MIA for 5000

Have been missing in action since the day we bought this back in Oct 2007. It was my darling birthday, and she always suggest me to have some home alone hobby as I am not a novel person. As we passing by the puzzle shop, we found out that we have more things in common, ie. solving and assembling puzzle. As we both are ambitious persons, we decided to go for the 5000 pieces, which we have no idea how big will the end product is to be. (Viv's record was 1000 pieces and mine was "None")

Last year december were much warmer as the thermometer reached 45degC during Christmas season. That was the time we pour the 5000 pieces onto a big white board which I cut and tapped up from several smaller pieces to match the required area. Puzzle begins, and that really puzzled us for that whole summer.

Fun just started, as we found out that we will have our first baby in 9 months time. It was really unpleasant moment for her first 3 month prenancy, as she was having nausea and no appetite for anything. Piles of puzzle was covered with dust sitting at the corner of our livingroom.

Summer ended, autumn passes by and winter was round the corner. She gained back her strength and her appetite grown beyond her average limits, and she eat what I eat and more supper after 2 hours. Her tummy grew bigger and bigger as day goes by. There is no way she could reach the other end of the puzzle without going around it.

It was June 2008, the arrival of my mother in law from Kuala Lumpur to see her daughter and help us out for her last stage of pregnancy and taking care of her (and me ofcos) after she gave birth. During her stay, we still trying our best to finish off this master piece before the arrival of our baby.

1st Aug 2008, our first baby was born. However, the puzzle still scaled with cotton dust under the heater. Having a baby at home breaks the silence of our home no matter day or night. Certainly she requires lots of attention and care that direct our focus onto her without looking at the clock on the wall. My mother in law went back after the winter as she missed her grandson so much too in KL.

Day in day out, I even vacuum clean the puzzle on one saturday morning with bit and pieces assembled with heads but no legs and vice versa.

Received a call from my dad in one evening saying they love to pay us a visit in mid Nov 2008. I havent seen my parent since the day we left home one and a half years ago. Looking forward to see them so much, we started preparing the schedule and Viv was under the pressure too as my parent will be staying over at our place for a week.

This time we have a time frame to stick with, we must finish off the puzzle or else either we have to dismantle everything and start all over again, or we could hide the whole puzzle under the carpet as if nothing happen. (Please dont mislead, my parent wasnt that strick or so, is just that our apartment is much smaller than what it seems to be.)

Started with ambitious but ended with mission. Trying our best till the last minute, no shopping over the weekend, no tv, no movies for a month or so.

Mission accomplished within the targeted time frame, and was sent for framing prior my parents arrival in few days time.