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!

 

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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?

Khaleef : Back to School!

new semester starts. year 2 awaits. are you ready for school, khaleef?

 

cool khaleef on his first day of school last wednesday. he usually goes by bus, tapi sebab hari pertama kan, manjakan sikit. hihi. bapak sent and picked him up from school.

 

it was actually amusing to see the school on its first day – mak bapak berpusu-pusu macam kat pasar malam, holding tight to their sons and daughters. teachers standing by their classroom doors waiting for their students to arrive one by one. security guards helping clueless parents to guide them to the classes.

I was one of the clueless parents kot. haha.

 

this was the weekend before school starts – we went to the designated uniform store to buy new school uniform for khaleef. ok tak sangka kedai ni besar gile! this was our first time here, because usually we buy the school uniform at his school. this time we missed the assigned date to buy from school because we just returned from malaysia.

 

uniform, uniform. you just need to tell the staff which school your kid is going to – and let him do the rest!

 

little brothers sitting patiently while big brother tried out the school uniform.

 

bapak looking for PE (physical edu) uniform. when we were in school, bapak was in red house and mak was in the yellow house. khaleef? blue house! we didn’t buy new blue-t-shirt since he can still wear the old one, but he needed a new track bottom – yang lama dah senteng! anak mak dah tinggi!

 

2 sizes bigger this time around. my eldest all grown up! sob sob.

 

the best thing about all this prep was that khaleef himself was pretty excited to start school. I don’t have to motivate him, he’s already psyched up about school.

he can’t wait to meet his old friends from year 1. he can’t wait to get on the yellow school bus again. he saw his new school books and he can’t wait to continue his arabic lessons. learn new songs. alhamdulillah. play hard and study smart, my son!

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…

Specky Khaleef : Tips for Kids to Handle Spectacles

it started off with a red-eye, took him to an eye-doc and while checking his red-eye, the doc also checks his sight – and that’s when we were officially told that khaleef needs glasses. rabun jauh.

no denying it anymore.

power : 180. kesian anak mak.

he has never complained about not being able to see clearly at school, but we did notice him standing too close to the TV when he watched cartoon or played x-box. sigh, i have only myself to blame for letting him stand THAT close, THAT long – tv, notebook monitor or ipad!

 

 

we checked him up in a hospital in dubai, and got the prescription, but ended up buying two pairs of spectacles in ipoh – cheaper!

khaleef was excited to get his first pair of spectacles, which makes me more sebak – was he in pain all these while, squinting and straining his eyes to see clearly? kesian!

but no matter – now he already got a pair!

 

 

* * *

 

first check-up at medcare hospital, dubai

 

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tips to buy spectacles for kids :

1. 2 things must come to mind : safety, and durability – something that will last
2. choose specs with spring, that lets the frame’s temple bend in both direction
3. plastic frames may be a better choice for children because they tahan lama, less likely to be bent or broken, and most of all lighter in weight – senang budak-budak nak handle.
4. assure the right fit – strapped nicely around your kid’s head, right on the nose, and most importantly, doesn’t fall off when he’s playing and jumping and well, when simply being a kid!
5. make them part of the search for spectacles. let them choose. let them try a few on. look in the mirror. strike a pose. make it fun, and let them decide. it's important for kids to feel that they are a part of the frame selection process so that they will feel more attached to it, thus will take good care of it!
6. finally, of course – be prepared! so get a back-up spectacles, just in case. kids, you see – you never know!

 

this is khaleef’s back-up spectacles

 

taking care of your spectacles – for kids!

1. cleaning and maintaining their glasses

dirt and dust will be normal so help your kid to clean his glasses carefully. make sure he has a proper cleaning cloth, like the one that comes in the box with the specs. teach him how to scrub his lense carefully, and maybe even create a routine – wipe his specs everyday before bedtime, perhaps?

for now, i’m still the one cleaning khaleef’s specs. haven’t let him do it himself yet!

2. how to hold the spectacles?

whether he is putting on or removing his glasses, make sure he doesn’t touch the lenses with his fingers. remind him/her to hold the frames.

also remind him to hold the specs with BOTH hands when putting or removing, so that it will not bend. this part, i can see that he’s really careful with.

his friends may be curious which is normal, but we as parents need to remind him that letting his friends handle his specs might not be a good idea, as many mishaps could happen! however, khaleef was not the first boy to wear glasses in his class, so his classmates are already used to classmates wearing glasses in class!

 

3. set a routine or good practice

like i wrote earlier, set a time to clean his specs, like before bedtime or before going off to school in the morning.

also set a regular practice on WHERE to keep his specs when he wants to take a bath, play sports or go to sleep. is it on the dining table? in his drawer? or on top of the bookshelf? does he have a box to keep his specs? all this will create a pattern that will help your kid to keep his spectacles better.

khaleef DOES have a green ben10 box to keep his spectacles, but i have caught him many times simply placing them on the bed! and on the couch – places where people can easily sit on, or terpelanting! adoi.

 

4. set good example!

mr. khairul wears glasses in this family. i don’t. so i always remind mr. khairul to share his experiences with khaleef. i want him to remind khaleef about the do’s and don’ts of wearing specs. i want him to show khaleef the right way to hold them – because he’s the one who’s been wearing spectacles since he’s 9 years old.

when khaleef sees how his father handles his spectacles, he would naturally falls into the same habit, because he feels he can relate to his father who also wears spectacles.

(the problem is, sometimes, it’s mr. khairul who would be heard shouting, “sayangggg mana i letak spek tadi? nampak tak?” *tepuk dahi!*)

 

* * *

 

any other experience to share about your kids wearing spectacles? do share!

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.

 

* * *

 

 

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!

 

 

* * *

 

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.

 

 

* * *

 

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!

 

* * *

 

 

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!

 

* * *

 

 

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.

What I Miss About BF Kazim

i have stopped breastfeeding kazim. he's now 22 months old. it was a moment of sudden emptiness, a pinch of sadness, and missing a lot of moments. yes, it's also a little bit of a relief since for the past weeks he had been latching on empty - and that creates a lot of pain on my part. so we both had to let go.

i will miss a lot of the closeness, the touches, his tiny body in my arms, the smile on his face after a good ‘meal’, the satisfaction on his face as he falls asleep after each feed. mostly, the indescribable beautiful bf bond of mother and baby.

i will miss him falling asleep while i breastfed him – i know every mothers will recognize this look on their baby – the lentok look, eyes shut in a heavenly bliss of full tummy filled with mom’s glorious milk, mouth sometimes open in deep slumber, sometimes with a thin trail of breast milk still hanging from his lips – adorable!

i will miss that no matter how LOUD he cries, or how badly he is hurt, how hard he fell down, he immediately went silent the moment he knows he’s getting nursed. boobies always saved the day! haha.

i will miss the wonder i have on his sleeping position – his little body contorted according to the uneven curve of my cross-legged position as i breastfed him, head resting on mom’s hard knee-bone, one hand holding dangling on the side, and STILL managed to sleep, thanks to mom’s milk – selesa ke tido macam tu? i always chuckle in amazement.

i will miss him playing with his ear-lobes in his little chubby fingers as he latched on, eyes fixed on his hopes and dreams. most probably hopes of finally climbing that dining table and dreams of rummaging through neatly-folded stack of warm clothes.

i will miss this habit of his, developed when he’s about 18+ mths old – whenever i look at him as he breastfeeds, he would cover his eyes with his palm! yes, this seemingly shy-away action is hard to comprehend – and until now i wonder why he did it. it’s not an invitation to a peek-a-boo game, he just seemed – well, shy!

right now, miss breastfeeding even more whenever kazim is inconsolable, and i knew in my heart that no matter how tight i hug him, it’s not as comforting as when he’s nursed – that’s when he will feel he is safe.

well, now i gotta make sure he knows he’s safe in my arms no matter what. BF or not, my arms are still here for him to cuddle in. my lap is here for him to sleep on. the hugs will still be there in abundance, the kisses will be infinite. yes, even until the day kazim leaves for work on some big hot-shot job one fine day haha.

nowadays, when he sleeps, he needs to hold my hands, play with my fingers, and then fall asleep. i don’t mind. after breastfeeding stops, it’s nice to know that mom’s warmth is still needed.

“Mak, Bad Guy Take Kahfi!”

yeap, i heard khaleef screamed, “mak! bad guy take kahfi!” and with that, i saw a man holding kahfi who was wriggling to escape. the man did not let go. and khaleef kept screaming.

oh, let me rewind.

we were at a hotel in damansara with abah, and kahfi was his usual ‘cockroach’ self – run here run there – and we were starting to get ticked off with his constant need to escape. he even ran to the little ‘rumah kampung’ display at the hotel and brought down the pagar! oh, no!

at one point, one of the hotel staff took hold of kahfi, and brought him back to me, wriggling away trying to escape.

…and that’s when khaleef screamed out to me, “mak, bad guy take kahfi!

the hotel staff just smiled.

i can’t say for sure that this is the best way to educate our children about ‘stranger danger’ – but i always tell khaleef (or, sometimes, more to SCARE khaleef) that there are bad guys out there who can just snatch kids like him if he wanders off without telling mak or bapak, or if he doesn’t watch his little brother.

they just need to know that the real world out there could be more dangerous than having burgers fell from the sky, the magic of dibo the gift dragon or from the comforts of their own home.

* * *

lagi cerita kahfi.

kepala kahfi tersekat kat celah tiang tangga rumah abah. jerit-jerit dia. aku kat dalam bilik dengan kazim, tiba-tiba khaleef datang bagitau.

bila naik atas, nampak abah tengah cuba kluakan kepala kahfi dari celah tangga. kahfi dah bukan nangis lagi dah. dah terjerit-jerit. aku rasa bukan nangis sakit tu. lebih kepada nangis takut kepala tak bole klua!

aku pun cuba jugak. abah dah pegi bawah nak cari gergaji!

khaleef cuba membantu dgn membawa toys utk hiburan kahfi masa dia tersekat tu. bawak bola la. bawak robot la. bawak dinosaur la. macam-macam dia bawak tunjuk kat kahfi. ade satu part tu, dia pun tolong tekan kepala kahfi supaya bole klua!

aku cuma asyik cakap, “it’s ok kahfi. it’s ok. sayang mak.” supaya tenangkan kahfi. aku tau dia nangis tu lebih kepada takut. yang part sakit tu masa aku cuba tekankan kepala dia je.

hmm. kalo muat nak masuk, mesti muat nak klua. aku pun pusing-pusing, tekan-tekan, herot-herot – akhirnya dapat jugak kluakan kepala kahfi. merah telinga dia. nangis sedu-sedu. nasib baik atuk tak payah guna gergaji!

tu la. masuk lagi kepala celah tangga!

khaleef & kahfi (credit picture : tina)

member aku buat lawak. katanya, anak kedua dia pun ade je halnya. buat perangai pelik-pelik macam si kahfi. “second child memang macam tu ke, syigim?” erk, aku pun second child tau! kitorang bukan pelik, tapi terlalu kreatif sangat! hihi.

* * *

cerita kazim pulak.

kazim dah boleh bergolek lancar dengan bahayanya! kenapa aku cakap bahaya – sebab hampir nak jatuh katil!

pertama kali aku saksikan detik-detik dia bole bergolek tu memang la dah horay-horay dah, tapi dia dah tak ulang dah detik gemilang tu. jadi aku tak lah beria-ia letak bantal keliling dia kalau letak dia atas katil,

tapi baru-baru ni, aku letak dia tengah katil, sekelip mata je dia dah dekat hujung kepala katil! maknanye dia dah bergolek 4-5 kali untuk sampai ke situ.

terkejut gile aku!

jadi sekarang ni, kalo aku nak mandi lama atau keluar bilik, aku letakkan dia atas tilam kat atas lantai, atau kalau dia tido atas katil, aku akan buat kubu dengan bantal-bantal. dah laju dah budak busuk tu!

kazim & abang long khaleef (credit picture : syida)

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ok budak-budak. bapak tengah jauh ni, korang jangan la nakal-nakal sangat ok. tolong mak sket! *senyum*

Flying With Kids : What to Pack?

i travel back to malaysia with my 4 boys - a 4 year old kid, a terrible 2 toddler, and a 3 month-old baby. oh, and my favorite 31 year old boy!

there's A LOT to plan!

khaleef's on first flight!

i remember khaleef's first flight. sigh. how easy it was back then!

mr. khairul had already gone to dubai, and was waiting for us. i flew with my abah and umi, and a 2 year old khaleef. kahfi was in my tummy, and kazim was yet to be conceived!

it was a 2am flight. khaleef sat down, i switched on the in-flight movie to his favorite disney's 'the little mermaid'. after less than 30mins, he had already dozzed off - all the way - yes, ALL through the journey. he woke up only when the plane had landed!

memang senang ya amat!

* * *

on our second trip back home, khaleef was his usual 'easy-to-manage' self. he sat down, and immediately got comfortable with his in-flight entertainment.


what was new this time around, was we're travelling with kahfi - on his first flight, and first trip back to his home soil.

he too, was fairly easy to managed. hungry, i breast-fed him. when sleepy, he slept. when playful, he just sat quietly on my lap.


we got the 3-seat in a row, right up front so that we can have the bassinet for kahfi to sleep in. the bassinet is sturdy and looks comfy - kahfi slept well in it! however, he had to be taken out during turbulence, or else he might go bouncy bounce!

* * *

now for the first time, we're travelling with another addition to our family - baby kazim!

WHAT TO PACK?

1. make sure you have EXTRA CLOTHES - i got 2 for baby kazim, 2 shorts for the boys, and 1 t-shirt that could be worn by either one of them (travel light. it's highly unlikely that both boys dirty their t-shirt, i hope!)
2. DIAPERS and wipes - few for kazim and kahfi. if possible, double whatever you plan to bring. anticipate flight delay or tummy trouble!
3. shower cream, powder, diaper rash cream - i got myself the small packs of mini johnsons, and tucked them right in the diaper bag.
4. PLASTIC BAG to dispose the poopy diapers, or keep soiled pants - you can also use the barf-bag available in planes
5. MILK - for kahfi.
6. own SNACKS, finger food & bottled water - you can't keep asking the stewardess for water, or peanuts, can you? i brought biscuits and cereals.
7. entertainment - left it to the in-flight cartoons, and i'm saved!
8. favorite BOOK - a picture book for kahfi, and of course, 'the cat in the hat' for khaleef
9. TOYS - cars, cars or anything with wheels. more for kahfi.
10. first aid supplies - vicks vapor rub, plaster and tiger balm (tiger balm tu for the pening mom!)

arranged everything nicely in your diaper bag. make sure all items are organized, and MOST importantly - easily accessible.

in fact, pack a small bag (plastik bag pun boleh!) with just one diaper, a few wipes, and rash cream if needed and place it in the seat pocket in front of you, before you keep your handcarry and diaper bag up on the storage compartment.

senang nak capai kalo ape-ape hal!

AT THE AIRPORT

1. make sure you arrive early at the airport. you would have plenty of time for check-in. you must anticipate meragam, mengantuk, mengamuk or mengada-ngada drama from your kiddos!
2. try smiling helplessly at everyone and you may get help and be able to queue jump! (the last time we went back, they opened a counter JUST for us, because kahfi was crying)
3. this one i read somewhere - you can try asking if your flight is full when checking in because they can block out the seat next to you in a less full flight or put you next to a vacant seat, especially when traveling with a toddler under 24months without a seat; like kahfi.
4. wide space, plenty of room to move, the kiddos definitely want to run around - so put a set of reins or a harness on your kid so that you can let him walk around the terminal - but still keep him close.
5. make sure your kiddos wear distinctive clothing with bright colors or print to avoid losing them in a crowded airport - ALL my boys wore RED!
   

what's YOUR experience when flying or travelling with your kiddos? do share!

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i hope by the time you read this, we're already safe in malaysia, gobbling up durian and sticks of satay kajang, plus plates of char kuey teow!

The Day We Became Mak & Bapak

soon, our first born khaleef will be four. and with that, both mr. khairul and i will also be celebrating our 4th anniversary of becoming parents.

the day we became mak, and bapak.


mr. khairul has been a fantastic father. i couldn't ask for more. he's helpful when it comes to poopy diaper and milk mixing - never a word of complain. he's a playful buddy to his sons - football, golf, swimming, shooting, bicycle and gym time - you name it. at the same time, he's still the most feared disciplinarian when i'm tired of nagging! wise in spending for khaleef, and always wants the best for his kid.

it's you, khaleef! you made him a great dad!

* * *

motherhood had been a mix of drama, mystery, intrigue, horror and comedy - with a mix of after-school special and twilight zone! he brought out the best in me (the day i finally realized i'm really an adult with this big responsibility!) and also the worst (khaleef really tests my patience!) - nevertheless, khaleef helped unleash the 'mommy' in me, and i became a better person for it.

thank you my little khaleef. my baby, for always!

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with mak

with bapak

* * *

awaiting 15th. when our first baby turns FOUR. *smile*