May Updates

Boy is sleeping now. Not cooking dinner tonight so I have a bit of time (at the expense of a tidy house, actually).

Some updates:

1. We *may* move to a new place. Signed some forms which allow the buyer a 21-day period to pull out. If they pull out, all deals are off. So, we have surrendered everything to Allah. Allah knows best.

2. We wish we got a better price for the sale of our present home. It is $15k below what we expect to get from the sale. But, again, I must tame my heart and accept that this is rezeki from Allah. We still get a tidy profit so one cannot be too greedy.

3. TheHusband and I have been thinking about our mortality. So, these are the things that I've lined up for myself. Holiday planning (1.5 weeks to go and our itinerary still looks so kosong.), renovating and moving house  (if everything mentioned in #1 worked out), plan and write will.

4. Will writing will involve a lawyer. But you will save your children and relatives a lot of headache. Having witnessed this process when an elderly relative passed on without a will (which of our makcik/pakcik in their 60s/70s/80s bothered with wills?), the process of releasing her estate from the bank/CPF was a cumbersome process involving lawyers. So, it is best to write a will. That will will change over time. For now, the will which I'll be writing will be for the next 16-18 years when the children are still young. Who will take care of them? (Which aunt? Uncle?) Housing arrangement? Schools? Funds to cover their living expenses.

Once they are all adults, the will changes again and again and again. We shall see. (Those who are interested in this should check MUIS' faraid calculator. It shows who will receive the money you'll leave behind. You can will away 1/3 of your wealth in any way you please.)

5. Must help Huda improve her Malay AND English. SA1 results. :crying face:

Will stop now. More things for me to check on the computer. Must resist going to home reno pages and forums. Must plan holiday itinerary.

Simple Soup

With the 'war' on diabetes that's happening in Singapore now, we are looking closely at what the kids are eating as we do not want them to suffer later in life.

We must get them used to eating food which is less flavoursome than the Malay food which H is so addicted to.

Today, I am making ABC soup. This is otherwise known as the anyhow-anything soup. Just throw in potatoes, carrot and onions inside a pot of boiling water. Then after 10 to 15 minutes in a rolling boil, cover it and let it simmer for an hour or so. As I am easily distracted and may forget simmering things, I'll transfer it to my rice cooker, set the timer and let the rice cooker do the work for me.

Potatoes, carrots and onions are the basic ingredients. I also add tomatoes, sweet corn, chicken (blanch it first), dried scallop (because it's in the fridge). It's a simple simple soup that is idiot-proof. You can add salt to taste when the soup is done but I don't want to do that. My children with the Malay tongue may find it difficult to have this as they will find it bland. But, soup for the Chinese is to be drunk. Hopefully the girls, especially H, will get used to this.

Edit: Sans salt, the kids refused this. With some salt and light soya sauce, it is okay for them.