Sakura Square Box

Funny New Year Resolutions

2011-01-09T07:37:00.001-08:00

Check out these funny and innovative New Year's Resolutions! Enjoy these and make some for yourself...Surely you will enjoy!!

Just for today, I will not sit in my living room all day in my nightdress. Instead, I will move my computer into the bedroom.
I will no longer waste my time relieving the past, instead I will spend it worrying about the future.
I will not bore my boss by with the same excuse for taking leaves. I will think of some more excuses.
I will do less laundry and use more deodorant.
I will avoid taking a bath whenever possible and conserve more water.
Assure my lawyer that I will never again show up drunk at a custody hearing.
I will give up chocolates totally. 100%. Completely. Honestly....
I will try to figure out why I *really* need nine e-mail addresses.
I will stop sending e-mails to my wife (husband).
I resolve to work with neglected children -- my own.
I will stop sending e-mail, ICQ, Instant Messages and be on the phone at the same time with the same person.
I will spend less than one hour a day on the Internet. This, of course, will be hard to estimate since I'm not a clock watcher.
I will read the manual... just as soon as I can find it.
I will think of a password other than "password."
I will not tell the same story at every get together.
I will stop considering other people's feelings when they so obviously don't consider mine - if that unwashed fellow sits next to me again, I'll tell him he stinks!
I will not hang around girls - they think you love them and that sucks.
I will not ring the stewardess button on airplanes just to get her phone number.

Resolutions You Would be Tempted to Keep...
For those who are scared of making resolutions here are some resolutions they would actually be tempted to keep!!

Spend more time watching TV / movies.
Chat more over phone / Internet.
Read less.
I want to gain weight. Put on at least 30 pounds.
Stop exercising. Waste of time.
Procrastinate more.
Drink. Drink some more.
Start being superstitious.
Spend less time at work.
Stop bringing lunch from home: I should eat out more.
Take up a new habit: Maybe smoking!

A New Year Prayer

2011-01-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Lord
Dear Lord, as I close the door on this old year,
I ponder on the things I've done...
on the things I've said and the joys I've had...
then I wonder, have I lost or won?

I've thought of the new friends I have made,
and of the old ones staunch and true...
the path of the old year was made easier Lord,
because I have walked it with You.

I think of all the many times,
when my burdens were so heavy to bear,
and how my faith slipped away from me...
but somehow You were always standing there.

Now as I open the door to this New Year,
and carefully peep inside,
I wonder what it holds for me...
but I'll throw the door open wide

And whatever it brings to me and mine,
I'll meet it with a heart so true...
I know that, Lord whate'er it may be
You'll be there to carry me through.

Mrs. Merrel Thompson

iDoodling

2010-10-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

Have been bored tearless lately, so I tried out the Xpress on my iPhone and did my first "finger-doodling". My big fat finger was not the easiest tool to maneuver but somehow I got it done. Tadada! It's not a self-portrait, by all means, no. LOL

A letter to Mike...

2008-04-22T00:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Mike,

It's been one and a half month since you left us. We miss you... How're you doing in your new home? Though you stayed with us for a short 9 weeks, our lives have been touched and changed. One thing for sure, it will never be the same. Eva has been asking about her little brother because she hasn't been able to understand that you've been taken to a new home by our heavenly father. We'll meet one day at that wonderful place, and I believe that you're being taken care of and are happy there. It's a blessing to have you in our lives. Sometimes, when we see other adorable babies, tears are welling up but we have managed to hold them back as we know you wouldn't want us to be upset.

Well, we need to go now. Will catch up with you later. Please send my best regards to your kind guardian angels. Do be a nice boy, okay?

With love & hugs,
Dad, mom & Eva

A promise is a promise

2008-02-13T01:52:00.001-08:00

I can't remember exactly when, probably during the time I was working on the froggy project, I sort of mentioned it to my niece and "promised" to make a set for her and her brother. So, nearly three weeks passed and her ever so forgetful aunt forgot the "promise"...

Cousin Froggy I & II...

Then, one day, she was showing off to her granny and mommy that her aunty Ann's making her froggies to play with. So, her loving granny very tactfully asked her "nice" aunty Ann if the little one's just making up the story. OOOOooopsss! Aunty Ann has therefore stayed up late for two nights to finish off the sewing and tadada... here they are. The cousin froggies I and II!!!

Baby froggy paying a visit to her cousins ;P

Well, I still haven't thought of the names for each of the froggies that I've sewn. But, that's not the main point here. :) Anyhow, when I finally put the froggies in her little hands, she was so happy that she couldn't stop giggling! That really warms my heart... so glad to see that she loves those "alien-like" froggies. (My friend commented that my froggies look more like "ET". I would rather think that ET looks like a frog! hahaha... no offense...)

A bun in the oven.... AGAIN!

2008-02-13T01:29:00.000-08:00

just to jot down some thoughts here...

I didn't expect the second baby to come this soon but I thank God for blessing us with the baby. Eva's been fighting for attention (somehow she can just sense it....) and I have been really tired. We're happy.

From SAHM to WAHM? May be...

2008-01-31T02:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, I still haven't given it up, not fully... Deep inside my heart, there's still a tiny voice whispering -- I want to work!!! *SIGH*

Happy Family of Three

2008-01-29T18:52:00.000-08:00

Froggy Family

Well, the progress on this second sewing project has been slow. I just managed to get them all done yesterday. Voila! The happy family of three lil frogs, namely Daddy Frog, Mommy Frog and Baby Frog. I'm afraid they will just have to be stuck with these generic "names" while I come up with something better. Then again, these names are not too bad, they kinda grow on you, huh? hehehe...

Domestic Diva in the making... NOT

2008-01-24T23:36:00.001-08:00

Eva's birthday is coming up. And, I just realise that my DH and I have taken more than 700 photos of the baby. I'm ever so grateful to whoever incorporated the camera into the mobile phone and the inventor of the phone memory card. Okay, my point is, if not of these modern day convenience, I would have no idea where to store that many photos of the baby. But again, I wouldn't have taken that many photos in the first place without this handy mobile phone camera.

Though the photos are stored in the memory card, we need to do something about them, like sort and store them in a easily retrivable manner, or may be beautify them? The idea of scrapbooking come to mind. I have to admit that whenever I saw or heard the word "scrapbooking", I used to picture an old lady sitting by and sorting through a table piled with papers, stickers, scissors and photos. Well, now I've become that old lady...

So, I'm cultivating a new hobby now, on top of the sewing. Don't you think that I'm becoming more and more domesticated? hehehe...

Home Inc.

2008-01-24T20:40:00.000-08:00

I am kind of reluctant to tell some family members and friends that I stay home full-time with my daughter. But, they love to ask… Often, instead of cheers and encouragement I get comments like, "Why are you wasting your education?" and, "Won’t you miss doing something with your brain?" Well, anyone who’s ever stayed home with their children for any length of time knows that it takes brains to raise kids. In fact, in the eleven months that I’ve been a stay-at-home mother, I have learned more about time management, efficiencies, sustainability of resources, negotiation and EQ than I did during the many years I spent working for a large established company.

Some ask me, "Why?". Well, one of the reasons I had my daughter was to be with her and I like her (most of the time :P). Sure it can be tough but all paths in life have tough moments, they help us to grow. Indeed, I have done quite a fair amount of growing up in the past months. Still, my pace can barely keep up with my daughter’s. She’s growing at an amazing speed, day in and day out, she surprises me. There’s not one moment I want to miss growing with her.

Some may ask, is being a stay-at-home mom harder work than holding down a full time job outside the home? It’s certainly a different kind of hard work, and it deserves respect, as well. Though I have, many times, wondered if I’ve made the right decision to stay home with my baby, whether due to a comment heard from a loved one about wasting my education, or contemplating to make a big purchase after cutting the household income, or dealing with the lack of my own personal income and inevitably being tempted to go back to work.

I still relish in the fact that my mother always sent me off to school in the morning (most of the time in a chaotic manner, …hahaha…) and was always home when I got home from school. That was such a constant source of comfort to me. I feel very good about the fact that my mother has always been a constant in a constantly changing world for me and I want to pass on this legacy to my daughter.

AGAIN

2008-01-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

A friend called to tell me about a recent vacancy at a local college and gave me the details of the contact person. For the Nth time in the 11 months of mothering, I was tempted to go back to work.

I prayed. I consulted with my husband and my parents. I talked it through with my best pals. I considered the pros and cons.

I kept thinking how hard it is to find a decent job these days, needless to say a professional position. I thought of a much-needed vacation, the lack of personal income and how nice it would be to make contribution to the household income and hopefully to take some loads off my DH who is the sole breadwinner now. I even thought it would be fun to get dressed up in suits, heels, and makeup again. On and off, these "pros" consumed me for one full week.

Yet, even with all those pros I could list, it was the childcare realities that tilted the scale. I couldn't bear the thoughts of leaving my daughter with some strangers, probably letting her cry her heart out, for hours day in and day out. Mind you, she gets really bad separation anxiety. And again, if I were to go on a business trip, somehow I suspect I would suffer from the separation anxiety more severely. I could still feel the tightness in my chest when I thought of my niece who came home from child care with bruises on her lip one day and bite-marks on her arms and legs the other day. Just yesterday, there was a shocking news of a 4-month old baby boy died of hemorrhage, possibly as a result of the negligence of the nanny.

Even though I am already rushing around in the morning to get things done before the baby wakes up and staying up late at night struggling to finish the house chores. I can't imagine the extra time and work required in order to get out of the door in the morning and the piles of house chores waiting when we're back from a long day of work, most probably exhausted... I thought of the tight schedule, the pressing deadlines, and the inability to take a quick nap when I need to.

The contemplation went on for one whole week and then I finally came to my "senses". I am so blessed to be able to make the choice of staying home and to have a husband who wholeheartedly supports our decision. I have an incredible opportunity already staying home with my daughter and to grow with her. Raising her is the best professional job there is and I just need to learn to be content being home and enjoy it (though it can be a real challenge sometimes...).

Now that I have found peace, my commitment to being a stay-at-home mom is renewed -- until the next temptation comes along!

Just wanna share...

2008-01-07T18:54:00.000-08:00

My DH loves to draw caricature, and here is one of the many sketches of his most loved subject -- baby Eva. He tends to sketch on any space he can find and then leaves the sketches lying around. Well, it's kind of fun to treasure hunt for his work and get pleasantly surprised. I've found sketches on the back of my niece's drawing, on envelopes, and on the scrap papers...

Baby Eva's sitting up straight now and likes to pull up to stand. She drools a lot. Her first tooth has just emerged and the second one is soon to surface. She experiments with vowels and consonants combined to produce an alien language of her own. She hums "jingle bells" as A...A...A... sometimes. She says "daddy", "mama", "mum mum", "kitten", "papa", "give" and "thank you", most of the time unclear but there are times when she speaks crystal clear of certain words. She smiles a lot more now and loves to ask questions (though I barely understand what she's talking about...). Well, I can go on and on about her... Let's just stop here, huh?

What I have been up to this holiday...

2007-12-27T02:08:00.000-08:00

Bought some craft books quite a while back and they have been left to collect dust, until I picked them up one day while cleaning up the room. I came across a doggie plush toy in one of the books and I like it very much. The thought of a handsewn toy for Christmas sounded wonderful and it kind of lingered around long enough for me to take it seriously. So, I started my first sewing project one Saturday afternoon while the baby was having a nap. On and off it took me three days to finish the project.

I used my old t-shirt and jeans, as well as a pair of new socks that I don't think I will ever wear. As for the filling, I used the old polyfill from a cushion. It's good practice to use recycled materials and reduce waste. :D

Since it was my first sewing project, my work didn't turn out quite perfect. But again, that's the beauty of handcrafted stuffs, right? They're supposed to be one-of-a-kind, aren't they? Hahaha... Anyway, I'm so happy to see something from paper turning into a real toy. I couldn't wait until Christmas to give the toy to baby... and have been very show-off with it. ...hehehe...

I guess my baby is a bit too young to know how to play with a plushie, as the first thing she did when she got hold of the toy was pounding it on any surface she could find and shook it =.= ... poor little doggie... And, she still does it, sigh! Well, I take it as she likes the lil doggie her mommy made for her. :P

I get sort of hooked on to the sewing and so I made a pair of bootleg jeans for the lil doggie. So proud of myself now, wahahaha!

By the way, her name is Snow Pea. :)

How to fold clothes in 2 seconds

2007-08-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

It seemed like I always spent forever on folding clothes, yet I could never get them right. It's either asymmetrically folded or one of the sleeves slipped out, dangling there like a corpse's arm... (Mind you, I can be a hopelessly terrible perfectionist sometimes...)

Found this on YouTube just the other day. With much skepticism, I tried it out and it works! It has literally saved my day. Yoohoooo! Check it out, you'll be glad that you did.

Baby blues

2007-05-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

I've read about and heard of "Baby Blues" before but I didn't see myself in such situation nor did I think that it would ever happen to me. After the delivery, I was exhilarated and that blissful feeling was with me until now... after 3 months. Even though I have a little mood swing now and then, it usually go away shortly.

Lately, I've had quite a few mood swings and episodes of meltdowns... sometimes tears just rolled out, for seemingly minute matters. I figured this shouldn't be overlooked so I did a little research and do a self diagnosis.

Depression that occurs within 6 months of childbirth may be postpartum depression. There is also what is called "Postpartum Depression with Anxiety/Panic Disorder". Here are some symptoms of postpartum depression:

Loss of interest or pleasure in life -- too busy to think about this
Loss of appetite -- well, I eat like a horse
Less energy and motivation to do things -- true, sometimes I need to drag myself out of bed...
A hard time falling asleep or staying asleep -- not a bit, I fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow
Sleeping more than usual -- I'd love to ...
Increased crying or tearfulness -- hmm... this is close
Feeling worthless, hopeless or overly guilty -- haven't gone this far
Feeling restless, irritable or anxious -- all the time... now, can we do this faster?
Unexplained weight loss or gain -- how I wish I can lose weight faster...
Feeling like life isn't worth living -- this is serious... I'm glad that I'm still alive
Having thoughts about hurting yourself -- my threshold for pain tolerance is way too low to do this ...
Worrying about hurting your baby -- can't possibly think of this one

In addition to having symptoms of "Postpartum depression", the new mother may experience:

difficulty concentrating and remembering
difficulty making decisions
difficulty completing simple tasks such as doing the dishes or the laundry
insomnia
exhaustion
loss of appetite
may have suicidal thoughts
Anxiety/Panic Attacks

A lot of the same symptoms just a bit more overwhelming, as the panic attack is added to it. Although the panic attacks are discrete episodes, the individual may develop varying degrees of nervousness and apprehension between attacks characterized by tension, agitation, vigilance and scanning.

A panic attack is, a discreet episode of intense fear reaching its peak intensity within 10 minutes from onset. Often associated with or accompanied by feelings of impending doom.

At least 4 of the following 14 symptoms are present during an attack:

shortness of breath
choking or smothering sensation
palpitations or accelerated heart rate
chest pain or discomfort
sweating
faintness
dizziness, lightheadedness or unsteady feelings
nausea or abdominal distress
depersonalization (feeling disoriented or that the world has become unreal)
tingling sensation (parasthesia)
hot flashes or chills
trembling or shaking
fear of dying
fear of going crazy or doing something uncontrolled

Philosophy of Housecleaning

2007-05-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Came across this in the fabulous Baby Corner Pregnancy & Parenting Message Board and I just hafta share...

***********

PHILOSOPHY OF HOUSECLEANING

I don't do windows because... I love birds and don't want one to run into a clean window and get hurt. (I am compassionate.)

I don't wax floors because... I am terrified a guest will slip, hurt themselves, I'll feel terrible and they may sue me. (I am careful and poor.)

I don't mind the dust bunnies because... they are very good company. I have named some of them, and they agree with everything I say. (I am imaginative.)

I don't disturb cobwebs because... I want every creature to have a home of their own and my family loves spiders. (I am kind.)

I don't Spring Clean because... I love all the seasons and don't want the others to get jealous. (I am fair-minded.)

I don't plant a garden because... I don't want to get in God's way, He is an excellent designer. (I am courteous.)

I don't put things away because... my family will never be able to find them again. (I am considerate.)

I don't do gourmet meals when I entertain because... I don't want my guests to stress out over what to make when they invite me over to dinner.

I don't iron because... I choose to believe them when they say "permanent press". (I am trusting.)

I don't stress much on anything because... "A-Type Personalities" die young and I want to stick around and become a wrinkled up crusty old woman!!!

Here comes the baby...

2007-05-05T01:47:00.000-07:00

Well, the baby arrived earlier than we expected -- 16 February 2007 instead of 25 February 2007. I had a surprisingly smooth labour experience, considering the fact that I'm 33 years old (oops! spilled the beans... :P) and it's my 1st baby.

Note: The following serves more of a personal recount of events related to childbirth so do skip this post if you're uncomfortable with this info...

The "show" turned up when I had an unexpected bowel movement at 3am! For a moment there I was confused as my obstetrician was so positive just 15 hours ago that I wouldn't be in labour in the next 48 hours. Anyway, the contractions started right after that but they're irregular. Thus, I went back to sleep and didn't get to the hospital until around 7 am.

When I arrived at the hospital, I was admitted to the labour room straight away. There I was, strapped onto the bed and inspecting the ceilings for possible cracks. :) My contractions were not very intense but the dilation took place anyway. By around 9 am, my obstetrician instructed for the drip to be given. Now the contractions turned more intense, longer and with shorter intervals. @#$%^&*! I know, it's to speed things up but it hurt so much that I could tear off the rail no doubt about it. My DH was there all the time and I appreciated every bit of it. (You're so brave and supportive. Love ya!)

I started to push at around 11 am but no progress. Later at around 11:30 am when the obstetrician arrived he found out that the baby's presentation was a little off. Thus, he turned the baby's head to have it properly aligned. He joked that the baby was rather resistant towards that change of orientation though. Well, the pushing became easier now and I could sense the baby moving down the birth canal. By then I started to feel dizzy and blacking out because I didn't have my breakfast that morning! So I was given the glucose solution to boost my energy. Well, the lesson here is NEVER skip your breakfast, no matter what! ;)

After pushing for about 1/2 hour or more, the baby was still struggling to come out. The "crowning" took place many times but she just wasn't quite out yet... That's when my obstetrician suggested the forceps should the baby's not out by 12:30 pm. Ok, I gotta admit that I freaked out on hearing the word "forceps" and couldn't bear the thought of those going into my body! It did work as the best "motivator" though, I pushed as hard as I could and there she was, my lovely baby gal, literary popped out of my body at 12:18pm. She was so pale, wrinkled, pink and small... She didn't cry much and I was so overwhelmed when she was left on my chest for that brief moment of skin-to-skin contact. Wow! our little princess... that was truly love at first sight.

When I was trolleyed to the ward, I was so exhausted and ached all over. It felt like I was hit by a truck... Nonetheless, I've never been so content in my whole life. Thank you, Lord! Thank you, my DH and thank you, my princess Eva!

Quick updates ... Continued

2007-05-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm back here in front of the PC. Where was I? hmm... ohya, I was working as a temp. Then I found out that I was pregnant in June 2006. That was overwhelming -- have been trying to conceive for the last 2 1/2 years since getting married. Not that we tried out every method on earth... sometimes I think that my DH and I are not the most proactive persons we would like to be.

Anyway, thank goodness the pregnancy went on smoothly and the EDD was 25 February 2007. The scan results revealed that a baby gal was on her way in October. The baby has been very nice to me, no morning sickness or any major discomfort throughout the pregnancy.

Then my contract ended in November and so I started to get ready the baby stuff etc. Enjoyed those shopping trips entirely. It's a whole new experience to finally venture into the baby department... hehehe...

Oh well, gotta feed the dinosaur now (that's what my DH calls her...). Will catch up again.

After sooooo long......

2007-05-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a looooooong time since I last put on "A" post here... thought the blog has been long erased or deactivated somehow. What a surprise when I searched the site and found the embarrassing single-posting-blog that's right there staring into my face!

Anyway, just to jot down a few things about my life last year so I don't forget :) As a matter of fact, it's been quite a happening year when I compare it with what I mentioned in the very first post...

Okay, not long after I created the blog, towards the end of January 2006, I was offered a temporary post in a local high school. So I gladly accepted it and worked till early November.

Oh! Something came up and I gotta go. To be continued ...

Trying something new...

2006-01-06T07:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm taking a break from work, after 6 years of rat race. Now I have so much time in hand, I thought I would just try something new. Hmm..., blog seems like a good enough idea. Nothing much is happening in my life before and now, still, I hope this blog will be something finally.

Anyway, not much of a writer in me. These few lines should be a good start -- will try harder next time.

*Yawn* Good night world.

Image taken from New Zealand Adventure http://www.newzealand-holidays.com/attractions/adventure.html