Summary of year 2011
It's been almost a year since I last blogged about the Duo. I am not only far behind in my entries, my photos are also not in order!!!!The ironical part is that I now have more time on my hand than before as I've quit teaching in June 2011 and only started with Nanyang Poly in Oct as an adjunct lecturer!
I'll try to summarise as much as I can for my own sake (failing memory) and for my kids' benefit as well as I recap their activities in the past year.
Kyle
He coped well in his new school and enjoyed all his activities, particularly in his game time during recess with friends and weiqi lessons. He even managed to clinch a bronze trophy during the inter-class competition. Outside of school, his Akido lesson on Fri and swimming lessons on Tues and tennis on Sat continued weekly. It was only during mid year that we decided to put him in Keppel Club for extra training on Sat. Other than that he was freely pursuing his interest in reading and had finished the whole Tin Tin series, Asterix series, Ben Ten, Geronimo, Diaries of Wimpy Kid, Beastquest and also devoured all the Science Comics that I bought from JB. It was only in September that I realised that we needed to do something about his Chinese and promptly sent him for a one-week crash course with Jiang Lao Shi. It was then that he learnt how to take a bus from opposite our house to Fu Lu Shou building and we picked him up after his 3-hr lesson. After the 5-day course, he wanted to continue with the same teacher (with sugar-coated voice) and he stayed on for 1 term before I stopped his lessons there (don't believe in traveling so far for classes). He took a short course in Weiqi Association in Waterloo Street during the holidays (to keep him occupied) and he travelled there on his own and back. He also took part in his 1st Keppel Inter-club swim meet and Sengkang swim meet as well.
Meryl
The little girl finally went on to Pri 1 with must gusto and surprised many of us with her consistent performance. She had shown herself to be a conscientious and independent worker needing little supervision (I was more than happy to leave her on her own). She did well for almost all subjects, usually scoring 95 and above and was awarded the top 10% in her cohort at the end of the year. She is also well-adjusted in class and made many new friends. In her own words, "Everybody in the class wants to be my friend ...because I'm so cute!" She chose to join Chinese dance and was able to execute a split by end of the year, to my amazement. She was also enjoying her Guzheng lesson which was part of the curriculum though I never had the chance to see her play the instrument. She did asked for indiv lessons to which I ignored as I didn't want to start her on anything new on top of her weekly Aikido, swimming and tennis lessons. She also requested for piano and I put it off till about Oct when I asked a neighbour, a China student, to teach her to play for leisure. She was quite happy with the arrangement until one day she came back and told me she wants to go for grading for piano. So in Dec she started lesson proper for 30 mins per lesson with her new piano teacher. She also managed to get her Bronze certificate for swimming in Dec and her Yellow belt in Aikido in August. For her birthday last year, we did away with the usual party and substituted it with Build-a Bear, bringing her to see her favorite dolphins (wanted to swim with dolphins but was fully booked) and she decorated her own birthday cake.
Fun Time
Kids travelled quite a bit last year. In March we went for a road trip to Malaysia with another family. We had a homestay at Bob's in Kota Tinggi and made day trip to Dearu. Kids visited crocodile farm, ostrich farm and played at the beach.
In June, we travelled to Melbourne for 12 days and stayed at a farm, went for day and night walks at Mornington Sanctuary, went fishing by the river, sat on an old steam locomotive to visit their local bazaar, hiked at Wilson's Prom, toboganned and skied at Mt Baw Baw and shopped in Melbourne with Penny and her family.
The kids also had 2 days of Staycation at Orchard Hotel during one of the holidays where they just fooled around in the tub and we went out for movies and food. On one of the public holidays, we went on the Tree-Top walk again and the kids caught fish and prawns from the streams on the way.
In Nov, we went for Tim's company trip to Langkawi and visited the aquarium. We also had a day where we went out on a boat to snorkel with the Duo who are hooked on snorkelling, like their mummy. We swam with reef sharks and had a fantastic time!
As I was teaching in Dec, the kids had to settle for home-based fun. They had their playdates, bbqs and a visit to Universal studio with QQ. Of course our Wednesday Exercise night was ongoing throughout the year and the kids had their usual fun with their good friends.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Monday, September 12, 2011
Kyle's Swim Tournaments
Kyle's Swim Tournaments
2 Sundays ago, he competed in his first ever Inter-club Swim Meet organised by Keppel Club. It was a hasty, last minute decision and there wasn't even time for any training except on the day before the competition. He went for the trial and was in even though he has never trained with the group. We decided that it would be good for exposure and confidence-building.
On the day of the competition, he was very reluctant and got cold feet at one point. He said that he did not want to participate and was 'stressed'. We were not pleased with his attitude which was filled with negativity. Throughout the whole wait and even when it was time to warm up, he was not serious and only thought of playing. I was not sure if it was done purposely to play down his nervousness but it sure did get on my nerves seeing this complacency in him. Needless to say he did not do well against the participants who were poised to win. He managed to clock 1 min for his 50m backstroke and 1.02 for his 50m butterfly. Still it was a good experience for him.
The following week was another competition organised by Sengkang West which I had completely forgotten. This time round, he had a chance to training on 3 occasions with his swimming buddy, Justin, before the event as it was September school holidays.
However, in the morning when he woke up, he complained of a headache and claimed that he wasn't feeling well. We suspected that it might be due to him catching a chill in the night or it could be that he played tennis in the rain the day before. We told him that if he was still feeling unwell when we reached, he will not compete. Miraculously when he reached there and saw his friends, his headache was gone and he even went for warm-ups happily and strutted around the whole place in only his trunks.
His events were backstroke 50m, butterfly 50m and freestyle 100m. He did a fantastic job during his 1st event and came in 3rd missing 2nd place by a mere 1 second as he swerved at one point and touched the rope. Nonetheless, it was an accomplishment for him as he was competing with boys 1-2 years older than him, bigger than him and taller than him! He was smiling from ear to ear when he went up to receive his medal. He was also most cooperative when I took his pictures, posing for me ever so happily ( a far cry from his normal self when he would refused to look into the camera!).
The 2nd event was the Butterfly 50m. He fared badly against the other boys whose strokes were powerful and super fast! For his last event 100m Freestyle, he came in 3rd in his race with 7 other boys. He forgot to do his tumble-turn at the end of 50m and actually paused for a while! I was so worried that he might have forgotten that it was a 100m race. I felt that it was a pity that quite a bit of time was wasted else he would probably do better. Overall best timing of the few races, he did not make it to top 3. But that didn't dampen his spirits as he had already clinched a Bronze and gained invaluable experience.
Oh and he did fall sick that night after the exciting morning event and an evening of pure fun and play with his cousins! He woke up the next morning with a throat infection.
2 Sundays ago, he competed in his first ever Inter-club Swim Meet organised by Keppel Club. It was a hasty, last minute decision and there wasn't even time for any training except on the day before the competition. He went for the trial and was in even though he has never trained with the group. We decided that it would be good for exposure and confidence-building.
On the day of the competition, he was very reluctant and got cold feet at one point. He said that he did not want to participate and was 'stressed'. We were not pleased with his attitude which was filled with negativity. Throughout the whole wait and even when it was time to warm up, he was not serious and only thought of playing. I was not sure if it was done purposely to play down his nervousness but it sure did get on my nerves seeing this complacency in him. Needless to say he did not do well against the participants who were poised to win. He managed to clock 1 min for his 50m backstroke and 1.02 for his 50m butterfly. Still it was a good experience for him.
The following week was another competition organised by Sengkang West which I had completely forgotten. This time round, he had a chance to training on 3 occasions with his swimming buddy, Justin, before the event as it was September school holidays.
However, in the morning when he woke up, he complained of a headache and claimed that he wasn't feeling well. We suspected that it might be due to him catching a chill in the night or it could be that he played tennis in the rain the day before. We told him that if he was still feeling unwell when we reached, he will not compete. Miraculously when he reached there and saw his friends, his headache was gone and he even went for warm-ups happily and strutted around the whole place in only his trunks.
His events were backstroke 50m, butterfly 50m and freestyle 100m. He did a fantastic job during his 1st event and came in 3rd missing 2nd place by a mere 1 second as he swerved at one point and touched the rope. Nonetheless, it was an accomplishment for him as he was competing with boys 1-2 years older than him, bigger than him and taller than him! He was smiling from ear to ear when he went up to receive his medal. He was also most cooperative when I took his pictures, posing for me ever so happily ( a far cry from his normal self when he would refused to look into the camera!).
The 2nd event was the Butterfly 50m. He fared badly against the other boys whose strokes were powerful and super fast! For his last event 100m Freestyle, he came in 3rd in his race with 7 other boys. He forgot to do his tumble-turn at the end of 50m and actually paused for a while! I was so worried that he might have forgotten that it was a 100m race. I felt that it was a pity that quite a bit of time was wasted else he would probably do better. Overall best timing of the few races, he did not make it to top 3. But that didn't dampen his spirits as he had already clinched a Bronze and gained invaluable experience.
Oh and he did fall sick that night after the exciting morning event and an evening of pure fun and play with his cousins! He woke up the next morning with a throat infection.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
My sensitive girl
It was a Tuesday night and we had nothing on in the evening so I suggested going to Swensons for dinner. The only problem was that Kyle was having a bit of sore throat and I had warned him that he can only eat baked rice or pasta as he had a swim competition that weekend. As predicted he made a huge fuss about wanting to eat his chicken tenders.
My girl cheerfully opted to eat cream sauce pasta while the boy went on and on about how he loves the chicken tenders, how juicy it is and how his throat is ok. It got on our nerves and I conceded by saying that I will order one and he can only have 2 pieces. Then he went on about why Meryl can get to eat more and he can have only 2 pieces and that mummy is so unfair.
He just couldn't get it when I told him that Meryl wasn't even asking for chicken tenders and the sole reason why I even ordered it in the first place was because I couldn't bear to see him so disappointed. In the end I put my foot down and decided to ban him from it totally.
He didn't get to eat any except for a small bite that my hubby gave him. I kept 1 piece for Meryl. Instead of eating it, she gave it to her brother. I asked her why. This was her reply.
'I want to make Kor Kor happy.'
Then she whispered to me this, 'Mummy, I give it not because I don't like it. I actually love to eat it too but I think Kor Kor really wants to eat it so I give it to him to make him happy.'
I only wish my son can understand how thoughtful his sister is towards him and extend to her the same treatment.
My girl cheerfully opted to eat cream sauce pasta while the boy went on and on about how he loves the chicken tenders, how juicy it is and how his throat is ok. It got on our nerves and I conceded by saying that I will order one and he can only have 2 pieces. Then he went on about why Meryl can get to eat more and he can have only 2 pieces and that mummy is so unfair.
He just couldn't get it when I told him that Meryl wasn't even asking for chicken tenders and the sole reason why I even ordered it in the first place was because I couldn't bear to see him so disappointed. In the end I put my foot down and decided to ban him from it totally.
He didn't get to eat any except for a small bite that my hubby gave him. I kept 1 piece for Meryl. Instead of eating it, she gave it to her brother. I asked her why. This was her reply.
'I want to make Kor Kor happy.'
Then she whispered to me this, 'Mummy, I give it not because I don't like it. I actually love to eat it too but I think Kor Kor really wants to eat it so I give it to him to make him happy.'
I only wish my son can understand how thoughtful his sister is towards him and extend to her the same treatment.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Meryl's Birthday Bash
The planning started way before the actual event. My girl had without fail fail every other day to ask me how many more days is it to her birthday and this started to increase in its frequency right after the June holidays! She had great plans, which luckily she changed (helped by me) along the way!
She started out wanting to have an all girl's party. It wasn't enough for her just to give out invitation cards to her classmates but it MUST be delivered to their home address. I was hesitant and reluctant cos so much more to do on my side and I was already back to work. Then she wanted to have it at Fidgets where she attended some parties this year. We suggested Safra Jurong and she acceded. Then we started to plan who to invite and again she insisted on all girls only. I had to explain that their brothers will all come before she agreed to have boys.
One day, out of the blue she asked me, ' Mummy, do you prefer to stay at home or to go out?' I told her I prefer to stay home and then she replied with a sigh, ' Ok lor, I think I'll have my party at home.' I didn't even know where she was coming from but obviously the party was very much on her mind!
As the day drew nearer, I decided to hold the party at the function room, complete with a bouncing castle and a play-tent filled with playdoh for the kids to play in. The theme was Hello Kitty. The whole party came with a Hello Kitty bouncing castle, wall decorations, and 2 stand alone pilars made of balloons. I had 2 dozens of helium balloons floating around in the function rooms and then sprayed 'Happy Birthday Meryl' using a X'masy foam on the glass doors. It was the most fuss free decorations I've ever had in years!!
The day came and we had a ball of our time. I think there were about more than 40 kids in total. The buffet was great and the kids had a special menu cooked by Jo. I was busy catching up with old friends and new. Best of all, I was happy that the cleaning up was so quick and simple and I get to stay at home at the end of it and play mahjong!!!
The planning started way before the actual event. My girl had without fail fail every other day to ask me how many more days is it to her birthday and this started to increase in its frequency right after the June holidays! She had great plans, which luckily she changed (helped by me) along the way!
She started out wanting to have an all girl's party. It wasn't enough for her just to give out invitation cards to her classmates but it MUST be delivered to their home address. I was hesitant and reluctant cos so much more to do on my side and I was already back to work. Then she wanted to have it at Fidgets where she attended some parties this year. We suggested Safra Jurong and she acceded. Then we started to plan who to invite and again she insisted on all girls only. I had to explain that their brothers will all come before she agreed to have boys.
One day, out of the blue she asked me, ' Mummy, do you prefer to stay at home or to go out?' I told her I prefer to stay home and then she replied with a sigh, ' Ok lor, I think I'll have my party at home.' I didn't even know where she was coming from but obviously the party was very much on her mind!
As the day drew nearer, I decided to hold the party at the function room, complete with a bouncing castle and a play-tent filled with playdoh for the kids to play in. The theme was Hello Kitty. The whole party came with a Hello Kitty bouncing castle, wall decorations, and 2 stand alone pilars made of balloons. I had 2 dozens of helium balloons floating around in the function rooms and then sprayed 'Happy Birthday Meryl' using a X'masy foam on the glass doors. It was the most fuss free decorations I've ever had in years!!
The day came and we had a ball of our time. I think there were about more than 40 kids in total. The buffet was great and the kids had a special menu cooked by Jo. I was busy catching up with old friends and new. Best of all, I was happy that the cleaning up was so quick and simple and I get to stay at home at the end of it and play mahjong!!!
Crazy Holiday 2011
I was overly ambitious this last holiday. I wanted to get the kids out of the house as much as possible and they did and so did I. I had forgotten to include the logistics and ended up each day with multiple trips ferrying them to and fro the different places and having short breaks in between. I ended up in school most of the mornings than I would like to have during holidays and sometimes ended up spending time playing with their baby cousin before fetching one of the kids from their classes. Below is a summary of what the program was like during the holidays, more or less, cos some I've already forgotten some!
Swimming for Kyle every morning from 9-11 at either Yio Chu Kang, Hougang or Toa Payoh stadium
Swimming for Meryl on Tuesdays
Meryl's 4 days Art Camp at NAFA end of November from 8.30-5.30 pm
Cartoon Drawing classes 3 days at Kallang CC
Meryl's jewellery making class at Kallang CC
Kyle's Tennis class on Saturdays at STTA
Aikido every Friday and Sunday
Badminton every Wednesday at AVCC
1 week Vietnam trip - Ho Chi Minh, Vung Tau
Meryl's birthday Party
Christmas Parties @ Mel's @Pansy
New's years countdown party@Pansy
On the whole it was a crazy 2 month, But on the bright side, my son put on 5kg as a result of his swim class and is sporting a lovely tan (ok, more like chow tar-burnt). and Meryl had a wonderful time at her art camp despite her getting cold feet on the first day. She ended up making friends with the big che che (sisters) that she insisted that I invite them for her birthday. Our Vietnam trip went off wonderfully well and the 2 kids not not suffer, contrary to what their daddy feared, any diarrhea but enjoyed the food and massages that they got there. In fact I was worried that they may have developed an addiction! The family photo shot that I planned also turned out beautiful despite my initial concerns and my hubby's grumblings and for a mere$400, complete with an album of 40 pictures and a big family potrait. The visits to the orphanages and old folk's home was also an experience i think the kids will not forget easily.
Swimming for Kyle every morning from 9-11 at either Yio Chu Kang, Hougang or Toa Payoh stadium
Swimming for Meryl on Tuesdays
Meryl's 4 days Art Camp at NAFA end of November from 8.30-5.30 pm
Cartoon Drawing classes 3 days at Kallang CC
Meryl's jewellery making class at Kallang CC
Kyle's Tennis class on Saturdays at STTA
Aikido every Friday and Sunday
Badminton every Wednesday at AVCC
1 week Vietnam trip - Ho Chi Minh, Vung Tau
Meryl's birthday Party
Christmas Parties @ Mel's @Pansy
New's years countdown party@Pansy
On the whole it was a crazy 2 month, But on the bright side, my son put on 5kg as a result of his swim class and is sporting a lovely tan (ok, more like chow tar-burnt). and Meryl had a wonderful time at her art camp despite her getting cold feet on the first day. She ended up making friends with the big che che (sisters) that she insisted that I invite them for her birthday. Our Vietnam trip went off wonderfully well and the 2 kids not not suffer, contrary to what their daddy feared, any diarrhea but enjoyed the food and massages that they got there. In fact I was worried that they may have developed an addiction! The family photo shot that I planned also turned out beautiful despite my initial concerns and my hubby's grumblings and for a mere$400, complete with an album of 40 pictures and a big family potrait. The visits to the orphanages and old folk's home was also an experience i think the kids will not forget easily.
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Kyle's 1st Crush
Kyle's 1st Crush
Although he appears pretty boisterous and loud sometimes, Kyle can be painfully shy too. He is at an age where he is feeling self-conscious and very sensitive to what others say/look at him. Take for instance a few Sundays back when we went for Aikido class. We arrived at the HQ only to find that they were conducting grading on that day. Everyone was wearing a vest indicating a number. Immediately my son pulled my hands and asked me to go home in whispers. I told hi that I wanted to stay to see how grading is conducted but he made a fuss. Then he asked me to quickly give him his home clothes so that he could change out of his uniform because he was worried what others would think. My girl on the other hand was non-plussed and went on to see the grading.
Last Wednesday, after we returned back from our weekly badminton session, we shared the carpark lift with a sweet young lady of petite built with a Japanese doll haircut. Her face was fully made-up and she was dressed in office attire. Initially we did not sense anything amiss until we stepped out of the lift. He hid behind my hubby's back while walking along the footpath and my hubby was trying to get him to stop doing that. He got irritated at one point because he did not know what mischief he was up to. It was only when we entered the main lift and he continued hiding behind my hubby with a shy smile that we realised what was happening!
We made a comment about whether he was acting like that because of the pretty girl and he actually giggled. The lady was a little bit embarrassed and tried to smile it off. When we got home, my hubby told him that it is normal to be shy and there will be more to come when he grows older. He was exceptionally quiet and tried to brush off the whole incident. At least now we know what kindof girl he will fall for!!
Although he appears pretty boisterous and loud sometimes, Kyle can be painfully shy too. He is at an age where he is feeling self-conscious and very sensitive to what others say/look at him. Take for instance a few Sundays back when we went for Aikido class. We arrived at the HQ only to find that they were conducting grading on that day. Everyone was wearing a vest indicating a number. Immediately my son pulled my hands and asked me to go home in whispers. I told hi that I wanted to stay to see how grading is conducted but he made a fuss. Then he asked me to quickly give him his home clothes so that he could change out of his uniform because he was worried what others would think. My girl on the other hand was non-plussed and went on to see the grading.
Last Wednesday, after we returned back from our weekly badminton session, we shared the carpark lift with a sweet young lady of petite built with a Japanese doll haircut. Her face was fully made-up and she was dressed in office attire. Initially we did not sense anything amiss until we stepped out of the lift. He hid behind my hubby's back while walking along the footpath and my hubby was trying to get him to stop doing that. He got irritated at one point because he did not know what mischief he was up to. It was only when we entered the main lift and he continued hiding behind my hubby with a shy smile that we realised what was happening!
We made a comment about whether he was acting like that because of the pretty girl and he actually giggled. The lady was a little bit embarrassed and tried to smile it off. When we got home, my hubby told him that it is normal to be shy and there will be more to come when he grows older. He was exceptionally quiet and tried to brush off the whole incident. At least now we know what kindof girl he will fall for!!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
On the long Break
On the Long Break
Its been over a year since I last blogged. Many things had transpired during this time. My dad passed away, we sold our flat and went house-hunting, my son went to a Primary school, shifted house, took a 6-month break from work to look after kids after our helper went back home and many more. I should have had more time to blog but that wasn't the case. I was bogged down with many things and was by the end of the day too tired or too lazy to write anything.
One of the biggest change was the move to our new home. Thankfully the transition was smooth for the kids and I and we simply love the new place with the swimming pool and gym and playground right at our doorstep. The view is awesome and I love being home each day and looking after the place and kids (and of course, my hubby). I had the chance to experiment in the kitchen and put my culinary skills to the test again. Thankfully there were no complaints and a few dishes even made to the top of the kids' food list (I pity my hubby though for having to put up with kiddy food). I stoically did all the housework everyday for the first few months when my helper went back until I suffered from lots of 'injuries'. I had thought that it would be a breeze as the house is not very big and my interior design is done in such a way as to minimise cleaning but I was so wrong. Housework finally took its toll on me and it finally sank in that my body is not used to such work anymore when I had to spent about $40-$60 per week on massages just to ease the aches and pains. I then decided that the money could be spent elsewhere, like hiring someone else to do the chores on my behalf. So 2 months before my helper returned, I succumb to employing a part-time cleaning lady... and it was bliss once more...no more cleaning toilets, ironing and moping. I happily cooked for the kids and send them to school with their friends (btw, we chauffer 6 kids to 2 schools every morning, 4 to Cedar and 2 to Ascension) with my hubby as the driver every morning, then have couple- breakfast together or do marketing. On some afternoons, I will practice my driving by ferrying the kids back from school or go to the library.
The kids routine also changed slightly especially since Kyle is now in Primary school. They do not need to nap on most afternoons except on days when we have activities in the evening, like badminton or music lessons. The kids will do their work in the afternoons, play with their toys and then after dinner, do some reading before they hit the bed at between 7.30-8 pm. In the mornings, they wake up at 615 and get ready for school. During the weekends, they go for their Abacus classes and Chinese lesson for Kyle. This year, the kids classes also included swimming on Tuesdays (resumed with their old coach), Meryl's music lessons on Monday evenings and the latest is Aikido lessons at the HQ just 5 mins walk from our place on Sunday. We had decided that Aikido is the most 'non-violent' art compared to Taekwando and Wushu and it is good in teaching them self-defence. What's more, the kids love it! They also get to meet their old friends from Sengkang every Wednesdays when we go down for badminton at the CC.
In the last year, my kids have also grown. Although my girl is still as short and cute ( she is still the shortest in class), her reading has improved by leaps and bounds for both her English and Mandarin. I was overjoyed! Just last year I was lamenting how slow she was compared to her brother who started reading before 4 on his own and could recognise many words. She also had problems differentiating her alphabets and numbers, often mistaking 'b' for 'd' and writing her numbers inverted. I was worried that she could be dyslexic but now I know my worries were unfounded. She comes back from school with 100% for all her reading list and can confidently read to me the story books norrowed from school. The biggest surprise was one evening when she read one whole 'Berenstain Bear' book for me and it runs into 20-30 pages with at least 2 paragraphs per page. Her interest in drawing has waned but she is showing more excitement in learning how to spell or write in Chinese. She has also become better at expressing herself and can talk tens to the dozen and sometimes there is no stopping her!
As for Kyle, he has adjusted very well in school with his old and new friends. He comes home with tales of the games he plays with friends during recess time and stories of what happened in the classroom except what he needs to do for homework. Everyday I will ask him if he has work to do and the answer is always no. Then I realised that he does his work very quickly in school so that he can play. He has little problem coping with his new schedule and demands as his kindergarten had prepared him very well. His performance in school is so far satisfactory and he is conscientious about his work especially passing spellings and doing well for tests. His dad has promised monetary rewards to help 'motivate' him. So far he has been 'earning' money with his recent biggest taking of the year being $50 for scoring full marks for his Math test. He also came in 1st in his class for his English during SA1 and 2nd for the whole level. The only subject he needs to improve on is Mandarin as he finds it too much work. He has also developed a voracious reading appetite during this past year. He has 'devoured' the whole series of 'Tin Tin', 'Berenstain bear' and a few of 'Geronimo Stilton'. I also got him hooked on 'The Wishing Chair' series and he started on 'Secret Seven' and 'Enchanted Wood' series recently. During the holidays he 'discovered' my 'Calvins and Hobbes' comics and enjoyed 'Garfield' as well. Our trips to Toa Payoh library involves a plastic, square trolley which is used to lug the 24 books that we borrow on each trips.
This past year also included many BBQs, playdates and outings with kids' friends, zoo outing (yes, again), many movies and trips in and outside Singapore. The kids had a great time during March holidays at Celestial resort in Ubin and in June we flew to Redang where the kids snorkelled twice everyday for 3 days. In between we also had some 'staycation' in Grand Waterfront Copthorne and Swissotel. All these will be sweet memories for the kids and also for us as we teach them and watch them grow and learn through exposure rather than classroom teaching. The next big thing I need to plan now is my girl' birthday bash which she is counting down EVERYDAY. She has already made plans on her own on Where she wants it and Who she is inviting!! (headache) Luckily for her, her birthday falls in December.
As for me, life has returned to normal after my helper came back in June ( she was almost stranded in Philipines due to improper documentation). Now we get to enjoy more variety of home-cooked meals and of course, her bakings. She has since learnt to make bread and has perfected the art of chocolate muffins. My son and daughter will request for their favorite meals and it will be served. As for me, I have decided to leave the whole kitchen to her and now I hardly ever wash a single dish...phew!!
Its been over a year since I last blogged. Many things had transpired during this time. My dad passed away, we sold our flat and went house-hunting, my son went to a Primary school, shifted house, took a 6-month break from work to look after kids after our helper went back home and many more. I should have had more time to blog but that wasn't the case. I was bogged down with many things and was by the end of the day too tired or too lazy to write anything.
One of the biggest change was the move to our new home. Thankfully the transition was smooth for the kids and I and we simply love the new place with the swimming pool and gym and playground right at our doorstep. The view is awesome and I love being home each day and looking after the place and kids (and of course, my hubby). I had the chance to experiment in the kitchen and put my culinary skills to the test again. Thankfully there were no complaints and a few dishes even made to the top of the kids' food list (I pity my hubby though for having to put up with kiddy food). I stoically did all the housework everyday for the first few months when my helper went back until I suffered from lots of 'injuries'. I had thought that it would be a breeze as the house is not very big and my interior design is done in such a way as to minimise cleaning but I was so wrong. Housework finally took its toll on me and it finally sank in that my body is not used to such work anymore when I had to spent about $40-$60 per week on massages just to ease the aches and pains. I then decided that the money could be spent elsewhere, like hiring someone else to do the chores on my behalf. So 2 months before my helper returned, I succumb to employing a part-time cleaning lady... and it was bliss once more...no more cleaning toilets, ironing and moping. I happily cooked for the kids and send them to school with their friends (btw, we chauffer 6 kids to 2 schools every morning, 4 to Cedar and 2 to Ascension) with my hubby as the driver every morning, then have couple- breakfast together or do marketing. On some afternoons, I will practice my driving by ferrying the kids back from school or go to the library.
The kids routine also changed slightly especially since Kyle is now in Primary school. They do not need to nap on most afternoons except on days when we have activities in the evening, like badminton or music lessons. The kids will do their work in the afternoons, play with their toys and then after dinner, do some reading before they hit the bed at between 7.30-8 pm. In the mornings, they wake up at 615 and get ready for school. During the weekends, they go for their Abacus classes and Chinese lesson for Kyle. This year, the kids classes also included swimming on Tuesdays (resumed with their old coach), Meryl's music lessons on Monday evenings and the latest is Aikido lessons at the HQ just 5 mins walk from our place on Sunday. We had decided that Aikido is the most 'non-violent' art compared to Taekwando and Wushu and it is good in teaching them self-defence. What's more, the kids love it! They also get to meet their old friends from Sengkang every Wednesdays when we go down for badminton at the CC.
In the last year, my kids have also grown. Although my girl is still as short and cute ( she is still the shortest in class), her reading has improved by leaps and bounds for both her English and Mandarin. I was overjoyed! Just last year I was lamenting how slow she was compared to her brother who started reading before 4 on his own and could recognise many words. She also had problems differentiating her alphabets and numbers, often mistaking 'b' for 'd' and writing her numbers inverted. I was worried that she could be dyslexic but now I know my worries were unfounded. She comes back from school with 100% for all her reading list and can confidently read to me the story books norrowed from school. The biggest surprise was one evening when she read one whole 'Berenstain Bear' book for me and it runs into 20-30 pages with at least 2 paragraphs per page. Her interest in drawing has waned but she is showing more excitement in learning how to spell or write in Chinese. She has also become better at expressing herself and can talk tens to the dozen and sometimes there is no stopping her!
As for Kyle, he has adjusted very well in school with his old and new friends. He comes home with tales of the games he plays with friends during recess time and stories of what happened in the classroom except what he needs to do for homework. Everyday I will ask him if he has work to do and the answer is always no. Then I realised that he does his work very quickly in school so that he can play. He has little problem coping with his new schedule and demands as his kindergarten had prepared him very well. His performance in school is so far satisfactory and he is conscientious about his work especially passing spellings and doing well for tests. His dad has promised monetary rewards to help 'motivate' him. So far he has been 'earning' money with his recent biggest taking of the year being $50 for scoring full marks for his Math test. He also came in 1st in his class for his English during SA1 and 2nd for the whole level. The only subject he needs to improve on is Mandarin as he finds it too much work. He has also developed a voracious reading appetite during this past year. He has 'devoured' the whole series of 'Tin Tin', 'Berenstain bear' and a few of 'Geronimo Stilton'. I also got him hooked on 'The Wishing Chair' series and he started on 'Secret Seven' and 'Enchanted Wood' series recently. During the holidays he 'discovered' my 'Calvins and Hobbes' comics and enjoyed 'Garfield' as well. Our trips to Toa Payoh library involves a plastic, square trolley which is used to lug the 24 books that we borrow on each trips.
This past year also included many BBQs, playdates and outings with kids' friends, zoo outing (yes, again), many movies and trips in and outside Singapore. The kids had a great time during March holidays at Celestial resort in Ubin and in June we flew to Redang where the kids snorkelled twice everyday for 3 days. In between we also had some 'staycation' in Grand Waterfront Copthorne and Swissotel. All these will be sweet memories for the kids and also for us as we teach them and watch them grow and learn through exposure rather than classroom teaching. The next big thing I need to plan now is my girl' birthday bash which she is counting down EVERYDAY. She has already made plans on her own on Where she wants it and Who she is inviting!! (headache) Luckily for her, her birthday falls in December.
As for me, life has returned to normal after my helper came back in June ( she was almost stranded in Philipines due to improper documentation). Now we get to enjoy more variety of home-cooked meals and of course, her bakings. She has since learnt to make bread and has perfected the art of chocolate muffins. My son and daughter will request for their favorite meals and it will be served. As for me, I have decided to leave the whole kitchen to her and now I hardly ever wash a single dish...phew!!
Kyle, the Entrpreneur
My son turned entrepreneur 3 days ago and his takings for the day was 90 cents. On the 2nd day, he earned $1+ and today he made 60 cents.
I was mildly surprised when he told me that he 'sold' things to his friends. It was a matter of time. His dad has been telling him to earn his own money and we have also been telling him stories about how we make our own money through selling things when we were younger. Just recently, I read him a news article about a man who created Rochester Park in Singapore and now owns the tallest pub in Singapore. He also started out by selling Christmas cards during his schooling days. What surprised me was the things he sold. On the 1st day, he sold his 'Pocky', 3 for 10 cents and he sold sold rubber bands to his friends for 10 cents per piece. I was appalled!!! That evening my hubby and I had a talk with him on what are the 'right' things to sell. I told him that Pocky should be shared with friends and rubber bands are cheap item that does not fetch such a high price. We lectured him about how 'trust' is an important aspect of a client-seller relationship and how he should be an honest seller. After that he gave me a bunch of rubber bands ( which he had already put in his spectacle case) and decided to sell his brand-new erasers instead the next day.
The 2nd day, he again sold 3 'Pocky' for 10 cents and his erasers. On the 3rd day, he sold his remaining erasers. Everyday he gleefully told me how much he 'made' after school and then happily 'deposit it into his 'ATM' machine bank that we bought for him. For someone who is so 'money-minded', it is surprising that he does not ask for pocket money during school days. To date, I have only given him $1 on less than 5 occasions when I did not prepare lunchbox for him. He brings a lunchbox which contains either bread, cereal bar or biscuits and a packet of milk to school. Although I had suggested giving him a fixed amount which he can save up, he had refused that offer.
His usual 'income' comes from doing well in school, like getting 100% for his spellings or getting above 90% for his tests. Now he can supplement that 'income' through his salesmanship!!
I was mildly surprised when he told me that he 'sold' things to his friends. It was a matter of time. His dad has been telling him to earn his own money and we have also been telling him stories about how we make our own money through selling things when we were younger. Just recently, I read him a news article about a man who created Rochester Park in Singapore and now owns the tallest pub in Singapore. He also started out by selling Christmas cards during his schooling days. What surprised me was the things he sold. On the 1st day, he sold his 'Pocky', 3 for 10 cents and he sold sold rubber bands to his friends for 10 cents per piece. I was appalled!!! That evening my hubby and I had a talk with him on what are the 'right' things to sell. I told him that Pocky should be shared with friends and rubber bands are cheap item that does not fetch such a high price. We lectured him about how 'trust' is an important aspect of a client-seller relationship and how he should be an honest seller. After that he gave me a bunch of rubber bands ( which he had already put in his spectacle case) and decided to sell his brand-new erasers instead the next day.
The 2nd day, he again sold 3 'Pocky' for 10 cents and his erasers. On the 3rd day, he sold his remaining erasers. Everyday he gleefully told me how much he 'made' after school and then happily 'deposit it into his 'ATM' machine bank that we bought for him. For someone who is so 'money-minded', it is surprising that he does not ask for pocket money during school days. To date, I have only given him $1 on less than 5 occasions when I did not prepare lunchbox for him. He brings a lunchbox which contains either bread, cereal bar or biscuits and a packet of milk to school. Although I had suggested giving him a fixed amount which he can save up, he had refused that offer.
His usual 'income' comes from doing well in school, like getting 100% for his spellings or getting above 90% for his tests. Now he can supplement that 'income' through his salesmanship!!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Hectic Week
A Hectic Week
Never in my life have I imagine that so many things can happen in a short span of a week. I am truly drained of all energy, both emotionally and physically.
The week started fairly uneventfully with the usual lessons in school and then on Tuesday I was on childcare leave as Meryl was not feeling well and had to go to the doctor's. On Wednesday, Kyle also had a short bout of fever in the evening which was rather sudden. As usual he demanded the usual pampering, such as massaging his tummy, applying vicks on the sole of his feet etc. Thankfully, his fever subsided and he was up and going the next day. On Wednesday it was my turn. I suspect that the virus was going around and my throat was again first to succumb. I had fever on Wednesday night and had to forfeit my weekly badminton game and stayed at home to rest. I made myself many kinds of flu tea and the fever subsided and I resolved to go to school the next day as I had planned some remediation lessons with my classes. But fate had a different plan for me.
On Thursday morning, I was awakened by the vibration of my phone at 4.40am in the morning. It was to be the most shocking news of the week...to be continued..
Never in my life have I imagine that so many things can happen in a short span of a week. I am truly drained of all energy, both emotionally and physically.
The week started fairly uneventfully with the usual lessons in school and then on Tuesday I was on childcare leave as Meryl was not feeling well and had to go to the doctor's. On Wednesday, Kyle also had a short bout of fever in the evening which was rather sudden. As usual he demanded the usual pampering, such as massaging his tummy, applying vicks on the sole of his feet etc. Thankfully, his fever subsided and he was up and going the next day. On Wednesday it was my turn. I suspect that the virus was going around and my throat was again first to succumb. I had fever on Wednesday night and had to forfeit my weekly badminton game and stayed at home to rest. I made myself many kinds of flu tea and the fever subsided and I resolved to go to school the next day as I had planned some remediation lessons with my classes. But fate had a different plan for me.
On Thursday morning, I was awakened by the vibration of my phone at 4.40am in the morning. It was to be the most shocking news of the week...to be continued..
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