Loots From Vietnam

CB just got back from a business trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was the longest trip (4 nights) he was away since XY was born. Normally if he needs to travel, it'll be just for 1 or 2 nights.

We communicated over the internet almost every night (he went to an internet cafe). We used the webcam so that the kids can see their father and vice versa. But connection was quite bad. His image kept hanging. Even the voice call wasn't very clear.

The kids doesn't seem to miss him too much. hahaha I guess they're too young. XY is still ok... she knows when PaPa's coming back. And she'd chat with him when he called home. As for CE, he doesn't look for PaPa and it's like out of sight, out of mind. But when PaPa walked in the front door, he stretched his arms out for PaPa to carry, like what he normally does when PaPa comes back from work in the evening.

CB bought a lot of foodstuff, clothes for all of us, bamboo bags and wine holders, which was broken when he got back. Must be due to the rough handling of the checked-in baggage.

~ traditional suits for the kids and a doll for XY ~

~ nut candy, peanut butter candy and mixed fruit chips ~

~ bamboo bags ~

~ broken wine holder ~

The Age That I Wish My Child Will Stay To Be!

Judy passed me this tag. I'll do it based on XY as CE is only 1 and a half years old. There're only 4 years to choose from coz she's only 4+. I think I'd like her to stay at age 3. The reasons :
* She can communicate very well with us already.
* She's not learnt to answer back rudely.
* Most importantly, she's overcome her phobia of visiting the doctor.
* And she's not afraid of taking medicine anymore.

Planning For Family Vacation

It's the year end and we're thinking of going for a family vacation. Singapore would be a good choice. There will be lovely decorations for Christmas. The kids have never been to a zoo and I really like Singapore Zoo as there are lots of animals to see.

Hawaii vacations sounds good too. Maybe I should check out the Hawaii vacation packages. I doubt hubby would be interested in Mexico vacations.

When we go for vacations (unless we're following a tour), we normally book the hotel room online because of the better deals. Hotel Reservations offers hotels, motels, resorts, flight and car rentals. I can search for the best hotel deal based on my travel date. It can also show me the hotels near a specific landmark or location, eg. Orchard Road or Sentosa Island. With young children in tow, it's always easier to stay near to the places of interest we intend to visit. Whenever the kids are tired, we can head back to the hotel for a rest.

If you're planning your year-end vacation, do check out this site. It offers great discounts (up to 70%) on world-wide destinations.

Kids @ Play

XY and CE like to play together but I get very worried sometimes because they play rough. When they’re in the bedroom, XY likes to hide under the blanket and play peek-a-boo with didi. He gets amused easily with jie jie’s actions. He’ll laugh non-stop and try to pull the blanket away to make jie jie 'appear'. He's not successful coz jie jie is holding tight to it. So he’ll hit her head instead. :-|

Another dangerous place is on the bed. They play so wildly that I worry they’ll fall off the bed or knock each other's head or face. But it's really fun to see them play together, to hear their loud laughter. I guess in CE's mind, jie jie is his personal clown.

Goodbye Pacifier?

CE has been introduced to the pacifier in his first month. He needs it only when he sleeps. Recently, he doesn't want his pacifier when I make him sleep at night. When I tried to put it in his mouth, he'll move his face away or take it out. Usually when he's alert, he'd reject it. Only when he stirs in the middle of night, I'll pop it in for him and he's alright with it. Yesterday night, he didn't use the pacifier at all. Same goes for his afternoon nap.

So far, we've bought 4 pacifiers (Tollyjoy orthodontic). Now there's only one left. The other 3 was broken because he bit them. Looks like he's ready to wean himself off the pacifier.

My Lil' Gardeners

When the kids were playing at the house compound in the evening, I did some weeding while watching over them. Then the 2 kepoh helpers decided to give me a hand. Actually XY was quite helpful. She managed to pull out quite a lot of weeds while I was busy snapping didi's pictures and running after didi (coz he kept going near the drain). As for didi, he wasn't weeding. He was pulling out the grass! And playing with them. Luckily he didn't leave a botak patch on my lawn.

The Need For Insurance

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Insurance is a part of your financial planning. When things happen unexpectedly that requires a big sum of money, at least you have some financial back-up. Some people like to buy life insurance that is linked with investment. However such investment usually doesn't give very high returns as compared to returns from investments on stocks or unit trusts. But if you don't have the time nor the expertise to invest on your own, this kind of investment-linked insurance is a good choice.

Medical insurance is also important to ease some of your financial burden when your family is suddenly in need of medical attention. We have got life and medical insurance for ourselves and the kids. We also bought the home insurance to cover any damage or loss due to fire, flood or theft. It's important to protect your home as it's one of your largest financial investments.

Car insurance is a must here in Malaysia so your vehicle is insured against loss or damage to the vehicle and also to third party injuries and properties. With so many general insurance companies around, you should compare car insurance quotes to get the one that best suits your needs.

If you think that you haven't gotten yourself or your assets covered sufficiently, do look into it now to protect yourself and your loved ones against unnecessary financial burden.