WIP

Something light and silky. Almost there.

My Girl

Recently Adam has taken to calling me and Mia, My Girl, on certain occasions. Especially when he's being affectionate.

'Come here my girl, come sit/read/watch (with) Adam'

'Come peluk Adam my girl...'

I can't help but melt. He sure knows the way to a girl's heart :)

Loop

The yarn shops tour continues. This time we went to Loop. Loop is probably the biggest yarn shop I've been to so far - they have 2 levels for the shop and possibly a third floor for storage (?) and i think a basement too. Their location is perfect, in a busy London area, but tucked in at a cosy pedestrian path surrounded by interesting little antique shops.

Their decor is beautiful..

and the yarn collection, amazing! they have yarn from all over the world...this also means that a lot of them are over my price range (ehem) but my oh my, it was delicious just to be able to look and touch..

Even when I got back home I browse these pics often and do a zoom on all the yarn...am I turning into a yarn freak or something? oh well. Might as well admit it.

Adam and I on the cosy couch upstairs.

Some display sample knits on top floor. The foot belongs to the friendly staff who offered to take our previous picture. I did tell her her foot is accidentally in the picture and she said nope i don't mind and continued knitting. Gosh how I wish I worked in a yarn shop. To the right there is beautiful wooden yarn swift that I am in danger of purchasing, lucky they didn't have in store (yet)...

More yarn on the 2nd floor...this store is bursting with yarn..i want to live here and roll around all day in yarn..

ok i think that's enough yarn for one day (as if!)...

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the amazing daddies out there..

Especially to my husband, the most loving, caring, and fun dad I ever met, I am so honoured that you are the father to my children. They are so lucky to have you and so am I..

My Abah, who was the best father a daughter could ask for, there was not one thing this man would not have done for me...I love you and miss you so much..

My Abah (FIL), the man who has welcomed me into his family with open arms and truly make me feel like his daughter. I am so glad that you are my Abah too now..

Kids at Newpin

Just some random recent pictures of the children at our favourite children center..

Mia kissing a doll. Weird that she hardly play with her own dolls at home but here she's all loving with the dolls..

making friends..

Adam loves painting. I'd love to set up a painting space like this for them one day.

Adam tending to his 'garden'. He got quite upset when his sister stomped all over the plants and picked out flowers.

cycling together.

Mia's famous muka cebik finally caught on camera. Always makes this face when she doesn't get what she wants. Cheeky!

I am so grateful for this place. It has been a constant source of fun, play, learning and sanctuary for us. Alhamdulillah...

Knit in Public day and EZ Pi shawl

Last weekend was Worldwide Knit in Public day. As usual it took a bit of persuading to get Adam out of the house (he always refuse and yet later will beg not to go home) but finally we made it out. It was a gorgeous day out, and we joined a gathering of people in Kensington Gardens in front of the Serpentine Gallery to knit together in public.

Adam was shy so the kids sit a bit of distance away and came to join me once in a while to watch us knitting...

It was a good day indeed..

I get to wear one of my knitting projects I just finished which I'm very happy about..the Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi shawl.

This one is going to be an heirloom... and trust me it looks complicated but it's not. At all...So easy, and yet so beautiful! if you have a copy of the Knitter Almanac you must make one. I'd love to make another one, maybe in a silky laceweight..

I used natural Shetland wool (fingering weight, colour Katmollet) for this one and it is just lovely...Shetland sheep comes in a variety of colours (which is how fair isle began back then before colour dyes were available) and this is one of them.

Held together at the front simply with a crocheted flower (I crocheted a safety pin into the back of the flower) it makes a lovely wrap on a breezy summer(-ish) day.

this is one project I'm very satisfied about..I can imagine it being beautiful as a new baby's blanket, or as a decoration for the home and it'll make a gorgeous photo prop too..

Adam on that day learnt a new skill - scootering! bought that same day from Camden Market, when we got to the park he was a bit reluctant to try to learn it because every other kid around the park was using it fast and he didn't get the balance right yet..after some trials and error..he finally got the hang of it.

He said, "Yes! I got it now!". Him and the scooter has been inseparable since.

New word

Recently Adam has created a new word.

'Toxes'

Or it's full version ' Spabok Toxes' (sorry i don't know the right spelling. Maybe i should ask him)

It is used as....a swear word! sort of.

Whenever he is upset..in a moment of frustration, he shouts out 'Toxes!' outloud. If Mia is extra cheeky she might get a whole 'Spabok toxes!'

To be honest we don't really know how to react to this...one part of me is thinking maybe I should stop it...because he is swearing..but, he isn't really swearing, is he?

Another part of me, just think that it sounds irresistibly funny. Seriously. My husband and I can barely stop ourselves from laughing everytime he said it. You have to hear it to believe it. Plus it seemed to release the negative energy and he sometimes laugh after. Don't make the mistake of saying it to him though because he will get very offended :)

The scooter

Yesterday at the playground...

Adam was playing with his new scooter. An outspoken kid about Adam's age approached him several times, attempting to borrow his scooter. Adam was reluctant, this scooter is new and it was his chance to play with it now that we're out of the house. Eventually he let the boy borrow the scooter, and then sat down, waiting for the boy to finish.

The boy swirled around aggressively for a long while, showing no signs of returning the scooter. Adam was still sitting on the same spot, waiting, now looking forlorn and quite sad. Mia was watching this and immediately her mouth turned into that cute cebik that she does when she's upset, and started complaining 'OOOhh!! Aaaagh'. Clearly she didn't like that this boy was taking his brother's scooter. I said to Adam 'You can ask for your scooter back, if you want to'. He said ' Mommy pandai...mommy ask please...' He refused to say a word to the boy. I said ' You can say "Can I have a turn now?" or "Can I have my scooter back please?". It's OK to ask him, Adam...'. He said 'No....Mommy ask please...' now looking even more sad.

I kept quiet, curious to see how this turn out. Eventually the boy got distracted left the scooter by the slide and Adam quickly grabbed it.

Some time later, Mia was riding the scooter and Daddy was pushing her around. The boy came, asking to play with the scooter. Mia quickly replied ' NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOOO'. And scootered away, without a care. The boy persistently ask again and again. At one point he came close and tried to take the scooter. Mia was clearly unimpressed by this behaviour, and just grabbed the scooter back and pulled it away from him.

Me and hubby was just watching all of this, open-mouthed.

Adam saw and came over. We told him 'Mia jaga scooter Adam la Dam....'. He replied 'Thanks Mia!'

Then it hit me that one of them has my trait and the other one has my husband's. Opposite to each other. Can you guess which is which? :)

Wild swimming season is back!

Well, not quite, it was still chilly when we went there..but good enough..

I chose another location out of the Wild Swimming book, a river an hour and a half from our house..from the car park to the river there was a bit of a walk through the lovely countryside..about 30 mins with kids..Adam had fun running through the meadows..

This is the location. Beautiful river in unspoilt surroundings. This spot is the location for the first dinosaur fossils found, so rumour has it if you dig around you might get lucky too..

Mia made herself at home at once..

Adam soon got in the water looking for fish..

Perfect spot for a picnic. There was not a lot of people around. There was another family fishing..then there were some walkers passing by on their walks..

The river was shallow, lovely for paddling with children..

Later it started to rain slightly..typical British weather..sigh..(made me think of the recent Family Day by the river in Malaysia that we missed. Bestnye korang mandi...subhanallah Malaysia summer all year long..i'm looking forward to wild swimming adventures in Malaysia when we go home...)

so we packed up and went to Coldwold's Wildlife, a zoo.

Rhinos and zebras grazing on open fields..

Adam held a hawk with no hint of fear whatsoever..

These chicks travelled a long way..kind of like us :)

This last picture is at Millet Farm Center, another trip we went to the same weekend. Fruit picking and farm animals...loads of fun there..more story and pictures on my husband's photoblog here.

Here's to soaking the most out of the lovely warm weather...(however brief it may be...)