crymommy

babies cry all the time but so do moms! i cried when my baby came out into this world due to

pain, happiness, disbelief and so many more–i was a melting pot of emotions!

i cried when mikkel said his first word (dog!), when he ate his first solid meal, when he

took his first step, and when he sang his first song (it was during mass and people were

solemnly singing “our father,” mikkel joined in by singing the only song he knew, “happy

butdey”).

i cried buckets of tears the first time he said, “i yab yu ma” and i know i am going to flood

the church when my son gets married (hopefully with someone whom i i approve of! i can

imagine what a big monster-in-law i can become).

i’m a one big crymommy. i am more a crymommy than mikkel was ever a crybaby. i don’t know how

that happens. it’s like whenever mikkel does something, even the simplest, most ordinary feat

that he accomplishes, i feel a surge of emotion much more powerful than what my rationality

or logic can explain.

now i understand why i always caught my mom crying during moments that were supposed to be

happy. she cried during my first ever dance performance in school, she shed a tear or two

when i gave her a happy mother’s day card, and she uncontrollably sobbed whenever i or any of

my two brothers tell her we love her. up to now, she still does!

a mom’s love–it’s a happiness that’s beyond the laughable kind. you’d only get it when you

become a mom yourself yes, when you become a parent, that is the only time that you will

ever begin to comprehend the enormity and depth of your parents’ love for you.

babies cry all the time but so do moms! i cried when my baby came out into this world due to pain, happiness, disbelief and so many more–i was a melting pot of emotions!

i cried when mikkel said his first word (dog!), when he ate his first solid meal, when he took his first step, and when he sang his first song (it was during mass and people were solemnly singing “our father,” mikkel joined in by singing the only song he knew, “happy butdey”).

i cried buckets of tears the first time he said, “i yab yu ma” and i know i am going to flood the church when my son gets married (hopefully with someone whom i i approve of! i can imagine what a big monster-in-law i can become).

i’m a one big crymommy. i am more a crymommy than mikkel was ever a crybaby. i don’t know how that happens. it’s like whenever mikkel does something, even the simplest, most ordinary feat that he accomplishes, i feel a surge of emotion much more powerful than what rationality or logic can explain.

now i understand why i always caught my mom crying during moments that were supposed to be happy. she cried during my first ever dance performance in school, she shed a tear or two when i gave her a happy mother’s day card, and she uncontrollably sobbed whenever i or any of my two brothers tell her we love her. up to now, she still does!

a mom’s love–it’s a happiness that’s beyond the laughable kind. you’d only get it when you become a mom yourself when you become a parent, that is the only time that you will ever begin to comprehend the enormity and depth of your parents’ love for you.

go places

go places, learn life

when i was a little kid, i heard my uncle bernie say that in order to travel, you need to have three

things: money, time and health. he said that when you’re young, you have time and health but not the

money; when you’re an adult and working, you have money and health but not the time; and when you’re

old, you have time and money but not health.

he made some people laugh when he quipped, “so while you’re still young, borrow money and travel!”

i was not born from a wealthy family and memories of childhood vacations were limited to nearby

beaches or seldom out-of-town trips. as a kid, i think the farthest i’ve gone to was baguio, and aside

from posing with native igorots, i hardly remember anything about it. not that i’m complaining, my

family was a happy bunch and that was all that mattered.

but of course, there were times when i would occasionally remember what my uncle said. even though our

family did not go to too many vacations, this did not at all discourage me from wanting to go

traveling. in fact, it only made me want to go places even more. i told myself that when i grow up, i

would travel to see the world. my goal back then was to visit at least one country or city from each

of the seven continents of the world. (back then, i did not know antarctica was a frozen land! all i

knew was that it was in the opposite direction of where santa lived.)

before i could do that, i knew i had to explore first what was in front of me. when i got halfway

through college, i began to do some short distance traveling with friends–tagaytay, antipolo, laguna,

bulacan, batangas, mindoro and so on.

loads of school work and one strict lola restricted my venture for exploration. i got away with it

once in a while as i would insert the words “attending a convention” or “doing investigative work”

whenever i asked for permission.

i felt bad about lying but i knew that lola would never understand. i was a restless soul and i got

itchy soles! (come to think of it, i probably got this from her as lola is a certified lakwatsera too!) at least, i always told her where i was going, i just could not explain the exact purpose of my trip.

when i started working, i went to see more places like quezon, boracay, and iloilo. it was only until

i was married that i was able to finally step out of the country and get that precious stamp on my

passport. my first out-of-the-country experience was 25 years in the making! (this time, i did not

have to concoct some weird alibi to lola. she was more than happy when she heard about our plan.)

our trip to hong kong was an adventure of all sorts and it was filled with so many bloopers. but i

don’t regret any of them because i learned so much from that experience. last month, we traveled to

cebu and bohol. bohol has that kind of beauty that would make you want to go back.

when mike i and go traveling, we don’t simply want to “travel.” i don’t want to go on guided tours and

have limited itinerary. i want to go on backpack adventures, gain different experiences, learn life

lessons, meet new people, and immerse myself into different cultures. i want to document our journey

of exploration through my writings and my husband’s photographs. i don’t even like shopping for

souvenirs as the memories i bring home are more than enough souvenir for me.

the best part of traveling for me is not the vacation itself but the moment when it is time to pack

our bags and bring home those special stories and memories i’ve gained from the trip. i intend to do

more traveling with my family in the future but it would depend on how our lives turn out. my dream destinations include maldives, india, africa, cayman islands, japan, switzerland, egypt, cambodia, dubai, italy, china, las vegas (i don’t like gambling but this is where my mom lives so i badly want to go here!) and jamaica.

my uncle was right about so many things about traveling. but instead of “borrowing” money, as he

jokingly advised, we save for it. mike and i have discovered the art of budget traveling where we are

able to go on trips while spending only a fraction of the cost that most people would normally spend

(see article, savvy tips from the budget traveler). after all, traveling is not about how much you

spend but how much you learn, it is not about money but people you travel with, people you meet, and

the experieces that you gain.

when i was a little kid, i heard my uncle bernie say that in order to travel, you need to have three things: money, time and health. he said that when you’re young, you have time and health but not the money; when you’re an adult and working, you have money and health but not the time; and when you’re old, you have time and money but not health.

he made some people laugh when he quipped, “so while you’re still young, borrow money and travel!”

i was not born from a wealthy family and memories of childhood vacations were limited to nearby beaches or seldom out-of-town trips. as a kid, i think the farthest i’ve gone to was baguio, and aside from posing with native igorots, i hardly remember anything about it. not that i’m complaining, my family was a happy bunch and that was all that mattered.

but of course, there were times when i would occasionally remember what my uncle said. even though our family did not go to too many vacations, this did not at all discourage me from wanting to go traveling. in fact, it only made me want to go places even more. i told myself that when i grow up, i would travel to see the world. my goal back then was to visit at least one country or city from each of the seven continents of the world. (back then, i did not know antarctica was a frozen land! all i knew was that it was in the opposite direction of where santa lived.)

before i could do that, i knew i had to explore first what was in front of me. when i got halfway through college, i began to do some short distance traveling with friends–tagaytay, antipolo, laguna, bulacan, batangas, mindoro and so on.

loads of school work and one strict lola restricted my venture for exploration. i got away with it once in a while as i would insert the words “attending a convention” or “doing investigative work” whenever i asked for permission.

i felt bad about lying but i knew that lola would never understand. i was a restless soul and i got itchy soles! (come to think of it, i probably got this from her as lola is a certified lakwatsera too!) at least, i always told her where i was going, i just could not explain the exact purpose of my trip.

when i started working, i went to see more places like quezon, boracay, and iloilo. it was only until i was married that i was able to finally step out of the country and get that precious stamp on my passport. my first out-of-the-country experience was 25 years in the making! (this time, i did not have to concoct some weird alibi to lola. she was more than happy when she heard about our plan.)

our trip to hong kong was an adventure of all sorts and it was filled with so many bloopers. but i don’t regret any of them because i learned so much from that experience. last month, we traveled to cebu and bohol. bohol has that kind of beauty that would make you want to go back.

when mike i and go traveling, we don’t simply want to “travel.” i don’t want to go on guided tours and have limited itinerary. i want to go on backpack adventures, gain different experiences, learn life lessons, meet new people, and immerse myself into different cultures. i want to document our journey of exploration through my writings and my husband’s photographs. i don’t even like shopping for souvenirs as the memories i bring home are more than enough souvenir for me.

the best part of traveling for me is not the vacation itself but the moment when it is time to pack our bags and bring home those special stories and memories i’ve gained from the trip. i intend to do more traveling with my family in the future but it would depend on how our lives turn out. my dream destinations include maldives, india, africa, cayman islands, japan, switzerland, egypt, cambodia, dubai, italy, china, las vegas (i don’t like gambling but this is where my mom lives so i badly want to go here!) and jamaica.

my uncle was right about so many things about traveling. but instead of “borrowing” money, as he jokingly advised, we save for it. mike and i have discovered the art of budget traveling where we areable to go on trips while spending only a fraction of the cost that most people would normally spend (see article, savvy tips from the budget traveler). after all, traveling is not about how much you spend but how much you learn, it is not about money but people you travel with, people you meet, and the experieces that you gain.

face of mischief

the mischievous smile says it all. there is no way you cannot tell that this kid is extremely makulit and hyper-active. even before mikkel came out into this world, he would kick from my inside so hard that i would let out a distressed grunt in the office loud enough for eveyrone to turn their heads at me and ask why.

“hehe, sumipa lang yung baby ko,” i’d reply sheepishly.

with eyebrows raised, they would go on, “ganun kalakas?”

i’d just shrug my shoulders.

that time i already knew what was in store for me. good thing, i had sufficient training from taking care of two little brothers who made it a daily activity to turn our place into a madhouse with their kakulitan. they climbed, ran around, banged the walls, jumped like crazy, tormented me whenever they had the chance, screamed at the top of their lungs and did everything to exhaust their excessive energy.

i remember the story when my uncle was talking on the phone with his friend while my brothers rambled in the background. the friend actually thought there was a party going on in the house and he wasn’t invited. yeah, the two mokongs had the energy of a crowd.

i think it’s only apt that i thank my two brothers for getting on my nerves during the early years of my life for they have made motherhood somewhat easier for me.

the reincarnation of mike garcia

these photos were taken when mike and mikkel were a couple of months old. the resemblance is uncanny. sometimes, i wonder if mikkel is just mike’s child. i just cannot find any trace of wendi in him. hehe.

mikkel the destroyer

mikkel is at his stage in his life where he wants to break and shatter everything. if our remote control could talk, he’d probably have sued for physical abuse a long time ago. my laptop does not have it any easier. if you can see it from my perspective, you can see 6 dents in the LCD monitor which were a result of a smashing encounter with mikkel’s big yellow jeepney. mike’s tripod is now in three pieces. mikkel’s yaya includes it in her daily chore to pick up the torn pieces of paper that mikkel can get his hands on. and his bike now looks like it was bought from a garage sale five years ago (his lola just bought it two months ago).

i make it sound as if my two year old is a brat. well, that’s one way of looking at it. although i know some kids who are worse. one drew on all the walls of their house, another destroyed his sister’s most precious archie collection (that was me when i was 6 years old and my brother when he was 4.)

but of course, i love mikkel oh so dearly, which is why i’d like to think that this is all because of his extreme energy. i know not all kids are “gifted” with hyperactivity and over-enthusiasm. but what can i do? mikkel has earned his title, “the destroyer” in his own right.

here is what mike and i do to survive mikkel’s ability to destroy everything in sight. if you have a kid who’s got a similar “talent,” you might find these tricks useful.

1. hand him simple things to toy with. mikkel is not really a destroyer by nature. when i observe him, i see that he just loves to manipulate things. he loves things/toys that he can build, stack, and push and pull or do something with. he just ends up destroying some of them when he gets frustrated because he can’t make that thing work.

for instance, the remote control. he likes toying with this because there are many buttons to push and he can take out and insert back the batteries. it is when he can’t figure out how to lower the volume or how to turn off the menu slide on the screen that he gets upset. so what i do is i just hand him things that are easy for kids his age to figure out and work on.

2. spend enough quality time with him. sometimes i get so engrossed with work or with what i write, that i sometimes fail to notice that mikkel wants my attention. i learned this the hard way when he decided to use his toy jeepney to divert my attention from the laptop to him.

3. give him an outlet for energy release. mikkel’s physical energy is unbelievable. he wakes up 8am and can stay full charge until midnight. he can lift a medium sized pail full of water (which is heavy even for me) and can go around a track and field oval 2 full rounds with no rest. if you keep him still in one place, he’d go crazy. so mike sees to it that he brings him out every afternoon and they walk from our house to wherever their feet brings them. if it’s raining or mike’s busy with work, i dance and jump around with him or i let him climb on me. it’s fun and mike and i get to exercise.

4. distract him. spanking hardly ever works because even if you punish him for destroying something, his short term memory would make him forget the next day that daddy’s computer or the cupboard are off limits and he’d climb back again to those places and reach out to something breakable. the solution to this is that we just keep an eye on him while he wanders around (supervised freedom) and when he is about to do something incredulous, we just jump in and offer him something else to distract him.

5. offer an interesting, unusual activity. mikkel is the type who easily gets bored. that’s why i rack my brain every day to come up with something new and exciting for him to do. there was a time when i bought him a watercolor set and spongebob coloring book. he loved it! it kept him quite for almost a day until he chipped off all the colors and flushed them down the drain.

last week, when i was preparing lunch, i made him peel off garlic cloves. he also enjoyed that. he loved that so much, he did that almost every day during that week. i had enough supply of garlic to open up a garlic bread store.

just see to it that activities you give your child are educational. i know peeling garlic cloves does not teach him ABC or 123 but it helps him learn about household chores!

i hear people say that kids these age are really terrible twos. i am not one to disagree. but i just try to make the best out of it by figuring how to survive this phase and pray fervently to heavens that hopefully, this is indeed just a phase.

mikkel is at his stage in his life where he wants to break and shatter everything. if our remote control could talk, he’d probably have sued for physical abuse a long time ago. my laptop does not have it any easier. if you can see it from my perspective, you can see 6 dents in the LCD monitor which were a result of a smashing encounter with mikkel’s big yellow jeepney. mike’s tripod is now in three pieces. mikkel’s yaya includes it in her daily chore to pick up the torn pieces of paper that mikkel can get his hands on. and his bike now looks like it was bought from a garage sale five years ago (his lola just bought it two months ago).

i make it sound as if my two year old is a brat. well, that’s one way of looking at it. although i know some kids who are worse. one drew on all the walls of their house, another destroyed his sister’s most precious archie collection (that was me when i was 6 years old and my brother when he was 4.)

but of course, i love mikkel oh so dearly, which is why i’d like to think that this is all because of his extreme energy. i know not all kids are “gifted” with hyperactivity and over-enthusiasm. but what can i do? mikkel has earned his title, “the destroyer” in his own right.

here is what mike and i do to survive mikkel’s ability to destroy everything in sight. if you have a kid who’s got a similar “talent,” you might find these tricks useful.

1. hand him simple things to toy with. mikkel is not really a destroyer by nature. when i observe him, i see that he just loves to manipulate things. he loves things/toys that he can build, stack, and push and pull or do something with. he just ends up destroying some of them when he gets frustrated because he can’t make that thing work.

for instance, the remote control. he likes toying with this because there are many buttons to push and he can take out and insert back the batteries. it is when he can’t figure out how to lower the volume or how to turn off the menu slide on the screen that he gets upset. so what i do is i just hand him things that are easy for kids his age to figure out and work on.

2. spend enough quality time with him. sometimes i get so engrossed with work or with what i write, that i sometimes fail to notice that mikkel wants my attention. i learned this the hard way when he decided to use his toy jeepney to divert my attention from the laptop to him.

3. give him an outlet for energy release. mikkel’s physical energy is unbelievable. he wakes up 8am and can stay full charge until midnight. he can lift a medium sized pail full of water (which is heavy even for me) and can go around a track and field oval 2 full rounds with no rest. if you keep him still in one place, he’d go crazy. so mike sees to it that he brings him out every afternoon and they walk from our house to wherever their feet brings them. if it’s raining or mike’s busy with work, i dance and jump around with him or i let him climb on me. it’s fun and mike and i get to exercise.

4. distract him. spanking hardly ever works because even if you punish him for destroying something, his short term memory would make him forget the next day that daddy’s computer or the cupboard are off limits and he’d climb back again to those places and reach out to something breakable. the solution to this is that we just keep an eye on him while he wanders around (supervised freedom) and when he is about to do something incredulous, we just jump in and offer him something else to distract him.

5. offer an interesting, unusual activity. mikkel is the type who easily gets bored. that’s why i rack my brain every day to come up with something new and exciting for him to do. there was a time when i bought him a watercolor set and spongebob coloring book. he loved it! it kept him quite for almost a day until he chipped off all the colors and flushed them down the drain.

last week, when i was preparing lunch, i made him peel off garlic cloves. he also enjoyed that. he loved that so much, he did that almost every day during that week. i had enough supply of garlic to open up a garlic bread store.

just see to it that activities you give your child are educational. i know peeling garlic cloves does not teach him ABC or 123 but it helps him learn about household chores!

i hear people say that kids this age are really terrible twos. i am not one to disagree. but i just try to make the best out of it by figuring how to survive this phase and pray fervently to heavens that hopefully, this is indeed just a phase.

tales of the popular buntis

i am loud, talkative and i have many friends but i don’t think i was ever as popular as the time when

i got pregnant. the round thing bulging in front of me, which made it hard for me to see my toes, made

me an instant celebrity.

it was late in 2006 when my belly started growing bigger and rounder. first, it was just my friends at

hallmark who paid extra care and attention to me and my delicate status. i loved all the attention

plus the leniency. if i get late, all i get are sympathetic looks even from the bosses (well, they are

really nice people to begin with, and my commute that consisted of 2 jeepney rides, 1 mrt ride and 2

footbridges was truly hellish even for someone who’s not preggy!)

after a while, even people from other departments in the office who barely looked at me when i was

still single and skinny started greeting me with wide smiles and talked to me as if we have been

friends since childhood.

it’s not that i did not like that or anything. in fact, i enjoyed it pretty well. i loved how the

other mommies in the office kept track of my pregnancy milestones, how they all gave me pieces of

wisdom (which proved to be really helpful!) and how they even compiled a set of pregnancy clothes for

me.

and i really had a great time reading the survey “what is wendi’s child going to be, boy or girl?”

some were not contented just giving a guess, they even analyzed the shape and size of my tummy to

justify their hypothesis. (the result of the survey? “boy” won hands down)

i felt so important, i felt that my child was really lucky. it felt wonderful knowing that the people

around me were so involved with what i was going through.

the bigger my stomach grew, the more popular i got. even strangers began approaching me, talking to

me, asking when i was due, if i already knew if it’s a boy or a girl, if i was drinking Anmum. some

even went as far as touching my tummy. imagine walking mindlessly in a shopping mall when suddenly you

feel something weird on your belly. you look down and you see a hand! is that weird or what?

the popularity does not end with strangers caressing my bulging stomach. at the mrt, i also enjoyed a

special privilege. sure, i got squeezed in that hot box so many times during my pregnancy but almost

every time, someone would offer me their seat a second before tears start dropping down my cheeks.

but there was that one time when my round tummy got squeezed against the door so hard and still none

of them offered me a seat. i was so tired, i could not help but cry. some ortigas girls (who were also

standing) saw my tear-stained face and i heard them say, “kawawa naman ung buntis.”

i must admit, somtimes i took advantage of my being pregnant. all i had to do was grunt a little and

hold my belly as if i am in pain and sure enough, all it would take is a few seconds before a kind

soul stands up and gives me his/her seat. hehe. (of course, the acting part was not at all hard given

that i was REALLY tired carrying a huge load in my tummy all the way to ortigas.)

the grunt acting was not only effective in the mrt. it also worked well when i had to stand in long

lines or when i want to enter a door that is not supposed to be an entrance. people (even security

guards who according to hannah have “maximization of power” syndrome) were surprisingly kinder and

more considerate to big bellied women.

another time i felt so loved was when my college blockmates threw me a baby shower. great food, lots

of laughs, beautiful gifts, and endless love and kisses. i don’t think i ever got to thank therese and

jeng and all my blockmates for that very wonderful time.

(my other baby shower hosted by my high school friends got cancelled because i had to give birth that

day, more on that on labor day: the great birthing experience)

yes, being pregnant has lots of perks. but the biggest perk of it all is knowing that you are carrying

the person you love most inside your womb. by the end of your 9-month journey, you will be happy (to

see your child), relieved (that you are no longer “fragile”) and sad because your popularity has come

to an end, as the real star has come out.

i am loud, talkative and i have many friends but i don’t think i was ever as popular as the time when i got pregnant. the round thing bulging in front of me, which made it hard for me to see my toes, made me an instant celebrity.

it was late in 2006 when my belly started growing bigger and rounder. first, it was just my friends at hallmark who paid extra care and attention to me and my delicate status. i loved all the attention plus the leniency. if i get late, all i get are sympathetic looks even from the bosses (well, they are really nice people to begin with, and my commute that consisted of 2 jeepney rides, 1 mrt ride and 2 footbridges was truly hellish even for someone who’s not preggy!)

after a while, even people from other departments in the office who barely looked at me when i was still single and skinny started greeting me with wide smiles and talked to me as if we have been friends since childhood.

it’s not that i did not like that or anything. in fact, i enjoyed it pretty well. i loved how the other mommies in the office kept track of my pregnancy milestones, how they all gave me pieces of wisdom (which proved to be really helpful!) and how they even compiled a set of pregnancy clothes for me.

and i really had a great time reading the survey “what is wendi’s child going to be, boy or girl?”  some were not contented just giving a guess, they even analyzed the shape and size of my tummy to justify their hypothesis. (the result of the survey? “boy” won hands down)

i felt so important, i felt that my child was really lucky. it felt wonderful knowing that the people around me were so involved with what i was going through.

the bigger my stomach grew, the more popular i got. even strangers began approaching me, talking to me, asking when i was due, if i already knew if it’s a boy or a girl, if i was drinking Anmum. some even went as far as touching my tummy. imagine walking mindlessly in a shopping mall when suddenly you feel something weird on your belly. you look down and you see a hand! is that weird or what?

the popularity does not end with strangers caressing my bulging stomach. at the mrt, i also enjoyed a special privilege. sure, i got squeezed in that hot box so many times during my pregnancy but almost every time, someone would offer me their seat a second before tears start dropping down my cheeks. but there was that one time when my round tummy got squeezed against the door so hard and still none of them offered me a seat. i was so tired, i could not help but cry. some ortigas girls (who were also standing) saw my tear-stained face and i heard them say, “kawawa naman ung buntis.”

i must admit, somtimes i took advantage of my being pregnant. all i had to do was grunt a little and hold my belly as if i am in pain and sure enough, all it would take is a few seconds before a kind soul stands up and gives me his/her seat. hehe. (of course, the acting part was not at all hard given that i was REALLY tired carrying a huge load in my tummy all the way to ortigas.)

the grunt acting was not only effective in the mrt. it also worked well when i had to stand in long lines or when i want to enter a door that is not supposed to be an entrance. people (even security guards who according to hannah have “maximization of power” syndrome) were surprisingly kinder and more considerate to big bellied women.

another time i felt so loved was when my college blockmates threw me a baby shower. great food, lots of laughs, beautiful gifts, and endless love and kisses. i don’t think i ever got to thank therese and jeng and all my blockmates for that very wonderful time.

(my other baby shower hosted by my high school friends got cancelled because i had to give birth that day, more on that on labor day: the great birthing experience.)

yes, being pregnant has lots of perks. but the biggest perk of it all is knowing that you are carrying the person you love most inside your womb. at the end of my 9-month journey, i was happy (to see me child), relieved (that i am no longer “fragile”) and sad because my popularity has come to an end, as the real star has come out.

beach escape with kulot (+ some summer/beach tips)

some of you would probably say that this post is rather late for it is june already and summer is over. not quite! for my family and i who live in a vacation spot, summer is all year round! as long as the sun is shining right above our heads, nothing can stop us from packing our swimsuits and running off to the beach, which is roughly an hour away from where we live. (there’s one that’s nearer only a few minutes away but quite crowded already).

mikkel has gone to the beach much more times than a regular two-year-old because his parents happen to be beach bums. (the flexibility of our online careers allows us to indulge in a beach escape whenever we feel like it).

well, anyway, if you are planning to bring your kid to the beach anytime soon or next summer, you will find these tips very useful.

1.  invest in a good quality sunscreen. my son inherited the kind of skin that i have which is the kind that does not easily get sunburned (or get that stinging sensation after long exposure under the sun). both mikkel and i just turn dark brown instantly without any pain whatsover. but i still invest in a good quality sunscreen not because i intend to protect his or my complexion (which is not the primary objective of a sunscreen anyway) but to protect our skin from harmful UV rays.

when buying sunscreen, keep these tips in mind:

* get the right SPF factor. SPF means sun protection factor. common notion is that this is the degree of protection you can get. not necessarily. consider the duration by which you normally burn under the sun without protection. let’s say 20 minutes. multiply that number by the SPF on your sunscreen. for example 20 (minutes) x 15 (spf) = 300. 300 is the number of minutes you’re protected with that sunscreen. i bet you didn’t know that huh!

* get one that has protection for both UVA and UVB rays.

* opt for one that is free from PABA or para aminobenzoic acid since many children (and even adults) are sensitive to this.

2. avoid sun exposure from 10 am to 2 pm. this is when the sun’s heat is the strongest.

3. bring lots of water. mikkel always gets thirsty as a horse after roughing it his with dad in the water for hours. that and the strong heat of the sun can easily dehydrate anyone.

4. prepare simple meals. i love cooking and there was this one beach outing where i prepared really nice but elaborate dishes that took me quite the whole day. it didn’t leave me time to spend with my little darling. so take my advice and don’t bring your penchant for cooking at the beach. it’s a day to spend with the family, not with the pots and pans!

5. don’t forget to bring an extra plastic bag for the wet suits. i go to the beach all the time but i still always forget this! is it just me?!

anyway, more andmore beach trips for us!!!

some of you would probably say that this post is rather late for it is june already and summer is over. not quite! for my family and i who live in a vacation spot, summer is all year round! as long as the sun is shining right above our heads, nothing can stop us from packing our swimsuits and running off to the beach, which is roughly an hour away from where we live. (there’s one that’s nearer only a few minutes away but quite crowded already).

mikkel has gone to the beach much more times than a regular two-year-old because his parents happen to be beach bums. (the flexibility of our online careers allows us to indulge in a beach escape whenever we feel like it).

well, anyway, if you are planning to bring your kid to the beach anytime soon or next summer, you will find these tips very useful.

1.  invest in a good quality sunscreen. my son inherited the kind of skin that i have which is the kind that does not easily get sunburned (or get that stinging sensation after long exposure under the sun). both mikkel and i just turn dark brown instantly without any pain whatsover. but i still invest in a good quality sunscreen not because i intend to protect his or my complexion (which is not the primary objective of a sunscreen anyway) but to protect our skin from harmful UV rays.

when buying sunscreen, keep these tips in mind:

* get the right SPF factor. SPF means sun protection factor. common notion is that this is the degree of protection you can get. not necessarily. consider the duration by which you normally burn under the sun without protection. let’s say 20 minutes. multiply that number by the SPF on your sunscreen. for example 20 (minutes) x 15 (spf) = 300. 300 is the number of minutes you’re protected with that sunscreen. i bet you didn’t know that huh!

* get one that has protection for both UVA and UVB rays.

* opt for one that is free from PABA or para aminobenzoic acid since many children (and even adults) are sensitive to this.

2. avoid sun exposure from 10 am to 2 pm. this is when the sun’s heat is the strongest.

3. bring lots of water. mikkel always gets thirsty after roughing it with his dad in the water for hours. that and the strong heat of the sun can easily dehydrate anyone.

4. prepare simple meals. i love cooking and there was this one beach outing where i prepared really nice but elaborate dishes that took me quite the whole day. it didn’t leave me time to spend with my little darling. so take my advice and don’t bring your penchant for cooking at the beach. it’s a day to spend with the family, not with the pots and pans!

5. don’t forget to bring an extra plastic bag for the wet suits. i go to the beach all the time but i still always forget this! is it just me?!

anyway, more and more beach trips for us!!!

how to survive the horrors of bath time

bath time with mikkel means huge splashes of water on my face, wild screams that can be heard next

town, banging of walls, throwing of shampoo bottles, drowning soaps into the pail, and the whole

bathroom turned upside down, inside out.

my overly energetic and mischievous curly top is just too fond of water to keep me sane. it is

horrific, i tell you. i always find myself screaming louder than ever. “mikkel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

the good news is i have found a couple of tricks to make bath time more bearable.

1. bring his favorite toy in the bath. this is the best tactic so far in distracting him during bath

time. however, his penchant for the toy only lasts for a few minutes so i must always bring a

different one as an added precaution.

2. tell him to scrub and rinse himself. mikkel is the kind of kid who thinks he’s already an adult.

that’s why he loves it when i give him tasks that reinforces this belief.

3. put him in a small tub of water. mikkel loves this so much that he stays still for a couple of

seconds, long enough for me to get most of the shampoo out of his hair. take note, rinsing his hair is

the most sensitive part of the bath time because he just would not let anything touch it.

4. sing songs or act out plays. when i do this, mikkel would stare at me, watch me, and forget for a

little while about his mission to get wild during bath time. if he gets tired of my act, i do another

one until i finish off his bath. this can be pretty exhausting given that you are already exerting too

much physical effort attempting to contain a kid gone wild.

5. struggle and plead. well, this hardly ever works even if i cry fake tears. but this has become a

normal part of giving my kulit kulot a bath.

for kids who dread bath time, it’s a different story. here are some ideas that might help:

* join your kid in the tub. it makes a child feel safer knowing that you are also in the water with

him.

* find out what he is scared about bath time. if it is the cold water, then go give him a warm bath.

if it is the scary rubber duckie you try to distract him with, ditch that. if it is the weird

accummulation of hair in the drain, clean your bathroom more often!

* tell your kids stories about bath time and be sure to tell him only nice stories so he has fond

memories to associate bath time with.

* make bath time interesting. it could be a new set of bath toys or a little bath game or some singing

of happy songs.

i don’t know how many baths i still have to give mikkel before he gives a calm and pacified approach

to this activity. i surely look forward to that day!

bath time with mikkel means huge splashes of water on my face, wild screams that can be heard next town, banging of walls, throwing of shampoo bottles, drowning soaps into the pail, and the whole bathroom turned upside down, inside out.

my overly energetic and mischievous curly top is just too fond of water to keep me sane. it is horrific, i tell you. i always find myself screaming louder than ever. “mikkel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

the good news is i have found a couple of tricks to make bath time more bearable.

1. bring his favorite toy in the bath. this is the best tactic so far in distracting him during bath time. however, his penchant for the toy only lasts for a few minutes so i must always bring a different one as an added precaution.

2. tell him to scrub and rinse himself. mikkel is the kind of kid who thinks he’s already an adult. that’s why he loves it when i give him tasks that reinforces this belief.

3. put him in a small tub of water. mikkel loves this so much that he stays still for a couple of seconds, long enough for me to get most of the shampoo out of his hair. take note, rinsing his hair is the most sensitive part of the bath time because he just would not let anything touch it.

4. sing songs or act out plays. when i do this, mikkel would stare at me, watch me, and forget for a little while about his mission to get wild during bath time. if he gets tired of my act, i do another one until i finish off his bath. this can be pretty exhausting given that you are already exerting too much physical effort attempting to contain a kid gone wild.

5. struggle and plead. well, this hardly ever works even if i cry fake tears. but this has become a normal part of giving my kulit kulot a bath.

for kids who dread bath time, it’s a different story. here are some ideas that might help:

* join your kid in the tub. it makes a child feel safer knowing that you are also in the water with him.

* find out what he is scared about bath time. if it is the cold water, then go give him a warm bath. if it is the scary rubber duckie you try to distract him with, ditch that. if it is the weird accummulation of hair in the drain, clean your bathroom more often!

* tell your kids stories about bath time and be sure to tell him only nice stories so he has fond memories to associate bath time with.

* make bath time interesting. it could be a new set of bath toys or a little bath game or some singing of happy songs.

i don’t know how many baths i still have to give mikkel before he gives a calm and pacified approach to this activity. i surely look forward to that day!

how to distinguish toys with real educational value

how to distinguish toys with real educational value

i must admit, a part of me secretly wishes for mikkel to become a

prodigy. this is probably why, i give him all sorts of educational

toys to make him smarter.

he played with shape sorters, stackable rings, plush building blocks,

and musical toys as an infant. and he is now toying with puzzles,

books, abacus, and dominoes as a toddler.

of course, toys won’t really turn any kid into a genius. but they do

help in the process of mental and physical development of a child.

various educational toys can nurture early learning and hone crucial

skills such as hand to eye coordination, spatial awareness, motor

skills, cognitive learning, visual perception, sensory exploration,

problem solving skills and the creative imagination.

like most moms, i also find it difficult to choose toys for my little

curly top. try entering a toy store and you would be bombarded with a

vast array of choices, all claiming to be educational and beneficial

for your little one.

so how can a mom distinguish toys that have true educational value?

well for one, real educational toys are engaging. they do not simply

make a passive observer out of your little child. if you would to

choose between an education DVD and a set of building blocks for your

toddler, the right choice would be the latter. after all, it is not

advisable to let children below 2 watch too much television even if

it is supposed to be educational.

apart from that, real educational toys encourage interaction and

communication. you should also try to buy toys that are related to

the interests of your kid. this way, the fun factor in playing is not

eroded by the whole concept of educating your kid. after all, kid’s

play should be fun and enjoyable.

moreover, educational toys should always be age appropriate. toys

that not suitable for your child’s age are not beneficial for them.

more importantly, they can also pose danger for your child’s safety.

speaking of safety, it is not enough that you get a toy that is

educational. you should get something that is durable, of high

quality, and will not put your little one at risk.

toys do play a big part in a child’s life but this can never replace

the quality time we should spend with ourlittle ones to make

playtime more fun, educational, and worthwhile.

i must admit, a part of me secretly wishes for mikkel to become a prodigy. this is probably why, i give him all sorts of educational toys to make him smarter.

he played with shape sorters, stackable rings, plush building blocks, and musical toys as an infant. and he is now toying with puzzles, books, abacus, and dominoes as a toddler.

of course, toys won’t really turn any kid into a genius. but they do help in the process of mental and physical development of a child. various educational toys can nurture early learning and hone crucial skills such as hand to eye coordination, spatial awareness, motor skills, cognitive learning, visual perception, sensory exploration, problem solving skills and the creative imagination.

like most moms, i also find it difficult to choose toys for my little curly top. try entering a toy store and you would be bombarded with a vast array of choices, all claiming to be educational and beneficial for your little one.

so how can a mom distinguish toys that have true educational value?

well for one, real educational toys are engaging. they do not simply make a passive observer out of your little child. if you would to choose between an education DVD and a set of building blocks for your toddler, the right choice would be the latter. after all, it is not advisable to let children below 2 watch too much television even if it is supposed to be educational.

apart from that, real educational toys encourage interaction and communication. you should also try to buy toys that are related to the interests of your kid. this way, the fun factor in playing is not eroded by the whole concept of educating your kid. after all, kid’s play should be fun and enjoyable.

moreover, educational toys should always be age appropriate. toys that not suitable for your child’s age are not beneficial for them. more importantly, they can also pose danger for your child’s safety.

speaking of safety, it is not enough that you get a toy that is educational. you should get something that is durable, of high quality, and will not put your little one at risk.

toys do play a big part in a child’s life but this can never replace the quality time we should spend with our little ones to make playtime more fun, educational, and worthwhile.

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