Tracking on motherhood & enjoying it

Athena's school

My girl has been in the school for half a year now, seems like a really long time to me. Think think think... another 5 1/2 more years to go + Aricia's another 4 years after that. Goash! A decade!!

These 6 months can be really interesting too! I hear funny things from my girl when she tells me what happened in school etc...

Let's start with the beginning :
Around the second week of school, when PE commences. I get a "panting" girl coming into the car. Her cheeks were red, hair messy. And then she tells me "mummy today I have PE. We play. *pant pant*" - though I think her panting is not from PE.
Then the following week, the P1s start with their gym enrichment on Fridays. And the girl told me while I was driving,"wah.....mummy gym very difficult leh. Even more difficult than PE."
Me : why?
She : *shrugs shoulders*
Me : Why? Is it because you have to roll forward?
She : *nods her head*
I burst out laughing, my girl is too pui pui cannot roll. Heehee!

And after the long June hols, first day of school... she complained to me that her leg was painful after her Dance. Tuesday, she told me she couldn't do PE. She told her FT and she sat down.
What do you think the reason was? Never exercise enough lor...

Since Day 1, she has this habit of looking like she's ready for War in the mornings- she can't be bothered to neaten up her pleats (and I had to tell her until I get frustrated). And when I pick her up in the afternoons, she just came back from the battlefield. Very untidy! *slap head*
She has this funny habit of pulling up her skirt so that she'll sit on her panty and not her skirt or dress. Likewise, she does that every morning. And most of the time, I see a girl with the back pinafore shorter than the front (sometimes revealing her panty) walking through the gate.

Helpful
I'm so proud of my girl, she is rather helpful. When her friends' fall, she goes to help them. But a sad thing is, when she fell recently she said nobody helped her (well her reason was coz' no one was with her at that time). Nonetheless I felt really sad.. I mean my daughter leh...
I've been telling my girl to help, to be gracious. But for some favor not to be returned back, it feels awkward.

Her friends
She has countless friends. She makes friends with other children in other classes, and I feel sad when she tells me that she goes to say Hello to my classmate's daughter in another class and that girl couldn't remember her. sob sob....
However she has a really good friend in her class, that girl seems to like her and stick with her all the time. The only thing is >> that girl,S, is well-known to be the naughty girl. As a parent, I worry if mixing with her will make my girl turn naughty. But I can't be telling her not to friend her, so I tell her not to learn everything from her. I didn't know that they were that very close until the playdate when her friends were surprised that 'her buddy was not invited'. "Her buddy?!?"

S, I've been hearing the countless of naughty things she does in school. And how the FT scolds her. And there were 2 occasions when that girl gave my girl money. Once was 70 cents. The next time she gave she increased the amount to $4. Wah piang eh........how much money does that girl bring to school daily?? We must have look poor to her, that she keeps giving che-che money. Of course we returned her money back the next day.
At that time too, she kept saying that "my mother is crazy. Everyday play computer."
She also asked che-che if she can go to the same school as her. Hmm......she loves my girl so much!! And last week, she asked che-che again. Che-che didn't know how to answer her. I had to teach her to answer her diplomatically. Well, if it's meant that they're going to be good friends for life, I think it'll be great.

Months later, I learnt that her mother is not crazy as what she claims. Her mother is not a gaming addict but a LAWYER!! Both parents are lawyers. I laughed at how the way things turn out to be. And of course I get to understand that the girl, S, is infact a very smart girl. She speaks well - which I can't attest to it. Coz' when I greeted her, she couldn't be bothered with me and turned her head away. She was in one of her moods I was told. Suay me!

Rubber bands
One fine day, she brought home rubber bands belonging to her classmate who loaned it to her. My childhood memories flooded back... playing zero point /ye-ye at the courtyard next to the canteen. I asked her to play, she saw how I played and said that's not what they play. They use it to play "snake" and "laundry". When she explained to me how the game is played, I found it hilarious.
And must admit I'm very antique coz' the words they say when they play those clapping games sound really funny.
"Hamburger x2, ham x3
Tomato, cheese

Coconut, chess! (scissor, paper or stone)"

Happiness

they don't call this happiness for nothing.

I shouldn't go T3 any more!!! It's not only Chocolat Factory, there's Candy Empire, Secret Recipe etc.... okay.........it's poor self-control.


Ah.....................happiness

This is funny!

Kiwi airline bares all for safety
AFP - Friday, July 3

WELLINGTON (AFP) - - New Zealand's national airline has come up with an imaginative way of encouraging passengers to pay attention to the pre-flight safety video -- showing cabin crew in the nude.

The Air New Zealand video for domestic flights features staff covered in body paint mimicking their uniforms, their modesty concealed by careful camera angles and strategically placed seat belts and other equipment.

"We wanted to find a way to deliver these important pre-flight messages to our domestic travellers in a way that was genuine, engaging and fun," said Air New Zealand general manager for marketing, Steve Bayliss.

The safety video follows a domestic advertising campaign using the same eye-catching stunt. Even chief executive Rob Fyfe had a brief cameo role as a baggage handler.

**Footnote : I can't imagine if SIA is going to adopt this. Nah! We're too conservative..........but then again the uniform is so ....... make men so hum sup so what's the difference right? I think suspense is still better then show it all.

Be patient

Try to give me some days break from blogging. I am in the midst of transferring my photos files to disc. My laptop's memory is almost full.

Major housekeeping needs to be done.

Aricia II

When I picked the girl up from school, Teacher A told me she was bitten by a child in her class earlier. Apparently the 2 of them were fighting for the same chair, the child resorted to biting. I didn't ask who won the fight or who eventually sat on the chair. My first question was "is she one of the child Aricia bullies?"

Just then another mother came to pick her son (from older class) up and looked at us when Teacher A and myself were talking, Teacher A simply commented "she's so bossy...(referring to my girl)" and smiled. In that situation, she was lightening up our conversation but that mother was so serious siah! She turned to look at Aricia and asked "who? she? she's bossy? So young?" then she began to scruntinize my girl. I tried to make a joke and commented "ah..... not me! I'm not like that!!" Stupid woman don't understand it's a joke and her tone sounded serious, "how old is she?" (continue to scruntinize my girl) When Teacher A replied, that idiot - I feel like slapping her - commented "so small size, 3 yrs old?" Normally I don't mind people when they comment my girl is small size but I didn't like that woman's tone...... I don't take it positively. She gives me the impression that she's a very yim-jim person.

Anyway, to the part where she is brave enough to boss the submissive ones and smart enough to keep away from the bigger size/or she thinks are fiercer than her children - I feel happy that she's able to stand for her rights. Yet on the other hand, I do not want to raise a big bully.......I do not want to be called back to the Principal's office & the fear of her being expelled from school next time.

Then again.......since she's extremely naughty, this girl is really very very smart.
1. At this age, she knows how to "lie" Eg. asks me permission to eat something, I say no. Walks outside, KZ asks her what's my answer, she says "mummy say yes". When I question her later, she looks down on the floor - guilty as charged - and gives a sheepish smile

2. She takes her diapers to wear, realised no more diapers in the drawer. I asked her "oh no! No more diapers!!" She looked at me for3 seconds and then ran to her schoolbag. She took out a diaper for me and tell me "there? I have diaper!!"

3. Maybe this is the 2nd child syndrome. She learns to 'tell tales'. Tells her teacher "Teacher you see....so and so never eat finish her lunch. I eat finish (shows her bowl).

How to tell if your preschooler is a gifted

How to tell if your preschooler is gifted

by Jill Levey

Highlights

Signs of giftedness in a preschooler
Testing your preschooler for giftedness
When giftedness is hard to diagnose

"Did you hear what he just said?" Many parents see every word their child utters or every squiggle he draws as evidence of his being gifted. Though most children aren't identified as gifted until they begin formal school, some show signs of being gifted at a very early age.

Gifted child Ben Hellerstein of Larchmont, N.Y., for instance, was actually reading nonfiction books and memorizing facts by the age of 4. His mother wishes she had realized that he was academically advanced at that time. "If I had," she says wistfully, "he could have gotten the help he needed in school earlier than he did, and his first year of school wouldn't have been so unhappy."

Signs of giftedness in a preschooler

Your 2- to 4-year-old may be gifted if he:

• Has a specific talent, such as artistic ability or an unusual facility for numbers. For example, children who draw unusually realistic pictures or who can manipulate numbers in their head may be gifted.

• Reaches developmental milestones well ahead of peers.

• Has advanced language development, such as an extensive vocabulary or the ability to speak in sentences much earlier than other children his age.

• Is relentlessly curious and never seems to stop asking questions.

• Is unusually active, though not hyperactive. While hyperactive children often have a short attention span, gifted children can concentrate on one task for long periods of time and are passionate about their interests.

• Has a vivid imagination. Gifted children often create a vast and intricate network of imaginary friends with whom they become very involved.

• Is able to memorize facts easily and can recall arcane information that he learns from television shows, movies, or books.

Other signs of giftedness may be a little harder to discern. By age 3 or 4, for example, some gifted children begin to realize that they are "different" from their peers. This can make them feel isolated and withdrawn; it may also make them likely targets for bullying.

They may begin to experience intense frustration because they can think more rapidly than they can express themselves, verbally or physically. If your child appears unusually angry or frustrated, you may want to consult a mental health professional.

Testing your preschooler for giftedness

Though you may want to know if your preschooler is gifted, most children don't need to be tested for giftedness before entering elementary school. However, consultations with a mental health professional may be appropriate if your preschooler appears to be unusually bored in school or shows any signs of emotional or social problems.

If your child is enrolled in preschool, speak to the teacher or school director to find out if the school is affiliated with any mental health professionals who specialize in working with gifted children. If your child is not in school or the school isn't being receptive to your concerns, ask your pediatrician to refer you to a child psychologist who conducts tests for giftedness. Keep in mind that that although private testing is often expensive (testing and follow-up consultation can run as high as $1,000), your insurance plan may cover the cost.

Children as young as 3 can be given IQ and ability tests, but experts believe that IQ test results obtained before the age of 5 are unstable — that is, if a child is retested, his scores can fluctuate significantly until this age. Years ago, children whose IQ scores were over 130 were considered gifted (the range for average intelligence is 85 to 115); today, however, IQ is one factor among many that need to be evaluated before a child is identified as gifted. Often parents and teachers will be asked to write their impressions of a child, and these subjective measures are considered along with test data.

When giftedness is hard to diagnose

You might be surprised to learn that a child can be both gifted and learning disabled. In most cases, the disability is recognized while giftedness goes undetected. Giftedness in children from ethnic minorities and disadvantaged backgrounds, and in those for whom English is a second language, is often overlooked as well. If your child falls into any of these categories, it's best to find a psychologist who is sensitive to these issues. It is also important to ask your child's teacher to observe him and look for talents that conventional tests cannot detect.

To find other resources for parents of gifted children, visit NAGC's Web site.

Aricia

Yesterday was her last class in R's, a bit reluctant to withdraw her out but........I need the extra time for Athena (and hopefully to be able to make up to Aricia by spending more time with her too!)

Of all days we need to be late, it has to be TODAY!! All thanks to che-che who kept delaying time. Throw a big fuss wanting to tie her hair without blowdrying her hair, already going to be late, then say want to go; dowan to go; want to go; dowan to go. Buay tahan! In the end, left without her. And mei-mei missed her favourite opening song. Duh!

The value they learnt this term is on Obedience and R cited example of her being obedient and disobedient in her baking. Let the children try both, the 'disobedient cookies' were extremely saltish. But Aricia love it. Nodded her head said it's nice, thought she's being diplomatic. After some time, I feel she's greedy instead not diplomatic. Hee!

The kids are expected to recite the whole MT today and get their rewards from the Shop. I showed Aricia a lion cup (she adores lion, remember?) and she nodded her head in approval. She waited for her turn, so obedient.
It's not really her turn yet, S hasn't turned her head to look at her and my girl stood up & started reciting loudly.. and then her voice trailed off softer and softer until I can't hear her. She knows but the words can be too mouthful for a child her age, so she mumbles in her own way shortcut to alot of names. Once everything's completed, she walks happily to take her lion cup which she was eyeing all the time & made sure nobody takes it.
Photos are here (shucks!I've used up the max quota for photos in blogger, now have to subscribe to more storage space. Duh!)





She's very pleased with herself , I'm happy too that che-che was not here coz' she'd choose what she wants. The first term she chose what she wanted, not for the mei-mei. Aricia kept holding on her cup so dearly. Back home, she ran back to show KZ her proud cup, she'll wait for daddy to return back the next day before she can show it to him. Meanwhile, she pulled her lion toy by the head and shove the face into the cup saying "see lion , lion."

And this morning, on her way out to school. She ran back to grab the cup. Haha! She kept insisting she had to bring the cup, managed to convince her not to bring in to school only after some time.

Poor thing
Last evening my lil' cried buckets. She was in tremendous pain. She didn't poo since Sunday and she had already forewarned us about her "I stomach pain, I wan to poo-poo", cry but nothing came out (and when she poos, she refuses to sit on toilet seat or potty but prefer to stand and grab hold of the wall/sofa and gives that funny expression).
Didn't realise that her stools were really so hard that she was screaming in pain. She kept asking me to wash her buttocks but didn't want to stand while I remove her diapers, hugged me for her dear life. Then refused to let me touch her buttocks, one finger touch and she screams. How to wash? I asked for KZ's help to carry her while I wash then I saw the poo sticking out (she just can't expel it out). I tried to remove it for her, she screamed in pain. Sat her in a comforting position on the basin and tried again. Screamed and oh my! her anus was expanded so big that I was so prepared to rush her out of the house and run to the clinic opposite and shove her backside to the doctor's face. Real scary!
KZ suggested putting soap inside so that her poo will slip out and the soap will be expelled out. But no way are we going to try to shove things up her ass when we're not experts. So worried it might tear.
Subsequently, she poo-ed another time. Another screaming fits (like child labour without the anesthesia) from her, tried extracting it for her and tell you that girl ah.......small but very strong. Her kick almost killed me, she didn't want me close to her at all coz' the mummy is doing all the bad things.

Managed to talk to her after that and she finally allowed me to touch her, put oil around her anus. Poor girl!

Despite all these noise, that che-che was still so sound asleep.. ZZzzzzzzzzz
Unposted photos
Crazy mother is a bad influence to the children. I put the stick on manicures for Aricia. That girl remembered how I kept asking her sister to pose for me; posed for me.

To be happy or not?

School informed us today.


29 June 2009
Dear Parent/Guardian

NO COMMON TEST (CT2) IN TERM 3, 2009

1. In line with the Primary Education Review and Implementation (PERI) Committee recommendations, the school is exploring the implementation of holistic assessment of pupils to support learning. This would enable teachers to provide more meaningful feedback to you on your child’s progress in the academic and non academic areas.

2. In the light of the above and in order to facilitate teachers’ design of appropriate assessment tools for their learners, I wish to inform you that there will be no Common Test 2 (CT2) for P1 to P5 pupils in Term 3.

3. Your child’s learning of the various subjects taught in class will be monitored using varied modes of assessments and will be carried out at the professional discretion of their teachers. The assessments which may be in small portions are aimed to help build pupils’ confidence and desire to learn and may vary from class to class.

4. Hence, in place of Common Test 2 (CT2) teachers will conduct two or three shorter class tests/assignments targeted at the ability level of the class and at the appropriate juncture of the syllabus or scheme of work. Class teachers will inform the pupils of the dates of these tests.

5. The school will continue to have its Semester 2 Assessment (SA2) exam for pupils in Term 4.

Yours faithfully,

Mrs Margaret Tan (Principal)

The week in a gizz

So the school hols is coming to an end, I can't wait for the children to be in school - to free me from their fights; screams etc.. Yet on the other hand, it means that I have to wake up early and the days that never seem to end. But yet, on the other hand, I worry about the spread of H1N1 which seems to be increasing at an alarming rate.

I didn't manage to bring the children out to the Zoo or BirdPark as promised. I managed 2 playdates all squeezed to the end of the school hols. Apart from that, it's work work work for Athena. She had her fair share of play as well.
She didn't go for the Shichida Camp coz' she's afraid. Sigh......
No Meet & Greets either coz' I didn't pay attention to the newspapers for info. Plus, no more heart attacks for the mummy.

With a new term, I hope Athena will do better in class.

With a new term, I hope Aricia don't bully her classmates. (yup! she does as what I just found out.) My lil' one was seen standing akimbo and moving her fingers about while scolding (or speaking in her high pitch voice) to her classmates. She does it when the teacher is not around, and she knows how to choose the children. Gasp! (on one hand feels that we don't have to worry much about her coz' she knows how to fight for her own rights. But yet on the other hand, she seems like a bully. Hee!)

Playdate session 2 : Card-making

Playdate with her LCCC classmates, WT and J. Am sick and tired of baking, washing, the mess, greasiness in the house. Too much cake = hyperactive kids = rolly polly mummy.

So had to think of something for the kids to do. It's something made 2 months in advance - Teacher's Day card, hopefully by the time comes we remember where we left the cards. Haha!

Brought out my scrapbooking materials and when the kids came by, it was lunch then 'rock & roll time'.

Hmm...........turned out majority of the card-making was done by the mothers. Haha!

Photos for the day :-

She gave her friends, WT and J a card each
plus a small pack of cookies (baked by mummy on Wednesday afternoon)
plus ... some scraps from the HK cake. I used small cookie cutters & put some icing. A pity my icing is not done nicely coz' I was using the Wilton cookie icing (I didn't want to prepare from scratch coz' that's a huge portion) and that needs to be put in the microwave for heating - my hands were not spared from the hot icing. Ouch!
Another lazy method is to use the edible writing pens to write the childrens' names on the icing.

WT's mummy's work

My work!! Okay, give Athena some credit, she did paste the butterfly stickers nicely - so impressed with her. The first card on the left is incomplete coz' I want to put some wordings on it.
J's card. So sad.... I could only supervise her with one card. The other smaller card she was basically pasting stickers. Brother who was around, helped me salvaged the card by making a rainbow.
Our cards. We still have a few more cards to do. And .... was thinking if I should do for Aricia's school as well. Wah........headache leh! Spoil market!!

The kids ended up playing in the room



Then, I remembered something >> A US friend of brother gave Athena 2 packs of stick-on nails. I turned the 2 girls into an ... Ah hiao charbor

Athena

Jachelle