Happy New Year

Note: The beautiful dresses courtesy of the talented Kids Islands (hand made). Thanks Jess, for rushing them!

Suddenly it is the end of December......again - and we realize that with the giant strides we started in January within what seems like the blink of an eye, 2009 is on its back!

This year has been exhausting but great and next year my lil Rowie starts kindergarten while pretty Harvynna is at the senior class in kindergarten.

HAPPY 2010 everyone and a wonderful year ahead!!!

School updates & Harvynna's PTM

2009 is almost coming to an end and tomorrow will be Havynna's last day at this level in her school. At the beginning of this year, I was considering moving her to another kindergarten which is more academic based but have since changed my mind. Few reasons:

- Rowena will be joining her there next year (small reason only and she is not happy about it)
- The school provides an excellent environment for the foundation years
- Harvynna has received raving reviews from all teachers here
- I want her to enjoy her kindergarten years before she starts the daily grind of Primary
school life

I attended Harvynna's Parent Teacher meet last week and I must say I was beaming with pride when I left. Her class teacher was full of praise for her, saying that she is one of a kind and is way above average. The environment at her school is more like an International school, where the way they teach is very different and they emphasise more on a holistic development. I was very proud when the school presented her with a special award for 'Academic Excellence'.

Academic wise, I would not say, that what they offer is very challenging as compared to some of the other kindergartens out there especially the franchised kindergartens. Her school focuses more on grasping concepts and basic skills that are important to develop. Some of the syllabus offered at other kindergartens look more like what is done at Primary 3 level. At this point in time, Harvynna would definitely not be able to do those sort of exercises.

Anyway, judging from what all her teachers had said, Harvynna can adapt anywhere and she catches things very fast. She will do well in which ever school she eventually goes to during her Primary Years. Just to make sure that she is can compete later, I do give her additional workbooks and exercises at home for her to practise. Plus, I did have a look at the Entrance exam my school uses for Primary one level, and I think Harvynna would be able to do it quite easily.

Where will we be sending her in Primary 1? I dont know yet. We did register her with one of the better government schools, but I hear now that the standard has dropped as the teachers are absent more often than the students! Its actually quite a dilemma as I know she can survive anywhere, but I dont want to kill her enthusiasm by sending her to a school where the teachers dont turn up.

International School? I say NO for Primary as I feel that she still needs some grounding in the Malaysian Education system if she intends to work here later. Plus, once you go to an Internatinal School, there is no turning back.

Private school? - Maybe, but there are so many factors to consider.

Rowena? - just confirmed her spot at Harvynna's kindy. She cant wait for January to start school.

Beaconhouse's got talent

Last Saturday was Harvynna's school concert. It was the first concert for her, so naturally, we were all excited. Last year, the 4 year olds did not participate in the concert. The concert is a combination of the 4 preschools in KL, as well as the graduation ceremony. As it is a combination, I told Harvynna to request a 'BIG' role as they have to combine so many kids into one morning. Dont mean to be so kiasu, but the last thing you want is to see your kid right at the back amongst thousand other kids, holding a tree or something. So she made the request to her principal 'Teacher Helena, I want a big role for the concert. I want to be in front'

So she was selected to emcee the section introducing the 3 year olds. I think she did a great job - no stage fright and the lines came out flawlessly. She held the mic so close to her mouth to ensure the whole Wisma MBSA could hear her!!

Then she took part in the 'Off Schulwerk' performance where she played the recorder. This was one of those were she was like a drop in the ocean. Being the tallest girl in her school, she had to stand at the back!! The perfomance was good.

Then for the Grand Finale, all the kids came out to sing 'Kebemama'. Harvynna and 2 other kids led the performance by standing in front of the mic in front followed by Negaraku. I know all kids at that age sound alike, but i am sure that it was her voice filling the air. Towards the end, she was getting tired, and we could see her looking everywhere and scratching her head!!

The night before the concert, she told me that she was taking part in 3 events, followed by 'Are

you happy now?' Oops. hey, i just wanted the concert to be something to be remembered.

How did Rowena fair during the concert? She got bored after a while, but was excited to see her sister on stage plus she recognized some of Harvynna's friends on stage. She is looking forward to participate in next year's concert when she enrols in the school.

Halloween 2009

This year's Halloween was rather low keyed as I have been so drained and out of energy. But I am fine now as I have upped my caffeine intake to a state of zombieness! It also seems like there were less Halloween parties this year for kids. The one at Kidzsports, Bangsar Village was on a Friday, and I could not take the day off.

Anyway, the girl's dance teacher had promised them a Halloween dance session on the 31st and they had to dress up for that. So there - a cheap, easy Halloween, where I get to dump the girls for 2 hours.

On the 3oth, Harvynna's school had a Halloween costume day -so all the kids got dressed in their best Halloween outfit. Harvynna recycled last year's costume as the teacher said no one else was dressed as a pumpkin. They had a small party and the kids were happy.

Apparently, Bangsar Village was also having a Halloween thingy, which I only found out on the 30th - so went i asked them if the girls could participate (at 10 that night), they told me' sorry, we are full!'

Anyway, we set out for their dance class at Celebrity Fitness on the 31st, all dressed in their costumes - Harvynna as a Hawaiian Princess and Rowena as a witch. They danced to Michael Jackson's hits, where Thriller was the grand Finale. It was quite funny to see all the kids dancing. As Rowena is the youngest one there, she really does stand out - while everyone moves to the left, she would move to the right and when everyone does a turn on the spot, she turns round the class and when everyone else, moves forward 4 steps, she runs forward 10 steps! Luckily, the teacher has not banned her from the class.

Normally, I would let them do their class, while I go to the opposite studio for my own workout. But this time, the moment their class started, I went downstairs to the concourse and asked if they can squeeze 2 lil girls in and they said YES. So when their class finished at 2.45, I told them, No Yoga today, we are going for the Halloween party downstairs which starts at 3.00pm.

So we rushed down, and the contest started. The girls did not win anything although I was very impressed that they did not have stage fright. Harvynna went up the stage and did a Hula dance while Rowena tried to do some witchmanship too!

The afternoon ended with a trick or treat session where all the outlets in BV1 participated. They received heaps and heaps of sweets, chocolates and lollies - which really made their day.

Pictures to be posted soon!

The Tooth Fairy

Harvynna's first milk teeth has officially fallen. This is her 'lateral incisor' or her lower teeth. The tooth was already shaking the last couple of weeks. But I told her not to touch it or pull it out for my own selfish reasons - I was afraid the missing tooth would hinder her speech during her story telling contest and her concert. But the tooth could not wait for the concert and decided to fall off. The new teeth was already in place and has grown half way. I can see another new tooth sprouting out 2 teeth away. It's not noticable since it is the lower teeth. I read that a child's milk teeth starts falling from the age of 6.

I told Harvynna that when her upper teeth fall out, I will take a picture and enlarge it. Of course, she wasnt too pleased.

My bodyguard

The girls can be very protective of her family. Yesterday, I brought back some BM books from my library so she can improve her BM vocabulary. She came across the word 'tiri' and asked me what it meant. I told her 'tiri' means step like step mother. Then she asked me:

Harvynna: Whats a step mother?

Me: A new mummy. Just like if mummy dies, and daddy marries another lady, that will be your step mother

Harvynna: I dont want. I dont like her. I wont go to her house. And she cannot come to my house.

Rowena: I will smack her and kick her.

Harvynna: I will do my tae-kwan-do kick on her, then no more step mummy. Stupid daddy!

Me: :) haha

_________________________________________________________

I told them that later today I will be going out, so daddy will pick them up after work.

Harvynna: Why?

Me: Because I am going out

Harvynna: Where are u going?

Me: Going to KL (as in going downtown)

Harvynna: You already are in KL, so tell me where you are going

Me: Going to KL town to meet my friends

Harvynna: Why

Me: I am meeting my friends from 'xxxx' (my previous workplace). Its good to meet up with them once in a while

Harvynna: Once in a while? Then why daddy meets up with his friends all the time?

Me: ??????????

The Big Bad Wolf

The girls have been pretty busy the last couple of weeks as my brother and kids were down and Harvynna was preparing for her story telling audition.

We chose Little Red Riding Hood as it was easy to remember, Harvynna was the Big Bad Wolf. She did quite a good job with the story and was pretty confident. I managed to get the costume from my school, where the students previously performed 'Cats the musical'. She refused to wear the wig till she went into the audition room.

And i need to improve on my face painting skills as she ended up looking like a tiger!! She did not allow me to go into the audition room, but I watched her perform through the peep hole and saw that she did perform they way we had practised. She felt like she was at an American Idol performance as there were 3 judges sitting and watching her! They selected 2 winners from the story telling category. Although she did not win, but I am proud of her and it was a good activity we did together.

Rowena, has also memorised the story and is able to do it as she was always there when Harvynna was practising. Now, if they are bored, they will both tell the story together with all the actions.

Anyway, the audition was a good exposure for Harvynna as she will be emceeing the introduction for her school concert in November.

Cousins & Dinosaurs

My brother and his kids are back from Australia. Some pics of the kiddos at the Dinotrek at Petrosains, KLCC.

Bandung: 7th - 10th September

We had a short getaway to Bandung last week. The trip was booked some time last year on one of Air Asia's promotions. I have always wanted to go to Bandung having heard of its reputation of being a shopping haven due to its wide range of Factory Outlets.

Bandung is basically a place for Indonesians where the Jakarta crowd flock there every weekend to shop. Luckily we went on a weekday. That, however, did not spare us from traffic jams. The traffic there is horrendous as people just drive any way they want, cutting into everyone's lane. The people there however, are very courtiest and helpful - so different from the way they drive!

We stayed at Grand Seriti Hotel on Jalan Setia Budhi. The hotel was still quite new and the rooms were good. The reason I chose that hotel as it was located near Rumah Mode, which is the best Factory Outlet in Bandung. Having stayed so nearby, we managed 2 trips there. Rumah Mode is a more upmarket factory outlet. Most of their stuff are original, hence the higher prices. The ambience is also nice, with many restaurants within the outlet. One thing good about the bigger factory outlets in Bandung is that they come fully equipped with childrens playgrounds and cafes. My dad was the babysitter and looked after the girls at the playground!

Day 2
We decided to hit Jalan Riau - a famous shopping street where many of their FO's come recommended. We took the Angkutan Kota there as we wanted the girls to have the experience of riding in one. The Angkotan Kota is their public transport in the form of a green van with the doors unclosed. It is also very cheap - Rp9000 for the 5 of us. (kids travel free!). However, during peak hours, they will cramp the van to the max.

Bandung can get really hot at mid day and walking the streets can be quite tiring for the lil ones. We went to:

Heritage - highly recommended but I found it quite disappointing. They carried more local brands and the kids line was not enticing. Had a good indoor playground.

Cascade - like a mall with 3 levels - each level dedicated to menswear, womenswear and childrens wear. Comes with a nice outdoor cafe and a Koi pond. Some good stuff there.

Had lunch and my dad took the girls back to the hotel for a nap. Continued shopping with my mum.

Oasis - So so only. I dont think I found anything there.

The Brands outlet - had a lot of stuff but did not like the way it was arranged. They basically just put everything together and you really have to look through everything. Was also pretty tired then.

The Secret - this was good. Well arranged and had some really good kids stuff. The kids department was at another wing at the back. They carried most of the leading brands. Most of their kids stuff were for kids 5 years and below. Bought some stuff for Rowie there.

We went back to Rumah Mode that night!

Day 3

Rented a car (MPV) with a driver. Highly recommended as it is really worth the Rp400000. This includes the car, driver, petrol and parking, Of course, we tipped the driver for his buka puasa. The driver takes you anywhere you want and is really convenient as we did not have to walk at all. They will wait for you while you do your thing. You can leave all your bags in the car, while you go to the next shopping outlet.

The driver picked us up from the hotel and took us to Tangkuban Perahu, the famous volcano in Bandung. It was definitely an experience for the girls as they had seen pictures of volcanoes in books, and were looking forward to seeing one. Rowie found the place smelly -'so smelly the vaikino' as the sulphur smell was very strong.

After Tangkuban Perahu, which took us about 3 hours, we went back into town and hit Jalan Dago - another famous shopping area. Dago has more factory outlets and shops and looks like a more happenning place. The driver took us to:

Grande - this was excellent. Found stuff for everyone here and the prices were much cheaper than Jalan Riau or Rumah Mode. This place was recommended by the driver. I just told him to recommend some Fos and he made the recommendations. Found lots of stuff for the girls.

Next we went into one of the malls (cant remember the name, to have lunch). Then we sent my dad back to the hotel and Rowie needed to be washed up and changed. After that, the driver took us back to Dago, as we wanted to get the famous 'Amanda brownie kukus'. Bandung is famous for their brownies. They have 5 outlets specialising in these brownies that come in various varieties including serikaya, cheese, marble and many more. And it was really nice. It only cost about RM8 per box. There are also many carts along the roadside selling the same brownies, but it may not be as fresh. There are also other brands with similar packaging selling brownies - but the Amanda brand is of the best quality.(claim the locals)

Next, the driver brought us to Kartika Sari, another bakery famous for the Indonesian layer cake. Although, it tasted good, I thought it was overpriced. So we did not get any. Then we headed to the last FO - Episode, which was also pretty good. Got some gym wear for myself here. By then, we were tired of shopping and headed for a spa. The driver recommended one but once we got there, it was shut. So we thought we will head to the famous Roger's spa and saloon. That too, was closed. So the driver took us to one near the hotel. We were going round town a few times. See - the hired car and driver really comes in useful! The girls had their signature menicure and pedicure.

By the time we finished, it was almost 8 pm and we were really knackered.

Day 4 - had an early flight to catch. So could not do anything besides have breakfast and head for the airport.

Overall, Bandung is a good place to shop especially if you are looking for kids clothings. They even have nice stuff for boys. There is a good selection for men too. For ladies, it is seasonal, if you are lucky, you might go when the new line comes in.

A(H1N1)

Exhausted. Just drafted and sent out letters and emails cancelling / postponing all events because of the H1N1. Had to be as tactful as possible as am sure some people wont be happy about the cancellations. Since the no of cases was at an all high yesterday, we decided the best move is to cancel all immediate events and postpone all upcoming events.

Harvynna's school started giving hand sanitizers to their students. This is used about 3-4 times a day, even as they enter the school. Temperatures are taken using an infrared thermometer as they come in. Any children with fever with fever or flu like symptoms will be sent home. They also sanitize all door knobs every hour.Luckily, the school holidays start tomorrow. Hopefully, things will improve after that.

2 weekends ago, her school had Lifebouy over teaching the kids how to practice good hygiene and how to wash their hands effectively. Of course, their marketing was so good that she came back telling us how to wash your hands, but you MUST use Lifebouy soap!!

I have a few hand sanitizer myself - seemed to have received them as gifts in some goodie bags before. Must remind myself to keep it in the car or in my bag. I taught the girls how to use them, but Rowena ended up cleaning her face with it. She thinks it some sort of moisturiser. I got Harvynna to explain to her why we use the sanitize and i think Harvynna has been taught well by her school. She told Rowena that there are a lot of germs now causing H1N1 and it is very dangerous. So the sanitizer is used to clean your hands to kill the germs. But Rowena was not bothered. All she wanted was to play with the sanitizer and squeeze it all over the place.

Harvynna at her Lifebouy demonstration in school

Rowena attack

Rowena is getting naughtier day by day. Sometimes I really give up on her naughtiness that I just tell her ' I dont want to know or I am not interested' which ends up in her 'you dont care about me' drama.

Just the other day, she put the house phone into the fridge before we left for work. And when we questioned her about it later, she just gave us the 'I dont care' look.

This morning she insisted on having chocolate cake for breakfast. After she had finished 2 whole slices, she asked for more and I said no. Then she says' I finished all the cake and ask for more, and you dont want to give me'. Then she pinches me and says 'mm, then you know!'

She just refuses to put on her seat belt in the car so I will brake on purpose (emergency break). She gives me the angry look and says'can you stop doing that'. I tell her 'put on your seat belt and I will stop doing that' and she says 'stop doing that and I will put on my seatbelt'. Aagh.

When we were in Bangsar Village a couple of weeks ago, as we were coming down the escalator, suddently, the escalator came to a halt. I looked around and the lady behind us told us that 'she' pushed the stop button. I glared at Rowena and she pretended to look somewhere else. Later she told me, 'Very good, I pressed the button'

I just enrolled her for Musikgarten. A bit late, as she is the oldest in the class. I stopped her Vital years, as it was just too much of a hassle to drive all the way there on a saturday morning. Have been feeling really exhausted, that I dont have the energy to do anything. This musikgarten class is just around the corner, so it is really convenient. I would love to send her for more activities as she is in clear need of something to occupy her time, but am just too tired. Cant wait till she starts proper kindy next year. Hopefully, that will tire her out.

Hit by the bug

The bug has visited our home. I was sick last week - lost my voice and a bad cough. Then Rowena felt sick (still is), with fever and a persistent cough, now Harvynna is getting it.

When I sent Harvynna to school, I noticed that the school was quite empty - many children have been absent. Poor Harvynna actually slept through her Taekwando class yesterday as she felt very tired. Today, she hardly touched her breakfast. (something very rare with her). With all the virus and health issues going around, it's quite worrying.

On a brighter note, Harvynna passed her Taekwando exam and now has a Yellow belt. She is quite upset as we told her that Rowena has a black belt! We told her that Rowena goes for Taekwando class everyday while Harvynna is at school, so she progressed really fast. And when we asked Rowena to show us what she 'learnt', she actually showed us some Taekwando moves!!

Sending Rowena Back

Have posted countless times on how michievous Rowena is. She really keeps everyone on their toes and loves it. If you scold her, she just sticks out her tougue at you or show you an angry face. Sometimes, she tries a different tactic by smiling sweetly at you after doing somthing wrong - and normally, I would smile back but if she has annoyed me, I just glare at her.

Just yesterday, I said, maybe we took the wrong baby home at the hospital as she looks really different now from when she was born. Plus, she does not look like either of us. Many people have commented that Rowena looks Malay. So we just carried on talking infront of her, and said maybe we should return her to her real parents. Her real parents must be having our daughter who is probably very well behaved. And Rowena's face just turned so sad, that tears started rolling down.

I asked her why she was crying and she said 'because you want to send me back'. Then I said, but you always scold us and never listen to mummy. Then she sweetly says 'i love daddy, mummy, and harvynna'. Poor thing. Deep down, she is still a sensitive lil girl, although she seems to show that nothing can affect her.

Bali Vacation - 6th - 9th July

Backdated.

We finally had a long overdue family vacation in July. I booked this trip a long time ago through one of Air Asia's promotion. Its quite difficult booking in advance as you just dont know what might crop up later.

Anyway, we had our Bali trip flights booked. But being such a last minute person, we did not book the hotel till the day before the trip!! We called so many hotels in Bali, and all of them were fully booked. Luckily, after several searches, we found this really, really nice hotel - the Ramayana Resort and Spa which was right smack in Kuta. It had a really nice Balinese landscape, and was surrounded by trees, which made it very cosy and relaxing. They had 2 pools - so we hung out with the one nearest to our room. The good thing about the hotel is its location at Jln Bakung sari, which was in the middle of everything - a convenient store next door, shopping stalls all around, Matahari Square on the right, all the spas and salons on the left and a short walk to Hard Rock, where we spent the day.

The girls really had a good time and spend a good deal of time swimming and having bubble baths. They found it very tiring to walk due to the hot sun. On the 3rd day, we walked all over Kuta and Legian street but took a taxi back to the hotel as their legs could not take it. Then at night, they got their hair braided (something they were looking forward to) while I had a cream bath for my hair! We all had manicures and pedicures done which made the girls really thrilled.

We did not do any sight seeing as we thought this would be just a break for the girls get away from their normal routine. Plus, it would be too tiring for them.

Now, they are looking forward to their next holiday!

Harvynna's Parent Teachers Meet

Harvynna's school has really been keeping me on my toes the last few weeks. 2 weekends ago, it was her Sports day, then last Saturday was their Open Day and they had some activities for the 5 year olds (only to find out that me and another parent were the only ones that went!!) and today was the Parent-Teacher meet.

I went in early, so I did not have to take too much time off work. Her Principal had also arranged for 3 parents to be interviewed by NST and as they wanted one from each race, so Harvynna and me were selected!! The topic was on sending kids for extra classes at a young age!

Anyway, Harvynna had good reviews from all her teachers. But then again, I dont think any kindergarten teacher would actually put down any child. Children at this age tend to develop at different paces and all they need is encouragement and support.

However, I did see Harvynna's work and I know that she is a very responsible and diligent student. Her school is not one of those extreme academic ones with exams and stuff - they follow the format of those international preschools which gears children for the International Primary Curriculum. Her teacher gives her extra work as she finishes her work very fast, hence she has an extra exercise book where she does Primary One work.

Her reading in all 3 languages is good, even Mandarin! I checked with the Mandarin teacher and she says that Harvynna has grasped the language well and even corrects her when she makes mistakes! I then heard Harvynna having a short conversation in Mandarin with her teacher. The teacher had always thought that Harvynna's dad was Chinese!! However, she does not have anyone to practise speaking Mandarin to, so she might probably forget it once she goes to Primary school. What a waste!

As for Bahasa Malaysia, she also needs to practise speaking. All the kids in her class come from English Speaking homes, and hardly speak any Malay. I must say that the school's Bahasa teacher is very good as Harvynna went in with Zero BM and has now improved tremendously.

Then I spoke to the music teacher that teaches the 'Off Schulwerk' programme in her school. Harvynna is quite musically inclined but she likes things that are fast moving as she is more boisterous in nature. As such, she wont really like activities like piano lessons or ballet as she will find it too regimented. Something like modern dance will be better for her and she will love it.

Overall, I am happy with Harvynna's school as I like the way they teach and manage the children. I did have my reservations as they are not academically inclined and it may be a problem when she goes to Primary school. But I think that with some guidance, she will be able to cope well as she has the basic knowledge. It is also very important for the parents to play a role in helping their children and not totally depend on the school. I do a lot of activities with her at home to spark her interest. Think I should start sparking Rowena's interest now!

Harvynna and her favourite baby!

Harvynna's school sports

Harvynna's kindergarten had their school sports last Saturday. It was a joint event between all 4 branches. The theme of the sports day was 'Modus Magus'

As the Bangsar branch was chosen to lead the red house fairy parade (march past), Harvynna and another 3 year old was selected to be the house mascots. Each school had to prepare the march past of different houses and there was a competition. Thanks to Barbara who introduced me to this shop in Kuchai Lama that sold fairy stuff at such a steal. I got Harvynna a set of wings, a wand and a matching hairband for RM6.90. I found the exact same pair in Bangsar Village for RM25 and something similar at toys r us for RM30!! They even had fairy dresses . As I had bought another pair for Rowena, the school borrowed that as well for the other girl.

All the schools had put in a lot of effort. The green team were the nature fairies and all of them had skirts on (made by plastic bags - very creative). I think they were from the Gasing branch.

Harvynna was very excited to be selected as the mascot. I took Rowena downstairs to see Harvynna and also to take some pictures. Rowena being herself, took the opportunity to pull out the flowers that were attached to Harvynna's skirt. Luckily, Harvynna's teacher was able to fix it in time.

It was a long, long day as the kids had to be there by 8.30 and it ended about 12.30pm. As it was a combined event, the whole event kind of dragged on. Each child only takes part in one game as there are 4 schools to consider. So we had to watch match by match and Harvynna's item was towards the end. Luckily her fairy parade was at the beginning of the event. Medals were only given out to those that came in 1st, so the others did not win anything. Unfortunately, the red house did not do very well in the telematch and did not win any prizes. They came out second in the fairy parade. They lost to the yellow house (sun fairies) that did a cheerleading routine!

As expected, Harvynna was very disappointed that she did not win a medal. She said that most of her friends received the 'gold chain' and she also wanted one. So now, I have to find a medal for her as I promised her one.

Rowena's BIG 3

Late again for this one. My baby Rowena turned 3 on the 25th of April. No longer a baby I guess, but she still acts like one and I am not complaining. She wanted a teddy bear cake as she claims that she is a teddy bear, so we got her one and it was was really nice.

Rowena is very different from Harvynna in most aspects, although she does copy everything Harvynna says and does. Now, she has started picking books and pretending to read them. She also wants to do activity books, but all she does is scribble on them. I dont mind as it makes her feel all grown up. She is not into princesses and stuff - she does not mind wearing anything as long as it looks presentable. She knows her colours now, but is not into learning alphabets and numbers, although she can count from 1-11. She would probably pick this up in school. Like Harvynna, she does not like to watch tv. She somehow knows how to occupy herself.

There is just something about Rowena that has a very soothing effect on me. She is extremely naughty, but the moment I look at her, everything seems ok. Cant pin point on what exactly, but it is just there. I think Harvynna has noticed that too, and feels hurt. There have been numerous occasions, when she says, 'Nobody cares about me' or 'You dont care about me'

My inlaws came down from KK to celebrate Rowena's birthday and lavished them with more gifts. We celebrated and cut the cake at Chillis. Rowena was very happy, as she got to cut her cake and everyone sang for her. So easy to please a 3 year old.

The photos I took came out really bad, need to steal some from my SIL camera.

Harvynna's Big 5

-very belated post-

Harvynna turned 5 on April 9th. She looks like she is 8, has the height of an 8 year old and wears shoes for a 9 year old!! Academically, I am very happy with her progress as she is doing really well at school. She is also picking up languages really fast. I cant believe that she is 5 and getting all independant. She spends a lot of time in her room reading or doing her work. What is she into now? Princesses, of course.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRINCESS! - She is truly our talented, precious princess

Some pictures of her birthday celebration.

Note: The girl next to Harvynna is her best friend, Imani (a really lovely girl) and the boy next to Imani is her boyfriend. Caught her holding his hand and walking many times!!

On her actual birthday, we went out for lunch, took them for a pedicure at Chic Spa, Bangsar Village, then went to Marmalade Cafe to cake. Her main celebration was in her school, where she cut her cake with her friends. I was quite dissapointed with the outcome of the cake, but I had no choice as I had ordered it at the last minute and not many people could do it, being Easter weekend as well. It tasted good, though. Luckily, I managed to order Rowena's cake from the usual person and as usual, it was great - taste and design!

Crazy April

I looked at my last post and it was almost a month ago. April has been such a busy month with work and birthdays and I am glad it is almost over. Let's see what happenned in April...

April 9 - my hubby's bday

April 9 - David Archuleta's visit to my school

April 11 - My school sports day

April 11 - Small dinner in the house for hubby's birthday

April 12 -Harvynna's birthday

April 13 - Harvynna's birthday party at school

April 18 - My school's Open Day

So there, I have been so busy with all these happening at the same time. And now that it is over, I have finally fallen sick and Rowena's birthday is this saturday.

Since it was such a busy time, I did not do anything for the girls birthday. Since Harvynna's actual birthday was on a Sunday, we went out for lunch and I took the girls for a manicure at Bangsar Village. It was called 'Little Princess'. The girls loved it but of course, it didnt last for more than half a day!!

Then the next day, we cut Harvynna's cake in her kindergarten. Just got a cake organised and some party packs and it was done. She had been looking forward to this all year long.

Dont know what we will do for Rowena's birthday. This year I dont have the energy to organise a party. Will keep that for next year.

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My school had David Archuleta over as we had won the Hitz FM's 'Bring David Archuleta' to the school contest. We had to lobby real hard for it as well, as we were not shortlisted from the initial list. So, with one whole week of planning - we convinced the organisers to come to our school as we know we had the facilities to impress them and we had a school wide campaign to bring in the votes. So, we did win the contest in the end, but we were not given the official letter, and we running around to get things organised, without confirmation and we had to keep it a secret as it was supposed to be a suprise visit. At the end, the students put 2 and 2 together and knew he was coming. How could we hide it with Digi coming to set up their booths in the school, and the event management company came in with all the gigantic speakers.

On the actual day, the Hitz Fm crew came in did a GOTCHA on our students. They told them that we had done really well, but came in 2nd, and they had set up the equipment at the other school as well. The winning school got David Archuleta, and we got the morning crew instead. This was received with a lot of booing. haha. Then they finally did a GOTCHA and David came up stage.

I missed this part in the hall as we were in the function room for the photography and autograph session. I must admit he has a really good voice and looks better in person. Our students really went wild. I have never been a big fan, but he kind of grows on you. Now Harvynna and Rowena are hooked on him. They tell me' I know who is david archuleta - he is the american idol runner up', but he is very naughty - gave mummy a lot of work.