Never miss it

I try my darnest not to miss any event which the kids are involved in. Even if it is a boring thing to do, I still try my best to be present. Especially for Ann. Her love language is TIME. She just love to have me around when she is participating in any event. I try as much as I can to fill up her gas tank with my TIME.

Through the years, I have been there…

K2 Sports Day


P1 Sports Day


P2 Sports Day


P3 Sports Day

Soon, very soon, they will all grow up. If not now, then when?

For once, a good change

Since coming home, I have seen many changes in my country. Changes which I do not think is good. Changes which make me think of moving again. However, this is one good change.












Guess what is this? (Toilet)


Guess where is this? (Inside the toilet)

This place was actually the old Turf City. What a change, a good change... finally.

So cool and calm

When my kids are so cool and calm during the exams period, do I panic or do I relax?

I think having been away is good cos’ Kai and Ann have absolutely no idea what exam stress is all about. It is good to keep it this way. I guess, I played a part in their attitude towards exams. I have always told them that whether it is CA, SA, just take it as mummy giving you an assessment. I think it works!

All about then and now


They are the best of friends. Family friends. Knew each other since Montessori days. You can tell who is the cheeky one, trying to act cool.


   
The best of cousins. Any change?

When they were younger, they were really a handful. The eldest (middle one) is an autistic kid with a big heart. He never fails to share. I always tell Kai and Ann, they must learn from their big cousin on the virtue of sharing.

I am such an irony, to wish that they will grow up fast yet sometimes, I wish they will be little toddlers again.

Then, there were four …

 
She is surrounded by boys, that’s why, she is not someone to mess with.

When she first started school, for the first six months, she was always thinking of her days and friends in SSIS. No one wanted to be her friend here because the kids already have their group of friends.  They have already known each other since P1. In fact, some of the girls were very unkind. They asked her to sit away from them, didn't want her to join them at recess etc.... Thank God, she is very resilient. She made friends with the boys instead. Hahaha. See, other than IQ and EQ, you need SQ (social quotient), very important.

Forever my babies

 
Completely exhausted after a day to the…….ZOO!
I pray that parents will always remember this. Kids need to be kids!

Snippets

So much have happened and I have done quite a lot. Perhaps, to catch up with all the moments I have missed out for the past few years when I was away…

Nick Vujicic in Singapore

One of my favourite author. I first got to know of this inspiring man as an author. I was captivated by the book cover of his first book, “Life without Limits” which I first saw in Shanghai. He went on to become an evangelist and a motivational speaker. His life is simply inspiring. At 10 years old, he was thinking of ending his life because he saw no hope in his future but the thought of sending his parents into depression just made him live on and like what they always say, “the rest is history.”

Recently, he was in Singapore and I brought the whole family to watch him speak. Kai was very inspired by him and I believed, he was touched by him.

 


Jason Chee, the navy guy who lost three limbs in a nasty accident was also present. Our very own hero. A strong man with a strong determination to live on in spite of. Ms Aishah Samad, SEA shooter, bronze medallist, who lost four limbs to bacterial infection which she was infected when in China. These people, really put some able-bodied people to shame.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/video/limbless-speaker-nick-vujicic-inspires-044642011.html

 
Mobbed by a crowd

 
His first book which opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities
Some gems from listening to his talk…

• FEAR – false evidence appearing real but FAITH – full assurance in the heart.
• If you don’t see a miracle, be the miracle. If God tells us everything, we won’t need faith
• Faith is facing a potential which we cannot see…

Wedding

That’s the thing about coming home. You are with friends and families and weddings and gatherings and everything else which involve people you love and care about.

Just sitting down, waiting for the wedding couple and dinner to be served is really boring. We had out pictures taken by professional photographers. Apparently, this is the latest fad at wedding dinners. Hmmm, we are indeed behind time. Time to catch up!

Gathering

Two girls came back from overseas and we, the ex-SCGS girls met up again.

 
Girls and food and chats, they made the perfect trio!

and the others…

The next few weeks will be a busy time. Kids will be having their final year exams. Since July, I have been attending the parent facilitator training. The course is ending soon, a presentation coming up and a reflection report due next week.

It has been an eye opening course. So many of our kids are suffering and so many parents are so lack of knowledge in dealing with their kids. One most upsetting case which was shared by my trainer was this 16 year old girl. She is not just your ordinary girl. She is a very rich girl. She has a personal driver who sends her to school and picks her from school. She has money to buy anything which only some girls can dream of. However, she loves to steal. Every now and then she will steal something from a shop. It is not that she doesn’t have the money. She is rich. Her wallet is filled with cash each time when she was caught. Her parents were at a lost and sent her for counselling. My trainer took up her case. After many rounds of counselling, the young girl finally opened up and revealed the reason for stealing.

“It is only when I steal, the school will call up both my parents and it is only in such occasion, I can see both my parents.” Sad.

Both parents are successful professionals and travel very often. They hardly have time for their only child.

Today, in IMH, many children, as young as seven and eight years old are roaming at the courtyard. It is indeed very sad. This society has been completely blinded by the rat race.
I hope to be able to train other parents to see their children as kids and not a commodity to fulfill their (parents)  lost dreams.




When all is over and done, I am looking forward to the year-end family holiday where we will hit the road. Melbourne-Sydney-Gold Coast. Down under, here we come!

The nastiest of all

This week has been a very ‘turbulent’ week. Ann was sick. Very sick. One of the nastiest virus attack ever. Three years in Shanghai, she has never missed school for a week. At most two days and she was up and running. Yes, she is basically a very healthy and strong girl.

Parents, when your kids are sick, don’t pump them with panadol and send them to school or any classes. This is so irresponsible of you. Last Saturday, one of her classmates from her ballet class was not feeling well but was still present in class. Her mother had told the teacher that if she was not well enough to dance, she could sit by the side to watch. In less than 15 mins, her mother decided to bring her home because the little girl could not even watch by the side line. Clearly, she was so ill.

By Sunday morning, Ann was running a low-grade fever. On Monday morning, it shot up to 39 C. Then it was non-stop. On top of that, she had prolong nose bleed, lasting up to thirty minutes. Saw the family doctor but no improvement. Finally, went to see a specialist and did a blood test. The result came back, she had low count for the white blood cells. White blood cells play an important function in our body. They are the commandos in our body who put up fierce fight against virus that attack us. They also play an important role in helping our blood to clog. With the low count, Ann’s fever never completely subside and her nose bleeding takes a long time to stop.

Being an active child, staying at home means she is bored to tears. I decided to go and pick up some work from school for her but warn the teacher that it is unlikely for her to finish the work because she will only do if SHE decides that she is well enough to do. Yours truly is no tiger mum! She is only a lioness. *wink*
Surprisingly, Ann completed half the homework in one sitting. See what I mean, she is a tough cookie.


Full concentration