Cute and Sweet

These photos happen to be the cutest snapshots I captured one afternoon. I was having a meeting at home and I caught this situation:

Anna is in a middle of some car trouble  and only her Manong (Brother) Joshua can help. 
In this distress Anna is fortunate to have a big brother who is a bit of an auto expert!  

 
And in this bad  situation, sometimes a big brother is all you need to drive you out of it!  

 
Sisters are blessed to have caring brothers! Sometimes  just having your brother with you, makes you feel that everything  will be okay. 

 
Ahh… I’m so loving this stage. I pray that they will remain closely knit forever.

Here is another fun photograph from Kim Tiblani. Thanks for capturing these Kim! 

 

Make Faces! 

It’s great to have a glass table top with a white board pen, and lots of imagination! That was all we needed one afternoon. Josh wanted to do something different from his usual playing with toys. That afternoon we made faces. 

I drew large circles and I let my son draw different faces. He had faces that smiled, others that did not, others even had curly hair. 

  
This fun activity let him explore emotions and explain what the people he drew were like. He drew eyes, nose, ears and mouths. He even had some with pimples because he remembered some household members having them! It was honest and funny! 

  
When we were doing this, we were having great conversation and laughing at some of his comments. We would draw and erase, draw and erase… A glass table top with white board pen is a pretty convenient learning space. It’s a great way to practice Josh’s hand grasping and motor skills. 

Sleeping milestone! 

My eldest son, Josh turned 3 years old and he is considered a Big Boy now. However, he has never slept through the night. Yes, he had the worse sleeping habits and he sleep talks and cries every night without fail!  

I partly blame myself for his bad sleeping pattern.  You see, I got pregnant when he was only a year and 5 months. He was not ready to wean from breastfeeding, but we had him move to the bottle. To wean him from breastfeeding meant that he had to also stop co-sleeping with me. It was a terrible time for Josh. He had to cope with all the adjustments…including sharing his world with a new baby.

 
From that time he took comfort on the bottle and he started rubbing his ears as one of his new habits to sleep. At night, Josh would wake 3 times each night and on each time he was given a bottle to make him go back to sleep. His style was to cry so he can get a bottle. Now, taking care of Josh was no joke and was really tiring. He would also dream and sleep talk or sleep scream. The nanny however, does not know much of the difference if he is awake or just sleep talking. So she would get the bottle just to keep him quiet. 

As he turned 2 and half, I was already trying to coach the nanny on lowering his milk intake at night. She did her part and just lowered the milk intake, but the waking in the middle of the night still continued. The nanny could not administer what I instructed because Josh would cry. It was not the crying that they were worried about, but daddy who slept in the same room because he would complain of Joshua’s noise. So they continued to give him night feedings.  

So, when Josh turned 3, I told the nanny that if Josh cries at night she should just give him water in a bottle. I also explained to Josh that ” you are older now and a big boy… You need to drink only 1 bottle to sleep and then wake in the morning already”. We got daddy on board with this transition. 

So Josh would take a bottle at night before bed and then when he asks in the middle of the night, he only gets water. In the beginning he cried and throw the bottle with water. Then, when we were on Christmas vacation and we all slept in one bed, it was where he mastered it. I would patiently talk to him when he would cry for milk and tell him, there is no more milk. He then learned to go back to sleep and there were nights he was upset about it.

  
But now, he has been sleeping straight from 10:30pm till 8 am. No more waking in the night to ask for milk or water. He is finally sleeping through! 

No more going to the Internet for me and seeking answers. No more going to a developmental Pediatrician because I was worried that this would go on forever. Lord, thank you! A prayer answered! 

I also love this stage where Josh actually prays before he sleeps and his prayer goes like this: 

Dear Jesus, please bless me, bless daddy, bless mommy, bless Anna, bless Yaya. Give us good sleep, keep us healthy, give us good dreams. We love you Jesus. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

 

And she turns One!

Our little Anna turns one, and with gratitude we praise God for the joy she has been in our lives. She is indeed a gift, a surprise one. She definitely is our teacher of many things.

For one, my pregnancy with her was  difficult and emotionally draining. She also was colic for almost 3 months and we were sleepless for almost all that time. She taught me perseverance, resilience, patience and a desire to always commune with God. 

    
This child has also opened the heart of our eldest son. Joshua’s heart is more loving and generous. He has learned to share his toys and his life with Anna. He also laughs and enjoys family because she is around. It’s pretty amazing to watch because Joshua would tell me almost everyday, “you know, I love Anna. I love her. I’m the best Manong in the whole world”.

  
Who would have thought that God’s favor would pour over and allow us to raise a daughter. Though she is reserved in her nature, she is a bit of a rock and roll star with her powerful voice. She does not mind getting all dirty and is pretty chill for the most part. She loves to eat and sleep… Yes she dances and sings too! On her own she carries baby conversations and is a little explorer of her brother’s toys. She can stack toys for 2-3 year olds with her excellent motor skills. She is an amazing little girl. 

   
 
I pray that she grows into the fullness of God’s purpose and that she will be a favored one who will bring many to the Lord Jesus. 

Thank you Lord for allowing me to know how wonderful and beautiful it is to love a daughter. Thanks you for the 365 days of be holding this beautiful gift — our sweet darling, Anna.

  
  
  
 

God’s Word in a young one’s heart

Is it possible that a child could memorize 10 bible verses before they turn 3 years old?  

I shared on my blog ” Memory Verse ” how I taught my 2 year old to memorize the verse John 3:16. It was a pretty long verse and one of the first verses he learned. But it took us less than 30 minutes to get him to familiarize and say the verse. The days there after, God gave Joshua interest in the story of Jesus and so we went through his toddlers bible from one story to another.

From that time on, I felt the desire to continue teaching him bible promises. Verses that would be tucked in his memory and my prayer that would help him grow in faith and character. I would use actions to help him remember key words. It’s quite amazing that he listens and can memorize the verses on the same day it is introduced.

  
Here are our 10 Memory Verses. Yes by God’s grace and help, your 2 year old can memorize these:

Deuteronomy  6:5

Love God with all your heart mind and strength and love your neighbor as you love yourself 

John 3:16

For God loves the world He gave Jesus that whoever believes in Jesus will not die but have everlasting Life.

Psalm 121:3

God who guards you never sleeps

Joshua 1:9

The Lord God will be with you wherever you go

Jeremiah 33:3

Pray to God and He will answer you

Romans 8:39

Nothing can separate us from the love of God

Matthew 19:26

With God all things are possible

Ephesians 6:1

Obey your parents in the Lord for this is right 

See Josh say this:   http://youtu.be/9TH2_ctD-yE

Matthew 7:7

Ask and you shall receive.  Seek and you shall find.  Knock and it shall be opened to you

See Josh say this: http://youtu.be/tvR3vtaXyY8

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

See Josh say this: http://youtu.be/Dfdk12ZqtjM

Atleast‭‭ once or twice a week, we go through the verses in a fun and not so formal way. This is how we keep these verses in his memory and keep it in his heart. We also talk about what it means in a very simple way. Sometimes when I need to correct Joshua, I will remind him what God says in the bible. If I encourage him, I again use some bible verse he knows. 

As Joshua memorizes God’s word, I am also memorizing and instilling it in my mind and heart. This is why God says in Isaiah and I declare this to be true:

“”As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59:21‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Joshua just turned  3, and what a blessing this boy is to us. He is a reminder of God’s faithfulness. We pray that we can raise him to love Jesus and His Word! 

Amazing 10 months! 

My little girl Anna is quite different from her very outgoing brother Joshua. She always has a serious face and she seems to observe people. She does not give off a smile easily. Some people say she looks like me, but I say, she looks like her daddy. Okay, you guys be the judge!  

 She is fully breastfed 10 month old baby. This little one is a strong girl. She likes to follow her Manong Josh. She does not have a lot of girly toys, so she is exposed to her older brother’s stuff. She seems to comprehend quickly what her brother is doing and wants to join in and play. Joshua often would struggle with sharing with her so she has learned to also whine at him and many times fight back because she also wants to play. 

But as of recent, she has shown us some pretty remarkable stuff at 10 months old. She has been very good with stacking her brother’s wooden pyramid. I was amazed because she would do it again and again. She is patient and does not stop trying until she succeeds.

 

Then one morning about 4 am, she showed us her mastery on another toy. She could not sleep that early morning but she did something spectacular. With a wooden tool box toy, she was able to insert wooden nails on a row of holes. It was a pretty amazing to witness this milestone! 

Check how she did it here:

 http://youtu.be/8SY-8ZR3-a0

Then the following day, she attempted to  do a even more challenging task. With some popsicle sticks and a box drawn with a bear’s face and a small slit for the mouth, Anna succeeds putting in the sticks in! Joshua did this activity at 2 years old, and she confidently does this at 10 months! 
 Look at this video:

http://youtu.be/Xs5IfHOqtGc

Steve says his little girl might become an engineer or a doctor. I don’t really know what she will be when she grows up, but I am thanking God for just how amazing she is. My little Anna, you are such a blessing and a wonderful gift to us! 

  

Juicing for kids

Juicing became a big thing in 2013. Many people have started drinking their fruits and vegetables and have improved their over all health. My son Joshua, after turning 2 years old has become a picky eater. Joshua no longer likes vegetables and prefers just rice and meat with soup. He prefers McDonald’s rather than real food. Ok, who can relate with me? 

But as of recent Joshua has been holding back his bowels because he has constipation. He would cry in pain as he would pass his bowels.  It was why he would rather hold it in as long as he could. So we explained to him that he needs to eat vegetables. He gives us that head gesture that says “no”. So we told him he needs to eat oatmeal and we have to start juicing. The juicing part he likes, because he likes to put fruits and vegetables in the juicer.

  
Our concoction was made up these ingredients:

  • 1 apple with skin
  • Half a cucumber without skin
  • 1 carrot
  • Slice of lemon without the skin
  • Cubes of ice

Joshua was happy to keep putting slices of fruit and vegetables. When we were done we placed them in glasses with ice to keep it refreshing.

  
Joshua drank his power drink of the day and his little sister Anna had a couple of sips too! It was yummy, healthy, and refreshing. What a great way to get vegetables and fruit into the bodies of our little ones. So happy this is a healthy solution for my picky eater! 

  

MunaTo 3D Art

In 2014, the province of Sarangani turned the provincial capitol into a Themepark for the MunaTo Festival. We had different attractions that were created to help the public learn about history, science, culture and the arts with Sarangani at the heart of it. It was a great concept. Families and most especially the children enjoyed the park. 

In 2015, we changed the concept of the MunaTo Festival to an International Music and Arts Festival.  This time showcasing the music, arts and performances of the different tribes of Sarangani and the other artists including Mathew Ngau, Malaysian National Artist for Sape. But since this is still music and arts festival we explored continuing 3D Art! 

   
 We went to Manila Miracle Art Museum to give us some inspiration. My son Joshua was asleep, so it was Anna and I who became subjects of these interesting art!

   
    
 So we decided to bring this illusion art to MUNATO Festival so people can enjoy it! So for those who missed it, here are our outdoor 3D Art in Sarangani capitol.  

    
    

It’s actually really thrilling to see how people like us become part of the total artwork. Joshua had his favorite too… Dinosaur and Eagle!  These artists are all from Sarangani. I am mighty proud of their work! 

   

     
 I’m sure some people around my area would still be interested to take photos with these artworks in the provincial capitol. You may also like to see the Christmas village display of each municipality. Visit Sarangani this December. 😊😊😊
    
 

Alphabet Fun! 

Recently my two year old is trying to recognize his alphabets one by one. But I realized to make it effective we have to practice it by singing and showing all the letters alternately with one by one letter a week. 

This week I challenged to sit with him and make my own alphabet chart. I used the magnetic letters as a matching game. This is the first time I am attempting this activity and I am very happy to say Joshua did very well. Singing helps too! 

  
So when he saw me make this, he just could not resist to play. We sat on his table so he would be really comfortable. What we did was randomly pick letters and he would try to match on his alphabet chart. Everytime he would get it correct, he would get a second stick (and lots of cheers from me). When he gets confused we would sing ABC and point out the letters as we sing. 

  
   
 
When he was done he was so happy that he did not want to return the letters back in its box. He was beaming with confidence that he mastered the game! 

This so easy to do at home. The plastic letters with magnet can be bought for about P100 (or $2.25) in the bookstores or toy store. The alphabet chart you will need a pen and 1/8 illustration board.  All these are inexpensive. But, having the parent as a teacher is priceless! 

Low Tank = Tantrums

In the past two weeks, I have been very busy. I have been busy with events, with clients, with meetings… So many things have been filling up my calendar. I have not spent the quality time I usually would have with my children. I tell my son that the meeting is just outside and I am home. But I have neglected our homeschool time and have decided to put it on hold. 

I would ask him to give me time to write up my proposals and so I tell him, “mommy is busy working, please don’t bother me. I’m just here go ahead and play.”  I admit I have let him go with his toys and the IPAD so I can be free from his asking me to play with him. I had so much on my plate to finish and I just felt like I needed to prioritize work. 

Then, as the days became a week… I noticed my little boy starting to act different. When he sees me in a meeting, I see him with a serious face and unfriendly body language. But I continue with my meetings. Then when I am free, I would spend a little time with Josh. That little time is also divided between him and his sister. I did not realize that my son’s love tank was starting to deplete. 

In the next days, he would throw a fit and I would have to discipline him for his behavior of answering back and being defiant. He would say things like “No!”, “Mom go away!”, ” Don’t touch me..” — I kept asking him… “What is wrong? That isn’t nice to say. Don’t be like that.”

I kept on with my busy schedule. I brought Josh with me to events and I would work and expect him to be okay that we are in the same location. I also brought him with me to meetings that were an hour away drive and meetings would be 2-3 hours and take another hour back. He would go because he wanted us to be together. But it was not quality time… 

Later, in that week, he got so upset he gave us meltdowns every day for three days. There was one where he looked straight at me in his upset mode because he did not obey what I said, and he said “Mom, I will destroy you!”.  I thought, I have left him so long watching the IPAD he got new words I did not teach, and they were negative words! Then I told him to stop saying that and obey. He instead shouted “No!” – I brought him to the room to discipline him. He kept screaming like a little hulk. I administered discipline and yet he would say “Mommy go away! I won’t obey”. I was really getting stressed. I knew I had to really get this corrected. We had a good 30 minute episode for him to know that I am the authority and that he cannot disrespect me. I was praying and even casting out spirit of anger from my son. I have never seen him like this. Inside I was petrified and crying. What have I done? 

  
Joshua also got discipline from his dad because he also disrespected his dad. He told me I tears, “I don’t like dad, I want to smash him.” I cried too because I no longer knew what to do. Josh was just being so disobedient and disrespectful and he responded in a defiant way. Even in his sleep, Josh would sleep talk and he would say “Mom, go away!”

So I prayed to the Lord…I confessed that I was sooo busy to nurture the heart of my son. I no longer know how to undo his behavior. It was a heavy burden in my heart. I asked God to guide me how to win my little boy again. 

God led me to devotional that struck a nerve. God revealed that if I serve Him in events without serving my family, it is a hypocritical act. My family life is the testimony that will speak if I have truly obeyed God. I know very well that my son’s love language is time and touch and I have starved him of both. I needed to improve on my priorities and to include God in all my plans. God is showing me how I have lacked in praying for my children and for every detail of things I am involved with.

Wow! I felt humbled and upset at myself. I asked Jesus for grace and to resolve this issue and I wanted it right away. Joshua on Sunday was still moody, he again started his rude behavior. Instead of reacting, I took him and carried him and walked just the both of us. Every negative word he would say, I just continued to kiss him and tell him “you know Josh I love  you.”  I keep reminding him of the good things and just kept telling him “I love you, my baby boy”. As we were having our moment together.. I started to see his countenance change. I made a decision that day not to spend too much time on my phone or laptop but to give him full attention and to play with him.

  
While we played, I asked Joshua if my not spending time with him made him upset.  He told me yes and he started telling me what he did.. And that was to fight mommy and cry really hard. Ouch!! I apologized and told him I miss him too. As we continued playing, I started to insert corrections like “Josh you must always obey mom and dad.” And he would say with a smile “Yeah I will obey.” Another moment I told him, “we love our family and we will not hurt one another by pushing, fighting or screaming.” And he would also say smiling “Yes we won’t fight, won’t do that (action his pushing moves), noh?” … I would show him I agree and acknowledge him. By God’s grace we were back to where I left our relationship 2 weeks ago. 

The devotion helped me see what I was doing when I was made to answer these 2 questions :

One undesirable trait I see in my child that reminds me of myself is…

One thing I could do to help them and me grow in that area is…

Then I was also moved by these verses:

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭NASB‬‬

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭NASB‬‬

I know as a parent I have to watch over the heart of my children with diligence too.  Also confessing my sin and repenting from it has healed the strain in my relationship with my little boy. Sometimes we think they are small people,  these kids are resilient and they will just swallow what is given them, and they will just grow up fine. Well, I think God taught me a pretty valuable lesson here… If I want to train my child’s heart, I too must be humble enough to admit my mistakes and change.