Aleeyah trying to read

I (Mom) remember Aleeyah as a baby, when you give her stuff toy, she is not interested but when you give her books, she's very happy. Both her Dad and i always read to her even when she was still in my tummy. While she enjoy being read to, she couldn't wait to be able to read by herself. Last year, she mastered the sounds of all the letters in the alphabet. This year she's been learning letter blends such as at, an, et, it, in, ch, th, etc. This prepared her to be able to recognize words. She's taking home reading book homework everyday. This weekend, she devoted her time to studying: reading, writing, coloring, and drawing. Early yesterday, i noticed a calloused in the middle finger of her right hand. She's been writing a lot. She's also mastered reading "The Bambi Book", and the "I can Read God's Word and other stories from Psalms" and now she's beginning to read the "I can Pray with the Prayer Circle Friends." When i'd rather want to read my own book, she wants me to sit beside her every time she reads so that i can assist her when there are big words she does not know. It has been a lot of patience working with her on this but i knew that it is the best gift i can give during this stage of her life. It's been very rewarding to watch her being able to read a whole book and am feeling so blessed and proud. This is the video i recorded while she was reading last night before she went to bed.

Christmas 2010

Making Christmas meaningful for Aleeyah and Esher, I (Mom) had a little plan. I intended not to join Greg much in his travel to the province Christmas programs so that I can spend more time to Aleeyah and Esher

They decorated their own Christmas tree. They had fun with more playing than working. It was a fun time for all of us.

I put up a Christmas countdown the night before December 1. This Christmas countdown have small surprises in it such as candies, chocolates, hair clips, lollipops etc. But there are also big surprises specially for weekends. Such big surprises are activities shown in the pictures below. While we do these activites we talked about Christmas and about Jesus.

Going to the play place...

Visit WBI to enjoy the wide space, running, getting dirty and just have fun. In this picture above you see Aleeyah picked the flowers of grass and she is planting it back in the sand :) you can see her video of her made up musical in the left side bar...

Esher also enjoyed WBI, she is holding a withered palm tree flower covering

On one Saturday morning, I took them in a "motodop" (single motorbike taxi) to go fly their kites at the riverbank.

They sort out their clothes to give away: all clothes that does not fit them anymore goes to the suitcase for giveaways and all clothes that still fit them goes back to their cabinet. They had fun doing this

On the morning of the 24th, they received another big surprise from daddy. Daddy arrived from the Christmas service of Takeo Church and they were giving the Samaritan's Christmas box. Ptr. Poleak gave one for Aleeyah and one for Esher. The girls were very excited. Each box contained pencils, erasers, sharpeners, notebooks, toothbrush, toothpaste, bathsoap, hairclips, combs, hairties, stufftoys, some neckleaces and bracelets etc.

Of course on Christmas Eve , we had our traditional family dinner. Just as simple baked chicken, baked macaroni spaghetti and some sweet macaroni salad for dessert.

Daddy reading the Christmas Story

Esher Passionately telling what she likes and why she likes Christmas. All of us had to share what we like and why we like Christmas.

Don't forget the gift: Daddy explained why we give gift on Christmas, because God gave His son Jesus Christ as a gift to us. Esher got a small xylophone.

Aleeyah got a pencil organizer

Bong Rachana got a photo album

After our Christmas dinner, we watch the nativity but daddy was too tired and went to bed early. Aleeyah thought the movie was scary so she joined her dad to bed early. So it was only Esher and Mom who finished the movie.

On some of the Sundays, we attend International Christian Fellowship because Aleeyah likes the English Sunday school. She is learning so much. Here you see her making a friend

She also join the ICF Kids Christmas presentation... doing the dance song, "every move i make i make in you" and another Christmas song. See the video on the left sidebar...

She also volunteered on the pastor's sermon illustration for his Christmas message.