Sight Reader

I thought she has now master early reader but a few days ago I seem to have been proven wrong. Has she been just pulling the art of sight reading on us and her teachers?

What do you think?

Goodbye, Kindergarten! Hello, Grade School!

Twenty years from now, she probably won't have the faintest idea of how her moving up day went but to me and her dad it was a milestone that will be forever etched in our memory.

Moving Up Day fell on a Tuesday. Both me and my husband have work. But we knew when it was going to happen, just a few weeks after the school year started so we have no excuse to miss it. Well, I still ALMOST missed it. It fell on pre-close week and my boss was coming over for just a week. With all the things I needed to iron out, missing a day seemed really bad. But my boss (who is a family man himself, thank you J for understanding!) told me a story about a parent who missed her kid's kindergarten graduation because of an important meeting and yet 20 years after, the kid never forgot about that day (because probably of the missing parent) while she could not even remember what the meeting was about. "You wouldn't want that to happen to you, do you?".

Time to pay it forward.
These secondhand uniforms are going to a new home come school opening.
Ate Inday made sure they were well taken cared of and would still be deserving of a 3rd chance.

Mommy, sabi ni teacher wear bright, shiny shoes!

Of course not. And yes, I always know where my priorities lie. So I stuck to my decision. 

And yes, we didn't go home with any award but the kid was just so proud to be called a graduate and share that moment with her parents. THAT is more than enough.

Did I cry? Almost did. After all, we are not just saying goodbye to kindergarten. We were saying goodbye to being overprotective, controlling parents. We are saying goodbye to our "baby" (and yes she reminded me to not call her baby again today). But cuteness was just overflowing that today and the tears of joy decided to take the back seat.

I never figured I bore a performer but today proved to me I did! She was having so much on stage I could almost hear her voice even if I was a couple of meters away. She was jumping, singing, dancing, reciting with pure, unadulterated joy. And that to me is what performing always ought to be.

Her class adviser for SY 2013-14. The very patient, Ms. Jas.
We will miss her stories about you!

Post by Faye Pachoco-Paras.

Summer is Here! (Pre-elementary edition)

The kid is a week away from officially bidding preschool goodbye. I know it's just a moving up ceremony but this is the first time I am going to see my kid actually go up a stage as a culmination of something she signed up for the long haul.

In two months, we officially begin the elementary phase. I still am a little overwhelmed by the thought that I already have a kid in grade school. But yes, we are also very excited to start that new chapter of our family life.

Before that excitement starts though, there is two months that I will need to fill with activities. Activities that would require longer that 15 minutes to complete since the kid has a longer attention span now. Thank God (as always) for Pinterest, I can easily plan ahead. I haven't really gotten down to serious planning but this morning, while she was showing me her latest doodles, an idea popped in my fuzzy head. I didn't realize she still is having a hard time spelling the word "party" so I thought of coming up with 7 new words every week (of her summer break) to add to her vocabulary and help improve her spelling skills as well. I plan to give her a short quiz every Saturday morning as a review as well. I do think that will ward off boredom and will also help a lot in keeping her interested with learning and "studying". I don't really plan to make this serious so I hope I can find a way to make this project interesting.

I had her pick the 7 words on this first week.

And while we are on the subject of summer, we welcomed the hot season today by spending the entire afternoon in the pool. It was fascinating to watch the kid plunge into the big pool by herself and try her hardest to swim her way from one point to another by merely kicking her feet while clinging unto a beach ball.





Lastly, yesterday was an extremely fun-filled day as well. WE learned how to make royal icing, how to make sugar cookies and frost it. I might just add this to the kid's summer activities with her neighborhood friends as well. I do hope I get enough energy to put enough activities together in two months.

For now, I'm just really excited and so looking forward to what this summer can bring. Last year was a crazy one that I really didn't get to spend with my family but this year, I do intend to make up for that this year. Mind museum, Fun Farm's Balik Bukid, Beach with fam, Roadtrip with friends! Can't wait!

Memorable Intramuros Quips

On our recent trip to Intramuros, the kid had a great time walking around. You can tell because she was very conversational and asked so many questions. Most of them I completely forget by the time I go to sit down and make notes. But here's a few of those that I remembered. 

Still makes me smile each time I read them.

"I'm so kind today! I gave food to so many people!!!" -- after giving a piece of kitkat to a beggar

"mommy, what is freedom?" after we caught a glimpse of Jose Rizal's prison cell and asked me why he was imprisoned

"do we have to talk in English here in Intramuros, Mommy?" - arriving in Intramuros and seeing the streets lined with old houses (she probably thought we were in a different country already)

Getting Ready For School On Her Own (and some mommy musings)

I was feeling under the weather (nah, make that terrible) this morning so I decided to just stay home and rest. The kid was ecstatic to have me linger in bed way past my usual 7am wake up call. We grabbed a quick breakfast with the hubs and went back to bed. I dozed off a little bit more while she grabbed a couple of pens and paper and doodled in bed while watching me sleep.

At around 9am, Ate Inday called out to her to get ready. I was shaken to full-awake mode when I saw her climbed the bed and grabbed a set of her school uniform from the cabinet beside our bed. I stealthily got up to check on where she's taking the uniform and grinned when I saw her place it gently on our sofa and started dressing up.

My 5 year old can now prepare for school on her own! I am one beaming (albeit silently as I do not want to startle her since she tends to be very self-conscious when caught doing something seemingly amazing) momma once again! I tried to recall how I was as a 5 year old and I don't even think I can match her skill set now. Although, growing up with both of my parents working, I learned to become independent at an early age as well. Looking back, I do not regret growing up in that environment. At an early age, I learned the value of hard work. And I think it was one of the values that are very, very important to teach to my kid. Learning the value of hard work also teaches you to be resilient. It teaches you honesty. It teaches you respect. It teaches you honor. 

Okay. I should stop now (I fear I might sound preach-y soon). Ending this post instead with this:

Dear Maia,

Watching you prepare your things for school today and dress up on your own was kind of surreal. I didn't think I will witness you do such things this early. But I'm really happy. (and a bit sad...but really more, more happy). You are growing up to be the little girl that I've always hoped you to be. You always tell me you understand if Mommy cannot take care of you the way she used to and now I see why. You are now learning to do things on your own!!! Amazing you! I love you to bits, my little miss!

Keep it up, Maia! Continue your pursuit to discover what other things you can start to do on your own beginning today. Me and daddy will always remain by your side to serve as your guide. May you always take inspiration on hardwork that is immensely valued in our family. May it teach you the virtues that it taught me growing up. Remember that there may be no shortcuts to success but hard work will always lead you to it. As long as you remain passionate.

We love you very much! We are lucky to be called your parents!

Daddy and Mommy