An Unexpected Gift

End of March and beginning of April are the few weeks where Chinese pay their respect to their deceased family members. As usual, my side of the family, I only have one sister. So every year, she and I will planned a date to pay our respect to our late father and both grandmothers of both side, which were all buried at the same place. They were all cremated and put in urns and place in units space (like pigeon holes to me) in a pagoda. We were both free last weekend, so we went last Saturday.

As usual, hubby would send me and sons there. We all helped set up those offerings of food, fruits, drinks and a boxes of goodies, or should I say necessities that we need to burn in order to be send to them over the other side. As I and my sister were busy doing all these offerings, hubby went missing. By the time we were done, we went to our car and waited for him.

When he reach the car, I asked where he had went, he said to the office and bought a twin unit inside the new pagoda, a new building just completed next to the existing pagoda. I was speechless. This is something I was never prepared for. Rarely talks about stuffs like these too. Asked if it was for his parents for future used, he smiled and look at me and said, "No, it is for us". Before the conversation could go on, I have to go with my sister to my mom's place in her car as hubby need to go some where else and later at night they had made dinner reservation somewhere far, a new restaurant that they wanted to try out. Hubby joined us at dinner.

We reach home quite late that night and tired too after a whole day. All of us went to bed and I had almost forgotten about the special gift. Next morning, after breakfast, hubby took out the receipt and said "Looks like you will be stuck with me eternally, even after life, you will still have to stay next to me. Now where should I file these receipts?" Another speechless moment for me. A bit puzzled as I have some mix feelings inside me, one hand I was not that happy because I am only in my mid forties and he in his early fifties. On the other hand, those words he had just said, sounded quite sweet though. So in the end I just said "Thank you dear, I think you should filed it here" and passed a file to him.

I guess this was my most awkward moment ever in my life. Anyway, what was done was done, no point arguing or disagreeing. What ever will be will be. Hope that is not a birthday gift for me. My dear sister who went shopping for watches saw a perfect BFF watch and bought a pair, one for me and the other for herself. Both our birthdays falls on April. I have yet to get her a present. Hope hubby would surprise me with a real present. Not sure what got into him and I don't feel right to ask but he did mentioned that those units are selling like hot cakes, finishing fast and it is better to be buried near other relatives. Either some bug bit him or the salesmen there are damn good.

Thanks for reading. How many of you had already purchased a place / home for your, ahem, future?

I Got A Cook

Next week school breaks for a week. My youngest son is always craving for all sorts of western food. Gotta blame that on Asian Food Channel and youtubes that shows so many irrisistable food. So he told me he got tired of eating my food and since it is school holidays, he said he will cook next week for a week.

We went shopping just now for ingredients. He said he is going to cook seafood pasta, lasagna, bake brownies too etc. All in differents days of course. Ask if he knows what he is suppose to do, he showed me the youtube and said most of the ingredients we already have at home and if he follows step by step, nothing could go wrong.

I am not too worry if the dish turns out tasty or not. I am more worried about my kitchen and the mess afterwards. Hubby sometimes have the urge to cook too after watching some cook show. Which he eventually did cook but really mess up my kitchen.

So everytime when sons or hubby volunteer to cook, I am not sure to feel happy or scare. Lets hope everything went well next week. Anyway, when I was cooking and sometime sons volunteer to help and ask all sorts of questions about the dish, I jokingly told them that they should learn to cook because one day when their wife are too angry or busy to cook, at least they could cook for themselves and don't have to starve. Guess partly my fault too.

Thanks for reading. Happy blogging and parenting to you.

Sign Of Aging

Age is creeping up without me realizing. Sitting too long causes back ache. Looking at the p.c or t.v too long (which is not too long to me) eyes need a rest. That's why I hardly go to the cinemas now-a-days. The big screen that changes too fast and those extreme sound effects sometime makes me uncomfortable and a bit dizzy. Not too mention rides at theme parks. So movies are always at home now.

Most afternoon after lunch I need a short nap cause I would be extremely drowsy that hour. Can't have marathon shopping like those days as I get tired faster than before. Hmm my body ain't as young as I thought it was. When did that happen?

I need to exercise everyday now, be it stretching exercise or some light weight lifting or yoga, if not, body aches and gets tire faster. Guess those aches are actually my body alarm clock reminding me to exercise. Kinda glad that I am not on a nine to five job now or I would be forcing myself to have my eyes open after lunch and the whole day in front of the p.c with loads of meetings to attend and juniors to teach.

As my body start changing and watching my children all grown up and taller than me, I realize I am on the next phase in life. A new chapter. Makes me feel a bit like those single days, as I don't really have to attend to my teenage sons so much. Most of the time they would hang out with friends. So I pay more attention on my pet rabbit and dog.

My facebook and camera used to be filled with my sons photos and stuffs about them. Now mostly about my pets. Like my mum always said, go through life gracefully embracing every phase in life. Hope by the time both sons start working and hubby retired, I and hubby could take up some volunteer work somewhere. Something that I always wanted to do but lack time and sometime transport to do it. Hopefully I get to fulfill this part of my dream before I become a grandma and have to take care of grandchildren and be stuck at home again.

Life is really like a box of chocolate, never really know what to expect until the time comes and things happen. We can plan how we are going to live but sometime it is beyond our expectation. What ever will be will be. I am grateful that my annual health check still shows I am in good health despite the back ache and all.

Thanks for reading and hope life treads you good. Take care of your health and embrace life every moment.

Muffin's First Cherry Tomato

Look at my Muffin trying to figure out what to do with a cherry tomato. I actually posted a video but it turn into a photo instead. He was licking it, throw it in the air and let it drop and put it in his mouth and spit it out and playing with it like a marble. Oh so blogspot does not allow posting of video anymore?!?!?!?

Now a days I am busy teaching Muffin tricks. Even on facebook, most pictures and videos that I post lately are about Muffin. Can't blame me. My two sons are in their teens, even most of my nieces and nephews are in their late teens or early twenties. All busy with colleges and schools.

Guess I have gone to the next phase in life. When sons were young, I love teaching them stuffs and watching their reaction and listen to all those funny stuffs that they say. Now words from them sounds so adult, nothing so amusing like when they were toddlers saying and pronouncing certain words for the first time. I also love watching them take solid food for the first time. Their face expression and body movement are so funny.

Now with Muffin, those trills and amusing moments came back. Like having a toddler at home again. My advise to those folks whose children are getting out or are already out of the nest, go get a pet, preferably a dog. Like reliving those moments having young children at home. Provided you like children, if not a dog would be a burden to you.

Thanks for reading and hope a pet can fill that void in you like it did to me. Happy blogging and parenting to your children and pets.