Some time back, a friend shared a link to a website; the owner of the website had prepared some light and simple lunches. I was inspired since. I then thought that we could have this at work and for C when she returned from school in the afternoon.

The noodles were cooked and cooled under running water to prevent them from over-cooking. I also had the carrots cooked in the microwave (2 minutes and they were done.) Then I placed the ingredients neatly into the jars that I bought from Daiso. Once term starts, cooking at home is really impossible hence I have limited ingredients in the refrigerator and at this point in time, there are only corn kernels, carrots, wolfberries and miso paste.

Now that C eats kimchi, my next attempt will be to use that. :)

All that she needs to do is to add hot water and lunch will be served.

I love to shop but before you go, "But you haven't been to town in ages... ", perhaps I can clarify: I shop online. :) and love every bit of it.

Not a fan of crowds and crowded places and dislike that I have to jostle with people in the sardine-packed MRT trains, I will always prefer to do my shopping over the Internet. This Christmas, nothing beats shopping here.

Sign up for their newsletter and you will be entitled to a S$10 cash voucher. More importantly, you will be kept abreast of their latest deals and promotions. 

This evening, C returned with A note from Ee teacher. Precious can now log in a site that the school has subscribed and practise her math.

The website has several math concepts and topics put in place and Precious can go through the topics and solve the problem sums online.

C tried some sums on Money and she had the sums corrected online too.


Each time the online tutor told her that she had done the sum correctly, Precious broke out in a grin. :) We did not have to pay any subscription this year and since Precious liked the exercises so much, I think we will be visiting this site very often.

Lately, I have been receiving emails from blog readers who ask if I could let them know where I get the worksheets that C worked on.

Well, to be honest, most of it came from her teachers in school but when time permitted, I would surf the Internet for resources and worksheets.

Perhaps you could try these websites out:

1) Worksheets for Preschoolers
2) English - Phonograms
3) Quizmedia3 

Then I came across this website and thought I could give it a try.
3) Christian Parenting

"Big Phone!"

This was C's exact words when she first saw the iPad and we were then in England.

We had a discussion some months back and she said that she wanted it so that she could play her games. I was wondering if it was a good idea because firstly, the iPad doesn't come cheap and secondly, C is only a young child and what was a kiddo supposed to do with a gadget like an iPad. It was suspiciously looking more like a toy for Daddy instead. Ha ha.

But then again, C has monopolizing my iPhone since Daddy bought that for me because of the many educational applications and movies. She absolutely loves the games that she can play on my phone and she probably knows the phone better than I do. She watches movies and video clips on the phone too and lately, we noticed that she has been squinting her eyes. Was it because of the tiny screen?

Initially we had plans to order it from Apple in the United States and had it shipped over then we changed our minds and thought since it was going to be launched in Singapore soon (it was like a good 3 months more) we reckoned we could wait. It was wishful thinking to think that we could waltz into the Apple Store to get it when it finally made its appearance hence it was onto the waiting list again.

Then this afternoon, Daddy got news that there was stocks and we headed down to get one for ourselves.

Daddy and C playing on the iPad while waiting for the sales person to come back with ours.

Yeah! Proud owners of the iPad!

That very evening, we used it to surf the Internet.

C has been asking me to get her shoes with laces because she said that her teachers had been teaching her to tie them. We have gone hunting for nice shoes but our attempts were futile. 

So I decided to shop online and then found these:

Needless to say, C was all smiles when she opened the box. She proudly exclaimed that she would wear them to school tomorrow. :)

C and I decided that a Sigg water bottle isn't suitable after all. In a matter of 5 weeks, she has changed 2 bottles because our Spark, a girl she may be, isn't that gentle.

Well, I should say, she isn't that careful because she often drops her bottle and being metal, they dent easily and I am not about to get her another only to have it turned out of shape again. So what does a busy busy Mummy do?

Turn to the Internet for help. Haha! Seriously, this is the end of week 1 of the new school year and although it has been a good, happy and productive 1st work week, I am spending a lot of time in school. This came in the mail today.

I am not kidding, it came all the way from Korea.

 

But our Precious was delighted and that is worth millions! :)

Oh, this evening was really eventful!

C suddenly had this urge to want to do so many different activities and she was extremely clear about what she wanted to do. Yes, she had a Plan.

She said she wanted to do her craft work so she took the book from the book shelf and completed 2 activities from there.

So after the Fish and Strawberry, she said she needed to revise her Math because "Ms May said so."

And then after these simple addition, she insisted on working on her English. I had picked out some other English exercises where C would need to pronounce and write out simple words but she wanted to do nothing else but beginning word blends.

We want to say "Thank you!" for voting for us! 

Yes! We won!

 

Prize : $30 vouchers from Chilli Padi Restaurant.

I think we are going to have a great time! :)

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.

These worksheets were printed a long time ago and C revisited them this evening.

In the past, evenings were spent doing C's homework before other things and often, after homework were done, there wouldn't be much time left for her to do other activities. Fortunately for the past 2 days, C has taken more initiative and will complete her assignment from Ms May by the time I return.

That means, we have more time to do fun activities! Well, C thinks they are fun. Ha ha ha!

It's like solving a puzzle actually. She has to colour designated words and then guess what was hidden in the picture. But of course she could already tell but I told her that there are instructions to follow for all games so she dutifully did her colouring.

Unlike Daddy Dearest who is able to invent games to play with C, my time with her is always spent doing "more serious" stuff. Then I got worried because I don't want to be seen as "all-work-and-no-play" Mummy. How cool would that be, right? That's why I have been asking C if she enjoyed doing such writing and reading sessions with me.

Thankfully she replies (everytime) that she loves doing these exercises.

Then she went on to do another piece of work where she had to identify the correct nouns to the corresponding pictures.

She breezed through this activity. Ha ha!

I am glad she likes doing them. Otherwise, I will be cracking my head and tearing my hair out, thinking of games to play with her. Or I can get Daddy to play with her in the evenings... Hee.

This evening, C did some exercises on time-reading. Well, we haven't really taught her to read the clock formally although we would refer to it when we want her to be ready by a certain time.

There were a series of pictures depicting some actions and C had to indicate the time for these activities like breakfast at 8am and so on. She still has a long way to go because she hasn't quite register that midnight is in the wee hours of the early morning.

More reading of the time although it was the simple "half-past" concept.

Then we did more reading of her English sentences and finished the evening's work with doing her Additions. :)

Shopping online makes things a lot easier and since I discovered Vpost, shopping overseas has also become a reality.

This isn't the first time that I make purchases via the Internet and this will definitely not be the last. A lot of things are cheaper and if you can afford the wait, and get a few friends to tag along with the purchases, shopping via Vpost is going to save you a lot of money. :) In the past years, I have ordered party gifts, clothes, shoes, bags, books... and the list goes on.

C's shampoo was running low and in the past, I would go to my trusted Robinsons to get them but despite many attempts to get her shampoo, I finally was told that there were some problem with the distribution rights and for now, the shampoo is no longer available in Singapore.

So, the next best thing to do is to turn to the Internet and get what I need.

Viola!

We got really busy this evening!

C has asked for more puzzles so I bought her 2 instead. When she saw them, she was thrilled beyond words and started working on 1 immediately.

This time round, I made it tougher for her. I got her to examine the picture on the cover more closely and told her to look out for key items. Then I put away the cover and she had to recall what she saw.

Then I saw that she didn't start with the edges like we usually would. Instead she zoomed in on particular features and colours and then looked for similar patterns.

Her masterpiece was done in no time! :) Aunt Linda was saying that she would look for a pretty frame to hold her puzzles. Thank you!

Next, we worked on some addition. These worksheets are new as C has completed her old ones.

And some English. C is able to read the words more fluently now and she has no problems blending these simple words.

Cheryl has been bugging me to print some colouring pages for her and I only managed to remember to do it this afternoon. I printed some of her favourite characters like Handy Mandy, Mickey and the gang and the Little Einsteins.

I also printed some simple Math worksheets for her to work on since I realised that she loved doing them. The worksheets and colouring pages were the "surprise" I mentioned to her the night before. She was thrilled to see the colouring pages and wanted to work on them immediately.

She would have laid her hands on all of the print-outs that I had brought home if I wasn't looking at her! But she finally settled for Handy Mandy and even asked me to do some colouring with her.

Next, she completed her homework of identifying bigger and small numbers. After which, we did some simple addition.

C is doing her writing of numbers every day and it seems like doing homework is going to be a daily affair. I am thinking that this is probably one way of getting the children under their charge to get accustomed to life in the primary school later. C is still not used to the idea of a lesser play time in the evening but she doesnt reject it outrightly though. So I guess it's only a matter of time before she gets used to it.

Besides, it takes 7 days to cultivate a habit and I am sure she will adjust just well.

Cheryl surprised me this evening when she was playing her computer games. She did some additions and my, my, she got the sums right!

Of course, solving these sums in games are definitely more fun than just doing them on worksheets!