Jaden and Play School

I enrolled Jaden today! I am one very excited mom. I wanted to see how he will be when he's around children which he will constantly see and I'm excited to see him do different things! First let me tell you about this great school we have found. I found out about Maya Playgarden and Daycare Center from a friend, I checked their Facebook page and I love the fact that they have a parent-child program. They follow the Waldorf system of education which promotes a home-like environment for children and the use of organic materials.

The school is 45 minutes away but I did not mind the travel since Jaden's schedule is only every Saturday morning. I really wanted him to be exposed to other kids and to be able to experience lots of things. Maya has a wide range of activities for kids and the school location is very perfect! Grasses and trees all around and no cars or traffic nearby.

We went there today with my husband's cousin's daughter, Jaden's second cousin Izza:)

All of the toys and furnitures are made of wood. Jaden was so fascinated with the wooden toys. Let's admit it, we mostly buy plastic toys from the mall, I'm glad he will get to see the beauty of hand made products.

It was his first time in a see-saw :)

He doesn't want to try the swing.

We had lunch after and here they are enjoying the moment!

We will start school on the 22nd of June and I'm excited. We still have to buy some things like boots for their nature walk, aprons for cooking and some little trinkets. I hope he loves school and his new friends :)

Here For You...Forever

I have always believed in the saying “Our children need our presence more than our presents” though both would be great J I grew up without my mom because she has to leave the country for work. My dad was there but never really there, you know what I mean. Life was hard growing up without the only person you know you could turn to but because of my youth then, I did not mind being with my Grandma and Grandpa. I remember having school programs and I would see other girls’ moms doing their make-up and fixing their costumes. My grandma did all of that for me, something I am grateful up to now, but as a child I can’t help but wish my mom could do those things for me. Nothing beats a mom’s care and I am one lonely child craving for it. Those things helped me realize that if ever I am going to be a mom someday, I would never leave my child unless I really have to.

After knowing I am pregnant, I promised myself that I would be there for my little one no matter what. I will make it a point to put him first before anything else, even my own self. You never really know what love is until you hold your future in your own arms, heard his laughter, felt his fears and anxiety. Motherhood becomes me. I remember being so excited for my ultrasound so I could see his gender, but I know in my heart I was carrying a little prince. I was very happy when I found out it was a boy, I have always wanted a baby boy. I could see him holding my hands when I get old and frail enough to walk alone.

My favorite days are when my husband is at home. We could spend the day at home or we could plan to go out and have a little fun. Those days would be the most tiring yet fulfilling. Nothing can compare to the joy my son feels whenever he rides a car, take a turn at the carousel, play an hour at the playhouse. He loves running around the mall while Daddy and I are running after him, mostly taking pictures.

Last Saturday we went out and Jaden had so much fun!

Annoying "selfies"

He's very talkative now!

I don't want a picture!

At Dave's Playhouse

He loves to climb

Posing for Daddy

Time is not something you can buy to be back at a certain moment. They are only young once, spend more time with them. Time flies, your little one is going to spread his wings someday and he might not need you as much by then :)

SAHMs Can Work

Photo Credit: inspiredworkingmoms

Gone were the days when women are just mere home makers. Don't get me wrong. I know how hard it is to take care of a child, clean your place, serve your husband and to find some time for yourself. Most moms nowadays are working moms which I think is harder. They spend 8 hours or more in the workplace, away from their kids and when they get home they still have to do everything (unless you can afford a help). Being a SAHM has its pros and cons. You get to watch your child grow, you get to take care of him, play with him and record his every milestone. But as they grow older, expenses piled a little higher and you think of going back to work to help your partner. How you wish you could earn while staying at home, huh? 50 years ago that would have been IMPOSSIBLE unless you have your own business at home. Now, a lot of SAHMs are opting for online jobs or stay at home jobs. I searched online and I could see a wide range of possibilities. Besides, moms are the bestest when it comes to multitasking, agree?

There are a lot of ways you could earn just by using your computer and internet connection. No need to pay for anything. 95% of the time, online opportunities who require payment are a SCAM. They will rip you off of your hard earned pennies. Don't pay unless you are sure the site or program you are joining is legit. Online sites that promise fast, mind-blowing amount of cash is MOST PROBABLY a scam. If that were true, everyone would be wealthy and living the life :)

So, how can you earn online?

First, every online job requires an email address so it's best to secure one from Google, Hotmail or Yahoo.

Second, you need to think of the safest and fastest way for you to get your money if ever you start earning. Most of the online job sites now pay you through Paypal, Payza, LibertyReserve, direct to your bank account or via check. It is best to sign up for these things so you will only have to fill out the e-mail address when asked for. Remember, most of the time, the site requires that your e-mail address be the same as the e-mail address registered on these sites.

Third, choose the jobs that will suit your time. I know some of us moms only get to sit in front of the computer at night when the children are sleeping. Some can sneak in a few minutes during the day. So it would be best to sign up for online jobs that is time flexible.

Fourth, dedication is the key. Most of the online jobs/opportunities have a minimum payout. Some of you may get discouraged after a few weeks of not receiving a dime. Be patient. Besides, you are not investing anything except for a few minutes of your time.

Fifth and the most important: Don't expect to get rich doing this things. You may get a big break some months and you may get chump change in some but you should know that the internet is as unpredictable as life. There is no assurance that you will be doing this forever. Sites close down and new sites come up. Opportunities come and go, grab them while they are hot.

Here are some of the things you could do online. I will be doing more detailed blog posts of each including the links but for now I'll give you a bird's eye view.

• Blogging. Almost everyone is doing this nowadays. Some just for fun, some as a means of expressing themselves and some just wanted to earn online. You could set up a blog as easy as 1-2-3 and monetize it any way you want. Read my other blog for details.
• Get paid to click. There are a lot of paid-to-click sites nowadays. The earnings are not much but if you could do ten paid-to-click sites a day, you'll see it's not so bad.
• Get paid to read e-mails. You check your e-mail everyday so why not sign up for one of these and earn at the same time?
• Get paid to surf. This will require you to download a search engine and use it to do what you are already doing, surfing. The plus? You get paid.
• Get paid to answer surveys. All you have to do is answer some surveys honestly and you will get paid for every one you complete.
• Earn by uploading your photos, videos and e-books. Yes, you could earn by posting the photos you took and the footage you filmed. You can upload your e-books as well. You will earn whenever people download or buy. Just make sure you have the rights to the photos, videos and the e-books.
• Earn by posting ads. All you have to do is post an ad and you earn immediately. When someone clicks your ad, you'll earn some more. The possibilities are endless. Read my blog post about the site I am joining now.
• Earn by selling your skills. There is a lot of people who need your skills. They need transcriptionists, writers, data encoders, typists, researchers, virtual assistants, website developers and a lot more! Don't let your talent go to waste.

Jaden trying to say BANANA

Jaden started talking when he was a year old and now six months after, he won't stop! LOL I find it funny sometimes how hard he tries to say a 3 or 4-syllable word. He is very talkative and can say almost anything. He can't pronounce the letters S, R and L most of the time but I can understand him perfectly now. He can say 2-3 words at a time but with pauses in between which is so cute. The other day I took a video after waking up because he was so noisy already. Forgive the lighting because the light is off and it's only 5:30 in the morning and my voice is groggy :)

Mother's Day Celebration

Hi sweet mommas :)

Image Source: robbinsrestaurant

How did your mother's day go? Was it fun? Did you have fun? Were you pampered or was it an ordinary day? Whether it was special or simple, remember that it's still a great privilege to be a mother.

We went out yesterday with our little one. We ate at a Japanese restaurant called Rai Rai Ken.

My husband was so hungry he immediately ate his food so I did not get the chance to take a photo of our orders. Just this one :)

Rai Rai Ken's Chicken Teriyaki Bento

Went to Folded and Hung after to buy my hubby's shirt.

Jaden busy playing at the fitting room

I gave Jaden the paper bag after paying and he run around the mall carrying it!

After buying everything we need, I asked Daddy to ride with Jaden at the Carousel.

I saw a drum set with 5 musical instruments and I was happy to buy it for 50%!!! Jaden is having this drumming-with-his-hands-anywhere thing going on so I guess it's time for a toy drum.

It was a fun day and I was one happy mother :)

Beautiful Faces from the Game of Thrones

I read all five books and I'm hanging on every episode of their Third Season, I AM A HUGE FAN. To read the book is one thing because you can use your imagination, you could visualize a certain person or place the way you imagine it. After seeing the First Season, I couldn't help but read with the aid of the faces of the artists who played the roles and I guess it helps a lot especially if you're already trying hard to keep track of the map of the Seven Kingdoms, the almost-the-same-name in a House and the unending descriptions of House Sigils. After seeing the first two episodes of the current season, I can't help but appreciate some characters' beauty more than usual. I don't mean the characters in the book but the faces of the actors. Here are the top on my list.

Margaery Tyrell played by Natalie Dormer.

Image Source: gameofthrones.wikia.com

Image Source: tvforbreakfast

Daenerys Targaryen played by Emilia Clarke.

Image Source: onsecrethunt

Image Source: 1ms

Missandei played by Nathalie Emmanuel.

Image Source: pandawhale

Image Source: gameofthrone.wikia.com

They're gorgeous, right? Who is your favorite?

What My Toddler Reads

When Jaden was 6 months old, I started reading to him. I am a bookworm and I want my child to love and appreciate books as much as I do. I really hope he grows up needing books more than toys. There is a lot of picture books to choose from whenever I visit a bookstore that I ended up buying nothing for him. I know it's funny but I know a good book when I see one. I wanted him to see good illustrations and a wide vocabulary of words in his book. There are sets of books that features certain objects or animals more than once which I think is unnecessary. A picture book contains only a few pages so might as well put unique words in each one. His first book was a gift from my husband's aunt.

The Story of Christmas By Patricia A. Pingry

I was able to teach him how to pray through this book. There's an illustration of Mother Mary praying and he was quick to imitate. He loves the camels, the Christmas Tree and the stars :)

First Steps By Sterling

This is the most overused of all his books. He loves this set and I searched for months for the second set which contains The Alphabet, Fruits, Opposites, Transport, Baby Animals and Shapes but every bookstore is out of stock.

First Words By Charles Reasoner

I love this book. I love the size and the pictures. Jaden loves vehicles in any forms and sizes, I guess all little boys do :)

Because I couldn't find the second set of his First Step books, I decided to buy these books so he could have new ones. He finds it hard to recognize colors, he's only 18 months old but I'm proud that he knows a lot of animals, objects, action words, vehicles and even numbers. The Winnie the Pooh Senses book, my mom bought while we were vacationing in Singapore.

This is a very nice book because it has these animal buttons where you can press and hear certain animal sounds. It's very interactive and the illustrations are great too! It was given by my mom's friend in Singapore and so far, this is his biggest book :)

It's a good thing to train them early so they will get used to it and reading will become a part of their lives. It could broaden the imagination and it could take you to lots of places!

“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” — Confucius

Pink Eye

I haven't heard of "pink eye" or "conjuntivitis" until last Thursday when my little one was experiencing some symptoms. We were watching Barney when he suddenly sneezed. I got up to get his towel to wipe his mouth, when I looked at him, a tear was falling down his left eye. At first I thought he might have sneezed really hard. A few minutes later, I wiped the white mucus from the corner of his left eye and thought that was normal. The next time I looked at him, there was some discharge at the corner of his left eye again. That was when I started to feel that it was not normal for him. The discharge came out every few minutes, from white then I saw it was becoming yellowish-green. I contacted his pediatrician immediately and she asked me to buy Tobradex eye drops. I squeezed a drop on his left eye and was watching him closely after so he won't touch his eye and cause more irritation. Because it was my first time to encounter those symptoms, I turned to google.

I was reading from allaboutvision and I found out there are three (3) types of pink eye, what Jaden had is called Bacterial Conjunctivitis.

• Viral conjunctivitis. Watery, itchy eyes; sensitivity to light. One or both eyes can be affected. Highly contagious; can be spread by coughing and sneezing.
• Bacterial conjunctivitis. A sticky, yellow or greenish-yellow discharge in the corner of the eye. In some cases, this discharge can be severe enough to cause the eyelids to be stuck together when you wake up. One or both eyes can be affected. Contagious (usually by direct contact with infected hands or items that have touched the eye).
• Allergic conjunctivitis. Watery, burning, itchy eyes; often accompanied by stuffiness and a runny nose, and light sensitivity. Both eyes are affected. Not contagious.

The first night Jaden woke up at around 1 am crying so hard. I checked and his eyes are stuck so I wiped it clean. The next morning thank God the discharge lessens. I continued his eye drops and I was really glad that after 2 days the discharge stopped. Now we're back to watching Barney :)

Read more about conjunctivitis HERE, it's symptoms, treatment and more importantly preventions.