Nine days left before Christmas, and we're pretty excited! Seems like it just happened yesterday, didn't it? While you are all catching up with the Christmas sales anywhere, I also would like to catch up this post, which should have been published a couple weeks ago (Sorry I am crazy busy!). This lovely and colorful activity is called Christmas Sensory Bin, which is connected with graphing and sorting Christmas activity.


Here's what we used for this activity.

• 1 kg rice
• food colors (green and red)
• alcohol
• Christmas decors

Here's what you need to do.

Divide the rice equally and put them into separate bins to color. Then wet the rice with alcohol and mix the food color. (Sorry I did not take pictures.) Why alcohol? So the rice will easily dry up. Let the rice dry for 20-30 minutes, and you are ready to go. Put some Christmas decors as desired.

When my child feels bored, sensory play always comes to the rescue. It's great to keep my child busy for hours. Likewise, it helps soothe an anxious and frustrated child. While playing, I named the Christmas decors and asked her to count the number of balls, bells, candy canes, and stars.

She added some animals and buried them into the colored rice. I just let her imagination play.

I hope you'll try this at home. I can assure you it is perfectly enjoyable for your kids. Merry Christmas!

I am glad to present to you our Halloween-themed sensory play of the month, in line with this coming holiday. Since my 3-year old is scared of monsters or "momo" in our dialect, in which I used to scare her every time she misbehaves or disobeys (I must admit it was totally wrong , don't copy that), I came up with this Halloween sensory play to turn his scary thoughts into fun memories. Moreover, sensory play will encourage children to make use of their senses and bring out creativity in them. So I put together all the ideas found online and I incorporated mine too.


Materials needed for the Halloween Sensory Play:

1. large bin
2. black gelatin (2 packs)
3. orange balloons as jack-o-lanterns (3 pieces) idea from teachingmama.org
4. tissue papers cut into rectangular strips
5. DIY bats
6. cotton
7. spiders
8. some scary halloween design (thebestdecor.com)
9. sand

I used black gelatin instead of black beans since the former is less expensive than the latter. The fact that gelatin is edible, it is safe to use with children in case they accidentally swallow it. I also put tissue papers in rectangular strips to add more glow to the sensory bin.



I filled the balloons with sand to stay them in place and tried to draw scary faces but I didn't achieve what I wanted to (I am terrible at drawing...). I also cut out bats and pasted them on the side of the plastic bin.

I also put spider with cotton on it.


My 3-year old was curios of what's inside the balloon. She kept squeezing and shaking it.


She also loved to slice, dig, and bury creepy-crawlies which practices her fine motor skills.




I hope you will find this activity engaging and fun for your preschoolers.
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P.S. Images are edited at picmonkey.com

It's been a week since I gave birth to my second child which made my life and the baby somewhat in peril. It really never came to my mind that my delivery was riskier than my first because in the first place I am no longer newbie as far as pregnancy is concerned. But thank God I survived all throughout the pregnancy period and was able to deliver a healthy and strong baby!
Although my baby would complete its full term (40 weeks) on October 4, 2016, and supposedly my official due date, my doctor had decided to have me undergo repeat CS (my first born was CS because she was in breech position and the second one is automatically or normally CS also ) two weeks earlier than my EDD (expected date of delivery). So we finally set a date for my CS on September 20 and advised me to be admitted one day before the agreed date.

As polite as I am (after all doctor knows best), husband and I went to the Brokenshire hospital late in the afternoon and submitted myself for an interview and several check-ups (weight, temperature, etc). But prior to my admission, I already felt the hardness of my tummy when I was already on the verge of 36 weeks. But I just ignored it and never imagined it would endanger my baby's life.

After the interviews and check-ups, I was ushered to the delivery room for ultrasound using Doppler device to check baby's heart beat for at least 20-30 minutes. While at the half-way of the procedure, they noticed sudden drops of the baby's heartbeat, which made the attending physicians and nurses in the panic state so I was rushed right away to the Operating room for cs. Everyone was hurrying, busy with the assigned task. One was inserting a catheter, while the other one was shaving my private part (no time to be ashamed of). Some were injecting a medicine, getting blood,  putting heart device on my chest and donning sphygmomanometer to check blood pressure. The scariest part was when they asked me to curl up like a shrimp so they could inject anesthesia at the bottom of my backbone. Since then, I slowly felt numbness from my feet all the way to the lower breast. It seems like I was being slaughtered. But the nurses praised me for being so relax and quiet, not knowing that deep inside me I was praying fervently that I could get through this operation.

At exactly 8:45 P.M., I successfully delivered a healthy baby. No amount of words could explain how ecstatic I was the moment I heard her cry. Meaning she was well and alive! Then my husband was called right away to have him see her and take some photos.

Then at around 12:30 in the morning, I was moved from OR to our room for recovery.  While the anesthesia slowly vanished from my body, I slowly felt the pain of surgical incision. I was given antibiotics and medicine to at least relieve the pain. I wanted to cry but it's been said "Big Girls Don't Cry" (hehe), so I had managed to endure the pain. Every 3 hours, the nurse took a round to check my temperature, give medicine, and monitor my pulse as well. Unexpectedly, they saw some irregularities on my heart beats (skip beat as they call ) in which  I had to undergo ECG and blood test.  At the back of my mind, OMG, am I dying? Never in my entire life have I experienced heart problems. I was deeply worried until the cardiologist assured me that everything would be alright. The following day the nurse confirmed that my ECG result and blood test turned negative. I sighed with relief. Thank God!

Sorry I didn't have pictures lying flat on my bed with dextrose and catheter connected. It took me 24 hours to have those stuff removed from my body (see picture below).

I still looked pale and weak, continue fighting with the surgical incision pain.

Happy Granny together with her Apos (grandchildren)

I used to give a certificate of recognition to my students before and  witnessed how the parents feel after receiving fruits out of hard work from their children.

The joy felt by the parents is absolutely relatable! Just a couple days ago,  we received the same certificate from the school which recognizes children who perform well in the class.

It's actually beyond our expectations!

But it doesn't mean we doubted our child's capacity intellectually, but for some of you who do not know yet, Chesska had battled over separation anxiety since the first day of school, which we thought would have greatly affected her overall performance.

However, opposite to what we believe, our child clearly did an awesome job despite the lack of enthusiasm and independence in going to school. In fact, her scores in the test are evident that she can keep up academically with her other classmates.  I know she's too young to understand why she needs to attend school, but am hoping she will overcome her weak points as the time goes by.

A big congratulation to our tot! You did with flying colors.....(boom! confetti fall....)

I know it's too late (or maybe not yet too late ) to diet a few weeks before my delivery!

By the way, when I ate my breakfast today, I still indulge in two cups of rice + a cup of hot milo +  a slice of sweet potato. What a burp! 

It's actually been a thought to start dieting as early as my 1st trimester of pregnancy but I can hardly resist foods to get my cravings satisfied. Anyway,  I'll be undergoing cesarean section so dieting is not that priority to me (hehe). Unlike those who will undergo normal delivery (as they said), should at least follow recommended diet so the baby won't grow fast and big to make the delivery a lot easier.

But what gives me the heads-up to start dieting is when I visited my OB a couple weeks ago for my prenatal check-up. Ideally, before my pregnancy begins, I only weigh 47 kilograms. But when the secretary of the doctor asked me to weigh myself, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw 58 kilograms on the weighing scale. Oh-My-Gosh!  This would have been the cause why I do get intense cramps from time to time.

Pregnancy at 8 months and 2 weeks

Recent Ultrasound - Baby at 8 months and 1 week

These are the variety of foods that I am planning to prepare daily starting tomorrow (fingers' crossed) without compromising the needed nutrients that every pregnant woman should get.

a. Breakfast 

I can hardly give up rice, but in the meantime,  I will go light breakfast. For example just the other day, I happily settled into a bowl of oats lavishly poured with milk. Oats are packed with plenty of nutrients including a fiber which aid digestion process. Whenever I feel hungry, I back up some slice of fruits or bread between regular meals.


b. Lunch

I am currently working home-based so I feel hungry whenever noon time strikes. During lunch time, I am planning to eat not-so-heavy lunch. For instance, my lunch yesterday, I only ate a handful of rice plus a bowl of red beans with broccoli. This viand is loaded with protein, vitamins, and minerals to keep me energized until my work ends at 3:30 pm.  I see to it to include fruits to get a well-balanced diet. I also take a break to munch a slice of fruits such as apple or bread.

c. Dinner

Like breakfast, I plan to go light dinner as much as possible. Most of the time when I eat too much, I suffer from indigestion and can barely breathe and sleep at night due to bloating. A glass of milk paired with sweet potato or crackers will do.

I do hope I can implement my meal plans religiously. After all, only three weeks left to endure. And there's nothing more exciting than seeing my new baby girlalooo very soon!

On the one hand, social media like Facebook helps us connect and catch up easily with friends statuses and photos they post. On the other hand, I choose to remain as private as I am now so my friends barely see me post in my FB account.

As you can see, my tummy is as bulky as the cow's and ready to pop.

And speaking of Facebook, allow me to share a story.

Last week, before my online job started, I posted a status on FB (actually a hint about pregnancy symptoms) just to see how my friends reacted. As assuming as I am, I thought my close friends would guess what I was trying to imply. One of the reactions that amused me when one of my childhood friends, who is also a first-time mom, expressed concern that I had to see a doctor at the same time watch my diet.
Oddly, a seasoned mom, who is supposed to guess quickly about my pregnancy, made a joke that I already feel what aging people feel like her. But here comes another friend of mine, Luisa, revealed that I am going to give birth next month.  My friends who were able to read and follow our conversation would have been surprised.

Honestly, I've never posted anything yet about my pregnancy until last week, which marks my 7 months and 3 weeks pregnancy. On my way to 8th month next week. And I'd like to share with you how it really feels when you are on your way to 8th-month pregnancy. I am actually no longer new to these symptoms because I had experienced the same with my first-born. Here they are.

1. Bulky Tummy

Beginning 4th month onwards, my tummy grew faster month by month.  I don't know if "bulky" is the right term, but in my case due to its bulkiness, I feel that my womb seems crowded which limits me from doing what I want. For instance, when Chesska drops her toys or any stuff on the floor, I can hardly pick them up because I can already feel the weight and size of my tummy and it acts as a barrier whenever I want to bend my body. (lol)


2. Leg Cramps 

My home-based job entails long hours of sitting which may have triggered my leg cramps.  What I do is take a break by standing up awhile or putting my legs up. Good to know that husband always came to the rescue to massage the cramped muscle. Good to know that my employer understands my situation and she allows me to take breaks when really needed.


3. Swollen Feet and Hands (edema)

I don't have beautiful feet, to be honest. But looking at my swollen feet makes them uglier (ugh). I already find it normal because I experience this with Chesska when the third trimester of pregnancy begins. Temporarily, I did not wear my wedding ring because I can hardly take it off every time I use the bathroom.

4. Backache

One of the symptoms that I complain the most is a backache. Whenever I stand or walk longer, the ache starts. I make sure to sit or lie down for a while after doing household chores to at least ease the pain.

5. Craving and Aversion

No certain foods that I am really obsessed of. I have never tried to get "lihi"(as what other old folks said) ever since I conceived my first child. But I have been noticing that I ate more than what's only recommended diet for pregnant. Also, whatever foods pop up in my mind, I include them in my shopping list with my next visit at the grocery. While  I am averse to foods being prepared over and over again.

How about you moms? Have you ever experienced the same symptoms? Feel free to share your thoughts below.