12 ~ A Child’s Prayer

Two days ago, Sister Jennifer texted me the songs that both Issac and Annabelle will be participated in the Primary Presentation later at 30 Oct 2016.

There will be a duet that Annabelle and Daddy will be singing – A Child’s Prayer. I am thinking of making a flip chart for both of them, during practicing the song at home.

During I was browsing through the internet, I came to know that this wonderful mother whom is an artist, shared her drawings and sketches in her website for the members and non-members to use her hand drawn and colored clip art artworks to create anything related to everything.

Frankly I love it so much! Her website is here: http://susanfitchdesign.blogspot.my. And, you can also visit her shop at etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/SusanFitchDesign.

Here is the flip chart I created using her artworks. I really love her artworks so much! The children she draws, Jesus Christ she draws, everything she draws are so spiritual!

Both Issac and Annabelle are so delighted during seeing this flip chart!

Faith In God Activity Days

I feel the blessings as I was recently called as second counsellor in our Branch Primary Presidency, and it kind of giving me a chance to serve and learn the church lessons, manuals and curriculum which are installed for us.

I got to know about the Faith In God Program during when our family were sealed in the Cebu Temple, Philippines last year. I bought the small 2 booklets at the Distribution Centre at the temple ground, thinking of getting ready for both children for that. Still, at that point of time, I do not know how to go about this program, and I thought that is incorporated in the Primary every Sunday.

During last month when we had our Branch Conference on the 14th August 2016, and the visit of our District Primary President, Sister Young Hee to our Primary classes. She explained to us if possible, talk to the parents if they may help their sons and daughters complete the activities in the guidebook, especially she knew that it might difficult for children to gather for Primary activity days here at Malaysia.

As at Puchong branch, we do not have the activity days which focus on this program. After listening and considering what Sister Yang advice, I was thinking of helping both Issac and Annabelle learning and understand more live gospel principles, develop their testimonies, and love Heavenly Father more.

I am anxious too, as we need to prepare Issac to receive his Aaronic Priesthood. Next year he will be turn to 12 years old on his birthday! And, I am so nervous at the same time, I really hope he will qualify to receive it.

Thus, I would roll up my sleeves, crack my brain to teach them and helping them to become the kinds of persons both of them would like to be and the persons Heavenly Father knows them can become. As like the front cover of the Faith In God booklet stated:

“That they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” ~ John 17:3

It’s Bunny and Us!

Issac Finally Loves to Read 3 Aug 2016

It was a surprise and excitement! From very early years, I knew that it is good to read together with the children, when they were still young. This can create a good habit for them.

There is an old saying something like this, “ A child whom love to read good books will not become a bad person when they grow up.” I know this is true, just I myself do not have the patience and the persistence to grow this habit together with Issac and Annabelle when they were small.

Not until when Issac going to Primary 3 that time, he was not good at all especially in learning the Mandarin characters. I was holding my breath the whole time. I was battling tremendous self-doubt. I must be an awful mother.

Some folks advised me to take Issac to specialists, test his hearing, eyesight, cognitive abilities, look into reading labs for him.

Deep in my soul, those didn't feel right and I never took Issac to any of those things. I knew mainly is due to my attentions to his schooling and homework after what Daddy and I have been through.

And then the miracle happened just recently, may be a month back. Daddy and I were trying to make him interest in some comics books at least.

He was started with The Three Kingdom which we bought in the Popular Bookstore, I was searching for some reading books for him, and co-incidentally I found Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I was quite excited and wanted to know more about the author’s works, as we had watched the movie before.

I love the way the author take the young children to his imaginative world. Roald Dahl is the famous the world no. 1 story teller! I bought The BFG, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the Charlie and the Glass Elevator, Boy and Going Solo.

I told Issac that it is better that if he can finish reading the BFG before the movie is going on screen middle of August. Then he can tell me more about the story or the movie is much more nicer. He loves the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Right after this chit-chatting, reading clicked in his mind and he just began reading. Within a few days he was reading easily and completed on the BFG at his grade level. He found the story is adventurous and interesting.

Then something happened. I have no idea what. May be it was long boring at home besides playing their tablet games. May be it was just the right time, and the parts of their brains that can process the written word had a growth spurt. It doesn’t matter to me. Issac continued his Charlie and the Chocolate Factory adventure. I breathed a sigh of relief. The muscles in my stomach could finally relax. I could let my shoulders drop and I could unfurrow my brow. My boy, at long last, was reading.

Today he is still reading Roald Dahl’s books which I managed to grab during book fair at a cheaper price. At long last my kids are reading. I can stop holding my breath. I can breathe deeply and can actually dare to use both my lungs. It has been many years of waiting to exhale. The wonderful world of books has opened to him.

A book a week! Do you know what that means? He always have their noses in books! I breathe a silent prayer of thanks for my boy and for the patience it took for me to wait until he read. And, for my dear husband and I encourage each other in not giving up of our boy in reading. The Lord have answered our prayer! We are grateful for His grace and kindness in touching our boy’s heart and open up his mind into this good habit.

An Autobiography Dream

“An autobiography is a book a person writes about his own life and it is usually full of all sorts of boring details.

This is not an autobiography. I would never write a history of myself. On the other hand, throughout my young days at school and just afterwards a number of things happened to me that I have never forgotten.

None of these things is important, but each of them made such a tremendous impression on me that I have never been able to get them out of my mind. Each of them, even after a lapse of fifty and sometimes sixty years, has remained seared on my memory.

I didn’t have to search for any of them. All I had to do was skim off the top of my consciousness and write them down.

Some are funny. Some are painful. Some are unpleasant. I suppose that is why I have always remembered them so vividly. All are true.

~ Roald Dahl”

This is something I read over when I pick up this book of this amazing author Roald Dahl – “Boy”. After reading this very simple preface or front note, and I have made up my mind that I want to buy this book.

This book initially I bought it for myself with the intention of Issac would read one day. After seeing him reading so many books, I told him that this “Boy” and the “Going Solo”, he would read it after he have read all the Roald Dahl’s books. This would be the last book, because I think he will appreciate the stories more, when he sort of read more and ‘grow up a bit more’.

I found it so true. When I think back all those years that I was young as a child or teenager or even young single adult, there was times or moments which I would never forgot and remember until now. Just time would wait for no man and pass through us without us knowing or realize that.

I guess that is the reason why I want to keep writing and keep recording with everything photos I have. I am writing about the present which my family. I want to write my childhood whereby most of my photos are with Esiang there. I hope can able to continue and pursuit this little dream of mine.

Alvin Birthday 1 Aug 2016

This year daddy’s birthday is on a Monday. I was thinking of want to give him a surprise! And, all of the preparations was so rush and it happened that I only have the weekend to buy all the surprises!

On the Saturday before the actual birthday, during Annabelle’s violin class at Empire Shopping Gallery Subang Jaya.

Annabelle and I were shopping together at the Tang’s Departmental Store to look for gift as Daddy’s birthday present while both Issac and Daddy were going for a hair cut.

At Tang’s, I was thinking of a bow tie initially. Somehow I was not too sure on the that. We were walking around at the Men’s Section, finally I noticed the Cross pen with Marvel Super Heroes theme.

I was thinking like: Oh ok, may be this can fit him as he likes Captain America. Annabelle agreed on this idea. We had a closer look at the pen and both of us agreed that we should check with Issac first.

I have spoken to the sales person that I took some photographs and I would come back later.

After accompanied Annabelle to her violin class, I quickly went down to look for Issac and Daddy at the Jaya Grocer, and we were discussing behind Daddy on which option will he like, just to make sure we choose the one he like.

There are 3 options: Iron Man pen which it is in red color and with Iron Man signature head on the pen holder, Captain America pen in  blue color and with signature shield on the pen holder, or the Spider Man pen which is combination of red and blue color with signature spider mask.

Issac was so clever that he asked his Dad, “Daddy, what is your favorite Marvel Super Hero?” His Daddy answered, “Captain America”. Issac smiled and looked at me. After which, I just finding excuses that I want to go to buy female sanitary pads at the pharmacy.

I bought the Captain America pen with an extra refill. I bought a birthday card at the customer service there.

On today actual day, once we woke up all of us rushed out to school and work. On the way driving only, I suddenly realized that we did not wish him Happy Birthday.

I quickly called him, and asked Issac to wish him. At first, Daddy was stunned and only realized too that it was his birthday!

After work in the evening, I went to Berry’s to buy a small birthday cake before I fetched Annabelle and Issac. They were so excited seeing the cake.

We celebrated Daddy’s birthday after we had our dinner outside. We lighted the candles and Daddy made a wish before cutting the cake. Issac went and took the surprise we have for him. Daddy was very happy and appreciated with our small little gestures on his special day!

Picnic and BBQ @ Port Dickson 9 Jul 2016

Today is a Saturday and the continuation of the Hari Raya Puasa holidays. Alvin decided to go to Port Dickson for a BBQ picnic.

We drove to Port Dickson around 8.00am and reached at Pantai Teluk Kemang about 9.30am. We just found and parked our car at the same spot which near to the toilets, exactly as last year when we were here.

We bought some chicken wings, sausages, sweet corns, fish, squids, and some seasoning ingredients for the BBQ. We bought the drinks too, besides the BBQ pit and charcoal for this occasion.

Alvin sited up the BBQ stand ready for our picnic. This time we did not allow the children go for swimming as Alvin and I have to BBQ and cannot go and watch over both of them if they were going for swimming.

We just BBQ and enjoyed the sea breeze and the food we brought at the picnic. There were a lot of people picnic at the beach too. It was really a nice and beautiful day for family outing.