An Expat Family Easter in Thailand

The International school did an Easter Hat Parade, the Pattaya International Ladies Club put on a luncheon to raise money for the children of the local orphanage, but when I informed our boys that we were going to an Easter Egg treasure Hunt and lunch at the Thai Amari Orchid Hotel on Easter Sunday, to say they were excited was an understatement.

The gardens at the hotel were spectacular by anyones standards. Orchids of all colours, sizes and species bloomed in abundance alongside lotus flowers, lillies and all sorts of fragrant flowers that were a buzz to the senses. It was a very tranquil setting amidst the hustle and bustle of the beachside resort. A refreshing escape from the turmoil of the traffic of baht buses and bikes rushing around with a constant stream of tourists and Thais hanging from every part of the vehicles

Here we were able to relax and enjoy our Easter Sunday. Celebrate with good friends. Enjoy a smorgasbourd of exotic foods and chat and laugh the afternoon away. The long trellis linen clothed table was covered in an array of tropical wonders. Watermelon, rockmelon, pineapple and star fruit sculptures cleverly decorated the centre in a lusciously inviting manner. Yet despite all the splendour that surrounded us there was only one thing on the minds of our not quite five year old and seven and a half year old sons.

The Easter Egg Treasre Hunt! It couldn't come soon enough for the eager juniour members of the expat community.  Bear in mind the constant humidity and engulfing heat of tropical Thailand, while mums and dads were happy to sit quietly and sip on tall chilled glasses of juice, beer and champagne, the kids were keen to run all over the garden in search of their treasure. Imagine the surprise and disappointment when my boys discovered the Easter eggs were not chocolate! They were beautifully hand painted blown out egg shells. Have you ever tried to explain to a four year old that the Easter Bunny couldn't leave chocolate eggs in the garden because they would melt too quickly?  By the time the eggs would have been found they would have turned to a dripping pool of mush!

It was very hard to find chocolate easter eggs anywhere in Pattaya that year. So the Easter Bunny only left one small egg for each son and a promise to do better next year. Fortunately things did in fact improve the following year as the hotel shops were more prepared for the expat community expectations and needs.
However forwarned is forarmed and to prevent disappointment other activities could have been added to the treasure hunt to make it more enjoyable and memorable.

An Easter Egg Hunt with Games and Activities attached could be a lot of fun and help with that ever elusive reading practice. Since chocolate was out of the question due to the heat,  we could have used cardbourd eggs and hid actions or activities inside them. As the children varied in ages and reading ability, it would be best to pair up older children with younger children. This encourages co-operation and team spitit too! The activities on the cards could include fun hints like "hop like a bunny to the nearset tree", or "jump on the spot and count to ten." When each child or pair has then done a designated amount of activities they could then be directed to a small gift.

A Scavenger Hunt is another great idea when chocolate easter eggs are out of the question and it also provides another source of reading that the kids don't realise they are doing while they are so busy having fun! Give each child or pair, depending on ages and ability levels, a list of things to go and find and bring back. To add to the tension you could set a time limit if you wish.  The list can be kept simple with things like, a tiny fluffy yellow chicken, a ribbon, or a hat, or the list could be more complex with things like a specific coloured ribbon for each pair, a different coloured pencil, or clothes peg, a scarf, the list is only limited by your imagination.

For a lot more Easter fun activities and games visit
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/easter_games.htm

For tips on how to decorate a hard boiled easter egg or Blown out Egg visit http://www.achievesuccess.com.au/easter/decorating_easter_eggs.htm
While you're in the mood for cooking, don't forget the recipe for making your very own gingerbread aliens is on mywebsite and please take a photo and send them in, I'd love to see the results!
lhttp://gingerbread-aliens.com/recipes.html

Raising Awesome Readers: "The World is Full of Cans not Cannots"

Raising Awesome Readers: "The World is Full of Cans not Cannots": "Your son cannot sit still!" "Your son cannot concentrate!" "Your son cannot hold a pencil properly!" &...

"The World is Full of Cans not Cannots"

"Your son cannot sit still!"

"Your son cannot concentrate!"

"Your son cannot hold a pencil properly!"

"Your son cannot read the entire alphabet!"

"Your son cannot write his full name!"

"All he wants to do is play with the big tonka trucks. "

I glanced up at the brand new, shiny, clean, bright yellow trucks high on display well out of reach on top of the cupboard.

"They do not come down!" the pre-school teacher continued.

"Hang on a minute!!" I was in absolute disbelief with what I was hearing. My son was four years old and this was suppose to be pre-school where you learn through fun, play and social interaction....don't you??? Alarm bells were ringing in my ears, no wonder he was coming home so exhausted.

We had moved to Thailand from Australia only a few weeks previously and I had put the two eldest boys in the closest school to our new home that had been recommended to us. I thought I had done the right thing. Obviuosly I was wrong. The negativity overwhelmed me. The classroom was sterile and unfriendly. Never put your kids into a school, site unseen even if you do move to an unknown country, do your homework first!. I pulled them both out immediately.

The next day we drove to another school with a pre-school attached. It was much further away, so it meant a much earlier start for the boys, that did concern me at first...until I saw the school. We drove through a golf course to enter with magnificent manicured lawns and fragrant gardens that burst in an abundance of vibrant colour.You couldn't help but feel welcome from the onset. As we parked and walked through the entrance I first saw the banner that spread across the hallway.

"The World is Full of Cans not Cannots"

What a great positive motto to greet the students each day as they arrived at school. I have remembered this sign ever since and every time a student of mine has said they couldn't do something, I have quoted this to remind them that anything is possible if you just try. You may not be able to do it today, but with a little practice, oneday just maybe, you will.

We were shown into the pe-school room and couldn't believe our eyes. My four year old was gob-smacked! His jaw dropped, he beamed up at me and asked, "Mummy, can I really go here everyday instead?" 

There was a water play area, a sandpit, a paint corner, a dress-up corner , a drawing area, a big book area, cushions to sit or sleep on and in the far back corner an American Indian Tee Pee! The staff were so friendly and welcoming. The children invited him over to play immediately. Straight away we felt so comfortable and at home, the decision was made, there was no doubt where the boys would be attending school. They spent the next two years there while we lived in Thailand and never looked back. In fact I even finished up teaching there as well, it was such a wonderful place to be.

It doesn't matter whether the pre-school or school is just down the road from where you live, or whether you have to move states or countries, what is important is that you get the right educational fit for you and your family. Don't take it for granted that if something works for a friend that it will be right for you. Recommendations are great, but you do need to look into educational fascilities yourself. They vary greatly depending on peoples needs. Don't make the same mistake I did and let the company my husband worked for tell us where to place our kids. That was very naive of me and I learnt the hard way, we were lucky it did all work out in the end and the boys had the best education in an excellent International school that I couldn't fault. It was a great beginning not only to their learning but to their social acceptance of every culture imaginable.

Of cause the three brothers in Gingerbread Aliens attend their local Primary school as it happens to back onto their backyard. What family wouldn't want the convenience of being able to simply walk next door to school? See what trouble this lands the boys in though when they inadvertently break their feared School Principal's office window while cooking for the school fete.
 www.gingerbread-aliens.com

A Taste of Thailand - Writing.Com

 Memories of Thailand Came Flooding Back.

This week I became a member of the Goodreads Author community. As I sat to consider and compile the long list of all the books I have read over the years I realised that as a former Primary school teacher and now children's author, naturally most of my favourite books I listed were from the Children's and Young Adult genres.
However there were also a good many books I have read from a wide range of genres depnding on my mood and needs just as I have always advocated to the kids I have taught. A key to not getting bored with reading is to read from as many genres as possible. Read from wherever the whim may take you.

The book I found myself drawn to review first was actually one I read many years ago while living in Thailand.
"Mai Pen Rai Means Never Mind" by Carol  Hollinger.
 http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6539129.Sandra_Bennett.
Her experiences of expat life may have been written about life in Thailand in the 1950's and 60's and I was there in the mid 90's but nothing appeared to have changed greatly. The Mai Pen Rai attitde was still and always will be the basic foundation of Thai everyday life that keeps life simple and stress free.

As I wrote my review many fond memories came rushing back to the forefront of my brain. I was desperate to write them all down, keen to record the stories of my families experiences and adventures. I wrote a story about one of those experience and shared it on writing.com in 2011. Below is the link to that story to share with everyone now.

A Taste of Thailand - Writing.Com

If you click on the Goodreads link you will find my review of Mai Pen Rai, while you're there you can always take a moment to add a rating or review of Gingerbread Aliens too!

Unscramble the Toolbox in the Brain

A toolbox can be messy, confused and quite impossible to find anything in. On the otherhand it can be a well organised place where items are filed and easily found. As we learn, study and try to retain information our brains can be places very similar to a  toolbox, cluttered or well organised, it's all in how we train it.

This week as our youngest son started University in earnest, we sat down with him to go over his study habbits. So I thought perhaps it was a pertinent time to refresh the teenagers in your families of a few study techniques that have worked in our house over the years.

Organisation from the outset is the key. Make good use of an organised desk, book shelf, filing system, whatever is available.
A folder for each subject to file your daily notes, whether that is paper or electronic, whichever suits you best is essential. Make sure your notes are revised and filed. I'll come back to revision in a moment.

Each subject should have a course outline. If you don't have it, get it! From each of these you can see exactly when assignments, oral presentations, creative work and exams are due. Draw up a chart of how long the term or semester is and plot each due date on it Then using a bar graph in different colours for each subject work out how much time you need to complete each task. You will have a pictorial chart in front of you to see exactly how much time you need to spend on each subject each day and week to complete everything on time.
 
eg.       Week 1     2      3       4     5       6       7       8        9       10
Maths                                           Assignment                            Exam
English                         Oral                   Essay                  Creative
Science                                         Assignment                            Exam
IT                                                                            Assignment Exam

There is nothing like a visual chart to help keep you on task.

Revision for exams is one thing that has cluttered the toolbox of many minds for centuries. To start with if assignments are organised and time is planned and well spent, you are more relaxed and able to cope more effeciently.

Another helpful tip however is to be organised right from week one. Start your revision from the beginning.
Here comes another chart, but I promise it will be the most useful tool in your room.

You will need a seperate sheet for each subject. Label the subject title at the top.  Down the side list the number of weeks. Beside each week write the topic studied. Beside that add in the equation or key notes for that topic.

eg  Maths
week  topic     equation
1     algebra    a2 + b2 = c2
2
3
4
5
6
etc 

Stick the charts on your bedroom wall or mirror, or the back of the toilet wall, anywhere that you see them every morning when you get up. You will read them every day and it will only take a few moments, but if you keep them up to date by the time you get to the end of term, you have revised all the key formulas everyday of the term. They will be so familiar the exams will come naturally and stress free!

Reading text books! How often do you pick up a text book, open it up, read the first page, yawn, scratch, flick through to see the unfathomable amount you have to get through, then decide you need a snack or a better still, a nap? Try power reading the text book first. Read the cover, the blurb and the index or contents page to get an idea of what the text is all about. Now see if you can draw a mind map to remind you of the title and some of the chapter headings. A mind map is a pictorial recognition of key words to help you quickly register something you want to remember. For example for "mind map" itself if asked I might draw a brain and a trasure map with an x that marks the spot. Someone else may come up with a completely different idea, but it gets you thinking, the brain is stimulated and now you are curious to continue on with reading further into the text book. Don't forget as you read in more depth to continue making notes and more mind maps, they really do help you remember key notes.

To all those high school and Uni students out there, don't stress, you've come this far, be organised, file the cabinet or toolbox in the brain neatly. Keep it ordered and unclutterd and good luck this year.

From Boys to Men

Raising boys can be quite a challenge, enticing them to read can be even more difficult.

Boys are finicky, wiggly, busy creatures no matter what their age. Inquisitive, imaginative, and ready to explore the world. They don't have much time to sit still and read a book. This can still be true when they become adults unless you form good reading habits at an early age.

As parents and teachers we need to harness some of that energy to be able to channel it into reading so that they can learn more that will enable them to investigate and grow with the world around them.

Find books that will intrigue their natural curiosity. My middle son grew up with a fascination for all things Star Wars. So the books I supplied were filled with all the technical drawings of the Millenium Falcon, the X-Wing Fighter etc in books like "The Incredible Cross-Sections.". I left them lying around on the coffee table, it didn't take long for him to pick them up and start pouring through them. Then I added a few of the illustrated Star Wars cartoon books and before long he progressed to the chapter books that happened to find themselves in the pile.

Sometimes subtly takes awhile to sink in and you may need other strategies. Try reading a joke book or something funny to yourself. When he hears you laughing, natural curiosity will take over. He'll just have to join in and start reading whatever you are reading. Some of our favourites were from Paul Jennings series such as the Rascal series, Gizmo and Singenpoo. Andy Griffiths produced some really funny books too, my boys really enjoyed the "Just" series, Just Disgusting, Just Tricking,Just Annoying etc.Morris Gleitzman with Toad Rage and Toad Heaven were also fantastic reads that kept our boys laughing all the way to the end. If you are looking for something new to read, I haven't met a boy yet that hasn't laughed all the way through my book Gingerbread Aliens. I have been told of boys that usually don't bother with books have found it lying around, picked it up out of curiosity and not been able to put it down. This is music to my ears, I reached my goal!

If quiet reading and uproarious laughter don't hook him, try reading a chapter out loud at bedtime to him. Make sure you end on a good hook and leave the book on his bedside table Don't be surprised if the light is still on when you go to bed as he just couldn't resist finding out what happned next?

www.gingerbread-aliens.com

Teachers are like Gems, precious and worth holding onto.

This week the youngest reader and achiever in our house is heading off to University, yet it only seems like yesterday he was heading off to his first day of Kindergarten.

As he drives off to campus strong and independent, I am secure in the knowledge that myself and the teachers he has encountered along life's journey so far, have given him all the tools he needs to prepare him for a successful career wherever that path may lead him.

I remember that first day thirteen years ago so clearly. Being the youngest of three boys he was so keen to start school and learn to read. He expected to come home with  homework that very first day. He didn't cling or cry, it was me that had a tear in my eye, so hard to let go of my last one! He waved goodbye and raced straight inside to "learn".

The class was a Kinder/Year One composite which couldn't have proved more perfect. My son thrived in the learning atmsophere, soaking up every letter, sound, word and number he could. It didn't take long before he was not only bringing home sight words to learn to read, but spelling lists as well!

The teacher was so wonderful and patient with all of them no matter what their level of ability, and believe me, there was quite a range in a group like that! She set a challenge word or two in each weeks spelling list, mainly for the year one students, never expecting the Kindies to take up the gauntlet. Son number three and his mate were always up to the challenge though, even when she put in the word "photosythesis". They could both spell it and explain what it meant!

She set a great example to the start of his learning career. Always challenge yourself, nothing is ever too monumental if you put your mind to it.

There have been other great teachers along the way. The Year One teacher that was originally a high school science teacher. He brought science experiments into the classrom. Blew up volcanoes, made sherbert and honeycomb. Had an monumental effect on son number one. That son found an immediate thirst for chemistry and geology. Couldn't read enough about volcanoes, the earth, tornadoes, climate change etc. He now has a Geology Degree and is working very happily in the field. That teacher taught the essentail lesson of finding a passion in life, hang on to it, read and learn all you can about it and one day you can make it your career.

Two special teachers saw the compassionate, gentle side of my middle son. His teacher in the International school in Thailand where he was surrounded by fellow students from a myriad of nations and became friends with every one of them, to his teacher on return to Australia where he had to adapt back to life in the suburbs where everyone was the same. He learnt a very important life skill, that differences should be not only tolerated but embraced and celebrated.

There have been many gems in our lives over the eighteen years since my firat son started school til the youngest finished. Far too many to mention. Hang on to the ones you find. Treasure them, they are worth their weight in gold! Your children will remember and value them and so will you.