Aspiring teacher?

Ever since Karyn turned two and had a better grasp of her speech and communication skills, her favourite role-playing game is "lesson time" in which she transforms herself into a teacher and us into her students.

Instead of mimicking what her peers are doing in school, her role models are the teachers, especially her form teacher, Teacher Ang! I think other than absorbing the content of the lessons, she also takes in the processes as well, i.e. observing and imitating her teachers.

Why do I say so? At home, she'd have schooling episodes in which she'll tell us stories or teach us lessons. She's so good at it that when holding up a book, the book faces us instead of her. And surprisingly, she really can "read" and "teach" from the teachers' perspective!

Notice how she holds the book

She loves teaching (or is it revising?) her Chinese, Mathematics and Phonics worksheets, in that order of preference. We usually have to put up with at least 30 mins of "lessons" every night. Oh, did I mention that when she speaks Mandarin, she sounds like an "ang moh", with the "ang moh" accent to boot! It's so funny that her Gong Gong calls her a "banana" (Chinese who can't speak Mandarin properly). Oh well, hopefully she'll continue to enjoy learning Chinese and not find it as challenging as other kids who come from English speaking families.

Okay, I have sidetracked. Back to her role plays...

Sometimes, when we refuse to play along with her by reading after her or answering her questions, she'd say "Naughty girl/boy" to me or her daddy respectively, with a pout and an annoyed expression. In fact, sometimes she'd even say things like "sit down, everybody, sit down", "keep quiet and fold your arms"... We figured that must be how the teachers instruct the children in school.

Typical expression when we don't play along with her

Unbelievable right? Sometimes I wonder, having a mum who's an ex-teacher, could she possibly have teaching in her blood too???

Baking with Karyn

Have always dreamt of baking cookies with my kid(s?) since I was pregnant - mummy and kids baking together in the kitchen, sifting flour, beating eggs, rolling dough... What a warm and cosy image. So, one can imagine my delight when I finally tried baking with Karyn. Though it gets rather messy at times, it was great fun!

Beating the eggs with such concentration


Having fun


Using hand to mix the butter, are you sure, Mummy?


I still prefer using a fork, don't want to dirty my hands


Greasing the baking pan


Dropping the mixture into the pan


So sticky...


Almost done


Oops, some on fingers


Mummy, can we put it into the oven yet?


Cleaning up the mixing bowl


Not forgetting the other utensils too


How did the cookies turn out to be muffins!?!?!


Who cares as long as they taste good!


I'm Mummy's fine assistant!


I'm very tired, I need to rest

What a "小姐" she is

Half a morning at the beach made me realise the kind of girl I have... I guess it's a case of like mother like daughter. Heh...

The weather has been quite cool and not scorching hot these days. So we decided to bring Karyn to the beach. It was the very first time we brought her to the beach. Early in the morning, we quickly packed the stuff - beach toys and headed out. We couldn't find a beach mat and so made do with an old bath towel.

We had a nice and long breakfast at East Coast Park MacDonald's. It was so crowded on a Sunday morning! Then we strolled to the beach, carefully avoiding the bladers and cyclists. What a different world it is to us; it's amazing there're so many people at the beach in the morning. We hardly go to East Coast Park, like not even once a year?

When we reached the beach, Karyn refused to walk on the sand. So I had to carry her. And after we laid out the towel, she refused to sit down on her own. So I had to sit beside her. I think it was a totally new experience for her, and thus need some getting used to.

After some demo and coaxing, she seemed to be quite settled in and started to play on her own, scooping sand into the pail and sand moulds. Is that the term for those beach toys people use to create figurines in the sand? No idea, I shall call them sand moulds for now. Like jelly moulds, haha!

Playing with sand for the first time


Happy!


So engrossed

Karyn was quite happy scooping the sand until some dropped on her hands and feet. And she went, "Eeeeee!" and froze in time.

I quickly brushed the sand off her and assured her that it was ok. We could brush the sand off. And then when some sand landed on the towel near her legs (her estimation and aiming skills are still not too accurate yet, sometimes she scoops too much sand or she didn't pour it accurately into the mould), she would shuffle her butt and move herself backwards on the towel. She just can't stand sand too near her body. Eventually she ended up at the north/top of the towel when she started off being at the south/bottom.

Notice how carefully she avoids the sand on the towel?

Finally comfortable with sand on her legs

Not forgetting the hat that she insisted on bringing out but forgot to wear.

Karyn's birthday party in school

Celebrated Karyn's birthday in school today. Had to do it one day before her actual day as I couldn't take leave on the 5th.

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I had ordered the Elmo party novelties from Birthday Direct. As they weren't the ready packed ones, I spent the evening before packing the items into the Elmo bags. The cake was ordered from Polar Cakes. It tasted better than I had expected.

Teacher Ang and Karyn's classmates

No idea why but the birthday girl was a little sulky. Seems like she doesn't quite like birthday celebrations.

Cake cutting was slightly more interesting for the little girl

Looking on as Mummy cuts and distributes the cake

She must be hungry...

All the children tucking in

The birthday girl distributing the party bags

All the children together with Teacher Ang and Zhou Lao Shi

Happy 2nd birthday, Karyn!

We went early to the function lounge to set up the place and put up the party decorations. Luckily, had the help of Grace (my cousin) and my PILs who helped to blow the balloons. In no time at all, the lounge was exuberating with the party atmosphere.

Winnie the Pooh door curtain


The birthday banner with the name that I recycled from her 1st birthday


The birthday girl wanted to help too


Waiting with a life-sized walking Winnie for the rest of the guests


Waiting at the door for the guests to arrive


Presents galore
(the Winnie-themed party novelty bags are on the upper left hand corner, which the birthday girl distributed to all the still-young guests at the end of the party)


Another life-sized Pooh plush given by Lao Gou


I wanted a picture with Pooh too; never had such a huge soft toy in my life till I met the Daddy in my twenties.


Be careful, Pooh! You're crushing me!


Be good, sit here while I get my food...


Yummy food!


The cake that everyone went ga ga over


Posing with the cake


Karyn's maternal family


Karyn's paternal family


Karyn with Gong Gong and Ma Ma


One with all the Ah Yis and Gu Gus


Another one with Lao Ma and all the Lao Gous


A solo one with Mummy & Pooh


Time to blow the candles. The little girl was more enchanted by the camera than the cake...


Cutting the cake. Little girl is certainly attentive to this one. Maybe she knows she can taste it soon. Haha.

And of course, the cake was super yummy and highly recommended! Triple layer chocolate from Pine Garden. No more pictures after this one as everyone's busy eating the cake...

Planning for Karyn's 2nd birthday celebrations

After much consideration, we decided to hold a bigger birthday bash for Karyn this year. We figured she's more grown up and and should be able to enjoy her second birthday more than her first one. And also mostly 'cos the Mummy likes to plan and organise events lah.

And so, weeks ago, I'd started surfing the online party supplies sites to shop for party novelties for Karyn's birthday. It was such a coincidence that Hubby was going to US for a business trip. Great timing as I was able to save on the shipping charges of those items I was gonna buy from Birthday Direct.

Great! Hence, I decided on the Winnie the Pooh theme for the family party and the Elmo theme for Karyn's school party. With the theme in mind, I placed my orders for the party novelties. For the Winnie theme, I ordered the pre-packed novelty bags. With the Elmo theme, I picked out the goodie bag, stickers and Elmo figurine individually, which when they arrived, I had to pack them myself.

The date (1st June, which was the Sunday before her actual birthday) and venue was set. Asked my uncle (i.e. Karyn's granduncle) to help book the function lounge at his condo for the family do. Went shopping for Winnie the Pooh figurines to be placed on the customised birthday cake from Pine Garden. It was hard getting all the characters (Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore) at one store. Went to a few stores (a couple of Mini Toons outlets and other gift shops) before we rounded up all of them.

Chose the food menu from YSL catering, the one with the yummy black sauce pork bun that we had for Karyn's first month celebration in 2006. Went down to Pine Garden to place order for the 3 kg cake. Specifically chose a nice sky plus flowers design and asked them to place the Pooh figurines on it.

Check out the pictures in the next post.

Pole dancing

Karyn decided to pick up pole dancing. She certainly needs more work on the facial expression though.

Cheeky


Yakky

Last day in BKK

Not much time to do on the last day except have breakfast, check out of hotel and head to the airport.

Posing with Ma Ma

With Ma Ma and Gong Gong


And last but not least, Daddy and Mummy

Day 3 at BKK

I was in my parents' room (that was interconnecting ours), slurping up the juicy rambutans and mangosteens that my parents bought when Hubby took these pictures of Karyn in our own room.

Looking forlorn


You don't wanna mess with me


Let me think about that...


I think it's a great idea!


Alright, let's go!



Are you coming with me?

Day 2 at BKK

Having breakfast at the hotel coffeehouse before setting off for the day

Paying respects to Buddha at the shrine.


At Chatuchak Market
My dad came up with this ingenious way of pushing the stroller (that couldn't recline) just so that Karyn could continue sleeping. It was so clever that we took turns doing it. And Karyn slept like a baby, for more than an hour...


My vainpot posing in the hat that Ma Ma bought from the store in the background