August- the name itself speaks for itself. Indeed, every year, the month of August will be filled with so many events and activities that it’ll be hard to catch a weekend when you can just put your feet up and do nothing.

These days, August means presents and celebrations for the 2 elder Kiddies- Haris and Shahira. Haris turned 6 on the 11th and Shahira 8 on the 21st. My, how fast time does fly. How easy it is to lose track of the moments that make a life time; and how much more precious it becomes to capture and and be able to remember the experiences. I’m still wondering whether it was better in those days of film and prints- you chose your shots well… there may not be many; but it adds to the whole emotions of the moment. But that’s a whole other story (for a different blog).

We had a small party this year for the two at KJ. It was a bit of a rush as Mama these days is occupied by her MBA classes during the weekends. So when a Saturday suddenly cleared up- we moved the event a week earlier to the 9th. As such, many of the things we had planned to keep the kids occupied went missing, due to the shortness of time. I still can’t believe some people need 7 days notice just to prepare helium balloons. Well, let bygones be bygones.

It turned out to be a fun party anyway. and thank you all for coming and the presents (btw, some of the invites also went haywire and apparently not many people are as FB addicted as this old man). I had hoped to see some people there, but it’s a busy month for many others to. In fact, some friends were double or triple booked for the day! Well, thank you for coming all the more.

On the birthday side- it was also Tok Abah’s birthday, Aunty Chris, Aunty Zaila, Aunty Intan and I’m sure for many others I just can’t recall at the moment.

And what about weddings? Congrats to all the newlyweds- Dino, Hans, Wafa (to name a few)- we share in your excitement even though we can’t be there for some of you. We wish you happiness to last a lifetime. On that note, there’s a couple of weddings coming up that we look forward to as well

We did manage to go to Singapore on the 23rd-25th for a short trip (wedding), and it was a welcomed break for the kiddies; and a tiring one for Papa who’s the designated driver. We drove down on Saturday morning, and back on Monday noon- to avoid the rush.

So, with that we’ve come nearer to a closure for a packed August month (Only my pockets are not so august- must remember to budget extra for future recurrence).

Yesterday (30th) started early for Papa and Shahira- we went to Stadium Juara Bukit Kiara for a colouring competition. We arrived at 8 am and registered (her school SK Sri Hartamas entered her and a bunch of classmates). She was in Category B (7-9 year olds). We met up with Amelyn and her father, and the 2 stuck together. Papa had to go off about 9 for a meeting in KL, and Aunty Mel was to pick her up later.

Imagine my surprise when Shahira called later and told she won 5th place! My daughter? Winning (albeit 5th place) at colouring? Well, that definitely puts all the murals on the home walls worth it, now doesn’t it? Haha… apparently the teacher took the prize so she can be presented it during the School Assembly next week.

Opah, Aunty Rita and Uncle Manan also came back from Mecca from their Umrah. We went over to Aunty Rita’s place after Maghrib; and are thankful to God for their safe return.

That brings us to the penultimate event every 31st August since 51 years ago- Independence Day. This years motto is – “Perpaduan Teras Kejayaan” meaning “Unity is the Thrust of Success”. As Mama had her class Sunday mornings, Bibik on leave and Shahira at Emma’s- it was left to Papa to watch over Haris and Alisha. We watched the Parade on TV, and went over to the windows to see the jet fighter and helicopter fly-bys. Unfortunately, the heavens were cloudy and hazy. So whereas last year we had a fantastic view, this year we only had glimpses as visibility was bad (but they did fly close by the apartment).

And as we come to the close of the August month of August, we start an even more blessed month tomorrow- Ramadhan. Let’s see how the kiddies will do this time round. So “Selamat Berpuasa” to all Muslims everywhere, and May Allah accept our deeds and forgive us all our transgression this year before.

Of the various Merdeka celebrations, we’ve celebrated as a family, this year’s is the most meaningful, not just for its significance, but the way the kids got into the whole mood and initial understanding of the Day.

Haris and Shahira watched avidly the procession on the telly. They were singing the patriotic songs they knew. We even got to watch the aerial acrobatics of the new MiG and Sukhoi jet fighters- not on telly, but looking out the living room window. It got the kids all excited. In our excitement, we forgot to take videos or snaps of the spectacle.

The kiddies, big and small, were yelling “Papa! Tengok jet!” every now and again. Even little Lisha was jumping up and down to be carried so she can see it direct.

It was a good day and the skies were clear blue. Alhamdulillah, as a few days before it was downcast and rained. (It did rain a bit in the evening, but not until the Parade was long over).

We were twice blessed by the fact that the celebration fell on a Friday. This day also marked the first time Haris joined Papa to go for the congregational Friday Prayers. Off we went to Masjid Wilayah, and he was very excited about the whole thing. We stayed back at the 2nd last row, and Haris had his first experience of Friday Khutbah sermon. He was a very good boy as he sat quietly next to Papa in his Baju Melayu. A lot of other dads brought their young boys along as well.

When the 2nd khutbah ended and the call to prayer sounded, we let the adults fill all the front rows first. Then, Papa put Haris in the last row with other kids his age, so as not to disturb the main prayers if they decided to be naughty (he wasn’t). After the salaam, Papa called him over and we sat through the Dua. After that, he was all smiley and excited and was telling Papa how he was praying with his friends. Papa promised to take him again, if another holiday coincided with the holy day.

That night, we had a quick meal outside at Pizza Hut (not very exciting hee hee) and went home to after to catch some zzzzs- Haris and Alisha, and the televised event over at Stadium Merdeka (Mama, Papa and Shahira).

Let us all be grateful and proud in celebrating this great milestone of our nationhood on 31st August. A lot of sacrifice went into securing our independence, and a lot more is still needed to ensure we continue to be free to live in harmony.

Negaraku | Malaysiaku Gemilang | Old School Jalur Gemilang | Jalur Gemilang | Keranamu Malaysia | Inilah Barisan Kita | Tanggal 31

Official 50th Merdeka Web Site