Signs that my BABY isn't a BABY anymore..

Baby monkie is growing a little too fast!  Perhaps, too soon for me..

She now .. 

• no longer on diaper;
• no longer needs my help to do lots of stuffs like pouring water to drink;
• no longer need me to escort her to the toilet to pee or poo... She visits the loo herself, takes off her bottoms, pee and puts them on, flashes the toilet and walks out.. ;
  
• carries a stack of 20+ books to my bedroom every night and demands that i finish reading all of them to her;
• requests for homework when she sees Nick has homework to do;
• does mazes like a pro;
• quietly hides in the study and draws pictures of things she sees or thinks ;
• and others!!

This is the worksheet she did today.. As much as i am happy she can sit down and complete homework like Nick, am still a bit "bu ser de" for her to grow up that soon... :( I still want my daily hugs and cuddles, kisses and "i love you so so so so much, mummy" from her.. Oh, silly me.. 

Growing his ARTY-FARTY Genes..

Nick can be very creative when it comes to building his own "town" with his railway tracks, Lego buildings and making his thomas trains go "up the hills and down the tracks".. 

But when it comes to drawing and coloring, he really cannot make it.  I've been trying to convince him to attend art classes, however, the run-of-the-mill classes offered at community club aren't really tailored for kids of his age plus, i somehow feel that they are "out-dated".. :P

Couple of weeks back, we came across this art school that offers Art for kids as young as 1.5yo, and it seems rather interesting.  Best, they don't quite do "drawing" and "coloring".  And needless to say, such schools comes with a hefty price-tag.. Community club has art classes at slightly below $50 a term for a 3 hour class per week whereas, this charges $324 per term for a 60 min lesson. 

Nevertheless, signed the boy up for the next 4 lessons, hoping to see if he likes it before we decide if we will continue with the whole term in July. 

This month, they are doing canvas painting. On lesson 1, he learnt to use the brush and paint the bigger areas on the canvas. Today (i.e. lesson 2), the learn how to use the ear buds and tap onto the smaller areas. The look of it after lesson 2. 

Looks like not bad hor! :P

Nick's and His String of Requests!

There is something that's been bugging me for some time.. Nick is a slow learner, but a very diligent one.  Since we recognize that he's a slow learner, we naturally spend more time trying to send him on enrichment programs hoping it will help him in one way or another. 

Problem is, after we start certain classes, Nick seems to enjoy learning as he picks up the skills and progress with confidence. By right, i should be glad. But the thing is, i dunno when is the right time to stop these classes especially when he enjoys going for them.  Now, he's (perhaps is me and daddy) swamped with enrichment classes till we sometimes end up trying to think which he has on that day.. 

From Phonics - i can read, to Maths - MPM and Kumon (we manage to stop Enopi), Chinese - Berries, Music with Yamaha, Montessori with Mrs Yap.. We think it's a little too much we can manage.. Not to mention, both Sam and Grace also has their fair share of classes!

Lately, Nick's been asking for more.. He wants to pick up fencing, hip hop and Takwando. And seriously, i think we have over-spent on this boy!. 

Nevertheless, given that he is only 4 turning 5 years old this year, we manage to convince Nick that fencing and Takwando will have to wait! As much as they enforce discipline in a child, we think that Nick still is too young to understand that such skills are meant for exercising and self-protection rather than to FIGHT. Last thing we need is for him to "practice" it on his little sister!

Ok, so for now, we started him on art classes and perhaps trying to look around for hip hop classes.. I hope his string of request stop growing longer, but on the other hand, am glad he's taken interest in them too. :)