Delightful Play-Doh

The kiddos who usually sleep for  3.5 hours in the afternoon, decide TOGETHER to wake simultaneously after what was barely an hour. There goes my afternoon, I thought. As I normally plan my day around their nap times, I had a tonne of work which I had to finish today... and it seemed to me that if the 2 bubs were going to be awake and wanted to play, there was no way I was going to have anything done.

So I came up with a brilliant idea... Play-doh!!! Homemade, of course. Too much toxic substances in the shop bought variety. It took me only 5 minutes to make it, and a WHOLE hour and a half to myself whilst the kids made a mess in the wet kitchen. Yay!!!(I couldn't have them play outside, as it was raining.) Thank god for maids! I just popped in with my laptop to supervise.

This is the recipe I used, and because my brother is a part-time baker... I had ready stuff in the house which I could grab. Phew!

Everyday Playdoh
1. Mix 1 cup of flour, 1/3 cup of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar in a bowl.(didn't have tartar, so I went without)
2. Meanwhile, bring to boil 1 cup of water, one tablespoon of cooking oil and a few drops of food coloring.
3. A little flavoring essence could be added, too.. I used vanilla.
4. Pour hot mixture into flour mixture and stir. Add more flour if necessary.
5. Store in refrigerator after use.

I had them pick the colours, since they had about 30 to choose from, there was a little bit of a turmoil there.

Very excited!... Note: The kitchen was very clean when we started.

At this point he was deciding what to do with the Play-Doh

So, he decided to share it with his sister, Genevieve...Awww, so sweet!

This is Genevieve, happily playing on her own.

Note the sticky fingers. Luckily this Play-Doh came off with a single wash, no trouble at all!

Julian trying to pat the Play-Doh down with his foot, to later cut it with heart shaped cookie cutter. Smart boy, multi-tasking!

He rolled this one on his own!

STILL trying to figure out what to do with the Play-Doh

Note the even messier fingers!

Trying to add Play-Doh buttons to the red roll.

And this is what Genevieve finally achieved. A messy self, and an even messier kitchen. Note the "I didn't do this" look.

Smiley: Julian made this, with my help, of course.

Play-Doh safely tucked into plastic bags for later use.

They were so tired after the exciting afternoon, that they had an hours nap after... good for them, and even better for me!

Colour me WILD...

I’m convinced Early Literacy (Reading and Math) is extremely important in building a child’s vocabulary, and eventually his affecting his growth and maximizing his potential. An early start gives us, as parents the opportunity to lead our little ones to love reading and not to look at it as a chore or something one is forced to do. Learning should be made to be fun and easy to do.

About 4 months ago while driving my car, Julian (then 20 months old) suddenly pointed out to a red Honda City and said, “Red car!”. I was surprised (who wouldn’t be?), so I decided the next day that maybe I could start showing him different colours to promote colour comprehension. I had a stack of  10 printed butterflies of various colours and laid it out in front of him, and as I was beginning to name the colours, he NAMED EVERY single colour (without help). I was stunned, and tried immediately thinking back of when and how he could’ve learned it. All on his own? Maybe. By observation? Could be. Then it struck me that I had actually flashcarded him colours sometime ago, not too aggressively but I did. Probably 2-3 times, maybe. What an amazing memory. I believe that young children are sponges. They soak it all in. Young kids are more able to retain information. I know that I can recall more from my early childhood than I can from high school.

This is a blurb from Babycenter  “Your child's ability to recognize different colors heats up at around 18 months, the same time he begins to notice similarities and differences in shape, size, and texture. Then it will be a while longer before he's able to name the colors — most children can name at least one color by 36 months.”

Awhile ago, someone told me that I was “pushing” my children to read and “study”- as he referred to it -  too early and that they should be having a fun-filled childhood, not bogged down with reading and difficult stuff like schoolwork . Pushing? I’m not too sure. Difficult stuff? I don’t think so. At that point, the only thing I was doing was reading to my 2 bubs roughly 2 books a day (their favourite board books, Little Puppy and Puppy Dog, don’t ask me what the fixation with puppies are, and STILL is) – which is VERY few, and doing a little flashcards for about 10 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week. Nothing much else, lots and lots of play and of course plenty of wooden puzzles, also for them to play with. Genevieve, at that point 8 months old was only putting the puzzle pieces in her mouth, and Julian at 20 months  was only interested in throwing the pieces around. I still persevered thinking that one day, they might actually take a liking to it. (STILL persevering, HAHA). In my opinion, why not teach and ingrain into them the love of reading/study/schoolwork (however one may refer to it) so when the child eventually goes to school (which in this day and age, they have to, to be socially independent) they don’t perceive it as a burden or duty.

I don’t think my son is “precocious”, no way. Mainly because, I have in fact been practicing a little reading, bits and pieces of  flashcards when I have the time and a some music (although very little), without which I don’t think he will be able to know as much as he does. One of the main approaches of the program I wanted to use with my children was that it should be a fun experience, nothing forced nor punitive. We enjoy it, our “learning time”. If it helps them in any way, then why not? Let learning be fun and casual and most importantly always improvise to make them want more!

 This is a video of Julian naming the colours

Childhood Obesity and Cheese...

After their run in the park, tortoise watching and ball catching yesterday, Julian and Genevieve were TRULY tired. Tongue wagging (literally!) Julian came up to me and announced that he wanted, "Cheeeeesssseeee!". Normally, he has a slice of Kraft Cheddar Cheese Singles in the mornings alongside his glass of milk and of late little Genevieve also follows suit, NOT an entire slice but an estimated quarter slice.

So, since I always thought Julian as slight for his height, although he weighs in at a hefty 13kg (that's due to a good bone mass) I was happy with his good choice of snack. To my horror, he ended up eating 3 slices of cheese, and not to sidetrack Genevieve, she had an entire slice on her own! Initially I was excited that they were consuming "extra calcium" and "extra Vitamin D", and tried to allay my own concerns regarding Childhood Obesity due to fat content in cheese, but Baby Daddy Maran wasn't too happy with "too much of the good thing".

Me, being the paranoid mom that I am, usually control what goes in their mouths (more so with a history of atopy in my family), but what happens when I'm NOT around is when I get worried. Like a week ago when my Dad bought Julian an ENTIRE bar of Cadbury's milk chocolate with macadamia nuts.(Sorry, Appa) Yes, it was bought out of love, but chocolate before 2? Hmmm....

Not to digress, I researched a little and saw this article on 10 Frightening Facts About Childhood Obesity, which could happen to any child looking at the nature of what we do, technology and habits. Since I started Un-schooling the children, I have noticed a trend of them wanting more and more screen time (etc the laptop) - will post on Disadvantages of Increased Screen Time soon - especially at certain times of the day. In my eyes, more screen time equals less play time equals less calory burning and eventual obesity. Drastic, I know... but that's how it is!

Image from Obesityhelp101.com

So. I have decided to start them on healthy snacking and went to the supermarket to buy fresh food items like:
1. Nestle's Low Fat Fruit Yogurt (which has probiotics- great for the gut)
2. Banana (1 a day, high in Potassium)
3. Grapes (antioxidants), Citrus fruits (Vitamin C)
4. Cherry tomatoes (easy to hold and crunchy to munch) - my Dad brought some lovely ones from   Cameron Highlands today.
5. Cucumber and Celery (which can be eaten raw, cut into sticks - lovely to hold and munch)
6. Soya bean drink  (fresh from the Chinese uncle), with no sugar - when you start them young, they know no difference!!!

What I TRY not to buy:
1. Processed foods like Bottled Baby Food (only for extreme necessities, I have stopped for the past 6 months)
2. Processed meat for the kids - sausages/ meatballs/ nuggets (who knows what goes in there?)
3. Tropical fruits (this I only get once in a while - due to the high sugar content- Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 also runs in the family)
4. Junk food (chocolate, ice cream - I make my own -, sugared biscuits, deep fried foods)
5. Fast food (might as well control it now, when I still can!)

There's much more I can add to the list, but here's the gist. I may not be the world's healthiest eater, (definitely not!) but I can start with my children. I'm also not one of those "ONLY ORGANIC FOOD FOR MY KIDS" sorta person, though I seriously "salute" those who are, mainly because as a working mom with so little time to spare, I buy easy-to-get foods, and also am a big believer in easy-to-prepare food. I thank God, my children are easy to please when it comes to food, so food prep for snacking is a breeze!!!

Articles worth a read:
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/obesity_in_children/article_em.htm

http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/apjcn/Volume6/vol6.3/kasmini.htm   (Prevalence of overweight and obese school children aged between 7 to 16 years amongst the major 3 ethnic groups in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Busy Bambini: Kisses in the park.

Busy Bambini: Kisses in the park.

Kisses in the park.

Eyesight is a common problem these days amongst the younger generation, particularly Myopia (short sightedness). This is probably due to the little ones having too much screen time like the television, computer screen and video games, and sometimes poor lighting. A smaller sect of people also claim that the reason children are afflicted with Myopia could be caused by early introduction to reading and doing paperwork. I don't agree and the following article is the reason why.

I recently read this article (can't remember from where, but I had bookmarked it), which proposes that short sightedness is more likely due to the inadequate outdoor activity as opposed to "near work" like reading or screen time. So, I decided to have Julian and Genevieve go to a nearby park as many times a week as possible, and also play outside the house daily to prevent Myopia. Killing 2 birds with 1 stone, they get to play more and I'm less worried about their eyes!!! Everyone's happy.

Yesterday, they went to the Bukit Jalil Park (which is a 5 minute drive from my home) with their paternal grandparents and cousin Anushree. Did they have a blast? Have a look-see at the pictures!!!

Julian : Before the walk... note the excitement

I asked him what we can find in a park, he picked up a dried leaf and held it up, saying something which sounded like, "Die leaf!"

Anushree (cousin) and Julian

Definitely a portrait for the wall!!! Awww... so sweet!

Tata (paternal grandfather) with Genevieve

Super happy, at this point he didn't know if he wanted to run to the right or left!!!

Finally decided to run to the bench, and hop over it.

This is when his Tata decided to grab him, before he fell from the bench.

Genevieve just finished whacking 5 biscuits, THAT'S why the smile!

Another one for the album!

Julian trying to run away from us all... little does he know that his Tata was an ex-Pahang athlete, and can STILL outrun his grandson.

 And now, for the kisses... wow, by the time we all went home the kids were WET with kisses, by none other than, Anushree, the Kissing QUEEN!!!

Kiss No. 1

Kiss No. 2

Kiss No. 3

Ahem... ahem... do I show this photo to them in 12 years? ... need to consider!

Post-kiss chit-chat

Grabbed Julian before he could be kissed again... haha!

But she went for Genevieve instead...!

Happy girls!

Kiss No. 5

Going for it again...

Best friends... 2 girls, born in the same year only months apart...

Genevieve: I love you, Anushree!

And the final Kiss No. 6!

So, that was the end of our trip to the park. We had so much fun, that we'll probably go back again today... I can hear my babies going "WHEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

Preschool Prep - the current favourite!

When I received the Preschool Prep Series (DVD) by The Preschool Prep Company - Meet the Letters, Meet the Numbers, Meet the Shapes, Meet the Colours and Meet the Sight Words 1,2,3 I was first quite skeptical because (as usual) I went through the entire series on my own before playing it for the 2 bubs and wasn't completely swayed...

To me, compared to the other early learning programs available, Preschool Prep seemed quite hmmm... how do I phrase this? SLOW! Seemed to me that the flashing of the words took at least 4-5 secs per word. So, I was under the impression, after my initial viewing that the kids would be bored and lose attention after the first 2 minutes.

How wrong I was!!! They absolutely LOVE it!!! Even little Genevieve who is usually not one who concentrates on DVD's unless it's interactive and she can take "breaks" in between clips, was glued! I would say it's because of the colorful characters, and the number of repetitions each Letter, Number, Shape, Colour or Word have. Each DVD is also jam packed with  little fun stories in which the kids can relate to. It took only 3 viewings (3 days) of the Meet the Shapes DVD for Julian (the precocious fellow that he is) to recognize AND verbalize ALL the shapes played. -circle, square, rectangle, triangle, oval, diamond, octagon and star. Like WOW! How thrilling! Genevieve is taking much longer, but that's alright because she seems to enjoy it and keeps asking for more...

The Preschool Prep Company also carry Meet the Vowels, Meet the Phonics 3 DVD set, and a 12 Easy Reader book set.

Quite a refreshing find, I must say... well worth the time and effort.

Image from Google

 This is not an advertisement for the company or any individual, and I'm not being paid for this review. This is just a personal take on this product.

Julian's Roller Coaster Ride...

under construction... compiling pictures (there are just tooooooooooo many!)

Genevieve's Life and Times...

under construction... compiling pictures :)

Picnic-ing with the Chubbies...

A little late for this post, as the "picnic" took place 2 weeks ago on the 16th September 2011. I was expecting either a heavy downpour or a total kid melt-down... what with bringing the entire troop at 9am to the park!

Maran (the husband) NEVER goes wrong... sometimes I thank God for that. He told me to "relax, it'll be fine", but me being me... I completely burnt out with super high stress levels even BEFORE we stepped into the car! Me being pregnant with Baby #3 didn't help either...(sigh! -the tribulations of motherhood)

And true enough, the party was a success.... we were in the Bandar Botanic Park from 9am to 11:30am (actually till Genevieve dozed off)... weather was great, and best of all... I did not have to jump into the lake to rescue Julian!!!

Julian and Genevieve BEFORE the picnic... Note Gen's irritated expression!

With my dad and their dad...:)

My mom and Genevieve... see, great weather!

Genevieve thought I didn't see her reaching out for the chilli sauce...

Obviously enjoying himself!

Enjoying even more... can't remember what the joke was?

Genevieve AFTER the picnic

Julian AFTER the picnic... 

See, I had the next 4 hours to myself... weekend picnics are now a definite item on MY list!!!

DIY: How to Get A Grab Button For Your Blog?

Every blogger wants and ALMOST need a Grab Button. I just created my Grab Button. Well, what on earth IS a Grab Button? It's an encoded button you get to add on to your sidebar (or wherever you want it) so your members/followers/viewers can click on it or "grab" it. Now when this happens, YOUR button appears on their website. Hey, what better way to advertise huh? :) Honestly, it's a great way to network, share info and materials with - especially with others in your interest group.

Creating a Blog Button -if you already have one, please disregard Step #1-
Step #1 : Creating a logo or a picture. Mine is from a website which has fab clip arts (here's her link). Be sure to read the disclaimer on sites you wish to copy pictures from. Size has to be no larger than 150x150 pixels IF you want to add a caption to the picture (What's the point if there's no caption, right). Or if you'd rather go without, then a picture size of 200x200 pixels is the maximum.

Step #2 : Uploading your picture. Do it on Photobucket, quick and easy sign-up and copy the DIRECT LINK of your picture.

Step #3 : Placing the  "Grab Button" in your sidebar. In your blog, click on Design, when the window pops up click Add a gadget and choose HTML/Javascript. In the title area, you can write whatever you want. Then in the HTML box, post the HTML below. Don't forget to SAVE it!

<center><a href="YOUR FULL WEBSITE URL HERE">
<img src="YOUR DIRECT LINK HERE" border="0"/></a>
<textarea rows="4" cols="15"><center><a href="YOUR WEBSITE URL HERE">
<img src="YOUR DIRECT LINK HERE" border="0"/>
</a></center></textarea></center>

Note: quotation marks are important, don't backspace it.

Step #4 : Voila! You've got your Grab Button! Make sure to test it 

so it brings you to  your Website! 

My very own blog button!

After much research, trying to figure out how I won't get sued, I have finally made myself a Blog button... yay!It took me 3 hours trying and re-trying to tally-up the grab function and creating my Blog Button, and I finally managed to figure out a way to successfully do it in a few easy steps. FYI: Steps are in another post (this one's purely for gushing - hehe), DIY: How to Get A Grab Button For Your Blog?

I tried creating my own picture, but much to my horror it turned out like a picture of a mangled up cat (in my defense, I'm also bundled away from the little chubbies because i'm down with rhinitis)... so I decided against testing my graphic skills and resorted to scouring through the web and eventually found a cute clip art. I got it from a wonderful website which offers tonnes of vintage stuff... do visit her site

So, there's my button... grab it if you please!!!

2 cheetahs? 3 cheetahs?

Julian, who is 23 months old LOVES National Geographic. Yes, and has been watching it from the time he was about 18 months old (basically when I started him on the TV- bad, lazy mommy!)... but hey, to my defence it was only NatGeo Wild, National Geographic and Discovery Channel plus CNN/BBC/Al Jazeera (courtesy of his dad).

Now, it's no wonder that he loves all these shows, probably because he has had almost no exposure to cartoons and the fact that his dad hordes the TV and switches to these same shows doesn't really help. -Maran is not that much of Star Network/E Entertainment/Fox sorta person(like me!)-

I'm rambling... OK, so 2 days ago as I was watching a safari show with him, Genevieve dancing around my knees, I told him, "look, there are 2 cheetahs there!!!". I swear in that glance I DID see only 2 cheetahs on the screen. Julian looks, and gives me a peculiar look and says, "No, no Amma. 3 cheetahs. Brothers". It did not make any sense to me, but sure enough, when I looked at the TV once again, there WERE 3 cheetahs on screen and the background commentation was that cheetahs always travel with their brothers.

I was completely flabbergasted! He was right, as I turned to give him a big smooch and make a big deal out of it, I noticed that he was back to concentrating on the show, so I left it. I mean, I've already made a big blubbering fool of myself, why celebrate it right? haha!

So, not only does Julian know how to correct his mother -Ahem ahem- but he's also counting, AND listening to the commentator!
*happiness* I'm definitely continuing this trend of hourly Infochannel watching!!!

Ps: Astro charges RM5 for a month of National Geographic,Discovery, Discovery Science,History and Animal Planet. It's called the Learning Package. I think it's worth it, I mean a curry mee in KL is RM5,isn't it? ;) So for little children who love animals, it's a package well worth the price!