Today my colleague treats the department to Pizza Hut. As you know the salad bowl they provide is very small and shallow. I was always designated as the salad stacker. I am not a pro but I can stack up to feed 10 hungry souls. This comes with a lot of practice and also the way the Pizza Hut staff cuts the salad.

First you have to put a thin layer of lettuce at the bottom. Start a small corner with some coleslaw. Align the cucumber in a straight line, closely with the coleslaw supporting it. You can put other stuff to support the cucumber. When the cucumbers are closely aligned in a circle, you can stack widely. Before stacking the food, leave some space for the sauce, so that it will not split. Later, you can close the sauce with some shredded carrots or cucumbers. You can begin the stack the honey dews and the water melon. If the water melon is cut in cubes, it will be easier to stack like blocks.

Wah lah….

By the way, I only do this when I am eating with a crowd. For my family, I probably will just take what I like because only 2 of us who like salad. I am not going to waste the food.

Happy Trying!!

Suddenly I just want to write about Apples. I am seeing too many things that have apple extracts in my home. Kleen Floor Apple Fragrant that cleanse my floor. I have Apple Glo detergent for washing the dishes. I have Apple soap for washing my body. Not to mention, my ribena now has apple extracts. I wonder if there is an apple fragrant perfume. My friend once said she will never use a fruity fragrant perfume because she doesn’t want to be a walking fruit. :giggles:

I am not sure how this is true, some mothers’ tales claim that if you eat an apple a day during pregnancy, your baby will have lots of hair.

In Tasmania, the land of apples, they have so many apples that each day they will throw a lot away. Why? The farmers do not want the price of apples to drop for their own gain.

Lastly, there is a children rhyme that goes “An apple a day keeps the doctor away. If the doctor is handsome, throw the apple away”. Ha.

During my primary school days, I am one of those junkies, eat a lot of junk food. I love to get this bubble gum that cost 5 sens for 2. I will eat the gum and behind the wrapper there is a picture. With that, you can tattoo the picture on your back of the palm. You take a few drops of water. Make the picture a bit wet. Then paste in on your hand. Later the picture will appear. Have you ever had that? Those were the days.

A few days back, I got this Bob The Builder tattoo that works on the similar concept. For my children, it is the first time they ever seen it. They thought it was a sticker but they couldn’t peel it. I showed them how it is done. Emily was pretty excited with the picture on her hand, kept asking for more. Tim was just playing cool.

I hope this bring back some childhood memories of yours. Ooh by the way, I love those bubble gums, I can blow a bubble as big as my face and pop it so that my entire face will be cover with gum. It is easy to peel off and my parents won’t have a clue.

Guess the hands:

I saw this in Huisia‘s blog and my itchy fingers went to the site to try it out. See what I got? I am dependent on LOVE, without it I am incomplete. Not sure how true?

You are The Lovers

Motive, power, and action, arising from Inspiration and Impulse.

The Lovers represents intuition and inspiration. Very often a choice needs to be made.

Originally, this card was called just LOVE. And that’s actually more apt than "Lovers." Love follows in this sequence of growth and maturity. And, coming after the Emperor, who is about control, it is a radical change in perspective. LOVE is a force that makes you choose and decide for reasons you often can’t understand; it makes you surrender control to a higher power. And that is what this card is all about. Finding something or someone who is so much a part of yourself, so perfectly attuned to you and you to them, that you cannot, dare not resist. This card indicates that the you have or will come across a person, career, challenge or thing that you will fall in love with. You will know instinctively that you must have this, even if it means diverging from your chosen path. No matter the difficulties, without it you will never be complete.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

I forgot to blog about this. The adorable Belle made me forgot. I was supposed to meet with Vien and d0mesticgoddess at 6:45-7pm at Gurney Hotel. I left my office at 5pm to fetch my children and took a shower. I left the house at 6pm, so I could be there on time or earlier.

I left the house secretly with Tim, hoping that Emily didn’t notice. She didn’t. My hubby asked me to pump petrol because tank is half empty. I thought there will be a Shell petrol station on the way, I will pump there.

I was happily cruising with Tim, listening to music on the radio. I was like half way towards town. I stopped by the Shell. I got out. I was putting my hand on the back pocket. Guess what I forgot? Bingo, no wallet. Darn!!!! :wall:

I still have enough petrol to go down town and back. Do you think I should take the risk of driving to town without myKad (probably get fine 10K) and driving license? If I turn back to pick up my wallet, I will be late, not to mention there may be traffic during the rush hour of people returning home from work. I really wanted to take the risk but Tim was there with me. I had to go back home. I had the handphone with me, called my hubby to get ready my wallet.

I called up d0mesticgoddes to say I am going to be late. I reached the hotel at 7:20pm. Bumma…

6:00 Out of the house
6:30 Petrol station
6:50 Pick up wallet
7:20 At the hotel.

If you do the math, it took me 30 minutes at first to be halfway and it took me 30 minutes later to drive from home to town. I drove real fast but safely of course. :shifty:

I have to go for another examination but this time I do not have to study for it. Guess what? :sc:

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It is that time of the year that I have to go for Health Screening, sponsored by my company. 2 years ago, I booked for it and was about to go. However I got pregnant before the appointment date, I had to cancel it.

The health screening is a comprehensive medical examination for early detection of common disorders such as Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus and Coronary Heart Diseases. Through these tests we can detect abnormalities in the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and urinary tract. It takes half a day for all the test and procedures to complete. The medical report will be completed and interpreted by the doctor.

Chest X-Ray
Electro Cardiogram (ECG)
Stress Test (Treadmill) – must build up my stamina!! :wall:
ESP (blood & urine test)
Lung Function Test
Audiogram
Ultrasound of Full Abdomen
Full Vision Test by Eye Specialist

I will blog further once I have the whole thing done. It is good to have your health check every other year when you reach my age.:pray: Pray that I pass this with flying colors!

When I started becoming a mother, I never prepare myself for breastfeeding. My mentality was if it is successful, it will be good. If not, so be it. If I had to do it all over again, I will put 100% effort.

First Time

The very first time I tried, my boy was sleeping when I latched him. No suction from him. Later the head nurse came in and thought me how to hold the baby to the breast. He managed to suck and I can feel it. It was exciting. However it didn’t last long as he fell asleep again. Next session, the holding position was wrong and the nurse could not help me as she is not trained to do. After the third session, everything went down hill. Every time I latched him, my son started yelling on top of his voice. He didn’t want to be near me. Poor me, all the mothers in the nursery gave me the stare.

Confinement

During my confinement, I asked my husband to go get me a battery operated cheapo pump. I had to express milk out every 3-4 hourly, only 3-4oz per session. There was enough milk for the day but not for night. I continued for 2 months and stopped when I started work. During that time, my work place does not provide facility for breastfeeding.

Second Attempt

My pediatric doctor advised me to breastfeed my second child as the first had allergy problem. Chances of second child follow will be high. I read up on breastfeeding and prepared for it. However I failed to latch her too. I decided to fully express for her. I got a better pump this time. I had sufficient supply for day. I carried on during confinement and for 8 months.

After a few moms at my work place started to breastfeed, HR decided to provide a better facility for us. Every 3 hours, I will go to the room to express. I really love the Avent ISIS pump. My first session in the morning, I can pump 12-15 oz, after that it will be 3-4 oz per session. My record was 25 oz per day. However Emily had a great appetite, she drinks every 3 hourly at 6oz. I had to supplement her night feeding with formula. I also gave 3 oz per day added to my son’s milk.

Emily took all my baby fat away. She was a real chubby baby. I lost all my weight right after confinement. Everyone was so surprised that I could wear jeans to work after my confinement. Imagine I shred all 20kg that I put on during my pregnancy.

I had to drink 2-3L of water everyday, drank lots of soup, eat fish daily and no seafood or allergy prone food. Tip for breastfeeding, get a good pump, go for Avent ISIS. Many mothers that I introduce this to, came back with a thump up! :good:

I really missed those breastfeeding days.

I found this interesting Nemo Quiz. I am GILL but I really want to be Nemo. 😀 Have fun with it! :dance:

Which Finding Nemo Character Are You?

You’re GILL, the smart fish with sights on success.
Take this quiz!

Today is my marriage Anniversary. I almost forgot until hubby & friends wished me. No special night out, as I have to abstain from certain food. Probably postpone the feast until I can eat it all.

Bandage is off. I went to the doctor yesterday to take it out. It was about to come off after I had a shower, so much for waterproof bandage. I called the doctor to make an early appointment, gave me a surprised, the doctor answered the phone. I was expecting his nurse to take the message. 😯

After I was discharged from the hospital, my babysitter was admitted for stones in the kidney. I have to baby sit Emily while I recuperate. At this age, she is easier for me to take care.

I even took her to the doctor clinic to remove my bandage. I bought her a bottle of Vitagen. She sat at the chair while the doctor took off my bandage and spray some chemical to protect the wound. He went through the report, it looks good and everything is fine. The report had the picture of my goitre, anyone wanna have a look? It may be offensive to some. I thought I will not published it here. It looks huge. He gave the rest of my MC. :dance: As for Emily, she climb up and down the chair after the Vitagen finished.

I am back!! I had my surgery on Monday morning and it was very successful that I recovered on the same day. The surgeon was surprised to see me so alert after the surgery. I am in not much pain. Anyway, it was over and I am glad.

The waiting for the surgery drove me crazy. I went in at 8:00am, kept asking the nurse when is my turn? It was schedule at 9:30am but only called to go into the operation theatre at 10:00am. Hehehe, I was anxious to get it done. I had terrible thoughts that I will not come out alive. I had 2 surgical on thyroid and 2 c-sect operations. Funny I wasn’t afraid when I had the c-sect, maybe because at the end I had something to look forward too, like Tim & Emily.

The first thyroid op was very frightening to me. I cried all the way into the op. It was my first ever and they left me in the cold and quiet waiting area. I was so frightened. They left me there for 10-15 minutes it is like forever. The one I just had was not so bad but the anaesthetic doctor prick me real painful. After many silly questions, they pushed me into the op theatre. They moved me to the op table. The spotlights were above me. Let me inhale some oxygen while the anaesthetic doctor pricks me some more. After that, I passed out and action begun.

When the surgery is over, the nurse will wake you up. You have to answer them, else they will keep calling and hit your face. They put me under a warmer and observed me for a few minutes. Later pushed me to the observation wad. That’s it. The first day, I am not supposed to eat anything. I had to wait for the anaesthetic to vanish from my body. It may cause vomiting if I did. I could walk down the bed and talk on the first day. 2nd day was very alert, could watch TV and eat. Third day, I was out of there. Anyway there was no rest in the hospital, nurses come in and out to check your temperature, BP and pulse. At 8am, they come in to change the bed sheets. Home is the best.

The surgeon is darn funny, at least he made me laugh. Laughter is the best medicine. Here are his funny remarks:

Surgeon: I am having flu but I didn’t have any chicken.

Surgeon: Later they will push you into the ops theatre, and the anaesthetic doctor will take a hammer and knock you out.

Me: My left lip is swollen, what happened in the op?
Surgeon: When they pull out the breathing tube must have injured your lip. Do you have a lawyer? You can sue the hospital for negligence, if you are in US.

Me: I don’t have to take the pain killer if I feel no pain.
Surgeon: Are you a ninja? So tough ah?

Thanks for those praying for me. :pray: