Syigim’s Birthday : Aigner, Pizza & Cinnabon

this is going to be a very short posting, with some pictures. oh, no biggie. it was just my birthday, got an awesome birthday present from my cookiedough, and a birthday pizza to top it all. alhamdulillah!

 

with my birthday present. with love from my cookiedough.

 

mr. khairul couldn’t be there on my exact birthday as he was leaving for algeria. so the day before he left, we went the mall of emirates, and without warning he just walked into aigner. out of the blue he picked two items, and asked me to pick one that i like. it turned out that he had been scouting for a birthday present for me weeks ago and he already knew which one he wants to buy me. he narrowed it down to two, and ask me to choose. best sangat. it was an absolute surprise. thanks honey. i love it, and i love you!

 

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bapak is out of town, but we’re still gonna celebrate! bought cinnabons – which ironically, i did not like haha. but my boys love it so much so i know i’ll be happy when they’re super happy to eat cinnabon. so jadilah cinnabon treat on my birthday!

 

 

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my birthday pizza. JUST cheese. again, just the way my boys like it. ni birthday mak ke birthday korang ni. huhu.

 

may Allah grant me many more years to see my boys grow up and achieve their dreams. more years to see them find the woman with whom they will spend the rest of their lives (so that i dont have to worry about them anymore hihi). more years to see my grandchildren, and to grow old with my honey cookiedough. more years to be your humble servant ya Allah. amin.

Kazim Gets Birthday Pizza @ Sarpino’s Pizzeria, Dubai Marina

my pizza-freak boys demand pizza for birthdays – so for my youngest son’s 4th birthday, we got him a cheese pizza. naturally.

 

birthday boy kazim, his cheese pizza and the marina. awesome.

 

domino’s, papa john and pizza hut are already weekend pizza hahaha so we wanted a different pizza place, but closer to home. we didn’t want none of those super thin-crusted Italian pizza, which brings us to ‘sarpino’s pizzeria’, located next to the marina yacht club. in fact we actually walked inside the marina club, and took the stairs down and out. ‘sarpino’s pizzeria’ should be on your right.

it was a good choice. they had delicious pizza and a magnificent view. it was a great birthday dinner for kazim!

 

birthday boy and his brothers love nothing but cheese pizza, so we got them just that. the picture does not do justice to the delicious pizza crust – crispy outside, soft inside, plus generous toppings. I simply LOVE the crust, it’s exactly what I want a pizza crust to be. the texture is just a perfect combo of crispy-moist dough in my mouth.

 

for mak and bapak we got the ‘clasico italiano’ pizza – ‘loaded with pepperoni, turkey, onions, mushrooms, green and red peppers, and mozzarella cheese. doesn’t disappoint at all. delicious pizza all around.

 

I love it because of the thick crust that’s crispy outside and soft & moist inside. (one of my other favorite pizza crusts is the pizza at ‘california pizza kitchen’. check out my review here on our first visit there when the mall opened 24 hours!) other than the crust, I appreciate the generous toppings too! so thick and filled with yumminess. worth the affordable price!

 

birthday boys kazim enjoying his birthday pizza~

 

other than the pizzas, we also tried the ‘caesar salad’ – with ‘romaine and iceberg lettuce, sprinkled with parmesan cheese, topped with croutons and served with homemade caesar dressing’. mr. khairul and I are big fans of salad – and this one gets our approval. fresh and crunchy greens. on top of that we also got the creamy mushroom soup and that was just a really tasty, rich mushroom soup. yummy!

 

we had a most delicious experience at sarpino’s pizzeria – not only because of the satisfying pizza and beautiful view, but also the excellent service of the waiting staff – friendly, courteous and good with kids, I might add! haha. we would definitely come again!

 

the humble pizza place, ‘sarpino’s pizzeria’ at dubai marina

 

…and look at that view! well, this is our neighbourhood dubai marina. not bad to look at while munching pizza, eh?

 

that’s the marina yacht club at a distance

 

I dare say that I’ve finally found a great pizza place that’s 1) NOT domino’s, pizza hut or papa john, ( I know, I know – there are SO many pizza places all around dubai) but this one 2) does not have ridiculously expensive pizza with super thin crust yang tak pueh makan and 3) it’s at an awesome location – by the marina, near the marina yacht club, practically walking distance from our place.

I highly recommend ‘sarpino’s pizzeria’ for all pizza fans who want straightforward, delicious pizza with no frills but just good taste. the lovely view is a bonus. *wink*

My Youngest Boy is 4 : Happy Birthday Kazim!

I almost cannot face the truth that my youngest boy is already FOUR years old. man, how OLD am I, huh? hahaha. HAPPY BIRTHDAY my gumuk busuk kazim!

 

 

I will remember with fondness of how easy it was delivering kazim – it was 3-4 days away from the due date, and I felt the labor pain as early as subuh. told my husband, and that morning we sent the big brothers khaleef and kahfi to kak zaida and abg imran’s house. so thankful! we went straight to al-wasl hospital (the best maternity hospital in dubai!) – and that noon kazim was already out. easy peazy lemon squeazy.

I remember on the hospital bed that afternoon, talking to mr. khairul to finally decide on his name. as usual I was always the one who thinks of names, shortlist about 3 names and present it to mr. khairul. he would have the final say. which K?

Kazim Khairul. کاظم.

penyabar. one who controls anger. restrainer. cool. that’s our youngest!

 

recently everyone had a homemade cake, including their dad. made chocolate cakes for kahfi and khaleef late last year. made marble cheesecake for mr. khairul last march…so naturally I had to make a cake for birthday boy. since he’s a fan of bananas, I made plain ‘ol banana cake – moist and delicious! (wonder who’s gonna bake ME a cake in june..)

 

birthday boy did all the ‘decorating’ – marshmallow stack and strawberry. basically whatever he finds appealing from the fridge. wanted to put cheese slices if he could but we stopped him before it’s too late haha.

 

the simplest cake ever! my very own banana moist cake. super yummy. mr. khairul can finish half of the cake in one sitting, I kid you not.

 

happy 4th to you lil kazim. the noise that brought merriment to our home!

 

this picture is taken exactly 1st april 2014, right around the time he was born. he was exactly 4 years old at this point in time. we just left anong & abang’s school for a parent-teacher meeting, and I was so glad I get to spend a day out with my birthday boy. their school is walking distance to the mall so naturally – mak’s treat for birthday boy at the mall!

 

kazim is goofy. cheeky. mischievous. mengada-ngada. so annoying, yet terribly cute. the thing is, I DON’T manja him more than his brothers just because he’s the youngest. they’re all equally annoying to me. haha. but I love you just the same!

 

(the fourth one had better be a girl – I’m running out of K names for boys! hahhahaha.)

Happy 35th Birthday, Honey Cookiedough!

for your 35th birthday, my dearest husband, I’m compiling all the poems I’ve written for your birthday for the past 5 years. enjoy. oh, and happy birthday!

written in march 2009, for his 30th birthday

from the hingus days of penang free
bicycle-ride fun and full of glee
to teen-angst years of mckk
so much work and serious play

need to grow need to get more
off to the States a lot is in store
challenges, experience and such he did get
living life full with aint no regret

in ipoh was the chance meeting
love at first sight hearts a-fleeting
9 years later a happy family at hand
three-boys is more than he could stand!

from penang to kl the humble days
to awesome dubai now he stays
such a leap for this beach jock
at thirty-5 you still rock!

penned by : your cute wife~ with love!

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to mr. khairul, on his 31st birthday, written in 2010 :

thirty years after your birthdate
plus one year in addition
a special poem to my soulmate
from me, a heart rendition

thirty years of ups and downs
plus one year to that
you can be serious, you can be a clown
you walk your talk, you know where it's at

thirty years of joy and tears
plus one year additionally
challenges, obstacles, hope and fears
you conquered all, be proud be jolly!

thirty years of life
plus one year more
with a hot gorgeous wife
and two boys you adore

thirty years of hits and misses
plus one year further
i'll always have hugs and a whole lotta kisses
to a great guy, sweet darling and wonderful father!

thirty years of glory
plus one year too
you've got an amazing history
by simply just being YOU!

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written in 2011 for his 32nd birthday

you're 32 so what is new?
grey hairs are peeking out
don't worry though it's just a few
need not get all freak out

you're 32 so how's it hangin?
your tummy expands an inch
no worries hon, don't go head-bangin
there's more of you to clinch

you're 32 so what's up doc?
forgetfulness persist
you left your keys you mix your sock
but i'm there to assist

you're 32 so how are things?
always been the same great man
grey hair, amnesia, tummy expanding
oh, just enjoy life as you can!

you're 32 so here's the deal
have so much more to thank for
a loving wife that's for real
3 boys whom you adore

you're 32 ok that’s that
enjoy this happy moment
give yourself a nice good pat
for another year of excitement!

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written in 2012 for his 33rd birthday

33 you're today
i always write sweet rhymes
this birthday goes some other way
a cuckoo poem this time

33 is one cool number
because it's double three
i really need to slumber
i'm so sleepy-ee.

33 has got essence
you've lived life wild and wise
this poem gonna make no sense
i'm hungry.

33 is thirtythree
when you spell it yes it's true
this poem may be weird you see
but know that I LOVE YOU!

 

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one of these dudes is the birthday boy. clue : he’s not arab.

 

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me, you, and a cheezy love story—oh, cheesecake!

 

baked him a birthday cake – my marble cheesecake with maltesers on top! he loved it to bits, literally!

 

birthday boy loved it so much, he said, “ok, no more trips to the cheesecake factory ya? ni pun power gile dah!” ok was that a compliment in my favor? I don’t think so! sob sob, I want my 30th anniversary chocolate cheesecake from cheesecake factory!

 

terima kasih kerana melahirkan. mak birthday boy puan norazian – a proud mom with her manja overgrown eldest baby boy. meh. huhu.

 

love you so much, cookiedough. may Allah grant your doa, from the deepest and sincerest of your heart. because Allah knows best. have faith, and He will open the way. happy birthday!

Kahfi’s Birthday Pizza @ California Pizza Kitchen, MOE

my 2nd son kahfi turned 5 years old last 23rd december. since he’s a pizza freak, we brought the boys to a pizza place in the mall of emirates – california pizza kitchen.

 

refreshing vanilla sundae with choclate syrup – complimentary birthday treat from the california pizza kitchen to a cheerful birthday boy in his buzz lightyear space ranger hoodie!

 

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birthday boy wants strictly pepperoni and cheese pizza. no more, no less. anong khaleef moody coz he wanted JUST cheese on his pizza. at california pizza kitchen, the price for JUST cheese and cheese with pepperoni is the same, so I think it’s worth the money to take pizza with lauk sikit. haha. takde la cheese je tapi harga sama.

 

trying a new pizza for mak and bapak.

 

the ‘jamaican jerk chicken pizza’ – grilled jamaican jerk spiced chicken breast with spicy sweet caribbean sauce, mozzarella cheese, crispy beef bacon, mild onions, roasted red and yellow peppers and green onions. delicious! the spicy sweet sauce really is the star that dominates the tasty pizza; it can overwhelm after a while but overall a delicious pizza that I would definitely order again on my next visit.

 

birthday boy enjoying his birthday pizza

 

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just across MOE’s california pizza kitchen is the ‘toy’s store’. so convenient, huh for birthday boy looking for a birthday present? haha. we just tagged along while kahfi rushed in looking for the hot wheels section. bam! didn’t take long for him to choose his favorite. he has been watching youtube channels in toy reviews. adoi!

 

tada!~

My 2nd Born Kahfi Turns 5ive!

happy birthday to my adorable kahfi. he’s stubborn, kuat merengek and sometimes too manja. yet he’s loving, he’s incredibly funny and his smile just melts your heart.

happy 5th my boy!

 

just a quiet celebration (still lots of loud singing) with just his brothers and bapak. birthday boy and the floating chocolate cake. haha.

 

kahfi is a huge fan of disney’s ‘cars’ so naturally, I gotta make a cake with lightning mcqueen on top!

 

birthday boy kahfi and his slice

 

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while big bro khaleef is crazy about dinosaurs, kahfi is a freak when it comes to hot wheels – so we combined the two and got him this ‘t-rex takedown hot wheels’ for his birthday. hours of fun! (hopefully not get bored after 5 minutes and will leave this in the room to go switch on the x-box!)

Argentinian Marco’s Birthday; Kahfi’s BFF

I was so glad to receive the invitation from one of kahfi’s classmates – kahfi was just starting school for the first time ever last september, so I was excited that he’s making friends and going to birthday parties!

it was a birthday invitation from marco, an argentinian. never imagine that my kahfi would be friends with an argentinian boy! he had the party inside the ‘fun city’ arcade games area  in ibn battuta mall. and man, did he host an awesome party or what--

 

marco and kahfi getting silly with another classmate; at the fun city ball pit

 

1) the fun city playtime – marco treated all his guests to a rolling, running, sliding down fun time at the play area inside fun city. main sampai berpeluh!

 

kahfi and marco on the super slide

 

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2) marco treated his small guests to an awesome ride on the ‘hot air balloon’

 

marco and kahfi lining up to on the ride

 

 

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3) the birthday party GAMES! khaleef won ‘best dancing’, but lost in ‘musical chairs’ – he was the last-3-kid standing!

 

the inseparable marco and kahfi

 

this was such a cute daddy moment : they needed only the dads to head the ‘balloon race’. there were only two dads there – marco’s and kahfi’s. haha. it’s cute that they were close friends too! so there they were, two macho dads, like football coaches on the side of the field, cheering their players!

 

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4) cut the cake! cake was brought out, birthday song sang out loud. a cute mucha lucha cake as adorable as the birthday boy and his gorgeous parents! lawa-lawa orang argentina ni!

 

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munchin and lunchin next to the birthday boy

 

5) marco treated mcdonalds happy meals for all his guests. nuggets and burgers all around. yum.

 

 

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6) after the party, marco and his birthday party guests hang out at the arcade playing games – his treat! awesome, awesome close to an already fantastic birthday party.

thanks marco for an unforgettable fun time at your birthday party!

 

 

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as a mom to my kahfi who had just learned how to make friends in a school setting; this is a moment full of pride and joy – when you see your kid making friends, having fun with little tiny people that he learns to get to know on his own; or having friends that simply enjoy being with your kid just because.