Hah! I took a self-declared Christmas break from blogging! This year's Christmas was especially meaningfully busy. We had two rounds of Christmas dinner with both sides of the family, met up with friends, went to the zoo and spent time with the teens. Not forgetting some quiet time to reflect on the true meaning and reason for Christmas - Jesus Himself. It was a wonderfully good season!
So here we are, having just 2 days more to a brand new year! I've been coming up with some plans for the new year with regards to Han's curriculum. Since the day when E and I decided to homeschool Han next year and only enrol her in nursery come 2012, I've been brewing ideas in my mind with regards to what should be in her learning curriculum.
Some sneak peeks of the curriculum features:
- Weekly learning themes to be based on Biblical stories
- Letter of the Week Curriculum from Connfessions of a Homeschooler will be incorporated into the weekly theme. Thus this will probably give us time to go through the entire Letter of the Week Curriculum more than once. This will cover the basic for alphabets.
- Weekly Montessori activities from Montessori sites all around. I particularly like Tot Trays from 1+1+1=1 Tot School amongst many others.
- Activities from Childcareland Teaching Ideas will supplement the weekly theme. Please visit this amazing website!
There are many more ideas brewing so I'll just blog them when they are more finalized! I'll probably have to drop by September 21 to get more teaching aids and bump off some ideas!
Have a meaningful 2 more days of 2010 and a great blessed new year!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Calling Out to the Father
"Daaaaaaaaddddyyy!"
Recently Han is beginning to call out to E whenever she wakes up in the morning or after her nap...or whenever she feels like it. It's an endearing "Daaaaaaddy!" that melts the hearts of both E and me. It's probably due to the fact that E is on leave from work these few weeks and his increased presence and time spent with Han! When E is working, Han will usually ask for me when she wakes up, "Mummy where??". It's a nice change nonetheless! Speaking of which I am very thankful to E for being very involved in spending time with Han and helping to offload me during his leave.I am extremely thankful for him!
When I ponder about Han's calling out for E, I then ask myself, "How often do I call out to God our Father?" When Han calls out for E, it is with a sure expectation that her daddy will surely respond just like how he always does. Do I call out to God with the same faith and certainty? Do I call out to God as often? I am blessed to be reminded!
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6, NIV)
"It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6, The Message Bible)
God cares enough to respond to us when we call out in faith! Now's that's an awesome truth that I want to embrace always and I pray that as Christmas approaches, it will lead us to draw nearer to God the Father and to what Christmas is really all about :)
Recently Han is beginning to call out to E whenever she wakes up in the morning or after her nap...or whenever she feels like it. It's an endearing "Daaaaaaddy!" that melts the hearts of both E and me. It's probably due to the fact that E is on leave from work these few weeks and his increased presence and time spent with Han! When E is working, Han will usually ask for me when she wakes up, "Mummy where??". It's a nice change nonetheless! Speaking of which I am very thankful to E for being very involved in spending time with Han and helping to offload me during his leave.I am extremely thankful for him!
When I ponder about Han's calling out for E, I then ask myself, "How often do I call out to God our Father?" When Han calls out for E, it is with a sure expectation that her daddy will surely respond just like how he always does. Do I call out to God with the same faith and certainty? Do I call out to God as often? I am blessed to be reminded!
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6, NIV)
"It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6, The Message Bible)
God cares enough to respond to us when we call out in faith! Now's that's an awesome truth that I want to embrace always and I pray that as Christmas approaches, it will lead us to draw nearer to God the Father and to what Christmas is really all about :)
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Potty Training Battle Gear
Tomorrow we will start potty training for Han. We are thankful that E has a few days off work this week and it's really good that he can be around. I’ve heard so many stories of “accidents” happening during potty training! As we trod into the battlefield of potty training, which one of my good friends say it's the most challenging thing in motherhood besides breastfeeding, we hereby lay out our battle gear:
1) Potty training book. There are many various methods out there, but since we have been blessed by the parenting ministry of Garry and Anne Marie Ezzo who are founders of Growing Families International (you can visit the local site, Growing Families International Singapore ), we decide to only read one potty training book, Potty Training 1-2-3. All other logistics are recommended according to the method applied. (It may vary for different methods!)
2) Potty Chair. A kind mum sold this brand new to me at only $6. So thankful!
3) Training Doll. We figured that Han will be more motivated by a familiar character rather than a new Raggedy Ann. So here's presenting BJ wearing a pair of pants.
4) Snacks as rewards and to create thirst and so lead to more drinking and potty opportunities. Got a 10 pack variety set of Kellogg's which look very tempting to me even! We added some Barney and Friends stickers to the reward basket.
5) Magnetic Reward Chart taken from Potty Time Training Pack, which I bought during a Popular sale. Will be using this to reward Han in using the potty.
6) Self-made reward chart with Han's favorite characters to reward her, using Barney stickers, in staying dry and clean. This reward system has to be more enticing than the former as the greater objective of rewards in potty training is not just using the potty, but in staying dry and clean.
7) Bright Bots training pants. Embarrassingly, I did not do much research on the different brands of training pants due to our family trip and my recent camp! This range looks and feels comfortable enough and they're pretty reasonably-priced at an offer price of $9.90 from Kiddy Palace. You can make a good guess why we bought them in these three colours!
Leaning on God's wisdom and strength as we enter into battlefield! Echoing the last sentence of Potty Training 1-2-3, “See you at the finish line!”
1) Potty training book. There are many various methods out there, but since we have been blessed by the parenting ministry of Garry and Anne Marie Ezzo who are founders of Growing Families International (you can visit the local site, Growing Families International Singapore ), we decide to only read one potty training book, Potty Training 1-2-3. All other logistics are recommended according to the method applied. (It may vary for different methods!)
2) Potty Chair. A kind mum sold this brand new to me at only $6. So thankful!
3) Training Doll. We figured that Han will be more motivated by a familiar character rather than a new Raggedy Ann. So here's presenting BJ wearing a pair of pants.
4) Snacks as rewards and to create thirst and so lead to more drinking and potty opportunities. Got a 10 pack variety set of Kellogg's which look very tempting to me even! We added some Barney and Friends stickers to the reward basket.
5) Magnetic Reward Chart taken from Potty Time Training Pack, which I bought during a Popular sale. Will be using this to reward Han in using the potty.
6) Self-made reward chart with Han's favorite characters to reward her, using Barney stickers, in staying dry and clean. This reward system has to be more enticing than the former as the greater objective of rewards in potty training is not just using the potty, but in staying dry and clean.
7) Bright Bots training pants. Embarrassingly, I did not do much research on the different brands of training pants due to our family trip and my recent camp! This range looks and feels comfortable enough and they're pretty reasonably-priced at an offer price of $9.90 from Kiddy Palace. You can make a good guess why we bought them in these three colours!
Leaning on God's wisdom and strength as we enter into battlefield! Echoing the last sentence of Potty Training 1-2-3, “See you at the finish line!”
Monday, December 13, 2010
3 days of 30 going on 13
Ever watched the movie "13 going on 30" where a 13 year old girl experiences life being 30? Well, the reverse happened to me for 3 days. Yes, I just hit the big 3 this year and it was a case of 30 going on 13!
I was a group facilitator for a group of teens at a church teens camp for 3 days. It was an awesome time of seeing God's amazing work in their lives! Being a teens facilitator requires me to have a young heart (and body!). The energy of the teens were simply contagious and I had the wildest time with them during games.
I am extremely thankful that my post pregnancy-post delivery-mummyhood battled body survived two nights of sleeping on a concrete floor using a sleeping bag. The teens chuckled when they saw me inflating my air pillow, which gave me little comfort in the total 7 hours of sleep I had for the two nights. I will seriously consider investing in an airbed for the next camp! E had suggested getting one for the camp but I was hesitant because of the cost haha.
More than anything else, I praise God and thank Him for reviving my heart for youth work through this camp. For a while since I became a mum, I was battling doubts over my availability and capacity as a youth leader. It was tough and I am so thankful for my pastor who never gave up believing in me. Through the camp, the Lord encouraged me and spoke to me clearly that my service to Him should always be a "dedication and not duty". He assured me that He still believed in me and will provide for all that I need as I do His work. I am reminded that He is as concerned about the journey and process of training me to lead, as much as getting the work done. I asked God to keep me faithful to His work always.
Han was extremely happy to have mummy back after 3 days at gramps. I am so thankful for my parents who took good care of her. Going to take a day of two's break and we'll say hello to potty training for this week!
I was a group facilitator for a group of teens at a church teens camp for 3 days. It was an awesome time of seeing God's amazing work in their lives! Being a teens facilitator requires me to have a young heart (and body!). The energy of the teens were simply contagious and I had the wildest time with them during games.
I am extremely thankful that my post pregnancy-post delivery-mummyhood battled body survived two nights of sleeping on a concrete floor using a sleeping bag. The teens chuckled when they saw me inflating my air pillow, which gave me little comfort in the total 7 hours of sleep I had for the two nights. I will seriously consider investing in an airbed for the next camp! E had suggested getting one for the camp but I was hesitant because of the cost haha.
More than anything else, I praise God and thank Him for reviving my heart for youth work through this camp. For a while since I became a mum, I was battling doubts over my availability and capacity as a youth leader. It was tough and I am so thankful for my pastor who never gave up believing in me. Through the camp, the Lord encouraged me and spoke to me clearly that my service to Him should always be a "dedication and not duty". He assured me that He still believed in me and will provide for all that I need as I do His work. I am reminded that He is as concerned about the journey and process of training me to lead, as much as getting the work done. I asked God to keep me faithful to His work always.
Han was extremely happy to have mummy back after 3 days at gramps. I am so thankful for my parents who took good care of her. Going to take a day of two's break and we'll say hello to potty training for this week!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Thoughts from a Narnia Newbie
It's quite embarrassing because the new Narnia film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is the first Narnia film that I have watched even though it's the third one to be released. Honestly, I've never been a big fan of fantasy movies. I've never seen a Harry Potter film and it took me quite awhile to understand the details of The Lord of the Rings, which I eventually like though still not a great fan of. I would much prefer film of modern era which I find it easier to relate to.
Nonetheless, at the persuasion of E, we went to catch the latest Narnia film during our weekly date and I walked away wanting to catch it a second time and with a newly purchased The Chronicles of Narnia book set. Does that make me a fan?
I reflected on three statements, made during the film, that struck me deeply and which I thought are statements that God is using to speak to me. (Please note the accuracy of the statements is based on my memory and may not contain the exact words)
1) "You doubt your value, don't run away from who you are." (Aslan to Lucy)
This one went deep into my heart. God was using this to once again remind me of the work He can still do in me regarding issues of significance.
2) "To defeat the darkness outside, you must first defeat the darkness within yourself." (Magician)
For the past few days, time with the Lord was focused on the area of allowing Him to check my heart and realigning myself to His will. So this one was a further affirmation of a reminder and lesson I am learning.
3) "No matter how hard I try, I can't do it by myself, and then he came close. It hurt but it was good pain." (Eustace)
I teared when I heard this. Isn't it true? All our human efforts are in vain before Him and His glory. We need the Holy Spirit and His empowerment in all we do and in our service to Him. Personally whenever I try too hard with my own strength, and when God intervened (thankfully!), it hurt. Pride has to be stripped and knowledge that puffs up has to be bowed in humility. And yes, I totally agree, it was good pain. This reminds me of God's Word in Hebrews 12: 4-13:
"4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[a]
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,”[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed"
Have a blessed weekend!
Nonetheless, at the persuasion of E, we went to catch the latest Narnia film during our weekly date and I walked away wanting to catch it a second time and with a newly purchased The Chronicles of Narnia book set. Does that make me a fan?
I reflected on three statements, made during the film, that struck me deeply and which I thought are statements that God is using to speak to me. (Please note the accuracy of the statements is based on my memory and may not contain the exact words)
1) "You doubt your value, don't run away from who you are." (Aslan to Lucy)
This one went deep into my heart. God was using this to once again remind me of the work He can still do in me regarding issues of significance.
2) "To defeat the darkness outside, you must first defeat the darkness within yourself." (Magician)
For the past few days, time with the Lord was focused on the area of allowing Him to check my heart and realigning myself to His will. So this one was a further affirmation of a reminder and lesson I am learning.
3) "No matter how hard I try, I can't do it by myself, and then he came close. It hurt but it was good pain." (Eustace)
I teared when I heard this. Isn't it true? All our human efforts are in vain before Him and His glory. We need the Holy Spirit and His empowerment in all we do and in our service to Him. Personally whenever I try too hard with my own strength, and when God intervened (thankfully!), it hurt. Pride has to be stripped and knowledge that puffs up has to be bowed in humility. And yes, I totally agree, it was good pain. This reminds me of God's Word in Hebrews 12: 4-13:
"4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[a]
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,”[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed"
Have a blessed weekend!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Gramps School of Art
Introducing Hume Park Kindergarden Art Pieces by Han and her cousin Ian.
The drawings are so beautifully done! What's more wonderful is they are all drawn with the loving guidance of E's mum during their playdate at my in law's place today.
Here's Han's piece.
Han was showing me the cute green skirt that the elephant is wearing. Somehow, drawings are all the more nicer and sweeter when they are drawn with the loving help of Gramps. Some say "A picture paints a thousand words." More than that, I think "A picture paints a thousand ounces of love." I love them!
The drawings are so beautifully done! What's more wonderful is they are all drawn with the loving guidance of E's mum during their playdate at my in law's place today.
Here's Han's piece.
Han was showing me the cute green skirt that the elephant is wearing. Somehow, drawings are all the more nicer and sweeter when they are drawn with the loving help of Gramps. Some say "A picture paints a thousand words." More than that, I think "A picture paints a thousand ounces of love." I love them!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Moments in Malacca
We just returned from a 4 days 3 nights trip to Malacca! With this beautiful historic place just a 3 hours drive away, it's the umpteen time that E and I have been there, but it was Han's first. My mum came along too and we are thankful for a good time of fellowship and a nice relaxing few days of family bonding! Thankful for my dad's MPV that was very comfortable to travel in!
Han was very excited to be in the car for a long drive. She is pretty much ok with road trips as this is her third one, with the first and second being Genting and Kuala Lumpur respectively. I think she is pretty soothed by the scenic drive and comfortable car seat. Knowing how excited she is for the trip, I guess it should not be too much of a surprise that she woke up at 6am+ on the second morning and was already jumping like a monkey in her portable playpen! Thankfully she slept better for the second and third night!
My most memorable moment was seeing this:
It was in the evening after some shopping and a meal at Jusco and I was so in awe of God's creative masterpiece in this simply awesome sunset. What an amazing array of colours in a perfect blend of beauty! How awesome is God!
Malacca has a lot of nice authentic eating places. My favorite would be Bei Zhan.
Malacca has her own share of famed authentic local fare, but we love Bei Zhan for it's reasonably-priced, super delicious Chinese cuisine. Of course, it's important that the place is child friendly and it's a nice environment to dine in! Worth a definite try when you are there!
Lastly, I'm so glad to announce that Han has successfully had her haircut today! My mum was babysitting her while E and I had a day with the teens. It must be the magic of gramps and her persuasion power. Regardless, we are so thankful Han has had a haircut and I do hope it grows out nicely for the new year! :)
Han was very excited to be in the car for a long drive. She is pretty much ok with road trips as this is her third one, with the first and second being Genting and Kuala Lumpur respectively. I think she is pretty soothed by the scenic drive and comfortable car seat. Knowing how excited she is for the trip, I guess it should not be too much of a surprise that she woke up at 6am+ on the second morning and was already jumping like a monkey in her portable playpen! Thankfully she slept better for the second and third night!
My most memorable moment was seeing this:
It was in the evening after some shopping and a meal at Jusco and I was so in awe of God's creative masterpiece in this simply awesome sunset. What an amazing array of colours in a perfect blend of beauty! How awesome is God!
Malacca has a lot of nice authentic eating places. My favorite would be Bei Zhan.
Malacca has her own share of famed authentic local fare, but we love Bei Zhan for it's reasonably-priced, super delicious Chinese cuisine. Of course, it's important that the place is child friendly and it's a nice environment to dine in! Worth a definite try when you are there!
Lastly, I'm so glad to announce that Han has successfully had her haircut today! My mum was babysitting her while E and I had a day with the teens. It must be the magic of gramps and her persuasion power. Regardless, we are so thankful Han has had a haircut and I do hope it grows out nicely for the new year! :)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
"Don't need to cut hair..."
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| From www.babyblues.com |
I still remember when Han was an infant, it was her grandparents who cut her hair for her. She was blessed with a thick mane of hair when she was born and it was not even 4 weeks later when she got her first trim from grandpa. Subsequently, whenever the need arises, we will bring her to the neighborhood salons where the kind hairdressers will give her a quick and professional hair snip for between $5-$10. Fuss free service that more than compensate for E and I's sorely-lacking barber skills. The most memorable time was when the very inexperienced - yet extremely adventurous - thinking we'll get a good deal E and I decided to try out a home-based hairdresser. These are normally middle-aged women who provide hair-cuts at their homes, which are equipped with the basic salon gear. It turned out disastrous because Han was wailing away (she was about 7 months at that time) and the hairdresser's "I've seen it all - it's ok even she cries her lungs out - so let's get on with it" attitude did not rest very well on us. So guess what? We carried the poor battle-worn Han home, half-crying half-asleep. With her haircut HALF-COMPLETED. A few hours later when she woke up from her nap, we bought her to my hairdresser who completed the job well. We were so thankful that it could be completed in the first place! Subsequent haircuts were quite uneventful. So what took place the last few days did catch us by surprise!
Back to the cause of our guilt. 3 failed attempts to get Han to a hair salon the past few days had taken an emotional toil on her. The first time we tried to insist she still went ahead, she really bawled. Our instinct told us that it was not a tantrum she was throwing, but it was a fear she was exhibiting. Of what? I'm not sure, perhaps it was the noisy purr of many hairdryers combined, the snipping sound of big shiny scissors, the intimidating lights in the salon, the somewhat sinister smile of the hairdressers (now I think I am imagining things!) etc. So on the 2nd and 3rd attempt, we tried to dangle some carrots. A cold drink, a sweet, some prep talk at the entrance, distracting her by focusing on the pretty Christmas deco... Nothing worked. Tears still flow and Han pleaded, "Hannah don't need to cut hair..." We toyed with the idea of just dragging her in and forcing her to sit down for a cut but in the end decided against it as we feel we need to help our girl work through what's bothering her first. There are specialised salons for children with TV monitors in front of the barber chairs and a cute super child friendly environment, but we so do not want to be using that as the only option.
She woke up last night after a nightmare. "Daddy! Daddy! Don't need..don't need.."
The haircut could wait for now. Thankful for hairpins. Hopefully our family trip the next few days will take her mind off this for a while and when we are back, it's Operation Cut Hair.
Laying the Table for Her Friends
Han loves to play her pretend play kitchen set and cooking accessories almost everyday during her free play time. Sometimes, I would ask her if she prefers to play with something else, she will rarely divert to her other toys and would still prefer playing with the pretend play cooking.
Recently, she started to involve her 3 friends in her play. She would pretend to cook for them and then dutifully lay the "table" (it's actually our family couch) for them. Some of my observations from here:
1) Yellow plate for yellow BJ (colour matching)
2) Purple cup and purple eggplant for Barney (colour matching)
3) Purple cup for the small Barney (colour matching)
4) Purple-pink spoons for the 2 Barneys, none for BJ and Baby Bop
5) Teapot for refilling of cups
6) Big plate of food placed in the centre, not the side (observation from how the family sets our table??)
7) Something to eat and drink for everyone!
It's cute uh? I really wonder what goes on in the mind of a two-year old! :)
Recently, she started to involve her 3 friends in her play. She would pretend to cook for them and then dutifully lay the "table" (it's actually our family couch) for them. Some of my observations from here:
1) Yellow plate for yellow BJ (colour matching)
2) Purple cup and purple eggplant for Barney (colour matching)
3) Purple cup for the small Barney (colour matching)
4) Purple-pink spoons for the 2 Barneys, none for BJ and Baby Bop
5) Teapot for refilling of cups
6) Big plate of food placed in the centre, not the side (observation from how the family sets our table??)
7) Something to eat and drink for everyone!
It's cute uh? I really wonder what goes on in the mind of a two-year old! :)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
DIY Pegboard
I've been looking for a pegboard for the longest time. Something like that.
Toys R Us don't seem to have it and I am not too keen to spend a lot to buy it from premium toy stores. So I decided to make my own version of a pegboard! Went to Daiso, my favorite hunt for DIY materials and got 30 plastic children's toothpicks and a thick block of pink styrofoam. Total cost = $4. Ta-dah!
Putting in and pulling out the pegs is a good fine-motor skills training activity as it's not very easy to do that on a thick styrofoam block. The first time Han attempted this, she did not have the patience to do all 30 pegs as there are no pre-punched holes on the block and she had to create a hole with every peg she pushed in. So I had to help her with that. But with subsequent re-visits to this activity, Han found it more enjoyable as she only needs to push the pegs into the holes that are already present. I like this activity as I feel it not only trains up her fine-motor skills, it also trains her on her patience to finish putting in all 30 pegs and pulling them out to keep them. Thankfully, the pegs come in attractive designs and cute designs, so we will do a running commentary (eg "let's put the pink rabbit in!", "Wow, now is the green tree's turn!" etc) as we do the activity.
The only thing I don't like is the random positions of the holes so I think I'll get another styrofoam board and pre-punch some holes in orderly rows as a second version for her to practise pegging. And yes, if a reasonably-priced (in my opinion) peg board comes along, I'll still get it!
Hurray for DIY!
Toys R Us don't seem to have it and I am not too keen to spend a lot to buy it from premium toy stores. So I decided to make my own version of a pegboard! Went to Daiso, my favorite hunt for DIY materials and got 30 plastic children's toothpicks and a thick block of pink styrofoam. Total cost = $4. Ta-dah!
Putting in and pulling out the pegs is a good fine-motor skills training activity as it's not very easy to do that on a thick styrofoam block. The first time Han attempted this, she did not have the patience to do all 30 pegs as there are no pre-punched holes on the block and she had to create a hole with every peg she pushed in. So I had to help her with that. But with subsequent re-visits to this activity, Han found it more enjoyable as she only needs to push the pegs into the holes that are already present. I like this activity as I feel it not only trains up her fine-motor skills, it also trains her on her patience to finish putting in all 30 pegs and pulling them out to keep them. Thankfully, the pegs come in attractive designs and cute designs, so we will do a running commentary (eg "let's put the pink rabbit in!", "Wow, now is the green tree's turn!" etc) as we do the activity.
The only thing I don't like is the random positions of the holes so I think I'll get another styrofoam board and pre-punch some holes in orderly rows as a second version for her to practise pegging. And yes, if a reasonably-priced (in my opinion) peg board comes along, I'll still get it!
Hurray for DIY!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Of Learning Alphabets - No Time for Flashcards Except for One
25 months later, I have a box of flashcards lying in a box and scarcely used...EXCEPT for one kind. The alphabet ones. First, let me explain why. Over time, I realised that learning is much more effective and interesting when other sources of materials and methods are used besides flashcards. I am definitely not discouraging the use of flashcards, just the exclusive use of them in teaching. (You could read an excellent book "Einstein Never Used Flashcards" which discussed this topic extensively.) Over time, it dawned on me that showing Han a card on numbers is not going to teach her much about math as much as showing her a card of a rabbit is not going to teach her a great deal about the furry cutie. I observed that she picked up words and meanings well mostly through experiential learning and exposure to the actual objects themselves.
However, I would like to comment the use of alphabet flashcards in the learning of alphabets, at least through my own experience. I first started showing Han the Hands on Learning Touch and Feel Cards (ABCs) by Scholastic Hands on Learning when she was about 4 months old.
Honestly, I did not do it with the intention of "teaching" her anything at all. It was just an activity that I like to do in between her naps and milk feeds. To Han, I believe she enjoyed the time we had together and the joy of hearing our voices, these surpassing any appeal that the cards have. I do recommend this set of flashcards for young infants and pre-toddlers as the cards have an element of touch-and-feel and it really appeals to them.
Naturally, as Han got older, I had to source for other alphabet cards for her as there came a time she got pretty bored with the same old set. I started to trudge the web for resources because I did not want to spend on another set of flashcards.
I found these 2 sets at Baby Bumblebee (I changed the "Q for quarter" to my own "Q for queen" as we don't use quaters here) and at Activity Village (they used to have the colour version, but I guess you could colour the pictures yourself) or you could construct your own flashcards using these alternate resources from Activity Village. I really like these 2 sets as they have clear and attractive pictures coupled with the alphabets in capital and small forms. All I did was to print them out and laminate them. On a side note, it's really good to invest in a laminator for all the web-based resources!
During our Learning Time everyday, I will always start off with these alphabet cards and end of with the ABC song. As we do this over the past 21 months or so, we can see Han recognising the alphabets, being able to say a few letter for what object (A for apple etc) and she can sing the ABC song in full just recently. It's really fun! Try it! Just remember that learning the alphabets take MORE than just having cards, it's really infusing alphabets everywhere and making them fun! Some of the things we do at home:
- Talk about alphabets everywhere and always! For example, A is also for aeroplane when you see a plane, B is for the butter on the bread etc.
- Put up an alphabet train on our learning alley. You can get this free version at Kidsparkz. I love this version as it has both capital and small alphabets and realistic photos. Laminate, hang it up and talk about them often.
- Put up alphabet posters
- Videos on alphabets. Our all-time favorite is the Leapfrog Letter Factory. It's very good for introducing phonics too.
- Bath alphabets.We use Little Tikes Bath Letters and Numbers. They stick to wet wall tiles and is really fun!
- Sing the ABC song often!
- Read and read and read.
- Talk and talk and talk to your child. You'll be surprised how they will catch on and spring you a surprise when they talk!
- 3D alphabets and alphabet blocks are good to play with and allow the child to manipulate and aid in letter recognition.
- Puzzles on ABCs
So here's my two cents worth! Have fun!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Creation Week #3! God's Creation of Man
We are still focusing on God's creation of Man. I found this WONDERFUL series of books at the library. This series of "Let's Read About Our Bodies" books has titles featuring the ears, eyes, feet, hair, hands, mouth, nose and skin. There are photos and a simple sentence or two on every page. I like them because the photos are eye-catching and Han was very engaged when I read the books to her, some up to 12 pages long. I also like the fact that the pages contain no more than 2 sentences. Fantastic series of books to teach about God's creation of our bodies!
Another book I read to her along this theme is "Barney Plays Nose to Toes" It'sa really fun book and I get Han to participate in the activities inside. She loves it!
I still reiterate the question to Han, "Who made our hands, feet etc?" She will answer, "God." :) I also figured that in teaching her about the parts of the body, it will certainly take more than just reading books. Therefore, we talk about the parts of the body as much as we can. For example during bathing, changing etc. Another example is when she's running about, I will then ask her who made her legs etc. So it's really about creating an awareness and building that truth into her learning. I pray she will always be in awe of the Creator !
Some other activities for this week:
1) Spooning activity
She's been doing a lot of this since a few months back. I observe a level of improvement when we did this again this week. I must first say that I am extremely thankful for the Friso 3 milk scoop! It's the BEST spoon so far for Han as it is not too big and has a spoon depth that is perfect for this activity! Han used to give up after a while the last few times we did this activity using other spoons, so she resorted to using her hands. This time round, there was no such problem. So yay!
2) Pipe cleaners slotting activity
Han found this relatively easy as the opening of the container was quite big. This activity trains her fine motor skills. I guess it's time for me to make it more challenging by using cut uncooked spaghetti and a salt shaker!
3) Pre-printing practice (Line tracing)
I downloaded this activity sheet from the Kidzone website. They have loads of free pre-printing practice printables! Han has been practicing this for almost 2 months now. As you can see, the tracings on the first line were drawn with my holding of her hand. For the past two weeks, I allowed her to do the second and third line by herself. I think she is improving, but the cute thing is she gets kind of impatient towards the end and she will want to just get the activity over and done with! I'm still trying to train her to hold the crayon the non-palmar way. At the end of this activity, I'll allow her some free time to colour the drawings. Note how she can colour roughly within the sun? That took weeks of practicing!
4) Memory Card Game
I was a little hesitant to start Han on this until E's brother and sister-law gave this Ravensburger Disney Memory Game for her second birthday. I was very happy that the cards have pictures of Pooh, Tigger (especially!) and Piglet etc. That certainly motivated Han to play with them! I decided to start from six cards of three character pairs. Today is the first time Han is doing this and she needed much prompting. Nonetheless we were giggling a lot because when she turned the wrong card, she will start giggling herself! On a side note, I realised placing the cards on the table made them quite difficult to take and turn for Han's tiny hands. So when I saw a recyclable store product display "shelf" kind of things, I took it and it proved to be perfect for propping up the cards! Wonderful! You could make your own version using cardboard I believe.
Cheers!
 |
| Sample page of "Hands" |
I still reiterate the question to Han, "Who made our hands, feet etc?" She will answer, "God." :) I also figured that in teaching her about the parts of the body, it will certainly take more than just reading books. Therefore, we talk about the parts of the body as much as we can. For example during bathing, changing etc. Another example is when she's running about, I will then ask her who made her legs etc. So it's really about creating an awareness and building that truth into her learning. I pray she will always be in awe of the Creator !
Some other activities for this week:
1) Spooning activity
She's been doing a lot of this since a few months back. I observe a level of improvement when we did this again this week. I must first say that I am extremely thankful for the Friso 3 milk scoop! It's the BEST spoon so far for Han as it is not too big and has a spoon depth that is perfect for this activity! Han used to give up after a while the last few times we did this activity using other spoons, so she resorted to using her hands. This time round, there was no such problem. So yay!
 |
| Beads, ice tray from Daiso. Friso 3 milk scoop. |
2) Pipe cleaners slotting activity
Han found this relatively easy as the opening of the container was quite big. This activity trains her fine motor skills. I guess it's time for me to make it more challenging by using cut uncooked spaghetti and a salt shaker!
 |
| All materials from Daiso |
3) Pre-printing practice (Line tracing)
I downloaded this activity sheet from the Kidzone website. They have loads of free pre-printing practice printables! Han has been practicing this for almost 2 months now. As you can see, the tracings on the first line were drawn with my holding of her hand. For the past two weeks, I allowed her to do the second and third line by herself. I think she is improving, but the cute thing is she gets kind of impatient towards the end and she will want to just get the activity over and done with! I'm still trying to train her to hold the crayon the non-palmar way. At the end of this activity, I'll allow her some free time to colour the drawings. Note how she can colour roughly within the sun? That took weeks of practicing!
4) Memory Card Game
I was a little hesitant to start Han on this until E's brother and sister-law gave this Ravensburger Disney Memory Game for her second birthday. I was very happy that the cards have pictures of Pooh, Tigger (especially!) and Piglet etc. That certainly motivated Han to play with them! I decided to start from six cards of three character pairs. Today is the first time Han is doing this and she needed much prompting. Nonetheless we were giggling a lot because when she turned the wrong card, she will start giggling herself! On a side note, I realised placing the cards on the table made them quite difficult to take and turn for Han's tiny hands. So when I saw a recyclable store product display "shelf" kind of things, I took it and it proved to be perfect for propping up the cards! Wonderful! You could make your own version using cardboard I believe.
Cheers!
Colour Matching Her Favorite Way
Han did her own colour sorting after we finish some crayon activity. She's been doing this for quite a few times. Today, she took out the different shades of the same colour and classified them correctly, according to what (who rather) else? Her good friends! It's moments like that when I know she is learning, retaining and applying what is taught! :)
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
A Nice Complement to A Great Book
One of Han's favorite books is The Very Hungry Caterpillar (by Eric Carle). I read this book to her when she was just a few months old and it still remains as one of her much-loved books. She loves to say "tiny caterpillar" and "big caterpillar" when the story is read, and she goes into an excited frenzy when she sees the big and beautiful butterfly at the end. A few weeks back, I found this fantastic The Very Hungry Caterpillar Colorforms 3D Deluxe Playset at the Robinsons Expo sale.
It costs less than $9 after a 50% discount and I thought it's a super good buy! I really really like how this playset complements the story. What I did was to read the story once to Han. After that, I read it a second time, this time passing her the colorform pieces that represented the respective part of the story I was reading. They could represent the tiny caterpillar, the different food it ate, the big caterpillar, the cocoon etc. She then stuck the pieces onto the storyboard included. She was very engaged throughout the whole process and I felt that Han's handling and sticking of the colorform pieces really helped to illustrate the growing quantity of food that the very hungry caterpillar ate progressively! It was a visual effect that became more obvious compared to just seeing the book illustration, I feel.
I think it's a great idea to have complements to the books you are reading to your child, whenever possible. It does not mean every complement has to be stored-bought though because we can be creative in coming up with our own versions using existing materials or toys available. For example, if I am reading a story of ducks, I could make use of the bathing rubber duckies as complements. If I am reading a story of a bus, I could use a used tissue box to make a bus as a complement. The stories will be so much more alive when children can take part in and have more than their visual or auditory senses stimulated.
Have fun complementing your reading!
 |
| Left to right: Book and Playset |
 |
| Contents of the playset |
I think it's a great idea to have complements to the books you are reading to your child, whenever possible. It does not mean every complement has to be stored-bought though because we can be creative in coming up with our own versions using existing materials or toys available. For example, if I am reading a story of ducks, I could make use of the bathing rubber duckies as complements. If I am reading a story of a bus, I could use a used tissue box to make a bus as a complement. The stories will be so much more alive when children can take part in and have more than their visual or auditory senses stimulated.
Have fun complementing your reading!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
I'm A Student Again!
When I was young, I love languages and running. Reading books and running around everywhere (yes, they seem like contradictory interests right?) were my favorite things in the world. These are the two areas I had loads of interest in and I think I did pretty ok in them! It is then no surprise that I am very enthusiastic about reading to Han and running around with her, going for walks etc. Not much of a steep learning curve for me until...
During one of our art learning time, we were doodling happily with crayons and I was just randomly drawing some easy stuff for her like a flower, clouds, the sun, moon starts etc. Then in a very highly expecting sort of tone, Han insisted I draw this:
It cannot be just a tiger, it has to be TIGGER. I managed to do a decent one using a picture as a guide, and I just knew the days ahead will hold more challenges! I began to feel especially regretful about my fail in art as a student, but oh well :)
Some time later, a kind soul gave us this.
Han was very excited to use the chopsticks I gave her as drum sticks and she beat on the drums in a sort of attempting- to- play- it way.
I got to learn to play the drums! At least in a can-engage-a toddler-correct and interesting beat way!
Then it dawned on me that with this around,
my learning curve just did a vertical arising once more!. (the only instrument I know how to play is the guitar) I need crash courses!
Isn't it sweet and funny at the same time we parents are willing to learn what we do not know in order to let our children know the hows of what we don't?
During one of our art learning time, we were doodling happily with crayons and I was just randomly drawing some easy stuff for her like a flower, clouds, the sun, moon starts etc. Then in a very highly expecting sort of tone, Han insisted I draw this:
It cannot be just a tiger, it has to be TIGGER. I managed to do a decent one using a picture as a guide, and I just knew the days ahead will hold more challenges! I began to feel especially regretful about my fail in art as a student, but oh well :)
Some time later, a kind soul gave us this.
Han was very excited to use the chopsticks I gave her as drum sticks and she beat on the drums in a sort of attempting- to- play- it way.
I got to learn to play the drums! At least in a can-engage-a toddler-correct and interesting beat way!
Then it dawned on me that with this around,
Isn't it sweet and funny at the same time we parents are willing to learn what we do not know in order to let our children know the hows of what we don't?
Friday, November 19, 2010
Happy 5th Wedding Anniversary Dear!
Dear,
Blessed 5th wedding anniversary! It's been 5 years since we said "I do."!
Thank you for:
being my husband, partner in Christ, best friend, soul mate, play mate, confidante, protector, father of our child,
always loving me for who I am,
always seeking to give of your best, giving of your time and energy to this family, many a times giving up your own needs,
working so hard to provide for this family, releasing me to bring up Han personally at home,
spurring me on in Christ, at times when I feel tired and need a nudging,
for making me laugh and have fun when I am too serious at times,
for giving so much assurance of your love, for me and the family
But thank you most of all for being who you are in God and that's the way I love you too.
I love you dear and I look forward to many many years of life together as One in Christ with you.
Blessed 5th wedding anniversary! It's been 5 years since we said "I do."!
Thank you for:
being my husband, partner in Christ, best friend, soul mate, play mate, confidante, protector, father of our child,
always loving me for who I am,
always seeking to give of your best, giving of your time and energy to this family, many a times giving up your own needs,
working so hard to provide for this family, releasing me to bring up Han personally at home,
spurring me on in Christ, at times when I feel tired and need a nudging,
for making me laugh and have fun when I am too serious at times,
for giving so much assurance of your love, for me and the family
But thank you most of all for being who you are in God and that's the way I love you too.
I love you dear and I look forward to many many years of life together as One in Christ with you.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Do I Work and Will I Regret? - A Road Less Travelled
"You don't work??" she asked me with an incredulous look.
(you think being a stay home mum is not working?)
"But you are so young!" she went on.
(thanks for the sweet reminder!)
"You can easily earn a few thousand if you work!"
( It's a reminder I don't need.)
"Will you regret if you don't have much in your CPF next time because you don't work?"
I have gotten this kind of conversation quite a few times, but today it seemed to linger in me longer. I feel a need to realign my decision in my heart again.
Staying at home is not equal to not working. With a child-caring schedule that spans more than 12 hours a day, "not working" is the last thing on my mind. Of course, I am very thankful to God for the times when Han is engaged in self-play and when taking her nap. That will give me about 2 hours of free time a day.
Seriously, I have yet to come across a one-liner that can explain to others how stay home mums are so really fully working! What a misconception of the word "working"! Maybe we should call ourselves stay-at-home-working-with no monetary pay- mums...
Of course, not everyone is a stay home mum. I fully salute working mums who can manage a career and family. I humbly admit I can't do that juggling! So onto the road less travelled I walk.
I did not answer the lady's last question. In any case, it was pretty much a one-way conversation. No, I will not regret it when 20 years down the road, I see less money in my CPF account. For I know the God I serve is our Provider and He will not let us run dry. But I will certainly regret when I know I have missed the many firsts in Han's life and the time invested in her childhood if I choose another road.
**********
The lady seemed to sense I was not exactly leaping with joy at her comments. She changed her stance.
"Wow! Your girl is really well-behaved!"
(patting Han) "Your mummy has taught you well."
Thank you madam, for it is by His grace. :)
(you think being a stay home mum is not working?)
"But you are so young!" she went on.
(thanks for the sweet reminder!)
"You can easily earn a few thousand if you work!"
( It's a reminder I don't need.)
"Will you regret if you don't have much in your CPF next time because you don't work?"
I have gotten this kind of conversation quite a few times, but today it seemed to linger in me longer. I feel a need to realign my decision in my heart again.
Staying at home is not equal to not working. With a child-caring schedule that spans more than 12 hours a day, "not working" is the last thing on my mind. Of course, I am very thankful to God for the times when Han is engaged in self-play and when taking her nap. That will give me about 2 hours of free time a day.
Seriously, I have yet to come across a one-liner that can explain to others how stay home mums are so really fully working! What a misconception of the word "working"! Maybe we should call ourselves stay-at-home-working-with no monetary pay- mums...
Of course, not everyone is a stay home mum. I fully salute working mums who can manage a career and family. I humbly admit I can't do that juggling! So onto the road less travelled I walk.
I did not answer the lady's last question. In any case, it was pretty much a one-way conversation. No, I will not regret it when 20 years down the road, I see less money in my CPF account. For I know the God I serve is our Provider and He will not let us run dry. But I will certainly regret when I know I have missed the many firsts in Han's life and the time invested in her childhood if I choose another road.
**********
The lady seemed to sense I was not exactly leaping with joy at her comments. She changed her stance.
"Wow! Your girl is really well-behaved!"
(patting Han) "Your mummy has taught you well."
Thank you madam, for it is by His grace. :)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Importance of Creating Memories
This afternoon, in her usual chatty mood, Han said,
" Hannah go to the beach with por por...
Hannah scoop sand...
Hannah pour water...
Hannah never walk on sand... (referring to her initial reluctance to walk on sand)
Hannah wash legs...
Hannah's legs dirty!!"
This is not the first time she has talked about a memorable first time-outing to the beach with us and with my mum. Today, as she narrated it again and added the last three sentences to make today's version a longer one, something struck me.
Han could remember something that took place more than half a year ago and she really enjoys narrating it quite often. The more she narrates, the more details she will add. It's a process of articulating a memory that is very precious to her. She does the same for her second birthday party that took place last month.
"Hannah happy birthday...
So many purple balloons! Same colour as Barney!
(proceeds to name all the immediate and extended family members present at the party)
Hannah blow cake. Barney, BJ, Baby Bop, Scooter all on cake!"
Someone, an experienced father of 4 daughters, once told E and me , " Create memories for your children to look back on. What I remember is not the things my parents buy for me, but the memories they created for me."
A large part of a child's memories are built by the parents and I pray, by His grace, we will seek to create great memories for Han.
" Hannah go to the beach with por por...
Hannah scoop sand...
Hannah pour water...
Hannah never walk on sand... (referring to her initial reluctance to walk on sand)
Hannah wash legs...
Hannah's legs dirty!!"
This is not the first time she has talked about a memorable first time-outing to the beach with us and with my mum. Today, as she narrated it again and added the last three sentences to make today's version a longer one, something struck me.
Han could remember something that took place more than half a year ago and she really enjoys narrating it quite often. The more she narrates, the more details she will add. It's a process of articulating a memory that is very precious to her. She does the same for her second birthday party that took place last month.
"Hannah happy birthday...
So many purple balloons! Same colour as Barney!
(proceeds to name all the immediate and extended family members present at the party)
Hannah blow cake. Barney, BJ, Baby Bop, Scooter all on cake!"
Someone, an experienced father of 4 daughters, once told E and me , " Create memories for your children to look back on. What I remember is not the things my parents buy for me, but the memories they created for me."
A large part of a child's memories are built by the parents and I pray, by His grace, we will seek to create great memories for Han.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Creation Week #2!
This week we were supposed to focus more on God's creation of man. However, there was a quite a change in our schedule as E was away at a camp and I substituted 2 days of Learning Time with outings instead (I had to get out of the house!).
The first outing we went to was the Borders clearance sale at Suntec. My good friend JR came along with Han and me and I was very thankful for her company! There were many books on sale and I managed to get 7 books for $32. My favorite buy is Waddle! : A Scanimation Picture Book which I got for $5.
It's not normally a book that I would get for Han as it does not focus on reading and it's a pricey book without the discount, but I thought it's a good buy for a book that can capture a curiosity of a toddler ! I was very proud of Han because she managed to queue along with us for close to 2 hours for payment (yes, the horror of clearance sales!). She was pretty grouchy at the end of the queuing, but was quickly pacified with a warm delicious dinner that filled all three of our cold, hungry stomachs. It was a positive experience to bring Han out! Thanks JR for being a great babysitter and company!
The second outing this week was a play date with Han's close cousin, Ian. I always enjoy bringing Han for play dates with Ian. They share great chemistry as they are regular playmates every week at my in-law's house. My sis-in-law, Ian, her helper, Han and I had a whooping good time (for the kids especially) at the roof top playground of Vivocity . It was a nice fellowship chatting with my sis-in-law and we ended the evening with a great dinner. I thank God He held the weather for us throughout the whole time, especially when I was making my way back home from the train station! Han was sufficiently tired out by 2 consecutive days of outings and she slept early and well :)
I thought these 2 outings greatly tested Han's patience in staying on her pram, our good trusty Maclaren Techno XT. She had to stay on it for at times long stretches of time as I was alone travelling with her to and fro venues via the train. She did very well and I am very thankful to God for that!
For the rest of the non-outing days, we resumed our Learning Time. I made an extra effort to keep asking Han the learning thematic question, "Who made everything?" Now she answers quite accurately, "God". :) I decided to shift the focus on God's creation of man to next week instead as I wanted to reinforce the idea of God creating all things.
So in everything we did this week, I made special reference to God being our Creator. These are the learning activities we had this week.
God made the fruits and vegetables!
God made mice and flowers! Han is doing puzzles daily now. Found this great puzzle which has a replica picture at base for guidance. I love it! It really encouraged Han to enjoy puzzles more! I drew the outlines of the puzzle pieces using a marker as I think it facilitates the process for Han better.
God made colours and shapes! This set of shape recognition and matching is simple and encouraging for toddlers. Great for them to experience success.
Lastly, the most memorable and satisfying learning she had was the Alphabet Train activity.
Previously, she could not have enough patience to last through piecing all the 27 (26 alphabets + 1 train head) pieces together. Today, she showed remarkable improvement by piecing together all the pieces in 1 sitting! I discovered the secret to sustaining her interest was to make a song out of the whole activity : " The letter A is in the alphabet train, place the letter A next to here.." Repeat for all letters with my own silly tune that amused Han greatly. Haha.
I decided to improvise on this learning by bringing out her wooden alphabet blocks.
Han successfully placed 8 matching alphabets on top of corresponding alphabets on the alphabet train. She really enjoyed herself and so did I! We ended the activity by marching around the long alphabet puzzle, to me singing the ABC song for several times! Han loved it and kept giggling!
Cheers to learning!
The first outing we went to was the Borders clearance sale at Suntec. My good friend JR came along with Han and me and I was very thankful for her company! There were many books on sale and I managed to get 7 books for $32. My favorite buy is Waddle! : A Scanimation Picture Book which I got for $5.
It's not normally a book that I would get for Han as it does not focus on reading and it's a pricey book without the discount, but I thought it's a good buy for a book that can capture a curiosity of a toddler ! I was very proud of Han because she managed to queue along with us for close to 2 hours for payment (yes, the horror of clearance sales!). She was pretty grouchy at the end of the queuing, but was quickly pacified with a warm delicious dinner that filled all three of our cold, hungry stomachs. It was a positive experience to bring Han out! Thanks JR for being a great babysitter and company!
The second outing this week was a play date with Han's close cousin, Ian. I always enjoy bringing Han for play dates with Ian. They share great chemistry as they are regular playmates every week at my in-law's house. My sis-in-law, Ian, her helper, Han and I had a whooping good time (for the kids especially) at the roof top playground of Vivocity . It was a nice fellowship chatting with my sis-in-law and we ended the evening with a great dinner. I thank God He held the weather for us throughout the whole time, especially when I was making my way back home from the train station! Han was sufficiently tired out by 2 consecutive days of outings and she slept early and well :)
I thought these 2 outings greatly tested Han's patience in staying on her pram, our good trusty Maclaren Techno XT. She had to stay on it for at times long stretches of time as I was alone travelling with her to and fro venues via the train. She did very well and I am very thankful to God for that!
For the rest of the non-outing days, we resumed our Learning Time. I made an extra effort to keep asking Han the learning thematic question, "Who made everything?" Now she answers quite accurately, "God". :) I decided to shift the focus on God's creation of man to next week instead as I wanted to reinforce the idea of God creating all things.
So in everything we did this week, I made special reference to God being our Creator. These are the learning activities we had this week.
God made the fruits and vegetables!
 | ||
| Fruits/ Vegetables sorting (all materials from Daiso) |
 |
| From Toys R Us |
 |
| From Toys R Us |
Lastly, the most memorable and satisfying learning she had was the Alphabet Train activity.
 |
| Alphabet Train Puzzle (Bought 2nd hand ) |
I decided to improvise on this learning by bringing out her wooden alphabet blocks.
 | |
| Alphabet Wooden Blocks (bought 2nd hand) |
Cheers to learning!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Songs to God
This devotion really spoke to me.
"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music IN YOUR HEART to the Lord..." Ephesians 5:19
In our household, having praise and worship songs played on the CD player is no rarity. I take extra effort to surround our house with lots of praise and worship songs in order to instill in Han a love for His music. When I was reading the verse above, I was very struck by the three words "in your heart". God reminded me that songs to Him must be first made in our hearts way before it comes from our mouths. What is a praise and worship song to Him if we sing it, without first rendering that praise and worship from our hearts to God?
I can play an endless list of songs to Him from my player or even from my guitar, but I know what delights the Father is first a song that starts in my heart and offered to Him with all sweetness of my soul because He is God.
Lord, help me to daily have a song in my heart for You and to You, always giving thanks for EVERYTHING.
"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music IN YOUR HEART to the Lord..." Ephesians 5:19
In our household, having praise and worship songs played on the CD player is no rarity. I take extra effort to surround our house with lots of praise and worship songs in order to instill in Han a love for His music. When I was reading the verse above, I was very struck by the three words "in your heart". God reminded me that songs to Him must be first made in our hearts way before it comes from our mouths. What is a praise and worship song to Him if we sing it, without first rendering that praise and worship from our hearts to God?
I can play an endless list of songs to Him from my player or even from my guitar, but I know what delights the Father is first a song that starts in my heart and offered to Him with all sweetness of my soul because He is God.
Lord, help me to daily have a song in my heart for You and to You, always giving thanks for EVERYTHING.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
What To Munch for Lunch?
 | ||||
| Taken from babyblues.com |
1) Sliced bread with a spread / homemade sandwich
2) Leftover porridge from Han's lunch
3) Re-heated meal bought in the morning at the food court (many times not available if I'm down for an early breakfast with Han)
4) Cereal and milk
5) Fast food delivery (yucks, hate this option unless I'm seriously desperate!)
6) Leftover food from previous day's dinner
My favorite is option number...... 6. It may be leftover food, but it's home-cooked and hot and yummy! Having a daily freshly-cooked meal for lunch is one of the things I gave up when I stopped working outside!
In any case, I do not place much emphasis on my lunch as I would rather use the precious 2 hours to spend time with God, rest or do some net-surfing!
If only there's such a thing as dial-a-hot-freshly-cooked-non fast food-taste like homecooked lunch...
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
She's drawing parallels - "This one's same as..."
Han has been drawing quite a number of parallels in her speech. Her favorite and most consistent example is that of drawing parallels to colours. Examples:
1) "Same colour as Barney!" (whenever she sees an object that is purple)
These few days, she has been using shapes to draw parallels too! Examples:
1) "This one's (a) square, same as (the) table!"
2) "This one's (a) circle, same as (the) cup!"
3) "This one's (a) triangle, same as (the) highchair!" (referring to the highchair tray)
Today, she took her kangaroo soft toy, came up to me and exclaimed, "This one's same as (a) rabbit!!"
And so she proceeds to the next stage...
1) "Same colour as Barney!" (whenever she sees an object that is purple)
2) "Same colour as Baby Bop!" (whenever she sees an object that is green)
3) "Same colour as BJ!" (whenever she sees an object that is yellow)
You must understand why she loves to use Barney characters as her references. If you do not, you can read an earlier post!
4) "Same colour as Tigger!" (whenever she sees an object that is orange)
5) "Same colour aaaaaaaas .........." (whenever she sees an object's colour that she's trying to match a parallel to)These few days, she has been using shapes to draw parallels too! Examples:
1) "This one's (a) square, same as (the) table!"
2) "This one's (a) circle, same as (the) cup!"
3) "This one's (a) triangle, same as (the) highchair!" (referring to the highchair tray)
Today, she took her kangaroo soft toy, came up to me and exclaimed, "This one's same as (a) rabbit!!"
And so she proceeds to the next stage...
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Creation Week!
The theme for Han's Learning Time this week is the Biblical theme "Creation".
I did a couple of learning activities with her, in line with the passage in Genesis 1 which tells us about how God created the world. Firstly, there was no memory verse for her this week, but rather a memory statement, "God made everything.". Throughout the week, when I talked to her about the creations of God, I would teach her this statement. It's a simple 3 word statement, so I guess it rested pretty well on her. I would then proceed to ask, "Who made everything?" The answer is supposed to be "God." For the first few times, she said "Mummy!" or "Hannah!" It was really funny. Eventually she learned that the answer is "God." :)
We learned that God created the sky, moon, stars, clouds etc. So one of the art and craft activity that we did was a drawing-sticker craft. I drew the moon, stars, clouds and the 3 stick figures (representing our family). Han placed the star stickers by herself. This trained her fine motor skills a lot as the star stickers were pretty thin and small. A few months back, she could not have placed them so well, so I was very proud of her that she improved a lot in placing the stickers on. I topped off the activity by giving her Barney stickers to decorate her art piece. Needless to say, she was very happy!
.JPG)
When I went on to teach her how God created the flowers and plants too, we did 2 other activities. One was a simple flower arrangement activity. I got some bunches of fake flowers and a ash-tray with many holes from Daiso. You could also do this using a big salt shaker with many holes. This allows Han to practice her motor skills as she places the stalk of flowers into the holes and at the same time allows her to be creative in arranging her flowers.
.JPG)
She asked me to take a picture of the finished product.
I wanted to show Han how plants grew. The fastest and fuss-free way was to germinate some beans. By the second day, they grew visibly. By the end of the week, they were so tall that they protruded out of the container. Han greets her precious bean plants good morning every day and she lovingly holds the container of plants sometimes to just look at them. I like the gentle way she handles the plants!
.JPG)
We also read some books on animals when I came to the part of how God created animals. Two of her all-time favourite books are Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Eric Carle) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle). We also did a few animal puzzles. I am very happy to see Han enjoying puzzles more and more! I hope she can enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles next. For now, I really must flame up her interest in puzzles first.
When we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I also incorporated these 2 puzzles for Han. Both items only cost me $6 in total. Han loved the magnetic puzzle very much and she did it repeatedly. She was also able to put in all the pieces well too for both puzzles! I thought the 2nd puzzle (below in picture) captured the life cycle of a butterfly very well. I got this for less than $2 at a clearance sale.
We also started on reading a Chinese book every day, using Novum chinese readers. I really like them as the books have bright and attractive pictures and the chinese words are large. I got them for $2 each at Giant sale.
By the 3rd or 4th day, Han was conversing to us in Chinese sometimes. So I was very encouraged by that! I must persevere in teaching her Chinese!
We also managed to make a trip down to a fish farm with my parents on Friday and that topped off our week of learning about God's creation. Next week, our learning theme will still be on Creation, focusing more on the creation of man. Looking forward to more fun learning to come!
I did a couple of learning activities with her, in line with the passage in Genesis 1 which tells us about how God created the world. Firstly, there was no memory verse for her this week, but rather a memory statement, "God made everything.". Throughout the week, when I talked to her about the creations of God, I would teach her this statement. It's a simple 3 word statement, so I guess it rested pretty well on her. I would then proceed to ask, "Who made everything?" The answer is supposed to be "God." For the first few times, she said "Mummy!" or "Hannah!" It was really funny. Eventually she learned that the answer is "God." :)
We learned that God created the sky, moon, stars, clouds etc. So one of the art and craft activity that we did was a drawing-sticker craft. I drew the moon, stars, clouds and the 3 stick figures (representing our family). Han placed the star stickers by herself. This trained her fine motor skills a lot as the star stickers were pretty thin and small. A few months back, she could not have placed them so well, so I was very proud of her that she improved a lot in placing the stickers on. I topped off the activity by giving her Barney stickers to decorate her art piece. Needless to say, she was very happy!
.JPG)
When I went on to teach her how God created the flowers and plants too, we did 2 other activities. One was a simple flower arrangement activity. I got some bunches of fake flowers and a ash-tray with many holes from Daiso. You could also do this using a big salt shaker with many holes. This allows Han to practice her motor skills as she places the stalk of flowers into the holes and at the same time allows her to be creative in arranging her flowers.
.JPG)
She asked me to take a picture of the finished product.
I wanted to show Han how plants grew. The fastest and fuss-free way was to germinate some beans. By the second day, they grew visibly. By the end of the week, they were so tall that they protruded out of the container. Han greets her precious bean plants good morning every day and she lovingly holds the container of plants sometimes to just look at them. I like the gentle way she handles the plants!
.JPG)
We also read some books on animals when I came to the part of how God created animals. Two of her all-time favourite books are Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Eric Carle) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle). We also did a few animal puzzles. I am very happy to see Han enjoying puzzles more and more! I hope she can enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles next. For now, I really must flame up her interest in puzzles first.
When we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I also incorporated these 2 puzzles for Han. Both items only cost me $6 in total. Han loved the magnetic puzzle very much and she did it repeatedly. She was also able to put in all the pieces well too for both puzzles! I thought the 2nd puzzle (below in picture) captured the life cycle of a butterfly very well. I got this for less than $2 at a clearance sale.
We also started on reading a Chinese book every day, using Novum chinese readers. I really like them as the books have bright and attractive pictures and the chinese words are large. I got them for $2 each at Giant sale.
By the 3rd or 4th day, Han was conversing to us in Chinese sometimes. So I was very encouraged by that! I must persevere in teaching her Chinese!
We also managed to make a trip down to a fish farm with my parents on Friday and that topped off our week of learning about God's creation. Next week, our learning theme will still be on Creation, focusing more on the creation of man. Looking forward to more fun learning to come!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Staying Connected!
I am always thankful to God for the community that He has set around E and I, and especially for the group of G12 sisters that I have. As a mum, I think it's vitally important to stay connected! First to God, and also to His people. You cannot parent alone (and this we all learn when the child arrives). Many a times, when the demands of parenting gets into me, I must confess it is easier for me to just want to be alone and "sort things out". One thing that God is constantly reminding me is that I must stay connected and not seek to solve things by myself. What an important lesson to learn everyday!
Psalm 133
1 How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
So mummies, stay connected to your Source and to the body of Christ!
Favorite Song
I was washing up for Han today when I asked her casually, "Hannah, what is your favorite song?" She looked at me and seemed like she was thinking hard. I thought she did not understand what "favorite" meant, so I asked "Hannah, which song do you like the most?"
She replied without hesitation, "Jesus Loves Me."
She replied without hesitation, "Jesus Loves Me."
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Her Reality of Consequences
Seems like many interesting conversations and lessons are taking place at the food court, our daily morning place for a good breakfast.
Han saw the cleaner mopping the floor and was observing her intently. Han is no stranger to the idea of cleaning the floor as she sees me doing that everyday. And then she said: "Uncle (actually it was an aunty who was wearing a cap) mopping floor..Hannah cannot walk...Hannah will fall down." I nearly choked on my food as I heard that. Besides being one of the longer sentences that she has been churning out, it was to me, a sentence of profound meaning! What Han said reflected that not only did she understood the reality of consequences (if she were to walk on wet floors), but she was able to retain that idea and articulate it out in another similar setting! Wow!
I am very encouraged because this means each time there is a need to explain consequences of actions or discipline, I know that she can fully understand and she's able to apply it to similar situations the next time (I hope this continues!)! All those times of reiterating caution and instructions have not been in vain after all:)
I continue to pray that she has a teachable and soft heart that she may walk in the ways of the Lord always!
Han saw the cleaner mopping the floor and was observing her intently. Han is no stranger to the idea of cleaning the floor as she sees me doing that everyday. And then she said: "Uncle (actually it was an aunty who was wearing a cap) mopping floor..Hannah cannot walk...Hannah will fall down." I nearly choked on my food as I heard that. Besides being one of the longer sentences that she has been churning out, it was to me, a sentence of profound meaning! What Han said reflected that not only did she understood the reality of consequences (if she were to walk on wet floors), but she was able to retain that idea and articulate it out in another similar setting! Wow!
I am very encouraged because this means each time there is a need to explain consequences of actions or discipline, I know that she can fully understand and she's able to apply it to similar situations the next time (I hope this continues!)! All those times of reiterating caution and instructions have not been in vain after all:)
I continue to pray that she has a teachable and soft heart that she may walk in the ways of the Lord always!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Fingerpainting!
This is Han's second attempt at fingerpainting and playing with the Crayola Fingerpaint that Aunt Viv bought for her. The first attempt some weeks back didn't go well as she didn't like the feel of the fingerpaint on her hands and she refused to play with them anymore.
This book, First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos , provides a lot of fantastic information about doing art with toddlers. It's a really useful book!
From the book, I learned it's good to provide a pail of water or wet cloth beside the toddler when you do fingerpainting. This is more for toddlers who don't like paint on their fingers. It worked perfectly well for Han this time as I will wipe her hands whenever she felt uncomfortable with the paint on her hands. After wiping, she will then happily proceed with more painting. The book also gives loads of interesting ideas for doing art with toddlers. A great resource!
Besides the fingers themselves, we worked with some small pretty flower sponges that I bought from Daiso. A packet of 8 sponges for only $2! They fitted perfectly well into her small hands. We also had star-shaped cookie cutters from Daiso, a box of different sized ones. I allowed her to play with primary colours, then went on to mix colours for her. (I also found out that the plastic containers, used to contain fruits that I bought from NTUC, served as a perfect container for the Crayola Fingerpaint jars. Another way to recycle materials!)
We had loads of fun! The end result which I proudly added onto our Art Wall! Looking forward to more fingerpainting to come!
.JPG)
This book, First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos , provides a lot of fantastic information about doing art with toddlers. It's a really useful book!
From the book, I learned it's good to provide a pail of water or wet cloth beside the toddler when you do fingerpainting. This is more for toddlers who don't like paint on their fingers. It worked perfectly well for Han this time as I will wipe her hands whenever she felt uncomfortable with the paint on her hands. After wiping, she will then happily proceed with more painting. The book also gives loads of interesting ideas for doing art with toddlers. A great resource!
Besides the fingers themselves, we worked with some small pretty flower sponges that I bought from Daiso. A packet of 8 sponges for only $2! They fitted perfectly well into her small hands. We also had star-shaped cookie cutters from Daiso, a box of different sized ones. I allowed her to play with primary colours, then went on to mix colours for her. (I also found out that the plastic containers, used to contain fruits that I bought from NTUC, served as a perfect container for the Crayola Fingerpaint jars. Another way to recycle materials!)
We had loads of fun! The end result which I proudly added onto our Art Wall! Looking forward to more fingerpainting to come!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
It's YOUR glory, not mine.
Something personal. I was brought to this verse while spending time with the Lord.
Philippians 2:3-4
3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
I was very reminded that in my role as a mum and in what I do as a parent, my utmost goal is not to produce a child that I can be proud of. Of course, I will always be proud of Han as her mum. But it's not about parenting being a means to bring glory to myself. It's so easy to go that way, using the results of our work as a reflection of how good we are! I feel that God wants me to remember that every good thing comes from Him and as I strive to be an excellent mum for Him, it is to bring His name honor and glory.
I was humbly taught by God that in what I do as a parent, it is to bring honor and glory to GOD, not myself. This is aligned to the verses following verse 4 of the same passage.Writing about Jesus:
"6Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:6-8)
The Lord reminded me also that in the course of parenting, it's very important to seek counsel and to look up to other godly examples and to learn from that. I thank Him that I have many godly mothers that I can look up to in my circle of good friends and in God's community. It is also important to give and share whatever God has given to me (such is the aim of this blog too:))
It was such a refreshing time with Him! Thank you God!
Philippians 2:3-4
3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
I was very reminded that in my role as a mum and in what I do as a parent, my utmost goal is not to produce a child that I can be proud of. Of course, I will always be proud of Han as her mum. But it's not about parenting being a means to bring glory to myself. It's so easy to go that way, using the results of our work as a reflection of how good we are! I feel that God wants me to remember that every good thing comes from Him and as I strive to be an excellent mum for Him, it is to bring His name honor and glory.
I was humbly taught by God that in what I do as a parent, it is to bring honor and glory to GOD, not myself. This is aligned to the verses following verse 4 of the same passage.Writing about Jesus:
"6Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:6-8)
The Lord reminded me also that in the course of parenting, it's very important to seek counsel and to look up to other godly examples and to learn from that. I thank Him that I have many godly mothers that I can look up to in my circle of good friends and in God's community. It is also important to give and share whatever God has given to me (such is the aim of this blog too:))
It was such a refreshing time with Him! Thank you God!
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