Balik Bukid Country Fair on the 28th

Are we going or are we not going?

Sigh.

I am a little wary of the summer heat and would much prefer the November one... but I can't stop thinking of Isobel's ice cream plus the chance to just let the kids be outdoors and in nature again.




Where else can the boys play jockey without need of horse riding apparel?

Hopefully, the money I am missing was just really misplaced so that we'll have budget for this. Plus, I think Yakee would love to see old friends there.

Twelve Senses Gifts

Hubby, prompted by our son's interest in the stars and the planets and everything about space, bought our son binoculars (a better one than the plastic ones we use for concerts) and this telescope. Then it occurred to him that he'll make a thing of gifting Yakee with something that appeals to his senses.

So, I told him that in Waldorf... there's twelve senses... and he's now good for until Yakee turns 17 :)

But what do you give for some of those senses? Haha. It's easy for the other four obvious senses (for hearing, we shop online at qsc for guitars and amps and maybe a basic drum set; for smell, we get him cologne). Sense of balance is still okay, because that would be what the skateboard will be for. For sense of thought, probably a journal? Sense of warmth... hmmm, probably camping in the mountains?

But well... it certainly makes for interesting future gifts, right? :)

The Gift of My Hands

Lolz... well, I didn't really give my hands to anyone. But making handmade things IS an effort when the eczema is back. I swear. And that's not to give more weight to the gift :)

Like what I posted on my FB, there isn't a perfect hacky sack here. I'd sometimes mess up the crochet or the filling and there are around 5 rejects. But Yakee was in my mind the whole time I was making them. So, in the end... it was like a prayer told in these balls of all my mistakes with him, my struggles, the conversations I have with his angel in my mind... and all the thank-you's for being the sweet little wonderful boy that he is.

And because I have promised him a water bottle holder but never got around to finishing the first one I attempted (used the wrong yarn and it wasn't nice-looking)... I crammed making this in 2 days:

The funny thing though is, his Titas noticed that he was the only one without a water bottle holder so Tita Maricar made him one... using hemp (?) string (that must have hurt, so it's really all for the love) so, now, Yakee has two water bottle holders :)

 

 

I really like that I am now making handmade stuff again... though I feel they won't be appreciated as much as store-bought items (by those who don't value the effort), they offer me an opportunity for stillness :)

In Pursuit of Redecorating

Two of us in one of my mommy groups are planning to reorganize and redecorate to create homeschooling nooks for our 5-year olds. We both want sturdy wooden tables for study/crafts tables, more book shelves and other cabinets/shelves to house books, things, etc.

Yes, we should also start throwing away junk to make room for the new furniture we envision having.

This prompted one of us to share their space-saving tricks and techniques (haha, it pays to have an architect for a husband!). I loved the retractable desks in her daughter's rooms, and how they hung their clothes facing them for more closet space. She gave us tips on where and how to customize all those things... which prompted us Moms daydreaming of our ideal work stations and homes.

I said, had we the money, I'd probably go for the airy design that characterized ancestral homes from Spanish times: with hardwood floors that will carry not just the people but also that family's history, and sparse furniture that allow air to flow, and huge windows, and connecting doors everywhere.

I don't think I'd ever like anything ornate and fancy... just really space and air everywhere I turn. Verandas for playing in, gardens for growing food in, and space for all my books. Our books, I mean.

Well, owning furniture made from hard wood can start with a kiddie table and some marine plywood for painting activities right? :)

Life In A Box

Hubby was in the mood to spring clean... and so he really went all out and even borrowed their office shredder. Sometimes, he would pause though, showing me old ticket stubs of concerts and shows we went to. He couldn't bear to shred my old letters, but just took a pic of his ex's letters then disposed of them :)

This reminded me of what a fried said they do for their kids. They don't keep ALL the doodles and pictures and old things, but they do keep some in one box. The hospital bracelet when they were born. The first foot or hand print. The first movie ticket. Maybe a baptismal certificate. A drawing or two, per year of life.

I told hubs that maybe we should start on those for our kiddos. It's a good thing we can really just take pictures now of all their artwork and 'letters' and projects and compile those in minute-size hard disks. Life in a box. When they grow up, they'd have some mementos but won't get asthma attacks going through piles and piles of sentimentality.

It's a good thing too that motherhood sort of cured me of my anal retentive tendencies.

Now... to let go of more things and make space for new... memories and activities.

I Want to Join a World Culture Swap

I think a lot of homeschoolers will be tickled pink joining a Worldwide Culture Swap. I am really interested to join but do not quite have the budget for sending packages to four/five families just yet. Even if I will just be sending packages in tyvek envelopes, that will still cost us... because I really want to spend on the contents as well.

Nothing fancy, really. But I am sure to send Adarna storybooks, like "Luis and the Enchanted Creatures" and "Tight Times" :)  What else is truly Filipino? A sungka set would be too heavy, haha... and for the life of me, I can't make a street-type sipa nor haven't seen a tirador (slingshot) for a long time now. Maybe a balisong? And peanut kisses? And a shirt with a tarsier on it? :)

I can also send pictures of our travels, sort of like post cards.

And definitely, recipes!

It's just endless, the possibilities!

Well, it's a good thing you have the option to just join a one-on-one swap... so we're definitely trying that.

On Reading Early... from a Waldorf Perspective

(Note that I am a Waldorf newbie, not a true blue anthroposophist nor a Waldorf nurturer. My views may be totally off so please do not judge/crucify the Waldorf community for what I say here... and those who know better can freely, but gently, correct what I say... but so far, this is what I know)

This post is arising from the all-too common phenomenon/trend nowadays of teaching very young kids to read. The earlier the better, it seems. I started with the same notion, teaching my son the alphabet and phonetic sounds before he was 2. But then I heard, from homeschooling circles, of the hurried child and stopped... and at almost 5, Yakee still doesn't know how to read.

Now, in the usual Waldorf curriculum, reading and writing are not taught till a child is 7 years old, at Grade 1.  Mastery isn't expected till age 9 or 10 and is most definitely not exacted. The philosophy behind that has much to do on human development. A child age 0-7 has to grow its body first. Part of growing the body means moving it, not sitting still. The eyes are also believed to only really mature at age 10, so straining to read (as one is wont to do when they're exerting effort to remember an association or understand meaning/context) just won't do. It just won't do.

The Steiner way also believes that the eyes are best used to enjoy the world, see the beauty of nature, observe texture, colors... not strain at print. Plus, books are flat.

And Waldorf education is big on imagination... a child who is given loads of storybooks with pictures won't have to imagine anymore. The images are fed them. In a way, it's sorta like TV. Instead of being able to see in her mind a princess in her likeness (or her mom's, or her friend's), a girl will just see the princess image in the book and forever associate that image with that story. The image won't grow with the child, it won't change as the child changes.

But wait... Waldorf is big on storytelling, isn't it? Yes. Storytelling. Not story reading. Seldom reading from a book (and usually, only those without much pictures). We use puppets, or doll cloths or moving sotrybooks... all of which are made and generally unfinished. Again, we're big on imagination. And making puppets/using moving storybooks help make the stories alive for a child because for one, they move along with the story... for another, they are made with intention. In Waldorf education, it's the intention that is more important than the story. It is why fairy tales are great for a child's psyche, because it's not really about a wolf eating a grandma or a princess finding a prince. There are deeper meanings to these that are lost when a young child just reads them off a book (or watches them as cartoon).

(And because the puppets used are unfinished, there is no risk in turning a child away from the story down consumerism and materialism... because they will not want to have the pillow/chair/dress with the princess they read about. But yes, they will pretend to be the sun, the tree, the frog, the giant they were told about)

Then, there's the language development that gets lost when a child starts reading on her own. Young children do not really hear us when we talk to them, or sings songs to them, or tell them stories...  at least, not in the way we adults hear. But their vocal chords vibrate along as they listen to us, and that is how language develops in them. That is how they come to memorize and internalize songs and stories. Because they heard it live from us, it becomes alive in them. This isn't exactly weird/new phenomena... how else did you grow up treasuring stories told by your parents about your own childhood? And how do you think culture and traditions were handed down through generations back when books were not as easily had?

 And yes, we have to repeat stories/rhymes many times... because we want it internalized. It may sound boring for some that a story in a usual Waldorf kindergarten is told for many weeks because there are schools that take pride in reading a different story each day/week to a child... and yet how many children remember all those stories read to them? Where is the meaning when a story doesn't become alive in a child?

And... storytelling is an experience in a Waldorf Kindergarten. There's usually the scent of the beeswax candle, the song that calls the child that settles him down to listen, there's the texture of fabric, the tenor of a teacher's (or parent's) voice. The story is alive. I'm being redundant here but it is alive... something that requires complete concentration from the storyteller. Story reading, unless you're a professional or it's a new story... doesn't require the same effort.

Storytelling the way we do it also follows the seasons and the festivals. It helps make a child part of a rythm... of a bigger picture, a major dance, a natural unfolding that is happening as it should... that there is a flow of seasons and that we are where we should be. That is lost when a child reads a Christmas story in March, because he can, or when they read about snow while living in a tropical climate. If not lost, it at least breeds disconnect.

Waldorf also discourages anything that tries to replace human interaction, especially for the very young. There really is not much human interaction when a child reads to himself. Plus, a young child should be engaged in the world, not reading about it. Instead of reading about busy spiders, they are better off observing one. Instead of reading about princesses trapped in castles, they should be pretending to be one and building their own forts. They should be moving, jumping, exploring, socializing.

There is also this truth: reading is a skill that, once learned, is hard to unlearn. And with the various media out there, how do you protect your child from words like 'rape' or 'murder'? Or the naughty stuff on statement tees in malls? Once they start reading, they aren't dependent on you anymore for information. And like it or not, they will be subject to any printed text. Any.

To most parents, that must seem liberating... to most parents, they must see it as a child coming into his own. And well, the Waldorf community has a different view of how independent a child should be... but basically, we believe that very young children do not yet have enough life experience to process a lot of things in this world well. Because they are children.

And then there is this curious thing about reading... which is somehow related to all the things I have already said.

Reading is entertaining. It allows you to go places and be different people and live different lives... which is why I read so much as a child. It provided me with escape and adventure. Unfortunately, it also set me up with unrealistic expectations... because everything seemed to be more romantic, fun, etc in books. And because the libraries I went to had a great selection of donated textbooks from the US, I grew up reading about pioneers and prairies instead of farmers and fishermen. Imagine the disconnect I feel about our culture, our literature now.

There is nothing wrong in reading per se. It's definitely one of God's more magical gifts to us. But for the very young child, it just might do more harm than good. They have to be actively engaged with the world they are in and with people first, not passively reading about them. They have to create their own stories first, and just play in earnest.

Waldorf is not anti-books nor anti-reading. The readings required in a typical Waldorf curriculum, if you check it,  taps world literature and is far richer and more extensive than the ones required in typical schools. But Waldorf believes that for the very young child, books are generally not age-appropriate... there is a time for them, and it's not in the first 7 years.

Childhood is not the time for hard facts and logical thinking and what's on the news.
It's the time for exploring using the, and developing the, senses (Steiner lists twelve!).
It's the time for modelling behavior and mastering the body.
It's the time for play, not studying.
It's the time for wonder and creativity, magic and make-believe.
It's the time for innocence and only the good.
Only the good.
(all this has to do with the kingdom of childhood, something I hope I can blog about)
And childhood is but a short time when you compare it to the rest of a person's lifetime spent in adulthood.
==================

All that being said... where are we as a family?

We're in transition.

The habit of story reading has been ingrained in Yakee ever since he was a baby. It's always two books before bedtime. But I have also made up stories for him ever since, usually told in the dark. I have also used the moving storybooks I painted often enough. I have procrastinated making puppets though, so I have not moved onto using story tables. But I have been telling him stories. And reading to him, and not off picture storybooks.

At one point, he asked to learn how to read already... and I failed to honor that request. I'm not quite sure I regret it though I take it as a sign that sooner or later, he will demand to be taught. And I have made the decision that I will not refuse him, just that I won't offer too.

I hope, in this way, I have still preserved the best of him.

==================

I am not saying, too, that the Waldorf way is the RIGHT way, or should be the only way. And I certainly don't mean little ones who read early are without imagination or are damaged.

I just attempted to give an idea of where we're coming from.

The Giant and the Gnome

This is a favorite tale in Waldorf circles and there are enough stories of young children who were overly shy, or had some special needs, responding to the story with so much investment... that parents have been pressed to learn it too.

I was too happy to just realize that I have a copy of the English version (because I have a copy of the Filipino one).  I am sharing it here so that others can tale the tell to their own children...

This is easily told using knotted doll cloths and on someone's lap.

=================

There was a giant, big and bold,
Whose feet were getting very cold.
He came along to our town,
And walked the hills all up and down,
Calling, "Is no one hearing me?
My toes are freezing bitterly!
No single shop that I could tell
Has stockings giant-size to sell."

A little gnome, both old and wise,
He gave him very good advice.
He brought two pretty bits of stuff;
The giant thought them good enough.
He wrapped his feet, the pain was eased,
And home he walked, content and pleased.

Preparing for Yakee's Birthday

Yakee has come home from school with a box of chocolate mallows, an apron with a red balloon, and a felt beanie and felt tool belt with yarn balls and wooden clips... all giveaways from schoolmates who have celebrated their birthdays.

And don't I feel pressured!

But the thing is... I know the parents thought to give those away because their children are good friends with the other children already. And it's not like there is some sort of unwritten protocol that this has to be done. And apart from the mallows, the giveaways are craftsy and tons of fun. I loved them so much because they really had 'play' as motivation.

And since we're not throwing a party this year, and I want Yakee to have a birthday story told him in school (which reminds me, I need to purchase the birthday ring and beeswax candles already... or make do with diptyque candles)... and it may be his last birthday there, I have been thinking of what to give away to his schoolmates.

It's down to three things... a cloak made of velvet cloth (for make-believe play), a bug's eye toy (to look at the world in a new way) with fairy rings/hand kites or burlap frames and cut-out leaves/tree trunk (with instructions on how the child can make her own tree). The deciding factor would be the cost, so I better head back to Divisoria soon and source materials for the first and third, otherwise, I'd have to order the bug's eye from abroad already.

And I'm thinking of having a crepe cake for Yakee's birthday instead :)

(yes, all preps for him, none for me)

Moving Storybook Workshop at St. Michael

On one hand, it was more of a painting session with a lot of chit chat for two afternoons because that's what we mostly did: paint.

On the other hand, it was wonderful to see all the finished/unfinished products because of all the idea prompts you get. Anyway, a moving storybook is basically a favorite book, verse or made-up one brought to life using moving pictures. And since Waldorf believes in the soul of painting, it was the main medium we used. It's an alternative to having a story table and making puppets and is intended to be used without books (you can cheat and write the verse at the back, in case you forget... but you can also just make up stories). It's goal is to also be part of a bedtime routine, instead of story reading from books (because Waldorf is all about storytelling, not reading). Again, the reason for that is that it is more soulful, less contrived and more open to the use of the imagination.

The first day, I was really unprepared to be creative. I started out hoping to paint a sea scenery then ended up with a river one. The next day, I came more prepared as I had planned on a castle-dragon-knight scene.

And let me tell you... the expression on Yakee's face was priceless when I brought out the first scene and proceeded to tell him a short, impromptu story about an afternoon where he and Yamee are exploring, and he was encouraging Yamee to learn to jump over the river. You could see that he felt loved, that the gift was a very personal one, and that it was really, really appreciated. He was really upset when I couldn't use the storyboard again before bedtime because there were a lot of moths and we couldn't open any lights in the bedroom.

So, yeah, I think when he sees that  I painted a castle scene for him, he might start getting teary from the joy of it.

Yamee... well, he liked mommy's painting too... but he wanted to get the boys on popsickle sticks, and tear the painting in two (just because he saw the slit).

Anyway, here's sharing what my classmates (love using this word 'coz it makes me feel i'm back to school again just because I am learning a lot with such classes) made and some of our pics as we were creatively busy.

though I said chit chat, we didn't really gab and gossip... we were all really busy with our projects

the window will be showing two seasons :)

while this one will be showing the cycle of sunshine, clouds, rain and rainbow

this one is going to be a Narnia cabinet showing nature themes

this one shows trees dying/disappearing, as Mrs. Fajilan's homage to the pine trees cut down in Baguio; and they are also starting a Waldorf school in Tablas, Romblon (yey!)

the wheel will show different things flying in the sky

the Mom in the middle made a storybook about their trip to Bohol and that is such a great prompt: to reinforce memories through storytelling this way

the storyboard that delighted Yakee (he's the one in red shorts, Yamee is in purple)

me with the castle one and our mentor Tita Malou (and her boat); I tried copying the dragon in one of her paintings for this one (looked more like a stunted alligator but wth)

the best thing we learned from this class is that we could do it, and do it with soul... and how such gatherings help the kids, our kids, in Waldorf schools

I missed the doll-making class (amazing that regular people can make such lovely dolls!) and will have to miss the crochet class since it will conflict with my sons' pending swimming lessons. But this was really fun, fun, fun... enough to make me buy watercolor paper, new watercolor tube paints (i'd invest in the Stockmar brands someday, when I have a better handle of painting at home with the kids) and other art stuff to make more storybooks.

I also realized... I like strong colors so much. I want to paint more dreamy scenes and less concrete, detailed ones :)

Now, moving storybooks are more fun right? :) Really versatile too!

The 30-Day Mommy Challenge

A friend shared this in our FB group and I wanted to blog it so i'd remember it better... and just maybe, more moms will take up the challenge.

I'm thinking of doing it as my own Christmas countdown... for my sons. Click on the picture for a bigger, printable picture.



Source

How Protected Are You, SAHM?

Recently, a hot topic in my ygroups was brought about by someone's two woman friends who were suddenly left by their husbands, without money of their own. This was a wake-up call to all, especially to one-income families like ours.

We trust the husbands we married, after all. We cannot imagine them falling out of love. Some will also never think of losing them to diseases or accidents. But the truth is, its not just separation or a debilitating illness that can throw a family's financial standing into chaos.

What if my husband loses his job? What if some tragedy happens? (I am writing this on the 2nd anniversary of Ondoy)What will happen, then, to a woman like me who has kids to support?

Hubby and I have always made sure we have enough money to cover a few months of him without work, that is our insurance cash. Then, we have some savings that's also available cash. Then, we have an insurance plan too.

But that's not enough. I have realized I have really failed myself the most when I didn't make income generating part of my days. I do not regret staying home and quitting my job, but I should still have continued generating income.

I have, in some ways, but I have not made it a priority. I should, though, if only to have my own money... or if only to have that extra income to fall back on. Plus, if I really want our own house, being a stay-at-home Mom shouldn't mean I shouldn't contribute to the purchase of it.

Sigh.

I know we should start checking out annuity rates online again. And I should make it a priority to update my insurance records to ensure my husband and kids are named beneficiaries. And I should be more actively earning from my online/writing gigs.

It's not just about the money. It's about being empowered, it's acquiring skills, being in the loop and taking care of my self-concept. Plus, it would also help me not to overanalyze my home situation and get my validation only from my family life.

The Dream

Last Friday, I happened to see two of my batchmates from my LATCH training. One of them is the Mom of my son's 'classmate' at St. Michael, the other one is now based in Puerto Princesa as a yoga instructor. They're the moms behind Indigo Baby :)

Anyway, Monica shared that they're starting their own version of St. Michael Playhouse in Puerto Princesa. I was happy for them, for Palawan in general... but also a little bit envious. How can other moms just do the things I want to be doing?

I remembered Nanay Ines of Arugaan always telling me to keep dropping by Arugaan to get pointers... and start my own creche. Arugaan and St. Michael have a lot of similarities and it would be really great to be able to embrace the lifestyle change they offer: going more organic, environment-friendly and child-involved.

I am not sure if I have a green thumb but there is that dream of growing our own vegetables and tending to backyard chicken coops with my sons. I hope to have a self-sufficient home utilizing solar energy and recycling water. And just lots of space where my sons can run free and imagine possibilities while learning about Science and Math :)

That is the dream. I hope I realize it someday.

*~*

Another set of signs I'm sort of getting composes the following:
1) A N@Wie friend who has started training to be a marriage and family counselor.
2) My college friend egging me to take up counselling with her.
3) A blog friend working as a part-time counselor under Ms. maribel Dionisio of the Love Institute.

I also hope to be a marriage and family counselor. It sort of feels like a natural progression from my stint as a peer counselor for reproductive health and teen issues from all those years ago. I am, sort of, a breastfeeding peer counselor now. Oh, and I also sort of want to be a child nutrition expert. But anyway, the deal is... since I am a wife and parent, I want to be an expert on family life and help others that way too because it is now what's relevant to me.

I am still struggling now with being a good enough wife and mom and I don't have energy for serious academic commitments.

But someday... when I've had more family life experience, I might study to become a professional counselor. When I know better, maybe i'd also learn to be better faster.

That is another dream.

Mom Bloggers for Play Pilipinas

‘Play’ includes activities of children that are not controlled by adults and that do not necessarily
conform to any rules. Source

Play Pilipinas will be the country's first Play Festival. It's happening in October 21-23, 2011 and I just really can't wait!

But wait... I must tell you first that Play Universal, in a drive to promote its Active Play movement and Play Pilipinas, has invited mom bloggers for lunch. Unfortunately, only three of us were able to come. It was still great though because we managed to really interact. Leirs, Joey and I all have two kids each... but Ms. Sigrid has eight (all age ten and below) so it made for a really interesting exchange. And yes, I was texting my friend Laya about how Ms. Sigrid can manage her legion and still establish Play Universal and manage Project Brave Kids so we (laya and I) should stop ranting, haha.



Free and active play, a basic right for kids, is now being hindered by the following:
1) Adults that are unaware of the importance of play and parents themselves restricting play opportunities
2) Unsafe environments and limited play space, especially for children growing up in the city
3) Parents' Fears, that can run the gamut of social (bullying) to physical (germs, falls
4) Inadequate play policies (like barangays will construct a basketball court that may only benefit big kids, or construct playgrounds that are generic but don't really promote active play)
5) Excessive pressure for educational achievement and lack of provisions for play in school
6) Structured, programmed leisure time (play that is generally free of rules actually help facilitate better IQ and EQ)
7) Technology and the commercialization of play (e.g. instead of using their imagination with boxes and plastic containers, little girls now need miniature play kitchens and boys are hunched over gadgets instead of jumping off beds)
8) Marginalization (girls aren't encouraged to climb walls; the poor don't really have playgrounds)

So, yes... it was a very informative, however brief, encounter.

Needless to say... I am looking forward to Play Pilipinas (details of the play festival here). I don't have the P15k for the 3-day conference (and the topics, though interesting, are really targeted for academe people) but I might be forced to come up with the P3k or so for at least one of their mini workshops. I'm thinking, the one on traditional Filipino games. They're also considering a mini workshop for Play and Special Needs Kids.

The 3-day forum will cost P10,500 only and the mini-workshops P1k, thanks to more sponsors for the event.

But I am really excited about the playground installations they will be setting up (winning designs from the playground design competition) because kids will be able to move from one setup to another. And this won't be the generic slides and swings!

And then there will be the fairs on toys, books and magazines, nutrition, fashion, school and world toys. Like I told hubs, it might end up as a major shopping spree for me, haha.

Play Pilipinas is happening on October 21-23, 2011 at the SMX Convention Center. For more information and inquiries, just contact:
Play Universal Co.
9F Pacific Center, 33 San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Telefax: +63 634 0416
Email: playnow@playpilipinas.com
http://playpilipinas.org/

I think this is a perfect venue for a grand EB and playdate, haha!

Excited Over Eden Again

I just saw the pictures of the latest Eden Maternity collection and they were fab! Well, I didn't like the shade of some of the colored stuff as they were muted instead of vibrant... but I am still liking the reversible yoga pants, shorts, the pocket dress (such a summery look!) and the Glamouflage (which I can't afford, hehe).

A fellow N@Wie, who has a small business printing birthday party stationery, is also digging the new collection :)

I also like the Athena maxi dress but since I really seldom have need for a dress, I am not considering daydreaming about it. I am reconsidering their Eiffel dress though since I recently saw someone wearing it and found it really flattering.

Sigh. If only we're not scampering for tuition money!

A Summer Affair: Children’s Workshops Expo 2011 by Working Mom Magazine

I am pretty excited about the Children’s Workshops Expo 2011 happening on April 10 at the NBC Tent, Bonifacio Global City. Yakee is pretty much covered for the summer but I want to see what classes are being offered now, if anything is near where we live, what I can offer on my own and new educational/enrichment trends. Consider it as research for my homeschooling dream.

The expo is from 10 AM to 7 PM. See you there!!!

Personalized Gifts

I had recently just gotten the photobooks I had intended to be birthday gifts for our nieces. And since the photobooks sort of chronicle the girls' growth for the past 3 years, they're really more of Mother's day gifts.

Now, I stumbled upon personalized gifts found at PersonalCreations.com and may I just say, I am in danger of getting bankrupt again? I especially liked the Puzzle name stools (wonder if there's a local producer), the alphabet quilt and the wooden rocking chairs. Sigh, to have money and space for all these cute things!

The Streak

There was this recent news story abroad of a father reading to his youngest daughter every night till said daughter was leaving home for college. Every night, even if one of both of them were doing something else, they'd go home just for that ritual of theirs. The deal was that the father had to read to his daughter at least 10 minutes and that it had to happen before midnight, every night.

I loved it. I see some moms eager to teach their kids to read so they won't have to read to their child anymore, and it sorta makes me sad. See, only when I'm really angriest or we're not at home do I skip reading to Yakee before bedtime. And even when he's reading already, I really hope I'd continue reading to him... or we could read to each other.

So, I sort of started The Streak too... but am kinda lenient about it. I just have to read to him every day... so now, I try to read to him in the morning or afternoon, so that even if we fight in the evening, I'd have read to him already.

Someday, when he understands better, I'd tell him this. And heaven help us, if I end up honeymooning with hubby alone, or he goes to camp somewhere... let's hope there's a cellphone signal :)

*~

I should read more of the classics to him I think... but he knows soooo many books already anyway that I really don't worry.

Sorting Out Pics

I have backlogs when it comes to sharing, uploading and even printing out our pictures. Coming from a holiday season and only just recovering, I really have tons of pictures to sort through and back up. One of the ways I archive them is to upload them, so that if my laptop and trusted external hard disk crashes, the most important pics are already safe on the internet.

I should make use of the magic of laser printers though and print some of the pictures for my Mom and mother-in-law since they don't really have cyber lives but are the greatest fans of my sons.

Have you made sense of all the pictures you took yet? :)

Sneaky Mommy

For what it's worth, people just have to credit me for raising a reader in my firstborn. But these days, I am just so tired at night to read long stories to him so when I saw these, I immediately bought them.

Yakee loves Curious George.

And these books teach about measurements and grouping and nature.

And they're pretty short but really interesting stories.



I have been resisting the purchase of Curious George compilations because I just know Yakee would try getting me to finish the book and not settle with just one story from the book.

That's how am sneaky. Ahehe.

*~*

P60 each from Booksale :)