the things you are getting because even though some other kids may be getting more exciting parties or more extravagant presents but there are even more kids who gets less than you. So we must always be grateful and thankful to Allah for whatever and all the rezeki we get ok. We don't want to spoil you with material things but I understand that as a kid you want toys. So there must be a balance ok. We cannot get every single thing that you want but what we can get we try all right.


Ok enough with the 'heavy'. We love you dearest Arwen. So so so much!! You will never know how much until you get your own child but in the mean time all you have to know and always remember that we love you, no matter what.

An exhausted but a happy girl :)

Baby sister?

Mama is going through something tough right now. Actually your Bak & I have been trying to conceive an adik for you. (you want a sister not a brother). Unfortunately even after 3 years ++ tiada rezeki lagi. We started trying after you turned 3 going on 4 really. Back then you didn't want a baby sister or brother. Now that you are older, you really want one. One adik. A sister, not a brother since of course you're a girl. However, a couple of months back I had to have a talk with you about the possibility of us not having another baby at all.

I told you that sometimes we cannot have what we want. Like this baby sister. It is up to Allah in the end not us. You said to me so innocently, "Maybe Allah ran out of babies....." No darling that is not the case. Allah doesn't run out of things especially not babies. Maybe I am destined to only have you as my child? I don't know. I hope not. I would really like you to have sibling(s).


You  even have a name for your baby sister. You want to name her Bella! So we try to doa everyday, "Oh Allah, please bless us with a happy, healthy, perfect baby sister for Arwen for us to take care and love. Amin."

The hardest part for me right now is seeing people around me even celebrities in Malaysia and overseas, families, cousins even fictional characters on the TV shoes that I watch are all popping out babies. Yang mama paling tak tahan dan sangat tercabar iman mama adalah bila mama tengok orang yang dah ada anak 2, 3 dan 5 orang, masih dapat rezeki tambah anak.


Mama berdoa every day dan juga berusaha tapi I feel like I have to start preparing myself or otherwise I will get hurt over and over again when my period comes every month.

Who is cute?

Sometime in June 2011 I asked jokingly " Who is cute Arwen? Me or you? and you answered in all seriousness and honesty " Mama you can't be cute. You're old." Terpinga-2 Mama tau hahahaha

Memories

I want you and your siblings (insyaAllah if and when they will come) to know about the history of my family. As such I attach here links to 3 videos I uploaded in YouTube. They are unlisted so only people with the links can see them. I hope you will be able to appreciate these one day.

The 1st video is of my wedding day. The day that I was the most beautiful and unrecognisable!
Baiza & Tuti's wedding 20.12.2002


The 2nd video is about Tok Mak and Tok Bak. My parents. Pictures from when they were young. Tok Mak was so beautiful and stylish! Tok Bak was and is very handsome still :)
Tok Mak & Tok Bak

The 3rd video is about my siblings. I love them so very much.
Mama's Siblings (Anak-anak Mak & Bak)

I hope you will enjoy these videos. Please also take note that I have and will upload your videos in YouTube for your future viewing. I think these are important and serve as priceless memories that will increase in value over time. This will be a part of your heritage. You will know what you are like when you are small and I hope you will appreciate all that I am doing. Its all for you baby!

Wii Play!!!

Bak bought the Wii last  August (during Ramadhan). Mama's not too keen on video games as I never liked playing any video game for long but with the Wii - I found it interesting as its an active video game. So anyway, you little cousins all want to come and play and yesterday we picked up Nisha & Tuah from their house after school to come and play Wii with you.

Tuah had come before this with Mak Lin (Nisha had her UPSR exam the other day) and had played Wii with you. When he left at about 11pm, I asked you to go up first while I cleaned up a bit downstairs. The next morning Bak told me that when you went up you went and woke him up from sleep and said "Bak, Arwen main Wii dengan Tuah. Arwen kalah." - hahahahahaha kelakarnye anak mama ni.

Then this morning when you woke up - suddenly you said out loud excitedly "Ma, yesterday Tuah just know my name!" hahahahahah I don't exactly know why you said that but I gather its because you and Tuah hardly played together before and you have never heard him call your name. So funny Arwen.

Apparently, you are very good at Wii boxing which is really quite tough and needs lots of energy. Yesterday you beat both Nisha & Tuah! You're the Wii boxing champion!

Arwen, Nisha & Tuah at McD Kota Damansara (27/9/2011). Lunch before Wii play!

Baju Kurung

Its currently Syawal and weekends are filled with invitations to family gatherings and open houses. When I was growing up I don't remember going visiting during Syawal very much. Open houses were not a norm too I think. When I was a teenager and a young adult, Mak was already sick - first wheelchair bound and later bed ridden; as such we don't get to go visiting as Raya was when the maids took longer leave and of course we can't leave Mak at home by herself. I remember always that relatives come to our house for Raya as Mak was the eldest girl in her family while Bak has many grown up anak saudaras who will come and visit with their kids. I remember too during that time if I do get to visit other people's house, I wanted to taste ALL their kuih raya as all I get to eat was the ones at home. It's nice to have something different for a change. :)

There was a point in my life that Hari Raya was the most tiring day in my life. What with the never-ending relatives coming and not to mention that the neighbourhood kids (perfect strangers) would come to 'beraya' and they were many of them! I was beginning to hate Raya and to this day I pity those who has to masak a whole lot and to entertain so many people in one day! On top of all this we had to attend to Mak too - washing, feeding, changing her and then there are dishes to wash! Oh my - first Raya has always been exhausting for most of my life except for when I was a child. Most of this stopped when I got married because I was no longer living at Tok Bak's. I couldn't help with the pre-preparations and first Raya now has to be divided into two between Menjalara & Gurney.
 
Anyway, while I was growing up I only wore baju kurung on hari raya (and for weddings!) and sometimes when we go visiting during Syawal but since it was not a norm for us to go visiting during Syawal (seriously I only found out that Syawal is a whole month celebration when I was a grown up!) so I never really, really wear baju kurung (except maybe when I was working at the office). As for you my dear, you have refused to wear the baju kurung from when you were 2 years old! So for hari raya that 2nd year you were in t-shirt and pants! Nowadays, its a matter of negotiation of wearing baju kurung. I can hardly comment on this because since I don't wear baju kurung that often so I can't really force you in wearing it but I do hope that you know that sometimes its wonderful to wear the baju kurung especially when its appropriately suited and at the right occasion.

Personally, I don't think NOT wearing the baju kurung makes me less Melayu but the other day we were at your Tok Lah's house for Raya visiting and as usual I was in jeans and shirt and Tok Lah commented. "Is that your baju raya?" and I said "Yes" and she said "Mak would have screamed her head off." and I went "Really?" because that sure doesn't ring a bell to me. Tok Lah said "Yes, you know how proper she was." But truth of the matter is I didn't know or else I forgotten about it in the last 15 years Mak was in a coma. I realised something though. My strongest memories of my mother was when she was already sick. Oh, I still have fond memories of what she's like before she was sick but they are not the strongest.  One of the set backs of being the youngest I guess. Uncle Amir lagi kesian - he was only 12 when Mak went into the coma. Cerita Uncle Amir deserves a whole lot of other entries.

Anyway, nowadays your Bak buys my baju raya for me as I don't really like shopping all that much and since I no longer work at the office - I no longer need to shop! and I'm beginning to find the less clothes I buy the better.

5 going on 6 year old talking

On last Monday, I tried to wake you up about your usual wake up time but you slept later than you usually did the night before so I guess you were still sleepy. So then you were already talking to me but your eyes were still closed - so you asked me "Ma, can you fix my eyes?" hahahaha I guess you didn't understand why you are still sleepy. So cute :)

The Sunday before that we had lunch at Chu Chom's house. You were pretty much enjoying your time ith Abang Afiq as always laughing away when suddenly you told him "I'm getting dizzy from all this laughing!" Pandainye komen anak mama ni.

Then there was a time just before August 2011. On that particular day you wanted me to play with you as always but lately Mama's been so busy and pre-occupied with so many things, so as you were walking up the stairs I heard you saying this - most probably you were talking to yourself but was intending for me to hear you at the same time.

"I always want to play with you but you are always so busy. All you do is work, work, work."

I was dumb strucked by that remark because here I was a full time mom at home, ready and available 24 hours a day and yet what you just said was so true. I didn't have time to play with you anymore. I must improve on that I know. I'm so sorry dear.

Mermaid swimsuit

The other day you kept asking me can I please buy a mermaid swim for you. The actual suit with a fish's tail! I said there is no such thing in this world. Then with a heavy heart and a very, very sad face with a teary voice you said "Can you tell Abang Afiq & Kakak Iman that?" Oh it just broke my heart to see you so crest fallen! So I asked " Did they tell you that there is such a swim suit?" and your eyes brighten and said "Yes! They showed me the picture!" So I said that I will check with them and yes it turns out there is such a thing as that swim suit. You were spending your time with them during our visit to Chu Chom's house and apparently this is one of the things they showed you.

So we'll have to see whether we can get this for you. No promises though. You've been wanting so many things lately. Don't want to be materialistic ok dear. :)

Mama at 15

Yesterday, you saw an old family video of me when I was 15 years old. It was just a glimpse of me as most of the videos were taken by me (thank God!) You laughed and said " Ma, you look funny!" and kept on laughing as I was laughing hard too. Then you went on to say "But you sound the same!" Hahahahaa. Yes darling your mama was a very dorky teenager - with dark skin, pimples all over the face, big googly glasses and with a boy hair cut that's just horrible to look at now but which I thought was quite ok back then. Then I told Bak about it on the phone and he wanted to talk to you and he asked what is it about me that was so different. You said, "The whole body is different!" and then you went on laughing hahahahaa. I pray that you don't suffer my fate my lovely daughter. :)

17 Ramadhan - 6th Birthday!

You turn 6 today Arwen!

Following the Islamic calender - Arwen turns 6 today! Semoga anak mama menjadi anak yang soleh dan berada di dalam lindungan dan rahmat Allah sentiasa.

Blowing candles on a cake is a must!

Every 17 Ramadhan is your Islamic calendar birthday. Nuzul Quran. I love you sweetie. I'd give you 1000 kisses but I know you don't want me to kiss you too much hehehehe. Lately you always tell me "Mama, Arwen nak kosong kiss" which means no kisses Ma. Funny Wen. But sorry Wen Mama will kiss you no matter what :) and hug you too. So watch out!

Now I have to find out when's my birthday??? :)

Kuala Lumpur Bird Park - 29 May 2011

At the entrance

Our first visit to the Bird Park. It's my first time and Bak's first time too! It was fun!

Nails

I got this off from my friend's facebook. Good to know.

"barang siapa yang mengerat kukunya pada:

Hari Sabtu: keluar dari tubuhnya ubat ...dan masuk kepadanya penyakit
Hari Ahad: Keluar kekayaan masuk kemiskinan
Hari Isnin: keluar daripadanya gila dan masuk sihat
Hari selasa: keluar daripadanya sihat dan masuk penyakit
Hari Rabu: keluar daripadanya was-was dan masuk kepadanya kepapaan
Hari Khamis: keluar daripadanya gila dan masuk kepadanya sembuh dari penyakit
Hari Jumaat: keluar daripadanya dosa-dosanya seperti pada hari dilahirkan oleh ibunya dan masuk kepadanya rahmat daripada Allah Taala

jadi, kerat kuku bukan sebarang kerat tapi ada kaedahnya. walaupun hanya kuku tapi adalah sebahagian daripada badan kita yang perlu kita hormati. misalnya kerat kuku ada adabnya selain mengikut hari, kita juga perlu buang kuku itu pada tempat yang tidak kotor, sebagaimana yang diajar..seeloknya kita membuang ke tanah kerana kita juga berunsur tanah. bukannya tong sampah sekali pun tong sampah itu bersih"


sumber:
Mufakkiratul Mukmin 2009

Make up and Dresses

This year you are so into dresses and make ups and hair accessories and jewelery. Basically all things girly. So one day you asked me "Mama, why don't you wear dresses or make up? You're a girl."

Oh the things you say. So cute especially because I know you say them in all honesty and earnest. You just wanted to know. Well sweetie, you'll know when you grow up that I'm not a girl who likes to wear dresses and make-up. I know it makes you lovely and really sweet but it's just not me.

Youtube

We love Youtube.  So much so that one day whilst in the car; the following happened. This was sometime in April 2011.

Arwen : Mama, at school we learned to sing the Selangor song.
Mama : Really? I don't know that song. Can you teach me?
Arwen : That's ok Ma, you can learn from Youtube.
Mama : ??????

I mean you're a 5 year old kid. How adorable is that? Yes, I do search Youtube when I need to learn something lately like how to knit, we searched for the Maher Zain's Barakallah song and we watched cartoons on Youtube. You get lyrics to just about any song with a click of a button. When I was a teenager, I had to use a cassette tape and keep pausing and rewinding the tape to hear and write out the lyrics to a song. Sheesshh..how times has changed.

"That was totally wicked!!"

Right now you like The Incredibles. Bak has been trying to get you to watch it before but of course when you don't want to, you just don't want too. It started off from Astro's showing of the movie and then we told you we have the cd and The Incredibles pyjamas as well as one that has Violet on it. Suddenly you wanted to dress up as Violet!. As always you love playing dress ups and will always try to complete the whole outfit with whatever we've got.

I think your favourite part was when the little boy on the tricycle went "That was totally wicked!!" and you do it exactly like him. So cute and adorable!

Conversations with Arwen

Last Sunday (12/6/2011) you and I were sitting at the Lake Gardens mini mart while Bak went cycling. You were eating ice cream and I was eating fruits. We saw a bride who was having her photos taken. We see this every time we come here and so I asked you;

Mama: Arwen, when you get married would you like to come here and have your photos taken here?
Arwen : Mama, I'm a child. I cannot get married.
Mama : No, I mean when you grow up.
Arwen : ..but Mama if I get married, I will miss you..

Yes Darling, I will miss you too. :)

Yesterday (15/6/2011) we were in the bedroom talking and watching TV you asked me;

Arwen: Ma, when I am a big kid, I still have to go to school??
Mama: Yes Arwen. You still have to go to school. If you get as old as me then you don't have to go to school.
Arwen:..but Ma, if I get as old as you I have to drive!! I don't know how to drive...

???!!! hahahaha you are so cute and funny. I know that driving seems intimidating to you now but just wait till you are a teenager. You will be pestering me for driving lessons!

Sometime end of April, we were all in the car going out for dinner and I heard you talking to yourself..."dua lepas, tiga lepas, empat lepas". I went "Arwen, what are you talking about?". You smiled sheepishly and I figured out that you were trying to count in Malay! Dua belas, tiga belas, empat belas!!!

Sadness...

Your Tok Mak, my beloved Mak passed away peacefully on 9 May 2011. It was a Monday. Even after 15 years (and 1 week exactly) that she has been in a coma/vegetative state and even though I knew this would come someday, it is still very hard on me. Even though that she was not able to talk to us or communicate anything to us for 15 years, I still look for her when I go back to Tok Bak's house. It saddens me tremendously that her physical self is no longer at Tok Bak's house.

This was my first time really helping out during a funeral. I helped bathe her with my siblings and others.It pains me to see her so thin. She was skin and bones. She didn't have anything in her tummy even with the food that was given in the past few days and the fact that she didn't pass motion over the past couple of days (Tok Bak told me this a few days after). I helped wrapped her. I prayed for her. I saw Pak Long and Alang receive her at the grave and laid her to rest in her final resting place. I saw her face in the grave, I never knew that you had to open up the kain and make sure that the forehead touches the soil. That was the toughest I think. I couldn't bear thinking of leaving her there. Alang was the one who had to open the kain and he broke down at the grave. This was our mother and we can't believe that she was really gone.

The day before was Mother's Day. My family had never been big about celebrating Mother's Day or Father's day but this year I felt that I wanted to do something for Mak. So I made this collage on Mother's Day and I posted it up in Facebook. But right after I posted it a thought crossed my mind like 'something is going to happen to Mak?' but I wrote if off saying that its all right. I'm just honouring Mak. I didn't expect that she will be gone forever the very next day.

Mak and her babies.

Today, suddenly you said to me "Ma, you miss Tok Mak." Just like that. Out of the blue. It was not a question. It was a quiet statement and you were right. I guess a 5 year old child is very receptive. I have not been myself ever since Tok Mak passed. I am grieving. It feels wrong to move on even though I know I know it shouldn't be. We have to cope. Life goes on but it just feels wrong.

School

Last week on Wednesday 6 April 2011, your class teacher, Aunty Zida approached me when I was picking you up after school. She was pleasantly surprised that you can read quite well! Then she wanted to know whether I give English tuition because she wanted to improve her English! She said your English is very good!

I was flattered but also at the same time was a bit concerned because your teacher told me she needed to improve her English. hahaha but its always good to improve no matter what age you are. I need to improve my English and so do you actually. Understandably at 5 years old we still need to work on your grammar and sentence structure but I am actually very proud of your English.

Now we have started speaking and reading in Bahasa Melayu at home. God, help me please. :) I'm quite concerned for next year when you start Primary 1.

Anyway, this just got me thinking that I don't have a structured way of teaching. That's why I can't properly be a teacher. I guess I can learn but right now I do my best for you. Now & always.

Today, Aunty Zida told me that you are her sweetheart. So sweet. :)

"Tak payah plastik lah. Saya ada beg...."

Arwen dah pandai ajuk Mama. These days I keep saying to shops that I don't want plastic bags and suddenly last Sunday you said to Bak & I.

"Tak payah plastiklah, saya ada beg..." in the same tone that I always use.

hahahahahaha cheeky girl!

New Bike

New bike and new Malaysian football jersey.

Owww...so sweet!

"Pocoyo!"

These were taken at the Lake Gardens on 20 March 2011. You just got your new bike all the way from the USA a couple of weeks back.

"Billy is going to be angry.."

Last Sunday we were at the Nasi Lemak Tang Lin for breakfast before our Sunday exercise. Bak bought you a Malaysian football team jersey and the guy already put it in a plastic bag and you asked me, "Ma, why did you take the plastic bag? I was >??>?? and I laughed out loud because that's what I've been preaching to you and Bak "No plastic bag please!" and yet here I was taking a plastic bag.

Pandainye anak mama. Then you continued. "Billy's going to be angry" in reference to Billy the plastic bag in Astro TVIQ. Bak & I were speechless. We can only laugh. :)

"But Ma..there's no curtain at school..."

About a few weeks back, I asked for your help to untie the curtain as it was night time already. So you went to pull& pull at it and I said "No Arwen, wait Bak will show you" and you went all sulky and said "Arwen tak tau..Arwen tak tau" in a tone that I really didn't like and refused to see what Bak is doing.

So I went "Yes, Arwen tak tau- so you must learn! Look at Bak- he's going to teach you." I was so very tired and hearing this kind of talk is really getting on my nerves. I added albeit already in a nagging tone "Yelah, if you don't know that's why you must learn!" and I went on with a bigger picture than just the curtain in mind "That's why we send you to school. To learn!"

Then you said in all seriousness "But Ma, there's no curtain at school."

I was dumbfounded because it was true and it was hilarious at the same time! I couldn't help but laugh out loud! Such a clever girl.

Beautiful Arwen

These pictures were taken on 11 December 2008. These pictures were taken by my cousin, your Abang Alif. He takes beautiful pictures of you. At that time you just turned 3 years old. Still a baby. I made a slideshow using Colbie Caillat's song - Realize and you watched this every single night before you go to sleep and would repeat so many times! This went on for a few months! You're simply gorgeous darling! Allah is great! Syukur Alhamdulillah.

Thank you...

I just wanted to say I love you Wen and I thank Allah everyday for giving me you. Thank you Allah for giving me Bai, my family, my health & my happiness. Thank you. Syukur. Alhamdulillah.

Dream Come True & Angry like Plastic Bag

I just remembered something today. Last year, the day before your 5th birthday you told me "Ma, tomorrow is my dream come true." I was kind of surprised to hear that and so I asked "Why?" Your answer was..."Because its my Birthday!!!"

hmmm.....so cute and so clever. :) You sure love your birthdays. Just warms my heart.

Oh and then there was a time last year too when you were playing Cooking Mama and when cooking mama was angry because level failed, you said to me "Mama is angry like the plastic bag." This was hilarious!! because the plastic bag was Billy from Astro TVIQ which was an educational clip on teaching children to reduce plastic usage. Billy was the name they used for the plastic bag who got angry because he got thrown away after only being used for 5 minutes. So that is why you said "angry like the plastic bag".

I live at home

I just remembered some time last year, just before you turned 5 maybe I was trying to teach you about Malaysia. Well, we were at A&W One Utama and I said to you "Arwen, we live in Malaysia." and you replied in all honesty and seriousness, "No Ma, we live at home."

Hahahahahahhahahahahahahahaha...Mama & Bak ketawa besar. So cute! So clever!

All you knew of Malaysia then was Pos Malaysia because I always take you to the post office and you were able to read "Pos Malaysia".

Arwen's Poses

Here are some samples of your poses darling Arwen! Gorgeous!

The last 2 photos were taken by Abang Alif. These were taken on 15 Jan 2011 at Abang Dan's engagement do. Abang Alif takes beautiful pictures of you for which I'm very grateful.

My National Washing Machine

Hmmm..I'm trying my best not to get attached to things but yet I still get sentimental over things. Like today I let go my washing machine (brand National) which your Bak & I bought 8 years ago after we got married; we used the gift money we got from the wedding. I gave the washing machine to Mak Lin whose washing machine just so happened to be broken. The reason why I let it go is because we got a good deal on a new, bigger & fully automatic washing machine which I hope will make my laundry chores even easier! But still I feel sad for my old washing machine as its still working fine & it has served us well. I hope it will serve Mak Lin for a good long time too.

Daniel Cook & Emily Yeung

Right now we love to watch "This is Daniel Cook" on TVIQ and then we found "This is Emily Yeung" on Youtube. We love the songs too!

Here are the links to to hear the songs. Hopefully it will remain in Youtube until forever!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH1iPshD368

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XZdbrxQtw8

1000 Awesome Things

Currently, I'm reading/following this blog http://1000awesomethings.com/

It's a pretty cool blog. Something easy, uplifting & positive! It won a Webby Award and got published into a book. The Book of Awesome. That is pretty cool.

No matter what race you are or what nationality, we can relate to most of the things in the blogwhich is really AWESOME!!

For Knowledge

I got this off the net. Good reminder for us all.

“Wahai saudara ! Apa agama kamu?”. “Aku agama Tauhid”, jawab pemuda itu iaitu agama Islam. “Habis, mengapa kamu membela babi? Kita tidak boleh berbuat begitu.” Kata Nabi Musa.
“Wahai tuan hamba”, kata pemuda itu. “Sebenarnya kedua babi itu adalah ibu bapa kandungku. Oleh kerana mereka telah melakukan dosa yang besar, Allah telah menukarkan rupa mereka menjadi babi yang hodoh rupanya. Soal dosa mereka dengan Allah itu soal lain. Itu urusannya dengan Allah. Aku sebagai anaknya tetap melaksanakan kewajipanku sebagai anak. Hari-hari aku berbakti kepada kedua ibu bapaku sepertimana yang tuan hamba lihat tadi. Walaupun rupa mereka sudah menjadi babi, aku tetap melaksanakan tugasku.”, sambungnya.
“Setiap hari aku berdoa kepada Allah agar mereka diampunkan. Aku bermohon supaya Allah menukarkan wajah mereka menjadi manusia yang sebenar, tetapi Allah masih belum memakbulkan lagi.”, tambah pemuda itu lagi.
Maka ketika itu juga Allah menurunkan wahyu kepada Nabi Musa a.s. ‘Wahai Musa, inilah orang yang akan berjiran dengan kamu di Syurga nanti, hasil baktinya yang sangat tinggi kepada kedua ibu bapanya. Ibu bapanya yang sudah buruk dengan rupa babi pun dia berbakti juga. Oleh itu Kami naikkan maqamnya sebagai anak soleh disisi Kami.”
Allah juga berfirman lagi yang bermaksud : “Oleh kerana dia telah berada di maqam anak yang soleh disisi Kami, maka Kami angkat doanya. Tempat kedua ibu bapanya yang Kami sediakan di dalam neraka telah Kami pindahkan ke dalam syurga.”
Itulah berkat anak yang soleh. Doa anak yang soleh dapat menebus dosa ibu bapa yang akan masuk ke dalam neraka pindah ke syurga. Ini juga hendaklah dengan syarat dia berbakti kepada ibu bapanya. Walaupun hingga ke peringkat rupa ayah dan ibunya seperti babi. Mudah-mudahan ibu bapa kita mendapat tempat yang baik di akhirat kelak.
Walau bagaimana buruk sekali pun perangai kedua ibu bapa kita itu bukan urusan kita, urusan kita ialah menjaga mereka dengan penuh kasih sayang sebagaimana mereka menjaga kita sewaktu kecil hingga dewasa.
Walau banyak mana sekali pun dosa yang mereka lakukan, itu juga bukan urusan kita, urusan kita ialah meminta ampun kepada Allah S.W.T supaya kedua ibu bapa kita diampuni Allah S.W.T.
Doa anak yang soleh akan membantu kedua ibu bapanya mendapat tempat yang baik di akhirat, inilah yang dinanti-nantikan oleh para ibu bapa di alam kubur.
Erti sayang seorang anak kepada ibu dan bapanya bukan melalui hantaran wang ringgit, tetapi sayang seorang anak pada kedua ibu bapanya ialah dengan doanya supaya kedua ibu bapanya mendapat tempat yang terbaik di sisi Allah.

School

6 Jan 2011 4th day of school with the new school bag.

It was raining.

7 Jan 2011 Fifth day of school - wore the sports attire.

First week of school in pictures. After you got the shoes on Tuesday, we had to teach & make you to wear your own shoes. You take so long to wear by yourself. Nowadays, the school does not allow parents to come into the school compound so the first time I had to watch you wear your own shoes at school from outside the gate was so poignant for me because I know I have to "let you go" more now so that you can learn to be independent. It's a new learning process for me too.

When I grow up

Today you are not well so no school for you. However, we ended up at the Curve for a few hours because I needed to get your medicine from the pharmacy. We were having breakfast at McDonald's and you asked me, "When I grow up, how am I going to fit my clothes?" Alalalala, siannye dia. As I suspected you were worried that you will outgrow your ballerina tutu because you asked me "So I can get a big tutu because I want to be a ballerina.

28 August 2010; Your very first tutu, reward for not crying when going to school last year.

18 August 2010; Arwen the golfer at the Driving Range

29 December 2010; Arwen the Astronaut At Petrosains

Actually, you've always been saying that you want to be a ballerina, a golfer & an astronaut! hahahaha..whatever makes you happy baby!

Appreciation

I didn't write this story. It was forwarded to me in an email today. It's a good story. Showing and giving appreciation is very high in my list of important things. So have a read.

 The Story of Appreciation

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.

He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the last decision.

The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic
achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.

The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the
youth answered "none".

The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.

The director asked, " Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.

The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.

The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.

After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: " Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"

The youth answered, " I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'

The Director asked, " please tell me your feelings."

The youth said, Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.

The director said, " This is what I am looking for to be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.”

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?*

You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.

You would have forwarded many mails to many and many of them would have back mailed you too...but try and forward this story to as many as possible...this may change somebody's fate!

Talk

Sometime late last year while we were watching Yo Gabba Gabba, you asked me "Ma, what's your talent?" since the segment in Yo Gabba Gabba was talking about talents. I went "hmmm......." and then you went "I know Ma! Your talent is cooking!"

I gulped and with wide shocked eyes (because sweetie, your mom can't really cook) said "Really? What am I good at cooking?". You gave it a little thought and then shouted out "Roti canai!"

Hahahahahaha...little did you know that the roti canai was bought frozen from the supermarket. All I did was heat it up in the pan. :) No matter, for the time being I shall enjoy this moment when my daughter thinks that my talent is cooking!!

Arwen's First day at Kindy 2011

The real kindy! Next year you will be in Standard One! My how time suddenly flies by. I still remember when you were just a little baby. Ok, ok...I shall leave the mushy stuff for another blog entry.

This is your school. Brainy Bunch International Islamic Montessori. Well here are some pictures from your first day at school. Sorry that I didn't have more pictures of you in school but there were so many people around that I was kind of surprised. Its a first time for me too dear. :)

Arwen wearing the school uniform.

Arwen & Bak has the same smile!

Arwen & Mama.

Arwen at school.

Well, one good thing was that 3 Jan 2011 was just any other day at kindy for you (because you've been going to school for the whole of December 2010 give or take a few days off) except that you now have to wear a uniform and that there will be more kids at school. I was so relieved that you agreed to wear the uniform and seemed to be excited by it. (You didn't want to wear it on the 2nd day though. Did Mama forget to tell you that you have to wear this every day!!??) Thankfully you agreed to wear it as on the 2nd day of school you had new sports shoes. (Mama forgot to buy school shoes for you because we were so used to you wearing whatever you want last year). There were so many parents hanging around on the first day that I thank God that we sent you middle of last year. I can't imagine how you would handle it being left for the first time with so many adult people around.

Mama & Bak walked you to school but Bak picked you up from school. He said that there was a traffic jam and long que to pick you up because of the other parents. Thank goodness I don't need to drive to pick you up. Well, I am especially thankful for that now because come next year we will have to brave the traffic to your Taman Tun school. Means waking up earlier darling!!

Arwen walking to school.

2nd day of school - ta da! my new shoes :)