March 29, 2013

Indeed a Good Friday!

It's kind of rare for this VERSION of BFF to meet. Hmm..Wait! Abigail is Cs' BFF Version 2.0 , then Fei shall be BFF Version 2.1? Hahaha...Self-Confused State!!!




At 10:30am, Aunty E is very kind to pick us up from the Hotel in ZhongShang and brought us to this Children's Garden in Bukit Timah -  Jacob Ballas Children's Garden. It is a well designed Garden with sufficient shades from the Trees and Little Huts, most importantly it is set up in a way that allow children to learn about plants and cultivate their interest with LOTS OF FUN. Love the Garden, wish I can find a place like this in KL. :) I am sure there are some, just need to dig them out! I guess!

It has a place for them to A-Maze themselves, roaming in the small hedge maze and play Pee-Ka-Poo. Ok. No photo illustration, imagine two mothers handling 3 girls with bags on our shoulders, extra effort to help the girls to mingle with PeeKaPoo games. I brought my D600 along but didn't manage to take it out from my bag. :( Iphone came in very handy, small and easy to slot into the pocket when the girls asked for MaMa. 

Anyway, there is a Maze, a life science interactive fun to introduce photosynthesis to children, there is a Tree House with a slide, a sand play area, a water play area, a hanging bridge, a lot of trees and plants....Water play is in the highlight simply because it is the best place for the girls to cool them down and enjoy the splash in such HOT WEATHER condition, while Aunty E sacrificed herself to get into the WET, MaMa stole some photo shots. 

Hehe, I went to the Garden unprepared. Aunty E is such a dear that she got everything prepared for the girls, the swimsuits, towels, and toys for water play. The girls in the end form a chain whereby Big C is the "raw material miner" (collect the water), Little C is the "Processor/Manufacturer" (Big C poured her water from her collection to Little C's little tub), then Little C poured her "processed" water to Fei's little tub who we would like to call her Middleman, and the "Purchaser/Cosnsumer" is Aunty E!!! Hahahaha...Isn't it cute? Everyone had fun for sure, including mommies.

After our fun at Jacob Ballas, we went straight to Tanglin Mall to have lunch at the Cafe Beviamo. Wow, the Latte is top class. I am not so much of a Coffee girl, but it was real good that I had an urge to go back there the next day. It was a reasonably priced lunch. Aunty E & Fei had an Avocado Salad, A Sausage Penne & a Flat White while the Cs had a Leek & Potato Soup, A tomato Spaghetti with sausages, a Latte and an apple & carrot juice. For such fine lunch, SGD70 is not VERY expensive at all. YUMMY! The soup was good, the Spaghetti was good, the Latte was Heaven. Hahaha... 

Then, we went to Brunetti to buy some macaroons. Eyes on those beautiful pastries & cakes are drilling a crave in me for sweet treats that I had never experienced before. Hahaha...because the next day, I kept on bugging my mom & sis to go Tanglin Mall, but we didn't make it because we have to spend our precious time with Baby Julian before we leave Singapore. Even though I didn't taste any of these delectable pastries in Brunetti, but I am sure it must be GOOD somehow! I tasted the Macaroon and it was surprisingly GOOD and there were not excessively sweets like all the other Macaroons. It was my first to have a temptation to have another one. Hahahaha..... SERIOUS~!




After our scrumptious lunch, we went to Aunty E's place. Supposingly to get the girls to take nap while mommies can do some catch up. Not a chance! Once they arrived, and showered, my two nasties went to Fei's room to make a major destruction. Colour Pencils on the Floors, toys scattered and messed up, worse when Cs' MaMa didn't even help out to clean up the mess and just told Aunty E "I want to go now, send us back to the hotel" hahahaha.....I don't think Aunty E would let me do the tidying anyway, right? Aunty Marianne is around to help :P ...BAD BAD Mommy, I shall not be granted for the liberty of complaining on my girls' MESS. :P Look at BFF v2.1, ain't they adorable!!Mmm~

Miss Fei So much!!!!!!

March 14, 2013

Itsy Bitsy Spider


Beautiful Butterfly




Policeman

On our journey to schools in the morning...

MaMa : Babies, please buckle up your seat belt, otherwise Policeman is gonna catch  you.

Big C : Little C, quickly, quickly put on your seat belt! MaMa said Policeman is coming.

Big C immediately got her seat belt properly fastened while rushing Little C to do it as well. It didn't take too long for Big C to be on her seat belt as she is already an expert especially when it comes with a warning of "Policeman".

Little C was still without seat belt, and there was no sign of her intending to put on her seat belt.

MaMa : Little C, come on, you better be fast. I can see Policeman right at the corner waiting. 

Big C : Where ? MaMa, Where? I've already put on my seat belt. Quickly! Quickly, Little C. Police!

Still no sign of action from Little C, and she continued to linger over her books on her lap. 

MaMa : Little C. Come on! Policeman is going to catch you and punish you. Do you want that?

Big C was a little shaken when she heard me, YES, even when she was already on her seat belt, 100% obeying the traffic rule. Perhaps, she was concerned about her little sister was totally not affected.

Finally, from Little C

Little C : HMMP! Policeman come, I will "PAK" (smack) Policeman.

Oh Oh, angry Little C....and she continued

Little C : HMMP! I will put Policeman into Crocodile's mouth!

The stubborn, fearless remained unfastened throughout the journey. :(

Just got to make sure to get them buckle up before the engine starts! But still, this little C is always in defiance of the traffic rule, she hates the seat belt. The seat belt will never stay any longer than 10 minutes on her, and she would release it on her own. WORSE comes when she let out a painful & terrifying wail as if the seat belt was strangling her, WHILE I WAS ON MY STEERING! So annoying!

March 8, 2013

Standard One Registration Starts...

After some thoughts and evaluations, we have decided to send Big C to a local Chinese Primary School. 

1. What type of school? Private? International? Govt Chinese School?
- Govt Chinese School 

2. Location? KL? PJ? Subang? 
- PJ

3. Which schools? ***A, ***B, ***C, ***D
- ***B

M & I were both excited about it. Well, at least I am, not too sure about M. I  think he should be since it's his first experience, and I forced him to come along for the registration even though I could do it myself.

First, we need to register online through http://apps.moe.gov.my/esppsel/

Then, we have to submit the documents to the school's admin within 14 days upon registration has completed online.

Registration Fees : RM 1

Documents :
Birth Certificate - 1 Original 1 Copy
Utilities Bill - 1 Copy
Marriage Cert - 1 Copy
Parents' ID - 1 Copy
* Bring the original along in case they need to see it, but the admin of ***B didn't bother on the originals, only the original Birth Cert is required so that the admin can endorsed "STANDARD 1 APPLICATION"

When arrived the ***B at 1.45pm. The clerk was away, so M & I went to explore the school Canteen. It was not our plan to eat there, but M was rushing rushing all the times, so I suggested to eat in the canteen if he's really rushing... He was excited to see the small bowls of noodles with the choice of soup, curry or clear soup. In the end, we settled our lunch in the canteen while waiting for the office to open.


This is the Curry Mee without Coconut Milk @ RM 1.30

Curry Mee & Assam Laksa 

Classrooms

We are not given a confirmation if Big C will be attending this school. We are at the application stage ONLY. We will get to know if we get our choice by August 2014. *sigh* I am amongst the kiasu parents, but I am the MOST kiasu one. HaHaha...I was in the queue of 265. Hahahaha.... I wonder who was No. 1 in the registration list? There is nothing much that we can do now, too early for any actions anyway. We will wait till the result is out for our next action.

Big C's K1 Artwork





Learning to write


Little C traced her name during our breakfast.

Little C is lucky because she has a stronger body and she has a JieJie to make MaMa a smarter (maybe not smarter, hahaha, more experience) MaMa for Little C. :) 

I was not aware of the early learning centers for toddler from 2 years old until Big C turned 3. Big C attended Vital Years for 2 months when she was 3, and she was sick almost every other week. So, she was bounded to stay at home more than attending VY. Then, she attended nursery last year and K1 this year.

Whereas Little C is exposed to Vital Years, BaoBei, Ballet & Shichida at earlier age as compared to Big C, I assume this is why she pick up some skills earlier than Jie Jie. 

Big C was not able to trace even when she was at 3, because I never even thought of introducing her how to write or draw. I gave her pen and gave her paper and let alone to scribble whatever she wanted. Little C was actually taught to trace when she turned 2, and she could draw circles & triangles too. Thanks to Vital Years, why? Because teachers in Vital Years taught Little C to trace, if she couldn't do it, they would trace together with her by grasping her hands. 

Quit Shichida

M & I have decided that we are going the end the Shichida Class for the girls. This month will be our last month with Shichida. 

The girls are excited to "go" Shichida, but I become aware of the absence of their attention even though they are physically presence in the class. I might be wrong, somehow I feel when Cs happily told us that "Yes, I want to go Shichida", it could just mean "Yes, I want to go OUT of the house". Hahaha...Hey, this is not a lame excuse trying to be defensive of my parenting! LOL

True enough, I am feeling a little wearied of attending classes every weekend. But I don't mind if it's something less stressful. I can't help feeling the pressure running in the class. Children at Big C's age can do addition & subtraction so easily while I am just trying to get Big C to COUNT properly. I have no issues with this, sooner or later, she will know how to count and do her math. Just that, I feel Big C is not really into the "thing" and Little C is never paying a single attention and always fought with me for something really trivial, we always got stuck in one game practise while others already proceeded the next stage and the next. I was always reminded not to compare my children with others, and that my children are very special in their own way, WHICH I AGREE WITH MY HANDS & LEGS RAISED! So, rather than forcing them (and US) to adhere to the stringent time schedule of ours, why not let's it be free and have some other activities in replacement of Shichida. We are looking for Swimming lesson, or perhaps just let them have a dip in the pool on weekly basis.

But M is a nuisance. He needs to PAY in order to make things happen, which means I have to engage a proper swim instructor and PAY him/her, so that M would appear on time for the children. Without a proper arrangement as said, and I would end up very depressed because I have to beg and call and then get yelling from him for not being patient. His 5 minutes can be an hour long, his half and hour can be forever. Anyway, I intend to change it to something more physical, it doesn't need to be restricted to swimming only, maybe park walking, cycling, outdoor activities! It would be a perfect timing for outdoor activities on a Saturday 4 - 6 pm.  

During the 4 terms of Shichida, I have been changing "sensei" (teacher). 

Big C had her first sensei who can't speak english and Little C had a very friendly and experience sensei. However, I can't stand keeping Big C in the class, so I switched both Cs to another class. 

Due the our limited time schedule, we were restricted to a few classes to choose from, which end up a Saturday 4.30pm class. Luckily, Big C is attached to a sensei with unlimited patient, and Sensei YY is still Big C's sensei till now 

Unfortunately, Little C has been changing sensei every term. The second term, Little C was placed into Sensei R's class who posses superb english command. Nevertheless, we decided to change another class in her third term because Little C was not able to click with the class and the Sensei. Most of the time, Little C was very restless and refused to sit still during the class. When the third term came, we had another sensei. She was rather good, with perfect flow of class. Little C enjoyed and managed to keep herself down to go through the class. The good moment didn't stay long though because Sensei W came to us and informed us that she is leaving Shichida. The fourth term is replaced by another Sensei SW. Geezz, it's getting a little hopeless and tiring to look at how Sensei SW got stuck with her flashcard every week and didn't know what to narrate. Someone with absolute zero patient and trying to rush things out to end the class ON TIME. The memory game is horrendous. She didn't care if everyone's ready to LOOK, and she said CHIT CHAK in a second, while Little C was looking away and she expected her to REMEMBER what she had not seen? WELL, she is the main reason that I quit! :P Sorry!!!! But it's true. 

The fees are not cheap, especially when we are paying for TWO. We don't mind the time and the fees, but we feel it is not justifiable. I am not saying that there are no good teachers in Shichida. Before we decided to quit, we were trying to seek for another class with GOOD TEACHER. We do not want to have trial and error session anymore, so we asked straight to the reception that we want only good teacher. *sigh* Yes, there are. But their classes are always FULL and don't expect there will be seats for my girls. In the end, we have come to a consensus that we should jsut end it here and have the fees to pay for some other activities.