Hi there, I have moved to a new address. Please click on norlin.my to read my future post. My main focus will be on my children’s activities. Thank you very much for your interest.
Norlin
New choices, amazing discoveries & celebration of friendships
December 25, 2010When I began 2010, I was very sure I’d be blogging more than I did the year before. However as the year progressed, I started to write lesser and lesser.
The irony was, in the same year, I found myself making decisions which I never thought I would. Like homeschooling.
Our decision to homeschool has changed the family's dynamics to a whole new level
Since I have been absent from my own blog for the most part of the year, I decided to come up with the highlights of our activities.
In other words this is an attempt for me to make up for all the months I didn’t update asknorlin.
As I chose the photos, I came to realise what a huge amount of time we’d spent exploring the outdoors . Probably the most we’ve done by far!
I do wish however that I’ve taken more pictures during some of our trips. Now, if only I had remembered the camera!
Apparently the Kuala Lumpur Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) is one of the two places in the world which offers this view.
This year, I’m so happy to say that my children and I made a lot of new friends. We also hooked up with some amazing home/un-schoolers.
On top of it all, we also managed to catch up with some friends whom we haven’t seen in years!
Aditya & Jasmine first saw each other when they were just babies.
The following four posts are on our 2010 highlights.
Jan-March, 2010
December 25, 2010Aditya’s birthday, fell in January. We celebrated him turning 4 at our home where he got to play with friends at our newly built treehouse!
Aditya's surprised birthday cake, the Action Chugger
In February, we bought a rabbit from a pet shop. Ishra named her Baby Jane. She died two weeks later. Ishra cried for days.
Check out the eyes. A riend who saw her photo commented, "she's got a serious Lady Gaga going on!"
Ishra’s birthday fell late February and she chose to celebrate it with her friends from Sarina’s Rhythmic Gymnastics Club (SRGC), which is the rhythmic gymnastics club she goes to.
In March, we enrolled Ishra into an inline skating class, as her birthday gift.
Ishra took up skating & got really great at it!
Aditya didn’t want to miss out yet was too young for the class. So, he settled for a scooter instead.
One morning, I spotted a baby bird lying on our mailbox.
A few days later while kicking soccer ball with the kids I discovered a bird’s nest up on our treehouse. We put the baby bird we found back into the nest with its other sibling.
The next week, the birds left the nest. We actually witnessed the baby birds learn to fly!
Reunited... baby birds in the nest, up on our treehouse
April-June, 2010
December 25, 2010We made a visit to the butterfly park in April. When we got home, the kids decided to make their own wings.
For that whole week, our activities were centered around butterfly.
Ishra & Aditya making butterfly and dragonfly wings!
After a one-month-break from school routine, in May, we decided to pick up on Maths.
Ishra doing Math exercise using some shells she picked up from the beach
In the same month,I accompanied Ishra to the Selangor Amateur Gymnastics Association (SAGA) competition.
Ishra who’s passionate about rhythmic gymnastics wanted to be there for her friends and experience the vibes.
Sarina's Rhythmic Gymnastics Club members are always there for each other!
During June school holiday, Ishra & Aditya joined other friends in cupcake baking & decorating class at Mamamin, Damansara Mutiara.
Yummy cupkaces!
Aditya's design
July-Sep, 2010
December 25, 2010I started noticing how much Aditya enjoyed drawing, in July. He also enjoyed creating things from recyclable items.
Aditya's drawing of a boy
This one tells a story
We spent a large part of August doing arts. The kids’ favorite show is BBC’s Mr Marker. Whenever they see something right up their alley, they’d insist on doing it at home.
Corn flour was the main ingredient used to produce this piece of art
We went to Bali for a holiday in September, two days after the Hari Raya celebration.
Waka Gangga, Tabanan was a prefect getaway for us
In Ubud, Ishra took up the Balinese Welcome Dance. She had been planning for this for some time.
Ishra's teacher, Made is a dancer herself.
Ishra in Balinese traditional dance costume. Picture taken by Ivy Soon
Ishra ended her class with a dance performance with two other girls around her age.
Oct-Dec, 2010
December 23, 2010We took a trip to Malacca in October with our friends from Sydney, Australia. The last time we saw them was more than 3 years ago.
We spent two nights there and did the touristy things.
Malacca River Cruise
Ishra, Aditya & Jasmine at their tea party at home
In November, Ishra took part in Sarina’s Rhythmic Gymnastic Club 3rd classification competition. She had been looking forward for the event which was to be her first club competition.
Ishra performing ball routine in the little gymnast (pre-competitive) category.
Ishra and her medals
We took a trip to the MAHA expo the next day. The kids had huge fun looking at the farm animals and the exhibitions.
Kids at MAHA in Serdang, Selangor
In December, we took our friends to the Elephant Sanctuary in Kuala Gandah, just before they left for Sydney, Australia. But we missed the elephants bath time. This was the third time we missed the bath time!
A visit to the elephant santuary
Ishra also helped raised funds for LASsie (Langkawi Animals Shelter) in the same month. She is very passionate about music and animals.
Ishra basking at Arts for Grabs.
Christmas train display
December 22, 2010The Christmas train display at PJ Hilton has got to be our top most favourite December holiday activity! It was missing last year after several consecutive years.
The train display will be on til January 10, next year.
Pottery at home
December 21, 2010Ishra spotted a junior pottery set during one of our visits to ‘Toys R Us’ and insisted that she should have it. It’s really good fun especially for kids (as well as adults like me) who are new at this.
The only downside is that the potter wheel which runs on battery and made from plastic material, doesn’t have a speed controller. So there’s only one speed, being quite fast, to work with! But the kids never did complain.
Ishra and Aditya had so much fun doing pottery that we had to get more clay within a couple of days.
Oat flake & Cranberry Cookies
December 20, 2010Oat flake & cranberry cookies are Ishra’s favourite. We used to buy them from Crabtree & evelyn which cost RM35 per can. And probably lasted just a day.
So after several trips to Crabtree & Evelyn, it finally struck me that, I can make my own! So Ishra and me surfed the net for the recipe. I got her to come up with the shopping list before we went shopping for the ingredients.
We been using this recipe since. It’s really yummy! In fact I think it’s better that the ones we got from Crabtree & Evelyn.
- Ishra mixing the ingredients
Yummy!
Baked cookies
asknorlin 