Happy Chinese New Year to one & all. Be highly favored, greatly blessed and deeply loved this 2012- a year of unceasing fruitfulness.

Being the mum of a Tweenager has been interesting. My dad, who retired early to help me with my firstborn 10 years ago, and I were having a bite and a c hat the other day.

“He is a lot like you,” Dad said when I brought up how korkor bear had been sleeping late because he had been sneakily reading at night.

I smiled. I knew of course how similar we are. My boy and I are very alike and not jus looks-wise. I have always told him to not even try to “be funny” with me because I could pre-empt his moves way ahead of time. Of course I could. I have tried the same bag of tricks before on my folks. How I must have exasperated and tried my parents! I think my mum secretly finds it amusing to watch me have to deal with the same challenges now.

And my cousin was talking to me about how many gifted kids approach puberty faster mentally and emotionally hath heir peers. I mean to bring up this nugget of info not in some elitist manner, but just as a food for thought. Guess they are wired differently upstairs. I also hit my puberty early on in the same manner and being a girl, I might have been even more advanced in my case of EMO-ness.

Tweenage is the new teenage, but it hits 4-5 years earlier. It is different handling a Tweenager than a teenager as they are up to speed in one area and lagging still in another. You cannot use the same speech for a teenager on a tweenager.
You cannot met out the same disciplinary measures but you can work on the basis of the same principles.

It is tricky, but nothing that the holy spirit is not already equipped to handle Himself, plus the holy spirit teaches us ALL things. :) So if you are trusting on Him to guide, remember to hear His prodding and not your own emotional one (yes, emo kids can lead to parents feeling emo too- out of sheer frustration). We often say things we regret when we are angry or upset or both!

I am still feeling my way through this new stage. Holding the LORD’s hand and my hubby’s hand as we walk together in this parenting journey. I will have this no other way than us taking step after step in Christ.

What a reminder. Don’t pig out on the wrong things this season. ;)

Watchman Nee puts it across so well. We are because of Christ’s finished work, not because of what we try to do to become like Him.

We have arrived in Beijing. -6deg C. Felt ok though. :) Noah was super bundled up. ;)

First day of school and first day of a new chapter as he joins the GEP @ACPS. :)

Cheeky Bunny Bear @10mo

Kae @ 9y 8m

Kae, all grown up in his new school’s PE singlet. Our very beloved son whom we are most proud of. :)

I love watching Kae and Noah interact with each other. There is such a wonderful bond between the brothers who adore each other. Kae is a fantastic elder brother and Noah looks up to him adoringly. When Noah was able to smile on his own accord and not because of the physical instinct that babies have, his sweetest smiles were all reserved for Kae. You would think having to wake up at 6am would cause the baby to be cranky BUT he was just delighted to see his brother and excited to head down to wait with him for the bus. :) It is one of my greatest hopes that the boys will always remain close. :)