Of sleeping (or lack of it) and cooking (breakfast, that is)...

Salams and Hi! :)

I'm just taking a break from going through my students' dissertations. My head is starting to pound, and the fact that I'm finding it more and more difficult to read small prints nowadays is not really helping. Must make a point to get bifocal glasses soon. THAT, and the fact that I get so sleepy easily, too! Signs of old age.

But, I guess that, i.e. being sleepy, is not really caused by old age (I'm in denial. I know. So, shoot me). I know for a fact that THAT is definitely due to lack of sleep. I've been getting only between 5-6 hours of sleep for most nights for the last 3 months or so. This may be quite normal for some. However, for my standard, that's way too short a time for my beauty sleep.

I used to get between 7-8 hours of sleep (when I had a maid once upon a time) simply because I didn't have to do the ironing and tidying and clearing up the kitchen after dinner (and sometimes supper). And I only woke up around 6:45a.m every morning when Ayah and the kids would leave for work/school because Bibik Dar would take care of breakfast and their bekal, etc. Heck, sometimes I would be sleeping throughout and didn't even get to say my "Bye-byes" and "Muah-muahs" to them before they left. I know...Bad Wifey...Bad Mommy... :(

I don't really mind sleeping late. It's the waking up early which I have issues with. Well, at least I HAD issues with it initially. I've gotten used to it, and I've realized that it's not too bad once your body and half-awake brain get used to it.

The thing is, I would set my alarm at 5:45a.m every morning. BUT, somehow or rather, I would wake up even before the alarm goes off, and normally when I open my eyes in the morning, it would be 5:30a.m or earlier. How annoying is that?!

And I also have another issue. Every morning, I would be screaming to myself (in my heart, that is)- "What are you cooking for breakfast, woman?!!" And it doesn't help when the FIRST thing Hilman asks when he comes down every morning is, "Mommy what are you cooking for today's breakfast?"

You see, Hilman never fails to take his breakfast. He would just eat whatever it is that I serve on the table. No questions asked. No complaints. As long as there's food. He's a happy camper :)

Hanna and Hasya, on the other hand, rarely take their breakfast. They will only do so if the food I prepare berkenan di hati, and depending on their moods. Normally, their usual excuse would be, "Still kenyang from last night's dinner la, Mommy..." (??!!)

As for Ayah, he never fails to take his breakfast, too, but, he doesn't really take much sometimes because, every morning he would have a B&B session(*) with his friend, Dr. So*ha*dy at TMC.

But, when I prepare breakfast, I would prepare for everyone, including for Zaidi - the driver. So, you can imagine the amount of food I have to finish when the girls decide that they don't want to eat. (But, sometimes I would get them to bring the food as bekal).

Anyway, here are some of the items on the breakfast menu that I normally prepare - depending on how rajin or how malas I am in the morning. And you guys will definitely know which ones fall under which category for sure by looking at the list.

Nasi Goreng
Mee Hoon Goreng
Kuey Teow Goreng
Maggi Goreng
Cereals with Cold Milk
Half-boiled Eggs with Bread/Toasts
Dim Sums and/or Pau (instant punyer, okay? Just steam them up ;))
French Toasts
Campbell/Heinz Soups with Bread
Tuna Kepit :)
Egg Kepit :)
Omellette
Nuggets with Sunny Side Up
Boiled Sausages with Scrambled Eggs
Burgers
Hotdogs

And oh ya, this morning, for the first time, I made Kuey Teow Soup :)

Usually, I would finish cooking/preparing breakfast by 6:15a.m, and Hilman would be the first one to come down to eat, and by 6:45a.m everybody would have finished eating (if they eat, that is!) and left for shool/work.

And of course, how much work is involved for me in washing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen after that very much depends on what I cook for breakfast lah, kan? Sometimes, I have to wash a few periuk belanga and kuali segala and kitchen utensils, on top of the pinggan-mangkuk, etc. Letih weh...

Truth be told, I've run out of ideas as to what else I can prepare in the morning. Please, please, please... I need more ideas for my breakfast menu, please. The easier it is to make, the better. The less utensils used EVEN BETTER! Hehehe! :)

What do YOU guys prepare/have for breakfast at home normally, ya? All suggestions are welcome, and very much appreciated ;)

Thanks, y'all ;)

And I only wished that I was one who could take afternoon naps easily, so that I could make up for all those hours of sleep lost, especially on long Friday afternoon lunch-breaks like today. But, alas, when it comes to this, my body and my brain don't seem to be able to work out a new routine which includes afternoon naps for me to follow and get used to :(

Sigh. Nasib badan...(dan otak...) :(