Rainbow

Another weekend snapshot of the rainbow from where we live. This time, Mui Mui saw it first.
God Promises He will never harm us again. Amen!

Dora 條褲

Dora's infamous orange shorts have been floating around the entire homestead for the last few days in which Dora herself was nowhere to be found until this morning. Why don't we treat you to a nice pic of Dora "mooning" everyone? All Mui Mui's idea. Photo snapped by Mui Mui's Ma Ma. Da Da is finally getting into more Photoshop stuffs. We only have an older version of Photo Elements 3.0, but it works just fine. Here we have an original pic and then the Photoshopped pic with the background exposure auto-balanced.





Mui Mui just had her belated 2-years old wellness checkup on Friday. You're looking at a 34¾" tall girl weighing at 31 lbs.

逾半初中生從不洗熨煮飯

Something I saw from Mingpao online today:

【明報專訊】本港10來歲的初中生不少仍是十指不沾陽春水。家庭與學校合作事宜委員會調查發現，近六成半初中生從不洗熨衣物﹔逾半數從不煲飯煮菜，就算煮食僅限於即食麵及煎蛋。家長注重子女學業及社交能力，忽略讓他們學習生活技能，長遠導致子女缺乏照顧自己的能力。

家校會於4至5月透過電話訪問535名初中生家長，了解他們對兒女掌握生活技能的看法。結果發現，家長認為子女最重要的技能，是與人相處、控制情緒及整理儀容，子女懂做家務較次要。

初中生參與家務的比率亦相當有限，逾半數家長指出，子女從不煮食或洗熨衣物，三成半家長更指子女從未協助清潔家居。家校會主席黃寶財說︰「部分初中生就算曾煮食，亦僅能煮即食麵、煎蛋，可能連蛋都煎『噥』﹗」

不過，不足兩成家長採用「以身作則」的方法，教導子女提升各種生活技能。黃寶財說︰「不少爸爸叫子女做家務，自己卻從來不做，怎能教導孩子呢﹖」

自覺學習時間分配弱

調查亦發現，初中生自我學習能力較弱。六成以上家長表示，兒女從不或僅間中自行溫習，通常需要父母督促。近七成家長指出，子女只能間中或從不能好好分配時間玩電腦及傾電話。

黃寶財建議家長利用暑假，循序漸進引導子女做家務，從而提升初中生的多元智能、自信心、責任感和歸屬感。

新學期升讀中二的「孖仔」陳子賢及陳子浩是少有做家務的學生。他們在家政科學懂下廚，親手製作糯米及燒賣等小食，又在家「實習」掃地，養成做家務的習慣。父母也趁暑假，讓兩人多蹓狗、丟垃圾及盛飯，發現二人不但責任感加強，一家的感情也親密了。

Swim-ready

Alexander is going to swim class today. Mui Mui just stood alongside for the photo ops.

Da Da not too happy to see Alexander wearing "clothes" to swim class in hawaii. After all, we're living in a real tropical island. However, Ma Ma insisted on those wet-suit kine of swim shirt. Oh well.

Glass Bottom Boat

Guess where is Alexander? Hint: double hair-spirals


Take a closer look...

Yep, that's him in the foreground alright...



All of the photos shown today were taken by mom. Guess that's how she posed her honey-boy: "Right arm up and hand behind the neck, please!"



Nathan was very glad that mom was going out with him today. He didn't like the rocking boat too much. Look carefully at the resemblences between the two faces though, same-shaped noses, lips, chins,... (beg your pardon, Andrew)




Brandon, Alex, Melanie, & Christina




Haruka is a really cute Japanese girl who liked taking photos with Alexander. Again, the same right-arm-up pose. Thanks, mom!



Class photo with Ms. Wanda

Going from left to right, I think they are:
Jun Yan, Melanie, Brandon, Christina, Haruka, Sujin, Nathan, Alexander, Ashish, and Jeffrey. Notice all the long pants on a hot summer day? Yes, they are all Chinese kids.

Ms. Becky said that the school doesn't go to the glass-bottom boat ride every year. Oh well, that may mean Christine won't be able to see the fish, the corals, and even a swimming turtle in the water. Sigh! Oh well, she will find her fun on other excursions, I'm sure.

Picasa

Testing out the integrated photo and blogging application Picasa. Didn't work. Photo reposted.

Sunday Glory

Still bouncing up and down in his Chuck E Cheese head gear from yesterday. He really loved it!



Just a quick snap of Mui Mui after changing into her lovely Sunday dress.


Alexander showing me his pet muppet from his old sock


Lately, we let him put on the socks and shoes on his own... time. Really, it can take a while, a long while...


One more shot of the dressy Christine before we took off to church



Our church's front entrance

Post-Chuck 'E

Tired. Exhausted. Definitely pooped out. However, not letting go the Chuck'E party hat. Sweet dreams...zzz...

Chuck E Cheese

Isaac Cheung invited us to his 2nd birthday party at Chuck E Cheese in Hawaii Kai. That was also our first time meeting with his little sister Riley. We had a blast and hopefully we'll see some more pics from them soon. However, let's take a "different" angle and see some footages from the party.

Michael da dad! Definitely video of the day materials here...

Isn't it a bit crowded in there? Look at the handsome Nathan...







Almost forgot those 3 young ladies on the carousel... 念恩、芷晴、倩晴。

SAL

Sifu Austin Lam (SAL)

Hi-Ya!

En Garde


紮馬


一星初段


準備





起踢
無影腳


Austin 踢 Goliath (真係高佢一倍0架)

Restless

We had another 1pm through 5pm (almost 5:30pm actually) kinda nap time today. Solar was very chatty and giggly after Sunday school today, for some reason.
Both of them were put to bed at our normal schedule or 8pm. It's almost 10pm now, but Christine is still trying to talk to me from upstairs. Boy Boy and Mom are already sound asleep.

Italy Won!
No, Da Da missed the entire game and didn't know the results until around 2pm in the afternoon.

Lauzone Hostage

We are taking hostage of a Lauzone today.

Around 11am

See the hoplessness in his blank stare...



Taped interrogation by the LauLau...
Camera man struggling physically with the guards behind camera ready to jump on to "welcome" the hostage; hence, the shaky footage.

Lunch Time

Pre-meal time propaganda photo. Flanked by the Deputy Warden.


Head Warden is NOT to be disturbed during chow time.


Hostage video during chow time. Footage narratted by 2nd Guard. Nobody can know what actually happened after the camera was suddenly blocked...



用過重刑之後

Poor 'ting, just passed out big time



Warden Checking out the 案卷 and putting on the 判官帽



Allowed to socialize with the Warden and the Deputy



Another Propaganda Pic after change of clothes. His smile proved that the Warden does abide by the Genevea Convention.



Our last video for the day (All abuse or incriminating footages edited out, showing only a busy Lauzone working around 2 sit-down officials)




All of the above images and videos captured by a simple outdated Canon S400

I want picture

This has never happened to da da.

Joyce was changing the compact flash card earlier and all of a sudden Alexander asked mommy to take a picture of him. He actually posed and smiled for the camera and everything.

Activity Table

Annie 契媽 and Austin 哥哥 stopped by an hour earlier to drop off a kiddy table for Chrissy and her brother. We couldn't wait to pose them up for a quick snap.


Yes, those are real food grease on her face.

妹妹：「多謝 Annie！」

Resemblance?

Boy Boy's ever-growing face. Not sure whom he resembles more nowadays. What's your take?
He does have the Lau's ears though, for sure.

1st Hike

Happy July 4th, everyone!

Solar went on his very first hiking trip at the Mariner's Ridge today. This is a quick snap at the beginning stages into the trail. See Nathan and his dad in the background.


Alexander preferring to have his sleeves rolled up as usual. He looked stiff because he was still learning to hold his balance on the loose dirt and the uneven ground.


Later on, we finally caught up with the main group which were about 20 minutes ahead of us. Da Da brought out something simple but filling. Solar enjoyed his banana while sitting or squatting on a piece of shallow rock.

All rubbish went to da da, new rule on eating out on the mountain ridge. Behind him was little Isaac spotting the lady bugs rummaging on the ground.


A quick group pic of all the kiddies. As usual, Solar was hidden somewhere in the background.
Weather was mild but a bit dusty at that spot where we took our break. Everyone was trying to squeeze their eyes shut to stop the dusts from entering. Isaac had his goggles on and continued to enjoy the snack, unlike everyone else.



With the horizon and some valley (probably Hawaii Kai) as background, Solar and dad had a photo op. Solar was still chewing his banana. Da Da carried the peels and rubbish in one of the pockets somewhere.


We finally reached a spot of return. Going any further would be too unpleasant since the terrains up are not suitable for kids. This was a group shot of everyone, da da was holding the camera.

Some credits...

Real Ironman and IronWoman
阿嫂 (lady in fluorescent pink Micky Mouse shirt carrying Aliana) and Jacky (gentleman on the leftmost with monk-cut hairstyle carrying a sunglasses-donning Isaac). They carried each of their kids all the way up and then all the way down. You don't see it here, but I think 阿嫂 was indeed carrying the backpack as well in the beginning ascend of the trail.

Almighty Shepherd
See the young man with his arm up holding a camera (ok, there is no way you can tell from the pic)? That's our 興哥 da Shepherd leading us all the way from the assembly point in Moilili to here. He printed extra maps for us so that we wouldn't get lost. As far as I know, everyone was accounted for. Right? BTW, Winnie and Johnny were the young 先峰隊 guiding us from the very front. They actually took the time to pre-screen the trail for us last Saturday. Big mahalo!

Hiking 信心之父
On the pic, the gentleman wearing a navy shirt with his hair unusually fluffed (due to outdoor mountainous conditions) is our own Spencer 執事 da Abe (Abraham). Despite the back-breaking experiences from last year's hike (we weren't there, but rumors had it that Spencer carried Michelle pretty much all the way on that more treacherous hike), Spencer came back to assure us that faith is indeed strong.

包抄隊長
Our cool-looking Stone sporting real jeans tailed us (Boy Boy and Da Da) all the way throughout the entire hike. He was so nice to watch over us like an angel just to make sure we were safe. Indeed, we finished the trip without a scratch. God Always Blesses the Lau's family through the so many angels among us. Amen!


All in all, Alexander had a great time. Da Da intended to let Alexander hike on his own as much as possible and Boy Boy performed quite admirably. Though Alex never declined to be carried, he stayed on his own feet all the time when Da Da asked him to walk. At most, Alexander was carried for a total of no more than 2 minutes with less than 20 seconds on each carry. He did slip a dozen times or so, but he was never injured. Alexander and Da Da were always the slowest tailing everyone (well, with uncle angel Stone behind us, of course), but as a first hiking experience for an almost 4-years young, it was quite impressive.

Before the start of the trip, we prayed together and asked God to watch over us. HE DID, indeed. Amen!