Kieran's Gym Class

I have not updated how did Kieran's gym class went after about 9 lessons or so.

So far, he enjoys the lesson and is coping well though I think all his classmates are older and more seasoned than him. Anyway, here's a photo of him balancing on the bar and a videoclip.

Art attack!

I got some Crayola finger painting tubes in 4 primary colours and had the kids experiment with it in as messy as they could get.

Boy, they really enjoyed getting their fingers and hands on the paints! I helped them make symmetrical artwork by folding the drawing paper into half. Kieran's creation is like a caterpillar and Raeyen's a bug with fillers! We experimented mixing colours such as red + blue = purple, red + yellow = peachy orange and green + yellow = eh... diarrhoea colour.

Anyway, they had fun getting squishy and making hand prints. We should do more of such activities.

Mycoplasma attack!

I have contracted mycoplasma and unfortunately the boys got this dreaded bacteria from me. Now the whole clan, except hubby is on Klacid antibiotic.

I have been coughing for couple of months and it turned bad on 13 August and doc said it was some viral infection. Well, it got worse and I saw another doc at my workplace. A week later or so, I didn't get better, took a chest x-ray and blood test and received both good and bad news. The x-ray shows good lungs = no signs of pneumonia but the blood test shows mycoplasma positive.

The hardest part is I couldn't kiss the boys as usual (for so long already) and because I am their mother, their contraction was somewhat natural - the paediatrician advised.

Due to this idiotic bacteria, doc has grounded me from my impending business trip to Incredible !ndia for fear that the pollution their might aggravate my condition. Doc has to review my condition on Tuesday to determine if I could still go Shanghai the week after.

Kieran's condition is much worse than Raeyen as he has a congested and sensitive nose. Not only he has the same 3 medicines like Raeyen, the PD also prescribed a nasal spray (Nasonex), Aerius and Singulair. However, I am relief to know from both docs that we will be fine by the time we go Perth for holiday later this month.

Rata-ta-ta good show

On Sunday, we brought Kieran for the movie Ratatouille this afternoon at GV Tampines.

The theatrical effects are fantastic, storyline is touching with the byline "Anyone Can Cook", sounds a little like Martin Yan's "If Yan Can Cook, So Can You". I am not chef quality, but yeah, I tried to cook a little if I could for my family and friends.

Anyone, those who have not watched it, don't lose out in the rat race!

Speaking of cooking, I bought a packet of healthy looking and colourful alphabet pasta from Toa Payoh Lorong 7 (next to Kieran's gym school). What's more? It's ORGANIC. So I tried cooking it in ikan bilis soup for the kids. While Kieran finished it, Raeyen didn't (hey, not that my cooking sucks, but he is a challenge during mealtime.

Happy Teacher's Day

Kieran will be celebrating Teacher's Day at the kindy this Thursday while it closes on Friday.

I got him 2 key rings for his English and Chinese teachers and made a thank-you "card" for them. Incidentally, they were his teachers at pre-nursery when he was almost 2.5 years old. Chen lao-shi dotes on him and Miss Lee toilet-trained him. He likes them both very much.

Project Beansprout status report

Bean sprout project

When Kieran returned home from his sleepover at Megan's place last Sunday. He brought home his little bean sprout project that Jenny helped him and Megan with. Like we used to do when we were young, by using green beans.

The sprouts have grown so well that I had to take some shots.



My next move is to explain to Kieran what is "photosynthesis" through this project.

Every day, we notice the sprouts tilt towards our window... which is natural... to get energy from sunlight. I used this to explain to Kieran this phenomena. Every night, we would turn the pot against our window and the next morning, Kieran would tell me, "Mommy, see they turn towards the window again, to get the sunlight right?"

Mini celebration at CCC

Kieran celebrated with his classmates at the childcare centre today at 3pm during their tea-break.

His friends were thrilled not only to eat the Power Ranger character cake but also to receive the goodie bags. Kids are the happiest at any party.

I took a mini clip when they sang the birthday song to him.

After the celebration, I took him home upon his request.

Raeyen was happy to see us home early. After Kieran's bath, they played construction toys. I was so pleased that Kieran made an aeroplane and a simple wheelies for his brother without prompting. It was nice to see them playing together. We managed to watch Shaun the Sheep together, it was Kieran's first and he likes it.

Kieran's 5th birthday party

Yesterday was fun as we had popiah-cum-pieti party, catered by Old Longhouse. Everyone enjoyed the DIY popiah.

Highlight of the party was of course Kieran's special cake... Optimus Prime truck, made by my friend. Kieran was especially happy to see his customised cake and the rest just went ooh and ahh when they saw the intricate flames and all that my friend had painstakingly designed. It's fondant (sugar paste) on the decadent chocolate cake. The tar was made of Oreo crumbs. The kids were fascinated by the tyres that they tried eating it.

The younger ones just played in the playroom and Kieran's room, and caught glimpses of the fireworks at Marina Bay; while the adults watched the Just Follow Law VCD from May.



Kieran's next surprise was to receive a few Transformers toys, toys from Growing Fun and stationery set that Mommy and Raeyen got for him. He also received a scooter from May, Yin & Megan, a Hide and Seek game from Auntie Angeline & family, clothes from Tua-Yi & family, Construction toys from Di-Yee, New Balance sports shoes from Daddy, and red packets from Ah-Kong, Ah-Mah, Tua-ku & family, Sar-ku & family, Mom & Dad.



The older kids helped Kieran transformed his Optimus Prime truck cake into a robot in 2 versions and that was funny too as they were afraid that it might topple.

The party ended past 11pm and Kieran followed Megan home for another sleepover.

Project Nursery Rhymes 3

This should be most kids' fav and shiniest star nursery rhyme!

Kids' TV Programme

Read from this website that Shaun the Sheep is a funny clay animation programme for kids. Then I chanced upon it on Disney Channel by SCV cable at 5.30pm today. Yeah, I wasn't at work today as my prolonged cough turned so bad that my throat hurt and was given a day's rest by the doc. Anyway, coming back to Shaun the Sheep... it's really is funny and Shaun is a baa-ry intelligent sheep. Try to catch it if you could. A check on the tv schedule shows that it is only broadcast on weekdays *sad*.

There aren't many good programmes for the young. I'm not sure if it's because we have boys, at least for Kieran, he is at the stage of "fights". Not that he fights with someone, but he likes to swish sword-like stuff around or play pretend that he's a warrior or the red Power Ranger. We never exposed him to such programmes but he gets to watch them at childcare centre somehow...

My ex-lecturer from NUS who has brilliant kids (a boy and a girl) once told me there was nothing wrong with such programmes so long we provide parental guidance. His son grew up with transformers and is a fine young man now.

Project Nursery Rhymes 2

A friend of mine introduced this website with any nursery rhymes that you can imagine.

Kieran's 5th birthday invite

To all sibs

An eInvitation to Kieran's 5th birthday celebration this Saturday.

























Love
All in the family

881 = Papaya

Hubby and I applied afternoon half-day leave on Friday.

We met at AMK Hub after my lunch with an old friend, Aemy who now works in Shanghai and buddies, Wendy and Ivy. We decided to support local films by watching 881 instead of Disturbia or Rush Hour 3.

881 brought a lot of childhood memories (that explains how "young" we are) to us and it was a funny yet moving movie. Mindee Ong actually shaved her head for a couple of minutes but very important scenes. Both Yeo Yann Yann and her portrayed the main characters (Papaya sisters, hmm... that reminds me of the Chopsticks sisters) very well. Worth watching!

Nursery Rhymes with a twist

I've always like to change the lyrics of nursery rhymes to fit the mood and situation whenever I'm with the boys. Especially now that Raeyen is only 2, it makes sense to reinvent the lyrics to add more punch to whatever we are doing.

I was reading Little Cloud by Eric Carle to Raeyen at bedtime and he was fascinated by the airplane that the little cloud had changed into. He blabbered, "airplane, airplane!" and I started singing to him with reinvented lyrics to the tune of "Fly, fly, fly, the butterfly".

Having been inspired by a project on nursery rhymes by Kieran's ex-teacher, Kei. I decided to document these rhymes with a twist bit by bit. Only that I am not as talented as her to draw them beautifully. Thank God I have digital scrapbooking and MS Powerpoint to count on!

Last August, while I was away and thinking of the boys, I posted an entry here on my reinvented "Rock-a-bye-baby".