The ONG family Homeschool

RSAF Open House 2008

Paya Lebar Airbase
30- 31st August 2008
9 am to 7 pm

Check out the Program highlights: you'll want to be there at 1030 for the aerial display.

You can't park at the airbase itself, so you have to either go to the Hougang or Eunos Bus Terminals to catch the free shuttles in. Here's other info on how to get there.

The Ong Family homeschool (minus sicky mommy) will be going with the GO! cadets. Do email or call if you'd like to meet up with us!

Let's just call it "Reverse Peristalsis"

Whilst I have some energy to blog today, I'd better sneak in a post. I tell my kids that mama only has so much energy to spend in a day. I've been lying on my back most afternoons. I set the children on "auto" mode and I try to sleep. I've had to punish them for not staying on task and getting distracted playing, but mostly, they've been good children, helping out where ever they can. The older two have been such a blessing by getting the laundry out of the machine, hanging it, keeping it, folding it.

Last night was the worst night of reverse peristalsis thus far in this pregnancy. The food just refused to stay down. 3 hours after eating, I felt it clawing it's way back up my esophagus. And after I thought I was done, more (and more) decided it didn't want to stay down either. Finally, it was some bitter, greenish stomach fluid that exited. Ban Si Ban Huo. (Teetering between life and death, I felt.)

Is this the worst pregnancy? Nope, in fact it is one of the better ones in that I can still fairly much eat during the day and keep up with most of my daily duties, even sit here and blog! Thank God. (I need to remember to count my blessings!)

Let's just say I'm not one of those moms I've read on local forums who gush Ooooo... I just love being preggie!

But I shall soldier on for this part of the pregnancy, rely on God for strength and pray the sickness will be over real soon. It usually lasts for 1st trimester only. *usually*

So, do excuse me if I don't post as often. :O)

Olympic Watching: part of school

Well. Before the Beijing Olympics comes and goes without a single post from us mentioning it... I thought I better fix that quick! Sunday is the closing ceremony! The opening was so spectacular, how are they gonna top that with a closing?? But, we believe China can deliver.

We've been intermittently stopped school to watch some events here and there. I think it's a marvelous opportunity to let the children learn more about different sports, how they are played and scored, and more importantly, what I like the children to realize: the never say die attitude of the Olympians... it-ain't-over-till-it's-over spirit. Fight till the end.

Well, it is with some bitter sweetness that Singapore gets to bring home a Silver medal from this Olympics. No matter what the papers claim, I just don't feel comfortable that all our players were nurtured by China and then bought over by Singapore. It was really a China vs China final. Yes, I know we are a young sporting nation and we need imports to grow our pool, but somehow, I don't feel the victory was really Singapore's, know what I mean?

Anyway, my favourite sports to watch would be those with artistic elements in it like gymnastics, synchronized swimming, diving.... but in the course of this Olympic watching season, the children and I have watched so many different sports: weight lifting, soccer, hockey, handball, BMX racing, swimming, running, high jump, long jump... so many..

Olympics watching, part of homeschooler's school. :O)

Praise God for Wonderful Timing!! Thank you Mr. Lee!

I was joking that our Prime Minister Lee has good news already, now that I just found out on National Day hubby and I are expecting no. 5... Well, he's just returned the good news to us with new policies to extend the Baby Bonus benefits to the 5th child and beyond! (They previously stopped at the fourth child..)

AMEN!

I hope I'll not be one to receive only good things of the Lord and not the evil, but this surely is such wonderful timing that I feel the Lord reassuring me, once again, He can provide.

Seriously thinking of writing to personally thank Mr Lee. :OP I certainly believe it's a step in the right direction: giving more help to those families who are committed to the "family way" anyway. It's a much easier hurdle to overcome than convincing those who view having children as obstacles and road blocks to their lifestyle. Money or incentives however much is offered will hardly move them. But these really benefit those who would have children with or without incentives. It's really a "bonus".

Gorging myself on sng buey,
Suwei

Things We Learned in God's Word Today

Proverbs 15:1-2  A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

Today, we were continuing our reading of the Life of David and we covered 1 Sam 25: Abigail's wisdom in averting the wrath of David upon her husband Nabal (a son of Belial!) <--- I love that description.. heheh..

 So proverbs 15:1 is a wonderful working verse that we need to practice at home and outside. Just like Abigail, I pray my children and I do it! We'd have less "noise" around here!

On Being Preggie Again...

Thank you all for your emails and notes of congratulations on the new pregnancy. Thankfully, this pregnancy is more resembling the 1st and the 3rd. I'm ok in the morning, tired in the day, try to keep the food in at night. So at least I can still pretty much function and handle most of the demands of the day. I'm just napping more frequently. Like, no wonder I was napping and napping! see this post.
Also feel very gassy! And eating more frequently!

The 2nd and the 4th pregnancies, I was out for the count, nauseated the whole day for 3 weeks, checking into hospital for dehydration and all that bad stuff. We had thought that because the the 4th pregnancy was so like the 2nd, it must be a girl. We were wrong and I've learned that every pregnancy is different. ;O)

How we told the kids...
We were in our van, waiting for papa when I decided to break the news to the kids. I said, Kids, do you know there are actually 6 people in this van now?
And no. 1's first reaction was, is it God?
I said, no, people.

And no. 1 half shouts, is it mama has a new baby!?
And papa, who had returned, confirmed for them, yes.

N0. 3 and 2 were happy and smiling. No. 4 was pretty oblivious. But No. 1 was DELIRIOUS! He was jumping around the whole place shouting so happy and excited, we got a new baby! we got a new baby! It was infectious. One couldn't help but laugh as well.

They've been arguing about who gets to be the first to carry the baby, arguing about it being a girl or a boy. No. 1 wants a boy. He says then the Ong family name will be carried on. (!)
Obviously, with already 3 brothers, no. 2 wants a female companion.
So they were trying to get no. 4 to say he wants a girl/boy, as if the majority vote that wins will determine the outcome. Ha.

Now, no. 4 roughly knows about the new baby. I tell him not to jump on me because there's a little baby there. He digs my belly button to try to locate the little baby. He's so cute.

So are you OK about that?
Some folks have asked me, are you ok about a 5th child? As in, you're not upset, are you? Coz some people take the news of being pregnant again badly, even Christians.

Don't take me as a superwoman. I am so weak and prone to sinning! To tell the truth, I was soooo fearful almost four years ago when I found out I was pregnant with my 4th. The first few days after finding out, I actually made my dearest husband so sad because I was mentally rejecting the baby in my womb. :O(

I kept thinking about how on earth was I going to manage a 6, 4, 2 yr old plus the new born. My flesh didn't (still doesn't) like all the work it all entails. Especially being patient with training them to control the flesh. But you know what, the Lord is in turn using them to train me to be more like Him!

And really, through the course of the pregnancy and when the baby was born, all the natural love instincts kick in. I love no. 4 so so so much! I can't imagine life without my little sweetie.

Head versus Head versus Heart
God has been so patient with me, this foolish child of His. I've had head versus head versus heart battles much of the time since no. 4 was born, fully expecting that this might be the last baby we'll be having. (But in reality, menopause is still far away!)

My Head said, Four children is very good already. We can still manage financially if we keep at this number. Don't want more work. Can't cope. I have uncomfortable pregnancies and a bad back.

Then My other Head said, All through the Bible, God intends to bless and reward His people with children. It's a blessing! Why are you rejecting a blessing?

And my Heart said, Oh to hold a cute widdle baby again!!!

Imagine all the while, God in heaven looking down at this foolish child of His, waiting for the time He can bless me again. :Op

More and more, Psalms 127 is becoming so real in my life. What a joy and blessing to be taught  by the Greatest Teacher and to be learning in His school room of Life itself.

Psalms 127:1 <<A Song of degrees for Solomon.>> Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

I've learned that it's foolishness to react negatively to what the Lord intends for a blessing and a gift!  If mothering is my job, then a new baby must be a promotion from my Boss! ;O) He's entrusted ONE MORE SOUL into my charge. What an awesome responsibility. Better do a good job.

One more Arrow from Thee, O Lord!
I will use it wisely.
Help me, give me strength to fashion it sharp and true
That it may find its mark where-ever You want it to fly.

Amen

There She Goes... being "Brave" again

It is not an un-common comment I receive when even strangers I pass at the shopping mall notice that I have four children. "You have four children ah? Wah. So Brave."

Writing now at 8pm, I am presently having some slight-ish symptoms of the wrongly termed "morning sickness" (mine usually occurs at night), so I'll keep it short for this post. But I figured I had to post something because the news is getting out on the blogs of my dear brethren, faster than mine!

Yes, dear readers, I'm expecting no. 5. (!!!!!) I'm contented to accept the Lord's gift. :O)

Just found out on National Day. What timing, eh? Mr Lee should be happy at this news. I think.

. . . . ?

. . . . !

:O)

New Blog Category Coming Up!

Well. I was all set to spend this saturday morning posting all my back logged posts: wind concert at the Esplanade, Go! cadets doing their woodwork projects in the garden, the Garden festival, and the first few entries to my new blog category: Things We Learned from God's Word Today.

But it's not meant to be. Typepad has let me down... (first it was MIO! Now typepad! Arghhh.. the frustration.....)

Will talk about the new category, though...

Things We Learned from God's Word Today
Every morning, when we do our Bible time, lately, we've been reading one verse taking turns the life of David in the book of 1 Samuel. We've just covered the life of Joshua. Since the children have become more able to read (we use the King James Bible) we've put the picture bibles away and gone digging into the rich Word of God itself. What a blessing!

At the end of our reading, I will choose a verse from the passage we had read and the children will copy it into their Bible verse exercise book. At the end of the verse, I will ask the children to write what they have learned. At this point, I help them to formulate the sentences, or I help them spell and I write it on our school room white board. And what I write there tends to stay till the next morning's Bible time.

I go back to some of these that the children wrote in their books when we were reading about Joshua:
regarding Joshua's prayer: "God sometimes listens to man and God helped Israel."
regarding Joshua and Israel being tricked into alliance with the Gibeonites: "You must ask God whatever you do."

And this one:
Joshua 4:24  That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.
no. 1 wrote: We must fear God always, and He is very very power full.

:O)
What a powerful faith building time it is for all of us at the Ong Family homeschool. What a privilege it is to be homeschooling and spending time together as a family to ground ourselves in the Word of God every morning!

and another that no. 1 wrote and I copy in it's original form, including the smiley:
I learned that God can do more then you can think. And you can depend on God, and He is always there to help you. God is my best friend, in the Bible God said we are his children. :O)

Well, back the the white board. It has been a wonderful reminder for me as I go through the day and sometimes glance up at my white board and read all that we learned. Such an encouragement to remember God's love and faithfulness, mercy and grace.

I thought I'd share it with here and may it bless you too, dear reader!...
....When I get to posting pics!!!!

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Dear readers,

If you have any questions about homeschooling, or family and parenting, do email me! Or just drop a line to say hi~ that'll make my day! :O)

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Oh! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY JO JO Boy!!!!