drinking from a glass

This was one thing I forget to blog about and that is because I posted it on Facebook first. Anyway, I'm very proud to say that we've said goodbye to milk bottles and Joaqui is now drinking his milk from a glass. I was hesitant at first to let him drink milk from the glass because I was worried that he might not drink milk anymore. Thankfully, he liked it and now he's drinking milk from the glass all by himself.

This also prompted me to teach Joaqui to eat by himself using a spoon and a fork. At first it was quite difficult because it was messy, but after a few tries, he got the hang of it. Now I even send him rice and viand as his lunch for school. I think more than me being proud of him, I think he is also proud of himself for doing these things by himself. Makes him feel like a really big boy now.

the challenges of parenthood

Last Thursday, Joaqui came home from playing downstairs near our condo's swimming pool saying that he had let a child dive in the swimming pool. I was surprised and I asked him if he pushed the child or he just asked him to dive (a mother's instinct really made me thought of that). He looked at me and said he did not push him. So I rest my case since I trusted that he was telling the truth. After a while, one of his playmates knocked at our door and told us that Joaqui did push a child into the swimming pool. I was not angry at first, but really shocked because it was the farthest thing that I would imagine him to do - pushing another child into the swimming pool. I looked at Joaqui and he just said, "Sorry mommy! Sorry mommy!" We went downstairs and I asked Joaqui to apologize to the poor boy. Good thing he was not harmed and two older boys were with him.

Of course I scolded Joaqui and explained to him of what could have happened to the boy if he drowned or bumped his head on the steps going to the pool. I was disappointed because Joaqui is a good kid and I could not remember seeing him fight or push another child, even in school. I asked him why he did it, and he said that "he wanted the child to become a fish."

As a parent this made me asked myself how could this happen despite our constant reminders about not hurting other people. And I realized that while Joaqui already has a big imagination, and as we encouraged him to be anyone he wants and to make things come out the way he wants them to be, this is the time for a reality check. Now we explain to him carefully the limits of his imaginative play - especially if it can be hurtful to others. We also lessened his time for watching DVD (he watches Superman 1 to 5 over and over) and now I only let him watch age-appropriate DVDs like Blues Clues or Hi-5. He is grounded for a week, which means he cannot go outside our house to play. And while this seems a little harsh to others, I already saw an improvement in his behavior. He is more calm and not as restless as he used to be.

Parenthood is such a challenge, but I am up for it to ensure that my little one will grow up to be a caring and well-behaved person.

Mommy Moments - Black and White

I have no picture of Joaqui that depicts black and white and so I made this for today's theme. This is one of Joaqui's recent pictures. We were at a relative's house blessing in Cavite and he ws playing by the garage. It was extremely hot that day, hence the beads of sweat under his nose. This picture also reminds me of how "siopao-looking" his cheeks are. I was teasing him the other day, I said from now on I will call him "siops" which is short for siopao and then I would plant kisses on both of his cheeks and make "yum, yum" sounds like I'm eating siopao. He would giggle and laugh, but he doesn't want to be called "siops." ; )

Have a wonderful weekend! Join us at Mommy Moments.

Nostalgia #2 - My baby

Everyday when I look at my son, it seems that I'm looking at small miracles unfolding right before my eyes or like watching a caterpillar slowly turning into a butterfly - and though my heart overflows with joy being a witness to how he explores the world around him, I can't help bur reminisce the years that had gone by, when he was still a baby. Now he doesn't want to be called a baby, he said we should call him Joachim as his classmates would call him. He is starting to develop friendships independent of me and loves to do things on his own. Although it is still a long way before he goes to college, as a parent I am hoping that I would be able to help him to become this independent, unique person and allow him to explore and experiment. But I think he will always be my baby. ; )

a true wahmy

When an opportunity came for me to work at home, the decision came quickly. I did not even consider the fact that there would be a lot of employee benefits that I would not be able to enjoy anymore, but one thing made it easy for me to be a work-at-home mommy - being able to work at home and take care of my family, especially Joaqui. He was almost 1-1/2 years old at that time and today he is 4 years old. I cannot fully say that being a wahmy is easy, but I enjoy it. I enjoy the time I spend with Joaqui and now he is in school, being able to attend every school activity he had is priceless.

Sometimes I get the opportunity to be able to return to the workplace and although the financial security it brings is tempting, it is very hard for me to go back to the workplace again. I can't imagine leaving Joaqui behind and not being able to attend to his needs like I used to when I'm at home.

If I had to choose now, to continue working from home or to go back to working in the office, I would probably consider the former but I would still choose the latter.

It was a tiring day, like the days I usually have. It's late and I'm still working not because I was asked to, but because bedtime stories have to be read first and I had to answer a lot of questions before a little boy decides to go to sleep, and finally with his little hands clasping my face, looks into my eyes and says, "Good night mommy. I love you mommy!"

it's closing time

It is Joaqui's final exams week and the school year will come to a close and it is officially the start of summer vacation for my preschooler. I can't deny that he is really looking forward to summer vacation and would often ask me, "Is it vacation yet?" It's not that he doesn't like to go to school, it's just that he likes playing more. : )

I sometimes can't believe that it was one school year already. When I look at his books, the worksheets he had and the numerous pad papers we used for writing practice, it was very apparent how he had slowly but gradually improved physically, emotionally and intellectually. I was even telling hubby that since Joaqui finished nursery, it will be 17 years to go before he can finish paying for his education. Ha!ha!

Now me being as excited as Joaqui for the summer vacation to start is not somehow correlated. I must think of ways to keep him preoccupied so he will not get bored. Boredom equals tantrums and tantrums mean mommy can't focus on her work at home. We are thinking of enrolling him in swimming classes - not only for him to learn how to swim but to preserve a little of my sanity as well.

I have one project this vacation and that is to make a scrapbook for Joaqui's 1st year in preschool. I was not planning on a digital scrapbook, but the free credits I get from artscow is tempting. I had three scrapbooks made from artscow and I'm very pleased with its quality. I hope I can finish it before another school year starts.

Joaqui is in school and it's very quiet here in our house, and I spent this quiet hour by blogging, make me write faster when it's quiet. Not for long - until I hear the loud footsteps outside our door and a little boy shouting, "Mooommmmyyyy! I'm home!"

you're a firework

When Joaqui was a little younger, attending birthday parties was a little stressful for us because
Joaqui would cry just at the sight of the birthday party itself. What I would do was brief him a few days before the party on what to expect, where were we going, what we would do at the party, etc. and although it does not work all the time, somehow it lessened his anxiety. Up until he was about 2 or 3 years old, he would not really participate in games and sometimes cry when the party host's voice is too loud or when there is a lot of shouting going on, but still I would patiently assure him that it's just a party and people are happy and excited that is why they shout.

We kept on attending birthday parties, encouraging him to participate and I really noticed the improvement in his behavior, especially on the last two parties we attended. Now he loves to dance and show his dance moves to others.

He participates in games, listens to instructions well and really have fun - whether he wins or lose.


He is more responsive to other activities such as a magic show, even volunteering to be a magician's assistant one time.

Although I sometimes could not contain the stage mom in me and prods him to join games, I am just as proud when he dances and says to me, "Look at me Mommy!" or when he would ask me if he could join the party games.

As a parent, I realized how important it is to encourage our children to be who they are and let them know how special they can be. A child can be like a firework - we just got to ignite the light and let them shine. Make them know their worth as they shoot across the sky.

Joaqui at Nursery

Joaqui started Nursery school last Wednesday and we were much more excited than him. ; ) He was a little anxious at first but because it was the same school as the summer camp he had attended, he settled in quite easily. It was also a little emotional for us as parents because sending him to school is like the first real step in letting him go, grow and explore the world around him. Hubby and I were reminiscing about the time he was just a baby and now he is in school. I was also busy preparing his school materials, putting plastic covers and name tags on his books, and making a box of toiletries to be left in school (this contains extra shirt, extra underwear, powder, alcohol, etc.) I am also in the quest of creating a healthy lunch box or snack box for him and putting them together as a bento.


I was telling hubby I was wondering how Joaqui would fare in school, but more than that I really want him to have fun and enjoy it as much as he could.

Mommy Moments - Mother's Day 2010

Mother's Day will always be a special day for me because it was Mother's Day when I found out that I was going to be a Mom to Joaqui. I can't quite remember how we celebrated the past two Mother's Day, but my husband never fails to make me feel special during this day. This year we celebrated it as a family and instead of just going out to eat, we spent an afternoon at Nuvali in Santa Rosa, Laguna. It was a refreshing Sunday afternoon as we strolled around the area, did fish feeding and had a water taxi ride, which was Joaqui's first time.


We had a lot of fun and it was worth the travel. I did not receive any fancy gift this Mother's Day except for a book (which I love) from hubby, but every time I look at these pictures, my heart bursts with joy as how simply being a Mom makes me feel so special.

Hooray! Joaqui is potty trained!

I have had numerous attempts before to potty train Joaqui, but we were unsuccessful. Then I read an article about potty training which tells parents to also consider the readiness of a child before starting potty training. When Joaqui turned two, he had an idea of wee-wee and poo-poo, but he does not know yet when to go to the bathroom. We tried him on a potty trainer, but he does not want to use it. He began telling us that he pees in his diaper about a month ago and so I started training him on how to use the bathroom. I think he was himself ready to use the bathroom as he only had two accidents. On the second week, we did not have any accidents at all and I am so glad that I also waited for him to be ready.

I have summarized below the article I've read in toilet training children: 10 ways to prepare your child for the potty

Take your child into the bathroom with you. It's especially helpful if fathers and brothers set the example for boys, and mothers and sisters set the example for girls.

Try to help your child recognize the sensations of "being wet," "wetting now," and "about to be wet." Encourage your child to talk about these sensations -- especially "about to be..." sensations -- without pressing your child to be toilet trained.

Let your child go nude in appropriate settings to help the child " see" what he or she is doing, and to help make the mental connection between the words and what they refer to.

Changing a diaper in the bathroom will also associate the process with the place. Children over age 2 should be off the changing table for this reason.

Although much ado has been made about using the proper terminology for body parts and functions, you should use the words that come most easily to you and your child.

Help your child learn the meaning of the terms "before" and " after" by using them yourself in other contexts such as, "We'll wash the dishes after dinner."

Talk about the advantages of being trained: no more diaper rash, no more interruptions for diaper changing, the pleasure of being clean and dry.

Let your child practice lowering and raising training pants sometimes, or putting them on and taking them off.

Have a potty chair handy on which the child may sit (even with clothes on) perhaps while you are in the bathroom yourself, but only if he or she wants to.

Begin reading "potty" books to your child.

learning the ropes on discipline

I have sort of thought of myself as a laid back mom because I don't easily sweat the small stuff, but lately as Joaqui's curiosity on things around him is heightening, the one thing I am more concerned about being a parent is instilling discipline. I sometimes tell myself that he's just two years old and he is doing what other children are supposed to be doing.

This made me realize that as our first born, most of our parenting methods are trial and error. What works for one child may not work for another, and so I have come up with a few simple methods on how to discipline him effectively.

• I state my instructions, rules or expectations clearly without yelling.
• I offer him simple choices.
• I have learned when to ignore tantrums and instead direct his attention to a more positive behavior.

More importantly, I try to be consistent by having a few rules and enforcing them every single time. I even ask other members of the family and caregivers whom we live with to also enforce these rules. Discipline is more than what to do and not what to do, but as a parent I am conveying my values and trying to teach him by being a good example myself.

tantrums and discpline

I now realize that being a parent is one of the most difficult jobs, especially when I have to impose rules on a 2-1/2-year-old child. Lately Joaqui has been throwing tantrums right and left for no apparent reason at all. Well, there is a reason - when he wants something, but he just can seem to wait and has been impatient most of the time. I felt really bad yesterday when I had to hit his hands because he threw his water tumbler on the dining table while we were eating. It sent some food and plates crashing on the floor.

I said to myself that I will never hit or spank my child, but it seems that I really lost control on that incident. However, after I hit his hands (which was not quite hard), I explained to him my reason for doing so. I am now researching on the better ways to discipline Joaqui. I do not want the hitting to happen again. I have read about "time outs" and other types of reinforcement. Hopefully I would have a better way of disciplining him the next time he throws a tantrum.

4th of July outing

Since the 4th of July Holiday in the U.S. was a major holiday and only a few dictations come in from the doctors, our company holds its annual "summer outing" on the 4th of July. This time it was in Cattleya Farm Resorts in Antipolo. Joaqui was the first one to go swimming because he so much loves the water. The next day, he spent half a day in the pool swimming and jumping. We had one very happy little boy by the time we came home. : )

too much attachment?

As I write this post, I am currently working in an office cubicle from my previous office. I have been working from home since last year and the temporary change is brought about by a need to change my routine and my son's too much attachment to mommy. I am not an overprotective parent and I believe that my child should learn to explore the world around him, and I encourage him to be with other children as much as possible. Lately I have noticed that Joaqui does not want to play with anyone except mommy. When he goes outside for a walk with his nanny, he would cry mommy, mommy after just going out of the door. His current nanny and the previous one have noticed though that when we (my husband and I) are not around, he is more well behaved. He asks for us, but does not go into tantrums as much as when I am around.
As much as I am a believer of attachment parenting, this temporary change will still hope to strive to maintain a healthy, secure attachment with my child. But I sure do miss him and I can't wait to go home already. ; )

For those work-at-home moms out there, has this happened to you and your child? I would really appreciate any input you have on this.

ABC fun

Since Joaqui is not yet enrolled in a preschool, I try to come up with fun and educational activities we can do at home. Aside from simple arts and crafts, role-play games and outdoor activities, I have also used the computer and the internet as a teaching tool. One of the many websites that he enjoys is the ABC alphabet and phonemic awareness practice from www.starfall.com. Starfall's ABC section teaches letter-sound relationships by providing a kid-friendly navigation system that explicitly focuses on each letter of the alphabet. It's really a fun way to teach ABC to toddlers and preschoolers.

Mommy Moments - That's My Dad!

Hubby's looks can be intimidating at times because most people would perceive him as serious or stern, but he is a funny guy and a fun Dad, too. No matter how tired he is from office work, he would play with Joaqui when he gets home. When Joaqui was born, he was the one who took care of him (because I had a C-section), changing diapers, preparing milk, and singing him lullaby. I am thankful because he is a caring and loving father whom Joaqui can always count on and look up to.

Happy Father's Day Daddy! We love you very much!

For more of Mommy Moments, go here.

slides

Joaqui is very fond of them and he likes to do it over and over again...until his butt hurts. Even at home, we would make a slide out of a big pillow. He was ecstatic when he saw this swimming pool with slides. It was scorchingly hot, but he never cared. He just wants to slide.

We passed by McDonald's in SM Marikina and he had a glimpse of this small play area. He let go of mommy and daddy's hands and went straight to McDonald's and climbed up the slide. I think not a lot of children were able to play at that time because he was "dominating" the area. It's a good thing that the other children were on their way out of McDonald's.

Our little Energizer bunny...I wonder what's next after the slides...

Joaqui's imaginative play

Since Joaqui turned two, I have been noticing that our little boy engages more and more into imaginative play, in which he begins to use objects to represent other items. In some children, transition to imaginative play comes around the age of 3, but in Joaqui's case it came earlier. This is one of his favorite toys right now - a cd case. Why? Because it can turn into a lot of his favorite things. ; )

Crane. He is fascinated by cranes on top of buildings ever since he saw one near our subdivision.

Here he moves the cd case and turns it around like a cane moving and would also make crane noises as he moves it.  

Elevator. I was surprised when he thought of this as an elevator. He used to be afraid of elevators, but now he likes to ride on it.

Building. He would say that there is a carpenter on top of the building, as he would see on construction sites. He would also imitate the hammering of a carpenter and says, "Pok! Pok! Pok!"

Cars or buses. Joaqui would say that there are many cars or buses moving and would make sounds of running cars.

And because he sees it as a car, he would try to ride on them. Since he can't, he would say "Hindi kasya Joaqui." (Joaqui won't fit.)

I love this stage of play because I can see that he is ready to take off with his imagination. He never ceases to amaze me on how he can look at the simple things around him. I also notice that he expresses himself through this kind of play, often reliving the experiences he has had, for example, with a barber, a doctor or what he sees us do around the house. Another good thing is that we tend to save on toys because he is more interested in the everyday items around the house. ; )