The Boy is Sick Again

Very Expensive Medication

You have been sick every 2 months or so.  Body immune system is weak and largely contributed by your poor diet that is filled with biscuits, cookies and more snacks.  You had stomach flu and puked non-stop.  Anything that went in your stomach, food or fluid, all came out within 5min.  Mummy washed and mopped and cleaned.  She was a maid on that very first day when you fell ill.  We visited the pediatrician twice and were extremely irritated that he didn't diagnose you with the right medication on our first trip.  And he had the cheek to make us pay his $80 consultation charges on our 2nd visit a day later.  After 3 days, you are now much better and more energetic.  Anyways, the antibiotics are making you more hungry and we are hoping that will improve your diet.

Out for a ride after 3 days at home

Your scooter in your favourite colour green and your sister's bike in her favourite colour pink.

Spelling using Visuals

En Xi's Spelling List (10 words) every Week for each Term in K2

At the start of K2, we started revising your spelling using the Shichida method.  The 'flashcard' method seems to work in the beginning until the number of words jumped from 5 to 10 and each word becomes longer and seemingly more complicated.  Learning soon became a chore and laborious.  It was no longer fun and the treats no longer motivates you anymore.

As always, mummy to the rescue.  She thought hard about it, stared at her birthday gift and asked........  Mr Google on her Samsung Note 3 answered.  There were many sites that offers alternate means of learning for the right-brained child.  The Visual Way.  By using different colours to write the letters of the word to differentiate the phonics sounds and drawing related objects within the flashcard should work.

Daddy's best shot

Daddy tried, but somehow it didn't feel right.  You were still not intrigued.  Often, you pointed out that the picture should look otherwise.  We spend more time discussing about how the flashcard should look, than learning the words.  So, we let you do all the drawing instead.

It is tough to decipher what your drawing is all about.  They all look fascinating, filled with imagination, full of flavour.  Yet, we can't really figure out the story behind the drawings until you tell us about it.  At times, the stories are beyond the ordinary folk tales.  Sometimes, its about your day in school.  We still spend more time talking about your drawings than practising your spelling.  But the outcome cannot be more different.  Your spelling results have improved tremendously.  Self confidence has been regained and you are much more engaged.

En Xi's favourite "Damsel in Distress" theme

Another Day in En Xi's Life

Perhaps, the best part behind all the drawing and learning is the time we spend together bonding.  The story telling from you connects us and allow us to know you much better.  To understand why you do things the way you do.  To understand the way you think and what matters to you most.  To know the little things that occurs everyday in your life.

Our Fantastic Neighbour, Auntie Sham

Taken in Nov 2012.  Sham bought your outfit.

Everyday, as both of you walk out to the corridor, we past by our neighbour's place, Auntie Sham.  She is a great neighbour.  Always taking time to stop and listen to both of you as you rave about your latest adventure, new toys or simply stuff you learn in school.  She is patient and kind, always baking something for you guys to feast on.  When she travels she buys stuff for you, such as the traditional Chinese outfits for both of you.  Sometimes, we pop by her place and have snacks as we chat.  There's so much wonderful people around us.  There's the great tenant, (I still don't know her name) who plays with both of you often.  Sham's best friend, who stays in Toa Payoh and visits regularly.  The occasional visits by Sham's brothers form Australia warrants a mention as I hit off with them very well and again they bring presents whenever they are back visiting.

Well, I guess, if both of you read this, I sincerely want you to remember Sham and her wonderful friends and family.  Share your love with them because they played their part in molding your childhood memories.

Awesome cakes with a delicate touch.

We worry all the time.

Our very first "Father & Children Day" together at the Jurong Bird Park.  It used to be just "Father_Daughter Day"

As parents, we worry all the time.  We are "Kaisu".  Today, maybe on your spelling test.  Tomorrow, maybe on your social skills.  Your confidence in class, eating habits, your manners at home, your habits, whether you know how to clean yourself after a big bomb in the toilet or even if you get enough rest in the night.

But perhaps, our greatest worry for both of you are as follows:

En Xi

This is a serious issue and warrants our attention.  You are definitely not coping well in class and your academics are somewhat below average.  Our worry is not that you don't get excellent grades, but rather that you are beginning to display a lack of confidence because you see others can do what you can't.  It breaks us down to see you at times, in the night, sobbing and ranting about the tremendous pressure you face in school.  As far as I can recall, my childhood is filled with fun and fantastic memories.  We really think your childhood deserves better.  You are better with visuals and mummy's chat with a friend suggest that you might have (hold your breath, we are not labeling you, just merely suspecting) a slight case of dyslexia.  We are not sure, but our concern is not whether you are or not.  In our eyes, you are forever our beloved child, sweet, adoring and affectionate.  Our greatest concern is your spiritual health, we want to help you learn better, regardless of the method, which ever is better.  It does not matter we use the traditional way or the alternate way.  So long, as it helps you learn and most importantly, fill up your spiritual health bank, your confidence and regain your love for learning.

En Jun

Since young, you have not been feeding well.  You tend to eat less with more meals in the day.  That was when you were an infant.  Since toddler age at 6 months, you started taking solids like porridge.  But somehow for no apparent reasons, you refused to take any form of solids from 1 year old onwards.  Since then, you have been on an unhealthy diet of biscuits and milk only.  The milk is not longer able to sustain the diet and you are getting hungrier all the time, but all you want are biscuits.  Only recently, have you started on some nuggets and pancakes.  A good start, but not too all impressive and healthy either.  We are starting to starve you a little more and coerce you into eating more solids, such as rice and vegetables.  So wish us luck.

Sibling Love and Rivalry

Lately, we talked about En Jun's increasing ability to converse and express himself.  With that, it also meant that the both of you are playing together much often.  Its always interesting to see both of you play with En Xi dishing out instructions like a "busy body" and En Jun obliging most of the time.  There are times when both of you can't stand each other and starts pushing around, but truth is that you care about one another very much.  Always looking out for another and asking for that one more goodie to share.

Today is another happy day, we watched a kid's show "PLAYtime! Hello Yasmin" at the Esplanade, followed by a visit to an experiential showcase of Total Defence (30 years) at the National Museum of Singapore (NMS).

Let's face it, Navy has the best looking uniform

I apologise for my left hand salute

Fire Fighter!

Army's Light Strike Vehicle Mk II

Navy is good, let's do it again!

Pressies that I bought from my trip to Brisbane, Australia

I take back my words

A week ago, I commented on En Xi's K2 English Teacher being "wayang".  Instead of commenting, I should have commended your teacher, Ms Norijah for her efforts to build your confidence in spelling.  Meet "Tom", the tiger puppet.

Tom and Pinky fighting for attention

You see "Tom" is Ms Norijah's way to reward her students for doing well in class.  You get to bring "Tom" for adventures and see the world, bring him home and play with him.  But sometimes he get's irritating.  Irritating when you insist us to role-play as "Tom" instead of us being your parents.

Chinese New Year just breezed past and we are now in Feb.  What a mad rush in Jan.  2015 will be worst, with CNY pushed earlier to 16 Jan.  Oh my, we will be so tired, but look on the bright side.  Since the festive period is all one after another from Xmas to New Year to En Xi's Birthday to CNY, we can quit pretending to lose weight and postpone exercise all together.  Now wait, there's Valentine's Day, then the Mar School Holidays, then Good Friday in Apr and there's Labour Day in May, not forgetting En Jun's Birthday in May too.....Ehh.... Go figure...

Was browsing through mummy's Facebook page and saw a couple of well taken photos from her Samsung Note 3 mobile that I never quite did capture with my bulky DSLR.  Posted here for memories sake.

2014 CNY outfits

Mummy bought us all a pair of trendy converse sneakers from Korea

Its not always with you guys ok, we need a break once in awhile you know

How scary is that with those pink shades?

Finger in Cheek, I must

Its either Ironman or Superman, definitely not the National Pledge

Check out that hand on the hip pose

En Xi's K1 Year End Concert

Halloween 2013

En Jun sure knows who to cajole (Ah Zhor 90th Birthday)

Lady with crossed legs and Man with arm over her shoulders.  Classic.  Just Classic.  Love the smiles.  Lovey Dovey

Undivided Attention

Our weekend routines are like this.  Sat, 0930hrs, we drop En Xi off for phonics class and proceed to have breakfast with En Jun.  1030hrs, we pick En Xi up and send her to Art Class by 1100hrs.  We will then idle until 1215hrs to pick En Xi up for lunch together with En Jun.  Head back home for nap time, then probably go to 'Por Por' house for dinner.  Recently, we found a great spot at Lower Pierce Reservoir and thought that it'll be great to spend some undivided attention with En Jun.  To play with you at your own pace and liking, no compromises from you, just like how we treat En Xi when we only had her.  I think you like the attention and thought for awhile.  When was the last time, I did a father-daughter or father-son bonding time?  Or even a parent-daughter or parent-son bonding time?  It sure feels great to hang out as a family and learn to work together as a team, but everyone needs to be pampered once in awhile.  I think we need to plan the occasional bonding time with either one of you only sometime.

We still haven't got you shades.  Apologies for using Pink again.

If En Jun favorite pose is "Finger on the cheek", Mummy's favorite must be "Twist"!

En Jun trying hard to twist while holding onto the spade

I think you are better off with the "Finger on Cheek" pose

You must be thinking, "What a masterpiece..."

So, this is pretty much Saturdays.  Sundays?  We always keep Sundays for family time.  Last week, we did Botanical Gardens.  This week, we did water play at "Wild Wild Wet" in Pasir Ris.  As always, En Xi had the most fun, but you managed to get lost in the water park today and got us so worried.  You even had the cheek to say its my fault that I couldn't keep up and look out for you when you actually dashed away on your own after shouting at me, "I'm going to that side!" in 2 sec.  Anyway, all is well.  Today is still a fun day.