Help me to get closer to God, by myself

CGS is a program where it applies Montessori principles to the religious formation of children. The course that I attended recently (level 1) was for children ages 3-6 years old. These are the group of children in the formation years. Absorbent mind and sensitive periods are being acknowledged, as those are the inner mechanisms that aid a child's development during these period.

Again, the vital 3 principles of Montessori:

1. Prepared Environment (which in this case is called the Atrium - a place of prayer, meditation, quiet and peaceful)
2. Child-directed activity (child choose their own work)
3. Adult as servant & observer (catechists are not teachers, they introduce work to the child and during this sensitive period, child will get closer to God by himself)

This course is more than meets the eye... As much as I wanted to introduce to my darlings at home, I have to admit that I too was touched and overwhelmed with the whole learning experience. It made me realised that how small and ignorant I am being one of His creations!

So many things to learn and to discover, I realised that this is the journey that both my children and I, towards getting closer to Him.

I have completed the first 50 hours of the CGS Level 1. I hope I am able to return for my Part 2, that is the next 50 hours. At the same time, I want to make my own materials.... just need time for it! Not sure if I can!

This is just the begining.. Will share more!

Trip to Singapore

hmmm... after planning for almost a year, finally I am going to Singapore to attend the CGS course. Didnt realise I have to leave so soon.. Part of me are in tears, worrying, crying and missing lil C (already!!) and part of me told myself that I am doing for all of us here!

This morning (sat), I left lil C with his grandparents, hadda do some last minute errands for this 10 days trip (as usual). Just before I left home around 8am, lil C woke up and cried, looking for me. I went to pick him up and he refused to let me go... I just hadda leave, and Papa who hasnt gone to worked yet calmed him.

I left.. the next thing I knew was that he did the same thing to papa.. Poor grandparents hadda lure him to the golfclub so that he would let Papa go to work.

When I came back around noon, SIL was at PIL's house. So lil C was happy, playing with Isaac. He told me that tomoro, Mama will go to 'work'. I nodded and he said okay, gave me the 'permission' to leave tomorrow.

When I gave him his night bathe and changed to his PJs, he saw our family photo taken at McDonalds when he was only about 4 months old, celebrating cuz Ian's 2nd birthday. He said, "McDonalds! Look, there's PaPa, MaMa & Christian"... then, out of the sudden, he bursted in tears,"Why PaPa & MaMa have to go work???? Me alone!!!" and he repeated the sentences.

That was the saddest moment I had ever felt.. I was almost in tears too..
I was speechless... Am I selfish? WHy did I decide to leave him? But its only for 10 days!!!! Not that I had never leave him before..!! Sigh!!!! But this time is totally different.. He understands more now... sigh!!! SIGH!!!! Mixed feelings again..

He will be okay! He will be fine... *sniff*

Dear God, please protect my precious (two of them) when I am not around.. and please let me be home safe & sound so I can continue taking care of them. Thank you!

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

"If we want to help the child draw nearer to God, we should with patience and courage seek to go always closer to the vital nucleus of things. This requires study and prayer. The child will be our teacher if we know how to observe."
--Sofia Cavalletti

Beautifully said! I remembered once I read Zig's book on his book Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World , he made a remark saying that if your child is sick, and refused to see a doctor.. what would u do? It is the same thing when your child refuse to go to church, he also need spiritual health... Maybe not everyone understood what I meant here.. but it's okay.. Not for everyone to understand.

Anyways, back to the title above, I will be attending a course on the CGS in the early week of December. This course is held in Singapore, and the trainers are from the CGS Australia. I am reluctant to bring lil C esp when I am unable to take care of him anyway and hubby cant make it becoz he will have a bz working week for the Asian Tour Q-School as it will be held in Sabah. So, kind MIL agreed to take care of him for the next 10 days. I dont know how will it be, just keep my fingers' cross that he will not give much trouble to my PIL...

To those who are interested in CGS, you can browse online to see what they offer. It is also Montessori-related, for the mind and spirit of young children. What I liked about this program is that instead of just reading/colouring about the parables in the bible, it introduce miniature of real things and allows the small hand to work on it, a place to learn and enjoy God's presence.

To any mamas around KK interested with this program, I would be happy to share it with you when I come back later. Do drop a line.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Christian formation process for children aged 3 to 12 years, in which they experience and form an authentic, faithful relationship with God.

The Catechesis is grounded in scriptural and liturgical study framed by Maria Montessori's principles of education. This allows children to hear the Gospel through the use of sensorial rich materials. The children are free to work with these materials that represent essential proclamations of the Christian message.

The adult's task is to prepare the sacred space for the children, called 'the atrium', so that they can respond to this holy relationship, first proclaimed to them through Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

The atrium is a place of community and worship rather than a classroom for academic study. It is a place to be with and enjoy God, listen to the Word, and to pray. It is designed to reflect the beauty of creation and God's abiding love.

Lil Musician

While we were in Singapore, we stumble upon this group of teenagers playing percussions.
Enjoy the movie shots.



And here's my lil imitator!

A happy child

“main problem faced by adults is their failure to realized the fact that a child possess an active psychic life even when he cannot manifest it, and that the child must secretly perfect this inner life over a long period of time”.
M. Montessori, The Secrets of Childhood

These are photoshots of lil C playing water infront of the "Durian" Exibition Hall in Singapore. Some people may see it as a naughty child, some thinks he is playful, some thinks his parents were mad to allow a kid to play in a dangerous area.. To me, he is in his learning stage and to experience the tactile senses of water is sensational.

Maria M always stressed that adults intervention in a child's activity arrest the poor kid's development.. and here the photo paints a thousand words.



This is my innocent guy.

You'd notice, lil C was splashing the water.. Mama wasnt around. He enjoyed it so much that it shows his facial expression in those pictures. Notice the change of his look, his eyes were looking to his side... Aha! That's when the giant came back and gave that sharp, angry look! Mama was so furious that he wet his clothes and Mama (and not lil C's partner in crime ~ Papa) hafta to change him to a dry clothes. Look at the poor guy's reaction when his mama was 5 feet away from him. He immediately stopped playing and gave her the frighten look.. Muahaha!! Kasian juga him..

Singapore - Merlion Waterfront

Actually, I cant remember what do you call this area.. Anyone knows?? Its around the Raffles Hotel? hmm..


Anyways, its where the infamous Merlion Statue is located (in fact there are two of them..)


"Look" "yook" <-- lil echo (my lil lefthanded baby) he just loves to imitate whatever I do!
Shot with PohPoh

Singapore - Other outings

Here are more (selected) pix along Orchard Road.

Need to reload our EZ-link card. It is so easy to travel around using this prepaid card coz you dont hafta worry about paying the buses/MRTs with loose change. Too bad, Sabah has not (and no way to compare) adapted to this efficent, convenient transportation system.

Lil C learning how to buy his own tickets... from Yishun - Orchard Rd.


Chinese Food, the Chinese way ~ Chopstick Skills


Hey you... Yes You Sir... I know u from somewhere..


Concentrating..

At Toy's R US


Found his favourite things!



Another fav.. "Lemme have a shot"


"Okay, I am buying this, Mama"

At the Airport - Going Home

Having his sausage as his snack!

Singapore - Zoo

Not to be missed! When you visit Singapore, do not forget to visit the Zoo and the infamous Night Safari.

Hey, promoting pulak! ANyways, here are pix.. Click on the photos for larger image.
One thing I love about Singapore Zoo because imagine such a hot day to walk around the zoo, there are sheds/rooms with airconditioned/fan where you can cool yourself befor continuing the walk.. It is also very pleasant because of the tall trees give shed to pedestrians. ;)


Are you looking at me??


These are cool shots, as if the orang utans were waiting to pose for the camera. It's feeding time for them.


You cant get lost!



Grandpa-grandson bonding! During our walks in the zoo, lil C loved to be accompanied by his jiaKung (maternal grandpa) and only listened to him. So my dad was his baby sitter for that trip.. hehehe...


"Hey Mama, Bongos!"


"Let's Chill out before the next agenda"
The Night Safari



The ambience as if you were one of the Survivor participants plus the luxurious restaurants and performance. Our Night Safari poses outside..


Ok, we didnt go to the night safari this time around (The entrance is so costly, its more than S$25, I think. Imagine converting from RM$, you have to times 2.3). We persuaded my parents to go becoz they havent experience the animals' nightlife and in Singapore Night Safari, I was told that this is the first concept in the world (forgive me if I get the facts wrong).

We thought we would be bored to death while waiting for them.. .. suprisingly (thankfully), there were quite a bundle of entertaiments for us outside of entrance. The best one that lil C enjoyed so much was the ethic dance. My comments for that performance were very similiar to the muruts' dance. The attire, the blowpipe, very similar... except for the fireblowing time, so 'fired-up'. we watched it like 3 times, imagine how long we waited for my parents to end their tour- 3 hours I think.

Singapore - Sentosa Island

Another old posts.
We went to Singapore 2nd week of Dec 2006. Stayed at BIL's place at Yishun.

These are few pix taken at Sentosa Island. Have not been here since 1989..


"Have we been here?"


"Lemme see.. I dont think we are lost"


..o0O(ZZZZzzzzzzz.. wake me up when you know where to go next..)


Comfy, watching some bird performance.



People in Red

There are more pix in Hubby's notebook.. but so lazy to upload those humongous size pix.. yawn!

Lil Rascals

Ok, here's another delayed postings... Photos were taken a day after we arrived from Singapore, that's a week before last Christmas. As lil C has not seen his cousin Isaac for a week, that day was very good for the twos. With lotsa brotherly lurve, they were catching up with each other's tales.


Showing off with his new saxophone! Got this cute lil thing from Singapore, which is one of lil C's fav musical instruments.


Dancing the hoo-haa style! hahaha.. whatever that is.. Look like lil sumo wrestlers!


This is how lil C show his 'running' sign.. 'Nanning' he'll say.


"whisper..whisper..whisper" as they went along with their tails.. I mean tales..