Visit to A Famosa Animal Park

Since it was the long holidays and we did not go away on any holidays, we decided to take Harvynna to the Animal Park at A Famosa Resort Melaka since we were in Melaka and would be a good opportunity to see the place. Sad to say, I have never been there despite having Melaka as my hometown. We left on Boxing day hoping that there will not be so many people. Unfortunately, it was as crowded as hell. Probably everyone had the same idea as us. We only ventured to the Animal Park as that alone would take a couple of hours. Besides, it was sizzling hot - felt like the hottest day on earth! We went through the scenic route instead of the highway since my dad knew some shortcut.

When we arrived, there was a queue going to the Animal farm and we had to park so far away and walk. As we went in, there was this big elephant that scared Harvynna. We were planning on taking the photo with the tigers. They had this huge tiger that was lying on his back and a little tiger. The huge tiger was scary. What happens if he decided to maul us? haha - so we chose the little tiger which was not as scary - kinda of cute actually. But I was still afraid - never trust a tiger! The photography session is quite expensive - it costs Rm21 for 3 people and Rm35 for 4 or more and its for a measly 4R size.They gave us a milk bottle to feed the tiger. I held Harvynna and DH held the tiger - no way I was going to hold it. Harvynna thought the tiger had stolen her milk bottle and tried grabbing the bottle from it. Think she was quite pissed off with the tiger. The pic came out quite well.

Then we proceeded to the safari. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to go because there was this big signage that pregnant women and those with weak hearts should not go. I was disappointed, after all how scary can a safari be? Anyway, better safe than sorry. Apparently, it was a very bumpy ride.

We went to look at all the other animals. Harvynna recognized most of the animals from her books, but was afraid to go near them. The cowboy show was quite boring - maybe because it was scorching hot so we could not really enjoy the show. The animal show was fun and Harvynna enjoyed it. Once they brought out the Albino python and Iguana and brought it to the audience, I decided it was time to go. Plus, it was already 3pm and way passed Harvynnas nap time.

Overall, it was a fun, hot day and most importantly, Harvynna had a good time.

Chair Fall Down!

I noticed of late (about a month ago), the car seat we are using is not so functionable. Whenever, the car takes a turn, Harvynna will shout, 'Chair - fall down, chair, fall down' untill i turn back to look at her. Then I realised that the chair had tilted to its side.

When we upgraded her car seat from the infant carrier when Harvynna was about 8 months , we thought that this seat would last till she is 4 (thats what they told us at the store) Unfortunately, we forgot to take into consideration, her weight which is above average. If I recall correctly, the weight for this chair is up to 40lbs (which is about 18 kg) and Harvynna is now about 15 kg. I guess thats why the chair does not support the weight. Decided to check on the website about this and I realised that we now have to use the normal car seat belt to strap her instead of the car seat harness.

Combination Forward-Facing/Booster Seat:

Certified for use with harness from 20-30 pounds. up to 40 pounds.; child must be at least one year old
Remove harness when child reaches approximately 30 to 40 pounds. (if child is at least age 3-4) and use as booster up to 80 pounds or upper weight limit listed on seat

Properly restrained child in a combination forward facing/booster seat:

When used as a forward facing seat:
Place harness straps at or above child's shoulders. Forward facing seats have several slots, choose the slots closest to your child's shoulders.
Place chest clip across the child's chest at armpit level to keep harness straps in place
Keep harness straps snug
When child reaches upper weight limit of seat with harness (40 pounds) remove harness and use as a belt-positioning booster seat with the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt (see tips for properly restrained child in a belt-positioning booster seat.) - i guess this is where we went wrong

Merry Christmas!

This year was Harvynna's second Christmas. As I was sorting out her first year photos, I noticed that Harvynna looked so different during her first Christmas - she was chubbier and had much shorter hair. (we have not cut her hair since she was born except for her fringe; dont wanna lose her baby curls) She hadn't started walking yet and was cruising and crawling everywhere.

Harvynna turned over late - when she was almost 5-6 months. (probably due to her weight). After that she caught up at top speed, she sat up unsupported at 61/2 months, started crawling at 7 1/2 - 8 months, standing and 8 1/2 months, cruising at 9 months and walking at 10 months.

At 20 months now, she is talking in phrases and can say a few Tamil words as well!, running all over the house and ordering people around.

Back to the Christmas story......

As we arrived in Melaka only late Saturday evening, we took her out for dinner and later went to the 'Sampan' for a drink. HArvynna was already tired out and was getting quite restless and asking everyone to 'Go away!'

There was one of those mechanical Santa Claus at the entrance and she was so mesmerized by it that she refused to leave and kept asking to go back to her 'Sanka kos'.It was a dancing Santa Claus and she kept saying' Sanka kos dance' and danced with him. When we left the Sampan, she kept crying out for her 'Sanka kos'. As she felt asleep in the car, we could not open her presents that night.

The next day, on Christmas day, we took her to the Renaissance hotel for Christmas lunch as Mummy was craving for Turkey and xmas pudding. The place was well decorated, and Harvynna was so happy to meet the Real Sanka Kos. She was even more impressed with him as he gave her sweets. After that it was, 'Sanka kos give sweet ' repeatedly. Looks like she has overcome her fear of Santa.

We are back!

After a weeks break, am not back at the office! Sigh! The only consolation is that everyone is on leave and the traffic is great. So its not thats stressful.

Went back to Melaka to pick up Harvynna on saturday (24 Dec). Before that, DH and I stopped by at DSH to visit Ramesh and Loshini's new baby. Looking at the baby, its hard to imagine that babies were once that small and I recall Harvynna being that small too. Now, look at her! Newborn babies just sleep all all the time and its so peaceful looking at them. Before that, we stopped by at Bangsar Village to get a gift. Its hard getting a gift for a second baby as most parents already have everything from the 1st baby. So, we decided to get a sleeping sack for their bundle of joy.

Upon reaching Melaka, our bundle of joy was asleep. DH decided to wake her up and brought her out. The moment she saw me, she smiled so sweetly and said, Mummy, Mummy' and immediately came to me and just cuddled up like a koala bear. Harvynna had a holiday of her own in Melaka. She went for walks every morning, went to the playground, bathed in her inflatable pool, went shopping to Tesco and Jusco and had loads of space to just run around. After a week of not seeing her, she looked even cuter!

While Harvynna was away, I managed to do a couple of things (part of the 'to do' list for 2005)

• sort out Harvynna's first year photos (still have a few loose photos here and there)
• open a new album for her 2nd year
• kept Harvynna's clothes that seemed to small
• sorted out all the toys and books
• rearranged Harvynna's room

It's all about food

Harvynna just loves eating. From the time she was a baby, she had no problem drinking milk, and we introduced Formula Milk, baby rusk, blended food, porridge and normal food to her, she would just gobble it all up.

Now, everytime we eat, she will insist on having some. 'Give, Give, some More', never stopping till she gets her way. The other day, we gave her a small piece of assam to let her know its sour, so she wont take it. Unfortunately, she happily chomped on it! On my cousins wedding last Sat, She ate half my rice, the wedding cake, all my ice cream and the chips on the table. Anyone that gives her food becomes her best friend!

Every now and then, she will ask for 'cake', 'bread butter' or 'bread cheese'. And when we drink something from a cup, she will go, aah, aah. aah'. Whenever she is hungry, she will come and take my hand saying 'Mummy, come mummy', mum mum and lead me to the kitchen.

We have been very fortunate that she's not fussy with food - wonder how the next one will be like!

Our little cowgirl!

A typical day of how Harvynna entertains us every evening.

Give me the camera!

Tried to take a video of Harvynna but she tried to grab it from me!

Harvynna on Vacation!

Sent Harvynna back to Melaka today for a week with my parents. Already started missing her. Will be going back to Melaka on sat for Christmas and will be going to A Famosa to see the safari. I am sure she will enjoy it since she loves animals.

The worse part is as she got into my parents car, she did no even shed a tear. She just looked at me and said, Bye Mummy a million times, throwing kisses my way. Normally, when my parents leave, she will burst into tears and cry, 'Nanaaaaa, Naniiiiii'. But with me, it was just Bye.

The weekend was extremely hectic as we attended my cousins wedding reception on Saturday. Will post that later as I haven't developed the photos as yet. She picked up a few more words over the weekend e.g. Motorcycle (the first 4 syllable word she says perfectly) unlike:

appemengamenga - watermelon

aluwah - umbrella

I called my parents later, and they mentioned she was enjoying herself running all over the place. When they ask her where's Mummy or daddy, she will reply, 'Mummy office ' and 'daddy car'

Harvynna's Messy Meal Time

Mummy & Daddy's Anniversary

We celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on 11 Dec (sun). As I have been craving for some tex-mex food, we decided to go to American Chillis at Bangsar Shopping Centre. Besides, Chillis offers a free meal to kids, so Harvynna gets a yummy meal of her own - A Hot Diggity Dog!

I had the fajitas Quesadillas and DH had some chicken and prawn something! For dessert, we had the Molten Chocolate Cake which was super yummy, and little Ms Greedy kept going, aaah aaah, some more, and ate almost half of it! Normally, she does not get sweets, but since it was a celebration, we let her enjoy herself. The waiters kept coming and giving her some colouring stuff which she used for a while then threw the whole thing on the floor as the food was more interesting.

We saw Santa at the end near the Haagan Daz and decided to bring Harvynna to see Santa, but her face changed and looked like she was about to burst into tears. THe Santa did look ugly anyway! She was not afraid of Santa last Christmas and even sat on santas lap to take a photo. I guess she knows and understands more now, hence the fear. But when santa offered her a sweet, she happily took it, said Tonk U and quickly ran off!

No santa visits for her I guess, for this year.

Shamyl & Azian's wedding - Part 1

Last Saturday, we attended Shamyl and Azian's wedding reception hosted by Azian' s family. Harvynna and I left the house to attend the wedding with Uncle Thaven as Mummy was too lazy to drive to Melawati just in case Harvynna acts up in the car! Harvynna wore her sexy lengha since I did not want her to get hot and bothered in long sleeves. Unfortunately, she was allergic to the bangles and demanded 'Open bingle! Open bingle' as it caused her to get some rashes! By the time, we reached Melawati, her scarve had lost its beads and her headband disappeared.

When we arrived, Uncle shamyl was putting the final touches to his attire and looked dashing like a king.

Uncle Shamyl - all dressed up!

Aunty Chandra putting on Harvynnas makeup

The Wedding Procession

Whats going on, mummy?

The Happy Couple!

The Proud Family

All tired out after the excitement! ZZZZZZZZZ!

The Reception was nice as there was no formal proceedings so everyone could sit back and relax. Azian looked simply stunning in her white and purple kebaya. The theme was purple and was very pleasing to the eye. Azian handmade the cake boxes which was made out of recycled paper with flowers on top. It was really nice. Must hide it from Harvynna before it becomes her toy! The wedding cake was also delicious (layer cake). Even Harvynna enjoyed it. Harvynna was quite well behaved I must say. She did not cry although she was really tired as it was her nap time. She walked (ran) all around the hall despite her restrictive clothing.

It rained heavily for 2 hours and we stayed in the hall while Harvynna had her nap!

Note: The pictures here have been used (with permission) from Shamaine's camera as mummy used the conventional camera and obviously has not developed the film! For more pics, please view http://shamaine.fotopages.com/

Till next Sat (part 2 of the reception!)

Home-made playdough

Came across some interesting recipes to make play dough. The best part is some are edible which is good since Harvynna still has the tendency to put things in her mouth.

Home Made Playdough

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tarter
2 cups of water
1 tablespoons mineral oil
food coloring
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until stiff. Allow to cool, then knead.



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Home Made Playdough, (non-eatable playdough)


1 cup flour
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of salt
2 tablespoons Cream of Tarter
1 tablespoon of Oil
Cook this ingredients until it forms an item in the pan. Pour it out onto a Tupperware lid. Cover with damp cloth. Add food coloring if you like. Store new playdough in the fridge in an airtight container. This is non-eatable playdough.



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Peanut-Buddy Play Dough (eatable)


3 1/2 cups Creamy Peanut Butter
4 cups powdered sugar
4 cups powdered milk
3 1/2 cups corn syrup
Mix ingredients by hand. Share. Can decorate with sprinkles, M&Ms etc.



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Salt playdough (not-eatable)


1 cup water
1 cup salt
1/2 cup flour
food coloring
Mix ingredients in pan. Add food coloring. Stir on low heat. When thickens remove from heat. Put some on waxed paper or floured surface and roll out. Cut out objects. Air dry objects few days. Store un-used portion in air-tight container.
Variations: use straws to punch holes for hanging. Glue sequins to clay.



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Oatmeal Buddy Dough


2 cups smooth peanut butter
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups powdered milk
2/3 cups Honey
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Optional-Rice Krispes, Coconut Sprinkles, Chocolate chips, Red hots, etc...
Mix ingredients until combined. Wash hands. Lay down wax paper. Let them play. Store in air-tight container.
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Kool Playdough


3 cups Flour
1/2 cups salt
2 Koolaide packages (can anyone tell me whats Koolaid)
2 cups Boiling water
Mix dry ingredients together. Add boiling water. Knead on floured board can add flour by sprinkles until desired consistency. This playdough will last for a long time when stored right.

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yummy playdough (eatable)


2 cups of honey
3 cups of peanut butter
3 packets powdered milk
Stir all ingredients together until smooth. Add more powdered milk if desired. Is sticky.

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Cloud Playdough


1 cup water
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
6 cups flour
Add a few drops of food coloring to water.
Combine water, oil and flour in a large bowl. Knead well.
Add more water if necessary in small amounts until the dough is soft and stretchy. Cloud dough should be used on a washable surface for it is very greasy.

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Coffee Playdough


4 cups unsifted all purpose flour
1 cup salt
1/4 cup instant coffee
1 1/2 cups warm water
Dissolve the coffee in the warm water. In another bowl, mix the flour and the salt. Make a well and add 1 cup of the coffee water into it. Mix with a fork or with your hands until smoother. Add more coffee water as needed: dough should be smooth not sticky or crumbling. Store in air tight container. When your done making figures, bake in oven for 1 hour at 300 degrees or until hard. A coat or 2 of shellac keeps it well preserved for longer lasting gifts. Enjoy!

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Fruit Playdough


2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 tablespoons cream of tarter
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
3 oz package sugar-free fruit flavored gelatin
Mix dry ingredients in pan. Add the water and oil. Stir over medium heat until mixture forms a ball. Pour onto a sheet of wax paper. Enjoy!

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Salt Glitter


1/2 cup salt
6-7 drops food coloring
Add food color to salt adjusting to desired color shade. Cook in the microwave 1-2 minutes or you can also air dry your product. To keep soft store in air-tight container.

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Frosting Playdough (eatable)


1 can Frosting Mix
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter(smooth)
Mix together until it reaches your wanted consistency. Enjoy!

Have fun!

Childhood of Memories of Food

Just realised that I got 'tagged' by http://babysmooches.blogspot.com. Hey, you owe me a free log tuition for this. The subject is on Childhood memories of food. Hmmm, let me think .........

• Satay Celup

If I am not mistaken this is a Melaka speciality. Haven't really found it anywhere else. Its just like a steamboat, just that you dip the stuff into a nice curry sauce. Really yummy and spicy. The best part is dipping the bread inside as you really get to taste the sauce. It's still around in Melaka but nowadays seldom go due to hygiene reasons.

• A & W Waffles

Still love it until today, but looks like the portion has shrunk. Just pour the honey and add the butter and the whole thing melts in your mouth. Melaka did not have a A &W until much later, so once in a while as a treat, my dad will drive to the A & W in Seremban for us to enjoy!

• Nyonya Pineapple tarts

Have tried many types of tarts but none are as good as these. It is bigger, the pastry is is different and there is much more filling inside. Yummy Yummy!

• Butter icing cakes

These are really out of this world. You can't buy if from any cake shop - has to be specially ordered (home made). Normally for birthdays. Couldnt wait for any birthday to be able to enjoy the cake. The icing is so delicious. I will always choose the part of the cake with the most icing. I realised in KL, there are many home businesses making this type of cake. More so now, since I attend many birthday parties, the butter icing cakes are no longer something enjoyed on rare occasions.

• Chicken ala king

Yummy creamy chicken with butter rice. Always ordered this when we go to the Malacca Club . Simply delicious. Haven't had this in a long time. Any ideas where I can find it in KL?

Bon Apetit!

As for the linking and to tag other people, errr I dont know how to do it. Waiting for the tuition class....

The Green Eyed Monster!

Harvynna has turned out to be a jealous little girl and very possesive. If she sees Daddy and Mummy holding hands, she will run from wherever she is and shout 'No, Mummy, dont, hand', or 'Daddy, go away, hand' and try her best to seperate our hands. Then she will ask for our hands and hold my hand in one hand and daddy's hand in her other hand. Then only, she will be happy.

Now, her enemy is Minny Mouse. Whenever, I want to irritate her, I will hug Minnie and say, 'Mummy, sayang Minnie mouse ' and she will say, No Mimmy mouse, MIMMY MOUSE' and grab minnie mouse and throw it on the floor.

Hmm, wonder what she will do when baby is born?

Bye Gimma!

Dec 2 2005 was a sad day for our family. The day did not go well from the morning. Had to attend a Personal Finance Launch at Hilton Sentral in the morning. Immediately after the event, rushed to DSH as had a 'leak scare'. Luckily the dr confirmed that everything was ok. Did a scan and saw the little one kicking away. Dr even postponed my next appointment to New Years eve! Yippee, get a longer holiday for Christmas.

In the afternoon, DH called to inform that my grandmother, GIMMA (Harvynna's great, grandmother had passed away). Was a strange coincidence, she passed away while I was driving back from the hospital and was thinking about her.

Harvynna only met GIMMA a couple of times, though she came to the hospital the day Harvynna was born and was proud to inform the dr that she was the great grandmother! GIMMA was a very robust, energetic lady. She was a very young grandmother to my brother and I and used to take us out and buy us lots of pressies! As a kid, we used to love coming to KL to our grandparents place as it was a real holiday for us. GIMMA grew very frail towards the end. Its a shame that she will miss her grandson's upcoming wedding and the birth of her new great grandchild next year. Nevertheless, she led a full life and was surrounded by family and friends.

We took Harvynna for the prayers at night and she went to Gimma's photograph and said, 'Bye Gimma'

Fashion Parade

Last night, Harvynna and mummy decided to try on the 'potential' outfits for the wedding. So we won't be in for any last minute surprises. My dress looked ok with the ethnic shawl and Harvynna gave the 'ok' by looking at me and saying 'Mummy Nice!' - Oh! such a sweetie. I knew I could count on her.

Then we realised that Mummy was not the only one that could not fit into her clothes. Tried on a few lenghas on Harvynna and the one I planned on letting her wear for the dinner was tight. It looked pretty but also looked like we squeezed her into it. Oh dear, luckily there were a few others but the length is too long for her, so we will need to fold the skirt. Think its best to also bring a dress as a spare in case she gets too uncomfortable in it. Wonder if her birthday dress still fits? Perhaps, she can use the birthday dress, my brother got for her in Australia. Ha, decisions! decisions!





What shall I wear, Mummy?