Simple chicken recipe for busy Moms

I tried cooking this simple oven baked chicken recipe for lunch. Instead of marinating for 1 hour, I marinated them overnight and I've added more spoonfuls of honey for sweeter flavour. I've also omitted ginger since I couldn't find any in the kitchen.  It still tastes good.

It's so fuss-free, you don't have to worry if the chicken overcooked, too much of oil or smoke and grease everywhere in your spotless kitchen. And because my kids love gravy to go with their rice, I've concocted my own gravy.  The potatoes and carrots are used as these are the only types of food that Wyng like and has no complaints about.

Water (quantity is up to your preference), oyster sauce, a little soy sauce are all I used. Just stir all these in a pan until it boils. Add the cut potatoes and carrots and simmer for at least 20 minutes or longer if you prefer your potatoes and carrots to be softer.

Wyng gave me a rating of 8 whereas Hoe said it's good for a first-timer. I'm satisfied with my performance.  Not of chef standard but the kids love this nutritious and simple home-cooked chicken dish.

Is it too late for the kid to learn up multiplication table?

I started Wyng with his multiplication table about two weeks ago, he is already in Standard Three this year.

I could recall I drilled Hoe on his multiplication table when he was probably 9 or 10.

Actually, I've had complaints that Wyng was not familiar with his multiplication since last year from his Maths tutor. I didn't take any action then.  Then, lately this year, I got the same feedback from the Kumon facilitator that he isn't very good at it.  It was then that I've decided that I should not leave this boy alone to master this important element in Maths.

So, since early this month, I started this boy to recite the multiplication table from 2 onwards during his car journey to school in the morning.  It was painful at first.  He was not familiar and it took him quite a while to complete until multiplication 6.  There was a lot of struggling going on in the car which is just about 10 minutes drive.   Today, after only about 2 weeks, on a daily basis, he is able to memorize the table from 2 to 7 with no problems.  He started 8 two days ago and today, he even did until 9 without any pushing from Mom.  Can you believe it when he told me his classmate can recite until 12!  Come to think of it, it may not be surprising at all.  Maybe, Mom is late in drilling Wyng.

With this positive behaviour of his, Mom promises to buy him McFlurry after lunch, much to his joy!

Do you ground your teen for hacking?

His previous acts
Is your teen a computer hacker?   
Does your kid hack into your computer account?
My kid did it again!

He's an opportunist when it comes to hacking. He wouldn't forego any opportunity to hack my computer.

Just when Mom is reminded to be extra vigilant, she has forgotten again to shut down the computer after a late night, oh..it's actually in the morning 1am... completing some last minute preparation for her classes the next day.  When he wants to do it, he will try all means. The saying "When there is a will, there is a way" can never be truer for this effort of his.  How does he know when to wake up in the wee hours of the morning and access the PC to see if it's accessible?  He has to pray real hard for Mom to keep forgetting to shut down the PC.

This time, he was smarter than his previous act.  Instead of removing Daddy's password, he changed the password.  I had earlier told him that I had checked if he's done anything to my PC clicking on Daddy's user account icon and it'll be fine if there's a password request. By just changing the password and not removing it, Mom may just stop at clicking the user account icon and not proceed to type the password.

I was smarter than him this time, I'm glad that I was but I was not glad that this guy never gives up with his notorious act.  Sigh.. I said I was smarter because I discovered his deed in about one day.  I proceeded to type Daddy's password (I set the password for Daddy and will give it to him. The password that Daddy sets are too easy even Wyng has no problem with it.) and lo and behold!  Incorrect!

What on earth is he trying to prove? He never tires!  Just when I had just the night before denounced that he would have his mobile phone confiscated for one month if he continues with his 'crime', he did it again. I am beginning to get a little adaptive to this intelligent and secretive deed of his.  I tell myself that each time I turn on the PC, I will click on Daddy's user account icon and type the password to make sure Hoe has not meddle with it.

He derives thrill by hacking the computer.  He doesn't see anything wrong with that as long as he gets to use the computer, even without his Mom's knowledge.  And by the way, my Mom is one of the first few persons to discover his 'date' with the computer at unearthly hours of the day and decided to keep mum about it for a while.

It's not that Mom does not know the root of the problem but this guy must be made to understand what he does is not right.  It's not uncommon for him to defy my instructions but until he learns obedience and discipline is the rule of the game, he will not get any computer time. He has committed too many 'sins' that he had yet to repent and giving him this 'must-have' (computer time, of course!) is not a priority yet.

Is your teen a computer hacker?

It makes my blood boil, he gets on my nerves, I'm going to kill him!!!!! Sights of this guy stealthily 'in action' at my PC appeared in my mind as I clicked on Daddy's user account and discovered that no password was required to access the PC.

My kid removed the password AGAIN after being caught in less than a week ago.  What was in his head! Why did he have to do it after so many rounds of harsh lecture and grounding? I wonder, I really wonder what he is trying to prove.

Not thinking twice at all, I went into Control Panel and set a password for Daddy's user account.  Next, I went hunting for his hand phone with Wyng's help and confiscated it. All this was done without Hoe's knowledge as he was still at school.

"I knew it, I knew you would set the password back, I'm just testing if you will do it."  That was the reply which came out from his mouth when I told Hoe off for hacking the computer again.  Of course, he wasn't going to 'escape' so easily.  A very stern warning that if he is ever caught hacking again, his hand phone will be confiscated for one month.

Why hasn't Mom learnt?  I HAVE to log off whenever my kid is around, especially with Hoe's presence. He is an opportunist when it comes to hacking.

Does your kid hack into your computer account?

He never gives up.  It's not the first time, I believe he did it for not less than 5 times.

This time, he removed the password for his Daddy's account which we have for access to our home PC.  How did he do it? You may wonder.. Well, most of the time, I would leave my PC on while I do my other stuff at home.  As our study room is just next to his room, it's not difficult for him to walk in and access the PC (which is left idle) to meddle with it while Mom is downstairs busy attending to other things.

Using Daddy's account which is obviously free from any parental control, he could be sneakily surfing (though it may just be for a few minutes) without Mom's knowledge while she is preoccupied with other things.

This may not be the best way to overcome his hacking but as a temporary measure, Mom has to keep reminding herself to LOG OFF before leaving the computer.

Lesson from the kids : Log off from the computer, there may be some hungry 'thieves' waiting to hack it. Do this only if you believe in parental control. Otherwise, don't even bother to read this post.

What pests can you find in your house?

Can you imagine this creature in your home?

First, the relentless mosquitoes. Then, come the cats. (Well, if they are not welcomed, I will consider them pests though certain households treat these kinds of beasts their pets). Oh, I shouldn't forget the ever mighty termites.

I was in for a shock when one fine day my neighbour next to me told me the neighbour living beside her found a poisonous snake in their toilet.  According to her, The Fire Brigade had confirmed that it's a rare kind of poisonous snake and it had been sent to the zoo.

I've had cats coming into our car porch. Once, the irritating feline walked into our house and finding its way upstairs until my other half yelled and threw a newspaper at it.  Now, a snake is really hard to comprehend! Where the world did this kind of creature come from? And, we are residing in an urban area... Nothing seems to escape these slithery creatures? I can never imagine finding a snake in my house.. and worse still, a poisonous one. So, after this incident, I will surely take more precautions just in case this creature find its way to my house. My windows, at the kitchen and toilet, would be shut more often.

If there are snakes in the neighbourhood, I will not be surprised to find spiders (not the tiny ones ah) and other creepy crawlies in the future.  Eee....

Pests, pests, go away and never come back

What do you think this looks like?

Not an air freshener.Certainly not a special-purpose power point as no wires are visible.  Is it some kind of hi-tech sensor?

Something I never knew existed until we went hunting for something to ward off mosquitoes from our home. Mosquitoes are found in 'abundance' in our home.  Unfortunately, they mostly prey on me, not my other half.  They love my 'sweet' blood, it seems.   Once in a while, my kids fall victims to them and my Mom too.

They attack me when I'm washing dishes in the kitchen, when I'm hanging the laundry at the car porch and of course in the study room and bedroom.  I can even find them in the toilet while taking my shower.  My most torturous moments with them are when I am enjoying watching television in the living room.

This repellent here is the second one that we bought. The first one is one of those that come with a UV light.  It is supposed to chase away mosquitoes instead of the UV light ones which attract the pests before killing them.  Equipped with a buzzing sound (only audible to mosquitoes), it will only be effective after being turned on for 1 month, it seems and works the best for rooms with area of something like 2,000 square feet.

Nothing seems to be different in the first few weeks.  I still find mosquitoes in my room. However, they do not seem to 'bite' me. After having this in my room for a few months now, (I still find one or two of these creatures flying in my room), I can say that the mosquitoes seem to be made 'less active' that I don't get attacks from them.

What is Encarta encyclopedia?

One day, while I was working at the PC, Wyng pestered me to google this word 'encarta' encyclopedia.  He said I can search about the animals that appear on his text book.  So, to satisfy him, I googled 'Encarta' and true enough it's a kind of digital encyclopedia.

Why we shouldn't trust the nanny?

Hoe with his Frankenstein-like forehead, after the rubbing

This was what I got when I entrusted Hoe, my only son then, with his nanny.

It all started with a mistake Mom made.  In the midst of busy house chores and wanting to place Hoe at a safe place while Mom was busy, Hoe was placed in his crib.  Nothing was wrong except that Mom had also erroneously placed an adult-sized pillow in the crib.  Just like any normal child, Hoe curiously stood on the pillow (which was placed by the side of the crib), raising him a little higher in the crib.  Not long later, Hoe was found crying on the floor.  After some self-blaming and coaxing Hoe, Mom carried on with her work. Nothing very serious except for the slight bulge (thank Goodness! falling from that height didn't seem to leave very serious impact) on Hoe's forehead.

A couple of days later, Hoe was playing and somehow the mischievious him stepped into a plastic box big just big enough to seat him.  Just as he was standing up,trying to step out of the box, he tripped and fell flat on his face.  The impact was the greatest on his already bulging forehead.  His forehead ended up slightly more swollen by then.

Anyway, he was sent to the nanny's house as usual in the morning. Nanny was told not to rub his forehead.  The shock came when I went to pick Hoe up after work.  Who or What greeted me was not Hoe! It was little Frankenstein ! Just look at the picture above.

Overwhelmed with Hoe's pathetic condition, I didn't expect any further explanation from the nanny.  She had already been written off from my mind at that moment. I would never send Hoe back to her.

What followed was visits to specialists.  Hoe's regular pediatrician who advised us to take Hoe for a MRI scan. Hoe was taken for an MRI scan at a medical centre in Malacca.  Thank Goodness! We were relieved to know that there was no internal bleeding.  The bulge would take a few weeks, a month to two to subside.

Hoe had a tough time coping with his 'new' forehead.  He was grouchy most of the time, easily irritable and would cling to Mom for no reason.  Uncomfortable with his condition, he turned into a 'sad' toddler.  There was no smiles on his face, even TV didn't seem to attract him.  After about a month, the size of his forehead started to return to normal.  Hoe was his old self, happy and adorable child.

I never took him back to his nanny.  I sacked her.  The reason was obvious.

Lesson from the kid:  Never, ever leave your sick child with his nanny unless you have no choice.   They may mean good but a sick child under his mother's loving care is always better than being cared for by uneducated and those with a lackadaisical attitude.  This was what happened to me. The nanny actually meant good. She wanted to reduce the swelling but used the wrong method.  Instead of rubbing with ointment, she should have used ice.  And, she didn't even want to notice the dramatic change in Hoe so as I would not make a fuss or condemn her.

Look who are helping to springclean

Having no maid at my disposal, maintaining the house can get really challenging.  Thankfully, I have two guys who can give me a great helping hand in such times.

Spring cleaning can be really backbreaking for a house like ours.  After some delegation with clear instructions and the compulsory follow-up after a chore, we have a reasonably clean house to usher the Chinese New Year.

Wyng taking out the bulbs from the Christmas tree

Back into the box until the next year

Cobweb..you can't go anywhere now.

Magic wiper does the job better here

Lesson from the kids - When Mom gets too tired from her endless chores, get the kids involved. Sometimes, the kids, especially the younger ones, will be too happy to be part of what we are doing.  If they get too reluctant or lazy bones start to appear, 'bribe' them.  Do the job together with them, not just sit back.  At the end of a chore, the kids and you will feel a deep sense of satisfaction, having accomplished a tough job together.

A painful lesson for the kid

What a way to celebrate the CNY? Another first.  Playing fireworks can be so much fun but if done not following safety rules, disasters will definitely strike.

Hoe and his cousin, holding the sparks, a few at one go. 

What thrill to just hold one single sparkle and just watch it burn? So, playing and holding a few sticks at one go seem more exhilarating.  But, watch out!

Wyng, trying to do the same, despite warning 

Wyng, despite warnings from Mom, Daddy and aunties, chose to imitate his Qo Qo and heroically held a few with his small and new hand.  Successful at his first attempt, this encouraged him to do it again.  Ahh, he learnt his lesson as he was seen flinging away a few burning sticks and next he was seen squatting down, frowns of pain appearing on his pitiful face with his welling eyes, not being able to utter a word.

Too late to regret! Notice the tooth paste on his left hand.

The result of mischief..burnt palm and fingers.

And, what do you get if you don't heed advice? Blisters at five spots. Notice the two bigger ones and the minor parts burnt. Either the burns weren't so serious or this guy has 'thick' skin. He wasn't even cringing in pain when I helped to shower him.

The next morning, he didn't complain about the pain at all.  He was able to do his normal work. He even did his Kumon, that means he wasn't really hurt.  But, I believe the burn has taught him a lesson.  

When his concerned aunty sms-ed him, he replied, "Half-healed but my mother don't let me play computer."
Reply from his auntie, "That's good, so you have learned a good lesson."  Wyng, still so crazy about the computer games responded, "But I still need to use my right hand because it still hurts."

Food brings us together in this festive season

What brings people together, especially in this Chinese New Year season? Food, of course.

'Hoi Lin' meal at my Mom's place. 

At my Mom's place on the 2nd day of CNY, this year, my brother-in-law and sister were contributing their part by cooking for the Hoi Lin meal. Mom could actually sit back for a while and enjoy the food.  

The must-have seasoning that must go with each dish.  Made of ginger, parsley and spring onion, this is passed on from Ipoh, courtesy of my brother-in-law.

After the main meal, my sister and brother-in-law took turns to cook their 'la sau' own version of home-cooked fried rice.  Whoever came out with this brilliant idea? The ingredients were just egg, nothing fancy.  We were asked to state our preference after testing. Whatever was the preference, the best thing was both the chef enjoyed cooking for us and we enjoyed eating and tasting the different version of fried rice.

At my youngest sister, as usual, she prepared a spaghetti meal for us.  There were also nasi lemak bungkus from a famous stall in PJ.  Whatever it was, we were well-fed, not only with the meal but also with the wide array of CNY titbits.  I think no one can beat her in terms of the variety of titbits she can offer.  Ranging from the normal CNY cookies and crunchy chips, to chocolates, candies, cuttlefish, dried pork, Milo agar-agar (jelly), ice-cream and even wet pickled papaya and not forgetting the dried pickled and sour stuff.

On the fifth day, we were at my oldest sister's place. She had so much passion cooking healthy meals that she would go all out just to make sure what land on her dining table are healthy meals and nothing else.  Here, she was demonstrating to us how her 'broiler-cum-blender' can whip up some healthy herbal drink. Parting with RM500 (USD 161), she doesn't feel the pinch on her pocket at all as she enthused that she gets to enjoy healthy drink which is what she needs most at her age.  I salute her for her untiring enthusiasm to ensure only the best and healthy stuff for herself and her family. We waited for about 20 minutes for this red dates-wolfberries-rock sugar drink.  Not bad for a cup of nutritious drink.

Lastly, at my house, being a novice in terms of cooking, I wasn't able to cook 'a feast' for them.  Instead, my sisters kindly volunteered to cook.  Thankfully, I had earlier stored some pork cutlet for the CNY season.  They made pork-chops in soy sauce, to the liking of the kids and fried rice.  My sister faced no competition this time and cooked stress-free for all of us, individually. She actually cooked for 10 of us individually as she explained that it would not taste as good if it's cooked together for 10 of us.

Next year, I would be ready to cook for my big family during festive celebrations. I may not be able to cook up chef-standard food but I think it's not so much the quality or type of food which matters.  What matters is the togetherness as the entire family relishes the warm home-cooked meals whilst reminiscing the past as well as sharing 'secrets' and 'tips' to certain family successes.  Gossips are not to be forgotten but they are the least malicious as 'words speak louder than actions' applies here, in this aspect.

Forget about expensive food at posh restaurants if you are cracking your head about where to eat. Home is still the best place to bring the family together. Just roll up your sleeve, be prepared to sweat and get dirty and greasy too.

A very different Chinese New Year

This year, things were very different. We celebrated the dragon year in a rather different and fun way but unplanned though.

First day of CNY
For many years, the first day of CNY was traditionally spent staying at home at my in-law's place, doing nothing but munching tons of crunchy junk food and watching hours and hours of TV.

For a change, we spent a few hours in the evening at the cool highland, Genting Highlands (which highland, if not Datuk Lim Goh Tong's?).  Daddy had thought that the highland may be a place to relax quietly as most would be back at their hometown.  He was wrong when we were greeted with throngs of people,just like us wanting to get some cool air or just to take the opportunity of a festive long break to 'hike' up there. We opted not to let the kids play at the outdoor theme park but Daddy had generously bought the kids Ezy Card to play at the indoor amusement centre.

A magnificent night view of KL from Genting 

We had dinner at Marry Brown, took some cool and refreshing air before we headed to Goh Tong Jaya for a teh-tarik (pull-tea literally) session at a mamak stall.  On the way down, we pulled over and enjoyed a view of KL.  With an E-72, this picture was the best quality I could capture.  What a waste! How I wish I had a powerful zoom camera to capture the magnificence.  Daddy didn't want to leave the highland so soon and just wanted to hang around longer.

Third day of CNY
We normally would visit Daddy's late uncle's house in a remote village at Tampin to 'bai nian'.  Most of the time, we would spend a few hours and leave before evening. This year, the men seemed to have more issues to talk about and we ended up spending the night until 10+pm.  The fun time came at around 9+pm when the kids started to play the ever popular fireworks.

Playing outdoor at a village, a new experience

 Wyng and Hoe, for the first time got to hold the fireworks and play.  Wyng used to only watch his older cousins play but this time, since they were outdoor and he is old enough, he was allowed to play along too, nearby a small piece of vacant land, with barely any vehicle passing by.

With adult supervision, the kids were having a whale of a time with the fireworks

CNY, the time for kids to have loads of fun

 

Lucky kids!  Valid angpow receivers, for many years to come.. And good playmates for Hoe and Wyng.

Fourth day of CNY

Hoe, pouring the plum sauce for the yee sang, for the first time

Why so special? I've never had such an expensive family dinner and the record was broken on this fourth day of CNY.  Of course, with the amount of seafood ordered, the bill may even be considered reasonable, if not for the CNY hike in price.  This meal reminds me that it's still home-cooking that entails more benefits. Apart from cost savings, home-cooking brings family members together.  Afterall, this is what CNY is all about.

Hoe, being the oldest grand son for the Daddy's side, was given the 'privilege' to pour the plum sauce on the yee sang.  He had never done this before.

Fifth day of CNY
Finally, it's visiting (or bai nian) to my house.  After usual makan (eating) session, Daddy suggested to the my nephew and niece to hang around longer to play fireworks, much to their amusement.  Staying in an apartment, they've never played fireworks since many,many years ago.

A small fireworks outside our home

This was also the first time any kids ever played at our house since we moved in. Quite an enjoyable experience for me and a fun time for the kids and their cousins.  While the fireworks were 'in action', my oldest niece, See, was video-chatting with her boyfriend (who was in Singapore) whilst allowing him to witness the CNY fun via her phone.

I didn't know that the pop-pop which are popular among small kids can even attract my oldest sister and my Mom.  As you can see from this video, my oldest sister was having so much thrill throwing pop-pop.  So, in my family last night, the pop-pop attracted players aging from 9 to 75. What a record!

'Yee Ma' going ga-ga over the pop-pop and enjoyed terrifying the kids and the poor ladies who went 'screaming' away at each pop.

My Mom joined in the fun too by throwing pop-pop not on the floor but AT people. I guess she had as much fun as the kids did. I've never seen her joined in this kind of activity before. I guess she's just grabbing any opportunity available to her to do whatever she still could.

What will the dragon year bring?

 

I am not really a staunch believer of feng shui but I do read feng shui masters' predictions especially for any new year. Call it curiosity, maybe, or just to see if the predictions are accurate. 

So,what's in store for this year of water dragon?  A feng shui queen predicts that it will be a good year for 'oxen' and not-so-good year for 'dogs' and 'dragons'.  Whatever are the predictions are not significant as I am seldom influenced by them. 

Happy Chinese New Year and May this year brings lots of joy and health to you.

Why are these food banned in school?

Fattening food such as nugget and french fries are banned in school canteens but nasi lemak is allowed to be sold.  What logic is this?

Nasi lemak has calories of 644 while a piece of chicken nugget is 48 calories whereas french fries (say small serving of 85g) is 271 calories. Even if a child eats 5 pieces of nugget and still have the stomach to take another serving of french fries, calories count is only 511, still less than that of a packet of nasi lemak.

Realistically, with just about 15-20 minutes of recess, a primary student may most likely buy either nuggets or fries and not both western food (queueing up time has to be taken into consideration).  So, the calories count will be most probably less than 511 . Comparing this to a smaller serving of nasi lemak (which a child can normally take), the difference is not that significant.

So, I still don't see a better rationale to ban the western food but not the coconut rice.

Does your kid destroy things?

Mine does, lots of them.

School bags, glasses, pencil cases, books, school shoes, to just name a few.  The latest one being his shoes.  At least this pair as pictured was something like more than a year old.

Dad bought him a sandal which lasted less than 6 months.  The strap just came off from the base. I wonder whether it was the sub-quality Bubble Gummers or just his 'roughness' when he walked or ran.

Compared to Hoe, his school shoes don't last as long.  He is capable of ruining two pairs of school shoes in less than a year. Well, I normally buy him a pair of X-brand shoes and another pair would be the better quality Bata or Pallas shoes.  The 'branded' shoes didn't get treated better by him.

Isn't it expensive to 'maintain' this kid?

Looking to buy a digital dictionary

I used to object buying a digital dictionary for my kid with the reason that the dictionary may not provide an accurate word for different situations.  I could be too cost-conscious then or anti-gadget in terms of providing a tool to aid Hoe when he was a young.

Well, somehow my perception changes.  After being in the education field for a few years, I notice almost 100% of kids from the national type school owns a digital dictionary.  I also realise that at primary level, this kind of dictionary is a very handy tool to help students improve their vocabulary of other languages, Malay and English.  Of course, the traditional book dictionary undoubtedly still serves its purpose. But, in terms of popularity, speed and convenience, the digital gadget certainly is more superior.

Unless my understanding is incorrect, the conventional dictionary uses 'bu sou' (root word) to search for a chinese character.  When I was learning how to use Mandarin to sms, I got to know that hanyi pinyin is used.  So, for a digital gadget, I believe hanyi pinyin is to be used to search for a word.

I think using hanyi pinyin is an easier way than using the former.  What if the student does not know the 'bu sou'? Most of the time, they know how to pronounce or say the word but do not know the stroke of the chinese character.

Recognising this plus-point, I am now open to buying one for Wyng.  I just don't want him to be lazy or give up when he encounter certain characters which he doesn't understand or when he needs to construct sentences but does not know how to write them.  On top of that, Mom can also make use of the digital dictionary for use in her teaching.

Perhaps, if a second-hand one is available for a reasonable price, Mom will definitely not think twice to buy.

A new system in school

Beginning this year, Wyng's school implemented this system which Mom cringes as this was exactly the system which made Mom decided not to enrol Wyng in his older brother's primary school.  This system, which is implemented by most Chinese medium schools, requires their students to stay back after their normal school hours to attend tuition classes.  Depending on school, some schools require them to stay back until 3.30, 3.15 or 4pm.  Wyng's school chooses to dismiss them at an unearthly 4 o'clock.

At only Primary 3, I strongly disagree that he attends all those tuition classes for an additional 3 hours after school.  Already exhausted after 5 hours in school, packing another 3 hours (what! eight long hours) in the same environment, with almost the same teachers is not proven to have any positive impact on the children's learning capabilities.  In view of this, I promptly went to see the Assistant Principal of the school to submit my application to have him exempted from the classes.

It wasn't difficult for me to convince the school that Wyng is better guided by his Mom as he is an above average student, being in the top 25 in his school.  According the the school, the system is started with the aim of keeping the students occupied productively after school hours.  But, why only curriculum is emphasized in this system?  There is only an hour of co-curriculum in the entire 'extra' classes.

I am not sure if the school has conducted any research to prove that the extra after-school hours can actually help students to excel.  Whatever it is, I don't doubt that the school has failed to consider the fact that not all students need to be 'educated' the same way.

Now, instead of clocking in 7.20am to 4pm on a daily basis, Wyng can be dismissed at 1.10 pm on Mondays to Tuesdays and 12.40pm from Wednesdays to Fridays.  He has his hearty lunch, finishes his homework after that and for the rest of the day, he either watches television, plays, does his reading or attends his Chinese or Kumon classes.

What's wrong with this? Nothing wrong at all and he will continue to enjoy such routine at least for another two more years.

What is my kid reading?

"Mom, see, his ambition is to be an accountant like you"

"This is how it works"

He reads manuals, he reads circulars, he reads brochures, flyers apart from his usual story books. In short, he reads anything with words, lots of them. Somehow, he is intrigued by how things happen and why things happen.

Whilst waiting for his brother during one of the Kumon classes, (well, he finished earlier sometimes) he grabbed hold of a Kumon newsletter.  What attracted him was the page with many tiny words listing down names of Kumon achievers.  He browsed through the photos of achievers and actually read (out to me) what the students felt about their achievements after taking Kumon. Some of them wrote about their ambitions.

Something I couldn't stand about him is he reads 'dry' and boring stuff such as manuals.  Here, in this picture, he was reading an operating manual of a vacuum cleaner. At this point of blogging this, I asked him the name of the vacuum cleaner. He went to his desk and showed me the manual from Dyson. He's still keeping the manual!

Don't ask me if this is a positive sign that this guy seems to love reading technical stuff.  Only time will tell.

Back to school

The first week of school has flown past. As Wyng is in Standard 3 this year, there isn't many problems associated with resistance to go to school or stuff like that.  Wyng has to adapt to morning session. Same for Mom.

Transport has been arranged and all the rest.  What's new this year was I have to submit an application letter to exempt him from after-school tuition, similar to what I did for Hoe.  After spending a few hours in school, I got what I wanted done.

I'll blog more of my 'accomplishments' of the few hours I spent in this school later.