#DIY mini Lego crayons

When Riley's older cousin Ethan migrated to Dubai last year, one of the hand-me-downs he received was a big tub full of crayons. They came in different sizes, brand and colors. It proved useful because Riley liked sifting through the crayons and sorting them into color groups.

Lego image courtesy of the husband

When he started playing with Lego toys (his papa played with them too), he lost interest and the crayons were put aside. Luckily, I found and bought a Lego silicon mold which I intended to use for chocolate but ended up using it to make Lego crayons instead.

Making the Lego crayon is really simple. You just need the Lego silicon mold, used or new crayons and a microwave. Most of the tutorials I found online uses an oven. I opted to use a microwave since I want to make my crayons in minutes not hours.

First, peel the paper from the crayons. I have my assistant here sorting the crayons into color groups while I do all the peeling.

Break the crayons into small pieces so they can melt fast and easy.

I placed the crayons in a baking cup (used for cupcakes) instead of placing the crayons directly on the silicon mold. When I tried it out the first time, I placed the crayon bits directly on the mold. It took longer to melt in the microwave plus the wax and color separated which produced a white portion on the upper layer of the crayon.

After cooking the crayons in the microwave for about 10-15 minutes (depending on the amount of crayons in the cup), I transferred the liquid in the Lego silicon mold. You have to be careful as the liquid is very hot. Though if you take your time and transferred the liquid too slow, they might harden a bit.

To quicken the setting process, I placed the Lego mold inside the freezer for about 5-10 minutes. This made it easier to pop them out from the mold.

And there you have your Lego crayons!

Riley's reaction upon seeing these creations was priceless. He even told me, "Wow, you made this because you love me Mama." *heart melting*

He now has about two dozen of these mini Lego crayons and as much as I would love to say that he uses them to color... well, he decided to use them as toy figures.

Read More

To spank or not to spank that is the question

As much as I try to be present for my son during the weekends, I prefer to have at least a couple of hours for 'me' time. A cup of coffee, strolling in the mall, or an hour of mani-pedi... I feel it's not too much to ask after working for five days.

Riley is usually clingy whenever I am at home. I understand that since we only get to be around each other mostly during the night on weekdays. So on weekends, I take care of him even if our nanny is around. I can say that I am used to the chaos that comes when taking care of an active toddler.

Well, I am so wrong. I let my emotions rule my thinking that day.
It was a busy weekend filled with appointments, parties, and household chores (excuses, I know).
It was the first time I spanked Riley's hand.

I had just prepared his bath with the right temperature so he would not protest that it was too cold or too hot. He brought a dirty soccer ball to the tub and despite telling him not to do it, he placed it in the clean water. After two days of being tired (plus the summer heat is not helping at all), my temper rose and without thinking it over, I spanked his hand once and told him to listen to me.

He was surprised. He became quiet while I prepare his bath again.
I shrugged off my guilt as I was thinking that maybe he learned his lesson.

Later that evening, when we were having our nightly routine of him playing a monster truck game on my phone, I gave him a couple of warnings that it was time to sleep. After giving him a few more minutes, I took away the mobile device even when he was protesting. Then he slapped my hand.

My two year old son slapped my hand.

I was understandably shocked and felt guilty immediately. I know he did this because he imitated what I did to him earlier that night. I asked him why he slapped my hand and he said because I was not listening to him. Worse nightmare confirmed.

I told him that I was sorry for slapping his hand earlier and I promised not to do it again.
He told me the same thing. But I still feel guilty. I just hope that this will not be the start of him hitting other people when he does not get his way.

I found a useful article (from positiveparenting.com) that really helped me see things in perspective and hopefully remember the next time I am in the same situation as last weekend.

To summarize, here are 9 things can do instead of spanking your child:

• Get calm (I should have done this! So obvious but hard to do!)
• Take time for yourself
• Be kind but firm
• Give choices
• Use logical consequences
• Do make-ups
• Withdraw from conflict (and this too!)
• Use kind but firm action
• Inform children ahead of time

From this day forward, I will strive to not spank my child. Ever. Forever ever.

Read More

A progressive learning approach for my toddler's first school year

They said learning starts at home. But what if your home does not provide enough engaging stimulation for your child to learn?

Send them to a learning center.

I did not want to be the parent who pushes their offspring to do a task when the child is clearly not ready. In Riley's case, he had a previous exposure to school playgroups. Last year, he regularly went to 'school' every Saturday and was exposed to the teacher-student setting. When the summer class ended, his mind was still set on going back to the school. Maybe it stuck since the school was inside the mall.

Since we have decided to send him to school despite him being less than three years old, we are faced with another crucial decision. Which school do we send him to? Choosing the right preschool for him was a challenge. We wanted the school to be near our house, affordable tuition fees, have a low teacher-student ratio, and with a good learning environment.

There were a lot of good Montessori schools near our village but the tuition was astronomical for Nursery level and travel time was around 30 minutes. I was disheartened because I wanted Riley to experience learning that way. I have read about Maria Montessori and her philosophy of giving the child independence to learn what he/she wants (within limits). "The Montessori method of teaching aims for the fullest possible development of the whole child, ultimately preparing him for life's many rich experiences." (source)

I have heard of stories where the toddler was forced (strapped down by the arms of a grown-up) to sit down on their chair for an hour everyday until they obeyed on their own. This is not acceptable for me. These type of experience will traumatize the child. Hearing about it traumatized me!

Luckily, we found a progressive school inside our village (5 minutes away from our house). I have not heard about progressive learning prior to discovering this school. Upon reading about their approach to learning, I am full on-board the progressive train. I found this local website that gives you detailed information on progressive learning. In a nutshell, they encourage "learning by doing" and claims that children learn best when they pursue their own interest. They let the children play while injecting knowledge in an experiential way. For example, they are doing arts & crafts where the kids are making a face using different shapes. Here they introduce the basic shapes (circles, triangles, squares) while having fun making a goofy looking face.

“The actual interests of the child must be discovered if the significance and worth of his life is to be taken into account and full development achieved. Each subject must fulfill present needs of growing children . . . The business of education is not, for the presumable usefulness of his future, to rob the child of the intrinsic joy of childhood involved in living each single day,” ~ John Dewey

After being briefed by the teacher, I have learned that they do not give assignments, they give student assessments (or progress reports) instead of the typical grading system, and the thing I like the most is that they adjust what they teach your child depending on his/her skill set. Riley has a well-developed language and motor skills but his social skills need more work. Although he can converse with you, recite the ABCs and count 1 to 20, he needs coaxing to share and mingle with new people.

It has been a week since school started so it is still too early to say if it was a good decision to send him to school this early. He is only in school two hours a day, Monday to Friday.

And yes, we are currently dealing with separation anxiety. More on that in the coming weeks.

Read More

This is the way we brush our teeth – Six toothpastes in one review

With a spunky toddler like mine, brushing teeth is another battle we have to face three times a day.

I became very diligent with having his teeth brushed properly when his first tooth stain happened last December. Holiday season means a longer commute home so I normally got home around 10pm. Since I leave for work at 6:30am, I hardly got to see Riley last December. I trusted his caretaker to at least brush his teeth once a day. After two weeks of  this set-up, I noticed that the middle of his front teeth has started darkening! When I asked his caretaker how often his teeth got brushed, she said that she can only brush Riley's teeth when I am around. That means only during the weekend! I was so pissed!

I tried to rectify the situation by brushing his teeth in the morning before I left for work. My husband will supervise his teeth brushing during noon. And I will diligently brush his teeth again at night. Sounds like a good (military) plan, am I right? Now, if only Riley will cooperate.

Brushing away those cavities with the Pigeon toothbrush

He will only let us brush his teeth if he is occupied with a mobile phone. He will either play with the camera or play with the dozens of games I have downloaded for him. If we do not have that, we had to hold him tight and brush his teeth while he is screaming bloody murder!

After visiting a Pediatric Dentist (located in SM Southmall), we were told that using a fluoridated toothpaste is better (in small amounts though!).

Below are some of the toothpaste that Riley has used in his oral care journey. To be fair to him, I actually try them out before giving it to him so that I can relate if it is as yucky as he said.

This is the most used toothpaste as you can tell. Price: Php100+

First one is the Colgate Maximum Cavity Protection with Sugar Acid Neutralizer (that was a mouthful). I like this one because the minty taste was not overwhelming, does not get too foamy, and the sugar acid neutralizer supposedly helps in fighting cavities. It contains 1450 ppm (part per million) fluoride. Technically, this is not a recommended toothpaste for children younger than two years old because of the high fluoride content. Since they cannot properly spit out the toothpaste, it stays in their mouth longer and this leads to enamel fluorosis (small white spots or discolouration of the enamel). I give him a very tiny amount (a swipe on the toothpaste, smaller than the standard pea size) every time I brush his teeth. At first he said it was yucky as it does have a slightly bitter taste but after a while he got used to it. The teeth does not feel that squeaky clean after brushing though.

Elmo sold us on this one! Price: Php54

We bought this Hapee Kiddie toothpaste because Riley likes Elmo! It does not say on the packaging but after searching the web, it says it contains 1500 ppm fluoride. Taste is suppose to be strawberry but it tastes weird. Riley confirms it when he tried it and he almost vomited. It was very foamy even when I used a tiny amount. Despite the taste, it does leave your teeth squeaky clean so I still might continue using this once in a while. 

Riley's first fluoride toothpaste. Price: Php70+

This Aquafresh Milk Teeth toothpaste for 0-2 years is the one that the dentist recommended for Riley. We have consumed two tubes of this before trying out other toothpaste brands. I liked it because there was almost no taste but it was not that foamy. I somehow like foamy toothpastes. I noticed that his teeth are still stained with milk after brushing with this so I decided to try other brands to see the difference.

Bought this because of Spiderman. Price: Php41

This Colgate Spiderman toothpaste is the one I pack in Riley's diaper bag. It's small handy size means that it will not add more weight to an otherwise heavy bag. I find it similar to the Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste. It has normal foam and slight minty taste (which means it was yucky for Riley). We only use it when we are out of the house.

A fluoride-free alternative. Price: Php100+

We use this SansFluo Xylitol Swab when I don't feel like having a brushing battle with Riley. Just place some drops on clean wipes and rub on the teeth. Quick and hopefully pain-free (if he doesn't bite your finger). I don't really feel that his teeth are cleaned with this solution. As an added teeth protection, I try to brush his teeth with the normal toothpaste then follow-up with this solution. I'm thinking it will create a barrier so that the cavities will not stick so much to his teeth. We use this together with the Spiderman toothpaste. I've also tried their toothgum wipes. I find that more convenient to use since you just take it out of the packaging and wipe the teeth with it. It was more expensive though at ten wipes per Php149.

Price: Php97

Tiny Buds Tiny Fangs Tooth Gel Stage 2. I used this when he was still less than a year old. Never used it again since we started using fluoride toothpaste. I like this better than the SansFluo toothpaste because the teeth feels cleaner. You can use it with the silicon finger toothbrush or wipes. What I don't like is that it tastes slightly sweet.

In conclusion, we still use the Colgate Maximum Cavity Protection with Sugar Acid Neutralizer because I am happy with the fluoride content and Riley is used to its taste. Our back-up toothpaste is the Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste since I love the squeaky clean feeling.

What toothpaste brand do you use?

Read More

How I enjoy eating in a restaurant with my toddler

When Riley was still a few months old, I thought that eating out with a baby was hard because of all the things you have to worry about when in public (germs, heat, poop explosion). What I did not expect was that it was going to be much harder to dine out with a toddler.

Ordering food at 8cuts... Looks can be deceiving 

Being a picky eater, Riley is one hard-to-please customer. He cannot stay put in his seat, wants to touch and play with everything he can get his hands on, and when he finally touches the food, he will say yuck.

At first, we picked out the restaurants where we know he can eat the items on the menu. After gaining so much weight from all the fastfood restaurants and being so stressed out from forcing him to eat, I told myself that enough is enough.

Jollibee is his happy place

Guess where? Jollibee!

Now, instead of letting him dictate where we eat, we get to choose which restaurant we will try next. It's a hit or miss. He doesn't always eat the food. We order the stuff that we think he might like or recently he will be the one looking at the menu and base his order from the pictures. Sometimes I also make a plan. If I know he will not like the food in that new Thai place, I will feed him at home before we leave so that when we are at the restaurant, I will not be forcing him to try to eat the food there. He can just taste it if he wants to and if he does not want to eat it, I will not stress myself about it and just let it go.

It works for us since we can enjoy a simple meal outside our home with the whole family. And Riley gets to try a variety of food from different places without any pressure from us. Sure he eats his rice with french fries and drinks his milkshake with a spoon. We're embracing his uniqueness (with food!) instead of fighting it.

yummy ice cream with cookie at Bono

Read More

Experimenting with YouTube toy videos

Riley watches these toy review videos almost all the time now. He still watches a little bit of Disney cartoons on the side. But every time he sees the television, he will demand to watch YouTube and see the wonderful toys the kids are playing with. And it always ends with him asking to go to the mall and buy the recent toy that he has seen!

So, as an experiment, we decided to create a toy video featuring him!




It was hard to shoot as we had to make him stay seated in the same spot for more than a minute. If you have an active toddler like mine, a few seconds on the same spot is like torture! My video editing skills need a bit more work but that can easily be fixed with a little more practice.

Read More

Tuesdate at Little Tycoon Playhouse

Instead of buying Riley new toys, I wanted him to have new experiences in his young age. We are not exactly a rich family where we can afford to give him everything a child his age may want. But I will certainly try to expose him to the real world in  a way that his toddler mind can handle and understand. 

Immediately ran to the cars as soon as he stepped inside

With playhouses / playgrounds, he is able to experience interacting with kids and learning how to deal with different scenarios. Sharing is still hard for him but a gentle reminder of "Share your blessing!" is enough to make him want to share the toy or play space. He is also starting to converse with other people. 

Just yesterday in the playground, a kid accidentally stepped on his fingers. He immediately told me what happened and after he felt better, he started telling other kids that he hurt his fingers. It's funny because the other children are puzzled why Riley was telling them that information.

I've discovered this relatively new playhouse located at the 2nd floor of Westgate Center, Filinvest. The banners that I saw posted on the lamp posts in the area notified me that they just opened. If not for those, I don't think I would have known about them as that area is too far from the mall and not really noticeable. 

 

Wide play area

Variety of shops for the kids to choose from

 

Doorways are a tad small for adults but I can't complain as they are meant for the little ones

We dropped by on a weekday afternoon and since it's existence is almost unknown, Riley was the only one playing there! One hour play time fee is at P200 and you have to pay an additional P50 for the adult companion. Unlimited play time is at P400 which is not too bad. I hope in the future they will have an option for an additional 30 minutes play since if you exceeded the grace period of 5 minutes they will charge you automatically for another hour.

At the stage area, where he wanted to take home the balloons

Inside the cafe

Inside the Japanese restaurant

Riley served me a salad since I was on a diet!

At the salon checking out the hair cutting tools

Depositing the coins in the bank. He said he can finally buy Cra-Z-sand!

Inside the toy palace. It's scary to think how he will be able to reach the other toys without an adult present.

It was a well spent afternoon at the Little Tycoon Playhouse. Riley did not want to leave when his hour was up! I heard they also accept birthday party reservations as one customer was confirming her set-up while we were there.

We would definitely be back soon and hopefully more kids will flock this place so he can have playmates.

Read More

Surviving a road trip with a toddler

Dazed and tired but still okay at the Bangui Wind Farm, Ilocos Norte

This year was our first Holy Week road trip as a family. Prior to our trip, I have done some research on how to prepare for the long journey with a toddler. Based on my experience, no matter how many useful information/guides you read, nothing comes close to actually experiencing it firsthand and learning from that.

Our adventure took us up north to Ilocos Sur, home to the Heritage Village of the Philippines--Vigan City. I have not been to this province and despite knowing that we will be having a 8-10 hour drive (which stretched to 20 hours because of the Visita Iglesia stopovers), I eagerly prepared for our getaway.

Here is my list to survive a road trip with a toddler:

• A variety of snacks - I packed different kinds of biscuit and cookies that I know Riley likes. Much better if they are packed in small quantities so you can give it little by little. You don't want them to be so full till they puke on you while on the road.
• Drink packs - Riley still drinks water and milk and since he seldom drinks the pre-packed ones, I let him have it on the trip.
• Toy cars and coloring materials - He was given a 10 piece set of Matchbox cars as a present so we gave it to him during the trip. It was a great time-waster when he is not sleeping or eating. The coloring materials was not really used as much as the cars but it is better to have a back-up activity for him.
• A small bag with necessities - Riley is not toilet-trained yet so we had a bag that only contains diapers, soap, wipes, powder and a change of clothes. This was a life-saver since you do not want to be rummaging your luggage every time the little one needs to go to the potty. 
• A pillow - We brought along his small pillow so he can snuggle with a familiar thing and have a good rest.
• Songs, videos and games - I loaded my phone with his favorite songs, videos, and games so he can have other things to keep busy with. And bring along a fully charged powerbank in case your battery needs more juice.
• Toothbrush and toothpaste - Call me a neat freak but I did not want Riley to have milk stains on his teeth.
• Plastic bags - For vomits, dirty diapers and the amount of wrappers from all the snacks!

Sleeping like a log

And the most important thing to have in surviving a road trip with your little one is to have patience. Lots and lots of it. If you had a toddler that would not stop talking, singing or wiggling for hours, you would definitely feel like exploding and I almost lost it a few times. My secret? Chocolates and gummi bears. Lots of it! It helped keep me sane and relaxed enough to handle my energetic toddler.

Luckily, we survived with no tantrums and although my poor back is still sore from our travel, I would not hesitate to bring Riley for another road trip in the future.

Read More

Dialogues with a toddler

As my son learns new words and phrases, I am finding it more challenging to have a conversation with Riley. Here's the starting point to document our little chats.

Me (trying to brush his teeth): Open your mouth wider please.
Riley: Later... (turns his back)
Me: Since you don't want me to brush you're teeth, I'll go downstairs and call Aya to brush your teeth.
Riley: Mama, no. Don't say that. It's not nice.
Me: ...umm...okay...

I don't even know what the appropriate reaction for that is!


And he started getting curious about the taste of the coffee I drink every morning.

Riley: Can I try that Mama?
Me: Sorry, it's for grown-ups only.
Riley: But Riley is a grown-up little boy Mama!
Me: ...umm...no.


After a long day at work, I normally head to the shower before going to bed. But Riley was sleepy and wanted me to sleep with him already.

Riley: Let's go to sleep now Mama.
Me: I'll shower first okay? You sleep with Papa and I'll join you after I take a bath.
Riley: (starts to cry) But I want to sleep with Mama!
Me: I need to shower first because I'm stinky.
Riley: (runs to hug me and still crying) Mama, you're not stinky! You smell good!
Me: ...umm...okay...


I saw him rubbing the top of his head and asked him what he was doing.

Riley: I'm fixing my hair.
Me: You're messing it up.
Riley: No, I'm fixing it because I'm handsome!


I was sick and was sleeping on the sofa so Riley would not catch my cold. He kept insisting I sleep with him and he kept crying if I leave him on the bed. I gave up and just lay down on the bed with him.

Riley: Where's my blanket?
Me: You left it on the sofa. I'll wait for you here while you go get it.
Riley: I'll just get my blanket. Don't cry okay Mama? I'll just be over there.

Oh Riley! You funny little boy!

Read More

Is this the start of the Terrible Twos?

Since turning two last December, Riley has been rather emotional about every little thing. For instance, in the photo above, we were waiting for our turn to ride the train in Sky Ranch Tagaytay. Every time the train comes back and we were not on it, he would pout and pitifully say, "I want to ride the train." We have been patient with him by explaining that we have to wait for our turn. And 90% of the time, he will listen and wait while amusing himself. I find it very funny that he will either dance on the spot or talk the people around him.

He has also started the "gimme" stage. He wants everything that attracts his attention. Even the ones he has no use for! We passed by a small dvd store on the way home and he was attracted to the colorful covers of the displayed dvds. He suddenly shouted, "I want that! Many!" When I asked him what will he do with a lot of dvds, he just said. "I don't know." Before he can start a tantrum, I diverted his attention to other things in our path like the birds or cars passing by. 

The worst case of Terrible Twos that we had was when we were in SnR and he saw this huge fluffy stuffed toy. In the first place, he was never a fan of stuffed toys. And this particular stuffed toy was a colorful fluffy cute monster. He would not let it go and kept hugging it. Whenever we tried to put it back he would howl and jump up and down. Panic mode on! My husband and I waited for him to finish his tantrum (and me to calm down!) and when he was semi-quiet, we explained to him that we will purchase and take home that toy BUT we have to give away every single one of his toys at home because he simply had too many toys. I enumerated out loud all his favorite toys and told him that I will give all those toys to every kid I see. He was silent for a moment (thinking it over, maybe) and told us to put back the toy so we can go home. Alleluiah! 

I noticed though that we had to be consistent on telling him this as he constantly tries to throw another "gimme" tantrum whenever there is this attractive toy in the mall. We always tell him the same thing in a firm but gentle tone. And I simply cannot leave him at home every time I want to go shopping. I find it best to expose him and call him out on the not-so-nice behavior before it gets out of hand.

If this is the start of the Terrible Twos, I need to start being more patient as I would hate myself if I loose my temper and spank him.  

Read More

Riley at 23 months old

23 months. Really? It is hard to believe that my baby is now a smooth-talking, hyper-active toddler. I still find it surprising when he actually responds to my questions. When I reach home after a long day at work, one of the first thing I will ask him is what he did that day. He will tell me things like "Riley play outside" or "Lolo visit Riley, eat ice cream." He does not get the concept of using pronouns yet. It is always Riley this or Mama that.

The scary (or fun, depending how you utilize it) part is that he will repeat everything you say. I will be talking with my husband about how bad the traffic was on the way home and later on Riley will be talking to someone and tell them how his Mama was stuck in traffic. I will coach him to say something to his papa and when papa gets home, Riley will repeat what I said to him. That is one of the reason I am mindful of the stuff that he will be hearing from other people. We try not to watch shows where they utter foul languages.

Another thing he loves doing lately is to play with puzzles. At first, I have to show him how to do it then he will be able to do it by himself. Now that he has a lot more experience in playing with puzzles, he can do it by himself from the get-go and enjoys playing with it as much as he enjoys playing with cars. Whenever he gets stuck though he will make grunting noises and ask us for help.

His memory skills are developing so fast that he now remembers where he has hidden my mobile phone! He loves hiding items and then when you look for it he will find it for you and say 'tada!'. And when he cannot find it, he will tell us that it is now gone and missing. He will also recount what happened that day while we are lying down on the bed (like how he ate rice for breakfast and his yogurt drink stash is depleted so now Mama has to buy more from the grocery). This morning, he was telling me that he wants to go to the zoo and look at the penguins (sorry Riley, the penguins are in Manila Ocean Park, not in the zoo).

So far, I am enjoying this stage in his life. I am praying that he will not enter the terrible twos and hope that next month brings in the terrific twos instead.

Read More

Five things I said I would never do to my #child

I am not proud of myself by admitting these things. Planning things to teach my son in my head and actually pushing through with doing it are two entirely different things. Things were much easier when the pretty pictures were still inside my head. Day by day, my good intentions were sidestepped and the no-no's were slowly creeping in to our daily lives and becoming yes-yes.

I just wanted to get it out of my chest and hopefully, I would feel less guilty about it.

Here are the five things I promised myself I would never do/feed/(insert more verbs here) to Riley:

1. Processed food - On Riley's 6th month, he started on solid food and I diligently boiled, mashed, and strained healthy fruits and vegetables for him to taste and eat. It did not matter to him that his mom slaved away preparing his small meals. He would promptly spit it out and cry out loud as if I fed him poop. I've tried various flavor combinations to find out what he would like. And just when he was happily eating it one day, he would spit it out the next day.

Tired and stressed from this (and from a million other mommy things that I would not go into detail about now), I bought him baby food in jars and packs. Just add warm water or reheat in the microwave and I'm done. No hassle. If he eats it, great. If he does not want it, fine. I'll try again tomorrow. I've tried giving him the organic ones but he preferred the 'normal' baby food. Now that he is almost two years old, he is still a picky eater. I told myself not to stress about it whenever he eats packed noodles, french fries and spaghetti from McDonalds. At least he is eating, right? He occasionally eats vegetables but when he spits it out, I don't force him to eat it. I will ask him what he wants and if he says he wants a cookie, I will tell him sure if you eat the food on your plate. Even if he eats just one bite, I will still hand him a cookie. I don't want him to have a negative experience during meal times that's why I do it that way.

2. Watching TV - What can you do if Mickey Mouse is more entertaining than you? Me, I watch Mickey Mouse too. And Jake & the Neverland Pirates, Peppa Pig, Hi-5, and most of the shows on the Disney Channel. You'll know if you're a mom to a boy when I say that Thomas the train is the number 1 train in Sodor, not Spencer. Riley probably spends around 30 minutes in the morning and an hour in the afternoon watching TV.

He does not sit down and zone out in front of the tv though. He still jumps on the sofa, rides his toy car, dance when there is music playing... he does all of these things while 'watching' tv. I'm not sure how he manages to remember what is happening but somehow he does. He still loves interacting with people more than watching and he always runs to his books when we are inside the room so I hope his tv schedule is not affecting his mental skills in the long run.

People who meet him for the first time are surprised on how well he speaks, especially after knowing that he is only turning 2 this December. Watching TV sort of helps him learn different words that he does not hear from us. Like jumping on muddy puddles and ahoy mates!

This is what I see when I get home! Shame on you, Papa!

3. Playing on the iPad - It seemed so cute at first, when Riley was grasping and pointing his chubby fingers on the iPad screen. Now that he knows there are fun games in it, he does not want to let go. He has a really strong grip for a child his size. He navigates youtube to find videos where people are opening, playing and reviewing legos. He will watch and choose the cartoons that he likes. He even pushes my hands away from the iPad when I try to take it away from him.

If it was just me, I would limit his playtime on this but what can I do when I arrive home from work and someone has already given him an iPad to play with? I'm always the fun spoiler because I'm the one always telling him no and to give it back. To lessen this, I play with him for a few minutes and tell him in advance that I will be taking it away from him after he finishes the game. Oh he knows how to bargain already at such a young age! He will tell me, "Just one more Mama then Riley finish". But after 3 more games, he is still not done. By this time, I would make him give it up and he will dramatically run to the bed, plant his face on the mattress and cry.

Drama king, I tell you. I'm already thinking of auditioning him for acting roles when he is a bit older! Might as well put all his drama to good use. am I right?

4. Eating cakes, donuts, chocolates, and ice cream - The first time he saw M&M's, he was frantically yelling "mine!" over and over again. And he has not even tasted it then. I'm thinking he was attracted to the bright colors and it came in his favorite shape (circle). He still has not tried M&M's (to my knowledge!) but he has tried a tiny taste of a chocolate bar, tons of chocolate cake (blame it on birthdays), and gallons of ice cream! I've been trying to not give it to him and I find it difficult since a lot of people (grandparents, mostly) buys it for him whenever I am not around. And when I get home and find that it is not opened yet, I will (with a heavy heart) eat it all so that he will not consume it. The sacrifices we parents face for our children! Ha!

I try to tell Riley that he will only get these things on special occasions and from the way he has been eating a lot of these lately, he probably thinks these special occasions are also called weekends.

5. Telling him that he will get scolded by strangers if he does not obey me - If you have a very headstrong toddler in your hands and very little patience, you will succumb to this! I used to hate it when I hear parents tell their kids that the ghost will scare them if they do not do as they are told. I promised myself that I would never, ever tell this to Riley. I guess I kind of kept my promise because I am doing this although with a twist.

For example, last weekend in the playground, we were going to head home and I have been giving him constant reminders that we are about to leave so it will not be sudden for him. When I told him that I have collected our bags and will head to the door, he got up with the toy cars he was playing with and would not leave them behind. I tried telling him that those were not his and he can come back for it when we visit again next week but he still would not let go. After 10 minutes of calmly explaining to him the reasons why he cannot take them home, I called over one of the play area attendants and told Riley that Uncle is here to take back to toys from him. Riley took one look at the guy and politely returned the toys. No drama involved! It's like magic!

I've done this countless of times whenever we are out. I will tell him to not throw the food in the restaurant because the waiters will not be happy at him if they have to clean it up. He will stay close to my side when I am busy at the ATM or the grocery counter because I told him the security guard will tell him to stay close to me. He will take a few bites of fish and meat because he does not want the auntie and uncle selling fish and meat to scold him for not eating the food. It has even come to a point that I will just tell Riley to behave and he will finish the sentence by "or else uncle will scold me." I'm trying to cut back on doing this to him because I don't want him to be scared of the people around him. But it is so addicting to be able to say one word and he will follow.

I have a feeling this list will multiply as the years go on. And as I try to mend my wicked (but effective) ways to raise my son, I will be crossing my fingers and wish (and hope) that it will not turn out to be a childhood trauma that Riley will remember when he is older.

Read More

Trick or treat candy alternatives for #halloween

Now that Riley can verbally express his likes and dislikes, it is a challenge for us to explain to him why he cannot have certain things. We will be joining the Halloween trick or treat in our relative's village this weekend and while I cannot control what people will be handing out, I can at least make a list in case some people are looking for other things to give kids when they come to their doorsteps.

Happily handing out candies last year as he still had no clue he can eat them!

Raisins - Small packs of raisins is a healthy option. Riley loves snacking on these and although they are sweet, I feel less guilty handing them out to him as a treat.

Source

Popcorn - Pop a couple of bags in the microwave, pack them in small plastic bags, and you're done!

Source

Small toys - They don't have to be expensive. As long as they don't break in tiny pieces!

Source

Tetra Packed Drinks - Dutch Mill yogurt drink is one of Riley's favorite.

Source

Fun size chocolates - It would not be halloween if there's no chocolate! Standard sized chocolate packs are confiscated by this mommy for immediate consumption!

Source

Small packs of crayons, coloring books, light-up sticks are also great alternatives to giveaway this halloween. For me, I would probably handout popcorn if Riley does not eat all of it!

Read More

#DIY Thomas the train halloween costume

I have been browsing the shops (both online and physical ones) for a costume that Riley would like to wear. The #halloween costumes they have in SM are too large for Riley. Even though the salesperson was insisting it will fit him, the pant legs are too long and the sleeves are tight. I found a cute firefighter costume at Mothercare but the price made me hesitate since he would not wear it often. I searched online to see if someone is selling a dinosaur or Thomas and friends costume but all of them are overseas.

Then I saw this site that made a kick-ass #Thomas the train costume for her boy!

I'm thinking it looks like I can do it (not the 3D face though!). Not perfectly but I can try. Why not?! We have tons of carton boxes at the back and I only need to buy a few supplies to color and make Thomas come to life.

Game!

I have chosen a box that is the right size for Riley. Something not too heavy for him to carry and has a double wall of carton to make it sturdy. I followed the pattern shown from Little Red Window, or at least I tried to make it close enough since our box dimensions are not the same. I taped the edges to close them and made sure that it would not break apart easily.

cover from Chef Tony's popcorn

I cut some circles from the carton to form the wheels. I only needed three circles as I only needed a half circle for the wheel.

The last wheel did not exactly fit perfectly so I had to trim it a bit. A bit lopsided, I know! I tried not to let it bother me as I am sure it would take me a while to make it perfect. I used a combination of glue, double sided tape, and packaging tape to stick those wheels under the carton. First I inserted the half wheel in the space between the double carton and the double sided tape is used here. When it is in place, I glued the edges to seal it. When the glue was dry, I taped it to make sure it is attached. Sinong segurista?! Me! 

At this stage I let Riley try out the train by letting him push it around. Well the wheels did not hold up from the abuse so I had to reinforce the wheels so they are 3 times thicker. I left the glue to dry overnight. After another round of testing to see if the wheels are better, I asked my husband to spray paint the body for me. I bought this can spray paint from the bookstore for around P250. And it did not cover the print on the body! It was transparent. Apparently, the carton was so porous that is soaked up the paint even after 2 coatings. Shifting to Plan B, I carefully cut colored paper (you can buy them in big sheets) to cover the whole body. Then using styrofoam and a styrofoam cutter, I made the circle for the face. I used black poster paint for the outside area of the face. And silly me. I forgot how poster paint transfers to your hand/body easily! So I had to cover the paint with packaging tape to prevent a messy situation.

Looking good!

I made long strips of styrofoam for the red bumper and attached it using glue all around the bottom portion. For the details, I made the pattern and number using Adobe Illustrator. The funnel was made from toilet paper roll. Finally, I downloaded the face from this site (thank you!).

Meet Thomas the train!

Success!

Cute right? My husband was asking if I can make him a Percy costume so he can match Riley's Thomas costume. Is he kidding me?! Luckily, he is...

So far he is playing with it by pushing it around. I have not placed the ribbons to make the carton hang from his shoulders yet. But so far, he is happy to step inside and make choo-choo noises as he goes around the living room. And it is still in one piece! Hopefully it will last until the Halloween festivities.

This actually took me almost two weeks to make as I only did it on the weekends. I'll try and get a decent image of Riley wearing it. So far it is hard as he is too fast for my lagging camera!

Hopefully, I can make him another DIY costume next year.

Read More