21 months milestones

3 more months to his 2nd birthday! So what's new? mmmm... alot...

He is definitely taller...still didn't get to measure him. Weight... either it's the same or slightly more.

1. Very agile. Very active. Always on the run and always jumping around. Can climb quite well. Can never sit still.

2. Reese loves music and lately he is beginning to sing with actions too.

3. Absorbs everything like a sponge.. amazing memory...maybe ours are a little rusty..haha..

4. He can count up to 20 now. Likes to point and count...always miss the number 2.

5. He knows his phonic sound for A-Z... a few misses here and there. Now when asked an alphabet, he can tell you the sound and associate it with a thing that begins with the sound.

6.He can talk in 3 word phrases now. He uses a good mixture of verbs and nouns. He can pronounce 3 syllabus words quite clearly.

7. His vocabulary is very wide and we lost count. He knows shapes (heart, square, triangle, rectangle, oval, circle), he knows alot of animals even iguana, he knows most of the common vehicles(bus, tractor, car, tanker, fire engine, bicycle, motorbike, van, truck, lorry, cement mixer, airplane, helicopter, hot air balloon, pickup truck), he knows most of the colors (black, white, green, yellow, brown, blue, orange, purple, pink, red, grey), he knows alot of opposites like inside and outside, big and small, up and down..., he knows a lot of verbs and nouns and some adjectives!

8. Milk intake still the same but now, he knows how to ask for milk when hungry.

9. Food still very choosy... Slightly less western... willing to take soup noodles. :)

10. Still calls me Ah Mee.

11. When he wants something, he will pull us by the hand and sometimes guide our hands to the things he want us to do. He will get us involve in his play.

12. Knows how to play simple games on the computer using the keyboard.

13. Attention span for watching TV/DVD is much longer now.

14. Started to like Mickey Mouse Club House; still likes Barney and Sesame Street.

15. Willing to let me brush his teeth.

16. Love water play. When in the wading pool, he will walk around the pool all by himself refusing my help. He doesn't wear any float nor does he allow me to hold him. He can kick his legs in the water, he can even jump in the water!

17. When he doesn't get what he wants, he will throw tantrum but can be easily pacified. Get's distracted quite easily.

18. Hardly cries.

19. He loves to smile and laugh. Most of the time a happy child.

20. He loves books. Now that he understand more and can communicate better... it's more fun reading with/to him.

21. He is actually very playful. Loves to play hide and seek and catch.

22. Most probably left-handed.

23. He has a phobia. He is afraid of loud sounds(laughter, clapping etc) coming from a big group of people. He will immediately cry and it's those very scary crying. We hope this will go away soon. We are having problems taking him to church and GG on Sundays. The moment he sees the church building...he will refuse to get out of the car! It's that bad. We just don't know what to do... All got worse after coming back from our last Penang trip. It's not getting any better. Hai...

WL Program (End of 3rd Week)

Exercise on bike - 30 minutes
Weight training - 2 times a week
Food - eat less and avoid rice
Weight - another 0.7 kg less. Total to date 2.7 kgs

I am happy that I can workout on the bike for 30 minutes and this week will try for 35 minutes or maybe 40 minutes. Over the week, my food intake was quite consistent, meat/fish and vege and fruits for dinner, for breakfast I had breakfast cereal with milk and an apple. Lunch usually mee hoo soup or sometimes 2 vege and one meat without rice. I am happy that I feel really good. On the not so good side, on Saturday I had a little bit of fried rice for lunch and hokkien mee for dinner...haha..and Sunday evening... we went to Chili's for dinner. I was trying to control...but I had a good meal. I guess... I deserve a little bit of reward... :)

I used to starve myself to lose those extra kgs...but now... I realized....mmm....actually knew it all along... there is no shortcuts to losing those fats.... Exercise is the key. No pain no gain!! Despite not following a very strict diet and occasionally eats my favourite food .. I am still able to lose 2.7 kgs in 3 weeks... that shows...exercising is the best and it keeps the fats away.....

There are a few recipe for detox and I think those were really good. I can't find the book at the moment... will share it with you once I clear my desk!

Greatest Gift?

I was talking to mummy blogger Christine over msn yesterday and the topic about having a second child came about. She is expecting her second one. Then as we talk about the joy and possible nightmare of caring a second one....She shared about her friend once told her that....

The greatest inheritance or gift to your child is not money but SIBLINGS. Mmmmm... at first my reaction to it was...Wow... she further shared that siblings can help out with financial burdens, care for the parents when they get old...etc... She will share more on her blog soon. I agree but later in the evening..... it also crossed my mind that sometimes...sibblings can also cause problems... of course there are more good than bad but from personal experience..... not my own sibbling...but some relatives..... some sibblings are a nuisance and cause heartache and financial burdens to their other sibblings.

So... it all depends huh? Will I have number two? I wish...but there are still many concerns.. I worry about finances because the way we want Reese to be educated...it cost a lot of money and if second one comes along...we have to be fair right? Can we cope with two kids? Will we give the same amount of time and love for the second one? Can we be totally fair to the second one?

There are so many questions in our heads... all I can think of is pray hard and let God decide what's best. I would love Reese to have a brother or sister to play with. Less lonely. Hai.....

Oh...if I am successful with home schooling Reese...then financially...we can support a second one..haha... materials can be reused. Home school till 12 and send them to private school (international syllabus) and then college and do a 3+0 degree here. If there is any spare money then a 2+1 degree.... It's good to give them overseas exposure. That's basically my plan for Reese.

Good education is so expensive these days. I was checking some recommended kindies and they range from RM8xx to about 1k plus per month. As for private school (international syllabus), it's about 18k per year. College and Uni...depending on the courses...it's also more than 15k per year... So you see.... it's expensive. So if we have number two.... you do the math...

Oh..we also have to make sure that we save enough for our retirement so that we won't burden Reese financially and hope that Reese won't burden us either.... hahaha...

Kathie, mumsgather, blessed mum... care to share your experience as a mother of two? What was it like initially? How did you cope with a newborn and a toddler... do you compare the kids? are you fair to them? Please share...

What luck

What is the probability that while driving on a busy road and hitting a flying bird?

very slim right?

Well, this morning as I was traveling to my mum's place... I hit a crow head on with a loud thud. What luck.

It's here!

My books from U.S were delivered via Fedex at about 3.15pm yesterday. I was so excited. They sure deliver fast; no wonder it's so expensive when it comes to shipping. From charging my credit card to delivery it only took 4 days.

After unpacking and checking the contents... I am all satisfied that I invested in this home school program for Reese. I am going to have a great time sharing the many fairy tales, fiction and fun with Reese.

Some may ask why build a personal library when it seems easier and cheaper to simply check books out from the local library. I personally felt that children love to read and read and reread their favourites and they take pleasure in having copies of books that have become their special friends. Also if you have other children then the books become an investment to be passed down to each succeeding child and perhaps even to grandchildren.

I will start the program with Reese after he turns two which means sometime in October. For now, we will just read books suitable for his age and get him interested to listening stories. He is now more willing to listen to my reading and I guess it's because he is able to understand better. This program includes science, social studies, teachings of God and fun games. It also comes with a parent's guide to give you ideas on how to teach your child using the program.

Soon, I will also teach him to say his night time prayers and this home school program inclues 3 wonderful books to teach the very young about God.

Check out the books and games I received!

Bible stories, Noah's Ark and Poems and Prayers for the very young

Bedtime Surprise II

:) We tested Reese on his alphabet sounds again and ...WOW...actually... he knew most of the alphabet sounds!! I can safely say 85% of it... hubby and I were both very surprise.

The most surprising thing was...

I think he can associate the sounds with things that begins with them. For example... when I ask him what 'te' is for... he said 'Tom'. Tom is from Spot the dog series.... different from the one he was taught. It was suppose to be 'tiger'. Amazing... children at his age...sure absorb info like a sponge!

Oh...another wonderful surprise is that I was able to record Reese counting from 1-10 minus 2. These days..he loves to count...will take anything and start counting... Oh check out his dancing... and also his first favourite adult song titled 'Hey hey' by the Elms...according to Daddy Reese...it's classic rock..... you must watch the video..towards the end...Reese suddenly decided to count in front of the camera... :) enjoy....

Bedtime surprise

Last night, as usual we read and played with Reese in the bedroom before his bedtime. I then ask him...

Mummy: Reese, what is the sound for 'A'?
Reese: (Ignore me and continue to flip some pages of a book and suddenly...) Boyyyy....
Mummy: What is the sound for B?
Reese: B, be, boy....
Mummy: C?
Reese: Ke.. ar-ti-ter (computer)
Mummy: D?
Reese: De...doll.....
Mummy: E?
Reese: (no more response... only interested in his book)
Mummy and Daddy: Clever boy...

Reese now knows the sound of a,b,c,d,e....j,m,n....q,z. Thanks to www.starfall.com!

What do we do with Reese most of the time?

Daddy

• Play computer with him.
• Sing to him.
• Play catch with him.
• Read with him.
• Play with him on the bed.
• Play toys with him.
• Draws with him.
• Take him to the playground or fountain.
• Once in a while play in the shower with him while bathing him.
• Go shopping with him.

Mummy

• Sing to and with him.
• Dance with him.
• Do silly faces with him.
• Play in the shower with him.
• Play catch with him.
• Take him to the playground or fountain.
• Take short walks with him.
• Go swimming with him.
• Read to and with him.
• Play flash cards with him.
• Play computer with him.
• Draws with him.
• Go shopping with him.
• Play hike and seek with him.
• Play on the bed with him.

We love spending time with Reese but it is getting more and more tiring because Reese is so hyper active!! In public places, we usually let Reese to freely explore and we will follow closely behind him. Most of the time, he will run like a fugitive!! We used to be able to catch up with him even when he runs...now... we have to run after him... he is so fast! We are a little worried whether this trend is going to continue...two parents running like mad people chasing after a little boy...haha and when we try to carry him... he will use all his strength to wriggle out of our arms...and he is sooooo strong that it's quite impossible to not let go! Yesterday evening my aunt ask me what I fed Reese until he can be so strong... :)

I love to sing with him. These days, his singing skill has improved alot. You can actually hear a tune or two when he sings. I love to watch him clap his hands. The way he does it, is like a very skillful master appreciating music while clapping and the best part is.. he claps with good timing too... Oh...another thing about Reese, once in a while... he will shake his butt to the music that he likes...oh..that is a real killer... :)

I also love the way he blinks his eyes... eyes shut tight and baring his teeth with a grin... or when his little dimple decided to show it self... His voice is always sweet...even when he shouts..ok..that is not so nice....hahaha...

When he plays hike and seek or catch... you can see his excited face plus rosy cheeks burning from all the running and jumping... you can't help but love the little one to bits... ah....there is so much to love about this little boy... no wonder people say a mummy's love is endless....

Oh... my absolute favourite is when he walks up to me and calls me Ah mee(mummy) and grabs my hand and meticulously place his hand into mine the way he likes it...and leads me to wherever he wants me to go with him.... I just melt instantly.

Appendicitis

I am a bit worried for Reese. Because he has become so active... he tends to run and jump 90% of his waking hours. The worst part is after a meal, he will immediately run around or jump around and at times, he will choke and even vomit some of his food. It's quite impossible to stop him from running or jumping after food. Maybe more effort is needed to stop him.

My question is, will he get appendicitis from all the running and jumping? I remembered from young, our parents would tell us not to run or jump after a full meal else we will get appendicitis!So how true is that?

I did a search on the net and this is what I found:

1. Appendicitis can occur in persons of any age, but it is most prevalent in young adults and children. It tends to occur on its own with no particular cause.

2. Causes?

Appendicitis may be caused by infection or by something (for example, a hard lump of faeces) blocking the appendix.

It's not clear why the infection occurs but one theory suggests that bacteria normally found in the gut invade through the wall of the appendix, as a result of weakness in the body's defences, to cause inflammation and infection.

3. What are the symptoms?

The child typically describes colicky pain in the centre of the abdomen that comes and goes. The pain then shifts to the iliac fossa (lower outside edge of the abdomen) on the right side and becomes worse.

Loss of appetite and sometimes vomiting occur, although this is rarely severe. There may be constipation or diarrhoea.

The child will be feverish and may show a dry, furry tongue, flushed face and lie still, taking shallow breaths because of the pain.

Sometimes the symptoms aren't typical and appendicitis should be considered whenever there's severe or persistent abdominal pain - get medical advice.

The diagnosis is easily mistaken and nearly half those operated on are found not to have appendicitis. It may be confused with food poisoning, mesenteric adenitis (inflammation of lymph nodes in the abdomen) and urinary infections.

So I guess there is no truth in what my parents said huh? So what do you think? Any personal experiences?

WL Program - End of Week 2

Tata.... despite a little inconsistency in the type of food I took... I did manage to lose 2 kgs! :)

So happy. Last week I exercised on the bike for 25 minutes and food intake...ok... but one of the days..Hubby forgot about my diet and he ordered pizza for dinner...so I had a sinful dinner...hehe...and I had KFC on Saturday minus some skin...

Today...I was not in the mood to exercise..tomorrow will start 30 minutes on the bike.... I was so happy this morning when I saw my weight dropped.... more hard work...

A Gem

Hubby was at work yesterday and I decided not to go to Church. Instead I took Reese and maid to Taman Tun Public Park. I knew about this park for a long time but never bothered to go there and check it out. Wow! What a great surprise. It's huge and it's beautiful. I was told that this park was taken care/belongs to DBKL. There are two parts to the park, one is a kids friendly park and another is for biking, hiking and hill walking... Both were equally crowded. Parking was a problem but I was lucky to find a place in the park's small parking area.

Before this, we used to bring Reese to Lake Gardens. It's in town and it takes about 40 minutes drive. As for TTDI park, it's less than 15 minutes. TTDI park has a big lake with 3 fountains in it. The place has many big trees and the view is just great. I only managed to see probably 1/3 of the place. With Reese around...it's hard to explore. There are so many people there. Alot of families with children both old and young exercising, playing or just simply enjoying the cool morning breeze... it's wonderful.

So what's the gem? Well, there is this little stream along the park that flows to the lake. The stream is just deep enough to cover little feets and thus ideal for even very young children to have some water and sand fun. The water looks clear (may not be the cleanest but it's ok)...and the best part is, along the stream...there are many trees where you can sit below them and enjoy a nice picnic while letting the kids have fun in the stream.... between you and the kids...it's less than 2 meters! I live in the city...how often do you get to play in a stream or river? for me never unless I am willing to drive to the outskirts.... This little stream cannot be compared to a real one...but it's good enough... the kids can even catch some tiny fish.... I saw so many families having picnic by the stream while the kids enjoy playing sand castle and water fun.... it's really a gem... the bonus for me is that ...it's so close by...haha...

I can't wait to take Reese there again... I want to have a picnic there and also let Reese play in the stream... It's a must go place for those of you with kids and stay near TTDI Park. My first impression was that it's better than Lake Gardens.

Reese and Computer

Reese loves to play on the computer. He has learned how to press the keys on the keyboard and there is this great site that I would like to recommend to you. It's to learn abc and the best of all... Elmo host it. Reese has always liked Elmo...so..it's a bonus. Try it with your kids! It's the Keyboard-O-Rama . The child needs to press on the keys and Elmo on screen will respond.

Reese playing with his favourite site

First step in home schooling

Above are the items for P3/4

I have been wanting to try home schooling for Reese. Reason being our national school is a total let down. Home schooling has been around for many years and this particular one that I came across is good. Testimonies from my student and his mom. It's a lot of hard work on the parents but I think it's totally worth it if you are able to teach your own children.

There are many advantages and disadvantages but I believe if one is able to balance it out and the children are given ample time for sports and activities with other children then it's better than sending our children to school.

Of course, when I express my wish to try home schooling with Reese, most people will tell me that he will be so lonely and no social life! It's not true at all. There are many activities that the child can take part in be it sports or science exploration, computer lessons, nature activities and etc.

I am determine to try for two years. At the same time, will find a play group for him to attend so that he gets to play and interact with other children.

I just purchased our first home schooling core package for P3/4 (3 to 4 years old). I can't wait for it to arrive!!!

Oh, for those of you who wants to know more, you can visit the website: Sonlight. Even if you do not agree with home schooling, on their site, there are a great selection of books that you can try to buy them here (very limited) or you can purchase from them.

The Core package that I bought is about USD255. If you live outside USA, shipping is expensive. It can be up to 77% of your total purchase price. The more you buy the cheaper it gets. The lowest being 31% of your total purchase price.

Description of Core P3/4

Satisfy (and nurture) your toddler's inquisitive hunger...

Fiction, Fairy Tales, and Fun, is a comprehensive collection of children's classic stories, rhymes, fairy tales, picture books, games, sing-alongs, and more, hand selected to fuel your children's imagination and satisfy their hunger to learn.

It includes a book of children's poetry, science books, and an excellent illustrated Bible storybook for children. Sonlight Newcomer™ P3/4 adds over 77 nursery rhymes and sing-alongs on CD, games that build memory and pattern recognition (the only math instruction that's truly needed for ages 3-4 years), and more!

Best of all: Not a single workbook or lesson plan in sight...

Take it easy. Enjoy spontaneous times with your tiny tots as you crack open these timeless treasures and read to your kids. There's no schedule to follow. No items that you have to do. P3/4 is low-stress learning at its best.

I will do a review of the program once I get started!!!! So exited about it....

Changes

Since last week, Reese only woke up for midnight feed maybe 2 to 3 days only. I guess he is slowly adjusting and we will probably get to stop midnight feeding soon!! Yahoo.... the nights without the midnight feed, he will whine a little in his sleep but after that... he will continue to sleep soundly.

Reese is also sleeping later, around 9.30 or 9.45 pm. He used to be a sleep before 9 pm and he still gets up by 7 am or at times 6 to 6.45 am!!

My little one is also very demanding and knows how to cry out loud with some kind of shouts... no screaming yet...just shouts.. 

Daddy got mad with him last night and hit his hand harder then usual and very sternly told him to go to his bed... and what did my little Reese do? Well, he looked at Daddy and then tried to beat his hand as hard as he can and missed it... and then beat the floor and then didn't say anything and pretend nothing had happened and continue to play on the bed... after a while... jump on the bed and started to roll around and eventually fell asleep.

"Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes" anyone?

My dear little Reese loves this song so much that he will make me repeat it on the car stereo for 10 times or more.... actually throughout the journey to my mother's home and back! The journey is about 35 to 40 minutes and the song is about 1.5 minutes long... He will put the sing along book on his lap and point to the pictures... 

It's really amazing that the moment the music is about to finish and he will somewhat shout "Tooooeess.." indicating he wants to hear it again. It's been like that for the past few days... Wonder when this will stop.... Listening to the CD is the only way to get him to sit in his car seat and keep him happy throughout the journey. Wonder what's next. Oh... I also find it interesting that he knows which page is for which song.... he will usually turn to the page that the current song is playing... smarty boy..... :)

By the way... this series of take-along song books with CDs are great for kids... It's quite entertaining. You can find them in MPH and probably Popular book stores. It's retailing at RM29.90 per book.

Reese needs discipline?

I thank God that Reese was never a difficult baby. He hardly cries and almost always happy and only occasionally whines.

BUT......

Lately... the terrible two symptoms are slowly emerging. Very defiant, always whine when he doesn't get his way. At times, he will cry. We as parents have always used the softer approach. No raising of the hand or using a cane or scolding unnecessarily. Reese always gets what he wants but I must say, he is easy to satisfied.

So is it time to start proper disciplining him like not giving in? I still don't believe in using the cane. Should we raise our voice and scold him when he does something wrong?

I still think he is a little young for that but hubby doesn't think so. I have no heart to scold him nor have I the heart to not give in to his demands (sometimes).

So what should I do?

Things that he does that drives us crazy... sometimes actually...

1. When we have dinner.. he will come and pull me to turn on the computer and let him watch his favourite websites. If I refuse... he will whine and whine and then cry. He will persistantly come to my side and pull me to go!

2. He will whine and cry when we don't let him play with the stationary bike or anything that he likes.

3. He will scratch the TV screen with a toy. When told not to do it, he will ignore you.

4. Demands to go out and play, walk or just be outside the house... don't meet his demand... he will whine and cry.

When Reese is angry, he will always say "No..no..no..no" and clap his hands hard... and you will see his face all red from being frustrated! Thank God he never screams.

mmmm....as I write this post... I just realised that my Reese is not that naughty after all... right? I can't think of other instances where he gets us all mad! :)

Fuel Price up and hence Basic Necessities went up too....

Got tagged by Kathie... How do I reduce expenses since the Fuel Hike?

1. Turn off the air-conditioner an hour before everyone wakes up.
2. Try not to waste water.
3. Eat out less in restaurants.
4. Buy less junk food like chocolate, can drinks, chips...etc.
5. Buy less imported food.
6. Try to shop for bargains at hyper marts.
7. Try not to drive unnecessarily.

With the fuel price increased, our lifestyle didn't change much. What it does is make us more aware of not wasting, spending unnecessarily and not sure why, but I have also gone more green. I bought 3 reusable bags from Cold Storage and intend to use them when I go grocery shopping instead of wasting plastic bags. :)

After one week of my WL program

Ah... been quite consistent except Friday couldn't wake up and Sunday too busy to work out! Sunday was father's day and we had dinner with family and eerr.... we took rice. Hahaha... ok.. sorry... that was a special day.

Today started to do more than 20 minutes on the bike. My target is 35 minutes for this week and up to 45 minutes from next week onwards. I feel good actually and I think I felt lighter... just a tiny bit... but it's a good start.... :)

32 years old....

Happy birthday to me. I am 32 years old today. When I woke up this morning, it was just another day until after hubby gave me a kiss and wished me happy birthday. I actually forgot my birthday. Thank you friends and family for birthday wishes and as I entered my parents home this morning... my parents gave me a red packet and my dad made two eggs for me. I used to love birthdays but as I grow older, it's no big deal. Why? mmm... maybe because I am getting older... :)

On this day I want to just count my blessings. God has been good even thought I have not been faithful. I thank God for my family and extended family. I thank God for friends whom I have few ( no longer socialize). I thank God for people who care and love me and others who have enrich my life just by being there.

I want to thank God for giving Reese to me. My precious little boy.

First Day on Weight lost program

Ah.. It was really good. First thing in the morning, did some simple stretches and then 15 minutes on the stationary bike. Had vege and fish for lunch, snack was high protein and low fat cereal with low fat milk and dinner was two pieces of KFC and water melon... ok..suppose to remove the skin..but I only did that on one piece of chicken..hehe..

Today same routine, exercise on the bike for 15 minutes then breafast was cereal with milk and lunch I had egg, vege and a little fish meat. Dinner going to cook chicken chop and steam brocoli and carrots followed by fruits. Oh...I am going to the gym for my weight training too!

Really hope to lose 20kgs in six months!

Gifted? Bright? High IQ?

Ah.... been so busy the last two weeks. My in-laws were here and conducted 2 holiday workshops. Now, slowly things are settling back to the usual routine and I can do some proper blogging and blog hop!

Just 2 weeks ago, I was at MPH and while shopping for stuff for my workshop... I came across this book on " How to increase your child's IQ". Now... I must say.. I am a little kiasu... hehe.. So I started to browse the book and it was quite interesting... I think I spent about 30 minutes or more reading the book! According to the book....


Typically, scientists have come to an agreement that there are three main factors that determine one's level of intelligence, which are:

Genes – accounts for 40-80% of an individual's intelligence

Environment and educational opportunities/exposure

Food, nutrition and drugs


Environment and educational exposure

Read to the child (read with expression and make it fun...)
Talk to the child
Play with the child (all kinds of pretend play..parents have to be creative here..)
Sing to the child (example: Sing and let the child finish the last word of each line..)
Make music with the child
Play memory games with the child (use flash cards)
Draw with the child
Play puzzles with the child (use blocks or any kind of simple puzzles for younger children)

It mentioned that music exposure can increase the IQ of a child. Don't just listen to songs and music... You should get the child involved in making music, apparently your singing is more effective then letting the child listen to CDs... Doing puzzles with them is also great.

I am just glad that what we have been doing with Reese since birth... is exactly what the author of the book suggested.. well.. maybe one or two less activities... but will make an effort to increase the variety of activities to stimulate Reese!

Food

mmm... I didn't pay much attention to this, but I guess I am on the right track! :)


After reading the book, I did a google search on toddler's IQ, below are some interesting info to share with you.

Intellectual Giftedness in Toddlers

For young children, between the ages of 3.5 - 5.5 years, the following traits have been significantly associated with intellectual giftedness:

Having a large vocabulary
Complex thinking ability
Unusual capacity for symbolic thought (mathematical skills)
Insight (ability to see relationships)
Early physical and social development
Sensitivity

(From: Parents' Guide To Raising A Gifted Toddler, Alvino, et.al. 1989)

From the U.S. Office of Gifted and Talented:

Short list of typical gifted preschooler (ages 2-5) characteristics:

Uses advanced vocabulary for age.
Uses spontaneous verbal elaboration with new experiences.
Has the ability to make interesting or unusual shapes or patterns through various media: blocks, playdough, crayons.
Ability to assemble puzzles designed for older children.
Sense of humor used in general conversation.
Understanding of abstract concepts such as death and time.
Mastery of new skills with little repetition.
Demonstration of advanced physical skills.
Demonstration of advanced reasoning skills through explanation of occurrences.

Comparison of Bright vs Gifted Child

Bright-Knows the answers.
Gifted -Asks the questions.

Bright-Interested.
Gifted -Extremely curious.

Bright-Pays attention.
Gifted -Gets involved physically and mentally.

Bright-Works hard.
Gifted -Plays around, still gets good test scores.

Bright-Answers questions.
Gifted -Questions the answers.

Bright-Enjoys same-age peers.
Gifted -Prefers adults or older children.

Bright-Good at memorization.
Gifted -Good at guessing.

Bright-Learns easily. Bored.
Gifted -Already knew the answers.

Bright-Listens well.
Gifted -Shows strong feelings and opinions.

Bright-Self-satisfied.
Gifted -Highly critical of self (perfectionistic).

Source: Janice Szabos as quoted in "The Gifted and Talented Child," Maryland Council for Gifted & Talented Children, Inc. P.O. Box 12221, Silver Spring, MD 20908

Well, I know at times I can be a little kiasu...but I will not force my child into something he doesn't like and neither will I over stimulate him! I just want to give him enough environment and educational exposure to then let him discover his own 'giftedness'. We as parents can only support and show our children the right direction..anything else is up to them.

Food Update

Wow... Reese ate fried rice!! Sometimes, I really don't know what Reese wants... been having problem fixing his meals. He is soooo choosy. Yesterday.. he surprised all of us by eating fried rice. Not only did he take fried rice, he also ate so much.

Lunch

Peanut butter bread (2 pieces)
half a small bowl of fried rice

Snack

10 grapes
4 pieces of papaya

Dinner

A plate of fried rice (1 full small bowl)
A little bit of soup noodles (saw my aunt eating and he wanted too)
Half a scoop of KFC mash potato (after we went home and saw daddy eating..he wanted that too)
Milk (6 oz)

See... my boy suddenly had the appetite to eat soooo much. Today my mother will try to make some porridge... maybe with luck... he might take...

Is it normal?

Hi... just wondering, is it normal for a 20+ months toddler to be able to throw a ball a few meters away and a few meters up? Lately, Reese discover how to throw things far and high up! and the way he throws.... it's like someone throwing a shot put. We have a lot of comments on Reese being very strong... and now the way he throws a ball or anything.... it's kinda scary.... ha ha ha... he can really throw.... few meters high up and most of the time.. it can touch the ceiling and few meters away ...... So is it normal? does your toddler does that too?

I look horrible!!

AHHHHHH..... so frustrating... I am getting fatter and fatter... went to Lake Gardens last weekend with Reese, hubby and in-laws. Hubby took alot of photos and 2 nights ago, while sorting out the photos... I was really really sad. I saw myself in the photos...I loooookkkk sooo horrible...fat fat and totally different from what I used to be!!!

I need help... I need you readers to be my witnesses... I am determine to lose 20kgs in the next 6 months. I really must do something... I am always depressed when it comes to buying clothes.. I hate seeing myself in the mirror... I used to be quite pretty... before I got married...haha... now.. aiyo... just horrible.. I always have a weight problem..and now it's totally out of control!

I now weight about 72 kgs!!!! before I got married, I was 56kgs. That was 4 years ago. This time I am so sick of myself... I love to dress up and all..but can't because of my weight.... I want to be stylish... I want to be pretty, feel good about myself... but right now... I just hate myself and feels shameful...

Next Monday onwards, I am going to start an exercise plus diet program. By 6th of November, I want to weight 52kgs!! I must succeed this time!! No more excuses...

Support me my friends..by reminding me every now and then in my posts related to my weight lost program!!! Every Sunday (starting next week) I will be reporting on my progress and share with you some of the things I do to lose weight and if you have any good tips on weight lost... do share..... :)

No women like sharing about their weight problems and let alone how telling you their actual weight! I am trying to be brave here. :)

This is my plan, I want to lose about 3 to 4 kgs a month by exercising, weight training with a trainer and dieting. I am going to miss my food. I love food and it's going to be the toughest part to tackle! I need to get hubby to do the same...he needs to lose about 4 kgs... He needs to exercise for health reasons... Ah.. the remainder days of this week... I am going eat alot of food..haha..

Now that I have a plan, I am all excited and feel a tiny bit happier!!

Reese in Action!!

Here you can see Reese playing his new drums... turn on the speakers.. cause when he drums.. there is rhythm to it!

20 months

Ah...Reese turn 20 months on Saturday. He has grown so much that it's difficult to keep track on a lot of things.... :)

Height: Over 85 cm

Weight: Probably close to 14kgs or slightly less

Movements: Started to play with his fingers, trying to position them in different ways, can jump, can sprint, run very well, still walk with a bit of tip toeing, can shake his body side to side, squade, can move his hands and arms in all directions, more agile now and can climb quite well. Loves to do hand and body actions when watching his CDs. He is able to walk up stairs unaided but coming down still needs help.

Speech: talking in 2 to 3 words phases, able to say 2 to 3 sllyabus words. Vocabulary, I must say... it's actually about 160 to 200 words...

Food: Very choosy with his main meals, and eating less because alot of the food I prepare for him, he will reject or eat very little. It takes over an hour to feed him 60% of the time. Thank God he still likes his fruits and cereal and yogurt.

Teeth: Currently has 8 teeth and 3 on it's way!

Temper: mmmm... whine when he doesn't get what he wants. Cries only when really necessary. So far no sigh of being stubborn. I would consider him mild temper.

Character: mmmm.... can't really see anything yet...but I must say... he is very cautious with whatever he does...especially when it's something new. He is also a cheeky little boy.

Reese can count from 1 to 12. Alphabets... he knows all and now is learning the sound of the alphabets. Likes to listen to songs and trys to sing. He understands us better when we communicate with him.