Posts from — September 2008

With our recent house move, I realized how much paper work work we have on file. Once the house clears up a bit, we would probably work on digitizing some of these records and just keep the electronic copies of some documents. It is really amazing how technology helps in managing information. Nowadays, an electronic public records search becomes a lot easier in checking what’s on file.

We went to Ikea yesterday trying to find another shoe rack similar to what we currently have. I can recall having bought that simple rack over a year ago. However, after walking through the entire store, we ended up empty handed. We tried getting assistance from the crew but as expected, it is like finding a needle in a haystack. The gentleman just asked us for the name and we just couldn’t give anything as we could not even find it in the catalog. Anyway, I’ll probably give it another round one other day.

This has been a buzz word for some time now and it just depicts how busy life has become for individuals and families. Everybody just wants to get more done for the same amount of time. On the other hand, the idea is actually good for a number of situations. For example, an online one-stop shop offering access to several public records is something that people would certainly appreciate.

Have you experienced having your child wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Well, I’m sure each parent would have experienced having to pacify a grumpy kid right after waking up from sleep. We probably offer food, toys, television, activities, and maybe anything! On the other hand, there are times that they just wake up jumping like a jelly bean. One morning, CN woke up really bubbly and engaged her sister RD in a quick conversation.

CN: ‘RD, I really had a good dream.’
RD: ‘Really? What was your dream about?’
CN: ‘You didn’t wake me up.’

They say that the car is probably the second most expensive item people buy or own throughout their lifetime. It is indeed true as the money that is put towards the purchase of a car is something significant. Especially here in Australia, having a car is no longer a luxury. For families, it is essential to have one for practical reasons. That would include taking the children to school, getting the groceries, and simply moving around. Having a mom-driver in the family is also important as it allows more flexibility. In my case, I just learned how to drive less than two years ago. I just had to learn because that seemed to be the most logical thing to happen. It just saves a lot of time and energy and lets me do more things. Now as cars are that important, it also becomes fundamental that it should be insured against damage or even loss. This is a classic tug of war between the budget and the indispensable expense. The solution is obvious. The aim is to get the best priced insurance policy from a sea of insuring companies. This is only possible by getting and comparing car insurance quotes. After getting the best quote, then the rest should be a smooth drive.

I have two siblings now living in the US. Though physically apart, we still maintain constant communication via emails. But that is certainly no replacement to having them just a short (or even long) drive away. We certainly miss having the time to just hang out with family. It is thus sometimes tempting to look around for opportunities in the US. We had a browse for Manhattan jobs and it does look promising. We’re just looking around, but who knows?

Finding the right work-at-home job for a mom is often not easy. While looking around, it seems that most opportunities available lean towards putting up some sort of business. Another (more passive) way to earn those extra dollars is by putting up an investment. I read that a quicker way to grow those investments is by futures trading. I guess we should all do our homework in planning for such so that we are prepared to address the risks associated with investments.

Part of the fun in putting up a blog site is finding ways to be creative in taking photos! Though, in most cases it requires some camera gear which tends to be expensive. Some people say that getting a good photo is not in the camera or equipment but in the technique. Well, there is some truth in there but that would indeed be a challenge for amateurs like me. Also, there should be a good reason why professionals get those gadgets, right? A good way to get those items in the wish list is through the 2008 Black Friday specials.

My youngest daughter CN has really grown a lot compared to the time when we first brought her in Sydney. With her fourth birthday just around the corner, she just feels she is a grown up. She would often try to be part of anything or everything that her elder sister RD does. At the same time, she also wants her sister to do whatever she does. Here’s an excerpt of one of their funny discussions:

CN: ‘Can you come to my birthday party?’
RD: ‘Yes, of course I will be there.’
CN: ‘Can we blow the candle together?’
RD: ‘That is your cake, so you should blow the candle by yourself.’
CN: ‘But we can blow the candle together.’
RD: ‘No, CN, that’s your birthday so you should blow the candle. We’re not twins!’
CN: ‘Yes, we are twins!’

Everybody is trying to beat the fluctuating petrol prices to make sure that the family budget stays intact. While taking public transportation does ease up on the costs, some would take a further step by riding a bike to work. A lot of people do it and the savings are really attractive. If you’re ready to hop on to the bandwagon, then it is a good idea to take a trip to the Biker Chat to get more ideas about bikes.

For CN going to school is fun and exciting. She is always very enthusiastic to go to school to meet her friends and teachers. I thought this morning is no different. She got up early, dressed up, eat her breakfast, send off her sister first to school then her turn. Getting down the car, she picked up her small pink bag (not her school bag) and said that she wanted to bring it for NEWS (show and tell). I asked her to leave it in the car and explained that it is not her turn for NEWS today. Then she started to cry and would not want to get outside the car.

Patiently I let her calm down, ushered her inside the school room and sat with her for a while. Then she kissed and hugged me: her way of saying, ‘Mama, I love you, you can leave now.’.

I can recall seeing a poster which reads ‘When communication goes missing, so do our youth. Don’t close the door to communication’. It is part of the National Missing Persons week campaign last August. Communicating with our children should be dealt with great emphasis. A lot of families face struggles because of this missing factor. Perhaps it is often just becoming a cliché that not much people really bother carving out a time in busy schedules to have those small chats with family. I believe communication is important for all people as it sharing out thoughts can be a relief to today’s stressful lifestyle. There are several organizations offering this opportunity to just blurt out. Some even provide the chance to reach out as they share values online. I believe it is an innovative way to let people out of their shell and communicate.

Irona who? It is probably not easy to recall who Irona is. I myself had to look for that name in the internet. Anyway, she is Richie Rich’s robot maid. We are way too far from even getting close to the lifestyle of the Rich family. But I was just reminded of her as she has some similarities to ‘maids’ we have here in Sydney. Here, it is quite uncommon to have a house helper. It is probably only the filthy rich people who have maids. For the ‘normal’ people like us, we have Irona. Though, it’s not as high-tech as what master Rich has. Our Irona is simply embodied in our home robots: our washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and so on. I am thankful that I do have these robots to help me around.

The family that prays together stays together. There is truth in that statement as indeed families should be founded on the Lord. As a couple and as a family, we should always seek God first and acknowledge that we are dependent on Him. The Bible says ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.’ It is indeed sad that some families have to go through difficult times in separation or divorce. A search at California Divorce Records will give you an idea of the numbers.

Even though I got my internet connection back, I have to say that it is still a struggle to be back on my blogging routine. With the house still not quite in order after our move last weekend, having the time to sit down and do ‘my stuff’ is just not an easy task. CN is in school today and tomorrow so that should give me a bit of free hand. Anyway, I know that I just need to be patient. It took me weeks to complete the packing. I should then bear in mind that it will probably take me as much time to get things to order.