My exploration in life… (diary for baby!)

The past Thursday and Friday were spent at Camp Christine in Lim Chu Kang with the P4 level.  I was naturally there because I’m a form teacher of a P4 class.  Moreover, they gave me an extra hat to wear as Camp Commander there.  Though it was nly for two days and activities were run by external vendors, I feel that we had to be "on-the-ball" there as safety of the children were our utmost priority.  Others may feel otherwise, but that works for me…

A total of 180 students went out of the 202 in Primary Four.  One returned home in the night due to medical reasons and another had to go home due to homesickness.  There were more homesick cases but we managed to coax / talk them out of it.  All in all, it was a good first camp for me as there were no injury cases and I was commented by a fellow teacher that I was responsible enough to recce the campsite, as well as conduct the necessary briefings to teachers and students as required.

I just returned home from a game of "street soccer" in Telok Blangah with my secondary school mates.  I had expected to struggle in the game due to my lack of fitness and touch.  I mean - it had been so long since I last played, even for leisure purposes.  It must have been a few years, dating back to the time before I met my motorycle accident.

However, I had paced myself right throughout and managed to do well enough.  I was quite glad that I got praised from ZHIWEI, who said, "From where I was (as goalkeeper), when you got the ball (in front), I knew it was finished (I would score for sure)!"  Another of HANHUA’s friends (I do not know him) said that I was "clinical" in front of goal.  Wow, I must have done something right there!

In school, I’m not sure if I’m going at the right pace for my teaching of English language for my class.  I must really sit and chart out milestones (dates I want certain things, like compositions, spellings, etc., to be done) so that I can plan to be on track with what I intend the class to accomplish for the syllabus…  I must do that!

I celebrated my thirtith birthday with my family and extended family of friends at WILSON’s place on Saturday.  First things first - I do not feel any older.  That’s just because I’d already felt old a few years back.  Ha.

I think WENQIANG spoke to my close friends about how I felt left out sometimes through their not remembering me in their lives, and they decided to come together to celebrate my big day.  Almost all of our group of "the usual suspects" turned up, less JIANHONG who was with a friend watching JAY CHOU’s concert and SHIYONG who was away in Cambodia for work.

WILSON’s mum also finally met up with my prince and princess.  She was so happy that night as her own grandchildren from WILSON’s elder siblings have grown past the toddler-stage.  Or perhaps our two children are a notch above others when it comes to being adorable?  Hmmm…

We finally took our first ever family photograph of 4s, though FELIX was wailing.  He cried due to his not knowing the place well and tiredness (it was near his bedtime).  Surprisingly, RACHEL was rather well-behaved and did not cry (like previously) when she met with our group.  Good work, girl!  Keep it up!

Ha…  the school year has started, and busy as it is, I’ve been sucked into it and got so involved already…

RACHEL has really grown in these months (not in size!) - she has started to understand some simple instructions, slowly.  When we squat in front of her and say, "hug hug" with our arms spread out, she comes towards us, knowing that we are going to hug her.  She however turns and face away before we hug her!  =P  She has started to wave us goodbye (that’s if she doesn’t cry to our leaving home without her!), give "flying kisses" (according to my mum, though I’d never witnessed her do that) and not cry too much when people familiar to her visit us.

She still has her bad habit of screaming her lungs out when she doesn’t get what she want, though.  Her funny act of "sayang-ing" FELIX is funny on the other hand - lightly touching him once or twice.  Sometimes, you just don’t know whether to laugh or cry to her antics.

FELIX has started his crying whenever he is left alone too.  He used to be okay after he wakes up at four- or five-plus in the morning for us to bathe and feed him.  He either drifts back to sleep after that, or is quiet when we leave home for work.  These days, however, he cries.  Gosh, that doesn’t put our minds at ease when we leave home.

My good pal’s, JIANWEI’s, mum just passed away on the turn of the new year.  It was so sudden, and he seemed so very distraught when I visited him at his mum’s wake.  I continued to send him SMSes to try cheer him up, to let him know of our concern for him.  He called me today to assure me that he is stronger now and for us not to worry about him.  We’ll meet next weekend on our once a while gathering / catch-up sessions.