Wall Decal For Children Room

The art of wall decal is getting more popular now. Last year, I also bought few designs of wall decal for decorating my house.

Here's one of the design pasted on the wall of my boy's playroom along with some of his art projects hung below the motif of a tree branch.

There are many brands in the market. Of course the prices are varied by the quality of material. So far, I am very satisfied with the current I purchased from Somethin' Urby. The decals are still firmly adhered to the wall and look new. Note: Check also Blank-Canvas-Design.

It's a good idea to decorate your baby room with some wall decals which just consume little time and money to do (compared with painting and wall paper).

1,2,3.... Action!

After watching the "Cars" animated movie, my boy starts playing with toy vehicles now. Sometimes, he puts all the toy vehicles (include thomas train, police cars, mini wooden truck, bus) in a row and pushes them vigorously one by one on the floor. To me, it looks more like a crash than a race (with some overturned and some stacked on each), but my boy enjoys the car-racing game which created in his own version.

Besides, he likes to mimic the main character "Lightning McQueen" too. On his tricycle, he pretends to ride as fast as and makes a sudden "turn" or "jump" then adds the fancy slogan like how McQueen says it in the movie - "Ka-chow!".

A Handy Organic Marketing Guide

Today, I am lucky to come upon a blog (by a mom too) and her label of "green living tips" has caught my attention. By reading through it, I am intrigued by the title of "The Dirty Dozen" as well as "Clean 15" and the small piece of printed sheet which displays images of some veggies and fruits. What are they?

Thanks to a crafter cum a mom, Heidi Kenney (her site The Paper Crane) who creates the cheat sheet in such a colourful and pocket-size format. It provides a simple guide to help shoppers to choose which kinds of veggie/fruit to buy organic and which kinds are safer (of low pesticide level) to buy if non-organic.

Ashamed. I seldom buys organic veggie and fruit nowadays (since this year). But I feel much better when I find out that my boy's favourite kinds of veggie/fruit mostly belong to the "Clean 15". Even for apple and pear, we peel the skin off before he consumes.

Book Review: Maisy, Charley and the Wobbly Tooth

Book Review # 8:

Maisy, Charley and the Wobbly Tooth

by Lucy Cousins

I buy this book because I want to teach my boy to brush his teeth. He knows Maisy and Cyril from other Lucy's books so I think this one can comfort him to take up the challenge (with the characters).

In this book, many friends (include Maisy and Cyril) accompany Charley to see a dentist. All of them are given a demonstration of how to brush teeth by the nurse. Up... Down... Back... Front... then rinse and spit. Now I practise these steps with my boy every time he brushes teeth.

Overall, it's a lovely and simple picture book about a visit to dentist plus it depicts the simple steps of teeth-brushing.

One Roti Canai, Please!

This morning, we stopped by at market to buy breakfast. Before I got down from the car, my boy reminded me again to buy him "I want one Roti Canai, Ok?". My boy has very little exposure to Bahasa Malaysia (BM). "Kakak" is the first B.M word which he calls my parents' housemaid.

Since my boy can eat more outside food (restaurants/hawker stalls), he get chances to taste different kinds of local food like Pan Mee, Bak Kut Teh, Wanton Mee, Nasi Lemak and Roti Canai. Even sometimes he asks for little Curry Laksa soup. Over times, we notice that he actually picks up some words in B.M such as Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai and the numbers of 1 to 4. We couldn't stop laughing when we overheard his funny B.M speech for first time.

My boy: Kakak, satu, dua, tiga, empat... Roti Canai, Nasi Lemak.

"Kakak" was stunned and answered: Ya.. ya..

He knows that we talk with "Kakak" in this language (B.M). My boy tries to communicate with "Kakak" too. He just copies whatever he knows.

My boy: Kakak, cepat cepat.. sini sini.

Until today, he always likes to use his limited B.M to talk with "Kakak". Looks like children learn languages by ear. Better or little, it just doesn't matter, at least they are learning.

Play n Learn: Phonic Letters Reading

Time flied. It's now 3rd term that my boy enrolled for the toddler program at Lorna Whiston. Once in a week and one hour per class. Unlike the Right Brain Programme, there's no specific teaching materials like flash cards or visual instruments. In the class, all toddlers will sit or stand or move around the teacher when she sings songs or reads a book or shows picture cards (ie colours or shapes). My intention is to let my boy to be familiar with the English language because all teachers here are qualified foreigners. Moreover, I notice that many young students with strong English background are attending their courses too.

By attending the class with my boy, I'm learning too especially the phonic letters (Note: Toddler programme can be accompanied by either one parents/care takers). Finally I googled the phonic letters which are same with his teacher as well as the live reading video via YouTube (as seen below). I just realised that it is Montessori phonics. Whatever method it is, I'm glad that my boy didn't feel stress to learn the phonics in the class. (Note: Teacher read along with the phonic CD while holding the phonic book in hand to show the students.) I could sing and read the phonics with my boy anytime. It's interesting.

Ever Lasting Nursery Rhymes

One night (this month), I asked my boy to sing few songs while I recorded them via camera. *Note: Actually I'd like to keep the records of how good he can sing the nursery rhymes at 2.5 years old. Sure he will like to watch his performances in future.

My top picks of English nursery rhymes are The Star (as sung by my boy in the above video clip), Baa Baa Black Sheep and Alphabet Song. These three songs are sharing the same tunes. So easy to sing. They are great to soothe baby to sleep and even to pacify him if he cries.

I believe these nursery songs are ever outdated. They will be continued sung from one generation to another generation.