When daddy is back...

... just in time to read me stories...

Thanks daddy for making the effort to come home earlier today! ^_^

Kiasu Mommy...

I started Mandarin tuition for Caden since last week. Hihihi….

Ok, maybe the title is somewhat right, but I have my reasons for it.

We don’t speak Mandarin at all at home and I don’t want Caden to struggle hard at school later on. Hope this will train his tiny ears on the hideous and super difficult language (I think).

For now what we are doing is just playing, sing-songs and do some very simple art and craft, completely in Mandarin. At first Caden looked confused and unsecured of a stranger talking to him in such a closed distance, but on the 3rd lesson, Caden was starting to relax – he wasn’t look for me every minute anymore. I could sit on the dinner table (about 5 meters away) while observing him playing with the teacher and helped the teacher once in a while.

I have seen the improvement on him. He understood the word fang jin lai (which means: clean up) only on the 3rd lesson.

[Yeyyy….mommy so happy!]

I hope soon, when he is ready, we could pre-nursery’s Mandarin lesson.

Caden at 17 months

I am always thank GOD to be able to spent every moment of my life

with Caden!

I will love you alwayss...

My First SBS Bus Ride

Mommy had an idea! hehe... I brought Caden to his first experience in a SBS bus ride today! We were in there for only 1 stop, though. I don't think Caden realized where he was just yet and we already have to get off from the bus.

We took Bus #161 from the one in front of CK Tang and stopped in front of Hereen.

Chillin' @ Orchard Road

Where mommy....wheree????

We went to the Botanic Garden today! Caden was happy that Daddy was willing to join us for the first time! yeyyy!!!

This pictures show how Caden is 'signing' the word where??? (not too sure if it's the right ASL -American Sign Language - sign for the word where, though!).

He likes to sign where. He would sign where when we are looking for our car in the parking lot, or when he is looking for someone or things. In this case, through his actions, he was implying, "Where are the birds, mommy??"

It's so cute to see how he did it. I already thought him a couple of times that he should put his hand next to his cheeks, but I think, it makes more sense to him if he put it in front of his mouth.^_^
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PS: We were planning to go to the Jacob Ballas Children Garden and show daddy how interesting Caden's favorite garden is, but we just knew that they were closed on Mondays. Oh well...

@ Jacob Ballas

Chinese Language

There are lots of reasons why we should learn Mandarin:

One, Chinese language is said to be the 2nd most important language in the world, therefore it is very important that Caden can master (both verbal and non-verbal) the hideous and super difficult language fluently.

Two, daddy wants Caden to be able to understand Mandarin at the back of his hand. Daddy even said, Indonesian is not important for now as it is very easy for him to catch up later.

Last but not least, we are Chinese and it’s kind of embarrassing for a Chinese not being able to understand his own language.

Many have said that their children are coping not so well in school (or pre-school) because of the extreme difficulty in the language. Being a Chinese descendent mom, who is completely blind in the language of my ancestors, will make it even more challenging for Caden to understand the language.

It's a simple fact that children have a much easier time learning any new language because they have not yet developed the barriers to learning that we tend to develop as adults.

Learning Mandarin for kids is simply a matter of surrounding themselves with their playmates who speak Mandarin. So, I thought by enrolling him in a Chinese environment class is a good start towards the goal, and because it is a parent-and-child class, I am able to learn a little bit of Chinese, too.

Oh gosh!! Tell me about the difficulty in Chinese!

I had headaches in our first class. I was constantly trying to understand what was the teacher was saying by looking at her body language and trying to catch some words that I may know (in all, maybe I know about 10 words? Hehe….)

Caden felt the difference in the class, too. He knew this is not the usual English class that he attends. He was clingier to me and tried to observe the difference in the classroom surrounding. He observed the teacher closely when she was talking in the planet language that he has never heard before.

Today, we came for our 2nd class, it was much better for Caden, but I am still so blur in the class! I do wish, I will pick up the language soon so that I am able to help Caden a little.

I hope this is worth the effort that Caden will be coping well in Mandarin at school later on.

PS: The Lauze(s) (or teachers) are excellent! I believe it’s better than the English one.

Jake's 1st B'day Party

oh...I am not alone?

I am surprise to know that I am not alone whose husband is always away for almost the whole weekdays. Bringing Caden to Julia Gabriel School opens my horizon about it!

From my conversation with the mommies there, I found out that more than half of the class has the same situation as mine. And all of them said, “What could we (mommies) do? His job requires a lot of traveling.”

Once, a friend encouraged me to talk with Paul seriously, so that he may be agree to change his job to the one that doesn’t requires lots of traveling. Therefore, he would have more time to spend time with Caden.

==> which is impossible to happen (at least for the time being)

Not that I am not agree with what she says. I agree completely! We used to argue about this a lot. And I am tired about it!

I am just glad that Paul travels starts at Caden's early years. I hope he would accept easily that daddy will not be at home every weekdays for work. Rather than having daddy to travel when he is older – which may make him cry or miss him so much every week when daddy has to go.

I believe, up ‘till now, Caden handles the situation - with daddy’s not around on the weekdays - pretty well. He played a lot with daddy and looks for him all the time while he is at home, but plays with mommy, suster, oma, or ii Valerie when daddy is not around.

I only hope that Caden (and I) would be strong if ever this situation has to continue for a long long time.
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The above picture is taken today. This week, Daddy came home last night (Saturday night) and would only have time for Caden today(Sunday), as tomorrow (Monday) at 6am, he would have to go from home to catch a 7.30am flight.

I don't let Caden watch TV at all, only DVD for once or twice a week only, with 30 minutes at each time. I make an effort so that DVD time is a special time for Daddy and Caden to bond. So everytime Caden asked to watch his DVD, I would say, "Wait for daddy at the end of the week okay? He will be here soon."

And yes, Caden would wait and asks for it again when daddy is around.

First Experience : an audition

An agent called and asked me if I am interested in auditioning Caden for Singapore Art Museum Corporate Video three days ago. Waaa… I was surprised!

I thought there is no harm in attending the audition. I would love to see how audition is like. So off we went this morning to the audition site at 9am.

If ever Caden is selected, I am not even sure yet if I would be agree to start Caden's career as an actor. There are lots of things that I would have to consider and it would not be an easy one.

But after the audition, I doubt that Caden would even get chosen. hehe.... There was nothing much, though. The director was only shooting Caden with a video camera for 15 minutes and tried to get the best shot of him.

Apparently, Caden was very quiet; he did not even once smile. He wasn't in the mood for some video shooting this morning. ^_^

It’s okay, I have told Caden again and again that just to be himself and do the best that he can! I am glad that I decided to go for the audition, it was a new experience for us that we won't forget.

The pictures above were taken after we are back from the audition. I was so overwhelmed with all of the audition thingy that I forgot to take picture of him inside the audition room. ^_^

Caden newest hobby when we arrived at the lift lobby is to press both sides of the lift so that the door would be open, wait until it’s closed and press it again so that the door would be open again.

He will be so amused by it. New discovery: His pressing of the button = to opening the door of the lift.

Lion Dance

Just in time to catch the last bit of Lion Dance at our Condominium.

sick sick sick...

Caden almost recover from his flu but unfortunately a few days ago, oma and ii Valerie are starting to get sick. Today, it’s pretty worst, especially for Oma, that she decided to use a mask everytime she plays with Caden.

Mommy, started her runny nose today!

*sigh*

I really really hope Caden would not get a different flu strain from us.

Be Strong, My Boy!!

Airplane

If Noah (one of Caden’s best friend) is into cars, Caden is into airplanes.

At first I bought him an airplane to let him know that when daddy is not around, he is in an airplane. hehe...

He loves to play with it -- holding the airplane and mimics just as if the airplane is flying. Once he was excitedly playing that he hits his own forehead with it and left a blue-black mark on.

I just bought this (in picture) new airplane at Toys R Us. This one is cool. It can gives out sound (very similar to the real one) and can run on the ground (there is a spring in the wheels).

When we turn on the sound and make it run at the same time, its look like the airplane is really going to take off.

Looking for preschool...

@Julia Gabriel -- Bubble time --

Who would have thought that looking for pre-school have to start out this early? I mean, Caden is only able to enter pre-nursery mid of next year and I am actually in the middle of deciding if I should put Caden in pre-nursery next year or at nursery the year after – year 2010.

I started to look for school 3 weeks ago and found out that a Christian school nearby has over 40 waitlist for 2010 nusery! I was SHOCKED! It’s TWO whole years from now and yet they have enrolled hundreds of students and have 42 students on the waiting list!

Ok, so the search for the perfect school for Caden began and I have to think fast if I want him in the morning school (at around 8.30am) or later in the afternoon (at around 11.30am).

I also have to decide if I want him in nursery at 2010 or pre-nursery next year.

After some thoughts, I decided to take the morning class and enrolled him for 2010 while keeping him with me at Julia Gabriel for the whole of pre-nursery. Anyway, I am not ready to let him go to school for the whole 3 hours (or more) all by himself…. ^_^ I also think that Christian school would be better for him and not to forget, his dad wants school that has good mandarin program!!! It’s a MUST!

So many criteria for this little boy of mine!

So I have waitlisted him in some schools and hopefully he will get either one of them or else we would be doomed! Hehe…Well, some schools has not opened their registration time yet, so the registration starts, I will be the first one in front of their door to put Caden’s name in.

Criteria of a perfect preschool for Caden:
- Very close to home
- Excellent Mandarin program – daddy wants
- Christian school – mommy wants
- Not to mention: clean, good teachers, & good school reputation

******* Good luck for Mommy!!! *******

Go Go Bambini

We checked out Go Go Bambini today. They claimed to be the largest indoor playground in Singapore offering active in an air-conditioned environment for children aged 0-11 years.

The one at Paris Ris is much bigger, though.

But this one is much closer to home, though it’s much more crowded even at school days afternoon.

Caden always loves to play this kind of place -- big environment, where he can run about just about everywhere, trying different skills – up and down the stairs, swim in a pool of balls, go through the tunnel, etc.

It’s also a good exercise for Caden (and mommy). He would be very tired and would have a longer nap time afterwards.

China boy in Orchard

After a day at home, mommy finally brought Caden out this morning. We went to Orchard. As it was only the 2nd day of Chinese New Year, all the stores were closed (except for some restaurants).

So we played at the indoor playground at Paragon and looked for some birds outside Takashimaya. Apparently, they were looking for some food this morning! So mommy quickly bought some bread at a convenience store nearby.

Caden wasn't afraid of the birds, even at a very close encounter. I was surprised!

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Now that we know what time we should come by to Orchard Road to see the birds. ^_^

Happy Chinese New Year 2008!!!

Daddy arrived at home at 9.30am. Mommy told him to change to his Chinese New Year shirt (that mommy had bought, purposely so it will matches Caden's). I took the pictures while they were playing and had father-son bonding after 4 days being away from each other.

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[The danced together, they ate Indomie (Indonesian Instant Noddle) (for good luck??? ^_^) together, and they messed around together]

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ah..so nice to see them playing together. How I wish this times will come more often, but Daddy's job makes it impossible! *sigh*

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Well, it's Chinese New Year, a happy occassion for everyone. I am just glad that Daddy able to come home in time to celebrate it with us.

Welcoming the year of Rat!!

Delivery Boy

Just in time for the Chinese New Year delivery! ^_^