UPDATE ON RYAN'S VOCAB

The list goes on ...

220. Tele-fone (telephone)
221. Sound
222. Song
223. Tools ("Handy Manny" set of tools)
224. Dun work (Don't work - when something doesn't work/spoils)
225. (Pa, Ma) What you doing? (Papa/Mama ... What are you doing?
226. Mine
227. My
228. Me
229. Give me!
230. My tata (My prata)
231. Seat
232. My seat
233. Turn
234. My turn
235. Pace (Space)
236. A
237. B
238. KFC (the fast food restaurant)
239. I dun wan KFC (I don't want to eat at KFC)
240. When Papa come back? (When will Papa be back home?)
241. Where Papa go? (Where's Papa?)
242. But-er-fly (butterfly)
243. Ka-chawk (cockroach)
244. Mau (the sound a cat makes)
245. Baby
246. Baby bird
247. Mummy bird
248. Bum-bee (Bumble Bee from the Transformers)
249. Starscream (from the Transformers)
250. Ionhide (Ironhide from the Transformers)
251. Mem-mem coming! (a scene from the Transformers when the robots were dropping from the sky like meteorites)
252. What doin ... Pa/Ma? (What are you doing, Pa/Ma?)
253. Ow, pain pain (Ouch! pain)
254. Press
255. Feet
256. Peanut
257. Pa why stop? (Papa, why did you stop? - when hubby stops at a traffic light/junction)
258. I can't see
259. Its dark
260. Big world (from "Little People Big World" reality series)
261. Big water (pond/beach/swimming pool)
262. Dopped (dropped)
263. Fall
264. Jump high, jump low
265. Up down, up down (from cartoon "Little Einsteins")
266. Mozzie (monster from "World World" ... haha! don't ask me why)
267. Straw
268. Moon
269. Cheek
270. Ee-hor (Eyehore from "My Friends Tigger & Pooh")
271. Water (he used to call it ter, he's improved since)
272. Cartoon
273. I wan watch cartoon (I want to watch cartoon)
274. Cuse me! (Excuse me!)
275. Open light (switch on the lights)
276. Wipe
277. Mickey (Mickey Mouse)
278. Minnie (Minnie Mouse)
279. Mouse (from toon "Animal Mechanicals")
280. Uni-con (Unicorn from toon "Animal Mechanicals")
281. Herro (Hello)
282. No bathe
283. No cut hair (when he doesn't want a hair cut)
284. Hug
285. Mama hug (haha ... when he wants a hug from me)
286. Bag
287. Big bag
288. Wite (write)
289. I wite (I write)
290. Phone
291. Meg-tron (Megatron from the Transformers)

RYAN'S A-OK!

Woohoo!!! My baby has finally recovered! Just in time for the long-weekend celebrations! I'm just relieved ... really, mainly because now that Ryan's well, me & hubby can heave a huge sigh of relief.

Eventhough we don't celebrate Hari Raya like most average (typical) Malay families, I do indulge (& encourage) some rather old-fashioned practices - like colour co-ordinationg our Raya outfits, eating lots of yummy food & new year goodies, giving out modest "ang pows" to the kiddies & house visiting some close relatives. Errm ... that's about it! Haha! I'm not one to hang decor or colourful bling-bling lights (though I like seeing them on other people's home), nor cooking those fantastic Hari Raya dishes because I'm not a very good cook.

Now that I have a son, I see it as my duty (as a Muslim & Malay parent) to raise & "teach" Ryan (in my small way), a part of his culture & heritage, how Hari Raya is a very important & special occasion for us, Malays. Eventhough Ryan is half Malay, I've never considered him a (full) Malay, neither is he a (full) Chinese. I guess as a bi-racial child, Ryan lives in a world that is neither here nor there. Since he is a mixture of two races, he has to immerse himself in both cultures & heritage. As a Muslim, I want him to grow up, never forgetting his religion nor his roots but I also don't want him to ignore or abandon his (father's) Chinese roots. As a child with a Chinese surname & a Malay-Muslim name, Ryan carries this burden with him ... all his life. As a parent, I will be there for him .. to guide & protect but ultimately, he is a bearer of two cultures, he is his own man. Oops! I'm digressing again ....

Eventhough we celebrate with new outfits & delicious food, we must never forget that its a celebration after a month of deprivation ... oops! fasting. Its also to celebrate the coming & arrival of the beautiful month of Syawal! Its also a time to spring-clean the (dusty) house, clear unwanted & redundant junk-stuff & at times buys new things for decorating the home. Its also a time to seek forgiveness from our loved ones, family & friends.

As a child, I used to silently chuckle when my parents (especially my mum & maternal aunts) shed a tear (or many) when they carried out the forgiveness thingy. Haha! how life bites you on the butt - hard! Now as an adult, I basically do the same thing. Yep, I tear ... & though I don't go into hysterics & stuff, its enough to see the irony of it. As a child, you never understood the significance of the seeking of forgiveness, as people usually excuse the antics of a child as sheer childishness or just a part of growing up. But as grown ups, we have plenty of forgiveness to seek & some forgiving to do to. Forgiving someone else also frees your heart, for other more beautiful things. Being able to forgive & let go of the past, is cleansing & empowering, for the forgiver. It also gives peace of mind to the one seeking forgiveness.

Hell, I am no angel ... & though I seek forgiveness from my loved ones, the one I seek forgiveness most is ... God. Eventhough life has been tough these couple of years, I am always grateful to God ... for the many blessings in my life. I still have a roof over my head, I have a beautiful & healthy child, I have a hardworking & loving hubby, I have a wonderful extended family who is always there for moral support, I have my parents with us. There are times that I feel a need to do more in the name of religion or be closer to God, but I know that I'm (really) not there yet. Maybe ... in the future, who knows! Sometimes its hard to teach your child about his religion, when you (as a parent) are not even well versed or (remotely) religious in the first place. I try, whenever I can but I know its (usually) not nearly enough. I need to be a better example to my son ... & hubby. That is the "burden" that I have to bear. I am aware of my heavy responsibilities but I am far from being an example (not even a half-baked one) ... not to mention a good one. Maybe by next year, I will have more to ponder on ... but until then, I will trudge as best I can ... like I always do!

If I don't get the chance (which I doubt), ...

"SELAMAT HARI RAYA KEPADA SEMUA YANG DI SAYANGI & DI HORMATI. MAAF ZAHIR & BATIN."

One thing for sure, I will definitely enjoy this weekend's scrumptious menu, as my Mum is preparing her Hari Raya (worth-its-weight-in-gold) specialities. This year it includes the elusive & ultra delish Beef Rendang (which she hasn't made for many years) & the (seldom-seen) Sambal Goreng ... YUM-MY! I know its a lot of hard work for her (& my dad) to prepare the many special dishes for the whole family to enjoy but I really do appreciate & look forward to it ... every year! I've never even tried to cook my mum's recipes coz I know I will fail (ever so) miserably & it will never even come close to the mark! My mum is the best cook ever & I always never fail to over-eat (as usual)... when it comes to her fantastic cooking. All this food talk is making me hungry ... haha!

OK, let's get ready to eat!