It has been such a long week...

pearlie 

You are always my baby

It is someone special's birthday today but he would not allow me to post pictures of him anymore. What I can do though is to put up some of the older pictures I've posted before. Happy birthday dear.

He did this during one Mother's Day. 

This was what I made in helping him with his school project many years ago - a papermache cave. The school did not return it to us but used it as a showpiece. It might still be there even now!

This was what he drew when he was being creative...

...and this was what he drew when he was being cheeky - a picture of me. 

pearlie

The Pebble Time

My son has been bugging me to get him a Pebble smartwatch. To be fair, I've been trying to get him to wear a watch to no avail, and I've left him at it since.

It takes a smartwatch for him to change his mind.

He initially wanted the Original Pebble, with a black and white ePaper screen.



He sent me a link to get it online. He also told me that he has seen a store in Midvalley advertising it the last time he was there with his grandma.

So off we went to Midvalley after church to check it out. We found it in Rhapsody Time, LG floor. But they do not have the Original Pebble. They only have the latest model launched just a few months ago in May - the Pebble Time.

My son then changed his mind and wanted this one with a colour ePaper screen instead.



The Pebble watch was first released in 2013, backed by the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. When it started a Kickstarter fund sourcing for Pebble Time, it hit its $500,000 target in just 17 minutes. It finally achieved a fund of $20 million in total.

My hubby is a watch aficionado himself and he is open to the purchase of a Pebble Time. And I am a gadgety person warming towards it, which is good news for our son.

So it's time we bought one ;)


There are three colours to choose from: black, white and red. But black looks best, always. And he finally gets his binary watch, as below. He has been bugging his father to actually make him one.



We then found out that we actually bought a limited Kickstarter Backer edition. At first, we thought the price was a little higher than what we researched online but decided to still get it anyway so we don't have to wait for its delivery. Knowing now that the premium price we paid is for a limited edition, we are pleased. It's amusing that the shop assistant did not know what Kickstarter Backer means.



I would have gotten one for myself too except that I have just now discovered that with my recent onset of presbyopia, I cannot see anything worn on my wrist, and it will be pointless to get my glasses everytime I need to look at my watch.

So I will remain watchless.

pearlie

Tiny Tower

My son introduced me to this game and now I am kind of hooked on it. It is something like Farmville though simpler and not as complicated, and not so much of a time waster, albeit still a potential. I wonder how many floors I'll build before I am done with it. I've built the 9th.

pearlie

p/s (24/8/2011) I am not at Floor 24. Getting a bit tired of it already.

Perfect Parenting?

Times published an interesting article: Working moms vs. stay-at-home: what's better for kids?. "Are working moms somehow lacking as parents compared to stay-at-home mothers? According to a new demographic analysis from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the answer is a reassuring no. The study found that working doesn't lower the quality of parenting overall — or even worsen the load of parental stress."

But the study also found out having a considerable length of maternity leave matters.

I've always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I feel that I could be a better mom by being at home, having more time to spend with the family and caring for the home. But we cannot afford it and I was back into the workforce since my son was 9 months old. But that desire to be a stay-at-home mom stayed with me, and only until recently had I begun to accept reality.

This also reminded me of the illustration the pastor used in his sermon this past Sunday. I googled it and discovered that he actually sourced it from the book Freakanomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Levitt is described on its jacket as a "rogue economist (who) explores the hidden side of everything".

Levitt generated a list of factors that correlated strongly with good school test scores and this is what he found mattered and what did not about parenting.

Matters: The child has highly educated parents.
(Ok, I consider myself that)
Doesn't: The child's family is intact.
(We are intact)

Matters: The child's parents have high socioeconomic status.
(Medium, I'd say)
Doesn't: The child's parents recently moved into a better neighbourhood.
(Ours is okay)

Matters: The child's mother was thirty or older at the time of her first child's birth.
(Yup, I was)
Doesn't: The child's mother didn't work between birth and kindergarten.
(Oh, I did)

Matters: The child had low birth weight.
(Oh no, he was heavy alright)
Doesn't: The child attended Head Start.
(What's that?)

Matters: The child's parents speak English at home.
(English is our first language, doesn't matter that we are Chinese)
Doesn't: The child's parents regularly take them to museums.
(Er, nope)

Matters: The child is adopted.
(No, he's not)
Doesn't: The child is regularly spanked.
(Used to!)

Matters: The child's parents are involved in the PTA.
(No PTAs in the schools he attended, and I'd most probably won't be much involved if there were)
Doesn't: The child frequently watches television.
(Moderately, he's ALWAYS at the computer, does that count?)

Matters: The child has many books in their home.
(Yup, loads!!! haha)
Doesn't: The child's parents read to them nearly every day.
(Used to and frequently too. When he was a baby, I even read my books and The Economist aloud! Now, I read the Bible to him every other day)

His test results? Not so good, some quite bad. But I'm not giving up hope that he'll do better.

pearlie

Examination Results

I went to pick up Calvin's mid-term examination results today. He did not do well, but the meeting with his homeroom teacher was good. She was nice and encouraging. She did say that she enjoys teaching my son and he is a delightful boy. I am glad. Just that I do not know what to do with his dismal examination results. It is said that the standards in this school is after all extremely high -- I'm not sure...I do not want to be an exam-oriented parent, but I do not want to be lax either. A tricky balance indeed.

pearlie

Off Camping

Calvin stayed back at school today to attend a one-night "camp-in" organised by his Computer Club. This mommy is worried as this will be his first time away from home but his grandmother is even more worried! :)

pearlie

The Story of the Nation

I attended "A Conversation with Professor Anthony Milner" on the topic of "Constructing and Contesting Malaysian History: Towards Responsible Writing and Teaching of History for Nation Building" organised by Kairos Research Centre this evening. It is a discussion based on the recently raised concerns when the Ministry of Education requires students to obtain a compulsory pass in History in the national Form 5 examinations, SPM.

History never held an interest for me until several years ago when I felt that my lack of knowledge in it resulted in a pallid understanding of events of the world. In my schooldays, I studied history in a rote manner and only of the Malaysian history, not anything beyond that - I never knew much about the enlightenment, the various inquisitions, or the wars. Only as I grew up and began to read more serious works had I realise that I lack in the understanding of the stories behind the times and the events as I encountered them.

As such, I attended the session with a sense of unfamiliarity. I had problems trying to take in and digest the horde of information and dialogue that went on. However, I came away with a renewed interest to ensure that my son will have a better exposure to the subject of History that I did. But I am not sure yet what I can do.

Firstly, I think I should get myself up-to-date with regards to the History textbooks in our national curriculum. For one, the textbooks do not favour an inclusive history and concentrates much on just one race, the Malays. We need to have textbooks that tells the story of the nation in an inclusive manner that will ignite an emotive fervour in all students of all races in Malaysia that will work towards nation building. We need an inclusive story of our nation that is respectful to the Malays, Chinese and Indians.

Secondly, I need to find out how the subject is being taught in schools, but I wonder how I can make that happen. A proper teaching of the subject can provoke passionate and emotive discussion about not only what happened but what it meant to the students today. We need more than rote and flat learning, without getting involved in the story of the nation. This reminds me of an excellent movie I watched some time ago, The Freedom Writers. It is based on a true account of a new and enthusiastic teacher who was placed in a classroom to teach kids from the ghettos and gangs. The classroom was akin to a world with borders drawn between the Hispanics, Asians, Blacks and one white student. She had to engaged them, she needs to teach them. She finally succeeded, by touching their lives with the stories of people in similar situations as they were. She used the Hollocaust event, brought them to visit the Hollocause museum, have them meet survivors of concentration camps and had them read The Diary of Anne Frank.

We need a more inclusive account of our Malaysian history and we need a more involving approach to teaching it. Only then will we build our youngsters with a sense of love and pride for the country from the stories of heros and heroines of all races.

pearlie

Busy, busy, busy

It was a very, very busy day today.

1. Preaching

Folio 46r from the Syriac Bible of Paris (Bibliothèque Nationale, MS syr. 341), Job

First, I was to preach today. I told my good friend I am a "ganti" preacher, or replacement preacher. All the three times I preached over the last few years have been to replace someone in the last minute. Not that I mind. I am only glad I am able to fill in for them.

I did ask the question recently - How do you know what to preach? I ended up preaching on Job 1. Don't ask me why - somehow I felt God tugging me there and so I did. I preached it the expository way, though someone commented that I gave them a bible study. Well ...

2. Opening Ceremony
Then we attended a friend and his wife's opening ceremony of their music school.









3. Pre-Christmas Party
In the evening, Calvin and I went to a pre-Christmas party with some kids from a home. The kids really had fun.

Would you like to have more ice cream?




The cutest of the lot - the youngest, a 5-year old.






Isn't she pretty?


Want some too?


You see ...




Joy ...


4. Birthday
And it is my brother's birthday today. Happy Birthday, Jason! With the day too occupied and him not pre-arranging it with us until this afternoon, we all decided to take a rain check. Looking forward to the belated celebration with him.

pearlie
Photos (c) 2009 Pearlie Ng

The Super Duper Duplicator

Time has not permit me to think much today, let alone write. Work is piling on and I wish I could have Calvin's duplicator.

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

© Universal Press Syndicate

pearlie

Nurture by NatureUnderstand Your Child's Personality Type -- And Become a Better Parent

Nurture by Nature
Understand Your Child's Personality Type --
And Become a Better Parent
by Paul D. Tieger & Barbara Barron Tieger

Daniel introduced this book to me in our last discussion about type personality. I was telling him that I was trying to figure out which type my son was and he suggested that I read this book. I ordered it via http://www.abebooks.com/ and I just got it today.

I think my son is an ISFP. It is quite clear that he is an I and a P. It was the middle two that took me some time to figure out. But after thinking about it for sometime, while observing him more intently, I am quite certain he is an ISFP.

Now that I got the book, and reading his section, entitled "Gentle Free Spirits", it describes him quite well. And with that I hope I will be able to nurture him better. The one thing I must learn in dealing with him is to be gentle with him. I tend to be quite impatient, and I these are something I need work on, as the book suggested:

* Speak to him with a soft gentle voice *
(I tend to be harsh lately, I am not sure why -- still figuring out why I am so short-tempered lately)

* Look him in the eye and give him my fully attention when he speaks to me *
(I have been bad in this area, being a mom who is doing this and that and everything else all at one go)

* Be explicit in my directions and instructions; whenever possible, show him what I mean and physically point out limits and boundaries *
(I am a generalist, being an N -- I must learn to come down to details. No wonder I usually do not get the answers from him. I do realise even before this that my questions are usually too general for him to give me a detailed answer)

* Support his feelings and allow him to express them in his own time and style *
(Oh dear, I have been demanding him to answer my questions most of the time whenever I see he is not too happy about certain things. I wonder how I will be able to work this out, since I am a person of the moment. When I am passed that stage, I will not bring it up again.)

And many more that I would have to think through and slowly work through to make it a better experience to be his mom and he my son.

If you think (I do) if I am getting too serious about this type personality, let me know -- I do need someone to look over my shoulder to watch over me, lest I go overboard. I have always been very intrigued by personalities and since being introduced to this 16 types, I find it a very useful way to manage communication, understanding and life in general -- as long as it is not abused that is.

By the way, I am only using about 20 over pages of this 287-page book. If you know your kids' type, I'll see how I can share it with you.

pearlie

Post-Script: Ouch, this bites.

(Nurture by Nature, 1997, p.7-8)
Happily, most children don't live in the kinds of horrible conditions that we have all seen so much of on the news. So why, then, do so many children become adults who feel lousy about themselves? Perhaps it’s because the most common and pervasive assault on a child’s self-esteem that does on every day in most of our homes. As well-meaning but unaware parents, we all chip away at our child’s sense of self in a multitude of little ways: the criticism and disparaging comments, our impatience, the times we hurry our children though tasks they are enjoying to do something we deem more important, It’s the way we casually dismiss their interest or curiosity with things vaguely odd or seemingly inappropriate. It’s when our children live though years of constant nagging, discouragement, or disrespect. Ironically, we often treat our children in ways we would never consider treating another adult and certainly wouldn’t tolerate ourselves.

Those are the conditions that erode our children’s sense of themselves as strong, capable, and resilient individuals. And the price they pay for our criticism is that they begin to see themselves as we keep telling them we see them – as inherently flawed and in need of major overhauling, rather than innately perfect, capable, and divine. When the measure of a child’s worth is tied to how he compares to our estimation of what’s good or valuable, we undermine his confidence. When we gauge a child’s value by how he may meet our expectations, we cause him to doubt himself and doubt his true nature. Instead, as parents, we need to consciously accept and love our children for exactly who they are, naturally. That’s how we encourage self-esteem.

But how do we really accomplish this? By tailoring our parenting to match our child, rather than expecting our child to match our parenting.

Maths and Science Back to BM

I have just found out that the Cabinet has decided that the medium of instruction for Maths and Science in our national schools will be reverted to Bahasa Malaysia from 2012 onwards. I was hoping against hope that it will not happen, but it has. Whilst we have been forward looking in introducing the Teaching of Math and Science in English programme six years ago, the government has decided that it was a flop and will be reverting back to teaching them in Bahasa Malaysia.

Calvin has been learning Maths and Science in English since he started school. While he is doing well in these subjects, his command of Bahasa Malaysia has been lacking. Based on the news report, I do not think he will be affected by the change and will still be doing his Maths and Science in English, but I cannot be too sure. Anything can change.

For more, see these reports in the The Star and The Malaysian Insider, and here for an interesting look at the statistics (let me know if you need some translation).

pearlie

Calvin's Scratch Cat on TV

I haven't blogged about Calvin in a long while, so I am going to post one of his favourite Scratch projects here:

Learn more about this project, or press the green flag to re-start

For more of his projects, click the ScratchCalvin link at the header of this blog.

pearlie

It's great to be a mom

I had a wonderful Mother's Day: Calvin and I spent the afternoon together just being each other's company. It's great to be a mom.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

pearlie
Photo (c) 2007 Anissa Thompson

Calvin and the Giant Grouper

We were attending a friend's 70th birthday party held in a Chinese
restaurant where Calvin was amazed at the sight of a huge grouper in
the fish tank.

pearlie

Calvin & Mommy's Day

The daddy went for golf today, which is not the ordinary, and so we had our own mommy and sonny time.

pearlie

Penguins and Calvin

I was browsing in a bookstore today when I saw this bookmark with this quote:

It's practically impossible to look at a penguin and feel angry ~ Joe Moore

That really made me laugh -- it is too precious. Calvin is like a penguin to us -- he look like one, walk like one and of all animals he likes, penguin tops it all. And we usually can't be angry with him for too long.

pearlie

Ofio and Hammie

Calvin had been urging us to get him a hamster for a pet for awhile now. SH and I aren't good with animals and we were more afraid for the animals than anything.

But Calvin was persistent.

So we asked him to do some research on hamsters and give us a report on it. And he wrote this:
________________________________
How to Care for Your Hamster
by Calvin Tan

Remember to choose the right hamster. Females are more aggressive than males. To care for your hamster you need to have a hamster wheel about 10” and a hamster ball as these are essential for your hamster’s exercise.

You need a block of wood for it to chew on, preventing its teeth from getting long. Empty toilet paper rolls are also good. Hamsters like big cages. Make sure the cages are big and hard as the hamster can bite through them.

A golden hamster will feel cramped in a 12” x 12” cage. Remember to clean the cages once a week. Keep the hamster’s cage in a high place if you have any cats as they might kill them. Remember to add tubes or other add-ons to the cage to make a hamster feel happy.

Hamsters like to sleep in shredded newspaper. Make sure you change the hamster’s food and water daily to make sure they don’t get ill. When you bring your new pet home, leave it there for 1-2 days to make it comfortable to its surroundings.

Hamsters like treats such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Peanut butter has a very strong smell and will attract hamsters from far. Hamsters also have a good sense of smell. Do not blow on to hamsters as they hate it and may bite you. Hamsters may also bite you if they feel angry or lonely. Hamsters are very playful and it is advised to get some toys for them.
________________________________

So he got his hamsters today. He named them Ofio and Hammie.

Ofio is the one on the left, and Hammie is on the right. Ofio is the boy and Hammie the girl.


These rodents are hyper-active. We can't get them to calm down enough to get a better shot. This is the best shot so far of Hammie and we never got Ofio steady enough to take any shots.


Calvin is very happy.

pearlie

Cheese Frenzy

Calvin has this love for cheese it can get scary and well, expensive too!

First, we were in Opus a few months ago ...


... and today in Alexis.


pearlie

Calvin's Birthday Party

Calvin celebrated his birthday with his friends and cousins today.


(Back L-R) Ryan, Sean, Julian, Gaston, Benjamin
(Front L-R) Chloe, Rachel, Chloe, Calvin, Marc, Brian, Amanda


It was a Gadgeteer Party and I baked him a Nintendo DS Cake - some of the kids that came earlier helped decorate it. That was suppose to be Roadcrosser - Calvin's penguin in Club Penguin.


Happy Birthday!

He was then suppose to cut the cake, right? No, he stabbed his penguin.







Ahhhhhh!!!

Playtime!


We all had fun but this mommy is extremely exhausted!

pearlie
Photos (c) 2009 Pearlie Ng