The Game Of 5 Stones

I bought a pack of "5 stones" for Gracie recently, from the museum. 5 stones is a game played with little bean bags. It was popular with girls when I was young. It certainly bring back memories as I also like playing 5 stones.

It is a good game for practising eye-hand coordination. It is played with 5 bean bags that can all fit into the palm of a child.

Here are the rules for the game of 5 stones.

Decide who get to start first. The player's turn ends when a mistake is made. To be continued from the point where the mistake was made when the other player makes a mistake.

A player would go through a cycle of tossing and catching the bags or "stones". Completing a cycle would earn a point. The player with the most points wins.

Here is how you play the game of 5 stones:
Step 1: Throw the 5 stones on the ground. Using only one hand, pick and throw one in the air, while picking up another. Then catch the first stone before it lands on the floor. Throw one of the stones in your hand and then pick up another from the floor. Catch the airborne stone before it hits the ground. repeat until all the stones are in your hand.

Step 2: This is the same as step 1 but you pick up 2 stones at a time after throwing one in the air.

Step 3: Same as step 1 and 2 but this time, you catch 3 stones after throwing the first stone in the air. For the remaining stone, do as per step 1.

Step 4: Throw 1 stone in the air and scoop up all the remaining 4 stones before catching the first stone.

Step 5: With all the stones in your palm, throw 1 in the air. Then place the remaining 4 on the floor before catching the first stone. Then repeat step 4.

Step 6: Throw all the stones onto the floor. Pick 2 and throw 1 in the air, exchange the stone in your hand with another from the ground. Then catch the falling stone. Repeat

Step 7: This is like step 6 but throw 2 stones in the air. Pick one from the ground and catch the first 2 falling stones, one in each hand. Repeat until you have 3 stones in one hand and 2 stones in the other. Throw the 2 stones in the air and catch one with each hand. Finish by throwing the last stone in hand and catching it with the other hand.

Step 8: Throw all the 5 stones. Let your opponent choose a stone to be thrown. Then play as like step 4.

7 Simple Ways To Help Nurture Your Child

I read something similar some time ago. Reflecting on my own experience, I thought it is very true that how we interact with our child is important. Yes, a child needs to hear us say "I love you."

Here are some of the words that we should use on our child everyday to nurture a happy and confident child.

1. What do you think? / Tell me more.
Asking your child what he or she thinks, show that you value his/ her opinion. It gives the child space to develop opinion with your guidance. It increases self-confidence and is great for bonding as it shows that you are interested in what he/ she has to say. Words like 'tell me more', show that you are keen to hear your child's opinion and thinking. It encourages conversation without sounding like you are giving advice.

2. That's alright.
When things don't turn out well, reassurance will help your child to focus on the positive aspect of things.

3. Good Job!
Celebrating small success will build confidence and increases the sense of security. It will spur your child to better achievement. It is the difference between taking on increasingly challenging tasks or giving up at the first sign of trouble.

4. Please and Thank You.
Set the example. Ask your child to do things politely and say thank you to acknowledge the effort. It says that you appreciate your child's effort and that it matters.

5. How are you today?
This is a powerful bonding tool. By showing your child that you are interested in his/ her life, it builds up healthy 2-way communication  and your child. It shows that youy are interested in what your child is doing and how he/ she feels.

6. You can do it!
Giving a vote of confidence help to develop determination in your child. Sometimes, everybody need a little push and encouragement.

7. I love it.
You can never say this often enough. Do not assume that your child knows that you love him/ her. Give hugs often. A child will really blossom when he/ she feels loved and secured.

4.

The Dead Sea Scrolls - Now Available Online

Five of the main Dead Sea scrolls are now available online as part of a joint project between the Israel Museum and Google. The Dead Sea scrolls contain some of the oldest-known surviving biblical texts.
The online digital images are ultra high-resolution images in a format which is easily searchable, with the magnified text revealing details previously invisible to the naked eye.

The  Dead Sea scrolls that have been digitised are : the Great Isaiah scroll, the Community Rule scroll, the commentary on Habbakuk, the Temple scroll and the War scroll.



Visit http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/ to view all the text of the Dead Sea scrolls. Don't worry, there is a translation tool available.

How Time Flies

I was thinking about an old friend recently.  I was trying to recall how long it has been since we last met. It has been more than 7 years I think. Time flies. Time really flies when you get older.

I think it is because most of the more vivid memories are in our prime - when we are in our twenties and thirties. So when we are in our late twenties or thirties, it doesn't seen to be so long ago. But when we hit forties and still think back of the good ole days of the twenties, it seems so long ago. That's when time seems to fly.

We are in our twenties, 5 years is an awfully long time. It is a quarter if our lives. But when we are in our forties, 5 years is but an eighth of a life spent thus far. By comparison, it seems so short.

Being more conscious of how precious time is, made me treasure the time spent with loved ones. Even when Gracie asked me to play Barbie dolls or cooking, I would oblige. In no time, she would grow up and would want more time for herself. So every minute, every hour is to be treasured.

The Wisdom Of A Child

Recently, my wife asked my 5-years old daughter, Gracie, who she likes. Is it my brother-in-law or my sister-in-law? Now, Gracie don't see them often as they live in China. So she takes a while to warm up to them whenever she visits them in China. During one of the visits, my wife asked this question. Initially, Gracie declined to answer. Quite a diplomat, she is. When pressed for an answer, Gracie, replied that she likes her cousin.

This reminded me of an old Jewish proverb - when given a choice between two paths, choose the third.

The amazing wisdom of a child

Take a day off?

My 5-years old daughter, Gracie suggested that I take a day off to keep her company recently. I pointed out that she need to go to school. Her innocent reply? If I take the day off, she could be sick and be excused from class.
Hmmm...

I do treasure the time spent with my daughter. My employer is enlightened enough to grant 6 extra days of leave each year for parents with child who is less than 6 years old. All in, I get 34 days of leave each year. not counting the weekends and holidays. Somehow, that is never enough. Now that Gracie has started schooling, my leave plan revolve around the school holidays. And that is only 4 times a year. Now I start to appreciate the behaviour of colleagues who are parents when I was single.

That's Life

My wife pestered me to sign up for Parent Volunteer Program for priority registration to River Valley Primary School for Gracie. And she used her strategic weapons upfront in the opening blow including "why do you not care about your daughter!". I just didn't see it coming and was caught with pant down (Remember. Next time. To avoid being caught with pant down, lock the door when changing out of work clothes.)

Having lost the skirmish, I tried to sign up as volunteer with the school.

"Sorry, if you are registering for primary school in 2012, we stopped accepting parent volunteers on 18 Jan as we had too many! Try registering in June for 2013."

Oops! Well, that's life...

My wife's mood darkened. "See! I told you! I TOLD YOU! Our neighbours had already fulfilled the 40hours of work required.....I don't care......try the next better school...."

Sigh!~Time to don battle armour....

Wait! By stroke of luck, River Valley Primary School was formed by combining 4 old primary schools, one of which was Kim Seng West Primary School which I attended. I checked back with the school. And YES! I am considered an ex-student! And yes, I still have my old school report card. So I have priority over all the parent volunteers! HA!
Yippee! Hoo Whoo! Just like striking the lottery! I am now off the hook, no need to be a parent school volunteer!

Happily, I told my wife and peace prevail in the household for a day......

"Hey, mum, remember my school report card and some junk which I kept in an old metal box in your house?"
"Huh? Where got? All thrown away long ago!". Mother turned her attention back to the Taiwanese TV serial that she was watching. The refrain from the theme song resounded in the room.."wah men tee, wah men teeee (I asked the sky, why , why ,why..."

That's life.

Luckily, there was a happy ending. My Primary School Leaving Examination certificate was still around. PHEWS!