My Two Girls – All About Zara and Zaria

After the long break during Christmas & New Year, and with me working from home twice a week since we had broadband, Zara has become ever closer to me.

Starting this year, on days I go to the office, when I drop Zara and Tuyam off at King’s Wife‘s place, Zara would kick up a fuss. She would be reaching her hands out for me, put on a very sad face, refusing to follow Tuyam or Lita (King’s Wife‘s maid) into the house. Normally, I’ll pick her up from the car seat, say my bye bye firmly, tell her to be good and that I’ll see her later, passed her to either Lita or Tuyam, get back to the car and drive off. Making our parting short and sweet.

this is how she looks like when she doesn’t want me to leave her (this is not taken at King’s Wife‘s place, but the situation and the expression is the same)

Tuyam said at King’s Wife‘s place, Zara would be fretting, and during nap time, she would be tossing and turning, and mumbling Ah-Mee (her pronunciation of Mummy). Sometimes Tuyam has to call me in the office and let me talk to her. Normally it’s just a ‘Hi’ from her, some talking from me to tell her to be good, listen to kakak, and then a ‘bye’ from her and end of conversation. It seems to help her to feel more settled.

While working from home, she would constantly try to climb up the stairs, or point up to the study from the courtyard, and start calling “Ah Mee”. I have to avoid coming downstairs, because if I do, she would rush to me, then cling on to me and refuse to go with Tuyam when I have to go back to the study to work.

Even in the middle of the night when I have to go to the washroom, if she so happened to turn to my side and found I wasn’t there, she would sit up and then call for Ah Mee (crying will start if she didn’t see me in a few seconds).

I wonder what would happen if I was given a summon by the boss to go for a business trip??!! How will the both of us cope with the separation anxiety?

Besides going shopping on Saturday and visiting my eldest sis on Sunday, during the weekend, I spent quite a fair bit of time in the kitchen.

Saturday
After we came back from the wet market, while we were sorting out the shopping, Tuyam commented about Daddy buying apples again as we already had some in the fridge. Daddy mentioned that those in the fridge were not nice, and he would like to chuck them away.

I just read about Greenapple‘s post about double boiling apples to make a drink, so I thought I’d tried it out using these 4 unwanted apples + 5 mud-chou (Chinese: honey dates). After 5hrs in the slow cooker, a wonderful drink was produced. We all loved it, especially after it has been chilled! Thanks Greenapple!

Since Zara loved Ping’s mum’s fish porridge so much, I made Pomphret (couldn’t get Mayao/Kurau from the market, so I just substituted it with Pomphret) porridge using her method for lunch. I didn’t like it at all *blech*, but the little cat took 1 big bowl for lunch, and another big bowl for dinner! So I guess it must be good for her standard.

Sunday
After coming back from my sis’ place, I got Daddy to look after Zara while I tried to bake some chocolate chip cookies for Chinese New Year. I like making this because it’s so simple and the recipe is a hand-me-down from Ping’s Australian FIL.

While trying to get Zara to take her evening nap in the living room, Daddy fell asleep first before Zara (=.=), and Zara walked to the kitchen to kay-poh (Chinese : busy body). She was very good though, I told her I was busy, the oven was hot, and asked her to play at the dry kitchen area while I worked on the cookies. She cooperated, and stayed out of my way and the oven’s!

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Dough on a baking sheet, nice golden choc chip cookiesI managed to bake 2 bottles (old Hollick bottle), they are very nice, just a bit too sweet (I forgot to adjust the recipe like I used to in previous years).

And for dinner, I thought I’ll make salt baked red mullet, a recipe from Jamie Oliver. The fish was stuffed with ginger, spring onion, coriander leaves (the recipe calls for fresh thyme, rosemary, lemon and bay leaf, and since I didn’t have any of the ingredients I compromised with what I could find in my fridge), laid it on a bed of course salt, covered with another layer of course salt, and then baked in the oven.

Fish before entering the oven, cooked fish with the salt cake scrapped off

I find the fish was too salty, I think probably because I pricked the skin accidentally before I baked it. However, both Zara and Daddy loved it. I chose the bits which were not too salty for Zara, and Daddy just cleaned up the rest of the fish after Tuyam and myself took a little each.

Anybody has any proven cookies recipe to share which is easy to make, and delicious? I would try to make another batch of cookies the coming weekend.

I went to visit my eldest sis, T, at home. My little niece, Tasha, who’s now 3 weeks old, have grown quite a fair bit compared to the last time I saw her. She has very chubby cheeks and even double chin now, thanks to Enfalac A+ and a little breast milk (my sis is still breastfeeding, but because her milk volume is very low, Tasha’s main source of milk is from formula. Still, it’s better little than none).

Tasha has very big eyes and prominant double eye lids, compared to the time when she was born, her features are now even more prominant. She doesn’t look Chinese at all (then again, both T and BIL don’t look like Chinese too)! I think she’s going to grow up to be very beautiful.

Zara was very happy to see Puh-Pay (her way or pronuncing Baby) Tasha. She was very gentle with Tasha, looking at her tenderly and stroking her. She even tried to sing and dance for Tasha (as since on the top left hand of the photo below).

She got a lot of praising from me, I told her she really behaves like a che-che (Chinese: elder sister) now.

Zara’s physical strength sometimes makes us wonder if she’s going to grow up to be a tom boy.
When she was 10months old, she would lift up an orange using 1 hand;
At 13th month, she would try to lift up her tricycle, and drag it to wherever she wanted it to be. And once, she even carried a bag with 2 tins of formula (sample from her Paed) weighing 1Kg in total from the living room to the kitchen.

Recently, however, she has shown some feminine interest. When she gets hold of a hair clip, she tries to clip it on herself. And when she spots my bracelet or spots hers, she would ask for it; and then attempts to put them on her wrist.

To make her keep her hair clip on her hair, we tell her, “Zara looks pretty!”.
To encourage her to have the bracelet on, we tell her, “Wah, Zara’s bracelet so pretty!”.
She would then happily have those pretty things on.

When she puts on these ‘pretty’ accessories or put on a piece of clothing she thinks is beautiful, she point to those items or pull her clothes up to to show off when she sees familiar faces. She would like the person to comment that it’s pretty before she walks off with a grin.

After all, she’s a girl; she likes pretty things, likes to look pretty and likes to be complimented.

One of Zara’s favourite book was about Jojo a baby who likes to play with his food instead of eating it. Every time when Zara misbehaves, we’ll ask her if she’s yai-yai (Chinese: naughty in a mild form) like Jojo. Actually Jojo isn’t really naughty, just playful, but it was appropriate to use this to teach Zara.

A few days ago
Tuyam told me this conversation took place when she was looking after Zara, and Zara was throwing her toys in a tantrum.
Tuyam : You naughty huh? You Jojo?
Zara : Za-ah!
Tuyam : You not Zara, you naughty, you Jojo!
Zara : *pointed to her chest* Za-ah!
Tuyam : You Jojo!
Zara : *kicked her legs, about to cry, pointed to her chest* Za-ah!
Tuyam : Ok Ok, you Zara, not Jojo.

This morning
I was changing to my work clothes and Daddy was in the shower. Zara walked into the bathroom, and started tapping the shower screen.

Me: (while adjusting my clothes) Zara, what are you doing?
No response from the bathroom, so I went to check on her, guess what I saw? Zara had her hands in the toilet bowl playing with the water! *YUCKS*
Me: *rushed to her and slapped her hands*
Zara, yai yai!
Mummy told you cannot touch that!
It’s big people’s potty!
The poo poo goes in there!!
Very dirty!
Zara touched it, get germs, then stomach PAIN PAIN!
(Had to say the above phrase by phrase, so she could understand)
Zara: *clapped her hands* beat!
Me: *scooped her up* Yeah, mummy beat beat Zara because Zara yai-yai!
Zara: *stared at me* (I think she knows she’s at fault)
Me: *brought her to the sink* Now your hands are dirty, must wash hands!
Zara obediently let me wash her hands. After cleaning her up, I brought her out of the room.
Zara : *pointed to her mini library* Jojo! *clapped her hands* Beat!
Me: Yes! Zara yai yai like Jojo lo, that’s why mummy beat beat! Next time don’t be yai-yai any more ok?

Not sure if she understood my ‘long lacture’ in the bathroom and will not pull that stunt again, but she definitely knows how to relate to Jojo.

We arrived in Malacca on Monday afternoon, and went over to Ping’s house after we’d checked into the hotel and freshened up.Zara made herself right at home at Ping’s, playing with Shirleen’s (Ping’s niece, who’s about the same age as Zara) toys, or anything she could get her hands on. Shirleen was clinging to Daddy most of the time, I never knew he was such a child magnet as normally kids are afraid of him because of his height (King’s Wife’s kids called him Big Uncle up till today).

Ping’s parents cook very well. They made us nasi lemak for dinner and home made cendol for dessert (yummy!); and for Zara, her mum made her fish porridge which Zara ate the whole big bowl, and saying ‘GHG’ (her ‘good’) all the time.

Clockwise: Delicious home-made nasi lemak; Zara having her fish porridge; Daddy the child magnet (Shirleen refused to get down from his lap); two toddlers trying to read.

After dinner, we went back to the hotel with Ping. The hotel was like an ice box, freezing cold! Daddy gave Zara a quick shower and changed her to pajamas, then we went down to the coffee house to have hot tea to keep ourselves warm (should have brought along my winter jacket and ski mask!).

Zara had a great time playing with the things on the table. She was so excited and busy. Daddy helped to look after her, brought her for walks so that Ping and I were left alone and we could talk.

When it was Zara’s bed time, we sent Ping back home, and then took a car ride just so Zara can fall asleep in the car as I thought she would be too excited to sleep in the hotel room.

On Tuesday, we picked Ping up and went to Malacca town to have brunch, followed by some shopping. It was a good time to be in Malacca, because the town was quiet (traffic was good), and there were lots of Chinese New Year goodies for sale. We bought some biscuits and jam tarts although Ping’s mum have already given me quite a lot of home made cookies to bring home.

We then sent Ping home as she needed to help her mum with cookie making, picked up more goodies from her mum like star fruits and bananas grown in their relative’s back garden. We went back to town for late lunch and then headed back to KL.

Malacca is still a very pleasant place to go to, food is good, and relatively cheap, and there’s still lots of home made goodies to enjoy. We really don’t mind visiting Ping back in her home town yearly when she comes back.

Ping brought back quite a lot of prezzies for me and Zara, but one of the nicest is this handmade (I’m a sucker for any thing handmade or home cooked) Brazilian necklace by one of her Brazilian friend. Very nice. Have to find an occasion to wear it.

(Please do help me with my quizez if you know the answers)

We were very busy with one of Daddy’s best friends’ wedding over the weekend (quiz : Can you still consider someone a best friend if he had been dating a girl for 1 1/2 years, planning his wedding, and you were informed only 1 1/2 months before the wedding about this girl?).The wedding dinner was on Saturday, and the ‘receiving’ of the bride (???, Chip sun liong) was on Sunday.

During the wedding dinner, Zara was a bit clingy because she was abruptly waken from her nap when we arrived at the restaurant. She wasn’t a good sport like the night before.

On Sunday morning we remained behind in the groom’s house when Daddy followed the groom to ‘receive’ the bride. Zara managed to squeeze in half an hour of nap while we were waiting for the bride and groom’s return. It’s amazing what some sleep can do to a toddler. She was in better spirit right after that and for the rest of the event.

Here are some moments captured (Most photos were taken by Daddy, and he has this thing about taking photos in black and white, as you can see) :

She was very scared of the yam seng (Chinese: toasting) session.. way too loud!!.

Paying attention to Aunty Wai Mun talking.

Clinging to mummy most of the time.

Checking out the bride’s bouquet

Mesmerised by the flash from the official photographer’s camera

My best friend (who informed me about all the dates she went on; and told me when she was planning for her wedding, showed me her gown before the wedding, even though we lived few thousands of miles apart. Quiz : Is this the difference between a man’s and a woman’s best friend?) is back from NYC. The next 2 days, we’ll be going to Malacca to visit her. A short holiday for the family.

We went for Daddy’s company dinner in Mum’s Place at Mutiara D’sara yesterday night. The whole upper floor of the restaurant was allocated for the event. It was an informal affair, and dinner was buffet style.

Zara was so well behaved the whole time. There were candles litted up every where and she was very facinated by the flickerring flame. I warned her that it’s VERY HOT HOT, and if she touched it it’ll be VERY PAIN PAIN. A few times when she wanted to touch it, I pointed my finger at her, and she quickly withdrew her hand.

Zara last met some of Daddy’s colleagues 5months back, so I don’t believe she has any recollection of the earlier encounter.

She said Hi to most of them (she would raise her hand and then said “Haai”) and shook their hands (if they asked). She let them hold her hands to walk with her or carry her. She was very fond of this particular girl who is Daddy’s colleague’s daugther. Zara was running to the little girl all the time, puting her hands on the little girl’s lap and just looked and smiled at her.

The whole dinner, she was walking here and there without any reservations, laughed when people laughed (we called it her politician’s laugh). We just let her roam (since it was an enclosed area) but watched closely to make sure she didn’t do anything dangerous, or bump into any sharp edges.

At one point, one of Daddy’s colleague just picked her up very suddenly, and I expected her to look my way for help and cry, but she didn’t even cry or fuss, but just stared at her for a while, and then relaxed.

Even though the event stretched way beyond Zara’s bed time, she was still a sport. When the older kids played musical chair, she was dancing to the music. When some one won the game and got a round of applause, she clapped and laughed along as well.

When it was time to go home, she said good bye to everyone in her sweetest voice (her “ba-bye” is one of the sweetest sounding words she can say) and blew them flying kissess. She also almost hugged every one; and with the little girl she liked, the hug lingerred a little longer.

On one hand I’m proud of her for being so sociable and so easy to adapt to new environment and people. On the other hand I’m a bit worried if she’s too sociable for her own good.

A video capturing Zara dancing to the tune of her electronic keyboard.

With her shaking her head like that, I’m always worried she may get dizzy; but then, she may just be creating a new dance move (Saturday Night Fever – 2006).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzAd3PXtwUc]

I was tagged by Helen, yet again. Since I’m such a loyal reader of her blog, I have to show some support.

The Rules: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom spot.

1. The Cosmic Abyss
2. Between Lambs & Mutton
3. The Life of An Independent Babe
4. My All
5. All About Zara

Then you select five people to pass the love on to. Here’s my selection :
1. Jasmine – what did you do before Faythe came? cooking?
2. Mom2Ashley – what do you like doing?
3. Allyfeel – life before Drs Seger.. 😛
4. Shopping Mum – shopping? shopping? shopping?
5. Twinsmum – My long lost school mate, I want to know everything about you!
(Seng Kor, see, this time you didn’t get tagged)

1. What were you doing ten years ago?
I was doing my final year in a small town in UK. Studying, working hard. However, living in the same block of flat with some gorgeous Italians, Spanish and Greeks did provide some motivation to stay in and study *drool*.

Daddy (back then just my boy friend) and I continued with our relationship long distant via weekly phone calls and the occasional exchanging of parcels. His contained Milo, Ikan Bilis, Chinese herbs; mine contained Photos (no digital camera back then), gifts, cards (and the relationship barely survived being 1 year apart, but it was still happy ending after that *phew*)

2. What were you doing 1 year ago?
I was home struggling with a new born, without a confinement lady (sent her packing on day 2); mum (who’s passed on) or MIL (didn’t offer) to help. In a way, it was a blessing. I learnt things from scratch, by reading books and from the net, I did things my way, and cared for Zara all by myself for 3 months (alright, with a little of Daddy’s help as well as maid’s but still it was My Way)

3. Five super fatty and high cholesterol snacks you enjoy:
1. Potato Crisps/Chips Lightly Salted (no can do for other flavour)
2. Keropok or Prawn/Fish Crakers
3. Curry Puffs (love them!)
4. Rich butter cookies (made with real butter and not margarine)
5. Cashew Nuts or Almonds

4. Five songs to which you know all the lyrics off your head right now:
1. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
2. You are My Sunshine
3. Sing a song of Six Pence
4. London Bridge Is Falling Down
5. Row Row Row Your Boat
and many more
Gee, soo sad, only can remember nursery rhymes. I have very bad memory, lyrics of songs I’d learnt up I’d forgotten now. These are songs I sing daily, so I have to remember them!

5. Five things you would do if you were a millionaire (actually how far can you stretch a million dollar nowadays?)
1. Get more involve in charity work (the same as Helen)
2. Buy a piece of land and build a small house at the coast of Wales, a Greek Island, New Zealand or Australia.
3. Travel the world, see the places I wanted to see but haven’t (Sahara Dessert, Ayers Rock, Niagara Falls, Grand Canyon, Santorini, Mykonos, Meteora).
4. Take years off from work, go back only when I want to not when I have to.
5. Set up a trust fund for Zara’s (or any additional kids I have) education (by then how much would have left?)

6. Five bad habits:
1. Messy and untidy (you see my desk at work, you know what I mean)
2. Quick to lash out (Daddy got the most lashing, poor thing)
3. Absolutely love anything deep fried (I have to watch my cholesterol)
4. Zara has to be cared for my way, anybody’s way is NO way
5. Day Dreaming – love to just lie on the bed or sofa and just stare into nothingness

7. Five things you like doing:
1. Spending quality time with Zara
2. Eating unhealthily
3. Reading (blogs/books)
4. Shopping (never mind if I’m not buying anything)
5. Traveling (been a while I’d indulged on this)

8.Five things you would never wear, buy, or get new again:
1. Nursing bra (once I’m done with nursing)
2. Breast pads (once I’m done with nursing)
3. Eye shadow (I looked like I’d been punched in the eye every time I apply this)
4. Red lipstick (makes me look whorish)
5. Tight fitting clothes (don’t want to be a dumpling or ham-yuk-zhong, and my body expends and shrinks so frequently I won’t know what size I’ll be next month)
Oops, but 1 and 2 I may still buy and wear and use them if I have another kid right?

9. Five favorite toys:
1. My Olympus E500 DSLR
2. My Pentax Optio 555
3. My Electrolux Oven (could have made use of it more)
4.
5.
As for toys I played when I was younger, none really ‘lived’ that long to still be with me. Also, I am not a gadget person, can’t even come out with the other 2.

There you go Helen.