Sensory Skills

Since I am now doing lotsa research, and am glad that I have found out a lot about developing my lil' bean's sensory skills. I think for now developing her sensory skills is the most basic development that I feel fit for her and me.
I am now collecting various stuff to create an environment suitable for her to play and develop. Lots of ideas and tips can be found in the net, so it is quite easy for me to help her develop her skills. I strongly believe that right now developing her senses are much more important than training her brain. I feel that a baby's basic development must be stimulate correctly then later part she will use her senses to learn more things. Before the brain start to learn words and stuff, it must be well stimulate and grow then it will learn things faster.

Well that is my logic anyhow, each parents teach their kids differently, and I just believe that an infant must have a strong basic skills before they learn anything new.

For more information on Sensory Development please check out the website.

• Child Sensory Development
• Sensory Development - Touch, Taste And Smell, Movement Sensations, Auditory System, Visual System, Sensory Systems In Concert - Body Position Sense

SHICIDA Method

I have already begun my research on (Early childhood education) and I realised that it involves lots of methods and trainings. And I still am not sure which is better!?! Anyone got any clues?

Ever heard of the Shichida method? It's about the "Right Brain Training" for a child. According to Prof Shichida, that presenting large amounts of information at a fast pace to infants, toddlers and preschoolers stimulates the right brain and can activate photographic memory. It is to believe that a baby can start learning from age 0-3 years. You can read more on this website: Shichida Method or go to www.shichidaparents.com

Well am just being curious about this method, just one question: Does it train the mind to memorize all the things or using both sides of the brains?

Then came Phonics, which I attend one of the workshops. Well, this method actually teaches a child to read BUT not knowing the meaning. To some parents this may be a shock, and if a kid follow through all the levels, a child will be able to pronounce all the words in the dictionary / Newspaper by 6 years of age. That is before they actually start proper schooling. Hmmm...

I ran on and do some other research which I came across another similar to Shichida, but it is called BRAIN-Child learning. Well this one actually train both sides of the brain and have a balance way of thinking. It is suppose to improve memory, enhance concentration and so forth. It is called a Mental Fitness Centre, whereby there are programmes targeting children age 6 to 13 years of age. You can read more about it in: www.brain-childlearning.com

Last but not least, I had a retired-teacher-friend which tells me that a child bellow the age of 6 years cannot regcognise words properly as their brain has not fully developed. Whatever they see are all opposite of what we see like in a mirror. So if we input alphabets to them they will write out on the opposite direction because that is what they percieved. If we force them to write it correctly, the kid will be using their memory to do so. In the end of the day it is not LEARNING but MEMORIZING!

Then he told me that we can only show them pictures and in this way no harm will be done. Finally, now I have come to a conclusion that, we are not stupid even though we learn slower last time why now we have to speed up the process? Then again, we have to keep up on the trend, so I think I will just introduce pictures to my kid and read her stories for now. No flashing cards and no ABC learning for now.

Routine

7 Months - She's having her 2 Bottom Front Teeth right now!

Morning:

• 7am - Wake (Milk)
• 9am - Morning Bath
• 10am - Baby Solid Breakfast + Milk
• 11.30am - Morning Nap time

Afternoon:

• 1pm - Milk / Lunch
• 2pm - Play time
• 3pm - Afternoon Nap
• 5pm - Milk
• 6pm - Evening bath
• 8pm - Milk
• 9pm - Sleep

This is baby's usual routine of the day for now. Since her teeth started to come out about now so she's kind of cranky before sleep time in the night.

Pretty Girls on Board!

Girl Power! This was taken during New Year 2005. It was part of our annual gathering. Now it will not be the same as most of us have kids or very busy with our schedule! And this seems like ages ago.....

Teddy Bed Sheet

My Lil' Bean is 7 Months old already and she has got a New Teddy Bear Bed Sheet! It's full of teddy bear and look so cute! This fabric is bought by grandma from a market and well mama got to make the bed sheet for baby. The pillow case and booster case is made by PorPor and it matches the bed sheet doesn't it! The complete set will come with Teddy bear Bumper... and mama has got to make it soon! :P

The Turning Point

Finally my lil' Bean is able to turn properly on both sides. Guess in no time she will start to go mobile soon. Time has pass and she is now able to play by herself more often without me by her side all the time. Well I guess it is about time I bring her to my workplace, as I have prepared a room for her to play and rest. I can do my work and supervised her while working not a bad idea. This was indeed my plan earlier on when I set up the baby room in my work studio.

Bed Sheet!

I have been looking for alternatives of buying expensive baby cot bed sheet / fitted sheet; and it always comes together with bumper and blankets that I don't like. The motifs are either too colourful or just too not to my taste! And so, I decided to do-it-myself again!

Ironically, I went to the local fabric store "Kamdar" for a look and I have found 2 types of flowery designs that are suitable only. Since I have no other choice so I bought them and made the fitted sheets for the baby cot.

This one here is the pinkish one with less complicated design. Not bad huh!

Traditional Nyonya Popiah - Homemade only (part II)

Traditionally, nyonya ladies used to cook these at home and have Popiah Parties. Well, this tradition is dying soon as not many people cook these days. Well, in my home we are still having this popiah tradition and it is one of my favourite food. Also one must know how to wrap a popiah properly or else everything will drop off, and the popiah wrap will break loose!

Above here I have included the ingredients that will be wrap inside a popiah. So all those commercial ones out there is really nothing compare to these homemade ones! One must get the ingredients right from the beginning to have a "Traditional Nyonya Popiah".

Here are some of the ingredients that I snap with my camera... and I have already named them well, other ingredients such as beansprouts can be wrap in it too.

This is the popiah wrap that we can still buy it here in Penang. Lucky us! :P

So here are all the ingredients that are waiting to be wrap in a popiah! Yummy.... and am getting hungry too! If I were to have my ideal Popiah Party..... I will definately need all my guest know they will need to help cooking and then later know-how to wrap the popiah properly.

Indeed it takes time to pratice and I have been doing it since I was a young little girl at the age of 10. LOL.

First Visit to KekLokSi

During the Chinese New Year, we brought Baby to the Kek Lok Si Temple to see the lights. She was fascinated by the lights and although she looks sleepy but she wanted to look at those beautiful lights lit up only once in a year during Chinese New Year for a month!

Unfortunately, we are not able to see the New "Kuan Yin" Pavilion lit up, so it will be next year then! Papa & Mama will make sure this is one of Baby's anual function..... :)

Out of NoWhere - Frank Sinatra

You came to me from out of no where
You took my heart and found it's way...
Wonderful dreams, wonderful schemes from no where
Made every hour sweet as flower for me...

The lyrics of the song describes exactly how I feel about my lil' angle.

Tuna Time!

Ooooo... after lazing around watching tele in the house for almost a year now.... my fav shows, AFC (Asian Food Channel) and Travel & Living. Indeed I'll make full use of what I do mostly at home which is home cooking. So I tried a few things and this is the one I have been waiting to try out.
Finally I spotted a piece of tuna which can be cooked into a Yummy Tuna Steak! I have been searching at local store and finally got it! :P
So this is actually Fresh Tuna and it taste so good even hubby loves it! I added some salsa sauce to it so it looks like one in those restaurants! Hubby says it's even better.... well I have not come across any place that cook tuna steak yet around my neighbourhood!