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.)

Kazim Fell Down : Broke 3 Teeth! The Best Care @ Ipoh Specialist Hosp

before you freak out, this is an old story. happened last ramadhan in ipoh. he’s absolutely fine now. but this story needed to be told so that years from now, teenage kazim can look back on his younger days and say, “man, it was wild! did that really happened to me?” alhamdulillah, it was nothing more serious than that, and today his lips show no sign of ever being stitched up!

 

kazim at the emergency ward at ipoh specialist hospital, waiting for dato’ dr r. gunasegaran. it was nearly midnight

 

it happened last ramadhan in ipoh, kat rumah abah. the chronology of events :

1. that night kazim fell down the stairs, blood all over his lips as he has broken 3 teeth
2. I discovered a white thingy on his lower lip – a freakin TOOTH is embedded INSIDE his lower lip! (I cannot imagine the pain for my little kazim)
3. quickly called my eldest sis yong, crying, asking her to help drive us to to ipoh specialist hospital
4. yong waited for us, as we waited for the doctor (who will stitch up kazim’s lips) to come
5. dato’ dr gunasegaran came and checked. took out the embedded tooth, and said kazim needs to stay the night – tomorrow they will do the stitching
6. yong drove back to abah’s house, took my phone charger, extra clothes and anything I needed and came back (THANKS SO MUCH YONG!!! for everything!)
7. my elder nephews haiqal and haqeem slept at atok’s house to temankan khaleef and kahfi
8. didn’t sleep a wink – spent the WHOLE night whatsapp-ing with mr khairul who is still in dubai at the time (THANKS FOR YOUR COMFORT HONEY!). but alhamdulillah, so relieved to watch kazim able to sleep so soundly

 

I love the setting for the pediatric ward at ipoh specialist hospital. so cute and welcoming for kids not feeling well. you’ll see later pictures of the whole children’s ward – simply adorable!

 

 

kazim is, officially – one tough cookie.

he did not cry AT ALL at the hospital despite waiting while there’s a TOOTH embedded in his lower lip! he only cried when dato’ dr gunasegaran took the tooth out from his lip. after that, it was all fine and he was back to normal eventhough there’s a BIG cut on his lip after the tooth is taken out. tak sakit ke si kazim ni!

once he’s tucked in, I let him watch bugs bunny and he easily slept after a few minutes. senang je. my baby kazim was really tough!

 

that’s where I sat the whole night. like I wrote – I didn’t sleep; couldn’t sleep. I spent the whole night whatsapp-ing with mr. khairul who was still in dubai at the time. I just need the comfort. I only slept an hour after subuh prayer. the stitching would be at 8am the next morning. it got really cold in the middle of the night – thank goodness for blankets!

 

since I didn’t plan to stay the night, and it was really kelam-kabut, I didn’t think of bringing any food for sahur. the very nice nurse at the children’s ward gave me a cup of milo and this packet of butter crackers for sahur. alhamdulillah.

 

the next morning at 8pm kazim was wheeled to the operation theater.

 

dato’ dr gunasegaran explained to me beforehand – anesthetic would be applied, and then the stitching will be done by him.

it was an overwhelming nervousness and fear for my little one seeing him in the little hospital gown, helplessly limp in that baby cot. berdoa so that Allah protect kazim.

again, my tough and cool little kazim simply lie quietly while waiting for the surgeon. you can see the swollen lips. my heart sank seeing him like this, but he was the one who helped me relax since he didn’t show fear, or merengek-rengek. HE was the one so relaxed. so proud of him!

 

my little cool kazim

 

to me this was the worst ‘accident’ that has ever happened to any of my boys; but at the back of my mind I can’t help thinking, while saying countless alhamdulillah – this was actually just a small cut on the lips – imagine all those mothers accompanying their children because of broken legs, accidents that made them loose their eye-sight, or melecur burn, or terminal illness like cancer. may Allah grant strength and patience to all these courageous mothers. 

I can only say alhamdulillah again and again, because kazim only lost 3 teeth!

 

alhamdulillah stitching done smoothly. kazim got some adorable transparent balloons from the awesome staff at the operation theater

 

ipoh specialist hospital is the best. I thought that the staff at the children’s ward were extra nice because it’s a ward for children and they need to be a cheerful place for their little patients.

however, when I went to the operation theater, the staff over there were also cheerful and friendly eventhough it’s very early in the morning, and it’s a serious place where surgery takes place. such a commendable group of staff. and such a positive atmosphere surrounding the patients.

every hospital staff should emulate this kind of attitude! patients coming to seek treatment are already in pain physically and emotionally, and it’s this kind of positive attitude and warm reception that make the difference – big or small.

 

* * *

 

here are some of the pictures I took of the children’s ward at ipoh specialist hospital. so cute and welcoming!

 

the staff information counter is in the form of a fort of a castle. lovely!

 

an aquarium with of course, nemo

 

fantastic colorful mural on the wall

 

LOVE the ceiling – trees on walls that ‘grow’ high up to the ceiling

 

a section for boys, or girls who likes autobots and voltron!

 

the place they keep the fire extinguisher was elaborated into THIS!

 

* * *

 

 

this was taken a few days after the stitch-up. you can see that the lower lip was still swollen, and hints of dried blood too. kazim was supposed to eat nothing but porridge or nestum – something soft and mushy but my tough little kazim demanded koko krunch. he gobbled them up carefully but surely, avoiding the stitch, and he was as brave as he can be.

at the time of writing, you can’t even see any sign of stitches. the broken teeth are still there – the dentist told me that the remaining teeth in the upper gum would fall off naturally in due time.

thank you dato’ dr gunasegaran for your kindness and expertise. thank you to my eldest sis yong and abah for all your help throughout this ordeal. thank you to tok li and wan cik for visiting your grandnephew at the hospital. thank you mr khairul for being there with me in spirit and in whatsapp. hihi. thank you ALL!

alhamdulillah!

My Sons, in 3 Words : Mak’s Point of View

in conjuction with mother’s day in malaysia on 16th may, I take this chance to describe my THREE sons in THREE words or phrases, from my observation as their mother. I love that they all have strong personality and vibrant character, just like their bapak.

the year is 2013. khaleef is 7+, kahfi is 4+ and kazim is 3. I hope one day you boys (or your potential girlfriends! haha) will read this and it will put a smile on your face as you think about YOUR own kids and how similar, or different they are from you!

in the meantime, happy mother’s day to the rest of you beautiful people!

 

* * *

 

 

3 words to describe my boys :

khaleef

sensitive – he puts up this cool front – football and taekwando and all, but he’s a real softie at heart. he cries when his other brothers get scolded by mak or bapak. he cries when po gets kicked by the bad guys in ‘kungfu panda’. he cries when he found out that his bestfriend zain is moving to another school. he’s just a sensitive kid, man.

it’s ok to cry, son. being a man does not mean holding back emotions just to appear strong and macho. remember that your tears is not a sign of weakness – it’s a sign that you are alive. embrace your sensitivity!

responsible – (with pre-instructions and reminders), he can totally take care of his brothers independently. he can prepare breakfast for them in the morning – toasted bread with nutella or cereal with fresh milk. he can bathe them. he can clothe them. he has fun with them. he tells them about dinosaurs, and show them dubai on the map. he’s the true big brother anyone would be glad to have.

I am totally proud of this trait that you have. you’re becoming the young man that I can absolutely depend on. keep it up!

leader – the dynamics in the car is different and more mild whenever khaleef is not around. this is because he’s the sunshine that gives out rays of fun! he creates games for them to play, and they follow his lead during any playtime. sometimes it gets out of hand (someone ends up crying or bump of the head), and he turns out to be the culprit – but at the end of the day, it wouldn’t be a fun creative game play if it wasn’t for his ideas.

it’s clear that you have leadership quality, khaleef. use it well.

 

kahfi

realist – he keeps it real and I love this most about him. whenever I’m angry at him, or just finished scolding him, he doesn’t sulk too long, he doesn’t waste time crying all day (unlike big bro khaleef who would sulk in his room or hide under the bed for hours after being scolded) – he can walk right up to me demanding WHY I was angry, WHY was I being so hard on him, REASONS with me, DEBATES with me, and THEN he apologizes. if he accepts my explanation. if not, he would ask me to say sorry instead (in cases where he’s wrongly accused!)

I see a lawyer in the making.

mommy’s boy – he’s the most manja. being the middle child, he either lose the attention to the smarter big brother, or to the adorable little brother. so he totally seeks attention with his 1001 questions and endless stories. he snuggles up to mak all the time and ALWAYS say ‘I love you, mak’ every day without fail. I have to remind myself to reply, ‘I love you too,’ no matter how annoying he’s been – because I know I will regret the day he stops saying those three little words, just because I didn’t say it back.

oh, whenever he’s in trouble or just been scolded, he always manage to snuggle up to me and say, “mak, can you sayang me?” owh, who could resist THAT? you’re gonna be one heckuva player – but be a responsible player, ok!

good PR – this is warm and welcoming, but at the same time dangerous as well – he enjoys chatting up to strangers. from mothers with babies at the checkout counter, to the labourers we pass by while in the car. he asks questions or at least say hi. just look at his smile. nuff said.

this is a commendable trait, my son – to be able to smile at everyone no matter who they are, and where they’re from – well-dressed ladies to uncles with scruffy hair and worn-out shoes – but alas, we live in a world where kids are taught ‘stranger danger’. don’t speak to strangers. be wary of strangers. continue your warmth and friendliness, but tread carefully!

ok now I see a politician!

 

kazim

fearless – he’s one manly boy. he punches, he pushes, he gets it done with little crying, unlike older bro kahfi who cries easily! he’s demanding too – what he wants, he wants and he wants it now – and he gets in there to get it! while bapak’s rotan will scare his older brothers, it will do little to scare him. pinch him? smack his bum bum? he will get back on his feet and go up his business as usual. this is one tough cookie!

I hope in time, you will learn to control that fierceness in you and channel it well!

independent – he is 3 years old, and he can carry the big ribena bottle, his bottle, and the heavy plastic jug full of water all the way from the kitchen to my room, just so I could make the ribena drink for him without troubling me. while kahfi will ask me for water, kazim would just go through the diaper bag to look for water bottle when he’s thirsty, and then open it himself to have a drink. tak payah menyusahkan mak!

I can that see that you’re the one I don’t have to worry about when you go off to boarding school!

creative – while his older brothers prefer to follow the instructions while playing lego, kazim could just take pieces of lego and turn it into a weird masterpiece of his creation. full concentration, he would pick out the tiny lego pieces with his tiny fingers and fix them up into a spaceship. or a barge. or a train. he would take the ‘dinosaurs’ and line them up in the circle around ‘batman’. other kids his age start off drawing circles – kazim draws abstract lines.

creativity. is the first step to problem-solving. never lose it!

 

* * *

 

khaleef, kahfi, kazim

 

..no matter what THREE words mak use to describe all of you, you boys have ONE thing in common – that I LOVE YOU no matter what. remember that! mwah!

what are the THREE words that YOU can use to describe YOUR children?

Youngest Prince Turns 3hree : Happy Bday Kazim!

1st april. my youngest prince was born on this date 3 years ago, and that’s no april fool!

since my eldest khaleef was having chicken pox since few days before kazim’s birthday, we can’t go out and celebrate over pizza dinner and ice-cream – so bapak bought ice-cream cake and we had a simple but icy-cool sing-and-eat party!

ice-cream-cake cool!

 

tada~ it’s my birthday, people!

 

brothers ~ excited faces ready to devour the yummy ice-cream cake

 

mr. khairul got this ‘cookies & creamery’ ice-cream cake from one of our favorite ice-cream places in dubai – the coldstone creamery, otherwise known to us as ‘tempat baling-baling ice-cream’ because the staff does stunts by throwing balls of ice-cream up in the air before catching ‘em in the cup! awesome!

 

the ‘cookies & creamery’ ice-cream cake from coldstone creamery consists of moist chocolate cake layered with cookies & cream ice cream and oreo cookies in between!

 

bapak brought the cake home. haha and this was the final look straight out from the box! senget but still beautifully intact! haha. looks good!

 

haha kazim’s name is also slightly pressed against the clear plastic box, but thankfully you can still make out the name KAZIM. in pink, by the way – they don’t have any other color!

 

nyummy! look at that gloriously compact cookies and cream ice-cream with that choc moist cake in between. delicious! I really can’t remember the last time I had ice-cream cake. this was truly a precious moment! hihi

 

birthday boy got that battery-operated t-rex that roars. he absolutely loved it. didn’t want to part with it! so mr t-rex had to be invited to the party too! nyom nyom.

 

kahfi carefully eating through his ice-cream cake

 

anong still recovering from chicken pox at this time. still cheerful as ever. ye lah dah dapat makan kek eskrim y’all!

 

good birthday boy. share dengan t-rex. hihi. happy birthday, syayang mak. jangan nakal-nakal!

 

* * *

 

these are the latest pictures of birthday boy taken 1st april 2013. he was born in al-wasl hospital, dubai on a warm, sunny mid-day. the shortest and easiest labor for mak. moga senang-senangkan mak selalu ye!

Kids & Firecrackers : To Let Them Play or Not?

do you let your kids play with firecrackers? mercun? bunga api cap kucing?

many unfortunate mishaps that we hear or read happened to some who suffered burns and serious wounds (lost of limbs too!) from playing firecrackers are caused by

• the misuse of firecrackers,
• wanabe scientists with failed experiments using potentially hazardous materials,
• and of course, no adult supervision (sadly, some who misuse ARE adults)

so should i not let my kids play firecrackers?

 

my boys with their cousins : note kazim’s lack of fear for the bunga api!

 

let’s rewind. further back. 1986. ok stop.

i had an extremely fun experience with firecrackers when i was a kid which became one of my best memories of ramadhan with my siblings. i played with the exact same type of firecrackers – bunga api cap kucing, bunga api asap banyak yang pemegang dia belang-belang merah putih tu, dengan pop-pop bila baling kat lantai bunyi meletop!

i stayed away from mercun – the big huge one shaped like a rocket, or even the small weird ones shaped like a frog. yes, i admit – i was afraid of lighting up firecrackers that will emit extremely loud noises and huge explosions!

my best memories of playing firecrackers during ramadhan :

1. my sisters and i would play bunga api in the front lawn right by our front door, lit them up with the lit-up panjut (oil lamps) that we hung on the fences.
2. and mak would even let us ‘cook’ something using a pot, water and hibiscus petal. making flower tea?
3. and when we balik my dad’s kampung teluk intan for raya, abah’s youngest sis mak cu would be the one supplying bunga api for all of her nephews and nieces! here i enjoyed the loud, explosive mercun, but left it to the older cousins to light them up, while i looked from far behind!
4. i tagged along with my eldest sister and her wacky friends to a ‘firecracker showdown’ with the boys! we went to a very very dark field – a team on each side, and then take turns to light firecrackers and see who lights up the brightest, and loudest!

so i see no reason of depriving my boys and their young cousins of the same fun that i had when i was their age!

 

cousins : nuna & kahfi

 

we just all need to remember and be reminded – SAFETY FIRST, and ALWAYS HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION!

alhamdulillah, the kids were well-behaved – extremely curious and highly excited, and needed a few reminders – but generally careful when they handle firecrackers.

it was fun just watching them, while reminscing my own childhood…

 

my boys : anong khaleef, kazim & kahfi

 

my boys just went out of this world with excitement. hihi.

khaleef the big boy was able to play all the time, lighting his own bunga api, and do all sorts of silly stunts with the bigger boys abg haqeem and abg haiqal.

kahfi was a little apprehensive at first – just watching to see whether it’s safe enough for him to handle on his own. slowly, he started to get more curious. soon he was able to hold his own bunga api after i help light it up.

unlike kahfi, kazim was NOT scared at all. he went very close to anyone holding the bunga api. he was very curious from the start, and if i hadn’t stopped him, he would’ve wanted to hold the firecrackers himself. i didn’t let him, until the VERY LAST one, and even then, i was holding his fingers along as he held the bunga api. he was ecstatic!

 

* * *

 

i’m glad they had fun. fun in a safe environment! most importantly, this would be one of the things they would remember doing with their brothers, with their cousins, and with their mak and bapak during ramadhan. priceless memories for keeps.

Kazim Cries Everytime I go to Bathroom

ok, to be fair, the title of this posting should read : kazim has STOPPED crying everytime i go to the bathroom. hihi. and this post is to celebrate the freedom!

…but not after months and months of crying, temper tantrums, wailing and basically a very vocal protest over his mother’s decision to enter a bathroom – which i could never really understood! only for the past few weeks did i realize that he has stopped crying whenever i enter the bathroom. he doesn’t cry anymore, he couldn’t care less!

he’s 2 years-2 months old, and i can finally enter the bathroom in peace!

 

my already-big boy kazim!

 

THEN…

• whenever i need to go to the bathroom, no matter for WHATEVER reason – 5 seconds hand-washing or 20-minute shower – kazim would just burst into tears of the worst kind!
• he would not want ANYONE else – of course, mr. khairul would try everything from cuddling him, giving him chocs, or his favorite oreo, or toys or put on ‘toy story 2’ – nothing works
• at times, when he was busy playing and then suddenly realized i was NOT around him, he would immediately grew nervous and ran to the kitchen or bathroom. when he found the bathroom door closed with me inside – SCREAM!
• when he was younger i would just take him along inside the bathroom! problem solved, for that few minutes…
• sometimes i would just leave the door slightly ajar – this seems to make him less anxious of his mother being ‘gone’ into the unknown – maybe because this lets him know what’s happening inside the bathroom
• of course when mr. khairul was around, sometimes he would distract kazim before i scoot off in lightning speed to the bathroom to do whatever!
• i developed a stealth mode when i am on a bathroom-emergency – mastering tip-toeing, closing door ever so quietly, and making sure the trickle of water doesn’t alert kazim!

 

 

* * *

 

NOW…

• he is not that anxious even if i’m not around. ‘mak is somewhere in the house. i’m cool.’
• even if he caught me getting into the bathroom, i would just smile and wave, and he would be just fine
• so many other things could satisfy him – even when he shows a slight frustration that i’m in the bathroom, he can be distracted by ben10 playing on tv, or his brothers calling him to play, or his bapak feeding him pasta cheese!
• i can have bubble bath, i can enjoy long hot shower, i can scrub the toilet – heck, i can sing the whole boyz to men album while washing my hair at one time without trouble!
• mak nak masuk bilik mandi? pegi lah…tak heran dah!

 

and what did i do to change this behaviour? NOTHING! kids just outgrew certain habits as they mature (thank goodness!) although i hope a few more things will NEVER change – like when he always give me surprise kisses for no reason at all...*smile!*

sob sob. my baby is growing! i can do without the crying-when-i-enter-bathroom, but don’t grow up too fast ya…

10 Reasons Why I Love Being a Mum

1. i can always blame my extra pound (especially my muffin top in the tummy area) on motherhood instead of those choc cakes i have been indulging in!

that’s what i said when mr. khairul playfully made fun of my ‘extra pound’ – “hellowww, anak tiga ok? what’s your excuse?” hihi.

2. if i had my boy with me when we’re spotted playing with toys in a toy shop, i get the ‘aww, so sweet’ looks from onlookers.

because if i were to do that alone, i get the 'that’s creepy’ or ‘that’s just sad’ looks. haha. coz sometimes you just wanna press all that colorful musical buttons on a yellow bus with barney the purple dinosaur on board…

3. who needs a gym membership when you can get a wonderful workout running after a laughing bundle of endless energy? 

carrying them will build your arm muscles, and bending over picking up their toys is practically sit-ups already! toned tummy in no time! want a good jog and a nice run? let your kids loose in a shopping mall, i guarantee a few pounds lost…

4. when we travel, i get treated like a VIP. we’re allowed to jump queues and are given better seats.

so far when we travel, we’ve never been given better seats than what we’ve gotten (which was always good enough), BUT of course older passengers and passengers travelling WITH KIDS always get in first on the plane!

and yes, in dubai airport, the arab officers in kandoora are always kind and considerate to move us to a shorter line so that we don’t have to stay in line for too long. but sadly, this was not the case in indonesia. nangis la macam mana pun, pegawai kat situ buat tak tau je…

5. with my kids’ smiling face and curious stare, i don’t need to think of any ice-breakers when i want to make friends or start conversations with strangers.

this is very true for me. khaleef’s antics in school. the cheeky stuff kahfi does at home. kazim’s eating habits. ANYTHING goes. anything can be an interesting topic. kahfi was jumping while we’re in an elevator, and even THAT can be an opening for a topic!

but i remember never to over-do the owh-my-son-did-this-cute-thing story. sometimes people get bored! haha. sikit-sikit dah le, mummy! move on to another topic, shall we?

6. i don’t need any excuses for turning up late at a party. i just have to seem hurried and look at my kid with total exasperation.

haha. so true again! i think that’s one of our quotes in the car when we’re late for something. “kita ade anak kecik, mesti diorang paham kenapa lambat.” haha. i know having kids is no excuse to always be late, but i’m just saying that KIDDOS can save us WHEN we’re late! haha.

having said that, “sorry ye, anak mengamuk ni.” kiddos can also save you if you wanted to leave early…

7. “it’s all for him.” i can stock up my pantry with lots of goodies without feeling guilty.

big box of oreos. one tub of ben & jerry’s. really long bar of chocolate. yah, for the boys. *roll eyes*

8. there’s always a good excuse to have kapal-karam house when guests drop by for a visit. they always forgive you. well, pardon the mess ya. it’s the kids, you see… *wink wink*

9. my boys provide enough entertainment for years to come. kahfi’s silly faces and those adorable sepet eyes, the darnest things khaleef says or kazim trying on bapak’s huge sunglasses – anything can provide laughter for the whole family. no need maharaja lawak mega or mr. bean!

owh, and no need for sinetron too – i’ve got three drama kings as it is…

10. i don’t need cuddly stuffed animals, or a teddy bear. snuggling up with my boys are warm and comforting enough. *hugs!*

* * *

the ones in bold and italics are the actual points from the column ‘take 10’ in the dubai magazine ‘friday’, written by ‘sheryl sidharth das’. the rest is my take on the list. thank you for your wonderfully amusing list!

mums rock!

6-Hour Dubai-Msia Flight With the Kay Boys

5 facts on agent syigim’s new mission. mission impossible?

syigim, your mission should you choose to accept, is to relocate three of our secret agents – agent K, agent K and agent K to a secure location somewhere in the peninsular malaysia. your flight from dubai will depart approximately at 1030. please be advised that the three agents are armed and dangerous. armed with cheekiness and mischiefs. we will deny any knowledge of this mission should you or any of the three agents be caught. this message will self-destruct in 5 seconds.

 

agent K and agent K are listening to instructions of their missions.

 

don’t be fooled by agent K’s innocent facade. he is THE mastermind.

 

* * *

 

FACT #1 : seating arrangement was strategic.

we got the 4-in-a-row seats, right by the lavatory. i was glad because when khaleef needs to go to the toilet, it would be just beside his seat, so i don’t have to worry about him going too far away. when i needed to go while kazim is asleep, i just went quickly and still made it without any trouble – and even if kazim woke up in the middle, i would be able to hear and could dash out ASAP. this did not happen, and most of the time i was able to go – in peace! hihi.

 

 

* * *

FACT #2 : finally enjoying in-flight entertainment.

since kazim is already 2 years old, he had his own seat, instead of sitting on my lap and sleeping in a bassinet. when he was sitting on my lap, i had to share the screen with him so i watched nothing but disney cartoons! and even when he was asleep and i can put him in the bassinet, i cannot concentrate on watching any movies because i was always on the alert in case he wakes up.

well, i LOVE disney cartoons and can watch it over and over again with kazim on my lap, but it is kinda nice to be able to watch grown-ups movies this time, from start to finish. so it was - the first time really enjoyed the in-flight entertainment. yay!

 

first movie i picked was ‘sherlock holmes : a game of shadows’. always wanted to watch this but never had the chance. i LOVE sherlock holmes THE BOOK. plus jude law is just the handsomest, and i like robert downey jr. but i’m sorry his sherlock holmes is not like what i pictured him to be. and sorry again, i didn’t get the plot even in the first 15 minutes. i wasn’t impressed, and decided no matter what the box-office says – i did NOT like this movie. stopped halfway thru, and picked another movie.

 

i watched ‘new year’s eve’ next, wondering why didn’t i pick this movie first. this movie turned out to be so MANY THINGS. sweet, uplifting, sad, funny, feel-good – it’s a really enjoyable movie with interesting multiple storylines that kept viewers glued to see what happens next to whom!

oh, such a wondeful movie; and why not – just look at the cast list – hillary swank, zac efron, michelle pfeiffer, sarah jessica parker, aston kutcher, robert de niro, halle barry,  jessica biel, catherine heigl, sophia vergara, russel peters, alyssa milano and even jon bon jovi! all the characters experienced the new year’s eve in various circumstances that will move you, make you rejoice, make you cry, make you smile and definitely will make you reflect. a must-see.

 

i love browsing through the ‘world channel’, checking out the synopsis to see if there were any movies i would like from other parts of the world. i stumbled upon ‘wild 7’ – a japanese movie that sounds pretty interesting – a story about this really cool motorcycle group made up of 7 bergaya ex-cons that help fight crimes for the police, but in secret. nice.

 

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FACT #3 : in-flight food.

the kids meal was yummy, just PERFECT for my *italian* boys. it’s tube pasta and marinara sauce with beef. it’s fairly good, they loved it, and i was just glad that they’re eating something on a 6-hour flight. it was so nice watching them all nice and snug under the covers with the tray of yummies in front of them; and they’re watching their favorite cartoon. relaxed!

 

 

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i absolutely love the snack box. usually it’s just a cardbox, but this was the first time the boys got an actual plastic box with a nice cover and all. it’s really nice! they can use it as a lunch box to bring to school. as usual, yummy little goodies inside.

 

 

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the choice was between chicken curry and breaded fish. i wanted the chicken. duuh. but when the tray came to my seat, “sorry, there is no more chicken.” WHY? get this, “..because everyone wanted chicken.” well, apparently everyone else seemed to be getting one but me. so what, i’m not important enough to get chicken too? how come i’m the one who had to give in and take fish instead of the *everyone else* who wanted chicken and got it?

anyway, ALHAMDULILLAH – at least i have something to eat, and it is surprisingly nice tasting fish, yummy mashed potato and pretty nice steamed veggies. overall an okay dish. you got lucky, emirates!

 

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FACT #4 : kazim slept during the first 2 hours of flight. kahfi slept throughout the middle of the journey. khaleef slept towards the end. these agents seemed to have it all timed-out. brilliant! they always have TWO agents awake watching out for me!

 

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FACT #5 : alhamdulillah, safely arrived earlier than the ETA, and my younger sisters and their future hubs were already waiting at the gate. it was such a wonderful sight of my youngest sis waving frantically as i walked out of the departure gate. i had to wave back enthusiastically too! even more so! haha. *WAVE WAVE!*

 

this is love! my sisters with their dubai nephews kahfi and khaleef, with their beloved sister whom they have been missing so very much! hihi. and then off we went to my other sister’s house for a little makan-makan. it was a great fun day of late-night talks with shrill voices and extremely loud laughters. it was the best.