We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Whenever I have to wait for DH, I end up in a bookshop and spend my time there browsing through books with the kids.
I read this book to Ean on one such occasion.
Many months later, Ean started chanting " ...we can't go over it, we can't go under it, we've got to go through it.."
I couldn't believe my ears, I read that book perhaps 3x on that one day, ages ago and he could recite the catchy rhyme. Word for word.
I had to get the book for myself.
The very next day, one member of the homeschooling network posted the book up for sale.
What luck!
The book is mine :)
I met up with the wonderful mommy during the Gardenia visit and she refused to accept payment. Oh what generosity!
Thank you, thank you **hugs**

Homebirth...getting ready with books

This book came highly recommended.

The only CD I own that prohibits listening in moving vehicles.

Lots of easy to follow instructions and comparison between homebirthing and hospital births.

I especially liked the chapter on the history of obstetrics. It was a very eye-opening read.

For all my babies, I had just followed my obgyn's advice from the first visit to delivery. I was the perfect, compliant, never questioning patient.

"As long as baby is healthy" was my philosophy back then, it didn't matter how I was manhandled, humiliated, cut and sewn up.

With my 5th baby, it has finally dawned on me that I have been a dimwit.

Probably baby No5 triggered some grey cells. Baby No5 is one very strong willed baby. No way will baby No5 be induced into the world without permission.

I have been very fortunate to have supportive homebirth mothers who had willingly shared their inspiring birth stories. I thank them for leading me to homebirthing.

Another highly recommended book.

A homeschooling mother from Holland told me that this book is a 'must read'. She went on to say that all mothers in Holland give birth at home in the presence of a midwife. Only in very rare cases are births done in the hospital. She was surprised that the trend in Malaysia was in reverse.

Vaginal Powers! I am discovering inner secrets.
DH is assigned birth companion and has the two books shoved under his nose at certain chapters that I felt required his attention.
He flipped through Ina May's wincing and grimacing at every turn of the page.
DH took some time accepting the fact that he will be the one receiving the baby. Talking to a homebirth father helped to allay some of his fears. He is still skeptical but has come to accept that his wife is adamant.

Next purchase, the birth ball, a 65cm gym ball and a pool.

A Piece of String - one great invention

Just after reading this book all about strings, we stepped out just in time to see a string in action

A bucket of sand being lowered down to the ground floor by a piece of string

Going closer for a better look

From electricity to DNA modification 21Feb2011

This was Fai's choice for a bedtime story. We never got to finish the book. On the 3rd page, we came to a picture of a foot with lots of circles depicting atoms.

Here's how our conversation went:

Me: Do you know that we are all made up of the same atoms? We are all just carbon, nitrogen hydrogen and oxygen.

Fai looks at me with interest.

Me: And what makes us different is our DNA which carries all the information that makes you, you. You can take your DNA and implant it into another human egg to make another 'Fai" - your clone

Fai: (Rubbing his hands with glee) Really??!!

Me: Well, yes. But it is unethical. And the scientists are not allowed to do so. But they have cloned a sheep.

I went on to explain how DNA is extracted and injected into the animals egg and implanted into the womb. It was 12 midnight. So I just gave a rather scanty overall view of how it was done.

Me: What if we all have clones that we can make use of if we need a heart or a leg or a lung transplant?

JY (who was listening in): Won't the clone be human too? Won't they have feelings? Where are we going to keep them?

Me: I guess that's why cloning of humans is unethical. But it is the norm now to clone plants. Like Kaufu's banana farm is planted with banana clones. Tissue culture they call it.

All the banana plants will be the same height, fruit the same time and ripen at the same time.

Fai was wide-eyed now. And was visibly absorbing all these bits of information.

Me: Scientists have also changed the DNA in plants and created genetically modified plants.

The kids were not interested in GMO food but in GM animals.

Fai(while stomping his feet and rubbing his hands with excitement): So that means I can make a lion with wings!!?

Fai's favourite movie is X-Men and he watches lots of animated X-Men. So mutation is a familiar subject to him.

Me: Yes

JY (out of the blue): What about plastic surgery? How is that done?

Me: Er....that involves a lot of surgery - cutting and prodding and stitching. And injecting botox to reduce wrinkles and have lips like Angelina Jolie( pursing my lips)

JY and Fai (bursting with laughter): Buttocks????

Me: Botox!!!

JY: Hahahha..... Buttocks on the lips.......

This discussion was held at nearly 1am and totally unplanned. My eyes were half-closed, thus, some information might be inaccurate.

From this, I now know where to go; in terms of science education for my kids. Skip everything and go straight into biotechnology. This is going to be exciting.

Books on Unschooling 11th Jan2011

I raided WL's library for these gems.
Priceless knowledge and insights into unschooling are within these books.
So if you are keen on knowing more about homeschooling or why I unschool, do read these books.
I have just started on 'Dumbing us Down' and the way John Taylor Gatto describes the end products of the school system was a good repesentation of myself...it was eerie...I am a perfect example of what the school system churns out....
I....

• wait for instructions
• am not curious; have a short attention span
• forget easily

And a host of other traits that I am slowly trying to get rid off.

And his idea of what a school should be with plenty of free unstructured time, self-directed learning, community service and thousands of apprenticeship to choose from seems pretty ideal to me.

Nature Guide Books

That orange flower that Ean was examining on my recent trip to Gentings was from a AfricanTulip tree or Fountain tree or better known as Pancut-pancut in Malaysia. The guide books on Malaysian plants that I wanted was on my bookshelf all along. What a far-sighted husband I have.
He knew these books would come in useful one of these days and purchased them at a recent booksale for RM8 each.


These 2 along with a few other nature guide books are now in my car with my trusty road map. Now whenever I need further information, I just have to dig into my boot.

We will have a water fight the next time we come across this tree. Seems that water squirts out from unopened buds when squeezed.

Ean exploring the base of a tree.