Baby Le Xin: Making Lemonade!

Remember in my Rubber Duckie post, I mentioned Le Xin was showing interest in lemonade when I showed her the duck song which was about a duck who went to a lemonade stand but asked for grapes?

Coincidentally, one of her Maisy Story Books - "Maisy Makes Lemonade" also features Maisy making lemonade together with her friend Eddy.

We also borrowed another book entitled "Dora's Summer Parade" during our weekend trip to the library. In this book, Dora had to collect lemons to make lemonade with her monkey Boots for the Summer Parade.

So after all the exposure about Lemonade, I have decided perhaps we should explore further by making our own Lemonade........hmmm sounds exciting right?

Yes indeed, let's take a look at our learning experience...

All ready, let's get started!

Mummy T2X was showing Le Xin how to cut the Lemonade, notice how she placed her hands at the back, she knew that a knife is a dangerous object because I keep emphatising it to her each time I cook with her :)

Le Xin observing the inner part of a lemon

Yeah, I can squeeze the lemon now said Le Xin

Mummy why cannot, lemonade stucked? asked Le Xin as she tried very hard to squeeze the lemon. I had to remind her a few times that she was handling a lemon and not lemonade haha :)

Mummy suggested to Le Xin that she should try with both hands.

Yeah, Mummy you see can already replied Le Xin

Well done my darling girl, it looks nice and good!

Let me smell said Le Xin and she placed the lemon near to her nose.

After this, whose's turn? asked Le Xin

Daddy Scott of course!

Le Xin observing how her Daddy squeezed the lemon

Daddy Scott wanted to guide Le Xin but.....

She kept insisting I can do it I can do it!

Okay now is your turn Daddy said Le Xin

It didn't take too long and soon Le Xin wanted to take over again!

However, Daddy Scott decided he wanted to play "I know how to do it better than you" and kept wanting to show Le Xin how to do it :p

Whahhaha so she gave up in the end and decided it's better to let Daddy Scott "show off" and be the hero of the day :p (just kidding)

Mummy you want to try too?

I hope this lemon is as sweet as you my darling girl but soon you will find out *evil smile*.....

Ohh noooooo what are we going to do with this?

First pour the juice into a pitcher using a beaker.... but wait...did I forget something?

Ohh ya my sieve, but it seems like I will be taking forever to do this......

Mummy please hold my sieve for me while I pour in the juice directly....

Cool and steady right?

Yeah the juice is dripping and all the pulp is not in the pitcher hooray!

Next, let's add some ice!

Toping it up with water...

Let me scoop some sugar too....

There you go.......

Now stir....

Hooray! Finally I could taste my own lemonade, tasting it for the first time in my life...excited!

Ewww......felt so cheated! I was not told that lemonade is soooo sour! Sobz...disappointed :(

Mummy T2X was really mean because she was laughing at a corner when she saw this!

Alright we have come to the end of the post......time to reflect again!

I recalled about 9 years ago when I was studying for my Diploma in Preschool Education Teaching, my lecturers like to emphasize to us the importance of offering hands on experiences when teaching young children. Back then, I didn't think too much about what they said. However, as I reflect upon this post now, it has made me realised just how true their statements were!

Seriously, I would like to carry out this activity with my students too but I know things will not be the same. Firstly, time will be a big factor I need to consider, secondly would be ratio so I often wonder to myself....... just how feasible/enjoyable it would be to do such activity with 15 or more children?

Nonetheless, I know in my heart, it is possible because I have seen it with my own eyes before. I was inspired to do this activity with my daughter because of one of my best friend cum ex-colleague has ever did it with her students in one of the child care that I worked in. She didn't make lemonade, I think she made Calamansi instead.

Back then I could see her passion in engaging the children each week with cookery lesson, and let me tell you those sessions were tetious and back breaking. Firstly, she had to ensure that all her students were involved in the process. She will sometimes motivate the children by getting them to contribute the ingredients which I thought was really cool but what inspired me the most is that, despite having to do what most people dread to do because we know it's not easy to cook with more than 10 children in the class without an assistant to help - She just did it without any complaints!

Well......maybe some teachers who looked at her might wonder......why do you have to go through soooo much hard work, is it even worth it?

I guess it's all for the sake of exchanging the excitment, laughters and smiles from the children as well as gaining the job satisfaction when you witnessed and observed just how much one could learn from such involvement - not just the children but the teacher too and I believe that is the most rewarding part.

This is also the reason why I keep telling myself if I can offer this to my students in the past, I MUST do it with Le Xin and now reminding myself again if I can do it with Le Xin I SHOULD do it with my students now too!

Nonetheless, I really wish to thank my precious baby! She was extremely cooperative throughout the whole process which helped to make the learning experience so enjoyable and successful. Even though the lemonade didn't turn out to be what you expected it to be, I hope you enjoyed making the drink with me :) Thank you Le Xin!

Alright, and thank you to that someone who inspired me......yeah you know who you are! Don't forget to continue to make an impact in the lives of young children because you just do not know who is looking at you and how you can be an inspiration to others which will in turn benefit more children!

Leaving you with a powerful photo which will speak to you! I hope it does......