Trying to Convert

Like you, I might be as guilty as the other millions of mums (or dads), who post their kids' photos on social media. It started with Friendster. I was so happy and impressed with the idea that I can already show photos of the latest events in my life. It didn't help that Facebook came into the picture. When it came, as others put it, the rest was history! Every event, every new thing, everything...share, share, share. I think it became worse when I had my kids! As a proud mum to two beautiful children, I can't help but feel the "need" to share their achievements, craziness and a whole lot of other stuff. This until I came upon this article:

There were some powerful words that struck me as a parent and made me think about my social media habits.

Here are some:

"The problem is that Facebook is only one site. With every status update, YouTube video, and birthday blog post, Kate’s parents are preventing her from any hope of future anonymity."

"But they’re essentially robbing her of a digital adulthood that’s free of bias and presupposition. "

One of the reasons why I post their pictures on my account, aside from the one I stated above, is the fact that I want to share it too with their grandparents, uncles and aunties based in Manila. But the article made me think because it does make sense. Now, when we gather with family and friends for an occasion, my son gets surprised when people greet him for a recent award he got or for a recent event that happened at school or at home. People are starting to create an impression of my children of how they are, their attitude and behavior based on what I post on my account. And if my kids suddenly get temper tantrums or acts differently from the image they have created in their minds, our family and friends get shocked. This I think is unfair for my kids. I feel people are putting them in a box, when they are actually circles, as a result of the posts I have made. This, in addition to the effects stated in the article. 

At this time, I am trying to convert. I have discussed this with my husband and he was very much agreeable to it, after all, he is one of the few who has decided not to create a Facebook account up to this very day! Will this mean no more photos posted and shared? Not really. Hubby and I agreed to continue to share family photos but no more specific albums done for the children. No more picture tags and will try my best to lessen what I'm sharing, yes that includes the status updates involving my kids. Thinking about it, some special moments at home have lost its magic because I shared them with the "whole world."

I hope it's not yet too late to start again and protect the identity of my children. 

Best Rewards

Hi Kuya!

I can't wait for you to turn six as I have found myself really inspired to write your second letter for the year, today.

This week has been a great week for you. Wait, let me change that. This year has been a great year for you, don't you think?

This year, you started with Kindy and you have proven how clever you are! You have excelled academically. You brought home a lot of certificates and awards this year as a reward for all your hardwork. This has made me and Papa really proud and thankful. The school year is almost over yet you still surprise us with something almost every week! My heart leaped for joy when you handed our invites yesterday and yes, I am looking forward to attending our very first Presentation Assembly next week.

You have also excelled in sports. Your tennis skills have improved a lot. You can now rally with your coach and your tennis grade continues to improve each term. You have won first place in your Athletic's carnival for the 100m event. You have succeeded in passing your practicals for your swimming lessons and you are due to move up the next level next term.

This year, you have started attending a Music tuition. This morning, after watching you and the rest of the students perform for your year-end Christmas concert cum recital, I was again very happy and proud when they chose you among the seven recipients of the Outstanding Effort award from all the students from K-2. You have proven that you can also excel on that area.

Well rounded? Very much!

This week alone, I have been overwhelmed with that happy feeling because of all these achievements. I feel elated! But like what Papa and Mama always tell you, these awards are just bonuses. It's more important that you have done your best, tried again when you failed, learned from your mistakes and enjoyed yourself.

But you know what son, what makes us prouder are stories about you that proves what kind of a person you are.

Story 1. We attended Mindy and Molly's birthday party and you met a new Tito (sorry Mama forgot his name!). Tito was in-charge of balloon twisting and because you were amazed as to how he can make a lot just by twisting balloons, you decided to stay with him, observe him and share stories with him. When we were about to go home, Tito told Mama that you are such a beautiful kid. "Liam is very polite and well-mannered." Hearing that from a new acquaintance was music to our ears. I was very proud of you son!

Story 2. Mama promised to make it up to you as soon as I'm done with all my teaching blocks. The first day I brought you back to school, a fellow parent comes up to me and introduces herself. She tells me she's the Mum of one of your best mates. She tells me about how her son adores you and how her son has never forgotten your act of kindness. Your mate didn't have a hat so he was not allowed to play in the field during lunch (No Hat, No Play policy of the school!). He just stayed in the silver seats with no one to play with. Then here comes you. You left all your other friends in the field and stayed with your mate so he will have someone to play with! No one asked you to do that, not even your mate!  When I told you the story when we got home, you said, you can't remember it. Well, it proves that you really have a good heart! It may mean nothing for you, but for your friend, it did and he will forever remember it, anak!

These stories are the real rewards, anak. These are the best rewards for me and Papa!


God has given you everything that we have prayed for. It is only our prayer that you continue to grow up with a good heart and use everything that He has given you for His greater glory!

We are proud of you anak!

Keep up the good work!

Papa and Mama (and yes, Sammie too!) are here for you, all the time!

We love you to bits, Bits!

What makes me happier now is that you can now read all the letters I have been writing for you every year :-)

Love,

Mama

Tidbits on Parenting :-)

Yogies has a new way of informing us parents of the activities our kid/s did while under their care. They now e-mail it to us aside from the usual report posted on their board at school. Because of this, I get to read it ahead of time, even before I pick up Sam. I usually use their school activities as one of our points of conversation at night.

Yesterday, while giving her a bath, I told her that I saw that they learnt about the number 7 in school and that they chose a colour to paint their own number 7. This was how our conversation went:

Mama: I saw you had number seven today. Did you paint it?

Sam: Yes.

Mama: What colour did you choose?

Sam: Orange.

Mama: So, orange was your number?

Sam: (no break or pause) Orange is not a number!

Mama: (surprised but happy) Why, what is orange?

Sam: It's a colour! Funny Mama!

The other day, after she went to the toilet, I assisted her in putting on her panties:

Mama: O, come here na, put your leg here.

Sam: Yes, your majesty! (bowing to me before putting her leg on one of the holes)

I was just surprised because I think it was the first time I heard her use "majesty" on her own and in a correct context that it.

Truly, as soon as the kids hit 2, there's no stopping them from learning and using a lot of words! 

Last Monday, I attended a Staff Development Day in one of the schools I work for and we discussed about the different special learning needs/difficulties of students/kids. It was another opportunity for me to revisit my previous learnings being a Special Education major and to also update myself of the recent developments in the field. I am just thankful because admittedly, all these information I get are put to use not only inside my classroom but at home as well. I've been getting a lot of helpful tips and approaches waaaay back, and it did seem to work! :-) I shared the highlights of my day to hubby as he was eating dinner (isn't it awesome I get to share this kind of things with hubby?!) and I can't help but tell him that as I was listening to the speaker that day, I can't help but  be thankful that my kids are doing okay, especially after discussing the cases we had earlier that day. Fine, if before, I wanted my kids to be identified as "gifted" (yeah, right!) I am now VERY THANKFUL of what they have. Yes, they might not be super duper bright, but they're okay-- no special cases mentally even emotionally. They are coping, they are learning and they are enjoying. No red flags whatsoever. For that alone, I am very thankful.

Speaking of tips, I just wanted to share about one tip I heard (or was it read?) before...it's about kids being "stuck." Kids usually cry when they don't get what they want or we start losing it when we want them to do something and they don't follow us straight away. It now becomes a battle. The reason why they don't want to follow is not really because they want to test our patience or just wants to be stubborn. They are actually "stuck" on what they are doing and are not yet ready to move on to the next activity. We usually expect too much from our kids.If as adults, we can quickly change our focus and move on to the next activity, kids, especially toddlers are quite different. Sam is quite different from her Kuya in the sense that if she's doing something you cannot just interrupt her. Before, I used to get mad at her. Yes, big drama! But after reading this very helpful article, I tried it on her, and what do you know? It worked! It worked wonders. Example, we already need to leave the house and she is still busy playing in her room, I will tell her we need to go, she doesn't move or listen to me. Then I will tell her I'll give her 5 minutes and yes after that five minutes, she stands up by herself and is all set to go. The same thing happened when we're in the shops and she's playing with those kiddie rides. There was one occasion when I had to use the timer of my mobile because she really loved the Sesame St. ride. But still, no dramas. So when I see hubby being the one in-charge of Sammie and is slowly starting to lose it, I take over and give my Sam a time to get "unstucked." 

***

Liam brought home a note yesterday from his school about their forthcoming excursion. He is one very excited boy. Can't help but tell him the story when I was in elementary that there were times (a lot actually) when I was't able to join the excursion because we didn't have money to pay for it. I'd stay at home when almost all my classmates went on a field trip. As if it's not enough. everyone is expected to talk about it the following day, well, leaving me clueless. I remember in fifth grade, they went to Science Centrum. The following day, the teacher gave a quiz about the trip, without even considering people like me who were not able to join the trip :( I got of course a very low score on that quiz. Bagsak. And it wasn't good because I was running for honours. Anyway, I told Liam, Papa and I still need to discuss it because we need to see if we have money to pay for his excursion. Oh that look on his face! He's afraid of missing out the chance to ride on the bus and learning and being "independent" if ever we decide not to let him join. Of course, I was just testing him hehehe. But I just wanted to let him realize how lucky he is because we can now afford to let him join excursions like this.  

***

During our recent trip to Canberra/Snowy we chanced upon Australian National University and shared to Liam that it's one of the best universities in Australia and that we hope he and his sister gets to be accepted there when they go to Uni. We told them that Papa and Mama went into one of the best Uni schools in the Philippines -- one of the reasons why we have good jobs and we have a good life now. Liam was listening and trying to digest everything when Alvin suddenly told me:

Alvin: But Mama, when they go there, it means that they have to stay there while studying. They'll leave our home.

Me: Papa, isn't that our responsibility? We have to be ready for that day. We should ensure that our kids will have a good future, right? So if it means we have to let go of them, then by all means. We cannot just stop them from working for a good (or better) life in the future, right?

Alvin just kept quiet because we both know, I have a point. That time will come when both our kids will be ready to spread their wings and we cannot do anything about it, but just support them. Tough love...tough love indeed.

***

"They're growing up too fast, don't blink."

How Sammie Loves Her Kuya

My two kids have a typical sibling relationship.

They fight.

They argue.

They fight for the same toy, same gadget.

They sometimes think we are favoring one over the other.

They complain about each other.

They tell in on each other.

BUT, on their unguarded moments, we are assured that they love one another.

On this blog, I will focus on how Sam shows her love for her big brother, Liam.

THE KISS.

You should see her cry and tell in on her Kuya, when she asks for a kiss from him, and he declines! Hahaha As in i-wre-wrestling niya ang Kuya niya, para lang ma-kiss niya si Liam. Pag nagpumiglas kuya niya, iiyak at magsusumbong sa amin ng Papa niya.

At school, when Liam does not want to kiss her, she tells me she's sad because "Tuya, didn't kiss me."

When Liam tries to trick her and just kisses her on the forehead or cheeks, Sam is still not happy. Magsusumbong pa rin.

THE FOOD.

Everytime we have something new, she'd reserve one piece for her Kuya.

One time, I gave her 3 pieces of Pringles just before picking up Liam from school. She ate two. I asked her why she wasn't eating the last piece. She said she was going to give it to her Kuya. Well, it took a long time for the bell to ring, and she probably got hungry, so she ended up eating it as well (bagsak sa marshmallow test!)...Oh well, at least the thought was there hehehe

THE LIBRARY

Whenever we have our dates at the Library, the first thing she does is look at what DVD she can borrow for her Kuya. Ben 10, Transformers or Avengers. As soon as she gets hold of it, she gives it to me and tells me, it's for her Kuya. She also borrows books for him. This morning, on our way home, she just asked me, "Mama, did we put Kuya's DVD or book in the bag?" I said yes. I was the one who checked out all the items. This was the reply that I got: "Oh okay. I thought you forgot. We have to go back to the library or Kuya will be sad."

THE MUSIC

Whether we are in the car or shops or even at home, when she hears the songs Liam usually sings being played on the radio, she stops and tells me "Mama, listen, it's Kuya's favourite!"

RANDOM MOMENTS

When Kuya is sick. When she sees him crying. She doesn't think twice of cuddling her Kuya or hagudin ng maayos ang likod.

I won't deny -- I'm happy when I see these things happen right before my very eyes.

Kapag makulit silang dalawa at away ng away, sinasabihan ko ibibigay ko na sila sa different families. Ayun, bati agad.

I know that we still have a long way to go, their relationship as siblings will still have a long way to go, but for now, I think that everything is on the right track :)

Time First, Time Out!

The last two weeks have been really bad for us, health wise. 

Yes, I was just asking Winter to be good to us, but no, I think she didn't have second thoughts of having us feel her arrival!

Strike One: Sam got the bug early last week. I had to ask permission to work on half day Monday, even if I didn't feel comfortable about it. Hey, my work is relieving someone who is away, so you understand why I can't be away. Anyway, her fever subsided but still had to stay home Wednesday because her tummy was still upset. In effect, I had to cancel my advanced booking for Wednesday.

Strike Two: I got an eye injury. Wednesday afternoon Sam accidentally injured my left eye, leaving me with no choice but to cancel my booking again on Thursday and Friday. It was impossible for me to work. First, the eye patch hindered me from doing my usual activities like driving. Second, the doctor told me so. Third, I was so nauseous, it reminded me why I don't want to get pregnant again! Kidding aside, it was painful and it was hard (especially for a person like me who is always on the go). In effect, we were not able to do much during the long weekend.

Strike Three: Liam got the bug as well. He showed signs as early as Saturday, but it was only yesterday when he actually felt it. Talk about bad timing. I know I wasn't giving the school a good impression when I kept on cancelling my bookings, but what can I do? Yesterday, I was called in AT WORK, 30 minutes before dismissal to collect my son. I knew I had to drop everything and leave because it was what everyone was expecting me to do. But yesterday was a big dilemma for me. With all the cancellations I made last week, I didn't have the guts to ask permission if I can do undertime again because of an emergency. I asked and pleaded to my son's school if they can keep him just until I finish my work. Initially,  they agreed, but after fifteen minutes, the phone came ringing again. Imagine the torture I had to deal with yesterday. After the second call, I knew I had to face it full on, gather all my guts and ask permission again :(

Bonus: When I came to collect Liam, I was treated coldly by the school secretary. Even if she didn't utter a word, she made me feel like I'm a bad mum. That smirk on her face was just, arrrgh. Worse, before they released Liam to me, I had to endure being "lectured" by the school principal about having to organise people who can collect my son in cases like what happened yesterday AND about not having to let my son wait for a long time. I tried to explain where I was coming from -- the dilemma I had --but I was cut and the words that were uttered after that, were for me, a bit rude.

So yesterday was just horrible. Yes, I felt horrible emotionally. I felt so weak, physically. I actually haven't fully recovered from my eye injury as my head still had throbbing pains while I was at work, but I had to make a sacrifice just as so I will not jeopardise my work. I didn't lose it especially after the last straw: I had to again ring the school to cancel work, to inform them that my son is not able to go to school today and I need to stay with him.

Depressing, right?

I just had to laugh it off last night. Let go, let God.

Where was hubby, you ask? He was there all throughout, giving me the emotional support that I needed. He was my shock absorber. Siya inaway ko at sinungitan ko, big time. But he let me. He took it calmly and was ready to listen to my long story and rants. Knowing him, if only his office was much nearer and he hasn't just started with the new position, I'm pretty sure, he'd be the first one to volunteer on other days, just to give me a break. Oh well. Thankful he chose his battle hehehe ;)

Sending  a LONG EMAIL to the school principal informing them that I was disappointed as to how the case was handled and receiving a phone call this morning giving an apology made things a lot better.

Liam is on the road to recovery (pwera USOG!) and hopefully, this is the last straw of unfortunate events as home.

Lord, time first muna. Please?

De-stressing

I have been under a lot of stress lately and this is why I am writing.

As you very well know, this is my avenue to de-stress :)

***

When Alvin and I attended our Marriage Enrichment Retreat last March, one part was to make an action plan for our family. Since the two of us are admittedly lazy when it comes to praying the rosary, we set a goal of having a family rosary every Sunday night.

We were faithful to it until last Sunday, when Liam was getting unreasonable again (his way of telling us he's tired and sleepy) I told him that he can lead our Rosary. And what do you know, it made him excited and happy! Yes, he already knows his Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be since turned four and I won't deny that I'm happy with it. So last Sunday, he led our family rosary, me helping him out with the Apostles' Creed and the Fatima prayer. Teaching him as well how to use the rosary. I think he enjoyed his role too much because come Monday night, he was the one who initiated our family rosary! Uh-oh hahaha So kaming 2 matanda, na tamad, tinanong pa ulit kung gusto talaga niyang mag  rosary, OO, ang sabi. To make the long story short, we have been praying the rosary since Sunday night, all because of the enthusiasm of this little boy :)

***

Last Friday, during our usual HHPM, one of our brothers shared something inspiring and made me realize about how we are raising our kids.We have been praying that both our kids grow up to be loving, respectful, responsible, God fearing and God-loving individuals, among others, but never mentioned about being resilient.

Alvin and I realized that indeed the two of them are more privileged compared to us, when we were growing up. They are given a lot of comfort and they are not exposed to the hardships me and their Papa experienced while growing up. Let's admit it, living a very comfortable life has its disadvantages.

Aside from including them growing up to be resilient now in our prayers, we are also forming their young minds to realize, that if they are faced with problems or the people around them who they thought they can depend on, have failed them or disappointed them, there will always be that PERSON, who will be with them, no matter what the circumstances are. That they can always RELY on HIM. Hopefully, we can lay down a strong foundation so that when the time comes when they feel alone or really hopeless, SA KANYA lang sila LALAPIT, that their FAITH will pull them through the rough seas...and not to resort to bad and sad ideas (e.g. suicide).

***

I was able to finally finish fixing the "name" problem I had, which was accidentally discovered when I was about to sit for my Citizenship Exam. I'll have my exam this week and hopefully, everything, including my documents, will be cleared! Happy I'm done with it. I can now focus my energy in my accreditation with the NSW IT. For the meantime, I'm off to my me-time which I have long delayed! I'm off to pamper myself and recharge so I can continue working (with a sane mind) with my accreditation requirements!

Goodbye, Nappies!

Our little girl is now fully toilet trained!

Yipee!

I'm a happy mum because we get to save now on buying nappies and wipes.

I'm a proud mum because she's just 27 months! :) Still early as compared to other kids her age, right?

I took it upon myself to toilet train her because first, Alvin was the one who toilet trained our son, Liam (well, 3/4 of the credit goes to him). Liam was toilet trained at around 28-30 months. It's still early as compared to kids of the same age.

Second, it's very understandable that I do the toilet training with Sammie, because she is a girl.

Third, I knew it wasn't impossible to toilet train her even at a young age.

When she started talking, I took it as a sign.

At 18 months, I started training her when it came to pooing. It's the easiest part for me. The second phase was when she needed to pee. There were accidents -- added work for me, since it was mostly on the carpet, and she got used to saying "pupu" even if she only wanted to pee. Patience was tested hehehe.

By the time she was almost two and we had to fly to SG and Manila, I was very thankful she was already toilet trained at daytime. You see during our flights, I didn't have the dilemma of cleaning her up and changing her soiled nappy on the plane, because she did all her poo-ing in the toilet :) Sometimes, I'd get so dizzy inside the toilet while we experienced some turbulence hahaha. There were times I'd hurry to bring her to the toilet because she kept on saying she needed to poo when what she needed to do was just pee. I admit, there were times in the flight when I wished she'd just pee on her nappy! hahaha We just put on her nappy as a back up :)

The hardest part for me was the night nappies. I was ready to wait. You really can't force the kids. It might be harder for me (and more work) in the long run especially if she just ends up wetting our bed every night. We started bringing her to the toilet before bed time and as soon as she woke up in the morning. Earlier this month, we have observed that there were days when her night nappies wasn't wet at all. We took it as a sign that she might be ready to end nappy wearing. But still, we didn't force her. We might be lucky, because earlier this week, after we put on her nappy, she started to get irritated and told us straight away, "Mama, I don't like to wear nappy." Alvin and I looked at one another, checking if we are ready for it. We asked her again and she stood her ground, no nappy that night.

And the rest, as they say is history.

I am not taking all the credit. It was a team effort for both me and Alvin. So thank you too, Papa A!

Now, because I am a hoarder, I have two big bags of nappy pants in stock at home and two opened bags of nappy we were trying to finish before that big day. At this point, we don't know what to do with all of it! hehehe :)

the two bags of nappy pants

Now that she's fully toilet trained, I am now moving on to another task...how to wean her from breastfeeding! O-o that is another story :)

Congratulations, anak! Job well done!

As a reward and because we get to save now on nappy and wipes, we bought her Peppa Pig DVD and Peppa Pig shirt, which is now her current favourite ;)

happy with rewards

I Did It!

I did it!

Surprisingly, I did.

I thought I wasn't ready for it, I thought we weren't ready for it.

Guess I was wrong.

It was another first for both me (Alvin , too!) and my son, Liam.

As mentioned in my previous post, I decided not to join the rest of my family in the Melbourne, but my son still did. Even if we tried to persuade him up until Wednesday of last week, well, there was really no changing his mind.

Alvin asked me to talk to him Wednesday evening, but at that time, and seeing how eager and excited Liam was for the trip, I felt, we should give it a go. I will miss him, definitely, but I felt it was unfair for him not to go for that reason alone, and because his younger sister didn't want him to join. I just don't want him harboring bad feelings toward his sister, for you know, being a KJ. And it was a chance for him to, hopefully, miss us! hahaha

By Thursday lunch, I was making all the habilins na -- you pray before you sleep, put your dirty clothes in the plastic bags I put inside your luggage, wear your dog tag (withh is address on it), always hold the hand of an adult, drink your vitamins, be a good boy, suncreen and sunnies, hala, the habilins just came! I wonder if he remembered all of it!

I was okay with it. But Thursday night, and probably Liam already realized that it will be the longest time he will be away from us, started crying. Not the crying na atungal, he was just lying down and then he started to sniff and tried to remove the tears from his eyes, without making a big fuss.

That did it for me :( Umiyak din ako :(

The "crying part" didn't even last for 10 minutes hehe. We were both okay. He just asked me to sleep beside him that night and hold his hand.

They left early Friday morning. Sam as soon as she woke up, looked for Liam. I thought she would cry when I told her they already left for Melbourne, but to my relief, she was okay with it. She just kept on telling me every time we go out that we already pick up her brother.

Now, back to my story, my sister-in-law gave me updates every 3 hours hahaha even if I didn't ask for it. Anyway, I called to check up on him and the second time I called, my son already told me, "Just be cool Mum."

Hala! hahaha

So from that time on, I stopped myself from texting and even calling him.

My only relief was seeing his pictures in FB. My Kuya Jay knows me too well because as soon as they started to go places, he took Liam's picture and tagged me straight away in my FB account. That is not my Kuya Jay, but probably he loves me hehehe that's why he did it :)

The four days came quickly and I was an excited mum by Tuesday because they were to arrive around 6pm at our home.

When they arrived I asked my Mum and my siblings how Liam was, and they said they didn't have any problems.

Although during their second night, my sister told me that probably he had a bad dream, because he awoke in the middle of the night and asked her if he can go home already. My sister had to explain to him that it was not possible. Anyway, he didn't cry or anything, he just asked my sister to sleep beside him and hold his hand. End of story.

I was surprised because I didn't become super affected or super sad with him not being around. You know, the feeling as if your world has stopped revolving. Bumaha ng luha or the like. Maybe because I was able to prepare myself mentally and emotionally, and maybe because I still had Sammie. It will be unfair for her if I just sulk, right? I was missing him but I wasn't sad.

And at the end of the day, seeing and hearing him tell us that he really enjoyed and had fun, was more than enough :)

This experience proved that I can really be a tough Mum and that my son  has proven that he can be independent. More than being lonely, I was actually happy and proud of what we have both realized and achieved thru this experience.

As my friend described this experience, "maaga bumitiw sa palda ng nanay...ihanda mo na ang puso mo!"  

Yes, that is what I am definitely doing, because I know that this is just the start, the beginning of many adventures, experiences and choices my son will be making, without me--without us.

So help him God :D

Here are some of the pictures he had during his Melbourne trip:

at the 12 Apostles, St. Patrick's Cathedral, aboard the tram
and at Melbourne Park with his Lolo Jorge

at the Australian Open!
(lucky kid tsk tsk tsk)

more pics at the Australian Open

Sam is Turning Two

Dear Sammie,

Time flies indeed!

I can't believe you will already be two years old  in a few days' time.It  has now been two years, since your birth completed our family, having being given already a boy, oh how we prayed and wished that our second one will be a girl, and it was granted! :) Right from the start, you have been an answered prayer.

I am a proud mum because like your Kuya Liam, you seem to be an early achiever. You continue to amaze us with your little achievements. From the simple "Mama, Papa" to saying sentences now! You can count from 1-10 in order both in English and in Spanish (thanks to Dora!).

You and your Kuya may be similar in some ways but as each day passes, we are convinced that you are becoming a totally different individual, truly unique on your own.

You are one very clever girl. Ang bilis ng pick-up mo, anak. Natuwa and namangha ako nung nasa Gymbaroo tayo last week. We used a scarf at the first session, you seeing it and manipulating for less than five minutes. And come parachute time, you impressed me when you showed me that you remembered the scarf we used earlier. You didn't stop until you saw it. And come pack up time, the teacher only told the instructions once and you were able to follow it, putting the scarf on white basket and your nameplate on the brown one. Galing! :) Sa tingin ko, sa tingin ko lang ha, di ka uber talino, pero you are street-smart. You use your common sense.

Isa kang kikay. Sabi nila mana ka daw sa akin. Hmmm. Di naman masyado hehehe. HIndi naman ako super kikay anak :) Mahilig ka s mga ipit, pero ayaw mong gamitin kasi nasasaktan ka pag nilalagay ko, sensya na anak, mabigat yung kamay ni Mama wehehe. Mahilig ka rin sa mga kolerete. Yung bagong accessory ko, inangkin mo na! Talagang ayaw mo pang ipahiram sa akin! hehehe

Matalinong bata ka, hindi dahil sa anak kita, pero dahil sa mga ginagawa at pinapakita mo. Baka mas maaga ka pang magbasa kesa sa kuya mo. Nakikita ko na ikaw yung tipong gustong nacha-challenge! Kaya mong ipaglaban yung gusto mo. Ngayon pa lang nagtatalo na tayo sa isusuot mo na damit e! Talagang kapag may napili ka na, wala ng makapagpapabago ng isip mo. Di ka na namin mauto ng Papa mo! hehehe :) Barely at two, you already know what you want, especially with clothes and shoes. You know what shows you like to watch, books to read or borrow from the Lib and toys to play. No one can force you. I think that is a good trait anak.

May pagka-OC ka rin. Ngayon pa lang nakikita ko na hahaha. Di lang ako, witness ko si Tita Ellen. Nung minsan nasa bahay nila tayo, pag-gising mo, nakita mo na ang mga sapatos namin e nasa may bandang pintuan, tinanggal mo rin yung sapatos mo at binitbit papunta sa pintuan. Natameme kami pareho ni Tita Ellen mo, kasi walang nagsabi sa iyo na gawin iyon. Ganun ka din sa bahay. Pag nakita mong nakakalat ang sapatos ng Kuya at Papa, sasabihan mo na ilagay sa "Harry Potter"...naku salamat naman! hahaha :) Pati pagkatapos kumain, kahit hindi pa nahugasan, nagpa-pack away ka na! Aprub! hehehe

Kaya mo na rin kumain mag-isa. Oo, madalas, makalat pa rin, pero pasalamat na rin ako kasi independent ka na. Natuto na rin ako na hayaan kang magdungis at tsaka na lang ako maglilinis pagkatapos mong kumain. Nagugulat ang mga nakakakita sa iyo, katulad na lang nung Lunes na nakita ka ng Lolo Romy and Lola Nida. Bilib sila sa iyo anak!

Wala ka pang two, toilet trained ka na! Galing! Kailangan namin tyagain ni Papa at maging pasensyoso sa mga oras na di umabot sa banyo, pero ok lang :) pwede ka ng di mag-nappy sa maghapon! Pero dahil segurista kami, pag nasa labas, nappy muna anak hehehe Pero galing mo, kasi kahit nasa labas tayo, nagsasabi ka na. Tuwa nga teachers mo sa Yogies, kasi wala ka pa ngang two. Samantalang yung ibang bata daw sa Yogies, 2 1/2 na nappy kids pa rin. Sa gabi rin, naka-nappy ka pa, pero pag check ko sa umaga, walang bakas na umihi ka habang tulog. Feeling ko kaya na rin na walang nappy sa gabi, pero di ko muna sasagarin and swerte ko hehehe.

Eto pa ang isa, kaya mo na matulog mag-isa sa kama! Ikaw na nga gumagamit ng kama ng Kuya Liam mo e! Pagkatapos mo magdede kay Mama, pwede ka na namin iwanan mag-isa at ikaw na mismo ang matutulog or magpapatulog sa sarili mo. Syempre, di naman yun araw araw. May mga araw na naglalambing ka sa Papa mo at gusto mo katabi mo siya hanggang makatulog ka. O minsan naman, ang type mo katabi muna, e ako. Yun lang, dapat maganda ang gising mo, kung hindi, ay sus, napakasungit mo.

May topak ka rin daw sabi ng tatay mo hehehe. Minsan nakakatawa ang mga trip mo lalo na pag naglalaro. Galing mo mamilit ng kalaro! "SLeep!" at kailangan nakahiga pa talaga kami! Minsan pag toxic si Mama, nakakainis, pero madalas, natutuwa ako kung paano ka maglaro. Isa ito sa mga pagkakaiba niyo ng Kuya mo. Minsan nakikita kita kung ano ano nilalagay at sinusuot, nakakatawa ang end-product, ang hitsura mo!!! Mamis-miss ko tong mga to pag-laki mo Sammie!

Mataray ka anak, lalo na kung di mo feel or di mo lubusang kakilala yung taong nagpapa-cute sa iyo. Tama yan anak hehehe :) Mahirap magtiwala ng basta basta sa panahon ngayon.

Malambing ka na bata. Ang sarap sarap ng pakiramdam ko kapag out of the blue, sasabihan mo ako ng "I Love You" or "Mahal Kita Mama." Nagsasabi ka rin ng "Thank You at Please."

Nakakagigil ka bulilit. Minsan nakakainis na gigil (kulit mo kasi, lalo na pag pangit ang gising, o topak) pero madalas, nakaktuwa ang gigil ko sa iyo! Sarap mo pisil-pisilin at halik-halikan! :) I'm sure di lang ako ang nanggigil sa iyo!

Ngayon ang favorite mo, Hi-5 at Dora, next year kaya, ano naman? Malalaman natin.
Ngayon, enjoy muna natin ang pagiging 2 years old mo!

Maligayang Kaarawan anak, mahal na mahal ka namin, Sammie!

Love,
Mama

many faces of my Sammie

a collection of your funny antics!

more faces captured in photos

will love you forever Mahal kong Sammie!

Involved

Even before I got pregnant with Liam, I already told Alvin that when our child/children go to school, I want him to be involved with their schooling.

Working as a teacher, I knew and saw that most of the time, fathers just let the moms address their kids' concerns on schooling -- attending the PTC, programs, etc. and them just "financing" the schooling.

In two months' time, our eldest will already be going to the big school and I can say that I'm very thankful that my husband has been really involved.

The school principal mentioned that research shows that it's usually the father's perception and attitude on schooling and education that the kids look up to. So if they don't see their fathers involved, then chances are, they'd not be as interested and motivated with schooling.

When I told hubby about this and my idea that he reads to the kids instead of me reading stories at night, he was very much okay with it. This coming Monday, we will be attending the Parent Information evening and as I have requested, hubby will be going home early so we can both attend it. I want him to also know what the school his son is going to.

So far, hubby hasn't missed any of the kids' major school activities like Father's Day and Christmas Concerts. He goes out of his way to make sure that he will be there on these special days. I'm pretty sure our kids will always remember how their Papa has alloted time for them.

I am happy that hubby is one involved Papa. I am confident that he will continue to be one :)

A Sign of Things to Come?

Sam got sick two weeks ago.

She became very cranky and became very clingy. She had a very bad case of mood swings.

Stretched my patience because she was sick.

It's been almost two weeks now since I noticed the change. Her Papa also noticed it.

I don't know if it's still part of teething, but she is unbearable when she has tantrums!

As in, she says "no", she cries A LOT for TOO LONG not only at home but outside as well, she is clingy, she is cranky, she is supladita, she is naglulupasay sa sahig when she doesn't get what she wants, she changes her mind too quickly.

I'm going nuts! Alvin and I are so close to losing it! hehehe We tried everything!

Well, I guess she is now in that stage where she is testing boundaries. She is testing us and she is testing the power of "iyal at karga." So we are back at that stage where we have to be firm and consistent!

I'm just not used to these things because Liam didn't give us a hard time, really. Not to compare or anything.

Well, I guess it's true, no two kids are ever alike. And we can't have it all. I thought we were that lucky! hehehe

She is nearing her 2nd birthday, the terrible 2's and 3's stage ...if this is a sign of things to come,uh- oh.... I better prepare myself! Lord, bless me!

@-@

Liam's Big School Update

I can't believe that choosing the best school for my son will be this hard.

Another answered prayer came in the mail today.

Yes, our application to Quakers Hill Public School was accepted. The school will accommodate us even if we are not within the local area.

The past months, since we have seriously considered it as a possible school for Liam, we have prayed that God direct us to the best decision. In our prayers, we are taking it as a sign that if Liam's application for enrollment in the said school is approved, then he is for that school. So since we got the answer to that prayer today, we should already  be rejoicing, right?

Well call me nuts, but I'm just being a segurista. Sorry Lord, kulit ko ba? hehehe

So why again all the apprehension or hesitation?

The convenience and the logistics. It will be easier for me if he just goes to Barnier. I will be more at peace because his cousins go there (assuming Lance is not accepted in the OC programme).

My other questions about QHPS has been fully answered to my satisfaction the last time I was there. The school does utilize technology in their school curriculum, they have a lot of extra-curricular activties for their students. The academic programs are in place and are all time-tested. I like what they have to offer. They have Reading Eggs and Mathletics for their students. The school ranking is very good. And the thing is, they have OOSH within the school premises. Their school starts late, 9:10 am and ends late 3:15pm, so even if I continue working, it will not be as hard for me. The school is only 5 minutes away from home and not ten minutes as I initially thought (yes, I timed it!)

But I still want to make sure. Can you blame me? I'm just a parent who wants the best for her child.

I plan to still ask around and research more about the programmes in Barnier (it's not in their website). I will have to ask for the School Information Booklet so I can compare what they are to offer to their students.

So why am I still hesitating? Wala lang, stubborn? Probably. hehehe

QHPS gave us until 17 August to hand in all the other requirements. Hopefully by then, hubby and I have learned more about the programmes at Barnier, compared notes and have already arrived at the best decision.

Still praying that we will be guided every step of the way.

"My Eyes are Just Wet"

"My eyes are just wet, Mama."

This was what my son told me when he was trying to give an excuse as to why he was sniffing.

But there is no denying, he was crying.

The reason?

Last night, he asked me to tell him bedtime stories. (Papa was busy doing something important for work so he was in the other room. Sam on the other hand, was already sleeping on my chest).

I first chose Hansel and Gretel (because it was the "theme" used last Tuesday in the TV series, Once Upon A Time). It was a bad choice because as soon as I mentioned the word "witch" his mood changed. Now, not to make things worse, I changed the ending of the story and tried to inject the value/lesson of praying -- that the kids were saved because they prayed to Jesus.
After the story, he was better but he told me he was sad because of the witch. So he asked me again to tell him another bedtime story. This time, I chose a Christmas theme. I told him about a story of a Mum who got a letter from Santa that  the work for her little boy's wish of having a big bike for Christmas has begun! Santa told the mum to tell it to her little boy, so he can continue to be good, making the right and sensible choices.

He was laughing and giggling every now and then. I think he had a gut feel that the characters in the story I just told him were me and him. He was excited.

I thought it was enough, but he then requested for a third bedtime story!

Ok, so now I chose the theme of being special.

Here's my story:

Once there was a boy and a girl, they became friends and after a long time of being friends, they got married. They prayed that God will give them a baby. It was April. Then it became June, July, August, September, October, November, December, January, February and then March again! It was almost April again, but still no baby. So they prayed and prayed some more. God told them why the baby was still not given to them. He told them that He is still preparing the special boy He will give them. He was taking his time because this boy  was really special, he will like the Wiggles, then Thomas the Train, when grows up a bit older, he will like Spiderman, the Avengers, Power Rangers and Ben 10. (At this time we has smiling again, but he wasn't interrupting me.) He will be a good boy and a good Kuya. He will be one happy boy! He will make his Papa and Mama proud."

And then there, I heard him (although lights were out already, we had a tea candle lit inside the room). Humihikbi. I asked him if he was okay. I asked him if he was crying.

He said: "I am okay Mama. Mama, my eyes are just wet."

He then gave me a big hug and said "I Love You Mama" while wiping his wet eyes.

I don't know if he knew that the story was again inspired by him. We didn't discuss it anymore after he gave me the goodnight's kiss and said "I Love You."

I didn't force him to tell me and admit to me that he was crying and why he was crying.

I am writing because I am trying to comprehend and make something out from that moment.

I guess, it was one moment that I really can't explain. I, or we, had that feeling that we understood what was happening even if we didn't discuss it.

It was one very touching and tender moment for the two of us.

I hope that my son will remember this, because I will never forget it.

Happy 18th!

Times flies! There is really no stopping you (and your Kuya) from growing up!

18 months!

You have achieved a lot of developmental milestones and Papa and Mama are soooo proud of you!

Your latest trick? Super powers!!!! Shiiiing! (with your hands raised pretending like a super hero! That never fails to brighten up our day!!!!

You know how to tell if you have been pushed by Kuya Liam (uh-oh) hehehe

You know and say already a lot of words: spider, flower, fruit, nana (banana), amins (vitamins), tick-tock, no, push.... they are just too many anak, Mama can't remember them all in one sitting.

And just a few days ago, you officially said goodbye to your high chair as you joined me, Papa and Kuya Liam on the big table! You can now sit still and eat by yourself, with very minimal assistance. Bravo!!! Makalat nga lang hahaha But it's okay. Papa and Mama are starting to enjoy our eating time again because we don't have to feed you. You seem to be one independent kid too, just like your Kuya Liam!

Anak, bawasan mo lang ng konti, konti lang, yung tapang at taray mo! Mama might be in trouble! hehehe

Papa and Mama were talking last night and realized that you are no baby anymore! Nakikipaghabulan ka na sa amin, nakikipaglaro sa mga pinsan mo, mahilig makipag-taguan, magtaray, tumili, umaray, tumawa ng malakas, magpatawa! Bata ka na! :C or :D? Both.

We realized that we're done with the hardest past of rasing babies! Hooray!

Thanks for not giving us a hard time anak.

Thank you for adding laughter into our home!

We love you Sammie!

You will always be our bunso.

Speechless Moments with Liam

Dear Son,

As promised I will be writing to you again soon, as my way of preserving the beautiful memories your Papa and I have with you.

You are growing up fast! Last time I remember you were Fireman Sam's number 1 fan! But now, things are slowly changing! You are now entertained by Ben10, Superheroes, Power Rangers! Yes, no more Thomas the Train, Wiggles, even Barney. Hay.

Uh-oh.

But as you grow older, you are becoming more thoughtful and sweeter.

The past few weeks you have bombarded us with statements that left us, speechless. Just speechless. But our hearts melting and our eyes, well, a bit teary-eyed.

Here are some of them:

You:"Guess what Mama?"
me: "What?"
You: "I love you very much!"

You whispering something to me:
"I'm going to tell you something Mama. I love you very much!"

You caught me there young boy!

Just last Monday, after our Easter holidays at the Gold Coast, on our way to the airport, while I was putting on your seatbelt:
"Salamat Gold Coast. Thank you Mama for buying our things and for Papa for giving the money to buy my Batman mask. Don't worry Mama, when I grow up, you know, like Papa and have work, I will give you and Papa money money."

And last night up until today, you started asking me:
"Guess how much I love you Mama? All the way to the moon and back!"

And realizing that other planets are farther than the moon, you take turns in using each of the planets to signify how much you love me.

You are one very thoughtful kid. You are an amazing kid!

How on earth does a 4 year-old think and say these kind of things? I don't remember saying such things even when I was already earning my own money!

How do you do that? I can't explain the feeling that your Papa and I feel everytime you tell us things like that!

We thank the Lord for allowing you to verbalize your appreciation of the things we do and give you. Motivates us to do better, BIG TIME!

We are lucky and blessed to have you as our son. We continue to pray for you and Sammie. She is one lucky girl too to have you as her Kuya.


See how lucky Sam is for having you as her Kuya? This was taken on our last night at Gold Coast over the Easter holidays. Papa and Mama will never get tired of seeing the two of you like this.

Like what I wrote last time, we know that you are not perfect and we don't ask you to be (although sometimes you might feel that we are actually asking you to be one, sorry). Just to let you know that we are proud of you and are very happy to see you grow up like this.

Always remember that we love you very much ( all the way to 1,000, 000 moons and back!)

Love,

Mama

We will be forever grateful to our Lord for entrusting you to us. We hope that in the coming years, we will continue to be better parents for you and your sister.

Decisions

Last night, I attended the parent's meeting set by Liam's teachers at Goddard Crescent. It was a first for me. I don't remember them calling for one last year :)

I was actually starting to feel lazy and I wanted to back out the last minute. Not to mention that I was running late since I had to wait for Alvin to get home before I can leave. It was an adult-only event so no kids allowed.

The meeting went smoothly. I was just at the receiving end. Explanations on practices were given until one mum shared a story about his nephew and that caught my attention. A little background, the education system here is a bit laid back (a bit? who are you kidding?! for me, it's way too laid back hehehe). See here in Australia, the primary schooling of kids are set in such a way that the kids are not stressed in school. It is quite laid-back as compared to Manila. I just can't help but compare the system here and in Ateneo (or in most schools in Manila). If in Manila, the whole process of getting and being educated is stressful and tedious here, it is not.

Imagine, kids in pre-school are not taught how to read and write. Formal learning starts when they go to Kindy, in the big school. It was explained this evening that play is actually teaching the kids a lot. We might think that they are just playing, but they are actually learning. The one that was shared which bothered me a bit was that we have to be careful of teaching our kids too much ahead of time because in the case of her nephew who went to Kindy, it was a major issue. The kid got so bored because he already knew how to read and write, as compared to majority of the class that were just starting to learn. He got isolated. (Note: I wasn't able to ask the mum what the school did. Not that I think my son is gifted or anything, but I just wanted to know how the school addressed the concern. Why? In Ateneo, if we see an exceptional or a "fast" kid, there are procedures that we can do to have the kid formally assessed --of course when the kid is assessed to be gifted, passes all the requirements, goes up one or two levels higher it will also have social implications and parents should be ready for that).

Reading the biography of Steve Jobs now is no help as well. There was one part in the book that shared the reasons why Steve kept on doing pranks in school. They were triggered by his boredom. He already knew those things and he wasn't challenged! (Again, I am not assumming that my son is gifted).

It caught my attention because I have been teaching Liam every now and then at home. Not formal and strict teaching ok. Supplemental teaching. I let him practice writing his letters (They have a NSW Foundation Font here). I let him do some maths, because I felt he was interested in it! I am just nurturing his interests. After reading the book "Raising Boys" my whole idea of how to raise my son changed. I got to know how it is with young boys and where they are coming from. I teach him when I feel he is up for it. I can sense when the "teachable moment" is for him. Walang pilitan in other words. It is paying off because rarely do we argue now when I teach him. It is an enjoyable time for both Liam and myself. Sometimes while we play we count from 1-100. Sometimes when he wants a hug, he asks me for a thousand hugs, so we get to practice skip counting by hundreds till we reach 1000. I am just supporting him in his interests. When I ask him to do some worksheets and he says can I just finish one page, I let him just do a page. What am I driving at? I am just grabbing those opportunities, rare and golden "teachable moments," because I feel it's sayang when I don't do something.I am not forcing him. But still, he might end up being advanced with the rest of his classmates when he starts with Kindy.

Now I am scared! Hubby and I actually talked about it last night. I asked hubby about me giving supplemental lessons to Liam. Well, hubby did make sense. Liam is not really advanced. He still needs a lot of practice in his writing and his reading. We can sense that he is good with numbers and we decided to just continue to give those relaxed supplemental lessons every now and then. Observing him as well, we can see that he has this positive attitude towards school so I guess we're on the right track here.

Hay, whoever said parenting was easy?

With these daily decisions, we just have to pray for wisdom and hope that everything turns up okay for our kids and their future!

Another Perspective

My cousin's daughter was baptized last Sunday.

I liked what the priest shared during the Homily.

"Your babies play with your stuff because they want to become like Mommy or Daddy. They play with Mom's bag or shoes even if they have their own shoes, because they like to become like Mama. The same thing with little boys. They play with Daddy's belt, shoes or act like Daddy because he wants to become like Daddy. So you should be role models for your children."

I really never looked it that way when I see Sam or Liam playing with our stuff. I always thought it was just "cute" when they play with those things, not thinking that they are actually playing with it because they want to be US.

What a challenge! Now I am challenged!

A Journey Called Parenthood

Life-changing. This is something that describes what couples experience once they become parents. I would know, because it happened to me, because it happened to us.
I remember a colleague of mine telling me when I was still heavy with my son, that when he comes out, our lives will change forever. It will be a 360 degree turn. I agreed with her because it was what I have observed with most of the friends who became parents earlier than me. Deep inside though, I still needed some convincing. But I never knew the extent of the influence parenthood makes until I became one. Priorities will change. That one, I assure you.

Before I married my husband, he was dead set of staying in our homeland and even told me that he never sees himself working overseas. Well, all of that changed, especially when we became parents. The proof? We have decided to try our luck and migrated to another country, start all over again, because we know that eventually, our decision will be best for our son. True enough, we are now seeing the wisdom behind our big move. Becoming a parent transforms you and your spouse. You become more selfless. You give more especially to your kids. Work takes a back seat. Extending your time at work is a no-no this time, because you would want to spend more time with your child. Missing out on parties or gatherings don’t bother you anymore. You try your best and you give your best in everything that you do because you only want the best for your child.

Looking back at our own journey I can say that my son did a wonderful thing to me and my husband without even trying! Just by being born, he made me and his dad focus on things that really matter. Just by being born, he made us go out of our comfort zones, hard as it may be. He transformed us to become better individuals. He made us attend to more important things. I am pretty sure; we are not alone on this. I am pretty sure that many parents, like me, can attest how parenthood has brought out the best in them. How they managed to prioritize the more important things in life.
Being a parent is no easy task. It is an everyday thing. But despite the hardships parents face in raising their children, the beauty of parenthood, still outweighs the problems. Parenthood, life-changing? Definitely.