Kids And Television

Being a first time mom, I have yet to learn a lot about raising kids... What I do with my little one, I base on instinct and baby-books... I share insights with other mothers and from there, I learn things one at a time.

Back in the days, I used to remember, raising kids seemed very different from how new parents do it now. Before, it never mattered whether kids were left to watch television, as long as the channel's tuned in to cartoons. But now, more parents are becoming aware of the effects of too much boob-tube and how the fast pace affects their kids' comprehension.

That was what I learned recently from a development specialist whom we saw for Ching. Thankfully, Ching is doing very good, save for the little delay in speech which was, according to the doctor, still understandably normal for kids her age.

It was only recently that I learned that watching tv could prove detrimental to a child's psychological development. Too much exposure to television and computers, according to recent studies,  have been found to contribute to a child's speech delay and worse, could lead to Attention Deficit Disorder Syndrome. Honestly, that last one scared the hell out of me. I said to myself, I won't lose anything if I follow the doctor's advise.  Now, my baby rarely watches tv, well, most likely just a glimpse from time to time but not how most kids  do it, like being glued to the screen for hours..

I made it a routine to read to Ching every chance I get, sing to her, talk to her and try to teach her patiently about every word. Yes, I used the term patiently, you'll be needing a lot of patience when dealing with toddlers. It isn't easy and sometimes, it can get to you especially when  a child is unresponsive, but these things you SHOULD get used to. Besides, it is your child..  Once in our lives, our parents did the same to us, and now, it's our turn. I'm also glad that my little girl is into books herself, every morning after I've bathed her, she would automatically pick one of her books and start looking at the pages.. I am overwhelmed seeing her like this everyday..

So now,  everyone in the family barely watches television. And we miss it badly. But hey, let's look at the positive side, that would mean lesser electricity bill...  That's fair enough for me...

The Laundry And Me...

I've been a little stressed out lately since our digital washing machine broke down two days ago. Fairly enough, it has been with us for 10 years now and it hasn't given me any trouble.

Personally, I don't feel like getting some help to do our laundry. It's just not the same as doing the deed yourself. So Leih and I decided to get a new digital washing machine last Saturday after finishing from Ching's check up.

From the several brands we saw, I chose a 9kg. digital washing machine from Electrolux. Just  like our old washing machine, but only  even better. You literally dump all the clothes in, turn on the waterhose, put the detergent & the fabric conditioner, set the program and just leave it there to do the work. The time length will be displayed on the screen so you can come back a few hours afterwards and it's all done. Great right?

Yesterday, we had someone from the main service center install the machine and we were shown how to use it. Upon arriving home, I started doing the laundry. I left it after I've set the program and came back an hour later after I've fed my little one. The newly-washed clothes were almost dry, all that was left for me to do was to hang it  to let it dry even more. I can't believe how chores like doing the laundry could be such a breeze.

Now, I don't mind taking care of the clothes. Just as long as I have my trusted washing machine with me, everything's well taken cared of. =)

14 Months & Counting!!!

   
       Ching is 14 months today!!!!

       As expected, it's another excuse for the mom to get Ching two order of mini moist chocolate cakes from Sweet Solutions...
       Happy 14th month Little Girl!!!! We love you very very much!!!

My Video Journals...

I would like to believe that whatever things and preparations I did in the past were not born out of pessimism, rather, because I am the kind of person who always thinks way ahead.

one of my videos which I recorded while on Saturday duty....

When I was pregnant with Ching, I made a couple of video journals that I kept in my laptop. It was a video for my daughter, I tagged it as  my "just-in-case-something-happens-to-me video clips". You see, my pregnancy didn't go quite as smooth as the others. I have been watched closely since I had a history of diabetes and hypertension, not to mention,  a mild heart problem. The first 7 months proved to be a struggle.

Because of these, I couldn't help but worry. This is not to discourage other pregnant women out there but pregnancy doesn't come without a risk. We even have a saying, "Nasa kabilang hukay  ang paa ng isang babaeng nanganganak".  There is always a chance that something might get wrong in the end. I should know... coz I have a friend who died while on her 7th month of pregnancy. It was her third baby girl, supposedly..

After her  sad passing,  my friend left two lovely young daughters behind, it was enough to scare me to the core. I then decided to make my video journals for my then-unborn baby, starting when I was 5 months pregnant. I said to myself, I had to be prepared for the worst, though I am always praying and hoping for the best, but up until I am ready for  everything, I will not be at peace.

I made a video for Chingching when she turns 3, when she starts going to school at 6.... when she graduates from gradeschool, highschool and college, a video when she turns 18, a video about me ranting about boys, relationships and love, and another one before she gets married. Yeah, that is a lot. And I know I sound over-the-top.  I used to think so too. But last night as I was declogging my desktop, I chanced upon these clips and started watching them one by one.

Every video I made was filled with love,  telling my daughter how much I wished I was there to take care of her... giving her advices just in case she meets a certain problem, telling her my own love story, recounting to her the wrong things I've done, the good lessons that came out from those mistakes, and the one thing that I always kept repeating to her ~ reminding her to always love & respect herself, give due importance to chastity even if modern times dictate otherwise.. My thought was, the video was the only way to be with my daughter..  Maybe if I eventually fail to make it through my pregnancy at that time, I will not leave my child not knowing what kind of  mother she had...

The last video that I did was for her wedding day. That gave my tears away... It made me realize how much I love and value my baby even if she wasn't born yet then.

I am still keeping my video journals. Though it isn't for anyone else to view, but still, I would like to feel that wherever fate takes me, I will always  be there for my little girl,  loving, caring, and  guiding her no matter where I am.

If in case this article gives off a twisted or weird perception of me, then so be it.  (^_^)

Starbucks Hot Chocolate, Anyone?

Knowing how much I love hot chocolate, my cousin Beng sent me sachets of Starbucks Double Chocolate & Chocolate With Marshmallows along with the other gifts she gave Ching last February. At first, I didn't know how to make it. I tried mixing it with water and it tasted bitter.

But after Leih got us a carton of full cream milk, we discovered how to whip a mean hot chocolate drink. I would  pour a cupful of full cream milk and heat it in the microwave, afterwhich I'll be putting in one sachet of the delicious brew...  ALAS!!! Instant Starbucks hot chocolate!!!!

For our breakfast today, I scrambled some eggs along with some  fried bacon and bread on the side, and prepared 3 cups of delicious Starbucks Hot chocolate, one for me, one for Leih & one for Mommy... It's just like having your own Starbucks coffee shop but in the comforts of my own home

Now, who wouldn't want to wake up to that every morning, right?

The First Carousel Ride...

  A usual rest day for me would be a trip to the mall for some shopping therapy. Sometimes by myself, most of the time with my mom.

But lately, I find myself liking different activities which includes my whole family.

Today, we spent the whole afternoon at Mall of Asia with Leih and Chingching.. I planned on taking Ching to her first carousel ride...Since it was so humid, we decided to have  some Sticky Chewy Chocolate ice cream as soon as we arrived at Swensen's. We did  a little shopping, helped Chingching practice her daily walk with the use of her Walking Wings,  got her a small pool and a small teddy bear at the toy store, and then headed to the carousel.

 Daddy took charge of the camera while Ching rode the horse with me by her side...  An hour after, we grabbed a quick sumptuous Chinese dinner  at Lugang's Cafe, and  before going home, we had another round of Coffee Toffee ice cream..

balloon watching on a Sunday afternoon...

Ching busy looking at the balloons..

She was overwhelmed with all the balloons, she didn't know what to choose..

We had a great time at the carousel with Chingching. Daddy clicked away on the cam while I took charge of the little one on the horse. I felt happy seeing my baby shriek with joy. She has always been amazed whenever she sees the carousel at a mall nearby, so we let her get the real deal on it. She also had fun looking at the balloons, and toys at the toy-store... We even got her a small pool that she'll be using next weekend.

I took her carousel riding today..

Ching was looking for Daddy....

I had a sudden craving for Chinese food so we went to Lugang's Cafe for dinner. We had crispy chicken nuggets,  roast duck,  dumplings, pineapple rice, and a big serving of Mango & Coconut Cream Pudding on shaved ice for dessert while Ching had some plain congee & a few spoonfuls  of mashed squash.  

They provided Ching her very own feeding set.. =)

Roast Duck

my favorite... Mango & Coconut Cream Pudding on shaved ice...

Pineapple Fried Rice

Pork & Shrimp Dumplings...

Taiwanese Crispy Chicken Nuggets

   We fetched Mommy from SM Bacoor upon our way home, obviously, my mom had her "Me-Time"... Came home with a few paperbags and a recharged aura.. =) Awesome.

a little tired from walking, but still very talkative...

 So far, our Sunday had been awesome. I just love weekends...

13 Months of Happiness!

         
        Ching is now on her 13th month... thank God for another month...
         For today, we got her two Samba mini cakes from Bizu.. From this month onwards, we'll be getting her mini cakes....
           Mmmm.. Just looking at this makes me crave for one...(need to say more?)

Valentines 2012

Alongside a special lunch I prepared for Leih, I was given this bouquet of roses for Valentines... If it had been a weekend & Leih's day off, we would probably have gone somewhere special. We were even planning to go on a 3-hour dinner/cruise last Saturday but we couldn't leave Chingching alone so we didn't push thru with it.

Anyways, there's always next year... It can wait.. =)

Baby's First Movie

Since it's Leihson's day off from work, we decided to celebrate Valentines a few days early. We never get to go out on weekends because of Leih's erratic work schedule so we planned on going to the mall where we could bring Chingching with us.

It was a simple Saturday afternoon for the three of us. We went to Southmall, Las Pinas, where we did a little shopping, had some steak for dinner, roamed around a little, and finally, decided to see "The Vow" with Chingching tagging along..

At first, I wasn't sure if they would let the baby in but thankfully, after paying for an extra head, we got to bring Chingching inside. Hence, her first movie.

At the start of the movie, my little one was so behaved, but as it went along, she started making little noises so I had to bring her down to the hallway. I tried putting her to sleep while I watched. When she was sound asleep, I got back to my seat and finished it with Leih.

Before going home, we headed to Westgate for some burgers and japanese take out for Mommy...

I say, we had a great Saturday... Looking forward to more cozy family weekends ahead..

Ching's Tangled Birthday Party...

my husband with our baby Chingching..

They say, the first birthday is always the most anticipated of all... I definitely agree... 

After my baby's christening (a month after giving birth), I started planning her first birthday..It may seem a little early but I wanted every detail to be perfect.  

Being an events coordinator myself, I know how stressful parties like these could get, most especially if you don't alot enough time to conceptualize all the details you wish...

Thankfully enough, I found my theme for Ching's party after seeing the  Disney movie "Tangled."

I instantly fell in love with Rapunzel especially the scene where they started sending sky lanterns into the air. The soundtrack by Mandy Moore also helped big time.  I got a copy of the movie and checked all the details that I could use to design my Tangled-inspired party...

Just looking back at how the party went, I could say it was a success... Leih and I both feel satisfied with how everything turned out. My husband even says it pays well to have a planner for a wife. Obviously, since the start, he admitted not having any idea on how to plan a birthday party, rather, he just let me decide on everything and  worked the budget from there.

the party before it started

everything had to be lavender...

As early as July, I was busy shopping online (at Disney Store), looking for all things Tangled... I got Ching her costume, plates, cups, pascal blowers, napkins, and even balloons, all shipped from the US. thru my good friend Suyen... I've also started braiding some DMC threads which I put on the invites. Of course, I had so many ideas on how I wanted the invites to look (but that's another story)...

the cake arch (gift by Bernadette)...

I was very particular with  how the candy buffet spread looked like, thanks to Richie, he pulled it off quite beautifully... The candies were a hit, and so were our pastillas  & pastillas lollipops.. My grandmother brought special pastillas from San Miguel,  Bulacan (the original pastillas), and even made personalized wrappers with Ching's name on it while I ordered the pastillas lollipops from a trusted online seller..

the candy buffet with the Tangled cups, plates & candy bags..

our lavender & pink cupcakes

As soon as Ching fell asleep that very morning,  Leih and I dropped by Antel Grand  to bring the cupcakes, cuplets, tower giveaways, pastillas lollipops & kiddie giveaways. My partner & good friend Aann who was coordinating the party arrived an hour earlier to supervise the set up.  I personally took the task of arranging our give-aways... Bags of Tangled Tower with candies & feathery bags filled the table.. The prizes however were kept under the table...

the tower giveaways & bags for the little girls...

  We also helped arrange some of the things at the candy buffet. I felt happy seeing the lollipop box I made filled with yummy pastillas lollipops I ordered from my N@W sister Rhea Diputado..

our pastillas candies...

the cuplets...

  My good friend, balloon designer Bernadette Arbolante, was already with her staff and were almost finished setting up the balloon arches & pillars by the time we arrived ... I was amazed when I saw the balloons. It was definitely  detailed, specifically as I told her .She  also gave Ching a beautiful cake arch as a gift aside from the big discount I got from her.. The venue looked fantastic.. The term magical won't be enough to describe it.

the Tangled  set up..

I just love the details on these arches..

the main entrance...

Richie Co  and his team took care of the backdrop......I fell in love with the end result of the venue set-up. My dream team successfully did it!

Four months before our big day, I had several meet-ups with my caterer, discussing the  menu & overall design... Since Tangled had more lavender color in it, it suited my taste very well as I was inlove with lavender myself... Richie used only lavender color at the party ~~~ lavender skirt for the buffet, lavender vases,  lavender kiddie balloons... I first thought of getting balloon centerpieces from Bernadette, but since we were under budget, I thought of another set up that would look just as beautiful... hence the result....

the VIP table..

the guest's table

the buffet area...

The food was great. We had Spicy Seafood Galore, Roast Beef, Cordon Bleu with Mango, Pork Rolled in Sweet Pineapple Sauce, & Carbonara to name a few. We had nachos for our appetizer and for dessert, delicious buko pandan was served.

the buffet area...

We scheduled the party two days  after Ching's real birthday, specifically on a Saturday so friends and family could all come. We had  guests from  Bulacan & Manila. I constantly asked our invited guests to confirm their attendances a few days before the date and so far, 95% of our guests came.... I patiently did the seating arrangement & had it alphabetized to make it more organized. (just as we always do)...

the guest list..

My partner who happens to be Ching's godmother, Aann Dela Cruz, manned the reception table and welcomed the guests...

the reception table with the Ching's "fairy godmother" Aann...

The candy buffet looked so pretty, it was a hit.. The kids loved it, just as much as the adult guests did... They also loved the cupcakes & cuplets from Frostings... I was smitten when I first had a glimpse of what the cupcakes looked like when we picked it up... It had this wonderful purple & hot pink color, it suited our motif very well... The cupcakes were just heaven on your palate... just thinking about it makes my mouth water...

The Tangled Cake was so beautiful, just as I expected... It was very detailed, very colorful yet very dainty... It was also very delicious and moist on the inside... Super thanks to Ms. Aila Yonzon of the Bunny Baker...


Chayno, who was our host/magician for the event, was also very good... He brought life to the party, entertained our guests especially the kids and when it was time for the magic show, everybody was in full attention...


Chayno had been such a wonderful host, never was there a dull moment with him... His service was worth every cent, definitely!!!!


When it was time to blow the candle, Leih and I got surrounded by the kids and they all sang Happy Birthday to Ching.... I couldn't describe the feeling of happiness I felt inside, as if I were the one celebrating... It was truly one of the most unforgettable moments in my baby's party... Something that we will always remember...

it's time to blow the cake...

A quick family picture after the candle-blowing...

 The feeling was indescribable upon seeing all those smiles on the kids' faces at the party.  All our friends had a good time as well. I knew then that I did something right...  All my planning finally paid off... A sense of fulfillment washed over me... My  efforts were worth it...

family & friends having a good time..

Ninang Jates & Chingching..

lighting up the sky lantern...

Before the guests left, we all went outside to light the sky fire-lanterns I prepared... In the movie, Rapunzel's parents always sent firelanterns into the sky on her birthday to signify the special occasion of their lost princess... It was one of my favorites in the movie, and so, I sought out a sky fire-lantern supplier online and got myself several pieces. Too bad it was so windy that night but we still managed to send 2 lanterns into the air after our previous 4 attempts... It looked magnificent, by the way... =)

successfully, we made one fly...

yay!! another  successful one!!

In the next years to come, when Ching is old enough to understand, she would see how much loved she is by her family, and how we strived hard to give her a beautiful celebration in honor of her birthday... I'm looking forward to this day...

The pictures we posted are just some of the beautiful shots of Roy Salud.. Roy has been Ching's photographer ever since.. The video however is from Paulo Tenorio which will be uploaded probably in the next two weeks... another thing to be excited about...