My Kor Kor is doing P4 homework...

Dearest Abby,

I almost fell off my chair when you told EeEe that your Kor Kor is doing P4 homework. You're such a sweet and caring girl. You always see the good side of Ashley Kor Kor. That's very good.

This afternoon, you had fun at the beach building sand castles with Lindy and Kathy. At home, you girls danced with your long shawl along with the Barbie Doll MTV. Mummy can sense that at times we left a little left out as they are always in sync. Of course, they are twin sisters and they spend almost every minute together. However, you continue to dance and play with them and the "left out" feeling has gone with the wind. That's great!

Sometimes, Mummy overheard you role playing with your little toys. You are as funny as your Kor Kor and Daddy. Oops! Mummy is the odd one out as I don't know how to tell funny stories. Can you teach me please?

Hugs and kisses,
Mummy who loves your funny stories

The Most Active blog award goes to.....

Dearest Ashley,

Congrats! You look so satisfied when your blog becomes the Most Active Blog in your school. Gosh, you even find time to blog during exams. You really surprised me when you initiated the idea to promote our new student care/ enrichment center via your blog. Mummy is so touched.

Am glad you also caught the blogging bug, a healthy one though. There's only one thing that puzzles me. Why did you stop me from reading one of your blogs when you usually share with me your interesting blogs? Mummy respects your space and decision but when the time is right, may I have a peek at it? You can trust me with your secrets and I promise not to blog about it.

Thanks again for thinking of Mummy and Our Fun Place. Am so happy you are sooooooo looking forward to enroll in our student care. Mummy knows you will have loads of fun learning at Our Fun Place.

Hugs and kisses,
Your Blogging Mum

Mum, the shimmering gold finger nails are very unlike you!

Dearest Ashley,

I was quite surprise when you commented that the shimmering gold finger nails are very unlike me as I am the sporty type who plays basketball and badminton with you. Frankly, Mummy is never sporty in my life except in your eyes. Thanks to you, I enjoy our regular basketball and badminton games. With practice and focus, you have improved tremendously.

知母莫若子 You're right that Mummy is not the type who likes painted nails. For practical reasons, you complained my sharp finger nails hurt you when I massage you and I'm afraid to scratch Abby when I shower her. However, for special occasions like last night's HP Alumni D&D, Mummy must look glam for the catwalk, from head to toes. Hurray! Mummy finally gets to be a Model for a night. The experience was simply dazzling and I must say it's once-in-a-lifetime. Though I've never done this before, I felt I've given my best shot at it. See, Mummy always encourage you to try new things, I'll also constantly trying out new experience and I truly enjoy every moment. Likewise, you felt great when you finally conquered the new challenging climb at the hill today. Well done.

Let's all look forward to a whole new world of new and refreshing experience together!

Cheers!
Mummy who loves every new climb with you

Do you know how Chinese grow bamboo?

Dearest Ashley,

Do you know how Chinese grow bamboo? First they plant the seeds, then water, and fertilize them. The first year, nothing happens. the second year they continue to water and fertilize the seeds, and still nothing happens. The seed sower continues this process for a third and fourth year with no visual results. Then sometime during the fifth year, in a period of approximately six weeks, the Chinese bamboo grows ninety feet. The question is, did it grow ninety feet in six weeks or did it grow ninety feet in five years?

The obvious answer is that it grew ninety feet in five years because, if the grower hadn't applied water and fertilizer every year, no Chinese bamboo would exist.

Learning is like growing Chinese bamboo. If you give up learning how to ride the bicycle after a few falls, would you be able to enjoy the cool breeze as you cycle in the park now? If you refuse to learn your spelling, would you be able to enjoy reading your Pokemon comics and storybooks? With the determination of the bamboo farmer, you learn new things year after year. With years of learning and practice, you will be an expert in anything you set forth.

Persevere, enjoy the learning journey and you will reach great heights like the bamboo.

Cheers!
Mummy will show you the bamboo at our Secret Garden tonight

I thank my Mum for being the Meanest Mum in the whole wide world

Dearest Ashley,

You like to look into my iPhone schedule and you figured that Mum manages my day by tight schedule.

When we did our learning profiling, the results were amazingly accurate. I'm an action-oriented learner; Daddy is an analytical learner and you're an adventureous learner.

When I was your age, I planned my day to the minute as I've the Meanest Mum in the whole world. Looking back, I've to thank my mother for being so strict with me. I not only learned how to manage my time effectively, I learned about self-control at a young age. My Mum set limits for us and help us learn to stay within those boundaries. At mealtime, my Mum made us finish what was on our plates; she could track us down in no time flat; my Mum loved schedule and could hold down 3 jobs; we had to clean our rooms, dust, mob, cook and wash our own shoes; no movies or outings with friends till Junior College. But hey, I earned her trust enough that she agreed to let me stay in the university hostel for 4 years.

I grew up to be a healthy, disciplined, hardworking woman married to a man who appreciates and respects those standards of living. And whom do I have to thank for this? You're right, my mean Mum.

Being a Mum is hardwork; being your Mum requires even more hardwork as you are as strong-will as Mummy. Let's make a promise to practise self-control together - I'll try not to yell at you when you misbehave and you'll try to control your emotions and actions ok?

Yours,
Mean Mummy

The Funniest Storyteller Award goes to....

Dearest Ashley and Abby,

Unquestionably, the Funniest Storyteller Award goes to....Your Daddy. You guys were laughing so loudly that I'm sure the whole neighbourhood could hear your laughter.

The lively characters such as the Big Baby, Boots the Monkey, Mickey Mouse, Strawberry Shortcake and many more came alive in Daddy's hilarious story. Personally, I like Boots the Monkey best as he is so funny. Remember he said he liked his upside down banana tree and when Mickey Mouse asked him where was the upside down banana tree, he said, you just hang upside down on the banana tree and you would see the upside down banana tree. Hahaha....

Aren't you glad that I finally videoed Daddy and his funny story using my iPhone? Next time when you want Daddy to tell you another funny story but he is busy at work, you can just listen to him on the iPhone. Please give Daddy a breather at times so that he can think of another funny story to share with us the next time. Be patient and appreciative ok?

Lots of Hugs and Kisses,
Mum & Dad who love to hear your thunderous laughter

Abby with her quail eggs and garlics Multiplication Table

Dearest Abby,

You woke up this morning with such a bright smile. When I carried you from your bed, you said,"Mummy, I want to learn Times Table." As always, I went with your flow. I took out 10 bowls, a bag of garlics and a box of quail to the living room and started our very first lesson of Times Table.

As usual, you wanted to contiune with 4x Table even though I wanted to stop at 3x table. You were having so much fun putting the quail eggs and garlics in the ten bowls that you didn't want to stop. When I see the sparkle in your eyes, I also didn't want to stop. We continued playing and counting till 4x Table.

Mummmy enjoys learning with you too.

Cheers!
Mummy is going to cook quail eggs for you tonight

Ashley, you'll on your way to achieve your goal!

Dearest Ashley,

You were in such a happy mood yesterday. You read to Abby in the library, enjoyed your octopus double cheese balls in the car and read your library book in your bedroom. At night, you focused on the Math exam paper and you scored 98 marks. Well done!

This morning, you were stilling wearing your joyful mood and asked me which exam paper I would like you to do at 7:15am! Again, you were very focused doing your English paper while I teached Abby in the living room. You scored 97 marks. Congrats! See, when you are 100% focused, happy and relaxed, you did very well. You exceeded Mummy's expectation!

Exams is 2 weeks from now. Be aware of your feelings and you know you can control your feelings. When you feel happy, you could concentrate better and score. Remember the goal you set for yourself beginning this year? Mummy is very sure that you will achieve what you set for with your continuous happy and focused effort. You go, Boy!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers!
Your No. 1 Cheerleader, Mummy

Abby and her Unicorn hairstyle

Dearest Abby,

While we were reading the 5 little piglets in wigs, the one with the Unicorn hairstyle reminded Mummy of your very own Unicorn hairstyle. Remembered you wanted me to tie a very high ponytail and loop it so that it can stand up high? I thought that was creative. When your classmates commented that was a funny hairstyle, you were a little embarassed but you still stick to the Unicorn hairstyle till you reach home. The next day, you wanted me to tie the rainbow hairstyle for you, then another one with multiple little pleats, then another one with shiny balls around your head, then another one with tiera, then...

Mummy must confess that when I was busy working for the past few years, I didn't notice your hair has grown so long and touches your shoulder. Let alone, comb your hair or tie your hair. This year, I took up a new hobby as your new hair stylist. Mummy loves to comb and style your hair. Very therapeutic...

I wonder what hairstyle you will ask me to comb for you tomorrow?

Hugs,
Your Ameteur Hair Stylist

Abby, you exceeded my expectation!

Dearest Abby,

Though it was just 30 mins of Chinese homework time, Mummy's simply very impressed by your driven attitude.

When I read the sentences for you to match the pictures, you not only got them all correct but you even read the sentence back to me after that. What blew your Mummy away was during the Comprehension study. I was expecting you to verbalize the answers after listening to the story, but you wanted to write the answers. As the word 葡萄 appeared several times in the answers, you wanted me to cover the word so that you could write the word by memory. Mummy's jaws dropped each time you pushed yourself to do more. I'm so happy to see such a driven 5 year old girl.

Last night, you sang the song, "我家门前有小河, 后面有山坡"I was already very surprised you wanted me to teach you how to write the lyrics. Mummy loves your singing and writing. Most of all, your attitude towards learning. You set your own pace. Mummy will do my best to support your learning interest. Happy learning!

Love,
Mummy loves your learning attitude

Thanks for your feedback, Ashley

Dearest Ashley,

The ticks on the page will always serve as a good reminder for your Mummy. Thanks for speaking your mind and I'm very happy to receive such honest feedback from you. Mummy will continue to work on my patience and being fair to you and Abby. In case we misplaced the book, here's the poem and your ticks:

Children Learn What They Live

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, her learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with encouragement, her learns confidence. (Ticked)
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate. (Ticked)
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith. (Ticked)
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself. (Ticked)
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world. (Ticked)

Talking about love, you shared with me that you had a nightmare last night. You dreamt of a group of girls chasing after you. I almost fell off my chair. You said that one of the girls look very familiar and she may be your future wife. I can't stop laughing. You're such a funny and loving boy. Mummy loves it when you said,"I love you, Mum." every morning before you get off the car at the school. I just keep smiling the whole day....

Love,
Mummy knows that you'll gonna be a good husband to your future wife.

Abby, Lindy and Katey's 1st Disney Princess Talentime

Dearest Abby,

Thanks to Ee Ee, you got to join Lindy and Katey in the Disney Princess Talentime and Tea Party. You gals had so much fun and though this was the first time three of you catwalked and introduced yourself on stage, you gals were marvelous! You all delivered your speech with great clarity and confidence.

You were well behaved during the audition and actual performance. Keep it up. I could see your little face lit up when you saw Dad and Ashley Koko rushed in time to cheer for you on stage.

You also had fun designing the doll house and making bear bread during the tea party. Mummy took lots of photos and videos of three of you. You gals reminded me of my 2 sisters and I when we were young.

It's great to grow up with so many cousins around you. Have fun!

Hugs and kisses,
Your Mummy Dearest

Lift yourself up, Ashley

Dearest Ashley,

I hope you remember what your parents said to you last night. More importantly, I hope you remembered what you promised us and yourself that we would not receive such letters from your teachers. Your mischievous behaviour in class is not acceptable.

This is not the first time. You are getting overboard. As what Dad said to you, you either choose going up or down. If you continue such mischievous behaviour, you will naturally go down. Look around you. You are lifted by your parents, grandparents, teachers and many people who love and care for you. Look within yourself. Who is stepping on you and crushing you? You.

Why do you continue to misbehave in class despite your parents and teachers' advice?

Self-regulation and self realisation have to come from you. Nobody can make you realise that. We can only guide you as much as we could. If you refuse to listen, you will bear the consequence.

I shared with you the story of my friend, a gangster turned a successful business man. He was the most mischievous boy in school. He would throw a cat from the 4th floor of his school building, smoked and skipped school, agrued with the teacher and even hit the teacher. The news of him fighting the teacher came out in the papers. He was severely punished for such unacceptable bad behaviour. His Principal informed his parents of the corporate punishment to be conducted in front of the entire school. His Dad came to witness the corporate punishment and requested the Principal to double the caning.

After this incident, he still did not realise until at 18 years old, he was involved in a gang fight and he almost killed someone. In the jail, he reflected on his past actions and was very remorsed that he has caused so much pain to his parents. Since young, he was very jealous of his younger brother. He did all these just to catch his parent's attention. When he looked back, he felt so foolish. His parents love him as much as his brother. It was his jealousy that blurred his judgement. Once he realised his wrong doing and more importantly, his capability, he studied hard and tried his very best to make up for the lost time in school and with his family. Now, he is a successful businessman and he is very close to his parents and his only brother.

Though it is a happy ending but not many are as lucky as my friend. His family never give up on him. However, many have fallen and never stood up. They continued to be in their darkest and loneliest cell. Mother does not wish that you go through the struggle my friend went through. It pains me so much that you are stepping on yourself while we are doing our best to lift you up. You are a talented and capable young man. If you put your heart in class, pay full attention to the teachers, you will not have the urge to talk in class and misbehave in class.

All said. The choice is yours. We love you, son.

Yours,
Mummy awaiting to see the shining star in class

Guess what is your Grandpa's Proudest Moment?

Dearest Ashley,

Can you guess what is your Grandpa's Proudest Moment? Give you a clue: It has got to do with you. Guessed it?

He shared this with me in his most relaxed moment after his spa and a sumptuous lunch,"The Proudest Moment in my life is the day I became a Grandpa." That was the day you were born. I was so touched as I never expected that. I thought my Father would say the day when I entered University.

Indeed, when I looked back on the photos and videos of you and your Grandpa, he was always beaming with joy. I remembered I videoed Grandpa put you in a sarong when you were 4 months old and he hung a black and a white stuff toy puppies around the sarong so that you could see the black and white toys while you were in the sarong. I broke into laughter as he actually bothered to find a black and white stuff toy after I told him that black and white objects help babies in their focus. So sweet of him.

Do you remember Grandpa walked you to Nursery everyday? After school, he would buy you your favourite breakfast set of 2 eggs, 2 kaya toast and a cup of Milo? Do you remember he walked you up the hill behind his flat in the morning for Qigong? The list goes on....

As you entered Kindergarten and Primary school, you only get to see him every Saturday evening. Though the time with you has reduced signifcantly, I know that in Grandpa's heart, you're always in his mind constantly. Do you also always think of Grandpa?

For most kids, out of sight is out of mind. I think I know the answer. Won't you think a phone call from you would make his day? I know having fun is most kids' priority but having a grateful heart is the most important. You are a very blessed child surrounded by family and friends who love you. Remember to reciprocate the love as for it is in the giving that we receive.

Here are some lovely Giving and Receiving quotes I'll like to share with you:

"Before giving, the mind of a giver is happy; while giving, the mind of a giver is made peaceful; and having given, the mind of the giver is uplifted."
-Buddha-

"It is not how much we give but how much love we put into giving."
-Mother Teresa-

"Every charitable act is a stepping stone towards heaven."
-Henry Ward Beecher-

"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give."
-Winston Churchill-

"Giving people a little more than they expect is a good way to get back more than you'd expect."
-Robert Half-

"Before you speak, listen; Before you write, think; Before you spend, earn; Before you invest, investigate; Before you criticize, wait; Before you pray, forgive; Before you quit, try; Before you retire, safe; Before you die, give."
-William A. Ward-

Yours,
Mum who constantly thinks of you

Will my Mother be proud of me?

Dearest Ashley,


Mum would like to share with you a real-life story of a friend who touches my heart.

He is a trained Psychologist and worked as a Psychologist for 8 years before he became a Private Banker where he was extremely successful.

When his Mother was diagnosed with cancer, he suddenly realised that all the money he has, cannot buy his Mother good health. He started to question himself if his Mother is proud of him. It dawned on him that his Mother is not impressed by his wealth. In fact, his Mum was more proud of him when he helped people improved their emotional and mental health as a Psychologist.

He decided to quit Private banking and started his own company to help individuals and companies improve the employees' emotional resilience. This is a noble ambition. It is a gift to have the ability to help people build up their emotional resilience and regain their confidence. He is happier now and I'm sure his Mother is very proud of him.

His story touches my heart. Nowadays, sad to say that not many adults care about their Mothers' opinion, let alone, if their Mothers are proud of them. Do you care about your Mum's opinion? Do you think about if your actions and words will make your Mum proud? Mummy constantly reminds you that good children will grow up to be good adults; good habits now will stay will you when you become an adult.

From the bottom of my heart, Mum is very proud of you when your speech and drama teachers commented that you are humble and helpful; when you put in your 200% in the Lion King Audition; when you sang at last night's Mooncake celebration when teacher asked you on the spot; when you took care of Abby; when you ran upstairs to greet Ah Gong when you reached home. However, my heart sank when your school teachers told me you talked in class during their lessons; when you refused to learn your Chinese spelling; when you insisted on playing computer games during exam period; when you quarelled with Abby.

As I shared with you this morning, Mum and Dad have no intention to restrict your freedom. However, think about the right and wrong freedom. Freedom and trust must be earned. If we know that you make good use of the freedom given to you, we'll give you more. Conversely, if you abuse the freedom we give you, we will take back the freedom.

Just a simple daily exercise for you. Before you do anything or say anything, ask yourself one question, "Will my Mother be proud of me?". I love you, son.

Yours,
Proud Mum

Ashley, treasure your gifts

Dearest Ashley,

Mummy enjoys listening to you while you play the piano. As I watched you play, you reminded me of Kieran. Both of you play by ear with no scores in front of you. What surprised me most is you can play all 15 pieces Teacher Angeline taught you by ear. No wonder she commented that you have reached Grade 1 level in less than 3 months. She also mentioned you have very good ears and memory. However, the downside is your lack of familiarity with the notes. Thus, she wanted you to write down your composition in the music book.

You may not realise that you have a very special gift of hearing and remembering things that interest you. Think back on the Lion King's audition. You guys were taught new way of presenting a song with lots of movements. Did you remember all the moves and reproduce them in front of the judges? Yes, you did and you did it very well. Frankly, no one including your Mum would imagine you could get into the Finals.

Likewise, in all the Chinese songs Jiu Jian lao shi taught you. Did you remember you were surprise you could remember the entire song, "The way home" after he has taught you? Did you see the pattern? You are all fired up when the activity is fun and interest you. You're just like a recorder with the power to record and play back 100%. Ashley, that's a very wonderful gift. Many people including your Mum do not have this gift. That's why I can't remember the piano keys each time you teach me.

Treasure your special gift and make good use of it. If you can activate your gift in school, Mummy is very sure you will achieve excellent results beyond everyone's imagination. Can you repeat the "Shock" you created in the Lion King audition in school? In my heart, I know you have the power to do it. You just have to do it for yourself.

Cheers!
Your Mum who can't wait to see the real power in you in school

Poems by Abby

Dearest Abby,

You never fail to delight your Mum. Last night, before Sponge Bob show, you started to create your own poems and asked Mummy to help you with the spelling. As promised, I've captured your lovely poems in my blog:

Animals Counting
1 2 3 Lazy cows chew
4 5 6 One more pig
7 8 9 Cute little chicks
10 11 12 Ducks in a cage
13 14 15 Sheeps in a pen

Happy Baby
Baby loves me
I love baby
We play together
Baby likes to play with me
I love my family

Rabbit in a hole
Quiet and lonely
She is waiting for her birthday to come
She is going to her cousin's house
To play all day

While I was coaching Ashley koko chinese spelling, you were busy doodling. I was so surprise to see the beautiful illustration you created for the Rabbit in a hole poem. You drew a rabbit in a hole and four lovely rats as the rabbit's cousins. In my heart, I know you will become one of the talented authors cum illustrators in the TV program, Stories come alive.

Hey, you are blessed with many talents and you can pursue your dreams of becoming a singer, author, artist, dancer, doctor, nurse and lego treehouse builder. Well done, my sweetie pie. Mummy is very proud of you.

Lots of hugs and kisses,
Your Proud Mum

The Best Teacher Award goes to....

Dearest Ashley and Abby,

Mummy is always amazed by the choices you made. When you were invited to sing at Teachers' Day concert, you decided on 梦高飞. An excellent choice as the lyrics goes, "though the rooftop is small, it has big dreams" As you said in your thankyou speech,"Thank you Teachers for your care and guidance, 有你们, 我们的梦能够高飞!" While filming you while you were singing on stage, I thought of 2 teachers whom I respected alot.

One of them is none other than your Godma. Having taught in Primary school for over 10 years, she is still very passionate about teaching. Remember, she was awarded the "Most Innovative Teacher Award" in 2007? She always make sure her lessons are fun and creative to engage all 40 students in class. She will always start her form class with some exercise to switch on their learning before diving into the textbooks. She is also a very caring teacher. She cares for her students and never hesitate to step forward if she finds out her students are not properly taken care at home.

The 2nd Best Teachers Award goes to Esther, the Founder of Genie-Kinder. She is one of the most caring and creative teachers I've ever met. Under her care, Abby loves reading, rhymes and poems. She even created her own poems. I was even more impressed when I witnessed how Abby uses her phonics skill to pronouce a new word. Her pronouciation is superb!

Besides academic development, Esther also looks into character development. Once, I was puzzled when I saw Abby crying in class. Esther pulled me aside and explained to me that Abby is very competitive in nature. She always want to be 1st in everything she does. If she comes in 2nd or has difficulties trying out new things, she will cry. She deliberately made Abby come in 2nd on Tue, 3rd on Wed and 4th on Thur to condition her. Now, Abby is less affected if she did not come in1st. Sometimes, she will share with me that she came in 2nd in class and complimented the kid who came in 1st.

The kids adore Esther. She is very kind but firm. I got to know her since the Tumble Tots days. She ran Tumble Tots for 10 years before she founded Genie Kinder. Abby attended Tumble Tots since she was 2 years old. Am very fortunate to get to know such an exemplary teacher like Esther. Am very grateful to her for coaching Abby.

Hugs,
Lucky Mummy

Ashley got into the Final Disney Lion King Musical Audition!

Dearest Ashely,

Remembered you had your 2nd audition on 17 Sep, my birthday? You practised hard for your audition songs almost every night. However, on the actual day, we were caught by surprise as they brought you guys to the dance studio instead of the stage. There, the Disney folks measured your height, trained you guys on your vocal, dance moves and acting skills. After waited for an hour, you came out and told Mummy you were selected for the next audition on 18 Sep.

When we came back the next day, we were informed this was the last audition and you were among the 7 Finalists out of the 100 contestants. While waiting for you outside, Mummy learned from other 6 Mummies that their boys aged 10 and 11 had prior musical and stage experience. Though this is your very first Musical audition, you had done exceptionally well to make it to the finals. Regardless of the outcome, Mummy is very proud of you as you have gone very far and you have done your best.

After waited for 3 hours, the audition door was opened and we could see you guys practising your piece. You guys were great singers and dancers. Despite the long hours of audition and no lunch, you guys still look so energetic and enjoying every moment. That's the spirit.

Am sure you will always remember your 1st Musical audition - though competitive, you guys had so much fun together. You got to witness the high standard of performance by each boy. As you analysed, you're no. 2 in singing and dancing; no.3 in acting and martial moves (you could do the cartwheel but not the worm). Am glad to hear such objective competitive analysis from you.

The results will be out in Oct. Mummy is keeping my fingers and toes crossed. In my eyes, you already won the Simba role. Too bad, Mummy is not the judge.

As Mum and Dad always say to you, it is the journey that matters the most, not the end results. If you get the Simba role, it will be a great bonus. If not, you have learned so much during the 3 auditions and that is invaluable. In fact, you will be better prepared for the next Musical audition. Your dream of playing Suko in Aang Musical may just come true. Afterall, you're just 8 years old and you have a long way to go. Mum, Dad and Abby will support you all the way! Cheers!

Lots of hugs and kisses,
Your Mummy Dearest

Abby, the Photo Copier of Ashley

Dearest Abby,

Each time I asked you who you love most, you always mentioned Ashley without fail. Whenever Koko learns a new song, you will learn from him and the next thing I know, you could sing the entire song. Like the Lion King song, "I just can't wait to be King" and "My Favorite Things", you sang with immerse enthusiasm and perfection. Mummy loves to listen to you and Koko's singing everyday.

When you see Ashley going for swimming lesson, you also wanted to learn swimming. Daddy enjoyed teaching you how to swim as much as you enjoyed his company. You're such a Darling. You listened so well to instructions that you can now swim without your armfloats. Mummy always enjoyed the Part 2 of the swimming lesson, the Fun Part! We had so much fun "firing" the water pump at one another and the swimming board target.

When you see Ashley does his homework, you also wanted to do your homework. Mummy is very surprised that you could write your Chinese name. You even ask me to teach you how to write,"I love my mother, father, brother and family" in Chinese. Your writing is so creative.

When you see Ashley does his triple cartwheels, you also wanted to show off your cartwheels. When Ashley is practising for his audition, you also wanted to practise for your Princess Talentime audition.

Enjoy your photo copying time with Ashley Koko.

Yours,
Mummy who enjoys the double dose of happiness

Ashley's First Disney Lion King Musical Audition

Dearest Ashley,

When Mummy said this is a once in a life time experience, I'm not exaggerating. Disney's Lion King Musical is a world-class production and they have performed around the globe. They are looking for a boy to play Simba. Initially, I just wanted you to go for the fun and experience. I couldn't believe my eyes to see how composed you were in front of the three judges on a big stage. You introduced yourself and sang the song, "My Favorite Things" so well that the judges asked you to come back for the 2nd audition on the spot! To be frank, my heart was pounding while watching you from the audience seat. You were Fantastic! Special thanks to your Godma who helped you practised the song.

Though you are talented, there are many talented boys around and some are more talented and experienced than you. They are all vying for the Simba role. Thus, you need to put in the 10,000 hours to polish your singing and dancing. The moment you slacker, you give other contestants a greater chance to win. If you decide to do it, give it your best, nothing less.

Coincidentally, your 2nd audition falls on my birthday. I've reserved my birthday wish for you. I wish you will get the Simba role. Having said that, in the event you are not selected, you still gain alot in the entire process. You gained the 10,000 hours and the experience. The next time a new Musical such as Aang come to Singapore, you will be more confident and prepared to win the role of Szuko! Have fun and enjoy every time you perform on stage.

Your Amateur Choreographer,
Mummy

Ashley signed me up as a Parent Volunteer

Dearest Ashley,

Thanks to you. I never knew being a Parent Volunteer can be so fun! Though I was not assigned to your team at the Swim Saver Program, I get to see you from far on the 1st day. You had so much fun with the boys in the pool. Mummy is very glad to see my happy boy surrounded by friends wherever you go.

I didn't know I was the only Parent Volunteer last Sat at your drama club's performance at Clementi Moon cake festival celebration. Mummy enjoyed your company as much as you enjoyed mine. I got to help out in carrying things, helping the kids make up, fixing the girls' hair and helping the kids with the costume. The best part is to see you guys rehearsed and the actual performance. You guys were great! Your Tortoise role came alive with your superb performance. You spoke and walked so slowly like a real Tortoise. I love the part you told the Hare how you won the race,"While you were sleeping, I continue to walk. I'm constant and patient." That is the spirit in learning too.

The bonus as a Parent Volunteer is to get to know your classmates, teachers and other parents better. I know your juicy stories in school. Most teachers gave me good feedback about you. See, you're an obedient and humble boy in their eyes. So, please don't assume that your teachers see you as a naughty boy.

Thanks for volunteering me. I've got to know so much about the new you in school. Just do me a favour. Next time, please ask me first before you put up my name. Btw, I've volunteered myself in your class upcoming Children's Day Party as being a Parent Volunteer has become my new found hobby. Cheers!

Always your No. 1 Fan,
Your Mummy Dearest

New Rhymes by Abby

Dearest Abby,

After buidling your lego tree house and castle, you suddenly recited several rhymes. Mummy suggested to video you and you jolly well accepted. We had so much fun making the video and here's your lovely rhymes:

1. Cloudy Day

These are the clouds
Way up high
Hear the thunders
Roar and crash
Raindrops on the floor
Puddles big and round

2. Clocks and the mice

One clock here
One clock there
Two mice have a problem
One Big Papa mouse has a big idea
He uses the tools to fix the clocks

3. Ocean

This is the sun
Round and big
This is the seed
Snug in the ground
These are the flowers
Waving in the breeze
This is the yatch
Sailing to the sea

4. Mr. Golden Sun

When you see Mr. Golden Sun
Let's go to the park to have some fun
When you see Mr. Golden Sun
Many children play and run

Chorus:
Sunshine, Mr. Golden Sun
Sunshine for us to have fun
Sunshine, Mr. Golden Sun,
Sunshine for us to play and run

5. Rainbow

This is the rainbow
These are the puddles
Here comes the rainbow and the sun
We play outside our home
When we see our brother, we play with him

6. Rabbit

Here is a rabbit with long ears and short tail
She likes to hop around to look for her Prince
When she finds her Prince Dog, she is as happy as can be

7. Ice cream and Marsh Mallow

This is a kid, riding in his scooter
Waiting for the ice cream man
The girl is at home
Waiting for the marsh mallow shop to open

To be continued...

Lots of love,
Mummy who loves all your rhymes

Our First YOG!

Dearest Ashley and Abby,

You guys are so lucky to witness one of the most important events in Singapore - First Youth Olympic Games in the entire universe! Am so excited when Abby told me about how enthusiastically her school mates and her cheered and clapped for the athletics as the YOG bus passed by their school; how the Flame was passed around in Ashley's school and the special moment came to a standstill when Ashley held the Flame!

As a family, we watched the Women's Diving prelimiary round at Toa Payoh Swimming Pool. Wow! You could feel the roaring energy as the spectators cheered the participants on. When Singapore participant walked pass the audience, the cheering was magnified by at least 3x! When each participant took to the diving platform, you could feel their highest level of focus and calmness. Mummy's heart was pumping very fast when I saw the girls did their handstand at the edge of the platform. I couldn't believe my eyes. The wonderful somersaults took my breathe away!

Ashley, remembered how we cheered for Isabelle in front of the TV during her match with Yuting from China, who is the under-15 world No. 1. Did you see Isabelle's eyes? She was focused and calm throughout the competition. She did not crumpled under pressure. You could feel her fighting spirit. We are so proud of her. Mummy read from the papers that she is so focused that during her four months of intensive training, she did not call or sms her parents. She is very determined to win. Her efforts paid off beyond anyone's imagination!

Isabelle and all the YOG athletics are indeed world-class, both in skills and character. They have put in years of hardwork and made many sacrifices to be where they are today. Today is the closing of YOG which symoblizes a new beginning for each participant. They have proven themselves to the world and more improtantly, they have proven to themselves that they can achieve what they have dreamed of. The new beginning means a new set of records await them.

Hey, Ashley, you might want to consider a world-class wushu expert cum singer profession? How does that sound to you?

Hey, Abby, you might want to consider a world-class water gymnastics cum singer career since you love to swim, dance and sing. Ok?

Whatever you guys decide to do, Mum and Dad will always support you.

Cheers!
Mum who still have the YOG fever

What makes a Good Friend?

Dearest Ashley,

When you confided in Mummy that you were sad when someone instigated your good friend in school to hit you. Mummy was very disturbed by the incident too. I felt that he is not fit to be your good friend as he chose to listen to bad advice instead of standing by you. However, you told me that you know he is a true friend as he is sensitive. I didn't quite understand but I respect your feelings.

As you learned in Adam Khoo camp, we are constantly surrounded by good and bad friends. We are influenced by our friends. So, what makes a good friend? True friendship can start instantly but takes time to build. Here are some qualities you find in good friends:

1. A good friend is someone you can trust and trust you

2. A good friend cares about you

3. A good friend sticks with you in good times and bad

4. A good friend accepts you for who you are
Remembered the part the two boys discovered their good friend is learning ballet in "Before I was awesome" last night? They accepted their friend for who he is and affirmed him that they are still his good friends even though he may wear his tutu someday. That's acceptance.

5. A good friend is supportive of you and your goals
If your friends continue to tease you that singing and dancing on stage is sissy, then they are not supportive of your goal to be a singer. A good friend shares your dream and supports you all the way.

6. A good friend is attentive and listening

7. A good friend is fun and interesting

Friends come and go. True friends stay by your side always.

Lots of Hugs and Kisses,
Mum

Develop consistent behaviour when you are young

Dearest Ashley,

While removing your contact lens before we head for school this morning, you told me you have Chinese spelling. I was fuming mad because you did not learn your spelling. What angered me most was when you said, "I don't care". Mummy can accept your forgetfulness but I can't stand the "I don't mind" attitude.

Am glad we had the following conversation in the car:

Mum: Ashley, do you like Mummy to always talk to you in a loving way instead of sometimes raising my voice at you like this morning.

Ashley: Loving way always.

Mum: I also want to talk to you consistently in a loving way. Doing things in a consistent way means no unpleasant surprises like this morning. Mother is always home after my work; there's always food on the table; Ah Mah is always there to cook you your meals after school; Mummy always drives you to school punctually. So, you see the importance of being consistent in our behaviour?

Ashley: Yeah.

Mummy: Imagine when you become a singer, you sing the "I don't care" songs. Do you think your Fans will care about you? Do you think they care to buy tickets to watch your concert? Don't you think it is important to expect a high standard of yourself and consistently present high quality music and performance for your Fans?

Ashley: Silent.

Mummy: The best time to start developing a consistent behaviour is when you are young. Instead of getting full marks one day and 60 mark another day, can you aim to get good marks which you are capable of? Can we agree to start a consistent plan to learn spelling on Wed after your piano lesson and revise one more time on Thurs?

Ashley: Ok, Mum.

Mummy: Good. With a consistent plan, you will achieve consistent good results. Now, quickly go learn your spelling. Love you, son. Bye.

Ashley: Ok, Mum. I love you too.

Love,
Mummy promised to speak to you in a loving way consistently

I missed my Daddy ~ Journal by Ashley

With Ashley's consent, I've posted his journal on my blog in case he lost his journal...

"As I'm writing this journal, my Dad is in Taipei. We skyed each other on his first night. He showed us his hotel room and it looks quite big and cool.

Before he went to Taipei, he went to Shanghai for work. He has been very busy with his work lately. Last night, when I heard the Carpenters's song, "Yesterday Once More", I thought of Daddy as the lyrics touched my heart. I really missed him, especially the time we spent playing Maple Story and Naruto Wii together.

When he is less busy, he will help me with my studies and Lead.com. I enjoy the happy times with him. Sometimes, he will talk to me when I was feeling angry or down. I felt better after talking to him.

In my eyes, he is the Best Dad in the entire galaxy. I love you, Dad."

Ashley

What is Courage?

Dearest Ashley,

Remember the book,"What is Courage?" that talks about riding the bike without training wheels for the first time? Checking out the noises in the middle of the night? Sleeping with your lights off and protecting your little sibling in front of bullies, etc?

How about you? What is Courage to you? This is how Mummy sees it in you:

Courage is learning swimming for the first time, didn't cry and now practising hard for your Gold!

Courage is practising wushu in the hot sun and enduring the extreme stretching by teachers and never give up!

Courage is giving a splendid performance despite a spinning headache at the 2 Voices, 10 fingers concert!

Courage is practising the piano everyday on your own and having composed your first music score!

Courage is balancing on the shaky log the 30th time and finally reached the other side after falling 29th times!

Courage is rehearsing hard and giving your best performance on stage and came in 1st in the school's talent contest and 3rd in National Day Inter-class singing contest!

Courage is taking the Space Mountain ride and the tallest slide in Singapore and wanting to go again and again!

Courage is paying attention in class and respecting teachers at all times.

Courage is being fearless in front of new challenges and enjoying the journey in overcoming these challenges.

Courage is being focus at study and at play and not mixing them up.

Courage is becoming the Best that you can be!

Let's work together to overcome the next big challenge in 2 weeks' time. Getting it is a bonus; but what matters most is the effort and focus you put in during these 2 weeks and on the actual day. You have nothing to lose but all to gain. Ashley, only YOU can choose to become the BEST that you can be. Mummy will always sypport you. Cheers!

Love,
Mummy who is very proud to have a Courageous Prince

Our Sports Girl of the Year!

Dearest Abby,

Wow! Mummy was very impressed by our very own talented Sports Girl of the Year. You're just like Lola who can really really concentrate. Remember how you balanced the ball in the spoon between your eyes and mouth, just like Lola? Not once did your ball drop. Well done!

You had so much fun at the shool's sports day yesterday. You ranked the washing machine game as your No. 1 favourite, followed by the Tap Tap Goose, Flag Relay and Kangaroo Hop. You listened to instructions and played well with your friends. Win or lose is not important. The most important thing is you did your best and enjoyed yourself thoroughly.

Mummy also observed that you really cared for your friends. When Melody said, "I don't want" or "Don't choose me" in the games, you knew she injured her knee and you cheered her on during the games. You also cheered the little ones like Gavin. You're our Caring Sports Girl.

Yours,
Mummy who will start inventing our own washing machine game at home

Live our Dreams, Fly our Flag!

Dearest Ashley,

Mummy was smiling from the heart as I was blogging this morning. In the car, you were practising the National Day song you and your classmates will be presenting later in school. Mummy is very proud of you being the lead singer and the music conductor. I know how much you wanted me to watch your performance but I need to video Abby later at her school's sports day. Thank you for your understanding. Mummy is very happy that you have matured.

I was so overjoyed that you finally agreed to take part in the Family Chinese story telling/skit contest. Mummy stated 2 reasons why I encouraged you to take part:

1. Your teachers are very sincere and they keep encouraging you and calling Mummy to sign up for the contest. Your teacher praised you for your stage presence, verbal ability and sleek wushu moves. You can incorporate all these in the story.

2. You agreed to seize every stage performance opportunity to beef up your stage confidence and experience.

Horray! Mummy can finally act alongside with you and Abby.

2 things you said in the car made me laughed so hard this morning:

1. You told me this will be your 45th time on stage and what better way to celebrate our Nation's 45th Birthday than this. You commented that performing on stage is like eating rice. Am happy you enjoy your rice and your stage performance.

2. You wanted to play the elderly man role instead of the Army General in the skit. You know Mummy's job is to place the right talent in the right place. When I asked you whether you in the right role, you thought through and decided to play the Army General role. Am glad you know your right place on stage.

Each time I hear you sing our National Day song, it reminds me of my idol, Kit Chan. She is one of Singapore's earliest top foreign Singapore Pop export, way before Stephanie Sun and JJ. She sang several NDP songs and even led the theme NDP songs on the huge stage during NDP for several years. It is a great honour to sing in front of the whole Nation of 5 Million people. Today, you lead your class in front of the whole school to sing the National Day song. Hold on to your dreams as tomorrow you may lead the school and when you become an adult, you may lead the whole Singapore in our 55th NDP. Dreams do come true for people who work hard and never give up.

Mummy would like to leave you with the story of David Beckham....

David Beckham is a soccer genius. Was his spectacular success in the field purely the result of natural gifts? Absolutely not. He took what nature gave him and ran the formula: Focus plus daily improvement plus time equals genius. He just devote to being brillant at soccer. And he is.

Yours,
Mummy who shares your dream

The little Surprises in store for me by Abby

Dearest Abby,

You never fail to give me little surprises each day. Last evening, Mummy brought you and Ashley Koko to Ah Mah's playground. While Koko and Mummy were playing badminton, you waited patiently for your turn at the swing. After 10 minutes, you finally get to sit on the swing and you were swinging by yourself. Mummy suddenly realised you have grown so much compared to the times when you sat on my lap and we swing and sang together.

You were so brave when you took the lead to sing solo at the Residents' Night. As Ashley was busy with his buddies, Mummy asked you if you would like me to accompany you on stage, I was taken aback by your reply. You said," It's ok, Mummy. You just video me and I will go on stage by myself."

You surprised everyone including Mummy when you sang the entire Mama song at Kieran's 21st birthday concert. You sang with such clarity and grace.

Though it was alot of hardwork during the 4-day Music camp, you were always smiling when we picked you up at 10pm after your camp. Your performance at the Art House was stunning! Mum and Dad were impressed by your confident stage presence and elephant memory, of course.

When you danced on stage, you did not look at the big jie jie as you remembered all the steps. Mummy was so proud of you when teachers told me they named you the leader of your team. Well done!

You wanted to learn violin right from the start. Even though Mummy and teacher Angeline advised you to start with the piano, you insisted on the violin. You know what you want at 4.5 years old.

When Mummy's Thai friends visited us at our home, the adults were pleasantly surprised when you served them drinks without being told.

When Mummy was tired, you would massage me with your little fingers.

When Mummy wanted to buy you a new toy, you would say,"Mummy, don't buy, I have alot of toys already." You hardly asked me buy things for you except the bus for your little friends and the mic and recorder for you to record your singing.

When Mummy reached Ah Mah's home after work, Ah Mah would sing praises of you saying how well you behaved and the songs and poems you taught your little cousin Amanda.

Mummy is very lucky to have a understanding, kind, confident and talented daughter like Abby. Thank you for all the little surprises and gifts you have showered on me. I love you with all my heart.

Yours,
Mummy who loves to sing and swing with my little Princess

Kids, You Rock at the Residents' Night!

Dearest Ashley and Abby,

I never know you guys can be so spontaneous and courageous on stage until I saw you both singing and dancing with the Malay entertainer and the Magician on stage. Mummy was pleasantly surprised when you were picked to go on stage. I guess it must be your widest and most beautiful smile that wooed the performers.

Abby, Mummy was so proud of you when you sang the song, Yesterday Once More during the Karaoke session. You sang beautifully. You noticed all the little children gathered around the stage to cheer you on. Well done!

Ashley, Mummy was so happy for you that you got better each time you sang the Mama song. Your voice quality has improved tremendously. Your buddies, Wei Jie and Wei Ran, cheered the loudest for you. Kudos to you!

Your Granny, Grandpa and Mummy also went on stage to play games. Thanks so much for being our greatest cheerleader. We love it but please take care of your voice when you screamed.

Am sure we'll always remember the Residents' Night 2010. We look forward to your official performance during the Residents' Night 2011. Cheers!

Regards,
Rock Stars' Mum

Aang, the Avatar and Ashley, my Avatar

Dearest Ashley,

Thanks to you again, I fell in love with Aang, the Avatar. I must say this is the best cartoon series in the whole universe. We shared the exciting journey with Aang to master the four elements. Beisdes the awesome earth, water, air and fire bending, we learned about friendship vs. betrayal, honour vs. shame, love vs. hatred, peace vs. war, sacrifice vs. selfishness and the list goes on. The most memorable part for Mum was when Uncle Iroh asked Zuko,

"Who are you? What do you really want?"

That set Zuko thinking.

Previously, he gunned Avatar down for years just to please his Father, as he knew the only way for his Father to love and accept him was to capture Avatar. After going through many life turning moments like the one he was saved by Avatar in the snow, he realised that his Father was an evil leader who wanted to conquer the world and ruled all nations by fear. He stood up against his Father and left to join Avatar. I applaud him for having the courage to being true to himself.

On a lighter note, I also admired Avatar for being true to himself when he confessed his love for Karata and kissed her before the invasion. Remember the invisible red string in Ocean's song this morning? It goes like this,

"No matter where we are, we're tied and connected by this red string. It will bring us to our garden of love."

Mummy sees alot of similarities between you and Aang. Like Aang, your heart is filled with love; love for your family, friends and pets. Your cartwheel and wushu moves are as great as Aang. You're my Avatar, so kind and courageous, so funny and happy.

I can't wait to watch the Avatar 3D movie with you, Abby and Daddy next week!

Here's the second dose of words of wisdom for today:

"Do good and leave behind a virtue that the storm of time can never destroy." ~ Robin Sharma, author of No. 1 International Bestseller

Yours,
Mummy from the Love Nation

Who turned on the school canteen light this morning?

Dearest Ashley,

Thanks to you, I had the honour to turn on the lights in your school canteen this morning. Mummy had never been the first to reach school like you. When we sat in the canteen eating donuts, Mummy asked you why you want to reach school as early as 6:10am and your reply jerked me a little. You shared with me that you like to come to school early so that you can sleep in the hall and wait for your friends. You like your friends to praise you for being the 1st to arrive in school!

Now I know why you cried when you woke up at 6:30pm on Wed morning. You don't want to be the last to reach school. Sometimes, Mummy was taken aback by what you said, especially on that eventful Wed morning.

Ashley: I hate Aunty. She woke me up late.
Mum: Ashley, don't blame Aunty.
Ashley: No, teachers will blame me for being late for school.
Mum: Don't be afraid, you won't be late.
Ashley: I'm not afraid of teachers' scolding, I'm not afraid of teachers.
Mum: Then why are you so worried?
Ashley: I just want to reach school early. I don't want to be late.

Based on my observations, I realised you are unlike the regular kids who are afraid of teachers. I don't mean you need to fear teachers but you must respect them. They are like your parents in school. They have good intention for you and care for you though sometimes their words and actions may not please you.

Mummy is happy that you want to be early for school but if you woke up too early, your "battery" will run flat very soon. Being punctual is a good habit but being early to receive praises from your friends may not sound like a good habit. We long for praises, even adults. However, if we intentionally do things to chase praises, we may not be doing the right thing. In the same light, do we chase after money to make us successful and happy or do we do the right and happy things so that success chase after us? What are the priorities in your life? Are you practising your priorities everyday? How do you feel when you practised your priorities?

Thought you will like today's Words of Wisdom:

"When we learn to say a deep, passionate yes to the things that really matter, then peace begins to settle onto our lives like golden sunlight sifting to a forest floor." ~ Thomas Kinkaide, artist

Lots of hugs and love,
Mummy's first priority is You & Abby

Focus on Gratitude

Dearest Ashley,

Do you agree we have a good meeting with your teacher? Your teacher explained to us why she withdrew your PE lesson and she also made the following comments:

1. You behaved well today. Why your behaviour was different from yesterday when you were playing with your wushu red belt?
2. You could answer all the Qs in class but your written work does not tally with your verbal ability. Why? Your carelessness resulted in many unnecessary corrections.
3. You have the intelligence, don't waste it.
4. Be more attentive in class and more careful in your work, you can do very well.
5. Teacher sincerely cares for you.

You're indeed a very lucky boy to be surrounded by teachers who geninuely care for you. Good advice comes in two forms: nice encouraging words and not so nice advising words.

Good things always come in a pair. We met another wonderful teacher on the same day. Though she taught you 1.5 years ago, she could still remember you as the bubbly "Best Actor" who livened up the class. You enjoyed her lessons until she became stricter with you on your behaviour and writing. You refused to listen to her and dropped out of her class. Yesterday, while you were reciting the passage on stage, she commented to Mummy that how much you have matured and grown. Mum proudly agreed with her.

Since you're maturing into a young adult, Mummy loves to share with you the Words of Wisdom for today:

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was "Thank you," that would suffice." ~ Meister Eckhart, thirteenth-century German theologian

Yours,
Mummy who constantly carries a grateful heart

Abby and her calculator

Dearest Abby,

Two nights ago, you surprised Mummy with your calculator. While Mummy was massaging Ashley Koko, you were playing with your calculator by yourself for almost 15 mins. When it was your turn to be massaged, you took a pencil and paper to my bedroom. While I was massaging you, you were busy scribbling and punching your calculator away. After your massage, I was very surprsied to see what you have written:

Front page:
45 + 20 = 65
69 + 15 = 84
120 + 10 = 130

Back page:
60- 15 = 45
58 - 12 = 46
100 - 20 = 80

You asked me to write on each side of the paper, "I learn addition from calculator" & "I learn minus from calculator". You want to show Teacher Esther this precious piece of work you have done. Wow, Mummy is impressed by you!

Yesterday, I can see you beaming with joy as you showed your teacher what you learned from the calculator. You even recited your poems for your friends and teachers. Well Done!

Mummy bought you a red and yellow Cash Register as I know you will enjoy the new toy and continue with your learning from the Cash Register calculator!

Yours,
Mummy who loves playing calculator with Abby

Mummy's 60 school teachers in my 16 years of education

Dearest Ashley,

Nowadays you are my faithful alarm clock. This morning, you woke me up at 6am and we left for school at 6:10am. I'm getting to enjoy my one and only cheerful alarm clock on weekdays!

Thanks for sharing with me your challenges in school in the car. I know it must be tough for you to get scolded by teacher for lending a ruler to your classmate, scolded for walking over to your classmates to borrow stationary, scolded for not paying attention and rocking your chair, and withdrew from PE lesson for talking in class.

Mummy is glad that we agreed on the action plan to address these issues:
1. You will keep a good posture and try not to rock your chair
2. You will buy the stationary from your bookshop
3. You will try not to talk to your friend when the teacher is talking
4. You will pay more attention in class
5. Mummy will meet your teacher today to have a chat with her

Last night, you were so emotional and disturbed by the scolding incidents that your tears streamed down your cheek. That was when Dad, Mum and Ah Mah tried to console you and shared with you our fair share of teachers encounterments. It was so commom during our time that Mum, Dad and your uncles got caning and scolding from teachers. Ah Mah brought up several good points:
1. Your teachers cared for you, that's why they bother to correct your behaviour.
2. You cannot choose your teachers. As much as you love humourous teachers, every teacher is different. Likewise, every Mummy, every child is different. This is part of education. It is good for you to be exposed to different teachers at a young age as this depicts working world when you grow up. Your colleagues and bosses are very different from you. How do you make sure you work well with them to get the job done?

Mummy has about 60 teachers in my 16 years of education. I can't remember all of them. I could only remember 8 teachers:

• Primary school - my kind and gentle P6 English teacher who read out my compo and my strict P5 Science teacher who told us the importance of writing our names neatly
• Secondary school - my strict but kind Sec 1 Chinese teacher who named me the Class Treasurer and my humourous Sec 4 Chinese teacher who told me the funniest story of how the early bird catches its worm and how the early worm is caught by the bird
• JC - my eccentric Chemistry teacher and my Charming Physics teacher
• NTU - our Final year project lecturer who coached Mum & Dad and our Medical Eqm lecturer who teased Mum & Dad (in a nice way) in a lecture

Interestingly, my memories of teachers are mostly happy. Of course, there are unhappy memories too. However, we choose what memories we want to keep. Mummy always look for the lesson and the gift in every situation and every person.

I'll like to share the words of Wisdom for today:

"The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realise that you control your own destiny." ~ Dr. Albert Ellis, Psyschologist

Yours,

Mummy who appreciates all the teachers who have taught me, even those who scolded and canned me

Making big splashes on rainy days

Dearest Ashley,

Thanks to you, we left for school at 6:15am and the 10 mins journey was smooth and easy. Compared to the 1-hour heavy jam we had the other day, we got to enjoy the rain this morning. Coincidentially, the moment we got into the car, we heard Ocean singing, "Let it rain, let it rain, though we are totally drenched, I can still see the sunshine in your eyes. Let us smile and hold each other's hands even tighter." Isn't it beautiful?

We were discussing about how road conditions represent life. Compared to people who were still sleeping, early birds were the minority. It is hard to wake up early especially on a rainy day. By the same token, it is hard to practise hardwork and discipline. Just like the road we travelled on today, we only spotted a few cars.

What a fantastic way to start our day! We were singing with Ocean and enjoying the big splashes while driving in the heavy rain. Conversely, we were panicking and sweating when we were caught in the jam to school when we woke up late and you only reached school at 8am! Without a doubt, you agreed with Mummy that we want to choose a smoother and happier life journey make up of hardwork and discipline. Mummy is proud of you as you made this important commitment to practise hardwork and discipline for a bright future.

I know you like rainy days as much as sunny days. You enjoy the big splashes and strong wind on rainy days. For the drivers, rainy days mean blurry vision and extra-cautious driving. We were also chatting about how rainy days represent the setbacks in life and if we were splashed on right at our face, we should stay calm as anxiety will cause more danger. On the other hand, we can enjoy making big splashes while driving through puddles. We just have to make sure we don't splash on others. Hahaha...

Just to share with you the Words of Wisdom for today:

"We are disturbed not by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens."
~ Epictetus, Greek Philosopher

Yours,
Mummy who loves to sing and dance in the rain

My Little Princess who grows up in the Fantasy Forest

Dearest Abby,

We started playing Fantasy Forest board game with Ashley Kor Kor early this year. You just wanted to be in Koko's team and watched us play. Soon, you wanted to play by yourself. Each time we were ahead of you, you started to cry. You wanted the Heroes so badly so that you could beat us. We tried to pacify you but to no avail. So we had to re-start the game and when you won, you were laughing so loudly.

Over time, you got better at the game. You know the names of all the Heroes and Monsters. You know the shortcuts with each card. You know how to strategize. But, this time, you tried to choose all the Heroes and powerful cards so that you could reach the castle faster. Mummy tried to explain to you that we played fairly and the dealer would deal out the cards to all the players. You started to throw tantrums again. Your love-hate relationship with Fantasy Forest grew and you were so obessed with the Forest that you wanted us to play with you almost every night.

Yesterday morning, you wanted Mummy to play Fantasy Forest the moment you opened your eyes. I was proud to say my little Princess has grown into a brave Princess who learns how to take defeats graciously and win fairly. Way to go, Girl!!!!!!!!!

Yours,
Your Partner in Fantasy Forest

My Little Poet

Dearest Abby,

Do you know Mummy was pleasantly surprised when you recited the poem Dear World to me? So full of emotions and so crystal clear. Mummy is so happy that you enjoy the book Dear World by Takayo Noda. We have a fun time reciting the poems, laughing at the silly words and drawing the flying car and the tall fat snowman with a long funny carrot nose. Thanks to you, Mummy gets to enjoy these lovely poems as an adult.

Mummy will always remember the very first poem you shared with me:
Flowers smell so sweetie sweet,
Hello Birdies Tweetie Tweet,
Berries are my favourite things,
Birds and Flowers,
it must be Spring

Mummy likes to share the beautiful poems you created yesterday with all my friends:

Z:
Zippi Zebra Z Z Z
Zippi Zebra goes to Zoo
Zippi Zebra goes to school
Zippi Zebra Zoom around

Y:
Yoghurt man says Y Y Y
I love Yoghurt
The sun is Yellow
The yak starts Yawning

X:
MaX and MaXi X X X
MaX and MaXi found a friend
Pixie Pixie is their friend

W:
Willie Worm W W W
Likes to wriggle in the soil
Teacher Esther dug it up
Put it in the flower pot

V:
Vicky Violet V V V
Vicky Violet takes the soil
throws it to the wriggly worm

U:
Unicorn says U U U
Princess Judy sits on it
Ugly giant scares the Princess
Princess July tickles the giant

T:
Teppy Tigger T T T
Teggy Tigger needs a Towel
Shower in a small bath Tub

S:
Sammy Snake S S S
Shower with his eagle friend
blowing bubbles in the bathroom
then they Slip and fall

R:
Robbi Rabbit R R R
Runs around the garden
Chases away the Rain
Climbs above the Rainbow
to get some golden coins

to be continued....

Mummy is very proud of you, my Little Poet who writes so well.

Your Greatest Fan,
Mummy

Lovable Despicable Me

Dearest Ashley,

We had a great time watching the movie Despicable Me with Titus. Through the 3 girls, Gru transformed himself from a baddie who steals people's happiness to a loving father who sacrifices the moon for his 3 girls. Remember how he rushed back from outerspace to catch their ballet recital? Remember his childhood memory of how his "nah" Mum discouraged him? Due to this lack of recognition when he was a kid, he vowed to be the Greatest Villian to steal the Greatest thing on earth when he grew up. He became one but still he did not get the happiness and recognition from his mother. However, when towards the end, he was watching the 3 girls' ballet recital with his Mum, she said to him, "I'm very proud of you, son". You could see the sparkle in Gru's eyes. He finally earned the recognition from his mother. To me, that moment was very touching. To you, the part Gru stole the Eiffel Tower was most hilarious.

Besides the movie, I also got to know your best friend, Titus, better. I must say I'm very impressed by him. In the car, he shared with us the incident he almost broke one of the 10 Commandments; At the counter, I wanted to buy him the large popcorn but he told me he wanted the small one as he cannot finish; I got him orange juice but he only asked me for water; he shared good stuff like the new Avatar book series and even brought us to the book shop to buy it; he asked you not to read in the car, etc. He is a Godly, honest and happy boy. Mother is very happy that you are each other's best friend. Last night on our way home, you told me you wanted to be a Christian just like Titus. I can see the positive influence Titus has on you. Enjoy your friendship and fun growing up with Titus.

Yours,
Mummy

Mummy is proud of your ABC in school

Dearest Ashley,

It pains me when I see you cough so much and so hard. This morning I tried to encourage you to go to school but you said I don't care about you. I care for you with all my heart. Mummy does not want you to skip school. Though the dcotor gave you MC, he also mentioned that if you're ok this morning, you can go school as you have no fever. Seeing you coughing non-stop, I decided to let you rest at home today.

Last Friday, you shared with me that you were the only one in class who volunteered to accompany your calssmate to the sick bed as none of them want to miss the English teacher's lesson. I know how much you enjoy his lesson as he always tells jokes in class. When you told me you volunteered yourself because you feel that accompanying him to wait for his Mummy was more important than one English lesson, I complimented you for caring for your classmate. Though you mentioned your teacher said you're doing ok in English, you know you have to place top priority in your study. I know I can trust you to catch up that one lesson from your classmate.

Yesterday morning, you shared with me you have done your ABC in school:
A - Attentiveness
B - Best Behaviour
C- Courteous

You put in alot more effort in A though some lessons are boring. Mummy is very proud of you for your effort to be more attentive in class. Well done.

Remembered what the ACSI Sec 3 Ruby player said to you when he and his family visited us during CNY? He was from your Primary school and he was an average student till Primary 5 when he decided to study hard for his future. He shone in PSLE and he enjoyed his school life even more now as he got to stay in school hostel, interacting with school mates from different countries in sports, projects and learning. His secret in Primary school?

1. Pay attention in class
2. Study for 2 hours everyday
3. Study the subject in advance so that he could ask teacher Qs on topics he wanted to know more
4. Play sports and less computer games

I'm very proud to have a son like you, talented, caring and creative. I know you want to enjoy and succeed in your Primary school just like the ACSI Ruby boy, JC2 boy and Kieran. You will become like them as they have shared with you their success tips. It is time to listen to good advice and take action. Remember E+R = O? I can guarantee you the positive Outcome when you continue to choose positive Reaction/action. Cheers!

Lots of hugs and kisses,
Mummy

Hard love

Dear Friends,

I'm happy that we managed to keep Ashley from playing computer games the whole of last weekdays through our persistent effort. This morning, he woke up at 7:30am and started playing computer game. I got up immediately and said to him in a kind but firm tone that we should take a walk in our condo to open our eyes first as the glare from the computer will hurt his eyes. He graciously accepted my offer. As it was drizzling, he scootered while Abby cycled at our basement carpark for half an hour before we head home for breakfast. I kept my words and he started playing computer games for 30 minutes after his breakfast.

Abby likes to play in the car and sometimes refuses to buckle up. Today, I said to her in a kind but firm voice to buckle up but my words fell on deaf ears. I raised my voice a little and reminded her again. She started crying as she is very thin-skinned. I patiently explained to her why she must buckle up and hugged her. She stopped crying after 5 minutes and buckled up.

Many experienced parents and my Mum always reminded me to be firm with my kids so that they will not climb onto my head. I realised I was too soft and practised convenience parenting in the past. There are times when we let them have a choice but they must also learn that Mum and Dad's words are final.

Regards,
Loving Mum

E+R = O

Dearest Ashley,

Remember the two 18 year-old boys we met one after another? The first boy we met was a JC2 student at the Eye Centre and you saw how your Mum struck a conversation with him:

Mum: Hi, are you also wearing hard lens?
Boy1 : Yeah, my Mum also wears them.
Mum: How do you find JC life?
Boy1: Competitive. We have 100 overseas students out of 800 students. They are very hardworking and academically very strong.
Mum: How about the local students?
Boy1 : We have to focus on our strengths which they are weaker like presentation, debate and creative thinking.
Mum: What's your plan after your A Level?
Boy1: I plan to study Accountancy in NTU or SMU. My uncle is a very successful businessman and he encourages me to study Accountancy which is recession-proof and every country and industry require Accountants.
Mum: All the best to you.

Did you see how eloquent, confident and good-looking the boy was during our chat? He has decided what he wants in life and is working hard to reach his goal.

After we left the Eye Centre, we were approached by another 18 year-old boy who asked me for donation. Since you're munching away, you saw how Mum struck a conversation with him:

Boy2: We're representing a Charity Organisation to seek donation for the abused and needy children.
Mum: Ok. We'll make a donation. Are you a student? (We chatted while filling up the form).
Boy2 : I'm a Poly drop-out. I plan to enroll as a private student to continue my Poly study after my army.
Mum: All the best to you.

Did you notice he did not speak proper English and not very confident? He took a longer and more challenging path to complete his study compared to his peers who will complete their Poly before they enter army.

Maybe God arrange for you to meet the two boys one after another to help you fast forward your time to see your future in 9 years' time. Remember what your Dad taught you about begin with an end in mind? It may be a good idea to start thinking what kind of life you want at 18 years old and beyond.

Mummy knows you're still a kid but you know from your Adam Khoo camp that E+R =O. You may not be able to control the Events but you can control your Reactions which will affect the Outcome. Trainer Priscilla shared with Mummy that you fully understood this Principle and even acted two scenes, one with positive R which resulted in positive O and one with negative R & O. Mummy is proud of you as at a young age, you understand this important Principle. With everyday practice of generating positive reactions in challenging situations, you will achieve positive outcome, not once but many many times.

Hugs & Kisses,
Mummy

Wise words from two Loving Fathers

Dear Friends,

I feel previleged to meet wonderful people in my profession whom I can learn from professionally and personally. Today, I met a new contact recommended by a dear friend. I was impressed by his professional track record and leadership style. However, it is his words he said to his children that made the deepest impression on me:

"I trust you completely. I support you unconditionally. Live by the Principles of honesty, hardwork and care for others".

He shared with me that though there are times he disapproved certain actions by his children, he tried to understand them as equals with patience. He shared an example that was close to my heart. Instead of stopping his children from spending time at the computer, he talked to them to understand what are they doing at the computer. Thereafter, he never checks on them at the computer. It is so important to walk the talk with our kids.

His elder son is very self-motivated and has decided to study Economics in the US or UK after he completed his 6 years education at Chinese High Integrated Program.

When I shared this wonderful story with my hubby how my contact interacted with his children, he agreed but added the most important thing is Ashley must be ready to learn. He must come to his own realisation the importance of study and we cannot push or try to accelerate this self-discovery process. We just have to continue to guide and support them unconditionally. We may plant 1000 seeds and only 1 seed may grow and we cannot dictate the timeline. A dose of wisdom from my hubby...

Best Regards,
Loving Mum

Sounding like a broken record

Dear Friends,

I had an interesting conversation with Ashley on our way to school this morning...

Mum: Do you have PE today?
Ashley: Let me check. Oh, today has PE.
Mum: You're wearing school uniform. Are you allowed to take part in PE today?
Ashley: Nope, just sit one side and do nothing.
Mum: I thought you enjoyed PE?
Ashley: PE is boring now. Always do the boring stuff.
Mum: Which is more boring? Sit around or PE?
Ashley: So sickering, must remember so many things. I don't care!
Mum: What do you mean you don't care?
Ashley: It's hard to remember so many things about school!
Mum: How do you think Kieran can play the piano so beautifully without looking at the score?
Silent
Mum: How do you think Kieran got his grade 8 from grade 0 in 8 months at 18 years old?
Silent
Mum: He remembered the scores by heart and he practised from 1am to 5am. He put in effort and hardwork to pursue his dream.
Silent
Mum: Look at your uncle. He is a world-class violinist who performs in every part of the world. He also remembers his score and practises very hard.
Ashley: Mum, cool down. I know already. I love you, Mum. (He got off the car)

I seem to hear the "I don't care" more often than ever. I feel we should address this negative attitude on the spot. I may sound like a broken record to Ashley but I will continue to "nag" at him. I heard from some education experts and my mother that somehow, kids will hear us in their sub-conscious mind and oneday they will remember what we said to them and see the light bulb.

Warm Regards,
Broken record Loving Mum

Have you wondered what would your child speak of you to their close friends in 20 years' time?

Dear Friends,

I had lunch with a dear girl friend today and we chatted about almost everything under the sun. Naturally, we talked about relationships, all kinds of relationships. She made me realised that our mothers actually shaped our character and outlook in life. However, at certain junctures, it is the choices we made in life that determine our destiny and happiness.

I felt an even greater sense of responsibility to teach my kids well as our impact on them is a lifetime. On a lighter note, I sincerely hope that 20 years from now, they will talk about their parents in a loving way instead of blaming us. Parenting is alot of trials and errors. I hope we'll have more hits than misses so eventually resulted in net positive energy.

The best part of our lunch was that we both spoke highly of our mothers though we might have disagreements in the past. We tend to judge people by their actions, not intention. Our parents' intention for us is always good. However, their actions do injustice to them. Likewise, now that we're parents, we're trap in the same misunderstood situations.

This week has been a challenging week for us as we try to keep Ashley from computer games on weekdays. He would protest, fight back and even beg me to play computer games on weekday. My hubby and I are very insistent this time round as we finally learned from our mistake of being a parent of convenience instead of consistency. Good intention from us but he can't see it now.

Loving and caring for our children requires a good balance of soft love and hard love. I'm gulity of not practising the latter enough. My wish is that my kids will appreciate my hard love as much as they enjoy my soft love.

Warm Regards,
Enlightened Loving Mum

Be the Chief Cheerleader to our children!

Dear Pals,

I've no shame when come to cheering on my children during their performances and important events in their life. I cheered the loudest when they were performing on stage, receiving their awards and we even made a poster for his school talent contest finals. My hubby and I are our kids' Greatest Fan!

After 2 one-hour practices, the big day has finally come. Last night, they were on stage singing with their big brother friend accompaning them on the piano at his 21st birthday party cum mini-concert. Having gone behind the scene with them during their practices and watching the three of them on stage performing last night, I was very touched by the magical way the kids synchronized together so beautifully. A little bonus was that Abby surprised us by singing the entire song instead of a small solo part. I high fived with them the minute they came back to their seats after their performance. This morning, I complimented Ashley for being such a good teacher to his little sister as she learned the entire song from him.

Ashley will be acting as a funny old turtle in the school skit during mooncake festival. He shared with me the costume he'll be wearing, the hilarious scenes and the script. As his greatest fan, I role played with him as the rabbit to help him practise his script. One week later, he proudly announced to me that he has memorized his script. I look forward to my superstar's performance during Mooncake festival.

Warm Regards,
Loving Mum

Love is Listening

Dear Friends,

I'll like to share with you the following list of Qs I read from a book:

1. Who's your child's favourite teacher?
2. Who's your child's best friend?
3. What was the incident that hurt he the most?
4. What was his proudest moment?
5. Who he admires most?
6. What kind of girl he wants to marry?

I got all answers correct except Q3. I was surpirse when he shared with me that a close relative called him useless in the fit of anger a year ago. I assured him that he is a very talented and kind boy and I'm very proud to have a child like him. As adults, we must be careful with our words when we talk to children as our words can build up or tear our children apart.

His proudest moment was when he emerged Champion in his school's talent contest. I received my greatest compliment when he said he admires me the most and he wants to marry someone like me but with very long hair.

The road to the heart is the ear. We must listen to their feelings first and later focus on the information. I listen when he chats with me in the car, bedroom, bathroom and wherever we go. Learning to listen to our children brings immerse joy as I get to know my children as individuals. Kids have so much to share with us and the best gift we can give them is our undivided attention and our listening ears.

Best Regards,
Loving Mum

Love is Patient

Dear Pals,

Ashley woke me up at 6am this morning. For the first time, he was waiting for me at the door while I washed up. I must say I'm impressed by my boy. However, last night was a different picture. He was crying and shouting because he couldn't memorize the chinese spelling. He was burning mid-night oil and was stressed up. Both my hubby and I just kept quiet and allow him get his stream out. Once he cooled down, my hubby took over the last part revision with him and he turned in peacefully after he memorized all the words.

I reflect on this incident and am glad I did not react to his anger the way I did in the past. In the past, I became very emotional and would bring up my old grandmother story why he must study hard to have a bright future. My words caused more tension than eased his anxiety. In the end, we were so mad with each other and gave each other the angry look. Luckily, my hubby was there for him.

The turning point for us was the day when his best friend, Titus and his mum came to visit us during the June holiday. The boys were having the best time in their lives playing Wii and computer games. After they left, we chatted over tea and I looked into his eyes and said, "Do you know why Mum invite your friend over to our house? I want you to have a happy childhood". I was so touched when he replied,"I want mum to have a happy adulthood too". He cares about my feeling and want me to be happy too. Each time when I raised my voice at him when he misbehaved, he would immediately look at me in the eyes and say, "Mum, Smile". Sometimes, it is hard to give a sunny smile when you're angry. When he saw my not-so-sunny smile, he would say, "You're faking. Smile please". From there on, I know I must change my attitude towards my son to help each other manage our anger.

His love and care for me makes me more determined to be more patient with him. I will always remember he woke up early on Mothers' Day to make me a card using powerpoint. He wrote, "Thank you Mum for being so kind and supportive. I love you". I gave him a bear hug that lasted 10 minutes. We are very lucky to have a loving son.

Boys are boys. They tend to be more active and sensitive. Thus, they get angry over trivial matters more often. Their little eyes are watching us all the time. To teach them patience and love, we must walk the talk. No wonder my sisters said to me that I've become a better person after I become a mother. That's the best compliment I ever received.

Cheers!
Loving Mum learning the Art of Patience

Interest drives the kids' learning

Dear Folks,

Ashley woke me up this morning at 6:10am for the first time. Compared to his struggle to wake up when he first started his morning session in Jan, he has made alot of progress. In less than 5 mins, we're out of the door. He wanted to reach school earlier than his friends. Boys are competitive in nature and sometimes, a little friendly competition is good for them.

He had his first individual piano lesson yesterday. The teacher praised him for his attentiveness and ability to play. He was over the rainbows. When he got home, he immediately practised on the keyboard what he learned and finished his piano homework in a flash. I didn't even have to speak a word.

Unquestionable, interest drives his learning. He could remember 60 different cuntry flags and 100 dinosaur names when he was 3; over 100 pokemon names and their abilities when he was 4 and complicated chinese lyrics when he was 5. Every child works in the same way. As parents, we just faciliate their pursuit of their interests. I hope he will channel this self-motivation to his studies which can be challenging as teachers in school are pressed with time to allow them to nurture the interest in the students. I tried to buy him interesting reading materials like Adventure Box and Discovery Box to stir his interest. Unfortunately, he is not motivated to read by himself as he has greater interest in computer games and Wii. I'll have to read with him.

As what my hubby said, we have to give him time to develop his interest in study as he is still a kid. My hubby recalled he only started to study in P5 and before that he just played all day. At least he managed to get into Chinese High. My hubby is right. We need to give them time to grow and learn. There's a Chinese saying, "Yu shu ze bu da", meaning we may not reach our goal if we try to speed up the process. As a goal-driven and action-oriented person, I'm constantly reminding myself to let Ashley learn at his own pace and not overload him. Not easy for someone who is always on the go. Luckily, my hubby serves as a good moderator to restore the balance with our kids.

Cheers!
Loving Mum

Take time to know our kids

Dear Friends,

Do we know who's our kids' best friends and what they do during their favourite lesson in school, Recess? Do we know what matters to them most and what's their opinion of us?

Ashley, my boy came back from school yesterday and requested me to bring him to Bryan's, his classmate's home on Sat to play Maple Story computer game. As I do not know the boy and his mum, I asked to speak with the mum first. We had a good conversation on the boys and I learned from her that Ashley is her boy's best friend. That reminded me of a nice story I learned from a mum at his P1 classmate's party last year. She shared with me that Ashley is her boy's best friend and he missed Ashley alot when they relocated to Hong Kong. He wanted to write Ashley a letter and mail to Ashley's "Happy House". Ashley must have told him about the Pooh Bear Happy House sign we hang at our main door. The two mummies had a good laugh 'cos her boy insisted on mailing the letter to the Happy House without address, thinking Ashley will receive the letter.

I asked Ashley why the boys regard him as their best friends and he has no clues. I think I know why. This morning, I asked him what he and Bryan do in school together. He shared with me that he always hang out with 10 boys including Bryan during recess. They will take turns to be leaders. As the leader, Bryan will lead the Star Wars game. When it's Ashley's turn, he will play soccer with his friends. Back in class, he will signal to Bryan to have their private meeting in the toilet. When the teacher asked him why he took so long to come back, he told the teacher he was suffering from constipation. At that moment, I tried to refrain myself from telling him that this behaviour is unacceptable. I just let him talk. I plan to propose alternatives to their private meetings like going to school earlier or visit each other on weekend as attentiveness in school is very important. I'm adjusting my parenting style to communicate with him more like a friend so as to build a safe environment for him to share his secrets with me.

Ashley is a natural cheerleader to his friends and sister. I think that's why his friends find him warm and encouraging. Having said that, he is still your regular kid. He gets upset when I praised Abby, my daughter and when she got a bigger trophey than him. He throws tantrum when he refuses to do his homework. He agrues with his friends when they disagree on how to write the script for their project, etc. I'm not perfect and I don't expect my kids to be perfect. I simply focus on their strengths and encourage them to give their best at all times.

Warm Regards,
Loving Mum

Introduce our kids to cool people with passion

Dear Friends,

It's a little sad watching our kids grow up so quickly. I guess all I can do is to stay devoted to them and be generous with my time with my kids. Instead of wasting time telling them what to do and keep nagging, I try to introduce them to cool people with passion to actively develop their minds, hearts and souls.

As my boy is a music lover, I'll surround him with talented and passionate musicians like the 20 year-old young man who happens to be my friend's son. His uncle is one of the Tang Quartet violinists. I'll share with him that even musicians need the foundation of a good education as both have benefited from the university education and his uncle was from RI (sometimes, I may try too hard. Hehehe).

His music teacher, Jiu Jian is his idol. My boy could memorize new Chinese songs written by Jiu Jian during the 1.5 hour class and he would sing for us in the car. Last week, he sang a new song written by Jiu Jian for his new Chinese Musical Re-kindle Love Sequel in Mar'11. He got my boy interested in Chinese Musical and song writing. My son was so excited that he will be playing the magical dog who turned into a human in the new Musical. He is so serious that he sings the new song everywhere he goes, even waiting for the MRT. I can feel his happiness...

Yesterday I received an email from a friend informing us that he will be shaving his head on 25 Jul 2010 at Vivocity to raise awareness about childhood cancer. I asked my boy if he wants to also shave his head to support the patients. He decided to keep his hair and donate instead. He knows my friend and he wanted to be there to support this kind uncle.

Please show your support for the foundation by clicking on the following link to make a donation:
http://www.hairforhope.org.sg/hfh/shavee/show/848

Through his personal interaction with these cool people, am sure he will rub off some of their brilliance and shine.

Warm Regards,

Loving Mum

My Courageous Prince and his idol, SpongeBob SquarePants

Dear Parents,

My boy wanted me to blog about him after he saw my blog about my girl. He's the one who came up with the title which I thought describes him pretty well.

Besides the courage to go on stage to sing, dance, act and show off his wushu moves, he has the courage to try new things even though he has to endure some degree of pain. When he first tried on the ortho-k hard lens, he did not cry or rub his eyes even though it was painful. Another incident that struck me was how he overcame his spinning headache to put up his best performance during the recent public performance at the Art House organized by his singing teacher, Jiu Jian:

http://2voices10fingers.blogspot.com/2010/06/2-voices-10-fingers-ticket-and-show.html

I just read him a bedtime story, Praise by George Tan from the Chicken Soup for the Singapore Soul. He just said, "I like this story" and he fell asleep. I remembered we cried and blew our noses after reading Willy's Clinic by Dr. Ang Peng Tiam when he was 7 years old. We were touched by Dr. Ang's kindness and Willy's perserverance. Till today, he still remembers Willy's story.

My son is a joker. His idol is SpongeBob SquarePants. We enjoy a good laugh watching SpongeBob cartoon together. He told me if SpongeBob were a human being, the world would be a funnier place. He cited the part where SpongeBob was late for work for one minute. The next day, he decided to sleep overnight in the restaurant to make sure he would not be late for work. He finds it very funny and silly. I added that SpongeBob is a very responsible person and he agreed. We also feel that SpongeBob is a very kind and optimistic guy. He loves his pals in Bikini Bottom, even Squidword, the mean guy who always belittle him. We also find SpongeBob one of a kind. He has the courage to be himself and not follow the crowd. Thanks to my courageous and joker son, I get to know SpongeBob and re-live my childhood. More importantly, besides sharing laughters together, we get to rub off some of SpongeBob's wisdom on our kids and ourselves. Hahaha.....

Yours Truly,
Joker's Loving Mum

My sweet little Princess

Dear Friends,

I drove my 4.5 year-old girl to her 1st coloring contest yesterday. 3 hours later, she earned herself her 1st trophey. Not too bad for a little girl to emerge 5th out of 15 children. In fact, my hubby and I are still scratching our heads where her artistic genes come from as both of us can't draw. She could spend 1~2 hours by herself doodling and coloring and she always has a nice story for each drawing. Once, I brought them to take the roller coaster ride in Escape Theme Park. Few days later, she would show me her roller coaster drawing with her and her brother screaming away in the monster ride. So far, I've filed more than 100 drawings and counting.

My mum-in-law and I feel that she takes after her daddy's gentle and giving personality. Sometimes, when her brother got scolding from us, she will say to me, "I want Mummy loves my brother more". Then, she would shake off my hands and want me to hold her brother's hand. When I tried to hold both of their hands, she stepped back and refused to hold my hand. I was very touched and troubled by her action. I tried to explain to her that I love both of them but she only held my hand when her brother asked her to do so.

I'll always remember the night we rushed her to KK A&E hospital for a suspected fractured arm as she kept crying and holding on to her arm when she was two years old. We burst into laughter after we saw her reaching out to get the 2 sweets from the Doctor. She immediately popped one sweet in her mouth and kept the other one for her brother. Her love for her brother is simply shown in that precious sweet. We are very lucky to have such a thoughtful and kind daughter.

Warm Regards,
Loving Mum