First Day of School 2015

This photo made me smile...

Both of them were excited about going back to school after a fun filled holiday. Both of them waved goodbye and walked into their respective classrooms cheerily. It is Nathan's last year in pre-school and like always, I can't believe that my boys are growing up so quickly. It is my prayer that they'll enjoy their time in school, and have wonderful memories of their pre-school years.

Good night! I love you!

For as long as I can remember, I would lie beside Nathan / Noah's bed after lights out, waiting for them to fall asleep before I returned to my own room. Some nights, I'd be so tired, I end up falling asleep in their room.

Nathan was fine if I went out of his room before he fell asleep, but Noah would start calling for me if he realizes that I am not there. As it was getting quite uncomfortable for me lying on the bean bags / pillows in their room with my bulging tummy, I decided that before the year ended, I'd return to my room immediately after lights out.

So today, I talked to Noah about it in the afternoon, and again in the evening.

Me: We'd read bedtime stories, pray, hug and kiss... Then mommy's going to my room to sleep. If you need something, you can ask kor kor for help... But I think you'll be fine, cos you're a big boy now. Is that okay?

Noah: Okay.

I was kinda surprised that he didn't protest. So to make sure he understood me... I asked...

Me: So after our good night hugs & kisses, where is mommy going to go?

Noah: Downstairs. And I will sleep with kor kor... When it is morning, I will see you again.

Brilliant! And we did just that tonight! With no fussing at all.

Am glad that it was so easy... But feeling that tinge of sadness cos my boys are growing up that little bit more... Reminds me of the time when Nathan first slept thru the night.

Nathan's First Violin Exam

Nathan took his first ABRSM violin exam last month and got a distinction. :) I'm so proud of him. This is the first of many exams he'll take and I'm glad that I was with him each step of the way.

About 4 months before the exams, I still wasn't sure if he'd be ready in time. Although he was able to play the exam songs pretty well, he was still struggling with the sight reading component. We persevered and I'm so glad he made it.

He had no idea what an exam was, this being his very first... I kept reminding him that he only had one chance to get each component right, so he can't make careless mistakes... He had worked so hard the entire year, I really didn't want carelessness to take away the results he so deserved. His teacher even rehearsed the entire sequence with him, from walking into the exam room with him, tuning his instrument, to her leaving the room before the exam started, so he wouldn't be surprised when he's left in the exam room by himself.

His reward for good effort and a job well done? A pair of Captain America shoes that light up when he walks. It was something that he wanted when he saw a friend with something similar last December. We made a deal - practice diligently and your hard work will be rewarded. He was all smiles when he put on this pair of shoes for the first time, and I was one proud mommy. Good job, Nathan! (And yes... I made him wait 9 whole months before he actually got it!)

There'll be many more exams that he'll be taking as he starts formal schooling in a year's time. I want him to know that working hard and giving his best is what matters to me.

Dear Nathan, know that mommy and daddy will always be behind you in all your endeavours.

Videos taken two months before the actual exams...

Mattachins

 Daisy Bell

 Russia - Gopak

Noah's First Prayer

We've always started and ended the day with prayer, ever since the boys were babies. Dean and I would get the boys to bow their heads, close their eyes, and we'd pray as a family. We thanked God for our food, we asked Him to keep dark clouds away, and we asked Him to help us with our difficulties...

A few days ago, as we were going about our bedtime routine, Noah (who's 3 years old) said he wanted to pray... And then he said...

Dear God, 

Thank you for protecting me and helping me not to do bad things so that I can go to Heaven.

In Jesus Name I pray,

Amen.

And there... at the end of a long tiring day, with Dean travelling the entire week, my heart was filled with so much thankfulness. The tiredness I felt wore away, and I knew we were doing something right. I hope that Noah will always remember that God hears our prayers.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Noah starts Nursey 1

Noah turns 3 in two months, and he started school 'proper' last week. It is his fourth day in his new school today, and he went into class all by himself, no fussing, no tears. :) I am so glad that he's settling in so easily.

I sat in with him the first three days... He moved from table to table, playing with the various toys that the teachers have laid out, and waited patiently for his turn if something he wanted is not available. 

And since he loves to eat, he loves snack time. Scooping the coco krunch with his spoon, one coco krunch at a time. When he finished everything in his plate, he asked for a second helping. Then he got himself a cup of milo. Gulped down the whole cup (without spilling). :) He even knew that he had to return his cup and plate to the pail when he is done.

As with most kids, he loves going to the playground. Especially the one that his big brother has been talking about all the time.

He looks forward to going to school each  day...

Noah: Mommy, where are we going today?

Me: To school.

Noah: Yay! School is so fun!

I hope he'll continue to have this attitude towards going to school even when he grows older.

I am thankful that Noah settled into school so easily, and hope that he'll enjoy learning and playing with his teachers and friends.

Read about Nathan's school day here.

Goodbye Sunflower Baby House!

Today is Noah's last day at SBH. We've been walking thru her doors almost every single weekday the past 4 years (since Nathan was an infant), and it saddens me that it is time to leave. Dean & I decided that I'd return to full time work when Nathan was 6 months old. After visiting several infant care centres, we decided to entrust Nathan to the caring team at SBH. I can still remember the very first day I left him at SBH, a few days before I was due to return to work. Having spent every moment of his life with him up until then, it was difficult letting go... I wasn't sure if he'd be able to sleep well, eat well, and whether he'd be well taken care of. My worries were unfounded. He didn't have any problems settling in, and went on to enjoy 2 years with SBH. 

This is Nathan when he started attending SBH  (6 months old)...

Nathan's hair styled by his teachers at SBH

And Nathan when he 'graduated' from SBH when he was 2 1/2 years old...

Noah started attending SBH when he was 5 months old...

And today, he's almost 3 years old...

"Robot cupcakes" that he's sharing with his teachers & friends

The teachers at SBH are ever so chirpy and enthusiastic. They always have a ready smile for the kids, and evidently enjoy their jobs as pre-school teachers. I like how they value each child as an individual and take time to greet each of them by name, and always take time to listen to what the kids have to say. The kids are engaged in a wide variety of activities ranging from languages, to art & music, to gym, sand play, water play and playground time... I know that their time is spent meaningfully in school and it is so heartening to see their smiles when I pick them up in the evenings. It is clear to me that they've enjoyed their day at school.

At SBH, Nathan & Noah learned to feed themselves when they were 18 months old and started speaking in sentences at about that time as well. I think it is triggered by the need to 'survive' more than anything... being able to speak in sentences meant being able to say... "teacher Farah, Peter pushed me"... "teacher Ain, Jane didn't wear her school uniform today"... It meant being able to say "but I already said sorry"... when your friend accuses you of doing something wrong... They generally enjoy playing alongside/with peers, and are able (most of the time) to adhere to social norms like taking turns and queueing up.

I like how SBH takes time to not just organise excursions, but also events like Sports Day and the Annual Concert. My boys enjoy going on the big bus with their teachers and friends, and still remember and talk about the excursions that they've been on even though the trips were so long ago. They won their first trophies at the school sports day, and had the opportunity to work as a team with their teachers and friends to put up a concert, much to the delight of all the parents.

Noah's first excursion

Nathan's first trophy

Annual Concert 2011

Noah took part in his first school concert just last month and we really enjoyed the show put up by all his teachers friends...

To the management, teachers and friends at SBH, we would like to say a big thank you! You are the first teachers and friends that Nathan and Noah have gotten to know. You provided an environment where they were able to grow from tiny sunflower seeds to the flowers that they are today. It has been an enjoyable journey and we are grateful.

Baby's First Shoes

What did you do with your baby's first pair of shoes after he/she has outgrown them? May we suggest framing them as a memento that will be treasured by generations to come.

Little Impressions is currently having a special offer for first shoes frame.

Solid oak shadow box frame with a pair of baby's first shoes: $38

Solid oak shadow box frame with a pair of baby's first shoes & baby photo: $48

Solid oak shadow box frame with a pair of baby's first shoes & baby's foot print cast (as shown above): $280

Shoes and photographs are provided by customers. Little Impressions will provide full framing service with options to personalise the frame with baby's name.

Check out www.little-impressions.com.sg for more information.

Nathan's 1st Violin Concert

Nathan started violin lessons last December, 3 months after he turned 3 years old. He attends a group Suzuki violin class once a week, and we practise daily (weekdays only). A few months ago, we were told that they'd be a school concert, and Nathan will be playing a few violin pieces together with his friends. We practised hard for the concert and have been looking forward to it. Nathan said he'd give his best, and we promised to take him out to celebrate if he gave his best. On the whole, I am pleased that he did a pretty good job. In a span of 8 months, he experienced learning a new instrument, the grind of daily practise and subsequently putting up a mini performance with his friends. :)

One day before the concert, his teacher asked if I would be one of the four parents to play on stage with the kids. I was taken by surprise as I was prepared to sit back, relax and watch the performance. So I asked Nathan if he'd like me to go on stage with him. He said 'yes', so I gamely agreed.

His journey of learning a musical instrument has only just begun and as I learn alongside him, I still struggle to find the right balance between pushing him to practise hard and letting him enjoy and cruise along as he pleases. It is clear that he feels a certain sense of accomplishment when he has mastered a song, and would love to play the piece that he has mastered for daddy or his teacher. But to arrive at the point of mastery, many hours of practice is required. Some days, he tells me that he's tired and doesn't want to practise. Some days, he gives me a half hearted attempt. Of course, there are good days, when we both enjoy the music he makes. I've tried the firm approach and this has driven him to tears sometimes. I've tried the fun approach where we play our violins together on a pretend stage, to an imaginary audience and this, he enjoys. Recently, I've tried accompanying him on the piano and this is a nice change (but I do need to practise the piano more so I can actually play the pieces he's learning). So it is a delicate balance between instilling discipline and pushing him to excel, yet not killing the interest and joy one gets from learning and playing a musical instrument.

Delighted to spot his name in the list of performers

Next year, Noah turns three. I've been thinking about whether to let Noah start learning the violin like Nathan did. My plan is to expose both boys to two different instruments until they are in lower primary. And as demands picks up in school, they can then decide whether to continue pursuing both, or to pick just one instrument. Some parents I've spoken to intentionally chose different instruments for their children, just so there would be no means of comparison / competition among the kids. I don't really think that would be an issue, so it is likely that both my kids will be exposed to the same instruments. I just hope that I'd be able to balance our schedules well, so I can continue doing parent accompanied classes with them until it proves not beneficial for me to learn alongside them. I have enjoyed the journey with Nathan thus far, and I am glad he's enjoying it too.

Toilet Training for Boys

Nathan only managed to stay dry in the day shortly after his third birthday (about 38 months old). By that, I mean that there were no more accidents, and I did not need to constantly ask him if he needed to pee, or to bring him to the toilet at regular intervals. He told me when he needed to go, and there was sufficient time to walk to the toilet before he let it all out. He figured out the poo poo business earlier... way before he finally got the hang of the pee pee business. Going by typical milestones, I think he's behind... I'm just glad that I can finally save on diapers now.

These are somethings that I found useful as we worked on toilet training Nathan. So you might find them useful if you're also treading down the toilet training path.

1) Books. The National Library has several of these and Nathan particularly enjoyed these two:

It's Potty Time by Ron Berry. This one comes with a button for kids to push. They'll hear the sound of an automatic flush when they push the button.

It's Potty Time by Tracey Corderoy

2) Potty Training DVD. Nathan's a big fan of Sesame Street and he really enjoyed watching Elmo's Potty Time. It was useful in introducing the concept of using the big boy toilet to him, but did nothing more than that.

3) Pull-Up Diapers and Training Pants. We used pull-up diapers when we were going out and training pants when we were at home. I do feel that the pull-up diapers delay toilet training. They are so well made that kids do not know when they've wet their pants. With training pants, at least they realise that they've wet themselves, and that realisation is important. Training pants we've used and loved are from Bambino Mio and Charlie Banana. Bambino Mio is cheaper but is not able to hold an accident. The Charlie Banana 2-in-1 swim diaper & training pants is pretty absorbent, and is capable of holding an accident without Nathan's outer pants getting wet. It can be used as a swim diaper and comes in many cute prints and colours.

4) Bed protectors. I was getting tired of changing Nathan's bedsheets each time his diaper leaked and was so glad when I discovered BrollySheets. These sheets fit OVER the bedsheets, has a waterproof layer on the underside, and a soft-to-touch topside. Now, I just need to remove the BrollySheets to wash without changing his bedsheets every.single.time. That said, he is still on diapers at night even though it is mostly dry when he wakes up in the morning. For afternoon naps, I stuff a muslin square into his regular underwear to absorb accidents (if any), but most times, he wakes up dry.

I was practically pulling my hair out when potty training Nathan just because he didn't seem to be getting it, and most of his friends were already toilet trained when he was still in diapers. Oh well... thankfully he's finally got it!

Noah's First Shoes

I just framed Noah's very first pair of shoes... I was thinking about whether I should clean it before framing... or frame it as it is... scuffs and all. Finally decided to leave it in its original state.

Noah started walking pretty late. Most times, he was contented with shuffling on his butt... and didn't really start walking until he was about 14 months old. He took his first steps on 6 May 2012. Since then, he's enjoyed his new found mobility and we now have to run after him to keep him out of harm's way. 

Ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16

If you are looking to frame your child's first shoes, check out Little Impressions!

Noah's First Smile

Noah has been smiling in his sleep or halfway thru a feed eversince he was a few weeks old... and all the while, he smiles with his eyes closed, half asleep. 

Today, for the very first time, he smiled at mommy when he was awake. Mommy was holding Noah, talking to him. And he smiled in response. :) So heart warming.

Nathan vs Ant

Nathan just started crawling two weeks ago. He's gotten quite good at it. Here's him putting his new skill to use...

By the way, the ant survived. Nathan's small hands didn't manage to squash the ant.

Nathan's First Word

Mommy and daddy were really thrilled when we heard Nathan 'say his first word'. And thankfully, we got it captured on video.