UmmiRosma

Losing One of the Best World Voices

2012-02-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

May she rest in peace....truly saddened by the news break. Like you all....I am one of her big fans....who adores her beautiful voice....her beautiful face....her beautiful skin....her beautiful songs especially her inspirational and motivational songs. :'(

I got inspired listening to one of Mariah Carey's songs featuring the late Whitney Houston.......

"When You Believe"

Many nights we've prayed
With no proof anyone could hear
In our hearts a hopeful song
We barely understood

Now we are not afraid
Although we know there's much to fear
We were moving mountains long
Before we knew we could

There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

In this time of fear
When prayers so often prove(s) in vain
Hope seems like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away

Yet now I'm standing here
My heart's so full I can't explain
Seeking faith and speaking words
I never thought I'd say

There can be miracles, when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

They don't (always happen) when you ask
And it's easy to give in to your fears

But when you're blinded by your pain
Can't see your way straight throught the rain
(A small but )still resilient voice
Says (hope is very near)

There can be miracles

When you believe
Though hope is frail
It's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles,you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
somehow you will
You will when you believe

You will when you
You will when you believe
Just believe...in your heart
Just believe
You will when you believe

And another one.....this song can make my eyes teary too......

"One Moment In Time"

Each day I live
I want to be
A day to give
The best of me
I'm only one
But not alone
My finest day
Is yet unknown

I broke my heart
Fought every gain
To taste the sweet
I face the pain
I rise and fall
Yet through it all
This much remains

I want one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me
Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel
I will feel eternity

I've lived to be
The very best
I want it all
No time for less
I've laid the plans
Now lay the chance
Here in my hands

Give me one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me
Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel
I will feel eternity

You're a winner for a lifetime
If you seize that one moment in time
Make it shine

Give me one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me
Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will be
I will be
I will be free
I will be
I will be free

The Exotic Moringa Oleifera

2012-01-28T02:11:00.000-08:00

I think this such trees are coming to their extinction. I bought these moringa pods at one of the supermarkets here and the price was rather expensive too. When I browsed through the internet...there are actually countries in some parts of the world are planting these trees as they are very beneficial to our health in deed...(*,*)...

It has been ages that I did not cook these vegies and once I got them....I cooked the way my mom cooked when we were very little. I could still remember how we loved to savour these exotic vegies. I cooked the cut pods in curry with some prawns.

The Horrible Bus Crash In Sabah

2011-12-22T23:02:00.000-08:00

The horrific accident had happened at Jalan Ranau Tamparuli, Kg Kaporingan in Sabah involved 32 passengers and a driver. Seven Bruneians lost their lives in the mishap.

More stories about the crash, please click HERE.
I just dont dare to post the pictures here....so sadden by the news coverage. I burst into tears... :'(

His Majesty also issued a command for all facilities, including the cost of medical treatment for the injured and the transportation of the bodies of the victims back to Brunei by aircraft, to be borne by His Majesty’s Government. (Extracted from http://www.bruvoice.com)

So blessed to be one of the loyal Bruneians....long live His Majesty. Next week we are going to be on our vacation to Sabah....may our journey be blessed and protected by Allah...amin...amin...amin...

We love the cookies....

2011-12-22T05:49:00.000-08:00

This is one of our holiday activities with the kids....to get rid of boredom....(^_^)....

We baked some cookies.....and the result was FANTASTIC!

I got the recipe from NUR , so if you feel like baking some cookies....
have a try....satisfaction-guaranteed!

Note : Nur, thank you very much yea *hugs*

The Lamap Inquiry-Based Science EducationTraining

2011-12-14T22:14:00.000-08:00

On the 7th November - 12th November 2011, I attended the ISBE Training held at Pusat Tingkatan Enam Meragang. Despite the long journey to the center where the training was held, I gained a lot of new knowledge and of course the joyous feeling when meeting friends (^,^).

Some random pictures during the ISBE training sessions:

We were trained by these special lecturers from France.

Exeprimental activity ~ The amount of salt in water samples.

The stomata of leaves

Demonstrating the formation of solar and lunar eclipses.

We were trained to become the ISBE trainers for the Bruneian Science teachers at the national level next year. We felt the job that was delegated to us was very heavy but with the collaborative teamwork spirit among us....I am sure that everything will run smoothly...Insya Allah.

Their First Time Ride...

2011-12-12T16:47:00.000-08:00

Habibi and Habibati would love to experience riding on a bus. Last week, they had an appointment with the skin specialist at the hospital and their wish was granted at the same time. Since there are shuttle buses provided to pick up and drop off patients/doctors/nurses/staffs to the hospital, so it was such a great opportunity!

The kids were very supa dupa excited...(^_^)...

Something funny....the kids requested me to bring them again to ride on the shuttle bus...until up to 4 rounds to and from the bus stand and the hospital! hahaha

Loving these red benaficial gems...

2011-12-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

Pomegranates...I always love the sweetness each 'gem' brings out....

Habibati was enjoying her red gems at the backseat of the car. I enjoyed mine in the front passenger seat...and....romantically fed my dear hubby some while he was on wheels...*giggles*...

Click -> Health Benefits of Pomegranate

The Must-Try Recipe...

2011-12-09T00:11:00.000-08:00

I have tried this recipe shared by this lovely and creative mommy . The little helper was with me too.....(^;^)....

I love the rich chocolaty taste....the soft texture....and most of all.....it was very easy to make! The taste is almost like brownies but the different is that , this cake is steamed but not oven-baked. I might one day will innovate the recipe by adding some peanuts or almonds and cheese cream.

Thank you Sarah's Mommy for sharing this fabulous recipe (^;*).

If you guys wanna try out this recipe please check out the recipe HERE...all the best!

Our Simple Dinner..

2011-12-06T22:53:00.000-08:00

It was just something simple and instant. Mr hubby bought the instant Dhall Curry (Malaysian Product).

We had some french loaf and prata to match the dhall curry.

The taste was fabulous.........Alhamdullilah.

Mr Little Toadie In My Flat!

2011-12-06T22:45:00.000-08:00

I slipped my foot into my flat and felt something soft and cold......

then I pushed harder.....

but I can't!!

Why???

I grabbed my flat and investigate what was inside...

It was a little toadie inside!

I screamed aloud and my dear hubby had to remove it from my flat......so lucky it was only a little one...!

Note : Now that I realize that the colour of the toad's skin synchronized the colour of my bronze flat!

The Annual Sports Day

2011-11-19T22:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our kids' school was having their annual sports day. Hubby and I were present to witness our kids participating in the sports activities....not to disappoint them ....(^_^)...

They were doing their aerobics before the games started. I could feel happiness and cheerfulness in the atmosphere....

Marching to get ready for the games....

Although the kids didn't win any medals but they sure had real fun with the games....that was more important ya..

These are the videos of Habibati and Habibi during the games...*giggles*.....

Habibi was the second last in the game...hehehe....

In the end....enjoying the sponsored cold MILO drinks....well done babies!

The Cooked Watermelon Rinds

2011-11-18T23:30:00.000-08:00

This is a very traditional country dish....

Last night, I cooked the water melon rinds (the while pulp) with some prawns. If you happen to buy a watermelon, please don't throw away the rinds. Have a try on this easy recipe.

Saute the sliced shallots, garlic cloves and fresh chillies with little canola oil until fragrant. Then pour in some water and wait until it boils. After that put in the sliced rinds and prawns. Put in some salt and some Maggie Cukup Rasa granules to taste. Done!

Safely Returned...

2011-11-18T23:17:00.000-08:00

Alhamdullilah...they have safely returned to the abode of peace in good health. Semoga mendapat haji yang mabrur...amin...

Exam Fever

2011-11-05T00:47:00.000-07:00

We are approaching to the end of Year 2011 and the exam season has come.....and after that.....holidays!!

I have to make some revision worksheets for our kids....thank goodness....some worksheets can be printed freely for the educational websites too. Their final year examination will start on the 8th until 12th of this month. It is quite hard to engage them with the revision sessions....hahaha....we have to 'pujuk rayu' with them!

I am sure every parent would agree with this saying:
"If the children are having their examinations.....the parents are in deed too"

TechExpo 2011

2011-11-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

We brought the kids there on Friday which was held at The International Convention Center. First we went to the IncrediWorld Amazement Park and had to pay $3 per pax....even the kids were charged the same amount...(@.@)...

Inside......

We had a close encounter with the styrofoam-made animals and learnt about their amazing facts too.

Below is the Mirror Maze. I did not finished the 'journey' because I felt dizzy and scarred! I am actually having 'Nyctophobia' ---> the phobia characterized by a severe fear of the darkness.
Mr hubby and Habibi successfully finished the pathway without bumping into the mirrors....well done!

Then, we walked into the other section of the expo with a hope to get a very close encounter with the 'robots'. Although the robots turned out to be the small ones only but the kids were very happy. The cute and smart robots showing off their talents....

Habibi tried using the remote control of the robot.

At the other section again....Habibi met the mascots of some Angry Birds. Habibati refused to take some pictures with the red angry bird.....*lol*

I managed to purchase this pink bag for my lappy.....love...love..love.....so pink...!

A Holter instead!

2011-11-03T01:35:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned before...that I would be undergoing my stress test at the Cardiac Department, RIPAS Hospital. I was mentally and physically ready for the test...but when I arrived there, the nurse told me that she would fix a holter on my body. I was so anxious to see the battery-operated device and all the wires that were going to be attached to my chest and tummy!

Below is the picture of the device that I wore for 24 hours......*credits to Mr Google*

A holter monitor is a recording device usually worn for 24 to 72 consecutive hours. The monitor records all heart activity during the time it is worn.

Guess what happened to me while this thing is fixed on my body?

I was distressed to the max...I felt really uncomfortable... and the wires kept on falling off...that I had to use the cello-tapes to fix the wires back. I felt that this thing had limited my activities.

I was soooooo veryyyyyy STRESSFUL!

As a result --> At around 4pm onwards....my blood pressure had turned high....up to 160/100 and my pulse rate palpitated as high as 110 beats per minute....*poor me*.....

Hubby rushed me to the AE and there I was monitored until my BP went down a bit and I was prescribed with a relaxing medicine....for me to sleep well so that my BP could turn back normal.

What a horrible experience! I know that I was making not-that-beautiful-graphs, but I am still praying to Allah that my heart will be in the healthy condition...amin...positive-minded...

The Battle...

2011-10-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Habibi, as the 'commander', arranged his battalion for the war.....*giggle*

I was amazed to see the way he lined up his toy soldiers, angry birds and aliens to get ready for the battle. Kids do learn from playing and spontaneously do express their feelings and experiences through drawings too....so does Habibi. I will post some of his drawings about soldiers and wars soon...(^,^)...

My BP vs Pulse Rate

2011-10-25T00:16:00.000-07:00

My appointment with the Cardiac Department will be on the 31st October (Monday). I feel slightly nervous too because I do not know anything about the stress test that will be conducted. But through some discussions with my colleagues....the stress test will need me to walk on the treadmill. I will undergo several stages of the brisk walk sessions with different speed levels.....(>.<).....

Oh ya...why am I referred to this department?

It is all because of several palpitations that I experience. Now...I can control my mind....but still sometimes....it occurs again that needs me to relax myself and keep things easy....! The doctor said, I have to be wise in managing my stressfulness and be more positive in life.

Each day....at different times of the day...I will keep checking my BP. I notice....despite the normal BP measurements, generally my pulse will always be in the range of 85 -95 per minute. This is considered high....the doctor says so. It seldom goes 70 plus. *sigh*

I keep on praying to Allah that everything will be normal with my heart and wishing Allah to bestow me with strength to face the days and any probabilities with total calmness.... Amin...

If you guys have the same experiences as me...please do share with me...so that I won't feel alone having this kind of unpredictable case. Tnx..

Around My Parents' Crib

2011-10-18T23:40:00.000-07:00

The fruit trees planted by my parents are bearing fruits. Every drop of sweat shed by them is now showing some continuous good returns. Like this longan tree, it never stop bearing fruits. I used to love eating these longan fruits but now I have to lessen the intake as I would eventually end up with tonsillitis!

Hubby has to use a ladder to pick the longans which are mostly unreachable. So before these longans become the monkeys' feast....better be hurry!

I wonder if you know about these fruits? They are called 'tarap' here....

Another one below....the 'karamunting' fruit. This type of fruits are almost extinct already.

And the mulberries.....how I wish I had good green hands like my parents....I know they take care of their plants with love....

Happy Birthday Sarra' Sofiyya

2011-10-18T00:14:00.000-07:00

Alhamdullilah....my niece...Sarra' Sofiyya is now 1 year old. Time flies really fast. She is sharing her birthday with my mother who is turning 62 and my brother is 27 *ehem bila nak kawin ooiii* .

My sis and bro-in-law treated us at Aneka Rasa Restaurant last Sunday. The birthday girl is right in the middle and of course our two kids were the most over-excited ones! Love you all...

Wishing Them Well There...

2011-10-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

My parents-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law had gone to Mecca Saudi Arabia to perform haj. It was such a serene moment when they are leaving home accompanied by the call of prayer. We sent them off to the airport and as expected, there were a sea of people. We wish my family-in-law and the other Muslim pilgrims in the world who are now performing their haj there will be under Allah's protection and blessings...amin..amin..amin..

It's Pizza Time!

2011-10-15T00:42:00.000-07:00

Habibati helped me out in the kitchen to make a pizza. I only used a pizza base that I bought from a supermarket.

There it went into the oven for 15 minutes only.

Habibati and Habibi cut the pizza together.

Our girl loves pizza very much but not our Habibi. He only prefers to eat the crust only...LOL

Sweet Sour Mussels

2011-10-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

I was craving for some mussels...as a result...I cooked this for our dinner last night. I love the bright colours the vegies had brought up. A simple one but delicious enough to satisfy my craving...(^_^)...

An Afternoon Walk & Ride

2011-10-13T05:49:00.000-07:00

I will have my stress test appointment with the Cardiac Department at the end of this month
...(*.*)...thus I need to keep my stamina well. I know it is gonna be very 'stressful' as the days approach...but I set my mind positively that everything is going to be ok.....amin....

We start to do some 'healthy' outings....doing the brisk walk for hubby and I....and cycling for the kids. I need to do more exercises *new adaptation* hehe

The Must-Have Ones....

2011-10-13T00:21:00.000-07:00

Although hari raya is over but the memories are still fresh in my mind. When I browsed the uploaded pictures taken during the festive season, I found the pictures of my mom's all-time favourite snacks a.k.a the 'must-have'....(--,)....

Not only they were the 'must-have' but they ignited my childhood's memories too. I used to eat these junkies around at school with my friends. However...now....I have to lessen the intake of these junkies due to my health factors...*gulped*

The preserved pitted plum....

We use to call these 'buah kana'......sedappppp!

The dried squids.....

The shredded dried squids.....

The sugar tamarind balls....I really love munching them especially during my PMS...(66,)...

The garlic peanuts and dried clams......yummy!

Thank You Mr Hubby

2011-10-07T00:27:00.000-07:00

My kids just had their battery-operated motorcycles for their hari raya gifts. Not only the kids....the very very important Madame entitles a gift too...right...(^,^)....

Introducing my new baby gadget....

The functions are almost like the Apple iphone...but the size of this Samsung Galaxy Tab is bigger than the iphone. However...it is smaller than that Apple Ipad...(^_^)....

I was so lucky to have that pink pouch.....

This tab is very practical too....I can use it 'to keep calm' the kids in the car!

Thank you so much Mr Hubby.....love you always.....

‘Cath-j.com giveaway : The Recipe book’.

2011-10-06T23:50:00.000-07:00

Despite the hectic life routines...I must make sure I engage myself with cooking activities especially for my family. I love to try out some new recipes from different parts of the world. Furthermore, my family loves Italian dishes.....thus I join this GA contest held by this pretty mommy CathJ...with a wish to win the Italian Recipe Book....(^^,)....

If you would like to have that recipe book....c'mon join the contest....by just clicking the above badge. All the best!

Syawal 1432H

2011-09-28T00:22:00.000-07:00

I have been offline from blogging for quite so long...and now I am coming here to 'clear up' this dusty blog...(^^,)... The holy Syawal is nearly coming to an end...I have some random pictures of our Hari Raya this year...may we meet another Syawal again...amin..amin..amin...

Our family video memory --> Syawal 1432

Our random pictures...

Last minute 'flower plants' shopping....we went to the nearby horticulture hunting for some small potted plants for our balcony...

As being practiced since I was a little girl by my grandmother...now I am passing this practice to my little princess...

Habibi was turning 5 on the 15 August....so we celebrated his birthday on the first day of Hari Raya. He was sharing his birthday with the grandfather (my FIL) too....
The icecream cake was plain because this was the only ready-made one left....so I gave some 'facelift' to it....(--,)...
Habibati's name was on the cake too...hehehe...or she would cry buckets!

The goodie bags...of course some soft candies...chocolates...jellies and drinks...

Habibi..the birthday boy was staring at birthday candles....

Happy birthday Habibi...Abah and.....of course...Habibati! hehehe

The little muslimahs....

The fireworks time with Nenek laki (my dad).

My dad with my niece Sarra' Sofiyya.

My FIL's realtives....that very old man is now 100 years old. His memory is still very sharp and he can tell stories of his life. We pray for his wellness...amin...

My hubby with his parents and some of his siblings....

My lovely ladies....

Our kids and their hari raya gifts....

....and us.....*picture taken by Habibati*.....hahaha

Eid Mubarak To All My Muslim Friends

2011-08-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

Hari Raya Shopping

2011-08-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to look for Hari Raya thingies for the kids. The traffic was not that bad yet as it was still 9 plus in the morning.

Habibi's songkok...

......but after that he bought this one too! haha

We went to Times Square Shopping Mall too and the kids just could not resist to try out the Water Village House replica.

Habibati's signature pose...

They got into the boat...

The 3 pieces of baju melayu for Habibi...we always buy the ready-made ones that are made in Singapore. The fabric is good too.

For Habibati...we found hers at the Ramadhan Bazaar in town. They were worth-buying too.

Beside these....we bought Habibi a bed as his birthday present. His birthday will be celebrated on the first day of Hari Raya soon..Insya Allah. But of course...we bought Habibati a bed too...or she would cry buckets...

I didn't bake any layered cakes nor biscuits *so lazy* but I only make some 'ribbon popia' which I will blog about it soon...(^,*)...

Fixing-Up..

2011-08-29T01:04:00.000-07:00

Of all the glue...super glue..etc...etc... this brand is the MOST effective one. I bought 2 bottles of the glue at the ASEAN expo held recently here. The demo by the promoter was amazing. The actual price was BND$7 each bottle...but on the day when we went there was the last day of the expo...so 2 bottles were sold at BND$10. I grabbed them straight away..

Back at home I carried on with my own fixing-up projects. First I tried it on my school bag which I have been keeping it in the storeroom few years ago. So lucky that I didn't throw this bag away as the whole body was still intact...only one of the strings was broken.

It worked well.....*so happy*.....

Then I tried it on these 'ignored' thingies...

The results....

Habibati was super duper excited when she saw the fixed-and-still-looking-new accessories.

She asked me to snap her pic with the new ribbon clip...hehe

Our 10th Wedding Anniversary

2011-08-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Syukur Alhamdullilah...we have been together for 10 years already...of course there are ups and downs but together we will face them with the strength of our love...in seeking Allah's pleasure.

We exchange presents as tokens of love...

Forever in love....

My Very Own Apple Crumbles

2011-08-28T22:27:00.001-07:00

This was my very first attempt to make the apple crumbles as our dessert for iftar. I noticed there were so many demonstrations that we could follow from YT. For my version...I had to modify the recipe since I only had 2 red apples in the fridge! The real recipe was using the green apples.
First, I sauteed the 2 red apples cubes with a cinnamon stick and 2 spoons of brown sugar.

1/4 of the block butter, 3 cups of Hong Kong flour and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

I rubbed the butter into the flour and the ground cinnamon mixture until it resembled breadcrumbs.

Then I placed the apple cubes as the basic layer. I had to put in some raisins because the apples cubes could not cover the whole casserole..(@.@)..after that the crumble layer. (I should have used 3-4 apples)

Pop it into the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Trust me...while this fellow was in the oven...the whole kitchen smelt like cinnamon...soooo heavenly!

Then when the top layer looked a bit golden brown...I took it out and sprinkle some brown sugar...

......until it looked like this after 5 minutes.

Lastly...enjoying the apple crumbles with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and Hershey's choc sauce.

The Versatile Award From Amazing Anney

2011-08-23T01:14:00.001-07:00

I am honoured to be awarded with such award...thanks loads to you...the thoughtful and ever creative Anney .

Grabbing this award will not that complete until we have followed and completed the tasks...(66,)..

The Rules
1. Thank and link back to the blogger who gave you the award
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Pass it along to at least 15 fabulous bloggers
4. Contact the bloggers you awarded to let them know about the award

The 7 things about me....

1. I am one of the Capricornians who always LOVE perfection...but this type of attitude sometime makes me STRESSFUL. Just can't get over it...

2. I love all shades of PINK....and purple too.

3. I will not sleep cozily until I patrol inside the house...double-checking the doors.

4. A day without a big hug from my hubby would spoil my entire day.

5. I love Indian and Lebanese foodies very much...but my tummy does not seem to cooperate with the spicy foods.

6. As a teacher...I would be very mad if the homework tasks are returned on time but no answers attempted!

7. I hate ironing clothes but still have to do this activity as my routine.

And now....this assignment will be fowarded to the following nominees...as I know you all are always VERSATILE ...(^^,)...

Good luck! *group hugs*

CathJ
Polish-ed Ai
Kak Lin
MummyGwen
NF Safiyyah
Mery
Nur
Puan Saimon
Tukang Cerita
Liz Ali
Sarah's Daddy and Mommy
Bitt
Zura
Mummy Angel
My Little Sprouts (I know you have been awarded..but still you entitle one from me too =D)

Our Mulberry Plant

2011-08-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

I am very glad that it is bearing fruits again after the stems were pruned by my dear hubby. This plant must always be pruned regularly to avoid it become very tall and fruitless. The more we prune the stem, the more it would bear fruits. *happy mode*

The previous berries were always eaten by birds...I guess, the birdies now understand the sense of sharing...(^^,)...Thanks birdie love...

Mee Rebus Kak Lin

2011-08-20T00:37:00.000-07:00

The menu for our iftar yesterday..inspired by Kak Lin.

Should you need the recipe...please click here ...(^^,)...
I did modify the recipe...I used potatoes instead of sweet potatoes thus the colour of the thick gravy is lighter than the original recipe. However, the taste was still superb! Thank you Kak Lin.

Majlis Khatam Al-Quran

2011-08-17T18:03:00.001-07:00

We celebrated this occasion at school on the 15th August (Monday).

On the picture (L to R) Cg Hjh Norsam, UmmiRosma, Mummy Hanan, Safiyyah and Cg Lela.

Just few days before the occasion happened, we made some preparations. One of them was attaching the chocolates to the 'bunga telor'.
Nowadays...the boiled eggs are replaced with variety of chocolates especially for the children...(^-^)...

At The Exotic Pet Show

2011-08-12T23:28:00.000-07:00

This is a long overdue story actually...(^^,)...but for the sake of my future reference...it's ok ya...at least my blog is still functional and it's back here being 'activated' again by the busy owner!*smile*

We brought our kids to the exotic expo sometime in July. We, the adults, paid BND$6 per pax and FOC for the kids under 5. This was a great experience for our kids to have a very close encounter with the creepy crawlies reptiles...*goosebumps*...

They touched this snake without any fear...

See...how curious they were! Look at me...I touched the snake with goosebumps all over my body...the skin was very cold, smooth but hard. As a Science teacher..I should have the courage to hold it by myself...but please nooooo!

Nevertheless....I am very 'brave' to hold it's dry skin...it was very light and smooth.

Habibati said she 'loved' this pink and red snake....*gulp*...and she wanted to have it as her pet!

Habibi pulled the tail....aduhaiiii....

This python was very big and lazy...I could not recall its scientific name...

This snake looked like the poisonous coral snake...but this one wasn't poisonous as it was just a python.

I bet...this was one of the albino pythons...

Handsome? hahaha...the green iguana..

Adorable? kekeke

I forgot the actual name of these spiky lizards but I know they would cost a bomb!

Comel? hehehe

This was the Sahara Monitor Lizard. It was very lazy but 'manja'....

...just look at how the caretaker held and massaged it with love..and the reptile fell asleep at an instant!

The Indian Star Tortoise....the only cute reptile that I saw!

The gecko...*geli*...

Habibati touched it....(*.*)...

Habibi's stunt....the feelings inside me were indescribable....(@_@)....However, it was fun to bring them out for this educational trip.

The Endangered Sugar Apple Fruits

2011-08-11T00:13:00.000-07:00

I love this very sweet and luscious fruit. Here, this fruit is called 'buah nona'. I remember....my mom used to have this endangered plant tree in our small garden when I was a little girl. Until now, I still love the sweet scent of the fruit. The texture of the white creamy white pulp is sugary and of course the taste is sweet.

However, there are numerous small dark brown seeds embedded in the pulp which makes it quite difficult to enjoy this fruit....

This is how our girl enjoys the sweetness of this pleasant tropical fruit...(^^,)...

Never be serious...

2011-08-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

We took Habibi to the photo studio to get his passport-size picture for his school's purposes. As expected Ayah had to assist him as he laughed...he put on his cheeky smiles....he showed off his teeth....he didn't sit properly....he closed his eyes...he smiled shyly...we had a 'hard' time to make him 'serious'...LOL..

and at last....

(nasib baik tak pakai baju kaler oren...mcm shaolin pulak!)

...what a memorable moment for us! *phew*

Burnt...auchhh!

2011-07-23T00:31:00.000-07:00

While I was about to reach my pre-heated iron.....it had accidentally touched my right lower arm. So careless me! :(

The blister was not that big so I only applied some Drapolene cream...thinking that it wasn't severe. But last night...while I was sleeping *half-conscious* I scratched the burnt area...and auchhh....the feeling was horrible! Just imagine...the blister was scratched open and the burnt area was bare....

It felt painful...especially when that area touched my cloth. So I applied some Gamat Jelly as I know this jelly has all the beneficial agents that can help in the healing process of any wounds.

I am still taking this Gamat Jelly from Luxor as my supplement beside the Omega capsules.

I hope I will have a speedy healing process....just wait and see....I will soon share the result.

Habibati's Jelly Project

2011-07-23T00:03:00.000-07:00

Habibati loves jelly very much. Yesterday, I assisted her to make her own jelly with strawberry flavour.

The instant jelly powder and the jelly moulds.

Habibati poured a half cup of sugar.

Then, she poured out the jelly powder.

She added 700ml water. She stirred the mixture well and then I heated the mixture on the medium heat until the mixture a bit thickened.

We waited for the jelly mixture to cool down for 3 minutes.

Habibati then poured the jelly mixture into the moulds. I was very glad that she could carefully do her job well.We keep the moulded jelly in the fridge for 10 minutes...........but she just couldn't wait any longer that she kept on opening and closing the door of the fridge!

Tadaaaaa!

The lovely jelly that she had made with love.... (",)....

His Majesty's 65th Birthday Anniversary

2011-07-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

Our caring and charismatic monarch
~ Daulat Kebawah Duli Tuan Patik~

Blog Guest By CathJ

2011-07-14T01:44:00.000-07:00

I am very much challenged to join this session....but still I have the courage to share something from my kitchen. I hope this post works out well. So..humbly, I am sharing this recipe of mine....and I hope you will have a try on this recipe (^^,)

The steps:

Heat the olive oil and then fry the crushed garlic cloves until fragrant. Then put in the sliced sausages and fry them until a bit brown. After that pop in the preboiled egg pasta and the premixed eggs and milk. Add in some salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and lastly serve on a plate....pour the preheated baked beans on top of the pasta. Sprinkle with some English herbs, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese. Happy pasta'ing...

My hubby and the kids love the pasta....happy me (^^,)

Our baby brother is back...

2011-07-14T00:03:00.000-07:00

Jimmy, my youngest brother is coming back to Brunei for his long semester break. We are awfully missing him and thank goodness that he will be here with us during the Ramadhan and then together will be celebrating Hari Raya. Furthermore...he will still be here to celebrate his birthday in September before going back to UK.

Of course we are not expecting anything from him...all we want is just him in a whole...healthy and happy to be back with us. However, he managed to present us with some gifts...thank you dear.He bought loads of M&S biscuits and cookies....but this one is ultimately irresistible ....(^_^)....helooo...remember the blood sugar!These are for our hero....Habibi's wish is granted at last....resulting hubby and I to have an extra job to pick up the darts!

My ScienceTeam

2011-07-13T01:49:00.000-07:00

The certificate presentation was held recently and I had the chance to meet up my team members back. We were among those who were selected become the facilitators for the SPN21 Year 6 Science which was held in February and March this year.
We are very thankful to CDD for having a faith in us to facilitate the workshops for the Science teachers in Brunei.

Furthermore...we are very lucky to have Miss Jessica Shak (seated 2nd from the right) as our supportive and friendly mentor.

My dedicated team members.......mind those back liners...haha..

All Time Fav...

2011-07-13T00:07:00.000-07:00

Some people call this 'jemput pisang' & 'cekodok pisang'...but no matter what the names are...it remains very popular especially when we have them for the afternoon tea. I made this traditional kueh according to my taste without any specific measurement. I add the flour, milk powder, water, a pinch of salt and of course the over-ripe bananas! One thing to remember.....enjoy this kueh while they are still warm....but not while they are hot...or you will burn your tongue! (';^)

Oh ya...are you familiar with this traditional kueh too?

It's called 'kueh lidah' but this one is very different for the normal kueh lidah. Innovatively, each one is covered with cocoa powder. I love the taste....not very sweet. Too bad...I can't find this here...it is coming all the way form Sabah, Malaysia. So...I keep the box and will sure buy some when we go to Sabah this December, Insya Allah.

CathJ's Recipe

2011-07-12T23:52:00.000-07:00

This is Cathj 's recipe that I tried few weeks ago.....due to the hectic timetable I only have time to share this one now.

My comment ~ Fabulous! We only had only one dish of this with the rice for our dinner....it's a balanced recipe...we need no side dish anymore! (^^,) Thank dear CathJ for sharing this healthy recipe....

This is Her..

2011-07-04T00:23:00.000-07:00

Salam...Hi...my dear buddies. Thank you for your visits....with curiosity of course! .....(^^,).....

Here 'she' is.....

....'she' can also be considered as our new baby. I do wish for a luxurious car but I have to 'ukur baju kat badan sendiri' so only this that I can afford so far....(^_^)....syukur alhamdullilah di atas segala nikmat rezekiMu Ya Illahi...

For those who have guessed that I am pregnant...amin...amin..amin....it's a prayer for me too. Beside that, I am actually amazed by Uncle Lee who has actually made a right guess....what a great instinct you have Uncle!

Our New Family Member.....

2011-06-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

Alhamdullilah....
We are very thankful to Allah the Almighty

...We hope everything runs smoothly tomorrow...
...We just can't wait to have you...

A Picnic By The Seashore

2011-06-21T00:28:00.000-07:00

The schooling days are back...now I'm attached to my busy life routine. My dear hubby is still on his leave...(66,)....I am very glad if he is at home...I can anytime drag him for 'jalan-jalan' to do some retail therapy...LOL...

Unfortunately our Habibati is having fever due to her tonsillitis again. Hubby brought her to see the doctor this morning. She was again prescribed with another antibiotic...I am very worried too..but the doctor said it would be ok...amin..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok...now talking about our simple picnic at Pantai Seri Kenangan. The kids had been whining to go to the beach...so we granted their wish last Friday..

The foodies that we brought from home....

The nasi lemak daun that we bought......not delicious at all....I was very disappointed :(

The traditional kueh "kelupis".....nice...

This is a must...I hate those sand flies...

The kids are enjoying themselves on the beautiful sandy beach............

Me....melting in the hot morning sun....(^_^)...

Ayah is busy with his 'creations'......making two shelters for us....
My favourite AVON umbrella....

making the fire.....

making an eating place for us too....thank you luv...

Habibi and his 'catch' the small crab...he returned the crab back to its home..

Mania-manja time....hahaha..

I like the above picture....I actually wanted to capture the picture of the yellow flower...but unexpectedly this buzzing fellow 'enter-frame' ....the outcome is satisfying me....(*,*)....

The shades of love....

At The Airport

2011-06-16T00:16:00.000-07:00

The scenes at the BIA when we sent my brother off to Jakarta for training.
Hubby is with the little angel in the family....Baby Sarra Soffiya (my niece). Habibati and Habibi just could not help teasing her...

Habibati and Sarra....

My dad..

My mom and sis...

My bro and Habibati..

Sarra and me...

After he got into the departure hall, we went to the Seri Balai Restaurant for our brunch together.

My sis and her hubby...

Soto...very spicy but delicious...

The nasi lemak....also very tasty....

Habibi loves the 'tumpi' with the beef curry...

Habibati loves the Soto until she did this!! *mcm iklan maggie mee* LOL

It was very nice to enjoy the brunch together....(^_^).....

The Spring Cleaning

2011-06-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Days pass by very fast and before Monday 20th is coming....I must do some spring cleaning again. Just now I focused on my unused scarves. Nowadays...it has become a trend to wear the popular instant hijabs. I prefer to wear it because it saves time...save energy...no fuss...for me who has to get ready for school as early as possible. To save space...I have to do something to these fellows...

Here they are...the neglected ones....

I selected few scarves that are still new to be kept in the drawer......and the rest....

......went into this garbage bag......to be kept in the storeroom for sometime.

Then....guess what I found when I was organizing my dressing table's drawer..........?

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

the pregnancy test kits...!!! *how I miss being preggy again*

and

my next mission is to organize these really UNorganized 'assets'....(66,)....

The Recipe...

2011-06-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

This is taken from Nur's blog....
I am translating the recipe for my friends who wish to try this recipe out...

The ingredients:

1/2 chicken (cut into small parts)
10 shallots (thinly sliced)
3 garlics (thinly sliced)
About the thumb-sized ginger (chopped)
1 Cinnamon stick
Some anise
Half spoonful thick soy sauce
Half spoonful light soy sauce
2 teaspoons of black pepper (pounded)

Steps:
1. Marinate the cut chicken meat with some tumeric powder and salt.
2. Then fry the marinated chicken, put aside.
3. Then in another wok, heat a little oil and fry the shallots, garlics, ginger, cinnamon, anise and black pepper until fragrant.
4. After that bring down the heat, and put in the think and light soy sauce and the
fried chicken into the wok.
5. Mix well and then...ready to be served....
6. Enjoy it with some hot rice....

Note :
We can use fish instead of chicken. Garnish with some cut spring onions and celery.

Ayam Goreng Masak Kicap Lada Hitam

2011-06-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

I tried a recipe by Nur's Mom few days ago...

I followed all the stated ingredients and I added some cut green capsicums too. Thank you Nur for sharing the 'resepi kampung'....hubby and I love the taste...(--,)...

Weird but Cute

2011-06-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

This is one of the tomatoes that I have picked. We planted two tomato plants. Habibati is now the most excited one to see the tomato plants are bearing many fruits.

Amongst all...this one is very weird but cute! The smaller one is attached to the bigger one. Habibati said that the big one is the mom and the small one is the baby...(66,)...

~Masya Allah~

Now she is having it...........

2011-06-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

Habibati was feverish yesterday morning and by late afternoon she complained that she had difficulty to eat and drink. Her body temperature was high too 38.8 degrees Celsius. For the time being while waiting for Ayah to reach home from his office...I only gave her the liquid paracetamol.

We went to the hospital and the doctor examined her throat.....she got tonsillitis (just like me). I was very surprised ....(*.*)...

Her prescriptions ~> Multi-vitamin, paracetamol(strawberry flavour) and Antibiotic.

Back in the car, I was wondering.....could tonsillitis be contagious? Did she get it from me? *thinking mode on*

But I think...tonsillitis has run in the family (my side)....my youngest brother once underwent an operation to remove the tonsil. I hope the antibiotics can reduce the pain and reduce the size of the tonsils.

After seeing the doctor..........
Her cheeky poses...while waiting for the Lebanese Rice to bring home. Ayah was in the car as Habibi was asleep.

She did not look sick....she played with my digital camera and even took my picture without my knowledge..haha...

After dinner at home....
She loves the strawberry-flavoured paracetamol....but not that vanilla-flavoured antibiotic ...(=,=)...

A bit about me...
My cough has subsided and my throat is less itchy. I hope my tonsillitis won't be attacking me in the future...amin...

Our Brunch....

2011-06-07T23:14:00.000-07:00

I made this very simple fried noodles...my style...for the kids.
Since Ayah bought some pocket pita bread last night, so just now I made some pocket pita filled with chicken, mayonaise, cheese and grated carrots.

The fillings with the mayonnaise...before they were popped into the pocket pita...

The oven-toasted pocket pita bread....
Yummylicious and healthy too....A healthy snack....

The 2nd Term School Break

2011-06-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

What a relief.....away from the school tasks for a while....

Here in Brunei, the 2nd term school holiday just started yesterday and we will get back to school on the 20th June. I hope I could manage the 12-day break wisely.

The list of tasks that I have to run *I hope I could, Insya Allah*

-> doing the ironing

-> editing the kids' toys

-> managing the family's wardrobes

-> marking the assessment paper

-> setting questions for the second Mock PSR Science Paper Questions

Above all...I shall have to widely open my mind....so that I would not become so stressful

....(^^,)....

Layar Keinsafan

2011-06-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

I like to listen to this nasyid song especially when I am alone in the car....furthermore the lyric is very touching too...

By Mestica,

Sepi benar senja ini
Bayunya semilir, menganak ombak kecil
Jalur ufuk pula mengemas terang
Kapal dan layar terkapar

Mengapa nantikan senja
Barukan terdetik, pulang ke pengkalan
Gusar malam menghampiri
Ku tewas di lautan

Tuhan layarkanku ke arah cintaMu
Tuntuniku menggapai redhaMu
Rimbunan kasihMu ku berteduh
KepadaMu ya Tuhan
Berikan secebis keinsafan
Bekalan sepanjang perjalanan
Mencari ketenangan

c/o
Biar Kau menjadi saksi
Tulus tangisku kala dini hari
Kesempatan yang hanya sebentar
Moga keikhlasanku terlakar
Berikanlah ku hidayah
Agar dikuatkan iman yang lemah
Moga diberkati hidup ini
Menuju bahagia yang kekal abadi

PadaMu Tuhan
Kan kuserahkan cinta kepadaMu

Tuhan layarkanku ke arah cintaMu
Tuntuniku menggapai redhaMu
Rimbunan kasihMu ku berteduh
KepadaMu ya Tuhan
Berikan secebis keinsafan
Bekalan sepanjang perjalanan
Mencari ketenangan

c/o
Biar Kau menjadi saksi
Tulus tangisku kala dini hari
Kesempatan yang hanya sebentar
Moga keikhlasanku terlakar
Berikanlah ku hidayah
Agar dikuatkan iman yang lemah
Moga diberkati hidup ini
Menuju bahagia yang kekal abadi

Harapanku moga dikurniakan
Manisnya iman berpanjangan
Moga lautan hilang gelora

Always Be Careful.........

2011-06-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

Ever since Habibati is schooling....she knows what candies are. I know most kids always love sweet foodies but for the sake of Habibati's general health, I struggle to lessen the sugar in-take. So far..her dental health is ok. Our boy, Habibi, does not like candies at all but he loves munching the junkies or snacks like Corntoz. Thus I have to make sure that they drink a lot of plain water everyday and they do...(^^,)...

The mentos chewy candies as shown above.....I have to cut into half for a safety reason. My cousin's son and my friend's son were nearly choked when their sons took these candies. Syukur alhamdulllilah and thank goodness that the stuck candy could be spitted out.

So, dear parents out there...please monitor your kids when they are having candies inside their mouth. Keep well and may we and our family be blessed with the continuous protection of the God....amin....

Habibi's Favourite Day...

2011-06-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

Habibi is very fond of the army. On the 31st May, last Tuesday, was the 50th golden jubilee anniversary of the Angkatan Brunei DiRaja Brunei. We attended the exhibition held at the Berakas Camp on that day.

Habibi was super duper excited viewing all the exhibits and trying out all the weapons for himself.

The kids' very first encounter 'riding' on the helicopter.... (^_^)....I hope they would think this was the real one...not those typical kiddy rides...hahaha

Ayah met his student who has become of the army officers there.

Habibi tried out the gun.....fuuuh...it was very heavy.....and of course no real bullets lah...LOL

The scary-looking wreckage of the wings of a plane...

Habibati was in her female army officer uniform. Heheeee....Ayah can still be seen....

Habibi taught this award was a toy...(^^,)....

We joined the open ride around the army camp.....what a fun and airy ride....

....but we didn't went down to see the other exhibition booths....it was scorching hot....!

Habibati's big smile......

Climbing up the plane.....

..........again we hoped they knew this was a real one...! Looking inside the plane...wow.....I wondered how the pilot could focus while he was in the air....amazing....
Ayah and Habibati.....trying hard to give their best smiles although they were facing the strong sunlight...(-_-)'...

Before sleep....Habibi played with his toy soldiers....*giggles*

Feeling Down......

2011-06-03T02:37:00.000-07:00

My cough has not 100% subsided yet and it has been going 'on and off' for almost two months already. However, for me...the cough is due to the itchiness in my throat that provokes the cough. I just couldn't stand any longer...I went to the private clinic yesterday as I was feeling not so good.

Guess what the doctor said?

Alhamdulillah, my lungs are clear but there are some wheezing sounds in the upper part of my respiratory organs. The doctor said that I was having asthma. I was very surprised in deed...all these time I have never been diagnosed with asthma. She said my asthma was only mild which was due to my prolonged coughing.

Then she checked my throat....again...I was very surprised when she said I was having tonsillitis!! This was again new to me :( I felt like crying at that moment. There were many whitish "things" growing along my throat inside. Now wonder I always feel irritated by the itchiness too! According to her, the tonsil whitish things were still small.

I was prescribed with these medicines......
Duro Tuss, the codeine-based cough syrup. I am allergic to any dextromethorphan-based cough syrups as the chemical can create palpitation. The antibiotics are for my tonsillitis that I should take twice a day. I hope these meds work well with me...amin...

Oh ya...I bought this aroma-therapy roll-on from the ASEAN expo for only $10. This is from Malaysia. I love the therapeutic aroma. This can reduce cough and can relieve stress. I roll the essential oils on my pulse, neck and chest. It contains the essential oils from tea-tree, lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint and nutmeg.

Their new members...

2011-06-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

The kids love to watch The Barkyardigans. We went to Bebeland and found these stuff toys. Habibati loves Uniqua (pink) and Habibi loves Pablo (blue).

They are cute to look at...but one thing...Pablo is actually a penguin....but what about Uniqua? What animal is she representing? She looks more like an 'ant' to me...due to that 2 feelers on top of her head but an ant has 6 legs ya...(^^,)....

Egg Pasta with Baked Beans

2011-05-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

I was actually drooling for spaghetti after blog-hopping Cath-J 's blog...but too bad....there was no minced beef in the freezer :(. Then, I had an idea...to create a simple recipe...instead of using some minced beef I used only some eggs and milk.

The steps:

Heat the olive oil and then fry the crushed garlic cloves until fragrant. Then put in the sliced sausages and fry them until a bit brown. After that pop in the preboiled egg pasta and the premixed eggs and milk. Add in some salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and lastly serve on a plate....pour the preheated baked beans on top of the pasta. Sprinkle with some English herbs, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese. Happy pasta'ing...

My hubby and the kids love the pasta....happy me (^^,)

LEGO-like play..

2011-05-28T00:31:00.000-07:00

Just like the other children...our kids love to play with the LEGO-like toys. This toy can generate the children ideas and creativity as well as to exercise and improve their psycho-motor skills. We bought these 2 sets of Lego-like toys at reasonable prices.

However....the parts are very 'tiny' that I give up fixing them.....only Ayah is brave enough to go through the 'mental torture' fixing and joining the parts...(^^,)....
The manual for each set. The instructions are well-stated with clear pictures and steps.

When they are fixed...............so cute!

Both of them are so eager to join the parts and of course under Ayah's supervision.

As days pass by....

2011-05-26T00:38:00.000-07:00

As parents...we love to observe how our kids grow...although sometimes they provoke our anger but still deep in our heart we endlessly love them and would trade them for NOTHING! (^_^)

Each day seems to be passing by very fast and as they grow bigger...the challenge of raising them grows bigger too....*sure all of you out there agree with me 101%*

Habibi is doing well with his vocabulary building...he can speak better although some of them are not that clear for the others. He will be seeing his speech therapist soon in June. He loves to imagine being the strongest hero....like all the Ultraman superheroes, LOL. Now he has the appetite for rice. This week, he has been eating rice and for us this is a great improvement. We always say that if he eats more rice...he will grow bigger and stronger muscles.... (^^,)

"Ummi...look...muscle!" (Ummi..look at my muscles!)

Habibati....she is getting prettier...more talkative and very active. She loves to imagine being the Princess...The Mermaid...Snow White...Strawberry Shortcake...Foofa (Yo Gabba-Gabba)...and even Uniqua (Barkyardigans)! *giggles* According to her teacher...she is progressing well in the lessons, alhamdullilah. She can count up to 100 already.

She said...."Ummi...I'm Ariel The Mermaid"

~~~we love the both of you~~~

Happy Mother's Day.............

2011-05-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you dear hubby for the roses....

To these female VVIPs.....my mother (wearing the gray scarf) and my MIL (wearing the white scarf)....

My sister.....

and to all mothers in the world.......and ...............enjoy this cartoon scene!

Aqueos Cream

2011-05-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

This post goes to the pretty mommy Cathj (^_^) . I am using both creams for our kids. Both for them are actually the same but the blue one is from Australia whereas the orange one is from Malaysia. Our kids have mild eczema and some rashes....so the doctor prescribed them with these creams. However we can get them at the Guardian Pharmacy. The second one (Aqua) can be used as cream soap...I also use this cream for my hands too.

The Leaves of Sweet Potatoes

2011-04-23T00:37:00.000-07:00

We love to eat the greenies....but have you tasted these leaves of sweet potatoes lately?
The leaves can be pan-fried with some dried anchovies, shallots, garlics and sliced chillies. What is really special about this plant....it gives out it's natural sweetness! No wonder the swollen roots /potatoes are called 'sweet potatoes'. Just becareful not to overcook ok....

To Save Time...

2011-04-23T00:09:00.000-07:00

To save time in the kitchen...I like to prepare the basic ingredients in most of the Malay's cooking recipes. The basic ingredients are for me.....such as.......
tumeric, galanga, ginger, shallots, garlics and lemon grass.....I also include the big onions in my cookings...(-_-)... I need to slice these ingredients so that they can be easily blended. Put a some water too...
Then...I will put the blended ingredients into a container. Keep this in the fridge....
As for me...I use this blended ingredients when I cook curry..."ikan rebus kampung"...masak merah...masak lemak....masak tauchu....masak acar....dalca....etc...etc. I even use this to marinate the chicken, meat and seafoods for frying, grill and bbq. Happy cooking...!

Our Express Mini Fish Pond

2011-04-12T00:55:00.000-07:00

The kids would love to have fish as their pets. This means that we have to set up an aquarium but I don't really agree because to clean up the aquarium is such a 'hard' work! So Ayah had an idea to make an express pond using the canvas 'swimming pool' which has been kept in the storeroom for such a long time. It was actually the birthday present for Habibati by my sister.

This is the outcome....I am amazed by my man's idea....it looks nice and natural with the beach rocks arranged by the edges.
To make the pond more natural....I bought some aquatic plants such as the local water lilies.....
some duckweeds......
and water hyacinths....
When the pond habitat was done...only then we bought some goldfishes. These goldfishes are the cheap ones....5 goldfishes for only $1 ! (-_-) Moreover...since we are not using a water pump....so it would be wise to purchase some cheap ones *LOL*.

Habibi and his goldfishes....

Habibati and her goldfishes....

When we observed the goldfishes could live and swim happily in their new habitat, Ayah then bought 4 Malaysian Koi fishes. Here, 4 koi fishes cost only BND$10.
Every morning, the kids feed their pets and we love to see our kids' cheerful faces when their wish are granted.
We hope these new pets will live long and find their happy life in this conducive mini express fish pond.

Habibati is 4....

2011-04-02T01:45:00.000-07:00

We shared the happiness by celebrating her birthday at the school with her classmates and teachers. In the Masehi Calender, her birthday falls on every 31st March. I made some birthday vanilla cupcakes decorated with edible images of her favourite cartoon characters. There were some cartoons for the boys too...such as Upin & Ipin, Ben 10, transformers, cars and power rangers. I was glad that they loved the cupcakes.
I made some cupcakes for the bring-home goodie packs and some oreo truffles. Hubby prepared some foodies for the in-class party too such as the grilled sausages, fried nuggets and french fries.

Attending to our kids...Habibi and Habibati....

Habibati's adorable girlfriends Khairina, Khatijah and Shasha. Everyone was presented with the birthday goggles...cute!

Habibati and her classmates...KG2A.

Back at home, Habibati was very happy to open her birthday presents. Ayah, who was super duper excited too (^^,) had helped her. Habibi did not join them as he was so tired and fell asleep.

Happy Birthday Darling Nur Humaira Habibati. We love you forever. Ummi & Ayah will continuously pray for your longevity, happiness & continuous health. Grow like a champion. May Allah bless you always....semoga menjadi anak pintar yang solehah...amin...amin...amin...Syukur Alhamdullilah.

The Scary Cumulonimbus

2011-03-28T23:36:00.000-07:00

It is just half past 2 in the afternoon...but here...it is almost dark already. The thick and saturated cumulonimbus clouds are above our roofs. They look very scary too! My kids are afraid of these clouds...(^_^)...

Almost everyday it is raining here...especially at night. The world is getting old now and it seems that we are facing the bad effects of the global warming caused by us. Most fruits are no longer seasonal.....the Earth is very hot......the weathers are very unstable lately.....more natural disasters are occurring....

~~~~Allahu Akbar~~~~
~~~May peace prevail on Earth~~~
~~Let's Go Green and Save the World~~

Updating....

2011-03-28T00:49:00.000-07:00

Salam...Hi...tnx for paying me some visits and I really appreciate and thankful for the well wishes *hugs*

This is my right eye with the haemorrhage. According to the eye specialist, there is no specific medicines for it but what I shall do is to relax and to work in less stressful situations. This means that I have to manage my stress wisely. The blood vessels will heal by themselves over time. I am so thankful to Allah that my vision is not affected at all but I cannot wear contact lenses for couples of months from now on. It is not painful but I can't stand bright lights which makes me dizzy instantly. Oh ya... I nearly forget to mention what have caused the haemorrhage, the eye specialist said that this is due to the high fever, severe coughing and sneezing. The blood vessels in my right eye have ruptured.

Yesterday (Sunday) happened to be the last day of the school holiday and we spent the last bit of it at Miri, Sarawak. The actual purpose of crossing the border was to buy a new pair of specs for me!

It is very much cheaper there than in Brunei despite the good currency exchange rate. I also prefer to purchase my contact lenses here too.

Adapting to the new situation....me in specs... (-_-)

We only managed to spend our time here.....the sale was on too...but we did not do much shopping as we were afraid of being caught in the tremendously long jam at the checking points if we passed 5 p.m. Amazingly, by 2 p.m. we were back in Brunei already!

Earlier that day...we had our early breakfast at KFC....

Wink!

In the car....on the way back...the knackered Habibi.... (*,*)

Habibati said she was 'selling' cookies in the car....the play dough she had forced Ayah to buy!

Cookies for sale...!

My Health Issues

2011-03-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

It has been a while that I didn't update. While doing this update, I am all alone staying up late after gulping my medicines. It is 1.30 a.m here... (+_=)

My body temperatures are still around 37.7 above. Lately almost every night my nose bleeds. I just couldn't stand these situations...whenever I try to blow my nose...it bleeds (on the right nostril only)...when I sneeze, it bleeds....when I cough during my sleep, it bleeds again... :(

The worst case scenario ---> I have some kind of haemorrhage on my right eye.

Half of my right eye's white part is now becoming red! I myself don't dare to see my image on the mirror..so scarred...POOR me! *Another test from Allah*

Tomorrow is my appointment with the eye specialist. I start to become nervous when I think of what procedures the specialist will do to my eye..and I'm pretty sure that I will be referred to the ENT specialist too regarding my frequent nose bleeds.

I don't even dare to browse about the whats/whys/effects/etc..etc... (as a result of being so scarred). I don't want those negative things affects my moods...so I have to wait for the eye specialist's comments and advices only.

Please pray for my wellness....thank you....and will update the soonest....

So far so good....

2011-03-19T23:48:00.000-07:00

Habibati and I are getting better now, alhamdullilah. But something else has come up to me....both my eyes were infected. I felt very uncomfortable as I could not stand the itchiness and the throbbing pain on both sides. Adding to that....I have to wear my spectacles for the whole few days from now (-_-). I hate wearing spectacles.....but if tak pakai kena raba-raba pulak! Actually my degrees for both eyes are up to 575 already! Yea...so high ya...

The antibiotics drops and ointment for my eyes. The doctor gave me 3 + 1 days medical leave. So this means I will get myself to work on Tuesday.
Our boy Habibi is having fever too and followed by Ayah. His lips are bright red and his cheeks are blushing due to the body heat. Dugaan Allah...
During this fever season....I have to make sure that I'm armed with this WEAPON all the time.....!

Happy weekend everyone (--,)

It's still early...

2011-03-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

Habibati is getting better and now Ayah, Habibi and I are still unwell. I am glad that our girl does not reject foodies. However, she still does not want to drink her milk but plain water and milo only. Nevertheless...I still breastfeed her every night before sleep! *tak sampai hati nak stop*

This very early morning she woke me up and asked for porridge. The very heavy-headed me just have to stepp into then kitchen. To cut time shortly, I just used the leftover rice lastnight, added some water and boiled. While waiting, I switched on my lappy and did some bloghoppings...

The plain rice porridge. She likes to have it with some soy-sauce and tomato sauce.

and now I am going to spoon-feed her.

What happen today...

2011-03-16T00:14:00.000-07:00

Our girl was feverish yesterday and at 3plus a.m. I was woken up by her. She slept uncomfortably due to her high body temperature which was 40.9 degrees. We gave her 5.5ml of pcm liquid and at around six her body temperature gradually subsided to 37.1 degrees *phew*. But I knew when the time was over, the temperature could possibly go up again...so I packed into a plastic container the syringe containing the medicine. The teacher at school would give her right on time.

Tomorrow is the last day of schools in Brunei to enjoy the first term school holiday. At school this morning, we carried out a mass cleaning campaign. It was scorching hot but we had fun. All teachers and pupils collaborated with an aim to have a conducive and clean school.

The handy cute girls...except me....*LOL*

Teacher Safiyya and I...

And this morning too...my dearest hubby played a practical joke on me! While I was attending to the kids...he packed up my everyday-bring-to-school thingies into the paper bag. He did ask me what I would like to bring...but I simply said "anything you wish your darling wifey to have at school" hahaha

Guess what I had found out in my paper bag?

-_-_-_-_-_-

-_-_-_-_-_-

-_-_-_-_-_-

-_-_-_-_-_-

tadaaaaaaaa....

..........a bottle of black pepper!!.............

I laughed like crazy just now and I even shared this with my other friends....*LOL*

However....now my whole body is aching and my ears start to become blocked...as my body temperature is 38.9 degrees. I bet I am having that laryngitis too. I have gotta wait till hubby comes home for Habibati and I to see the doctor. Anyway...I just gulped 2 caplets of actifast. Hope this will work well with me....

See you all again...

Our Mini BBQ

2011-03-15T01:15:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, we had our small bbq. The weather was nice enough for the kids to be outside. *But around this time, part of Japan was experiencing the devastating natural disaster.......so sad*

I only used this bbq sauce to marinate the chicken wings. The outcome was fabulous...

The 'handy helper' a.k.a 'tukang kacau' *giggle*Our happy-to-be-outside girl...

As we know that smoked foodies are actually not good for our health. The carbon can cause cancer....so we have to eat a lot of shallots. I made some classic egg + cucumber salad with a lot of shallot slices.

Tadaaaa...the bbq chicken wings...

The Multi-Seeded Bananas

2011-03-12T18:33:00.000-08:00

Last Friday afternoon, I wanted to have some banana fritters for the afternoon tea. So we went to the nearby market to buy some bananas. For banana fritters, I like to choose 'pisang kapas' and 'pisang saba'...both types taste great. I chose the ripen 'pisang kapas' and back in the car, I plucked one of them. Then I felt something strange inside my mouth...oh my...there were so many black seeds in it. Again, I plucked another one....still there were seeds in. I was very frustrated too....but the bananas were very sweet in deed.

This morning I made them into banana fritters. I had to slice the flesh thinly on the edges. (@_@)

Here they are..............so naturally sweet...........heavenly yummy (^^,)

My Niece Sarra' Soffiya

2011-03-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

Sarra' is now 5 months old...time flies very fast. She is growing well and now her mom starts to feed her with the blended rice plus milk.

Sarra' is the ONLY baby that I can hold and cuddle up, in front of our girl, Habibati. Other babies...I tak dapat pegang...as Habibati is very jealous...hehehe

When I see the above picture...I suddenly see our girl has become such a 'big baby' already...(^^,)

We love you Sarra' Soffiya

Salam Maulidurasul

2011-02-15T00:47:00.000-08:00

Salam Mauliddurrasul to my muslim friends....may peace be upon him...

and today in history.......on 12 Rabiul Awal at 1.13pm, I went through the greatest battle of my life. I had to be rushed into the OT for the emergency Cesarean delivery.....to bring our long-awaited miraculous Nur Humaira Habibati into this world.
Happy Birthday sayang...semoga sifat kelembutan Rasullulah ada mengalir dijiwa dan hatimu...amin..amin..amin...

Our Kampung Style Dinner

2011-02-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

My favourite...sayur kucai...I only pan-fried it with some crab sticks...lovely...
Here, we call these baby shrimps...bubuk'....I also pan-fried them with chilli paste, sliced bombay onions and blended ginger, lemon grass and galangal. Add a bit of tamarind sauce... Yummy!
Another one....the fresh fish cooked with some sliced bombay onions, chillies, asam kulit, and lots of sliced ginger.....slurrrrppy....but we ate this one while it was hot....and one more thing..the fish must be fresh... ;9

The Seedless Guavas

2011-02-08T06:05:00.000-08:00

I love crunching these nutritious guavas freely....without worrying about their seeds anymore ....(^-^) .....

Her Dolly Cake....

2011-02-07T04:38:00.000-08:00

Habibati has been nagging me to bake for her a Dolly Cake and only today I could make one for her. The outcome was not perfect but when I looked at Habibati's happiness.....at an instant my mood was turned on!
She just could not wait Ayah to return home form the office. She did not even let anyone...especially Habibi...to touch her Dolly cake. She has that very strong sense of belonging.. (^_^)
When Ayah arrived home, we had a mini birthday again....hehehe...

My Work Station @ School....

2011-01-29T00:22:00.000-08:00

Have a look.....aduhaiiiiii....the whole space is occupied with stacks of books *sigh*.

I no longer bring these books home as I usually did before. It is because that...I know they will go back to school 'unmarked' LOL!
One of my cute stickers collections.....

....She Got Pinched By Me....

2011-01-22T06:53:00.000-08:00

I was mad at Habibati just now when she trampled on the bread without feeling guilty at all! I was dumbfounded at first by her action and got angrier when she just laughed at me..(@.@)..I was totally out of my mind and pinched her arm at that instant. She cried and said sorry eventually...
Now I start to feel guilty for being such a crazy mommy! But in my heart...I keep on telling myself that I am trying to make her a proper girl and doing such thing like that is not appropriate.....

Things Kids Do....

2011-01-21T05:56:00.000-08:00

Sykur Alhamdullilah...everything went smoothly. Here are some pictures taken during the day.
While waiting.....Habibi did some writing activity on his bed in Ward 2. He was very naive and of course he did not know what was going be done to him in just few minutes. We were actually so worried too if he asked for milk that very early morning. He started 'fasting' from 12 midnight till that morning...
This looked very funny....the nurses had to push the vacant bed to the OT....as our boy did not want to be treated as the Prince of the Ward! (^^,) Not only that...he also rejected to put on the stripy dress (that should be worn by patients who are going to OT).
Hubby was the one who accompanied Habibi into the OT to witness the anesthetic procedures.
I felt so sad to see them both went inside the scary OT. I just waited outside for hubby to come out after our son was successfully put under sedation.
Tadddddaaaa! These were the foreign bodies extracted from Habibi's both ears.....the colour pencil leads and two mini styrofoam balls(@_@) and yet we sill had no idea where in the world he got the styrofoam balls from! We did not have those balls at home....LOL....

Thank you very much to the ENT specialist and the audiologist. If it was not because of the procedures of the audio test...we would never know till forever that something foreign were peacefully sitting inside his both ears as he did not complain any pain at all....(*_*)....