Today is Canada day..

I have been here for almost four years.

The first year in Canada was a nightmare..
I couldn’t cope with the rain. I missed Malaysian food. I hated this place and started to count down the days that I had to stay here to obtain the Canadian citizenship.

I didn’t have a car in the first year.Surprisingly with all the rain, None of the bus stops here have a covered shelter and I remember standing in the cold rain with three kids everyday and waiting for the bus. There was one particular moment I can never forget. My children wanted to go for a movie and we checked the bus time online before going to the bus stop. It was raining cats and dogs that day and the bus was supposed to come at 12.30. It never came..There was no place to sit and baby was crying. I carried her hoping and hoping for the bus would come any minute. It wasn’t easy to carry a four year old and hold an umbrella ( not to mention a heavy backpack with all the popcorn and drinks). My jeans was soaking wet from baby’s boots. I just wanted to go back home, but I couldn’t handle my children’s disappointment, so we stood there.. in the rain for an hour and a half! In a way I was glad it was raining, at least my children didn’t see me crying!

I also remember all those days I had to walk my children to school while carrying baby on my back. There was no way baby could walk 1.5 Km each way X 3. ( Morning to drop Yaya and in the afternoon to drop toothless and in the evening to fetch both of them.. Each time you would see other parents driving up and down the road and I used to wish and wish that someone would offer a ride.. If wishes were horses !!!!

Second year was a lot better than the first year. I started to enjoy the seasons, loved the double double coffee from Timmy’s.

Third year was the best.. I learned to live like a Canadian.

I survived..Achieved my goals, met new friends, visited more places and learned so much… But more than anything, I fell in love with Canada.. and I am pretty certain, one day when I had enough of travelling ( Is it possible? I think so !) I will come back here!

As a 14 year old with absolutely no English language skills, a single song ( Beat it) in an all Malayalam movie( Nokkethatha doorathu kannum nattu) was the eye opener..
The song that made me want to learn English.. (just so that I can understand the song)
Thank you MJ for the lovely songs..
RIP

I know I shouldn’t blow my own trumpet, mostly because my contribution to this particular issue is zilch..partly because it is not ‘nice’ to blow one’s own trumpet.

But for me, it kind of validates me staying home and spending my time with my children. Especially more so on the days I feel low and think that I am wasting ( destroying) my career.

Both Yaya and Toothless won the annual academic achievement gold medal. Three years in a row for Yaya.
Their school only gives the gold medal from grade 3 onwards and Toothless won the medal this year.

Here I am blowing my own trumpet.. for my children..

Phew.. I did it..

We had the good bye party yesterday..
Yaya made the invitation..She used cue cards and used artificial feathers to decorate the cards.. The invitation cards looked very pretty..

Venue was at the local water park and we had asked all the children to wear swim suits and bring along their water guns..

Food.. I made three types of sandwich ( egg, tuna and cheese) baked 60 Cup cakes( using Pillsbury cake mix), bought two large packets of chips, one big carton of juice box and a crate of water..

My friends brought fruits, cheese and crackers, nachos and salsa, scones, and popcorn.

No food was wasted.. There was enough food for everyone and everyone had a good time..

At the end kids gave each of their friend a certificate that said

“We are glad that we knew you.
Thank you for being our friend.
“Good Bye !!!!”
We will miss you”
In it there was also our address in Australia and my email ID.

I noticed that children have more fun when there are no ‘fixed’ activities are involved.. For three hours they played at the playground, had water gun fights and simply had tons of fun.. So did I.. (I didn’t get wet only because I warned everyone that if anyone sprays water on me they will have 30 minutes time out!! Mean eh?)

I used this idea to decorate the cupcakes.

This post is nothing but boasting.. (aka mother’s joy)

This time it is about my little one

My little one, she is the one who never spoke a word till she was 2.

I was always worried about her being in the shadows of her over achieving siblings. I didn’t want her to be in their shadow, but unlike the older two, I didn’t know what her strengths were. She is the quiet one ( not when she fights with her siblings though,, she fight to win and will win at any cost)
She is always reading about whales and sharks and can watch ocean documentaries on telly over and over.

Yesterday we went for the Kumon award ceremony. I knew Yaya would be receiving the certificate for reaching the G5level((Algebra before junior high) and toothless for reaching level F( two years advanced)..

Lots of kids were getting the awards and I was waiting for my children’s turn.. Then I heard someone calling out my little one’s name and I heard the emcee announcing that my little one is in the regional top 10. No words to describe how shocked I was..and the joy.. no words to describe that either..

I have four days of stop over in Auckland before flying to Sydney.. I will be staying in a Motel and am concerned about food. My children won’t be keen to eat fast food all the time and I was planning to take some food items from here.. Then I remembered NZ has strict rules when it comes to bringing in food. Does anyone here know if I am allowed to take pre packaged food ( Kraft dinner and Maggi mee) with me?
Do the kids need to layer up like we do here in the winter?
Thanks
Sarah

My son is down with Chicken pox..( He was vaccinated against Chicken pox… Still)

Quick Question.

How cold is Auckland in July?

Apart from Kelly Tarlton, any other places I can take kids to?

( PS.. As usual I left everything to the last minute and thought ( rather assumed) that I would have time to plan a short NZ trip.. )
Thanks
Sarah

My life in a nut shell..

The other day my children and I attended the Children’s festival..and during one of the shows the performer asked what is human body mostly made of?
A woman with a bachelors in Medicine (and a Master’s degree to boot) answered
“Cells”!!!!
And a 9 year old boy who is in grade 3 answered
“Water”

Ah! you learn so much from your children..

I learned to play ‘Save the last dance for me’ on my guitar. ( I had always wanted to learn to play guitar)

I made two pots, glazed and fired them.. They look exactly like work of a rookie !!

I have almost completed Yaya’s dress.. I am planning to give it to her on her b’day. ( I also managed to find an Ammolite Pendant for her.. I wanted her to have something from here)

In the next few weeks, I have to pack everything, get the movers to ship the stuff, organize a goodbye party and a birthday party, move out of this house and take my children camping!!!!.. and then travel all the way from the North pole to the South pole ( figuratively speaking)

Isn’t life beautiful??

Oh that reminds me..
1. Can someone tell me the car seat requirement in NSW?
2. Do the video tapes from here work in Australia? I know there is this PAL/ NTSC thingy..