weekending

a few snaps from last weekend.

donned in red and white to celebrate singapore's 47th birthday.

marilah kita bersatu...she's still singing this till now :p

we hardly watch any tv but we make exceptions for special events like the olympics. i guess we watched way too many diving events, huh? 

3 months to 3. already?! hold me. 

here's looking forward to another long weekend.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all those who celebrate!

monday.

it's back to school monday for local singapore schools today.
and the first day of nursery one for the toddler girl in the house.
no biggie really...not!

we're excited for her to meet new friends, learn social skills and
to just enjoy being away from mummy a few hours a day. i hope she enjoys the experience! 

weekend bits

this weekend included //

+ laid back saturdate with the hubs

+ watching A Chorus Line which moved me to tears and evoked memories of performing 

+ trip to a mall playground where the toddler girl conquered slides, stairs and tunnels with ease. i'm still amazed at how agile and lithe she's become

+ trying on toys at the toystore and resisting the urge to buy

behind the snaps //
- toddler girl with stomach upset and a bout of vomitting. it spontaneously resolved, whew.
- minor pushing incident at the playground. so proud of my girl when she stood up to the kid and said "no push"

positive more than negative? i'll take it.

an hour before bedtime.

It's been getting harder and harder to get toddler girl to sleep. The hours leading to naps and bedtimes are becoming a constant struggle. She used to fall asleep at 8 pm. Nine at the latest. There are times now that she sleeps at 10-10:30 pm! I don't know what happened. I think I need to tire her more. Or not.

Anyway, this is what usually ensues an hour or so before bedtime.

1. Snuggles and stories with daddy.

2. Pretending to sleep and asking me to take peekchur.

screen free

run. climb. swing. twirl. rock. play.

we decided it was time to do some screen time moderation. we hardly watch any tv, so it's the ipad mostly. i was prepared for a scream-filled week. but she didn't seem to mind its absence. she had fun rediscovering other playthings. spent lots of time at the playground. pretend play was the mainstay. ipad-free for 5 days already. much easier than i thought.

out of sight. out of mind. whew.


update: incidentally, april 30 - may 6, 2012 is screen free week! are you joining? here are 101  screen-free activities should you decide to.

storytime favourites

in this day and age, digital media is fast becoming the norm. while reading on computers, tablets, and e-readers is convenient, it cannot replace the experience of reading the printed word. the smell of ink, the feel of leafing through pages, and the satisfaction of snapping a book close is truly an experience like no other. which is why, i am happy that my toddler girl LOVES books. the printed kind. even more so when we read them to her. after several "some mores", she would insist on "read by myself, mummy."she would then flip through the pages and linger at her favourite page or say her favourite line over and over again! it's very cute, really =)

inspired by stasha's listicle this week, i thought i'd share the 10 books that we currently have on rotation and some of her favourite lines from each book.

1. "small feet, big feet, here come pig feet" - the foot book by dr. seuss
2. "stop everybody! i know what i'll do. i'll just be myself, my whole self and not you."- who are you, sue snue? by dr. seuss

3. "to the tiger in the zoo, madeline just said, "pooh-pooh." -madeline by ludwig bemelmans
4. "off he swims to some far lake, feeling that his heart will break. crying great big tears, he glides; behind the reeds and sadly hides."-the ugly duckling
5. "chuckedy-chuckedy-chuck...out pop little yellow rubber ducks, one after the other,
one after the other." - 10 little rubber ducks by eric carle

6.  percy the park keeper ABC by nick butterworth
7. "what's a library, daddy?" "what a lot of books!" - peppa goes to the library
8. "splish! splash! splosh! this is goldie the fish!  - peppa's first pet
9. "there are many kinds of quiet, first one awake quiet, jelly side down quiet, don't scare the robin quiet..."the quiet book by deborah underwood
10. "oh dear, what a fuss? thanks so much for saving us."-little red riding hood

and you? what are some of your favourite books?
check out what others have on their reading lists here.

toddler tale

Dear A,

You were already in your freshly laundered PJ's then you rummaged through your closet to look for a more suitable sleep outfit. You settled with this hello kitty tunic. I suggested that you wear leggings with it. You chose this floral skirt instead. Sure. Why not. 

xo

beach on my mind

Summer is not my favourite season. I despise the sun. My hubby? He's the sun-seeking one. So during our short visit to the Philippines last March, he had to have his beach fix. Also, toddler girl hasn't been to an actual beach. So we went on a day trip to Eagle Point in Anilao, Batangas. Twas about an hour's drive from the hubby's hometown. Upon reaching, we had to be "shuttled" down to the resort area itself. The road was steep and winding. Toddler girl kept saying "it's so fast!" She was clinging to daddy for safety the whole time! When we got to the resort, we were a bit a disappointed as we saw rocks instead of fine sand. Largely our fault though because we didn't research properly. Despite that, the daddy and daughter pair enjoyed tremendously! The beach water was pristine and we had the place to ourselves. While the pair was busy collecting rocks and swimming in the pool, I was happily watching them under the shade.

the real diaper journey.

This post is written for the Real Diaper Week Carnival with the theme "Real Simple. Real Diapers."  We aim to educate and advocate the use of cloth diapers in the Philippines.  Please scroll below to read the other carnival posts about cloth diaper styles, how to's or must haves.

Why Cloth?

I'd never given cloth diapering a second thought until I took hiatus from full-time work.  I started reading and learned really interesting things. Modern cloth diapers aren't anything like the "lampins" we grew up with. Now we have modern fabric that is soft, do not crack or keep odour, breathable, water-resistant and super absorbent! Polyurethane laminate fabrics hold up well in the washing machine and dryer too! Good quality cloths are gentle on baby's skin so no worries about getting the irksome diaper rash.

Did you know that having a child on disposable for 3 years means adding over six thousand more diapers to the landfill? And that it takes over 300 years before a disposable fully decomposes?

Oh, poor Mother Earth.

Of course the economical aspect of cloth appealed to me more. Building a stash of modern cloth diapers is an investment that will save you money in the long run. As an example: my stash of 15 pocket cloth diapers ~PHP 1,000 (S$30) each = PHP 15,000 (S$450), plus maybe a few extra inserts a pre-folds,  hybrids. Mind you, this stash will last me till the end of my diapering days and I can keep them for my future children's use too! Disposable on the other hand (based on Singapore SRP), 6 pieces per day x S$0.30/diaper x 365 days = S$ 657/year (~22,000 PHP). Not to mention the costly nappy rash creams and anti-fungal creams that we've to use in case of a rash. Do the rest of the math and see how much savings you'll incur!

easter bits.

 

growing up, i wasn't exposed to western easter festivities like egg hunts, brunches, the easter bunny and the like. where i come from, holy week was a family affair. while other families would hie off to the beach, my mother made sure that my siblings  and i stayed home and joined in the churches' lenten activities. at home, we would watch reruns of the 10 commandments, benhur and other bible stories on tape and whatever lenten specials were shown on tv. this was pre-cable and pre-internet, mind you. and then there were the superstitions that came with the season. my grandmother (bless her soul)  forbid us from laughing and smiling on good friday! we were told to be extra careful not to get wounded as wounds were thought to heal longer than usual. meanwhile, easter celebration started at the break of dawn on easter sunday where we all eagerly awaited the salubong. kids were encouraged to join the choir of angels to serenade the reunion of jesus and mama mary. these are some of my fondest memories of childhood.

this year, we decided to start a tradition of easter brunch with my little family. we'd like for our daughter  to have fond memories of this wonderful celebration of hope. so on sunday, we went to hear morning mass, ate a few easter chocolates at home, then off to brunch. i had planned to organize a mini easter egg hunt but the toddler hasn't fully recovered from her recent bout of flu, so pffft. next year. next year.

**
during the homily, the toddler girl wanted to lie on the pew and was louder than usual. i shushed her and told her to behave. the more i shushed, the more she protested and grew loud. "no mummy, i don't want to keep kwawet (quiet)." the hubs brought her out but she managed to  let out an eardrum shattering "i-don't-want-to-go-out" scream before they were out the door. all eyes were on me. yes me,  the mother who let her toddler misbehave at church. what a shame, i thought. there was nothing else to do but put my best poker face on. oh well.

**
thankfully, brunch at spruce turned everything around. as expected, the place was filled to the brim. we had made reservations so getting seated was not an issue. waiting time for food was longer than  expected. but i tell you, the food was worth the wait. the hubs had their big brekkie (eggs, german sausage, roasted tomato, roasted potato, mushrooms and foccacia toast) with sparkling wine. i had their signature burger. it has got to be one of the best beef burgers here in sg. it had just the right amount of "beefiness."my SIL had banana pancakes with honeycomb butter and blueberry syrup. while we don't usually order a separate dish for the toddler girl, we made an exception and got her the mac n cheese side dish as it had good reviews. luckily she loved it and finished half the serving.

all in all, we had a restful and reflective easter weekend. hope yours was as well.



             

these days

right now, she is all about wearing twirly skirts and sparkly shoes to go play in the playground. 

then there's dancing and non-stop twirling. 

oh may she never lose that gift - of dancing to music only she can hear.

weekending.

a couple of firsts and then some...

getting artsy. her first time to do this type of art activity. that smile on her face said it all. 

so intent. her first time to taste a vanilla milkshake. and yes, she dug in with a spoon.

being silly. bunny ears + kawaii.

 more silliness. hiding in plain sight.

hope you all had a great weekend as well! 

27 months | goodbyes and hellos.

dear andi, 

we've been trying to get rid of your pacifier ever since you turned 2. we tried going cold turkey but it backfired on us. so we let it slide for a bit. then luck came on our side when you began chewing on your pacifier. one by one, they broke. but you held on to the last piece. then one day, the last piece broke (may or may not have been deliberately broken by moi. ehem.)

so,  goodbye binky. this week you finally bid your paci adieu and even asked, "remember my pacifier? it's broken!" goodbye nappies. sort of. ever since we got back from the grannies after the holidays,  you have shown interest in using the "big potty in mummy's toilet." so big potty it was. in a week's time, you were dry by day and night! i still let you wear cloth nappies at night and disposables when out for precautionary measure. goodbye bedtime milky bottle. you also kissed your bedtime bottle goodbye! you've been taking your bedtime milk from a cup since last month! yay! 

hello my little big girl! 

you've become such an animated girl and never fail to make us laugh. your facial expressions, your ways. the other day you put the shape sorter basket upside down on your head and pretended that it was a hat. we laughed ourselves silly!  i love this stage because you are noticing and remembering everything around you; the airplane in the sky, the dog barking in the estate, the prints on mummy's shirt, the names of all your friends. you can distinguish all vehicle types. car, van, yellow taxi, blue taxi, big bus, small bus, shuttle bus, truck, bike, motorcycle.

                                

you are quite concerned with doing things your way.  you like to get into your chair, climb on to the bed, draw the curtains, turn on and out the lights, take off your shoes and socks, turn off the faucets, wash your hands, and more.  you continue to be a big help,  insisting on putting back the mop to the storage, throwing  trash, flushing the potty. i never knew what a little assistant i could have in a two year old. the estate workers, guards, and shuttle bus driver know you and your constant enthusiastic greetings. hi uncle, hi auntie! 

i'm amazed at how you are learning and becoming such a talker. you surprise us with something new everyday. you say big words like queuing, pretending, excited, and more. you know your numbers up to twenty, your alphabet (ellemenopee?), your colors and shapes. you take delight in talking on the phone. when daddy and i are at work, you insist on picking the phone up every time we call home. "hi mummy. where's daddy? i love you and i miss you?" you are most happy building blocks,  kicking  and throwing a ball around the house, playing come and get me daddy, making a tent, and pretending and telling tall tales. "the monster bird in the playgwound? flying down to get the cupcake! bird is hungy. mummy there's an owl in the playgwound! two! lola and baby owl! no sound! hoot hoot only on tv! you love calling attention to what you're doing. look mummy! i'm reading to my dollies! look mummy, i'm getting pineapple from the tree! take off skin first then slice." keep those stories coming little one.

you are growing too fast. much too fast for your mama. i wonder what we'll be saying hello and goodbye to in the coming months and years. for now, i will take pleasure in watching you grow and keep my beating heart still. 

xo,