Mitmit

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If you cut it off, the chicken will die.

“If you cut it off, the chicken will die.” I’m sure you’re wondering which part of the chicken I’m talking about. Last week, I was having lunch with my class children and we were having chicken stew that day. I was famished after working half the day; it seems that my appetite remains at the time when I’m 9 months pregnant with Miracle. So, I piled up my bowl with rice, potato, carrots and the most important ingredient in the stew -chicken!! However, since the meaty drumsticks, breasts and wings were given to the children, we teachers had a sumptuous choice of chicken feet, neck…umm and others? Anyway, I returned to the table with a mountain of food enough to beat the salad goers at Pizza Hut’s salad bars. As I was enjoying the food, one child accused me of killing chickens. My curiosity perked, I proceeded to interrogate that child. ”Why did you say that?”

You know what the kid told me? She said “After you cut off the chicken feet, then you throw away the chicken so the chicken die loh.” It took a while for her statement to sink in but in the end I realized that she thought I slaughtered one particular chicken to get my lunch -2 chicken feet to go with my rice. Before I retaliated with a “what about you?” question, another kid proceeded to explain the reason of the death of the chicken “Yaloh, if you cut the feet, the chicken cannot walk, then he will die.” I didn’t know whether to laugh or bang my head on the table.

As adults, I’m sure we think a child’s view is so narrow. They can’t see the big picture. They are too focused etc. Maybe some of u non-children lovers might even think children are dumb. Well, come to think of it, how many of us are like that. When God didn’t give us that guy or girl of our dreams, we think God is dooming us to a life time of singleness. When we don’t see that committed Christian we need in our ministry, we think God has forgotten us. Sometimes, I hear something that came out wrong from my hubby’s mouth and I forget the millions of wonderful things he has done for me. What I do to him then; is of course, another story.

What day do you look forward to every week? I’m a Saturday girl! Saturdays used to be great coz that’s the day to have family gatherings, date, shop and once in a really blue blue moon-clubbing. Now, Saturdays are baby sitting days. It’s the day I get to rest, spend time with my baby and complete a ton of chores.

That’s why Saturdays are precious to me. The first thing I do when I wake up on Saturday mornings is to plan my day. My schedule is now set by my little girl. I literally rotate my life & squeeze the stuff I need to do into the few hours when she sleeps. Alas for me, this baby of mine didn’t inherit my ability to sleep through any natural disaster. She cat naps throughout the day. That means, I have to stagger whatever I need to do in a brief period of half an hour throughout the day.

Have you tried mopping the floor or washing toilets in 1/2 hour? I’d me mopping away and when she wakes I’ll have to lug her around in my baby carrier as I mop. Try carrying a packet of rice to mop the floor. That’s what it feels like. Other times, I’d be washing the toilet and then she cries so I’ll be sloshing my way from the toilet to pick her up. My heart hoping that the detergent I put all over the toilet won’t harden to be decorative items on the walls.

Therefore, as usual this morning when I woke up, I started to mentally picture what are the things that needs to be done & what to do 1st. Listed at the bottom was "Spend time in prayer to seek God’s counsel". You see, I have an important decision I needed to make so I had to set aside extra time on top of my usual prayer to talk with my dear God about it. As I was thinking about the things to get done, I realized that the cleanliness of my house was deemed more important than spending time with God since up at the top of the list was "mop floor".

Hmmm…something wrong with that picture, huh. I remembered that as Christians we are  to give our best to God. I believe my God is the creator of heaven and earth and here I am giving Him scraps. The ‘cream’ of my day is the mornings when my baby has her longest nap. It’s the time I get to do most of the stuff I need to do. I was really reluctant to "give" God that time. But you know what, I guess I don’t mind walking on a dirty floor for another day. I can proudly say i spent the best time of my Saturday praying. Well, still no answer regarding the decision I have to make but God did show me how real He is.

My baby napped for 3hours twice today! I managed to finish all my chores and some extra stuff too.I was totally perplexed I checked on my baby to make sure she was breathing! Then I remembered a verse from the bible "seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these shall be added unto you". I seeked God 1st today and he gave me a small miracle. Maybe the next time my daughter will not sleep for so many hours but I’m sure God will take care of me in other ways. Perhaps another Saturday my husband will come home & clean the house for me, maybe he won’t mind the dirty toilet or perhaps you-the one reading this blog will come and clean my house. heheh!!

God is good, right? Oh, by the way I also like Sundays. 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the father of lights. James 1:17a

When God gives, there is no doubt in my mind that it is the best. I’ve also read in the bible about the abundant life that God bestows. However, I didn’t fully understand what abundance truly means until I was pregnant with my daughter.

My daughter herself is a perfect gift from God and I truly enjoyed every stage of my pregnancy. Of course, there are times I do worry about money for the hospital fees, knowledge to nurture my baby when she is growing and for the pregnancy itself. From the beginning, my needs have been met and provided for by my wonderful Father in heaven.

Being a person who loves to read, information to me is comfort and confidence. When I discovered I was pregnant, the first thing I wanted to get my hands on were books, lots of it. But my husband was still studying at that point in time and we were on a tight budget so I thought perhaps I could get the information i need through the internet. Before I knew it, a couple in church gave me an excellent book on pregnancy, many lent me magazines and interesting books.

The next thing my husband and I had to get were items for my daughter after she is born. All those item would come to quite a sum and everything (I mean EVeryThing) was provided for. A sister in church lent us her children’s cot and car seat,my mum had bassinets and baby chairs, another friend’s friend had a swing , my sister in law had tons of parapnaphelia that we borrowed. I didn’t even need to buy diapers! Until Miracle was 4 month old we’ve only bought milk powder for her twice.

Even now, we don’t really need to buy clothes or shoes for Miracle as our friends and church members passed on their children’s clothes to us. The clothes and shoes were all in such good condition too. God is so good and so real in my life. What about yours?

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I always imagined what glorious times I’d spend with her at each stage of her growth. I imagined opening my arms to hold her as she takes her first steps towards me. I saw myself playing with her at the playground and I even wonder how many boys will I scare away when they tried calling my daughter on the phone.

Well, in your head everything is perfect and children are adorable people who do everything you say instantly. However, reality is a far cry from that which is floating in my head. It’s the school holidays now and my husband’s niece & nephew are staying over. They are adorable; when they are sleeping. When they play, it’s mayhem in the house. When they eat, artistic collages are created on the chairs and tables. When they fight, the desibels are ten times compared to a jet plane taking off. When they throw tantrums- you better run.

Although having a baby changes your life, having toddlers can even change the way you talk. Trying to get them to follow instructions is like having a heart attack. The first time you say something, you are just feeling mild pain in your chest. After a while the children are still doing whatever they shouldn’t be doing, you repeat your instructions a few more times and it’s like a knife stabbing at your heart. Then, when you have repeated yourself for the hundreth time, your heart starts to fail and you have a stroke. I know, it’s a little exaggerated but seriously- only after a week I feel so much like a broken record. Stuck saying the same things over and over and over and over and over and over…. you get the idea.

My baby is already 3 months old. Sometimes, looking at her I just can’t wait for her to grow up. Having experienced the bitter sweet challenges of toddlerhood (for a week), I’m glad my little one is still so little. I really need to enjoy her now in her infancy. And to all the mothers talking like broken records, I salute you. It’s a tough job but hang on. For now, perhaps you’d consider recording all your instructions into a CD. You can repeat whatever you want to say multiple times without having a heart attack.

I really think you ought to record your instructions on a CD. You can repeat whatever you want to say multiple times without having a heart attack. Ouch! I think I feel pain in my chest.

My husband is a huge fan of heroes- from the great heroes of Marvel Comics to the insignificant heroes in some silly cartoon. If you have been watching enough super hero movies, you’d realize that no matter how heroic or lame the super hero is, they will never fail to come clad in costumes. And no matter what super powers these heroes have, they all exist to do one thing- SAVE THE WORLD.

After I giving birth to my daughter (which is one of the most amazing experiences in my life) my daily routine was turned inside out like wet clothes hanging out to dry. She was my little dictator and I played the part of the servant. One cry brought me to her instantly and many cries drove me to my knees. On a particular day she wasn’t feeling well so she bawled the whole day. I on the other hand, wailed in fatigue. I was desperate for sleep but found no opportunity, I wanted a break but the only thing breaking was my nerves. I became “the world” and I needed “saving”. Where was my hero?

I cried, I gave myself pep talks and I prayed… God did answer my prayer for soon my hero came. Dressed in a striped shirt & working pants he entered the house, earlier than usual and in my most desperate hour. He changed into his hero costume instantly- an old T-shirt with holes and baggy pants. I don’t know any other hero that dresses so casually but I tell you mine sure looked good. He carried my daughter so I could catch some sleep; I never felt more gratitude than that moment. That’s not all my hero can do, he buys baby stuff for the hundredth time because I forgot to write down the item in my list, he makes sure I get breakfast in the morning because I can’t drive till my tail bone heals and he folds the clothes, mops the floor and cooks.

Like every damsel in distress, I like being saved. So, I decided to keep this hero by my side, alter ego and all in case I need saving again. So ladies, look carefully when you are searching for a hero. They don’t all come in fancy costumes. For all you know, yours might dress up in slippers and Bermudas. As long as he cooks, it really doesn’t matter if he wears singlet and Ah Beng pants, does it?

Sometimes it is so hard to believe that I have been a   kindergarten teacher for a year now. My little ones have  graduated and I will face another bunch of "prince and princesses" next year.

I have always assumed children nowadays to be pampered, rude and disobedient. My little darlings have proved me wrong though. Yes, there were some in my class that needed a lot of work in their lives (not to mention plenty of spanking!). However, during the last week I have seen the generousity of little children and their capacity to love so purely. I do not perceive myself to be a great kindergarten teacher. While it is a fact I love little children and find then most amusing, I do balk at the idea of talking to those rude and ‘full of themselves’ type. Plus, I certainly have no patience when it comes to noisy ones, especially when I woke up from the wrong side of the bed in the mornings.

Whatever the type of children, as a teacher I had to deal with them whether I like it or not and in the process, I have made many mistakes. Sometimes i was harsh and other times I scolded them without finding out the truth. (Finding out the truth is a very tedious and time consuming process that sometimes as adults we just don’t bother with). Anyway, during the last week of school was a very relaxed week and I had time to play a bit more and hug my children. I realized that no matter how many times I have reprimanded them or on rare occasions spanked them (only veeeery lightly on hands-these were other people’s children after all :Þ) they still loved me. They would smile when I smiled, they beamed when I approved of what they did and I know they would cry if I cried.

With the expressive children, I know I am loved. However, the quieter ones usually keep their love in their hearts. My heart was warmed by one of the strong and silent type last week. This particular boy told me he had a present for me and gave it to me proudly the next morning. I already knew it was a hair-band by touching it. So, I said my thank you’s and unceremoniously kept it in my pocket. However, at the end of the day  before he went home the little boy told me very seriously, "Teacher, tomorrow you wear ah."

As I stood there looking at him, all of a sudden I realized how much thought he put into the gift and how important it is that I wear it. Maybe he was so worried that I did not like it. I touched the present in my pocket and told myself I’d wear it no mater what it looked like because it made a difference. I was so impatient to find out what the gift was like that I opened it in my car even though my house is only 5 minutes drive away. I discovered that it was a simple black hairband with a ribbon on top. On the ribbon was many tiny red jewels that made it sparkle. I knew it was only glass and it’s simple costume jewellery but I felt like a princess receiving a crown laden with red rubies and diamonds.

Truly, children are generous.

Part of my job as a kindergarten teacher is to guide some of my class children when they do their homework. What I do is that I usually sit with them while they do their homework, correcting them when they make mistakes.

Sometimes, I do wonder what is on the children’s minds as I have a dreamer or two in my group. I have to constantly remind them to do their writing and stop thinking about other stuff. Sometimes, I go very close to the fine line that seperates "nagging" and "reminding". I suppose many of those who work with children or have children will understand that.

There my little students were today, quietly doing their writing when all of a sudden; a very adorable girl is my class asked me in her cute English " Wat God doing now, ticher?" I looked at her full of suprise. She didn’t seem to think it odd to ask the question and I was wondering how in the world am I going to answer such a theological question in a way that a six year old child would understand. I thought about it for a while and simply told her God is watching her now. My little student accepted my answer straightaway and confirmed with me, "God see me do homwork, ah?". Of course, being the "all knowing" teacher I told her Yes without blinking my eyes.

Then came the BIG question from a very bright girl in my class. "If God is watching me now, can God also be in my house at the same time?". This kid obviously knows that God is not just a "being" in heaven looking down at everything happening on earth but the God of the bible is a God who is with you and is very real. I was wondering again how am I going to explain the omnipresence of God to her when even some adults seem to have a hard time understanding this concept.

By faith I trusted that God said we should all be little children when we come to Him. So here am I talking to a child and if God said we should have a child’s faith, I think He meant what he said. I then proceeded to explain to the little girl what omnipresence is and she was impressed. The expression on her face was- Wow! God is amazing. It’s as if she had just witnessed a magic show.

Thinking about the incident made me reflect on myself and other Christian friends I have. Sometimes, as adults we tend to ask so many question and search all the details until we forget that with God, there are things that we can’t really grasp with our finite mind.

I guess that’s where faith comes in.

I wonder too what God is doing now?

Grown ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900-1944), "The Little Prince" 1943

Sometimes we do things assuming that people don’t see the real meaning behind why we do it. We think that we are smart enough to hide our motives and reasons. Until, a child opens his mouth to tell you what is so glaringly obvious.

During science class, i showed the children how vinegar dissolves the shell of an egg. Just out of curiosity and for the fun of it, I poured away the vinegar and washed the "shell-less" egg after a few days. After that, i passed the egg around to the whole class to touch. It was fun watching their reactions  and their curious minds learning new things. Some touched the egg with awe and oogleed at the egg yoke that could be seen, still others threw the egg away like it was a disgusting lizard in their palms. Some marveled at the egg but marvelled even more at how the smell of vinegar could still stay in the egg and was somehow passed on the their tiny hands as they touched the egg. Being asians, there were bound to be some who showed no emotions. Or perhaps they have learned how to supressed it so well.

Anyway, back to my story. After everyone got to see the egg, i put the egg back in the glass jar and i asked them whether they think that the egg was cooked. Some, assuming that since the shell was gone and the egg remained intact, it was definately cooked. The other half of the class saw the egg yoke swimming in the egg so they told me it wasn’t cooked. I told the children the only way we’d know is that I poke the egg and see if it breaks open like a raw egg. They eagerly awaited as i stabbed the egg with an old broken pencil. The egg white exploded out of the membrane and almost splashed all over me! I only barely managed to step back and the floor was wet with a few drops of egg white. We all saw that the egg was indeed raw inside it’s membrane and I held up the glass jar for everyone to see. Later, I tossed the pencil into the jar and closed the lid while explaining to the children why the egg was still raw. While doing that, I casually threw the glass jar into the bin. Little did I know, my simple action caused a stir in my class!

Some of the more vocal children were asking me why i threw; to them a perfectly clean and useful jar, away. There was a boy who told me to bring the jar home and wash it and in case i didn’t know better, he taught me how to wash the jar with soap. Garaunteeing that my jar will sparkle after using soap. I waved my hand and dismissed their suggestions and told them it’s OK. Then, I sheepishly tried to change the subject. As I was picking up my books to teach, one little genius at the back of the class finally blurted out the truth- the reason I really threw the jar away, a reason that did not really cross my mind until he said it.

My little genious said, "Ha, ha. Teacher lazy to wash the glass. Ha, ha". It took a class of 6 years olds to help me realise I am lazy to wash my glass jar. They also helped me realize that teaching a child is more than what you say. It’s what you do that counts. We always tell the children to be thrifty and not waste and yet on the other hand, here I am throwing something that to them, is not old and worn at all.  My baby is 2 months in my womb now. When my litle one is born, I must seriously reflect on my motives and actions. I gotta "walk the talk".

Perhaps the next time, I’ll throw the glass jar after class……….

Children are some of the most direct and honest people we can hope to meet. Sometimes, they can say the oddest statements during the most inappropriate times. Somehow, coming from a child we never seem to mind.

I was teaching art some time ago and the lesson was on how to draw a fish with shapes. After showing them how to do it, I re-enforced my concept and asked the children what the fish is made of. I expected them to tell me that the fish was made out of different shapes.

Most of the children in my class were very enthusiastic to answer my question. When I picked a girl who is very bright, she told me "the fish is made in China". How could anyone get angry at that innocent and adorable answer! Well, she got away with that answer and made all the teachers laugh.

The odd thing was that none of the children found it funny! They accepted the fact that the "fish" was "made in China"… I wonder how would they react if I told them the fish is actually made in Malaysia?