Sketches of Life|Life Lived in Simplicity

MIL has gone to live with her other children in KL. She will be house hopping for the next 4-5 weeks. She has 5 sons living in KL now. 4 with a family and one still single and available.

This is not the first time she left us at home for more than a month. Since we are often at work, we do not miss her presence much. Only when I need to send my girls for piano lesson and Chinese tuition, I have to bring everyone with me and not leave them at home. Quite inconvenience when the babies are napping at that hour. So, we’ll be at my parent’s house on piano lesson and tuition days. That is 4 days a week.

It has been a very hectic week for me, juggling between family, homeschooling, work and baking Nyonya Pineapple Tarts for sale. On the days I have to work, I pack all my 6 kids and their books to work. On non working days, I’ll be busy baking Nyonya Pineapple Tarts and running errands for hubby. Once my tarts order is fulfilled, I am left with only one day to do spring cleaning. Thanks to one of my brother in laws, I only need to spring clean the toy room, empty my children’s room to make way for other family that will be returning for the CNY celebration, my children’s study area and my own room. Tomorrow is CNY eve already. After CNY is over, I wish to be able to relax in a heated pool where the pool heat pumps is working.

Here is a photo of our almost done tree house. It took hubby, BIL and his 2 sons 2 full days to rebuild the tree house. Due to distance and time, they are not able to complete it until the CNY holiday where their other brothers will be back for the festive occasion. Then, they will have more hands to get the job done. Some of the nieces and nephews can’t wait to sleep up there this coming CNY. I hope no t-slot will be loosen when a few of the “baby elephants” play up there.

If not due to the rain, we would have a completed tree house now. But it is okay, at least the boys were forced to rest for a few hours before they begin working on the tree house again.

Hubby is very impressed with his eldest brother’s tool box. His brother has almost everything that is needed to build the tree house. If he can have a portable work bench, I think he would own one too. Man and their tools. Just like woman and their make-up kits. Not me though. I do not have even a lipstick since I started breastfeeding my babies.

Since one of hubby’s part-time staffs resigned, hubby hardly have time for us. Yup! Even on Sunday coz most Sunday night, there will be meeting in church. Morning to church for Sunday service, then rush to lunch and rush back home for a short nap. The day gone just like that.

Tomorrow is going to be a public holiday here and hubby’s eldest brother has requested him to take the day off from work to help him re-build the tree house (will blog about this later). Thank God that hubby managed to get his “resigned” staff to work for the day.

Another staff who is working at another cc is also taking the day off. I wanted to work there but hubby said no coz it is rare occasion to get the family together the whole day.

We are praying that God will bless us with more sales on other days to cover for the one day loses.

SO, Family Day it is tomorrow. I want to cook/bake something special.

By now, most families who can afford a flat screen TV have upgraded theirs to one. Not my family though. We hardly watch TV so we do not see the point of change our current one (which was bought by one of my BILs) to a flat screen. My parents have upgraded theirs. My youngest sister bought it for them and the rest of up chipped in some. With a flat screen TV, the panel stand must change too. So, my mom went to buy a flat panel stand with her own savings.

Today is the 3rd time to many of times working in a cyber cafe. The first time, I brought along my 7.5mo, 22mo and 9yo. It was a bad idea to bring my toddler along. Not easy to handle an active toddler who wants to do everything with you. If possible I do not want to bring my 7.5mo too but I can’t because he is still on 100% Mommy’s milk; direct feed. The rest of my children, I left them at my parents’ house because they have their cousins to play with. 2nd and 3rd time, I left my toddler under the care of her older brothers, sister, cousins and her grandparents.

I have to bring my 9yo with me because she can help me carry her baby brother when I need to entertain the customer/s like printing, photostating and binding.

To keep my 9yo occupied, I got her to start doing Grade 3 AOP subjects. One unit completed, she is allowed 2 hours of computer time. One unit contained 46-52 pages. So, she’ll do half of it for an hour computer time and another half for another hour.

That’s how a mother of 6 can work. With many helpers in hand.

These are all mine. 3 girls and 3 boys, aged 9yo,8yo,6yo,3yo,22mo and 7mo. I raise them up with the help of my husband, MIL, my parents and no maid.

It is VERY challenging, VERY stressful at times but I am VERY blessed to have all of them. They made my life VERY colourful.

All 6 have very different personality. One will help me with the housechores, one can babybit, one can play with the younger ones, one very joyful, one reminds me that i was once a tomboy, and one for me to adore and sucks the fat out of me. hehe.

On good days, I feel I want to have another one! Crazy me.

My eldest daughter, 9yo loves to read while she is eating. She told me that she enjoys her food better when she is reading. Unfortunately, eating while doing other activities is a bad habit. I read that, you will tend to eat more because when you read, you are too engross with the story that you don’t remember how much you have eaten. Now I know why my 9yo eats more lately! Must stop her from reading and eating at the same time! What about books mp3? Can listen while eating or not? I don’t think so eh. Respect your food! Give them your utmost attention. hehe.

Look, who picked up the bad habit…

My youngest daughter, 21mo!

When you see the above picture, you feel pain right? More for the mother who gave birth to this child. But it wasn’t as painful as the first time I experienced similar incident about 5 years ago. My 2nd daughter, now 8yo fell from the swing and had a bad scratch on her face (right side too) coz she felt on the stoney ground. I felt her pain. And I was so worried that it will leave scar of my girl’s face. Earlier, there was a scar. Thank God, there is no sign of it as of today.

So when this 3yo of mine fell on the tarred road while playing with his cousins last Saturday, I did not panic and I have no worries too. I calmly told him, it is ok, you will be fine in no time.

This is part of growing up. Someone commented in my FB that “tak jatuh, tak besair.” ^-^