Raining & Cruising!

~ Posted on Saturday, August 14, 2010 at 9:36 PM ~

It was raining yesterday afternoon, so I took the chance to enjoy the cooling air and nice rainy smell at the balcony with Ben.

I'm a full-time mummy

Ben enjoying the rain...

I'm a full-time mummy

Ben pointing at the rain...

I'm a full-time mummy

Legs thinner but longer now...

I'm a full-time mummy

He wants to play the air bubble!

I'm a full-time mummy

The view outside our balcony... I love that tree!

You can view this video of Ben saying the word "Bubble" when he was fiddling around with the air bubble bottle...

After the rain stopped, we got ready for our evening walk in the park but just as we were about to arrive at the park, it started to drizzle again and so we decided to head to one of the shopping malls near our place... yeap, we're all dressed for our evening walks and we coolly walk around in the mall in our exercise clothing... Hahahaha...

We went to Carrefour to buy some grocery stuff before going to this mini playground on the 2nd floor right outside Toys'R Us. And then we found Ben suddenly doing this:

I'm a full-time mummy

He just coolly hopped onto one of the kiddy rides.

It costs about 3 dollars (less than USD1) for a 5 minutes ride so we paid the attendant and got Ben to sit in one of the rides which came with a remote control. The other one is a pink car so we took the red one, strapped Ben with the safety belt and hubby controlled the car using the remote. The rest of the rides there do not have remote control so those are definitely no-nos.

I'm a full-time mummy

We were kinda surprised to see Ben enjoying and riding in the MOVING car as there are a few times he kinda got nervous sitting ALONE in a moving rides.

And this time, he is sitting in one ALONE and it moves ALL AROUND. So, I busily snap some pictures for you guys to see while hubby carefully manevured the car.

Feel free to watch the short video of Ben cruising in the posh car!

I'm a full-time mummy

Ben happily steered the steering all around - almost knocked into my shopping cart and entered into a shop nearby but luckily hubby took control of the car. After 5 minutes, we returned the car to the attendant and let Ben played at the mini playground.

It was a nice and leisure activity for the family, though I don't think we should do this often... 3 dollars for 5 minutes is OK once in a while but not often. And I'm really in awe with those people who created this kiddy rides.. it used to be those ugly rides (like some weird monster look alike creatures with no safety straps) which you sit on it and do nothing while it steers around by itself but now, they got more creative and comes out with all this cool kiddy rides that looks more like the real vehicles that people sit in...

Oh occassionally, Ben did go back near the kiddy rides area and pointed at the rides.

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Next time Ben, next time, OK?

I'm a full-time mummy

The Beauty of Co-Sleeping...

~ Posted on Saturday, August 14, 2010 at 1:12 AM ~

Ben co-sleeps with hubby and myself - even today, at 17 months plus...

(it's so convenient cos' I'm still breastfeeding Ben anyway!)

I'm a full-time mummy

Picture above of Ben (4 days old) sleeping next to his tired mummy...

We initially placed him in the baby crib but he nursed almost every 1-2 hours during the first week and I got real tired having to wake up, bend over, carried Ben out, nursed him, then put him back to the crib, and try to sleep again. You see, I'm a light sleeper so any slight sound or movement will make me awake...

One time when I was really really tired, I carried Ben out during one of his nursing time, lie on my side, placed Ben next to me and continue sleeping and he just nursed on. After that time, I repeated it again, and Ben continued nursing while he's asleep (I found out much later that it's called dream feeding) and so, the story of how we all ended up sleeping on the same bed begins...

Seeing this comic brings me smiles cos this is how it is when we all co-sleep at night... Of course, most of the time hubby ended up sleeping on the single bed which is right next to our King sized bed,all thanks to Benjamin who conquered most of the bed space!

Co-sleeping

Now, during the day time when Ben takes his nap, his sleeping styles are also a fun thing to watch!

Hahahah... Enjoy!

I'm a full-time mummy

I'm a full-time mummy

I'm a full-time mummy

I'm a full-time mummy

I'm a full-time mummy

Life is 10% What Happens To You and 90% How You Respond To It!

~ Posted on Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 10:00 AM ~

Sometime I think back on the moment I decided "Enough is enough. I am going to quit my job and be a SAHM".

Had I responded and reacted differently, maybe I wouldn't be a SAHM today.

You see, over 1 year ago, I was in the midst of negotiating with my former supervisor on the possibilities of my previous company hiring me as a freelance consultant (they were in the midst of migrating over to a new application system). Lots of hurdles and issues were raised because of this, such as:

* that I am setting precedent to the company if I'm being hired as a freelance staff

* that I will not be committed to my work anymore since I'm quitting my job in order to take care of my baby

* that I will not be able to drop everything at home and rush to office to attend meetings, discussions and so on

* that it is hard for the company to monitor my deliverables as I can work from home if there is no meetings or discussions to attend at office

* that it is risky for the company to allow me to remote login to the company's server to do my work from home

All the above are just some of the excuses mentioned in order to stop the discussions from getting further. I know myseld and my previous supervisor really wanted to make it work (she really needs my expertise in the legacy system and liaising with the users and vendors on the new system) but her manager does not. Maybe because the manager feels threatened that if this freelance idea works, it's like the company is bowing down to my wishes and that I'm being manipulative.

I do not have any other motives other than to still be able to help my previous company (as much as I can), earn a lot less (but still be able to contribute and work) but of course, all this will be within my limits now that I have a new priority in life (that is taking care of Ben!) but somehow, there are people who tends to think bad of this.

There was actually an agreement being drafted out and it's already in the final stage of being agreed by all parties (the company and myself) before we can go official with the freelancing idea. I raised up some clauses in the agreement which was not favorable to me and because of this, my supervisor's manager actually got angrier and more agitated (I think this made the manager more determined to find ways to stop the freelancing idea from being materialised). You see, how can I agree to a freelance contract which stated:

* that I have to disclose the details of other clients I'm working with (that is in the event that I do freelance for other companies). I mean, wouldn't that be a breach of information to my other clients (if any)?

* lots of different tiers of fees calculations for the hours I put into work (if you read the contract it makes you feel sad that a company you have worked with for almost 5 years can be so calculative to you. I didn't even think of this at all as I was already working more than my expected hours when I was a permanent staff but why raised this concern now?)

* that the company is not responsible if I have any accidents, injuries or died at the premise... again, I didn't even think of this at all but since it's being stated out, it made me feel that the company is so cold blooded and not caring towards its employee (be it permanent or freelance)

Anyway, I have actually thought of just disregarding the above and not be so calculative over the details, after all, I worked with the company for almost 5 years and I really enjoyed working there and made lots of good friends but the incident that tip me over to my decision to quit is finding out the manager backstabbed me in front of the CEO. It's really sickening to find out someone could and would go to that distance in order to get rid of you and make the freelance idea not feasible.

The moment I found out about this, I wrote an email to my supervisor and the CEO telling them I'm pulling out from the negotiation and am not going to proceed further with the freelance idea. I did not mention about knowing I've been backstabbed.

Now, I sometimes think had I responded in other ways to this maybe things would work out differently?

What if I mentioned about being backstabbed? Will the CEO takes the matter with the manager and reprimand the manager?  Or what if I decided to confront the manager and demanded an apology?

But I thought, God knows the person I am to the company. God knows how committed I am and how I wanted and tried to make it work. If I have been the sort of person that the manager slanders me of, I wouldn't have work in the company for almost 5 years (long if you are in IT line), my users and vendors wouldn't be so sad to see me quitting and leaving the company for good (or even to date, still asking for my help and advice every now and then).

Maybe you may think the act of me keeping quiet even though I know I've been backstabbed and slandered is coward. But what good does it make if I seek revenge and see that the manager gets punished for slandering me? Read: Romans 12:19 (NIV), 1 Peter 3:16 (NIV)

Had the freelance idea materialised and I continued working freelance in the company, I don't think I will have an easy time there. Obviously that would make the manager more envious (that I get to work freelance) and more determined to get rid of me. So, why stay on and try to pursue something which someone tries so hard to stop it from being materialised? Read: James 3:16 (NIV)

Maybe things happened for a reason. Yes, it is a bad and sad memory for me for that incident to happen. But I guessed, I'm thankful I responded to this situation the way I did. Read: 1 Peter 2:15 (NIV), Romans 12:2 (NIV), 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

This post is written as part of this week's Writer's Workshop.