Happy 4th Birthday

Enjoyed cake and party with friends at daycare.

First few books

Enjoyed reading at a very early age.

Supposedly Iron Man

So cute! The background and setting are just toppings.

Feeding the seagulls

Picnic with Harbour Bridge in the background

First real bed with wheels

The best Christmas present ever!!

12 September 2015

Football Boots

I called them my mother's day presents for this year.  Why?  Because he got them on Mother's day.  And what did I get?  I can't even remember.  :)

And just like everything else that he owns, it's all the type.  He's been using them and taking them to school for a few weeks.  Now?  I'm not even sure where are they.  I was told, they're on the shoe rack. At least, they're at home.  

But yeah, we are planning on joining him to soccer next year.  

By the way, these are called football cleats.

Not a Happy Week

the flu season is here and the Tatapilla was just subjected to it.  He's missed school for three days.  I have convinced him to go to school on Friday despite of the sniffles.  Share the love, I'd say. 

So while not in school, he'd been tagging along with Dad or staying home with granddad.  

He's a lot better now but still got those pesky sniffles and blocked nose.  He doesn't like taking meds which I am really okay with.  I reckon, he needs rest more than any meds.  

05 September 2015

Recognition

One evening, the Tatapilla said he has a surprise for me that I will really like.  He presented me this certificate.


The non-fiction text was about frogs, what time of animal are they, where do they live and what do they eat.  The class read a book and then they have summarise what they learned.  Kudos, my son!

Selfies

I came out of the bathroom one morning and noted that the Tatapilla had been on the ipad.  I didn't know what was he up to until I checked later on.  45 selfies.. really!

Obviously, he likes looking at himself.  Self-love isn't bad, is it?  but 45, really? :)


29 August 2015

Happy 8th



my little man. 

This year, he only wanted a home decorated pavlova for a cake.

He got a two-car racing track for presents.  A daddy present.

My Little Man


My little boy has grown into a little man.  

He's chosen the outfit himself.  He wanted a tie but everyone was wearing a bolo.  This wasn't a happy occasion to commemorate but I thought, his first dress-up as a little man is worth remembering.

13 October 2014

Age Appropriate Chores

Sometimes, it is easy to just do the chores at home on my own or with MCJ. The chores get finished quickly. But I have to admit that we have to train the Tatapilla if he has a chance to live in the real world when the time comes and actually survive and flourish. It might be exaggerated but really, some kids these days don't have enough skills to survive living alone unless they have heaps of money at their disposal to buy take-aways, pay the cleaners or anybody who are willing to do it for them. Anyway, here are some tasks/chores that are appropriate for 4-7 year olds:
set the table or help set the table put away toys/things help feed pets water plants help make bed dust put laundry in hamper help put dishes in dishwasher water the garden help wipe up messes help with yard work (rake with child's rake or plant flowers, etc.) help clear table help put away groceries
My Tatapilla already does most of these chores at home. The next step for us are:
make bed water plants clean room with direction set the table clear the table dust vacuum feed pets (depends on type of pet and how your comfortable your child is interacting with the pet) help make dinner put laundry in hamper help wash the car help wash dishes help load/empty dishwasher rake leaves take out the trash
Thanks to Freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com.
*****

20 September 2014

My Little Pirate

My little Tatapilla is not so little anymore. This photo was taken late last year and he has grown quite a lot. I reckon the pirate outfit does not fit him anymore. In the span of three months this year, he has grown about a couple of inches. So it means clothes shopping as he has grown out of his clothes already. Oh boy!
*****

18 August 2013

Puppies, Bikes and Mud

The main reason that we go back to the Philippines as often as we can afford is for the Tatapilla to spend a lot of time with family up there. With our distance, communication is not that easy but when we got there, it's not like the Tatapilla and his cousins have been separate for a long time. They seems to pick up where they left off, which is a good thing. The Tatapilla had a lot of fun. One of my nephews got puppies when we were there and the Tatapilla experienced how to have a dog for the first time. He enjoyed it a lot. There were tears when we left and didn't take the dogs with us. Well, he's back into being a bikie again especially that my brother has a new motorbike. We bought him a helmet and he cruised with his uncle whenever they want. It was mostly raining when we were there. We didn't get to accomplish a lot but it was still fun just spending time with the family - shure microphones at guitar center sure didn't come up in any conversation. It's all catching up and what have yous.
*****

03 February 2013

News

Last week marks the most memorable events in our lives especially with the Tatapilla. It was his first week at prep school. Actually, he is in a grade 1 prep mixed class. He is having fun and always excited to go to school. I am crossing my fingers that he will stay the same - so eager to learn new things, to meet new people and just be excited about life. The first game console has graced out humble home. We never had one before aside from those you play on the computer. I am not against it but I am not into it either. Good thing this one, we didn't buy. It was a hand-me-down PS2, with all the trappings that come with it. Lots of games appropriate for his age. The tatapilla has been wanting a game console or a DS, that he would have have wrote a letter if we have thought tobuy suggestion boxes - he wanted to ask Santa about it. As they say, good things come to those who waits.
*****

12 January 2013

How Much is Enough

I don't worry about him gaining a lot of weight because looking at his baby photos and earlier years, he was actually more meaty. But sometimes, he would tell me he had enough to eat without finishing his dinner. Am I giving him more than he can have? How much is enough. It could mean sometimes that he is just wanting is dessert early.
What’s a healthy weight? After the age of six months, plotting children’s weight and height in the health record book provided with their birth can give parents a fair idea of how their growth is tracking, says Dietitians Association of Australia spokeswoman Kate Di Prima. “If they are gaining weight proportionately, this is a healthy sign,” Di Prima says. She says if at six months your child is on, say, the 25th percentile line (that is, weighing under the average) and continues to track along this line, it is likely your child is gaining weight proportionately. “If parents are concerned, they could also check their child’s BMI and discuss it with a dietitian or their doctor or health nurse.” For older kids, she says clothes size is a good indication of their weight. “If they’re eight years old and the height of an eight-year old but wearing size 12, this could flag an issue with weight. Again, talk about this with the appropriate health professional.”
Now, on the off-topic.. and very much so.. have you been to a cigar store?
*****

Melting

We are melting these days. The mercury is just rising. Callipo is the favourite cooler. One day, the Tatapilla ate 6 of them - what's left in the box. I was not impressed but I thought, it was funny. He must have been really hot or he didn't eat anything other than them. I'd like to put him on a medical exam table.. no just to interrogate him but I chose my battle. No use crying over eaten callipo.
You're Sweet Because You're Innocent
You may have been hurt many times before, but you don't carry it with you in life.
You still fundamentally expect people to be good, and you give them the benefit of the doubt.

You're innocent, but you're not naive. You know who could harm you, and you stay away accordingly.
Whenever you can, you open your heart up to possibilities. Life is so much richer that way.
*****

Why can't I shave?

He saw me one evening using a razor in the shower then asked, why can't I shave. I explained that he hasn't got hair that require shaving. But I have hair, he replied showing to me his miniscule hair. I said, they're baby hair.. not adult hair. One night, he was screaming in the bathroom and crying. He had scratches-like wound on both of his legs. He fibbed to me saying that he tripped. I believed him and gave comfort. He let he cat out of the bag the next day by confessing that he didn't trip but shave himself instead. My reaction was torn of course. First, he fibbed and then.. what?! Shaved. Lesson learned, I reckon. I wouldn't need monitor cart to see if he's going to shave again.
*****