Staying up way past 12.30am waiting for the dear Hubby to come home cos he left his key in the office.  *sigh… what to do.  Yesterday also the same thing.  He called me on my handphone but I pretended to be asleep and my Hero (Carlgene) help me to answer the phone and at the same time went down stairs to open the door for Daddy.  Isn’t he a darling?

Since sien sien dei, let me show you my desktop.

Love this picture so much.  Sigh… dem sien.

I kinda cheat in this bento.  The chicken rice was tapau from shop for our dinner.  I know, they don’t look so appetizing in the picture.   It is not easy being a mother sometimes.   The youngest is also shouting for attention even though she is the type that is not fond of food.  But give her chicken rice anytime, she will gobble down her food in seconds 😉 … and because I told her, “No treats for you if you don’t finish your dinner.”

Mixture of healthy and unhealthy treats.  The Japanese doll is coated peanut for the head and rice crackers for the body, cherry tomatoes, gummy candy and the black one is prunes.  She love asam-asam (pickles) very much and I think she learn how to eat them from her previous babysitter.

“Many, many years ago, … I had my bottom slapped by a man (or woman?) on this day.”

How many people don’t get this phrase?  It’s my Birthday la!  So sad no one wish me *sob, sob*.  (The one in FB not counted ok *sticking out tongue*)

Anyway, here are some pictures I took that night.  My Sister think I should go out patoh but after 12 years of marriage, I forgot how to patoh.  So sad isn’t it.  And I keep on rushing my food so that I can go home earlier to be with the kiddos.  It’s the motherhood instinct.  Can’t help it.  Earlier of the day when I had a conversation on MSN with Eldest Princess, she ended the line with, “See you at midnight.” Wah, so paiseh only 😳

This is my second time celebrating my birthday in The Lobsterman, SS2 PeeJay.  Since no kids around, we don’t even bother to get a cake.  Can you imagine two old couple singing in public.  Dead embarassing, ok?  Plus with Hubby’s out-of-tune singing, don’t know where to hide my face!

Since I am going patohing right after work, I have to lug my dSLR to the office with me.  This time I thought maybe I should leave home my Tamron AF 28-75mm f2.8 (longer and heavier) and use my prime lens (shorter and lighter) instead.  Almost 6 months never touch my old ‘baby’ ade.  And you know what?  I’ve totally forgotten that my prime lens had this constant ‘error 99’ appearing.  And the whole night, either I am too near to my food (cos the beeper kept on asking me to back off!) or the kanasai error 99 kept on flashing until Hubby also look at me one kind!  GRRRR!!!!  I still prefer zoom lens.  And because of the kanasai error 99, my mood was so foul I forgot to change my WB and the yellow downlight doesn’t help at all.  Hence why all my pictures looks like having jaundice!  Sigh… how I wish all restaurant use white bulb like those home decor lighting.

We ordered cheese baked lobster and porridge lobster.  The porridge is meant for the kids even though they are left over (on purpose!).  See, even when they are not around, our mind kept on flashing back to them.  Poor kids must have so much fun with their Wu Yi eating pizza at home under Mummy’s bill *sticking out tongue at Wu Yi* (Update:  They changed their mind and went for Kim Gary.  Still  under Mummy’s bill!)

Hubby introduce new food to me.

Oyster + Vodka + Tomato puree = Shooters!

One was supposed to bottoms up.  Imagine the oyster ran down your throat like a live gold fish.  I hope Hubby did not trick me on this.

Every diners will get a complimentary polaroid.

This is our 2nd take upon request!  The first shot was so badly over exposed.  Come on, ugly photo take again another shot  ma.  Don’t make us looks like albino.  That type of photo also can give people meh.

Itu je makan-makan.  One year older and one year wiser now.

Sometimes when I was busy in the kitchen and did not hear a single sound from coming Baby Princess I know it spelled T.R.O.U.B.L.E.  But to my amazement this time, she was scribbling something on her hand.  So full of concentration.

I sneaked up quietly next to her to steal this wonderful shot but the Little Missy soon realised my antics.

She was trying to grab the paparazzi’s camera. LOL

… I had my bottom slapped by a man (or woman?) on this day.

This is me when I was little.

p/s:  Check out Top 100 Malaysian Blogs list and see who’s name is at the 100th 😉

How I wish someone warned me earlier that this Hello Kitty crust cutter is a little bit too small for our local Gardenia bread size.  The only time I get to use the cutter is when my eldest Sister bake me some home bake bread.  Nevertheless, they are very cute.

Left to right:  Wholemeal mantou, carrot stick with kewpie mayo in blue side dish and checkered apple.
Bottom:  Cream cheese spread on home bake wholemeal bread.

We don’t get to use this two tier bento box very often.  Usually we just utilised the bottom tier but it sure comes handy today.  Sometimes owing two tier compartment box give us the flexibility.  You decide when you want to use them separately and when to use them whole.  Same concept as the portable laundry hamper.

I was trying to squeeze in this post many times but always get busy with other matters.  When I look back at the photographs now, some of the kids has grown more matured like my Prince Charming aka Prince Carlgene *cough*. Last year (26 Dec 2008) during Christmas, we went to Spice Garden since we are in Penang.

Admission rate was charged at RM35.00 for 2 adult and up to 3 children.  I feel the price is way too expensive for a little garden like that.  Nevertheless, her are some of the pictures i took:

Eldest Sis with Jasmine admiring a dangling flower right at the entrance.

They claimed that they have more than 200 type of spices in the garden.  However, I do see a lot of screwpine leaves (daun pandan) only.  The rest *shrug*.  And the whole place smell so fresh.  It took me quite a while to guess the smell.  Alas, they are lemon grass (serai) and no.  Not from the fresh plants but they are the lemon grass flavoured mosquito repellent.

Spot the green leafy plants? They are called daun kadok another type of betel leaves (daun sireh) used to cook otak-otak. Penang otak-otak rawks! I don’t like the Johore version.  And guess what I’ve spotted?

Wood fungus!  aitelyu, sometimes I get so mad at my Tamron lens.  They are always out of focus and they like to focus object next to it.  It happens so many, so many times!  Now you see why the wood moss is sharp but the fungus is blur.  Haiz…

I love this picture of my Eldest Sister swinging on the hammock. The place is so serene and cricket chirping is like music to my ears. Only one thing that I am afraid of… SNAKES! Or lizard!!! Or whatever that has 4 legs!!!

While busy playing photographer for my Sis, my Prince Charming called out to me and when I look up, HOLY MOLY!

This is one huge giant swing that I’ve ever see before!

See my Prince Charming?  He look so babyish (to me he is!).  Maybe it’s his hair style.  Ever since school started, he has been wearing that army spikey hairstyle that I never like.

Various plants around the garden.  They are not spices.

The four older children are born just month apart. Can you imagine that year, my mom’s house had 4 babies?  The little boy in stripe is an intruder!  From left to right:  Jean Suen (2nd Sis), Jasmine (1st Sis), Daniel (3rd Sis) and Kharlette (My Little Missy and I’m 4th).  We did not plan this.  It just happen!

The spaghetti sure taste good cos by the time I’m done with photography, they are all gone.

ooo… this one must try if you love lamb.  They are very delicious!

3rd Sis with Daniel.  Sis said Daniel hardly smile for the camera.  I think this photo deserved to be publish 😉

Jean Suen – Drooling man!

Food photographs not shown are some cinnamon drinks and ginger tea.  The spice cookies rawks too!

Very cosy ambiance at the cafe.  A blend of zen, western and oriental which makes them looks… to me, not nice la!

This is the Gents’.  The door is so ancient looking.  I do hope everything inside adhere to the standard bathroom safety.

Very shady and windy place for a quiet reading too.  In the evening you may catch a sunset.

The whole bunch of us.  Over looking are the sea.  Don’t know why my sea is badly over exposed.

Check out more pictures at my Facebook.

Some of the weekdays when it rains and I can’t get down from the car to tapau (pack) for the kids, we will have instant noodle.  Instant noodle are not exactly unhealthy. I always make a point to obsolete the seasoning by replacing it with ketchup and dark soya sauce.  Kids love it this way.

On closer look:

My usual way is to crack an egg to the boiling water but this time, I did a sunny side up.

Just pop the Unagi that I bought from Jusco for a quick 2mins in the microwave and I’m done with my meal.

Lately I got the hang of stuffing my kamaboko with Japanese cucumber. You should try them. The cold and refreshing cucumber balance up the savoury taste of kamaboko.

Just incase if you still think serving instant noodle to kids is not a good idea, how about if I throw in a cultured drink?  And that two slices of sweet and pesticide free home grown mango?  Will that change your perception?

I have been a Flexitarian for almost 18 months ow.  Lately I have discovered that I dislike to eat KFC.  The smell, the oil, the meat, the whole KFC really put me off.  I do take meat occasionally and still goes for Bah Kut Teh 😉 .  But this KFC thing is weird. Generally, I am leaner now compare to last year which I almost resorted to weight loss pills.  I think the idea of being a Flexitarian is not bad at all.  It sure gave me the benefit of doubt.

Few weeks ago, we decided to dine out at Yogitree in The Garden, Mid Valley.  The shop concept is to serve everything that is organic and pure.  The food is great!  I’ve got the review in Yogajess (shameless self promotion *cough*). While waiting for our food to arrive, I decided to take few Yoga poses pictures for my other blog.  Knowing kids, they won’t leave me alone and always participate in the things I do.

The result?

Full Lotus Pose

Tree Pose

Very cheeky little boy.  Nowadays whenever I am in Tree Pose, he will tease me with his cheeky pose.  Really makes me piak his backside. LOL

My 7 years old Prince came home from school one day with some green beans and cotton.  His first science project is to watch the growing beans, measure and jot down it’s height from day 1 to day 8. Seeing how playful he was, I never thought his beans will sprout.  But it did!  They spouted on the second day.  Both of us was very thrilled.  I was glad I do not have to ‘fake’ the answers on this science book. LOL! I should learn to have more confidence in him, huh.

I have enquiries from friends how I managed to transformed my pictures into such a lovely layout.  Well, this is called scrapbooking.  No special custom software needed but at least some knowledge in photoshop.   I’m glad you like the layout.