WEEK 43 | WHAT'S COOKING (18 - 24 October 2015)

Nish Halim

The first thing you ever baked on your own was M&M's cookies. The first thing you ever cooked on your own was fried rice. Starting at the age of nine. 

You used to love cooking a lot and you would watch The Masterchef Australia even on repeat. 

But as the years passed by you began to love soccer more than anything and I kinda miss having my cheeky boy messing around my kitchen. 

Yet, at the same time I am happy that you are the independent young chap who can fix his own grilled cheese sandwich whenever he fancies, whisk up some nice omelette on school mornings or make himself a bowl of noodles on rainy days. 

Perhaps cooking is not a No.1 on your preteen's list right now but it always warm my heart whenever you sneak up behind me, asking "masak apa ni? bau sedap, Mommy!" and everytime you offer your hands to help in the kitchen. My most favourite thing is to have you do the food tasting because after all these years you are still my worst critic yet my best real-life testimony.

Love,

Mommy

Min Mohd

Milin Kassim

We were having some baked potatoes, but you decided to have mashed potatoes instead.

Izlynne

 Hope is entering the stage where she begins to like helping in the kitchen. Anytime she knows that I am in my 'office',she will immediately come down to the kitchen. I don't often ask for her help because I need her to tend to her brother and sister;but I can't deny those doe eyes whenever she says, "Please??? I love cooking with you."

I will usually delegate her some simple tasks - whisking the omelette batter, peeling the onions (she says she has this special skill of peeling without the use of knife - her reasoning whenever I don't allow her to use the knife), washing the dishes, passing the salt and sugar - anything. As long as she can be there - in the kitchen- with me.

Today, we had a visitor. 

"Now, what's there you are cooking for me, kakak?' asked Faith to Hope.

Linda Latip

Maznie

Chech 

The first time he prepared a cup of instant noodle on his own. Not an achievement to be proud of, heh. Oh, at least, I now know that he is careful enough while using hot water. 

WEEK 42 | BENEATH YOUR FEET (11 - 17 October 2015)

Min Mohd

Zubye Rusli

When I'm with you, nothing else matters.

Milin Kassim

Those dainty little  toes,
and that cute, teeny wrinkles
underneath your feet..
always have a soft spot in my heart.

Chech

Nish Halim

Kaki bola.

Maznie

Izlynne

Beneath your feet, there's nothingness. Only those smooth skin layering your flesh; unlike mine - full of crease and jagged lines. You still have a long way to go before yours turn into mine. Long way of exploring the world, long way of getting to know the occupants, long way of getting to know that some of the occupants might be cruel to you - nevertheless, continue walking. 

Walk until you could not feel your feet anymore because that would be the time that beneath your feet would turn exactly into mine. 

Never fret. Only cowards do.

Linda Latip

Week 41 | REWARD (4 - 10 October 2015)

Min Mohd

Nish Halim

Weekly.

 Zubye Rusli

"Always reward your long hours of labor and toil in the very best way, surrounded by your family. Nurture their love carefully, remembering that your children need models, not critics, and your own progress will hasten when you constantly strive to present your best side to your children. And even if you have failed at all else in the eyes of the world, if you have a loving family, you are a success."
- Og Mandino

 Izlynne

A reward to you would be a treat of Vitagen if you managed to finish your breakfast. Yes, all three of you.

Linda Latip

Chech

It is always rewarding for all parents in the era of technology to see their respective children engaged in creative play. Exactly how daddy and I felt each time you pretended to bake a rainbow cake from modelling doughs, or design a robot out of the boxes, or renovate the house to your taste, or become the characters in your own movie. Endless possibilities there. Hope you will continue to tweak your imagination outside of Minecraft *winks*

Milin Kassim

That smile...

Maznie

week 40 | TODAY WAS A GOOD DAY (28 Sept - 3 Oct 2015)

Min Mohd

Nish Halim

Settling down with the new home & nasi lemak celebration. Alhamdulilah!

Izlynne

Today was a good day for ibu. Ibu was very happy because she made her friends happy. Ibu also made new friends and ibu met her AmazingYouProject team members for the first time and ibu is still reminiscing about it.

Today was a good day for Hope and Strength. Well, it was announced that school is off for two days. 

Today, might not be such a good day for my Faith. He was the last person to get the notice that school is off. Well, it does show on his face. 

 Imagine the script going through his head, "Tomorrow is Monday but I can't have ibu all to myself? Why? Why? I thought Monday is school day?"

Anyhow, today was a good day. 

Chech

You and books are separable. Yes, separable. Unless you want to push the bedtime. You are more synonym with all sorts of art, as well as, of course, Lego. Like daddy, you are also into movies. Which was how you met Greg, the wimpy kid. 

I was not ecstatic about the character initially. Mischievous, sarcastic, and well, wimpy. Not a role-model material. It was better for me to put myself in your shoes though. Looking back at a seven-year-old Chech, I had to chuckle. Among other things, I was crazy about Transformers, Jam, ThunderCats, Ultraman, and even Kesatria Baja Hitam!

Imagine my parents' concerns then. It has been natural for humans to notice the surface first and foremost. Therefore, they, like all adults, who did not prefer to spend their time in front of the television for the aforementioned children's series, merely saw the violent Transformers, the sexy Jam, the illogical ThunderCats, the ridiculous Ultraman, and the even more ridiculous Kesatria Baja Hitam. At first. 

After a while, my parents started to see beyond the surface. The fact that Transformers taught me about creativity. Jam, originality. ThunderCats, adventures. Ultraman, fun. Kesatria Baja Hitam, the feel good factors. 

What has Greg introduced to Khalish? Aside from the importance of being true to yourself, he has found the reader in you. I did read the first 25 pages the way it often was, but you continued to read the next 50 pages on your own. Little by little, you are conquering your first novel. 

Books and you are still separable. Yet, I love it that both of you are now closer. Thanks to the so-called mischievous, sarcastic, and well, wimpy kid. Today was a good discovery.

Maznie

 Zubye Rusli

Everyday is a good day. If we choose to see it.

Linda Latip

Milin Kassim

week 39 | WINDOW LIGHT (20 - 27 September 2015)

Min Mohd

 Zubye Rusli

Current addiction. 'Moodling'.

Izlynne

A spot which you love doing all the things you love doing. By the window; because the light comes in and gives you the perfect shadow, sometimes hues. It could be just a matter of paper chasing blown by the blast from the fan,  but you love it. 

You are content, carefree, untroubled and satisfied. That's all I want to know.

Chech

Nish Halim

Amongst your Wan's best advice to me was "Live in a room full of lights"
...and fresh air. I think he was speaking to me both literally & metaphorically.

Maznie

Linda Latip

Milin Kassim

Beautiful morning at Nenek's. And your were enjoying your time drawing on Auntie Jeda's Ipad.

Our plan for more time outdoors back in my home-town didn't quite materialise due to haze.  But than it's okay. We had so much fun indoor, and your uncles and aunties had been spoiling you and Kakak, fulfilling your every requests. And Nenek had been showering you two with so much love and good food, sigh how I wish we could stay longer...

week 38 | EMOTIVE (13 - 19 September 2015)

Nish Halim

Bad game, eh?

Min Mohd

 Zubye Rusli

Izlynne

Sometimes, in any given situation, I always think that bottling up my emotions is always the right thing to do. I have so much of it bottled up that sometimes I think my heart is going to 'explode' soon, which is quite the wrong thing and what makes it worse is when I don't do anything about it. I think I just don't have the right channel for it.

Watching you and your sisters is always a favourite thing of mine. I guess, everything that is bottled up inside me just drain away. You know that feeling, when you open a bottle of that icy cold Snapple and drink heartily; and how your thirst goes away and leaving you with that satisfaction of being refreshed - that is how you and your sisters make me, everytime I watch you three.

Just by watching you three easily makes me drift away with all your antiques and emotions that sometimes make me laugh my heart out. 

Thank you Hope, Strength and Faith - for letting me go through each day; always with a new perspective of life. I learn a lot from you.

Chech

Maznie

Linda Latip

week 37 | 2PM (6 - 12 September 2015)

Milin Kassim

After noon.
It's time to lie down, relax and escape into dreamlands.

Nish Halim

Everyday without fail,
the first thing he'd ask after school:
Mommy masak apa harini?

Min Mohd

Maznie

It's a bad air day,so stay inside and keeping your lungs healthy,while I'm busy doing some carpenter works here inside the house ;)

 Zubye Rusli

Lazy day is a happy day!

Linda Latip

Izlynne

2 pm.

I don't want to miss a single 2pm. Soon, everything is going to change. I might have to stare at the empty wall. 

I might not be able to hear your laughters when something funny appear on TV, your constant bickerings when you fight over silly things, your cute giggles everytime you have something exciting to share with me, your groans everytime you push away your veggies that I try to 'smuggle' inside your lunch - it is going to change.

Time does not pass- it seems to glide and fly away like those dandelions everytime the wind blows them - when we are together.

I want to have more 2pm's with you.

Chech

2 p.m., Saturday.

Leisurely lunch.