I've been trying to put off baking today as mummy wasn't in the mood. Wanted to keep the kitchen clean and nice too. It didn't work. My son kept saying he wanted to bake something, just anything that uses the oven. I finally gave in late afternoon. Just like what I feared . Oooh what a mess; sugar on the floor, flour and cocoa in the butter mix, spilt chocolate flavouring etc etc etc. I kept going doooon't, stooooop, aaaahhhh, noooooo for almost one hour. My love and passion for baking just vanished into thin air. My heart whispered "say something nice, say something encouraging, tell him he's doing great for a first timer.
But I couldn't! Not a single word- I just shooeed those thoughts away. I couldn't bear to see my son making mistakes. Hey, do it properly, do it like this, look here, are you listening? Oh just let me. Let me, I wanted to scream at him.
Ooh, patience patience where are you?
Unlearn , woman, unlearn! Making mistakes is OOOKKK.
You know what, my son never gave up trying to get me to let him do it . How difficult it was letting him take over. I told myself that it's ok if the cake doesn't turn out the way I want it to. It's his first time anyway! He's only eight.
The cake was put in the oven. 25 minutes later he wanted to test out if it had cooked and I shouted Nooooo! Stop it! Don't open that oven door.! It's not cooked yet-said Miss Know-All. who didn't even bother to look into the oven.
10 minutes later to my utter dismay the whole cake cracked and was overcooked. The bottom turned black. My son knew it was me, the wicked mummy. Dissapointment was written all over his face. I knew how much he was looking forward to frost the cake with his favourite melted chocolate.
My pride- the downfall of the poor child's cake.
Sigh, another humbling experience . ( of course I gave him my thousand apologies and promised him we're gonna nail it the next time)
Get the camera rolling, here we come.....!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Day 1-The Journey Begins
It's finally here, my first day homeschooling my eldest. I learnt today, that I don't really know my son. I learnt today that he is a totally different person from whom I thought he was. I learnt today that I have to unlearn so many things. I learnt today that there are so many things I need to learn from him.
Day one started with nothing great. Just another day. Then he asked me to go swimming again with him because he wanted me to practice what he had taught me yesterday. He is not the best swimmer in his team. He has never won anything in the top three. But he won my heart when he displayed his passion and patience in teaching me something over and over again - skills I could not grasps. He put in so much effort coming up with new ideas in making things simpler so this mom of his could manage breathing, kicking and hand movements. I was amazed to see the confidence in him as he continued coaching me for an hour. Not to mention the praises he kept pouring out as he watched me struggle to keep my head up above the water and cordinating my legs and hands all at the same time. He made me feel good and yet I have to admit I was very embarrased. Looking back I felt embarrased because I never had much patience when teaching him all these years . I am embarrased that I had no passion in teaching him all these years. I am embarrased because I had no words of praise when teaching him all these years.
Today, our strained relationship took a different turn. It was as if my blinded eyes were opened. Opened to see the real child in him. Opened to see what's in his heart. Opened to see things through his eyes.
When the lesson ended he told me " Mummy, you just get this and this right and you'll be able to beat daddy at swimming! I'm going to teach you all the other strokes too. Wow, he had so much confidence in me. Daddy used to be a life guard and he tells me that I could actually beat him at this.
Boy, what great lessons I learnt today from an eight year old!!
Swimming lessons anyone?
Day one started with nothing great. Just another day. Then he asked me to go swimming again with him because he wanted me to practice what he had taught me yesterday. He is not the best swimmer in his team. He has never won anything in the top three. But he won my heart when he displayed his passion and patience in teaching me something over and over again - skills I could not grasps. He put in so much effort coming up with new ideas in making things simpler so this mom of his could manage breathing, kicking and hand movements. I was amazed to see the confidence in him as he continued coaching me for an hour. Not to mention the praises he kept pouring out as he watched me struggle to keep my head up above the water and cordinating my legs and hands all at the same time. He made me feel good and yet I have to admit I was very embarrased. Looking back I felt embarrased because I never had much patience when teaching him all these years . I am embarrased that I had no passion in teaching him all these years. I am embarrased because I had no words of praise when teaching him all these years.
Today, our strained relationship took a different turn. It was as if my blinded eyes were opened. Opened to see the real child in him. Opened to see what's in his heart. Opened to see things through his eyes.
When the lesson ended he told me " Mummy, you just get this and this right and you'll be able to beat daddy at swimming! I'm going to teach you all the other strokes too. Wow, he had so much confidence in me. Daddy used to be a life guard and he tells me that I could actually beat him at this.
Boy, what great lessons I learnt today from an eight year old!!
Swimming lessons anyone?
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