This song was sung in Ch's Gymboree class. It's actually a song from the Barney show (that's what I heard from the teachers in Gymboree), and Ch loves it. Though I don't know how to sing the song, Ch'll always pester me to sing it. I only know the 1st line of the first stanza, but that's enough to satisfy little Ch, and she is always so happy to hear the incomplete song.

So, I made it a point to get Teacher Ai'na to teach me the song. Found a video on YouTube that has the complete song too!


I'm definitely going to sing this song for Ch later!

Extinguishing the "fire"

This equipment represents an apartment that is on fire. The children had to pretend the skipping ropes were water hoses and use them to spray water onto the "fire". There were toy cats in the apartment and the kids had to climb up to rescue them. Ch kept insisting the skipping ropes were... well, skipping ropes. I guess she didn't even know what a firefighter or a fire truck are.

They were also given hula hoops to pretend as steering wheels so that they can drive the fire truck. Ah... this she knew coz she had driven the giraffe kiddy ride at IMM. She also sat on the fire truck. The kids had to balance themselves while on the moving fire truck which was pulled by the teacher. Ch had this blur look throughout the ride.

The Gymboree fire truck

The children had to climb up slopes with obstacles and jump down from a platform. Our dear little girl refused to do that. She just wanted to sit at the end of the slope and pull the red tape.

But of course, there were familiar things like the songs, maracas and bubble play which Ch enjoy in the Gymboree class. 



In order to get her more interested in firefighters, I borrowed 3 books on the theme. And of course, I made a firefighter paper doll with her. Now, at least she is able to recognise a fire truck, a firefighter's clothes and hat, make the sound of a fire engine and pretend to spray water at "fire".

I'm so... FRUSTRATED! today!

First, it was the 1N1 students... they came in to my homeroom after recess with some still eating and drinking. That's not bad enough. They took 5 mins to settle down and when I asked them for their homework, 7 of them couldn't hand the work in! I gave them this pre-test worksheet about a week ago, and deadline was yesterday. They didn't bring/ didn't manage to complete their work yesterday so I extended the deadline to today. Still, they could not hand in the work!! I got irritated with them and told them to sit on the floor at the front of my room. Throughout this episode, guess what the rest of the class were doing! They were still talking among themselves! And no one bothered to take their textbooks from the shelf! Since they abused the privilege to leave their textbooks in my homeroom, they are not allowed to do so from today onwards.

Then, 3E4 came. About 15 of them did not bring their Chem textbooks yesterday. Fortunately, all have their textbooks today (probably due to the scolding yesterday). So far so good right? Shortly after checking some admin stuff with them, I asked them to take out a worksheet that was given on the 17th Jan. Upon checking, only 7 of them attempted the worksheet!! I almost fainted. Why such attitude? I have no answer to this. Told this to their form teacher, and then realised that they have been rather off-task during lessons. This is so pathetic. To think our school's mission is "A happy learning community where everyone strives for success and where students are developed into world-ready youths". World ready??? I told them that they are not even Singapore ready!!

As I didn't want to delay finishing the lesson, I told them nicely to complete their worksheet in class. After about 10mins, everyone handed in the work. So, I thought: Okie, at least now I can start the lesson that I've planned. This turned out to be wrong. I assigned them some reading from the textbook. After writing the instructions on the board, I took a quick glance across the room. Some were still engrossed in their own world, some were happily chatting. A few were doing homework from another subject. Only a small handful was ready. I felt my blood boil. Tried to ignore the irritants, but couldn't. So what did I do? I granted their wish. The wish of not having lessons.

The funny thing about these kids is that, when you grant them their wish, they behave in the opposite manner. Everyone kept quiet and some even read their textbooks! What an irony right?

I don't think my expectations of the students are high. But the students are simply not very motivated to study. Perhaps it's what I call the Sec Three Syndrome. After streaming in Sec 2, those who end up in the not-so-good classes just lose their focus in life. Correction. They have a focus in life. To make merry and waste this year away. What's this thing called the 'O' Levels? Don't know. Don't care anyway.

Sigh.

Today, Ch wanted to look for Fluffy after her breakfast.......I brought her to the cage & she stared at the empty cage.....I told her "rabbit died, no more rabbit".

Fluffy, our bunny, left us on 31 Aug 2006. Ch always said hi to fluffy whenever she saw her in the kitchen....

Yesterday was Mothers' Day... but funny... coz I didn't reallly feel anything though it's my first mothers' day... perhaps coz Ch is still too young... I actually secretly wished that she can call me "mummy" yesterday... tt wld be my biggest present, i guess... but of coz... she din manage to mouth the word.. the closest she got din even sound like it.

Read yesterday's "The New Paper"... according to the ICA, 16,887 babies were born to first-time mothers... I added to the statistics! 3 moms shared abt their feelings being 1st time mums... one of them is a primary school teacher.. how I share those feelings written! the headlines wrote "baby made me resent my hubby. now he is couple's pride and joy"... another wrote "broke down once in baby room, now she's taking things slowly" and "baby's cries made her sigh, but smiles made her melt"... sigh... really... it takes a mum to understand a mum... now... i only look forward to coming home early so that i can see Ch and play with her... her smile really melts our hearts.

another article was about this unwed mum who died 3 days b4 her wedding... due to an ectopic pregnancy... out of every 1000 pregnancies, 5 to 7 are ectopic pregnancies... brought memories of my experience with Baby No. 1... an ectopic pregnancy too. i wonder if Baby is a girl or boy... ZY joked tt Baby No. 1 is a boy. perhaps if i can go to heaven... i'll be able to see Baby No. 1.

looking at Ch... I guess.. God heals each of our broken heart... with Baby No. 1 lost, I'm blessed with Ch...