Lady of leisure?

Do you have the same experience when you tidy up the house and then in no time it gets untidy and all messy again? It happens to me all the time. So sometimes I wonder, tidy for what? Especially when I'm the only person doing it. Getting the girls to help is difficult. On certain occasions they will gladly do it but most times they will say things like 'oh it's so hard work', 'it's boring' or 'it's so difficult'. So I guess it's not hard work, not boring and very easy for the mum to do it huh. I prefer to do the tidying at night. At least it will stay that way longer. It's near impossible to have a spick-and-span house ALL THE TIME if you have young children unless of course there's a domestic helper in the house. Even then, it's not really achievable.

For the past week as I was on MC, I'd do the chores after I sent the girls to school. Downstairs then upstairs. But almost everyday by dinnertime, it's as if a hurricane has gone through my house. It is not so frustrating if everyone chips in to help, to do their part. But I'm mostly left to do the job myself. What's worse is when the other half accuses me of not doing anything but spending all my time in front of the computer the past WHOLE WEEK. Firstly, I should be resting since I'd hurt my back (those of you who have hurt their back before should know what it's like) but lying down all day is absolutely boring since there are better things to do. I'd been doing the school runs even though stepping on the clutch hurts but there's no other way. So I did what I can, pick up pieces of toys/books from the floor, clear the dining table, unload the dishwasher, vacuum the lounge and dining room before going upstairs to make the beds and pick up more things from the floor. Then I will sit down and have my green tea, check my emails and surf for ideas to cook for dinner. As my back felt better on Wednesday, I arranged the furniture (I hear gasps!) in my room as I'd bought a wardrobe and one part of it had been sitting there in front of my bed and my clothes were not hung up. I had to rearrange some things in order to fit that in. If I don't do it, it'll be there forever and the room's in a mess. I took care though since the furniture had rollers and it was just a matter of pushing. I was fine afterwards and very pleased that my clothes are all folded nicely in the chest of drawers.

I'd bought 2 shelves from Ikea more than a month ago and set up one for downstairs but the other one had been on the floor in the hallway downstairs until yesterday. I opened up the box and took individual pieces upstairs as there was no way I could carry the whole box up not even before I hurt my back. So the shelf was fixed and I changed the arrangement of the furniture in the girls room. Again, I went slow and easy and made sure I don't hurt my back again. The girls were very pleased with their new room. Someone once said to me I am a worker bee and not a queen bee. Guess I am. But if I don't do those things, who will?

This afternoon, Lavigne's godma is coming to visit us and I swear the house was in a presentable state last evening. But this morning, there were things on the floor everywhere, cushions, books, paper, rubbish and whatnots. To give the girls credit, they did make their beds but clothes and toys were on the floor. And I did say that I'd just rearranged the room yesterday and everything was neat and tidy, didn't I? Then someone had to say I'd not been doing anything the whole week.

Furthermore, I also made made several new dishes this week since I had the time and was more relaxed. The reason I blog all these is not because I am 'hao lian' but to let you know I'd not been a lady of leisure as you (yes you!) think I had. I didn't choose to not go to work but was hurt. Even if I didn't do anything and just put my feet up like many people had told me to, there was nothing wrong with it because I had a SORE BACK. Now I understand why one woman (read from one blog) actually leaves all the chores till the husband comes home so that he can see she's hard at work.

And the winner goes to......

Louisa came home from school and had the honour to pick the lucky winner. Thank you for participating and joining in the fun. Who knows in the near future, I may have another one of this? Oh and in case you're wondering, Louisa didn't have a bruise on her forehead. It's a cross marked with ash as today is Ash Wednesday.

Congratulations, Tsulin! I'll get in touch by email.

Flower love

Joy can be found nestled among glorious blossoms. Thank you, J and V!

Don't forget the draw will take place tomorrow afternoon. Do leave a comment if you haven't done so.

Osekihan - Japanese Red Rice

I enjoy eating glutinous rice because of the sticky, chewy texture. I've seen this dish many times while watching Japanese drama but it never occured to me to cook it. Yesterday, I chanced upon this recipe and seeing that it's very easy to make, I decided to give it a go today. The result was very good and it will be A and my lunch for tomorrow. It is a very nutritious and low fat dish though high in calories and carbs.

Sambal Tuna

One of my favourite sandwich filling is tuna. This morning, I made tuna sandwiches for A and the girls' packed lunch and there was some left. Being a lover of anything spicy, I mixed it with some of the sambal belacan I made last week and top it on toasted bagel for my lunch. Yum! It tasted like the Ayam brand chilli tuna. The sambal was adapted from Lilian's recipe. The way I cook is by estimation. So I hardly post recipes unless it's someone else's. I won't be able to give you the measurements of ingredients of things I cook.

Today is Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Day. Will be making some American pancakes later. Don't like the thin British version. I should kick myself for not saving the link to a fantastic idiot-proof-MacDonald-style pancake recipe I found the last time I wanted to make pancake. Hope I get some decent ones later.

Love package

My sis DHLed a packet to me last Thursday. My mum who heard I'd hurt my back went to buy the ointment and plasters for me. I also received medicinal plasters from my mother-in-law who was then still in Hong Kong. These are what I call 'love packages from home'. One can always count on their family no matter where you are.

Good news!

Woohoo! Among a few pieces of good news I've received today, one of them is I had PASSED(!) my exam. Good thing it's either a pass or fail grade and so I don't know the grade. Hehehe. Lavigne also received cinema vouchers for winning the photography competition. Looks like things are looking up a bit.

Weighty issue

I am appalled at how easy it is for me to put on weight. Since hurting my back, I've not been doing any form of exercise and was living a sedentary lifestyle - no school run and work either since it was half-term last week. Foodwise I haven't even been eating eat junk food (no fast food or crisps) the past weeks. The only times I ate more than usual were last Saturday when I made nasi lemak and mee siam as V and J's families came to visit and yesterday when we went to London to meet up with my brother-in-law and his girlfriend. But my jeans which was getting loose just some weeks back is getting a bit snug. The all-time detestable muffin-top is also showing its presence. My tummy which is relatively flat is spilling over the top of my pants! Horrors! Horrors! Don't even get me started on my face. It already has the tendency to puff up easily but now it's rounder than the full moon and puffier than Old Chang Kee's Kari Pok. I remember when I was younger, I could eat laksa and have chendol after. I didn't have to limit my food intake and had been pretty trim all my life except for when I was expecting and I seriously BALLOONED! But I was very blessed to lose them all both time after delivery. Now, it's like just drinking an extra glass of water will cause the weight to pile on. OK, you know I'm exaggerating but you know what I mean. I suppose it will just get worse as I grow older. Metabolism rate slows down and the body doesn't function as well as before.

Diagnosis

After almost 2 weeks since I hurt my back, I finally went to see a doctor this morning. After asking me some questions; pressing different parts of the back and spine and lifting my legs to check for pain, he told me what I probably have is 'muscle spasm'. He went on to prescribe me some anti-spasm medication and asked me to take time off work this week. If my back still doesn't recover, I will have to go back for further investigation. The pain has been bearable without medication. I have a high threshold for pain and I avoid taking medication at all costs. Trouble is I have to walk very slowly and like a Leaning Tower of Pisa as I can't walk upright. If I sit for too long, I have difficulty getting up and the pain gets worse. So no bending over and lifting things as instructed by the doctor. I will have to send the hub to do the shopping then. Oh or internet shopping helps too. Hmmmm.

A brave mum

I'm supposed to be in bed but just before I was going to switch off the computer, I chanced upon a mum's blog about her journey with cancer. I've yet to read her blog but watched the following documentary featuring her which made me very emotional. It's hard to imagine someone who was dying of cancer, let alone a young mum with 2 very small children, being so strong and courageous. Her smiles during the interview are hard to forget. She seemed to embrace her final journey in life with such passion that she seemed to be at peace with what she was facing. She possessed such an amazing strength and love for life that she didn't have much negative things to say about her circumstance. I have so much to learn from her. Just this afternoon when I had some friends over, we were talking about how cancer can just strike anyone irregardless of age. It is just so sad especially when young children are involved. Remember this?

Draw extended

I thought my back's almost recovered but it got worse again yesterday. I had to stick on a medicinal plaster which has a very strong smell (friends who came close to me asked what's that smell). As a result, I don't think I can start working on the design straightaway. On top of that, a few friends have also helped spread the word around so I'm going to extend the draw to Wednesday, 25th February, 4pm UK time. Happy commenting!

Cooking doldrums

When and why have I become so lazy to whip up a decent meal? No, I've not been giving my family junk food and sandwiches but neither have they been having rice with a few dishes everyday. I try to have variety since Louisa prefers western food so I cook English, Chinese, Italian (pasta) and whatnots each week. But it's become more of a one-dish meals the past few days such as pasta and lasagne. Louisa is more than delighted but I'm feeling guilty as a mum and wife. I ask the girls what they want for dinner. I scour my list of favourite websites for ideas and inspirations. But always, I'm lost for what to cook. Each one in my family has different tastes and likes. I eat basically everything. Lavigne isn't that fussy either. A doesn't eat mushrooms, eggplants and not much seafood (sotong-no, shellfish-no). All these which I love. Louisa is the most fussy. Chicken wise, she eats only breast meat, the most expensive part. If I cook meat portions from the thigh or drumsticks, she'll scrutinise every bit to look for 'brownish veinish bits' and if found, will not eat it. She DOES NOT eat mushrooms nor seafood, frown on seaweed and only likes salmon and tilapia for fish. Making her eat greens is more difficult than cooking a meal itself. So even when I want to cook something, I'll know someone will not like it. Now as I come to the end of the post, I realise I have the answer to my opening sentence. It's hard to cook a meal to cater to everyone's taste.

Have you left a comment to my previous post? Spread the word around and if you like, link it from your blogs.

Wanna Play?

As you can see, I've finally changed my blog design. Since I'm still in the mood, I'm going to design a blog header for FREE! Yes, you read it right. If you're tired of your blog design or simply want to personalise your blog, drop me a comment and your URL saying why your online diary needs a revamp. I'll have a lucky dip on Sunday, 22nd Feb. Go on! You know you want it. Good luck!

Unbelievable - father at 13

When I saw the headlines at Yahoo news, my jaw dropped. After reading the news and watching the video, I was gobsmacked and left speechless.

Life's lesson

Now I understand when people say you see one's true colours during times of trial. The same goes with the Chinese proverb 'offering charcoal in time of snow'. Those who come forward and offer help when you least expect it and the ones who do the least when you expect the most. Makes me reassess who is worth keeping and who isn't.

Oh yes and today marks the first day of my 12th year of marriage.

Let this be the last

Friends and colleagues have been telling me 'things will only get better'. I wish! This morning while at work, I hurt my back. I was sitting on the floor buiding a tall tower with the children when I got up and felt a spasm in my lower back. Tried to take it easy but during tidying up time, it got worse and I had to stop and sit on a chair. The pain was pretty bad. My only worry then was how was I supposed to go pick the girls from school? Rang A and he couldn't get time off work. My boss kindly offered to pick Lavigne up and sent us both home. The girls and I were supposed to go to Louisa's friend's house today for a playdate so in the end I asked her mum to pick Louisa from school and she helpfully sent her home in the evening after play. A will send Louisa to her house tomorrow morning and she will help us bring her to school. She's even offered to pick Lavigne up before going to fetch the girls so they can all go to her house to play. I was really touched. I just got to know her about 2 weeks ago as they'd just moved to the area.

I had to leave my car at my school this morning since there was no way I could drive. It started snowing again earlier and I got A to walk there to drive it home before the weather gets worse. I'm so disappointed I have to cancel the gathering at my place with V and J's families this Saturday. We were going to have a joint Valentine's day 'celebration'. Been looking forward to it. What a bummer!

It's not all doom and gloom though. I just discovered Lavigne is one of the winners for the photography competition organised by her school during the week of snowfall. Remember this? I thought I would just print them and send them in just for the fun of it. Lavigne received a sticker from her head teacher for taking part and she kept saying she'd won. Now it's for real she'd won and she'll be very happy when I tell her tomorrow morning. As I was writing this, I received one big piece of good news that calls for a celebration. A passed his exams!! After slogging for a few months, he can now enjoy his fruit of labour. I can also heave a sigh of relief. V and J, Valentine's Day will be over next week but we have another reason to parteeee!.

Blog design

Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!

I should do something about the design of my blog.

Long overdue!

Disruptions

Great Britain is encountering the worst snowfall in almost 2 decades. Seriously, it's the first for me in all my years (7) living here. This whole week, the girls had only gone to school once. On the days I work (yes my boss very on, kept the school opened when most are closed), I'd to bring them with me which is not all that bad because they get to play with other children and there were lots of nice activities to do (if I don't take into consideration that Lavigne played up with me around, clinging on to me and at times refused to follow the instructions given by my colleagues - very embarrassing!).

I dared not drive. I think the main roads are OK but it's my street. My boss said it's deathly. She witnessed a van skidding (so did one of my colleague's husband). I'm just so terrified something similar will happen to me. A few of my friends got involved in traffic accidents because of the treacherous condition. I'm taking no chance, especially since I have the girls with me. The girls are meant to be going to a friend's birthday party later in the day but I'd rung the mum to say we're not going. The get-together at my place with my colleagues tonight has been postponed as well. My course tomorrow has also been cancelled. There's going to be more snow apparently. I'm not entirely sure if I like that even though I do enjoy the snow but I think the novelty has worn off. It's bitterly cold, the pavements are icy and slippery and we're stuck at home. What a vast difference from last winter. I just want to snuggle under my duvet all day long which is of course not possible. How's your week been, V?

Here we go again

Good thing I checked Lavigne's school website last night. Snow had been forecasted and even if the school stays open, it will only be for those who can be walked to and from school. This is a condition set by the local police as driving is deemed dangerous. So I went to the website again this morning and this had been re-confirmed. Also managed to speak to someone at Louisa's school and it's the same for them. Since we live a fair distance away from the schools and I drive them there everyday, they will be staying home today. But in the morning, I'll have to bring them to work with me. They both enjoy it but Lavigne always clings to me which makes things a bit difficult.

Singapore Day 2009

My brother-in-law just forwarded me an email regarding Singapore Day 2009 in UK. I'm so tempted to go! It's so close to my birthday too, hence can go there and 'celebrate'. See the satay? Food, glorious hawker food! To think we used to live so near to the venue. V, interested?

Day of 'adventure'

Another day of school closure today, except for the one I work for. So I brought the girls with me to work. I had been dreading the walk there but it's better than driving. So we put on our wellies and layers of warm clothing, scarfs, mittens and all. The sun shone brightly and the snow was melting. I was determined not to slip. On the way, I gave instructions of where to walk 'on the white fluffy snow', 'not the icy part', 'over here', 'over there'. We made it to our destination without any fall. Phew! I was supposed to be making pineapple tarts this week but because of the icy condition on Monday, I didn't manage to go to the supermarket to get the ingredients. Just before I was leaving after work, my boss asked me if I could go get the ingredients today. I bit my tongue and said 'yes'. She said I could get them from the nearby convenient store but it doesn't sell pineapples and Tesco Metro in the town centre is not that much further away. I contemplated getting ourselves into the car and drive to Sainsburys and not having to worry about walking on the icy pavements again and risking falling. But then again, I witnessed drivers having difficulties on the road. So I've decided to walk to the town centre but not before we have our lunch and letting the girls out to play with the snow. They had in fact played with it at my school earlier during outdoor time. They kept lamenting the snow's melting and they wouldn't be able to build a snowman. I reassured them there's plenty of snow out there still.

So after lunch, we went to the back garden and spent more than one hour building the snowman. I'm smarter this time. I wore washing-up gloves over my woolly ones to prevent my hands from getting wet and frozen. How does this one look compare to the one in 2008 and 2007? Actually they look pretty similar. I should think of something more interesting next time.

(I didn't realise the girls wore colour coordinated clothings until I was doing the editing.)

After making the snowman, the girls changed out of their wet pants and we went out again. The walk was trickier than in the morning as the sun had melted the snow which made the pavement really icy and slippery. I nearly slipped a few times. A very vain me refused to wear my ugly green wellies to town. However, I did wear a pair of sensible shoes but they were still not as good as the wellies. I said a prayer of thanks when we reached our doorstep safely after the shopping trip. Now I'm worried about driving tomorrow. I never stop worrying, don't I?

The day after

So the girls' schools were closed, many in fact, but not the school I work for. I woke up at 6.45am to call the schools (they have recorded voicemails), check my email for notifications, the schools' websites and the radio for school closures. Nothing. I looked out of the window and decided that the snow is too thick and hence dangerous for me to drive. I have no experience of driving in that kind of condition. Since I'm not exactly having much good luck lately, it's better to be safe than sorry. Many of my neighbours stayed in too. Finally after an hour, a message was put up at Lavigne's school website and I managed to speak to a teacher at Louisa's school. Both will be shut for the day. The latest update is that Lavigne's school will remain shut for tomorrow and most likely Louisa's school too since they are just across the road from each other. My boss told me they strive to open tomorrow which means I'll have to bring the girls with me to work and walk in the snow, something which I don't quite like as it's very slippery. Also, I'm getting really frustrated with my internet connection. It keeps dropping and I have to restart the computer in order to get it to work again and then the whole process repeats again. This has been going on for 1-2 weeks?

More Snow

I was about to go to bed when I looked out of the window and saw that it was snowing rather heavily. I don't think I've ever encountered such heavy snow for this long in UK other than my trip to Nepal. It was beautiful. There must be several inches of snow out there now. I think we'll have to stay indoors tomorrow.

Photos from their bath earlier in the evening.

Snow

And so it came. Louisa said, 'So the weatherman's correct this time'. She's always the first to notice a snowfall. This afternoon while we were having lunch, she exclaimed, 'It's snowing'. But the light snow shower only lasted less than 5min. Then earlier this evening after the girls had their bath, we saw outside covered under a blanket of snow. We didn't notice the snowfall as it must have come down while we were in the bathroom and the girls were fooling about playing with the bubbles. It is still snowing right now as I type away and more snow is expected in the course of the week. My boss is calling up her staff to enquire if we'll have any difficulties getting into work. I stay the closest so I don't think I'll be affected. Unless it's so bad that all schools are closed. Let's wait and see.