Getting Ready For Christmas

It's less than 50 days before Christmas and I haven't done ANY shopping yet. The LOOOONG Christmas list has been ready since midyear but I haven't gotten around to getting some retail therapy.

Every year I say to Hubby that I will start my Christmas shopping in June. And every year I start shopping just in time for the long lines at the cashier and the when the Christmas shopping frenzy is at its peak--just like a New Year resolution gone bad.

However, seeing all that clutter disappear during the garage sale inspired us to decorate for Christmas. I brought out my Nativity set, collection of Santa Claus, and started to put them around the house. Upon careful examination, the house still needs a few more Christmas-y items like wreaths and candy cane. Hmmm, we'll see.

I also bought a book called, "The First Christmas" to let the kids know about (ahem) the First Christmas. I read this to them last night and they loved it. They even rearranged the Nativity set and look to it often for reference. I can't wait to read "A Night Before Christmas" to the kids tonight. Hopefully, they won't rearrange my Santa Claus collection after that!

Just Like A Sponge

I left Kowi to stay at my mom's house for one whole morning. My mom and my brother had the task of keeping her entertained while I indulged in some "me time." When I got back after lunch, I saw my brother and Kowi at the door. The first thing that Kowi said to me was, "Hey, dude!" I was shocked. She has never said hey and dude in the same sentence.

I immediately turned to my brother and asked him what he watched while I was away. He sheepishly said, "Harold and Kumar." I tried to give him my best disapproving look, the one I give to my kids. When Kowi saw this she said, "Cool, dude!" and then went into the room. My brother and I just laughed.

I reminded him that kids this age absorb things pretty quickly, just like a sponge. Anything that he says, shows and does will register in Kowi's mind. And the likelihood of repeating this new info will be high, permanently sealing it in her mind.

Good thing that "hey, dude" and "cool, dude" were the only ones she took away from watching "Harold and Kumar"...or is it? Oh, no! I am dreading to find out.

Second Attempt Crashed And Burned

In my 32 years of life, I have sampled my Dad's cooking only once. I guess it was with good reason. His first attempt to cook was a nutritionist's nightmare--and he was just cooking hotdogs.

If you think no one can flub pan-frying hotdogs, you're wrong. My Dad did. He fried them with the individual plastic wrapper still intact. And served the blackened, plastic-wrapped hotdogs to us, his precious children! The funny thing was that he insisted that plastic had nutritional value.

His second attempt to cook last Saturday literally crashed and burned. He was frying tapa, which is tasty dried beef, and had a senior moment. He left the tapa cooking in the pan while he went to his room to watch Harold and Kumar with my brother!

Good thing my brother went out and smelled something burning. He immediately ran to the kitchen to see the it almost half-filled with smoke and turned off the stove. When my Mom learned about it, she was livid and ignored my Dad the whole night.

My Dad officially has AAADD (Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder). And I think he's entitled to it as long as he stays away from the kitchen.

Getting Ready For Halloween

Kuya wants to dress up as Ben 10 for Halloween this year. But finding a Ben 10 costume (white shirt with black lining) is proving to be difficult. I've been surfing the Cartoon Network sites. So far, all of them cost around $24++ online. Good thing my Dad will be going to the States this October. I might ask him buy a costume for Kuya.

Or I'm thinking we might just make this into a little project. Ben 10 is fairly easy to do on our own. A little plain white shirt and a black fabric pen just might do the trick. Kuya does have his own Omnitrix Deluxe. Brown cargo pants and rubber shoes should complete the ensemble.

Kowi wants to go as a fairy princess (again) this year. I'm trying to convince her to change it up. Oh well, she's pretty headstrong. Hopefully, she can go as Bubbles from the Flintstones. That would be cute. I'm already imagining that little bone on her hair.

Hmmm, maybe I should go to Tabora.

A Ben 10 Day

Kuya had it easy today. His school decided to give everyone a break by declaring it Achievement Holiday. After four days of exams, they deserve a little break.

Good thing that Kuya didn't have school so he can see Ben 10 a bit earlier than the other kids.

Kuya put on his Omnitrix and brought it to the show. What's a Ben 10 show without it?

We were seated at the front row, eager to watch Ben 10 live. The show started with a little bit of Ben 10 trivia and games. Kuya won three! It was a definite advantage to sit in front.

The show started with a backgrounder of how Ben got the Omnitrix. Then Wild Mutt and Four Arms appeared and did a couple of stunts while fighting off the alien bad guys.

There was a meet and greet Ben after. Kuya is all smiles in the pic and shows off his Omnitrix proudly. Too bad that Wild Mutt and Four Arms weren't there. That would've been cooler.

Ben 10 fans, you can still catch Ben 10, Wild Mutt and Four Arms live at Alabang Town Center tomorrow and Sunday. Kuya is asking if we could go again. We might. But I'm not too sure if Cartoon Network will allow him to participate in the games since he's won three times.

Kids are Kids

I recently had a scary experiencewith Kowi. Four years ago, Kuya had the same experience.

For reasons known only to him, Kuya put a Smint candy up his nose. It got stuck in his nostil and he started to cry. And every time he tried to blow out of his nose, bubbles started to come out, which made him cry harder. Kuya was only three years old then. My mom brought him to the emergency room. I couldn't go becasue I was pregnant with Kowi that time.

I would imagine that getting a Smint up your nose would be a bit painful than a bit because it's mint. But Kowi's pink plastic bead is twice as big as Kuya's Smint.

What is it with kids and stuffing up their noses at three years old?

Kids are kids. I know they will stick more than fingers up their noses. Heaven help me get through this phase!

More Than Her Finger

I had a very hectic and somewhat scary morning. I was at the computer when Kowi came up to me running and covering her nose. She was saying, "Sorry, mom. Sorry, mom," over and over.

I asked her what happened. But with all the crying, I couldn't understand a word she was saying. In the middle of her sobs, I pieced her words together.

She put a pink plastic bead up her nose!

I looked up her nostril and I still could see the bead. I tried to get her to blow her nose, but she would snort harder after. I just prayed that it didn't go too far up her nose. While driving to the EENT clinic, Kowi was saying that she didn't want a doctor to look up her nose. She held a pink hanky to cover it. I just told her not to cry.

We had to park a block and a half away from the clinic because all the parking slots were full. I was scared, hungry and even angry that I had to carry Kowi and walk under the sun to get to the clinic.

Outside the doctor's office, Kowi was calm. She was still holding the pink hanky to her nose. The receptionist kept saying to put it down.

And while we were waiting for the doctor, Kowi showed me a pink bead.

Kowi had gotten the pink bead out herself. I don't know how she did it but thank God.

Kids will be kids. They will put stuff where they shouldn't go and will stick more than fingers up their noses. This might be funny in a year or two, but now I don't find it amusing. I'm just glad it's over. Whew!

Instant Stress Busters

Moms definitely know the meaning of stress. When you’re running late, your preschooler won’t get dressed, stress kicks in. But before we start yelling (or crying), here are some guaranteed instant stress busters that I’ve browsed over the Web to help us cope better.

Get some perspective. Whenever you're on the verge of a meltdown, try to remember, “Will this matter a year from now?” And usually it won't.

Expect the unexpected. Stress is often triggered by unrealistic expectations. Do not assume that routine will go as planned, especially with kids. When the day goes well, consider it a bonus.

Think happy. In the middle of chaos, moms should learn to visualize a happy scene. Think of your kids laughing or sleeping soundly or maybe something else that doesn’t include your kids. Meditate on it often to stay relaxed.

“Me” time is mandatory. It may be as little as 10 minutes a day. Have that cup of cocoa when the kids are asleep, wake up earlier and update your blog or go out for the night with the girls. Having fun is not illegal. It will certainly help keep us sane.

Breathe in and out. Research shows that deep breathing reduces stress. So slowly inhale and exhale.

Have a stress-free week ahead.

Fish Oil Benefits

I have been looking for flavored fish oil or chewable fish oil tablets here in Manila since last year. But my search was unsuccessful. The only fish oil supplements that I found were the regular ones and it really tastes fishy.

I am a big believer in fish oil. I started doing a lot of research on it when I came across an article that claimed daily intake can improve learning ability and decrease in aggressive behavior of children diagnosed with autism, dyslexia and ADHD. As many as 4 out of 10 benefit from a dramatic improvement and as much as 7 percent can be completely cured. Those are great stats.

Mainstream students can also get the same benefits from fish oil with the same percentage. Aside from increases in concentration, children can benefit from better vision, better hearing, better motor skills, more coordination and a friendlier personality.

Adults can also benefit from taking fish oil supplements. Effects include lower blood pressure levels, less risk to various forms of cancer, anti-inflammatory properties and decreased risk for blood clots. In addition, women may experience improved fertility, a more regular monthly cycle and less PMS symptoms.

Another side effect of fish oil is improved skin and shiny hair.

Wouldn't it be great if chocolate had the same side effects as fish oil?

Good thing Tita Tinai sent some strawberry-flavored fish oil for Kowi. It's fresh from Norway. Thank you! I'm expecting another batch when supplies run out. LOL.

Kuya and I have been taking our regular fishy-flavored fish oil quite religiously since last year. So far, so good.

Avert Incoming Tantrums

All parents have been here: Your child won’t open her mouth when it’s time to brush her teeth. Your child refuses to leave the park, the mall, the house, thus making you late. You want to trim your child’s fingernails, but she squirms away. And all that protesting comes from a little three-year-old, particularly when you really, really, really want them to do something.

My three-year-old Kowi is just like that. I certainly think she’s a natural born protester. And she’s increasingly determined to assert her independence.

How do you get a stubborn preschooler to cooperate without resorting to yelling or threats?

Distracting has been working for me, so far. But I am, by no means, a master. Creativity and a lot of patience are required to perfect the skill of redirection.

Here are a few techniques that may help fellow parents avert incoming tantrums. They have been successful for me--mostly

1. Tell a secret. I usually whisper in her ear and tell her something “very important” and ask if she wants to hear it. She usually nods yes. Then I scoop her up and bring her to the car.

2. Sing. I sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star with the wrong lyrics. Kowi usually focuses more on my “wrong words” than me shampooing her hair.

3. Ask a question. This technique was used successfully by my sister, Ceejay. I left Kowi at home and she started a major meltdown. Ceejay sat beside her and asked her something. Kowi totally stopped crying and thought about the answer to the question.

4. Recall a favorite time. When it’s time for a nail trim, I ask Kowi if she remembers an event or a situation or even a story she’s fond of. I start talking about it in detail then ask her to add other details that I pretend not to remember.

5. If all else fails, I just disappear into another room and hope that the incoming tantrum is short-lived. And I breathe in and breathe out, in and out...

Avert incoming tantrums successfully, this is my wish to every parent.

What's in a Name?

Singer Gwen Stefani and rocker hubby Gavin Rossdale welcomed their second baby boy last Thursday. Little Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale weighed 8 pounds and 5 ounces.

Yes. It's Zuma Nesta Rock. This kid better be prepared for his first day of school. He's definitely in for a bit of teasing.

I'm thinking with their celebrity status, guys like Gwen and Gavin want their children's names to be unique.

Here are other interesting names that celebrities named their kids.

Nicholas Cage named his son, Kal-el. As in Superman's real name.

Melissa Etheridge has a daughter named Bailey Jean.

Host Paula Yates has four daughters and their names are: Fifi Trixibelle, Peaches Honeyblossom, Little Pixie and Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily.

Sylvester Stallone named his daughters Sage Moonblood, Sophia Rose, Sistine Rose and Scarlet Rose.

Bruce Willis and Demi Moore have daughters named Rumer Glenn, Scout Larue and Tallulah Belle.

And the weirdest one yet is by mucisian Frank Zappa.

He named his kids Dweezil (son), Ahmet Emuukha Rodan (son), Moon Unit (daughter) and Diva Muffin (daughter).

I guess celebrities are competing for the weirdest baby names. Names like Jane and Michael just won't do anymore.

Do you think any of these names would eventually catch on?

My Stay-At-Home Mom Myths Busted

I quit my job last year and decided to be a stay-at-home mom. That last day from work gave me huge relief. I was finally going to spend time at home with the kids. In my mind I was thinking of doing crafts with the kids, baking cakes and muffins, attending PTAs -- the works. The image of this perfect mom with perfect kids, whistling while working, popped into my head. I never thought that being a stay-at-home mom would be one colossal roller coaster ride.

Here are a few lessons that I've learned on being a stay-at-home mom:

I never realized that house work was never ending. There will always be piles of laudry. The dishes will never be clean for too long. No matter how fast I work, there always seems to be, at least, one unfinished project around the house. And this is a huge adjustment from work where I just tick off tasks that are done and get on with the new tasks. Staying at home requires serious paradigm shift.

It is easy to be separated from the outside world when you're staying at home. I'm at home with the kids all day. My adult contact was limted to my husband and to my other relatives during the weekends.

Adjustment takes time. Actually, after 8 months of staying at home, I can honestly say that I'm still getting my groove. It definitely has its ups and downs but it gets easier as time passes.

No one is perfect. No matter how voraciously I go through baby books, know more about parenting than Dr. Spock or cook lasagne in 30 minutes better than Rachel Ray, I could never be the perfect mom. I had willingly given up that myth. And I tell myself that it's okay to make mistakes.

Despite the big lifestyle change that I'm going through, being a stay-at-home mom is wonderful. It is a decision that I do not regret one second. I love being present in my children's lives. And no pile of laundry is too big to deter me from being a stay-at-home mom.

Kowi's Forehead

Last night before bedtime, the kids were inside Manu's room, playing. I was with my sister, Ceejay, in her room when I heard a loud thump. Mamu screamed, "Give me ice!" Then I heard Kowi's loud cry.

I immediately stood up and ran outside the room to see what happened. I saw Mamu carrying Kowi. There was a BIG violet lump in the middle of her forehead.

I took Kowi and ran to the kitchen to get ice. Ceejay right behind me. I opened the freezer door to get whatever I could find that was cold and put it to Kowi's forehead. It was a pack of green peas. Good thing that my sister was already busy preparing the real cold compress.

Kowi's forehead was so swollen and violet. I knew that she fell hard but I didn't realize that she fell that hard to get a bump that big.

We applied the cold compress to Kowi's forehead for 30 minutes. Thank God that Evan Almighty was on HBO. Kowi loves that movie. It had created the perfect distraction for me to keep applying that cold compress to her forehead.

Here she is after 30 minutes. The swelling had subsided and the color has lightened to a light violet. She is drinking milk and still cranky. Who could blame her?

Bedtime Rituals

Bedtime rituals, as I have discovered, paves the way for better and easier sleep of the kids. Kuya is more likely to get up on his own in the mornings, especially on school days. Kowi is unlikely to wake up cranky.

Over the past months, we’ve somewhat pieced together our bedtime routine. Some were my ideas, but most of them came from the kids. Both kids had a say on how they wanted to be tucked into bed.

Normal bedtime is usually at 8:30pm. I remind the kids at around 20 minutes before that to set the mood. And when I call them to bed, there’ll be less fuss and complaints ( and cross my fingers). Kuya gets into his top bunk, Kowi jumps into the lower bunk.

We read one book aloud before lights off. On MWF, I do the storytelling. Kuya gets to do his share of the reading on TTH. The usual books that we like are by Dr. Seuss, Little Golden Books and Ladybird Favourite Tales. Kowi especially likes “There’s a Wocket in my Pocket” because of the silly monster names.

When the reading is done, I turn off the lights and switch on their little orange night light. Then I sing “Rock-a-bye Baby” five times. Yes, I have to count each one with my finger or else the kids demand that I start from the top.

After my mini concert, I give Kowi a kiss, a big hug and a little nose-to-nose. We say, “I yab you” to each other and I tell her she’s the best. Kuya gets a kiss, an arm rub and we do our not-so-secret handshake. It’s actually a fist bump then wiggling of fingers. We say, “I love you” and then I tell him he’s the best.

And I say good night to both of the kids at the door and then I get to do my personal mom bedtime ritual.

One Happy Stamper

For our activity today, Kowi and I decided to try our hand at stamping. I just bought a small, inexpensive stamp kit with red ink from the bookstore.

First thing we did was to dress her in her "art" shirt. Kuya and Kowi have specific shirts they use for art and for eating spaghetti. It takes the stress out of washing the stains from their clothes since these special shirts are allowed to be stained. Next, I sat her on the table, opened the kit, gave her several pieces of paper and she was stamping away. I think that this is really good to develop her fine motor skills.

13 Best Things About Having Kids TT-1

Being a parent has certainly turned my life around 180 degrees. Listed below are the 13 best things about having kids.

13. I am lucky enough to witness the miracle of a tiny, helpless being become an independent individual.

12. I get to put wafers in the grocery list without raising any clues that I'm really the one who wants it.

11. Having high-spirited kids is the perfect excuse for why I haven't bothered to decorate or clean or organize or make the place look more presentable.

10. There is at least one person in this world who thinks I'm good at doing everything.

9. No matter how squeamish I may have been before about the human body, nothing really intimidates me now about my kids. Not their poop, puke or snotty nose.

8. I get to watch cartoons and not feel guilty about it.

7. The sound of Kuya and Kowi's laughter can melt away a bad day in seconds and put everything in perspective.

6. Hubby and I get to buy dolls and RC cars that our parents said no to.

5. I get to eat spaghetti and pizza on a regular basis.

4. I can read to my kids all the books that I loved as a child.

3. I have become a morning person and learning to make the most out of it. I'm getting more things done now before 9am than I used to accomplish in a whole day.

2. My heart melts every time they say, "I love you" or "You're the best."

1. I get to cuddle up with someone who's really not interested in getting more.

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Kuya and Money

This year, Hubby and I decided that Kuya should finally be given a daily allowance. Seven years old is a suitable age for Kuya to start developing a relationship with money. Since he's learning about it in his Math class, why not make it a practical learning opportunity? This is a great tool to teach him how to handle money and know that it doesn't grow on trees. Although, I know, we all wish it did.

This allowance is really not tied to any basic chore or a certain grade. He does chores around the house because, as a member of the family, he needs to help out and maintain a decent grade. This is his "work." So fixing his bed and cleaning up after his mess is expected of him. But I do give him an allowance for setting the table, sweeping the backyard and tidying up the plates. These are extra tasks.

I give him Php5.00 a day. I know, I know, Hubby says I'm a big tightwad. But it's a good, round figure to start with.

Kuya and I agreed on certain things before I gave him his daily allowance. He is not allowed to buy candy. If he wanted to buy anything that costs more that Php20.00, he will have to let me know first. If he wanted to buy something extra, like a magazine or a toy, it'll have to come out of his allowance. And that I will match whatever money is saved up in his piggy bank by December 1.

The last item was thrown in for good measure. I didn't want him to go spend his Php5.00 daily allowance on snacks. It is an incentive for him to save. The more money he drops in his piggy bank, the more money he'll have by December--hopefully.

Kuya's To Do List

Kuya has officially made a list of things he has to do before Aina's party on Saturday. He has been writing and rewriting since yesterday, tearing away several pages from my scratch pad in the process.

First on the to do list is to buy a gift for Aina. I said it will be coming out of his allowance. He says it's fine. So we'll be hitting the mall this week to find a gift for Aina. What do 7-year-old girls like? I have no idea at all. Actually, I'm letting Kuya choose first and we'll go from there.

I'm hoping he won't choose cupcakes! Hehe.

Super excited

Kuya came home today super excited. I was waiting for his school bus to turn the corner when I heard him shouting, "Mommy, Mommy. I got an invitation."

He jumped from the school bus and ran inside the house. Then he started to open up his bag to get the invitation. "See, Mommy?" he said while holding up the card to my face.

See what?

Yes, it was definetly an invitation. Judging from the Dora theme, it was a girl's birthday party. When I opened it up, it was an invitation to Aina's birthday. Remember Aina, the cheese cupcake girl?

He was was so excited to get an invite. Apparently, the party is only for a select number of classmates. Kuya said Aina distributed the invites to a few of them, him included. After all, he's the 7th bestfriend.

While I am writing this and eating the cupcake supply for the day, Kuya is writing a thank you note to Aina for inviting him.

the case of the take home cupcakes

Since the start of school this June, I've been noticing cheese cupcakes in the breadbox. Every afternoon, one cheese cupcake just suddenly appears. The one day, I saw Kuya's hand in the breadbox. Apparently, he comes home with cheese cupcakes and puts them there for Kowi. He was the culprit all along.

The funny thing was that they weren't Kuya's leftover snacks. He usually brings a sandwich to school. So just who is the supplier of these daily cheese cupcake take home? My interest was certainly piqued!

One day, I finally asked him. His answer? "Oh, they're from my classmate, Aina."

The cupcakes were given by a classmate. A girl classmate. Aina. So, everyday since June he gets cheese cupcakes from Aina. A girl. Why?

"It's because I'm her 7th best friend," he said. Oh, okay. Seventh best friend. Hmmm...