I'm getting very excited!!! Getting an adrenline rush just thinking about it!!!
What, you ask??? Covert or clandestine meeting with a lover?
Nah! Plenty of new ideas for Cartoon Lagoon racing through my head.
So many things to do, so little time! Tick tock, tick tock.
Now that my son's PSLE is over and I'm officially 'free-er', I've started to run through the list of things I wish to do with our business, Cartoon Lagoon.
Cartoon Lagoon was borne from a dream I had when I was a young school girl. It's been running for a couple of years now and as my hubby says, I really did realise my dream.
But my kids are still jibbing each other in the ribs and giggling at their mum's non-existent book. Yes, yes as the movies say, 'Coming soon'.
What started as a blog about hand painted shoes has become an online journal for a simple working mother, in search of Food for the Heart, Body, Soul and Mind.
26 Oct 2009
23 Oct 2009
We're back (from our 'honeymoon')!
This is just a short post to let you know we're back.
Well, turns out both kids didn't want to follow up to KL, Malaysia. Do teenagers stop wanting to follow their parents on holiday trips? Ok, maybe because it was only across to Malaysia but even then! So anyway that meant Mike and I had a honeymoon of sorts!
We went there to meet up with my brother who was there for a holiday with his wife, twins and in-laws.
Here's a pic of the twins in their hotel room. Mummy and Daddy managed to buy for a song, what I call a thin pasar-malam (night market) mattress for them to roll about. They were clearly fascinated by their dad's netbook and some funny kids' show he was playing on it.
(For obvious reasons, I don't want to post clearer or frontal pics of them....)
Well, turns out both kids didn't want to follow up to KL, Malaysia. Do teenagers stop wanting to follow their parents on holiday trips? Ok, maybe because it was only across to Malaysia but even then! So anyway that meant Mike and I had a honeymoon of sorts!
We went there to meet up with my brother who was there for a holiday with his wife, twins and in-laws.
Here's a pic of the twins in their hotel room. Mummy and Daddy managed to buy for a song, what I call a thin pasar-malam (night market) mattress for them to roll about. They were clearly fascinated by their dad's netbook and some funny kids' show he was playing on it.
(For obvious reasons, I don't want to post clearer or frontal pics of them....)
Twin nieces fascinated by their dad's netbook and whatever was showing.
Adorable, right? Want to pinch them cos they're so bak-bak (fleshy). I have these cute lil nieces and nephews but they are scattered around the world. Humbug! Can't babysit them even if I wanted to!
15 Oct 2009
Who can lose 5KGs first?
My second (and last) kid has sat for this PSLE and now that the final paper is over, it's time to relax (and I don't mean him, I mean his Mummy)!
It's kinda surreal. I can't quite believe that PSLE is over. I know the papers were tough and I hope he doesn't fare so badly that he has to 'stay back' (be retained in primary school). That would give even this relaxed mum, a heart attack.
I have a list of personal to-do things, now that 'my' PSLE is over. First, I'm going to take a break for a few days. Yes, although I am also considered a relatively 'relaxed' PSLE mum, I still had my moments. It has gotten so bad that after school yesterday, some boys had a 'Xbox 360 Live' HALO party. Picked the chap up from his pal's place in the evening and during the drive back, had to bite my tongue as I wanted badly to ask him if he had finished his homework! (I mean the school homework).
Second, Mike and I have embarked on a competition(starting last night) now that our son has 'no more homework'. It's called, 'Who can lose 5 kgs first?'. The prize? A two-hour massage by the losing party. Yes, the losing party has to do the massage. We often have these crazy bets, he and I. You know, for me, it's tiring just to massage for 10 mins, let alone an hour. This is going to be a tough one. Just to go off course a bit, I once gifted him with a self-decorated envelope of massage coupons for his birthday. I bought different aromatic oils, rubs, romantic lights etc. He'd cash in his coupons whenever he felt like them. I got so tired massaging that when he finally wanted to cash in his last 2 coupons, I told him they had expired.
I'm actually convinced I'll lose. Why? Because I'm aiming to lose FATS not weight. By that, I mean, I'm aiming to tone up them flabby arms, waist, butt and thighs. When I do that, my weight is going to go up first (muscle mass) before it drops (if I am persistent). Previously, when I was going for Belly Dancing classes 3 times a week, the weighing scale readings went north first. I did feel discouraged at first (What! Hours of Belly Rolls, prancing around with hip and arm movements and yet I was putting on weight?!) but because I enjoyed my classes so much, I was consistent and so the readings started to go south. Yes, but that was then. Now.....
So, while I start my own body toning regime, my hubby's going to do his own stuff. We're scoffing at each other's plans (that's why we're in competition)! Don't let that Coke-filled rotound tummy (no, he doesn't drink alcohol) mislead you. I've seen him drop 5 kgs in a week but with the help of food poisoning of course.
I have to be realistic about my body. Despite having a small frame, I am big-boned. Even when I was thin, my wrist and ankles were thick. On top of that, my gynae used to tell me that I was a very muscular person. No he didn't mean I had the bulk of a body builder. He had cut me open during the C-section and apparently he could tell that I WAS muscular. His description (not during but after the event lah) was something like, 'Plenty of muscles! Plenty of muscles!'. Therefore, the bulk of what I used to carry, was muscle. Ah...but that was then. Now, the bulk of what I carry is still the muscles and of course fats. How would I know? My body parts are jiggly.
Also, I did a simple calculation and I'm carrying around 40% fats. 40%!!! Can you imagine that? It's like you let cute little Ms. Fat enter your house, 'Aw, what's the harm, right?' Then another Ms. Fat, then Mr. Fat, then Mrs. Fat, then nephew Fat, niece Fat, Grandma Fat, Grandpa Fat....till you have this whole household of Fats living with you. You want to chase them out but no one is budging. You get the picture.
So I've got to get started on this new routine first before doing the other things on my to-do list. Time to get off our butts and work the fats. May the best man (or woman) win!
It's kinda surreal. I can't quite believe that PSLE is over. I know the papers were tough and I hope he doesn't fare so badly that he has to 'stay back' (be retained in primary school). That would give even this relaxed mum, a heart attack.
I have a list of personal to-do things, now that 'my' PSLE is over. First, I'm going to take a break for a few days. Yes, although I am also considered a relatively 'relaxed' PSLE mum, I still had my moments. It has gotten so bad that after school yesterday, some boys had a 'Xbox 360 Live' HALO party. Picked the chap up from his pal's place in the evening and during the drive back, had to bite my tongue as I wanted badly to ask him if he had finished his homework! (I mean the school homework).
Second, Mike and I have embarked on a competition(starting last night) now that our son has 'no more homework'. It's called, 'Who can lose 5 kgs first?'. The prize? A two-hour massage by the losing party. Yes, the losing party has to do the massage. We often have these crazy bets, he and I. You know, for me, it's tiring just to massage for 10 mins, let alone an hour. This is going to be a tough one. Just to go off course a bit, I once gifted him with a self-decorated envelope of massage coupons for his birthday. I bought different aromatic oils, rubs, romantic lights etc. He'd cash in his coupons whenever he felt like them. I got so tired massaging that when he finally wanted to cash in his last 2 coupons, I told him they had expired.
I'm actually convinced I'll lose. Why? Because I'm aiming to lose FATS not weight. By that, I mean, I'm aiming to tone up them flabby arms, waist, butt and thighs. When I do that, my weight is going to go up first (muscle mass) before it drops (if I am persistent). Previously, when I was going for Belly Dancing classes 3 times a week, the weighing scale readings went north first. I did feel discouraged at first (What! Hours of Belly Rolls, prancing around with hip and arm movements and yet I was putting on weight?!) but because I enjoyed my classes so much, I was consistent and so the readings started to go south. Yes, but that was then. Now.....
So, while I start my own body toning regime, my hubby's going to do his own stuff. We're scoffing at each other's plans (that's why we're in competition)! Don't let that Coke-filled rotound tummy (no, he doesn't drink alcohol) mislead you. I've seen him drop 5 kgs in a week but with the help of food poisoning of course.
I have to be realistic about my body. Despite having a small frame, I am big-boned. Even when I was thin, my wrist and ankles were thick. On top of that, my gynae used to tell me that I was a very muscular person. No he didn't mean I had the bulk of a body builder. He had cut me open during the C-section and apparently he could tell that I WAS muscular. His description (not during but after the event lah) was something like, 'Plenty of muscles! Plenty of muscles!'. Therefore, the bulk of what I used to carry, was muscle. Ah...but that was then. Now, the bulk of what I carry is still the muscles and of course fats. How would I know? My body parts are jiggly.
Also, I did a simple calculation and I'm carrying around 40% fats. 40%!!! Can you imagine that? It's like you let cute little Ms. Fat enter your house, 'Aw, what's the harm, right?' Then another Ms. Fat, then Mr. Fat, then Mrs. Fat, then nephew Fat, niece Fat, Grandma Fat, Grandpa Fat....till you have this whole household of Fats living with you. You want to chase them out but no one is budging. You get the picture.
So I've got to get started on this new routine first before doing the other things on my to-do list. Time to get off our butts and work the fats. May the best man (or woman) win!
12 Oct 2009
PSLE Maths 2009
Parents up in arms about the 2009 PSLE Maths paper?
For any foreigners reading this who do not understand what the hullabaloo is about PSLE in Singapore, it is THE national exam where they weed out the unsmarts from the smarts at the tender age of 12. It is THE exam where you sit for 2 language papers (one being English and the other a second languare which I feel in my personal opinion, was nonsensically renamed 'Mother Tongue'. Then there's Mathematics and Science. Majority of the children sit for the 4 main papers. There are exceptions.
Then the nation tabulates each individual's scores and has your raw scores compared across the board. Out comes your final score. THAT score allows the smarts to go to 'better' secondary schools and lets the unsmarts attend 'ordinary' secondary schools. Within the secondary school, you will, with the help of your very important PSLE score, be able to attend the 4 year 'Express' Course or 5 year 'Normal' Course. Apparently in Singapore, when you're 'Normal', it actually means you're slow. If you're abnormal, you get to take the faster 4 year course. Given that majority of Singaporean 12 year olds get streamed to the 'Express' Course (including myself), we have a whole lot of abnormal people floating around on this island.
It's a lot more complicated than just having the same syllabus being divided into 4 or 5 years. It makes a whole lot of difference because their pathways have more or less been marked out. But that's another story and I'll come to that when I come to that.
THAT PSLE score, you might want to remember for the rest of your life because some idiotic teacher in your secondary school, might still be asking you for your PSLE score 3 or 4 years down the road, as a means to gauge how smart you are (You were smart then, so you must be smart now. You were unsmart then, you must be unsmart now. Ah.....do you get how important it is now? Get it???) THAT score, you might want to keep holding on to because some idiotic employer, when you're finally old enough to go to work, might view your PSLE score as a means to determine if you get hired!
Now tell me, how smart a system is that?
My PSLE score? I don't remember. If you're idiotic to even ask me now (*knock your head*), I'll keep mum and let you remain an idiot.
Now, tell me, if parents whose kids went to 'top' primary schools, are complaining that their kids came home crying because of this year's PSLE Maths paper, what more my son, who was failing Maths at the beginning of the year? Well, he came home smiling because well, 'Maths is over! Yay!'
I asked him last night, on the drive back from church, why he hadn't panicked and cried when his 'smarter' cohort across the island had. Besides, he said he had time to attempt ALL the questions when his 'smarter' peers hadn't!
Now, I'm not saying he's right or that he might pass but my 12 year old's theory is (and he DOES love theories) that he had NO PRESSURE to perform super well in his Maths PSLE paper. No one expects him to get an A* (the highest grade). This is a boy who has shown a marked improvement in his Maths over the past few months and as a parent, I have to recognise and remember that.
Yes, as I was saying, we all just hope that he passes! He has come to the conclusion that because those 'top school' boys were expecting to get A*, they expanded all their energy trying to get the sums right and broke down when they couldn't. Whereas he, going into the exams with no expectations, just went about doing each sum he could do and skipping sums he couldn't do. He treated it just like any other test or exam. After he had done those he could, he'd just go back and try to solve those he couldn't.
He also thinks that some kids were thinking too hard about the sums. He had 1 or 2 sums he thinks he got right (his tuition group concluded this) when his 'smarter' peers did not because they were doing too many 'steps'. He was trying to solve the sums simply.
I was very pleased with his theory (*mother smiling smugly*). I have taught my son well, regardless of the outcome of his results!
But am I worried? Yes lah, of course! The boy doesn't realise the sharks he is pitted against. This is Singapore, I do wish my son to survive the shark pool at the very least. But we are up against some policy makers who think demoralising kids with such 'interesting' sums is the best way to go.
So, with parents' complaints come the standard Civil Servant responses.
Yes, yes, we are all aware that Singapore is known for their superb Maths standard. So what? Why twist and turn words in a mathematical sum? WORDS ---> belonging to the English language. Are we testing Mathematical concepts or English comprehension here? Do you think every Primary 6 teacher is equipped to solve such sums? Yes, yes, I know, they undergo training etc. I was one of them remember? I spent countless nights solving these sums in preparation for my lessons! Not all teachers can impart these concepts. Why the need to send our kids to good private tutors then?
What's this about this year's sums being no different from other years? Actually, that's exactly my point. Year in, year out. Samo, samo. Why fix it if it ain't broke, right? We're top Maths performers in the world.... yadda yadda. Authorities, wake up your idea, man!
Sigh. This will never end. I will end my day's blog with this though. There have been people who did badly for their PSLE, who are now performing far better than those who did well. So parents, take heart. Don't be the idiots which those idiots take you to be. Be there for your kid regardless. Period. Can't stress enough. One day, your kids will remember, not the PSLE questions. Not their results. But that through their tears or their fears (or in my son's case, his smiles!) the fact that their Mummy or Daddy was there patting (not whacking) their backs.
For any foreigners reading this who do not understand what the hullabaloo is about PSLE in Singapore, it is THE national exam where they weed out the unsmarts from the smarts at the tender age of 12. It is THE exam where you sit for 2 language papers (one being English and the other a second languare which I feel in my personal opinion, was nonsensically renamed 'Mother Tongue'. Then there's Mathematics and Science. Majority of the children sit for the 4 main papers. There are exceptions.
Then the nation tabulates each individual's scores and has your raw scores compared across the board. Out comes your final score. THAT score allows the smarts to go to 'better' secondary schools and lets the unsmarts attend 'ordinary' secondary schools. Within the secondary school, you will, with the help of your very important PSLE score, be able to attend the 4 year 'Express' Course or 5 year 'Normal' Course. Apparently in Singapore, when you're 'Normal', it actually means you're slow. If you're abnormal, you get to take the faster 4 year course. Given that majority of Singaporean 12 year olds get streamed to the 'Express' Course (including myself), we have a whole lot of abnormal people floating around on this island.
It's a lot more complicated than just having the same syllabus being divided into 4 or 5 years. It makes a whole lot of difference because their pathways have more or less been marked out. But that's another story and I'll come to that when I come to that.
THAT PSLE score, you might want to remember for the rest of your life because some idiotic teacher in your secondary school, might still be asking you for your PSLE score 3 or 4 years down the road, as a means to gauge how smart you are (You were smart then, so you must be smart now. You were unsmart then, you must be unsmart now. Ah.....do you get how important it is now? Get it???) THAT score, you might want to keep holding on to because some idiotic employer, when you're finally old enough to go to work, might view your PSLE score as a means to determine if you get hired!
Now tell me, how smart a system is that?
My PSLE score? I don't remember. If you're idiotic to even ask me now (*knock your head*), I'll keep mum and let you remain an idiot.
Now, tell me, if parents whose kids went to 'top' primary schools, are complaining that their kids came home crying because of this year's PSLE Maths paper, what more my son, who was failing Maths at the beginning of the year? Well, he came home smiling because well, 'Maths is over! Yay!'
I asked him last night, on the drive back from church, why he hadn't panicked and cried when his 'smarter' cohort across the island had. Besides, he said he had time to attempt ALL the questions when his 'smarter' peers hadn't!
Now, I'm not saying he's right or that he might pass but my 12 year old's theory is (and he DOES love theories) that he had NO PRESSURE to perform super well in his Maths PSLE paper. No one expects him to get an A* (the highest grade). This is a boy who has shown a marked improvement in his Maths over the past few months and as a parent, I have to recognise and remember that.
Yes, as I was saying, we all just hope that he passes! He has come to the conclusion that because those 'top school' boys were expecting to get A*, they expanded all their energy trying to get the sums right and broke down when they couldn't. Whereas he, going into the exams with no expectations, just went about doing each sum he could do and skipping sums he couldn't do. He treated it just like any other test or exam. After he had done those he could, he'd just go back and try to solve those he couldn't.
He also thinks that some kids were thinking too hard about the sums. He had 1 or 2 sums he thinks he got right (his tuition group concluded this) when his 'smarter' peers did not because they were doing too many 'steps'. He was trying to solve the sums simply.
I was very pleased with his theory (*mother smiling smugly*). I have taught my son well, regardless of the outcome of his results!
But am I worried? Yes lah, of course! The boy doesn't realise the sharks he is pitted against. This is Singapore, I do wish my son to survive the shark pool at the very least. But we are up against some policy makers who think demoralising kids with such 'interesting' sums is the best way to go.
So, with parents' complaints come the standard Civil Servant responses.
Yes, yes, we are all aware that Singapore is known for their superb Maths standard. So what? Why twist and turn words in a mathematical sum? WORDS ---> belonging to the English language. Are we testing Mathematical concepts or English comprehension here? Do you think every Primary 6 teacher is equipped to solve such sums? Yes, yes, I know, they undergo training etc. I was one of them remember? I spent countless nights solving these sums in preparation for my lessons! Not all teachers can impart these concepts. Why the need to send our kids to good private tutors then?
What's this about this year's sums being no different from other years? Actually, that's exactly my point. Year in, year out. Samo, samo. Why fix it if it ain't broke, right? We're top Maths performers in the world.... yadda yadda. Authorities, wake up your idea, man!
Sigh. This will never end. I will end my day's blog with this though. There have been people who did badly for their PSLE, who are now performing far better than those who did well. So parents, take heart. Don't be the idiots which those idiots take you to be. Be there for your kid regardless. Period. Can't stress enough. One day, your kids will remember, not the PSLE questions. Not their results. But that through their tears or their fears (or in my son's case, his smiles!) the fact that their Mummy or Daddy was there patting (not whacking) their backs.
7 Oct 2009
Heartland Blooms
Beautiful blooms in Toa Payoh Central.
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Unfortunately, when Mike and I tried to find a place to sit under the beautiful canopy of bougainvilla blooms, we found the benches occupied by people who were sleeping on them instead. Yes, way too cozy.
6 Oct 2009
PSLE 2009
PSLE written papers start tomorrow, 7th October 2009!!!
7 Oct (Wed) - English
8 Oct (Thur) - Math
9 Oct (Fri) - Mother Tongue
12 Oct (Mon) - Science
13 Oct (Tues) - Higher Mother Tongue
7 Oct (Wed) - English
8 Oct (Thur) - Math
9 Oct (Fri) - Mother Tongue
12 Oct (Mon) - Science
13 Oct (Tues) - Higher Mother Tongue
1 Oct 2009
Happy Children's Day 2009!
Happy Children's Day!
So it's a school holiday for primary school kids. Bet many of you mommies and daddies are on leave today huh?
My son and all his P6 schoolmates had to go to back to school today for supplmentary lessons because their PSLE is next week. I can't thank his teachers enough. The P6 kids were even treated to a lunch of chicken wings and pizza!
So it's a school holiday for primary school kids. Bet many of you mommies and daddies are on leave today huh?
My son and all his P6 schoolmates had to go to back to school today for supplmentary lessons because their PSLE is next week. I can't thank his teachers enough. The P6 kids were even treated to a lunch of chicken wings and pizza!
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