Saturday, January 30, 2010

travelling with kids




This is the second time i'm travelling with my 3 kids on airplane without hubby...We're going back to my home town Kuala Terengganu. As hubby can't follow us...he'll be going back the next day, so i  have to travel alone taking care of 3 kids.....

The challenges are.....kids of course. Eventhough it is a short distance, 45 minutes on airplane..still a big challenge to me having an 8, a 6 and a 2 years old on board with me and being the only one who will entertain their needs and attention! This is the second time we're travelling with Firefly...becoz the airport is near to my house and it's a small airport, everything is nearby....check-in counter the boarding area...easy to manage the kids.

I try to minimise the load....i need to bring a stroller for Arissa of course...will make my life easier, one cabin size luggage bag...as i don't want to check in the luggage bag..it will take a long time to wait for the bag when we landed. This happens on my first travel alone with them...so i'm not going to do that again! Each bag for the kids....to load their own stuffs like toys, books whatever they want to bring along and of course my oversized handbag to load Arissa's stuff...snacks, water in her fav bottle, baby wipes, books, diapers...etc!

At the waiting area..after boarding...we still need to wait around half an hour..this is the time when all of them need their attentions! especially Amsyar and Arissa....Batrisyia is a big girl now...and i normally can count on her in helping me over a small tasks.....I will make sure my boy go to toilet first before getting into the plane...coz i can't handle that inside the plane as the toilet is small and of course I cannot leave Arissa alone on the seat. Amsyar wil be running here and there...Arissa will ask again and again to get her out from the stroller....and the best place to sit is in front of the big screen so that they can watch whatever advertisment displayed...

Inside the plane...i need to strap all of them...Batrisyia will sit alone with other passenger, buckle up herself. Amsyar will be a bit difficult...kejap nak kejap nak bukak...especially during take off  when u need to buckle up! huhuhu...45 minutes inside the airplane feels like few hours...hahaha but Arissa will be occupied with books, Amsyar with his toys and Batrisyia will have a chit chat with her neighbour...sampai tak larat lah passenger sebelah dia dengar story mory dia....me? smiling away..and pray that everything goes well until we landed :-P

I love this quote
"there are two classes of travel: First class, and with children."

Robert Benchley

Here are ome tips for travelling with children:

Take a travel blanket with you and tuck it into the seat pocket in front of your child. It will help keep their feet from being able to do too much damage to the person sitting in front of them.

If you book early, you may be able to grab the bulkhead row. There is extra leg room which means, if you have a child who is old enough to stand, you can more easily let them stand while you hold onto their hands giving your lap, and your child, a much needed break.


Airplane seat belts aren't made for kid travel, especially small ones.Infants can use airline approved infant or car seats, but small children can be made more comfortable and more safe with the use of an approved restraint system that attaches to the airplane's belts.

 better and safer belt for your kids


Crayons and coloring books are a good way to keep small children occupied, but be prepared to lose a few. These easily roll off of trays, onto the floor and are nearly impossible to retrieve. Even if you can retrieve them, you don't want to spend your flight doing so.

Bring toys that aren't too small, don't roll, and won't hurt if accidentally thrown at the person sitting next to you. It happens.




As planes change altitude, mostly during takeoff and landing, the pressure impacts our ears. Babies and children are more susceptible to this than adults - hence, the crying jags that rattle the nerves of parents and fellow passengers alike.

Have something handy for a child to suck on or chew during the flight, especially during takeoff and landing
- a pacifier, a bottle, a lollipop, a piece of gum - all, of course, dependent on their ages. The sucking and chewing motions help relieve the pressure in the ears and can ease the pain a child feels. Which, by the way, will make you less stressed than if you're having to comfort a screaming child and wishing you could hide in the bathroom for the rest of the flight.

You can't take liquids through airport security and this includes baby milk (even applesauce and yougurt). Bring powdered, pre-packaged formula in single feedings. The airline will heat water for you to make a bottle.

Food on airplanes is rather expensive and the selections are usually unappetizing to small children. Pack dry cereal, cut up fruit, raisins, crackers, and other snacks your toddler will like.
 Try to plan an infant's meal (breast or bottle) to take place during take-off and landing if you can. This,  will help make sure your child is hungry enough to suck on the bottle during those times that cause them the most pain. Often, this will cut down on the crying and screaming that makes a parent feel completely helpless.Little fingers drop food during travel on an airplane and the last thing you want is to be stepping on a bunch of crumbs in your row or sitting on them throughout the flight. These great travel cups keep food safe and have a little gasket like opening so kids only pull out what they need. The rest stays in the cup no matter what.Ever had to chase a sippy cup down an airplane aisle? They're round, kids drop them and then they roll away and end up under the feet of someone 10 rows back. These cups have cool straps so you can attach them to a seat restraint, part of the chair, your wrist...wherever...and they'll stay with you through the flight. 
A bag for me, a bag for each child, suitcases, strollers, and car seats? How on earth - you think to yourself - am I ever going to make it through the airport much less to my final destination? Grab handy wheels and easily zip your stuff along.
 
Cool!


The Food Tray is Not a Toy 

Up, down, up, down...ugh!

Once a child sees how that little tray flips down, they want to try it too, and their fascination will go on throughout the whole flight. Suddenly, they have control of something and kids love to control things (do you blame them?). It makes them feel older and bigger. However, that tray going up and down can be felt by the person in front of them and it's darn annoying. Instruct younger children that the tray is off limits and that if they need the tray, you will take it down and put it up.

Peek a Boo 

Fun for a few minutes

I've bounced a standing child on my knees during a flight to keep them occupied. This quickly becomes a game of peek a boo with all those faces they can suddenly see all around them from such a high position. No doubt, your child - if not too shy - will find a kind soul somewhere on the airplane who starts a game of peek a boo with them. Suddenly, instead of a simple little exercise to pass the time, your fighting to get your child to settle down and they are pulling against you to keep up the game. When that happens, have a toy or snacks ready to pull out and distract them or your thighs are going to be numb before the flight is over.

Airplane Book 

Prepare them for the airport

If this is an older child's first trip on an airplane, you can help them get comfortable with all that they're going to see, hear, and feel by helping them go through this book.

  These are some photos of Amsyar and Arissa on the airplane....ni je yang sempat ambik :-)

both busy with own activities

 
Arissa loves books

  
Amsyar occupied with toys
Choc muffin anyone? :-)


Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Up coming Birthday Party

Both my daughters birthday falls in February. Batrisyia turns 8 on 2oth Feb and Arissa turns 2 on 13th Feb. It's just a week a part. Oh dear! my eldest is a 'big girl' already...how time flies


Last year we manage to celebrate their birthday in 2 diff party...but this year we plan to celebrate it together...so only 1 party for both of them coz mama will definitely be busy ahead...this year will be a tough year for me..with exam, thesis bla...bla...bla...and of course will cut the cost! Anyway they will have their own celebration at Auntie Sha's Day care on 19th Feb...with their lovely friends!


But Where? So far no venue yet....


Last year we celebrated Batrisyia's 7th birthday at Victoria Station, Damansara.At the same time, my mother just arrived from Trg that night and we had around 30 guests altogether! Itu pun uncles, aunties and cousins yang duk KL kay....not the whole family...mahu sampai 50 i guess! dah lama tak kira...Anyway she had a wonderful celebration that night....dengan manager2 VS sekali nyanyi birthday song untuk Batrisyia!





Birthday Girl!





Birthday Cake : Power Puff Girl! she wanted to have hello kitty...but mama yang amatlah busy tak sempat nak order...maybe dis year dear!






the crowd! ada lagi rasaya tertinggal...guess who?



Arissa had a small party celebrated at Tony Romas, Cineleisure. We, adult yang enjoyed lebih2...still remembered the tastes of Baskin Robins ice cream cake! Yummy! Yummy Arissa tak makan pun hahaha!





"Happy birthday to you...Happy birthday to you...Happy birthday to lovely Arissa! Happy Birthday to you!!!"






Arissa get ready to blow the candle! tak pandai lagi...




the yummylicious ice cream cake from Baskin Robins!






Arissa still getting mama's milk! missed the moments!




1 year old Arissa with mama. I Love u my angel!




This year......maybe.... maybe extended nak jemput my closest friends and hubby's closest friends too... not sure yet...

Any suggesstion? Definitely not at our house....coz make my life easier...part2 kemas tak de masa...i have no maid ok! we don't trust maid!

mmmmmm....i think my hubby dah ada list venue tu...tak confirm je lagi..we'll see! let him do the job! anyway budget dari daddy's pocket right? hihi *wink*

Martial Arts. Is it good for your kids?






I'm thinking of sending my eldest and son to learn martial arts i.e tae kwon do....will it be beneficial to them? despite of bertumbuk2 tak tentu hala....ha ha at least dengan cara yang betul. But that's not the main reason....hopefully it will discipline them and make useful of their free time and good for their health too! Martial arts gives childrean a positive way to burn calories, and socialize with quality friends, in a safe setting. It also keeps them away television. Agree?


Let's face it. We live in a time of video games, internet, cable TV, and fast food that tastes good. Globally, Type II Diabetes is on the rise in children due to inactivity, high calorie diet, lifestyles, physical education cut backs, and lack of time.




Let us go through what expert says about Martial Arts Training!

From Ninja Turtles to The Karate Kid

You and your kids have all seen the flying kicks, battle cries and mighty chops of their favorite TV characters, as they beat the bad guys to submission – but, you may ask, how on earth can these acts of violence teach my child anything worthwhile?

First, know that what you see on television (save perhaps the Karate Kid) is a far cry from what real martial arts are all about. The fact is, martial arts training is based on non-violence.

Originating in Asia (mainly Japan, China and Korea, although Thailand and Vietnam have their own practices as well), martial arts range from a variety of types and styles, all of which are based on well-rounded, moral teachings. The beauty of learning martial arts is that it encompasses not just the physical aspect of the “sport”, but mental and emotional lessons as well.

Comparing that to other kid’s activities and sports, where fierce competitiveness and “winning at all costs” seems to be the order of the day, it’s not surprising that many children grapple with issues of self-esteem and misplaced aggression.

Now imagine your child actually learning valuable life lessons, skills that he will take throughout life, laying the foundation for a happy, well-adjusted and fulfilled adult life. If only karate for kids was popular in the 70’s, when I was growing up!

The Advantages

• Karate, and other martial arts for kids, builds confidence and self-esteem as well as self-discipline, respect, concentration and courtesy.

• Many martial arts schools also offer leadership courses for kids, in conjunction with their karate for kids programs, or similar lessons.

• Martial Arts is ideal for children who do not do well in team sports, giving them the ability to flourish this activity, while combining physical and mental practices.

• Many do not realize this, but it is a fact that martial arts training are safer than most school sports.

• Children with special needs, such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), learning difficulties and hyperactivity are often recommended to participate in martial arts for kids because of the clear benefits in its structured training techniques.





Kung-Fu Master or Ninja Warrior?

Before you sign up Junior for the first martial arts class you see, take some time to check out the different methods available, and match it with what you know would suit your child best. This is a good way to avoid any problems that may sprout from a conflict of your child’s personality and the training techniques.

Is your little Zach a sensitive soul? Then maybe a class that doesn’t center on sparring (full-on kicks and punches training) but rather, slower, defensive maneuvers would fare better for him. Kids with an aggressive streak, however, may prefer the more forceful moves and thrive in competitive sparring.

Here’s a quick primer on the kid-friendly martial arts training you’re likely to find:

Martial Arts From Japan

Karate

• Uses defensive and aggressive moves

• Centers on building strength and endurance

• Involves chops, punches, kicks, strikes, blocking and sparring

• May use weapons

Jujitsu

• Uses defensive and aggressive moves

• Involves lots of sparring

• Teaches a fair amount of weapons training

Aikido

• Uses a more “spiritual” and harmonious style in redirecting the aggression of the attacker as the form of defense, using throws, pins, rolls etc.

• Taught on the premise of disabling an aggressor without attacking, through your individual inner energy

• Does not involve sparring or competitions

Judo

• Uses gentle, “wrestling-like” movements

• Considered one of the safest methods of martial arts

• Emphasizes physical control as well as mental development

• Engages in competitions

Martial Arts From China

Kung-Fu

• The generic term referring to Chinese martial arts with a variety of styles

• Involves attack movements as well as defensive techniques

• Teaches kicks, punches, chops, throws, falls, grappling, katas, leg sweeps and blows among others.

• Engages in sparring competitions

Martial Arts From Korea

Taekwondo

• Competitive in nature, involves techniques using elaborate footwork and unique high kicks.

• Emphasizes strength, force and attack methods.

• Engages in lots of sparring and competitions.



Choosing The Right Instruction

If you have an idea of the type of martial arts class you’d like your child to participate in, the next step would be to find the right school. Finding the right class that not only matches your child’s and your needs, in terms of teachers you feel comfortable with, the price, facilities and so on, are all important factors.

Say you’ve found a local place that specializes in Karate for Kids. What are the things you should look for?

1. Good Instructors

Check out their qualifications, teaching methods and watch carefully how they interact with the other children. It should be a fun learning experience!



Align Center


2. Space and Safety

Obviously you would want to entrust your child in as establishment that is safe, well-maintained, and clean with ample space as well as decent facilities and equipment.

3. School Values

Different martial arts schools inevitably go by different values, for instance, one kid’s karate class may handle aggression in one way, while a judo class would have a different approach. Take some time to observe which school’s ideals match your family’s principles.

4. Prices and Schedules

Prices for martial arts training can vary according to school and location, so make sure you the instruction you choose represents fair value. Finding the most effective way to fit martial arts training into your family’s lifestyle is also essential, knowing what works best with your schedule and other activities.

Baby Blackbelts

Starting your child young in karate training is ideal (children as young as the age of four are usually accepted, as it is also a good way to hone fine motor skills), and lots of parents have found that in as little as a year, their children who were involved in martial arts had noticeably gained positive traits such as increased self-esteem, respect and overall physical fitness.

Many parents also opt to join a martial arts training program themselves, making it a great bonding experience for the entire family.

If you wanna read more...go to this website http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Saunders

Laura Saunders is a successful freelance writer, mother of two, and a martial arts practitioner who has written articles for http://www.best-karate-equipment.com, your online guide to karate uniforms and karate training equipment.


Definitely it will benefit my kids! Any experiences to share?



Monday, January 25, 2010

Long day at Pavilion




Yesterday we decided to bring kakak and amsyar to watch Avatar at Pavilion.... at last tengok jugak Avatar! without me...anyway i'm not into movie up-to-date at the moment! on saturday we spent our day at home, we had homecook breakfast, lunch and dinner! wow! Thumbs up mama!

The movie was at 2.30pm. We had our lunch at Madam Kwan...as usual the menu: Plain noodle soup for kakak her fav, char Kuey Teow for Amsyar ..any kind of mee will do for Amsyar, hubby had nasi with curry ayam. Me? bosan dengan nasi yesterday...I had chicken chop and Arissa had enough with kuey teow n fries!

I had to ( ayat cam terpaksa...padahal rela hahaha ) window shop for 3 hours! with Arissa of course..... while waiting for them to finish the movie around 5.30pm I had no problem coz hahaha my fav 'hobby' so far and Arissa was such a lovely darling...enjoyed riding in her stroller, pit stop at kids corner inside parkson bagi dia main2 sat then strolled again till asleeep!





Arissa enjoy playing at kids corner :-)








tak cukup dengan blocks ha angkat kerusi susun pun jadilah! then she said "mama! come sit here!" comey btol!



I thought that we were heading straight home after the movie...me tired of window shop... *wink* not in my diary...'penat shopping' but we landed at Red Box with Hubby's friends with their families..mmmm apa lagi kakak tak habis2 nyanyi lagu Rossa 'Hey ladies'! not bad for a 8 year old! and hubby with lagu2 melayu n indon yang jiwang karat huhu...We spent about 2 hours there.....had to go home as to prepare kids for school.





Batrisyia duet ngan auntie julie





solo nyanyi lagu "Hey Ladies"!





Hubby ku kah ini?




"I can sing too mama!" so cute....

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Tods T Bag Grande



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I'm gonna get my looooooooooooooooooong awaited TODS real sooooooooooooooooooon!



Droooooooooooooooooool! :-)

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Alvin & The Chipmunks 2





It's weekend! so happy that this week I don't have to go to the hospital....despite having 'lowwwww mooooood' at the moment, demi anak2 ku! *mana boleh tunjuk muka depressed kat anak2* we decided to watch movie and of course the movie will be 'kids movie' tapi adult pun boleh layan jugak.


We went for breakfast..and straight to cineleisure to buy tickets..we watched alvin & the chipmunks 2. Chipmunks Vs Chippets....hahaha Kakak and Amsyar giggled all the way thru plus Arissa giggled bila tgk both siblings gelak..... Glad that they enjoyed the movie very much!

Monday, January 11, 2010

Barney & Friends



I never had a chance to watch TV at night...wonder why? all our LCDs will be conquered by the kids...Arissa with Barney & Friends, Amsyar with Transformers and Batrisyia a.k.a kakak will watch either one....hermmmmm I guess i won't get a chance to watch movie on tv until they are asleep.

Arissa will be asking for her fav Barney & Friends almost every night before she goes to sleep and even she wakes up in the morning! and i will fall asleep with barney too! She used to watch Dora the Explorer for quiet sometimes before she fall in love with barney.

I remembered those days...barney used to be Batrisyia's fav too and she will sing every single song from the cds....sampai dah tak larat.. asyik2 dengar suara barney, bj and apa nama yg dino hijau tu...baby bop?! * is the spelling correct?* and the cds Arissa is having now are 7 years old! I never tought that cds will last this long....worth every single penny! banyak jugak yg dah kaput but enough utk Arissa rotate every night for a week and enough to make me feel dizzy with...teruklah mama ni!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

on call





being on call on weekend is the most unwanted...but unavoid too! this is my 3rd call of the month and my last weekend call. yaaayyyy! so far not bad...but i still have 8 more hours to go!

i better go to sleep now or else i won't get any... but banyaknyelah nyamuk kat dalam bilik on call ni. Dah lah sejuk..i have to spray shieldtox on and off to get rid of the mosquitoes...kat hospital pun banyak nyamuk!!

Missing my kids so much...this morning tak sempat kiss Arissa, rushing to hospital taught of doing labour ward call but actually gynae call and pagi2 lagi dah post diagnostic scope!Lucky it turned out to be a short one!

Oh dear...I miss them so much! sob! sob!

First Entry!

I finally decide to have my own blog! Hahaha after reading thru others blogs feels like jotting down my own story of life...what i've gone thru..what i hope i'll get thru..
I really hope that i can maintain this blog of mine..being busy all the time with work, kids and family. Good Luck:D

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