Saturday, February 28, 2009

My 28 mth said...

For the last two months or so, he has been telling us the order in which he wants to do certain things or get them done.
"I want to play with Lego first. Then I will come and have a bath. After bath, eat dinner."

"I don't like M to play with it. I want to play with it first. M can play with that one first and we exchange later."

"After baby eats dinner, baby will sit there and Mama will give ice-cream."  (He has been asking for popcorn or ice-cream so often now... tsk tsk tsk)


He is always so polite with his Ps and Qs.
"I am hungry and tired. May I drink milk please?"
"Can I play with this please? Thank you."
"Excuse me please, M." 
"You are welcome!"


When he is offered something which he doesn't want... "No thank you. I don't want/like it."


Out of the blue one afternoon ....
"Is God up in the blue sky, together with the sun and clouds?"  (I think he overheard the discussion I had with M a few days prior and it must have left an impression on him.)


I was out with my 2 boys one day and we saw a cute little Japanese boy. I remarked "Oh, that boy is so cute!" Instantly, my 28 mth looked up and raised his voice a notch higher than normal "I am SO cute too!"

No editing at all from me. Every word came from the tot's mouth.


And the new nickname from daddy - Fussosaurus! Of course it is only referred to endearingly. :)

Friday, February 27, 2009

My Apple Tree

Give them some paints and a big idea and my boys will get to work zealously. ^.^




Done entirely on their own. 

To me, it is always the process that matters, not the end products. But at times like this, I also love love love love the completed pieces.  :) 

We are still doing an average of 3-6 crafts a week and tons of artwork too. I just haven't had time to sort through my photos and hence there is a serious backlog of posts on this. Stay tuned, for those who have asked. :)  

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Bento #35



The 4y0 made special request this week to include the panfried lotus roots in his bento. I sprinkled some roasted sesame seeds (another of his favourites) at the last stage of cooking.

Accompanying sides - teriyaki salmon, garlicky broccoli, brown rice with nori and his current favourite - Washington Fuji apples. He just can't have enough of it! 


Thoughts on Love

I have always loved inspirational quotes and whenever I come across one that "speaks" to me, I feel uplifted, inspired, moved, happy and alive! 

Recently, I chanced upon these two which make me sit awhile and ponder. 


The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love." ~ Henry Miller

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." ~ Lao Tzu



How often have we been all consumed by the daily demands of life that we forget to count our blessings, savour our happiness and cherish the people we love? 

How often do we need to be reminded and humbled by life's fragility to take a step back and reflect on how we are living our this very day? 

How often do we cherish our time on Earth to remember that each living moment is truly precious and we have a choice to live it the best way we want?

How often do you do that in your life? 


Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Three Hours of Daily Lego

That is how long the 4yo spends on average playing with his small Lego pieces. 

Here are some recent stuff he created on his own.









Above: A speed boat, complete with parts that go underwater. 



Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Hard At Play



He was focusing hard on fixing up the limbs for Mr. Potato Head.

Another of those toys that gets my approval. It is so much fun and encourages little kids to be creative and is great for their motor and social skills.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Digging Up a Storm

After hours of sand play, the boys still never seem tired of it.

The first thing Chipsy says when he wakes up in the morning or from naps 'Mama, I wake up. We go play sand now?'  

^.^

Marcus was trying to recreate Mount Vesuvius. 



Sand play by the beach on an overcast day is such bliss. The kids didn't perspire a drop with the constant light breeze. And for W and me who managed to catch up while admiring the 'volcanoes' that the kids were digging up.  



Sunday, February 22, 2009

To the Countryside

The kids spent a couple of hours visiting farms recently.

There was plenty of walking in the hot sun and the boys were such good sport. Not a word of complain as we explored the surrounding nature. We checked out farms breeding frogs, fish, terrapins and also organic vegetable and fruit farms. 

The boys feasted their eyes on the Arapaima and had fun feeding frogs. They had a good laugh as we played I spy games - trying to spot those tiny egg plants and pineapples. They couldn't stop patting the giant gourds and feel the soft cotton on the cotton plants in the vegetable farms. 


Little Chip dashing around the garden of herbs.





The boys had a go at catching fish. It really wasn't easy with a little net, but the experience was great.





Oh wait!  They did have a minor grumble when we were at the vegetables farm. 

"Mummy, what is THAT yucky smell?  This makes me want to puke!"

"Mama, it is so smelly here!"

Have you guessed it yet?   :P 

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Back to Reading

Before I got married, I used to go through phases when I would read 10-12 books in a month or nothing for a few months. I can easily read a 300 pages novel in a few days or half of that in a 12-hr plane ride if the story is gripping enough. 

But I haven't read novels for a long time. The last one was Honeymoon by James Patterson which I finished in Nov 2007. I think I read Blowing My Cover by Lindsay Moran at around the same time, though it isn't really a novel. More like a memoir. 

All the ones I read in 2008 were non-fiction and not exactly light reads. Though I have a dozen of titles sitting in the study waiting for my nightly caress, I still have yet to pick them as my daily companions. 

But I know I will get there. 



After these books, I am going to return to some serious indulgence in novels, biographies and memoirs. Perhaps some more of James Patterson's, the Woody Allen's Mere Anarchy and Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. 


You Raise Me Up

One of the most beautiful and moving songs ever!

The lyrics are simply inspirational. When I first heard it, my eyes welled up and I was choked with emotions.

Though I am not a fan of WestLife, I do love their version.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Song From A Secret Garden



This is like pure magic to me.

Every time I listen to it, it arouses emotions in me that transcends understanding. 

It takes me into a different world. To fantasy.


Thursday, February 19, 2009

Bento #34



Bento for 4yo's school lunch. 

Contents: homemade beef patties, onigiri with furikake and another with codfish floss and roasted sesame seeds, panfried lotus roots with carrots, quail eggs, cheese cubes and ketchup in the green birdie container. 

My boy loved his lunch! But he didn't use any of the ketchup because he didn't know what to dip into it. :) 

Caesar Salad



With home made dressing, croutons, bacon and a poached egg. Simple, classic and incredibly delicious. 

It isn't the healthiest salad. But I love it as long as it is lightly dressed. 

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Toys That Last Decades

This set of red train tracks is over 30 years old. They were once the beloved of E and his brother. My in laws brought them over from London more than two years ago for grandson Marcus to play with.

Till today, my boys still play with the tracks everyday, though they also have another set from ELC. 

Despite its age, the tracks are still in relatively good condition. I just love the sentimental value of it all - a set of toys that survives decades to be passed down and enjoyed by the next generation. That is simply precious.




It is indeed a wonderful set of toy. I love how it can be so highly manipulative. It encourages creativity as the boys decide how they want to join the pieces together to form their Tracks Of The Day. 

One day, the tracks were laid into a pear shape. Yet another time, the same pieces formed the numeral 8. A few hours later, they were reassembled into a long windy track that meandered along the length of my living room. 


Lately, the kids are really into building tunnels. 

Especially the 2yo who is forever looking for things around the house to make into tunnels for his vehicles to pass through. He has developed a really good eye for things to manipulate into what he wants. He is learning to be resourceful. The same way Marcus has learnt.

The 2yo often enlists assistance from his older brother who is usually eager to help. 

So the boys are often seen working together, resourcefully and diligently, building their ideal tower and tunnel.


After the hard work, it is play time.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

A Very Hectic (but Typical) Week

Last week, we had/did .... 

Five playdates (and this doesn't include ad hoc time spent at playgrounds)
Four sessions of sand play
Three farms visits
Two boys' full week of homeschooling activities
One birthday party and one library visit
Half day of outing to the countryside

Like our typical homeschooling week, we covered a good lot of stuff. 

For the 4yo, we covered activities on Chinese, Maths and project work that is based on his current interests, and activities based on theme from a book. Currently, we are working on How to Make An Apple Pie and See The World. 

He also joined in for other arts/crafts and science stuff that I did with the 2yo and we had to find time to practise piano. 

For the 2yo, we covered the colour silver, letter L, shape hexagon, reinforced the numerals 1 to 10 with counting games, sensorial activities on tastebuds, concepts of straight vs wavy, hard vs soft, introduction to superlatives, did 4 crafts, some art and painting activities (structured and unstructured), daily english and chinese reading, word and picture flash cards, art appreciation, work on jig saw puzzles and Montessori materials, animal/veg/fruits introduction (as usual I introduce one of each type a week in details), thematic activities on theme of Frog (anatomy, life cycle, diet, species, music & movement, crafts, vocabulary and language arts, nursery rhymes, poetry) and right brain training using shichida materials. 

In addition to this, the 2yo joined in on the activities that I did with the 4yo on How to Make Apple Pie and See the World. 

Add to the list is the usual ferrying to and fro enrichment classes and daily school, my own cooking class, exercise sessions, shopping and ten cooked meals. 

I am exhausted!! 




But a face like this makes it all worth it.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Active Volcanoes

Lately, the 4yo has been painting active volcanoes whenever he gets a chance to do some art work in school. There is no instruction on art in his school, so it is purely time for self-expression.



This second piece was painted during his lesson in art school recently. Again, it is a self-expression piece which means he is free to choose the theme and how he likes to express it.



He told me later that this is a volcano in tropical country, hence the volcano is not white, but brown in colour.

First Piano Performance Class

After eleven 1 to 1 piano lesson, the 4yo had his first piano performance class last week. 

It isn't really a performance like what the name implies, but more like a class to train the kids for future performance. For this young age, they just play a piece in front of other kids and a teacher will grade them. 

He played a short piece - Westminster Chimes, as chosen by his teacher. 




He was graded A.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Bento #33 - Car Bento



I have been wanting to make him a car bento ever since I started bento-ing. But I didn't like the idea of making it out of a slice of cheese on some bread and it will be too challenging to cut it free hand out of a piece of nori. 

Then I chanced upon the idea of using butter rolls as the convertible cars, and I completed them with little sausage men and wheels. It will look better with toothpicks but for safety, I used the animal picks instead. 

Normally, I don't like to serve the kids such sausages as I prefer varieties with higher meat content. But for the aesthetics, I decided to use it this time. I figured it doesn't hurt if it is once in a blue moon.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Love Is Enough


Love is enough: though the world be a-waning,
And the woods have no voice but the voice of complaining,
Though the skies be too dark for dim eyes to discover
The gold-cups and daisies fair blooming thereunder,
Though the hills be held shadows, and the sea a dark wonder,
And this day draw a veil over all deeds passed over,
Yet their hands shall not tremble, their feet shall not falter:
The void shall not weary, the fear shall not alter
These lips and these eyes of the loved and the lover.


William Morris (1834-96)

~~~

I am a romantic at heart. 

I do believe deeply that love conquers all. 

Recent Art Work

The 4yo has rarely drawn people in his artwork, which I attribute largely to a lack of interest in the subject matter. He would much rather draw complex vehicles and boats. 

In the first few art lessons in this new art school, he resisted the suggestions from the teachers to draw people. 

However, ever since I talked to him about the importance of efforts in whatever we do and the principle of giving every challenge 'our best shot', he has opened his mind and become more receptive. 

So here is a selection of his recent pieces from his last two art lessons. 

Above: He was asked to draw people. Whoever, however he likes. He drew Mama and himself. 


Above: Then the class was guided to draw a 'singer holding a microphone'. The teacher drew on her paper in front of the class. The kids were free to draw their own singer and add other elements on the artwork. 

He is the only kid to draw audience and a dancer accompanying the singer. Everyone else drew just the singer and stage backdrop. So the teacher was full of praises for his originality.

Above: A self-expression piece. He drew two boats.

Above: Another self-expression piece. According to him, it is Mama on a boat, watching the fishes. Notice how his drawing of the person is already much better proportion-wise after just one lesson. The teacher claimed there was no suggestion nor correction from the teachers on this piece. 

Above: The topic was to draw bird. He said he didn't know how. So the teacher drew a bird soaring in the air. He disagreed and wanted to draw his own version. Everyone in class drew a solo bird with clouds in the sky. 

He was the only kid to draw a bird with its wings by the side (he said it was resting), a nest with eggs and a baby bird next to it. I love the comic effect of the tree he added, which has another baby bird standing on it. :)  Again, the teacher commented on how he is sure of what he wants to draw and doesn't get swayed by peers' ideas.

Above: Painted with brush, entirely on his own, without any pencil drawing or outline. He said the bird is ready to fly, hence spreading its wings.

Above: The topic was to paint koi. He refused as he said he doesn't know how it looks like. So he painted goldfish instead. Done directly with brush, no pre-drawing with pencil.

Above: The topic was to paint a pot of Mandarin Orange plant. While the other kids painted a small plant in a neat looking pot, he insisted of painting stripes on the pot to make it prettier and a large plant that is overflowing with leaves and fruits.

There are a couple more pieces which aren't really artwork. More like pieces which the school used to assess the kids' development and creativity. I was surprised when I looked at those at first. The teachers were quick to praise him for his creativity and how he thinks out-of-the-box, which they deem rather uncommon for a child his age. They think he doesn't feel restrained by the norms and having a clear focus of what and how he wants to express certain subject matters. That he looks beyond the obvious and hence he could visualise a lot more than many of his peers.

After looking at the similar assessment exercises done by other kids, I understand what the teachers mean. 

Friday, February 13, 2009

My Bookworm



The 4yo is now really hooked on books by Roald Dahl. All thanks to the daddy who first introduced James and The Giant Peach to him.

Over the busy weekend, the doting daddy managed to zip through the largest bookstore to pick up even more titles. 



With over 300 books just for the kids alone, we are seriously running out of proper storage.

On the other hand, just looking at how both boys are enjoying their daily reads, it is hard to resist buying them more good books. 

Actually, I am just as guilty for I also added two titles to the kids' collection a few days ago. The themes are unusual, with interesting illustrations. Just the type I like.

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