Welcome to my new world!

As I write, it occurred to me that I have been back in the workforce for a month now.  Wow, I survived my first thirty days as a working mom!  You might not know it, but my absence in the blogging world was because of this new chapter in my life, or should I say in our lives.  It was not an easy transition especially with R.  Even before I got a job, I was already prepping him for months, telling him that mommy will soon need to work.  However, no amount of preparation prepared me for the first two weeks that I started going to work.  R would force me to remove my clothes whenever he would see me dressed up for work or he would say that he will go with me and needs to change. He would cry whenever I would say goodbye.  My heart broke every time and I forced myself to make goodbyes quick.  Soon, he figured our new set up and adjusted to our 'new life.'  I was both relieved and saddened realizing that there was a time wherein R and I were inseparable.  

The last three and a half years that I spent with R is incomparable.  There is no monetary equivalent and no amount of promotion can ever equate to it.  I am thankful and blessed to have been given the opportunity to experience it.   Nevertheless, despite our new set up, Motherhood continues.  It's just that I need to juggle two jobs now.  

I remember someone asking me how I would be able to manage especially that I would be in the graveyard shift. I am not able to sleep eight hours a day anymore.  Before my bed time, I bring R to school and wake up a few hours before going to the office to play and either have merienda or dinner with him.  It is difficult, but doable.  We are lucky to have a support system that entails us to make it work.  I am thankful that my parents are still willing and able to be with my son while I sleep during the day, which lessens the stress on me since I know he is in good hands.   Hubby takes over at night and weekend mornings so that I could catch some sleep and prepare myself for our weekend activities.  Weekends are extra sacred this time around since these are the days when we focus all our attention to our small family and just be with R.

SAHM or  WAHM or working mom, there will always challenges. The magnitude of stress may sometimes be amplified in one, but all of us are in the same (motherhood) boat.  While I can say that I have experienced being a SAHM and working mom, there should be no debate or discussion on who is better because at the end of the day, we will always have the best intention for our families.  

Exploring the City Library

As you know, I admire my neighbor city, Marikina.  Though the city may not be as organized as before (when it Fernando was still it's Mayor), I love that there is so much to explore in this city.  There are a handful of good schools, hole in the wall restaurants that are worth dining in, a sports complex for the fitness buff, a decent market, historical places, and the ever famous street that sells all those puto pulo (we like Remy's).  When you go deeper Into Marikina, it does not feel like you are in Metro Manila.  It feels more provincial but with the comforts of city living.  My Dad loves biking around Marikina and he does this almost everyday.  He is the reason why we know about such places and things to do.  

Last week, a HS batch mate of mine posted a picture of her daughter in IG showing one of the joys of first world living - a nice public library!  How I wish we have something like that here.  

While I was having coffee with my Dad, I complained how come our government does not invest in those kinds of things.  Then he told me that Marikina has a public library.  My face lit up a bit, but immediately imagined how a public library here would look like.  I know, I am pretty judgemental, but you know what I am talking about.  However, since it is in Marikina, I figured it would be somehow better. 

So one sunny Thursday afternoon, when R refused to take a nap, we decided to check out the library. The library is located in the same building as Teatro Marikina along V.Gomez, corner  Shoe Avenue.  Before you can enter, you need to register and deposit your bag at the reception area.  If it is your first time, please do not forget to bring a valid ID.  If you want to get a library card, you just have to bring an ID picture.  

Before we were directed to the Children's section in the second floor, I was warned by the receptionist that the books are still not organized and the collection is limited. I have not been to a library for ages and it was R's first time to visit one, so we were both excited.

The Children's section is located in the second floor.  It shares a space with the Multimedia area where one can also use the Computers (not sure though if there's a fee).

The books are still not that organized and the selection not that extensive.  I believe majority of the books were also donated.  But hey, this is better than nothing.

R picked books that were already familiar to him like The Lion King and Dr. Seuss's books.

Our visit was not that bad at all.  We only stayed there though for a good thirty minutes.  R was already bugging us to go out.  Probably if the place could have been more appealing and organized we would have stayed longer. If I had the resources I would LOVE to fix the place!  But, it was worth the try and I am planning to schedule a visit sometime soon.

Buwan ng Wika outfits

Since it is Buwan ng Wika, I am doing additional posts on it since it has more relevance (again) in my life now that I have a pre-schooler.

Part of the celebration is having children wear traditional Filipino costumes in school for a day.  You can either DIY or just buy. Now a days, it is not too hard to find RTW costumes.  Just go to SM (since they've got it all) and you can choose from a variety of Filipino costumes.  I think the most in demand costumes for boys would be the maglalatik and the barong, while for the girls it would be the baro't saya attire.  

Last Friday, R's school had their Filipiniana day.  I like that the school reminds the parents to keep the costumes simple and not expensive.   I already had a peg in mind and wanted him to dress up like a datu.  I was pretty conscious that I also did not want to spend too much on his costume since this would only be a one time affair and honestly, the kids couldn't care less.   For his costume, it was a mix of store bought finds and  clothes and accessories that we already have at home. The only thing that I bought was the vest from SM Kultura for P229.  I also bought a bigger size so that he can use it again in the future.  If I only know how to sew, I would have made his costume from scratch!

                              

R in school during their costume day.

Also last weekend, my son R and his cousin Q had a pictorial at home to commemorate Buwan ng Wika.  Since my niece will be migrating to Canada, we wanted to capture her wearing a Filipino costume before she leaves.  

My chinitong Datu.

Cousin love.  R and Q in their Mindanao inspired costumes.

    

How cute are they?  Her costume was purely DIY-ed!  Her Nonna (grandmother) made the malong. It was difficult to make these two kiddos sit still, I almost thought we would not be able to get a decent shot!

What about you, how did you prepare for Buwan ng Wika?

Buwan ng Wika activity: Let's make some Pastillas de Leche!

Back in the day when I was still studying, it was known as Linggo ng Wika.  Nowadays, it is known as Buwan ng Wika.  It is a month long celebration every August to celebrate the Philippine National Language. Coincidentally, it is also the birth month of the Philippine's Father of National Language, former President Manuel L. Quezon.  Personally, I think having a month long celebration is a good thing especially now that there are many children that are having a hard time speaking and even understanding Tagalog.  It is a sad reality and I think our generation of parents need to exert more effort in making sure that the Filipino language stays alive with our children.

Philippine and KKK flags by the kids at R's school.

Now that R is already going to school, he gets to celebrate Buwan ng Wika.  Part of his school's activities is to invite parents to volunteer to read a Filipino story, teach kids to make any native dishes or desserts or show and tell about a famous landmark or destination in the Philippines that they have been to.  I chose to teach them how to make No-cook Pastillas de Leche (Thanks to my HS barkada Mia for giving me the idea!). I wanted something quick, easy and something that the kids would enjoy doing as well.

The children had a blast making their own Pastillas de Leche.  I think each of them were able to make at least three each.  I also pre-packed one Pastilas each per child to bring home so they could show it to their parents.

I also added a twist to the basic Pastillas de Leche by givng them an option to roll it in crushed cookie crumbs and making them into Pastillas pops.  The Pastillas pops idea was a big hit!  Seeing R and his classmates' excitement and enthusiasm was priceless.

And I saw these three pogi boys snacking right after our Pastillas making session!  Nagutom ?

In case you want the recipe, here it is:

1 1/2 cups powdered milk 

1/2 cups condensed milk 

1/2 cups white sugar for rolling

1. Put powdered milk into a bowl.  Make a well in the middle then add condensed milk.  Mix well.  If you find the consistency too wet, add powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.  Same goes if you find the mixture too dry, add condensed milk.

2. Roll the dough-like mixture into balls or small logs.

3. Roll the balls or logs in sugar. You can also get creative, by rolling it in crushed cookie crumbs like we did.  

4. Last, wrap them in cellophane, put on small cupcake liners or stick them into paper straws if you want to make Pastillas Pops.

I am sure that your kids will have a blast doing and eating this one. Have fun and enjoy!

Number two

One of the most common problems during childhood is constipation.   I honestly have been wanting to write about this for the longest time, but it was just recently that I was truly enlightened, more of alarmed that we really had to seek the expert's help on R's BM (bowel movement) issue.  Some might find that this is TMI (too much information), but I feel that I should share my experience and thoughts on this.  I did my research on the internet on what to do if your child is constipated.  Believe me I have tried everything and was already out of my wits trying to figure out what to do.  I am well aware that lack of fiber in R's diet is a culprit.  However, R is also in the picky eating stage right now, bummer!  I honestly do not want to stress about it, but sometimes I could not help it.

Photo courtesy of howshealth.com

R was having BM problems ever since he was a baby especially when I switched to pure formula when he was around 4 months old (that's why please choose to breastfeed!).  We sought the help of a Pedia-Gastro and it somehow improved. I resorted to giving him either diluted prune juice and it has always worked.  But as he got older, there were a lot of times wherein he would strain for hours trying to get it out.  Making him drink prune juice also became a struggle because I think he is sick and tired of its taste.  The final straw was when he was straining for almost half a day to no avail and he was already in tears. We were so stressed and felt so bad for him.  I quickly booked an appointment with Dra Jean Guno of TMC (The Medical City) because I do not know what to do anymore!

Anyways, I am thankful for the very thorough and very detailed explanation of Dra. Guno.  R has been classified to have functional constipation.  This type of constipation means that the child does not require surgery due to another condition, it's just because the child has a hard poop.  In R's case, other than having a low fiber diet, he used to drink very little water (as in pahirapan). What could have also  triggered longer days to pass on poop could be due to a painful past incident wherein poop was too big to pass and it hurt him a lot.  And as the poop stays in there longer, the bigger and dryer it becomes, thus making it difficult to release. He usually poops every four days which is so not good.  The explanation here is that the passage way has been stretched so it takes more time for it to trigger the brain to do #2.  I did not know that!

Below is the Bristol Stool chart that was shown to me.  What we are aiming for is Type 4.  The first three types are signs of constipation.

For now, R will need to undergo a Bowel Retraining program which includes Disimpaction,
Maintenance Medication, Behavioral Intervention, Fluid Intake and Diet.  He was also asked to have an X-ray of his abdomen to validate fecal impaction.

We are on our second week in the program.  Apart from R maintenance medicine (Lactulose), I have also been training him to sit on the potty every after lunch and dinner. A helpful tip is to make sure that his feet rest on a stool because it is hard to poop when your legs are hanging from the toilet.  Blowing exercises also help.

It is still way too early to see major improvements.  Though poop consistency has greatly improved, we are still struggling with long days.  I cannot wait for the day that everything will be ok, I tell you.

In the meantime, I will do whatever it takes to make him eat more fiber and increase his water intake and of course be supportive of what he is going through.

As a last note, it is always best to consult the experts immediately.  Please do not offer laxatives or suppositories without the Doctor's advice.

Once upon a Sunday

Ortigas was once a vast grassy place in the 80's. I remember my dad and my brother used to go there to watch RC races.  There were just a handful of buildings dominating the area, like the Strata building.  fast forward to today and I cannot even find Strata immediately because of the new and tall buildings surrounding it.  Honestly, as much as possible I avoid going there on weekdays, sometimes even on Saturdays because the traffic just makes me go insane.  The perils of modernization.

Anyway, one of my friends invited us to hang out in Ortigas one Sunday morning.  I did not know that they close down F. Ortigas Jr. Road (formerly Emerald Avenue) every Sunday.  They have free Zumba in the morning and the kids (and adults) could bike there without worrying that they would bump into a car.  There are also bikes and carts for rent in case you do not have one.  Several establishments like Mc Donald's, Jollibee, Krispy Kreme and Jamba Juice are also open if you get hungry.

The kids loved the free space so much that we stayed there for four hours!

Up and about at 7:30 in the morning!

R biking away while dad is making chika, haha!

R has his own bike.  But don't fret if you forgot to bring yours or do not have one.  There are  bikes for rent.  I think the fee is P100. 

Run, run, run!

Dads and the kiddos.

Kids winding down.  As usual R was eating.

Iam still alive!

Hi remember me? I have been on a blogging break, if that's what you call it.  Now that R is officially going to school everyday for three hours, I now have three hours for myself!  If you are going to think about it, I should have had more time to blog.  But there were so many things that I wanted to do that kept me preoccupied for three hours everyday like cleaning and organizing our closets, errands, and just basically hanging out with myself.  Now that I have pretty much crossed out my to-do lists, hopefully I will have more time to blog, yey! So watch out for my upcoming posts!

Turning three

My son turned three last week! I cannot believe how time flies.  Once upon a time all he did was babble, could not blow a candle, and could not even sing "happy birthday."  Now, he gets so giddy  whenever he would hear the Birthday song and delights in blowing candles.  Sometimes I want to tear up seeing how much he has developed.  

He started going to school mid Februrary.  I had to see first if he we will have struggles in attending a three hour class everyday.  I was apprehensive and was quite sure we would have some difficulties.  But he surprised me when during his first day in school, he just happily went with the teacher and stuck it out for the rest of the class.  Of course there are days when it gets a little hard to make him take a bath and dress up because he wants to play.  But once he sees we are infront of his school, he suddenly lights up, hands me his toy and happily goes down the car.  I hope and pray that he will always have a good disposition towards school and learning.

Anyway, since this school year, I would say he is officially in school, we decided to hold a party for him with his classmates.  The school has certain policies with regard to throwing parties.  They want it just to be a simple one, as if it was a normal school day. I totally agree with that because I am not a fan of lavish celebrations.  I appreciate intimate and simple gatherings more.  

This was officially my first time to frost a cake!  I originally planned on making a fondant cake but was too tired to knead.  So, last minute I decided to make a simple cake with gum paste airplane toppers.  R was so happy to see his cake since he is so into airplanes nowadays.  It may not be the best frosted cake, but it was made with pure love.

The snack box contained homemade baked macaroni and a chocolate cupcake.

The DIY loot bag contained a yogurt drink, chocolate filled cookies, mini chocolate chip cookies and Airplanes themed bubble maker. I was so happy to score those Disney Airplanes bubble makers at Toys R'Us.

The expression on R's face when he saw us in school was priceless!  He looked so proud and happy.  We only stayed there for around thirty minutes and we witnessed how comfortable he  is with his teachers and classmates.   Now, if I can only slow down time and just cling on to my little one for a longer time.

Happy third birthday to our little pride and joy.  We will always be here for you and we love you so much!

Mommy Eats: Momma Brown

I have been curious about this coffee shop along Marcos hi-way since it opened I think late last year.    We always pass by it but It was only during my son's  summer class last May that we were finally able to try it.  

                                                                                                                                                                       

                 

                           The place is spacious! And I like the simplicity of its interiors.  

                        

                 

                          It was lunch time and there was only us and another customer, 

                                       so R had the place to himself. 

They have rice meals, pasta, sandwiches, and coffee.  The Chicken Terriyaki (above) and Tapsilog (below) were only for P150.   I found the Terriyaki too sweet and it didn't taste fresh.  The  Tapa on the otherhand was relatively ok. Thank God the beef was tender enough!

                    

This chocolate fudge cupcake was pretty moist.  Not bad for P45.

 I love the chalkboard designs in his resto and had R pose in front of one.  

                            

                           

More parks, please!

I wish we had more parks and open spaces where the kids can run free and enjoy the outdoors.   We are pretty lucky that UP is not too far from our place.  That's the only place where R can run wild and free!  

 

Road trip to the City of Pines part 3 :

This should be the last installment of my City of Pines post.  Here are some of the other must go to places in Baguio. 

Forest House is located in Loakan road and is just near CJH.  The food that we ordered did not fail us!  Hubby had the Binagoongang Bagnet while I had the Twin Porkchops with applesauce. They were both delicious.  Average meal ranges from P300-350.

   

Cafe by the Ruins is a landmark itself in Baguio.  We were not able to eat much here ( we only ordered bread, soup and salad), so I do not have any food posts.  But the place itself is already a feast for the eyes.

We chanced upon Villa Cordillera because we wanted to buy the Raisin bread that you can only buy from Baguio Country Club.  However, since we are not members, the guard led us to this cozy place managed by BCC named Villa Cordillera.  It is located just behind the club and is overlooking the golf course.  My son was so happy to see a real fireplace and he kept on saying, 'like Olaf." 

When you have kids, Burnham Park is a must see.  It was R's first boat ride experience and he loved it so much that he was helping his Dad paddle throughout.  He also enjoyed running the grounds with the toy helicopter that we bought for just P65.  

I already miss Baguio!  Probably next time we should stay there longer and visit during the 'ber' months where we can really enjoy the cool weather.  See you next time Baguio!!!

Road trip to the City of Pines Part 2 : Le Monet

As I mentioned in my Part One post, we stayed at Le Monet in Camp John Hay.  I have read a lot of good feedback on this hotel, so it was worth the try. The deal that we got from Deal Grocer included buffet breakfast and massage for two.   Compared to The Manor, Le Monet is much smaller and has a quaint little garden at the back.  It is located just beside the Filling station, near a football field and just a few steps away from the butterfly farm and the horseback riding area.

  Le Monet's lobby and reception area. Check in and check out was swift.  
I love the chairs!

    The room has two queen size beds, a flat screen TV, a ceiling fan, and a balcony.  

We were lucky that the room that we got was overlooking the forest.

The bathroom is just the right size with a glass enclosed shower area.  

The shower area flooring can get slippery, though.  So be careful especially if you have kids with you.

Our beautiful view every morning.  Try to score a seat overlooking the garden.

    Breakfast Buffet at Dinelli is from 6-10am.  There's a little of everything. My son was over the moon having all the Koko krunch and yogurt for two days.  

 It was the usual breakfast flare with a little more quality.  

This is the indoor swimming pool.  The kids had a blast swimming.  I was a little bothered that there were a lot of flies and there were adults that were not wearing the proper swimming attire.  There was no one from the staff that was monitoring the pool area.

                                

Overall, we had a wonderful stay in Le Monet and I feel that two nights in Baguio was not enough.  Despite the long drive and traffic in the city, it still retains it's charm.  That is why people still keep coming back and cannot get enough of the City of Pines.

Road trip to the City of Pines Part 1 : The BenCab Museum

The last time I was in Baguio was five years ago.  I was there with my office mates and boss. Majority of us were single back then and there were only two little kids in tow.  Last week, we came back to the City of Pines with my now ex-office mates with five energetic kids.  We still stayed in Camp John Hay, but in Le Monet this time (we previously stayed at The Manor).  Being huge fans of Deal Grocer, we purchased our groupons months ahead for P5,200 a night inclusive of breakfast buffet for two and massage for two.  It was a pretty good deal, indeed!  

Travel time was around five hours, with one stopover for a quick breakfast at NLEX.  The travel was smooth. The only time we encountered traffic was already in Kennon Road since they are doing some major road repairs.  In terms of the weather, it was a little hot but definitely cooler than Manila. It was not a jacket kind of weather. Well, probably at night you need a jacket for the kids to keep them warm. Nevertheless, with the scourging heat here in Manila, I would do anything just to have a cooler weather.  

We had an itenerary for the trip that was made by one of my friend.  But when you have kids with you, things sometimes cannot go as planned.  Our itenerary was supposed to be more of a food trip and just staying in CJH.  Out of the six planned food destinations, we were only able to check out three.  We also wanted the kids to experience to pick strawberries at the Strawberry Farm, but the weather did not permit us to do so.  No worries though, there is always next time.

First thing we did once we set foot in Baguio was to visit The BenCab Museum.  It is around thirty minutes away from CJH.  This was a must see for me because I admire his works, especially the Sabel series.  We were also lucky to bump into BenCab himself.  Sadly,  we were not able to ask for a photograph with him because he was such in a hurry.   

I would love to visit this Museum again the next time we go to Baguio and enjoy the place a little longer.  


Here are some of the pictures at the BenCab Museum.  This is definitely a must see when you go the the City of Pines especially when you want some art and culture.

The BenCab Museum

Art, culture, beautiful scenery and good food blend so perfectly.

My favorite among BenCab's works.

 Contemporary artworks.  These are the same artists that have masterpieces at the Pinto Gallery as well.  

I love the colorful yet simple design of the cafe.  We opted to sit indoor because of the kids.  Warning though, if you have active toddlers, better to always stay alert since there is a long flight of steps leading to the duck pond from the Cafe.  

Cafe Sabel is located at the basement of the Museum that opens up to a garden, overlooking the duck pond and the forest.  We ordered Carbonarra, Grilled Porkchop,  Volcano ice cream, Tomato soup and Lemonade with Basil (not in the picture).  We give it a thumbs up, except that we wish that the serving of the pork chop was bigger.   

                                                                

                                          

                                                

                     

               

Mother's Day 2014

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and to all the mothers out there.  To our Husbands and to our children, thank you for making the mommy out of us.  You guys are our life.

                   

                           All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my mother. -Abe Lincoln

   

                                      

                                                              My boys, my life.

Our journey to preschool has begun.

Finally, we have decided on R's prechool.  We chose Family Montessori Preschool of Loyola in San Roque, Marikina.  Apart from visiting the school and having a long discussion with the head teacher, I also got very good feedback from one of the mothers in Female Network.  She sent her son to the same school (in the Katipunan campus) and had the same teacher. It was a good sign that we finally found the school. 

On R's first day last February, he immediately went with teacher and did not cry.  Parents, guardians and Yayas are discouraged from staying in the school.  I had R only stay for 1.5 hours to slowly break him in and I was asked to stayed inside the office, getting a glimpse of my little school boy once in a while.  Seeing him made me feel both happy and a little sad.  Happy because we did not experience any resistance going to school and staying with the teacher. A little bit sad because I realized that he is no longer a baby who used to just be carried everywhere.  He is a few months short from turning three and is slowly beginning to explore the world and learn things without mommy or daddy beside him (well, for three hours everyday, at least). 

We attended our first of many PTAs last March and my hubby and I were anxious on what the teacher had to say.  We were pleased with his  progress, regardless how small it may seem and were also surprised at the things that he is able to do in school.  Despite having fifteen classmates (montessori has a bigger class size since it is multi-level), he was able to adjust pretty well.  Although he still needs to learn how to play and mingle with other kids at this point, we are happy how his teachers have helped him ease his way in and make him feel that he belongs.

    R's last day in school before the summer break, wearing hip hop inspired clothes.  

   They were asked to come in wearing dance theme clothes.  

Today, he goes back to FMP for summer school. We are back to the daily grind.