Best Preparation for a Test

Two weeks ago, Janine received her usual weekly kindergarten newsletter, in which there was a paragraph informing us about their half-yearly grade assessment (ie. test). I was expecting them to inform us on how to prepare our child for the test, for example, by going through the syllabus and doing more revision, etc. However, I was taken by pleasant surprise at the type of preparation recommended for this assessment! In fact, I was so thrilled I decided to take a picture of that paragraph for keepsake - to remind ourselves of why we are here in Australia!

I am so glad that all I had to do to prepare Janine for the test was to make sure she had ample sleep! Well, that was easy enough! After all, Janine is only five years old. I do not expect her to have to start studying for exams this early in life! 

It makes me thankful that my children are spared from the stresses of education, and that they are able to enjoy the process of learning. It definitely makes school more fun and enjoyable! 

Joys of Motherhood

As we celebrate Mothers' Day today, we not only remember the sacrifices of being a mother or a parent, but rather, we also celebrate the joys of motherhood.

Indeed, motherhood has been such a joyful and enjoyable journey! I feel privileged to be on this journey of motherhood and do not want to take it for granted, because I know of many others who would love to be a mother but are unable to for different reasons.

Here are some of the little things that happened over the past few days that brought much joy to my heart:

1) Steps of Faith

One night during my usual devotion time with the girls before their bedtime, Janelle told me out of the blue, "Mummy, I want to give God my heart and my life." Wow. My 7-year-old, of her own accord, wanted to dedicate her life to God! After explaining what it meant to give God her heart and life, I then encouraged her to pray and tell God about it. She prayed the most innocent, sincere, and beautiful prayer about giving God her heart and life, and about wanting to obey Him and love Him, etc. Janine, not to be outdone, also insisted she wanted to give God her whole heart too and prayed along with her sister. Praise the Lord!

Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

2) Expressions of Love

Now that the girls are older and able to express their emotions in a greater variety of ways, Mothers' Day truly becomes a really exciting time for them! They get to design and create their Mothers' Day cards, and carefully pick out presents -  both at school at the Mothers' Day stall and with Daddy at KMart.

Janelle's love language is gifts and words of affirmation, as can be seen by the number of cards she made for me! Well, or at least, she made 80% of the cards here, with the other 20% made by Janine :)

I love the sweet and thoughtful and cute words that she writes in her cards!

3) Unplanned Presents

The best Mothers' Day present from my girls was the unexpected - both girls got a merit certificate each at school assembly on Friday! Just a pity that I was not at the assembly, but still, such a lovely surprise!

4) Daily Fun

Josiah being the cheerful and cheeky one in the family brings much laughter (and agony at times) to us all. Just check out his cheeky expression as he poses for a picture with his sisters.

He loves doing painting and play-doh, which I get to enjoy with him now that he is home with me all days of the week (ever since I pulled him out of daycare 2 weeks' back).

And I love peaceful weekday afternoons, when the children get a chance to unwind after school, hang around in our beautiful sunroom, and do their favourite activities like moulding clay.

Indeed, joy is often found in being contented in the simplest and littlest things in our childrens' lives!

Our Favourite Activity

Recently, our girls have learnt how to cycle without their training wheels! And with Josiah being such a natural cyclist (he started being able to cycle on a small cute bicycle last Christmas), we have now found a favourite activity that we can do as a family - cycling!

It is great that there is a nice quiet bend just further down the road from our house, with empty parcels of land all around. It has a fantastically flat and level road that the kids can train and cycle on. Our daily after-dinner activity is to take out the bikes and go cycling. Or at least, we did that before it started turning dark at 6pm! Nowadays it is hard to go cycling after dinner as we eat dinner when the sun sets at 6pm. 

First Day at School!

Today marks the first day of school for Janine who starts Kindergarten (ie. Big School) this year. It is also my very first "child-free" day as all 3 kids are in school! Josiah started attending daycare 2 days a week (Wed & Thurs) this year, while Janelle who started school yesterday is now in Year 2. Surprisingly, today was a tear-free day for ALL of us!

It is an exciting time of the year and we are all very thankful that our 3 kids are settling in well into their classes. Josiah, for a start, was distraught at the thought of going to school (he started 3 weeks' back) and would have to be wrenched from my arms at school. But today is the first time he left for school tear-free and even saying "bye bye mummy!" cheerfully! His teachers were very proud of him and happy to be able to take care of the younger brother of Janelle and Janine, as they were the ones who watched Janelle and Janine grow. 

Janelle and Janine are in classes with their good friends from last year, so all is well and they are happy. I cannot believe I have just sent off my second child to big school already! It is a surreal feeling, but I suppose it will be even more surreal when Josiah, the youngest, goes off to school in a few years' time. For now, I am just so glad that Janine had already done one year in Prep last year so it really made the transition to Kindy so much easier and smoother. 

Recently I have realised why it is tough to send off your child to Kindergarten here - because they are only 5 years of age and starting primary school which is 6 hours of school, 5 days a week! On the other hand, in Singapore, children start Primary 1 only at about 6 or 7 years of age which is quite a bit older than the children here in Australia. Well in either case, I think the most important thing is that children grow up enjoying the learning process and enjoying school. We are looking forward to a great year ahead and here are some photos of our children taken today.

3 kids ready to go off to school!

Josiah at Kidzville and happy to say bye! 

Janine with her kindy teacher, Miss Lee! 

Janine starting her day by colouring with her best friends

New Milestones

Yes! Finally! I have opened the new pack of undies for Josiah! As I opened the pack of undies, I am reminded that we are also entering into a different milestone in his life...

I was told by several mums that boys would take a longer time to toilet-train, but still decided to go ahead with the training as I wanted Josiah to be toilet trained before we head back to Singapore in mid-December. It was tough at first, but I really prayed that God would make this toilet-training experience enjoyable for me! I must say that toilet-training is probably the most-detested part of parenthood - well, at least for me! Really thank God that He answers prayers, even the littlest and most minute of prayers like easy and enjoyable toilet-training for a toddler! 

Josiah has also been enjoying drawing and cutting paper! His favourite thing to draw is balloons (why am I not surprised!). Above is his drawing of balloons - all by himself using different coloured markers to indicate different coloured balloons. 

Pushing the kids' sized trolley cart around the supermarket has got to be the most favourite activity for Josiah! It takes my shopping experience to a whole new level altogether :) He will really miss grocery shopping with Janine next year, since Janine starts 'big school' and will not be home on weekdays. Josiah will be starting daycare twice a week next year. I think he will enjoy it tremendously!

Giving thanks!

This year is nearly over and looking back, I am thankful for this 2nd year of being a full-time stay-at-home-mum. Actually, it cannot be termed as "stay-home-mum" because the truth is, I do not stay home all day! We make two trips daily to and from school - one in the morning to drop Janelle off at school, and another in the afternoon to pick her up from school. In between the school hours, I shop for groceries, run errands, and get some housework done. There is never a boring, stay-home-all-day thing!

I am thankful for our 3 lovely kids who keep us very busy. When Janine starts kindergarten next year, I know that Josiah will definitely miss having his er-jie (ie. second sister) home on Mondays and Tuesdays to play with him! Both Janelle and Janine have settled down very well in school, with Janine being very excited at the prospect of starting kindergarten next year. When I asked her what was it about kindy that she was looking forward to, she said it was the HOMEWORK because she thinks it is fun to do homework!?! Not sure where she got that idea from, but it is a welcoming and innocent perspective to have! I am glad to have spent some time with Janine at home two weekdays a week, because the time will fly by so quickly once she starts kindy!

Josiah still loves his balls, balloons and cars. Sticks and stones are also his favourite. He is such a boy in so many ways - and yet he has caught on several girly activities from his two sisters, like singing, reading books, and drawing. With Janelle and Janine spending most of their free time doodling, drawing and doing craft, it is no wonder that this has rubbed off Josiah. Today he drew a picture all by himself and proudly showed to me saying "Mummy, look!". I must say I am pretty impressed with his balloons drawing! 

Our 3 Js have been enjoying their time helping me with some household chores. Their recent favourite activity is to fill up their little baskets with fallen leaves from our front yard! The challenge would be to see who would be the first to fill up the basket and it is great that they enjoy something that adults would deem as a chore! Both girls also enjoy scrubbing our floor tile grout! I am so glad that they actually enjoy it and can pretend they are Cinderellas scrubbing out our floor!

Birthday Surprises!

This year's 33rd birthday was a special one because of how excited the kids were in celebrating my birthday! Janelle busied herself making cards, drawing, writing and decorating. She would then tie up her masterpieces with a bow or string and present them proudly to me as a birthday gift! Following in her sister's shoes, Janine also enjoyed making cards for me. They made so many cards it would have been sufficient to last me for the next 5 years' worth of birthdays! I love their drawing and writing and I think my girls have got beautiful handwriting 

Josiah's favourite song is currently "Happy Birthday to You" which works out well and he sings it with great gusto! Not to mention, the best part about it is that he gets to blow the candles on the cake. In the whole process, the cake gets sprinkled with some extras (ie. saliva), but I suppose that is part and parcel of being a parent!

Whilst the girls presented me with their beautiful handiwork and cards in the morning, Josiah presented me with his Nutella-stained face and hands!