Mama, I'll be gentle...Meditation on the Cross

Orange took her toy hammer and came to me. "Mama, you'll be Jesus. I'll nail you to the cross!", she said to me one day while we were playing. She proceeded to narrate from memory (this is one of Orange's favourite bedtime Bible story in the last few weeks), the events before the crucifixion:

" 'Crucify him! Crucify him! And free Barabbas instead', said the Jewish leaders. Jesus was forced to carry a huge wooden cross through the streets to Golgotha, the place of execution.... At last, they arrived at Golgotha. There, guards nailed Jesus hands and feet to the cross."

This is a new game, I thought to myself, so I stretched out my arms and obliged. Then Orange used toy hammer and nailed me to cross. I played along in the drama and yelled out in pain, "Urrrgghh!! Urrrgghh!!"

"No, mama, it's not painful", said Orange. She went on hammering.

"Yes, it is. It was very painful for Jesus when the soldiers hammered nails into his hands.", I replied. "Urrrggggh!!", I went on.

"No, mama, I'll be gentle. Look, I'm gentle." she said, "It's not painful."

I tried explaining to O that it is painful but she kept protesting. Finally, I let it be. This is where her understanding is at this point of time.

This incident has stuck in my head for a while. It had me thinking about my own understanding of all that Christ had gone through for my own sin. How limited it must be, just like how limited O's was.

I'll never know how much it cost
to see my sin upon that cross...
so here I am to worship
so here I am to bow down
here I am to say that you are God

That's the least I can do. He is too good to me.

Baking day

"Mama, can be bake please?"

A typical question when Apple is taking a nap and when I'm not out at work. Good thing I have some baking ingredients stocked up in my cupboards. I obliged that one time when she asked me and we made some muffins.

She asked me again the next time I was home. Since she has been learning about days and months of the week, I decided to ride on that. I wrote "Baking day" on one Saturday in the calendar which she uses to mark off the days. It worked. I escaped a few days of nagging from her. Whew!

This is the product of last Saturday's baking, which we shared with her sunday school friends.

Just today, she told her papa: Saturday is baking day... Hmmm... I'm not sure using the calendar what that great an idea after all.... ;)

Bedtime stories

Apple doesn't like to sleep alone and she makes sure that we take care of her bedfellows. Everyone must be kept warm...

Orange doesn't like all these unnecessary "interference" on her bed. She likes to keep it neat and simple. This is what her bed looks like before she comes to our room to say "good morning".

She's been making her bed everyday the last few weeks without us asking her to. We're amazed and so proud of her.

New Medium for Creative Expression

A few days ago, I got a little annoyed by Jambu who commented that the mirrors on the wardrobe was very dirty and should be cleaned because they'd just been cleaned a day ago.

I went to check the mirrors and true enough, they were yucky. :( Not long later, I found out how they became this way...

Apple's been having a runny nose. She has also learnt to blow her nose. Here's how she does her art:
1. Blow nose
2. Rub face/nose against the mirror
3. Use fingers to create her picasso masterpiece.

Viola!!

How about that?

True blue mickey fans

"Mickey! Mickey!" shouted Orange and Apple, jumping up and down, and hands held up to their cheeks in adoration. It's like they've met their long lost loved one. We were amazed to see the reactions of our two and four year olds. They were exhibiting traits of teeny bopper star fans! And at so young an age. What would it look like when they reach their teen years! Horrors!

That was one of the most interesting discoveries we found about our girls while the Fruit family was away in USA for a 5 week trip in Oct.

This photo was taken after a 1.5 hour queue (done unwittingly). It was a memorable trip alright.

A birthday cake only a 4 year old would appreciate

Today we celebrate Orange's 4th birthday. Having been inspired by Pilgrim Parent's entry on homemake cakes in which the kids can participate in decorating, I'm re-embarked on my journey of cake-baking. The last time I baked a cake was almost five years ago.

18 Aug (Sat) - Practice run on baking basic choc cake.

Last minute change of recipe. No baking power. Decided to use self-raising floor. Halved the recommended sugar.

RESULT: Cake rose & cracked. Seems way too high. Taste: None (almost)

22 Aug (Tue)

10am - baked two chocolate cakes.

Followed recipe to the T (as far as possible)

RESULT: not that nice looking but taste of choc cake is discernable (whew!)

3pm - Icing Preparation

Step 1 - Dark Choc + Butter over boiling water (looking good)

Step 2 - added icing sugar (with O's help)

RESULT: bottom layer of clumped up choc mass + top layer of oil = disaster!!!

5.30pm - Icing Attempt 2

Did basic white icing (cannot go wrong type, I thought) + Cocoa

RESULT: Looks decent at first.... but final result: please see picture. Notice the gaps at the side.

6.30pm

Orange & Jambu were invited to decorate the cake.

Jambu's response:

Darling, it was a great effort. (with the most encouraging tone he could muster)

As Orange decorated the cake, she said:

So pretty! I love it! Thank you, mama.

She was so happy that she grinned almost the entire time we decorated the cake together.

FINAL RESULT:

A happy 4 year old, absolutely thrilled by her birthday cake.

....... nevermind the adults

You made my day, Orange. :0)

Orange and Opera

It all started with Andrea Bocelli appearing on Sesame Street singing "Time to say Good Night" to Elmo.

A few weeks later, at dinner, the girls were restless and a tad uncooperative. I decided to distract them with my opera voice which I used to imitate Pavorotti when I was much younger for sheer fun. Interestingly, it got their attention. I would like to say that it was due to my superb singing voice but it is not to be. Maybe it was the words.

Time to say good nite,
my Orange (or Apple)
Time to sleep,
It's time to go to bed
Time to go to sleep

The girls liked it so much that O would request me to sing it during meals. I can even use it as a bargain chip. "Eat your vegetables first then mama will sing opera". Sometimes the request would be "Mama sing Auntie Opera" or "Mama sing Uncle Opera", depending on whether they want to hear Bocelli or Sarah Brightman. But Auntie Opera's more hiliarious because there was no way mama could hit those high notes.

On National Day, it suddenly dawn on me that we have a VCD on Bocelli's "Night in Tuscany". For the last few days, we been watching and listening to Andrea Bocelli's Con te partiro. Orange even calls him "Uncle Bocelli".