#7 of the C4

On the seventh day of Advent
the paint is still to dry
so here's a pic of us instead...

#6 of the C4

On the sixth day of Advent
we made a heap of these
can you guess
what they are?!

#5 of the C4

On the fifth day of Advent we didn't do as much...

but went out and took some silly pics

#4 of the C4

On the fourth day of Advent
we made my mummy's favourite
love hearts and decorated them...

#3 of the C4

On the third day of Advent
my mummy helped me make
more Christmas baubles...

#2 of the C4

On the second day of Advent,
I helped my mummy make...
a few Christmas baubles
(hung with recycled rubber bands from take-away food packets!)

#1 of the C4 (chansbury christmas countdown calendar)

This festive season,
mummy's been inspired
by Mila's Daydreams blog
(read lazily lifting someone else's idea)
to countdown to Christmas.
This year, since we are
spending Christmas away from home
she's decided,
with inspiration from the fabulous Mister Maker,
to incorporate some R & R
(reduce consumerism where possible and recycle)
to craft our own
tree decorations!
She'd considered salvaging some boxes from the local supermarket to make a cardboard tree but fast gave up on that idea when she found a bargain of a tree at 50% off in a craft store...
and so, with some bought items of tree, cardstock, sticky tape, glitter glue and pipe cleaners our imagination will be the limit...
herewith Christmas decoration 1 - good ol' paper chains

a poem for parents

this poem, found at the back of my kindy portfolio
mummy read whilst walking home with callum on her back
she was very very moved and just had to share it with you:

There are little eyes upon you, and they're watching night and day
There are little ears that quickly take in every word you say
There are little hands all eager to do everything you do
And a little child who's dreaming of the day he'll be like you.
You're the little person's idol, you're the wisest of the wise
In his little mind about you, no suspicions ever arise
He believes in you devoutly, holds all that you say and do
He will say and do in your way, when he's quite grown up like you.
There's a wide-eyed little person who believes you're always right
And his eyes are always open, and he watches day and night
You are setting an example every day, in all the things you do
For the little one who's waiting to grow up just like you.

why do children take things literally???!

today was my last day at kindy as i am heading off to foreign shores in a couple of days' time for 2 months of slackness...
this means i will be missing the annual kindy concert which we have been practising for for a few weeks now.
it's supposed to be a secret but one i need not keep seeing as i won't be around to perform for it.
we've been learning to sing christmas songs and carols, so imagine mummy nearly keeling over last week when we were walking back from kindy and i start singing loudly, "i saw mummy kissing santa claus" and imagine my surprise when she starts singing along with me. (i didn't think she knew songs about santa claus because she keeps claiming he is unreal.)
where is this heading? bear with me...
we had a farewell morning tea especially for me today because i finished up kindy.
and my teacher gave me this little early christmas pressie.
so when we got home today,
i started singing that song,
whilst waving the pencil
around her head
insistently insisting
she kiss (eraserhead)
santa claus...
(no wonder he's smiling!)
someone better help mummy
when in singapore
i see all those
pretender santas
everywhere!!!!!

official school photos

we had our
official kindy
school photos
taken last term!

mummy thinks
it pretty clearly reflected on my visage

my delight
and joy
at all that
play,
entertainment
and
activity
(what a life!)

on yer bike

spring has sprung and
with weather this beaut
there's no real excuse
not to...
dust off the cobwebs
oil the chains
check the brakes
clean the helmets
adjust the harnesses
attach the bike seats
and ride off
into the sunset...

confessions of a secular kindy-er

one of the things that mummy frequently ponders about
is the notion of a faith-based upbringing for children
considering how much a doubting thomas she is
and coupled with daddy's atheism
it does not bode well for organised religion
despite well-meaning observers' enthusiasm and encouragement
mummy still struggles with the concept of
enforced organised religious beliefs upon us
as little ones who are thus yet
unable to think critically at this (st)age
(so they do the best they can to teach us
via informal, example-based behaviours of
love, respect, trust, doing good and karma etc etc)
yet still her catholic guilt sometimes surfaces
especially when she sees children in catholic school uniforms...

anyway, one day before i had my milk for bed
daddy said to me, "will you sing?"
and mummy nearly fell off her chair with (delighted) surprise
when she heard my rendition of 'grace'
because we were taught this at kindy
and we practice it every day at morning tea time...
(now who says you have to go to private religious school?!!
just don't ask me to explain who the 'you' in the song refers to... yet!)

James' kind of grace from Eileen Chan on Vimeo

joie de vivre of a toddler

we all love callum's smiling face and his simple gung ho joie de vivre
he is an absolute copycat
and that's probably because as an older brother i set mostly shining examples...

Cal at dining table from Eileen Chan on Vimeo.

this video was taken about 2 months ago
and since then callum's speech has increased manifold
he says quite a few words (bus, car, moon, star, ma, hi, bye, see ya, etc. etc.)
but mummy's current favourite word of his is 'picture'
because he can't quite pronounce it properly
and it somehow comes out as 'bik bu' (big ahem derriere)

savouring the innocence and enthusiasm of 4.5 year olds

mummy has been having some amazing conversations with me of late.
she reckons it's a marvellous time being with a 4.5 year old
when she asks me questions and i answer in all my childlike charm
(based on my vast and worldly experiences)
it's all good, life is mostly fun despite some of its silly adult-rules
but it's really a great time to carpe diem

of late at kindy, we've been practicing a surprise
for the upcoming Fathers' Day celebrations next week.
(so please daddy, don't peek!)
mummy just smiles with glee, laughts with delight and shakes with hysteria
when i do my little song and dance number
with unselfconscious wholehearted abandon ad infinitum
she keeps mumbling something about
cherishing all my innocence and enthusiasm now
because there will come a time one day
when i will consider this sort of palaver pretty uncool...

James' rendition of singing in the rain for Kindy Father's Day celebration from Eileen Chan on Vimeo.

when your parents don't buy private health insurance...

this is what you have to resort to

if you need some dental work...

let's just be grateful for little mercies
like having the actual implements to DIY...