The Wemmick Who Sings Like a Bird

A couple of weeks back I received a SMS from my daughter's school asking if I could write/contribute an article for their school publication. My initial reply was : what about and when is it due? I did not want to commit right away as I have little and big things to attend to, and I just had to be sure I would be able to deliver. Deadline was the following week and it's just about our Literary Program experience, so I said yes. Found myself idle (and feeling really lazy) the following afternoon, got my laptop and stared at a blank Microsoft word page. Drank two glasses of Coke to jumpstart my senses and came up with this:

The Wemmick Who Sings Like A Bird

A Wemmick’s Mom’s Account of Rosemont School’s Literary Program

Teacher Noime Salamat’s Senior Kinder class showed off their theatrical talent in Rosemont School’s “Punchinelo,” a play based on one of Max Lucado’s children’s book series: You Are Special. In one of our chitchats, Teacher Noime mentioned how the kids would go up to her for an “ambush audition” after announcing that there would be a play for the Literary Program. Having an open communication line with us, she is aware of Bea’s activities outside school… voice and ballet. Thus the role of “the Wemmick-who-sings-like-a-bird” was given to her. It is a part wherein she has to sing (solo) Cinderella’s “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes.” When I first learned about it, I was like but she just started with her voice lessons, it’s just once a week and her voice coach is not in town! I don’t even know what a Wemmick looks like!!! But even with these thoughts running through my head, deep inside I know she would be able to pull it off. I have faith in my daughter. After watching Cinderella a gazillion times, I’m sure it won’t be that hard. Besides, Teacher Noime is there to (patiently) rehearse with each one of them and tell us what the children will need for the play.

But of course, Teacher Noime can only do so much. After I heard Bea sing it exactly a la Cinderella with matching “shaking” of the voice and scrubbing of the floor, not to mention the “Dong! Dong!” (mimicking the sound of the clock signaling the end of Cinderella’s song), home support is also needed. And a good in-tune singing voice is something my husband and I were not blessed with – we are practically tone-deaf! So off to the mall I went, to look for a CD our daughter can use for practice, it has to be something a kid can sing along with. I scoured all the music and record shops in the area, but they did not have a CD with that song and arrangement on stock. Two weeks before the big day, Ms. Ning San Jose (the voice coach) arrived from a trip abroad; she performs with the Philippine Madrigal Singers. Bea continued her sessions with her at the house. Ms. San Jose even made a minus one CD, with the musical arrangement tailored fit for her, to be used for school rehearsals and the actual play. What a big help!

On to the big day, 26 November 2010. The stage was set up as Wemmicksville, thanks to the teachers and auxiliary staff of Rosemont. And all the young thespians were decked out as the Wemmick they are portraying. Bea looked fabulous in her chocolate and gold colored balloon dress with matching gold shoes, which she personally chose. Stage fright and shyness are words foreign to my daughter. There’s not a single “shy” bone in her body, anybody who knows her can attest to that. She confidently and perfectly sang her solo. She was all smiles during and after the show. My husband came from Makati to catch our only child perform and went back to the office right after; two of her lolas (my mom and an aunt from Cagayan de Oro) and my sister-in-law came to see her. We were all there to watch her. We are all so proud of our little Bea.

Reading this, some might say, “Hey, it’s just a school play. What’s all the fuss about?” Our take on this: the Literary Program, or what my then Nursery daughter used to call “wittewawy pwogwam,” serves as a venue for our kids to showcase their talent on stage. Knowing our Bea’s love for role playing, singing and dancing, it is an event we always look forward to. For us, it is important that we support our child’s creative interests and that our child comes prepared, with get up and all. It helps boost her self-confidence. We appreciate the school recognizing the need for our kids to participate in activities such as this one. It encourages our children to be creative, learn how to take turns, cooperate, socialize; it teaches them how to be confident with people and they also learn new things in the process (like new words). I.Q and E.Q. go hand in hand in real life. I love how the chosen story showed the different talents of the children. I was amazed at how all the kids performed, they were all convincing actors. They all know who’s next, the role of each classmate, and their lines too! I saw how supportive they were of each other.

That day, the dad and I went home with pride and big smiles on our faces. Bea went home with confidence level several notches higher, closer to her classmates and teachers, and with fun memories to make her smile for years to come.

Bea's solo

Goodbye, Huggies! (?)

Seems like we wont be including Huggies XXL diaper on our grocery list from now on. The little girl's been going to bed nappy-free for four nights now. Great news for the environment...and our pockets of course.


The daughter's been using disposable diaper since birth. As I believe it's more hygienic and easier to use (use and dispose) than cloth diapers. Prokids from newborn to around a year and a half. Tried Pampers, she had a little rash so we just used a piece and gave away the rest. Then we tried Huggies. She's been a Huggies baby until last Friday evening. Except for the time she tried Pampers and one outing wherein her yaya forgot to change her diaper, she never really suffered from any diaper rash. A couple of months before turning 2, we already started with potty training. We did not get the mini potties anymore, we trained her to use the big toilet right way, got the removable toddler potty seat (which her ninong calls "adapter") and a step stool.


It was difficult at first, as expected, with bladder control and everything. Then the mom of her playmate, suggested we try this trick: no nappy for daytime, or when she's awake, and make her sit on the toilet every two hours from last pee (to save yourself from having to clean up after). We tried it, with what I read from the book "What to Expect the Toddler Years," potty train for 3 days, if it doesn't work, the child is not ready yet, try again after a few weeks. VERY IMPORTANT thing to do is talk to your child about potty training. I instructed the maids (when I'm not with her) to remind her all the time that she's not wearing diaper and she should tell us if she has to make "weewee" or "poopoo". So far, we've only had 2 weewee accidents and one pooping incident at a mall. She was telling us she had to make poopoo and we didn't believe her because she just came from the toilet, her yaya was new, then she went like "Here, smell it!" LOL. It was a gradual process. From no diaper at home, to wearing diaper only at the mall or when going on a long trip (more than an hour). Until January 2008, we were getting ready for toddler school, she was 2 1/2, I was putting her diaper on when she suddenly said "Mom, I don't want to wear diaper anymore." Woohoo! She'd only wear diaper when asleep since.


Though she's been keeping her diaper dry throughout the night for more than six months now, with no daytime accidents, it was just last weekend that I finally tried no more night nappy. Hey, it's a family bed okay? We will be sleeping on the floor if she'd accidentally pee on it. Now I ask her to sit on the toilet before going to sleep, remind her she's not wearing diaper and to just wake up mom in case she has to go to the toilet. Have an underpad on hand though, in case she wont make it, it's what they use in the hospitals so the bedsheets wont get soaked. Every morning, I'd congratulate her and tell her I'm proud of all her progress,not just the potty thing. She'd reply with a smug grin on her face. Four nights going...I hope we can finally say goodbye to Huggies!

Formative Years and Beyond

We already have results of the pre-schooler's 3rd Quarter Evaluation, had the tutorial chat with her teacher. We are very pleased with her performance in school. She’s doing great in academics, perfected her Math exam and three mistakes in Reading. She's been writing (legibly) her full name without a guide. Just need to continue encouraging her to take care of belongings, sharing, waiting for her turn, and as much as possible avoid teasing her classmates too much. And we have to practice some scissor cutting, blunt-tip of course, catching objects thrown and pouring liquid into glass without spilling. Yes, they get graded for those as well and she got C’s (Capable) in those developmental aspects.


We do worksheets everyday, sometimes every other day. Like I said it’s fifteen to thirty minutes. Not to strenuous for Bea, she normally breezes through them as they really just serve as follow through on their lessons at school. The idea is to value education and make studying a habit, not to make it her life. My two cents, if your child sees you taking time out to study with her, teaching her, answering her questions… it’s like communicating to her that learning and school are important. But we should not forget that school is just one aspect of a child’s life. What good is it to have very high I.Q. when your child is struggling in the personal-socio-emotional aspect of her life? Sure, I would like to see her excel academically, but for her to have a successful, meaningful life, she needs more than that. Experience is said to be the best teacher. She has to feel and experience life as it happens, not just as what was written on her books or lectured by the academe. Life is not just knowing all there is to know about the universe, it’s also about being able to tell your grandchildren when you’re old and gray about all the dumb and silly things you did when you were a child, the trick or treats and other parties you’ve attended, your adventures and misadventures, the relationships you made, lost and managed to keep.


The formative years are the most crucial stage in a child’s life. It’s when our child starts to develop attitude, habit, mannerism, etc. So it’s important that we guide and support them through it. And of course, parents will always do their best to be there for their child, to love and support, even (way,way) beyond the formative years.

Kids Elope For Africa Wedding

Received an e-mail this morning from a friend. I couldn't believe it. I was just staring at my monitor (mouth open) while reading it. And I still couldn't believe it. I googleized it, and it actually happened. Pasted this article from Http://news.sky.com and photo from www.guardian.co.uk:

Three German children have been caught trying to run away to Africa for a wedding in the sun.

The children wanted to get married in Africa - but only made it to the railway station

Young romantic Mika, six, and his seven-year-old girlfriend Anna Bell were so enamoured with each other they planned an escape to tie the knot in warmer climes.

Dragging along Mika's sister Anna-Lena, aged five, the kids packed three suitcases "filled with food, swimming costumes, a lilo and even sunglasses," said police spokesman Holger Jureczko.

The idea for the romantic trip began when Mika told the two girls about his recent holiday in Italy. They decided to head for Africa while their families slept on New Year's Day.

"From this, the children began to make plans for the future," said Mr Jureczko.

In the early hours of 2009, the children left their house in the suburbs of Hanover, and took a tram for the central station.

As they waited for the train to the airport wearing their holiday gear, they caught the attention of a guard who contacted police.

We wanted to take the train to the airport, and then catch a plane, then we would unpack, and get married once we arrived.

Mika Sievert, on his plan to marry in Africa.

Two officers managed to convince the young lovers that they would struggle to get to Africa without money or a plane ticket.

"What drew our attention was not so much that they were small children but that they had a lot of swim gear with them.

"And when we asked them where they were going they said straight away 'to Africa!', said Mr Jureczko.

"The policeman questioning them found that incredible! Who would think of going to Africa at that age?"

The children were given away by all their summer luggage

When asked why they were going, groom-to-be Mika explained his seemingly simple plan.

"We wanted to take the train to the airport, and then catch a plane, then we would unpack, and get married once we arrived. Then we wanted to go for a little holiday," he said.

Fiancee Anna-Bell said: "We wanted to get married there and enjoy ourselves."

Mika's mother, Annabell Sievert, said she could not believe they had tried to elope overseas.

She said:"I was shocked. I thought I must be watching a film. We tried to find them, but couldn't. There are a lot of places they could have wandered to."

To make up for their disappointment at not reaching Africa, the children were given a special tour of the police headquarters at Hanover station and shown around the detention cell.

Anna-Bell, Anna-Lena and Mika at the police post at the main railway station in Hanover, central Germany, after being caught heading for the airport so Anna-Bell and Mika could 'get married in Africa'. Photograph: /AFP/Getty Images

Why Africa? Maybe because they were thinking of Gloria and Moto-moto, Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa? I find it a little amusing...but very disturbing.

Rosemont School Father's Day 2009

Yesterday Rosemont School held its annual Father’s Day at Woodrose Gym with the theme “Dad’s Camp”. Kicked off the day with a parade of students and teachers divided into three teams: Blue Hikers, Red Explorers and Green Trekkers. Good thing dad and daughter were with the Blue Hikers, the dad wouldn’t be too happy wearing green, he’s a Blue Eagle (Grade School to High School); the grannies, myself and even the nanny…we all came in blue to support our team. It was a fun-filled event with raffle and games such as catch the ball, log relay, obstacle course, scavenger hunt, etc. In the obstacle course, dad and child had to do the hula-hoop! It was just so funny. The highlight of the day was the cheer dancing competition. Yes, dads included! Some were really just feeling it! Mothers had a blast watching their children and husbands shake their bonbons and pompoms. LOL. The program ended with a dance number from all the teachers and the awarding of winners. Blue Hikers are this year’s Champion! Woohoo! The team captains brought home the trophies and each kid got to bring home a medal, loot bag, raffle prizes and lots of happy thoughts.


All the hard work of the students, teachers, and parents paid off. Hats off to the teachers! It must have been hard training the kids (age ranging from 2 to 6 years old) with the routines and all, they even facilitated all the games, with help from the school administrative people of course. The organizing parents were able to raise some funds for the event through corporate sponsors. Food kiosks were at the parking area inside the compound, in case people would want to grab something to eat, best seller was the snow cone. It was a very long day. But we all had a grand time!

Cool dads strutting their stuff; my husband's just shy that's why he's hiding behind another person LOL:   

Candid shots:
   

My cuddly wuddlies after a very long day, tired but happy:

Bea's 1st Quarter Doctor's Appointment

For the past 3 and a half years, we've been quite happy with the daughter's pediatrician at Asian Hospital, Dr. Maria Ana Yu-Abe. We really appreciate the way she takes care of our cuddle pup. We can call her anytime, through her mobile phone, even in the middle of the night, when it's really just so important to have a doctor tell you what to do when you're panicking over high fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, etc. But we're really thankful to God, so far no serious ailment, save for a bout with the parasite Entamoeba Histolyca last June-- Amoebiasis, which we successfully managed without having to be confined. The kiddo will most likely freak out with those intravenous plugs!

Sent her an SMS last Friday, asking if she's holding clinic the following day, she replied in affirmative. After lunch the hubby, the little one and I, sans the nanny, went to Robinson's Department Store at Festival Mall to get the little girl some stamps and DVDs, as she's been asking us to buy her more; we had Italian food at Sbarro's after. Taking it as an opportunity to prep her for the doctor's appointment, she's scheduled for DPT-Polio booster. I wanted the trip to the mall to be the highlight of the day for her, not the vaccination. She was sitting on my lap, our arms around her, while the doctor gave her the shot. She cried a bit. We told her that vaccination's important so she'll continue being healthy and that Dr. Abe's there to help Mom and Dad take care of her. Then of course, the stamps! The stamps are waiting for her at the car. That got her smiling again. She bade her doctor goodbye with a sweet kiss on the cheek and two thumbs up!

She's fit and healthy. Her weight's just right for her age and height. She's scheduled for her annual deworming next week. Supposedly this coming Friday, but we have Father's Day at Rosemont on Sunday. So we'll have it next Friday instead. Now it's very important that you do this with supervision/instruction from the doctor, as I've heard it can sometimes cause serious illness, even death. Heard the story from Mercury, that's why they now require prescription for Antiox.

Her next visit will be on April for Flu booster and after her 4th birthday for another booster. For complete recommended schedule of vaccination, you may want to visit http://www.babycenter.com.ph/baby/health/immunisationchildhooddiseases/. Or better yet, consult regularly with your child's pediatrician.

The Way Things Are

I'm here at the office now checking my mailbox and decided to squeeze in this post before I forget about it. The daughter's here with me for our office Christmas party later. Was on my PC when the marketing officer from one of the medical clinics we send workers to dropped by to give their presents for us. When he left, my ever curious and observant daughter asked one of our staff "Is she a boy or a girl?" It's like she couldn't believe her eyes. The staff didn't know how to answer and told her to ask me instead. He's gay actually. But how do you explain that to a three year old girl? It's a touchy topic I believe. I'm no homophobic. And I wouldn't want my kid to grow-up discriminating people because of race, creed, social status, gender...or sexual orientation. I have to be careful not to sound prejudiced, at the same time not come out like a parent with no idea of what's black or white ... or gray. From a very conservative person's view point (which I'm really not), there shouldn't really be a gray area to begin with.

When you a have a little person asking you why a boy has very long hair and why he's clothes are for girls and why he's wearing make-up... you just have to stop and think for a while before trying to explain to her. You can't just say "Hey, that's how things are babe." Her questions must be answered. I just told her that he's really a boy but he likes to wear girl clothes. Her reply "But why, mom? He's a boy! And boys don't wear make-up! Make up for girls!" I then replied that sometimes some boys would want to look like a girl and some girls would want to look like a boy. I was given another "But they're boys! Why, Mom?" Of course, I couldn't really give her a full explanation as she is still too young to really understand stuff such as this one. I just simply told her that when she's older she will understand why and how different we all are from each other. Different strokes for different folks.

One thing struck me though, she was just observing QUIETLY and asked the question AFTER the guy left the office. She didn't just blurt it out right in front of him. I guess at her tender age she's beginning to understand what's proper and what's not. In time her knowledge will grow and her views may (or may not) change. As long as it's within the norm, as dictated by our faith and beliefs, or that which are socially acceptable, then I'm okay with it. If she says boys shouldn't wear make-up and dress like girls... then let's respect that. It's her two cents. We are all entitled to our own opinion.

Bratz Leah's New Look

The little girl's Literary Program was last Friday. While the hubby and I were having lunch at the house last Monday, Bea came down the stairs excited to show me something. She was like "Mom, have something to show you!" I'm like "Hey, what is it?" Then she showed me her Bratz doll given by my cousin. "Here Mom. She's also a cat."

Using her ballpen, she drew lines on her doll's face. Almost the same way I did her face last Friday! It was soooo funny! But I did not laugh of course or I might be shocked to wake up one morning with all her dolls and our faces looking like felines. My reaction was "Oh, wow. She's now a cat too." I complimented her work. Told her that we'll get something to remove it like the petroleum jelly I used to remove her make-up (Wipe Out, perhaps?) after Leah's "program" and next time ask Mommy first if it's okay to do something like that. I do not really want her to stop being creative and all. And it is HER toy. My long-haired "twirly curl" Barbie turned into a short-haired punk before I reached High School. ;-)

I guess we should always explain to the kids why, how we do things, when and when not to do them. And we should never get tired of answering their perpetual "why's?"

Our Little Feline

My cuddly wuddly's teacher sent us a short poem by Marchette Chute before they went on vacation last October. Each child was assigned a poem (about animals) to memorize and recite in the school Literary Program, looking like the animal assigned. The grannies (my mom and my Tita Rose) were fussing about the costume. Told them I will probably just use face paint and her ballet clothes. They would not have it. My tita then said she’ll just go to Divisoria to get her a cat costume. Two days before presentation she said she did not have time to go. She’s really busy at work. So I went around looking for one. Went to three malls, but they had only Disney costumes left. I did not really have time to go to Divisoria, I then decided to make our own kitten costume.

Got a black long sleeved leotard from Landmark for PhP150.00, a kitten ear hat at PhP24.00, and 5 yards of purple boa feathers (PhP35.00/yard @ Carolina’s in Glorietta) for the fluffy/furry effect, black tights and black ballet shoes. Hand-sewn the boa feathers to the leotard and put on a little facial artwork. The last time I tried my hand at sewing was in High School, and I cried buckets of tears doing my projects, some of my classmates would even help me finish them. Man, things you'd do for your child! Oh, well here’s my cutie little feline:

Here are pictures of her with her classmates taken during their dance number:

A funny shot of Bea with a schoolmate-- a mouse with a sinister plot:

Most of the kids performed well, much to their parents' delight. They were very eager to strut their stuff for Mom and Dad. The teachers were there to coach them in case they forget their lines and dance move. After the show we went to Jollibee, Madrigal as Bea's treat for letting me dress her up and participating in the program. Good thing about Bea though, she enjoys these things as much as we love watching her do them with great confidence and enthusiasm. :-)

Deliberate Parenting

The hubby took the day off last Friday to go with me to Rosemont. I had to go to office in the morning to do payroll, but was home before 2 p.m. Our tutorial chat was scheduled at 3:00 p.m. I’m sure most of you are thinking “Tutorial what?” To understand better I got the exact text of what a tutorial chat is from the PAREF (Parents for Education Foundation) website www.paref.org:

“Parental collaboration, a must in the PAREF philosophy of education, is implemented through a series of periodic chats, of a tutor or confidante with the student, and also with his parents. Through these personal conversations, tutor and parents collaborate in the overall development of the child's growth and they assure greater harmony between the home and the school.”

Each child has his/her own tutor or “friend”. A “confidante” whose main task is to monitor the intellectual, socio-emotional and spiritual growth of the tutee. The child is encouraged to talk about the happenings in his life, his world outside school,home life. Some find this system intrusive. I mean it is like, OMG they will train our kids to spy on us! To be snitches! Moles! Or whatever. But it is not really as bad as it sounds. It’s actually good, my two cents.

When we became parents, we talked about the kind of parenting style we’d like to adapt in our home. Coming from families with different set-up and of course, different parenting styles, we both have our own take on how we’d like things to be with regards to the upbringing of our child. But you know what? Even with different family backgrounds, the husband and I are both for deliberate parenting. And being deliberate parents, we want to know what’s happening in Bea’s life, especially outside our home. As for the part wherein Bea will be asked about the happenings in the house, we are quite okay with that too. I mean, if you have nothing to hide, there’s really nothing to be afraid of. There’s no such thing as a perfect home, we all know that. If you’re not doing anything bad, then your child will only have good things to tell her tutor.

Last quarter it was just the tutor and I. I am glad that the dad was with me for the second quarter tutorial chat. We were so happy to find out that Bea’s doing very well in school. She aced her 2nd Quarter Math Evaluations and got 23/27 for Reading. For the 1st quarter she only got 1-3 mistakes for both subjects. Not bad for a 3 year old (July 23 birthday) Nursery student, eh? Like other kids, she still has to improve on her social skills. Like sharing, taking care of belongings, etc. which is quite normal for kids her age. I am not bragging or anything, okay? Just sharing. We’re just proud parents, that's all. You know how it is. :-) Her classmates are mostly a year to year and a half older than her. We were afraid that she might be too young for traditional school set up, for Nursery. She went to a play-based, developmental school, Toddlers Unlimited at Festival Mall, prior to enrolling at Rosemont. So far, so good. She seems to be adjusting well. And her developmental pediatrician at Asian Hospital, Dr. Bernadette Benitez, did say that most of her skills are advanced for her age. We closely monitor her schooling and its effect on her. We do not want it to be too overwhelming or stressful for her. We are just here for support. So long as she is happy in school and developmental goals are met, then we are good.

Deliberate Parenting is a term you will always hear in PAREF school talks and seminars (there’s a mandatory 5-module NPEP seminar for new PAREF parents). But I noticed that it’s a parenting style most people use nowadays. We do not call it exactly that. But boomer and gen x parents are pretty much hands-on with the upbringing of their children. We make it a point to be an essential part of their lives. And I mean both parents. Not just the mom, not just the dad. We do not just provide them with what we think they need, we are also interested in what THEY say or think they need. We do not just give them candies or chocolates, we actually squint our eyes in the grocery reading food labels to make sure it’s not contaminated with melamine or whatever “toxic” thing it may contain. We have their pediatrician’s personal number in our speed dial. We do not just buy the doctor’s Rx, we “googleize” first before we actually get them. We even googleize the doctor himself. We googleize a lot of things, actually. We encourage them to talk and we listen to what they have to say. We are involved parents.

This is not to say that other parenting styles are wrong or that parents before our time were not good.Hey, we did turn out well, right? LOL. Different strokes for different folks. No matter what our parenting style is, we all have to agree that we only just want what is BEST for our children.



"Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness; For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable."
- Kahlil Gibran