Laptop Fights

I have to post this, before my daughters reprimand me again for using the laptop for a long time (read: long time as in more than 15 minutes).


First, there was Facebook, now babytv.com was discovered. I am officially left to do nothing but read a book or just take a nap or be a referee while they argue about who's going to do what or who's going to go first.


My desire to have my own laptop now is much more intense. How can you compete with their desire to learn the shapes, colors, numbers and letters or check if their pet is doing fine or their restaurant is clean? Emphasis on the word "their" it's as if they have their facebook account. And they are still 4 and 2.....what's next? It has become a daily routine for me and has come to accept the fact that this can get more often and the time when they won't bother me anymore is about to happen. I don't know if I should feel happy but the knowledge of my girls getting busy with these "gadgets" is scaring me sometimes. Am I introducing these things to them too early? How can I stop them from getting addicted to it? A lot of questions and only time can tell but for now I am happy that they allow me to watch them while they do what they do....even if it means waiting for my turn in using the laptop.

A Taste of Twilight

How would a mother react when your 4-year old daughter suddenly says, " Are they not going to kiss yet?" These were the words Amber uttered while watching a scene in the first of four-part Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I was of course, surprised and got a little worried because at her age she already knows when a girl and a boy should kiss. Not showing her my uneasiness, I just made it into a funny moment by asking her why she said that and if she wants to be kissed by a vampire. Then that moment turned into a lot of giggles and tickles. I was relieved, for now.


My girls' fascination with the movie started when they saw me and their 10-year old cousin, Phoenix so engrossed with the movie and the sight of a new creature that is a vampire made them ask me with a lot of questions along the way while partially covering their eyes with their hands or their blankets since we were watching at the bedroom. This wasn't their first exposure to adult movies because they also like Beowulf. Yes, they did watch this digitally enhanced version and they watched it two, three times already. My youngest, Ina even reminding me out of the blue about the bravery of Beowulf. Now, Twilight. I guess I have to contend myself with listening to their stories about the movie as if I wasn't with them when they watched it, for the next two to three weeks or maybe longer.


Watching movies like Twilight and Beowulf was a learning experience for me and my girls. I have to admit it is too early to introduce them to these kinds of movies but the important thing is I was with them when they watched it which I think is really important because I got to guide them, explain to them and do the censoring as well when the need arises. Although the Twilight experience made me realize how fast my Amber thinks or understands things or situations. I got scared and now has to think thrice before I decide to make them watch adult movies again. I am one of those mothers who worry about the idea that kids nowadays are more advanced in almost everything. I have no problem with my kids' fascination with the Iphone, mobile phones, PSP, Nintendo and my Facebook games/applications but the idea of being advanced in things other than being techie is something that I have to prepare myself with.

Hand-me-downs

"Nanay, this is Amber's shirt, " my little Ina said the other day. My smart daughter was referring to a shirt that still looks new but has been used by her big sister before and she was of course surprised when I was making her wear it. This has happened not only once or twice or thrice but several times to her and sometimes she doesn't need to ask why she's wearing Amber's old pants or shoes or dress because she knows that my answer would always be "it doesn't fit Amber anymore," she even beats me to saying it. My funny Ina.


This funny scene made me think of the hand-me-downs that I used to have. Of course when I talk about hand-me-downs I also refer to ukay-ukay or segunda-mano. I am the eldest and I only have one sister, although I remembered borrowing some of my sister Liezl's clothes before, I also remembered giving her some not on purpose but because she often uses it until I forget that it's mine or sometimes it's the other way around. I also remembered getting hand-me-downs from... surprise, surprise, my Mother, no less. Never mind the size, it's more of the comfort that her "pambahay" clothes gives me that matters. I use it inside the house only, of course.


I used to visit ukay-ukay stalls when I was single. I can say, I know how to choose and somehow all my purchases were worth the sweat, smell and dust that I have to endure. I can say I made all our old clothes to good use. We donated some of our clothes to Caritas Manila. They have boxes for this that are located in churches. There is that feeling that somehow we made some people happy.


Having two kids with only two years gap has its "perks." It saves money and energy. My daughters used the same stroller/car seat, wooden crib, high chair and of course, clothes and shoes. Sometimes when you have small kids one forgets that they grow so fast. When you only have one child, you tend to "overbuy." Of course, if you can't really help buying, it helps when you buy bigger sizes, like 2 or three times bigger. You're lucky if you have another child, the "guilt" that went with the crowded cabinet gives you a sigh of relief.


Before I decide to give my little girl her big sister's stuff, I have my own set of rules. I make sure it doesn't look old and its color is still okay or not "kupas." It should have no stains, lost buttons or holes in it. Most of Amber's clothes for going out are usually used for Ina's house clothes. The shoes should have no stains, marks or not overused. Luckily, most of Amber's old shoes were used only twice or thrice that it usually looks quite new. Not bad, not bad at all considering most of my girls' stuff are a little expensive. Saves us money, indeed.


Having hand-me-downs is not bad at all. My girls are not complaining and no one's talking except for the reminding from my Ina.

Wise Shopper

Grocery shopping for me sometimes test my budgeting prowess that I need at least two hours to complete my grocery shopping and most of the time my husband is complaining, not because of the amount but because of the time that I spend doing it.


As a young mom, I believe I haven't really mastered the art of buying, if there is such a thing. With two small kids running, screaming and "shopping" themselves, my attention is divided and everything falls back to multi-tasking again. But again, this is something I enjoy and take seriously for my family. I have come to learn the basics and hopefully be wiser and learn the secrets to be a successful shopper...even in a supermarket only.


Firstly, if there is something I learned from grocery shopping in Dubai it was to check for a product's expiration date even to detergents, soaps, etc. I don't know what's with putting an expiration to a product like cotton buds but it is a practice there and I think it is just right. Surprised? I got used to it. Unfortunately, this is sometimes frustrating for me when I shop here in the Philippines because some products don't have it. I think this is important especially when you have kids at home just to assure you that what you're putting inside and outside your body and theirs are safe and clean. A few days back, I made the mistake of purchasing pancit habhab noodles at a famous supermarket without checking for its expiry date. I was about to cook it for lunch the other day when I checked for the date and was surprised to find out that it's expiry date was Nov 2009. I was disappointed because a big supermarket missed checking it and I was too confident.


Secondly, I make sure I compare at least two brands of the same products for their price against their size or content. This is sometimes scary for me especially when I choose something that has an unknown or generic name over a branded one. But, most of the time I am victorious. Comparing prices and size/content always works. I must admit I still have products that are branded and expensive which can be traded off to much cheaper ones but still can't. These are usually the things that my girls use or eat. I swear by Johnson's products for my girls skin maintenance. Milk is still another commodity that we can't be stingy about. These are the products that has been proven and tested through time and we can't sacrifice that just for a few pesos.


Thirdly, we usually go for large packs. This is especially wise when it comes to those things that we use daily like for our girls' stuff like diapers, milk, lotion, shampoo, etc. Cooking oil, sugar, creamer, coffee, juice also comes in large. We save a lot when we do this.


Grocery shopping is something I do enjoy, feel relaxed and confident about. I love going around even with two boisterous girls. I even love doing it with them.

Parental Guidance

We are watching Hi-5's Star Dreaming dvd....again and again and again. Last December, we bought the girls 5 dvds ranging from Dora to Blue's Clues to Hi-5 and the only Hi-5 video has captivated my girls attention and interest that they can't seem to get tired of watching it. I am having fun watching them watch this because my two-year old has already memorized most of the songs, although some of her words can only be understood by her. But this still makes me a proud Mama, Ina really loves singing and dancing.


If there's one rule in the house my girls know really well, this is the time they can watch their channels. They know that they can only watch Disney, Nickelodeon or KidsCo at daytime only or when there's still sunlight, as they say. So when I change it to my channel in the morning, they'll reprimand me and remind me that it's their turn. Oh well, they are my bosses. Can't do anything.


When my girls watch, I make sure they watch non-violent cartoons and when I see a little naughtiness in the shows that they are watching I make sure they understand what is and what is not acceptable and good or nice. Even if they watch with us at night and some gruesome scenes or shots are shown, we make sure that we explain the circumstances that brought this about or just change the channel if its unexplainable in a kid level. Every time they watch a show, I have to make sure I watch with them though because they always ask a lot of questions and when I answer, " I don't know," I might get scolded again with Amber's favorite line..." I told you to watch!" Whew, so demanding!


Some experts say, tv watching is bad for small children. In my opinion, allow the kids to watch but parents should regulate it or make sure that they watch with the kids to guide, explain and make them understand what they are watching. For me, it is important that at an early age they should know the concept of what's good and not nice. Choosing the shows that will make them better people helps. The learning that my girls get from the tv is not enough to mold their minds or personalities or characters, the knowledge that they get from their interaction from us and other people or their experiences does. Their time watching is not an excuse for me to leave them on their own. I'm your typical Stage Mother.

What's Cooking?

One thing I love about cooking is the look in my husband's face after his first taste. I am not a perfect cook as I am still in the early stages of the learning process, proof of it is the "kodigo" that I have during cooking time that I have to read at my laptop after every step.


Part of the learning process in cooking is knowing the ingredients that you use. I have "progressed" into using and appreciating the distinct taste or smell of some ingredients like sesame oil, oyster sauce and onion leeks. I still need to familiarize myself with most of the often used ingredients like light soy sauce, curry powder, olive oil,steak sauce,etc. I am still trying to fill my cupboard with all these ingredients but this doesn't come cheap as some are relatively expensive or not readily available in regular supermarkets. Having a small kitchen space does have its advantages as I have easy access to all the utensils and ingredients but having only one burner (since the other one broke down after only a month of using it :( ) does make cooking slow. For me, having at least two running burners is a must.


Cooking does make one smell like garlic or onion especially when ventilation is not good in the kitchen like I have but the lovely smell of the finished product does make me forget all these petty "inconveniences." So far, reviewing or prior reading of the recipe does help me make my food almost perfect. Before I choose a recipe to cook, my deciding factor in my choices is always about the simplicity, availability of ingredients and something that my husband and kids will most likely like to try or eat. I am still starting to perfect all those simple stir-fries and stew and some all-time filipino favorites like adobo or fried chicken. I may not be there yet but I am enjoying the learning process.


My time in the kitchen always comes with the love of the people whom I'm cooking for. Funny this may be but when I cook, I always smile and always, always have happy thoughts of my family. I cook not only because I like it but because I know that in the end my loved ones' satisfied faces is enough motivation for me to cook my best all the time.

New Year, Fresh Start

Happy New Year!


It is a brand new year and there is much to look forward to. 2009 was not that bad for us but when everyone is starting it fresh and happy, the mood somehow spreads like wildfire.


We just came back from the province and after gaining at least 2 kilos from all those handaan and pancit batil-patung, I am trying to lose some of it. My girls still have heavy colds due to the unpredictable weather in Tuguegarao but they had so much fun with their cousins that they still don't want to leave for Manila. I can't blame them, I too enjoyed the vacation. It was really relaxing to go home and am looking forward to going home for good... soon.


Going back to your roots without knowing when to leave it again is something that has been decided by us, Dar and I, to prepare ourselves for something that will determine how our family will be for the years to come. Although we have to sacrifice being together as our Tatay needs to work in the City and will only get to see each other every two weeks something that is new for the four of us especially for our girls. The setup will take time to get used to but we might as well use this precious time to be with family.


Going back to familiar faces, fresh air, simple life is something that our girls need now. After the holidays, we saw how happy and well adjusted they became with "rural' living. Seeing animals like cows and carabaos beside our house is enough to make them happy and make us smile. Looking at them and hearing their excited voices talking about frogs, carabaos and their "hotcakes" aka manure make me see these familiar things in a different light. Not that I appreciate having to see our infamous old lady neighbor and remembering her braless outfit and her pigs and carabaos which until now still makes us laugh. The tricycles are another thing, they still congest the "centro." Surprisingly, I sleep as early as 9pm when I go home and still feel sleepy the next day. This makes Dar happy.


A lot of things to look forward to indeed. I feel positive this will be the year for big decisions, big changes and fresh start for my family.