Video Games

Little J is going gaga again over video games. She loves playing with my laptop, it doesn't really matter what kind of game. She loves all the gmes. She with the basic like, choose the colors, memory games, puzzles, then she move on with the harder ones like hangman and addition.She loves the hangman game because of the fun sound it makes when you complete the puzzle. She dance with it. She just guess the letters, I am not particular if she got it right, she just pick whatever letter she likes, most of the time she hears the game over tune, but sometimes she gets lucky and figure it out.

I realize I can't completely turn her away from video games, she loves it and it part of being a kid. I love it myself that's why I still play it sometimes. In fact I am so excited already for the new game Sims 3. I loved it from the first time I tried it, so I cannot expect little J to not like it too. So instead of telling her that it is bad for her, clearly I am not setting a good example. I told her that we will just set rules. She can only play video games such as hangman games on Sundays. She can play all afternoon if she wants, but she also has to study first. For every hour of study time on Saturdays, she gets to play 2 hours of video games. If she got a perfect score for our "exam" she gets another 2 hours of game play. Fair enough huh?

What to love about Three yr olds

As strong willed and opinionated as twos (sometimes more so), threes grasp the concept of taking turns even if they don't always want to do it. Sometimes we have to get hold of ourselves to try not to be the wicked mother.

Just so smart! Threes can follow multistep directions. ("Go upstairs, find Mom's book, and bring it here.")

Becoming an individual Kids' unique characteristics really start to surface at 3, says Jennifer Walker, coauthor of The Moms On Call Guide to Basic Baby Care. "Are they bossy or shy? Itching to explore or content to sit? At 3, they give you a pretty good idea where they're headed." At that age, for example, my son, A.J., was developing into the class clown (never mind that he wasn't part of any class yet) -- always cutting up, wanting to be the center of attention. At the same age, his sister Mary Elena loved to sit quietly and play with baby dolls, content with her own company.

Fanciful thinkers A whole world of make-believe opens up at 3, Hobson says. "It's a much more complex level of play than at 2. A piece of string isn't just a string anymore. It can be a dog's leash or a snake. My twins recently spent an entire afternoon pretending to take the dog for a walk -- taking turns being the dog." Threes will chatter to themselves, get lost in fantasy play with a toy castle or workbench, and mimic their favorite TV characters or superheroes. (I have a friend whose 3-year-old son spent at least six months being Superman.)

Real conversations New York City mom Kelly Ramirez noticed that her daughter Sophia had a marked increase in vocabulary from 2 to 3: "We have these long chats in the car on the way to preschool." Since the family is bilingual, Sophia's wordplay can get pretty complicated. "Whenever she's talking to me and feels I'm not understanding her, she throws in a few Spanish words to emphasize her points."

Goodbye Babyhood, Hello Childhood

While rearing a child at any age is no snap, things should get easier during the third year. Most 3-year-olds can be reasoned with. They will take turns and may even share toys. A child in this age group will help the parents get him or her dressed. Most are toilet trained during the day, although it is common for an occasional "accident" while busy playing. In previous generations, moms and dads learned what to expect of their child from their mother, grandmother or another family member. Today, most families are so scattered that parents do not have this help available. Therefore, do not hesitante to ask any questions you might have about your child's growth and development during the three year checkup. This is the reason for regular well-child exams.




Parenting and Behavioral
The 3-year-old will ask more questions than a district attorney. Nothing is sacred and some questions will throw you for a loop!
Continue reading books to your child.
Arrange times for safe running and exploring outdoors.
Playmates are important. Allow your child to experience interaction with peers. Three-year-olds are usually quite social and enjoy being with other 3-year-olds. This can be accomplished in a preschool, play group or just having another child over for a few hours.
It is normal for children this age to have imaginary friends. Parents can sometimes use the youngster's imaginary "playmate" to their advantage (like getting your 3-year-old to do something you want them to do.)
Limit television viewing. Do not use the TV as a baby sitter or as a substitute for interaction with your child. Watch children's programs with your child when possible.
Do not worry if the child becomes curious about body parts. This is normal at this age. Always use the correct terms for genitals.
Children this age begin to recognize gender differences and will correctly say "I am a girl" or "I am a boy."
Discipline should be firm and consistent, but loving and understanding. Praise your child for his or her good behavior and accomplishments.
Three-year-olds like to do things for themselves.
The 3-year-old does not understand "tongue-in-cheek" comments and can not always tell when a parent is joking. For example, never threaten to leave a child at the store when he or she misbehaves.
Your child may continue to use a security object (such as a blanket, favorite stuffed toy, etc.). This is normal and the youngster will give up the item when he or she is ready.
Keep family outings short and simple. Children have a short attention span at this age and lengthy activities will cause them to become irritable and tired.
The question of preschool usually comes up now. Daycare has already been established for a family when both parents work outside the home. Even for moms who stay at home with their child, preschool a few mornings a week can be helpful. It gives mom a welcome break and provides the child an opportunity to meet new friends.The success or failure of preschool will depend upon the child's maturity and the quality of the preschool. For example, if your child seems anxious and dependent away from home, perhaps he or she is not ready for preschool.
If you are expecting another baby, discuss with your child's physician how to prepare your 3-year-old.


Discipline
Encourage your 3-year-old to make choices whenever possible, but the choices should be limited to those you can live with ("red shirt or green shirt.") Never ask a toddler an open question ("Do you want to take a bath") unless you are willing to accept the answer.
Use the two "I's" of discipline (ignore or isolate) rather than the two "S's" (shouting or spanking). When disciplining, try to separate the child and his or her behavior ("I love you, but I do not like it when you touch the VCR.").
Provide alternatives. "No, you cannot play with the telephone, but you can play with these blocks."
Avoid power struggles. No one wins! The 3-year-old still uses temper tantrums as a weapon. Respond to this behavior with the two I's of discipline - ignore or isolate (time out!).
Discipline should be consistent. Do not make threats that you can not carry out. If you say you are going to do something, do it!


Development
Can name pictures in a book.
Names at least one color.
Knows his or her own name, age and sex.
Begins to use pronouns.
Able to put on his or her own shirt, but will need help with shoes and buttons.
May be able to ride a tricycle.
Can jump in place and stand briefly on one foot.
Can (unfortunately!) open doors.
More than 50 percent of the child's speech is intelligible. There may be temporary episodes of stuttering during this time.
Understands such words as "cold," "tired," "hungry." Comprehends the meaning of "on or under", and "bigger or smaller."


Oral Health
Supervise brushing twice a day with a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste.
Take your 3-year-old to the dentist, if you have not already done so.
Limit juice and sweets.
Continue giving a fluoride supplement if your drinking water is not fluoridated. Some dentists recommend fluoride be continued through age 8; others recommend continuing through age 12 or 16. Check with your pediatrician and dentist.
Stop pacifier use


Feeding
Appetite is perhaps a shade better than it was a few months ago, but it is still not what most parents (or grandparents) think it should be. "My child will not eat," is a familiar complaint heard at the three year checkup. Remember, feeding problems may arise if parents make their child eat more than the child needs to, or shows too much concern in what the youngster eats.
The 3-year-old should pretty much be able to feed himself or herself.
During meal time, the 3-year-old is sometimes very demanding of parent's attention and may also dawdle!
Avoid nuts, hard candy, uncut grapes, hot dogs or raw vegetables. Control sweets and avoid junk food.
Eat dinner together as a family whenever possible.
Begin to teach proper table manners and encourage conversation during family meals.
Turn the TV off during meals.
Make sure your child's caregiver is following your feeding instructions.


Sleep
An afternoon nap is usually still needed by the 3-year-old.
Fears of the dark, thunder, lightning, etc. are quite common at this age.
Maintain a consistent bedtime and bedtime routine. Using a night light, security blanket or toy are all ways to help lessen nighttime fears.
Read to your child when possible before "lights out."
Nightmares can wake a child up from sleep. The nightmares can be triggered by changes or stress. Reassure your child and put him or her back to bed.




Toilet Training
Many 3-year-olds are trained during the day but still do not stay dry at night. Others are completely trained. Remember, the age a child uses the bathroom by himself or herself varies and it is based only on a child's readiness to be trained and the positive attitude of the parents.
Avoid putting too many demands on the child or shaming him about wearing diapers. Instead, let your child no how proud and happy you are about any potty successes.
Some children may postpone having a bowel movement as a way to manipulate their parents or because they are busy doing something else. Try not to make an issue of this.


Safety
Responsibility for accident prevention will gradually shift to your child as he or she grows older. It is still necessary for parents to keep dangerous and poisonous items out of their 3-year-old's reach and protect him or her from other indoor and outdoor hazards.
Insist that your home and car be smoke free.
Begin to teach your child his or her full name, address and phone number
If bicycling, teach safety rules and insist on helmet use.
Continue to use proper car safety restraints in the back seat of every car trip. A 3-4 year old child (once 40 lbs. or over) is safest using a belt-positioning booster seat. The greatest risk to your child's health continues to be motor vehicle accidents. Remember, it is impossible for you to protect your child during an accident by just holding him or her.
Always walk behind your car before backing out of the driveway.
If your home uses gas appliances, install and maintain carbon monoxide detectors.
The purchase of a trampoline is not recommended because of the risk of serious injury.
Keep firearms out of the home or in a locked, out of sight container, unloaded
Pools must be gated. Knowing how to "swim" does not make a child water- safe at this age. Never leave a child unattended in a bathtub, even for a few seconds. Ensure your child wears a life vest if boating.
Be careful of items that can be left a counter level elsewhere, such as knives, scissors, cleaning agents, nail polish remover, household repair items, weed killers, insecticides, gasoline, oil, kerosene, lighter fluid and all medicines. Always keep potentially poisonous things in the original containers. Never put poisons in food containers or bottles.
There is no such thing as a "child proof cap." Ingestion of toxic substances is common at this age. Keep syrup of Ipecac in the home to be used only as directed by your child's doctor or the poison control center.
Never buy toys or other objects that can cut or ingested. Suffocation by plastic bags and balloons still occurs at this age.
Always supervise when your child is playing near a street. Remember, a 3-year-old child does not understand danger or remembers "no"; your child cannot be counted on to be aware of outside hazards.
Be especially careful when using power lawn mowers and other power tools.
Never leave a child unattended in a car or a house.
Test smoke detectors to ensure they are working properly.
Continue to use a water proof sunscreen on your child before going outside. Avoid the hours between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the sun is the most dangerous.
Advise your 3-year-old to be careful around strange dogs, especially ones that are eating.
Begin to teach your child not to talk to strangers.



Illnesses
Your 3-year-old may continue to experience respiratory infections, such as colds, ear infections and sinus infections. These frequent ailments often become frustrating for parents. Unfortunately, most illnesses are unavoidable, especially if your child is in preschool or has older siblings who bring the colds home from school.
When your child is ill, the pediatrician will determine whether antibiotics are needed. Remember, most illnesses at this age are viral, which means antibiotics will not shorten the course of the illness

Source:KidsGrowth.com is a unique Web site tailored specifically toward the concerns and interests of today's parents. The site was developed and created by well-respected medical leaders in the field of pediatrics and adolescent medicine. Members of the Medical Advisory Board oversee all KidsGrowth content, thereby guaranteeing its medical accuracy.

"MMM" Mom!

I fund this while looking for the next Christmas Wishlist for Little J. I cant help but smile and remember what this toys means to us.
When little J was just learning to talk, this was the her first teacher, other than me of course. She was just 8 or 9 months old, when Nong nong gave this to her. She Its simple, you will just push a button and the button will say the letter and how it sounds and a word that starts with it. She was just listening ang giggling everytime she plays. Then one morning I heard her say, "Mom". The first time, then I asked her to repeat it, she pushed the button first. The letter "M" then the toy said "Mmmmm" for "Mom", then she repeated it she said "Mmmmm", "Mom". It was such a happy day for me. My daughter called me "mom". This reminds me to call our aunt who purchased it from the US to send to little J, if only I can find her number in USA Phone Numbers.

Kids Say the Darnest Things

These are some of little J's conversation with Tyang. (Tyang is my father's sister that makes her little J's grandaunt)

Papa picked us up from school and office last thursday, we decided to go to Rockwell to shop for groceries first before going home. We stayed longer to eat dinner after the groceries. When we got home, Tyand talked to little J.
I'll write the english translations in italic)

Tyang: San ka galing? (Where have been?)
Little J: Rockwell, SM Rockwell. (We all luaghed) The Mall's name is "Power Plant" located in Rockwell and it is not by SM. (SM is a large chain of Shopping Mall in the country, that has branches in evry city. The most popular in the Philipines)
Tyang: Kumain kayo sa labas? (Did you eat out for dinner?)
Little J: Hindi kaya! May bubong dun no? (Of course not?! There was a roof!)
"Labas" also means out.

Looking for that Caller?

My aunt yesterday called us, she resides in Las Vegas, apparently she was called by somebody a few days ago. Since my mom was supposedly going the US this month she thought it was her calling from somewhere. So just to be sure she called us here to check. Since I run into this site a few days ago, I recommend her to useUSA Phone Lookups. Its a website that has a service of Return phone look up. She can log on to the site and try to look for that caller. She thank me, because this can make things really easy for her.

Pagan Site

The internet is really full of different things. As I surf in the net, I saw this Pagan Magic - Wicca & Witchcraft Shop. I find Wicca very interesting back in high school. Its full of mysteries. In a family of catholics, its out of the ordinary to be interested in pagan-magic. The best that I could go into it would be by playing sims, makin magic. There are lots of things in the website, things that I wouldnt know would be useful in wicca.


It is timely that I saw this site, I am looking for Halloween costume for little J. A witch costume will be great. I wonder if there is a rag doll and needles. That would reslly cute, that will surely go along with the witch costume. Maybe there is also a broom stick for little girls. But this is a real pagan site, not a Halloween costume store. They might be offended if I use their stuff for costume. These are real people, real community. They might have different belief from my catholic belief, but we just have to respect theirs, just as how we wanted to be respected with our own belief. We all have to respect each others individualities.

Sleep Over

I am both proud and sad tonight, littl J left to sleep over nang-nang's house. It was just a joke when nong-nong asked her if she would like to come with them, to our surprise she said yes. Even if I reminded her that I will not be by her side tonight, she said its ok she will sleep beside nang-nang and we will see eachother tomorrow. I'm sad that she's ok sleeping without me, but I'm also proud that she has the courage and can understand that we will still see eachother soon. She's growing up so fast, in all aspects, physically; she's looks like a 5year old already. Intectually;sometimes I feel that she speaks and comprehend like a 40 year old. She has so much maturity for a 3 year old. Emotionally, just like tonight, leaving mommy to spend the night with nong-nang. I think its much more harder for me that it is with her. I should be really proud, but I'm still sad. I'm so used to her, sleeping on top of my arms, hence the term "braso-braso". She always lays her head on top of my arms when she sleeps. Most of the time my arms get sore as we wake up in the morning, but I'm used to it. I love it that way, having her really close, feeling her hair on my arms, hearing her breathing as I sleep, most of the time I even get a hug.

One Step at a time

Its been almost a month since Jea started school in Kiddo Academy. For the first 2weeks, its really hard for me to leave her. She would cry as soon as I let go of her hands. Even if it is just to fix her hair. After that, slowly she learned that I will still leave her in school, even if she cry. I believe it was even harder for me, but I have to. As I go to the office, riding in the bus or walking to the building, the sound of her cry still lingers in my head. I'm glad that Kiddo Academy has CCTV, I can watch her as soon as I get in the oofice and logged in the internet. Most of the time, she's already playing or doing their activity.

Now, she cries sometimes. One time she cried, because she's hungry. So teacher Liza let her eat first before the lesson. The, there's one time that she is sad because she is not feeling well. Later that afternoon she got a fever. Most of the time she cries because she doesnt like teacher Franklin. She is afraid of men, the only men she know is Papa (Lolo) and Nongnong (my brother). MAybe this is one of the consiquence of not having a father. You see, im a single mom. And Jea never got to see her dad. So to Jea's father, Pam. This is what you did to her. hehehe.. She's fine. Just a little scared of men. I just wish she stays that way till her teens hehe.

I am also so thankful of the teachers of Kiddo, they have been very, very, nice to Jea. They adjust to the childrens needs. They even changed teacher assignement, so that teacher Franklin wouldnt be assigned to Jea's class. They even wait for hours if I am late in picking up Jea to school. They even carry and lull the kids if they want when their sleepy. So to the teachers of Kiddo Academy. Thank you so much. For taking care of my daughter, for staying beside her when she's crying, when she's sad, or not feeling well. Thank you so much, for really caring for the kids.

So for now, we are taking one step at a time. Jea, into getting comfortable in school. Me, in geeting comfortable that she is in school.

First long test at Kiddo Academy

Would you believe that Jea will be taking her first Long test this July 17? It freaked me out. Why do a 3 year old baby has to take long test already. I thought she will just be playing around and be nice to her classmates. Did she really learned something already? I guess she did, shes a fast learner infact shes so intelligent that she knows more than what they teached her in school for now. But the real question would be, will she answer the correct answer on the their test? She always fools around, she is so naughty that even if she knows the sorrect answer, more often than not. She gives the wrong one to make people laugh. She has such a strong sense of humor that she makes almost everything into a punchline for her joke. So lets just wait and see....

Things to know about Jea (Expectations)

PArt 3,

These are my expectations of what she may learn from Kiddo Academy.

Expectations

1. I hope you can develop her social skills, to make her feel comfortable with other kids, teachers and new friends.
2. I expect the school and teachers to further develop her strengths. Give activities that encourage singing and dancing to teach her new songs. Children like nursery rhymes. Hope you can inject this in everyday activities.
3. To develop her creativity with drawings and other crafts.
4. Some reading time, storytelling. This will encourage more fondness in books.
5. To incorporate games into their lessons. This keeps them enthusiastic and energetic and encourage more interactions with others.
6. Let them stand up and learn through example, To use their senses into learning things. Shapes can be more retained in their mind if they are shown and actually hold what objects is triangle, round, or square.
7. Kids love to pretend and do role playing. Hope you can integrate dress-up and imaginative activities.
8. You can also use themes that are very close to their heart so that it will have better recall. Like you can make them draw a castle using basic shapes rectangle and squares and pretend that this is where Cinderella is going to, to meet the prince.
9. To always hear English conversation so she gets used to speaking in English again.

English 101

Its only been 3 just 3 classes, on Jea's first week of school at Kiddo Academy but I can already see that I made the right decision. At first 2 days I was really frustrated of what I've been seeing through the CCTV. There was not much that's happening. Very few lessons and activities are far in between. They mostly play and sleep in school. I thought she wasn't learning anything. The very paranoid mom in me, and of course with the same frustrations that I was hearing with the fellow mommies, wanted to go to the school and tell them what I wanted and don't want o see.

And we did, the 3 of us (Owie, Lea and me) went to school to talk to them regarding how we wanted it to be. Asking them what was happening an what do they intend to teach the very precious children. We went there to talk to teacher Jo and she explained it very well. They intentionally didnt give the kids so much lessons and activities on the first week because they dont want them to be shocked of what school is. They want the kids to feel that they are just playing without knowing that they are already learning. The teachers are very accommodating and caring. I was touched to see how they attend to Jeam from her eating, and even carrying her, singing lullaby for her to sleep in the afternoon. I know that they are extending not just an arm, a leg but most importantly their heart into caring for the kids.

Actually I think, its only the parents that are expecting too much. Especially me, since I know that Jea is very intelligent, I wanted them to teach her so much and to push her too much, not thinking that this might do more harm.

For now, I am really happy and appreciative that I enrolled her to Kiddo Academy. I can already see how she has learned. It is really hard for me to train her to speak in English since most people in our home talk to her in tagalog. Now she casually uses English as language for conversation. i am shocked and very happy to hear her say few words and sentences in english. Even nangnang pau is really shocked. She usually talks to Jea in tagalog too, but when she noticed that Jea now speaks a lot of english she instantly became aware to talk to her more in english.

These are some of those english:

We woke up on a rainy day and asked me "What's that?" and I said, "umuulan". She told me in a sarcastic voice, "tagalog?". So I laughed and tolg her, "oh, its raining".

I offered her something to eat.. and her answer? "No, thank you."

We went to buy some markers for Kristo and Sasha too. When we get to the car she said " Mama, we bought markers for Kristo and Sasha."

When she opened a bag of chips, she went to me and said "you want?" then gave me one and said "take one"

When she accidentally dropped her Clay into water she said " oh my! my clay"

When she finsihed washing her hands she said "Im done."

There are a lot more but I cant remember it all.

I know this is very basic english. But I've been training her for a long time already and she really wont speak in english. She knows and understand english but she wont speak it because basically she doesnt believe that there are other people who speak it too. Since she commonly hear tagalog in out home. Its only me and mama who speak to her in english. The rest of the family doesnt belive that she needs to know english. For them, she will learn it on a later age. But for me, she has to use it as her basic and first language since nowadays most kids speak more in english than in tagalog. I dont want her to be left out or to think that she is dumb or in anyway inferior to others. She is so intelligent and making her speak in english is very easy for her if we only train her to.

Things to know about (Weakness)

Of course, if there are strenghts there will always be some weakness. These are some of it.


Weakness

1. She’s the only child at home and she is used to being treated as special. Because of this, she always wants attention. So please be patient in listening to her. Sometimes she gets bossy because she’s used to getting all the attention.
2. She’s not used to having other kids around, so she lacks social skills and wouldn’t interact much.
3. She use to converse in English, but because she’s more exposed to Tagalog being with the Yaya the whole day, she now talks in Tagalog more. Sometimes she also speaks in “Bisaya intonations”
4. She recites the ABC’s as M,M, O,O, P. I will be really grateful if you can correct it.
5. She usually forgets “rectangle”. But easily recognize the others.
6. She’s scared of cockroach.
7. She sometimes doesn’t tell if she needs to pee if she’s so preoccupied in playing.
8. Loud sounds scare her. You’ll usually know it’s too loud if she starts covering her ears.
9. She is not very patient. When she failed on her first try, she will think that she can’t do it anymore. Please encourage her to try again, and that it’s ok if she failed the first time. That she did very well in trying.
10. Please remind her that she doesn’t have diapers before going to sleep in the afternoon so that she knows that she have to wake up if she needs to pee. After waking up, she needs to go to the toilet immediately.
11. I’m a single mom and she doesn’t see her father at all. But she has “mommy”- me. “Mama”- lola, Papa – lolo, Nongnong- tito and Nangnang- tita we are her family. I will appreciate it if you don’t ask or mention about “daddy”. Or compare her to kids that have “fathers”.
12. She still drinks milk from the bottle before she goes to sleep, although she told me that she is not taking her milk anymore in school.

Things to know about (Strenghts)

To guide the teachers on how to approach our kids in school, we (Owie, Lea and me better known as the "super involved, sometimes paranoid moms") decided to give them something to help them get to know our kids. This is what I've come up about Jea.

Jea is very special to all of as and she knows she is special. But she is not a brat, she is obedient, disciplined, thoughtful, and very smart. She just turned 3 last June 7. We sent her to school to harness her intelligence. She has to interact with other kids so that she can develop social skills. I believed that Kiddo Academy can help me this objective.

We can work together into developing these objectives. So here are some facts about Jea to help you:

Strengths


1. She is usually playful, lively and talkative. But, I noticed that in school she is usually behaved, stay seated and keep quiet.
2. She has a very strong sense of humor. She’s smart enough to think of a punch line that can really make you laugh.
3. She understands English and can converse with English and tagalog.
4. We talk to her like an adult and hope you do that too.
5. She is very independent and loves to help with chores. I don’t mind if you ask help on little things. Like picking a paper that fell. This makes her feel appreciated.
6. She loves to dance and sing. So please incorporate more activities that encourage singing and dancing.
7. She recites and recognize/read ABC’s since 18 months.
8. She knows most colors even the hard ones like light blue, yellow green, etc.
9. She knows the shapes.
10. Recognize animals and their sounds. She loves animals and has a pet dog (Brandon). A pair of love birds (Giripit and giripat), and (Lucky) a flower horn fish.
11. Her fine motor skills are also good. She can pick up tiny things, hold pencil, can use scissors, and can use a computer mouse.
12. She can open and operate a laptop and can play by herself, knows which button to push and clicks and controls the mouse.
13. She loves to play with puzzles; she can finish a 24pc puzzle in 2mins before she turned 2.
14. She has a very good memory. She likes playing the memory game in the computer.
15. She loves to run, jump, and climb. Just allow her to explore things, but please stop her from tumbling on the floor.
16. She loves to draw and can draw things with complete detail since 2. She draws a fish with fins, scales, gills, tail, eyes and mouth. Dragon, with tail, pointy back, eyes, open mouth complete with flames, and even her favorite Barney.
17. She likes to play with blocks. The first time she got one, she made a pyramid which are color coordinated all yellow ones inside with orange outer borders.
18. She is responsible and knows how to keep her things. But please remind her to do so and praise and recognize her efforts.
19. She can follow instructions as long as it is very well explained. She is very obedient, when she recognized authority.
20. She loves to be praised and appreciated. To build her self esteem. Please don’t forget to say (very good, that’s nice, wow, etc.)
21. She loves books, so please read to her often.
22. She knows how to count from 1-11 and now learning 12-20. She already knows how to add and subtract small numbers as long as she can count it visually.
23. She knows the parts of the body.
24. She like Barney, Dora, Noddy and stuffed toys. Her favorite is Pink Bear.
25. She is potty trained and usually tell adult when she needs to go to the bathroom.
26. She like girly stuff. Sometimes a lipstick can make her stop crying.
27. She loves stickers and stamps. To her stamps is a recognition that she did well in school. So please be generous to giving it to her.
28. She is very creative and likes to color, paint, and play with clay do a lot of arts and craft.
29. She eats by herself, but please reminds her not to make a mess.
30. She loves to play as a chef and calls herself “Chef Sheffy”.
31. She loves cameras and can shoot very good pictures, she pose well too.

The day you were Born

Its two nights left before Jea turns 3. I cant believe it. Its that fast. Three years... three years... It think its about time to write my experience on that day... 3 years ago.


june 6, 2005
3:00 a.m.
...my back hurts and i cant seem to find a confortable position to sleep..I’ve been rolling and turning all night long...
4:45 a.m.
..mama woke up to prepare for work.. my back still hurts but i didnt pay
to it.. thinking it will go away.. she left at 5:15 a.m.
6:00 a.m.
...i transfered to the room thinking I will feel better lying on bed and went
went back to sleep
8:00 a.a.
...I woke up still feeling the pain, that’s when I started thinking maybe “THIS IS IT!!!!”i got excited and started observing everything. Then I got up and ate breakfast.
9:15 a.m.
I decided to take a walk to fasten the process since it has been the same since dawn.. I’m expecting to feel the pain to gradually get stronger.. I really wanted you to be born so I went to take a walk

10:00 a.m.
...still there was no sign that it will happen any sooner. Mama called up Jing to tell her to stand by in case I went into labor. Now Im back at home I went on to clean the house and do the laundry.
11:45 a.m.
..done with all the chores.I took a break and ate my lunch, I went off to sleep and
take a rest since I’m not feeling any signs of labor yet.
2:43 p.m.
I woke up from my nap and went to pee.. I discovered that I have spotting and immediately I decided to go to the hospital.. I called Dra. Murakami to let her know of my situation. She expected me to report to her about it..I wanted to wait for mama and kuya to fetch me but mama insisted that I go with Jing to the hospital as soon as I can..
3:30 p.m.
JIng fetch me up and we went to the hospital. Im not afraid at all. Im so happy that I can finally meet you.. That I can see how you look like.

I’m so excited!!!

4:02 p.m.
..we arrived at the alabang med and i am still as calm as can be..I went to the
info desk to look for Glo as Dra. instructed. They told me to go to the E.R. and
wait.
4:38 p.m.
..mama arrived at the hospital looking so woried, so i relayed to her the doctor’s
assessment. I was on the phone talking to the nurse when she arrived,we we’re instructed to go home since we may have to wait for a long time before I actually gave birth..
5:34 p.m.
..we are now back at Sta.Rosa waiting for me to go into labor. I just lay on the couch the whole time, observing the contractions. Its gradually increasing in pain, but I stayed relax and even ate dinner.
9:00 p.m.
..we decided to go back to the hospiatl since its really painful already and the contractions is 5 minutes apart.
9:00 p.m.
We arrived at alabang med the 2nd time.. this thime Dra. Murakami is already waiting for us. She examined me and to my dismay, she declared that its only 2cm open..still a long way to go, and she told me that the pain ive been feeling is only 20%. I got worried a little knowing the pain will get more stronger, but Im not afraid. I'm more anxious to see you.
9:48 p.m.
we left alabng med to go to Las Pinas Med..we arrived there at around 10:15pm. Mama is fixing my admittance and we panicked a little when we learned that we dont have enough money for deposit, so kuya left to withraw some more money.
10:45 p.m.
..we are officially admitted.. in minutes, a nurse fetch me to go to the labor room. at this point the pain is much stronger but im still relaxed im being comforted
with the thought that this will be over soon.9 months of waiting is over. We can finally move on.I told myself I can do this. Just a little bit more and its over.
11:30 p.m.
..i went on to move my bowel..shaved..strapped with monitor and all..at this time dra is in the labor room observing my progress
12:15 a.m.
..i was given novane to help me relieve the pain.. but its too painful already that even with the pain killers i can still feel so much pain..i remain as brave..i wanted this to be over soon. So i just lay there in pain. Waiting for the anesthesiologist.
1:20 a.m.
..i was wheeled to the delivery room..i got scared..the anesthesciologist hasnt arrived yet. I thought I was going to give birth without anesthesia..at 9 cm..Iwent to the whole labor without anesthesia. Its really painful but im beariing it all..
1:30 a.m.
..finallly..dr.arroyo arrived..at this time I cant compose myself anymore I started screaming telling him to give me the epidural at once.. and he just made a joke out of me. The gang are all in and this is really it!!
Im giving birth,they are in a very relax ang joyous atmosphere. I started to feel the effect of the epidural after 20 mins.by this time Im relaxed myself and I even joked around with them. They are kidding around that you will come out before
2am..dra is very eager to go home..I cant feel the contractions anymore but i can already feel you coming out..honestly i cant assess what i felt. I was excited but at the same time scared.

This is exactly how it happened. I am fortunate enough to keep the notes i wrote 3 years ago, almost right after the birth thats why this is really accurate. For those who are just about to be moms this might scare you. But believe me, everything is worth-it. Some may even say this has too much information. I didnt edit it. It is exactly how I wrote it to preserve the emotions of the past. This will also be kept inside my Memory BOx

I am a toddler

Mama suggested that I teach Jea a poem, so i looked in the net and I found one athat i like. I'll teach this to her and see whta happens..

I am a Toddler!
Submitted by: Scrapbknnapa
Author: Karen Burniston
I may be little,
I may be young,
But I have a mouth
and two healthy lungs!
Allow me to demonstrate
here on the floor....

I am a Toddler, Hear Me Roar!

I want what I want
and I want it now!
Listen to reason?
No way! No how!
In church, at the mall
or the grocery store.....

I am a Toddler, Hear Me Roar!

You may think that
I'm incorrigible,
But at times I am quite adorable!
You never know exactly what's in store....

I am a Toddler, Hear Me Roar!

-Karen Burniston

Kiddo Academy

This are some of pictures of Jea at Kiddo Academy on her first trial class. All of the pictures are inside the playroom. We can see that it has a huge playroom, but dont be mislead its not all play. She also had so much fun in class. She didnt even realize that she's also learning. I'll try to upload the "lesson" if i figured how to convert it since its in video.

Is my child gifted?

I googled "preschool+ manila" for my choices of preschool for Jea,then I got to this site mom exchange, its a blog of Filipino mom living in U.S. and as read her blog about the Kindergarden checklist. Sort of entrance exam for toddlers in U.S. at least in that State, for kids. Her son was 3yrs old when they took the test. Turns out its a lot more complicated there, kids, babies have to take test to be able to be accepted. It was even stressed there that it is a law for toddlers to be tested for kindergarden. Unfortunately for her, her kid failed the test and needs special education. She included a link for the checklist.To read about the blog please click the link. So when I checked it out this is my observation.

Moms Exchange.com

I read the Checklist and analyze my daughters skills. I was shocked that most of the comments are shocked about the scissors. I let my baby use scissors, with full adult supervision of course since she was about 1yr 8months. We are doing the gardening and she wanted to help so i gave her the small craft scissors, the one thats not pointed and she immediately learned to use them. I am proud to say that she can do all the skills in the list, actually i think even more. She also learned to walk at 7 months, she was already humming with the music at 6 months. She can sing the several nursery songs before she turned two. She also recognized the letters "O", "S" and "T" at 1 year old. She now knows all the letters and count up to 10. She knows the colors and shapes, whe also know to the corresponding Tagalog words against their English translation. When I gave her Lego Blocks to play with, she formed a Pyramid using all the yellow blocks for the inside triangle and used all the orange blocks for the outer triangle, and I didnt even teach her to do that. She also drew a house, a dragon, fish and "Barnie" when I gave her a drawing board. I didnt even teach her how to draw, I just gave it to her to play with and I expected to see only doodles and crazt lines, but that what she came up with.

She is now 2yrs old and 6months. My mom always thought that shes gifted, and kept on telling me that I have her tested if she are. I never thought that she is, I know that she's smart. That she is advanced againts most kids her age, but i never bother testing her. If I base my kid's ability with the checklist I could say that she really is. I'll should schedule her for testing soon.