Fab 5 Friday...

I haven't felt like this was a fab week. Super grouchy, tweaked my back on Wednesday (not bad, but bad enough), kids are making me lose what little patience I have, jealous of the hubby in Phuket for the weekend, some other folks are just on my last nerve...You all know what I'm talking about. Just a crappy week...and I need to snap myself out of it because only I'm capable of doing that. In spite of this, there were some highlights this week!

So let's get to the 5 best things about the week.

1. Mommy-Grayson Weekend. Last week while the big boys were in Singapore, Gray and I had a fantastic weekend. He had some awesome playtime with friends and some awesome one-on-one time with me. And of course, there's the blue hair.

Lunch at The Social with my blue-haired monkey

 



2. Happy Boys Return From Singapore. Blaine and Caleb were in Singapore last weekend for a baseball tournament. And, even though they lost every game, Caleb had a blast. He had to tell me all about the tournament - including play-by-plays that would make any sportscaster proud.  And of course all about the two rides at Universal Studios that the teams had all to themselves on Friday night. (Yeah...the tournament host rented out two rides at Universal Studios...impressive.)

 

Caleb receiving a little coaching from Blaine in Singapore

 

3. Caleb Chosen for ISAC. Caleb will be representing his school this Saturday at the International Schools Athletic Conference. Pretty cool. He'll be going to the track and field meet held at one of the local universities on Saturday and this mom is hoping for a repeat of his shotput win. (If you could send some positive thoughts his way Saturday morning - that would be awesome!!)

 

Looking for a repeat of his big shotput win

 

4. The Dentist. Yeah, really can't believe the dentist makes the Fab 5 this week. I hate the dentist. Despise it. (Yup, if we're friends on Facebook, I meant it when I said the dentist and the gynecologist are about equal in my book.) But, it was time to go and everyone we've talked to recommended the Yee Dental Clinic in Bangsar Shopping Center. I've got to say...we all were really impressed. The kids liked Dr. Tiam, I liked Dr. Tiam, and Blaine liked Dr. Tiam. It was quick and efficient, nobody guilted me about my lack of flossing, overall - a great experience.

 

Caleb getting his teeth cleaned

 











5. Croissant Class. Yes, I made croissants from scratch this week. After tackling puff pastry a couple of weeks ago, I found this to be extremely similar - except that there is yeast in croissant dough - making you work a little bit harder when rolling. Sheila was once again our guest chef - and it was fabulous. I was sad to learn that this was Sheila's last class teaching at B.I.G. as she is opening her own café in Sri Hartamas in early May, but that just means we'll have another great café to go visit. (All my KL friends, we'll have to check it out when it opens! It will be called "For Goodness Cakes" and she's going to open early - around 7:30 a.m. - so it will be perfect for morning coffee and breakfast.)

 

Look at those layers!

My croissants ready to go in the oven.

Yup! My finished croissants! Delicious!!

 

So yes, I may be grumpy and bitchy this week, but there were still lots of good things going on!! Hope you also found a few good moments this week!

 

Party Inspiration...

When we were living in the U.S. we seemed to throw quite a few parties/get-togethers/group therapy sessions. Some had themes - Cinco de Mayo and Mardi Gras come to mind. Others happened around sporting events or holidays. Sometimes, it was just a nice night and we'd open the bar.

I haven't been entertaining as much as I would like here. We don't have a big backyard where we can set up tables and chairs and tents or let the kids run around (although our neighbourhood is perfectly safe for letting the kids loose.) We also seem to be really busy on the weekends with the kids in multiple sports and all of their activities.

But, I'm feeling the need to entertain - or at least get the ball rolling with some sort of gathering. I've been thinking about this for the past few days...not quite sure what I wanted to do. Then, in the mail, this arrived:

 

 

Ah, bacon. Nothing like some porky goodness. So after reading this from cover to cover (and yes, there is drool on several of the pages), I have decided that the next party will be a pork potluck. Everyone will bring one or two dishes. Appetizers, main courses, side dishes, and desserts will be allowed. Each dish must contain pork (not limited to just bacon - any pork cut of your choice). Each dish will be placed out for everyone to try without knowing who made what. At the end of the evening we will all vote on our favourite pork dishes in each of the categories - along with a grand champion of most delectable pork dish! We will give prizes - most likely liquor and/or wine to those top vote getters in each category!

 

So...my local KL friends, if you'd like to  get in on this - let me know! The more the merrier! I will start looking at the calendar and searching for a date!! Pork Party 2014 - Let's do it!

Fab 5 Friday...

Welcome to another edition of Fab 5 Friday! It's been a great week...lots of good stuff happening. Had a solid week at Crossfit...including a couple of personal bests in my strength training. (My back has felt really good for the last few weeks - knock on wood - and I'm hoping it continues. If I could just get the plantar fasciitis under control in my right foot we'd be batting 1000!) Had a good solid 1600m swim this week. It was slow, but I did it. Had lunch with a friend and my husband this week...always fun. Just an enjoyable week.! But, let's get to the real Fab 5...they're not exactly earth-shattering this week, but they are my faves!

1. Valentine's Day with my boys. So instead of a romantic dinner for two...it was a family dinner for four. All of us went out to dinner last Friday evening and while the service was horrendous (We dined at Ben's Publika - and ugh! Let's leave it at that.), the company was fabulous!

My Valentines

 

2. ISKL Quiz Night. Saturday night we went to ISKL's quiz night with a bunch of folks from the MKIS PA. This is a fundraiser for the ISKL PA and we went to check it out in hopes that it might be something we do at M'KIS. I thought it was a BLAST! (My inner trivia nerd was in heaven!) The tables all pick themes and decorate their tables (and themselves) to match the themes. There was a disco table, a "glo fro" table, a green team table (all about recycled goods - think cardboard beer boxes, etc.) - lots of good themes. They have lots of fun with it - bribing judges, lots of booze, you bring your own food, challenging questions - just a fun, geeky night!

 

ISKL Quiz Night

Some of the MKIS Crew

 

 

3. Track and Field Meet. Caleb had his first track and field meet last Saturday. I love this child...because just when I think he's like his Dad (which he is), I see parts of me in him, too. When it comes to track and field...he's like me. We can go the distance, but we're not fast. Slow twitch fibers all the way. Unfortunately, for the 9U division, it's all about short runs. As he told me, "Mom, give me a 5K and I'll crush it! I can pace myself...this short stuff I suck at." BUT, as much as he's not built for speed...the kid killed it on shotput (which would also be like his mommy - who likes to throw some weights!). He took first place in shotput...heaved that thing and on his first "put" (he corrected me - you don't throw it - you "put" it) he had the winning distance. Very proud! He'll be heading to ISAC next weekend out at KLASS and I'm hoping he can do it again.

 

MKIS Track Meet

 

 

4. Gold Class Movies. So, we took the boys to the movies on Sunday to see "The Lego Movie." We have not been to the movies since we moved to Malaysia...and Susan asked us to go with her crew. She was buying "Gold Class" tickets and we said we were in! Gold class tickets here have you seated in a recliner and they give you a pillow an blanket and bring your food and drinks to you. Additionally, the theatre is only for gold class...no regular seating...just the comfy recliners. Needless to say, my children (and Blaine and I) think this rocks. I will admit that I napped during part of the movie. (Come on...I was slightly hungover from ISKL quiz night and who can resist a nap in a recliner in a dark, cool movie theatre.) But, the kids loved the movie...especially the annoying song! Hahaha! (Please be sure to watch the video so that little earworm is stuck with you!)

 

Gold class seating

 



Everything Is Awesome

 





5. Mommy-Grayson time. So Blaine and Caleb are in Singapore for a baseball tournament - leaving me and Grayson here for some quality bonding time. I have to say...one-on-one this child is a pure joy...so easy-going. Anyways, he's had a great week this week - I was able to see his music performance of "New World Symphony" on the xylophone and last night we started our special weekend with jammies, living room picnic and "The Croods." Tonight, we'll be dying his hair blue!!

 

Ready for his performance

 

His musical performance for your viewing pleasure

 

The Croods

 

 

Wishing everyone a fabulous weekend!!! Hope "Everything is AWESOME!"

 



Saying No...

Why do people, in particular, women, find it so hard to say no? I know I do. Is it that nagging need to please? Is it our desire to be SuperMom - Doer of All Things? Do we think the person we're saying no to is going to be mad? Why does saying no have such a negative connotation?

I'll admit that for a while I was a yes person. An overcommitted, stressed-out nutcase of a yes person. (And, if I am to be honest, I still go down this path occasionally.) But then, I read a few articles about how to say no...about how to rid yourself of the guilt...about how to put yourself first. (And trust me, when you do this, those around you will be sooooo happy!) Since we've moved to KL, I've been practicing my use of no. I had to use it last week. And while it still doesn't come easy (Just ask Blaine. I texted him 30 seconds after I said I couldn't participate to express my feelings of guilt.) - it is getting easier. Now, I'm not a habitual sayer of no...I've just learned to pick and choose what's important to me and where I want to put my efforts.

And there is the other extreme, those that seem to say no all the time, those who rarely put themselves out there or get involved. (Though, I will admit that I don't surround myself with too many of these people - as we just wouldn't get along.)

So...where do you stand on the yes-no continuum? Are you balanced? Do you need to practice saying no a little more? Or perhaps, you need to say yes a little more, try something new? We don't need to be the Pinterest Perfect Moms...no judgement here...just encouraging you to find your sweet spot!

Fab 5 Friday...Plus 1

It's time for this week's edition of Fab 5 Friday!! Just a few of my favourite things from the week...

Fab 5 Friday

1. Baseball and Birthday Parties. This past Sunday we had two baseball games scheduled at Harimau. They've been on the calendar for a couple of months. We're always thrilled when we have the opportunity to play some friendly games against other teams as baseball is not extremely popular here in Malaysia. As it turns out, Caleb also received an invitation to an amazing birthday party at Lake Putrajaya that would include boating, tubing, swimming and all sorts of fun stuff - also on Sunday. When I noticed the conflict, we decided that we would let Caleb make the decision as to what he wanted to do. When we asked him, he told us he would play baseball. After he said this, he sat there for a couple of seconds and began to cry. When I asked him what was wrong, he said, "I want to go to the birthday party, too. But, I can't let my team down. I committed to playing." And while he was crying as he said this, I knew that he meant it. I knew that he was growing up to the be the person I want him to be. So, we put on our thinking caps and with a few texts we got it worked out so the kiddo could play a little baseball and make it to the birthday party.

Getting ready to bat...

Time for some tubing

 

2. Magenta Hair. Yup, took the plunge and colored my hair over the weekend. Well, I didn't do it - Elaine did it. And, no...not just to cover the gray...took a bold leap and went magenta. I have to say...I like it. And even if I didn't - it's just hair. It'll grow out or I could choose a different color.

 

 

 

3. Puff Pastry Class. I had cooking class this week...we learned to make our very own puff pastry! And really...it was easy! Not hard at all! Sheila was the instructor for the day and she teaches an amazing class. We made the pastry and then did some savory twists, an apple galette and palmiers. My kids were in heaven with all of the goodies! Croissant class is coming up in a couple of weeks - which she said is a little more difficult due to the yeast in the dough, but it should be a good one.

 

The dough in various stages

My twists and apple galette

Palmiers

 

 

4. The Walking Dead. Yup! It's back! So thrilled...that's my 60 minutes! No one else watches it at my house and I was so excited for its return on Sunday evening. Not that the episode was particularly enthralling, but I'm holding out hopes for good things to come!

 







5. Lunch at My Elephant. Had lunch this week at My Elephant (Sri Hartamas) with some of the PA gang. Always a fun group to hang out with and I'd never been to My Elephant - so it was nice to try someplace new!  And it was delicious! Can you go wrong with Pad Thai and good conversation?

Some delicious Pad Thai

 

 

And, I'm going to throw in a #6 this week in honor of Valentine's Day. I received an email from Caleb's teacher this week saying that Grayson had made him a Valentine's Day card. Yes, Grayson made the card for Caleb's teacher. (That child never ceases to surprise me!) Caleb's teacher went on to say what wonderful boys I have and how he hoped that he had the opportunity to teach Grayson next year. I have to say, I hope Mr. G gets Grayson next year, too! He's been a great teacher for Caleb and I think he'd be wonderful for Grayson, too.

 

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!!

 



Friends...

These words ring so true to those of us who have moved far away from our families...whether it be within the same country as our family or out of country as expats. I've been thinking a lot about all of the wonderful friends we have made since our first move from New York to Wisconsin and then to Iowa and then here to Kuala Lumpur. My friends have helped watch my children, held my hand when I got my tattoo, given many hugs, encouraged me to try SOOOOO many new things, gone to the doctor with me, shared many meals and adult beverages with me, celebrated holidays with us, vacationed with our family, laughed and cried with me...the list of things we've experienced together cannot be shared in its entirety here - it's way too long.

But, I just wanted you to know how much each and every one of you is loved and appreciated. I may not say that too often...I'm not the overly sentimental-type, but I mean it from the bottom of my heart. No matter where I met you in my travel journeys, you are an important person to me and my family - and always will be.

Lion Dance...

We had our first opportunity to see a lion dance on Saturday. The kids just loved it! You can read more about the lion dance - especially those occurring during Chinese New Year here!

Blaine had a lion dance performed at his office and then there was one at soccer on Saturday morning. These are a few of the pictures from these events.

At Blaine's Office

 

 

Lion Dance at Saturday morning Little League

 

 

Lions and offerings

 

 

The kids all receiving red envelopes

 

 

I have about a 100 more pictures, but didn't want to bore you...let's just say it was a pretty cool experience with all he drumming and the dancing and knowing the symbolism behind it!

Thai Cooking Class...

Thursday was my Thai cooking class over at B.I.G. As always, it was a good class...I always learn something new. This time, I really was only interested in the Pad That recipe, but we learned 3 additional dishes: Classic Tom Yum Goong, Green Curry Chicken, and fish cakes. It was a very full day since we had four dishes to complete...but, Trang and Susan went with me - so it was fun-filled.

We started the day with the Thai Green Curry Chicken. I'll admit...I'm not a fan of any curries. It's just not for me. And this dish took a while...make the curry paste and then lots of reducing and simmer and stirring...Yeah, I say just order when you're out at a restaurant - much easier. But, it was interesting to be exposed to some new ingredients - like galangal (that funky root veggie in the upper right corner) and kefir limes (the bumpy lime in the upper left corner).

Thai Green Curry Chicken



Fish cakes were next. We used fresh fish paste in these and red curry paste. I found them to be kind of rubbery...once again, not a big fan. But, I have never tried fish cakes prior to this class...so maybe I need to acquire the taste for these.

Fish cakes served with pickled cucumbers

Pad Thai was the third dish of the day - and I LOVED it! So yummy, so easy! Just delicious!

Trang, my rockin' cooking partner and Pad Thai

Finally, we made Tom Yum Goong...a classic Thai soup. We made ours with prawns and calamari...and once again, I was not a big fan.





Maybe I'm just not cut out for Thai food...I really only liked the Pad Thai, but as always, the class was fun! 

Fab 5 Friday Funnies...

Welcome to another Friday! It's been a long and busy week, but I'm happy to have a few moments to blog today! Today we'll look at a few of the funnier moments - or at least NOW I find them funny!

Fab 5 Friday

1. The U.S. Embassy. Wednesday Blaine and I attended the open house at the U.S. Embassy here in Kuala Lumpur. We had never been to the embassy before and we figured we should at least know where it's located. There were several things that I found hilarious during this visit. First off, the head of Consular Services at the U.S. Embassy is a Brit. I don't know...that just strikes me as funny - not even an American helps you get your passports, visas, etc. The embassy people then went on to explain that they can help people who are looking for missing family members who may be traveling abroad, but that there are some privacy issues that need to be dealt with in doing so. The embassy worker went on to explain that they often try to track down backpackers who "need to call their mommies." Too funny! Just what you'd want is an embassy employee tracking you down because your mom called looking for you! Lastly, we had an older gentleman, 20 year ex-pat, who asked, "So, if we have to be evacuated out of Malaysia by military transport - does the U.S. government charge us for this?" Dude, if I'm being evac'd out by the military they can charge me whatever the hell they want to insure my safety!

2. Reading to Grayson's Class. I had a chance to be the "Mystery Reader" for Grayson's class on Tuesday and read them, Sammy The Sloth: Sport Superstar. All I have to say is you need to hear 20 children yelling, "I am too slow!" at the end of each page. Just too funny! But, I've been asked to come back and read the sequel to this book...so back I'll go.

 

 

3. Massage. I had a massage on Wednesday. Okay...I have to laugh about this. Here in Malaysia (and in Bali) they give you these ridiculous paper underwear to put on during the massage. I'm sure they're supposed to provide you with some sense of modesty, but, I have two main issues with this. 1. They are practically see-through. Really! 2. Most of the masseuses have them pulled down to your hamstrings or knees for most of the massage anyways. What the hell is the point??

 

4. Massage - Part 2. And I have to laugh, but a friend posted the cartoon below at some point last week...and I could not stop thinking about it during my massage. Scarred for life! Too funny!

 

 

5. A rough 24 hours. Yes, I've posted this before, but...

 

 

 

Not that anything I endured could really be considered a "tragedy" but, I had cell phone issues, my computer died, and I locked myself out of the house all within a 24 hour time frame. Today, I am laughing about this - yesterday - not so much.

 

The culprits of my horrible 24 hours!

 

 

So there you have it! Hope you found a laugh in here somewhere...or that your next massage is as scarred by the image of that cartoon as mine was!

 









 

The Aquarium

With this being Chinese New Year, the roads of KL were very quiet. We decided on Saturday that we would hit the aquarium here since we've been promising the boys this for a while. And while the roads were quiet, the aquarium was not! Extremely busy! Some nice aquarium employee showed us the secret line where you can pay with a credit card - saving us TONS of time standing in line to get in. The kids were mesmerized by all the fish and sharks and otters and creepy crawly things. (I think they like to show me the bugs and spiders just to freak me out! I don't do well with those things.)

Yuck! (To the spider and millipede - not the kids!)

Fish!

Sharks!

All of us on the travelator to see the sharks and rays.

We figured since we'd done this touristy thing, we might as well top it off with a touristy lunch! The Hard Rock Cafe of KL! Yeah, it was yummy! Who can resist burgers and potato skins and mac and cheese?

I have to say, it was fun playing tourist for the day. We've got more local things to see, but that crosses another one off of our list! Here's to another good week everyone!! Happy Monday!