Happy 11/11/11!

I was trying to be cute when I took this picture.

Little did I know that it was a sign of things to come.

M and I started the day by reading these books:
Ang Mabait na Kalabaw

Go Baby Jaguar

Daniel and the Lions

Once Upon a Potty

Had breakfast... Checked emails... Made calls...

Then it was off to the bankS to settle stuff...

Oooh, the Soderno @ Molito Tent is up.
Can't wait for the Soderno Nov 18 Opening!

Boy was it hot!

Walked over to Jollibee for a quick lunch.

I decided to try the Jollibee Chicken and Mushroom Pasta.

Hmmm, can you guess the taste by the appearance??? LOL.

Rushed off to a seminar that shall not be named!

Staff: The Seminar starts at 2:00pm. You are 8 minutes late.

Me: But the traffic was terrible and I travelled so far!
Staff: Be early next time. You need to fill up the forms BEFORE 2:00pm.
Me: Can I submit the forms now and just attend the seminar next week?

Staff: No. Come back next week.

Me: Grrrrrrrrrrrr...

Dropped by SM and bought a few stuff.

Oh yeah, it was still super hot outside!!!

Who said 11/11/11 was a lucky day???

Yes, I was still on Grrrrrrrrrrrr mode....

 Decided to cool down with a Serenitea Okinawa Milk Tea

50% Sweetness with Pearl and Panna Cotta

Ahhhhh... Things were beginning to pick up...

Now THIS reaaaaallly made my day!

Got home just in time for Skype with H.

Had breaded chicken for dinner.

Watched the kids while they were at play.
Z fished out this hammering set from the "parked toys" area.
Suddenly, this old toy was cool again.

Ended the day by putting M to sleep.

11/11/11 is part of my 101 Things in 1001 Days Challenge... I'm quite happy that
my documentation for 11/11/11 turned out a lot better than last year's and the year before's.

Sesame Street New Season: Math and Science focus

I have to admit that when I was a kid, I adored Sesame Street. Well, I still do. Sesame
Street was a fun and educational show that I could easily watch in the morning or
in the afternoon (tv time was dependent on my school schedule). Back then, it was
NORMAL to be bilingual. The kids of our generation spoke --- and can speak ---
English and Filipino; thanks in part to The Muppets. And yes, we didn't make a big
deal out of it. It was what it was.

So, if Sesame Street can teach the kids of today English and Math and Science, then
I'm all for it!


p.s.
M is still not allowed to watch tv. We're still holding out for when he hits 2 yrs old.
By then, we will definitely stick to a few select tv shows. Of course, Sesame Street
will be on the list.

Video courtesy of ABC News

3 Ways of Getting Affordable Toys

Before Angry Birds and Before Farmville, Kids had these :)

At 1 year and 3 months, I can proudly say that our little toddler still does NOT
watch TV. You might be wondering, what does M do all day? Playing with toys
tops the list! Toys are great because they "require" kids to use and develop their
skills and imagination.

The challenge with toys is, kids easily tire of their toys. Dr. Glenn Doman tells us
that kids enjoy their toys while there's still something about the toy to be discovered.
But once the toy has been fully explored, expect that toy to be tossed aside.

So what's a mom to do? I know fully well that kids' toys can be quite expensive.
Here are some tips for you.

3 Ways to Getting Affordable Toys:

1. Research
- Isn't the net great!?! I use it a lot for researching! Of course, it has helped me
gain tons of ideas for toys. I check out websites and blogs. I join FB groups of
educators; homeschooling is a recognized form of education. I'm excited for an
upcoming online webinar (it's free!). There really is so much info out there. It's
so easy to pick an idea and make it your own.
2. Observe
- M is allowed to tinker around with everyday objects and use them for toys.
Of course we first ensure that these objects are nonbreakable and do not pose
any safety risks. So far M has played with paper, cloth, cartons, cleaning tools,
and furniture.
3. Borrow
- Some of M's fave toys are actually not his. M has borrowed toys from cousins
and uncles. You'd be surprised at how many relatives and friends have a stash
of toys just dusting away in a box. Just make sure to thoroughly clean the toys
if their previous owners have not already done so.

I hope I've inspired you to reconsider the tv habits of your children. Studies have
shown that there's way too much tv watching going on. It's time to turn off the telly
and make the kids play.

More TV Equals School Trouble Later

http://www.flickr.com/photos/treehouse1977

"Toddlers who watch too much TV may struggle in school later,
with measurably lower scores in math, and they may get bullied
more than other children, Canadian and U.S. researchers reported
on Monday.

Less surprisingly, children who watched more TV at age 2 weighed
more by the time they were 10 and ate more snacks and soft drinks,
the researchers reported in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent
Medicine.

They said children who spend more time watching TV and less time
playing with other kids may lose valuable chances to learn social
skills.

Every additional weekly hour of television at 29 months corresponded
to a 7 percent drop in classroom attention and a 6 percent drop in
math skills, the researchers found.

"Despite clear, age-specific recommendations from the American
Academy of Pediatrics that discourage any screen media exposure
during infancy and less than two hours per day beyond 2 years of
age..." the researchers wrote." - Yahoo Health


Here's some interesting news. What's more interesting is that this
concept probably applies to other "high tech" kiddie gadgets that
were not yet available at the time that this research was made.

So what's the alternative? Good old-fashioned activities: tummy
time, singing songs, reading books and playing with toys are
just some examples.

Yes, you read that right. As parents, we have to relearn the lost
art of using one's creativity to come up with fun -- and educational
-- activities for our kids.

* This post first appeared here.