Chicken Curry

Ok, I think this deserves repeating - Prima Taste rocks.

We had chicken curry for lunch this afternoon; we had some lunch guests over and wanted to show off some Singaporean food. The Prima Taste Singapore Curry mix was fantastic. K and I had the leftovers with prata this evening for dinner. It was good.

J loved having people over. When we first told him yesterday that he'd have some friends to play with at home today, he was quite hesitant. Mainly he was worried that they would mess up his trains and train tracks. But once our guests arrived, he was Mr Sociable, bringing them to his playroom, bringing out a whole pile of books for a seventh-month-old baby to look at so that she wouldn't get bored, and generally chattering away at the top of his lungs. When they finally left, he was so crestfallen. Literally, his shoulders drooped down, he hung his head and he just had such a sad look on his face.

E had a harder time with our guests in the house. She wouldn't share! (As one of our guests said, she was being completely age-appropriate.) Any time M, who's two, picked up something, whether it was a book or toy, E would rush over, and try to snatch it away, and if she didn't manage to, she'd scream and cry. She'd make such a racket that M would eventually just give up and hand whatever she had back to E. I was mortified.

Explosion

While tumbling around in bed a few nights ago, just before bedtime, E managed to somehow bump J's nose hard enough that he had a nose-bleed. It hurt!

The poor boy, for I'm not sure what reason, has got it into his head that this could cause his nose to explode. He kept asking, "It's going to explode, Mum? Will it explode?"

Then today when he bumped his knee running around, he asked K again most plaintively, "It will explode, Dad?"

Little Photographer Boy

All these were taken by J.

Christmas, At Last

From the moment J woke up this morning, he gave us no peace until he was allowed to open his presents. The only thing we managed to do first was brush their teeth!

We brought J out to test his new digital camera. It's made specially for kids, so it's ok if they drop it. He loves it. Not unexpectedly, E wants the camera for herself. When she was playing with it later, and I referred to it as 'Kor-kor's camera', she corrected me by saying, "Me, me." She plonks it on her face, and keeps repeating, "Chee. Chee."

E's modelling her new hair-clip, a stocking stuffer.

Another of E's stocking stuffers was these bath crayons. J wanted so much to try them out that he started pestering for his bath almost immediately after breakfast - when he usually does all he can to try to get out of bath-time! They had fun with the crayons, with J saying, "Welcome to our art museum!" to me.

The Lost Shepherd

We attended the family Christmas Eve service at church this evening, during which J and E got to participate in a completely unrehearsed, spontaneous Navitity skit. The pastor just called all the kids to run up to the front of the stage, and for a few minutes, chaos ruled as everyone figured out what they were going to be, and put on a few simple props. Then they were ready to go! The pastor would read out what was happening, while directing the kids to move around the stage or repeat lines after him.

E was designated to be part of the host of angels and was given a little halo to wear around her head, but she would have none of that, and she pretty much ended up wandering up and down the stage as she felt like it. J was a shepherd and had a strip of cloth tied around his forehead so that he would look the part. Vaguely, at least.

It was incredibly funny. And fun to watch. At one point, the cloth around J's forehead drooped down to cover his eyes, and he piped up, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Uh-oh! I can't see!" To which the pastor quipped, "We have a lost shepherd here." One little boy who was supposed to be a sheep started waving and calling out to his mom in the middle of the skit. And another little boy who was a wise man bearing a gift for baby Jesus decided that he didn't want to part with his gift. Another wise man had to yank it out of his hands.

So much fun.

Away In A Manger - Part II

Away In A Manger

J and E's Christmas performance at church yesterday

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Today we light the Fourth Candle of Advent, the Candle Peace. We remember the prophets who spoke of the coming of Christ, of how a Saviour would be born, a king in the line of King David. He would rule not with might and power, but with grace and humility. He would proclaim truth and justice. As we light this candle, we celebrate the peace we find in Jesus Christ.

When Jesus came, he taught people the importance of being peace-makers. He said that those who make peace shall be called the children of God. We light the Candle of Peace to remind us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace and that through Him, peace that surpasses human understanding is found.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, Light of the World, the prophets said You would bring peace and save Your people from trouble. Give peace in our hearts this Christmas and always. We ask that as we wait for You to come again, that You would remain present with us. Help us today, and everyday, to worship You, to hear Your Word, and to do Your will by sharing Your peace with each other. We ask it in the name of the one who is the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, Amen.

J's Christmas Party At School

J's class had a Christmas potluck at school this morning. We were a little late and another mom told me that J had gotten a bit worried that we weren't there, and had asked, "My mommy's not coming?"

Anyway, he had a GREAT time. He loves socialising and he LOVES parties. E was quick to join him too. She went over next to him, and had her own plate of food (when she was not stealing food from J's plate).

Alf

Right next to the church that we attend here is a Museum of Paleontology. It's the only museum located on the grounds of a high school in the country.

It's not a very big museum; nonetheless, it was enough to fascinate J. E had fun checking out the dig pit.