our first christmas book

Here are our first Christmas Books!

my book

Mommy's book

Daddy's book

new Christmas tradition

Start from this year, 2010, instead of giving gifts (which we've never really done that, except gift exchanged with ICF friends), we are going to have a new tradition: making a Christmas book. Each of us will have a book. Daddy and I are making one page for Mommy, Mommy and I are making one page for Daddy, and Daddy & Mommy are making one for me. So it will be a collection of Christmas memory for all of us. I hope it will be a wonderful Christmas tradition for our family :) A tradition that will bring Christmas spirit that makes us a family to remember the love of God for us.

I need to remember that Christmas is not about the decoration, the tree, Santa Claus, or even the gifts. It's nice to receive some gifts, but the greatest gift God is giving to me, is salvation through Jesus Christ. And I need to receive it personally. I want Jesus to save me, because I still make a lot of bad choices.

For God so loved the world, that He gave his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16,17)

I am 5

YES! I am 5 years old today! There are countless of things to be grateful for, even when I thank God for the things in my bedroom, it takes a lot of time, and still there are things left out.

This year I celebrated again at school. Mommy made red velvet Starwars cupcakes and special gluten-free chocolate cake for Max, and made some goodie bags for my friends. I am very happy to be able to celebrate my birthday with my classmates.

I was waiting and expecting the gift from grandma An. I asked specifically for a Starwars Lego. I love Lego since my fourth birthday. I checked the mail with Mommy everyday, but there's nothing. But I think there's something fishy, because suddenly I saw a big box on my bed at night without me knowing it. It was a big surprise! Mommy recorded here. Thanks grandpa, grandma and Ommy!

I am totally love & enjoy ALL the gifts! from all kinds of Legos (Starwars, City, Creator & Toy Story), Starwars light saber, nighlight & DVDs, Lever, Books (Scaredy Squirrel, Anatomy, Pirate drawing pad), Thomas the Train board games, Cars drawing set, McQueen 4 levels garage and Nerf.
That's a lot of toys! And I still want more. I want to have birthday everyday, but unfortunately, I have to wait for another year to have this kind of celebration, said my mom.

But most of all, the greatest gift is love & forgiveness from God through Jesus Christ, because I still make a lot of bad choices everyday and I learn to thank God for the people God put in my life.

First my dad and mom, who love me so much (eventhough they still give me timeouts, but I think I really need that :) and I believe they still hide some of my birthday presents),

my long-distance family (grandpa Tjwan, grandpa Dicky, grandma An, Ommy, auntie Titin, uncle David, cici Megan, uncle Tipen, auntie Olip and my newest family member om Antony). I hope that we can meet one day.

my dad & mom's friends, who spoiled me all the time (Thank to all tante2 and om2 in Columbus or in Indo who sent me gifts and loving thoughts and prayers).

my teachers at Calumet Christian School, Mrs. Frechette and Mrs. Jordan, who teach me many things and put the seed of truth inside my heart, to trust Jesus and ask his forgiveness. And my friends at Bear class (Claire, AJ, Anna, Sophie, Nate, Talon, Michael, Addy, Nicolas, Max, DJ, Layla, Niko, Bella, Andrew, Alexa and Evan)

my playdate friends, who were celebrating my birthday too today (Jacelyn, Lainey, Abby, Sisca, Mariska, Sammy and Gracie)

my best friend ever, Andrew. He got me the Starwars light saber!!

I am totally spoiled this year! But I want to share my toys to anyone who need it, especially in this Christmas season, we're giving another 2 boxes for Operation Christmas Child, we give away some of my toys to Volunteers of America and also I give my skateboard & car personally to Niko and Evan.

I thank God everyday that I am wonderfully and fearfully made.

second year of pre-school

Can't believe it's the second year of my pre-school! This year we have Mrs Jordan (Layla's mom) as the second teacher in my Bear Class. I am in her smallgroup. I was sad that two of my friends are not coming back to Calumet (Lucy and Elisabeth), but I have many more new friends. We have 18 kids this year.

Meet Nicolas for the first time

When Mommy wrote this blog it was way over passed the date :) So there're many things had happenened. I got the report already. Mrs. Jordan said I have strength in language and able to deliver multiple directions. The only problem I still have is I still try to manipulate my friends to do my will, such as persuade them to give the things on their hand, or ask them to clean-up for me, or sometimes I force to help if my friends are not able to do their task.

On October, we went to Lynd's Apple Orchard to pick some Golden Delicious apples. I learn more about various kinds of apples, apple blossoms, and how apple trees grow.

We had another events in the classroom, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Pajamas Party. On Halloween, I dressed up as a Spiderman, and this year there are 2 Spiderman! AJ had the same costume, but with some muscles on it. I was like a skinny Spiderman :)

On Thanksgiving, we celebrated again as last year. This time Mommy brought some corn muffins. She's not volunteering in the classroom, that's why we don't have picture on Thanksgiving, but I have the picture of the corn muffins :)

It'll be an exciting year before I go to Kindergarten. So I'm going to have a lot of fun!

a new friend from zambia

Last week, I got a letter from Zambia, Africa. It was addressed for me, so Mommy was trying to figure it out how until we read the letter. It turns out from a 5 year old boy named Kenneth Kangwa. He wrote (or to be exact, his father) that he received the Christmas gift I sent last year through the Operation Christmas Child from The Samaritan's Purse. Wow, I am so glad that he likes everyone of them. More over, I am very happy because he has Jesus as his savior! I'd really like to reply his letter and tell a lot of things about me and my family. He even sent me this picture, so I can know what my new friend look like :)
How sweet it is to have a far-away friend who is in Jesus also.

achievement of the year

Today,
When I was in my cougar class at xenos sunday school, finally I overcame the most fearful thing in my life. I'd been refusing my mom to wipe my own tushy everytime I went to the potty. It is gross and yucky. But today, because Mommy or Daddy wasn't around in the classroom, and I really really really need to go, so I did it! Even I used the regular toilet paper (I didn't like regular toilet paper because it is dry and it doesn't feel nice for my tushy skin, so I usually asked Mommy to use wipes or wet toilet paper).
I am so proud of myself, so Daddy and Mommy!

chef in the making

One Wednesday morning, Mommy and I try to find someting to do. My school was closed yesterday due to winter storm, and we played inside all day long with Glen, Sammy and Gracie. Today we need to find something fun to do inside, because it was pretty windy outside to play in the snow. So we played some music using my keyboard, belief it or not, I learn quarter notes and eighth notes from Kindermusik class. It gave us an idea from the book we read, ABC Music and Me, and sang the song "Noodle From Scratch', about Sylvia Sheep who makes noodle from scratch with her friends. I asked Mommy what scratch is, so she said why don't we make something from scratch? So, we were going to make muffins from scratch.

There are a lot of ingredients, and Mommy told me to show everything and tell me the process while she recorded me using the Flip :)

It was so much fun mixing the dry ingredients, stirring the batter, putting the liners and checking the muffins in the oven.

Check out all the videos at my YouTube :)

'mini snow hill'

We had about 10inches of snow this year. Since we can not find a proper sled for me to play, Daddy built a 'mini snow hill' for me so I can slide safely at our yard :)

I was a little timid to try that kind of thing, but I get used to it after a while, but I don't want to use the aluminum cookie sheet to slide, it's too slipery :)

Anyway, I had so much fun climbing and playing with the snow this year. It;s almost like everyday routine after lunch.

4th year doctor & dentist visit

Today,
I start the day as usual, with a cup of warm vanilla milk with a slice of bread with nutella. But something nice follows... Daddy and Mommy bought me another Lego 'Creator' the helicopter and some Leapfrog tag spelling board games. Daddy had installed all the audio to my 'tag' so I can read all the books right away. Off course I couldn't wait to make the Lego.

10am
Mommy took me to dr. Patty's office for my 4th year check-up. The nurse checked my weight, height and blood pressure. An d I told her I have the pump at home. My blood pressure is 90/50 and I weigh 37.5 lbs (35 percentile) and 40in tall (50 percentile). Nice!
In the exam room the nurse asked Mommy a lot of questions but some question Mommy let me to answer. She asked me to count to 5, draw a circle, how old am I, do I eat veggie, etc. Then when doctor Patty came in, she checked all my body parts, and I told her I have the doctor's kit at home, and I tried to say 'stetoscope' with her.
Everything is great! I just need to learn to try some veggie. Raw veggie. Yucks! I tried to eat raw broccoli and raw celery yesterday and spit all out. Don't know if it would be happen :)

1.30pm
We went to dr. Hanson for my teeth cleaning. I have 20 nice & clean teeth. The nurse, Natalie, remembered the last time I was in that office when Mommy's teeth cleaned, I sat on the corner eating Cheetos (but she didn't know the poop accident I had there :)) She cleaned all my teeth with a tiny electric brush. I got to choose what flavor my the toothpaste. I chose bubblegum. I asked a lot of questions to her. What's this, what's that, what's that for.. and she answered all of them :) She let me held the small mirror tool and the tube for sucking the water. Then she put fluoride on and I wasn't suppose to close my mouth for a while and try not to swallow it.
Miss Natalie also gave me a toothbrush ( I chose the orange one) and a floss.

Finally when the cleaning was done, doctor Hanson came with a big smile and said she needs to count again how many teeth I have and she showed me how she would tap gently on my teeth and asked me to count in Indonesia. She just said beauutiful teeth... beauuuutiful teeth. Somebody take a good care of them. And offcourse Daddy and Mommy brushed them for me :)
Last but not least... after I said thank you, I ran toward the treasure chest to pick a toy. And picked a little red soldier.

I love both my doctors, doctor Patty and doctor Hanson. They are very nice, friendly and even they let me hold some of their examination tools.

Thank God I had no ill visit last year and all my teeth are clean and healthy.