In His Time

Since I am a SAHM now, my planning is to teach Barnabas, my 2yo to learn how to read and write before sending him to kindergarten. If that works out well, he will only go to kindergarten at 5yo unlike his sister who started at 4yo.

Teaching preschool children is a very challenging task. First task is to get them to sit still. 2nd task is to get the to pay attention. In order to do that, the learning must be fun and exciting. So I have been searching the net for good materials for my son and found Funetics. The program has been developed by top educators, incorporating research-proven instruction based on phonics teaching theory.

I am going to out their free 3 days lesson and see whether their early literacy program that involves games, activities, songs and fun will work for my son. And also my active 3.5yo girl, Clarissa!

When I see the price of gold keep on increasing, I am so tempted to convert my children’s Personal Savings account to Golds Savings account or buy gold coins because in long term, the return would be much more than the paper money. The Personal Savings account interest is so little.

Since savings for my children is for long term; they won’t be using the money until they go to college and that is another 10 to 15 years to go. Just imagine if the price of gold keeps on increasing; by them, their savings would be doubled or even tripled! I think I will go to the bank tomorrow!

One of my dreams is to see that my children go into medical line such as doctor, medical assistant, pharmacies, dentist or nursing. This professional skill is very useful when we go for mission work especially to the third world countries.

Since I am planning to homeschool them later, I am glad to know that there is online medical assistant school like St. Augustine School of Medical Assistant. For the Medical Assistant Certificate, the program only requires 6-8 weeks to complete. The medical assistant training program is very affordable too; only $645.

Read the rest of this entry »

I read that many mothers are “complaining” that sometimes they cannot cope with the children asking endless question, “Why, Why, Why”. So how they stop their “Whys”? They diverted their attention to other things that is not of their interest.

I too had my “Whys” moment and I too did the same. Sometimes I even scolded them for asking too many question. Hubby came to the rescue; he suggested that I should ask them back their “Whys”. Get them to think of the possible answers. If they get it wrong, correct them; they learn. When they amazed you with their unique answer; you learn.

So, I don’t hear many “Whys” from my girls because they know their parent will ask them to think. I know some of you might be thinking that due to that, they stop wanting to know the reason behind everything and just take it whatever that they see, hear, feel, touch and taste. I too have the same thought.

So what we did is, from time to time we ask them question when they don’t, to test whether they are using their brain to rationalized what their 5 senses perceive.

Do try them out and see whether it works or not.

Everyday on the way back home from school I will ask my girls what they had during their 10.15am break. So far I only know that they have 3 menus; either it is thin (rice vermicelli) or fat (yellow noodle) brown noodle or Milo and biscuit. I am so tempted to ask the principal for a better menu since the school fee is quite high. My sister who runs a kindergarten too always prepares good and nutritious food for her kindies. The kindies there are so blessed to have a good cook as their Principal! Anyway, I don’t think I would make a fuss about it since it is only a tea break.

Read the rest of this entry »

It is so nice waking up knowing that I don’t have to rush to office! I am more cool and cheerful when getting my children ready for school.

After sending them to school, here I am blogging away and trying to cowtim some of my assignments then I am off to Jusco with my son.

Yay! What a great way starting a new chapter…SHOPPING!!!

Ok, ok, tomorrow I will repent and start preparing SWR lesson for my girls.

Belle’s

Just now was the 3rd time the girls attended the art class. Belle improves a lot but Clarissa is becoming more playful and restless. She ignored the teacher when she speaks to her! She did not follow instruction; colour according to her own liking; when the teacher or me is not looking she grabbed her favorite colour; purple and start colouring everything purple! She gets bored pretty fast if the space to colour with the same colour is quite wide.

Seeing how she responded to instruction, I can imagine how frustrated her kindy’s teachers might have felt teaching her. They did tell me once that she always want her own way and will cry if she can’t have her own way!

Will only send her to art class again once she shows interest in learning and obeying instruction.

I am still not decided whether to homeschool my children once they completed their primary school. I am not sure whether I am capable to teach them. I am going to try out with the SWR homeschooling English program. If it works, maybe that would give me the confidence I need to take a step further.

If my children are homeschool then they would not be able to enroll into the local college and university unless they are private institution. That would be really costly. So my other option is to look into the online college courses offered by Capella University. I guess they would be cheaper that they private colleges here.

“This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.”

Just that a look at this piece of art which I call, Moody Arts.

Clarissa did so well during her first art class but yesterday she wasn’t in a good mood. She refused to listen to instruction. She even turn her face away when the teacher speak to her. Thank God the teacher is very patient and told me that since she is only 3 plus and this is only her 2nd class, that I should give her more time to get the hang of it.

Yup! I was so tempted to pull her out from the class yesterday.

Clarissa’s teachers passed me all Clarissa’s textbook, workbook and exercise book; telling me to teach Clarissa at home. So, did I teach her? The answer is NO! She is only 3.5yo and she is having Chicken Pox and she is enjoying her “holiday”. I am not going to spoil it for her. So what did she do with her books? She coloured every picture that is not coloured! Stress free.

Annabelle; it is kinda boring teaching someone who knows almost everything and even words that I don’t know! Chinese words lar tu. =P So I told Belle that she is clever already, no need Mommy to teach. Go watch cartoon. You see lar, this kinda mother also have eh? hehe

How I wish my mother like me.

My girls finally attended art class today. At first it was only Belle who registered for it but since Clarissa insisted that she wanted to join too, I let her try. The fee is quite reasonable compared to a few other art classes. Only RM35 for 2 hours a week. In which they teach from using Colour Pencil, Crayon, Poster Colour, Water Clour, Drawing and also Arts and Craft. I almost sign up for the class too but chicken out last minute! hehe.

Future Artist Busy at Work.

The teacher is quite impressed by Clarissa’s colouring skill for a 3.5yo. But she can only stay focus for the 1st one hour only. After that, she got bored and started to scribble instead of colour, so I have to remind her again and again to colour nicely. The outlined is coloured by the teacher.

Belle did well too. She is 5yo, so this is kinda expected of her. Next class, they have been upgraded to using crayon. And Mommy has to spend more but thank God they told me both of them can share the crayons.

Belle was so excited about the art class after I brought her to register on Thursday. She asked when is Saturday, the day she is supposed to start. I told her that she has to sleep 2 nights for Saturday to come. On that day, she told me to drive faster so that she can go home to sleep!

This morning she woke up early, before us and woke me up. I told her that it is not time yet and ask me when is 10 o’clock. Where will the long needle and short needle point to? When I finally woke up at 8.30pm, I saw Belle staring at the clock!

I did received a card and a drawing. 2 cards from Clarissa and a drawing from Belle and today I saw an unfinished card from Belle.

This is how they presented them to me.

Clarissa: “Happy Mother’s Day! Look, I’ve got cards for you.”
Belle: “Happy Mother’s Day! I colour Eagle, Mommy chicken and baby chick for you.”
Me: Thank you so much. Admiring their gifts.
Them: Give back to me, Mommy, I want to keep inside my back.

There goes my Mother’s Day gifts.

When is Teacher’s Day?

I saw some cakes at my mom’s. She told me that my sis received them from her students for Teacher’s Day and I noticed there some lots of flowers in her room too. My sis is a Kindergarten Teacher you see.

As for my children, so far they did not tell me anything about celebrating Teacher’s Day so that save my hard earned money! Hehe

When I was in primary school, you couldn’t believe what I gave my teacher; from orchid which my mom plants, I gave them Kampung Eggs! And they really appreciate it because Kampung Egg is expensive!

Clarissa has been diaper free since October 2007 with only 2 times accident during the first 2 weeks.

Surprisingly she wet her bed 2 days in a row at almost the same time, last night and the night before. The first time it happened, I thought she might drink too much before bed but I doubt it. But when it happened again last night even after making sure she PU before bed, I suspected it has to do with her test.

She is a very carefree girl, with no worries in the world and being pampered by her teachers because she is the smallest, youngest and cutest girl in her class. They all call her “Cute, Cute”. What more with the glasses on!

I read here that Bedwetting is sometimes a sign that the child is upset or worried about something. With the threat that she got from her teacher (canning and not allowed to go home if she refused to do the test all by herself) that once love her so much, I guess that worries her. It also made her confused.

This morning, she repeatedly asks me what day is tomorrow and whether tomorrow is a schooling day.

So I told one of her teachers (the one that threaten her was not around) about what happened and she will inform the principal about it.

Don’t get me wrong. I am ok with the teacher threatening her with cane; I myself always wave the cane at her and use all kind of threat when soft talk does not work. I guess she is immune to me doing that. hehe

The real exam is in June. I hope by then, she will get the message that she is a big girl now and she has to be more independent and not depend on the teacher to do her school work.

Let’s see whether she wet her bed tonight since tomorrow is no school day. If she does, I got to find other cause to this bedwetting phenomenon.

Now I know that the teachers has been pampering Clarissa in school. Spoonfeeding her and even hold her hand to write!

Right after the short holiday, they have short test. First test for Clarissa. Her teacher told me that she demanded the teacher to tell her the answer and hold her hands to write as what they have been doing to her all this while.

Actually I was kinda upset with the teacher. Why in the first place you pamper her???

When the teacher refused to help, she cried, so the teacher have to use the cane to threaten her. “You want cane or you want to write by yourself.” I am ok with that.

Yesterday, the same thing happened, no cane this time. The teacher just tell her that if she doesn’t want to do it by herself, she cannot go home. She obliged, reluctantly.

At home, when Daddy asked, she can even tell him that “Because I don’t want to write by myself lor…”

What do you do to invest for your children’s future? Some say, education insurance is not sufficient because our Ringgit depreciates. The more daring ones will go for options trading. Others put some money in unit trust, bond and fixed deposit. As for me, since I do not earn as much as the rest, I still go for education insurance. Not for the return but for the assurance that if anything were to happen to me that prevents me to earn money for them, as least they have some money to future their studies locally. Apart from that, I bought an apartment for each of them. Btw, we have not buy one for our son. No money now lar.

Since the day my girls were born…errmmm…even before they were conceived, I have always wanted to send my girls to Ballet School. Something that I did not have the privilege to attend. It is quite costly for a middle income family then and now. If my dad were to invest in silver way before I was born, maybe he could afford to send me to a Ballet School.

Would it be too late for me to invest in gold or silver now? The price is sky high. Hubby kept scolding me for not heeding his advice years ago to invest in them.

In the university, when I was in my final year, we had to do an Archeology project paper that weighs 40%; 60% from the final exam. I was so upset that the lecturer accused me of submit a Plagiarism Paper; he failed me without even consulting me first. Normally other lecturers does that, they won’t simply fail you. I went to see him to explain the whole situation but the only thing I got was his apology. There was a miss-communication but he can’t do nothing much because the result has been submitted to the exam board.

In the end, I just got a B for my Archeology instead of an A which I was so confident that I can get. If the lecturer did not fail my so called Plagiarism Papers. I am pretty sure I would graduate with 1st Class Upper.

Studying in the university and writing Non-Plagiarized Term Papers is so easy nowadays provided you have the money to spend. Just pay the professional and I am sure your 40% is secured.

My dream is to see my children to go into healthcare when they grow up. Either a doctor, pharmacist or nurse. Since we are going to be a missionary family, having that skill is very priceless. They can really serve in the mission field. With the medical PDA software prescribing medicine is never easier, as long have you have a PDA, Smartphone or even an iPhone.

This Epocrates medical reference software is now used by over 500,000 healthcare professionals to access the information needed to make prescribing decisions such as drug dosing, side effects and health plan coverage.

With the advancement in technology, everything is getting easier. Anyone can become a doctor then? Nah…people in the healthcare need passion and patience.

“This announcement was paid for by Epocrates.”

Yes! We went to the Zoo.

And this is the first time they hurry me up to get ready.

“Mommy, faster!”

All this while, it was “Clarissa, can you please hurry up? Faster get into the car!!!” “Belle, faster wake up!”

I tagged along because I worried that Clarissa might jump into the animal sanctuary (cage). She is fearless. And also so that they would have some photos from this trip. Oh! I must make sure I delete my old pix inside my SD card.

We went there by the school bus. A few other mommies came along too.

Mommy, do I look like Orang Utan enough?

Thank God that we did not have to walk much. Just one small round which after 3/4 way Clarissa exclaimed, “Mommy, I think we need a rest now.” Pemalas betul!!!

It is so hot Mommy, where is our tramp?

We took a tramp to tour the whole Zoo and at the end of the tour we watched animal show. Just some parrots, a Vulture, an Eagle and Orang Utan showing off their skills. Clarissa didn’t even bother to watch. I think Animal Planets is more interesting. Anyway, Belle enjoyed it.

We arrived home around 12.15 noon and I got splitting headache due to the hot weather.

We are so excited about tomorrow. We will be going to Monkey School instead of Kindy School.

This will be the first field trip for my girls and I am tagging along. Worried that they do not want to return home after meeting so many of their kinds there.

Guess where are going?

Let’s say one day one of your children came back from school telling you that they want to study to become a x-ray technician. Will you freak out? I think I would. I do not want my child to die earlier than me due to radiation exposure.

Well, I am sure there will be safety precaution for x-ray technician since they will work 40 hour weeks. The use of shielding and diagnostic technologies, along with stringent recording and regulation of cumulative exposure, has all but resolved the radiation exposure. And the pay is not bad at all; x-ray technician can earn more than $55,400.

On the way home from Genting we were talking casually about which university we should send our children too. After a few seconds of silence, hubby said, “Boys go to UM, Girls go to USM.” All because he was from UM and myself, USM. Anyway, if God permits, I would like to send them to study abroad. I don’t have confident in the local university anymore.

Then, they would really have to learn to be independent. Not that they are not now; just putting it to practice when daddy and mommy really not around.

Then, I would ask hubby install the VoIP Phone Systems at the shop. Can save money when I call them which I believe would be quite often. hehe.

I bought this book not long ago. I love Maths and I want my children to have the same interest as me too. After I went through the book, how I wish they were available during my school days. Maths would just be at my fingertips. Lots of good trick on Multiplication.

Unfortunately, Belle is not ready for it. She has yet to learn how to count 1 - 100. So the book have to sit in the bookshelf for a while.

Belle loves to draw. Once she arrives home from my mom’s, she will find a piece of paper, any paper, envelopes, bills, catalog, any paper that has some blank space on it and a pencil or pen then she starts drawing. She will draw mermaid, fairy, people, children; lots of them, chicken, eggs, trees, flowers, fish, tadpoles, lizards, birds, cloud, house, grass, car etc.

And now, I have no problem making sure she finishes her school work. She will quickly complete them and start drawing again!

Unfortunately, I am not good at drawing. I can’t even draw a chicken that look like a chicken!

Praise God I found out that my maid can draw after I saw Belle drew a nice car. She told me that her Kakak taught her. That’s really wonderful. Since then, I requested the maid to teach Belle whatever she knows about drawing. I understand from the maid that her daughter is very good at drawing portrait. Too bad she is not here.

All I know that creativity runs in the Bong family. Hubby’s 3rd sister is very good at drawing and painting too. The rest of the Bongs can draw too.

She is not in the mood for photo shoot early in the morning.

Finally after 3.5 months Belle is wearing her kindy uniform. Not because she didn’t want to wear it but they didn’t have her size; L and the tailor took so long to sew them. I was tempted to trouble Jess to sew the uniform for Belle.

Clarissa is very upset because she didn’t have any.

4 years old goes to kindy with t-shirt and pants only. Oversize t-shirt!

I do not know about other parents but I am quite particular when it comes to handwriting.

I am quite disappointed with Belle’s teacher handwriting. What is the point of having the red lines and the blue lines in the exercise book if you do not write according to the lines?

When it comes to handwriting, to me, you must start it right. Belle even asked me, “Mommy why the teacher write senget (slanting)? So I told her not to follow her teacher’s handwriting and I wrote the correct one for her to follow; the Arnab, Burung and Buku is mine.

Her teacher handwriting is nice but that is not the way to write for a 5yo to follow. Belle will imitate, bulat-bulat!

So, what did I do? Drive to the nearest sundry shop and bought 2 exercise books. Start all over again with Belle.

Tomorrow, I will speak to the principal about this.

If not because of Chinese, I would have pulled my girls out from kindy.

School are very stressful these days and I am already feeling the stress as a mother to kindergarten daughter. I can’t imagine that she has tonnes of homework on certain days. And I have to wait up to wait up and help her to finish them before the next day which is normally a school day. When I am still working full day, I wish I have kava tea to help me stay awake during that long night.

Many times I wanted to take my girls out from kindy to homeschool them. I am capable of doing that but I want to speak and read in Chinese which I am not capable of. Seems like we have to “suffer” for a few years.

Today, I sent my girls right to the door step because I was early.

Clarissa teacher told me that it has been 2 months already but Clarissa still does not know her ABC. She compares her with Belle who knew her ABC at 20 months old! She said that Clarissa is like a baby, always sucks her finger while holding her bantal busuk during class. When the teacher kept the bantal busuk, she will cry.

I told the teacher that she is December baby. She replied, “No wonder lar.”

But then come to think of it, that’s not a good excuse. I am to blame because I did not teach her ABC or 123 or read books to her. She is always left to play because I was busy with Barnabas. When she is 18 months, I got Barnabas you see. With 3 small ones to mind, where to find time to teach. Mo berak pun bring all the children into the toilet with me!

Today, I will try to tie her to the chair and teach her ABC. Giving myself and herself one month for this.

*****

So, I went to buy the Alphabet Chart right after school and some playdoh too.

But this is what happened to the chart while I was busy guiding Belle in her writing.

Play lar you two as long as you don’t disturb us!

All this while I thought me being at home would make Belle do anything including wanting to go to school everyday knowing that I will be home for her when she returned. Sad to say that that is not true. I hope she don’t really mean it.

Below is our conversation last last night.

Belle: Mommy, tomorrow have school or not?
Me : Yes.
Belle: I don’t want to go to school.
Me: If you don’t want to go to school, Mommy will go to work.
Belle: Ok. Mommy you go to work lar, then I don’t have to go to school.
Me: But who is going to take care of you?
Belle: Kakak (the maid)

You see lar, you see lar. That’s my Belle!