Another link...

This will be another link to my other blog on our journey together battling the evil within.. I am sure you guys will understand now why the delay posts in this blog.

I sure hope I can get some support from you guys too. *love*

Apologies

Sorry for the lack of blogposts because I am currently going through some changes with the family and still trying to grasp on to what just hit us.

There are lots ot tell, lots to share but at the moment, I just can't seat myself down to write it all down.

Please bear with me... :(

Paradiso

Hubby had a week-long job to do in Kota Kinabalu last week and I decided to want to join him there once his work is done since I have not been to that side of Malaysia before.

It was my first time flying with Jaden for almost 2.5hrs over the South China Sea, which I prayed he behave and well, he did. Almost.


*sigh*

Hubby was already waiting for us at the lobby when we arrived. Our plane was delayed on the runway for about 5 minutes and that really changed the timing. First they pushed my flight back from 12pm to 2pm and that, I was already not pleased since half my day planned to explore the resort grounds were gone.


I bought the cab fare tix from the airport cab service and that costs me RM30, a 5-10 minutes ride away from the airport. Cutthroat I tell you! Anyway, well, it was a sight to behold when I reached the hotel room. The view was not something that I like but since they put Hubby up in the room with partial view of the sea and Tanjung Aru area, it was quite breathtaking. We had the greens and the sea..






Hubby asked the front desk to change him to a non-smoking room on the day we, mother and son arrived. Hubby just couldn't wait to pounce on Jaden and play with him. The big fella sure missed his little monster lots! *jealous*





We headed down for dinner at about 630pm and it was already dark. It felt like it was already 8pm++. Dinner for the first night was at the hotel's Boleh cafe. We had the Asian-fusion buffet costing about RM100++ per pax. What to do, hotel price and we were just all too tired to plan where to go out of the hotel grounds.

After dinner, Hubby took Jaden and I for a night stroll by the marina and the pool side. It was all so quiet, the lights reflecting off the water.. it was beautiful. So relaxing!

We woke up the next morning at about 9am, bathed and went down for breakfast at about 10am. Luckily they only close the breakfast table at 1030am. We managed to stuff ourselves silly with breakfast while a little Korean boy came over to make friends with Jaden. With those small slit eyes and a big smile on his face, Hubby addresses the boy as the United Nations boy. He was just so friendly, going table to table, smiling and waving his hands.








We went up to the room after breakfast to pack for the island hopping trip and went down to the marina and bought out tickets to just one island. Well, if Jaden was not on this trip, I am sure I would have wanted to go three island hopping but with Jaden coming along this trip, it was wise to go just one and not be greedy.

I opted for Manukan island because I read up on the other islands and read about how the monitor lizards roam freely and I just didn't want to go through some unforseen circumstances. Its better to play safe when you have a kid with you.

It was Jaden's first open air speedboat ride into the open sea. He sure did love the sea breeze on his face as the motorboat sped all the way to the island. We paid RM3 each, both Hubby and I when we entered the island. It was for some island conservation fee. Children under 4 is for free.


The island, that day, was rather filled with people. Anyway Manukan island has another resort on it where one can opt to stay on the island overnight or something like that. Its owned by the Sutera Harbour management. We found a shaded area, next to the lifeguard post.



I applied the trusty SPF50++ on Jaden all over, changed him into his beach clothes and just before I let him enter the sea water, I went to check the sea for jellyfish and sea urchins. To be honest, I am really fearful of these jellyfish stings, especially when its on a little boy like mine. Look around, nothing, safe -and then it was tiem to bring the boy out of his comfort zone under the shade.



Like a putera lilin, he squirmed and even shout out for his father for help when I carried him down to the waters but all cries disappear once his feet touched the water. It was fun, fun, fun all the way for him.



The view was really really breathtaking. To think back of that exact moment sure makes me miss Kota Kinabalu so much! I guess I am really quite a beach, sun and sea girl, though I love the highlands too but I would give it to hear the sounds of the waves crashing in onto the beach anytime!



The sea water was so clear that I could actually see school of small fishes swimming around us. Jaden even tried to catch them with his bare hands. Jaden was sucha champion to even want to wander off to deeper parts but I pulled him back. I didn't want him to swallow the sea water since you don't know what goes in the sea water with so many people around there.



I watched over him while he played under the hot sun for about an hour before we called time out. It was about 145pm then. I had to quickly carried him out of the sea and run towards our table before he could scream in my ear.



We brought a few bottles of clean water with us when we came to the island and now, it was put into good use. We used it to wash Jaden clean of salt water, till he wasnt feeling sticky, wiped him down with clean towels and gave him a new change of diapers and clothes.

Boy, was he tired out by then. He leaned on Hubby and just enjoyed the view as we waited for our speedboat to come pick us back to the resort.

Buying tickets from the Sutera Harbour has its plus point. Although its more expensive than buying tickets at Jesselton Pier, we get to loan their towels for free, and these towels, we laid them out on the table for Jaden to sit on.

Our speedboat had to make a stop at the Sapi island to pick up other resort passengers and I sort of have a tiny tinge of regret because the water there was even clearer and beautiful. Well, guess there will be another time again to visit these islands again I hope! Jaden fell asleep on the way back and all the way back to the room.







Carrying a 16-18kg boy is no fun when you have to walk at least 10 minutes back up to the room. The boy must have been really knocked out flat because he didn't wake up from all the walking and putting him down on the bed movements. Usually, that will just wake him up immediately but he slept for a full 2hours.

Hubby had a quick bath and took him nap too. I, then took the opportunity to lie in the tub and treat myself to a tub full of warm water while I relax and close my eyes. It was just wonderful to have that quiet time to myself without anyone rushing me.





Both the boys woke up at about 530pm, bathed the boy again and out we went for dinner. This time, we took a cab to Twinsky Seafood restaurant and indulged ourselves in plates of seafood. There were really some exotic looking seafood but we stuck to just the normal crab, prawns and scallops BUT these guys, too, come in humongous size. The size of the crab shell was as big as Hubby's palm. Now that is really big!



The bill came up to about RM200++, 7 dishes, 3 rice, 5 drinks. It was all in nett pricing, no GST or whatsoever. Nice!






We took a cab back to the resort, walked around a bit to wear off that sluggishness after a full meal. Took Jaden on his first shuttle bus ride to the next resort -Magellan and walked around a bit over there. The boy loved his bus ride so much that he did not want to get off it when we reached back Pacific.



I was so tired, I konked out almost immediately, of course not without another hot bath first. =)



The boys were still snoring away when I woke up at 5am to capture the sunrise on camera. Yes, the sun rises really early in Sabah. By 6am, it is like 7am over here in the Peninsula.



All of us woke up at about 730am and went down for breakfast by 830am. After breakfast, I went to buy souvernir at the gift shop and took the boy up to the room again, to let him play in the bathtub since he was not allowed to go swimming at the pool. That would have taken up quite a lot of our time and our plane is at 12pm.

He played in the bathtub for about half hour before we pulled him out, we changed, checked the room properly in case we didn't pack properly and we were out of the hotel by 1045am.

Reached the airport just to find out that we could only check ourselves in through the machine instead of manual workers checking us in. Only the Business and First class passengers get to check in at the counter. What double standard!


Once again, our plane was delayed till about 1 hour and Jaden fell asleep right after we took off. Since Hubby and I bought the tickets separately, and the machine being stupid as it is, separated Hubby and us. Luckily they gave Hubby the front seat with leg space while they gave Jaden and I the window seats.

We touched down at about 3 something on Sunday and boy, it sure is tiring to go holiday like that with the three of us together. I was really looking forward to getting some sleep on the plane, only to be awake and alert all the way to and fro. *sigh* but I would do it all over again if I could.

Can't wait for our next travel together now. =)

G-Interior Design -Interior Design Services

How many beautiful homes that you'd been to are DIY by the houseowners?

We are Asians after all and we mostly leave all the hacking, hammering, electrical connections, painting to the experts. Not to say there is no one out there that DIY. I know of a person that DIY painted his whole house but who actually would have all that time in the world to do all those?

So.. we hire people to beautify our home and what could be better than hiring interior designers to design, and then oversee the project till the end?

We, too, hired interior designers to help design our new place and boy, their service is top notch! Well recommended! I really would not look anywhere else because the price we paid for their service was worth every dollar, service with a smile and personal touches. What more can you ask?

These pair of designers designed my study area, living room, part of my kitchen and the whole master bedroom toilet which I really like. Actually I like the whole layout of everything. They even take into consideration that I live with a child and they designed it to be child-friendly as possible for me. FINE! The TV cabinet shelve was unavoidable but I wanted that one there so yea, I totally have no complaints but only compliments for their job.

Who is this pair of wonderful designers that Hubby and I hired?

Well, you can find them here, at their website. They are known as G-Interior Design.

Comprised of two individuals with different taste for whats new and whats not in the interior design world.

So if you do think your house needs a make-over, or something fresh all over again, be it small or big, please do not hesitate to contact them. I am sure they will try to accommodate your likings to your budget.

Rock on you both!

Battle

My family is currently facing a battle.

Its going to be one long journey but I am positive we will be able to reap the fruits of the labour if we keep an open mind and never stop trying.

Its exhausting enough to think even about it.

Monday. We will begin this on Monday....

Jealous

wouldn't you be too?

Happy Birthday Baby Boy : Part 2

We held a mini birthday party for Jaden on Sat 02 10 10.

Planning for it was quite hard because we could not agree on a location until Hubby suggested Marmalade. Marmalade cafe is known to be a child-friendly restaurant, so why not? Emails were sent back and forth, finally menu agreed upon, deposit paid up and all we had to do was just wait for Saturday to come.

I said mini because it only consists of about 24-25 people. We just wanted it to be a small intimate affair with no political issues going on.






AndrewCK was my hired photographer for the day and boy, he took my worries off capturing the moments. Its always hard to want to capture us (SimonYap clan) together if one of us is the photographer and the worry about leaving a camera around when you need to eat and entertain guests. So it was money well spent in a way.





I prepared partypacks for the kids who came. Just three actually so Jaden gets one himself too. Since Jaden's birthday cake theme was CARS, I prepared the party packs in CARS mini bags, a mini yoyo, eraser with CARS characters printed on it, CARS colouring and sticker book, the mini party horns and blowers. Well, it sure did distract them for a little while. What a noobhead for not preparing colour pencils or crayons to go with the colouring book! *slaps head*



For the adults, I gave each and everyone mini lollipops and leftover party horns and blowers to play with. Nigel pulak, entertained himself with helium balloons. Did I mention that helium balloons also made the kids' day? They sure did had fun with it and I told them to bring as many as they want home. I bought 30 helium balloons to decorate the place but too bad, it was still looking quite sparse with all that space in the cafe.









We all sang a very loud Happy Birthday for Jaden and he actually took off the car spoiler before the 'ceremony' even began. Does it mean he won't be one of those boys that like to modify cars and like to keep it original as it is? *yay*

















It had been a fun short 2 hour celebration with close friends and my family members, one of them, my cousin whom I practically grew up with since young and had not seen her since I got married. My nephew was just so cute and *sigh* SimonTan's kids were really angelic!

















We came, we ate, we sang, we played and then we ciaoed. At least this year, I did not have to worry about cleaning up the mess at the location. *wink*


Another year, another party theme.. so what party theme for next year ? Mmm.. might as well start planning for it already. =)