Fun birthday!2011

It was a fun and relaxing birthday.
Hubby & I filed for a leave and the whole family went to Genting Highlands. This time around we stayed overnight. It was sooooo cold and as usual Iaree enjoyed the rides. It's nice to visit the place on a weekday when the queue is not so long so you do not get bored of waiting until the excitement simply dies. In just a few hours we have completed all the indoor rides. :)
Lovely weather except that such weather means the outdoor theme park is closed. I was not aware the location of our hotel was beside the closed outdoor theme park where it's sooo cold & chilly for you to reach the hotel itself. Brrr...

The next day, my mom had a few tantrums which was hard to figure out what she wants at first and making me feel she doesn't want to be there. In the end I think whatever she does she just don't want to do it alone (even if it means with my daughter). At first so she wont be bored we told her we'll buy tickets for her so she can go ride with Iaree though she agreed she wasn't too happy about going and was having high pitched irritated tone in her voice when asking questions so ok maybe she wants to go around I thought and doesn't want to be stuck with Iaree. When we let Iaree go for the rides herself (minus the ones she need companion) Ryan & I were watching over her so did mama then I thought she wanted to go around so I told her we'll watch over Iaree and she go where she wants. But no she also stuck around not sitting unless we sit or not checking out stores unless I do. Oh well minor glitch and normal mama tantrum.

We were supposed to stay for another night but with our situation that only Iaree is having activities and we are all watching her doesn't look like something else to do on a 3rd day. So we just thought we'll reserve that for later maybe when we have guests or we are so bored or feeling hot at home. We only drove by the way because a lot of bus drivers were on leave and the bus schedule is so limited. It wasn't so bad (hahaha says the passenger) I mean the travel took about an hour or less although cost wise with the petrol, toll fees & cable car return tickets it's more cost efficient to take the bus (which is at RM 9.60 / per person / way) cable car cost (RM 5 / per person / way) so go figure.

After lunch Iaree was so tired we decided to head back home. Since I can't cook a meal once we got home (all food are still frozen - very good excuse to dine out) we headed off to Betty's Midwest kitchen for an all-american dinner which we really enjoyed. We had a great family time :)

Down side Sunday I was having fever and was throwing up. If my manager's/client will not be on long leaves starting Tuesday I will not force myself to come to work today.

Iaree's surprising little ways

I have always been moved that at the peak of my "morning-noon & night sickness" Iaree is such a caring little girl. Every time she sees that I am not feeling well she will stay beside me and say "Mommy I will take care of you and the baby". There was a time I called at home and when I spoke to her she immediately said "Mommy are you feeling better now?".

Yesterday I was just being lazy to open up her still unpacked toys (from our move) and she wants me to open it. So I told her we need to clean up first then I left her...waah few minutes later she was calling out to me "Mommy I already cleaned up!" And cleaned up she did, there were no toys on the floor and the toys are properly put back to where they belong if there's enough space. So this weekend I hope to buy more cabinets for her other displaced toys so she can arrange it accordingly and so we can easily classify the baby safe toys from not and keep them for a while when the baby starts crawling and eating everything.

She had been sleeping with lola for 2 days now because daddy is so sick. Daddy was supposed to sleep out of the room but because we are night-time potty training Iaree difficult for me to carry her briskly to the toilet in the mid hours of the night. It's actually daddy & mommy having separation anxiety on this. The 1st night I keep waking up and hearing daddy's horrible coughing I decided against getting her from lola's room. So I resorted to hugging the pooh stuff toy :(. Then last night Ryan was protesting against letting her sleep with lola again whereas Iaree nicely said good night to us without any qualms.

Iaree is indeed growing up fast but we are proud parents of a smart, caring, sweet & sensitive girl who just have the right amount of stubbornness and kakulitan right for her age.

Lazy

Feeling so lazy lately...can I blame the hormones for this?
Hahahaha.
So many pending for our personal stuff: Iaree's transport services, the yaya/helper, insurance applications...
Even feeling lazy to plan a trip for my birthday.

Yaya hunt..errr..bringing yaya over to Malaysia

Well although the advantage for us is we have quite a few number of applicants eager to work abroad buttttttt the POEA requirement is a torture!!!

When we came here in 2006 expats like us can process our own helpers directly in the immigration and they will have a legal working visa. Now thanks to Philippine requirements unless the helper have a POEA membership. POEA membership which by the way cannot be simply be applied on your own but should be via agency who charges hundreds & hundreds of peso good enough for down-payment for a more worthy investment. Then POEA wonders why there are many illegal workers??!!!


Here we are ordinary citizens who are working for a living and just need someone to take care of our children. We are providing a good and legal employment to other Filipinos who are also aiming for a better future for their families and yet they don't acknowledge that. I mean the POEA can be all protective and stuff but as we are OFW's ourselves they should at least consider that we cannot simply afford the outrageous agency fees (which by the way requires us to get an agency in the Philippines and an agency in Malaysia).

So frustrated..I hope I find out how to solve this or else I would have to think of alternative ways for child care :( which I really hope not to especially we are in a foreign land. And we really do prefer a Filipino maid who we can easily communicate with.

Wishing & hoping..

For ease and more milk....



Ang mahal pala nito!Yaiks!