I could be wearing this pair of jeans and this mary janes if these were an adult size. This is my daughter’s outfit by the way, we officially have a little lady in the house. No more cute little socks and soft soled shoes for a baby girl, we have shoes and sandals that could be worn my adults if it’s a bigger size. I like her wearing dresses but I must say she looks more grown up when she’s wearing jeans and I love her wearing jeans too. So much that I bought her three new pair of denim jeans (among other clothes of course) from Crazy 8 and Old Navy. It’s just so much fun dressing up a little girl.

Technorati Tags: Baby Iyah

It’s my birthday next month and my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday gift. I have no idea where to go and what to do on that day yet (although I’m sure there’s going to be a birthday cake) and I don’t have any idea what I want for my birthday either. Since we’re buying a flat I’m thinking I should just go with a simple celebration and a simple gift, no replica watches though I still can’t bring myself to buy one of those. Maybe a nice pair of earrings or a purse, I’m really not sure yet. I have a few weeks to think about it

Technorati Tags: Writing

When you have a child it’s great to have a camcorder to capture all those little moments and milestones of his or her life. Photos are great but it’s also wonderful to capture the action, the laughter and giggles, the singing and dance moves…I think these are priceless memories. I watch my daughter and she is growing up so fast, I’m glad I’m with her everyday to see all her milestones, to get to know her and teach her.

Technorati Tags: Writing

A mom worries about a lot of things. Having a child means having someone who depends on you for everything and a mother wants the best for her child. I worry when my little girl get sick or when she gets hurt. I read about all the diseases such as cerebral palsy that children all over the world suffer from and I pray to God to keep my darling healthy. My daughter means the world to us and she is our blessing and I really hope that we’ll be able to give her everything she needs.

Technorati Tags: Writing

I got this from The Daily Digi. I thought it would be nice to post it here, so I could read it when I need a quick pick me up when those days of self doubt and second guessing my judgment occurs…

This is to all moms - and moms to be ———

“Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible”

I’M INVISIBLE

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I’m on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I’m thinking, ‘Can’t you see I’m on the phone?’ Obviously not; no one can see if I’m on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I’m invisible. The invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I’m not a pair of hands; I’m not even a human being. I’m a clock to ask, ‘What time is it?’ I’m a satellite guide to answer, ‘What number is the Disney Channel?’ I’m a car to order, ‘Right around 5:30, please.’

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She’s going, she’s going, she’s gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, ‘I brought you this.’ It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn’t exactly sure why she’d given it to me until I read her inscription:

‘To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.’

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, ‘Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.’ And the workman replied, ‘Because God sees.’

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, ‘I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you’ve done, no sequin you’ve sewn on, no cupcake you’ve baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can’t see right now what it will become.’

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don’t want my son to tell the friend he’s bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, ‘My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.’ That would mean I’d built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, ‘You’re gonna love it there.’

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we’re doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

From Babycenter…

Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree again?! Oh yes. Reading the same book over and over provides a measure of comfort to preschoolers, who see the familiar characters and plot as an oasis in a world full of unknowns. But there are cognitive and language benefits to re-reading, too. Re-reading helps your 2-year-old connect the words he hears with the pictures he sees. This is an important kind of pre-reading that will be a useful skill in a few years when he learns to read. Hearing the same sentences again and again helps him decode grammar. Your child also gets a rush of confidence when you turn the page and he sees the expected next part of the story: “Yes! I knew that was going to happen!”

Let your child choose which book to read. If it’s the same old favorite, mask your boredom and read it once again. (Hey, at least most preschooler books aren’t terribly long.) He may well want to hear the same story several times in a sitting. Keep a wide variety of books on hand by making frequent library visits; eventually he’ll be ready to switch to a new favorite or expand his repertoire.

Your life now

“Pick your battles” means focusing on the big issues and ignoring the small ones or the ones you can’t win. Especially with a preschooler, power struggles can pop up like dandelions in a suburban lawn. Your child is learning to exert his will and preferences, and he’s also easily frustrated these days. You could be locked in continual conflict if you aren’t careful. Clearly define your limits and expectations. Decide which rules you care most about: no hitting and no throwing food, for example. These are the ones you should enforce consistently and ask all caregivers to insist on, too. But let slide things like how many vegetables your child eats per meal; you can’t force him to eat.

This is definitely true and this is what Iyah is doing now. She would choose a book and we would read it together (thank goodness for short stories). She would ask me to read the book a couple of times, this is not only in reading…sometimes she would ask me to sing a song with her over and over again too. Oh well it’s suppose to be fun to learn right…

I love that cell service here is very good. I have a signal almost everywhere. I don’t see any cell towers nearby but I have never had problems with getting a signal. Of course when you’re out having your cell with you is light having a lifeline. You can call a cab to pick you up at the mall when you have too much shopping bags to take the MRT. Oh and speaking of MRT I get good signal there even if our MRT line is all underground. I just love the convenience I get and knowing that I can call my husband wherever I am.

Technorati Tags: Writing

Something like this is a darker wood would be nice for our living room. This and a comfy home theater seating would make movie nights even better. Now the only problem is the budget, like always we need to find reasonably priced items especially now that the country is going through recession. It would be better if we can save more by purchasing items on sale or better yet clearance. Of course this doesn’t mean we will sacrifice quality, that’s why I’m on the look out for bargains. Anyway we have a few months to look around so hopefully we’ll find some great deals.

Technorati Tags: Writing

I’m not sure you could use seat lifts in these chairs but both looked nice and comfy to me. These two are from Ikea, both are reasonably priced too. Yesterday we went to Millenia Walk to check out Harvey Norman they indeed are offering great discounts on electronics, plasma TV are just over a thousand bucks and there’s great discounts on other items too. Although their furnitures are so expensive still, probably because they have European brands but still I’m not going to spend close to two thousand dollars for a coffee table or an armchair, my husband and I both know that our furnitures will just get stained on (or peed on) by our little girl so it’s so not worth it. It was nice to have a look around nevertheless.

Technorati Tags: Writing

This is my little girl while she was watching some videos at Playhouse Disney’s website. We do the games and activities together and she likes clicking the mouse (with me guiding her). I love how serious she looks in this photo like she really know what she’s doing. Looks like I will be sharing my computer with someone very soon.

Technorati Tags: Baby Iyah