Malaysia: Cartoon time

We started off the New Year with another exciting initiative by Kill the Bill: Malaysian can draw cartoons for Academic Freedom at KLCC without police permit.

This was really interesting for us as we got to be up close and personal with some of the big names in cartooning in Malaysia, especially the more "controversial" ones like Zunar. It also exposed the Girl to all the different talents and art forms in cartooning.

Art: Make a Badge

My girl had a Girls Only Badge Maker for Christmas, so we decided to try it out one day.

It came with its own design sheets that you could cut out, but I decided to personalise it a bit by creating our own designs on the computer and print out in colour.

The badge diameter was a lot smaller than I'd expected, so I had to reduce my designs to fit. After 1-2 tries, we succeeded.

Malaysia: New Year Wishes

I love my country, and I do whatever I can to instill the same love into my children. Following the Bersih 2.0 rally in July 9, 2011, I've been participating in more citizen movements, such as Kill the Bill, to push for a better Malaysia.

For starters, we've been wearing yellow every Saturday since 709. And while I haven't exposed my kiddos to high-risk events (water cannons, tear gas and all), I do bring them for "safer" outings, just to instill love of country, teach them about standing up for their Constitutional rights, and allow them to join in the camaraderie of fellow countrymen who believe that this country is fighting for.

One such event was the LRT ride on New Year's eve. We were supposed to gather at the main station and head over to KLCC and spread some New Year's wishes to shoppers.

Onboard the train

Party: Ahoy Matey!

De nephew had a maritime-themed birthday party, and the kiddos and I got to help out with the decor — our first attempt at party decor, and what a splash it was!

Hand-painted anchor and ship's wheel and makeshift life buoy

We painted cardboard boxes to resemble crates

The photobooth assembled — a badminton net doubled as a fishing net 

Pirate hats and other props

Starfish for the special touch

She sells sea shells by the sea shore

A boat for extra effect

Personally designed and wrapped Polo sweets (substitute for LifeSavers)

Art: Batik fun

A beautiful traditional art form that is simple for kids to attempt is batik painting.

We had an arty birthday party for the Girl and her friends, and I bought several batik painting kits, which came complete with a wax-drawn design, paint brush and paint.

There are no hard and fast rules with this sort of painting, as any colour combinations blend well together tie-dyed style. Even my 3yo Boy, who hates colouring, did an impressive magenta piece of a parrot.
 

Was wondering what to do with the many finished masterpieces. In the end, decided to get them framed nicely and hung on our kitchen wall. They sure add a splash of vibrancy to our kitchen and a good way to preserve the kiddo's early artworks.

Shows: Tangled

So we watched Disney's Tangled today.

What's not to love about a fiesty damsel with beautiful long hair?

Overall, a much more entertaining watch than our last Disney cartoon, The Frog Princess. Although I was a little disturbed by the scene where the show's villain, Mother Goethel, sings eerily, "Mother knows best!"

While yes, Mother Goethel was a fake mommy, at best. And there is such a thing as parental abuse, where parents exert their authority to lie, manipulate and deceive their children. But to the typical young child in the audience, it might send the subliminal message that mommies do NOT know best.

As a mother of young children, I've always told my children to trust me to make decisions in their best interests, even if I cannot always explain every single factor of my decision. I may make mistakes, and I'll admit it when I do. But I believe that such trust is essential, especially in the early years.

Anyhow, the Girl was scribbling today and drew this picture.

At one glance, it doesn't seem much. Until I realised that she was drawing the lantern scene from the movie. Pretty abstract, but I like it!