Typical Toddler Morning

February 15, 2011 by

Most of my friends are career women enslaved by the corporate world that require more than half of their weekdays and sometimes even robbing them of family time on weekends.  Although there are times when I do envy their lifestyles,  I am grateful to have a husband who is able to provide for all our needs which enables me to stay at home and be with our children during their formative years.

My children are growing up at lightning speed and when before I could just confine them inside the playpen while I do my chores or prepare worksheets for my tutorial sessions,  now it is impossible to keep them penned.  And so, while they are awake, everything else has to be put on hold.

Toddlers can be a handful as they are very inquisitive, curious, and impatient.  They can be totally fascinated with a toy when you hand it to them, but a few seconds later, will be clamoring for a different one.  Oh, and they can be REALLY hyperactive when bored.  So, what does this mom do to keep her toddlers occupied?  She plays with them and makes a whole lotta mess every time!

We READ together

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We have messy ART TIME

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We have fun with lots of ordinary things around the house

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We also have MUSIC time but it’s just basically singing and dancing to whatever CD we’d fancy listening to and playing with their musical toys.  Oh, and, of course, like any typical parent,  I do let them watch Playhouse Disney and Nick Jr for a couple of hours.

How about in your home, what’s a typical toddler morning?

Filed Under: Arts & Crafts, Kids At Work, PLAYhouse preSCHOOL Tagged With: , , , ,

Cultivating Worms…Bookworms, that is

January 29, 2011 by

One of my life goals is to have my very own library, one that I could share with other people.  This could be attributed to being raised in a family of readers.  As children, we were never allowed to stay late watching television but would be given a few extra minutes past bedtime to finish reading a book.  Television hours were also strictly controlled but the bookshelf was there to lure us for countless hours of adventures in distant lands.

This love for reading that my parents instilled in me is something that I would definitely want to pass on to my children. What have I been doing to encourage my toddlers to read books?

  1. I started early. I was already reading to them while they were still inside my womb.
  2. I read books to them everyday even when they were still infants.
  3. Now that they are toddlers, we read books together everyday.
  4. I make sure that their books are accessible to them.  Their books are placed on the bottom of the bookshelf. And there are books in the bedroom which they can read before bedtime.
  5. I make reading fun.  That includes making voices, doing silly actions, and basically just being more entertaining than television characters.
  6. I don’t impose. I let them choose the books they want to read and I let them do something else if they’re not in the mood for reading.
  7. I set an example.  The toddlers see me reading the newspaper, magazines, and novels.  I let them read magazines with me but the newspaper and novels would have to wait til their urge to crumple and tear the thin paper is outgrown.

As I said in #6, I never impose reading.  I would like for them to read not because they have to but because they want to.  As they grow older, I will continue to set an example hoping that they would pick the habit up themselves.

1-year-old Jade reading a book to 3-month-old Jakei

Oh, alright! She wasn’t exactly “reading” The Giver to her baby brother but she was mumbling words that could probably have been a great story in babynese.

Jade really loves teaching Jakei words that she knows

Mama finally bought them their own magazines so she could read hers in peace

Filed Under: BookWorms, Kids At Work, PLAYhouse preSCHOOL Tagged With: , , , ,

Christmas Gift of Adventure: Day 2

January 24, 2011 by
An entire Saturday afternoon spent discovering some of nature’s wonders at the Manila Ocean Park was indeed very tiring.  We all had a grand time but at the end of the day, our bodies were all just craving for a comfy bed to sleep on. 

City Garden Suites
12.18.2010

Why did we choose to stay at City Garden Suites?  Aside from its proximity to Manila Ocean Park and Aliw Theater,  we had a voucher from Enjoy Philippines which gave us 40% off on the tariff rate of our one-bedroom suite. 

We were dead tired when we arrived at the hotel that all we wanted was to get to our room and prepare for bed.  Checking-in was a breeze as my hubby had already booked and paid for the room days in advance.  When we got to our room, the bathroom had not been cleaned well and the toiletries had not been replenished.  Housekeeping was quick to respond though to our complaint and toiletries were replenished and bathroom cleaned in a jiffy.  The beds were comfortable but we opted to create a makeshift cot on the floor for the toddlers so we could sleep peacefully knowing that there’s no danger of them falling off the bed.
Once the kids were asleep, we requested room service massage for two to soothe our aching muscles.  The massage was very relaxing and could have put me straight to sleep had not Jade and Jakei woken up halfway through it.  There goes my “me” time again. 
 



the bed was big and comfy

 





but the tots slept on the floor

 

  



breakfast at Cafe Miranda



 

 
Morning Stroll at Luneta Park
12.19.2010

Ok, so it’s officially named Rizal Park but it will always be the Luneta Park of our youth.  Bagumbayan, Luneta, Rizal…whatever it may be called, it still remains one of our country’s historical landmarks which we parents should show our little ones.

  

    

 

The Little Big Club Concert
12.19.2010
 
Angelina Ballerina was there. So were Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Thomas the Train and Pingu.  But, really, all we came for was THE purple dinosaur and his best friends.
BARNEY!  The toddlers absolutely love this purple dinosaur! So who was I to deprive my two adorable children of the chance to watch Barney live in concert.  Good thing my husband was all too willing to finance our most expensive day out to date!



  



Jade twirling like Angelina Ballerina while waiting to be allowed to go to our seats.
Checked out the souvenir items when she got tired twirling.



All eyes and ears on the stage as they watched their favorite characters on stage.
Intermission – Time for Papa and Mama to keep the toddlers entertained
After intermittent cries of “Where’s Barney? I want Barney.” during the first half of the show,
the toddlers finally see him and his friends on stage!


The concert has ended but the toddlers were still waiting for more.
Did we have fun?  Heck, yes!  And next Christmas we definitely will give the kids a gift of adventure again.  Perhaps, we might even be brave enough to venture that out-of-town weekender.

Are we going back there? 
  • City Garden Suites: No… unless we have another discount voucher.
  • Luneta Park: Yes, when time permits. 
  • Little Big Club Concert: Definitely yes!
What did we love most about the place? 
  • Little Big Club Concert: The tots loved Barney, of course!  Husband and I loved watching the tots sing and dance.
Our Toddler-friendliness Rating: 

  • City Garden Suites: 6
  • Luneta Park: 8 
  • Little Big Club Concert: 10
Filed Under: Family Fun Tagged With: , ,

Christmas Gift of Adventure: Day 1

January 18, 2011 by

 

Last Christmas, my husband and I decided that instead of giving them toys we would give our two toddlers a gift of adventure.  We planned an activity-filled weekend away from home albeit just a few kilometers from home.  Our toddlers may be ready for that out-of-town weekender but hubby and i just aren’t confident enough that we’d be able to cope with all the fuss. So, we settled for an entire day at Manila Ocean Park, a night at City Garden Suites, a morning stroll at Luneta Parkand to cap it all off, an afternoon at the Aliw Theater for The Little Big Club Concert. 


Manila Ocean Park
12.18.2010

As what always happens when you have kids in tow, things do not go according to plan.  Thus, our Manila Ocean Park adventure started at lunch time and not at 9am as indicated in our itinerary.  Suffice it to say that the schedule I prepared days in advance was thrown straight into the trash bin. Regardless, we still had an awesome good time!

Jade & Jakei “impatiently” waiting at the ticket booth for Papa

It was already past 11am when we got there so we started off with lunch at Makansutra Asian Food Village.  We got 20% discount for getting the Manila Ocean Park Ultimate Experience package and a free Cheng Tng using the voucher from Enjoy Philippines.

hmm, what to eat?
…so many choices


no food goes to waste
when hungry stomachs await

 


Jade ate with gusto
all on her own

but Jakei had to stay in his stroller
coz there were no high chairs
 
With our tummies full, we set off to start our ocean adventure with the SEA LION SHOW.  We had a 30 minute wait which we spent watching the sea lions swim at the MARINE LIFE HABITAT.



at the marine life habitat
just noticed that the tots look so sad in this pic

still at the marine life habitat
watching the sea lions underwater

   

 



keeping the little ones entertained
while waiting for the show to start

 

the sea lions with their cool, cool, cool tricks

 

When we went back inside the building, there was still a long line at the Oceanarium as there were about two to three schools on field trips.  We decided to view the JELLIES exhibit  instead.  Jade was so amazed at the jellyfish she would probably have stayed there forever if she had a choice!

 

“Papa, guess how many jellies there are?”



Tots were too enthralled with the jellies to gamely pose for the camera
If Jade had such a wonderful time with the jellies, our walk through the OCEANARIUMwas the complete opposite.  She was terrified of being so close to the marine creatures that she refused to let go of dear Mama.  Jakei though had a great time.  He and Papa enjoyed looking through each and every aquarium. 
  
“there was a little turtle who lived in a pond
he swam at the bottom and he climbed on rock”



 
 
 
 




Jakei and Papa marvelling at the wonders of marine life

 







Jade furtively looking behind us to check on the fish.
She was terrified of the fish but was brave enough to go through the tunnel with us.

 



“If I lived under the sea, sea, sea… I think it would be neat as it could be, be, be…
I could visit all the fish anytime I wish… If I lived under the sea”
Thanks to Barney’s song, we were able to go through the tunnel without much fuss.





 We had early dinner at Pancake House but should have rushed through our meal coz when we went out to queue for the Musical Fountain Show, the place was already packed and we were asked to wait for the 730pm show.  We couldn’t stay that late as we were strict with the toddlers’ bedtime (even during holidays…yeah, we’re tyrannic parents. haha!), so we decided to just come back some other time to watch the show and headed for the hotel to get the tots cleaned up and ready for bed before 9pm.

The toddlers were still brimming with energy when we got to the hotel. Jade kept talking about “the fish, and the shark,  then the sea lion… remember, manila ocean park, mama?, remember.”  But my husband and I, our looks belying our age but our bodies definitely feeling it, were totally spent.  So, off to their bath the toddlers went then after what seemed like hours of “quiet” time slumbered peacefully into the night. 

Are we going back there?  Definitely yes, but not soon… probably when Jakei is of school age already.
 

What did we love most about the place?  the toddlers loved the jelllies most,  husband and i loved watching the looks of amazement on their faces

 

Our Toddler-friendliness Rating: 8 because…

  • the rest rooms were not spacious enough for diaper changes
  • strollers can be brought inside the oceanarium but only if you’re willing to lug it up and down flights of stairs
(Read the second day of our weekend adventure on my next post.  )
Filed Under: Family Fun Tagged With: , ,
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