March 2013 - Page 2 of 2

Learning fun! Product Reviews The Kao Kids

Learning through craft with the Toddibox – Product review & giveaway

March 12, 2013

I’m a little late with this review. We received the February Toddibox last month and only got to open it just this week. The kids (and adults) have been taking turns falling ill and I have absolutely zero energy left ever since my SAHM gig started. Finally it seems, that we are more settled this week .

The big box came with individually packed activities, similar to the Lollibox I reviewed in December. Objectives and instructions were clearly printed out and slotted in ziplock bags, similar to the Lollibox. The difference between the Toddibox and the Lollibox is that the former is pretty generous with their activity packs. It also comes with a story book related to the Valentine’s Day theme to promote parent-child bonding through reading.

I was overwhelmed when I opened it because this meant I had to look through every single pack, read what’s in store and decide if it’s age appropriate for Ben and Becks. It was a good thing I opened it before they did, so they wouldn’t go crazy opening ziplock after ziplock and go, “Shall we do this, Mama? And this? And this?”

I personally found the instructions in the Toddibox a little more vague than the instructions in the Lollibox. The ones in the Lollibox were much more detailed and had clear step-by-step instructions complete with illustrations.

Activities in the Toddibox came in four categories – Ten Fingers, Tempo and Beat, Thinking Tots and Test Tube. I naturally gravitated towards the Ten Fingers packs to see how I can occupy my tots with craft activities, being not very crafty myself.

I selected the ‘Family Link’ activity for Ben and Becks. I began the activity as suggested by telling the children about the family members in the house, and that we are all linked together by our love for one another. I got them to cut out the paper people and hearts provided in the pack, had them personalise each member in the household. They also stuck eyes onto the people and coloured them when the glue dried up.

There was a fair bit of cutting and I ended up having to cut the paper people for the project because it was difficult for Ben and Becks to cut out its shape with precision. There was also no glue provided so I had to go get white glue from my own stash for the buttons. I also wished there were more than 5 paper people to cut out, because we have a helper and we’ve told the children she’s family too.

The final product now hangs proudly on my front door.

On another occasion, the kids got to try ‘Walking in my shoes’. The activity requires the kids to trace the shape of each family member’s foot and make shoe lace holes with the soles that we’ve cut out. This may even be an opportunity to teach older kids how to tie shoe laces or sequencing by getting them to arrange the different soles in ascending order. But because dad wasn’t home for them to trace his foot and the baby was taking his morning nap, I decided to modify the activity a little to tie in with what I’m covering this week for our homelearning. So I got them to trace each other’s left and right foot, had them cut them out and label their soles ‘R’ and ‘L’. We’re making an ‘All about me’ scrapbook in line with this week’s bible verse from Psalm 139:14 (I am fearfully and wonderfully made), so this gets to go into their scrapbook! I also got them to ink their fingerprints and study the lines to see how special their prints were (which lasted five seconds).

There are so many activities to try and we’ve only done two this week. I’ll be working with the kids on our family tree soon, as well as getting them to do some CSI work studying family members’ fingerprints. The box is certainly value for money, and I am sure one box, with its 8 activities, would keep the kids busy the whole month.

I thought I’d put a review of these two activities up first because I have a giveaway for you – next month’s Toddibox!

If you would like to win next month’s Toddibox (theme on Music), simply leave a comment to say who you like to win this for and why. The giveaway ends 18 March 2013.

More details:

Toddibox is designed and created by a team of trained educators. The Toddibox’s multi-disciplinary activities are designed to help a child (from ages 3 to 6) relate to the real world and develop his confidence.
A Toddibox is priced at SGD$39.95; or SGD$239 for six months subscription (including a stationery pack); or SGD$440 for 12 months subscription (including a stationery pack and a free month).

UPDATE: We picked a winner randomly! Congrats Ganesan Arsheitha, Toddibox will be in touch with you shortly!

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Food, glorious food! Motherkao loves...

We’re off to Grandma and Grandpa’s

March 12, 2013

To have Grandma’s homecooked

To pluck tangerines off Grandma’s tangerine plant and then chomping its peel (Grandma says it’s good for the throat and reduces the phlegm)

To monkey around and do the hokey pokey on the staircase landing

And Mama gets to test out her new Olympus Pen – Yipee!

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Becks Kao Ben Kao Learning fun! Milestones and growing up The darndest kid quotes and antics The Kao Kids

My mother, my student

March 9, 2013

Little Miss Bossy has found a new hobby lately. She’s decided she wants to be ‘Teacher Jenny’ (the teacher who used to teach her when she was at daycare).

Becks: Mama, sit down!

Me: Ok…

Becks: I’m going to read to you ah. This book is ‘One Fish Two Fish’.

Becks: Fish swim like this (makes action with two hands)

Becks: And fish can drive

Me: Yes, and so says Dr Seuss… (listening as she rambles on about fish for a few minutes)

Becks: Ok, now we sing a song. SING! All the fishes swimming in the water… (she switches from English to Chinese playtime songs about fishes).

Me: All the fishes swimming in the water…

Becks: Hey, Mama! DO WITH ME THE ACTIONS! (hollers at me while the brother watches in amusement)

Me: Right…

Ben: Hahahaha! Mama is Becks’ student! Hahahaha!

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Milestones and growing up The Kao Kids Thunderstorm days What to Expect... As a Mother

Mom, interrupted, Part 2

March 8, 2013

We haven’t been doing much homelearning these days. Murphy is quite the chap that’s been sticking around here lately, with the Kao kids taking ill, one after another.

First up, a case of vomitting, high fever, cough and runny nose, needing meds like Rhinatiol, Motillium and Adezio for almost a week.

Then someone had bronchitis and needed Flixotide, Combivent and Sodium Chloride in mist form thrice a day through the nebuliser.

Today, another kid threw up like clockwork and yet another epsiode of stomach flu has begun.

This whole week alone, the kids are finishing up the Paracetamol Suspension faster than I can pronounce ‘Paracetamol’, not to mention tissue papers.

With the remaining energy that’s left, we’ve only managed to go downstairs for mini explorations to search for critters…

Play ball with the baby who adores all things round every waking minute…

As well as try a few of the many craft materials in February’s Toddibox (review on that later!)…

It’s been quite a manic month, this March. I need to be showing Murphy the door.

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Milestones and growing up The Kao Kids Thunderstorm days What to Expect... As a Mother

Mom, interrupted, Part 1

March 6, 2013

Ever since the stay-home gig started on 1 March, it’s been nothing short of crazy here.

In fact, I’ll be frank and go as far to say it’s been *crap*.

I’ve been barking, hollering and watching my blood pressure go up while feeling my blood boil as I attempt to undo some years of bad habits and poor child training.

I would go, “Stop what you’re doing and let’s have breakfast now.”

And the kids would go:

“But I’m busy. I want to do what I’m doing.”

“No, I don’t want to eat breakfast. Eww, what’s that? Yucks!“

This happens for lunch time, bath time, nap time and whatever-Mama-says time. Every time.

Then there would be the meltdowns and temper tantrums ranging from not wanting to wear a particular piece of clothing I’ve chosen to not being the first in line for vitamins. Like the “why-you-give-whoever-the-vitamin-first-and-not-me” kind of silly tantrums.

Plus, arguments and fights on an hourly basis and having to put children in their time-out corners for I-dunno-how-many-bloody-times a day, a needy baby who wants to be carried ALL THE TIME, a four-year-old asking you incessantly “What can we do now?” and a middle child who’s practically screaming her own head off when things don’t go her way, I’m pretty much going beserk after 6 days.

I’m also doubling up as maid of the house because it is just impossible for the helper to manage the chores. So guess what, I’m also mopping the crayon stains, folding laundry and changing bedsheets. Every day, someone would wet the bed, spill milk, scatter Cheerios, litter the house with shreds of paper cut-outs and eraser shavings, and smear the walls with Crayola.

Yesterday’s dirty laundry

Two baskets of unfolded laundry

And then some more

But I’m no fool of a Mama that will accept things as they are, and have these kids continue to be poorly behaved.

Child training – this is how it begins.

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Family life as we know it Going Out! Happy days The Kao Kids

Rise & Shine, it’s picnic time!

March 5, 2013

We had a lovely breakfast on a lovely Sunday morning against the Marina Bay skyline at The Lawn.

The sky was clear. The weather was cool and breezy. The kids weren’t too cranky despite having been ill for the last two days.

I made some ham and cheese sandwich and the wonderful grandparents and aunt got up early to join us, not before going to the market to get some vegetarian beehoon, and we had ourselves a hearty, healthy meal while being part of the largest breakfast picnic turnout in the Singapore Book of Records.

The kids had a ball chasing flying balloons, shaking hands with stilt walkers and mascots and jumping on bouncy castles.

When it wasn’t too crowded and we needn’t queue, Ben did his sports try-out and had some fun batting a ball for cricket. Becks and Nat were just too happy munching on the free samples of rice krispies and cornflakes from Kellogg’s, and drinking Ribena.

I think it’s a splendid idea to rise and shine early once in a while and spend such lovely time with family.

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Ben Kao

Roar! The dinosaur’s four!

March 2, 2013

One month before his birthday, I asked Ben if he would like to decide what he wanted for his birthday cake. This would be his last celebration in school, since he would be staying home with me starting March.

Ben: I want a dinosaur cake.

Me: Ok, let me google “dinosaur cake”.

I then showed him images of cakes that were dinosaur related. The 3D cakes that showed up in the results of the search were pretty amazing. We saw a pretty stegosaurus covered in fresh cream, the head of a t-rex in vibrant red and black hues, and cute Barney-looking ones with friendly smiles.

Ben: No, I don’t want all these. I want a cake which you can put toys. Like last time my birthday cake right, I could bring the toy cars home.

Me: Right. You want a cake with dinosaur toppers.

So I sent a message to the Queen Bee herself and told her about my son’s request. I asked if she could make a cake that was exciting, perhaps with a 3D volcano spewing molten lava. She was excited to receive this request and agreed to try to make a standing volcano for a cake that would serve 40. Since she hasn’t been asked by anyone to make this before, we agreed that we would only add it in if the volcanic creation was successful.

On his birthday, this was the final product:

This amazing mom of a baker who has four kids and a full-time job managed to make a solid volcano complete with an orange hued crater with just fondant and rice crispies! Ben was so thrilled by his cake he couldn’t stop grinning the whole time. His friends were equally excited too. They kept poking and probing the volcano, and wow-ing nonstop at the cake. By the time the candles were on the cake, I think it was pretty much covered with 30 sets of fingerprints and lots of saliva.

The cake was a delicious vanilla with strawberry jam filling and the kids ate rather happily, with some asking for another helping. The birthday boy himself had some, but was more preoccupied with running in and out of the toilet washing his dinosaur toppers and keeping them close to him. He didn’t want anyone of his friends to take them from the table.

I also packed 40 party favours that were filled with a capsule of dinosaur erasers, one huge dino egg, a set of dinosaur stickers and a dinosaur spinning top. I got them at wholesale price from Happy Island and that saved me a lot of money. The kids queued up to get their goodie bag from Ben and some shook his hand to wish him a happy birthday. I think he’s going to miss some of his friends when he leaves the school.

After the cake-cutting, the kids went outdoors for some bubble fun and outdoor play, which gave Fatherkao a wonderful opportunity to snap some pictures of our four-year-old with his friends for the last time.

The parting shot? A picture with his best friend ever. They were together at the same infantcare since three months old, and moved on to becoming best of pals throughout toddlerhood in the same playgroup, Nursery 1 and now Nursery 2. I know he’s going to really miss being soldiers with him.

Two years old (2011)

Three years old (2012)

Four! (2013)

My boy’s all grown up now.

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Ben Kao Homelearning fun Learning fun! Milestones and growing up

Roar! It’s dino galore!

March 1, 2013

Ben’s been obsessed with dinosaurs for many months now.

Although he still has some problems pronouncing the long names like the hypsilophodon, tenontosaurus and euoplocephalus, (who wouldn’t?) thanks to the Flip-o-saurus I bought him, he’s learnt to invent names for dinosaurs using his imagination. This wacky book contains fantastic pictures and breaks dinos’ names up which allows the kid to mix and match their body parts to create their own make-belief dinosaurs.

The hardest part of this dino craze is having to explain the history of these prehistoric creatures to him, why they’ve become extinct, how these creatures are classified (saurischia, the lizard-hipped; ornithischia, the bird-hipped plant eaters; the long-necked ones, bipedal ones, bird-footed ones, armoured ones, and those with horns and shield around the skull).

It’s almost excruciating.

Because I want to encourage his curiosity, I also end up squinting and reading him The World of Dinosaurs, an encyclopedic guide to these prehistoric creatures A LOT, especially before bedtime, and having my tongue tied every minute of it.

In December, we had lots of counting and sorting fun with the dinosaur counters I bought from The Mind Store. I used the 108 mini dinos – the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Dimetrodon and Woolly Mammoth in various colours – to teach classification, colour sorting, counting, sequencing, and simple addition and subtraction. It was a great deal of fun learning with these counters.

The boy also amassed a huge number of different dino figurines for his own pretend play since Christmas, both from the toy store and from those hatch-a-dino eggs. Dinosaurs (rubbery, slippery ones!) practically hatch and grow when you throw those eggs into water. It was thrilling for him to watch what would be hatched and even more amusing for us to hear him scream the name of the dino over a pail of water – Stegosaurus! T-rex! Pterodactyl! – like some pro.

I think I’ve learned so much about dinosaurs the last few months I should be given a Ph.D for it. And the boy? He’s still very much obsessed with these prehistoric giants so we threw him a dino-theme birthday party.

[To be continued…]

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