Alvin Birthday 1 Aug 2017

Actually on the night before, 31st July around 11.30pm, we have started to celebrate Daddy’s birthday. We have a mini treasure hunt (birthday presents hunt) around our house. I have got this ideas from the internet, and found that it is very interesting and fun!

I have been planning for this 2 weeks before, as get ready the birthday presents, and the treasure hunt thing, scratching my head and think how to do the clues cards out, planning where and when to hide, etc. I was so worried that it turn out to a not-so successful one…

       

We have got Daddy 2 birthday gifts, a birthday card and a birthday cake. So we have 4 surprises in total. I just randomly put the birthday card and presents at one of the points, then the birthday cake would be the last to find.

              

We just give Daddy the 1st clue and Daddy started to find his next clues. And, it is so simple and obvious! He managed to find it! The first clue was hidden at the front door!

              

The second clue too, it is too easy to look for! The place where we eat our dinner is the dining table!

              

The third clue, I hide the card in the bathroom mirror cabinet because there are no other place! Here, I put the Birthday Card for Daddy.

              

The forth clue, was hided at the TV!

              

The fifth clue, was a bit harder for Daddy, as he does not know normally where I keep our bath towels. Issac helped his Daddy on this. Daddy managed to find a present here!

              

The sixth clue, was easier one too. Daddy always sit on the couch, kick his feet up and rest while watching TV after taking his bath.

              

The seventh clue was a bit difficult as Daddy did not know what is the meaning of ‘nuke’. Issac helped Daddy as I placed another present in our old microwave.

              

The eighth clue was the oven. Then I created a last one which lead Daddy to the fridge for the Birthday Cake!

It was almost 11.45pm, Daddy make a wish first!

Daddy together with Issac and Annabelle blew the candles together and cut the cakes.

After that, it was the time to unwrap the presents we give! Daddy firstly opened and read the birthday card which both Issac and Annabelle together with Mummy hand picked the card and read what every one of us got to say to him.

Then, Daddy opened the first present which is a watches display box. I had seen him every time just put all his watches in the drawers. Then, I was thinking like, may be I should buy him a box that at least can keep his watches.

This year, I really do not have much monies to buy an expensive gift for him. He looked happy and put all his watches inside the box. It is a green colour leather decorative box with 3 small pads to hold the watches inside. Just nice as he have 3 watches in total.

The second gift Daddy opened is a picture frame with our family photo inside. It is our temple sealing photo in front of the Cebu Temple at Philippines.

Four of us standing happily in front of the House of the Lord. I told Daddy that, we would like him to put our family photo at his office, where he can see us everyday he works.

I just told Daddy that there are only little presents which costs a little that I am able to buy for him. He said, it doesn’t matter as the heart and mind counts and he love all of us! We hug and love this man of our life too!   

Our mission accomplished!

A Beautiful World

Developing Talents #3 ~ Write a poem, story, or short play that teaches a principle of the gospel or is about Heavenly Father’s creations.

For the past week, I was thinking to start work on the Developing Talents activities together.

And, from all the listed activities, I found that this activity 3 is quite a tough one for the kids - "Write a poem, story, or short play that teaches a principle of the gospel or is about Heavenly Father's creations."

Write a poem, story, or short play are not the things that they like or not their strengths. And, the second part of it is gospel principle or about Heavenly Father’s creation.

My mind quickly think about what they learn about the creation story in 7 days.

I prepared the lesson with the help from the Church website on the pictures of the creation story.

We started our lesson by reading a poem “The Creation by Lisa Phipps”.

Then followed with The Creation – Each Day a Gift. Explaining to them that the great plan of happiness included the creation of a beautiful world, where we would come to live our mortal lives.

The Creation took 6 days and was done by Jesus Christ under the direction of Heavenly Father.

Then, we study the related scriptures in the Book of Genesis, and have them to colour for pictures.

After that, we were starting to do the Creation Story Sequence Cards.

I found this idea from April’s Homemaking. It is really a great ideas in teaching or showing about the story of Heavenly Father’s creation.

Both Issac and Annabelle actually really got into this idea and pretty soon, they were bouncing ideas off of each other and working together.

Awhile back I started to get the art materials that we need to do this craft.

All those we managed to get it from Mr. DIY Store. We got out glitters, some collection of stickers.

We used only 1 cardstock circles for each day’s card, and using craft glue, glued a craft stick at the back of the cardstock.

We decorated each day’s card with a picture representing what God created on each day.

We can’t find pre-cut circles cardstock, we just trace out a circle onto cardstock and cut it out.

We used various stickers, lots of colour glitters, and we did a bit differently from the original to suit what the materials that we have.

Here are close ups of each day for both Issac and Annabelle:

Day 1 ~ God divided the light from the darkness, making day and night.

         

Day 2 ~ He organised the heaven and the earth.

         

Day 3 ~ He divided the land from the waters and created grass, flowers, trees, fruits, and herbs.

         

Day 4 ~ He created the sun, moon, and stars.

         

Day 5 ~ The fish and fowl were created.

         

Day 6 ~ He created the animals. Then Heavenly Father created man and woman.

         

Day 7 ~ He took a rest.

         

I told both Issac and Annabelle that, they could se them during story time, read the story right out of the Holy Bible, and help up each card as they read the day.

         

Or used the cards prompt the younger children to learn each day and the order of the creation story. It can be a “tool” for their Baby Sitter Kit which they are compiling, after their earlier lesson on the taking care of the young children.

         

Well, quite a fun activity for all of us!

Alvin Pre-Birthday Celebration

Issac and I were discussing the other day to have a pre-birthday celebration lunch for Daddy.

Due to Daddy’s actual birthday is going to be on a Tuesday and a working day, thus there is nothing much we can prepare for him.

We decided to make it on a Sunday, as like what we did for the Father’s Day dinner.

This time around, we decided to have a soup and a spaghetti too.

We concluded the final menu is Tomato Soup and Shrimp Scampi Asparagus with Linguini.

Tomato Soup is just nice. No over cook like last time the mushroom soup. Just the taste may be not so creamy, as it is different from mushroom soup.

The Shrimp Scampi Asparagus with Linguini was a bit tasteless. Fortunately, Daddy came to the rescue, and added in some seasoning, and it taste better.

Even though this time the meals we prepared is not as good compared to the last time Father’s Day Celebration meals, still Daddy is very happy and appreciate our love and thoughts for him!

“Bee” a Great Babysitter !

Serving Others # 5 ~ Entertain young children with songs or games you have learned or made yourself. Show that you know how to care for and protect a young child.

The first thing that was got into my mind was like:

Am I going to prepare and do this lesson successfully with these 2 kiddos?

Would they know how to care for the younger children?

I thought that I would have a ‘hard time’ to get their attentions, but both of Issac and Annabelle proved me wrong!

I had no idea they would be so into this lessons and want to take preparing for babysitting so seriously!

So you can imagine how excited I was when I came across THIS little kit at Wendy's Activities.

So cute and full of great ideas...and, did I mention it was already done and put together!

All I had to do was print.  Love it when other people do the work for me!

I made each kid a folder using thick yellow colour paper with one of each of the hand outs.

The only files I printed in colour were the Labels for the Folders and the Labels for the Games (which I printed on full-sheeted sticker paper). And, the hand-outs too.

For our activity, we all sat in a circle, and I gave each kid a set of the yellow colour folder together with hand-outs, which they can assemble by themselves.

We went through the Babysitting Tips and Safety First hand-outs together. Both Issac and Annabelle took turns reading each bullet point, and we discussed each one.

I then showed them the "Important Information for Sitters" hand-outs, and told them they could make copies and take them to each babysitting assignment they had.

The next were the more ‘Fun Games To Play’!

Included in the list of songs and activities that they could do with the children were a couple of simple games that ready for them to compile and place in their bags.

All the materials I just got it from around the house.

Then, we spent the rest of the activity assembling the four games I had prepared.

They cut out their labels and assembled all of the items for their kits.

1.  Blowing Cotton Balls

Give each child a cotton ball. Designate a finish line. Have the children get behind the finish line on their hands and knees and blow their cotton ball across the floor. Whoever crosses the finish line first wins.

Use a piece of string (about 12″-18″ long) as a finish line.  We just cut the yarns that in my craft supplies. The cotton balls just from my dressing table.

You could even set up an obstacle course using toys or household items that you must flick your cotton ball through to get to the finish line.

2. Sink or Float ? Game

Fill up a medium-sized bowl with water. Choose household items (waterproof!) and have the children predict if it will sink or float in the water. Then try it out to see who is right.

The babysitter and children could also use items found in the house as long as they are careful that nothing will be ruined with water.

Then you can even predict how quickly different items will sink by holding a “Sink Off” between items, narrowing it down to the fastest sinker!

3.  Sock Guessing Game

This activity didn’t require any items other than what is found at a home.  Use a sock (can even be your own!) and hide an object in it.

We were using Daddy’s old socks which only left 1 piece after the laundry.

Have the child touch and feel the shape of the object and try to guess what it is without looking.

After they guess the object, let the child choose the next object to place in the sock for you or the other children to guess!

4.  Ribbon Matching Game

Find 3 or 4 matching coloured pairs of ribbon. Mix up the ribbons and give them to a child. Have the child find the matching pairs.

Our house do not have any ribbons, thus I saw the kids old baby socks, then I just got an idea to replace the ribbons with the colourful baby socks!

It turns out just nice as the socks were cute and colourful!

Each of Issac and Annabelle took about five minutes to put together and were simple but fun things that make a babysitter great!

5.  Colouring Book and Colour Crayons or Pencils

At last, we just added into the Babysitter Kit the colouring books and crayons that the kids got from the A&W Beary Meals. Just nice for the young children!

After which, I briefly touched on the remaining hand-outs - Things to add to your kit, Primary Songs, and fun Games. That may be can be added in the Babysitter Kit such as first aid kit, etc.

This activity was meant to teach about babysitting and get things started with a babysitting kit. It was not meant to be comprehensive.

But the big idea is getting them started on the right foot with information and resources to be successful gives them confidence and helps them become the responsible babysitter or young child taker.

We couldn’t cover everything in one hour but multiple activities throughout the year would be a great way to build up their kits and their excitement for babysitting.

For example, I think that the next thing that needs to be added is a first aid kit with a lesson from a nurse or health professional on basic first aid skills.

We also thought that other activities we hold could include something that could be added to their babysitting kit.  Perhaps the whole activity isn’t focused on babysitting but they could make something that could become a part of their babysitting kit.

“Mummy, I love this lesson. It is fun!” Annabelle said.

I was asking both of them, “So, do you know how to take care of the Nursery or young children now?”

“Yes Mummy!”

Overall, they were happy and learned a lot and had a lot of fun!