We usually bring home our groceries in cardboard boxes, so I always have an abundance of them. When we don't use them for throwing trash or storing things, I use them for various craft projects.Most of the time, I end up making Summer and Emma all sorts of cardboard toys. They never last long, maybe three weeks max, even shorter if Emma has her way with it, but it's a fun, inexpensive way to encourage creative and imaginative play at home. It's also a great way to teach them how to recycle and be resourceful. Even if they break after a few days, it wouldn't matter because they don't cost a Read More
Kisses Through the Window
Summer always insists on saying goodbye to me twice every morning. First, she'll kiss me first and say, "Papa, you go to office," as if she's the one who determines how each member of the family is to spend the day. After waving her hand in a "bye-bye" fashion, she'll turn around and climb onto the compressed-board Ikea coffee table positioned by the window. Sticking her head out into the condo corridor, she'll wait for me until I'm passing by on my way to the car. One more kiss through the window. I guess it's more than two goodbyes though, because she'll actually stay at the window Read More
Pregnant Again!
Three months ago I turned 30 (hooray!) and around the same time found out I'm pregnant with baby #3! It's been quite a wild ride since then, having to deal with the worst morning (more like all day) sickness I have experienced so far and at the same time, taking care of two very curious and active little girls. It has been a very tiring and nauseating few months, but now that I'm at 18 weeks and into the second trimester, I'm relieved to say that I'm feeling so much better I'm already able to go about my daily routine without feeling so sick or weak but I'm also still taking it easy, Read More
Arts & Crafts With Summer
The past month, Summer and I have been doing crafts together. In line with my resolve to become more intentional about teaching her new things through toddler play, I have come up with fun activities to do together, and most of it (so far) are simple art projects, using things available to us at home. I even made an activity planner so I can plot out things we could do and record things we have done. It's been a lot fun and really interesting. Summer has discovered glue and now loves gluing things together. She has also learned to name different colors and is currently learning to name Read More
Summer Paints
Every time Summer sees me painting, she gets excited and urgently asks for her "pepper (paper), bash (brush) and cowers (colours)." I used to let her use my very old watercolor set until her Ninang gave her an Art Attack kiddie set for her birthday last month. She loves it. She enjoys using the paint brush like Mommy and -- as expected of a two year old -- loves getting the paint all over her body. At first, I was hesitant about letting her play with paint at such a young age because of Summer's mess-making capabilities, with which I am ever so familiar. But then I realized, it's what she sees Read More
Summer’s Safari Party
"Wayon, zeebor, jaff, ippo…(Lion, zebra, giraffe, hippo…)" That's Summer naming her favorite animals. She's been really into animals and so when it was time for me and Kayo to plan her second birthday party, it was easy to come up with a theme we knew she'd love. Our little "Summer's Safari" party was last Sunday, August the 25th, at my parents-in-law's warm and lovely home. Thankfully, despite a little rain, it turned out well and most of the people we invited made it safe and dry. Summer seemed to have enjoyed a lot herself and I was very pleased with the outcome. The truth is that I had Read More
Summer Turns 2
I'm so proud of Summer. She surprised Nica and me when she blew out her birthday candle all on her own, on the first try! And I do mean FIRST. We kept on talking about how we wanted to teach her how to do it and practice and all that, but we just never got around to it. Yet somehow, she just knew what to do at the end of singing "Happy Birthday." This kid always amazes me with how smart she is. We spent the day together as a family. It's pretty cool how the sun came out and shone for most of the time we spent outdoors. And while I did have some time sensitive work to do, we pretty much just Read More
Dear Summer…
In just a few weeks, I will be giving birth to your baby sister. You will soon be an Ate and I, a mom of two. We’re about to experience a big change in our lives but of course, I don’t expect you to understand everything that’s happening. I don’t expect that you’ll know how to be a big sister right away just as much as I don’t expect to fully grasp what it’s like to have more than one child. We are both new at this, babe. And we will both learn to adapt. I want you to know that just because I can’t carry you as much because I’ll be nursing your sister half the time, it doesn’t mean that I Read More
Summer’s First: A Rubber Ducky Party
I’ve always loved children and even as a teenager, I already dreamed of throwing my own kids party. So imagine my delight when I finally had my own kid! A few months before Summer’s actual birthday I started planning and “pinning” ideas. Since our bubbly baby girl recently acquired a huge liking for Sesame Street and has always enjoyed taking baths, her Papa and I decided on a Rubber Ducky theme. I searched for other Rubber Ducky themed children’s parties online for more ideas and also made a list of things Summer liked and would enjoy to see at her party such as balloons and bubbles. Here Read More
Animal Artwork for Summer
When I was pregnant with Summer, I started working on these cute animal illustrations to put on the wall next to her crib. However, I gave birth before I could even finish them. So a few days ago I decided to pick up where I left off and complete what I have started to make for my baby girl. Aren’t they adorable? Can’t wait to place them on her wall! Read More