Around The World In One Night

I have a weakness for buying national costumes for the Bees when I travel. They have a plethora of traditional ensembles from Vietnam to Japan, Myanmar to India. I regretted not buying a hanbok from Seoul when we were there last December. 

One lazy evening last month, when we were fiddling around for some activities, I suggested a fancy dress parade in line with the theme "All About Me". Dressing them up in costumes of different countries was a wonderful way to impart cultures and geographical knowledge of various countries to the Bees, while having lots of hilarious fun! It also reinforced different aspects of individuality to them, emphasizing the fundamental notion that we are living in a highly diverse world, yet reiterating our common humanity in this shrinking planet. 

We laughed till our tummies ached whenever there was a fresh change of costumes, and the vain Bees will parade up and down the living room. Big Bee would painstakingly find matching shoes/socks and accessories while re-enacting national "gestures" like a deep Japanese bow and putting together her palms namaste-style when she donned on her Myanmar costume! And Little Bee would stare at the mirror everytime I changed her, fascinated by her costumes! 

Pure fun indeed! I truly enjoyed myself! 

Introducing Miss Myanmar and Miss Vietnam

Erm, a national costume of Princessland, Cinderella! And a really comfortable yukata from Japan. 

Little Bee wanted to be a ballerina just like her big sister, so I dug out Big Bee's old ballet costume for her and it fit perfectly! Time for ballet classes?

Learning At Home: All About Me

October was all about the concept of "me", where the Bees learned everything about themselves! We completed so many activities that I will divide this entry into 2 parts. We were interrupted in our activities for 2 weeks with Big Bee's exams, but thereafter, we picked up our fun with more flurry, and I constantly had trouble brainstorming more engaging activities for Big Bee!

Part 1 is about name recognition and body parts, so the Bees were excitedly using their fingers and mouth to create artpieces, instead of the traditional paintbrushes or colour pencils!

Featured books

Who Am I? Where Did I Come From? (An amazing pop-up, 3D book that inculcates sex education to our children and teaches them about the miracle of conception)

Your Amazing Body (More suited for older children like Big Bee, but the abundant illustrations will attract the little ones on what goes on inside our bodies, beyond the skin!)

Key song

Head and shoulders

Name recognition

I finally managed to teach Little Bee to recognise her name, as well as that of Big Bee's and us, using a variety of homemade flashcards. We used the names of her friends so that she could feel a strong sense of familiarity and association, which I thought was very important when learning new words. We simply laid out flashcards of all our names, and when prompted, she would pick out her name. She also recognised her name (and ours!) when we showed her the respective flashcards. 

Name writing

As Little Bee enters into N2 next year, when they will start to write their names in school, I decided I had better teach her to write her name properly. I found it more challenging to teach Little Bee compared to Big Bee, probably because she is a year end baby with very short attention span. I usually felt deadbeat after every name-writing session! 

Her first attempt to write the 1st 2 letters of her name, before she decided to indulge in some self portrait. She probably thought it is visually more exciting to draw her face than to write some boring old letters!

Finally, Big Bee and I brainstormed to make writing a fun game for her, so Big Bee started writing her name on these heart-shaped foam templates. Little Bee followed soon after. The beauty of these foam templates is that I could use my fingernails and indent the letters, so Little Bee only needed to trace over some of the letters. 

Craft: My face

Little Bee definitely prefers art and craft to any writing (sigh). Hence, she was diligently completing her facial features in this paper plate craft. I used painted yarn as hair, and the strips of hair are a great way to teach her the concept of opposite (long versus short hair) as well as counting. Eyeballs and pretty eyelashes with compliments from me :)

Math: Concept of opposites

I let Big Bee trace her hand and foot, and I did the same for Little Bee. When you placed them side by side, the girls can learn about "big" and "small", as well as the concept of "self", how big or small they are in relative to someone else. 

General knowledge: Body parts

I used a large piece of paper and asked Little Bee to lie down on it and traced the outline of her upper torso. She then filled in her face but was too distracted to draw in her hair :( The sisters then spent some time (in which I can relax!) putting together this body parts puzzle - of course jie-jie was diligently matching the harder body parts. Great to teach the kids the different parts of a body. 

Painting: Fingerpainting

I taught the girls to paint using only their fingers, without brushes. Big Bee taught Little Bee the names of all our fingers (which I cannot really remember!) - Mr Thumb, Foreman, Tall Man, Ringman and Pinkie. I am sure I got the names wrong! 

Little Bee's caterpillar painted with only her thumb - she drew in the face and I completed the rest of the legs and feelers. She needed a bit of guidance for this as it was not easy to gauge the spaces between the different colours. 

Big Bee's work of art - she painted everything painstakingly with only her thumb and fingers. The grass, tree trunk and caterpillar were painted with her thumb, whereas the rest were with her forefinger and little pinkie. I really love this painting of hers :) 

Painting: Straw painting

We then proceeded to learn about painting using only their mouths through a straw. I took this opportunity to teach them about how air comes out from our lungs out through our mouths, and they kept blowing air out incessantly! They had fantastic fun blowing paints of different colours through their straws (which resulted in me having some me-time of my own!)

Huffing and puffing!

Big Bee's blow-art

Little Bee's creation

Convivial Fiesta

Last Friday, I volunteered to be a parent helper at Big Bee's school funfair. It was thoroughly enjoyable and transported me back to the yesteryears of funfairs in the days of secondary school. The fellow parent volunteers and I had such a memorable time bonding and giving back to the school that nurtured our children so well in this past year!

The wares that we hawkered in sweltering heat! 

I decided to borrow pages from Big Bee's diary to showcase the event from her perspective. I think it will be a lot more meaningful, especially if she is reading this in future. It is also intriguing to peep into a child's mind every once in a while - to bring us back to that age of naivety and idealism. 

PS: Her diary entry was written last Saturday - and she wrote it independently, only showing it to me when she completed her rather long entry (it took up 6 precious pages of her diary!). The below is unedited. Enjoy! 

*******************************

Written by Big Bee

Big Bee with her friends

Yesterday was very fun! It was the last day of school! There was a fun fair. Mummy went in with me to school because she was a parent volunteer. She was selling kueh lapis and fried beehoon in the canteen. I went out with Rachael from 1.6 and some of my classmates. The fun fair was called "All Things Great and Small, All Creatures Big and Small". I ate chocolate marshmellows and drank Ribena. I also ate a purple candy floss and one ice lolly. 

The food was all sold out through clever marketing by the parents! 

After I ate the food, I went to see Mummy in the canteen. She was selling food to the students, parents and some of the teachers. Hanna-Joy, my classmate, wanted me to go to a money catching game. The queue was very long so we decided to go to another game. We went to a fun game. The game is to try to shoot a ball into a hole. I won some stickers. After that, I went up to class to get my wallet. It was Mummy's birthday so I decided to buy a birthday present for her. I bought a beautiful paperweight crystal from the bookshop. 

When Mummy finish selling everything, I went to beauty world. It was at the primary hall. Mummy went with me. I did a tattoo on my wrist and used the other half of the tattoo to make a ring. Popo, Papa and (Little Bee) came. Papa bought a school bear. It was wearing a uniform that was the same as mine. 

Little Bee was thrilled by the adorable balloons - sculpted by a pair of elderly grandparents! Amazing! 

Mummy and my classmates were happily talking about the haunted house in my school. Then, suddenly it started raining very heavily with loud thunder. We all screamed and ran back to class. Mummy followed us back to class. All my friends started crowding around Mummy. They were telling Mummy things about the haunted house. In the haunted house, there was a dead ballerina who asked everybody to find her shoe or they will be captured. I did not go to the haunted house because it was very scary. All my friends also said it was very scary. The haunted house was in the dance room. Georgia, one of my classmates that went in the haunted house, said there are lots of scary things. 

After talking, Mummy waited for me at the parents' corner. After that, I went home. The fun fair was very fun. At night, it was Halloween. Me, Rachael and Karen went for trick or treating. 

Obama

Last night, as I was eating dinner, Big Bee came forth and told me with much conviction, "Mummy, I want to marry Mr Obama! I think he is soooo handsome and very clever! And he is the greatest king!" (I think she meant President - she doesn't know the difference yet)

And when I told her he is coming to Singapore next week for the Apec meeting, she was in a flurry of excitement and started shooting fast questions at me, "Which hotel is he staying? Can I go there and meet him?" 

She then proceeded to ask me, "Why is he so important? Why is America so powerful? How big is America?" 

Sometimes, I find it hard to answer some of her questions in simple language! But I am glad she is taking a liking to powerful men ;) 

Spooky Halloween

The Bees celebrated Halloween with their friends through the spine-chilling tradition of tricking and treating in our estate. The households who are interested in dishing out treats will have a sticker stuck on their doors, and their unit numbers will be featured in a list given to the eager children, so non-participating households like ours will not be disturbed by over-zealous kids!

Big Bee was busy dressing up as a witch excitedly, way before the event. My mum dabbed on creepy white eye shadow on her and helped apply a layer of dark blue nail polish to make her look witchy!

The Bees in their Halloween costumes: Light versus Dark?? 

She invited her best friend Rachael, as well as another neighbour Karen and her little sister. As I was walking her home from school earlier, Rachael, Karen and Big Bee were chatting incessantly about what to wear! Girls will be girls, I guess! 

We were fairly hesitant about not letting Little Bee join the trick-or-treat expedition, for fear that she may end up being spooked. But poor her was so enthusiastic about dressing up that we just donned on a pair of fairy wings and an angel's halo, complete with a sparkling wand, so she can be a little good witch. 

The girls met each other amidst much hullabaloo and thrilled squeals. A storm with dense dark clouds was brewing overhead, making this the perfect setting for a creepy Halloween night. Already, there were many little devils, demons and witches scurrying about, busy finding the houses for tricks and treats. Children's chilling screams emanated all around, creating an ominous atmosphere of eerie fear. The older girls in our group were getting impatiently excited - running ahead to find the first household. 

The tricks-or-treats gang: (from left) Karen, Rachael, the Bees and my Mum, Karen's little sister 

Hubby and I did not follow them as we adjourned for my birthday dinner. However, Mum followed with Little Bee in tow. Thereafter, she told me that Little Bee was really spooked after 2 households, frightened by the silent little ghouls that guarded the 2nd home fearlessly, as well as by the elaborate Halloween facades and costumes decorated by many innovative families. Henceforth, she brought Little Bee into the safe sanctuary of our home immediately. 

Our domestic helpers followed the rest of the older girls around. Big Bee told me she loves Halloween, but she was rather startled by the ghostly decorations of some of the homes, complete with moving skeletons and abruptly shocking appearances of some human apparitions! 

I heard from my mum and helper that Big Bee was like a little leader, paving the way, knocking on doors and yelling "Trick or Treat!!!" before her friends. I am really glad she enjoyed herself independently, and I am sure she loves Halloween for a more concrete reason - a mountainload of goodies! 

Her First Performance

Last Friday, Little Bee had her first performance in her school assembly. I prepared the ritual of videography and photography excitedly - just like the days of Big Bee's performances! Unfortunately, unlike the old times, only one parent was allowed, due to post-H1N1 precautions, much to the disappointment of Hubby. 

Watching Little Bee standing in front of the crowd brought back misty-eyed nostalgia of Big Bee's first performance 4 years ago. Time is really a slippery eel that slips through our hands unknowingly. The only way to behold time is to truly revel and rejoice in every single moment, otherwise that instance will vanish from our waking cognizance forever. 

Little Bee is a natural on stage, smiling and relaxed. Her teacher was rather nervous and apprehensive about her performance as she just started school officially for 2 weeks. Another new boy who was a week older than her in school was bawling incessantly and had to be carried off-stage by his parent. 

However, Little Bee stood bravely and nonchalantly at the front of the assembly area, meandering to my side blithely for a brief second when she saw me, and obediently trooping back to stage after I greeted her. 

Smiling and singing with fingerplay the first English song about 5 little ducks

They sang 2 English songs and 2 Chinese songs and performed a couple of dances. I thought all the little ones performed beautifully and were so coordinated and well-behaved! Kudos to the teachers. Little Bee followed through every act with confident aplomb, singing and gestulating, smiling and dancing enthusiastically! 

Check out the over-enthusiastic performer who danced out of the boundaries of the "stage". Do I see a potential breaker of OB markers? 

The look of quiet pride on her face as she received her certificate of encouragement was a sight to behold, especially how she pored over the certificate in a corner thereafter, trying her best to comprehend those words on the paper! 

Receiving the certificate with pride and glee

I am certainly looking forward to more performances by Little Bee, and hope Big Bee can be next to watch her little sister perform! 

The Great Outback Adventure

Two Sundays ago, our family trooped down to the Singapore Zoo. I love it when we are Friends of the Zoo. It means we could take a long leisurely breakfast and then whisk into the zoo to see an exhibit or two, and then return another day to complete different parts of the zoo in small little steps. The sum of all parts of the zoo! 

So Hubby and I thought hard about the exhibits that the Bees had not visited - and we realised that they had not ventured into the great outback adventure! 

To test Big Bee's navigational and map reading skills, we gave her the formidable challenge of finding the outback exhibit. Plucky her took up the task, of course, and was very serious in searching for the exhibit in the shortest possible time! Other than a couple of crossroads where she needed a wee bit of guidance, she was able to navigate independently to the great outback! Little Bee tried to contribute by poring over the map, and we were pleasantly surprised that she would exclaim and point out the animals that we had visited before, although it was definitely too onerous for her to help us find the way!

 

The busy map readers!

In the outback exhibit, the Bees waited with much anticipation for the kangaroo feeding session. Once in the exhibit with those lovely furry tame creatures, Big Bee started stroking the friendly kangaroos incessantly, whereas Little Bee squealed with pleasure when the kangaroos started nibbling the roo food off her hand, telling us, "Ticklish! Ticklish!" 

Things went on well until a particular kangaroo with a huge appetite and an over-active salivating gland stumbled onto their waiting hands and started dumping plenty of saliva while eating off their hands. Hubby and Big Bee were overwhelmed by the amount of saliva on their hands and quickly passed this kangaroo most of their food! 

It was indeed fun to be so near these animals, almost like when we were in the kangaroo farm in Perth with Big Bee so many years back! It was really sweet to see the Bees busy petting the kangaroos, some of whom towered over Little Bee! 

We then went on to spend some time in one of our favourite exhibits, the Hamadryas Baboons. Hubby and I read about their lifestyles in fascination - about their highly dominant males and large harem in each family! Yet, in the previous cassowary exhibit, we read that the male cassowary incubates the eggs and cares for the chicks for 9 months after birth. The mind-boggling array of gender dominance in the animal kingdom is intriguing indeed. 

Hubby and Big Bee did a naughty thing of teasing the Hamadryas Baboons by putting on a sing and dance show for them - much to the amusement of some baboons, especially the younger ones, who were staring at them like they were some sort of human loonies!

We are now planning for our next zoo trip and wondering which exhibit we should be aiming for...elephants the next time? 

Secret Messages

I was a bit surprised when I logged into Facebook to find a series of status that I had not even performed - whipping up a bacon cheeseburger in Cafe World, buying a farm plot in Farmville, getting mysterious replies on Country Story from friends whom I did not send any messages to! 

On closer investigation, I realised Big Bee was behind all these! Since the exams were over, she had been tinkering more with the computer when I was at work, playing games on Facebook! She started sending games-related messages to my friends and inadvertently posting messages online! 

So my dear friends, if you receive any messages from me on any Facebook games, the message is most likely from my darling Big Bee!

I am restricting her computer access to 1 hour a day, and my mother had several additional grey hair trying to help me control Big Bee, who usually is more obedient with me around. As she does not have school this whole week, and with the LONG holidays approaching, I really need to create some meaningful holiday programmes for her fast!  

My Little One Has Grown Up

Little Bee had been going to school for the past 1.5 weeks, after a hiatus of 3 weeks since her stomach flu. On the second day of school, she was whisked into class amidst much wailing and crying, as the teachers refused to let my mum into the classroom to accompany Little Bee. My mum told me she felt like tearing when she heard how Little Bee was crying inside the classroom. 

1.5 weeks later, she is now coping very well in class. She will walk smilingly into class these days, and recently started looking forward to going school in the mornings. Last week, she was rather moody in the mornings before school, but I am glad she had transformed fairly quickly. She has also gotten used to not taking naps in the afternoon as her session in school is in the afternoon, and I am very thankful for this swift adjustment. 

On the first day of school last Monday when my mum was still accompanying her in class, the teacher asked the class about the types of transportation the children's parents take to work. Most of the class replied "Car", whereas Little Bee uttered excitedly "Airplane!" My mum told me the teacher looked at Little Bee and then my mum hesitantly, probably wondering if Little Bee understood what was being asked, and she was only reassured when my mum told her that I indeed went to work on an airplane that very morning on a business trip. 

She is learning more from school, coming home and singing songs that she learned in school. She is beginning to repeat what she learned in school to me. For example, last night, when I was reading Eric Carle's "Brown Bear, What Do You See?" to her, she was able to anticipate what I was reading to her, uttering the last parts of the sentences on every page, and even re-enacted how the teacher read the book to the class. Incidentally, this book is excellent for teaching colours to young children. 

It is wonderful that Little Bee is now like a little adult - picking up our conversations at home, fully comprehending our activities and the social world around her. She is also a great conversationalist, always chatting chirpily with jie jie now. They make fabulous companions, although there are the regular sibling fights, of course. 

2 Fridays ago, she plucked a little assortment of flowers for me from the shrubs in my estate, and presented me that bunch of flowers with a sweet smile saying, "For Mummy!" It certainly melted my heart and made coming home from a tough day at work so much more glorious :) 

Sweet flowers as presents for Mummy :) 

Basic Math: Sorting. During free time at home, I will let her sort out brightly coloured beads into different containers, and she would be able to sort them out by colours independently. 

Singapore's Palace

We went to the Istana Open House during Deepavali, amidst much excitement, because we had never been inside the Istana before! Incidentally, Istana means "palace" in Malay, hence my title above.

We invited my mum and cousin Irene along, so the Bees can play with Chloe too!

It was a day of gorgeous, dazzling sunshine and cloudless cerulean skies - emphasizing the emerald green of the abundant verdant foliage in Istana. What a brilliant contrast of breathtaking colours! 

We were awed by the Istana's immense size and the seemingly boundless green fields. The children ran carefree about in the wide open spaces, the wind in their hair, their excited voices muted by the ubiquitous rustling of the many leaves on the old trees. 

The Bees and Chloe, grinning gleefully amidst the gorgeous greenery.

My mum was happy to be there as well, and was reminiscing about how she used to come to the Istana when she was a young lady. Nostalgia brought us closer to history, where historical monuments are usually preserved in the same likeness as when history was first solidified in that very same place. And we can feel many past generations of citizens traipsing across the extensive lawns of the Istana, all harbouring the same hopes and same dreams as us now. 

Granny with the brood of merry children against a backdrop of stunningly vibrant flowers. 

Endless verdurous lawns

Because of the capacious green spaces, the large number of visitors were well spread out, so we did not feel claustrophobic at all. There were thoughtful areas of rented playground equipment, marquees, school bands playing and stalls selling much-desired ice-cream and cold drinks on a scorching day. So the atmosphere was rather festive. 

We brought ice-cream for the whole group and sat under the cool canopy of several majestic rain trees, indulging in some relief and chilling out on the grass. It was certainly very relaxing and pleasing. 

Mum, Irene and the 2 little girls who were fascinated by the ice cream cones! 

We walked a fair bit in the heat, as the main building was nicely ensconced in the sprawling grounds with only sporadically shaded lanes. It took us more than an hour to slowly meander around the grounds till the flag of the main building waved invitingly at us, and we finally took some perfunctory photos in front of the building under the burning noon sun. 

Finally, the walk out was treacherous, with us having to carry the Bees as everyone was tired from the heat. Little Chloe was walking much of the way herself, though, which was so admirable! The collective sigh of relief and welcome when we reached the main entrance was almost comical, and Big Bee had to top off the comic element by posing beside the guard in the exact same position he was standing! 

I truly enjoyed this family outing, and I am sure the Bees will have as much fun with their cousins in future as I did with mine :) 

Secret Rendezvous

Last Saturday night, Papa and Big Bee made a date to sleep in our master bedroom instead of squeezing into one room with Little Bee and me (yes! we're still sleeping with the kids and loving it!). So we each had some quality pre-snooze time with the Bees. 

The next morning, bright and early at 8am, sleepyheads Little Bee and me were roused by 2 excitable souls who seemed to be bursting with some secrets. After some prodding, Big Bee finally burst out, "Papa and I went to watch the sunrise at East Coast!" 

HUH!?!? It was only 8am, and they had gone to faraway East Coast and back!?

I looked at Hubby incredulously, who grinned a Cheshire-happy grin of utmost satisfaction and confirmation. 

Realisation dawned on me (pun not intended). 

"O-HO! You and Papa went off on a secret date! Without Mummy and Little Bee!!!" I was pouting. Big Bee was gleeful beyond description. Little Bee was, fortunately, in blissful ignorance and only uttered a sweet "Huh? Sunrise?"

Apparently, Big Bee woke Hubby up at 5.45am, and they both set off to East Coast for some romantic sun-gazing! I wasn't there to describe the wondrous feeling they both felt, seeing the evolving vibrant colours of a brand new day. But Hubby told me the air was crisp, the breeze was refreshing, and the sunrise was spectacularly brilliant.

I am pretty much convinced by the photos. 

Isolated beach, gentle waves, magnificent sun with blazing new colours - life is gorgeous!

Well done, Hubby, for spending one-to-one time with Big Bee right after her exams. 

See how elated Big Bee was, against a stunning backdrop of spellbinding hues - I heard she was clambering over sand mountains that she built, spying on crab tracks and crab holes, and bird watching with Papa! 

I think it is really important to make an effort to spend some time each with one child on a regular basis, to make them feel like they are the centre of your world. So, I am planning separate dates with Big Bee and Little Bee as well :) 

Travel Memoirs: A Miniscule World

In our lifetime, we had truly witnessed the evolution of technology. I am currently sitting in one of (too many) Starbucks' airport cafes in the Jakarta airport, waiting for my flight home (yeah!), sipping that signature frothy Starbucks latte that is ubiquitous and uniform around the world, and my eyes wandered to the other business travellers.

A decade ago, lone business travellers were often seen browsing through high-powered magazines like Time or Economist, or immersing themselves in thick novels. Those were the constant companions of typical airport loungers. Very one-sided in interaction with the written word, but you looked around more, observing the people around you, enjoying the often similar scenery of runways.

Today, as with all other days when I decided to sit down instead of shop at the prevalent airport duty-free shops, almost 60% of the lone business travellers have a very interactive machine in the form of a laptop (like me!) where we bury our noses deep into online conversations or work emails. A second contender comes in the form of Blackberry, with a rotund businessman in front of me gazing and caressing the keypad like how he may serenade his girlfriend or wife. A few young girls lazily browsed through magazines before turning their attention to their trusty mobile phones, either whispering gleefully into the mouthpiece or sms-ing with a slight smile.

The world is indeed much smaller now. While sitting at the airport, I can have multiple online conversations with my friends, chat with Big Bee on the phone, sms Hubby, call my Mum's mobile phone for updates on Little Bee in school, reply my work emails and blog!

I guess we are living in an age where we are constantly near the ones we love - through a virtual network. But I wonder how we can connect with our very own selves if we are constantly busy with the multifarious channels of communication with family and friends? How do we get in touch with our inner, peaceful self? How can we reflect in quiet contemplation?

It sometimes worries me to think about my children who will grow up to be fantastic multi-taskers, but with fears of being alone, without needing to do anything, just observing the world going by. Again, could and should this attribute be nurtured in them? The idea of our children embracing tranquil solitude, with no other companionable instruments but their thoughts hidden in their minds...

A Sigh Of Relief

Looking cool in West Coast Park 2 weeks before the exams...

This week had been rather hectic for Big Bee and myself as it was the week of the harrowing final year exams! Remember how we used to slog and slave towards it when we were students? Well, this semester, I was determined not to let Big Bee be stressed over the finals, so I started a slow-paced and consistent revision programme since August. And it had shown to work for Big Bee who is generally a steady learner rather than cramming everything in the last minute (like the Mummy!). 

Hence, this week, her mood was relatively placid and collected - we even had a couple of hours of playground and strolling time every day, which really helped to soothe and cheer her. 

But it was still with a sigh of relief when Friday afternoon arrived - it means the inauguration of almost 3 months of play and relaxation! 

Big Bee is not one who likes toys these days so for her, it will mean more free time to indulge in her favourite activities like the following: 

1) READING: I am elated that she is very much in love with Enid Blyton books, following the footsteps of Hubby and me last time! However, it saddens me that the libraries here do not stock up many of her books, particularly the fascinating Faraway Tree series, so she has to turn to other alternatives. 

2) She completed this Roald Dahl book right after her exams. I found this edition very amazing - the cover is blank for children to depict their own covers from their imagination! What a wonderful idea to see how different each child's depiction is! 

3) PLAYING INTERNET GAMES :( She is somewhat (too) bewitched by these Playfish games on Facebook, particularly Country Story where she can farm crops and rear animals. The only good learning objective I got from this is to learn how to calculate profits and to set goals for herself in the farm! 

4) Drawing and writing stories: the above is herself with her current pet fish and imaginary pet bunny! 

Because of Big Bee's exam revisions, poor Little Bee did not get to do much home learning with me. I am glad that I now have 3 months to focus on Little Bee's development before she starts school for good next year!

Name Writing

"Sexy girl" Little Bee with her array of Barbie dolls. Big Bee and me always wonder where she got her Barbie Doll preference from, as we both detest playing with dolls! 

Little Bee is full of witty repartees these days. Teased by her sister that her short hairdo makes her resembles a boy, she will retort with a significant amount of indignance, "(Little Bee) not boy! (Little Bee) sexy girl!"

And she will sometimes comb her hair in front of the mirror, then turning around to tell me delightedly and in absolute innocence, "(Little Bee) sexy girl!" 

I get the feeling that she naively thinks that "sexy girl" means "beautiful girl". And trust me, I had never used the word "sexy" on her before! 

Whenever she watches Hi5, she will insist on changing into a flouncy skirt and bounce along to the happening music, showing off her prolific dance moves! 

About a month back, Big Bee did a fantastic job of coaching her little sister to write her name. She drew tracing lines for Little Bee to write down her name, even with cute little icons around the name to encourage her to work on this project. 

Thereafter, she was able to just follow my writing without needing any tracing lines, therefore writing out her name independently. I am thankful to Big Bee for always being able to motivate Little Bee positively, whereas I seem to have some problems sometimes! 

She followed me by writing letter by letter and wrote out her name, although she can only write her name in a GIGANTIC format now. 

Self portrait. I guess the "A" on her mouth indicates her name...

Because of their enthusiasm, I had decided on this month's homelearning theme - "All About Me", much to Big Bee's approval. Now that her exams are over, I will need to plan for 2 separate sets of homelearning activities to cater to each child. Lots of fun planning ahead!