Chanced upon THIS while trawling for videos to inspire our boy. I'd come back to that later.
One of the videos in my net was the girl from his first violin class. She was playing a piece from Suzuki Book 4! Our dear boy, if you've read my previous posts, is still struggling with pieces from Book 1! Got very emotional after that... is it me? Have I planted my laisser-faire attitude towards learning seed in him? Is my non-existent expectation the reason for him not being able to sprout and grow as well as that other kid? Was it fear? Was I frightened that if I push him too hard he might HATE me for it? While I fought those demons within me last night during our daily practice together, he surprised me by playing the entire piece of "The Happy Farmer by Robert Schumann" which sounds like this - the second last piece of music in Book 1 - the piece which he only started learning last Tuesday. Life's a marvel isn't it? It teases you so perfectly, you don't even know that it's just a game.
Back from the digression... from that video, I went on to THIS site about a family's "epic odyssey: open-ended, years long slow trip around the world as a family adventure, unschool, spiritual journey and lifestyle". It's darn inspiring. The Big One and I have talked about taking a year off to travel around the world. This family's already taking it... and they are doing it on 25 thousand dollars a year. Assuming that that's in USD, we are talking SGD37.5k/year. Haven't exactly looked at our finances but we should have enough CPF between us to pay the housing loan installment for the next couple of years...and if we can rent out the apartment for $3K/month ($36K/year) while we are out travelling the world, we can literally afford to scoot off and see the world starting right now!
How exciting!
All these, just from trying to inspire a child with a video.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The little bean turned five today.
...and on this same day, the school planned an excursion for them. This time, they all went to the Art Museum.
What did you see at the Art Museum.
>*smiles* I saw girls without clothes! Naked!
Hahahhahaa!! Oh dear...did you laugh at them?
> No. Don't want to be rude.
How old is he again?
*sigh*
What did you see at the Art Museum.
>*smiles* I saw girls without clothes! Naked!
Hahahhahaa!! Oh dear...did you laugh at them?
> No. Don't want to be rude.
How old is he again?
*sigh*
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Reality
Me: I need to exercise more.
Big One: Why? Your clothes can't fit arh?
Me: No lar... my clothes always fit.
Big One: *pause* Orh.. you always buy new one hor?
Me: Hahhaa... yep. So they always fit! Don't you know all my old clothes already given away?
Big One: Aiyoh... what happened to my girlfriend?
Me: No more already you don't know meh? You married her!
>>>End of conversation.
Big One: Why? Your clothes can't fit arh?
Me: No lar... my clothes always fit.
Big One: *pause* Orh.. you always buy new one hor?
Me: Hahhaa... yep. So they always fit! Don't you know all my old clothes already given away?
Big One: Aiyoh... what happened to my girlfriend?
Me: No more already you don't know meh? You married her!
>>>End of conversation.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
2.5 pieces
He (and me) is 2.5 pieces away from finishing his Book 1. Told him that if he doesn't practice his violin properly and pass all the pieces in Book 1 by the end of September, I was going to leave him behind at home with his grandparents while his father and I take off to Disneyland without him.
The flights and hotel has all been booked... and only 4 more lessons to go!
I'm panicking (not him)!
Oh dear oh dear oh dear!!!!
The flights and hotel has all been booked... and only 4 more lessons to go!
I'm panicking (not him)!
Oh dear oh dear oh dear!!!!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Party Plagiarisation
Stealing some of my friend's notes:
" ... BY's 5th Birthday party at Toa Payoh Safra Indoor Gym. Party was relatively relaxed as adults weren't allowed in the Indoor maze... BY's mum conducted a game contest in the party room and it went very well. The kids were given some stuff to 'build the tallest structure', with broad hints that the structure need not be on the floor to be the tallest. Teams went at it, with the birthday boy on the mike hollering instructions...the birthday boy's really hilarious!..."
Real easy party. No frills. 20 kids were invited, 14 showed up, 2 called in sick and 4 more kinda didn't respond at all... which didn't matter. I wanted as little fuss as possible so didn't bother chasing for RSVPs. The boy helped packed the goodie bags, I cooked some vegetarian food and we bought the cake enroute to the venue.
Venue is great. Lots of space and not as crowded as Downtown East or Go-go Bambini. Room came with deco and enough chairs and tables for everyone. Catered food though was very disappointing. No outside food allowed, so the caterer had a monopoly business which they merrily exploited.
Anyway.
The boy was hilarious!!!
Happy birthday funny boy!
" ... BY's 5th Birthday party at Toa Payoh Safra Indoor Gym. Party was relatively relaxed as adults weren't allowed in the Indoor maze... BY's mum conducted a game contest in the party room and it went very well. The kids were given some stuff to 'build the tallest structure', with broad hints that the structure need not be on the floor to be the tallest. Teams went at it, with the birthday boy on the mike hollering instructions...the birthday boy's really hilarious!..."
Real easy party. No frills. 20 kids were invited, 14 showed up, 2 called in sick and 4 more kinda didn't respond at all... which didn't matter. I wanted as little fuss as possible so didn't bother chasing for RSVPs. The boy helped packed the goodie bags, I cooked some vegetarian food and we bought the cake enroute to the venue.
Venue is great. Lots of space and not as crowded as Downtown East or Go-go Bambini. Room came with deco and enough chairs and tables for everyone. Catered food though was very disappointing. No outside food allowed, so the caterer had a monopoly business which they merrily exploited.
Anyway.
The boy was hilarious!!!
Happy birthday funny boy!
Monday, August 10, 2009
National Day 2009
Stayed 2 nights at the St. Regis Hotel
Invited a couple of friend over... at one point, we had 4 fully dressed kids sitting in the 'boat' (on the right) watching TV (in the toilet) and then much later, after their swim, the same 4 kids jumped into their 'boat' again for a rub-a-dub-dub, bailing enough water out of it to drown the rest of us living outside.
Watching the parade
(click on the picture to expand)
Family was invited to a parade viewing party at The Sail @ Marina. Really cool to watch the planes and helicopters fly past ... below!
Top left: boy looking out Top right: one of the nicer shots
Bottom left: heart shape fireworks Bottom right: me sitting down quietly.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Happenings...
Saturday: Stumbled upon a new prawn fishing place.
It's located at Pasir Ris Farmway 1 ( turn in from the intersection of Rasir Ris Drive 12 & Rasir Ris Drive 3 ). They had BBQ pits located right next to the pond and people were throwing live prawns onto the grills. The cruelty is mesmerising to watch. Maybe ripping off their heads first would be the compassionate thing to do? Anyway... they have a fish spa pond there too. Great for the callous!
Sunday: Visited the Marina Barrage.
Boy was bumping me around playfully. I stupidly decided to trick him by moving aside at the last moment. It sent him crashing onto the floor. Result: a 3cm long cut on his elbow. It bleed and he was inconsolable for a long time. Fast forward 2 hours later, at home, I shone a light onto the cut, noticed something strange... and decided to SQUEEZE his cut suddenly. Poor boy started screaming again. But hey, I squeezed the grain of sand - which we all had not noticed and was not washed out with water and which had been embedded in the cut - OUT! Ouch ouch... but he's all good now.
Monday: Save the world!
Mummy, we need to save the world.
> We need to save the world? Why? ( and why do I have to be involved in his big schemes?)
*shows me the armed-with-machine-guns posture*
> Oh, so you need to stop people from fighting?
Yes. We need to save the world and stop people from *shows me the posture*
> Ok. So how to we do that?
Take away their guns! *shows me the posture again*
> Ok, so how will you take away their guns?
*thinking* I know! We fight them so we can take away their guns.
?????!??? That's not a very good plan my dear friend!
It's located at Pasir Ris Farmway 1 ( turn in from the intersection of Rasir Ris Drive 12 & Rasir Ris Drive 3 ). They had BBQ pits located right next to the pond and people were throwing live prawns onto the grills. The cruelty is mesmerising to watch. Maybe ripping off their heads first would be the compassionate thing to do? Anyway... they have a fish spa pond there too. Great for the callous!
Sunday: Visited the Marina Barrage.
Boy was bumping me around playfully. I stupidly decided to trick him by moving aside at the last moment. It sent him crashing onto the floor. Result: a 3cm long cut on his elbow. It bleed and he was inconsolable for a long time. Fast forward 2 hours later, at home, I shone a light onto the cut, noticed something strange... and decided to SQUEEZE his cut suddenly. Poor boy started screaming again. But hey, I squeezed the grain of sand - which we all had not noticed and was not washed out with water and which had been embedded in the cut - OUT! Ouch ouch... but he's all good now.
Monday: Save the world!
Mummy, we need to save the world.
> We need to save the world? Why? ( and why do I have to be involved in his big schemes?)
*shows me the armed-with-machine-guns posture*
> Oh, so you need to stop people from fighting?
Yes. We need to save the world and stop people from *shows me the posture*
> Ok. So how to we do that?
Take away their guns! *shows me the posture again*
> Ok, so how will you take away their guns?
*thinking* I know! We fight them so we can take away their guns.
?????!??? That's not a very good plan my dear friend!
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