The Week

It was a week to tie up the final clean up of our house. Clearing old furniture and making way for the new. I always like design - art, paper, colors and house, so...even with all the moving and clearing, it was enjoyable but exhausting. We created more corners and nooks for reading and fellowship. We have a wonderful corner in our bedroom, with our wing chair [a deal that I bought from craiglist], our big bookcase, a sheepskin and a lamp. Our dining room has finally regained its glory after standing in as a makeshift storeroom. And our balcony has gotten a new facelift with new tables, seats and I think we are going to add in some bamboo plants just to complete the look. So, with the many areas in our house for sitting, reading and sipping tea, we are ready to open the doors of our humble house not just to our Chinese New Year visitors, but to wonderful time of fellowship over God's word and organic tea:) and biscuits. I am really looking forward to that. It has been a week of blessings.

Tues & Thurs - Teaching this series in school of Tots has again taught me much and I will share this in a later entry. This week, I taught about the water. We dabbled with objects that floated and sinked, we looked at the uses of water and how it is so important to life. We had fun with water - ice cubes and blue berries, bubbles, ice lollies and swimming pool:) And I am glad that the tots could hide God's word in their hearts and thank Him for making water.

Wed - BSF has commenced again. And this time, our group members [CC and I are in the same group] are all young mothers or wives just like us. And they are a nice lot. I look forward again to lying down on the green pastures and sitting beside the still waters. 

Fri - Audrey and Hian Leng popped by for a visit. They are god-given friends who delight to spend time together with us, discussing about God, the Bible and His work. We praise and thank God that He is at work, awakening souls to question the fallacies and trappings of man-made traditions, moralism and legalism and pointing them towards the truth of His word.

Sat - The most exciting event of the week for the kids has got to be Darrell's birthday. Little Sarah told her ballet teacher about the party and was greeted by a puzzled stare. Well...the kids were excited anyway. So here we are at our usual Sat breakfast hangout, Sarah sticking stickers onto the homemade card and Samuel coloring it. 

The prata man right inside our house. And it was good!

Sun - Daddy's 66th Birthday cum Family Reunion

This probably kick started the eating festivity for the CNY. I was glad for the dinner at home. It has been 2 years since my mother whipped up a storm. 2008 being my illness and 2009 being my daddy's. For both years running, my family celebrated reunion dinner at the hospital. As my daddy prayed before our reunion dinner, I could hear the overwhelming gratitude in his heart as he thanked God for health of his children and his grandchildren. And I am filled with gratitude too...

The Normal Week Begins

Finally, 3 weeks into Jan, my thoughts and priorities are slowly being sorted out. My struggles and weaknesses and natural tendencies which constantly distract me from my main purposes in life are perpetually filtered to the surface as I seek for His direction in my life. I am thankful for that....because knowing what my struggles are, would bring me closer to realizing the purposes that God wants to fulfill in my life. This week, I am glad that even in the midst of understanding God's purpose in my life, much things of 2010 have fallen into place. 

Mon - Rest day with Family. We managed to run some errands, buy a new bird for the garden and go off the our hairdresser to have Sarah's and my hair trimmed for the festive season. 

Tues, Thurs - Yes, School of Tots has resumed.  I foresee that it will be an exciting year. We are embarking on a simple curriculum and I like it because it includes things which I want to introduce Sarah and Samuel too. In particular, memorizing scripture, discovery and exploration of the world through simple science and more art and craft. We had good time of concentration with the tots as they blew at paint through straws, played their flashlights, messed around with splotches of finger paint and tried their hand at Oobleck, a non-newtonian fluid, popularized by Dr Suess [made up of 2 parts cornflour and 1 part water]. Oobleck was totally fascinating to me because to make it was easy peasy but to explore it, was intriguing. I think Sarah and Samuel would have gone on for a long time playing oobleck if they had a choice. Beautiful object lessons to direct our attention to the creation of God in light and matter. Read http://chiaochyi.wordpress.com/2010/01/21/school-of-tots-resumes/ for more on our school:) 

Wed Morning - Started my special learning time with Sarah and Samuel. For this month, we are looking at Apples as a catapult from "How to Make Apple Pie and See the World." To kick start our Apple series, they painted their own apple trees. The trees were later wrapped with plastic wrap and attached with some lovely apple pegs picked up from Daiso, the amazing $2 shop. Samuel particularly enjoys counting the apples on the tree. To help them recognize the letter 'a', we had a simple time of stamping 'a's all over a clean piece of paper. 

Wed Afternoon - It was an impromptu birthday lunch for dear Hannah. 3 little tots and 2 mommies and a helper made an interestingly peaceful and enjoyable lunch date at Earl Swensen's. To my little niece who is quite a master at enunciation, blessed 26th month birthday:)

can't you just hear Samuel calling, "Hannahhhh"

Wed Evening - Daddy Daniel finally set up some second hand shelves which I bought from Prints, the branch which closed down at City Link sometime early last year. And thus, Sarah and Samuel's little Curiosity & Catapult Corner was set up, much to mommy's delight. 

Thurs - Kids go off to Agong and Ama's house while Mommy does her things. Meet up with Rach for belated 21st, bought groceries, exercise and did my reading.

Fri - Seletar Fun for the kids. Apart from the distance, I love this place - so nice and quiet and there is so much to do there for the tots. 

Sat - Our weekly Sat family breakfast has now found a comfortable spot at YMCA, just a few floors below Sarah's Ballet Studio. Eating a simple breakfast spread, listening to the piped in Christian music and eating with other tourist is a nice way to spend the morning. We were joined by the children's grand godpa that morning.