A paranoid mother

As my little boy grows up and has quicken his steps from just walking to running, I have more to worry about. When he starts to seriously climb the stairs and furniture, I can't imagine how high my worry level will shoot up to! Is there a maximum limit of worry or is it infinite? It's torturing to always worry about the boy hurting himself.

We've tried as much as possible to baby-proof the home. We installed those soft rubber corners on tables and the tv stand, put away breakables and make sure he can't reach any sort of chemicals we store around the home.

We can only try to be as careful as possible. When he's at the babysitter's I also worry about how he may bang into sharp corners or fall off a step or falling as he runs. It's endless and I know it's crazy to be such a paranoid mother. I just can't help it! Maybe over time I will get used to it and be more relaxed. Do you think it's true? Can a mother ever stop worrying? I doubt it...

Am I getting old?

Time flies. You just don't realise it until you stop and think about it. I didn't really stop to think. I was just looking at my calendar lately and then I realise in just a blink of the eye, it's already approaching the end of February. Almost 2 months of the new year gone by, just like that.

And before we all know it, while we're all going about our daily life busy with work and time at home or with friends, comes mid year and then year end. Sometimes I just wished that we have more time to enjoy the moments that matter.

For many years now, I've been receiving one too many wedding invitations year in and year out. But you know what? They're now slow in coming and I think I will only be attending 2 weddings this year. Not because people are not getting married, but because my friends have all gotten married by now because we're all in our 30s already!

So there you have it, I'm already in my 30s. I feel like just yesterday that I was a 20-something and leading a carefree life! Where did all that time go? So quickly it all slipped me by...

Are you enjoying your life? If you too feel that time is passing us by too quickly, you too need to stop more often and take a step back to enjoy more.

Ikea is having sales

I was so excited when I saw a full page ad about Ikea's upcoming sales. I love to watch out for Ikea's sales because they truly offer great discounts. There were a couple of things that tempted me from that ad itself and I'm sure they have more products on sale than what they put in that print ad.

I have been looking for some nice and cosy table lamps for years but never really found any suitable ones. Maybe I should drop by and check out if their lamps are on sale.

I'm really looking forward to go for the sales but I also don't want to spend unnecessarily. So better not to bring too much cash and definitely not a credit card! Will you be going to the Ikea sales?

A mother's choice

With some bonus just in, I suddenly feel rather tempted to spend on some gadgets. I know this isn't a good time to indulge, and I should be saving up the bonus. But I just keep thinking about 2 things - a better lens for my DSLR camera so that I can capture better pictures, and one of those popular netbooks in the market.

Both are not necessities. It's just nice to have. I could easily put off buying them but once in a while I just feel the urge to check them out online or whenever I pass by the stores and see them on display.

Whenever I feel the strong urge and the voice in me that says "It's a great buy!", I keep reminding myself that times are bad, I don't even know if I will get the next bonus and whether there's going to be any salary increment. And the biggest demotivator for me to buy those stuff is my son. I keep thinking how much I could buy for him with that amount that I spend on the gadgets. And with that, I always end up walking away empty handed of gadget, but probably a few bagful of clothes, books or toys for the little boy :)

And it makes me smile and happy! A mother's choice is always clear. The child will always come first.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hi everyone. Happy Valentine's Day to you and your loved ones! Are you having a great celebration of love today? Many people say everyday should be a Valentine's Day, in terms of showing your love and appreciation for each other. I agree.

Valentine's Day has been taken advantage of by many vendors, especially flower shops. Flowers and even Valentine's Day cards are terribly expensive during this period. I'm not sure about things like chocolates, do the prices of chocolates go up during Valentine's Day too? Thankfully many shops are still offering their products on sale, huh? At least you can spend a little less on Valentine gifts.

I hope you have a great Valentine's Day ahead. Enjoy the time with your loved ones this weekend!

Clumsy me

You know how some Chinese believe that during the Chinese New Year period you shouldn't break things like glass as it is not auspicious? And if you do break glass then you should say something to make the break sound good and prosperous, right?

Well this new year I broke a plate. It was one of those days in the second week of the new year, so maybe it's not that bad, huh? In any case, I'm not super superstitious about stuff like that but I just found it odd that I'm super clumsy this new year!

Not only did I break a plate, on the very same day I broke a handle on my drawer. I pulled it a little too hard and off it came. Then I also pulled off the little detergent drawer in my washing machine, and couldn't fix it back. I was just surprised that the loosened faucets in the kitchen didn't give way when I handled them!

For everything that I "destroyed", Ray fixed them back. Except for the broken plate, of course. Not only did I break things, I also hurt myself. I tend to find a cut and a bruise here and there, and can't recall where I got them. Sometimes it does upset me to find a big bruise somewhere on my legs because I look terrible with them when I wear skirts!

Anyway, do you think clumsiness is something I can improve on? I think I am quite clumsy in nature, but I've never really destroyed so many things in just 1 week. Does anyone feel worried on behalf of my little boy to have such a clumsy mummy? I do! :P

How was your new year?

Hello everyone! Wishing you a gong xi, gong xi fa cai! I hope your new year was good. We had a long break for the new year and we joined the crowd to "balik kampung" down south to Johor. We spend almost a week there and although there wasn't much to do like the city, it was a good change.

Compared to the city, Ray's hometown felt more cooling. It's probably because there isn't much developments like high rise buildings. Besides, there are also lots of greens around and they provide great shades to block out the sun's glare. They reminded me of the time when I was a student in a foreign land that was filled with Elm trees on the university ground.

We're now back home but I'm still on leave and will only resume work next week. Yupe, long, long break for me and I'm enjoying every minute of being a "tai-tai dreamer"!

How was your new year? Did you prosper with lots of good food and won your hands at some games? :)