School Presentation Night

Thu 27 Nov 2008 was a special evening for the Junior School.

It was the annual Awards and Presentation Night, and the highlight for us was cheering Beth on as she took to the stage to receive the Timothy Award. (Two students from each class receive the TA each semester.)

Achievement awards were also given out for proficiency in Maths, Art, and General Excellence In All Areas.

As it was our first Presentation Night as a Heathdale family, we didn't know what to expect. The place was just packed to the rafters with families and friends. Proud parents were sneaking video recordings and waving at their kids who were on stage.

The Juniors were wonderful. They sang, they danced, they led the singing of the Australian National Anthem and the Heathdale School Song.

It was our first time singing the National Anthem from start to finish and I felt very proud and 'Australian' (if that's possible after a short 2 years here) as I did so.

The evening also saw the official launch of 'Stuck In The Studio', a CD project put together by the Year 11 (equivalent of JC 2 in Singapore) Music Industry students. They wrote, produced, arranged and recorded the songs under supervision of the teacher-in-charge, and the whole school (from Kinder to Year 12) was involved in the singing.

Beth's class sang 2 of the tracks: The Alphabet Song and Happy Birthday Jesus. I know for a fact that she was terribly excited at the chance to be a 'recording star' for a day. She used to come home and sing Happy Birthday Jesus - the whole song by heart - so I knew the project had really affected her in a good way.

Which makes the CD a very meaningful project and a worthy investment. $18 for a whole year's effort by a whole school. Wow.

The first pleasant surprise of the evening was running into a couple who greeted us with great warmth and who looked really familiar.

Except I couldn't place them - and neither could CA. I kept thinking the guy was his colleague since he addressed himself to CA in such friendly terms.

Finally we had to confess we couldn't remember where we'd met them. That's when they laughed and said they'd met us at HXUCA earlier in the year when they came to visit their eldest son who is studying at the Melbourne Uni.

Their youngest daughter has just enrolled in Heathdale and was obviously enjoying being a part of the Year 2 performing team. Her mom tells me she has undergone a dramatic transformation from uninspired student to super-motivated...within a week of joining the new school!

Just one more positive testimony I've heard from parents about Heathdale.

We couldn't have entrusted our child to a better school. :-)

I particularly loved the understated way the Principal and Head of Junior School thanked parents for their support of the school's programs and of the students.

The P said something memorable like "Without the family, there'd be no school."

You don't always need grand gestures and motherhood statements to make an impact. Sometimes, it's sincere, humble words and deeds that make great leaders - and great schools.

J's Week of Achievements

J has said and done some incredible things this week.

On Thu morning, she pointed to her diaper as I was trying to dress her for the school run, and said very clearly "Shee. Shee."

It was clear she didn't want to be laid down for a diaper change the usual way.

So I took her cue, brought her to the bathroom, stripped her down and sat her on the bowl, and - she did it! Peed into the bowl like a potty-ready toddler.

And Daddy was there to witness her achievement. :-)

On Fri morning, J decided she wanted to dress herself.

When I tried helping, she got very agitated and pushed my hand away.

So I had to watch impatiently while she struggled to get her pjs down, her Thomas & Friends T-shirt over her head, her long-sleeved T-shirt and Pooh Bear dress on, and her charcoal pants on - backwards.

A good learning lesson for the control freak in me, haha.

At the end of it all, she was very proud of herself - and so was Mummy.

Well done Jordanne!

J Loves Books!

I'm so happy that J has taken to books the way Beth has.

Some days, we come back from school or daycare and she goes to the toy room and parks herself on the day bed and just "reads" to herself. If you listen in, you can actually hear her "reading" animatedly as she points at the illustrations.

It's a beautiful thing.

She's also started doodling, imitating Beth when she's in her artist mode. She sits at her little yellow table, picks up a pen and draws randomly on sheets of paper. We need to keep a close eye because her doodles sometimes extend to untouchables like Beth's books.

We're Going On A Bear Hunt!

Yesterday was particularly memorable.

J and I were reading Michael Rosen's classic children's book We're Going On A Bear Hunt.

J got to the point where she was able to fill in the blanks at the end of every line.

Example:

Me: We're going on a bear - ?

J: Hun (Hunt)

Me: We're going to catch a big - ?

J: One

Me: What a beautiful - ?

J: Day

Me: I'm not - ?

J: Cared (Scared)

And here's the best part. J immediately goes, "Oh-oh!"

How does she know exactly what to say and when to say it? It's just incredible.

I love it when J is so engaged in learning. It is totally inspiring when kids are in the learning "zone". :-)

How Children Help Us Grow Up

I heartily agree with these comments by Australian designer Catherine Martin.

"Having children forced me to grow up. I enjoy life and don't tend to be as self-conscious or self-critical. I think it's one of the traits of creative people that you feel like an impostor and that you aren't interesting enough, but as you get older and have children it forces you to stop being childish."

I know I put off having children for years because I just didn't feel I was mature enough to be someone else's mom. I hadn't had a nurturing experience as a child and adolescent and the thought that I might inflict my emotional baggage on the next generation was chilling.

Having the girls has definitely opened up a side of me I didn't know existed. Now I know I can be nurturing, that I do have maternal instincts after all (whew!).

I may not have all the answers, but God will equip me to be the best mother to my children as I long as I remain in Him and remember that He loves them more than I do.

Giving Thanks For Children

I love this extract from an article in the Sunday Age Magazine, Australia's Sweetheart by Erika Woods.

The writer interviewed Oscar-winning designer Catherine Martin, who is the wife of film director Baz Luhrmann.

On the subject of their two children, aged 5 and 3, CM says:

"They're the best thing we've ever done. I feel blessed in having them, particularly late in life (the couple endured a number of miscarriages before the children arrived), and while I love what I do, they're my priority. When it comes to them, I'll always go the extra mile. They're challenging and funny and silly and talkative and opinionated, sometimes irritatingly so. But they're wonderful."

On being a working mum:

"I suppose everyone thinks they're a terrible mother. I feel guilty about working, but work does define me. I do the best I can."

It's nice to know someone as outwardly successful as CM grapples with the same sort of dilemmas as the rest of us. Her candid honesty somehow makes it alright and normal for the average mum to feel what they feel; she just puts it more eloquently.

Beth's first dance concert

Beth's dance concert is coming up real soon. She performs at 1 pm and 6 pm on Sun 23 Nov.

Unfortunately, 23 Nov is also her best friend Jennifer's birthday party. Poor Beth. She was all excited when she got Jennifer's invitation...until I pointed out that the party time is smack in the middle of her first concert! She's still hoping there'll be a way for her to go for the party. I said maybe she could go after the first concert and say hi to Jennifer.

An interesting development: we bought 4 tickets for the 1 pm concert initially, for CA, myself, Annie and our friend Renee.

Then Kathleen heard about it and wanted to come, so we got her a ticket for the 6 pm concert (she can't come for the earlier one).

Now Vicki says she's going to ask her parents if she can come for the concert too! (She and K are good friends.)

Beth is going to have quite a crowd cheering her on! :)

Managing Musical Expectations

We've been having a few dramas with Beth over her music lessons.

First it was Yamaha vs. private tuition.

As her teacher is not ready to take on students of Beth's age, and Beth is feeling pressured by her Yamaha curriculum, we told her teacher she would take a break next year.

Beth now says she wants to learn the violin.

I don't know if that's just an emotional reaction (keyboard = hard work). I'm trying to impress on Beth that learning the violin isn't easier than learning the keyboard.

Some days are better than others.

This evening, she sat on my lap to practise, and I thought she did quite well at playing with both hands. So I told her so.

She seems to do better when she's got my full attention (like today, when J is at daycare).

I would love to see Beth continue her Yamaha classes, or at least go to a private teacher. Otherwise she might lose all the momentum and learning she's gained. But I'm conscious - because of my personal experience - of the danger of being a pushy parent. 'Softly softly' is the best approach I think.

More Words

J is so adorable.

When CA left to go to the shops, J turned around from where she was watching Bob The Builder and said in her sweet singsong voice, "Bye bye! See you!"

She can call her friend Jackson by his name now.

"Jack-shen!" she said yesterday when she saw him at the Twilight Fair at church.

And how she loves her cuddles.

Sitting on the kitchen countertop, she said "Huggy?"

Cue for a big hug.

This was followed by "Kiss?"

And she gave me two big fat kisses, one on each cheek.

She's a happy affectionate sort of child who smiles with her eyes and loves to giggle and laugh. Hanging out with her (when she's in the mood) always makes me feel young and happy and blessed.