UNO

Here is nate playing with my iphone cameral function... he really wants to go on the organised school trip to China, so we have signed him up for it, its 2 weeks with another 15 kids. Parents can go too but am waiting to see what my schedule looks like. I may join depending on my schedule. Oh my baby is growing up!

Today I introduced the boys to UNO, they really liked it, except that Nate threw a big tantrum that lasted more than 30 minutes why he could not get 1 last game before book and bed time. This is rather rare of him, maybe he was really tired today?

So porpor brush up your UNO skills!

Ninja Boys

Here's a short clip of the boy's dressed up as ninja's... they have recently got into Ninja-Go, lego's latest figurines. This is the first time they have asked me to sign them up for wushu lessons and willingly put on these wushu uniforms.

Ooops, I uploded the clip of them running through the new water park that is here, their ninja clip was a bit too violent!

I was away in KL last week to host the research director of the Shanghai Art Museum, although it was intense, it was also quite fun, I got to see many of my granddad's original paintings as usually we only deal with the digital images. Then in Singapore, we got the curator's tour of the Bienalle and I got to meet the director of the Mori Museum as well!

That night we took her to watch the Lion King, which I still enjoyed even though its my third time. I bought the CD for the car and the kids seem to love it alot, they are totally quiet and mesmerized listening to the music. Their schedules are now so packed, they have started their brainfit classes, which the first module is listening and they rewire the brain's listening patterns, which is quite important for ike who sometimes has difficulty differentiating sounds.

Ikey Long Legs

Recently, I've noticed that Ike's legs have gotten rather long and thin... he's always had rather chubby and short legs, I think he's gone through a growth spurt. He is starting to look really coordinated and fast on the soccer pitch!

We've got the results to their "brain fitness", they scored in the average region with a bit of weakness in listening so we've signed them up for some listening classes, I think for Ike it would be quite good as he still get ANIMAL and AMINAL and a few other words confused...

Long haired boys

I have been waiting for the boys to request a hair cut.... but they have yet to ask, there seems like just too much to do, like play than to get a haircut, so lets see how long it grows out to... oooh I should forward the pictures of Ike's passport photo's they look so much like loren.

Nate is home today as he had a fever last night and woke up with a rash on his stomach, his immunity must be down. Ike seems so much more independant these days too and his legs seem to have lengthened. I am hoping that their summer camp school in Shanghai will revert soon with a spot for Ike.

I spoke to Nate's chinese teacher today who said he is doing well but there are just nuances that are going to be hard to explain to someone who doesn't grow up in China... and so she wants to reduce the expectation bar for him in Chinese class. I am taking him to watch a chinese speech contest on thursday. Hopefully he will be interested to try for it next year.

One of the pics is nate making hammentaschens....

Happenings...

Not much going on since bubbi left... the boys are going about their daily routine but seem to like to wrestle alot, am tempted to find a wrestling class for them. Yesterday we played paper aeroplanes and running races after their chinese tutor... today I am taking them for some neuroscience based tests, lets see what their brains are doing!

The Chinese tutor is a judge at this year's speech contest, she is planning to take Nate there to observe and maybe train him up for next years contest, his looks will probably be to our advantage.

I am trying to find another activity for ike on sundays, he now is not into rugby because its "muddy". Nots sure when he was so particular esp. when he was a baby he liked all the gooey gooey things. Here he is looking quite grown up now in his swimmers and he is sorting through the ABC's in his head, he has a very good memory as well.

The below link is to pictures from Phuket... bubbi on a water buffalo!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=273753&id=698141471e

Phuket 2011

I have been very tardy in upkeeping the posts... our phuket trip was really full on... we left KL on the second day of CNY and on the third day we were in Phuket. We got to see Wei Han, Wei Yi and Wei Jin there as they were holidaying with Boon Yong, Boon Tee and Tuayi and Yizhang.

The daily routine was more or less, breakfast, homework, pool time, more pool time.... we took some days out of the Marriott holiday park to go to the water park... or a Thai life tour where the kids saw how rubber was tapped and made into sheets, bubbi even got on a water buffalo! We also had elephant rides and one day we went to a small island with many fish to snorkel. It was however overrun with tourists. Nothing like the more space and relaxed atmosphere of paradise of the east coast of Malaysia. I got a day off an went to dive with Manta Rays that were in the region.

Here are some craft things that the kids did with Marcia. Ike also painted a batik shirt for himself, well actually bubbi and I had more fun then him filling in the colors....

Was a nice and relaxing holiday then the kids still had a week off where they went on playdates or other kids came to "Marcia's Museum Outing". Am glad to report the kids are now back in school.

CNY 2011

So here are some pictures of bubbi giving out red packets as she gets tea served to her.... I forgot to take pictures at the temple where our somewhat large clan gathered.... bubbi tried to figure out who was who among the relatives of my granddad and his 22 kids... and then extended cousins etc... here is bubbi the gambler taking on my uncle...

KL is hot again

The rain finally stopped and the sun is out again and KL is back to the usual hot hot time at Chinese New Year.

Today we went to see Ama at her grave and had a picnic there then we headed to the Royal Malaysian Airforce Museum where they allow the kids to ride in the older helicopters and aircraft they had. Here is Bubbi still alive and brave enough to get into a grounded helicopter.

The water park is the reopened outdoor area of the science center. Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

Annie and Jude's birthday

Here is a picture from annie and jude's party where they were playing bite the biscuit. It rained from that saturday all the way till monday and ike didn't go to rugby though nate went to sunday school. His Jewish school teacher says he is doing well in class. We drove to KL on monday and it rained non stop!

Loren is arriving today as its Chinese New Year eve, the boys have about 10 CNY sayings pat down now! Everyone is debating on how we are not tigerish mom's enough....

Rugby and Football uniforms

Actually I am still unsure if there is a difference in what they wear as when I got to the store, we printed their names and the person said, what number would they like, I always thought there were fixed numbers for different players in different positions but I guess not, nate chose 20 and ike 21.

Here is ike in his first rugby class, the sun beats down hard on this field and if it rains alot then the field is very muddy. I need to come more prepared, ie with snack bar, tonnes of water, hats and maybe a big umbrella, which would be helpful in rain as well.

I got a good chinese teacher, she is much more patient with the boys than me and also knows how to help them. She's kindly also said that she'll spend time with the kids on the weekend (for free!) to just speak and no writing type homework. Maybe shop or an outdoor activity. I thought that was very nice of her.

Am quite glad they are liking their extra curriculur activities!

The boys are growing up...

whether we feed them or not... Nate sleeps in quite a bit as well and seems to have a growth spurt. One of his front tooth has dropped out, the one that he bumped years ago and turned a shade of grey. I think his gums have grow too and just in time as the adult front tooth will need space to come out, wonder if he will look bugsy... He's really good at monkey bars as well.

Ike seems to be enjoying his art class but a bit reluctant to go to to rugby (doesn't want to get muddy). Here is a chinese new year painting he did recently and a drawing of the monk in the Journey to the West (though it looks more like Sun Wukong to me). Here are some red pepper sculptures I saw at the contemporary art show in singapore, how nice they would look in my herb garden?