Reminder to Self

This is just to remind me that no matter how tired I get with work, a big reward, literally and figuratively, is waiting for me (us) at home.

He Knows...

...the days of the weeks and that Saturday is a fun day because he gets to ride the car and mommy and daddy is with him the whole day.

...plenty of songs. He learned the national anthem (or parts of it) last summer, rain, rain go away, bahay kubo (the complete albeit bulol version), leron, leron sinta, you are my sun shine, don't cry little one (wait, is that the title?), and almost all of the songs in his CD.

...that when he's naughty, he needs to say sorry.

...to say excuse me and bless you (when somebody sneezes)

...how to drink his vitamins.

...how to share. He shares his food with Thomas and Teddy (his toys) and he even shares mommy's milk with them.

...daddy and mommy need to go to the office Mondays to Fridays. He bids us farewell in a most adorable and yet nakakaawa way.

I have tons of photos to post but no decent camera. Hay, wish the new digicam will get here soon enough.

Have a Happy Tuesday!

*all photos taken at Mcdo last Saturday, his favorite day of the week

Mommy Moments: I Love Books

As individuals, we've probably read thousands of titles each before getting married. Once married, I got to read most of his books, and he got to read mine.

It is one of our hopes that we'll get to raise a reader. I hope our son will also love scouring the shelves of bookstores, will get excited at book sales, will try to finish a good read standing in a book store, will exchange books with his classmates, and will bask in the scent of a new and prized book.

We hope we'll always have the means to support his love of reading. And we hope reading will teach him to imagine and explore and learn things not usually taught in the classroom.

At the photo is my son at 9 months.

Get to know more about Mommy Moments here. It's a lot of fun!

How to Survive without a Yaya

mommy, no yaya?

We’ve been officially yaya-less for close to 2 months now. It has not been a walk in the park, mind you, but it can be done.

Here are my realizations. We've been so tired that I'm surprised I have time to "realize" some things. =)

Okay, the minor setbacks first.
can you do it mommy?

Prepare to give up some snooze time. With a yaya: we’re mostly asleep by 9.30 pm. Now, the scenario is we get home around 8 pm. Eat dinner, then play with our son. We wait for him to sleep and now that his sleeping pattern has changed (why now????), he only gets to sleep at 10.30-11.30 pm. So, I can only wash his bottles, and do some minor cleaning when he’s asleep. His dad washes the dishes and hand washes his clothes while I wash his bottles. We sometimes get to sleep only for 5 hours.

House work is no easy task. This I know way before but things I’ve taken for granted, mahirap pala. I like to cook, but cleaning up afterwards is so tiring and it takes the fun out of cooking.

sorry mommy, i've been a naughty boy

Be ready to take the tot everywhere. With a yaya, we can eat while the yaya plays with him or holds him. We can sneak out a couple of times, too. We bring him along everywhere now. To errands, of course to the mall, and to the other house to clean. Come to think of it, this one isn't so bad.


The blessings in disguise.
As a parents, our time management skills are honed to the max. More so without a yaya. For minute things like getting a haircut or doing the grocery, we have to zip in and out of the aisles as fast as we can and for visits to the salon, which is close to nil, I sometimes have to ask the hairdresser for just the basic blow dry because it takes too long.

This is an opportunity to get to know my son better. At 2, he’s still not so terrible but he’s becoming a bit more difficult. Strong headed, and very, very playful. Before, I can hand over my son to his yaya when I can’t seem to take his antics anymore.

Energies renewed. No matter how tired we were at work, our energies have to be renewed/restored once we open the gate to the house because a little boy has been patiently waiting for our return home the whole day.

Respect for SAHMs. Ideally, I want to be a stay at home mom. Without a yaya now, I’ve gained a lot more respect for WAHMs and SAHMs. Sometimes, it’s easier and less tiring to be at the office than to stay at home.

We’ve learned to let go of the small things. Like we just need a clean house not a spotless one. And we’ve accepted toys will be around the house, on where we’ll sit, or even lie down, all-the-time.

i'll behave,mommy

In closing, I realized, after all the previous realizations above (hahaha), that we need an all round helper to keep us all sane, and to unload the housework from our shoulders. This way, we can focus our energy on watching, playing, running and talking with the toddler.

p.s.
Our prayers have just been answered. Our new helper will start on Friday.

Teaching Kids Compassion

I think the best way is still to lead by example.

We joined a friend in celebrating her birthday at Caritas Manila. It's not all for selfless reasons. I also want to spend time with friends. And at the same time, I figured it's a perfect opportunity to teach our son something.

Now, though at 2 years and 3 months old, might not be the best time yet, as Jared was mostly concerned with just eating the McDo fried chicken meal served for the kids instead of going around and playing with them. He also munched happily on the chocolate supposedly for the kids at the home.

He provided comic relief though by picking on the food while the prayer before meals is being said and keeps on saying “sayap”, yummy out loudly.

That time, he thinks the Caritas grounds is one big play area.

We might try again after a few years. I don't consider this a failure at teaching him compassion, at least, it was an introduction for him. The main feature would just have to wait.

For those who’d like to help, or for those who’d want to celebrate their birthday differently but meaningfully, please contact Ate Veron, the angel who looks after the kids.

They need medicines, diapers, clothes and food and a host of other supplies.

In Celebration of Breastfeeding Month

It's been 2 years and 3 months since I first nourished my son at my breast. He was given time to acquaint with mommy before being whisked away to be cleaned by the hospital staff.

It's been a personal choice. Even before I gave birth, I swore to myself I will try my darnest to give my milk to my son. Even if they said it will not be easy, especially in the first few days.

Well, easy it wasn't! I cried out of pain at first, then out of frustration at how little I can pump, then out of sheer pressure to myself that I want to purely breastfeed him.

Looking back, I know I couldn't have survived the early days without the support of family. I mean, I just have to feed my son,nothing else.

This year, it seems my son is not about to give up feeding from me totally. But it's alright. We will wean when he's ready.

Here, I just want to share a picture of my son thoroughly enjoying his meal. It helps to see how far we've gone in this wonderful, healthy journey.

*August is Breastfeeding Month*

Mommy Moments: Grocery Day

I have not attempted bringing Jared with me to go grocery shopping again after this episode last year (he was 19 months here) when he tried to stuff whatever we place in the cart in his mouth, or pretended he's arranging stuff on the shelves (think everything falling down on the floor), or trying to push the very heavy grocery cart.

Tummy Display

My son found a perfect playmate in Tisoy. He's not mean like the other kids are. I sometimes have to restrain myself at playgrounds because some kids would really push and shove and am even more pissed at the parents for not watching their kids and if they were, for not reprimanding them.

They played all afternoon last June, sharing toys, watching tv, looking at doors together, jumping and shouting.

I loved how the photos of them, both shirtless, turned out.

And Count He Does

He counts now from 1-20.Then in increments of 10, as in 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 then jumps to 8,000!

He knows 100, 300, 800, 1,000, 3,000 and 8,000 and shouts them out loud, sometimes randomly throughout the day.

Just a random note now than I'm still feeling a bit sick.

A Tub of Creamy Goodness

Oh my, oh my! For lunch recently, we strolled in a nearby mall and I’ve made a most wonderful and sweet discovery.

For those who love pastillas, the creamy, milky goodness is now in a tub.

Imagine not having to peel off the paper wrap? You can just stuff as much as your mouth can handle. =)This is actually less sweet as there is no sprinkling of sugar on top of every piece.

I couldn’t be happier. Each scoop takes me to heaven, then back again on earth to have another heaping spoonful of this ultimate dessert.

Sari Sari Sitsirya Stall ( in malls)
Special Pastillas De Leche
Big Tub: P180
Small Tub: P100

Of course I bought the big one.

And of course we ate it all before I can get a proper photo.

The View from Upside Down

Well, I've never watched TV this way. Must try soon. =)

My son has taken to watching certain parts of his favorite DVDs and TV shows upside down. That is his newest "difficult" word by the way.

Must give him a whole new perspective.

p.s. sorry baby for showing a pic of your butt. mommy just couldn't resist.

A Different Kind of High

Just today on the phone, I heard the sweetest sentence from my son. He said(with some prodding from my sister) "You're Best Mommy!" which in all probability means You're the Best Mommy!

It gave me a heady feeling and affirmation that I am doing an okey job as a mom.

(I know he isn't 100% sure of what he blurted out, but nevertheless, it brought me to mommyhood-high!)

At the Hospital Again

It's his second hospitalization this year and it was our choice to have him confined. He wasn't eating for about 48 hours, only taking sips of water and wasn't speaking. For someone who only stops talking or singing or shouting when he's asleep, that is disturbing.

Well, the cause was tonsilitis.

After 3 days at the hospital, the swelling in his throat is almost gone and he is one happy, hungry and talkative boy again.

I wish we can go home today.

Milo Marathon 2010

This is his second marathon, the first being at the Mommy Milkshake Marathon last 2008. This time though, we came as observers and not as participants.

We went around, cheered on some participants, and Jared gulped down 3 cups of free Milo. What a way to start the day.=)

Fascination with Thomas the Train

It all started with this shirt. Then came the DVD, which in my humble mommy opinion is so boring. The boy says otherwise though. He thinks the world of Thomas and his Friends, pretending our legs are bridges, our faces and hair (hello tangles!) railroad tracks. He can watch this the whole day, if we let him.

Now,mommy is off looking for great Thomas finds online. Gotta keep my little one happy.

A 20 year old Toy

My mom recently unearthed an old toy. Perhaps, this is the only remaining toy I had when I was a kid.

It's makes me a little nostalgic, seeing the blocks I played when I was about 2 1/2, the same age my son is now, being enjoyed by our baby.

Healthy Home Baked Muffin

For the past year, my son has been picky with food. He eats what he likes a lot, and often but isn't easy to coax him (or threaten or bribe) to eat new food.

So, when he gladly devoured the trail mix bar I brought home one day, I felt it's time to introduce healthy food to his diet again.

The original menu is here. I stuck close to the original but substituted/reduced some ingredients to make it healthier and the tweaked version is here:

Ingredients

* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup whole wheat flour- bought mine from Baker's Depot at Rob Manila
* 1 cup washed sugar- this is the one lighter than the brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons wheatgerm
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups shredded carrots
* 1 cup raisins- i love this
* 1 cup chopped walnuts
* 1 apple - peeled, cored and shredded
* 1 apple and 2 ripe bananas- blend until smooth
* 3 eggs
* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 18 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, wheatgerm and salt. Stir in the carrot, raisins, nuts, and chopped apple.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into the carrot/flour mixture, just until moistened. Stir in the blended apples and bananas. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

I'm so excited to try other new, healthy recipes. I cooked green pea soup a few weeks back but he sadly didn't like it. Can't blame him though, the color is a shocking avocado green. =)

I just don't let these failures in the kitchen front keep me from trying to prepare healthier stuff for him. It's the little success experiments that I celebrate.

So, here's to a healthier us!!!

Play Areas for Kids in Manila

Parks are scarce, not to mention too far from where we live, the mall is always crowded. So, where do we take the kid for some play time?

Mall of Asia San Miguel by the Bay
Peso Power: Free! There are temptations though like the hotdogs and taho being sold by vendors, Starbucks (but they open around 10 already, thereby missing the morning crowd), and fruitas and zagu stalls.

We don't really like taking Jared to the mall because he hates the noise level but thank you Mall of Asia for that strip of walkway by the bay. This is located at the back of MOA with a row of restaurants and hooray for kids and mommies, a play area at the center (there is also one at the far end, near Microtel and Dampa style restos and it is less frequented so all the better). If you are going here, better bring the kids early. We are usually there by 6 or 6.30 am. It gets pretty crowded by 7.30am and we're usually off to eat breakfast around this time. It is very, very crowded in the afternoons. It is breezy and cool around 8.30 pm though when we managed to stop by one evening.


Active Fun
Peso Power: P200 unlimited play, accompanying adult is free

Since we discovered this place, we keep a pair of socks in Jared's bag for we never know when our feet will bring us to this place again. It's along that strip of restos at the back of MOA. If you want to look for it, it's between Gilligan's and Starbucks. The size is just right so you'll know where your kids are at any time. Kids who love to run and climb will have a super time here. Plus pint is they allow food to be brought in.



Home Depot
Peso Power: Free

This one is a revelation. When our house was being renovated, we often visit the Home Depot along Alabang-Zapote Road. We always bring Jared with us. It's not really a place for kids but they were considerate enough to allot a small play area for the kiddos. There is a small slide and a toy car and the floor is padded.

McDonald's Play Area
peso Power: Usually P200 for our breakfast

I know, I know. The area must probably be less than spotless. But our son loves it here (McdO Alabang Town Center) where the play area is separate. This is a very busy outlet on weekends but the play area is actually a quiet spot (save for the happy chirps of the kids, which I don't consider as noise at all) where we can have a leisurely breakfast as we watch our son play. It's bigger than most play areas and cooler as well. We spend about 2 hours on a saturday or a Sunday here ans last last week, I actually saw a staff clean the slides.

Next time, I hope to bring the boy to Nuvali and to the UP Oval.

How Many Bags Does a 2 year old Have?

To repeat the title, just how many bags does a 2 year old have? or need?

Red bag on chair: a gift from his godmother. A nice, colorful cars backpack, small enough for him to carry. This was his school bag.

Blue, small bag on the floor (behind the green one): a Graco small bag we got for free when we bought his crib. Something we used for short trips from birth til one year old.

Green bag: Polo bag, not something originally for Jared but I liked the many compartments outside so we claimed this as ours already.=)

Red bag on the floor: a red messenger Jeep bag. Pretty roomy but no compartments. We bring this when we'll be out the whole day. A gift.

Black and White checkered bag: An RL duffel which we've had before Jared was born. Also a gift.

So, to answer my question... as many as the bags he's gifted with, or as many as mommy wants. haha.

In all his naked glory

The title just sounds so dramatic. Haha, but this is not the for adults only type.

Taken at the memorial park, All Soul's Day 2009. The heat must have gotten to our boy's nerves so he asked for his clothes to be taken off.

More pics here.

Brothers

My son has had this toy since he was about 6 months old. Today, he removed Teddy's jacket and we let his friend teddy wear something similar to his everyday outfit.

The result?

I'm in Love with a Younger Man

He makes me feel giddy
He makes me feel young
He makes me laugh
He knows just where to tickle me

I see things in a different light because of him
He teaches me new things
He brings out the best in me

I love waking up right next to him
He kisses me just because
and calls me pretty often

I'm in love with a younger man and he's none other than my son. =)