Crestar Ballet Concert 2008

This year's Crestar year-end ballet concert, entitled "A Nutcracker Story", was held at the Victoria Theatre on 13 Dec 08. The performers went through many hours of practice and preparations and for the parents, many hours accompanying the kids to the school for practices. I could see the proud faces of all the parents at the concert.

Well done, Naomi, our angelic ballerina!

Chinese Drama Class for Naomi and Nathan

This December school holidays season has been a busy one not only for us, but the children as well. Naomi and Nathan have had so much fun at the 3-day Chinese drama class held at the Marine Parade Community Club.

Today, the last day of class, the children had a mini-concert for the parents. Naomi was absent today due to her Crestar ballet rehearsal at the Victoria Theatre.

Nathan had a fun time singing along with the other children. It helped that Sean, his friend was in the same group.

Here's a snap shot of one of the 5 singing items performed by the group. The boy wearing the red Elmo tee is Nathan (Sean is in the front row wearing the GAP tee). It's amazing how young children could remember the lyrics and dance steps for all the 5 drama and dance items, with just 3 days of drama lessons!

Wedding of my dear Pastor

Sept 13 marks a special day for my dear pastor Angela's wedding. She is really an old time friend, cell leader, zone supervisor (during cell days) and my current pastor. We are all looking fwd to her big day including my kids who have been looking fwd to it since the day she announced of her marriage plans last year...so finally the big day came. My G12 group did two special items ..one is a fun fun song which we changed the lyrics to the old time favourite oldie "I only want to be with you" and the other one was to thank her for everything in the ministry doing a montage with the "Thank you" song by Bob fits as the background music. Some photos - Didnt take many cos we were too excited with the preparation and talking to old time friends that we have not met for years during the reception :

Here is a video of our Special items :


Special Item 1 : Changing the lyrics to the oldie "I only want to be with you "

Super Mummy

We didn't even know that Mediacorp is having a contest for "Super Mummy" until a colleague passed me 6 show tickets (quarter finals) for my family to attend the recording of the show last Saturday. His wife was one of the quarter finalists in the show and we were there to give her support and cheers. Our kids enjoyed the cheering and the studio recording despite the long waiting hours and retakes of several scenes.

Super-mummies were tested on their abilities to identify their husbands' bare legs, their husbands' favourite hawker food, and their children's talents such as dancing, drawing and singing.

Watch out for the episodes to be aired every Tuesday at Channel 8!

We are here to see Mr President...

Dear readers, sorry for not blogging for the longest time...no discipline and many other things have taken higher priority. Shall attempt to back-date some of the things I wish to update.

Last Thursday, May Day, we brought the family to the Istana... Ashamed to say that being a singaporean, this is my 1st time to the Istana (ie completing the walk). The last time I went to instana when I was in my primary school with my dad and mum...I remembered that halfway walking , we gave up and went to the then Plaza Singapura or Yaohan for shopping instead.

So last Thursday, was my 1st complete visit : )

We went all ready with picinic mats and snacks. After some security checks and about 30 mins of queuing, we were soon having picnic at the greens and enjoying the music from the brass band performed by some schools. Thank God that the weather was not so humid though it was sunny.

The two older kids enjoyed themselves running freely in the vast greenery while the adults just sit and chit chat ...even baby nicole is excited with her 1st visit. Enjoying her home-cooked porridge when sitting on the mat.

No, we didnt manage to see S R Nathan, our president...he is in NZ for official visit when we were there...according to the news on TV, the previous nite.

A Child's World

I attended a seminar this afternoon, the "Complete Ways to Raise a Well-balanced Child" parenting masterclass and was glad that I had learnt some parenting tips from some of the speakers.

Ms Anna Jacob, a nutritionist and dietician, shared a memorable poem at the end of her presentation entitled "Memo from Your Child":

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Memo from Your Child

(Author: Unknown)

Dear Mum and Dad,

Please help me to love myself.

Don't spoil me. I know quite well that I shouldn't have all that I ask for, I'm only testing you - but please give me the discipline I need!

I need my sense of dignity, so please don't belittle me in front of people. I'll take more notice of you if you talk to me with as much respect as you give to your best grown up friends.

Don't ridicule me or imply that my inappropriate behaviour means that I am bad. It errodes my sense of worthiness.

Don't be too upset when I say "I hate you". It isn't you I hate, but your power over me.
Please be patient with me. I may be a late bloomer.

When You have a bad day, please don't take your frustrations out on me.

Please don't shout or nag. If you do, I will have to protect myself by appearing to be deaf.

Please help me feel good about myself by telling me of the good things about myself more often than you tell me of the things you don't like.

Don't bribe me or make rash promises. remember that I feel badly let down when promises are broken.

Don't be inconsistent. That completley confuses me and makes me lose faith in you.

Don't tell me my fears are silly. They are terribly real and you can do much to reassure me if you try to understand.

Don't ever think that it is beneth you to apologise to me. In honesty, apology makes me feel surprisingly warm towards you.

Please praise and acknowledge me for who I am and not for the things I do, for then I will grow up without the stress of comparing and competing.

Please keep reminding me that I am basically good and capable and worthwhile, so I can grow up loving and accepting myself.

Don't forget that I can't thrive without a lot of love and understanding... but I don't need to tell you, do I?

P.S. I love you, and I don't expect you to be perfect either!

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What a nice piece of parenting 101 for all parents!

New Piano Teacher

Have been searching for Private piano teacher for some time since last Sept.Both Naomi and Nathan were attending a piano school. The challenge with schools is that they have a very high turnover in teachers. The teachers are not paid alot after splitting the fees thus they would prefer to teach on private basis.

We held back our plans to change to private one on one class for Nathan , thinking that he may be too young to go on individual coaching. The last straw came when the school lost another good teacher again. Again we have to change teacher ! Arrgh

After asking friends, searching on the internet, calling a few teachers, we finally settled on one. Recommended by my ex-church friend who gave her good comments. Her rates are really very competitive for private coaching. In fact, we are paying much lesser than in the music school which is a group lesson for Nathan.

We also wanted them to switch to a weekday afternoon class so as to free them on Saturdays for other things like swimming lessons or just relaxing or waking up later on a Saturday morning.

Had our 1st lesson with Teacher LL today..the kids likes her and I find her patient and approachable.

Thank God for leading us to this teacher through my friend.

A salute to all Stay At Home Mums (SAHMs) and all Mothers

Havent been blogging for some time as I am really really busy. It seems that a SAHM is really not easy...a duty that I need to fulfill for 24 hours. For me, I am half a SAHM and WAHM so is a double whammy.

I really must salute all SAHMs without helpers - is really a tall order and a very challenging job indeed. I have a domestic helper and yet I am so busy ...

The other day, my husband showed me an article from Reader Digest which we thought that the author wrote it in a very humourous manner describing the qualities that made a good mother.

The qualities are :

1. Organisational skills , ability to drive and to be in two places at one time
2. Financial Skills if you have to budget for birthdays , weekly grocery shopping which was growing as fast as the kids
3. Good mathematical skills will come in handy when u are trying to divide 7 sweets among 4 kids
4.Chemistry and biology when your two year old shows you a blemish, you will have to be able to tell if it is the beginning of a flesh-eating disease or just a freckle. You will also need to know which laundry soap makes the baby itch, why the sky is blue etc
5. Good memory to remember all the birthdays, names of the stuffed animals, the child who likes peas and cant stand grape juice
6. Creativity to do the art and crafts, teaching them music, turn a nightgown and a roll of tinfoil into a fairy costume for party etc

(Taken from Reader Digest Nov 07 pg 81 - 83)

Really can identify with some of these qualities...esp now I have kids of different ages. Wonder how my mum cope in the earlier days of bringing us up..maybe we werent as inquisitive as the kids nowadays or we were not that demanding or ....

Thank God for all mothers. No matter whether you are SAHM, WAHM or working mums, I think u are all great : )