Good week

I didn't start the week on a happy note. Exhausted from the Kelantan journey. I get motion sickness easily. Major headache. Cramping stomachache for two days. My craving for Kelantanese food doesn't always go hand-in-hand with my delicate stomach. A typical case of eat-now-regret-later. Typical of me. Self-control is never really my strong suit. I do marinate in shame over what I indulge some times, but I know sooner or later I will just repeat the same indulgence over and over again.

Daddy theorizes that I live in two zones. Zone 1 is the surrounding I am familiar with - home, school where I work, and the route I take from home to work. No temptation in this zone. Every thing adheres to my perfect plan in this zone. Then there is another zone where anything and every thing goes. The zone where I lose all my self-discipline (especially with food). The zone where I throw caution to the wind. The zone that always gets me in trouble. He thinks we should visit PIL more often so that I can familiarize myself to the surrounding and can therefore include the place in my Zone 1. Fat chance.

Things picked up by midweek. I received my birthday present in the mail from Kushairy on Wednesday. A perfect gift from a perfect son. Then on Thursday he dedicated his blog masterpiece to me. Sarah handwrite a letter and gave me a box of my favorite chocolate. Iman, Dayana and I'zzah handmade personal birthday cards. Ryan accompanied me to the cinema to catch a movie (Inception) with Daddy. All six perfect children came through for me.

I really can't take all the credits for my children's awesomeness. My children are raised by many - my parents, siblings, countless babysitters, teachers (my friends), 8 indon maids (yes.. 8 bibiks in 13 years.. imagine the headache) and in Kushairy's case, college mates who were all parents-in-training.

Daddy has been very busy this past weeks, but somehow still managed to take an afternoon off the take me to a movie on my birthday. But on Friday and the whole weekend, he had to be at work again. I did grocery shopping on Friday after picking up Sarah from school - the first grocery shopping done without Daddy since Ryan was born. Silly me - I forgot to take Ryan's stroller from Daddy's car. Sarah had to carry 8-kg Ryan most of the time there. Halfway through shopping, Ryan started nudging for his milk. I went to the surau to nurse him until he fell asleep - which made him even heavier to carry. Sarah completed the task of picking up the items on the shopping list responsibly - right brands and correct quantity - she even picked and counted exactly 20 prawns for dinner - as per her Mommy's instruction. Good job, Sarah.

After unpacking the groceries I had about an hour to kill before starting dinner. I mended Iman's pajama and Dayana's school gown on my sewing machine. The machine has been idle for over a year. I finally got it up and running again. Yay. I actually enrolled in a 6-month sewing course with this machine, but gave up after 3 classes - when my pregnancy fatigue and morning sickness were too overwhelming. I had high hopes of becoming a capable seamstress when Daddy bought this machine as a birthday present last year. I might try to find time to enroll again some time in the future. As of now, I am content enough to be able to use the machine to mend my children's torn clothes. My life always turns for the better with the arrival of each and every one of my children. With Ryan, it just takes longer than usual. It's the age thing, I guess.

The weekend came and went too quickly - boring chores dominated my time. I do wish for a perfect weekend - holing up in my room watching sappy love movies or curling up on a sofa reading John Grisham's or Nicholas Spark's latest books. (It used to Danielle Steel's and Sydney Sheldon's - but then I grew up, I guess). Having McDonald's or Pizza Hut delivered to the door would be the icing on the cake. Then again, I am a mother of six. Who ever have heard of a mother having a perfect weekend?