Awesome gifts and birthday

I promise that this is going to be my final entry about birthdays for this year. And this one is for Mr. Farhan. He turned eight 10 days ago and I didn't really have time to sit down and write and upload all the photos with all  the things that had happened in the past weeks. I can't really say which one took more time, but they're pretty much made me sound like 'Jill of all trades, master of none' kind of person. Poppy sent the kids super cool gifts and they LOVE it. They also got some awesome Legos from Auntie Cheri all the way from Malaysia but I didn't take any photos of them amidst all the chaos of cooking, opening the Lego boxes and putting them together. So thank you so much to Poppy and Auntie Cheri! 

These cute little critters have their own names. The red one is Nino, the one that looks like a grasshopper is Leopold and there's Talullah in purple. These bugs can jump and fly pretty high. We pressed them against a smooth clean surface until the suction cups on the bottom grabbed on to it. After a few seconds waiting, the suction cups were released and the critters jumped off to another place. Fun!

Here are Bonga, Zecar and Pintacuda. These windups and the bugs are all from Kikkerland.

Birthday boy eating dinner which consisted of herbed basmathi rice, steamed green beans, turmeric sticky rice and beef rendang. He loved them especially the sticky rice.

He hated this though

He didn't seem to mind that these were pink. I just used whatever that was left in the fridge so I ended up making vanilla cupcakes with blueberry cream cheese frosting.

Emir is 9!

Another birthday entry! Emir turned 9 last Sunday and we took him and his brothers to the Naval Undersea Museum nearby our house. He also got a dvd that has something to do with Star Wars game which I don't have any clue on how to play, in which he is allowed to play - at certain times on certain days, only when he fulfills a few conditions we have set for him. So don't worry. 

Actually we started our day pretty late that day. I had to go to the commissary to get a few things to make the birthday cake, and Emir had to get a haircut since it started to look messy and made his head looked bigger. And in between that time, Daniel took the birthday boy to Target to get the dvd game that he wanted. So by the time we got home for lunch, it was already 2pm and the museum opens until 4pm so there's no way for us to have lunch first and then go to the museum. So the plan changed, I stayed at home to prepare lunch and the cake and sushi for dinner (requested by Mr Emir) and all the 4 boys went to the museum. And the kitchen was in total mess by the end of the day, with chocolate ganache all over the place. I should have picked a much easier recipe for the cake or at least prepare the filling or the cakes one day earlier. Dinner ended way passed the kids bed time and we did the birthday song in less than 3 seconds that sounded like a fast-forward Alvin & the Chipmunk's recording, in which during that period also covered blowing out candles. Hardly any pictures were taken but whatever that we have, they're here for you to enjoy :-).

Emir with a new hair cut. The only picture that I took of him that night. And we have to get him new glasses too since it's broken.

Ezzat wished Emir Happy Birthday and gave Emir a hug before going to bed. I guess he was very sleepy since he said no to the cake. On the other hand, Mr Farhan happily ate his portion and tried to stay up as long as he could. Of course it was limited, only until he finished his cake, brushed his teeth, and gave each of us a hug. 

I love natural light. It makes so much difference to the pictures I take.