En walking on rope structure

See how confidence is she on the hanging structure lead to a slide. Great job!

WOW! Balloon dress

Nice balloon dress from http://daisyballoon-blog.com/2008/07/ read from My Paper today.

The creator Rie Hosokai from Japan is really pro!! Wonderful work from her.

Two days ago, I went to Rui before and after school to teach the kids twist a dog, a heart and a sword. They are happy but I am very tired as they do not know how to tire a knot. Rui at P4 still need my help too. So I can inderstand the difficulties others face. Rong at K1 can manage. So is really up to each individual child's motor skill. Never mind if they are not handy, as long as they have a good time. No exam anyway.....

En playground play

Her favourite phase now a days is "Mei Mei play jar" when she is requesting to go play in the playground. So today I am off and she gets to play.

Betta blow bubble for second time

Notice male blow bubble. Put in the female. And there you go. Bubble nest overnight.

Waited all day to see them spaw, but nothing happen. The female looks unactive at all.

2 days later, I notice the female was badly injured. So she was taken out from the tank but too late, she die shortly after that. I feel so sorry for the female fish.

Daddy and Mei

Breakfast this morning.

Helium Balloon

Purchased these balloons for ex student 21 birthday present. She had a barbecue party in Changi Alloha Chalet.

The kids like the balloon so much. Next time lah, their birthday, do for them lah. Actually was thinking of balloon plus flower as present, but cannot manage to get nice flower. So I had to settle with the balloons.

The kids liked the BBQ so much! Played with fire, got their hands so dirty! Rui helped in the fire setting up while Rong busy around trying to help! Mei Mei enjoy eating and playing with other toddlers. Good fun. Best of all for Rui is Satay, and more satay.

The birthday girl and her friends are graduated students, they are doing well now. All found job and some guys are in the Army. I saw so many pairs among them and happy for them. I was once like them, 21 years old after poly.....

Deepavali holiday with ice cream, pop corn and shushi

Brought the kids to cycle in the Jurong Lake Park. Stopped for a treat of ice cream outside Chinese Garden. Each of them enjoyed an ice cream. Wow! They loved the treat and the mass too.

On the way home, we picked up some saga seed and fire wood. After lunch, Rui set up the stove with fire wood on his own and pop corn session. Yeh!! I made just a hand full of corn kernel. Turn out to be a plate full of pop corn. Just nice. Yummy . . . .

After Rong napped, we start to make shushi, tamago shushi, pork flost, cucumber, carrot, seaweed..... Rui was excited to make shushi since he get to eat the pork flost once in a long while.

I tried to make the Japanese egg shushi from 5 eggs. Rui cracked the eggs, add some sugar, pinch of salt and pepper. We tried the new way to manage the egg I learn from my Japanese colleouge. Small flame under non sticking pan, pour thin layer of egg, wait till just harden, fold half, then pour more egg on the vacant side. Wait till half harden, flip the first part over to the second part. Repeat the pouring and flipping process. Not too bad, just not as nice as what is sold outside. Give me some more try, I sure will have nicer looking tamago....

Bird park stroll

Bring En to The Singapore Bird Park after changing the fish tank water.

So nice to stroll through the park without a lot of other visitors. We stayed in the penguin captivity for more than 10 minutes to enjoy the gracefulness of the penguins. They actually enjoyed the classical music.

En also enjoy the swam, duck, pelican, flemingo and so on. It was a great evening, just two of us.

Fish courting

Now I shift my laptop in front of the fish task and start to write about them.

It is so exciting to see them chase each other for a few second, then seperate themself, maybe resting a bit, then they will come close to each other and the male will chase thhe female, and the female will run for her life.

8:32pm After one episode of chasing, they have some peaceful time now.

Just now, the male fish continue to blow bubble under the plant ater the chase.

8:34pm now, he is blowing bubble and wiggering his wirogoury around the nest. The female come near, as he noticed her, he chased her away.

8:35pm peaceful and no movement for other, chase again... stop, once the female is in sight of the male, they will have the chasing game. She go and hide behind the plant. peacful....
8:37pm both rest, female hide

8:38pm Male found the female, mild chase, peaceful

8:39pm Rest, chase, rest chase......

Better post first before battery running out...

Male fighting fish

Pretty betta given by kind soul. Now is placed in the rectangular tank. That is my breeding tank. The male and female is in the same tank now looking at each other. The female is placed in a round glass container from 3 in 1 coffee in the tank. They seems to be very peaceful together. Let see when to let them out together.

Female fighting fish

Just bought a female betta. Another name for fighting fish. The male fish added on monday show sign of ready to mate. Blowing bubbles. Try to breed them! A new challenge for me.

New tank

Tank from my friend. Her fish suffered from 25 to 4 left. I see if i can refurnish it.

Aqua plant

The plant submerge or half submerge in water is my latest interest area. Over the weekend, 4 of there design were created. Photo shows 2 of them.

Play ground

Today is the Hari Raya Adilfitri. The Malay most important festival to celebrate end of fasting month.

I brought the kids to West Coast Park play ground for a fun morning. Ahyoh! The Mc Donald there was packed with huge crowd. Cannot find place to sit!!! End up eat breakfast in the park! After that we play sand with spade that belongs to others since we go empty handed.

En has big three sisters to play with her. They are really patient with my 2 years old. They play very different from the way I play to her which is more interesting! I am too old to climb around. They enjoyed each others company...

Before we left, a westerner (busker) was performing. He play music, juggling, unicycle and wrote there "I am not bagging, JUST FOR FUN..." He left some musical instrument around on the floor and the kids are free to play with them. Something new for En...

Best of all, it is really interesting and I fell very happy to see the Malay family go out together wearing clothes of the same colour tone. One family Papa, Mama, Baby grey, one family orange, this side maroon, so appealing to the eye, such a harmony and close family.Feels like back to the old kampung day. This seen only once a year.

Children's day balloon

We started making balloon for Rui’s classmate after 9pm at night after dinner and arcade game at Jurong Point. I promised the kids to make for them during the excursion. The kids get to choose the design and colour they wanted.

14 of the balloons were bears. The kids really know how to choose tough to make stuff! Lucky still quit a lot of boys choose sword, 11 I think, which is easy peessy to make. In all, Jimma and I made 43 balloon for the classmates and his teacher. We two stayed up to 2am to complete everything, finished with name tagging. I hope the kiddos like it.

Happy children’s day….

Gear up for SA2 guys…

More En self ka cha

Yesterday En toke her own photo. Then she commended, not nice. So she took one more. Then commende the same again. So the cycle goes on for a while. So cute to see how she behaved. Not nice. .

New baby fishes

The pregnant mummy guppies gave birth to so many babies. At least 20, lost count......

Yeh! Yeh! The long wait is over finally. We were all doubting and thinking if we miss any babies before this. Are they eaten up by mummies? Are the fishes actually pregnant? Now, is a relieve because all the above answered and best of all, I need not to feed the mummies like worm... NO KILLING!! Shan Chai, Shan Chai....

Who was excited? Is the Mum, Dad and the maid..... Ha Ha! Not the kiddos.... En just say 'baby pish..' Rui enjoy his new Pokemon book better than those helpless fishes! Rong enjoy disturbing En... Fish, too trivial, not my cup of tea...

I do not allow them to catch the fish but I did tried to move the labouring mummy into the hatching tank but could not manage as there are obstacles very where in the tank, remember the two new plants..... Just wish that the obstacle will provide sufficient protection for the newly born babies.

I feel overwhelm by the amount of fishes I have now. So many babies to take care! What a seen when they are all big!! Plus 8 more from Leoga! WOW!! STOP any new addition.

Forgot to mention, just added one suckle fish @$1.50 to each tank too.

Photo did not turn out nice. All greenish, focus also out, taken at night. Don't know why. Try again with natural light tomorrow. Just that need to do it early in the morning before going on course. Above is the better one taken during trhe DAY.

Rui helping hand

Today on the way from Rui centre, he told me the story of his praised by the principle in school. I was just chatting with him about seeing his school principle with Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the Finance Minister in the Community Club on Sunday.

He suddenly remembered to tell me about his help to a lower primary girl when he saw her crying and holding on to her grandmother. He tried to talk her out and consoled her but yields no result. He then decided to seek help from a teacher. The teacher take over the issue from there.

During the assembly, the principle actually praises him in front of the whole school on his action. He was over the moon. The walk from centre was like floating.... Way to go, Rui. Mummy is proud of you. You are always caring and willing to help.

As I am writing in front of the home PC, the lily smell from last Friday arrangement fill up the living room. The lilies are also happy for us. :-)

You can Rui, you can. Keep it up...

Say Cheese

Rong and En on the way to sat lesson.

En self protrait

She ka cha herself with my hand phone this morning. She took a photo with auntie. So sweet. She play wood puzzle too. She can sort out different colour fruit already.

Fish tank plant

Bought two more plants today to add into the collection. It was bought from Far East Flora cost $2 each. They are very healthy now. In my hand, how long can they stay healthy is still unknown. So I need to experiment on this few residence first before adding some more plant.

My sun light at home my not be sufficient for the plant. Should I get the fluorescent light and CO2 supply? So into it or not?

The plant near the window is growing well. In the living room mah, may not be able to sustain....

Picture coming soon...

Chocolate making class

Attended the chocolate making session in School of Chemical and Life sciences Lab. Wow!! Reminds me of my home econominc class in secondary school. I didn't know that our school has this type of facility until today.

I was fun to melt the chocolate, do the outer coat, then prepare the inner filling and coat again. We use the cream that should belongs to the next table.... We FAST LEG FAST HAND do what...

Can collect only at 5pm today. I am at home already. Half day ma!

I hope Shuning will leave some for me tomorrow. Don't eat all ha!! Or don't let your children eat all ha! The student in the lab should have a share tomorrow if it is still there.

Picture on the way....

Rong wood puzzle

Wood puzzle made last night. Rong and me work past mid night to sort this out after i return from my part time class. He press out all pieces and we fix it together. He is five this year, the paper says for kids above 6. He will get it by 6.

More Lily blooming

Today bloom.

Lily in the lab and fishes

The Ikebana arrangement last Friday.

Nice to see the blooming lily in the lab. Light yellow flower with white egde and it smells great. Pure white lily is too boring and this is just perfect and wow, they are big flowers, bigger then my palm!

When I open the lab door, I can smell the scent of the flower fills the room. Heavenly!

17/09/08

My fish tank at home getting more and more interesting. Just got some pragnent fish from Chin last weekend. Chern Liang dream of the fish giving birth to baby last night! His dream sometimes will come true leh! So I do hope to see some baby fish in my tank.

This is the second batch of fish we keep. The first batch of 4 from fish shop cannot tahan the vigorous handling and experimentation of the Loo family and bit us farewell!

Everyone in the family is so excited over the fishes in the first attempt. The kids busy with scooping the fish with the small net, feeding the fish not knowing how much to feed, the pump is too strong and the fish cannot rest, a lot of teething problem....

As a result, the fishes all sacrificed. As a result, more study was done and in consultation to my colleague 10 years old son, I know my mistake of why hardy sucker fish also die. Sorry fishes!

1. The water must treat with anti clorin, overnight water is not good enough.
2. The current create by the pump should not reach the other end of the tank or we need a fish that survive in native strong current fish!! So then I observed the fish tank else where and realise that the air outlet mostly point downward. I tried yesterday to blow the filter the way it was shown in the brochure, and the fishes swim like a mad dog, how to survive!!
3. The tank was too small, this time I change to a larger one picked up down stair. 2 1/2 ft tank to use with the same pump. And the outlet face down, creating a vertical current concentrated on one area only, not front, creating a rapid in the tank!!
4. The small tank (1 1/2 ft) I copy my friend style of keeping the red fish, she do not have any pump in her house for the red fish, but the fish still grow so big and fat.... So I decided to copy her way of keeping the red fish. It works.
5. The tank was empty without much plant before. The smaller tank now this floating plant and I realise it was bitten by the hungry fish when we had forgotten to feed the other stromy morning. We were rushing to get out of the house in the morning. Now the tank has more plants. I placed in a glass container planted with money plant, label not yet fully removed (50% gone only). That stormy morning, the guppies actually chew on the paper and the paper scatter on the base of the tank! The label is 90% clear now.
6. The kids may have feed the fish too little. I realise Rui was feeding only one or two shake of micro pallet which is not sufficient. The fish gollope the food in less then one minute, so I added a few more shake. And advise Rui on the amount to add.
7. Most importantly, keep the net! Do not let the kids scoop the fish or the fish will turn upsite down into dead body in no time, they corner the fish and injured them.

My friend laugh at me when she gets to know that a few fishes make my family so busy!! But is good fun for the family. We will hang around the tank to talk instead of watching TV!

I hope the fish will be happy with us. Be strong fishes, I will try my best to take care of you.

Climbing Champion & saga seed

Go! En En go! You can do it. You can climb and walk on that single rod. That's it, alternate your feet and hand, keep going! You made it....

Ha! On leave today, do nothing! Went down stair for a walk after breakfast. As I am busy picking saga seed, En En was learning to at the beginning and climbed like a pro at the end.

I picked up a pocket full of saga seed. Will put it in a nice jar to display. I like saga seed because of this Chinese Poem. My husband used to pick for me when I was oversea studying. I that I am back, DIY already!!

相思
唐• 王维
红豆生南国，春来发几枝。
愿君多采撷，此物最相思。

【注释】君：你。采撷：采摘。

【译文】红豆生长在南方，春天来的时候它会发芽生长．希望你可以多采一些，因为它是思念的象征．

Rong lantern perade

Rong Child Care Centre organised a lantern block walk around. So cute to see the little ones swinging and walking with lantern. The rest of mum and dad are all busy with their camera.

Rong requested for a battery operated lantern.

Sure he has.

A butterfly one as a result of that.

En Tri-cycle adventure

In my friend house, En manage to alternate her leg to paddle a tri cycle. First time for her to do that.

At home, she always wanted us to push her from the back. Ha! This one has no back handle to push. Then she has no choice, but to paddle... Finally she can paddle.

I was trying to instruct her last week, but she do not seems to know what to do. I pressed on her leg, apply pressure on one leg and cause the movement. Then alternate to the other leg, but she look at me, Gong! Gong! Now then I see the result of that instruction.Paddle on baby.

Rong should go on two wheel. He will eventually, but need to encourage him go without the training wheel.

Lazy saturday morning

Already pass 10.30 am but still lazing around on the bed.

Intermediate balloon class

One of the creation from the class. I like this bubbling fish. The bubble is the first creation at the beginning of class. One small bubble and a small pinch twist alternate.

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Grasshooper

The coconut leaf grasshopper tough by the Sogetsu Ikebana teacher.

Here is how:

Material needed: knife or scissors, palm frond (coconut leaf)

Step 1:
Slice a coconut leaf one third from the thick end length wise to separate the leaf from the stem. Try to cut as little leaf as possible.

Fold the stem in between the leaf, leaving around 30 cm loop as shown in picture above.

Step 2:

Hold the leaf and make a loop as shown in picture above and loop it through the first stemmed loop. Pull to tighten the loop as shown on the right picture.

Repeat the looping and tightening of leaf for the other side.

Step 3:

For the second segment of the body, flip up the first side along the edge of the leaf (left figure), fold the leaf forward maintaining it parallel to the side (right figure).

Step 4:

Make a loop on the leaf and loop into the stem, then tighten the loop. Repeat for opposite side.

Repeat this procedure minimum 5 times to get the grasshopper body.

Step 5:

Fold the remaining leaf upwards, through the stem loop, tighten the stem loop by tucking in the stem from the rear.

Step 6:

Trim the antenna.

Step7:

Trim the rear leaf.

Step 8:

Cut two equal length of stem, bend it so that one segment is longer then the other. Insert the legs into the body, shorter segment in front.

The End.

Happy trying....

Some useful link on YouTube, this is a bit fast.... But still useful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M3wA2_XmCU

Some other idea of grasshopper on the web.

Singapore style grasshopper. http://www.gardentech.com.sg/dnn453/Activities/Workshops/tabid/112/Default.aspx

Vietnamese style grasshopper in Hanoi. http://vietnamesegod.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html

Malaysian style

http://u-jean.blogspot.com/2007/03/little-penang-9-adels.html

Palawan, Philippine version
http://timandkendra.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_archive.html

More Palm Weaving Resources
http://www2.jsonline.com/lifestyle/people/apr00/palm041600.asp?format=print

Grand opening flower

Artificial flower arrangement did yesterday, order from Mother-in-law for her friend's new beauty saloon. Red colour is for properity and good luck. All the best for her buz.

Flower for Hari Raya

Did a blue tone artificial flower arrangement yesterday. Will be a gift for my Malay neighbour. I choose to have cooler colour for muslim as they do not fancy bright colour for their festival. Rare occasion for this tone to be used. Blue and white are the main colours where purple pink is to brighten it up a bit else is too dull. I hope the neighbour will like it. Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitril.

Rong and dragon lantern

Rong lights up the lanterns all by himself.

Rui joined in after his 400 sentence writing ordered by dad was done. Rui plays with fire like a pro. A game of his since young. He lighted up a lot of candles on the tile and his spiderman lantern too.

In no time, they ran out of candles.

Everyday in the 8th month of Lunar Calender, they have a packet of candle to play. Under close supervision of course.

Candle play

Hooray! Is time to play candle again.

Yesterday was the first day of 8th month in Chinese calendar. End of the 7th month ghost festival and welcome lantern festival.

The kids spun into full action of lantern and candle play. 3 of them all have their own lantern.

En En is best in blowing candle. She attempted to light up the candle and actually manage to light it up a few times. When the wax starts to drop, she felt the heat and ended the play by an a ouch!! Her best play is to blow of candle.

Rong is able to light up a lantern all by himself and hang it up too. He cannot do this at three years old. He tried to light up a small lantern and burned it away. That’s the one in the picture. Lucky my ground rule of adult supervision at all time when playing fire save the scene. A blow by me settled the emergency, and the play goes on. The candle heat will not do major damage to the kids. Safety always first when fire play is concern.

En and me

En is very happy and relax in front of camera.

She also like to handle the phone camera. Her finger is strong enough to trigger the shutter on my phone camera K810i. She is in the process of mastering the focusing and composing of photo. Future camera woman in the making.

She is very inquinsitive in nature. Any sound in the surrounding will catch her attendtion. No tv strategy works well on her. Tv will numps the children's senses.

She is very independent thanks to Auntie Jimma training and not doing what she can do for her. To on a fan, she wanted to do it herself. Once I on the fan for her but she protested. She walked to the fan, off it and on again!! And she is happy after that. She gave herself a round of applause. ;-)

En Japanese learning aid

A new bag of fruits toy ($5.40) bought today for the kids to learn Japanese. The activity idea was from the Saturday class attended at The Little Neuro Tree. Fruits of different colour is sorted into matching bowl.

Kiiru banana means yellow banana in Japanese.
Aka ringo means red apple
Aoringo means green apple, ao actually means blue, but this is a special case when it is used with ringo.
Murasaki budou means purple grape, the Japanese version of grapes sounds like Mandarin version right?
Orenji is having the same sound with orange. The name of the fruit and the name of colour sounds just like English. In terms of written form, it is written in Katagana.

En is happily playing with the toys. She is slowly getting the concept of colour in different language.

Soap flower creation

Yesterday I attended a soap flower making lesson from Taman Jurong Community Club. It takes a lot of patient to craft a Kao soap into the shape of flower. A normal pieced soup which I have not been using for a long time is back in action. Cut into four pieces, then rugby ball shape, then the petals make me feel like a craftsman.

Fidgets @ Turf City

Rong is having fun on long slide of Fidgets at the former Turf Club. 4th level up a fireman lift which is very run down. But the place is really fun for the kids. The three of them had a great time there. There are section for baby, toddler and older kids.

Balloon sculpting equipment

By instructress.

This is a continuation from previous post...

The kids are home. Got to go.....

Balloon sculpting

Bearly yellow balloon, this one here is a bit hard to do. To get the face, ears and body in propotion takes some practice.












Easy swan, black or white colour is the best. Two twist, one pushing trough the wing and shaping of the neck will done the job.

















Flower balloon, one of my favourite. Keep the bright colour balloons for flower. It will turn out gorgeous. The stem and leave is surely green colour.












This Tweedy bird on the swing was made by Shuning during the lesson. Looks complicated to me. I left early for my lesson, therefore missed this one. Four colours in all. She said teacher one with bigger swing loop is nicer... But for beginner, this is good, I think. Practice make perfect.














Easy bee. Two balloon and two twist will do the job. Just that the bottom balloon need immediate attachment with the wing once it is twisted. So the wing needs to be ready before the "funny looking one" blown up, tie and twist.












Can take maximum five photos one go. So will talk some more about the eqiupment in the next post.