C has been practising on her G bike for some time now. When we first got it, she was really excited about it and we went down to Toys R Us to get her safety guards and helmet.

This evening, instead of her pram, she insisted on riding to class. She was in such a hurry that I had to run after her to get her to put her helmet on. She didn't have time to wear her guards this time round.

 

Here she is, waiting patiently for the lift to come.

The little fellow is pretty fast despite the small wheels and I often had to quicken my steps else I would have not been able to keep up. The usual 10 minutes walk to C's dance class was cut short to 5!

C got a new messenger bag for school. 

From the website, it looked like yellow wouldn't stand out hence we picked green. When we received the package, I was disappointed that it was green which didn't show up. Haha!

 Nevertheless, C loved it the same. :)

28th August 2009

It was a special evening. Colleagues gathered but the atmosphere was one of joy and happiness and where we did not talk about work. 

Hazel and her team of sisters put this together and I must say, although the food wasn't much to rave about, but then again, I do not think anyone of us were seriously there for the food anyways, the company was fantastic.

Job well done! :)

 Cheryl with Aunt Ai Hong!

Some of my colleagues came with their kids and this was C's forth time at the dinner! :) Many of my colleagues were commenting that she has grown over the years. Haha! 

 

That's C and me with one of Uncle Kai Wei's twin. 

(Picture courtesy from Hazel) 

My wonderful colleagues! My secret wish is to be as hip as  老师. And of course Mdm Leow who can tell a joke with a straight face. :) Actually the people on our table are all the smart people! Math, Science: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Music and Principles of Accounts, Chinese and of course English.

In the past, C had been doing her matching exercises in free hand. She also didn't use the ruler in her drawing. This evening, I thought we could try. 

So I whipped out a ruler and said she could choose to join the words to the corresponding using the ruler. I encouraged her further by saying that her work would be a lot neater too. So she did. She had trouble initially as it was difficult to handle the ruler and pencil at the same time. Quite a motor-challenging task I would say because she had to exert pressure to hold the ruler down while drawing with the other hand.

And when the work was done, she went on to give it some colours. :)

Last year, we got mini bottles of honey for C's teachers.

This year, C wanted to do something herself and after much thought, we decided that she could paint her teachers a little something.

We headed to Ikea to get these mugs and then I bought her some stickers and paint.

C started her project 2 weeks before Teachers' Day and she dutifully did 2 mugs every night. She wanted all her teachers to get a mug each so that meant she had like 20 mugs to do up in all.

She got rather frustrated with herself after Ms Blue's mug because she couldn't control the paint brush as well as she would a pen and the acrylic paints aren't the easiest paints to handle. She then looked at me sadly and asked if I could help her write the names of her other teachers. I consoled her and said her teachers would love her gift even if they weren't perfect and then she said she would still complete her project by gluing the pretty stickers.

The completed mugs that were ready to be packed...

 Cheryl, Daddy and I want to give our thanks! :)
.

A 14 year old girl curtly said this after I asked her for the hundredth time to sit down and do her comprehension exercise.

She was listening to her MP3 player earlier and I told her to put it away. I had to remind her thrice before she finally did and after I threatened to confiscate it. This was also of course after repeated reminders to get her to return to her seat as she was walking around the class. Then I had to wake her up because her head was perpetually glued to the table top. She isn't the perfect student, yes I admit but what got on my nerves was her rudeness.

"What do you want!" "What do you want!" in a louder tone of voice and definitely more forceful.

What do I want?

I want her to sit down and do her work for once!
I want her to complete her assignment for once!
I want her to just pay attention in class for once!
I want her to hand in something for me to mark for once!
I want her to learn something and not waste her life away!

I stared at her and her "What do you want!" became louder and more offensive. Then she retorted that I was emotional. Yeah, I am at fault for being emotional, for seeing that she will make nothing out of herself if she doesn't wake up, for even caring. 

Honestly I think to become a teacher, one must have a heart of stone. How much rudeness can one take? How much indifference can one endure? How much vulgarity can one bear? And the best part is, all these are coming from someone not even half my age.

There wasn't a word of apology. Not even a look of remorse.

C is learning consonant blends now in school and this is just one of the many activities she does.

I came across this article which is exceptionally useful.

I may seem a patient person to many but I have my moments and when I do lose my temper, it really isn't a pretty sight. I know, I can breathe or walk away when such moments arise and all but really, it is easier said than done.

This article really puts some perspective in order. :)

Enjoy!


The No-Cry Discipline Solution
Gentle Ways to Encourage Good Behavior without Whining, Tantrums & Tears

Buy the book at Amazon: USA | Canada | UK What Triggers Your Anger? Family life is complicated and unpredictable. Day-to-day expectations and responsibilities can create angry emotions in both parents and children. No matter how skilled you are at parenting, no matter how wonderful your children are, you cannot eliminate or avoid the unpleasant situations that occur in all families. However, once you understand where the anger comes from you can modify the situation and learn ways to control your reactions, so that anger can occupy a smaller place in your home. Our children bring us incredible joy. Yet, there are times that they can bring out the anger in us. It is helpful to identify the things that provoke your anger so you can make positive changes in your household. What sets you off? Most parents get angry over issues that are insignificant in the grand scheme of life, yet happen on such a regular basis that they become blown out of proportion. Some of the most common parenting issues that trigger anger are whining, temper tantrums, sibling bickering, and non-cooperation. Determine which behaviors most bother you and set about making a plan to correct each problem that sets off your anger. Notice your hot spots In addition to triggers, there are “hot spots” in the day when anger more easily rises to the surface. These are typically times when family members are tired, hungry or stressed. These emotions leave us more vulnerable to anger. This can happen in the early morning, before naptime, before meals, or at bedtime. You may also encounter situations when misbehavior increases, and so does your anger: grocery shopping, playdates, or family visits, for example. Set a plan Determine if there are things you can do differently to ward off some of the issues that spark your anger. For example, if the morning rush brings stress, you can prepare things the night before: set out clothing, pack lunches, collect shoes. Then create a “morning poster” that outlines the daily routine step-by-step. If you find that tempers are shorter in the hour before dinner, set out healthy appetizers, enlist the kids’ help in preparing dinner, get the kids involved in a craft activity, or plan an earlier meal time. Doing things the way you’ve always done them and expecting different results only leaves you frustrated and angry. Instead, identify your anger triggers and take action to change things for the better. Learn something new Once you’ve identified a problem, consider several options for solving it. Jot down possible alternatives on paper, or talk it over with another adult. Read through a few parenting books and check the indexes for your topic. Visit an online parenting chat group or posting board. There’s no reason for you to make decisions in a vacuum – I guarantee that the problems you are dealing with are common and there are lots of sources for solutions. Be flexible Anger is not something that can be dealt with once and then will go away. Your children grow and change, and new issues appear. From time to time take a fresh look at the issues that create negative emotions in your family and take action to change things for the better. Let love help And, finally, at times of anger, hold on to the feeling of love that is the foundation of your relationship with your child. Take time every day to bask in the joy of being a parent. Take time to play, talk and listen. Hug, kiss and cuddle your child often. When you build up this foundation of positive love and emotions you will find yourself less likely to experience intense anger. Excerpted with permission by McGraw-Hill Publishing from The No-Cry Discipline Solution (McGraw-Hill 2007).

Elizabeth Pantley has written a whole lot of other books. Do visit it.

C was singing this song to me while I was bathing her.

In fact, she didn't stop singing until a while later. I stopped dressing her for a moment and she asked me why had I stopped. Then I burst out laughing because I explained to her, in her song, she said I could take a break as she is old enough to do things like dress herself, comb her hair and that I could take a rest.

I reckoned she understood because after that she laughed.

Grand Mummy cooked her very delicious crab bee hoon this evening!

It's been such a long time since she last cooked this and when she said that she would today, I was literally jumping for joy! :)

The crabs and the bee hoon.

In went all the ingredients and in a matter of minutes ...

Viola! Dinner is served!

Aunt Angie got C a bicycle for her birthday this year and our Precious loved it.

In fact, she loved it so much, she would go cycling almost every evening. Then we thought she could learn to cycle without the training wheels but once they were removed, C seemed to have lost her confidence altogether.

So what do we do? Put the training wheels back and I bought her a new toy.

It was like Christmas! We told her last night that we were expecting a delivery and this morning, the first thing she did when she woke up was to go hunt down her gift! And then, her little eyes lit up when she saw it!

This little fellow is supposed to teach her to balance. C tried it on immediately and although it didn't have pedals like a normal bicycle, and C was falling over left and right, she didn't seem flustered and soon was pushing herself off for a short distance.

C got really excited after viewing the clip and we were just pleased that she was able to handle the bike. Yes, it really is very light and C was extremely proud of herself for being able to carry it in through the door. :) Now, we just have to work on it in the evenings (I don't think that is going to be a problem. She completely adores this little fellow. )

It's been some time now... .

About a month ago, I brought C down to the doc to get some medicine for her sensitive nose and the doc took a look at her scar and added that he would give her this cream to apply on her wound.

We have been diligently using this every evening.

Her scar. Definitely healing well and we will continue to apply the cream for another 2 months.

It was dark in the room. Well, with the curtains drawn, even though it's only 6 in the evening, the room can be rather dim.

I walked over to turn on the reading lamp and was about to walk away when I thought I saw something in the rubbish bin. Upon closer inspection, my heart stopped for a minute and then I screamed out for C to come into the room.

She had told me earlier that she cut her hair and I thought she said she wanted to have her hair trimmed so I casually commented that Grand Mummy could do it this Sunday.

Mummy : Cheryl, did you cut your hair?
Cheryl : Yes, Mummy. I told you I cut my hair just now.
Mummy : Yeah, I thought you said you WANTED to get a hair cut. That's quite a lot of hair you snipped.
Cheryl : But hair grows, Mummy.

Now she made me sound silly. Of course I know hair grows but that's not the point!

Mummy : Please don't do this again. You will look ugly if you cut off too much of your hair.
Cheryl : Okay, Mummy. But hair grows.

Vain as she is, C doesn't seem at all bothered with what she did.

Another craft that C did in school.

She brought a milk carton and an empty tissue box to school some time back and today, she returned with this. :)

Nice! I love the bright colours that she used.

The coolest gadget in town now must definitely be the Samsung Omnia II.

I supposed I can go on about the slick and stylish look but really, you've got to get your hands on one to truly experience it. My colleague was going on and on and on... about it and how she is going to retire her phone which she only got like a year ago.

My reaction was lukewarm initially but when she showed me what the phone was capable of... Hmmm... I think I will go down and take a look at the real thing! :)

Seriously, you need to experience it!

This beauty runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 and features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Samsung’s unique TouchWiz user interface WinMo. It has a150MB of built-in memory and 32GB of storage memory and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

You can click here to read up more! :)

Aunt Di and Uncle Ben bought C this from the States last year and we never got around to actually building this house until this afternoon.

After lunch, C pestered Daddy and he started unpacking the box. C was thrilled that she was finally going to put the gingerbread house together.

We put up the candy while Daddy laced the house with icing. It turned out to be quite a beauty!

This evening, we went down to Clay Cove again to finish up the art pieces the children created.

The children were waiting anxiously for the brushes to be given out.

We took some time to pose for shots! :)

And then they got started...

Emma and Aaron were also concentrating on giving their art pieces coats of paint.

The intensed looks! Children hard at work!

Sheldon, deep in thought as he painted his plate.

C enjoying herself immensely.

The children's masterpieces: Brion's, Sheldon's and Jing Heng's.

Keziah's and Cheryl's works of art. C's piece seemed incomplete but the teacher assured me that after the firing and glazing, the unpainted portion would have a tinge of grey so it would turn out fine. I was asking C if she had spent her time chatting away instead of painting and she commented that it took time to paint each and every one of the tiny designs. Ha ha. Okay Baby, I could tell that she did make the effort. Besides, C was also very careful with the paint and made sure that she didn't have too much of it on her brush before she applied on her plate.

Aaron and Emma finally finished theirs too.

The children happily and very proudly posed with their certificates! :)

We were told that their pieces would only be ready for collection in 2 weeks so... we will have to wait and see how they turn out. :)