By Charlene

I interrupt our back-to-school stress with these lovely layouts by Charlene on her Cherry Arte August Gallery, that include two of my boys.

One of Jon and Ben together, and another of Ben -- both photos I'd snapped randomly back in March '07 (spring) and Dec '06 (winter), while we were playing outdoors! Look how creatively she's used them!

Enjoy all the rest of Charlene's works! I always go "ooh" and "aah", looking at every thing she's made with her hands!

Baby steps... on ice!

There's always stuff to learn from children. In fact, my two boys just taught me a thing or two at the ice-skating rink.



For the longest time, Ben and I just got to watch from the sidelines whenever we went with Jon for Jon's ice-skating lessons. Of course, Ben wouldn't just be watching, but scaling stairs and seats, and poking around trashbins and vending machines, so I would end up getting a workout too, in the time Jon was out there in the rink practising his forward and backward swizzles and what-have-you!

That was over a year ago now, when Jon was really enthusiastic about the sports and had completed a few levels of courses, before he got sidetracked by soccer and then baseball.

We haven't been back since. Until Monday. Ben was actually the one, who'd been asking us to take him. But like so many other things we thought about doing this summer, this was almost going to be one of those we weren't going to get round to, what with school starting already.

But there we were, for Ben's very first time on the ice, and Jon was excited about ice-skating again!


And it was the second time for me, in my entire life, the previous time being more than 10 years ago but I don't remember discovering any hidden potential nor natural flair for gliding on ice as a result of that one and only attempt.

And so, I was as good as taking my first gingerly step on the ice, at the edge of the rink, of course. And as I was thinking what I should do next, dear Jon sashayed past me, not once, but twice, and by his third round, he told me, "Mommy, you shouldn't keep to the edge. You need to let go and skate!". Then, as if showing off, he did a small leap in the air, and landed rather nicely on his feet, before he scurried off!

Round and round the rink Jon went, he made it look so effortless!


Now if I were walking on ice (which I wasn't quite doing yet), then he was running, no, make that flying! Not that he's a pro, no, he's not, and he did land on his bottom several times, and then when he fell smack on his mouth, I thought he was going to cry, for it must have hurt! But like a good sport, Jon just picked himself up, and went on and on.

Ben, too, and considering he was starting much earlier -- more than a whole year -- than when Jon first tried ice-skating, was really brave about the whole new adventure! Holding on to the metal chair or "buddy" as it's called, for support, he was happily gliding on ice!


He too, fell, and many times at that, but undeterred, would try his best to stand up. He also carried on, and didn't stop until the session ended, not even when he looked tired to me and I asked him if he needed a break.


Watching both my boys do it -- and on their part, no apprehension, no trepidation, fearless, and what endurance(!), I also wondered about Jon's first time, how he'd just gone and done it. I finally decided to let go and try it out for myself, too! You know, sort of like taking a step of faith. Out of my comfort zone, into the realm of the unknown!


It wasn't so bad. And I definitely took many more awkward steps!

I so wish to tell you I glided like a swan (haha!), but I didn't! What really mattered, was that I tried my best to take more baby steps, to stay balanced. Twice I fell too, trying to help Ben when he keeled over, and I was naturally afraid for both of us. We got back up on our feet, though it's harder for one who's down to help another, but at least we were there for each other, and knew what it was like!

But how's that for ending our summer vacation on a rather cool note? The weather hasn't relented, and it's still scorching hot outside, and temperatures are expected to soar to 39 deg celsius this week! I was feeling bad that we hadn't taken the boys outside to play for over a week now, but not so anymore.

Catch you later, while we step into the new schoolyear, with a bit of orientation later today, and then actual school the day after. Will Ben be as brave about his first time in school, and Jon raring to go knowing there's going to be more homework?

For me, I know I'd better start sleeping earlier, because dark circles aside, there's more driving I have to do, so much so the husband told a friend that this time, I'm really going to be the full-time driver!

Sorry, no wonderful pictures of him and the boys on the ice, not until I can glide fly like him or Jon... hehe!

Magic House fun

At Sunday's end-of-summer school activity, the question us parents had for each other was, "Are you ready for school?".

Moms and dads are all hoping our kids will get out of the play mode, into serious work real soon. But with first day of school just a couple of days away, all that the children could think of was to pack in as much fun as they could, before summer would end for good!

And judging from their smiles, Jon and Ben had their share of fun at the Magic House, and what a fabulous idea for the school to have organised the event there! But now, why can't sitting down to read and write for Jon, or for Ben to play by himself, be as easy as this?

Partly because Jon is easily distracted, and partly because Ben is one of the sources of distraction, between the husband and me, we've only managed to do a bit here and a bit there with Jon during summer, that hopefully will still mean something towards the much more he will have to do in this new schoolyear.

As for Ben at preschool level, from what we've seen Jon go through back home versus here, we are quite aware by now that parents here are the ones to teach their children (from home) the ABC's, numbers, etc, more than just to supplement the school's efforts. Because to some large extent, preschool here is all about learning through play. And when it's about play, there is no rote learning, no tracing of the alphabet or numbers out of workbooks the way kids back home start doing in school, at the tender age of 2+. Yet many of the kids here come to school already recognising their ABC's and numbers, and even knowing how to write them already.

So yes, as parents, and like all you parents reading this who can identify with what I'm saying -- we have our job cut out for us! "Everything has to be taught," those were the words I remember well, from my friend whose children are older than mine, when I was a new mother back then and she was more aware of how much teaching and learning we have to do.

But beyond just academic stuff, there's far more important and basic things as well, from obedience to respect to playing nicely with each other, and not just about getting our boys to go to bed earlier, that's a constant challenge for us.

Are we ready for school? I pray so, and that we'll have the energy, patience, and abilities to take on the brand new year! Onward ho!