Jayden got a place in MSHS!

Yesterday afternoon, Aileen and I left Maris Stella High School with great joy and relief that Jayden had managed to secure a place in the school after a nerve-racking Phase 2C balloting ordeal. As I recollect the months leading to the primary one registration period and balloting, my heart is filled with thankfulness to God for hearing our prayers and providing for Jayden. Being ineligible for the earlier 4 phases (for those who are not aware - Phase 1, 2A1, 2A2 and 2B based on some forms of affiliation), we decided to put our faith in God to provide for Jayden. Though anxiety and disbelief sought to overtake us especially during the week leading to the balloting day, God helped to overcome it by giving us His inner peace as we meditate upon His words. We knew we could trust God to provide what's best for our boy (even if we missed out on the balloting and needed to look for another school). 

Looking ahead, we are trusting God to bless Joann (now in primary two) and Jayden with wisdom and ability to cope well with their studies. 

Celebrating Jayden's 6th Birthday!

Our boy has just turned 6 this year! The theme for this year's celebration is 'Angry Birds'. 

We bought a chocolate cake with simple design and topped it up with 'Angry Birds' collectibles. Jayden absolutely loves it as he gets to keep the toys.

Celebrating with his cousins

Birthday cake from Polar Cake Shop for the 2nd celebration at my parents' place

Thank you for the present, Shu Shu and Shen Shen!

Elephant Parade in Singapore Zoo

The zoo is one of my family's favorite hangouts. We visited the zoo at least once every two months and there were always some new highlights awaiting our discovery. 

This morning, we were greeted by colorfully decorated elephant statues that provided additional charm to this wildlife reserve. The statues were part of The Elephant Parade which is the world's largest open air art exhibition of decorated elephant statues. The organisers seek to attract public awareness and support for Asian elephant conservation. The elephant statues are currently on display in Singapore, along with cities like Milan and Copenhagen.

   

Disappointed to see some signs of vandalism on an elephant statue

Besides looking for the elephant statues, we had our usual fun, roaming the reserve. The children were always excited to check out their favorite animals. 

Jayden, equipped with his map and camera, kick-started the day with a visit to the Malayan Tapirs

The Malayan Tapirs

Sleepy white tigers

Big shoes to fit

Wow! a kangaroo can leap 13m high! 

Bats!!!

  

  

Some Parenting Tips

Attended some parenting talks organised by PLMGS (Primary) during Joann's first week in Primary 1. I found the talks helpful and wish to share some key take-aways from the sessions:

Good Manners

Teaching good manners is a fundamental aspect of parenting as it's every parent's wish for their children to be well-liked by people. However as parents, we must remember that good manners start with parents as our children watch our behaviours and actions.  

Another good point to note, is that we should also learn to praise our children whenever a positive behavior is displayed, rather than overly focusing on correcting their negative behaviors. Let's cultivate good manners in our children by adopting a balanced approach.

Cultivating a Habit of Reading

The speaker stressed on the importance of cultivating the love for reading in young children. Besides the advantage of gaining knowledge from reading, a reading habit creates the opportunities for parents to bond with the children, stretch their imaginations and train their concentration. Here are some tips to make reading more interesting and captivating for the young minds:

(a) Start with a storybook with a topic that interests your child. For Joann, we started with her favorite princess stories. For Jayden, we started off with books on race cars.

(b) Start by talking about the pictures in the storybook, to draw the child's attention. This is why storybooks for children, always come with colorful pictures. Then, read the storybook as well as point to the words so that your child will gradually learn to identify the text.

(c) When reading the storybook to your child, parent should vary his/her voice, preferrably in accordance with the story characters, to make it more interesting.

(d) After reading the book, you can discuss about the story with your child i.e. talk about his favorite character, the most exciting part, etc

(e) Keep the story reading time short and regular. A reading routine like reading before bed-time daily, will go a long way to cultivate a habit in your child. Choose a routine that best fits you and your children. 

 

(f) Remove distractions such as TV, computer games, radio, etc operating in the background, during reading time.

Welcoming CNY 2011!

One more day to CNY! My family is ready to welcome the Lunar New Year! In keeping with the tradition, the family spent some days clearing up our house, getting the new clothes (especially for the children), buying CNY goodies (Bak Kwa and Pineapple Tarts are my favorite!) and decorating the house to give it a festive boost! And of course, not forgetting the important Ang Pows! (a MUST bring item when you leave the house during this festive season especially if you are married)

It's our family tradition to have a set of new bed sheet for everyone. Love the splash of red colors of our new bed sheet!

Princessy bed sheet for Joann!

You guessed it right! Race car prints for Jayden's bed sheet! He simply loves it!

A CNY art piece by Jayden!

This set of cute CNY lions has been on display since X years!

Really looking forward to catch up with my loved ones and relatives during this festive season. A good opportunity to take a break from our busy work and spend time building bonds with our loved ones and friends. As the years go by, I learnt not to take things for granted and treasure the relationships I have with the people I know. Every moment is a moment to cherish.

Have a very blessed CNY and 

a great time with your loved ones!