This is my favorite.....

I pointed to Stephen's nose and said "This is my favorite nose". He giggled, then I continued,"This is my favorite eye, this is my favorite mouth...."

Before I could finish, he picked up my sentence "This is my favorite son!"

Stephen's idea of "bad ham"

Dad brought some new type of ham. Stephen looked at it," Yiiii, what kind of ham is it?"

"Just try it" I put one slice on his breakfast plate.

"No, I would not" He sounded very convincing. put it back on my plate.

"Ok, never mind"

A while later, Stephen said "This ham looks so terrible."

"Do you want to 'destroy' it?" I tentatively cut a small piece offered to him. He took it tentatively.

"Ennnn, This ham is very bad enemy, I must destroy it All"

haha, he finished the ham really fast, by the way, it was "destroying" not "eating"

"I am only one year old"

We have learnt over the years to be merciful as the Father is merciful, especially to our children. So we decided to discipline children according the severeness of offence and their age.

So if Paul has a caneable offence, he will be getting 10 canes; Prisca 8, and so on

Yesterday, Stephen refused to go to Sunday school, and his father told him that he would get cane once we were home.

Stephen is in the age that he starts to receive canes. He was told to turn back and lean upon the bed. His father gave him a cane on his backside. He burst out into saying :
"But I am only one year old"

If you give a mouse a cookie....

We all know this story.....

Yesterday was the Father day. After church, the whole family went to Swanson for lunch to celebrate "Father's day."

The manager of Swanson was extremely kind. He offered various gifts, drawing, stickers...and a mouse pad for children.

This morning, Stephen came to me saying "Mum, please give me a computer and a mouse so I can use my mouse pad."

Does it sound familiar?

the story can be like this:

"If it happens to be a Father's day, and you want to bring children out for lunch.
then, they may want to go a restaurant of their choice..
Chances are they will have some goodies, as these restaurants always do to catch these children's heart,
If they happen to receive a mouse pad, which picture of Winnie the Pooh, they will ask for a computer with mouse to go with it.

And
......"

"I love you"---"Thank You"

After watching "Avan almight", Stephen has a little twist....



I give Stephen a kiss and say:

"I love you."

He is busy with his some little toy, and replies without even lifting his head.

"Thank You."

Scooter

My neighbour passed down two scooters to my children. The number one and number two were really enjoying them. Recently we brought another one for number three, who is five. The youngest one, 3, felt "not fair"

I told him when he is five,he will also be getting one scooter.

One night, children wanted to ride their scooters to grandma' house, I told them sternly "No one shall ride scooters to grandma's house" because it was dark and late.

My number four came to me, in a very innocent manner, "Mummy, I will not ride scooter to granda's home, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A SCOOTER" He opened this hands, said seriously,I cannot not help but laughting. "You are very cute!"

"I will look after you"

Last Saturday, our whole family went to Sentosa to visit one of our children's most favorite places- Luge. It has a sky-ride across the tree top and a 300 meters long luge ride.

Children were very excited and they are all very skillful. I took a car with Stephen. By nature, I am not adventurous at all, and am afraid of "excitement" of this kind.

The instructor explained patiently the safety measure. I cautiously set out.

Stephen then spoke to me "Don't be afraid mummy, I will look after you."....

Can God make it a new shell?

It was after rain. The air was fresh. We decided to take a little walk.

Along the path to the little hill, we found a bird was trying to pick up a snail. The sound of our coming stirred it, it flapped its wings and flew away. We then found the wounded snail lying upside down on the ground.

For a while,it did not move, half of its shell was broke. The snail slowly girded up its strength and turned up on its food. Then it started to cross the road.

We watched it moving, slowly and painfully ( it must be).

"Mummy, can you buy a new shell for this snail, can you?" Stephen asked quite anxiously.

"No, I can't buy, there is no shell for sales in the shops. Only God can make it a new shell."

That seemed comforted him.

A few days later, we went pass the path again, Stephen asked "I wonder has God made shell for that snail yet?"

"He must have" I replied. In my heart, I pray that God will grant his little hope.

Good night, my little baby

As bed routine, I always recite a psalm like Psalm 23or hymn to Stephen, then say to him:" Good night my little baby."

Over years, he can recite with me most pieces. Now, after I say to him "Good night, my little baby," he replies "Good night, my little mummy."
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"She is not my friend."

Every morning, Stephen will bring one of his toys to his playgroup. Though I am not so approving, I don't see the big problem either. Two days ago, one of his classmates had birthday celebration, which brought every child a toy. So today he insists to bring that one.

After school, today, the teacher asks me whether the toy is Stephen's. I affirm, but a little girl, cries to say that is her toy. (the whole class had the same toy)

Nevertheless, I think it is good opportunity to preach to Stephen not to bring toy to school again. " See, Stephen, do not bring toy to the school anymore, your friend is so upset."

"But, she is not my friend!" Stephen replies.

Happy Birthday, My baby

My youngest son Stephen turns three today. Happy Birthday, Stephen. I consider it significant for the following reasons:

1. All my children are now relatively independent for now on


2. The need of demanding "mother" is less, I mean here physically, while I am fully aware of other demands increasing


3. I can therefore,bargain some extra time for my "own" interests and liking, (quite legitmate reason, right, after all, I have been a "full time mother" for ten years :=)
   

So there, I have extra reason to celebrate my youngest son Three Year birthday. What amazing changes from a baby to a three years old.

Stephen one day old

Stephen 3 years old

Stephen's Thinking

When I fetched Stephen from his playgroup today, His teacher told me he wetted his pants. I asked him "Who had wetted his pants?". He said " Stephen". "Why? didn't he tell teacher?" Stephen replied "No, because he is bad."

I was surprise for his answer, I presumed that he thought only bad boys wet pants, that was because my reactions towards him when he wetted the bed at home, I had scolded him for wetting the bed. But I never intent to relate "wetting pants" to "bad boys".

So we had a little talk. I told him, sometimes even good boys wet their pants, sometimes even big ones too. He was quite surprise but definitely happy. "So I am not a bad boy, because I was too urgent". "That right, next time, when you want to susu, go straightaway tell teachers, Okay?"

"Okay, mummy." Stephen gave me a big kiss on the lips. Then he said, "I have a coffee kiss"

Where does honey come from?

"What does the bee do?
Making honey
What do the children do?
Eating up honey
What does Dad do?
Making money
What does Mum do
Spending up money...."

My soon to be three years old came to me affectionately "Mum, when your birthday comes, I will buy you a blue camera, cost three dollars, a lot lot of money."
"Thank you, where do your money come from?" I asked
"From the wallet."
"Where do you wallet come from?"
"From the cabinet"
"Oh, but how does money go into the wallet?"
"My dad buys for me."

So, that is where money comes from. I gave him a kiss. He ran away to play

Everyone's Baby

It is really an advantage to be the youngest child in a big family (relatively). Our baby Stephen is everyone’s baby. Having so many people around him with
all “hee ,hoo, Haa”s, he certainly has the most stimulating environment of all.

That results in his advanced speech, at age of 10 months, he can name quite number of nouns, at age of two, he speaks perfect Singa-nglish, with some big words like “actually”, “wonderful”, “delicious” or “exhausted”. All credits due to his bigger brothers and sister.

This is the life demonstration of Dr Suzuki’s Talent Development Theory, children from the same parents, in different environment, may show different talents as nature develops. I was not involved so much in Stephen’s early education, but his siblings were. Paul taught him to somersaule, Prisca read stories to him, and Noah taught him “A, B, C” and number… He is rather to follow brothers and sister most of time.

However, one problem he has is that he claims ownership of anything he likes. That annoys his siblings greatly. For our house role is “the big always gives in the small” and “to give is more blessed than to receive”. After thousands of these “biblical” experiences, our three older children start to avoid him.

“Stephen, go to mummy, don’t disturb me” Noah is saying and protecting his newly built lego castle;
“Qu,Qu, Stephen, go to mummy,” Prisca speaking from her room
“Oh, no, not again, Mummy, can you take Stephen away!!” Paul shouting for my help….

Yes, “supermum” comes to rescue. "It is time to wind this baby up" I think.
Stephen runs into my arms "Ma Ma, Bao Bao". He is still my baby.