On this Mother’s Day

“I love being a mother. It has its ups and downs but there’s no better feeling than unconditional love from my children. “

(Unknown quotes)

Mothers’ day…

People will start to talk about the love of mothers, unconditional love.

It is so true that Mothers’ love is the best and also unconditional love.

But on this year, I realize so many things.. Let me do some listings:

Mommy – Not a good chef.

Kids – Never complain

Mommy – Sometime lost patient

Kids – Never complain

Mommy – sometime pick up late from school

Kids – Complain sometime but never angry

Mommy – Happen before forget to come to school to watch their show

Kids – Never mind mama, next time don’t forget, okay

Mommy – Forget to prepare their crafts for school (Happened before)

Kids – It’s okay, I did other things in the class, mama.

Most of the time, they satisfy with what they have. Of course they want this and that, whatever their friends have, they also ask me to buy for them. And of course most of the time I also need to reject their request. But they are fine. Never nagging.

Recently, happened that I was too careless until TT got hurt on his finger. It was very bad, very painful, and he had to be brought to hospital with Ambulance and his finger needed to be stitched. When I said sorry to him because I was too careless, he answered me, ” IT’S OKAY, MAMA”

My tears all down, and some more, he was still able to smile at me even though he was in pain.

And on this mother day, I would like to share how I am so grateful having these two boys of mine, who always shower me with their unconditional love. All thanks to God.

They are not two perfect boys, but they are two amazing boys that God has given and entrusted to my husband and me, and we need to raise them properly, so that in each of their growth, they shall always glorify God.

As I am also not a perfect mommy, but I have my boys who always accept me as I am.

Happy Mothers’ day to all Mothers all around the world ^_^

“My sons love me no matter what, they make me smile, make me laugh, bring joy to my heart. When I need hugs and kisses from them, they will always be there. They really love me no matter what. ” 

~ PRAYER ~

“Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life.”

~ Jonathan Edwards  ~

Ever since my two boys were still inside my tummy, both, my husband and I prayed together with our unborn babies…

When they were babies, we prayed together with them…

When they grow up become toddlers, slowly, we asked them to pray together with us and follow our prayer

Now they can pray by themselves and pray for others as well.

Teaching our kids how to pray is very important so they will understand that God always be there and listen to their prayer. That’s one of ways to talk to God.

Last night, JJ cannot sleep and I asked him why he cannot sleep. He told me that because he wanted the daddy to be in his room and sleep with him.  I told him that the daddy need to do something.
I asked JJ to pray and tell Jesus that he cannot sleep.

In the morning, he told me that he fell asleep after he prayed.

One day, after school, TT told me that his teacher’s leg is pain and he said that he want to pray for her before he sleep. It remind me to JJ when he was still at nursery class, he also once prayed for his teacher.

These are only few samples, now they love to pray.. Develop a good habit such as prayer is the good one.

Kids will learn and understand that they need to pray everyday, any time as they need air to breath.

They need to praise and glorify God through their prayers

They need to thanks to God for everything that they have

They need to  ask for forgiveness from God everyday

They need to learn how to pray and think for others

They also need to pray for themselves every day too ask for God’s guidance and wisdom.

and so on…

” To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”
- Martin Luther King Jr -

Have you started it with your children? Would you like to share how you start teaching how to pray with your children?

Keep this Chain of Love

2012 has ended and now we are in a new year, 2013.

Same as years before, I was blessed last year, I saw how my family was blessed by God, although not everything went smoothly, but we really feel and see the inclusion of God for our family. So many things happened in 2012, it was first time for TT went to school, JJ had eyes surgery, and so on.  But again, I can see how God always loves and protects our family. I know that God will always be with us, and guide our family. Not only last year or years before, but also this years and coming years.

Kids grow together, play together, laugh together, talking together, love each other, take care of each other, help each other, and also quarrel to each other

One thing for sure, they really love each other, and this is also confirmed by their school teachers and some of my friends who sometime hang out with them.

Sometime they like to hold hands together when they walk and talk to each other, they loves to talk to each other before they sleep, almost every day (unless when they are too tired and they will just go to sleep).  JJ teaches TT how to pray. They help each other. JJ loves to help TT doing something, yes, he is very caring towards his little brother. Meanwhile, TT can also sometime makes JJ laugh out of loud (well, there was one time, TT made JJ laugh out of loud until JJ vomited ).

I also can see the strong bond between kids and their daddy. Sometime they can tell to the daddy what had happened for one whole day before they sleep. They even sometime have a show for their daddy before they go to sleep. Yes, until now

But I don’t want it only happen in the past and now, I hope this chain of love will last forever. I hope that both, my kids will always love, help and support each other until when they grow older or even until when they are old later on

Also, I hope that the bond in this family between parents and kids, between JJ and TT and also between my husband and me will become stronger every day. And we realize that without God’s love,  all of this will not be happened.

Yes the most important thing that we must always remember to love God above all, obey God’s word and make the love of God to be the strong foundation of our family. Yes and it is our responsible as parents to teach our kids to always to love God more than everything.

Last but not least, I know it is a bit late to say it now, but still I really want to say it to all of you
“Welcome the new year with a new spirit, a new plan and a new commitment ..

Hoping to be a better person in 2013.

Thanks to God for blessing me with a wonderful husband, wonderful and nice boys and all wonderful people around me (parents, siblings, family and friends)”.

Thank you also for your willingness to spend sometime to read my blog and also share your opinion here. I hope you will still support me on this year and years onwards

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM US

Back to the past habit : Christmas Card

“Thanks be to God for His unspeakable Gift–
indescribable
inestimable
incomparable
inexpressible
precious beyond words”.
–Lois Lebar

It’s been more than twenty years ago, I have stopped sending Christmas cards to others.

I have handphone.. I can sent them an sms.. Save my time and save my money.

That was what in my mind back then.

I still received some Christmas cards up to now, from my Insurance agent, bank, etc. But most of the time, I will get an sms or an email as the Christmas greeting. And some of my friends, including me, will just share on our Facebook wall to greet all friends, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Last year, one of JJ’s sunday school friend, sent him a Christmas card. JJ was so happy. It reminds me to my childhood. I had always been so happy when I received some Christmas cards from my relatives and friends. And I was so happy to list down my friends’ name and sent Christmas card to them. Every time, one month before Christmas, I bought so many Christmas cards. I have one aunty who has a printing business and her company will also prints Christmas cards, so sometime I will also get some from her. I bought stamps and put on the envelope, went to the post office. Well, it was so amazing.

It last only until I had my first mobile phone. I forgot the enjoyment sending Christmas card, I send sms to my friends and my relatives. Until today, I have never sent any Christmas card to my relatives and friends anymore.

This year, JJ and TT have already made some greeting cards, to me and my husband on The mothers’ day and The Fathers’ day, to their teacher on The Teachers’ day and also made two handmade cards for SPCA Fun Raising.

That gives me an idea to let my kids send some Christmas Cards to their relatives and friends this year. They made some Christmas card by them selves but I did not ask them to make those cards all by them selves because it will be quite numbers of Christmas cards, therefore I also bought some Christmas cards. I asked them to list down some of their friends and sent Christmas cards to their friends and relatives.

JJ and TT were so excited when they found out about this plan and they started to tell me names  of their friends.

Finally, here are some cards that they made it by them selves. Those cards are for their classmates. Simple but they made those cards with whole-hearted

 

Well, still not forgetting to tell them the real meaning of Christmas. It is not just a season holiday and only having fun with family and friends. We explain to them that the true meaning of Christmas is the born of Jesus Christ and the purpose of His coming to this world.

“The very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world was that He might offer up His life as a sacrifice for the sins of men.  He came to die.  This is the heart of Christmas”.
–Rev. Billy Graham–

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

GOD BLESS YOU

Daddy + Children = Best Friends Forever

“The conscience of children is formed by the influences that surround them; their notions of good and evil are the result of the moral atmosphere they breathe.” -Jean Paul Richter

I just heard a story about a family which is broken apart because of the mother’s big influence to her children. Well, I share this with the purpose to remind all mother and father  (including me, my self, of course! ) who stay at home and rise their children to be careful with what we say.

“A child miseducated is a child lost.” -John F. Kennedy-

This is really happen, and I shocked and cannot believe it when I heard this story from some one. I will just summary the story. There was a mother who always bad mouth the husband in front of her two children since the children young and the result, the children hate the father. The mother and the kids hate the father. Now that his children grows up and married. Though the younger child has reconciled with the father but the older one, still hates the father until now and always say bad things about the father.

Well, we have to be careful with our mouth, it will really give big impact to our children. As for me, most family I know, the mother will stay at home and take care of their children and the daddy go to the office and work. So that the time that the mother spends with the kids are more than the time that the father spends with the kids. Kids will have strong bonding with the mother. I feel pity to that family, especially with the kids who grow up in hatred, moreover, if they hate their own parents.

Understand that between husband and wife will have some clashes sometime, but it doesn’t mean that we have to implicate kids in our problem. Kids need both, daddy and mommy. I believe that all daddy who go to work will also longing their children, especially who work far away from their homes. We know someone who work only as a waiters, once he told us that he missed his children so much. He worked overseas and his salary is not really much so that he cannot any how going back to his country to visit his children. He liked to talk to my kids and played with them when we have lunch or dinner at that restaurant.

We as the mother should understand and appreciate that our husband go to the office and  work not for themselves but for us and our children.

I might not be a perfect mom as well, but I really want to always learn. I always try my best to maintain the close relationship and strong bonding between the father and my kids. We should make our kids to have a good impression about their parents.

Some of what I do to make the kids having a good bonding with their daddy:

1. I always try to find a time when I can bring kids to my husband’s office area for having simple and quick lunch together.
2. I always persuade my husband to spend time with the kids on some special occasions, such as: kids’ birthday, children’s day, Christmas, Valentine day, Father’s day, etc.
3. I always remind kids that they are so lucky as their father willings to take leave and spend time with them.
4. I also sometime left the kids with my husband (without me) for few hours so that they will have strong bonding.
5. On the father’s day and their father’s birthday, I will help kids to prepare something for their daddy.

It just something which is simple that we can do to make our kids know how their daddy love them, their daddy has to go to work everyday for them but still willing to spend time with them.

I also can see how much my husband love JJ and TT, and I really want him always become my kids’ best buddy and also set a good role for them. Indeed, my husband is JJ and TT’s best friend, they play together, spend time together and kids always be very happy every time see the daddy coming back home. They even very happy whenever I bring them to have a quick lunch with their daddy.

I really learn something from the story above. My purpose to write this post is to remind us, you and me as a mother to become the best connection between the daddy and children. Make them become best friends. Make the kids so proud that they have a very good daddy, let them know that their daddy loves them.

Yes, the daddy is kids’ best friend, don’t make them become enemy, moreover when we know that the daddy really loves his children.

“No influence is so powerful as that of the mother.”
-Sarah Josepha Hale-

Sometime, Help will not really help

“If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.” – Abigail Van Buren-

Well, Help will not help.. of course SOMETIME, NOT ALWAYS

Every parent has their own way in educating their children. As for me, I will not always help my kids in doing their things. Few examples are below.

Since they aged 2.5 year old, we have started to ask them to learn how to wear their own clothes. Do you thing it is too early for this age? Some people told me it is too early for them, but my answer is no, it is not too early. There is nothing wrong to let them learn.. Since they can do it them selves why do we have to always help them?

One day, we visited one of our relatives for their son’s birthday. Once we reached their place, we realized that JJ was sweating and I gave him his clothes and asked him to changed his clothes him self. And our auntie looked surprise and asked us how come JJ can changed and wore his own clothes. JJ was around 3 years old that time.

It also applied to TT, when he was 2.5 years old we also had already trained him to wear his own clothes. Well, we purposely involved JJ in teaching TT to learn to wear his own shirts. When TT struggle and cannot wear it him self, he will always ask my help, but I will always ask him to try it him self. Knowing that he cannot get any help from me, he will approach his brother, and JJ always help his brother. I told JJ not to always help TT when TT faces any difficulties. I tell JJ to let TT try to face it him self first, and once we think that he really cannot do it, we can help him then. Well, finally TT can do it him self until now. And somehow they make it fun and challenge each others who will be the faster in wearing their own clothes. Win or lose, doesn’t matter… The one who lose, will say “Learn from your failure”

Well it might not be that neat, but at least they learn something that they can do it them selves, not always depending on others. And at the end, I will help tidy up the clothes that they wear.

On JJ’s third years birthday, my mom brought him airplane Lego which should be for 7-12 years old. His daddy made for him. And well, it was always broken a part by TT as he was only 1 year plus that time. We decided to keep it for the time being because they were still too young to play it. Few months ago, we decided to open it for him as he asked for it and claimed that he can do it now. Firstly, his daddy helped him and guided him using the book. When it broke apart again, he asked his daddy to make it for him again and his daddy asked him to try it him self. Well, he was not confidence enough but we encouraged him to try first. Finally JJ (5 years old) can do it him self thought it is not perfect. And he was so happy with the result.

When JJ started to read (4 years old) he will read what ever words that he sees in the road. Sometime he will ask me, “Ma, how to read this?” I will not just read for him. I will always ask him to spell it him self and of course when he makes some mistakes on the spelling or reading, I will help him.

By doing this we will encourage them to not giving up easily, always try, and also make them independent.

Sometime by helping them, we are not helping them. By not helping them, we have already helped them.

                             “Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy.”
                                                               -Robert A. Heinlein-

Loving animals – Crafts

“A dog may be man’s best friend, but a child’s best friend is a puppy”. (Unknown)

Well.. I am glad that JJ and TT’s school have a project called “Community Project – Raising Fund for SPCA.

Parents and kids need to make any arts or crafts of the dog. And this project will be sold in order for the fund raising. This project’s aim is to impart and instill our children the right attitude in treating and caring for animals.

Well, this also gave them the art activity in their short break school holiday two weeks ago.  We did it together and yeah, kids also enjoyed. I cannot draw but I learnt to draw those two dogs from youtube. Initially, I planned to use stickers but my husband suggested it would be more impressive if I draw it my self. So I tried and I did it. Kids’ part is pasting those pictures. And Well, it is ready..

I hope my kids will also have the right attitude in treating and caring for animals. We don’t have any pets at home now. But I can see that they love dog, cat, fish and bird.

Well.. these two cards will be sold at the Fun Raising for SPCA. I know these two cards are very simple cards. But I am happy that I did have fun time together with my kids when we did this project together. It is not compulsory for all parents to get involved in this program, but I really hope that most of the parents and students in the school will get involved in this program. One of parents told me that she will get her daughter to make a necklace and put the picture of dog as the pendant together with her.

The result are as picture below. I do not upload pictures of the inside of those cards as it contains only text and a picture of a dog. Those pictures of the front side of those cards were drawn by me and pasted by JJ and TT. While the back side of those cards, I just stick  stickers.

Have you ever been involved in this kind of program? Would you like to share? 

JJ: I am big boy now, Mama!

Yes, time is fast! Fast, very fast! He is five years old now!

I still remember when I wanted to give birth him, it was my first pregnancy, I had no experience. Five years ago, the day that we’d been waiting for arrived. Baby JJ was coming to the world, to our family, to our lives.

He grows very well and healthy. We read him story everyday, yes, it was bible story. Since he was in my tummy he already listened to the story that the daddy read for him. When he was a baby until he was 3 years old, I read the story for him. He has started to read by him self when he was 4 years old. Once he can read by him self, he starts to read the story for TT until now.

He is a good teacher for his younger brother, he is a good brother for TT. He really protects his brother. Well, I find that he is not only protective to his brother but he is protective to the younger kids.

He has started to go to school since he was 2 years and 3 months. He loves his school time until now. Three hours in the school make him more mature and independent. And he loves to socialize with all his friends and teachers. His teachers have never have complaint about him. His friends love him.

Today, we celebrated his birthday at his school.. Some teachers who taught him when he was in pre-nursery and nursery, looked very happy and said that time flies. One of the  teacher’s assistant told me that JJ loves his brother so much and he knows how to take care his brother. He always stand up for his brother. He is very good. At the end she said that JJ and TT really know how to take care each other.

After celebration at school, we went to Science Centre and kids had fun there.. HAHA not only kids, but the mommy and the daddy also had fun there… The most important thing is that we can spent time together there as a family on JJ’s birthday. Another thing, we can see that JJ and TT were so happy, that’s make us happy

We are his parents thanks to God for blessing us with this wonderful boy, Yes, God bless us with two wonderful boys.

Now JJ is 5 years old. Time will keep move forward. Sometime I miss the time when he was a baby and I am glad that he is growing everyday.

My hope that he will grow become good boy and good man later on. Love God, love people and full of compassion towards others.

THANK YOU GOD for JJ is 5 years old now. MAY GOD BLESS HIM MORE AND MORE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JJ
WE ALL LOVE YOU

On The Teachers’ Day

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge — (Albert Einstein)

Three days ago, JJ and TT celebrated The Teachers’ Day in their school. I went to the school and saw what happened there. Some students will give gifts to their teachers as a token of appreciation to their teachers because they are very helpful and always encourage them.

Two weeks before kids celebrate teachers’ day at their school, we have already talked about giving teachers’ day gifts to their teachers. Kids are very excited to give their teachers gift. I asked them to make a list of their teachers’ name. And yes.. they did it.. they list all teachers in their school, all teachers that they know in their sunday school and all teachers in their tuition classes. Well.. I told them that they have to choose some of them.

Finally, we decided to buy these gifts as teachers’ day gifts and gave them to their teachers them selves.

They love their teachers. They have one same favorite teacher, let’s say her name is Ms. A. She taught JJ when he was in the pre-nursery class and I did request to the principal to let TT under her class also when TT in pre-nursery class. And yes, TT is in her class this year They love her very much, she is a very passionate teacher, very patient and also always encourage my sons in everything they do. I believe other parents also share the  same perpective as mine. I talked to some parents whose their children were in the same class with JJ and they were agree with me. Found out that it was not only me who request Ms. A for their kids. Some other parents, especially whose kids were taught by Ms. A, requested Ms. A to teach their other kids.

Kids also made their own card for their school teachers. They enjoyed it and were very happy when they gave those cards  to their teachers.

In the Chinese Language tuition class, JJ and TT also get two very good teachers. Too bad that JJ’s teacher who had been teaching JJ since JJ was pre-nursery had to go back to China recently. JJ loves her so much, but I am glad that his new teacher is also a very nice teacher. As for TT’s teacher, she is very patient and TT also likes her so much. We are not Chinese speaker, but we are very happy that JJ and TT get these two good teachers in their Chinese tuition class. My kids’ chinese improve a lot.

This all remind me to my secondary school’s form teacher. He is an old man, but he is a very cheerful man. He always be nice to his students. He has retired already. Once, my mom said that he came to my mom’s shop and asked about me.

Don’t forget that we also kind of teachers for our kids. Set a good example and give the best to our kids

Happy Teachers’ Day for all teachers all over the world.

A teacher’s purpose is not to create students in his own image, but to develop students who can create their own image. 
- Unknown Author -

Effort vs Result

Reblogged from mylifeismyrainbow:

My husband always tell me that the most important is the effort not the result. He applies it not only to my kids but also to me. Honestly, sometime I forget and want the best result in everything. But, again and again, I am reminded by what my husband said.

I have to always remember that I should not require the best result from my sons, but I should see from another point of view, it is their efforts.

Read more… 448 more words

Thinking to re-blog this post