Motherlode

I apologize for being a lax mommy blogger. Our 2 bundles of joy are turning out to be quite a huge armful (rather than a handful).

We had maid trouble 2 weeks into Ramadhan. The new maid quit after working exactly 1 month. She had been telling everybody (besides us, her employers) that she wants to quit, that she cannot tahan taking care of 2 babies and housework to boot, that Dan-Dan is ‘heavy’ and always wants to be carried etc etc…

I confronted her and she ended up not being able to say anything. When we interviewed her before employing her, bukan main lagi cerita. Worked for Chinese household with 2 kids, used to waking up at 4am to wash the cars, big bungalow so our small place shouldn’t be a problem. I don’t know what is wrong with these people. You treat them considerately and they react by saying (behind your back) that they prefer working for the kind of employers they ran away from in the 1st place.

So I had to take leave to find alternate childcare arrangements, namely babysitters and nurseries. Called up a few places and made arrangements to drop by and view their place. I’m glad I did because there is no way I would send my kids to these ‘nurseries’! The places were rundown, not maintained properly and I daresay one can even be called ‘dirty’. I don’t know if these places were unlicensed or there’s a lack of monitoring and enforcement. I mean, I saw kids napping on bare mattresses that had gone gray, stairs with half the parquet tiles gone and 2 caregivers handling 7 babies and 8 toddlers. Is that really the scenario currently or have I just stumbled upon the bad apples?

And the fees they charged! One nursery asked for RM500 for Dan-Dan and RM450 for Alya, due to the fact that they have “Infant/Toddler Programmes” in place. I am all for educating my kids but not when it costs more than our rent. Priorities, people! RM300 per child seemed to be the general going rate at my area. For that kinda money, I could hire a new maid and have cash left over for a week’s worth of groceries.

So I guess it’s back to hiring maids. Our parents have been roped in to take care of the kiddies in the meantime. We sent Alya to my in-laws in Seremban for a few days before Raya with a very heavy heart while Dan-Dan is with my mother. Either side cannot handle them together, especially now since they have developed perangais. My in-laws have offered for Alya to stay with them permanently, go to playschool in Seremban etc.. but there is no way we can be those parents who send their kids to kampung and only see them on weekends.

Raya was spent in Kelantan with K’s side of the family, and we only got back early Tuesday morning. Travelling such a long distance with 2 kiddies is best done at night when they are asleep and would not be screaming to be taken out from their respective seats. Dan-Dan was in 7th heaven as the relatives berebut to carry and cuddle him. Alya loved the trains passing by the house and all the kampung animals, especially when K’s grandma hired a guy using a beruk to pick coconuts in the front yard. Alya watched it do work intently from the verandah and yelled “Nak nak nak!!” while pointing to it. We had to tell her “Beruk tu not for sale la..”

She’s now 1 year and 8 months old and perfectly able to understand us. She can talk but usually only voices out the end syllables (e.g. ‘cantik’ becomes ‘..tik’). Loves to melaram and was the most glam-looking member of our family during Raya with her dress, shoes, Powerpuff watch, bracelets (yes, plural!) and hairclips. Mummy and Abah are usually very selekeh as we were too knackered and didn’t have enough time to bersiap after wrestling with and getting the 2 of them ready. As girly as she looks, I think she loves cars like her Abah. K used to take her along to workshops and car shops and she’d get super-excited hearing a car with those loud modified engines. At K’s uncle’s house, she merengek saying “Nak vroom-vroom..” We assumed she wanted to go for a drive, but noticed that she was pointing at K’s cousins who were playing with Hot Wheels cars. I borrowed one off them and she happily played with the toy car, sprawled on the floor in her pink dress and socks.

Can you spy the bracelets on both wrists?

My lil boy is growing nicely, 5 months now and weighs 7.5kg. I don’t think he looks fat, just seems to be big-sized. Hell, he’s almost caught up to Alya who remains stick-thin and tiny. His sister has started calling him “Dan-Dan Mar”, parroting me when I called him by his full name once. My bro-in-law however, has re-named him as Pekan cos of his current hairstyle. Cukur bantal on both sides of his head and a big tuft of hair is left on top. He absolutely loves to be cuddled and digomol-gomol. His current fav trick is rolling over and over whenever we put him down and he’s started to inch his way forward, sort of like a really fat & juicy caterpillar. He’s got a huge voice, which he will use to full effect when he wants something (wailing to be carried or for more milk and squealing when he’s playing).

Dan-Dan leaves puddles of drool everywhere he goes!

These are the only pictures I have handy. God knows when I'll find time to upload others..!