CHANs on the Little-Red-Dot 2009

It's not hard to be left out when you have a little sister's who's experiencing many 'FIRSTS' this year. Letitia was very patient and indeed sailed back into the school year quite hassle free and happy. This year, Letitia had her favourite teacher again as her class teacher. This teacher actually requested to 'follow' this class up the ranks in view that she has lots of ideas and creativity to make them do well in school. Except that, in Primary 3, the class size grows and this poor young teacher has the BIGGEST class of all of 43 kids. Phew! Am often praying for her and feeling like she's got it tough... from a mother's perspective, I barely survive juggling TWO and yet, she has 43!!

Letitia has to wake even before the sun rises around 6am every morning in order to get into school by 7.10am. School lessons starts at 7.25am. She has an extremely long day as it finishes at around 1.25pm with an occasional 'extra' events continuing till 4pm. Being a light eater, she'd rather skip morning tea and head to the library to check out the latest books. Thus when come lunch time (late!), she's starving...


Letitia is our Ms Initiative as she's happy to get on with all the homework available for the day. Often, she's so tired that I will have to FORCE her to have a nap, yet she'll fall asleep mumbling that she may not finish her work. And yes, we have A LOT OF HOMEWORK, some of which is too tough for my housewifey mind to understand.
Letitia asked to take a picture in to hot midday sun. Poor thing. Her eyes are unable to open as she is on Atropine drops that dilate her pupils making her reliant on her transitional glasses to protect her. So when it's bright, you'll see her eyes closed shut (body's response).
This is my happiest moment EVERYDAY when I see her running to me. She is home now. Safe and can rest till the next day of 'education' in the little red dot!

ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER

This one is a little different.... Two Different Versions.... Two Different Morals

OLD VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away..

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed.

The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself!

MODERN VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving.

Channels 7, 9 and 10,the ABC and SBS show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

Australia is stunned by the sharp contrast.

How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green.'

Acorn stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, 'We shall overcome.' Cardinal George Pell then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.

Prime Minister Rudd condemns the ant and blames John Howard, Robert Menzies, Capt James Cook, and the Pope for the grasshopper's plight.

Bob Brown exclaims in an interview on Today Tonight that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and calls for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, Labor in conjunction with the Greens draft the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confisca ted by the Government and given to thegrasshopper.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper and his free-loading friends finishing up the last bits of the ant’s food while the government house he is in, which, as you recall, just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around them because the grasshopper doesn't maintain it.

The ant has disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again.

The grasshopper is found dead in a drug rela ted incident, and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the ramshackle, once prosperous and once peaceful, neighborhood.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in 2011.

I’ve sent this to you because I believe that you are an ant – not a grasshopper! Make sure that you pass this on to other ants. Don’t bother sending it on to any grasshoppers because they wouldn’t understand it, anyway.

Mathena stepped into the doors of Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School yesterday. 4th Jan 2010. She missed out on the orientation the year before hence this is a NEW experience for her. Mathena is our trooper and our brave little girl. Even the teacher (at the end of the day) was attracted by her smile and ooomph! She's been in and out of this school many times as Letitia goes there as well so it is not entirely a new place to her. But the uniforms, the shoes, the bags, the classroom, the teachers etc is an exciting event! We celebrate her, her milestone, her life and of course, we can't help but THANK GOD for the entire experience.

Mathena seemed fine when I visited her during her recess. She was assigned a nice 'little' buddy,
the same statue as her during this season of maybe 2 weeks. This Primary 2 child has the role

I thought I better document this before I get into another whirl wind of busyness.

It is official! I have STOPPED homeschooling.

In the midst of getting the girls ready to face another school year, the books, the prep
talks, the uniforms, the rules, the timetables, the lunch boxes, the planning and not to forget the ever difficult task of punching all their routines into my faithful phone/organiser etc. I actually forgotten that as of today, 4th January 2010, I am NO LONGER a homeschooler.

The last of my off-springs has happily bounced off to the big world of Singapore
education. Roller bag and all.

I still struggle inside. I struggle not for the saying 'farewell' but for the simple
lost of the joy that I used to have when I saw their little faces light up, when they
'got it'. The thrill I once knew when they will run/turn to me as if I was the ONLY
walking dictionary they know of. The pleasure of knowing that we can pack up
and travel ANYWHERE around the world and STILL be educated with TONS of fun
piled on.

When Letitia first stepped into school a year plus ago for the last quarter of Primary 1
I learnt to let go. I relented my 'teacher hat' but rediscovered a new role all
together with her. I became her moral and mental coach. I had to revamp the entirety
of the school concept to make it look fun, positive and worth pursuing. I've learnt
to hold Letitia's hand when she is unsure, to challenge her to try the unknown and
yes, to encourage her to ENJOY learning, though noone else seems to be keen.
She's fighting each day to NOT be held down by the scores, the marks and the
rankings. She knows it, I drill it, we WANT to believe it but.... it's still a long
process.

Mathena being the 2nd child, we just love her for who she is. She is
very unassuming yet every bit unpredictable. Just when we expect her to shine in
confidence, she'll fall to bits at the slightest change. She's learnt most of the ropes
with regards to school through the many days and hours I have spent in Letitia's
school. Now she is HOLDING these ropes, tightly and very eager to climb.

I believe every part of our lives is blessed by GOD. Even when we don't ask for it,
GOD blesses us. I have been blessed. These 2 girls will constantly remain the two
bestest gifts I have ever received from GOD and Alex. Even when we were tossing on
whether to foot out the money (desks are NOT cheap!) in search for a suitable desk,
we found one at 1/10 of the price as new, as good! At tehe 11th hour, unexpected!
Even THIS is a blessing...

I now juggle 2 systems of schooling. I now juggle 2 personalities and learning
types. I now have EVEN less time to myself. I have one daughter to herself half the
day every day. I am blessed!

Thank you, God!

The Christmas version

1 Corinthians 13

If I decorate my house perfectly with Christmas bows,
Strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but I do not
show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtimes, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

If I work in the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have
To charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.
If I trim the house with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of parties and sing in the choir, but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug a child.
Love sets aside decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love does not envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails,
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost,
Golf clubs will rust.
But giving the gift of love will endure.

Merry Christmas!

This year, we have BOTH the CHUA granparents here with us. We'll have a quiet
Christmas EVE, then attend our church's FIRST ever Christmas Day family
service, then lunch with 'extended family'. From the above, will whip up
simple Christmas dinner but have a few new friends over.

It is now December and as per normal, I will write a newsletter (sent)
or a blog to cap off the year.

Being a Covenanter, we've been taught to start things with the end
in mind. Thus this year 2009, we started with trepidation yet with the
end in mind....to finish well, joyous and one step closer to GOD!

2009 seemed to whip past too quickly. With Letitia pouncing into her
very first school year (Primary 2) in the public system, we took each
step in our own stride and made many progress and memories.
We salute the teachers that helped in educating and teaching Letitia,
in helping her learn to love the tough subjects and also in miraculously
bringing her to love the Chinese language.

Mathena stood proud and strong in her many achievements. She picked up
numbers and maths like a fish in water and matured tremendously in her
work at home. She's still reading non stop (like sis) but we've decided
to curb her Myopia with treatment before it gets too bad. Each year, we
see her blossom into a fine young lady and just today, her FIRST baby
tooth showed signs of shaking...

Our major trip this year was our 'return' trip to BRISBANE and SYDNEY.
It was an amazing yet eye opening trip where we recaptured our hearts
to the dry and dusty land of sunburnt sand. We fell in love(again) with the
clear blue skies, the clean cool air, the lovely breezes plus the never
ending coastal lines. We linked back up to our families (cousins to the
kids) and of course had a whale of a time catching up with friends of
long. We ate up our Aussie favourites (Pavlovas, meat pies, lots of
steaks, custards etc) and also went back many a memory lane for the
girls.... we know where home is! Just not sure when we can make it home
just yet!

Alex's year at work has lots of lows via the recession and the financial
crash. Being in the bank directly effected many things including the fast
and desperate need to hand in projects, to prove it's relevance and also
to create 'fund-worthy' things. He had to juggle people coming and going,
making it frustrating and challenging when things had to be done yet there's
not that many around to do it..... we wish dearly we could help out but
we only stood by him and gave him lots of cuddles. We love him dearly!

As a summary, we've spent majority of the year aiming to achieve 'heavenly'
things. Things that no human eye could see or measure. Events that touches
not just the outward but definately the inward. We spent many hours just
loving, being and listening. We've been SUPERBLY blessed by friendships,
care and love from all those around us. We NEVER felt alone nor 'isolated'.

As we near the end, my biggest role is to continue to host as many people
possible in my home (visitors), to create 'impact' in the visuals for the
coming children's camp in our church as well as redirect the hearts of
MANY families back to the basics of parenting while DAILY, being thankful
for being where we are.

Thank you to ALL who's been part of our lives in 2009!
God Bless You All!

She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her. ~ Proverbs 31:12

This trip, we told ourselves that we'll have a walk through
memory lane at the same time pretend we are home. We wanted
to have a 'look' at home to see if we were ready to move back..

We came back to Singapore, unsure to call Singapore
home yet, our beds are here. It's nice to be back to our
normal environment. Our hearts are sadden by the
goodbyes and the moments missed yet, we trust that
our GOD has a plan and we are in this place for a reason
(thanks for the reminder, Fred!). The day will come when
we've done all we are here for and HE will send us home
hopefully. Back to our soul-mates, our family friends, our
blood relatives and also a land we miss.

Thanks to all for the memories!

Just a quick note: we'll be travelling home to OZ 4-18 Nov. Here's an idea
of our whereabouts:
4-5th: Arrive at Brisbane
5-7th: Family time with CHANs up the Sunshine Coast (Coolum Beach)
7-8 Time in Brisbane with CHUA family and friends then off to SYDNEY (9-12th)
10-11th A visit to Wollongong where girls grew up from..12-13th SYDNEY - Brisbane, then drive down to the Gold Coast for an overnight R & R (just 4 of us only!)Then back to Brisbane till the 17th with Brisbane friends and family (CHUAs)
Will go past Toowong Village, shop at Indooroopilly..Enjoy Italian at Savoir Faire, Milton !