Malaysia International Fireworks Competiton 2007

Good that Malaysia is having such an event in Putrajaya.

We manage to reach there right before the fireworks started.

Actually, our car cannot move any more further.

The road is full of cars.

















ZuYan clapping when the fireworks started.

















ZuYan was amazed by the fireworks!!!
















ZuYan looks up on the cheering crowd.
















Although we were very far away from the fireworks competition spot, ZuYan was excited with the little sparks he can see.

What if we are really under the fireworks display?

Getting to know nature

Planting teaches children more than just how things grow.
It also educates them about the weather and why plants need soil, water and light.
It helps to develope a positive attitudes and feeling toward the natural environment, or being familiar with their environment.

Of course, as a 15 months old child, Zu Yan cannot not understand about the weather, soil, water and light.

It's a simple and easy experience for him to get to know nature.
I was amaze by the way he handle the shovel.
He had fun this morning.















15 months old Zu Yan planting scallion.

One for you, one for you and one for you.

Yesterday night, I was eating wasabi pea. ZY noticed, walked to me and open his mouth wide.



"Are you sure you want this? It's wasabi pea. Hot!" He understand what "Hot!" means by touching hot water mug. May be not in the context of food. His mouth still wide open. I jugde the level of the "hot" of the pea and think he will be able to take it, worst he will spit out and stay away.



I popped one pea into his mouth. In seconds, he spitted out the pea. He did not walk away but reached for the pack of pea. Picked up a pea and send it into my mouth. One and after one after one till he finished the whole pack. He smiled and clapped.

ooh ooh ! up there!

Since last week, I started to bring ZY out to the nearby playground so that he would get a chance to further refine his gross motor skill. All this while, we will just hang around in the house yard in the evening, where he could only walk around and sit on bench. He admired the plants, grass, cars passing by, neighbour walk pass but never never the birds or airplane flying over our head. He pay no notice when I told him "Listen, what's that sound? Look up there! An aeroplane!" " Look! birds!" Emm.. he looked left or right or somewhere else but not the direction of where my finger point to, not lifted his head to look up at all.

So, it is not the time yet. I did not keep trying and I think one day he will notice by himself. And, last Thursday, we were in the playground, as usual, I will stand back and let him lead the way. At one moment I was looking elsewhere and when I turn to him, he was pointing to the sky. There were two birds flying by. Hey! he noticed!

And, today, I was looking elsewhere again and when I turn to him, he was pointing to the sky and his lip squash up like a beak "Ooh! ooh!". There was an aeroplane flying over.

His awareness of surrounding has extend up to things happend over his head.

ZY's discoveries

Quotation
"I have served the spirit of those children, and they have fulfilled their development, and I have kept them company in their experiences." Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 27.

Zu Yan's stop and look at a snail while having nature walk in the park.
The snail does not kept him for long.
He continue his nature walk after looking at it for awhile.

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Spinning ball in container

Yesterday, it was during the lunch time.
While I help ZY to feed himself, he was having fun with a 1 inch diameter wooden ball and a rice measuring cup.
He held them one in each hand, showing them high and low, place on the table, place the ball into the measuring cup and pour it out...suddenly, he found that he could make the ball to circulate in the cup by using only one hand and wrist.
And he did it again and again. While he was walking, sitting on sofa, sitting on floor, put it away, came back to the materials, pick up and work with it again.

Today, he repeat the same experience but in a variation.
He place a bigger plastic ball into a round ice cream container and make the circular motion by holding the container with two hands.
Later in the evening, he was spunning around by himself for the first time (Does this got anything to do with the ball spinning in the container?).
He fell on floor, got up, spun, fell, got up and spun again.





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Elmo's Potty Time

Come across this in VCD version at Jusco store.
Bought one for ZuYan's preparation for toileting.




This title in other format that found in Amazon.

Book


Music


VHS

First Birthday walk

Birthday walk

One of the special occasion that a Montessori school has is to celebrate children’s birthday by having birthday walk. The birthday child will hold a globe and walk on elliptical/round line. A candle will be light up and place on a model sun in the center of the ellipse/circle. While the child is carrying the globe and walking on the elliptical line, his/her story will be told. Every one complete walk around the sun represent the earth orbit around the sun one round and means one year is past. If the child is three years old, he will walk for three rounds. The child get to blow the candle in the center at the end of his/her story is told. Then the birthday cake will be brought out and birthday song will be sang.

In some other Montessori school, they might have a birthday brass plate, which is polish by the birthday child in readiness for his/her birthday walk. The plate will hold up small tea lights, which are lit as the child completes each circuit.

To further raise the awareness of birthday and passage of time, photographs of the birthday child from birth at yearly intervals will be displayed. Some other idea are making a photo book , a basket of their favorite book, toys or things.

ZuYan’s 1st birthday walk

It is too young for ZuYan to understand about birthday, but I still decided to let him has his 1st birthday walk. He might not understand what is going on but it will leave a trace in his adsorbent mind.

An area in the living hall is designated and marked an ellipse shape with red masking tape. It will be left unpeel for ZuYan to practice walking on line when he is ready later.

The elliptical line was ready few days before his tiny birthday party. Instead of practice walking on the line ZuYan walk with the line between his leg as he needs to balance himself when he walk. ZuYan is able to walk freely around the house one month before his birthday. And that really give me a relief of carrying him around but tiring to follow him every corner of the house that he wanted to explore.

I wish to see ZuYan smile and toddle around the elliptical line on his birthday, it does not has to be a perfect one but he was tired when the birthday walk was started. He wanted to be held. Well! he did complete the circle with me knee down behind him and toddle around.

Other things that I have to mark the passage of time is his twelve monthly growth photo and a homemade tiniest cake and mini cupcakes.

Nothing much, only a memorable moment had been capture and to add a little spark in his passage of time.

Here is a video of a child's birthday walk I found in Y0utube.com