Zhua Zhou

An interesting Chinesey way to spend Mooncake Festival! I brought CH (with CY tagging along) to a Zhua Zhou event held at a friend's place. A traditional ceremony where one year olds pick an item from a range of objects which may indicate their future inclination. It's all done in good fun but once this ceremony will affect the way parents bring up their child!

Before that, free play...Kym has soooo many toys! Lucky Scarlett!

Overwhelmed!

Getting prepped before the event

The objects

Letting loose...

No deliberation at all...

Waiting for the verdict

Well, this is all in good fun. She probably chose the stethescope coz it's pink. Or maybe it's something new to her (no, we don't bring the kiddoes to the doctor so they aren't familiar with 'doctor', 'stethescopes' or the 'waiting room'. But of course they love their medicine and if daddy does it, the vaccinations are ok too :)). Actually, the last thing I want is for my girl to go to medical school. Haha, the vanity of parenthood of course at times make me wish they are smart and strong and gifted etc. But I am also aware of the perils of life on the fast track.

In fact when I told RJ after the incident he looked at me then said 'Can we influence her not to? Maybe Zoology will be better? (ok that is my hb's unfulfilled ambition in life)'

Happy Birthday to Ch'i Hui

The little girl's birthday falls on 20th September. We brought forward the celebration this year since we were going off to the UK for a short trip during the time (more on the trip later). It was a very small celebration and the guests were mostly CY's friends :) but she was still the star of the day

Simple affair at the function room

Examining her 'party flavours'

A family shot, at last

CH, slaughtering the cake

Gripping about pencil grip

Now that CH is walking, things are getting messy at home. I sometimes find it difficult to spend time with CY on his work (now I know why parents send their children to school so young), and find it also tough to work alone with CH...

With CY, I am trying to get him to start tracing his letters. Ok, parents' views differ here. I am just trying to model what schools do at this stage: trace letters. But CY has abysmal pencil grip and I just cannot seem to correct it. He can do complex mazes but just cannot seem to hold his pens with the proper grip :P

I found myself getting frustrated with him a couple of days ago over this pencil grip. Due to his lousy grip he kept 'crossing the line' (a term I use with him when he, out of 'convenience', takes short cuts) when he does his mazes.

M: CY, you crossed the line...
CY: No, I didn't!
M: Yes you did!
CY: Noooooooo.. I DID NOT!
M: Looks, what did you do? (pointing at the part where his marker touches the line)
CY: I said I didn't what!!!
M: Ok, I'll keep this, we'll work on it ag...
CY: Noooooooo I want to do it!!! I want I want!!!!!

Sometimes I wonder if I did something wrong when I was pregnant or if I fed him too much food with high lead content :(... He must the only three-year old who does not hold his pencil properly. In Singapore at least.

I am trying to do the flashcards with CH, just like what I attempted to do with CY. But her attention is soooo fleeting at this point I gave up quicker than she. The only saving grace is she loves to bring me books to read. Sometimes she sits through it, sometimes she does not. But she is not talking yet. I guess both my children are late talkers :)

See, I am trying to avoid the Icarus effect in child rearing, and yet am totally lost.

Notice those parts he crosses the line? :(

Funny thing is, I started him with mazes because I thought it might help him develop a better pen grip...