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For a considerably small country, it’s amazing to see how Singapore puts in so much effort in ‘preparing’ their people towards the big day. The billboards and decorations along the streets, the flags hung on the walls of government flats, apartments and commercial buildings, and of course the national day parade (NDP) itself!

And at school, Anya too took part in their very own NDP celebration today!

Everyone were encouraged to wear red and white, they sang the national anthem ‘Majulah Singapura‘ (as two kids held the flag on stage) and they went on stage to sing a song about ‘building the community’!

Though we’re not singaporeans (yet?), I still feel it’s such a nice way of celebrating a country’s national day.

Vai and I have been sending Anya to school (and picking her up) since she started nursery early this year.

It’s a 7-minute walk to the bus stop, 7-10 minute bus ride, and another 7-minute walk to school from the bus stop. And the timing is pretty much the same for our going-back home trip (oh, plus the time spent waiting for the bus to come, of course).

So, Vai and I are basically under the scorching sun (or rain) between 11am - 12pm, and 2pm - 3pm every day (and yes, we’re ‘more tanned’ now than before Anya started school, hehe).

Now, one common question I get from people is : why I don’t just let Anya take the school bus. It’s easier and more convenient for me, and the overall cost is more or less similar (compared to me personally sending and picking her up every day).

And here are my reasons :

> I know Anya will definitely take the school bus one day (perhaps soon, even), but when I can still personally take her to school, I’d want to enjoy that privilege and daily moments of sending her to class, giving her a hug and a kiss goodbye and seeing her walk into her classroom

> I get to meet her classmates and and chat with her teachers (on top of making friends with other parents and maids who make daily trips to school too)

> During our daily trips to and from school, we get to spend time and chat about things. About school, her friends and teachers, what she did and learned, what so and so did, etc. And if say, her teacher reported to me how she did something that she shouldn’t have done earlier that day (upon picking her up from class), I can immediately talk to her and ask her about it too.

The thing is, this approach will no longer be there when she starts taking the school bus later.

I mean, by the time she gets home from school, the level of seriousness of what she did wrong earlier is automatically reduced, especially if she happily laughs and plays with her friends on her way home (ie. less ‘impact’ by the time we have our ‘why did you do what you did’ talk, because it doesn’t take place right after she leaves class)

> Personally picking her up from school allows us to eat out together immediately after class too once in a while (which can be a special treat for all three of us)

And because of all those reasons, somehow I don’t feel ‘burdened’ by this daily routine (ie. every day, for the past five and a half months so far).

Yes it may sound a bit silly, but when every time I think about it, I really just don’t mind.

[Yes I do get physically tired at times though, eg. from carrying the stroller with Vai on it up and down the bus and stairs, from carrying Vai in a sling, when it rains]

But you know, one day, years from today, if Anya happens to say, ‘Hey Mom, remember that one time when we all got drenched from the sudden rain on our way home from school?’

I would be happy if I could reply, ‘Yes I still remember. I was the one who held your hand.’

Today we went to our very first Parent’s Day celebration at Anya’s school!

It was sort of an exciting-yet-weird kind of feeling for me. I mean it was like, wow I am attending my daughter’s PARENT’S Day event! And I’ll be the one watching (and videotaping!) her sing together with other four-year-olds on stage.

[you see, somehow I just feel it's not REALLY that long ago when I was the one performing on stage with my secondary school friends!]

Anyway. When it was Anya’s group’s turn to perform, parents of the other kids rushed towards the front with their cameras and videocams. AND from where I was sitting (or standing!), I can’t spot my own kid!

Wilson managed to get to the front and take a few photos, but from where I sat, I could only see Anya for a few seconds, from the big projector! (the camera panned across the kids’ faces throughout their performance)

So there I was, standing, lifting my right arm, trying to keep it still while videotaping ‘the stage’, WHILE at the same time checking on Vai, who’s started standing on the bench and leaning towards the people sitting behind!

And in the end, I didn’t get to properly hear nor watch the performance! (let alone be ‘touched’ by the sweet words of the songs *sigh*).

The nursery kids sang 4 short songs - in English and Mandarin - and they’re about loving your parents and God, and enjoying the time spent with your family. Awww.

Oh well.

Still, it was a nice family event at her school today. There were food stalls and games stations for the kids too.

I do hope though that many years from today, Anya can still remember this day, the day when her Mom, Dad and little brother went together to her event, because we know it’s important for her, and because we want to be there for her.

And even if she forgets, she can always browse through my blog archives and read about her early years! *smile*

Anya has learned quite a few English and Chinese songs from school. And usually she’d sing for me the new songs she’s learned when I pick her up right after school.

And so this is her (click HERE), showing to me how her ‘I love you Mama’ chinese song goes.

Honestly, if I hadn’t known the english version of the song, I would’ve had NO idea what she’s saying (well, other than the sentence ‘wo ai ni hao Mama’ of course! Heh.)

Still, it’s always nice to hear your kid sings out different songs for you!

…

Btw, the english version goes like this:

I love you Mommy, deep down in my heart
I love you Mommy, deep down in my heart

Deep deep, down down, deep down in my heart
Deep deep, down down, deep down in my heart

[And oh, she often sings the version 'for Daddy' too]

Now that Anya has started nursery, she’s picking up more and more chinese as well. Which of coure is a good thing.

BUT.

I’m so hopeless at it.

Hardly any of the chinese characters can get inside my head (okay, I know a few really simple ones, but that’s about it!)

And, I can’t even confidently read the words with the curves at the top (pinyin)!

*slaps forehead*

Anyway.

Since I can’t be that much of a ‘verbal help’ to Anya, I thought it’d be good to have some of the chinese characters she’s learned displayed at home. You know, just so that she’s more familiar with them too.

And, I came across this website!

You can print out their colouring pages, worksheets (the strokes) or check out their vocabulary list (eg. names of body parts in english, pinyin and chinese character).

As for us, so far we’ve printed out some of their ‘flashcards‘ and stuck them on our wall!

Anya now occasionally walks over to the wall and identifies the characters. And Vai, well, he’d often repeat what Anya cites, and add a bit of his silly faces every now and then!

I personally am amazed every time I see how our little ones learn new things so fast.

Anya, for instance, started learning chinese only in January this year, ie. when she started going to nursery school. And she already knows quite a bit of mandarin by now.

As a parent who tries to learn the language with SO much difficulty, it’s all a nice surprise for us.

[Yes, it's true ... it's hard to teach new tricks to an old dog, huh!]

Anyway, this is a video clip of her reading one of her chinese books to her grandparents!

Click here to view.

[Added]

Btw, the book is from Anya’s school (they let the kids take it home after they’ve learned the characters), and it’s published by pelangi books.

My parents are in town for a few days! And the kids have been enjoying their stay here!

Other than having them around to entertain and play with, my parents have sort of become Anya’s private mandarin teachers too! It’s great!

(Unlike me, my parents can write and speak mandarin real well!)

They occasionally spoke to her in mandarin, teaching her new sentences and words. She practised reading her Chinese characters from her school books too while they listened and told her the correct way to read them if she ever got them wrong.

AND.

Apparently, Anya actually knows A LOT of chinese! I mean, she recognises the chinese characters in her books and reads them pretty well!

My parents were surprised at how much she’s learned over such a short period of time.

And so were WE!

You see, so far we’ve heard Anya sing and say words in chinese. And although I think it’s great that she slowly is learning the language, I often (in the inside) question her knowledge when she tells me something in mandarin that I don’t know.

The thing is, I myself know VERY little of mandarin! And chinese characters look like unknown intermingled lines to me!

It was only when my parents saw how she recognised the chinese characters well that I realised how I’ve actually underestimated her.

And I felt so ashamed for not believing in her.

Anyway.

So this is what I’ve discovered and learned this week. To not underestimate my own child’s capability, simply because I myself am not ‘better’ at it.

Ah. I’m really glad though that I found out about this (ie. my tendency to not believe in my own kid’s capability) NOW, not later.

Because my sceptical attitude (which may come through the comments I make or even my facial expression) may dampen Anya’s spirit to learn new stuff in the long run.

And THAT is surely something I’d want to avoid!

…

Yes, Mommy needs to learn to change too.

That’s “I’m ready for school!’ in Indonesian on Anya’s doodle board!

The article - nicely written by Becky - shares some useful tips on how parents can help in better preparing their kids for school.

You see, when it’s time for our little ones to start their formal education, where they’ll be ON THEIR OWN for a few hours, they themselves may not be that keen on the idea. Especially in the first few days!

This naturally makes it less easy for the parents.

Anyway, click HERE to check out the article.

Btw, yes, that’s what Anya does every morning from Monday to Friday.

Getting herself ready for school, leaving home together with me and Vai, and going to class (after all the kisses, hugs and good-byes) *smile*

PS: Feeling blessed too for the opportunity to contribute my photo works to the magazine!

Every morning, Monday to Friday, I hear myself asking Anya to get herself ready for school (read: change into her uniform, put on socks and shoes, etc), and check her own school bag to see if she’s put in all the usual stuff that should’ve been in her bag.

The thing is, when I do a final check before we go out the door, I’d often see that she’s missed out a thing or two.

And so, we’ve come up with this ’school bag’ checklist!

I drew the tiny little things (that only both of us recognise, I guess! hehe) and we pasted it on the wall nearest to our main door.

She loves it!

[And I like it too because it does help in reducing my usual 'verbal reminders'!]

It’s been a great checklist for her!

On Friday, 7 March :

Now that Anya has started nursery, we thought it’d be nice to share our thanksgiving with her school friends too.

And so we had a simple cake-cutting celebration today, which happened to be the very last day of school before everyone’s one-week school holiday started!

Quite a nice way to end the first school term!

On Saturday, 8 March :

12.30 pm: Lunch with hubby’s brother and his friend

2pm: Went to a friend’s church wedding

5pm: Went to Vivo City with another family, took the Sentosa Express Monorail together and had some sandplay fun at Siloso Beach, Sentosa!

We went to see ‘Songs of the sea‘ water fountain performance at Sentosa too, but apparently the kids didn’t like it! I guess, the songs and overall atmosphere was sort of too spooky for them.

[For $6 per person, I personally think it's a pretty good show!]

Oh btw, Vai was half-crying when we let him go on the sand. He stiffened and gave me a desperate ‘pick me up now coz I have funny things in between my toes’ look!

But, after I gave him a spoon and his truck, he went on playing with sand happily within five minutes or so!

Oh well. I guess, some kids just need a bit more time to warm up to a new sensorial experience.

On Sunday, 9 March:

And today, we had a nice little gathering with Anya’s sunday school friends!

Finally, I’d really like to say thank you for all the warm birthday wishes and birthday gifts we’ve received! We appreciate it all!

THANK YOU SO MUCH.