Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

Checking out Batur lake and mountain.

Breathtaking view.

Simply refreshing.

…

Captured by Wilson.

> Vai now talks a lot. He expresses his wants and feelings rather well. Some of his words are not yet clearly pronounced though, and I think so far Anya and I are his best ‘language decoders’, hehe.

> These days he can really whine. He can also tell us how he wants certain things to be done (or NOT done).

For example, if my hand is rested on his shoulder, he can frown and say to me, “Mommy, tangannya jangan taro disitu dong …” (Indonesian for : ‘Mommy, don’t put your hand there please’). Or when we are inside a car and I lock the door, he can complain and whine, telling me NOT to do it because HE wants to lock the door himself.

> His phlegmy cough still lingers and his runny nose (all started some three weeks ago and has gotten better when we were in Bali) has made a comeback too. The bad weather here doesn’t quite help, I guess. Vai’s temperature went up and down, for a good four days, when we came back from our Bali trip. Thank God his temperature didn’t soar too much though. Didn’t go past 39 degrees celsius, and he’s still his happy and active self most of the time. Which is a good sign, I guess.

[We went to see a doctor and he said that for cases like dengue fever and typhoid, one needs to be feverish for about five to six days before you can take a blood test to confirm. The infected person will most likely be weak physically too]

Anyway.

Our 27 months with Vai has been full of ups and downs. But we thank God for all the strengths He faithfully provides everyday, because without Him, we can never raise a child. Let alone two children whom He entrusted in our care. So yes, we definitely thank God for everything.

PS: The photo above was taken a day before we left for Jakarta. He’s so much slimmer now though, having lost some 0.8kg over the past 10 days! He’s now 14.5kg.

I recently shared how, as parents, we may tend to forget about our ‘other similarly important roles’, ie. as a spouse. As someone’s wife. Someone’s husband.

I don’t know about you, but personally I often find the busyness of our daily routines – work, house chores, kids, errands, other commitments – rather overwhelming (and draining), and we’re left with too little energy to refresh our relationship with each other.

And so here’s the very first marriage tips and thoughts that I’d like to share on this site.

The write-up serves as a nice little reminder to me, and I hope you’ll benefit from reading it too.

Enjoy.

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Source: Focus on the Family (Canada)

If you and your spouse have very different pastime activities, consider ways to “play together” to strengthen your marriage. Even if you have very different interests, you still probably share general similarities.

For instance, if she likes to sew and he likes to fix cars, both can enjoy a pastime that involves working with details and working with your hands.

Begin with discussing each other’s interests and ideas of leisure, then look at the fundamental reasons why you’re drawn to those activities.

Trying out your spouse’s pastime doesn’t hurt either – you might like it! And if you simply can’t enjoy sharing certain hobbies, learn something new for the both of you, and have someone else instruct the activity. This creates a neutral territory where both of you are beginners. If it turns out you’re both natural dancers, great; if not, you can still laugh together over the clumsiness of your shared “left feet.”

I was in my shorts one day standing near my kitchen sink when I noticed someone’s standing behind me. I turned around and saw Anya, who’s apparently been standing there quietly observing my legs.

And after some five seconds or so, she said,

‘Mommy, why are your thighs bigger than Daddy’s?’

To many of us, we’re often so caught up with our roles as parents that we unconsciously ‘forget’ about our roles as husbands and wives, which are equally important.

Do we make a good team together? Do we build on a relationship that’s based on love and mutual respect? Do we communicate well with each other?

Whether we like or not, the kind of relationship we have with our spouse is observed by our little ones. And the result of their observation will sure have an impact (be it good or bad) on the kind of husband / wife they’ll later become, twenty or thirty years from now.

Seeing the importance of building our relationship with our spouse, other than my occasional ‘Parenting Tips and Thoughts’ posts, I’d be posting some ‘Marriage Tips and Thoughts’ too soon. Stuff I come across from books, websites or even from my own personal experience.

I myself have SO much to learn and improve. Nobody is close to perfect when it comes to being a parent or a spouse. And so, I do sincerely hope that the tips and thoughts shared on this site can be useful to families and relationships out there.

Let’s learn together to be, not just a better parent, but a better wife and a better husband.

Yes. A post on this topic is coming up real soon!

For the child :
Show interest in what your mommy is doing in the kitchen. But do NOT touch sharp and hot stuff! Seriously.

For the parent:
Involve kids in meal preparations. Let them wash the vegetables, watch you chop the onions and garlic from a safe distance. Or, for some sensorial experience, let them be more ‘hands-on’ and help you mix the minced pork and make meatballs, for example!

For the child :
Before you start your meals, do remember to say grace and thank you to the person who prepares the meal. It’s always nice to show simple gestures of appreciation to others.

For the parent :
Help your child say his prayer of thanks to God. Let him know too that HE is the One who’s given parents to him; parents who are blessed to have been able to provide food on the table too. It’s always nice to learn to count our blessings since young.

For the child :
Now start your meals. It’s always good to use the spoon or fork provided. But an occasional use of (thoroughly washed) hands should be okay.

For the parents :
It’s always better if a toddler is given a chance to learn and self-feed, even it means using his hands to bring food into his mouth. It’s part of learning. Really.

Also, you may want to consider spreading sheets of newspaper UNDERNEATH the chair. It’ll really help in cleaning up that mealtime mess later.

For the child :
Remember to chew, chew, chew, and finish up your meals. Parents love it if you eat well and ‘fast’! It’s even better if you can do it with a smile! Hehe.

For the parent :
Help the child and spoon-feed him once in a while, if needed. Do notice if he eats more enthusiastically this time round (he should, actually), knowing that he actually is INVOLVED in the making of his own meal!

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My mealtimes were rather horrid at times, especially during those early days. But it does get better. Gradually. Well, at least MY mommy hopes so.

Dear twenty Polliwalks winners,

If you’ve received your cute little Polliwalks shoes, and taken photos of your kid with them, please please do email photos of them to me. Will post them on my site soon (when I’m back!)

leonny[at]oureverydaythings[dot]com

Urgh, can’t wait! *so excited*

Click HERE to see more captured moments, under ‘photography category’.