Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

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There you go.

Our humble home-made cake.

Chocolate cake  on the inside, and marshmallow fondant on the outside.

[Managed to roughly ‘re-shape’ the squashed Dinoco Lightning McQueen’s bonnet and left tyre on the car, heh]

A mini rectangular cake for our little Vai today.

After we took photos of our little family at home, we brought the tiny cake to our church fellowship and shared it with friends there.

Much better than to have it all for just the four of us at home, we reckon.

[Vai was so happy that it’s his birthday! He told people that it’s his birthday, and couldn’t wait to bring out the cake! I treasure his pure excitements!]

[Forgot to bring along a knife! And so Vai used the ‘back’ of a fork to ‘cut’ the cake, heh]

Anyway.

Will post more birthday photos soon!!

Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.

In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to [a] those he loves.

Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one’s youth.

Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

– Psalm 127

Vai LOVES Lightning McQueen.

And since we’re celebrating his 4th birthday at his Sunday School this weekend, I thought it’d be nice to ‘attempt’ and make a Dinoco McQueen to put on his home-made cake.

Errr … the thing is, I’ve never made anything out of fondant.

To be exact, I know nothing about fondant. I’ve seen other people’s fondant cakes. I’ve seen photos of them. But I have no idea as to how to make fondant, how to create anything using fondant, how to store fondant. I haven’t even used a rolling pin, ever.

Totally clueless.

So I asked around. Emailed our baker cousin (who’s overseas). I googled. I watched ‘how-to’ videos on youtube.

And in the end, I decided to just try and make my own marshmallow fondant AND attempt to create something with that home-made fondant (read: I still have 5 days before the actual D-Day, I thought).

[I know, some of you may think I’m out of my mind!]

My plan is: IF the fondant idea TOTALLY failed, … we could just have a home-made cake and stick candles on it!

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Anyway, here’s my first ever attempt in making ANYTHING out of fondant. Yes, the left one (obviously! haha).

With a metal teaspoon on one hand, I made this VERY wonky Dinoco McQueen last night!

I couldn’t make the surface smooth! And it looks like the car is melting under the scorching sun! Haha.

And.

YOU KNOW WHAT!

One minute after I took this photo, my rolling pin accidentally squashed the car’s bonnet!

I watched in horror and went, “ARRRRRRGGGHHHH …..’

I think I probably woke the kids up for a few seconds there!

…

Two things:

– I think those who can create cute (and super smooth) figurines and creative cake designs out of fondant are blessed with amazing ‘super hands’

– I think I’d stick with putting REAL car toys on Vai’s birthday cake later

Oh well.

I don’t know.

We’ll see *smile*

Here’s another simple paper collage work that we did together that day.

The kids made their own fish paper collage, mostly using the flyers we found in our mailbox (ie. before we threw them away)

What we used:

– Plain coloured paper as the background and for the head, tail and fins
– Flyers or other colourful scrap paper
– Scissors, pencil, marker and glue

What we did:

– Cut out the following:
a) Two bigger triangles for the head and tail (refer to top photo for the shapes, if you wish)
b) Two smaller triangles for the fins
c) Lots of small circles for the body

– Draw with a pencil a mango-like shape in the middle of your paper

– Stick the ‘head’ and ‘tail’ on each end (refer to top photo)

– Stick the circles on the body, using the ‘mango shape’ as a rough guideline

– Draw the eyes and mouth on the head

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There you go!

One simple collage activity for the little ones!

[A little too fast and easy for Anya who’s already 6yo though]

Btw, if you’re looking for more crafting ideas, simply click the Arts and Crafts link on the right sidebar!

Happy crafting!

It’s been a (long) while since I last posted our arts and crafts works!

Ah. So much to share, so little time.

Places we visit. Recipes I managed to test out. School-related thoughts. Things we learn at home. Kids’ updates. Challenges we face. So much more.

Anyway.

Today I’d like to share with you this simple craft project we did recently.

We made tortoise paper collage, using all sorts of paper we find at home.

What we used:

– Plain coloured paper as the background
– Flyers we received in our mailbox
– Scissors, crayons and glue

What we did:

– Cut out the following:
a) One big oval shape (for the head)
b) Four smaller oval shapes (for the legs)
c) One very big oval (for the body)
d) One small triangle (for the tail)
e) Two strips of paper (for the weaving on the body)
f) Two white-coloured small circles (for the eyes)

Note:
– If you’re using plain paper for the body, you can use flyers for the two strips to get the contrast.
– Better to use plain paper for the head and four legs

– Cut 4 parallel lines half way down the body. This is for the kid to insert the strips across (in and out, in and out. See picture above)

– Stick the head, tail, legs and eyes accordingly

– Colour the black dots on the eyes with crayons / coloured pencil / marker

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And that is it!

For younger children, you can do away with the ‘weaving’ part.

Let’s make use of the used paper around your home and have fun crafting with your little ones!

… yes, it’s the little boy who runs around with his undies on his head!

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Btw, we plan to celebrate his birthday at Sunday School this weekend and at his nursery school the following Monday. And, I plan to make Vai’s birthday cakes this year. The thing is, I have something in mind BUT I still have NOT had any practice in making it! I’m getting a little nervous now!

Oh well, however it’ll turn out, just as long as this little guy knows it’s made with lots of love, I’m a happy mommy *smile*

The CROSS was placed where there was no miracle,
but the cross showed us the greatest miracle.

The CROSS was placed where there was no light,
but the cross manifested the greatest light.

The CROSS was placed where there was no self-defense,
but the cross manifested the greatest power.

The CROSS was placed where there was great folly,
but the cross manifested the greatest wisdom in history.

[Extracted from the booklet ‘The Three Crosses’ by Stephen Tong]

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“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:6-8

I wrote about ‘Swimming Lessons: When should we start‘ in September last year.

This was what I wrote:

We feel the ability to swim is one of the basic ’survival’ skills one needs to have, but we’re still waiting for the right time to enrol them BOTH together (because it IS more convenient for me to send them BOTH to classes at the same time)

…

At the time I was thinking of sending them both when Vai turns 4yo.

And so here we are today. Nearly a year later.

Vai’s turning 4yo next week (ALREADY!), and they both have attended TWO swimming lessons together with two other friends.

[If you ask me, I think a group of 4 children, aged between 4yo – 6yo, is just nice. Not too big a group that they get too little personal attention and coaching, and not too small a group that they have little time to rest in between turns]

I must say I am impressed at how well all four kids are progressing after each lesson.

I guess it’s because I thought it’ll be slow, eg. learning ‘how to put your head under water for a few seconds’ will take one whole lesson or something.

I was wrong.

By their second lesson, they’re introduced to breaststroke‘s leg movements! Already!

Anyway.

Both Anya and Vai SO look forward to each swimming lesson.

It’s FUN plus WATER-PLAY to them, I guess!

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[Photo below]
The kids were taught how to do a jump into the water during an emergency. In that photo, Vai was supposed to have both hands in front holding onto his life-jacket. The second time he did the jump, he jumped ONTO the coach!

Oops!

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