October Reflections

October was a significantly eventful month, filled with ups and downs, highs and lows. All kinds of activities on the social, family, school and work fronts combined to make October a month of hustle and bustle. Here are some of the highlights in chronological order:

1) Big Bee's final exams  

2) A weekend getaway with my cousins at the Changi Village Hotel

3) A long weekend cruise with both sets of parents

4) Big Bee's release of results and streaming into her primary 3 class, with new classmates next year. Thank goodness she would be in the same class with her best friend since kindergarten days!

5) Little Bee's field trip with me as a parent helper

6) My work trip to Shanghai and Nantong, an up and rising city to watch for in China

7) Our 10th wedding anniversary celebrations :) 

8) Big Bee's school funfair where I was a parent helper at the games stall

9) Start of Big Bee's long, luxurious year-end holidays! 

10) Halloween fun with friends

11) Big Bee's Swan Lake ballet performance in a school concert with me as a parent helper

12) My birthday celebrations with my dearest family :) 

13) Our attendance at Happee Day, a wonderful event for children from the Children's Cancer Foundation, organised by an amazing and fabulous mother, Daphne from Mother, Inc. 

...and there were more activities like parties and Children's Day celebrations, etc, for the Bees! 

What a marvelous month indeed...and lots to update in the blog!  

High Seas

2 Fridays ago, we went on a weekend cruise to nowhere on SUperstar Virgo. With our little family were both sets of our parents, Hubby's sister and our helper. The Bees were ecstatic with such a big crowd consisting of everyone who loves them dearly, and were hopping, giggling and squealing incessantly!

As we boarded the ship, the weather was a breathtaking sunset with golden rays of brilliant sunshine that illuminated all our faces with dazzling radiance. Everyone was filled with blithe effervescence and vivacious anticipation for the herculean ship to start sailing. It was enlivening to see all 4 grandparents so relaxed and contented just to be close to the Bees, laughing and chatting with them. 

Some indelible highlights of the 3-day, 2-night cruise: 

1. Perpetual eating!

With 6 meals served every day, eating became a never-ending activity where the families bonded with each other. Hubby and I were very heartened to see our 4 parents gossiping like old friends, right down to telling each other hilarious tales about their respective courtship days! We discovered many tidbits of information that we had never heard before! 

It was a blessing that Rosilyn, our helper, came along. When the kids slept on the first night, all 4 grandparents, my sister-in-law and us lingered around the ship till the early hours of 2am! We gorged on the delicious supper buffet with more chatting, strolled on the alfresco decks of the ship, and Hubby went to the casino with his father, my mum and sister-in-law while I sat in the comfy lobby area with my father and mother-in-law (a funny combination, right?!), chatting into the wee hours of the morning! 

I particularly love the alfresco breakfast on our last day - lounging on the open-air deck, feeling the fresh sweet morning air on our faces and chatting languidly with the gentle sunrays emanating through the open decks. 

Hubby and I also loved the bustling, outdoor BBQ buffet dinner on the second night, right beneath the stars. We were all awed by the splendid array of food, from local favourites to exotic delights. Tastes of the grilled beef, Hainanese chicken rice and heavenly cherry crumble still resonated vividly in my mind! 

2. Open decks

I love strolling around the decks of the gigantic cruise liner, staring into oblivion at nothing but the vast, boundless blue sea that stretches unto infinity. Seeing nothing but the interminable ocean made me realise that humanity leads such a fragile existence - long before the humans transformed the world so drastically, the omnipresent oceans were the first occupants of the planet. And I am sure long after we humans are extinct, the celestial oceans will still endure. 

Humans are nothing but miniscule chess pieces in the prodigious chessboard that represents our world. Yet, sadly, we had been creating such destruction and chaos since we occupied the earth. 

Anyway, it was really gratifying to hear the gentle lapping of the waves against the giant cruise liner, and to observe the little ripples and motions of the ocean far beneath us. Entirely soothing. Wonderfully relaxing. 

In fact, the gentle balmy breeze caressing our faces was so lulling that our parents were snoozing on the open deck in the afternoon of the second day! 

3. Captivating shows

Our parents really loved the enthralling nightly performances which were highly entertaining. On the first night, we were treated to a dazzling display of acrobatics and musicals depicting life in the old imperial Russian regime. On the second night, we were lured into the mysterious world of magic and illusion with a dramatic magic performance. The grandparents gawked at the performers, the Bees were dumbstruck at times, and Hubby and me were just contented in the knowledge that everyone enjoyed themselves. 

4. Recreation for the Bees

We indulged in myriad leisurely activities with the Bees, as a celebration of the end of exams for Big Bee! Big Bee and I went swimming one lovely evening in the kids' pool, where she enjoyed many rounds of the slide. I had the rare opportunity of soaking in a warm jacuzzi tub right at the edge of the ship, staring into the frothy waves as I immersed into the enveloping comfort of the warm water. Divine bliss indeed!

Meanwhile, the Bees also spent an enjoyable hour creating some handmade crafts with the hosts from Superstar Virgo, together with 5 other girls (where were all the little boys!?). Both the girls created their crafts independently, with a little help for Little Bee, and both of them proudly showed off their completed 3D butterflies to me! 

The Bees also participated in some stage games. It was truly amusing to see both of them onstage, with Big Bee grudgingly and shyly partaking in the competition, and Little Bee animatedly enjoying herself! In the end, both of them won a medal each - it was really delightful for them. 

5. Where time stops for us

Finally, it was the tranquil midnight stroll with Hubby on the second night that I truly cherished. We went to the top deck of the liner, and allowed the wind to flirt capriciously with our hair, whipping it wildly. We sat down on 2 lonesome deck chairs and chatted like the good friends that we are. It was rather chilly but we relished being away from the glare of the lights and noise of the crowds, indulging in some quiet, romantic moments with each other. Away from the madding crowd indeed. 

Going on a cruise is an excellent way to truly unwind. With limited activities onboard, we had no choice but to amble along slowly, paying more attention to fellow cruisers and feeling time crawling to a standstill. It is also a fuss-free way to bring the children for a vacation, unlike faraway holidays where we had to lug lots of luggage and dashed about to sightsee. 

We should be back soon, I foresee :) 

Her First Project Work

Last month, Big Bee worked on her very first project for Social Studies in school. Remember the days of us slogging and cutting pictures to be pasted on construction paper? Those days remain vivid as indelible memories in my mind, and before I knew it, my own daughter is working on a similar project. Life dashes past us really swiftly indeed. 

Big Bee's first project centred around the theme of "Multi-Racial Singapore", and she was able to provide distinct directions about how she wanted her project to look like. She had a little difficulty trying to sieve through the copious information on the internet though, so I helped her to collate concise data and pictures on the 4 major races in Singapore, before letting her design the entire project on her own. 

The project required a significant amount of effort on the part of the student and parent, but I think she emerged wiser, gaining more knowledge on the 4 major races of Singapore and the festivals that we celebrate here. It was also a wonderful way for her to think creatively and to attempt to source for more information on her own, inculcating a research mentality which would benefit her in future years, I hope. 

Here are a few sample pages of what she had done: 

The introduction page with a turning wheel featuring pictures of children of the 4 major races

Chinese New Year where she inserted photos of the festival inside the angpow

Christmas with a lift-up Christmas tree where she wrote she loves Christmas underneath the tree

She applied colourful glitter glue around and in the candle on the bottom left, in the spirit of sparkling Deepavali

More photos of the festival are inside the Hari Raya Puasa's green packet as well

Chums

The Bees have bountiful friends that they hang out regularly from all quarters - their own school friends (and Big Bee has 2 sets of them, from preschool to primary school!), Big Bee's enrichment classes' friends, their cousins, children of Hubby's and my good friends, their neighbours, and the list goes on! 

Hubby and I usually let them mingle with a broad plethora of different friends, and recently the Bees had been getting really busy with all the parties and social get-togethers! The outcome: each Bee is able to adapt to each other's little or bigger friends, so together, they have a huge circle of common friends! 

Some recent gatherings:

At Alexis' (Hubby's good friend SJ's daughter) dance party. Alexis' parents hired 2 hip-hop dance instructors to teach them the art of funky dance! 

The kids were taught a repertoire of dance movements that encompassed a full performance item in a span of 45 minutes! It was great fun to see the kids striking different poses, and dance-lover Little Bee thoroughly enjoyed herself! 

A little dinner gathering with my good friend YM's kids: Little Bee, Sophie and David striking different poses! 

During the gathering with Sophie and David, Little Bee drew all of them playing at a slide, anti-clockwise from top girl figurine at the slide as Sophie with a voice bubble "I want to play!", then Little Bee with really long legs, then David, Big Bee and Mummy! 

A Slice of Bucolic Singapore

The tranquil road to Changi...

Last Saturday, the cousins and I planned for a weekend stay at Changi Village Hotel in the rustic environs of Singapore's far east. The adult cousins yakked aplenty whereas the little cousins had wonderful fun playing incessantly! Short weekend stays are remarkable - they rejuvenate us tremendously and stretch the weekend endlessly and luxuriously.

We started the stay with lots of marvelous hawker food in the hotel room, all thanks to Irene and CC! Fragrant nasi lemak, succulent fried carrot cake and refreshing sugar cane juice. The Bees were devouring the nasi lemak, struggling with Hubby to fight over the rice and chicken wings! Little Bee could not get her little fingers away from a huge delectable chicken wing, massaging and digging into it like a surgeon!

The grannies (Irene's and my mum) also joined us for a couple of hours before they scooted off to indulge in their own social programmes. So, we had great fun in one hotel room, gorging on mouthwatering food with 3 generations!

After the divine teabreak, we ascended to the rooftop swimming pool with breathtaking panoramic vistas of the sea. The kids conquered the entire kids' pool, and had a blasting time splashing about with water toys! The view was stupendous - I love the expansive seascape just beyond the reaches of the pool and the giant planes zooming smoothly across the sky.

Big Bee was shooting water guns, shrieking excitedly, whereas the 3 little girls - Little Bee, Val and Chloe - were contentedly pouring water in and out of the myriad pool toys, courtesy of Irene and Fiona!

After swimming, the grannies adjourned to their next destination, whereas the 3 families spent some time on our own, bathing and chilling in the hotel rooms before dinner.

Dinner was at Thaipan restaurant, just a stone's throw from the hotel. The food was scrumptious, the company was enjoyable but the kids were mostly sleepy by then (with the exception of the hyper-active Bees)!

Everyone turned in early, and our family had a relaxing time lounging in the room before the lights were off!

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Big Bee and Hubby woke up bright and early the next morning at 7am for a romantic stroll at the beach, with sounds of awakening birds and the crisp fresh morning air - how divine! I had to stay in the room because Little Bee was snoozing soundly all the way till 8.30am.

Breakfast was really pleasant, served in a bright airy restaurant. We binged on the buffet breakfast, chatting and munching. The kids indulged in the plethora of food before crowding around Chloe to watch cartoons on iPhone, giggling away - how cute!

After breakfast, we proceeded to walk around the pastoral surroundings. We strolled past the idyllic ferry stop with the timeless Pulau Ubin bumboats.

We ambled around the Changi Beach and finally settled down on a grassy patch with mats and lots of bubbles, thanks to Irene! We women just reposed on the mat, while the kids frolicked with the bubbles and dug little holes on the sandy patch.

The men dispensed much of their energy in a short game of frisbee, with Big Bee and Val joining in shortly.

A gentle breeze caressed our hair softly. The rhythmic sounds of the crashing waves at high tide was soothing. An occasional formidable container ship sailed past majestically. The edge of the shore abounded with amateur fishermen eager for a lunchtime catch. The hypnotic halcyon quietness was interrupted by sporadic pompous airplanes thundering over our heads. Life is splendid indeed.

Closer to lunchtime, we packed our mats and sauntered back to the hotel. Our family ate lunch bought by Hubby at the adjacent food centre - minced pork and fishball noodles. The Bees slurped the noodles delightfully, savouring the local hawker fare.

Before we knew it, we were all packed and ready to check out by early afternoon. As we gathered in the lobby, we cousins agreed that more weekend stays are in store for us! What a glorious way to spend a weekend!

Farm Animals' Wheel

Last Saturday morning, as part of the farm animals theme, I made a small wheel for Little Bee to work on. I encouraged her to think of 8 farm animals to write in the wheel, and she was able to independently list down all but 2 farm animals (horse and goat). 

 

The wheel with 8 farm animals. Little Bee copy-wrote the names of the animals, except for "pig", "cat" and "dog" which she wrote herself without any assistance from me.

It was enlivening to see her furrowing her little brows and thinking hard about what farm animals to list down (although I did use helping terms like "perhaps the next animal is a lion? a bear?" just to reinforce the difference between farm and forest/safari animals). 

I was pleasantly surprised that she could spell out "pig", "dog" and "cat" by herself, probably due to the crafts she did which usually comprised of writing down the names of the animals she worked on.

She was thrilled when we completed the wheel and "sealed" it with a bronze fastener. We turned the wheel around and she read the words eagerly, treating this like a game, and reinforcing her whole-word recognition of these words. We took around 20 minutes to complete this wheel.

Little Bee loves her farm animals wheel. She wrote the words "Farm" and I wanted her to write "animals" but she told me the word was too long, and she was too tired! Ha!

She can now recognise quite a lot of sight words, all thanks to the Peter and Jane Key Word series that she loves. I stopped teaching her phonics these days, as I prefer the Bees to learn reading by understanding the meaning and appreciating the beauty of language (like us in the good old days!). I have full faith in the whole-word recognition as Big Bee and us learned to read ardently through that method.

All dressed up and acting coy, in preparation for a Children's Day party in school! 

Through thematic homelearning and daily reading of books borrowed from school, she is now expanding her reading vocabulary slowly, and could read simple books with short sentences by herself. I do hope she will turn out to be an avid reader like the rest of our family as well :)

After the wheel craft, she took the remaining pink paper, snipped around and created this beautiful flower all by herself, which she insisted I must use another of her favourite fastener to attach the stem. She told me she learned this from the TV series "Kailan" and was able to replicate it quite well.

Assiduous Cogitation

* The answer to the Math problem below is in the comments section*

This is the season again - right smack in the midst of intense revision and constant coaching for Big Bee's primary 2 final term exams. With no tuition or enrichment classes, I am her de facto creative writing mentor, English and Chinese tutor as well as Math teacher. Thank goodness my mum helps out with Chinese coaching sometimes!

Teaching and coaching is easy. Facing an occasionally irate child who is a perfectionist is a wee bit challenging. I believe in instilling discipline for children from a young age to be self-focused in their academic pursuits - which is not a relentless quest for perfection, but rather, ingraining a sense of responsibility and accountability. However, Big Bee carried this belief much further than I would like.

The evenings before her exams, she would get cold, sweaty palms and soles, although she still maintained a cheerful disposition. And she, very much like Hubby and me, prefers to work under stress and adrenaline, instead of dwelling in a complaisant environment with no pressure. As parents, we never ever gave her pressure to succeed and I tried not to talk about her exams as we revised her work, but she would give herself an invisible shroud of pressure.

Thankfully, we are now into her last paper tomorrow - Chinese. She slept easy tonight, ecstatic in the knowledge that she can celebrate and relax tomorrow afternoon. I had promised her that there would be no academic activities for a while, because I - like her - believe very much in the good old adage, "We work hard and play even harder".

Meanwhile, I am also looking forward to a breather from all these rigorous coaching, and to get back the momentum for more enjoyable homelearning activities with Little Bee, who had been feeling rather neglected this week.

To end off, here's a Math problem in her school workbook that was somewhat baffling for 8 year old kids, I thought. We managed to solve it for her (she was too mystified to solve it!), and I heard from Big Bee that no one in her class could solve it.

You have two empty pails. In one pail, you can put exactly 5 litres of water. In the other pail, you can put exactly 3 litres of water. You need exactly 4 litres of water. How would you measure exactly 4 litres of water using only the two pails?

On a lighter note, here's a composition from Big Bee that she wrote in May, which had gotten her 9/10 (4.5 marks each for language and content):

The Rescue

One windy afternoon, Danny decided to play with his new aeroplane that his father had bought for him for Christmas. Danny went to a park not far from his house. He went to a field near to a canal.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew Danny's precious aeroplane into the canal! Danny did not want his precious aeroplane to be swept away in the flowing water, so he tried to reach for the aeroplane. As he was too near the edge of the canal, he fell into the flowing water in the canal!

He was afraid that he might be swept away with the flowing water so he shouted for help. Luckily, a young man who was coming back from work heard Danny's screams. He rushed to the canal as the screams were coming from there. The young man jumped into the canal and carried him out of the canal. He had rescued Danny!

Danny's parents were getting worried as Danny did not come home, so they decided to go to the park to look for him. Danny's mother was shocked to see so many people crowding around her son who was wet. The young man told Danny's mother what had happened. Danny's mother thanked him. She also gave him some money as a reward. That was Danny's most unforgettable day in his life.

Breathtaking Bay

The weekend before, we descended to Marina Bay Sands for the first time. We were dazzled by the picturesque views of Singapore's CBD, Fullerton Hotel, the Merlion, Esplanade and Fairmount Hotel.

We enjoyed ourselves tremendously at the outdoor promenade by the bay, drinking in the views of the expansive waterfront and the majestic towers of the MBS hotel towering above us. The Bees were dashing about in exhilarated delirium, chasing after frolicking stray leaves revelling in the mirthful breeze.

Hubby and I simply loved the view, having spent a good part of the mid 90s staring at the same scene in the old Marina Bay park, long before all these stupendous transformation. I do miss the rustic charm of the park where we could drive our car around though.

Inside the mall, we enjoyed that first stirrings of vivacity and enthusiasm that one could only experience while exploring a brand new place. The Bees loved the sampan ride, but the wait was too long (45 minutes!), so we decided to skip it. They took a photo with a man decked out in gold paint - almost like a statue on a tricycle!

It was rather good fun, and almost felt like we were on holiday! Who needs a holiday when there are so many wonderful and new places in Singapore these days?