It has been a while since the last update here. Ok, maybe a long while, but I just can’t find the time to update, or when there were time available, the motivation just wasn’t there. Blame it on Web2.0 (Social Website like Facebook) but we all know who is the real culprit. Laziness. Me.

The kids are now all grown up and married with kids of their own. Haha, just kidding. The kids have grown a few inches taller and a few kilos heavier. Other than that everything is just fine.

Major events:
1. Daddy & Mummy’s redeployment workwise,
2. Kids birthday parties
3. Mikail now in Primary 3
4. Luqman have his own Netbook

and The Fallen was defeated by Optimus Prime in the last Transformers movie.

Hopefully I will have the time, energy and motivation to update this blog dilligently now.

On the 4th April the MILLKY family migrated to our new abode. I am writing this only today because only 2 days back the Sofa set arrived andcomplete the entire set-up. Take a peek at our new “nest”:

The Dining Area::

TV-console ::

The much-delayed sofa set::

View from the bedroom to the Hall::

The passageway leading to the Hall::

Mikail with his favourite toys - cars! (Ok, not sure why this photo is here….)

Most interior decoration is done by our expert decorator, Her Pretty-ness Mummy Dearest. Will post her yet most beautiful interior make-up for the Princess Room (Yumni) later…..

We celebrated Yumni’s 3rd birthday at FrisknRomp (East Coast) one day after the actual date of 15th November. As per MILLKY family traditional way of celebrating birthdays, we had a theme party of Princess and Knights, called Yumnitopia! Mummy handmade tutu skirts for Yumni’s girlfriends and the boys got crowns (styro) and swords. This is the first time we had anything at FnR. We thought that the play area and their theme set playground should be just nice for Yumnitopia! but in retrospect, we felt that we could have achieved better or similar results with doing it at our own venue and decorations.

Pics of the tutus, crowns, swords and a Yumni-sized poster of a cartoonised Yumni as a princess to greet guests (as usual, all artwork done by Daddy and vetted by the sharp eyes of the mummy).

One major set-back was the horribly done birthday cake (ordered via Internet from a home-based cake maker) that came broken (pics below). Upset Mummy terribly and almost ruined the party atmosphere. Fortunately, and thanks to Carolyn and Tian Lee, a replacement cake was made possible promptly for the party.

The kids enjoyed thoroughly the games and playground that FnR has to offer, and to their credit, their game master did well in getting the kids to gather around and participate in the games. The girls look fabulously cute in their tutus and wings, while the boys lose their crowns and swords within seconds they start their running and climbing and falling over each other.

And of course, as usual our home made invitation cards:

Eternally grateful to these peeps who’ve made the party memorable, Carolyn, Yang & Tian Lee.

More photos at daddy’s Facebook (Khairuddin Alyas) . Will put up more photos here in the album section soon.

Sorry folks for the lack of update . Sorry Mikail, if you are reading this blog somehow some 20 years later and discovered that your Daddy very lazy to update the family blog. Laziness is just a small part of the reason. The major part is that things are happening too fast. many things, many events.

Ok Mikail, here is your drawing of a special car which you intend to build for us:

29th February 2008 is Luqman’s 4th year birthday. His next birthday will be on the 29th of Feb in the year 2012. But of course, we will still celebrate every year for him, give a day early or late, for his birthday when it is not a leapt year. To mark this special date, we made him a Picturebook (made as in written, illustrated, printed and published by ourselves) and gave him a story-telling party as part of the celebration.

The picturebook is titled, “Luqman & The Mot-mot: Bathtime” . The Mot-mots are actually monsters of his wild imagination (the name actually given by Yumni) and given form on paper (digitally as well) by the equally wild imagination of the Daddy. Mummy provides the literary input, edited by the equally brilliant Caroline to up the poetic meter of the text. Background shots were provided by Arul. Tien Lee, as usual is the life of the party for the games and this time we have Mikail’s former teacher, Teacher Syah, to do the story-telling.

The picturebook tells a story of Luqman running away from home when it was time for bathing. Wherever he went, he saw a Mot-mot, and everyone of them are different in that they have different number of eyes and footwear. They are also of different colours. The story ended with Luqman jumping into the arms of Mummy and Daddy and realised the folly of his way (or maybe not).

Here are some of the Mot-mots, and Luqman (running away):

More on the birthday when we get the photos from Arul!

It’s been a particularly long week, our eyes, body and mind are tired from (A) new maid’s substandard work, (B) Mikail’s adjustment to Primary One, (C) preparation for Luqman’s birthday and (D) work at the office. Mummy just got a new Boss so there are various changes to work processes and expectations. End of FY race to close all loops for projects is also taking a toll on our energy level. There is this “stretched” feeling and quiet disequilibrium building up. Beneath the veneer of haggard existence, a steam of festering frustration is developing that needs constant release. There are only so much Xbox, ice-cream, or retail therapy can do to destress.

Other than that, everything is fine.

Luqman’s Picturebook project is progressing within timeline, albeit a tight one.

The kids now find it very funny making references to their private parts as “bird-bird”, “bye-bye”, etc. If Luqman or Mikail were to be without any clothing, Yumni would say, ” Aiyyoh I can see your “bird-bird…” and both of them would laugh heartily like as if that was the funniest thing they ever saw or heard. Of course, we try our best to correct and explain to them what those (appendages) are. And to be mindful of places and people when making such remarks. Yumni seems to understand clearly what a girl is as far as anatomy is concerned, and the biological differences with regard to boys. Mikail is beginning to be mindful about modesty (though occasional lapses occur now and then) while Luqman seems to be proud walking around in his birthday suit for all to see.

Here is a post from Hunnybunz about which one day me and wifey will have to face too…

During story time tonight, yiHang expressed a sudden interest about child birth and asked me to read him the chapter on “where baby comes from’ from his pocket science book.

Mummy : Yes! Yes! … OKIE story time OVER. BEDTIME!

HunnyBunz is a Singaporean schoolteacher who muses about her parenting journey with her sons, one of whom has hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (a genetic disorder which results in abnormal development of the skin, hair, nails, teeth and sweat glands). Her blog is indeed an inspiring read.

Today is Mikail’s first day at Pasir Ris Primary School. First day of primary education. Both Mummy and Daddy were on leave to send him to school and to give him moral support. He was apprehensive about the whole going-to-primary-school thingy and had nightmare about it but the morning session of XBox and Need For Speed ProStreet must have soothen his nerve somehow. He mentioned about not wanting to go to a new school (new as opposed to his K2 class at PPIS) but we could see in his eyes that he was also excited about meeting new friends and learning new things. As usual, he didn’t like the collared shirt of the school uniform, but fortunately did not put up much resistance or whining.

Some pics for now….

Mikail all set to go in his new uniform and school bag…

His pant is kind of big and “not nice”….Mummy needs to do some alteration to make it suit him better…

Mikail and his “Buddy”, a P5 boy assigned to orientate and guide him in school….his Buddy easily obscured his view most of the time…..we couldn’t see him at the canteen during recess as he was “hidden” from view behind his buddy…..

Ok, more later…..

Something to keep in mind:

The children know. They have always known. But we choose to think otherwise: it hurts to know the children know. If we obfuscate, they will not see. Thus we conspire to keep them from knowing and seeing. And if we insist, then the children, to please us, will make believe they do not know, they do not see. They are remarkable–patient, loving, and all-forgiving. It is a sad comedy: the children knowing and pretending they don’t know to protect us from knowing they know.

– Maurice Sendak, preface to I Dream of Peace (UNICEF, HarperCollins l994). With thanks to Sara Jane Boyer.

I cannot actually recall how it felt entering Primary One. Perhaps it is the same as entering Army for National Service. Except that it is okay to cry loudly for the Army thingy. I can only vaguely remember trying to put up a brave front and not be a crybaby as my reputation as the cool dude in school was at stake. Unfortunately cool dude did not find the loo fast enough and peed in his pants on the second day.

I guess it will be easier for Mikail since he has been attending full day kindergarten (is kindergarten an English word?) at PPIS. I guess it is every parent’s fear also that their son/daughter will be bullied at the school playground. I just need to train him how to wield an axe properly so that he can defend himself if need be. Or maybe a flame-thrower.

Today while driving them to school, we talked about birthday party for Luqman (being a leapt year boy, this will kind of his first birthday party). We thought it would be a good idea to have his birthday party theme on Kings and Dragons and have it at the Bouncing Castle (somewhere at Katong). When we asked him if he likes the idea, he said “yes” and added that he wants to dress up as a tree. A Tree! He refused anything else but a tree. He even agreed to any other themes as long as he can dress up as a tree.