She'll Never Go Hungry

I know that toddlers go through certain phases of picky eating and we've been through a lot of ups and downs already. But waking up to mornings when I ask for a few extra minutes in bed and finding her on the table preparing something to eat all by herself just gives me that extra boost to jump-start my day.


She's really starting to be independent in too many ways. I just hope we are doing the right thing by giving her the freedom and space to grow in her own phase and on her own choosing. 

SPREADING PEANUT BUTTER ON HER BANANA (See Doc, we're abiding by your orders! We're starting to love peanut butter on almost everything!)

Lazy Sundays Are Made Of These

• An early trip to the nearby church to hear mass first thing in the morning.
• Light breakfast usually consist of pan de sal or pancakes and gourmet eggs  if the cooking bug bites me all so suddenly. Or when the little boss demands for something more palatable than a mere pan de sal.
• Some arts and crafts, puzzle or blocks time which should involve the 3 of us (otherwise the little boss won't cooperate) - this week it was crafts time. We made her a laptop!

THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TRAIN CABS PASSING THRU A TUNNEL. YES, SHE'S STARTING TO BE MORE IMAGINATIVE WITH HER ECOBLOKS.

Tadahhhh! Little boss gave it her seal of approval. 

• Depending on my mood, we might have a home-cooked gourmet meal for lunch or a light one consist of sandwiches or tortillas then a relaxing siesta after! Ahhh life!
• A kid-friendly movie. this weekend it was The Legend of The Guardians. Maia loved the movie. And she was almost able to sit through the entire film without any complaints. She adapted a new favorite song after the movie and she loves dancing to this music video. She would search for it each time she's allowed to sit with us in front of the computer.

• A stroll or a dip in the pool to close the day. Saturdays we'd usually take a stroll because the hubby and I usually run for an hour before dinner so the short walk becomes our warm up activity. And last Sunday the little girl chose the pool and she stayed in it for almost an hour. Terribly hot weather you see. But before we headed for home, skies suddenly turned really dark we thought we'd be soaking wet by the time we get to the house but good thing rain did not fall till late night.

Even our lazy Saturdays are spent like these sans the mass and we love weekends like this. It looks packed but almost always, we would start the new week feeling rested and recharged.

Open, Shut Them

Our summer school program proved to be a great bonding activity for Maia and me. In the past few weeks I've started seeing positive changes in her. She's become more gentle and more organized. And most importantly, she has started learning lyrics to songs unlike before when it takes her a long time to pick up song lyrics. She always ended up humming instead of singing.

It was probably how the songs are sang in school where hand movements are incorporated with each song they sing that makes them remember the words.

This song is one of her favorite circle time song in summer school. I'm sharing the lyrics here since I'm also learning to memorize it so we can include it in our pre-bedtime repertoire.

Open, shut them (Open both hands and then make a fist)
Open, shut them
Give a little clap. (Clap hands together)
Open, shut them
Open, shut them
Fold them in your lap. (Fold hands in lap)


Creep them, creep them (softly sung, walk fingers slowly to your chin)
Creep them, creep them
Right up to your chin (have fingers on chin)
Open wide your little mouth
(fast)
But do not let them in.


Open shut them, open shut them,
To the shoulders fly,
Then let them like the birdies
Flutter flutter to the sky


Falling, falling, slowly downward
Almost to the ground
Then quickly raise the fingers
Turning turning round and round!
Faster, faster.
Slower, slower.
Turn them round and round!

Crocheting for Dummies

Since Maia started going to Waldorf Kindergarten this summer, I have forced myself to learn being crafty. I've had my short crafty moments when I was younger (learned embroidery, cross-stitching, bead-making to name a few) but those were mostly fueled by boredom so I never got to really passionately learn them or develop a skill. I easily dropped them when something new came up and never really looked back. 


Now that I'm a mom to a very curious and adventurous preschooler, I sort of regret not developing that crafty side of me. 


But, thank God for You Tube! At least I had online tutorials for my weekly projects. 


From cutting and pasting and tying japanese lantern paper, I've decided to move the scale a notch higher and aim for more ambitious projects. I've listed down several projects that the little girl and I can do together, but I wanted to do something like a dolls or a toy maybe for Maia to play with.


Since Maia is fond of our storytelling activities I decided to try my hand at crocheting finger puppets. I have yet to really start on it but I am hoping to jump into it when Maia finishes her summer sessions. 


For now, I leave you with this tutorials from You Tube. I do hope I can make similar puppets to this one video.







And maybe I'll make crocheted flowers like these too. Yay, I'm getting quite excited at the thought of it! I can't wait to start on this project! I promise to post pictures once I've completed at least one.

How Babywearing Benefited Us

While I was still pregnant with Maia, I came across this show that featured baby wearing. From that moment on I only demanded two things from myself -- that I should exclusively breastfeed and that i should wear her as much as I can. I wanted to breastfeed until Maia is 2 years old. But I didn't get lucky on that one, I had to undergo mastectomy 3 months after giving birth and my body totally stopped producing milk after the surgery. Having failed on my first goal, baby wearing became more than just a requirement for me. It felt like a test I had to pass or else I’m a failure. Yes, I was crazy like that. But it turned out to be a good crazy thing for me and for my daughter.

MAIA @ 3 months and trying out the ring sling for the first time

Since my body had other plans for me and did not cooperate on my breastfeeding goal, I went and got myself a ring sling. The first time I put her on it, she gave me a big yummy gummy smile! And so Maia rode her sling, and that made difficult things more achievable for us. I can do my chores at home while lulling her to sleep. I can run errands while she feeds (sadly, from the bottle). So we went to do more things together -- doctor’s appointments, took trips by land, by air and by sea, rode the MRT, took weekend strolls. We went to discover the world around us…with her on her sling and the sling wrapped around my body. It bound and bonded us perfectly.

Maia worn by her Dad while strolling and by me while grocery shopping

Eventually, we convinced her Dad to join us in our baby wearing adventures. It turned out to be way better – Maia got to bond with both her parents. We took turns wearing her till our shoulders gave up. Now that she’s two, we still bring our sling to our adventures. So just in case she gets tired of walking and running we can always wear her. And to date she still knows how to ride it like a pro! 

TRAVELING WITH MAIA USING A SLING, HERE AT THE ILOILO AIRPORT

I am glad I chose to babywear. I did not only prove to be very functional and practical (we survived the first year without the aid of strollers) but more than that developed in me a certain level of parental consciousness. I became more sensitive towards my little girl's needs. I became more responsive and proactive. 


Since baby wearing was really beneficial to us, I started encourage mommy-friends to try it as well. Some tried and succeeded, others never considered. But still, I am hoping that eventually more moms and parents at that, would try it too.


Here's a list of benefits that parents and their kids get from babywearing (text taken from ParentingWeb):

Baby wearing is common in many cultures around the world. Due in part to the promotion of slings in attachment parenting books, in stores and on the Internet, more and more American parents are learning about baby wearing. The sling is the most practical, comfortable and versatile method of carrying your baby. Unlike front pack type carriers and back packs, slings can be used for newborns and toddlers alike. Slings make breastfeeding easy and discreet, and slings are much easier on the easily wearied arms and backs of parents. 

The Benefits of Babywearing

-Wearing your baby helps you develop a secure mutual attachment. 

-Babywearing increases parental sensitivity to a baby's needs. 

-Babywearing simulates the sensations of pressure, motion, warmth and security of the womb. 

-Carrying your baby in a sling reduces her level of stress hormones. 

-Babywearing can greatly reduce crying and fussiness. It also helps your fussy or tired baby fall asleep. 

-Babies sleep longer and more comfortably when in a sling. 

-Sling babies have a reduced incidence of colic and are less susceptible to vomiting and excess spitting-up. 

-Toddlers who were/are carried in slings initiate separation sooner, and become more self-reliant.

-Babywearing has been shown to strongly benefit premature infants and lower their mortality rate.

-Parents who wear their babies can more easily accomplish daily activities, tasks and chores. 

-The natural movement and stimulation provided by being in a sling promotes neurological development.

-Babywearing gives children the message that they are safe, secure and loved. 

-Babywearing is the most comfortable way to hold a baby. You can use a sling on your shoulders, back or hip distributing your baby's weight evenly. 

-Wearing your baby in a sling provides her with constant and easy access to breastfeeding, and makes nursing in public easy and discreet. 

MAIA TRYING ON HER RING SLING 

Parent Introductory Afternoon at St Mikael Playhouse

I received this email from Sujata (the school director) yesterday and thought I'd share it here since you might be interested with Waldorf and this is a wonderful venue for you to get a clearer picture of what Waldorf kindergarten is. Ms Bella Tan is very accommodating and when we attended a similar intro talk we were able to ask all the questions that we needed answers to.

I encourage you to sign up if Waldorf is an option that you have for your toddler.

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Dear Parents!

We've scheduled another Parent Introductory Afternoon on Saturday, May 21, 2pm to 5pm at ISIP Center!

We know that some of you attended our Intro Evening last February, or are already enrolled in one of our programs. However please do pass on the information below to other parents of young children that may be interested, or those who were unable to attend then.

Or you may be a new parent exploring ST MICHAEL PLAYHOUSE as an option for the coming school year.

First-time attendees to this Intro may have an opportunity to avail of a free trial class!

Not only will you learn about the offerings of ST MICHAEL PLAYHOUSE starting this June 2011, including dates, daily rhythm, and tuition, you will also get to hear about the unique features of Steiner early childhood education from one of its pioneers, Ms. Bella Tan of Rudolf Steiner Education in the Philippines.

Reserve early!

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ST MICHAEL PLAYHOUSE
G/f, 6241 Palma cor Mañalac Sts.
Bgy. Poblacion, Makati City (near Rockwell)
Mobile: 0917 847 0848
st.michael.playhouse@gmail.com
Facebook: Look up 'St Michael Playhouse Makati'

Making New Friends

I was a big fan of Neva's blogs. From her multiply site (which I stalked while I was pregnant with Maia-now I'm confessing) until she moved to Manilamommy.com and in Twitter (where we get to have a picture of how I days go). Our kids were born a month apart so I felt like I shared her Mommy adventures each time I read a post. Yes, I found an online friend in Manilamommy.

So when the opportunity came up to finally meet her, I dropped her a note in Twitter. Manilababyshop (Neva and her hubby Dan's business venture) was joining the Expo Mom Fair at the Rockwell tent and we always pass by Rockwell after Maia's Saturday Summer class so it was a convenient stop.

We chatted a bit when we got there. We didn't stay long since Maia was restless and wanted to get her hands on the bags on display. I decided to get her a lunch bag to use in school. Little girl had a big smile when I handed the bag over to her. She was so happy with her first expo purchase that she went to bed with it for 2 consecutive days. Manang hid the bag on the 3rd day because we're afraid she might actually put some food in it and bring it to bed.

It was nice to finally meet somebody you knew virtually. Maybe one of these days we can actually set up playdates so the little kids that brought us together can finally meet as well.

Sharing a photo of Neva and me (photo I grabbed from her blog hehe. thanks Neva!)

Celebrating Mother's Day at Home

I initially planned on doing another letter to Maia post for mother's day because after all, she was the reason why I get to call that day MY day along with many other awesome, hardworking moms out there. But then the weather yesterday just did not allow me to get my little quiet time as I'd hope to so lemme just share with you how we celebrated mother's day yesterday.

We slept in till around 8 am which was already late considering we normally start our weekend mornings at 6-630. Then, I prepared a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs for our family of 3. Maia was not used to eating processed meat so she never got around to finishing her piece of the bacon but devoured the eggs and asked for a second helping even.

After breakfast we waited till the daddy of the house finished watching the nba playoffs then we started our main activity for the day which was storytelling and tadahhhhh - arts and crafts! I finally got the go from the big boss to buy some art supplies the day before so when I got the supplies out Maia was just so excited for us to start with the activity. I guess though arts and crafts is not really me because Maia got easily bored with us cutting and tying the japanese papers to make them into flowers and butterflies. So what I did was I got this art set (it was a gift to her a couple of Christmases ago) out and taped a couple of scratch papers unto the floor and her table and voila! - the little girl was immediately smitten by the brush and the pens! She stayed quiet for the rest of the day moving from one paper to another. By the time we tidied up we had a bunch of finished paintings from the little boss. I had to restrain myself from keeping all the junk because they really all looked so artsy I wanted to keep all of them!

The Big Boss and I also planned for a date night (we haven't been out for ages already! and we were saving time for this day) but in the end never left the house because we were just too lazy and never got around to changing out of our pajamas.

Half of our plans did not push through but I was happy of how we end up celebrating my day. It was a simple one but that was exactly how I wanted to do it - home cooked meal, sweets for meryenda, some siesta and bonding time with Maia in between. The little boss was just as happy to have us all to herself the entire day!

How and where did you celebrate mother's day?