I'm a full-time mummy

I have been sharing some of my favorite angpow pieces on an angpow collectors group in Facebook and some members have been telling me to continue sharing my memorable stories and so I thought, why not write it down, that way, our kiddos can read about it when they grow up next time, eh?

For those of you who are not familiar or never heard of the words 'Angpow' (also known as 'ang pau', 'ang pao', 'angpau'), here is a quick definition:

Angpow = Red Packet (filled with cash inside) given during festivals

So for today's angpow story, it comes from this piece of lovely angpow:

Today's storytime is about ice cream! Seeing this angpow makes me happy!

Malaysians especially, who remembers the many classical types of ice cream back during our childhood days? I got the pictures below from Google search, these were some of my childhood favorites!

Ice cream lollies in the plastic tube which costs 20 cents? It's just colored syrup poured into the tubes and freeze.

Some came with asam boi inside. Yums!

Then we have the ice cream potong (cube shaped ice creams). Red beans, corns, durian flavors.

Who remembers waiting for the ice cream man? Hearing the comforting horn or bell sound as the ice cream seller sits on his motorbike scouring the neighborhood area and stopping to sell ice cream to kids and parents alike?

Who remembers the magical feeling of peeping into the metal box on the motorbike, trying to see what ice creams are sold?

Those were the good ol' memorable days!!

** Note: I have disabled the commenting feature on my blog engine thanks to all the spammers who happily spam my blog every day. If you wish to ask me any questions, you can find me at my Facebook page (I'm there almost everyday) or just drop me an email if you wish to maintain some anonymity.

I came across this article which I must definitely share with you guys. Do note that sharing this does not mean I agree or disagree with it. For your convenience, I have copied the excerpts from the article here:

A man who paid a surrogate to have his baby became overwhelmed when he learned she was having triplets — and demanded the woman abort one of the fetuses while threatening her with financial ruin, she claims. “They are human beings. I bonded with these kids. This is just not right,” mom-to-be Melissa Cook told The Post on Tuesday.

Cook’s heart-wrenching dilemma comes as Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers are weighing whether New York should lift its ban on commercial surrogacy, which was enacted in 1993. The babies’ dad, a Georgia man, hired Cook for $33,000 to have a child by in-vitro fertilization using his sperm and the eggs of a 20-year-old donor. The California woman was implanted with three embryos, which defied the odds to all go on to develop normally.

 Cook, 47, said she and the man learned she was having triplets when the embryos were around 8 or 9 weeks.

He almost immediately began to raise concerns, and they have grown increasingly threatening, she said. Cook, a mother of four — including her own set of triplets — is now 17 weeks pregnant. She also had a fifth child as a surrogate. California law says that aside from life-threatening exceptions, fetuses can’t be aborted once they become “viable,’’ or around 20 weeks. The dad “understands, albeit does not agree, with your decision not to reduce,” his lawyer, Robert Warmsley, wrote in a Friday letter to Cook, who has never met the sperm donor.

“As you know, his remedies where you refuse to abide by the terms of the agreement, are immense [and] include, but are not limited to, loss of all benefits under the agreement, damages in relation to future care of the children [and] medical costs associated with any extraordinary care the children may need,” the lawyer warned. Cook received another letter from Warmsley on Tuesday urging her to schedule a “selection reduction” — abortion of one of the fetuses — by day’s end. A day earlier, Cook argued in an emotional letter to the dad, “The doctor put in three healthy embryos . . . The chances were high they were all going to take. You knew I was 47 years old. If you knew you only wanted two babies, then why put in three embryos?”

According to her contract, Cook is entitled to her $33,000 pregnancy fee for one baby, plus an additional $6,000 for each additional child. Given the pressure she’s under, Cook said Tuesday that she was wavering on her decision to keep all three babies. “I have to reduce. I’m scared. I don’t want to suffer,” said Cook, who is split from her husband and lives in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Jennifer Lahl, head of the Center for Bioethics and Culture, a group that opposes surrogacy, said the Cook case is the first she’s aware of in which a surrogate mom has gone public to expose the pressure she’s under to undergo an abortion. “Why on earth would Cuomo want to set up a system like this in New York? It’s parent breeding,” said Lahl, who is seeking to help Cook. At least 22 states allow surrogacy fee arrangements. Warmsley, the dad’s lawyer, declined comment.

What do you think?

** Note: I have disabled the commenting feature on my blog engine thanks to all the spammers who happily spam my blog every day. If you wish to ask me any questions, you can find me at my Facebook page (I'm there almost everyday) or just drop me an email if you wish to maintain some anonymity.

I came across this article which I must definitely share with you guys. Do note that sharing this does not mean I agree or disagree with it. For your convenience, I have copied the excerpts from the article here:

Whining, pouting, all-out tantrums — are these telltale signs of a spoiled child, or just typical behaviors of a kid? It can be hard to tell the difference, so take a look at your own parenting tactics to see if you’re inadvertently spoiling your child. Do you recognize any of these warning signs?

You’ll do anything to avoid a temper tantrum.

Saying “fine” to a third cookie just to avoid a meltdown, even when you know it’s a bad idea, only teaches your child that they can have anything they want, whenever they want it. Even worse, you’re reinforcing bad behavior. Giving in after they throw a fit just confirms that throwing a fit is the fastest way to get their own way.

You resort to bribery.

Telling your kid that they can have a treat if they clean their room or do their homework is bribery, plain and simple. As a parent, you should be able to issue directions to your children that they follow, no questions asked. Resorting to bribery teaches your child to expect something in exchange for everyday chores. It’s a slippery slope to your child negotiating with you on everything: eating dinner, going to bed when it’s bedtime, even going to school.

You make empty threats.

“If you don’t put that down, we’re going home right now,” you tell your kid. But the truth is, you need to finish grocery shopping, and you’re not going all the way home without milk! It’s an empty threat because you’re not going to follow through. And your child probably knows it. That makes it easy for them to dismiss you and keep doing what they’re doing.

You’re inconsistent.

There are always exception to the rule, but it’s important to stick to your guns if you want your children to understand what is and isn’t acceptable behavior. If you flip-flop on the rules, you’re teaching your child to test you every time because there’s a chance you may cave.

You step in so your child doesn’t get upset.

No one likes to see their child disappointed, but disappointment is a fact of life. If you give your child a choice of two small toys, and they instantly regret their decision when you leave the store, don’t go out of your way to fix the problem just to avoid the tears and tantrum. You’re depriving them of learning valuable coping skills. Another scenario is swooping in to the rescue when your child messes up. If they forget their homework folder or hurt a friend’s feelings, don’t protect them from what can be a valuable learning moment. Remember, everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes, it’s how we learn best.

You don’t curb interruptions.

Interrupting someone is rude, no matter how old you are. Letting your child interrupt you when you’re speaking to someone else without correcting them and explaining what to do instead does them no favors. Try: “I’m speaking to your grandma right now. When I’m done, it will be your turn to speak.” Patience is a virtue, after all.

You overwhelm with “stuff.”

It’s a lovely feeling to treat your child to gifts and goodies. But think about the message you’re sending when you constantly supply new toys, clothes, books, electronic gadgets, and anything else your child wants. You’re building a direct link between happiness and material goods, and you’re also setting your child up to have unrealistic expectations. Instead, try connecting with your child in more meaningful ways. Instead of shopping trips, do things together that will create memories like fishing trips, bike rides, visits to a museum, or just an outing to the park.

You don’t reinforce the concept of gratitude.

Teaching your child to thank others isn’t just polite. Gratitude is an important concept that children learn best when it’s modeled every day. Thank people yourself, and remind your child to do the same. And don’t limit gratitude to saying thank you. Show your child what it means to be grateful for your blessings, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised when they begin to echo the concept.

Your life revolves around your child.

It’s not bad parenting to incorporate your child’s opinions into family decisions. But letting them dictate every decision — from a restaurant choice to bedtime to chores — is a recipe for disaster. As the parent, you should have the final say. And you should be able to express your decisions without fear of backlash from your child. Giving your child too much authority tips the power balance. And when they don’t get their way, they’re likely to respond with whining, tears, and tantrums.

These are all examples of permissive parenting, and the result is often a spoiled child. Giving in to avoid being embarrassed, or because you feel guilty that you work so much, or because you don’t want to deal with another tantrum is the easiest thing to do.

But it establishes a pattern that’s hard to break, and it ultimately does your child a great disservice.

What do you think?

** Note: I have disabled the commenting feature on my blog engine thanks to all the spammers who happily spam my blog every day. If you wish to ask me any questions, you can find me at my Facebook page (I'm there almost everyday) or just drop me an email if you wish to maintain some anonymity.