Friday, July 25, 2008

Visiting Mia

There are changes to my visiting schedules with Mia now.


Mmmm its a bit embarassing but, I would like to admit here that ever since Mia entered boarding school last year, I never failed to visit her EVERY WEEKEND. (hehe....) Padahal I'm the type who thinks that when kids masuk boarding school, we should leave them be, jangan visit selalu sangat. Let them be independent. This was what my parents did when I was in MRSM, they visited once or twice a month.....and yeah it worked out pretty well with me.


It all started with me helping Mia with her laundry masa dia baru masuk Form 1. So every week kena datang ambik laundry, right. When I stopped doing that just before fasting month last year, patutnya tak payah datang every week dah.... but I guess dah jadi habit pun satu, Mia suruh datang bawak food pun satu..... hehe


So 2 weeks ago, I made a decision. and for the first time.... I did not visit her. It was quite an accomplishment for me tau.... hehe.


I do not plan to visit her again this week, tapi mmmm..... i wonder whether her pocket money is enough.....

Monday, July 21, 2008

Things that happened last week

CORRECTION : Pu3 demanded me to correct my previous entry on the Spell it Right Junior Competition. She spelt the word " mistreat" with a double "s"..... and not as what I wrote earlier.
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Lots of things happened last week. Some good, some bad. But mostly good.


A friend betrayed me last week. Hmmm.... i got several "I told you so's..." from my other friends. Do not want to dwell on this. Dah terjadi tu dahlah.....


I made a big decision last week. Well, to me its big. I have stopped Pu3 and Zaryff from Smart Reader. It was quite hard to reach to this decision as I have been sending the kids since 2002. Dah 6 tahun! Mia and Anastassia finished Level 10 and both of them benefited tremondously from this program. Especially Mia. Pu3 is now at Level 8 whilst Zaryff is at Level 6.


Memang sayang to stop them, but kesianla actually the timing of the classes tak kena with Pu3's schedule. So dia nampak penat. Kesian Helena tengok. Nampak penat sangat, i know she likes the classes but timing tu yang tak kena..... Apart then that, the class is like at the other side of town, because Helena mmg akan hantar to the best place (to me), although there is one very close near home.


After the decision was made, I felt as if a huge burden were lifted of my shoulder. Phew..... Yes, let me admit here that sending both kids for Smart Reader to a location quite far from the house, is very-very tiring. Very rushing, and kerja-kerja lain memang tergendala on the days ada SR. Its very time consuming...... For example, on Wednesdays, both Pu3 and Zaryff have classes, at different times. Lepas tu, money wise, I need RM20 just to send them to and fro. RM20, if I used the smaller car that is. Kalau pakai the big car, it'll be RM30. But to me, when education is concerned, duit tu not an issuela sangat......


Now, that we are free from Smart Reader classes.... I feel that there's more time for me, kids have a more relaxed schedule..... and hey..... there's more family time together too......


Pu3 who was upset at first, is now okay with the idea. I told her that she can just continue where she stopped anytime she want....... Zaryff pulak jerit "YIPPEE" was grinning ear to ear..... hehe. But i told them..... I will photostate theirs sisters SR books and they will have to do the exercises with me..... so at least dapatla sikit additional knowledge tu......


Oh Ya...... Papa's durian tree started berbuah this year.... Yeay!!!!! Sebenarnya ada satu pokok aje....... tanam kat hujung pagar....... I remembered that he planted this tree masa Mia in Kindy. Mia was asking about durians and I guess Atuk planted one just for Mia and Anastassia (and other future cucus - Pu3 and Zaryff, yet to be born).


And last week the first durian fell, and now yang dah gugur ada la dalam 15........ and nampak around 80 more kat pokok tu...... Papa now ada kerja baru petang2...... driving from one neighbour's house to the other...... kasi durian..... hehe....


I guess my dieting have to wait again..... hehe.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Sweet Sweet Pu3.....

Pu3 was in the papers recently. She got 3rd place in the NST-RHB Junior Spell it Right. She was frustrated as she aimed for the top spot to get the laptop..... so had to console her.....



The day after the competition, she woke up early, sebab nak tengok papers. (She was interviewed by the reporter right after the competition) And she was upset to see that her picture tak ada, despite posing here and there for the photographers.... alahai..... Helena pujuk..... dah ada cerita pasal dia dalam paper tu.... kira okayla..... But she was happy bila a week later, bila out of the blue, keluar pulak gambar dia..... hehe


Pu3 mispelled the word 'mistreat'. She spelled it with a double 's'. Helena mengaku kat dia, that Helena ada terpikir nak go through with her the words yang ada 'dis' and 'mis' supaya dia tak confuse..... tapi since I was busy with entah apa2.... i forgot about it....

So in the end, she blamed me for getting 3rd.... hehe.... okayla..... blame mama la.... i dont mind.... hehe..... I'm very proud of you dear, you made my day just standing up that stage...... immaterial menang ke tidak.....


Pu3 was calm but mommy was a bundle of nerves...... hehehe





Pu3 receiving the RM500 mock cheque......

Zaryff was supposed to enter the competition too, but puas Helena pujuk, dia taknak..... yang geramnya, masa tengok the competition, dia boleh kata.... ala mama..... kalau Zaryff masuk, pun Zaryff boleh jawab..... taklah susah sangat...... la..... rupanya he thought it was as difficult as the Tahap 2 punya Spell It Right which we went to see last month...... sigh........

Monday, July 07, 2008

Anastassia.....Anastassia.....

In the midst of preparing Pu3 for her Taekwondo hari tu, Anastassia came to me and said.....


"Mama, I was chosen to represent the school for Story Telling this Monday" she whispered.



"WHAAAAT?????"




"I didnt go for the audition, Mama..... really I didnt..." Anastassia said with a low voice.



"Then how come you were chosen? I thought your teachers and I agreed to one thing last week...... that will be no more competitions for you! Until UPSR!"



"Mama, betul Mama, I didnt go for the audition. So while the other girls auditioned I was doing my homework. Then someone came asking for me and said that the teachers asked for me. I went and was told that they want me to audition. I auditioned and I was picked." she explained.



"Sigh...... Anastassia....... let me call your teacher...... awak tarik diri ok...."



"Please Mama..... all this time its only BM competitions..... I want to try out competitions in English" Anastassia pleaded.



"No...... Anastassia..... You've went all the way to Hong Kong for your English Drama..... nak experience apa lagi..... you HAVE experienced it" I said, my suara dah naik.



"Please Mama..... please....... I promise I wont spend much time preparing" Anastassia pujuk I lagi.....



In the end I gave in..... dengan satu syarat.....



"You can only spend one hour ONLY preparing for this" I said with my no nonsence voice. Rasa nak sakit dada pun ada ni.....



Anastassia smiled, then grinned..... then skipped to her room..... siap nyanyi-nyanyi lagi...... sigh....



Sigh...... yup, the preparation was a brief one, i guess memorizing the story in English is easier for her compared to if it were in BM...... Dulu her Bahas, Pidato and Syarahan took quite a long time to memorize.....



Below are pictures for the ASEAN STORY TELLING COMPETITION...... organized by Kementerian Penerangan. It was shown on TV and it was also in the papers.





Anastassia..... she mesmerized the audiance with a a story entitled The Rabbit with the Mak Toom Tree, a story originated from Thailand.



Anastassia with her glass trophy and RM200 win. She got 3rd placing.



Anastassia actually aimed for the top spot. Seriously, she could as she did everything perfectly. Overall she was the best among the participants. However, she was a bit too fast in telling her story, it did not reach the minimum 7 minute time alocated. So minus point on the timing. Her English teacher also said that Anastassia slang may have contributed to some points deduction also.


Anastassia.... Anastassia......

Friday, July 04, 2008

Arghhh.... its already July!

Just got a call from Pu3's Master yesterday. He said that Pu3 was selected to compete in the selections to go for the Taekwondo Remaja Kebangsaan in Penang!

Alahai.... pening.... pening.....

Obviously this is a great opportunity for Pu3..... Mia dapat pergi Kebangsaan dulu pun masa dia dah std 5. But I have to take into account Anastassia's preparation for UPSR.


Peperiksaan Percubaan UPSR 2 akan diadakan mid July. Clashes with Anastassia's Choral Speaking in Trengganu. So arrangements has been made to allow Anastassia and her friends yang involved to take the exam the day after the Trengganu trip..... Sigh..... from experience, I know they will reach their school around 11 pm.... mesti penat..... next day nak ambik exam pulak tu...... sigh..... timing tak kena betul.....


The Taekwondo competition in Penang would be in August. Memang to me, August is strictly for Anastassia. UPSR trials will be in August. Penting sangat tu..... and i cant let Pu3 go with the State Team macam tu aje.... this is Taekwondo..... a sport known for injuries...... bukannya badminton..... I need to be there to oversee her fights....

Entahla..... hubby volunteered to accompany her..... mmm.... maybe i need to learn to let him handle the kids ..... but all the way to Penang??..... sigh...... Tapi what ever it is, provided if she get selected la kan......


OK la tukar cerita.....


Mia did something new last week. She acted in a Sejarah Drama! First time Helena tengok dia berlakon and well.... biasala being a mom.... rasa emotional pulak Helena ni... see her doing new things..... doing things out of her comfort zone.

She was Hang Jebat and in the scene ada 2 benda klakar yang tak disangka happened. First, masa nak bersilat.... her samping menyelorot jatuh...... Helena tak perasan but the whole dewan laughed..... Nasib baik Mia tak panik and just kuiskan the samping at the side angrily..... making the audience clapped for her unscripted move.....

Then, masa dia died in Hang Tuah's lap...... masa nak tukar scene, Hang Tuah had to drag Mia ke tepi..... tapi Hang Tuah tak tertarik.... hehe.... puas dia nak drag Mia, Mia tak bergerak langsung..... the whole dewan laughed again coz.... kelakar la tgk Hang Tuah beriya2 nak tarik Mia..... and Mia cant help coz she supposed to be dead, right? Hehe..... Yang buat lagi kelakar..... pengawal2 lain yang mati next to Mia, semuanya senang ajer di tarik off stage..... hehe....




Mia as Hang Jebat. Mia's voice lain betul masa berlakon ni..... yela dia kena garaukan suara. Boleh tahan jugak dia berlakon.....




Hang Tuah's confrontation scene with Hang Jebat. This was before the bersilat scene, sebelum samping dia jatuh...... hehe



They lost tapi to me.... it was the best play I've ever seen.........





Last Tuesday, Mia and a bunchful of other actors got rewarded. They went to see the Broadway Teater - The Beauty and The Beast at Istana Budaya.





Mia got 2nd for the Lalulintas Shell Competition.