Wagon!

This cutie pie above belongs to my friend.  She was turning one so I just had to make her something adorable.

As usual, I rummaged through my scrap wood pile...leftovers from other projects, or scraps my favourite paint shop man would sell to me for cheap.

First, get the base done.  Sanded everything till kingdom come as it had to be child-proof...no splinters sticking out here and there.

 

Then I realized it didn't occur to me I didn't measure if it was big enough for her.  oops.  Okay, find a stuffed toy that I thought might be about her size.                                                                                                                                                

How big is her body....this pillow is about right.  Okay, that'll have to do.

Make the sides...sand sand sand till eternity.

Put them all together....add casters.

Looking good, squeeeeeeeal!......why oh why didn't I do all these when I was a teenager?                                        

Embellishments....metal brackets!

Couldn't decide what colour to paint it....she's not the pink type, red would have been awesome, but ok, a happy yellow it is...with black undertones.




Oh my pigtails!! 

So cute had to take it outdoors somewhere for a photoshoot!

A shot with some flowers....

Add a little laminated nametag....

Here she is! 

Fit her (and Alex the lion) perfectly!!

 

 So cute I can't stand it.

*Thanks Abigail for some of the above photos!

A Quiet Christmas

Since my Dad's demise was a mere one month ago, it's kinda quiet around our house this Christmas. No decorations, no tree*, no lights.

*updated: I woke up this morning and found an elf had put up a Christmas tree lights and all, in the corner of our sitting room! (?)

But I did make some gingerbread cookies for the kids at the Daycare Centre - in the shape of houses. I hand-cut each one (what I won't do for these kids) before baking them as I don't know if a house-shaped cutter can be found anywhere.

The kids had fun icing them!




Then I decided to make some gingerbread men for my own distribution...

They started out pretty normal...

See? just a regular guy.


Then I started thinking, "How 'bout I change their eyes to make them look more gleeful...and ..and..add a bowtie here.."



"Oh, oh, can't have guys alone... should have some spunky gals..."



And then it kinda went out of control....."we could even go oriental...."



>
>
>
>
>
>
>


ummm....



Next time, I'll just stick to houses....









p/s
If you are enjoying reading this blog for leisure, sign up as a follower if you haven't already!
Muaks!

Goofy Gifts

The other day one of our kids from the Daycare Centre was out shopping for farewell gifts for the staff, as, he was leaving the centre. His mum started picking out for each staff...





These are jumbo-sized fabric roses (almost 2-and-a-half feet long each!)...




But for him, this caught his eye and he said to his mum, "I think we should get this for Aunty Val," (which is what the kids call me)...so, this is what they got me....

>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


(Ok, save the wise cracks about why you think he got me this.)

I am so honoured. It shows how well he knows me....I often do buy the whackiest things, if I think:

- they may be useful somehow at the Centre for an object lesson or prop
- the kids will love them!
- I love them!
- they're conversation starters
- they're so me
- they bring a laugh

It makes the goofiest sound by the way:
(this is gonna take me forever - figuring out how to upload the video...)






Here's something I bought some months ago...(don't ask how many of these I have)





And here's what it does....



So fun I can't stand it.

Here's the coolest Christmas stocking I have ever received (my boss bought this for me
cos she said it is so me)..



Now before you get the impression that I only love receiving goofy gifts, I don't. I ....

..ahem...(major throat-clearing here)

do also love:

- chocolates (BIG time, small time, any time)

- lasagna (cooked, thank you)

- white cotton-lace trimmed peasant-style blouses

- craft books

- recipe books (one can dream that one will whip up something from the recipe book that gets one's attention when one gets into the mood one day that is likely to happen to one maybe twice a year which is better than one not being inspired at all throughout one's year)

- pretty diaries or notebooks



Just sayin'.






p/s The writer of this blog would love feedback on some of the whackiest gifts you have ever received, or tell her what is on your wish-list. (No harm wishing.) Also, the best gift you can give her is to sign up as a follower of this blog, if you haven't already! Then she will persevere writing even though it takes forever to do so for each post (these two video uploads took me the longest time! ish!)

(Part 2 of) Why I Love my Job

In my post before this, I mentioned a few reasons why I love my job. But first, a few more photos of the little people I work for, and with (yes, indulge me....)

Twins Alyssa and Qistina...or is that Qistina and Allysa? We've taken to calling them "TWEEEEEENS!" when we need both of them.


Areena ("P Q R S T U V Buddle-U X Y Z!")

Three-year old Khadeja (who apparently is already betrothed....ahem.)


And here are a few more reasons why I love my job:

1. We get to do fun art lessons.

(here's one, teaching kids how to draw straight lines with a ruler)



(a finger-painted tree)


(felt ladybirds on a paper leaf)


(painted paperweight pebble)




2. We learn fun rhymes together.



One little baby
Rocking in a tree













Two little babies
Splashing in the sea













Three little babies
Crawling on the floor

Four little babies
Banging on the door












Five little babies
Playing hide and seek



Keep your eyes closed tight now
Until.. I say .. PEEK!





3. An occasional drama here and there
(and I'm not talking about the bawling kid refusing to get out of the car,
or the one nose-picking as if there was an undiscovered mine in there somewhere)

(here's Lutfi with 'injuries' after a horrific road accident - that day's lesson was Road Safety)





(Here's Brandon, who came in one day, impersonating Michael Jackson...or is that Stevie Wonder. I wonder...)



4. Colleagues who have become great pals.


This photo of Asmah (Mak Chor, to all of us) was added in because she looks gorgeous here.

(actually I added it in because I found out she secretly reads my blog in the deep of the night behind closed doors....but shhh...don't tell her I told you...and she likely can't read this fine print, heh!)


So the amusement continues...

4 year old takes a colour pencil with the tip broken off.

3 year old exclaims, "hey, that one doesn't have ink lah!"

******************************************************
W is for watermelon.

waterlemon

no, no, watermelon

waterlemon

water-ME-LON

water-LE-MON!

never mind.

sigh.




All the time, I had just accepted whatever colouring work they had handed in. After all, it isn't art I am teaching but English. "w" for watermelon y'know? The drawing is just for reinforcing the phonetic sound taught. So as long as their handwriting displayed effort, I accepted their work. Even rewarded them with a sticker.

But after seeing that my beautiful hand-drawn outline of my watermelon had been mutilated, coloured totally brown...

What colour is a watermelon?

red

and what colour is the skin?

green

so we're gonna get it right this time, ok?

ok. (grin grin)

what colours are you going to use?

red and green!

result:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

slice of watermelon with red skin and green flesh


sighhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I Love my Job (Part 1) - 7 reasons Why

Seven reasons why I love my job:

1. All Most of the children are well-behaved all of the most of the time. Here are pictures of some of them. (I can't post all as there are too many to print)

...................................................................................Sara

...........................................................................Mikhail

............................................................................Qasdina


...............................................................................Amir

..............................................................................Hannah
.................................................................................Dan

...........................................................................Adreana

2. We get to sing fun songs...



There were ten in the bed
And the little one said,
"Roll over! Roll over!"








So they all rolled over
And one fell off! (number goes down til the last one)....






There was one in the bed
And the little one said,



"Good night."



("tak larat dah" - Malay, translated into our-day English
I can't do this anymore!





Doe - a deer, a female deer








Ray - a drop of golden sun










Me - a name I call myself


(well...you get the picture)




3. There's food around all the time (not sure this is a good thing, though)




Gingerbread cookies at Christmas










and birthday cakes throughout the
year!







yummy lasagna...nyom nyom. No, we don't have this at the centre but no harm wishing, right?



4. We see the children graduate and move on...and we were part of helping them to.


The six-year olds have a graduation
concert at the end of the year as they
join Primary School the following year.









5. We get to make/wear fun costumes

................................................................Sea-horse Ammar


.................................................................Turtle Aqiel
...................................................................Bee Nicholas

6. The children's parents are supportive
Some of the children's parents in seaweed, jellyfish and starfish costume, getting ready to dance
to the Little Mermaid song, 'Under the Sea'

Teacher's Day gifts


7. The children make us laugh when they do the darndest things


(Hazim with his chocolate moustache)






Lesson on phonetic sound "sp"

Me: The letters s and p make the sound "sp".

A, a kid from a non-English speaking background: (nod nod) sp

T: So, if I have "sp" and I add o-t-s to it, what does that make?

A: sp ots spots!

T: clever girl! Now, do you know what spots are?

A: (shakes head)



T: They are like dots - you can have spots on
a dress, or spots on a dog - like a Dalmatian.
You know the show "101 Dalmatians", right?

A: (nod nod)

T: So now you write the word spots, and colour a picture for it. Would you like me
to draw a picture of a dress, or a Dalmatian? (why do I bother to ask)


T: (from experience, doubtful of what colour the Dalmatian would turn out to be)

So! what colour are you going to make the spots?

A: Black!

T: (hopeful) Ok, here you go! a Dalmatian with spots for you to colour ..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

result:


Black spots on a blue Dalmatian



sigh.