Last Saturday was a busy day.

Early in the morning, the kids were all ready to go to the zoo. It was pretty uncomfortable squeezing through throngs of people with two boys in tow. The hot and humid weather had us feeling lethargic by mid morning. 

yiXiang was excited to see the monkeys swung from one branch to another while a snake slithered unsuspiciously in a bag underneath our seats *eerie*. He clapped and cheered and thoroughly enjoyed the animal show while his elder brother watched with less enthusiasm since that was his countless trips to the zoo.  

We took a quick lunch and headed home.

Everyone took power naps and recharged for the hi5 concert.

I was pretty disappointed that Kathleen was replaced by the less attractive, slightly plum, Sun though it made no difference to the boys who sang and dance with their Super Heroes.   

We came home in time to admire the beautiful sunset while enjoying a simple home cooked meal.

I believed I had a bright future in my career if I have not left my previous school, stepped down from the management team and content with just a teaching position that my current school offered.

I graduated with a B.A from NUS in 1998. After a short stint in marketing, I decided to pursue my interest, my passion and my love – Teaching.

I am a good teacher, simply because I was a bad student.

I understood.

I could relate.

I am committed.

I joined NIE in mid 1999 and passed with flying colours. I topped my cohort and was awarded the prestigious “Best Teacher Award” given by Rotary International.

Upon graduation in mid 2000, I was posted to a neighborhood primary school. We were expecting our first child but I continued to work very hard to prove myself. By the second year, I was put in charge of my school’s Media Resource Library. It was a trying time as I was also coping with yiHang’s medical condition. But my promotion at the end of that year spurred me on. By the end of my third year, I was appointed Head of Department IT and received yet another promotion.

My very own ‘office’

I was expecting our second child then.

yiXiang was born in 2004.

When I find yiHang perching at the gate, waiting for me to come home from work after the sun has long set, when I find myself giving him empty promises after empty promises, lying to him again and again that I would spend more time with him, when I felt like a tightly wound spring, when I was exhausted and depressed trying to juggle between family and work, I decided to take six months off work and seek for transfer.

 A ’souvenir’ that my predecessor left me

 

I was elated to learn that there was a vacancy in a choice primary school for my boys. I went for interview and was told that they could only offer me a teaching position. I grabbed it.

It has been almost a year since. And I had just expressed directly to my boss my desire to stay on the teaching track instead of the management track.

A career suicide?

Maybe. 

When I looked at how far some of my peers have moved ahead in terms of their achievements in careers, I felt the pinch.

But these days I find myself with plenty of time to play with the boys, talk to them, teach them, hug them and watch them grow. I could afford long walks to the park in the evening. I need not skipped pages and hoped that they would not realise when I read them bedtime stories.

Looking back, I’ve no regrets.

But.

I maintain,

I am still a good teacher.

(And a lot of times, it’s so hard to convince people that someone who decides to be un-ambitious, is indeed responsible!)

I’ve stopped writing since I went back to work full time.

Last month, Emily, the new editor of Today’s Parents asked if I could contribute an article on Children’s Birthday Parties. Every part of me itched to pick up the pen peg on the keys fervently and see letters transform into words, words into phrases, phrases into sentences and sentences into stories.

So, YES! I agreed. Thus, I would love to feature the following in my article :  

1. Parties held at homes or condos and rented toys (e.g Jumping Castle, Rent-A-Toy) to entertain the guests, roped in cousins and friends to help with in party games.
2. Parties at held at centers that incorporate the element of education into fun. E.g: Kindermusic, Gymboree
3. Parties organized by event managers. E.g Theme parties with magician and clowns
4. Any other innovative ways for birthday party celebration. i.e Movie Parties, Camping Parties, Pool parties, Beach parties, etc

So Mommies and Daddies, Please send an email with a short description of your party to janicechuah [dot] gmail [dot] com

 *****

My previous contributions

Attachment Parenting, Today’s Parnets, September 2005 (p41-47)

Doors of Hope, Today’s Parnets, October 2005 (p38-41)

Home Play, Today’s Parnets, November 2005 (p38-45)

Life is back to near normal, as we settled into our new home and found ourselves with more time for family outings once again. Lots of family days with free tickets and such.

I managed to get free tickets from STU to the May Day Carnival at Wild Wild Wet. It was a fun-drenched morning as we slid down raft, drifted along rivers, climbed up ladders and plunged down ramps.

Our tiny tot was completely unafraid of water and had a whale of a time at the shallow pool. No pics of yiHang as he ‘disappeared’ into the labyrinth of rides the moment we entered the theme park.

After a quick lunch of pizza and spaghetti, the kiddos were recharged and headed for more fun at the carnival tossing rings, slamming hammers and shooting balls.

*****

It has been some time since we went to the beach. So, last week, with some pails and spades, off we went for an evening of sun, sand and sea.

*****

This morning, we went to support my parents’ event at The Vesak Day Family Day. *Thanks dad, for the coupons.  The kids were so excited, they dashed into our room and climbed into our bed as early as 7 this morning! yiHang had fun at the game stores while yiXiang was busy chewing and slurping what’s not! (Look at the photo above and spot our little greedy boy) 

*****

The cool, crisp air and smell of the fresh soil brought us to Botanic Gardens.  Nothing beats spending the evening exhausting every last ounce of our energy chasing after kids who were tirelessly chasing after cars and balls.

Well, they joy of parenting, they call it.

*****

Next week is going to be another eventful weekend as I’ve got tickets at special concession to the zoo. It’s MOE Family Day. Lots of activities lined up. And in the evening, it’s the long awaited, well anticipated Hi-5 concert and yiHang has been counting down .. down .. down …

I am so tired of yiHang saying sorry for the sake of just … erm … saying sorry!

“I tired of your sorrys! Don’t just say sorry! Sorry not enough! Explain why you are sorry.

Say SORRY also MUST EXPLAIN!”

*GAWP*

Not I say one. Govt say one!

OK!

The curious English boy asked what were these.

Mummy:

水饺

for dinner

 

yiHang : 

*BLUR*

HUH!? Izit the same like sleeping?

 睡觉

 

Mummy :

*FAINT*

The sudden demise of an ex-colleague.

The sad news of a friend’s critical condition.

Has reminded me to admire the beautiful sunset HE painted.

And enjoy the music of the wind He composed.

 

- Picturesque view of the sun setting from our home -

yiHang started his first formal piano lessons.

 Who’s the teacher?

 Read more

 

None other than Mummy, of course!

We’ve just shifted my hubby’s Broadwood to our home.

For a start, I introduced the Middle C, Crotchet, Semibreve and Minim to him. To our utmost surprise, he patiently practiced for a good 15 minutes on his own and played a perfect duet with his didi.

 

Do,2,3,4. Do,2,3,4. Do,2,3,4. Do,2,3,4

Do,2. Do,2. Do,2. Do,2,3,4.

Do, Do, Do, Do. Do,2,3,4. Do, Do, Do, Do. Do,2,3,4.

Do,2. Do,2. Do, Do, Do, Do. Do,2. Do,2. Do,2,3,4.

After listening to his master piece, Papa decided the piano needs to be tuned to perfection to groom out little Mozarts. Unfortunately, we could not locate the local distributor for Broadwood. So the man made a call all the way to the United Kingdom to enquire.

Unfortunately, we were told that the distributor no longer existed – closed shop!

Any good piano tuners to recommend?

My mother’s day gifts which yiHang made from school.

A heart shaped fragrance pouch which I hung beside my dresser.

His drawing of our family portrait.

And an orange pierced with clovers!

This morning, when we were shopping for groceries at NTUC, yiHang excitedly tried to hide something in the shopping cart from my view. It was a bunch of carnations.

According to his Papa, the mother’s day sign caught his attention and he decided to get the flowers for me. Papa told him that the flowers cost a good six bucks which is equivalent to 3 weeks of his kiddy rides. My beloved boy readily gave them up – just to tell me that he loves me.

I was touched beyind words. What more can I ask for.

I put back the carnations, hugged him and told him that it was the thought that counts.

 *****

A mother is God’s love in action.

She looks with her heart and feels with her eyes.

A mother is the bank where her children deposits all their worries and hurt.

A mother is the cement that keeps her family together.

A mother’s love lasts a lifetime

To all Mothers, Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Beyond Peers

yiHang bugged me to bring him to Pasar Malam to get a watch.

yiHang : The watch must be able to go underwater.

Mummy: You mean waterproof?

yiHang : Yes. So that when I swim I can wear it. Please mummy, please

Mummy: OK! Tell me, which of your friend has a digital sports watch?

yiHang : No.

Mummy: Really. Truth?

yiHang : It’s 老师  (his Chinese Teacher). She wears the watch when she goes jogging. And the watch can go under water too! So good rite?!

Beyond Authority

Remember, yiHang used to think that he’s GOVERNMENT?

yiHang (angry) : NO! I am not going to listen to you. You listen to me.

Kakak (teasing, imitating him) : You must listen to me. I am Government!

yiHang (serious) : You listen to me because I AM GOD!

*GWAP*

And other things our 5 years old says that drives us up the wall.

Kong Kong : Take some jelly home.

yiHang : Better not. Mummy will 呱呱叫!

***** 

Papa : yiHang, says bye to Aunty Pam and Uncle.

yiHang (shouting): I can’t. I am in the toilet Mmk Mmk (Doing his BIG business)

Papa : OK. Just shout ‘Good Bye’

Yihang : GOOD BYE. COME AGAIN. AND REMEMBER TO BUY ME MORE TOYS THE NEXT TIME YOU COME!

*****  

yiHang : You know Portia and Lakshini …

Mummy : How come you call your teachers by their name. Shouldn’t you be addressing her Teacher Portia, Teacher Lakshini, …

yiHang : All of us call like dat.

(Found out that he was telling the truth – that the ang mohs and have-baked ang mohs like my dear son, calls their teachers by names)

Mummy : Yeah, lets see when you are going to call me by my name too.

yiHang : Err … J-A-N-I-C-E. I think I still prefer to call you Mummy!

A couple of nights back, when I was reading to yiHang [literally from cover to cover], we came across a short introduction of the book’s author. Yihang was thoroughly inspired and exclaimed, “Mummy, Lets write a book!”

And we did just that today.

 

Wow! I am going to bring this to school and read to my friends.

Mummy! I have an idea. How about selling it to my school for some money? Then [Teacher] Portia can buy and then read to the class.

*****

We have plenty of charts and flashcards in our collection. The only problem is was, there was no place to display them. Sticking them on the walls damages both the walls and the charts. Besides, these charts need to be change regularly.

We found these tempered glass writing boards from IKEA which are also excellent for charts.

Using the Life Cycle of a Frog chart, I guided yiHang in writing his very first story. I told him to imagine that he was a little Tadpole, which he named SCRABBLE. He then gathered facts from the chart for the content of the story. Not without mistakes though. We had a great time drawing and colouring.

This simple yet fun multi disciplinary activity encompasses Science concepts, writing skills, language and art and crafts.  

I was pleasantly surprised when the observant boy crafted the last sentence, ‘I live on land’ because that information was not found on the chart. “Well, you can see from the picture, the frog is not in the water anymore. It is on land.”