Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

If you’re one of those who are very keen to find out who the twenty LUCKY WINNERS of our Polliwalks Shoes Giveaway Contest are, here’s the news:

The results will be out THIS WEEK! *YAY*

[The Polliwalks people are finding it really really tough to select the winners as there are SO many creative entries!]

Anyway, let’s wait for it!

Yes. Our world is full of difficulties.

Losing one’s job, investment or someone who’s close to heart. The pain of delivering a baby. Stressful work environment. Strained relationships. Rebellious and difficult children.

And as long as we’re still in this world, unfortunately no one is able to escape this reality.

Another reality is, everyone responds differently to difficult times (or moments, or a particular phase in life).

There are those who, upon experiencing a disaster or a suffering or any sorts of discomfort, will start to curse and resent life (or worse, resent ‘everyone’ around)

And there are those who ‘manage’ to stand firm amidst the struggles. The journey for these people may be bitter, painful and difficult, but somehow they, sail through it all.

Here are some pointers that we may want to think about when faced with difficult times:

– Difficult times are temporary

There will be a day when we look back and see the incident as part of our life’s ‘history’. And hence, we should not react or respond to temporary incidents as if they will take place forever.

– Applying what we ‘know’ only when we ‘experience’

We know the theory of ‘handling a crying baby’ from books, but we’ll only truly know ‘what it’s like’ and ‘how’ we should calm one WHEN we hold one screaming baby in our hands.

We may ‘know’ about God’s word and His promises, but we’ll only apply what we know (how God will always be with us, etc) and see the amazing providence of God WHEN we actually experience difficulties.

– God is always with us, regardless of our situation
HE is with us and never leaves us whether we’re promoted or demoted, whether we’re up and happy, or down and sad.

Just like how God was always there with Joseph when he’s despised by his jealous brothers, when he’s in jail after he was wrongly accused of something he didn’t do, or when he’s become a successful prime minister in Egypt.

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The foundation of faith is God’s word, and in His word there’s HOPE.
And yes, we have hope in God who’s alive and faithful to His words and promises.

Let’s put our hope and trust in an unchanging and eternal ONE.

[note]
Today’s post is inspired by Ev. Maria Mazo’s sermon earlier today. It truly is something that I need to seriously think and pray about, for I know I’m one of those ‘weak’ ones.

… it’s always nice to stop and take the time to appreciate life’s little hidden beauties.

Because our little ones will, when we ourselves stop and let them too.

The kids had fun riding their battery-operated mini car and motorbike at Toa Payoh today!

You see, the last time Anya and Vai went there was back in March, earlier this year. Vai was too little to know how to ‘drive’ and so Wilson used a remote control to ‘drive’ his car around! The kids had fun!

And this time round it’s even better for both!

Vai rode his motorbike all by himself around the area! (Towards the end, I took off his shoes to make it easier for him to ‘step’ on the little button that got his bike moving!)

Anyway, click HERE to watch the video!!

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[INFO]

– There are more than 15 battery-operated cars and motorbikes available at only S$3 per 15-minute ride!

– Different vehicle ‘sizes’ available. Bigger motorbikes and cars can go faster. Vai rode on a small motorbike instead of a car as he found it easier to control, steer and move around.

– The vehicles are all battery-operated (remote control ones available for younger kids!). Vai and Anya happened to hop on ones that needed a change of batteries, and in the end they chose different vehicles!)

– Location : Near Courts and Crystal Jade Bakery at Toa Payoh, near the mall (it’s all outdoors, and they have a designated area for the rides. The ‘alley’ can get quite ‘busy’ with so many little cars and bikes going at the same time)

– As far as I know, the operator is there every Saturdays, Sundays and Eve of Public Holidays.

A friend’s wedding.

Daddy’s behind the camera.

And at some point, so did his ‘little assistant’! (with Mommy’s Ixus in hand)

I like photos of little kids sitting (or standing) in a row. You know, those ‘oh-so-cute group of babies still trying to sit upright on a sofa without falling to one side’ type of shots.

I like to keep moments where my kids had fun with other kids. To look back one day and see how little they all are in that shot. How they each look like at that age. Etc.

And, I found THAT moment today!

Of Vai and his friends : Nate, Noah and Andrew.

PS: Photo was taken when parents and kids were at a fellowship earlier today

Before Vai came along and joined our little family, we spent a whole lot of time with our ‘only’ child, Anya. We went out and about even when Daddy couldn’t join us. We’d do activities together. Countless one-on-one time.

And when Vai came along, things naturally changed.

Both kids are almost always together and even when Anya’s started her 5-day-a-week nursery earlier this year, Vai’s daily schedule sort of ‘follows’ that of his older sister’s.

He comes along when I send Anya to school. And when I pick her up afterwards. He too sends Anya to her ballet class.

I don’t know if moms of two or more kids out there feel the same way as I do, but frankly, although we shower Vai with as much love and although we know that it simply is the reality of ‘not being the firstborn’, I sometimes feel I miss going out and about with him. You know, just me and him. The kind of time that almost all ‘firstborns’ get to experience.

And so the other day, I arranged something a little different.

Instead of coming back home after sending Anya to school, we went to Orchard!

Anya had her one-hour chinese enrichment class after school that day, and so Vai and I had a good 3.5 hours in our hands!

We took the bus to Orchard Road, ate, hung out, checked out Borders bookshop and when Vai napped on his stroller, I even had a bit of me-time checking out the books there! I then took the bus back to Anya’s school, just in time to take a little peep at how she’s doing in her Chinese class before it ended!

It went really well!

I enjoyed the change in my daily routine, my date with this little guy AND that extra me-time towards the end!

I’m so tempted to do this again next week!

There’s something about this photo that makes me want to look into it ‘more’.

Perhaps it’s the layers. Or the colours. Or the possible interpretations and story behind the captured moment.

Whatever it is, I love this shot.

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Captured by my husband Wilson, at the Library@Esplanade