Never Forget

Six years on, and the horror of that day has not diminished. I remember that day very well. When I woke up that Tuesday morning in 2001, I turned on the radio and there was a live coverage about the twin towers having been hit by two planes. I quickly turned on the TV and I was so shocked that all I could do was sit on my bed and watched the horror unfold on TV. The collapse of the two towers was all there on TV and I watched it live. It was unbelievable. It was a black day indeed.

I will never ever forget that day. I will never ever forget the enemy who perpetrated that horror.

Ne Obliviscaris!

Rojak Sotong Kangkong

It is that time of the year where you can get kangkong (Ipomoea aquatica) at the Asian grocery stores and even at the produce market on Flea Market Day here in Galt.

Besides the usual belacan kangkong, I usually make rojak sotong kangkong with some fried tauhu thrown in. The rojak paste I used is Made in Penang, available at the Asian grocery store here in Sacramento. The squid is also available at the frozen section of the Asian supermarket.

When I am able to get all the ingredients for a certain dish here, I get to enjoy some of the foods I enjoy back home in Malaysia. :-)

Tagged

Here is the tag :- Ten Questions

These are the rules :-Five answers to each question and then tagged five others.

Instructions :- Remove the first Blog and add your own blog last.

A Great Pleasure; Wishing On A Falling Star; Bokjae; simply888here; cat cat; Puteri's Musings 3



Here it goes.....


Q1. What were you doing 10 Years ago?

1. I was working in Vietnam.
2. I visited places in Vietnam with a handsome young Frenchman.
3. I watched Princess Diana's funeral on TV at the Guest House at the Hanoi Agricultural University campus.
4. I went on a boat trip down the Perfume River in Hue, Vietnam.
5. I visited Ho Chi Minh City for the first time.

Q2. What were you doing 1 Year ago?

1. I was spending too much time in front of my computer.
2. I drove my kids to daycare at 9.00 a.m. from Mon-Fri.
3. I picked up my kids at 5.00 p.m. from daycare from Mon-Fri.
4. I spent too much money on items for my hobbies.
5. We celebrated Doug's 50th birthday at his parents' house.

Q3. What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

1. Potato Chips
2. Cashew nuts
3. Low Sodium Wheat Thins
4. Nestle 3 in 1 Cereal
5. Dried Fruit

Q4. What are 5 songs you know the lyrics to?

1. Eternal Flame
2. Silent Night
3. Away in a Manger
4. London Bridge is Falling Down
5. Ring Around the Roses

Q5. 5 things you would do if you are a Millionaire?

1. Pay off any loans.
2. Buy myself the latest model Mercedes Benz.
3. Stay at the fanciest hotels while visiting Europe.
4. Live in a bigger and fancier house with a landscaped English garden.
5. Buy my parents a new house.

Q6. 5 Bad habits?

1. I like to pick at my teeth in front of people after a meal. Gross!
2. I don't wipe my sink faucet dry.
3. I spend too much time in front of my pc.
4. I let my laundry pile up before I put them in the washer.
5. I let Doug's clothes pile up before I iron them.

Q7. 5 things you like to do?

1. Spend time in front of my computer.
2. Eat out.
3. Sleep in.
4. Shop for shoes.
5. Go for a pedicure.

Q8. 5 Favourite Toys?

1. My laptop
2. My digital camera
3. My iPod
4. My cell phone
5. My massage chair

Q9. 5 things you would never wear?

1. Thick make up
2. Thongs
3. See through underwear
4. Red lipstick
5. My bra to bed

Q10. 5 things you hate to do?

1. House work
2. Cook dinner
3. Go out on a really hot day
4. Wash my car
5. Exercise

I now tag:

Cokelatrawkz
Chantique79
Feli
Nightwing
Macyln

Too much TV may cause attention problems

I better cut down on the TV time my kids enjoy right now! I know it is bad, but the TV has been used to keep them occupied. :-( However, I am glad to notice that if either I or Doug is outside the kids love to be outside too ... riding their tricycles or driving around in their motorized vehicle and chasing the geese!

Watching television more than two hours a day early in life can lead to attention problems later in adolescence, according to a study released on Tuesday.

The roughly 40 percent increase in attention problems among heavy TV viewers was observed in both boys and girls, and was independent of whether a diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder was made prior to adolescence.

The link was established by a long-term study of the habits and behaviors of more than 1,000 children born in Dunedin, New Zealand, between April 1972 and March 1973.

The children aged 5 to 11 watched an average of 2.05 hours of weekday television. From age 13 to 15, time spent in front of the tube rose to an average of 3.1 hours a day.

"Those who watched more than two hours, and particularly those who watched more than three hours, of television per day during childhood had above-average symptoms of attention problems in adolescence," Carl Landhuis of the University of Otago in Dunedin wrote in his report, published in the journal Pediatrics.

Read the rest of this article here.

Me Not Like You, Mommy

My kids are 4 years old and already one knows how to say, "Me not like you, Mommy!" Ok, at least he hasn't learned how to say, "I hate you, Mommy!"

He tells me that when he doesn't get what he wants. He's always asking for a toy, or for the TV to be turned on to a certain channel and when he doesn't get what he wants, he goes off in a huff and tells me or his daddy, "Me not like you!"

I know he doesn't mean it, so I tell him, "I still love you, Duncan, even if you don't like me". :-)
Later in the day, he will tell me, "Me love you, Mommy'. These are words that a parent treasures because a child says those words often without encouragement and means them.

The following is a parenting tip that I find useful.

When Kids say, "I hate you!"

By Elizabeth Pantley, Author of Perfect Parenting and Kid Cooperation

Question:
When my son gets angry with me he yells, "I hate you! I wish you weren't my mother!" and other hurtful things. It really disturbs me, but I don't know how to respond.

Think about it:
When children feel angry and powerless, they sometimes resort to hateful words to express their feelings. These outbursts should not be taken at face value. In other words, your child doesn't really mean he hates you - he means he's extremely angry that he can't have his way, and you're the one imposing the rules! These reasons don't mean you should tolerate the behavior. But, when you look at it this way, you can temper your own emotions so that you can take control of the situation.

Teach:
Children need to be taught that it is okay to have angry feelings, but that there are acceptable and unacceptable ways to express their anger. It's usually best to walk away from a child who uses such strong language after making a short parting comment, "I won't stay and listen to you talk like that." Allow some time to pass so that both you and the child can calm down. Then, tell your child that his outburst was unacceptable. Instead of simply telling your child what you don't want, teach what alternatives you will allow, such as, "I'm really mad at you for saying no."

Respond calmly:
If this is an unusual behavior for your normally respectful child, you might want to respond in a calm manner, "That language is unacceptable. I know you're smart enough to come up with an acceptable alternative."

Find the source:
Determine if your child is hearing someone else talk this way, perhaps a friend. Talk about this person's behavior and ask your child what he thinks of it. This is a good time to have a chat about the power and meaning of words, what you feel is acceptable, and what you will accept as alternatives to hurtful comments.

Be firm:
Let your child know in advance that if he uses those kinds of expressions with you he'll be restricted to his room. The length of time would be determined by the intensity of the words, for example, "I hate you!" might warrant a one-hour solitary confinement. Swearing at you in a verbally aggressive way would warrant spending the remaining day in his room. Should he not follow orders and go to his room when asked he'll lose a specific privilege (such as watching TV, talking on the phone, or going outside after school). Once you've set the limits, be calm and consistent when enforcing them.

Excerpted with permission by NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group Inc. from Perfect Parenting, The Dictionary of 1,000 Parenting Tips by Elizabeth Pantley, © 1999