Countdown to Joash's 6th Birthday

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Countdown to Jayna's 5th Birthday

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Countdown to Jaide's Birthday

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Countdown to Joram's Birthday

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Sunday, March 25, 2012

The Irony

My children, as with most children, love to climb onto the furniture to look out of the window. No matter how many times I caution them that it's dangerous. They turn a deaf ear to my warnings. Instead, they'll tell me triumphantly, "See, I didn't fall!"

So the day came when they did eventually hurt themselves as a result of their misadventure. They ran to me in tears and expected me to tend their wounds and soothe their hearts. While applying medication to the bruises and drying their tears, I tried to explain to them that what happened was because of their insistent disobedience to my instruction. Fully expecting them to be contrite, I was taken aback by my daughter's audacity when she retorted, "But I'm a good girl!" and accused me of not being there to catch them when they fell.

In the book of Jeremiah, Judah was similarly blind to her own sinfulness. God had time and time again rebuked the people of Judah for their idolatry and faithlessness but they failed to listen and grew from bad to worse. But during times of trouble, when their idols did not save them, they cried out to God and accused Him of abandoning them when in the first place, they were the ones who willfully rebelled against Him.

This brings me to my own walk with the Lord. Do I insist on being self-sufficient instead of being dependent upon God only to have the cheek to blame God for not helping me during my times of need? Have I been deceiving myself into thinking that I'm doing okay as a child of God when I've been slowly straying from Him? If I feel such injustice and grief at my children's rebellious response, how different am I from them in making my Father in heaven feel the same way?

That's a lot of food for thought so I guess I'll take my time to chew on that. In the meantime, I shall endeavor to respond to my errant children the same way God did to Judah: with long-suffering love and patient correction.

Jeremiah 2:26-30

As a thief is disgraced when he is caught, so the house of Israel is disgraced— they, their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets. They say to wood, ‘You are my father,’ and to stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’ Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah. “Why do you bring charges against me? You have all rebelled against me,” declares the LORD. “In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a ravening lion."

Jeremiah 2:35

... you say, ‘I am innocent; he is not angry with me.’ But I will pass judgment on you because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’


Blowing Bubbles

Okay, I know that it's raining cats and dogs outside. But do you [Jaide] have to add in your own percussion by blowing bubbles and what's more, using my breastmilk to do so?!? O_o


Jaide's Laughter

Here's how my youngest girl's laughter sounds like. :)


If you wanna listen to her older sister laugh, click HERE.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

How time flies!

Ever since I delivered Jaide, time seems to fly by so fast because I'm mostly enjoying myself. It has been fun homeschooling the children and I'm so glad that Jayna is better now during lesson time and I can spend more time on the task at hand instead of wasting it on dealing with her tantrums. I've also managed to adjust Jaide's nap time to coincide with the lesson time so that I don't have to nurse her while teaching the older children.

Homeschooling has given Joash a newfound confidence with regards to reading. Many a time, he will tell me proudly that he can now read Chinese with a broad grin. He was pleasantly surprised when I brought out the old Chinese readers his teachers gave him in the past (which he chucked aside in disinterest back then) that he was starting to recognize some of the words in them. This makes me wonder if I should homeschool him English too...

The children are becoming more interested in books and trips to the library are so much more fulfilling than before since they finally regard books as something to be read rather than to be played with. It is very intriguing to see them choose the books they want to borrow and it also shows their individual interests very clearly: Jayna is drawn to books with princesses and fairies while Joash is very obsessed with books on vehicles.

In a blink of an eye, Jaide is old enough to start interacting with those around her and observe her surroundings. She is now no longer content to lie on her back since she can't see what's going on. She simply loves being propped up to a sitting position on the bouncer, the sofa, the high chair or the pram and wouldn't want to lie down unless she's sleeping. She beams and chuckles with delight whenever anyone talks to her. Everyone praises her for being such a smiley baby! Her motor skills are improving as well. She can use her hands to grab her feet or toys for a short period of time.

Sigh... My littlest baby is growing up so fast. Makes me wish that we can afford to have another one. (Try not to faint, Bear Bear. I'm just SAYING! :P)