Can you still recall what you were doing when you were 5 or 6?
I remember being outdoors, chasing dragonflies, running around with our neighbors, blowing plastic balloon together, sipping the nectar off the stems of santan flowers, eating aratilis, munching on haw flakes after saying body of christ (oops), and shouting Pink 5 after four other kids yelled Red 1, Green 2, Blue 3, and Yellow 4. Continue reading
If there is one childcare tip you’d give to a newbie parent, what would it be?
I’ll skip my normally long introductions and give mine right away –
TIMING IS EVERYTHING.
“Yeah, yeah, we know that already,” you might say.
But I mean, LITERALLY.
For example.
If you miss the short sleepy window, that magic time Continue reading
Aug. 4 : THE ANNOUNCEMENT
MIA: You know my boyfriend Zander, he is
JING: Wait wait. You have a boyfriend??!
MIA: Yes. Zander. Continue reading
You bet, I’m not.
I wasn’t very proud of myself that day.
I remember it was the week before Christmas when Mia and I were in a crowded bazaar, and she was constantly getting bumped into by eager shoppers.
Must have been irritating for her. Clearly not a place for children.
But I needed to buy some gifts. Fast. Which I should have known is impossible to do with a kid in tow!
On the numerous times I’ve been to parks and school pick-ups, I’ve seen different kinds of yayas and how they handle our kids.
I don’t watch their every move, of course. But I overhear them most of the time and they display similar behaviors in the absence of a “boss”.
So consider me your extra pair of eyes when you’re at work. Continue reading
Helloooo! I have been wanting to post about this since their recital day but the chores always keep getting in the way!
Okay, so without further ado, we took Children’s Theater workshops again last April and May and I’m so glad we did it for the second time around.
Set in a bedroom with a giant TALKING BOOK and toys that come ALIVE, Mia played the child in pajamas who witnessed all the MAGIC. It was entitled “The Best Toys” and I think everyone did great! Continue reading
I love being a mom. I can shout that many times for all to hear. I LOVE BEING A MOM!!!
But…
I’d be a hypocrite if I say I love every bit of it everyday.
I don’t. I get bouts of sadness from time to time.
Longing to work again, wanting to earn like I used to again, yearning to continue the career I’ve started – you know, all those things that took a backseat when motherhood started.
Sometimes I ask myself, “What have I become?” Continue reading
Last week, our 4-year-old was questioning why we named her Mia. She wanted to know why we didn’t pick out a name that ends with La.
In her opinion, names that end with “La” and “Bel” sound prettier. And she of course wants to be.. pretty.
Me: Hey, you have Bel in your name, Mia Isabel.
Mia: But I want La too. Why did you agree with Daddy’s choice, Mommy? Continue reading
If you’re fond of saying TGIF, I kind of envy you.
I love weekends but they are usually as hectic as my weekdays!
To give you an example, here’s a rundown of how one weekend is like for me from early morning until night.
SATURDAY:
COFFEE. Cook breakfast.
Eat with Mia. Feed for about 45mins. to an hour. Continue reading
In our 6-month quest for an all-around-helper/yaya, I have interviewed a number of applicants, both from friend referrals and agencies, and there is one thing I’ve learned that I want to share to you.
I learned that the best way to know more about a candidate is to Continue reading
This is Em.
Jewelry Designer Em Mariano
And yes, you’re not mistaken, that’s Ms.Krissy and Kim Chiu on the set.
He is a long time friend of ours and we couldn’t be more proud of how far he has reached with his jewelry line. I tell you, his handmade pieces are STUNNING! (Quick look at his designs HERE.)
Anyway, the reason he’s here today is because my 4-year-old is confused about why his godfather acts more like a fairy godmother. Continue reading
Have you hugged your kid today?
Hugging has recently moved up to the number 1 spot on our daily To-Do list after Mia left me speechless with her daunting train of thought the other night. It went like this:
MIA: Hug me, Mommy…
ME: Why, are you scared? I hugged you many times already.
MIA: Hug me because Continue reading
HELLO everyone!!! It has been quiet here for almost 3 months and I couldn’t be happier that I got to finally post today!
I swear I always try to write. I really do. I have about 12 drafts waiting (each with a few sentences that I wrote in increments) but none of them seem to close.
Well, until today. Yey! Continue reading
It has been 7 weeks since we parted ways with our helper (looking for a new one, help!) and to be honest, I haven’t fully adjusted to my new duties yet.
Work has come to a halt and I must say that being a full-time homemaker has its sweet perks and pains.
For one, I am physically tired, more than ever! Haha. Continue reading
Kids often throw tantrums at the mall because there’s something they can’t have. Yes? Yes.
A toy or a candy that we refuse to buy can suddenly turn our angelic and normally behaved ones into unmanageable kiddos, kicking and screaming on the floor.
But throwing a fit isn’t exactly the same for 4-year-old boy, Maji. Continue reading
When I was little, I got reprimanded every time I got a wound.
Yep, a wound.
“Wag kang tatakbo. Madadapa ka!” was my mother’s frequent warning.
(Don’t run. You’ll trip!) Continue reading
Back when Mia was 1-2 years old and we didn’t have a helper yet, I was always dying to go out to get some air, see some people, and have some much needed adult conversation. But every time an opportunity came, I’d all of sudden feel lazy and prefer to stay home.
My silly reason? It takes a lot of Continue reading
It was a Monday afternoon, I was on my desk, when I suddenly heard our daughter shrieking and slamming her toys while playing with our helper.
(This was 3 days after I wrote To Spank Or Not To Spank and it could have been a perfect example for the post had I not published it yet.)
I don’t normally come to the rescue and I just wait for things to calm down when this happens. But Mia was unbelievably angry and my nerves told me to intervene. Continue reading
I got a call from my mom the other week telling me she’d give me a pamalo (wooden rod/paddle) for our 4-year-old.
I laughed as I thought it was a joke but she continued to explain that I don’t have to hit the kid very hard – just a bit.
“It’s just a small one,” she added.
I paused and tried to process her words before I answered, Continue reading
If you have a difficult child, you are not alone.
We may seem happy on Facebook and all but that’s because the good times are the only ones I get to capture and post.
The bad ones, well, they are bad. The last thing I can think of during a full-blown tantrum is to take a snapshot. Most of the time, we are in an intense state correcting bad behavior and worrying afterwards if we are actually doing things right. Continue reading
The days are long but the years are indeed short! I can’t believe that Mia is now 4. 🙂
I’m sure she would have enjoyed a Fairy & Pirate themed party but we opted for a simpler celebration this year.
Instead of having a party, we invited three of her closest friends and we had a mini-barkada fieldtrip to Kidzooona at Robinsons Galleria. Continue reading
A year ago, Mia’s birthday wish was to have a chocolate cake and candles to blow.
This year, it’s PIXIE DUST. Continue reading
Mommy, did you send my message?
To Daddy? Yes, I did.
Did he buy pixie dust already?
I think he needs more time in finding a pixie dust store.
And if he could not find? Continue reading
Yesterday evening, her imagination was on fire. Her mind was more than alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic and much as I would like to nag her to sleep, I ended up writing down her lines.
She would get up to tell me one thing and then go back to bed, only to get up again to tell me more.
She talked to me in all seriousness and excitement and this was exactly how it went. Continue reading
Every once in a while, I would spend an hour or two in Booksale, looking on every shelf, reading cover summaries, and browsing through pages, to find books that would match our child’s interests and reading level.
It is quite challenging to spot stories that are not too lengthy for our 3-year-old but are stimulating enough for her growing vocabulary. Books that are not too complex but are interesting enough to keep her engaged.
If only I could explain that to the store attendants. Continue reading
It was six in the morning and our alarm hadn’t rung yet when Mia woke me up in her whispering voice and asked,
Where is our Over in the Meadow book, Mommy?
“It’s on top of my desk…”
Oh, there! Okay, you can sleep for 5 more minutes and then we will read again together Mommy, okay? Continue reading
Our 3-year-old has always been fascinated with hands and fingers. I’m not sure why but she gets excited whenever she sees pictures or videos of writing hands, cooking hands, painting hands, or pointing fingers.
She would watch every version of The Finger Family Song and Where is Thumbkin on YouTube and would sing the songs over and over until I could already hear myself humming the same tune even when she’s not around.
So to make those videos come to life, Continue reading
You must have seen it on every parenting and kids-activities website there is – play tents are fun and kids love them. There is something about having their own space, with a roof over it, that they totally like. So if you haven’t tried it at home, it’s time to bring those blankets out (never mind if they get dirty), put them over tables and chairs, and let your kids have a good time!
Of course, you can always buy a real tent and camp on your front or backyard – that would be more awesome! But if you haven’t bought one or you’re like us who enjoy impromptu and use-whatever-is-on-hand play days, makeshift would totally do. It is equally enjoyable! Continue reading
It’s your turn, Daddies! Whether your children call you Dad, Daddy, Papa, Tatay, Itay, Papi, or Pops, we are celebrating YOU and all the great and wonderful things you do!
This also goes out to all grandpas, mommy-dads, gay dads, adoptive dads, step dads, and single dads who genuinely love their kids from head to toe! We SALUTE you all. You are SUPERHEROES in so many little ways and a true blessing in our lives.
So today, we are treating you to an ad-marathon of our favorite dadvertisements over the years. These 12 picks are going to take you from clear skies to stormy clouds of awww-dorably cute and i-can’t-stop-sobbing commercials. Continue reading
It is so much easier to put kids to sleep when they are physically tired. Bedtime is almost effortless for us after an outing or an afternoon at the park because Mia would be dead tired by the time we get home.
But on days when we don’t feel like going out and there is nowhere to channel her ENERGY, we turn to Continue reading
