ThE yEaR oF aN oX

It been a fruitful two days of Lunar New Year... more than the hongbaos, I enjoyed the quality time spent with family and a very good catching-up session with my cousins.

Unlike our childhood days, basically now we only get to see each other once a year but whenever we get together, there isn't any awkward-ness or silence but non-stop of chatting & chatting ... or I should say shouting and shouting this year? Haha!

Cause we need to challenge the super loud background “music” caused by different generations of people talking at the SAME time.

Block-catching, block-hide and seek, dog and bone, running competition, catching, fun @ the playground, shopping, role-play as doctors, role-play as vampires/priests etc was some of our childhood's activities.

Forced ourselves not to sleep so to sneak out early in the morning to go swimming (as then we faced strong “opposition” from our ah ma), waited for hours outside the swimming complex way before the opening time, ignored the scolding of ah ma and proceed to wherever we want to go, mini “party” @ the carpark top etc was some of our childhood's achievements. Haha!

Times really flies... we have all grown up! =)

lUnAr NeW yEaR eVe

Here wishing all of YOU a prosperous Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Have a good time with your family, relatives & cousins!

=) or =/

I was on mc few days back, the next day when I returned, I was pretty touched by the responses I received from the children.

I was in the kitchen when I overheard the conversation between children who arrived in the school bus @ the entrance
... of course the following are just “agar agar” as I cant remember exactly what they said but more or less same “idea” ...

Child 1: * suddenly * Cher Lim!
Child 2: Cher Lim got come a not!
Child 3: Don't know...
Child 4: Have
Child 1: * silence *
Child 2: Where?
Child 3: * silence *

* children entered the school *
Child 1: * walked past the kitchen * There... There... Cher Lim! Cher Lim!
Child 2: Friend 2, come come! Cher Lim in the kitchen!
Chid 3: Cher Lim!
Child 4: Cher Lim! Cher Lim!
Child 5: Cher Lim!
Cher Lim: =) Hello...

* the moment I came out *
Children: Cher Lim!!! Cher Lim!!!
Child S: Cher Lim, you know hor... yesterday Child J said “lousy”
Child J: Child S like that like that also...
* it went on and on and on ... child after child after child *
Cher Lim: * listened patiently as knew they had stored one day of “complains” for me *

Whenever I'm back after my mc... I will received different responses from my children to why I never come to school.
Some can asked “why last time you never come?” where it was actually the day before. Haha!
During my days in pcf kindergarten, there was a child who mumbled to himself infront of me, “why Cher Lim never come that time?” Haha!

But this is the FIRST time I received such overwhelming responses from so many children.
More to the “complaints” waiting for me, I'm touched by the reactions, their excitement when they see me back again!

=)

interesting BUT ... ... ... ...

Since last week, everytime when it comes to written work with K1 ... I will “tremble”. Haha!

Thank God I didn't allow all of them to do @ the same time ... if not think I will faint infront of them.
I will only allow 6-7 children to sit around me @ one time so that I can not just supervise them but also to better know each child's understanding etc.

As we don't have the luxury of having a Teacher-Assistant, some time it can be “challenging” as on one hand we need to watch over the children @ work and not forgetting the children @ play so to make sure they don't start a war.

But I guess the moment where it will make my white hair multiply is the moment they start their work.

Same activity sheet, same age group of children BUT different responses, different style! Haha!

Here I need to get this to start, there I need to get this to stop ... here I need to bring this “back to earth”, there I need to get this to stop dreaming ... here I need to get this to write, there I need to get this to correct ... here I need to get this to colour, there I need to get this to colour nicely ... here I need to get this to do properly, there I need to make sure they don't fight

My colleague & I always joke ... After each IMPACTFUL lesson with the angels, more than just having messy hair & drained off in our energy, think our life may be shorten fast.
Maybe we can live up to 80 but after each “happening day” with the children, our age will minus off 1 year by 1 year. Haha!

wHaT's GoInG oN

A peek into first week of school...

Opps... Vandalism?!?!

Is actually an outdoor activity to expose the children with another means (chalks) of drawing, not forgetting to release their creativity!

After I set a verbal boundary for the children, the boy on the right actually helped me (on his own accord) to set a visible boundary where he drew wired fences and indicated “Dangerous” to make sure his friends don't go beyond. (click on the photo to get a clearer view ... see what he drew to indicate is a wired fences ... I'm surprised)

Wowow... look so real

TeRm 1 wEeK 1

Work, work, work, work, work, work and work! Haha!
Been staying and will have to continue to stay back after school to do stuffs (seem never-ending). But really want to thank God for His grace & creativity! =)

?????? was on almost all the K1 children's faces as I welcomed them for the FIRST time this week.

Guess is the “promotion” from N2 to K1, somehow they are still adapting to the changes thus there are not just “blur looks” but also moments where teachers will feel like talking to ownself & finding herself repeating an instruction for x10. Haha! Unlike N2 where the environment for them were rather “relax” & less work with prince/princess treatment from teacher & teacher-assistant but now as they are in K1, the environment requires them to be independent, very independent.
... there are much “discipline” work to be done with them.
God, enlarge my patience tank! Haha!

K2 was much more “stable”, is so much different ... the moment I left K1 class and entered K2 class, I really have the whew-feeling. But can be quite interesting, the batch of K1 children who I used to nag and nag have now become the big gor-gor and jie-jie of the school.

Looking forward and all ready for the remainder 9 weeks of Term 1. =)

Hmm... don't know is it too busy with works in school or too over-whelmed by my angels, on “red alarm” today cause sicky-symptom arising.
Yanni, drink more water! =)

FiRsT eNTrY oF 2009

Jm1 & Jm2 had their thanksgiving cgm last night aka the last day of 2008.

It been a great Cultural Night filled with delicious food (chocolate FONDUE!), awesome fellowship with outstanding friends, wowow awards etc etc etc etc etc! =)

Was looking through my blog ... realized I been in JAMs ministry cg since 2005 – indeed it been a privilege to be able to serve God in a greater way.

tHAnKsGiViNg 2007...
ThAnKsGiViNg 2008...