Jungle Safari Birthday Cake

Five months to go pa before K turns two, but I'm already planning for his birthday. I admit, I am that excited because I want to undo things. It was a fail for me when I prepared his first birthday. Kasi naman Mark and I always reminded ourselves that we won't spend very much for the party and we underestimated the budget allotted to it. What happened was, we spent more than the estimated amount and yet the things that were supposed to be there during the party were not even bought.

So mommy's going to make his second birthday a real success. I know, he's too young to appreciate everything, but with the help of technology, everything will be documented and someday he will see all these things - someday he will feel blessed and loved to see how his 2nd birthday was planned and done. For the theme, I'm thinking of having a Jungle Safari Party, it's because he simply loves animals! He's all too familiar with the jungle animals given the fact that he's exposed to Lion King movies and the Baby Brainy animals part. He's not also scared of animals he sees around. Future vet kaya sya? =)

Then, my latest interest is baking - swear, I really love to! If only I have my own materials, that's why a mixer and oven are in my wishlist (gosh! I already have a very long wishlist!). I want to make my son's birthday cake - of course - to add more touch of love in it!

I was searching the web for themed birthday cakes and I just found in pinterest exactly what I like! See here...

 

Source: flickr.com via Darla Manninen on Pinterest

Isn't this really cool? Truly, one of my inspiration! But if I'm gonna make a cake that really looks like this, it would be hard for me to slice it and destroy this work of art! Hehe!

Day Off Ba 'Ka Mo?

It's Thursday and I declared a day-off as a housekeeper in the house! So, ayan, ang dami-daming kalat wherever I look in the room. =)

So, I would like to cancel my self-declared day-off and get back to work as soon as I finish this post. My little darling is sound asleep, and then I'll be hitting the bathroom, too.

***Sigh**

This is the life of a WAHM without a maid. But still, I don't want to get one again....Nagmamatigas lang, hehe. Kaya ko pa naman, kahit ang hirap hirap na. Harhar...drama!

Anyway, despite the fatigue I get from housekeeping + mothering + online teaching + crocheting, my little boy still managed to make me smile and be blessed and to continue to be inspired.

He's reading the book and he reads it in Chinese! Haha! Di ko maintindihan eh. =)

Anyway, here's my niece wearing the headband I made.

Pretty, right?

Tiring, Surprising, Rewarding Wednesday

Good evening moms! How's your Wednesday?

I'm thankful that the day started off sunny, I did the laundry - there was a lot due to the past busy and lazy days plus the non-stop rain. I have to pat my back because I'm done with most of it, just a few whites are left. Yay!***Clap, clap, clap!**

In the afternoon, Kristoff and I went to a birthday party. I haven't taken photos of the set-up and the food, but I'm so impressed and inspired. They have the mickey/minnie mouse theme. Everything's nice and organized. I like this party 'cause it made me relaxed from the tiresome morning all-out laundry duty. :)

But one thing I discovered with K at the party, sumasabay sya sa mga toddlers na mas matanda sa kanya! Lol! Actually, we noticed before that he likes to play with older kids rather than younger ones. But at the party today, he did mimic what the 2 1/2 year old was doing.

When we arrived, it was a little late, they were already blessing the food. However, my friend's kid, the 2 1/2 year-old was already eating on the kiddie table. Di na papigil eh. I like her din, she looks so cute gobbling the food.

I was surprised when K approached the table and wanted to seat on the kiddie chair, so I assisted him. Then, he tried to open his styrobox that contained the food. I opened it for him. He grabbed the spoon and fork. Tama naman ang pagkakahawak!  He used the fork for spaghetti and then picked with his hand the foodies placed on sticks.

Nakakatuwa!  My son just surprises me every time. At home kasi, almost always ko syang finifeed, buti na lang that during the few times that I allowed him to grab a spoon and fork during meals, he already made use of that experience and applied it today at sa party pa ha!

Kaso lang, andali nyang nainip, I had to feed him myself 'cause he started playing with his food na after say 10 minutes of trying to put some on the spoon or fork.

He also participated with the pabitin, he understood that he has to grab something from there. But due to the crowd of kids, we moms just carried the littlies and we ourselves grabbed the pabitin. Hehe! Parang five year-olds lang kami ah. I got him a mini hellicopter anda mini racquet.

When we got home, he was already very sound asleep. The baby was soo tired eh.

Then I got a surprise placed at the bench at home, it's a box, and it's from Zalora! Yey! I got my new flats, perfect for some casual getup I could just pull off if the need arises. Hehe. I like it because the design makes me look tall!

Isn't life great?

Being exhausted is a normal part of being a mom, and it's totally alright because we're doing it out of love. When we see the hubby or the kids happy, then it makes us feel the same, too. But to have another thing that makes us feel rewarded, like that thing above, is a bonus.

By the way, have you checked out picmonkey  lately? I love their Halloween themes! Can't help but include this.;)

6 More Months To Go and You're 2!

 

It really seems unbelievable, my darling baby boy has turned one and a half yesterday.

***Sigh**

Of course, of course, I'm happy! It's just that...I couldn't believe he's this grown up and it seems like it was only yesterday that I gave birth to him. My, he looked so cute and helpless in my arms I could just imagine I could hold him like that forever.

And just  look at him now...he has turned into a little version of his dad! A very cute....little.....monster! Hehe...My type of monster! ***Wink**

That's it. No more mommy senti moments, I have to reserve that when he turns two!

Anyway, I really love our moment yesterday. Why?

Because aside from celebrating Kristoff's birthday, my innocence in baking was finally over. My pastry chef sister made these cupcakes and I helped her, a little, haha! Actually, we only bought Lemon Square cupcakes and then place whipped cream at the top and fancied it with some choco sticks, mallows and Nips! It was my first time to touch a mixer. Haha. I owe my sister a lot! I hope we can stay over at their place again soon.

Now, here's the birthday boy!

Kristoff at 1 year and 6 months!

Favorite Foods: Chocolate, sundae, potato fries, banana, apple

Favorite Activities: Dancing, hide and seek, "catch me please"

Favorite Movie: Lion King parts 1,2,3

Favorite Animals: Cow, Fish, Bird, Dog, but cow really is number 1, but the house lizard is the first animal he identified. :)

Sweetest word I heard from him: De (when he calls his dad,especially when he wakes his big man, it just melts my heart)

Sweetest thing he did for me: when he simply kisses me on my lips unexpectedly, it paints a smile on my lips every time I remember it. :)

I LOVE YOU BABY! MOMMY AND DADDY ARE ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU, LITTLE ONE...

Exciting Thursday + Ocean Park Adventure

You say, why exciting?

Because our Kristoff seems sooo talkative today, although we can't understand what he's saying. But he talks in long sentences of arrghjauhm....etc. Well, forgive me for the spelling, but that's the sound I can remember from him today.

For a first time mom like me, I find it amazing how he utters out the wordssounds that I know have meanings for him. They are not clear words, but we figure them out depending on the current situation or when he uses gestures and facial expressions.

The other day, he requested to watch the Lion King and he happened to say Timba while pointing to the TV. Oh, my little boy!

Early today, he saw his Old Mcdonald book  and said Maaaaaah...that's how he call it because there's a cow in that book. Whenever he saw that, he would just say the cow's sound, although I teach him everyday the sounds and names of other animals in the book. But this morning was extra special, because he finally said duck, yeah that sound, while pointing to the picture of the ducks! I'm just so proud of him!

More words are being added to his dada, daddy, mama and mommy!

Tonight, I was having an online class through Skype when he just went near me and kept on speaking to me with his eyes telling that I know what he's talking and he's demanding for a reply.  My! He wanted a conversation! And so I just nodded and while my words were for my student at the time who was on the other line, I focused my eyes on him as if referring to him.The happy earthling was as if satisfied by our convo, smiled and went to his dad.

Every time he did this, Mark and I just held each other's gaze, smiling, knowing that some time soon, our boy will talk...I mean really talk in simple words. Way to go son!

Anyway...on the other hand, I'd like to share our photos on our Ocean Park adventure yesterday. Enjoy!

Tickets to the shows and the Oceanarium.

Oh, I'm more than 2 feet!

The father and son together with my sister.

At the Sea Lion Show, Kristoff wasn't in the good mood, sleepy baby.

A sea lion on the show. She's Sandra, the female sea lion, very clever. And the other one, not shown here, is Vincent. He's also good, but he's old so he moves slow.

Sea horses at the Oceanarium.

Trying to reach the diver?

swimming sea lion...the cool water refreshes me.

Daddy felt like he's in Antarctica!

Me: Hey son! Your not allowed to enter there.  Kristoff: Oh come on mom! Define fun!

 

This photo should be the first. Entrance!

I forgot the name, hheehehe.

Jelly fish! Like! Like! Like!

My sister and the Moon Jellies (?). Beautiful!

God is so awesome! How he had made this!

MEEEEEEEEEE!

 

I never wanted to leave this room, you know.

Mr. Penguin? Why aren't you moving?

We were so exhausted after this fun trip, but then again, fun is fun and the memories we made were irreplaceable! I love every moment of it!

The Everyone's-Sick Week

***Sigh***

Yes, apparently, the title must tell you what's happening in the household. Yeah, the family's been experiencing a lot of stress this week from unexpected ailments.

First, it's Mark who got serious colds that started on Friday night. He was supposed to have his trip to Bacolod and Manila the following day, but cancelled it off because of it. Of course, he needed to stay in bed and have a full rest and he was like that for four days. 'Yan kasi, he was really busy facilitating the permit of cutting down a tree to be used for making a pump boat. With just the motorcycle, he and my father-in-law went to the mountain and took a picture of the tree, then went to DENR. And mind you, the weather here is not so nice these days. The day might start with a scorching sun and all of a sudden, the rain would just pour down. So lesson for him: Slow down, take it easy and avoid abusing your body.

The Missed Poop!

Thanks to the wonderful moms who commented on my post if Kristoff's ready for potty training that I get a lot of valuable advices and opinions about it.

The Flawed Mommy's experience on her five kids inspired me what to do today.

We got up early because Mark and mom have each of their appointments.  After saying goodbye to his dad, I placed him to our big potty while holding him and sounding like I'm the one to poop.

"Oooh...ooh..."

Pohhh. That's the closest word I can put for the sound of his fart that came after. But then, after around two minutes, it felt that he won't poop, so I removed him from the potty.

I talked to him that he should tell me if he wants to poop or pee.

We started singing and playing to set the mood and I let him watch TV.

After almost thirty minutes, he came to me and say "uh uh" repeatedly. This was my cue because everytime he feels like defecating, he says this word. So off we went to the big potty, but alas...his poop was already falling down from his shorts even before we reached the toilet door.

However, I contnued to make him sit on the potty but when it seemed that he's really done,
I just washed him. 

Kristoff can't still hold his bowel and so it's okay. When he gave me his cue, it meant that he's already halfway. It's fine, baby. No pressure.
You know, mommy is so happy today that we already started this and this will be one of our morning routines.



Brush, Brush, Brush!

.I began using a brush on Kristoff's teeth even before his first birthday, but stopped when his gums bled because he resisted it and then I resorted to using the gauze pad again. But since he has his molars now, the gauze can't clean the folds and corners of the teeth and I'm afraid he could develop cavities.

It's very necessary to get him used to brushing his teeth.

Here are some techniques I use to get him back to brushing and making him enjoy it:

1. I make him see me brush my teeth while singing and having fun.

2. Right after I brush my teeth, I show him that it's his time to have his teeth cleaned.

3. It's natural that kids become resistant when we force them to brush and this would just cause injury to their gums. Yes, okay, I learned from experience.

a. So what I do, is be as friendly as possible to him and instruct and show him to open his mouth and bare his teeth. That way, I get him to obey. But he obeys for only like a minute or even less, just in time for me to pass the brush to his molars.

b. After that, I let him hold his brush and because he already knows what it's used for, he put it in his mouth and brushed even though it's not perfect brushing.

Is Kristoff Ready For Potty Training?

 In a gathering we attended a couple of weeks ago, an acquaintance asked me if Kristoff is still wearing a diaper. When I told her yes, she looked a little bit surprised saying that her daughter had stopped using diaper even at night a few months after she turned one. 

I felt a little pressured and guilty at first because Kristoff is already 1 year and 5 months old and yet, I haven't tried potty training him. I had to remind myself that each child is different and I must allow his normal pace of development and not to put pressure on him.

But still, it led me to search for help in potty training my toddler. Just this week, I notice significant changes in his overall development. I could account it to our vacation in La Castellana where he collected a lot of cognitive stimulation.

Here are the things I've noticed in him recently:

1. Whenever he feels like defecating, he would say "uh-uh" and touch his diaper area.

2. He knows how to obey simple orders like "don't touch", "press a button".

3. He engages in our conversation, only that his words are incomprehensible. He talks in long sentences though and when he repeats them twice, they are still the same pattern of sounds. This made us believe that he must be talking in sentences only that he can't utter words, only sounds.

Need not to say, these changes are also essential in engaging my son to potty training.

Anyhow, I searched BabyCenter and found this checklist on a toddler's readiness in potty training. 

Hmmm... let me assess my son's readiness.

Physical signs

Is coordinated enough to walk, and even run, steadily.
***Yes.

Urinates a fair amount at one time.                               
***Yes.

Has regular, well-formed bowel movements at relatively predictable times.
***He does have well-formed stools, yet his bowel schedule is still unpredictable.

Has "dry" periods of at least two hours or during naps, which shows that his bladder muscles are developed enough to hold urine. 
***Yes.Sometimes at daytime, I don't make him wear his diaper especially when we're only staying at home. He can sleep for 2 hours without urinating.

Behavioral signs

Can sit down quietly in one position for two to five minutes.                                           
***Yes! Especially when he's attentive to watching Lion King!

Can pull his pants up and down.
***Not yet.

Dislikes the feeling of wearing a wet or dirty diaper.
***Yes, he complains a lot when he has poop in his diaper or if the diaper is almost fully soaked.

Shows interest in others' bathroom habits (wants to watch you go to the bathroom or wear underwear).     
***He loves going to the bathroom, maybe because he finds it really cool. And another reason may be he's observing what people do in the bathroom.

Gives a physical or verbal sign when he's having a bowel movement such as grunting, squatting, or telling you.         
*** When he's going to poop, he says "uh-uh" and touches his diaper area. Yes!

Demonstrates a desire for independence.                                                                     
***Not so much.

Takes pride in his accomplishments.        
***I wish I can just paint his face every time his face lights up when he does something good and we give him our affirmation. So, yes!                                                                          

Isn't resistant to learning to use the toilet.
***I think he isn't.

Is in a generally cooperative stage, not a negative or contrary one.
***Guess he's in the negative stage..or say 50/50. Sometimes, he's really cooperative and obedient.

Cognitive signs

Understands the physical signals that mean he has to go and can tell you before it happens or even hold it until he has time to get to the potty.        
***Not yet.

Can follow simple instructions, such as "go get the toy."
***Yes.

Understands the value of putting things where they belong.
***Not so much!

Has words for urine and stool.
***Yep! For urine, it's "eeh" and for stool, it's "uh-uh".

Oh, and I guess we still have to wait for a little more time to finally get him into his official 

potty training.

A Spooky Night

We visited Mark's grandma in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, a 6-hour travel away from our own town. Mt. Kanlaon  is a clear view from here when the sky is clear. This place caters for most of Mr. Danding Cojuangco's sugar cane, pili, and mango plantation. So most of the people here depend on his 

hacienda for a living.

I've been to this place for a number of times already and Kristoff for three times. Most of our visits here with our little boy didn't give us any problem. Without any problem, I mean, our travels and stays here were just easy. I could say that Kristoff can just easily adopt to the new environment.

But our last night to this week-long vacation was an exception. It's a Saturday and we went back to the house of Mark's aunt at around nine in the evening from a visit to his other relative. Kristoff was already asleep at that time and after I laid him to bed, I just wiped him with a damp cloth and changed his diaper. He was in deep sleep, so undisturbed.

The house was situated at the back border of the subdivision facing the sugarcane plantation.

Half an hour before midnight, I felt him sucking his thumb, a sign that he's hungry. I got up to prepare for his milk when he suddenly burst into wild cries as if in pain. It was just one of his ways to tell me that he's starving already and I'm too slow to feed him, I thought. So I rushed up.

But then, when I gave him his bottle, his wails even persisted and made Mark wake up. I thought he might be having a colicky abdomen but dropped the idea when I percussed and listened to his tummy. This scenario is not usual, Kristoff always have peaceful nights of sleep even when away from home.

Mark closed the curtains from the two windows of the room. I don't really believe in aswang, but Mark's actions made me have goosebumps! I couldn't protest with my son in that situation. The househelp awakened and suggested that we move to the living room. Kristoff only stopped crying for awhile and feed and then resumed his wild wails. Nanay Lucia, Marks granny awakened and upon knowing what's happening, ordered Mark to go and check around the house. She then prayed the Apostle's Creed, while I cradled my son. Molo, the helper burned charcoal and sugar and made the smoke fill the house. In Hiligaynon, we call it "tuob" and is believed to ward off evil spirits. 

Mark also burnt something outside the house.

Like a miracle, Kristoff fell silent and relaxed, with his eyes closed. I fed him and he just sucked his bottle as a normal him. Mark entered the house and told me that he heard a "tiktik" outside. Actually, I haven't and I couldn't identify the sound of that tiktik but most of the people I know do. They said a tiktik is an aswang that transforms to a bird.

We ended up sleeping in the living room and this event left me thinking about all these beliefs of aswang and the like.

Hmmm...yet, I'm still undecided. Kristoff's cries might have other causes and besides I really haven't heard that tiktik or saw an aswang in my entire life and hope I won't if there's really one. The only thing I know is that I'm thankful that my son is not crying anymore and is peacefully asleep.

Dear Son: Your Dad Made You Look Like A Pirate Today

He couldn't just stop laughing when he thought of making you look like this. Well, the fact is, you too! You laughed when you saw yourself in the mirror baby.  It's the thing we can't ignore, you give us countless reasons to be happy!