Wisteria Lane, ours isn't, but Big Lime ain't that bad either ;-)

i've neglected this blog much too long. the last post was of the Z starting the big school. he's now on his year-end holidays having completed his first year in the big school. a year goes by too fast. and what a year this has turned out to be! i won't bore you with the details that has been my most eventful (not particularly happy events, mind you) year yet. maybe for a later post. when i get to it.

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for now, i'll instead share with you a happy + pretty neighbourhood i came across. how fun blog-hopping gets!
this is Daybreak in Utah.

(all images via 6th street design school)

don't you just feel like packing your essentials, bring a loved one or two, or the whole clan (you might as well), spend some happy days there sitting in brightly-coloured homes, walking in pristine streets with the brightly-coloured homes + mountains in the background and all the while photographing your days there. picture perfect. looking at these photos, i drew a parallel to Wisteria Lane. it reminds me of The Truman Show's set too. both of which are crisp, bright, a little superficial, but happy all the same (ok, so maybe not quite in both instances, given their storylines, but in the aesthetic sense, they're pretty surbabia sets, yes?).

closer to home, here on Big Lime (street), there's the calmness + silence, albeit for the occasional cries + laughter from the youngest in the street (my Zs included, though to be fair, they may jusssst contribute a bit more than the other kids here *tsk tsk*), some random music from the back house, the knocking + drilling from some homes ready for their makeovers. it's not as pretty a street as the above neighbourhood in Utah, but it's liveable and mostly safe and clean. and most importantly, we're lucky to have great neighbours.

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now, remind me again why i'm limiting my house to just plain white walls? what's stopping me (besides the husband's head-shaking + remarks, that is) from having mustard or taupe or even pink walls? there's the playroom i'm so keen on tweaking + adding colour to. think happy Daybreak houses ... maybe then i'll have the courage to turn this into a school holiday project.

what's your neighbourhood like? what's your holiday (dream) project like?

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*on the Z front, he's fared reasonably well this first year. of course, there's still room for improvement, but it could have been worse too. so, chin up, and let's work harder + smarter next year onwards*

Big Z starts the big school ...

(this post goes out to, specifically, parents sending their firstborns to the big school ... and all other parents in general)


having your firstborn in the big school is something new altogether. you prepare yourself for the transition - days, weeks, months prior ...

: packing only the sharpest of pencils + colour pencils will now be a daily routine :

... but it doesn't fully equip you still till (in my case) after the fiasco of the first week has phased out.

as newbies, us parents were allowed to be in the school (albeit, by the canteen area only during class hours) throughout the first week. we chose to come every recess time, saw Z through his recess meal + playtime, and left after he's sat back in his class. we were back in school in time to see him pack up, line up, thanked his teacher and said his goodbye to his friends each day. but this week, starting today, we're only allowed to do the drop-off and fetching sessions. fair enough ... this is after all, NOT a kindie.

so. this morning called for a strong mommy in me. in truth though, i had wanted to be able to stretch the morning routine a bit. steal more glances, hold onto his hand longer, watched as he took his pencil case out and sat patiently for the day to begin. and then later on mid-morning, i had wanted to walk him to the canteen, see that he washes his hands properly before and after his meal and walk back to his class (and not be confused and walk into some random class, because well, you know, Z's a lil funny like that). but of course, had i gave in to all these 'wants' that i had, it'll only leave me looking like a fool, and a rather spoilt mom too, while at it. instead, i took the 'tunjuk berani + calm' route. walked him to class, saw that he settled in OK (bag down, then lined up with the class outside to make their way to assembly).

before i left, i reminded him where to wait for me after school, and looking back at me was this confident lil young man. it hit me then. sure, he'll always still be my lil boy needy of my every assistance. reality is, he's grown up. he's learning to adapt to things, new people, new surroundings, new routine, and he's done me proud thus far to have adapted to all of these 'newsies' so well.

: my resident BFF all grown up now :

on that note ... here's to school runs, PTA meets, mommy breakfasts, homework checks, exam revisions, sports days, school competitions, and all the other wonderful things that make up your typical local big school. (i'm conveniently pretending that only good things happen in his school ... none of those bullying + cheating + over-competitive parents issues to live through)

Ya Allah, give me much and much strength to fully embark on this new chapter ...

have you had your cuppa?

sometimes, what does the trick is a simple impulsive act. not 'simple' in its literal meaning. rather, in the monetary and material sense of things.



the past couple of weeks have been rather hectic on my end. both emotionally and physically exhausting, putting it short. i've all sorts on my mind, and it's really been affecting my body in more ways than i can handle. but i'm still just riding it through, pretending it will all pass by soon enough. for starters, i haven't slept at night in almost a month now. if you call half an hour to an hour's nap at night (anytime from 8pm to 6am) sound sleep, then that i've managed to achieve. otherwise, i'm almost an insomniac, if i dare self-diagnose my current state.



at just after 2 in the morning couple nights back, not able to sleep yet again, and needing a little distraction (from work), i found myself in the kitchen dicing potatoes + onions + carrots + stirring in corn kernels + crabmeat + ground ginger + pinches of salt ... all to make this ...

... (my version of) sweetcorn + crabmeat chowder

stillness of the night, absolute silence with everyone else fast asleep. the cold of the air-conditioning, Desperate Housewives on play while i took a break from brushes + acrylics ... it was a good cuppa soup for one.



i say, anytime of day or night, indulge in a cuppa. if nothing or no one else puts a smile and that happy feeling in you, your choice of cuppa will. try it.