Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

When taking photos of the kids, sometimes I like to have them next to something else. As a ‘size’ comparison.

Like having

Anya’s tiny hands and feet against mine

Vai stood holding onto his babychair

Anya’s little feet next to mine as we sat back and relaxed

Vai walking hand in hand with Daddy

Because these little ones will grow big and tall in no time. And I like to have a keepsake of those moments spent with them. During their growing up years.

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[Photo]
Earlier today: Vai and a huge yellow bulldozer that happened to be parked along the road.

After making Nemo and Jellyfish lanterns last week and watching the Rainbow Fish musical over the weekend, we are still in the mood for ‘fishes’ and ‘sea creatures’!

And so we made a whole lot of sea animals today! This way, other than colouring the animals, they both get to create their own imaginative underwater adventure!

We used :

– Cartons (I used whatever I could find in my ‘recyclables’ bag : computer speakers’ box, pudding boxes, anything)
– Blue-coloured crepe paper for the ‘background’ (I only have green right now, and so we used that anyway!)
– Crayons, scissors
– Masking tape (if they kids want to ‘stick’ the animals onto the background)

Since I can’t draw out of my ‘own imagination’ (because they’ll sure look like some wonky creatures!), I referred to Anya’s animal book. I drew, cut the shapes out and the kids coloured some of them with crayons too.

We made : rainbow fish (yup, like the one at the musical!), shark, turtle, seal, stingray, crab, seaweed, sea snake, starfish, etc.  The kids basically chose from the book which animals they wanted me to draw.

And this was what we made. A rather ‘crowded’ ocean (that sort of looked like a ‘garden’ because of the green background?)

Another idea :
Put masking tape at the back of the animals (fold it in a way that it’s sticky on both sides) and let the kids stick the sea creatures onto the wall and create their own story! (while we parents sit back and listen to them)

For Vai’s case, I sometimes ask what the fishes in his hands are doing etc (and he’d then tell me) as I hope to encourage ‘verbal’ story-telling (because if not asked, he’d most likely create the story in his head, moving the animals around, making ‘sound effects’ and occasionally saying a few words).

And this is Vai holding onto his shark and Dory (from ‘Finding Nemo’), walking back and forth around our house, saying : “Shark is looking for Nemo … (upon seeing a ‘sleeping’ Nemo) wake up, wake up Nemo … ”

It’s nice to see how a toddler – not just a preschooler – can enjoy some imaginative play too!

Anyway, here’s a video clip of Vai colouring and making his own fish story!

Do have fun creating your very own underwater adventure with your little ones!

Sufferings in life may have different impacts to different individuals.

Some may choose to complain and feel ‘angry’ towards God (for letting them experience such ‘discomfort’).

Some may become more ‘hostile’ towards their peers (generally because they expect other people who enjoy a ‘more comfortable life’ to ‘make way’ for them and hence, be more understanding towards the ‘less fortunate’).

Some may question God’s faithfulness and sovereignty and leave their faith.

And, some may choose to draw closer to God for He alone is their Pillar of strength, the only One who knows what’s best and the Creator who has the power to make all things work for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Which of the above four types are we?

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When we get to experience the reality of life’s discomfort, to ‘know’ how we ‘should have’ depended on God for help is often so much easier than to ‘exercise’ our faith and walk hand in hand with Him.

Let’s strive to believe that when we sing ‘God is good’, HE truly IS good to us and will never leave nor forsake us.

Together with a few other friends and their kids the four of us went to see the Rainbow Fish at Alliance Francaise Theatre this evening, a story about a pretty yet proud fish who learns about the value of friendship and humility.

This is our very first time watching a musical in a black light theatre – where basically things ‘glow in the dark’ on stage! And, watching their many ‘sea creatures’ moving about, singing and ‘flying’ across the stage was a different kind of experience for us! It was really nice!

Anyway, the show is still on till this Sunday, 21 September.

And if you’re going to see it, you may want to bring along your jacket. It’s freezing cold in there! (or perhaps we just happened to sit right under their air-conditioner?)

[View from the back of the stage, where over 800 choir members sat]

The ‘Who is Jesus’ Gospel Rally 2008 event is here till tomorrow (Sunday, 14 Sep), and I’m sure those who came and gave it a serious thought would not leave the Stadium in the same way as when they came.

We came to some of the sessions, and though I’ve personally received Jesus Christ as my Saviour, seeing thousands of people, young and old, responding to the call is truly heart-warming. The Word of God is preached and He works in ways that are beyond our understanding.

And these are photos from the Children Gospel Rally held earlier today at 2pm, where over 8000 people – mostly little ones above the age of six – came.

Our church’s guitarist, flutist and pianist, as well as our children choir had the privilege of performing at the event, and I felt honoured too to have been given the opportunity to say a few words and introduce their performances.

Thousands of children responded to the Word of God. It was an overwhelming sight. And we felt honoured to be able to witness and be part of the whole ministry.

The Mid-Autumn festival is here for the whole month, and you get to see lanterns everywhere these days!

And so, we made our very own (non-glowing) lanterns too today!

Vai got a Nemo, and Anya made a jellyfish lantern!

What we used:

– Four paper plates (you’d need two for each lantern)
– Two styrofoam cups (actually, they can be any cups, even those from McDonald’s or Starbucks)
– A pair of disposable wooden chopsticks
– Strings
– Crepe paper for the jellyfish wiggly bits
– Scissors, glue, masking tape, crayons

Nemo Lantern
(for this one, I did most of the work since Vai is yet to know how to ‘properly’ colour and draw)

– Drew the shape on the paper plates and cut them out (I referred to our Finding Nemo DVD cover!)
(remember: the shape on the 2nd plate needs to be a ‘mirror image’ of the first one)
– Cut out two “fins”, using leftover paper

– Coloured the body and fins (I coloured most of them first and let Vai scribbled on them afterwards)
– Poked the bottom of the cup, inserted the string, tied one end to a leftover paper (so it’s ‘stuck’ when the kids hold the lantern up), and the other end to a chopstick

– Used masking tapes to stick the two sides of the fish together and onto the cup

And that’s it!!

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Jellyfish Lantern
(This one is simpler to make)

– Drew a roundish shape on two paper plates (these will be the ‘top’ of the jellyfish)
– Coloured one side of the plates

– Cut strips of crepe paper
– Stick them all around the top of the cup
– Poked the bottom of the cup (repeat the final two steps as above)

And you’ve got yourself a jellyfish lantern!!

The kids got pretty excited with them. And I’m happy with them too!

Anya and Vai swung their lanterns around (not that gently, I must say) and now we have chopsticks sticking out from our bedroom drawers with a little clown fish and jellyfish hanging down from them!

Anyway, happy lantern-making!

The event started today (Thursday, 11 Sep), and will continue till this Sunday, 14 Sep, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, 7.30pm.

And if I may, yet again, I’d like to extend this invitation to you all who’re in Singapore. To come and attend. It’s going to be in Mandarin, translated into English.

And.

This Saturday, 13 Sep, at 2pm, there’ll be a Gospel Rally for CHILDREN. So if you have little ones, please do come with them. The session is for ‘them’.

And even if you think they’re too ‘small’ to attend, you all are still welcome to come and listen, so this way as parents you too get to find out more on what it’s all about, and why it’s so important for everyone of us to know.

All four of us will be there at the Children’s Gospel Rally for sure. And if you’re going, you may see me there too (our church’s children choir will be performing there)

Hope to see you there!

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[info]

Click here to find out more from their official website.

Shuttle bus is available too:

Kallang MRT – Singapore Indoor Stadium
Thursday, Friday, Sunday: 6.00-8.00pm
Saturday: 12.30-2.30pm, 5.00-8.00 pm

Singapore Indoor Stadium – Kallang MRT
Thursday – Sunday: 9.45pm

Also, SBS Transit has buses that takes you direct from the Indoor Stadium to places near your home. Click here to check it out!

Anya likes to draw and she brings along her little sketchbook to places.

She likes books and she’d seriously insist on us reading her a story before she goes to bed (and if we all reach home really late at night, she’d negotiate and say that even a very very short story will do)

Anya is a girl who prefers to be ‘behind the scene’. She can do silly things and happily sing and dance at home, but she’d most likely choose to be all quiet when all eyes are on her (well UNLESS her little brother is with her too, then she’d join him!)

[Anya’s drawing of herself while singing God is so good]

She is one who needs time to warm up to strangers and may appear reserved to those who don’t know her well.

On the other hand, if she’s comfortable with the surrounding and everything, she can be really LOUD. So loud that she at times doesn’t even know that I’m talking to her, reminding her to tone it down a little.

When she’s with us, she actually talks a lot. She likes to ask questions and wants to know the details of what’s going on. In fact, she’d most likely keep asking questions till her curiosity is somewhat satisfied.

While she can be loving towards her little brother, there are (many) times when she simply refuses to share or give in.

Her memory skills still amazes me. She remembers little details well. She most likely gets it right when she tells me ‘who’ gave ‘what’ and ‘when’.

On good days, Anya can be such a cheerful little girl, offering help around the house, and understandingly play with her little brother when I’m rushing to clear some work.

But there are times too when she gets emotionally unreasonable, speaks in a rude tone of voice, fusses over something and throws a big tantrum when she doesn’t get what she asks.

Just this morning we’re all late to school because she suddenly decided that Vai should just walk and not sit on a stroller (we sometimes do go out without the stroller and both kids will just walk). But since I really needed to bring the stroller along today, she went on crying and screaming. And, after some 10 minutes of nonstop tantrum, she decided that she wanted to sit on it. AND when Vai refused to budge, the screaming got louder.

[In the end, she did stop crying when we hopped on the bus, but the earlier drama happened in public as we all walked towards our bus stop]

Hmm.

Yes, that’s our Anya. And just like any other kid, she can amaze us and wear us down at times.

Whatever it is, I know it’s just part of growing up.

And I see it more of a privilege to be her guide and to share these ups and downs with her, fulltime.

Because she will only be a child, once.