Showing posts with label Toddler Milestones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toddler Milestones. Show all posts

December 6, 2014

What You Were Like When You Were 32 Months

I began this blog a little over 2 years ago mainly to document my life as a mother, my life with Yuri. I imagine that in the future, he can read this blog and say, Oh that's what I used to do! Or What? My mother did what?!

But I realize it's been a long time since I really wrote about him. I think the last time I fully devoted a post to just talking about Yuri was during his second birthday. He's 32 months old now!

I miss writing about my little boy so I'll be doing it now.

The Little Big Boy
At 32 months, I feel grateful to be yaya-less. Why? I am able to see all of his single accomplishments. Yes, I have always been a WAHM but Yuri was not under my direct care when I work so even though I witnessed all the major milestones, there were little victories that I didn't get to see.

At 32 months, sometimes, when we're alone in the house, I feel like I'm with an older boy, not a toddler. Apart from the continuous explosion of words, the personality is becoming much clearer: perfectionism that needs taming, patience that needs a lot of improvement, obedience that needs to be more consistent, and an overprotective spirit that will benefit his lady someday.

I have no problems with sharing yet. He shares his toys even when the playmate sometimes just grabs a toy from him. No fits, no tantrums. He does forlorn for a moment but when I tell him to just play with another toy, he does happily. At home, even when it's the last bite of his favorite food, he would gladly give it to any of us! (We're not heartless enough to actually eat it haha.)
And I also see a toddler with a genuine love for learning (doesn't every child?), a child who just doesn't stop moving, and a little boy whose passion for trucks doesn't wane.

Stuck with Trucks

November 5, 2014

7 Things I Did to Win at Weaning

Before you read, you might want to join my giveaway! I'm giving away a copy of Certified Positive Daily Interact planner! 
As a hardcore breastfeeding mom, I never thought I'd come to a point when I would willingly wean my son off the breast. But I did.

I already told you about it last Monday when I talked about the reasons why we stopped breastfeeding. Now here's how I did it.

First, you need to know that Yuri is not only a clingy toddler but also a rabid nurser. Weaning was something that was definitely far from his mind (but, later on, I would discover he was ready anyway), so I initiated it.
What I first did was talk to Yuri and tell him that big boys don't breastfed anymore. I mentioned names of his friends and none of them are still nursing.

He cried.

November 3, 2014

Weaned!

We just hit a milestone: I finally weaned Yuri from the breast.
I "forced" it; it wasn't child-led. I know some of you will raise your brows at this, but let me tell you that this has been one of the best mothering decisions of mine.

I had been breastfeeding Yuri for more than 31 months. That's a lot, in my opinion, and in all honesty, I will say that it's enough.

I was and still am an advocate of breastfeeding. Unlike other women, I didn't set a limit on nursing my child. You see, when Yuri was a newborn baby, I discovered that breastfeeding made mothering a lot easier. Baby is fussy? Breastfeed. Baby is hungry? Breastfeed. Baby is sleepy? Breastfeed. Life was golden. Why would I stop?

I also decided to pursue child-led weaning wherein the child decides for himself when he would stop nursing. This made Job laugh because, apparently, they have never heard of such a thing. My parents, too. I read that premature weaning has negative impacts such as thumb-sucking and insecurity. I also learned the advantages of continuing to breastfeed through the ages, which is why I wrote this post on why we should do extended breastfeeding.

And since my toddler showed no sign of weaning anytime soon, we continued nursing - even when sometimes, I wanted to stop.

You know what, I began contemplating weaning even before Yuri turned 2. However, those were thoughts that I didn't entertain mainly because nursing has been nothing but a positive experience for both of us. I also didn't have the heart to take it away from Yuri. So we continued nursing.

However, when the ex-yaya-who-shall-not-be-named left and I became a full-time working mom and yaya, our situation took on a 180° turn.

First, since Yuri and I spent 24/7 of our time together, his nursing time increased. He was more like a newborn than a toddler. He would grab at my breast several times in an hour, and that was incredibly frustrating because it kept interrupting my work. He wasn't even "feeding." He was only using me as a pacifier.

Second, because of this, my patience decreased everyday. I kept at yelling at Yuri to stop bugging me and let me finish working first.
Third, because I was always angry and Yuri's primary reaction to comfort himself is to breastfeed, he will just nurse again and even longer. It was a frustrating vicious cycle.
Fourth, even beyond work, I kept getting frustrated because Yuri would begin to refuse to do regular "chores" like eating and brushing of teeth. It seems like all he wants to do is nurse and we couldn't accomplish anything. He would also get fussy at the slightest reason just so he can nurse.

In other words, this whole breastfeeding a 31-month old is no longer working for both me and Yuri. Both our physical and emotional well-being were at stake.

I didn't want to continue nursing just for the sake of nursing; I didn't want to come to a point where I'd get too frustrated that I'll vow never to breastfed anymore.

I knew it was high time I stop waiting for Yuri to self-wean and initiate the weaning myself.
These helped me win wean.

The first few attempts were woeful. Finally, I just decided to try out this method that both Job and his mother and my parents suggested. I was opposed to this particular method because I thought it was mean! However, I was desperate, so I used it as my last resort.

And it worked beautifully! No tears, no fighting. He was just that - weaned!
That's when I realized that Yuri was ready to be weaned. He was so nonchalant about it. I also imagined the event to be emotional, but it wasn't. I didn't feel sad because we have had a long and mostly good breastfeeding journey. It was smart to end it on a positive note.

*I realize this post is getting too long, so I'm dividing it into two parts. In the next part, which I will surely write this week, I will tell you more about the attempts I have done and the final technique that worked successfully. I hope you'll read it!

_________________________________________________________________
Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

rss_bunny

Or by entering your email here:
Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.

July 30, 2014

State of the Toddler Address!

A year ago, I wrote State of the Baby Address which was published the exact date the President gave his SONA. I can't believe that was already 1 year ago! Time flew too quickly!

This year I was not as prepared. I did try to prepare but it slipped my mind. So now, days after the real SONA, let me give you SOTA or State of the Toddler Address where I unabashedly brag about my kid in the guise of "reporting."

Here it goes. Don't say I didn't warn you!
- Yuri is still breastfeeding.

2 years and 4 months later, we're still at it. Sometimes I want to wean him off and sometimes I don't.
- He's showing a deeper love for books.

July 21, 2014

School Blues 2: Still School Shopping

My 2-year old completed all 4 puzzles on his own a week ago! Yay!

Yes, I'm not over toddler school yet.

Before I go on, let me just say I'm really sad that I didn't get to see Team Kramer yesterday at Abreeza Mall. Yun na sana yun eh! Makikita ko na sana si #scarletdoll! But basing on the photos on Instagram, it's a good thing Yuri and I didn't go. Grabe ang crowd!

Okay, so much for the intermission. So I'm still thinking about toddler school. Why? Two reasons. First, it's fun. Second, if I'm not thinking about toddler school, I'm thinking about Titanic. Hindi na naman ako makagetover simply because I decided to watch it in its entirety again last Saturday. Even though I've seen it a thousand times already (exagg), it's still such an emotional torment for me! I just felt inspired to watch it again after answering this and now I'm suffering. But I have no regrets. *cue tears*

Anywaaaay, I'm rambling. Ang dami ko nang intermissions so let's get straight to the point. After writing about our "School Blues" 2 weeks ago, I received mixed responses. Most told me 3 years old is too early. But an old classmate of mine (Hi, Alyza, if you're reading!) said her daughter is only 1 year old but she's already thinking about school. So hindi ako nag-iisa haha! I think SAHMs and WAHMs understand my sentiments.

June 21, 2014

Montessori Approach: Age-Appropriate Chores for Kids

Photo: http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/

I don't remember the first time I saw this list; it was probably last year. However, I didn't pay too much attention to it probably because Yuri was still too young. I don't really remember.

This approach, I believe, is the Montessori way. I'll tell you the truth. I'm already interested in inquiring a Montessori school not-so-nearby because I want to Yuri to go there next year. Remind me to tell Job about that the next time we talk hehe.

Anyway, now that my interest in Montessori has been rekindled, though, I''m reading again about its approach, which led me to look for this photo again. I really love how it instills the value of independence on kids. It's very reminiscent of how my parents taught me when I was young, except for the memorization of numbers and alphabets. But that's not the point.

So reading the list above, even though I haven't fully incorporated the Montessori approach in our home yet, I can see that Yuri can already do many of the chores. Based on the list above, here they are:

  • Puts toys in his box
  • Places his dirty clothes in his own hamper
  • Throw trash away (Hands down, this is his most favorite chore ever! He'll be waiting for you to get done with something. After sensing that you're finished, for example, eating, he'll take the trash away from you and say "Pwede tapon?" Sometimes, he wants to throw things that are not meant to be thrown!)
  • Fetch diapers and wipes

As you may see, the things Yuri can accomplish are simple commands and those that he always sees us doing. I'm not so sure about carrying firewood and setting the table! I think that would look really hilarious!

What about you? How old are your kids and what chores are they now doing? Have a great weekend, by the way!



_________________________________________________________________
Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

rss_bunny

Or by entering your email here:
Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.

May 19, 2014

How to Encourage your Toddler to Talk

Let me preface this post by saying I'm no expert-mom. I'm just a regular mom who happen to be a sharer (an oversharer?) of stories especially those fellow moms will find useful.

In my own words, I'm more of an aha-mom than an alpha-mom.
I consider myself blessed to have a kid who began talking early. 16 months may not be as early as other kids, but Yuri's verbal development was rapid. I don't believe it's a product of his IQ (as his dad and grandparents like mentioning) - although I do know he's smart like all children - but a product of the environment carefully created for the purpose.

For example, last year, if you've already been reading this blog then, you will see some monthly posts where I listed Yuri's new words. Aside from serving as milestone posts (I don't trust myself with a paper), they actually serve a real reason (which I will tell you later).

Before I tackle the "tips" or the ways I did to try to stimulate his language development, let me repeat that I'm no expert - just an ordinary mom who happens to love learning. I don't think it would harm anyone of you to read and try these tips but do manage your expectations! Hehehe.

Are you ready? Here they go:

1. As an entire household, don't have moments of silence. Don't stop talking.

We didn't have any problems with these because we all love talking. In fact, the only time our home fully quiets down is when Yuri is sleeping. I think it's crucial to let the child see and hear and be aware of talking, and we all know how babies love mimicking adults.

Tip: If you are a quiet person, make an effort to always talk. No quiet time (or worse, gadget time!) please! If you find it awkward, tell your child about the activities you do. For example, "I'm washing my hands!" Or "Gusto mo maghugas ng kamay?"

2. In connection to number 1, get a talkative yaya or caregiver.

April 30, 2014

Overheard from the Daycare Center that was our House

Okay, our house is no daycare center, but it surely looks like one these summer days!

The days are longer during summer, and since the sun's so incredibly powerful these days (ganito ba last year??), we stay inside the house until at least 5pm. There are days when it still feels like high noon at 5:30!
But when the sun finally calms down, that's when a few kids from the neighborhood begin coming over, one by one.
This doesn't include the group of the older kids.

I love it because as a child, I lived farthest from where my friends lived. Ergo, play dates almost never happened in our house. Aside from the location, they were also afraid of my father who used to have a large, booming voice. I swear, I used to know where my father was just by listening to how loud or weak his voice was.

Anyway, I'm getting off track. Our current house, because of its location on the main road, became the meeting place of kids. It's also because all lots surrounding our house are empty, and we know kids love empty lots! So in the afternoon, our house becomes like a mini-daycare center with several kids and a handful of yayas. As much as I would like to join the fun, I'm still working during that time!

As for me, I like having many kids in the house not only because the house becomes livelier but also because Yuri gets to practice his socialization skills. Despite being the youngest (all the other kids are about 3 and older), he knows almost each kid by name.

So far, there's not been an issue with sharing, too. Way to go, kids!

Another thing that I like about having many people around are the conversations I get to eavesdrop to unintentionally hear. Here are a few I remember:

Honey, Yuri's yaya to a 6-year old boy, MJ
Honey: MJ, diba kayo yung may prosti?
(My eyes widened when I heard this.)
MJ: Ano yan?
Honey: Prosti gud. Diba may prosti kayo sa bahay nyo?
MJ: Anong prosti?
Honey: Yung benta nyo gud?
MJ: Ah, ice candy

Photo: http://www.dmc.com.ph/ 

Honey: Oo yun. Prosti man tawag dun.

April 15, 2014

Potty Training Yuri: The Success!

I was supposed to publish this yesterday but I had to deal with the bane of my existence: no internet connection.

It has been more than 4 weeks since Yuri has been relatively successful in using the potty during daytime.

I say "4 weeks" because Yuri had finally consistently used the potty chair a week before his 2nd birthday, which was 3 weeks ago.
Sorry for the foul language; I couldn't find one more accurate hahahaha!

Yes, I couldn't still believe it. My boy was daytime potty-trained before his second birthday, and, well, I did it single-handedly. Yeah!

*accepts medal of valor*

*accepts gentle but firm slap by the Holy Spirit and returns to seat*

Anyway, I say "relatively" because ther are still, as expected, accidents. Especially the time when he ate too many slices of watermelon during dinner. The next morning, there was poop everywhere! To give Yuri credit, though, he did say "potty" before he helplessly pooped down my shorts. And he looked more mortified than me! Poor boy!

So how did we achieve this relative success? Here are some tips I can give you:

1. Do not force the child.

My kid is used to schedules and routines because both I and his yaya are sticklers for routines. However, in the case of potty-training, I let him be mainly because I know Yuri can be easily discouraged. I just bought a potty chair and let him be familiar with it.

One thing I did which you shouldn't do is be visibly stressed around the child. Stress is contagious and he can easily see the act of pooping and peeing as incorrectly stressful.

Also, don't ever force the kid to sit on the potty chair. Gently guide him to it and encourage him to sit down but don't ever do what I once did which is physically restrain him to the seat. Choose your battles, momma!

2. Do not stress yourself about the 2-day or 3-day methods.

Like what I mentioned, Yuri is familiar with routines and is visibly becoming a schedule-person. However, these routines, like naptime and outdoors-time, were established over months. While I heard of 2 and 3 days methods, I know it wouldn't work for Yuri.

Why? Because it's pretty shocking. I mean, the boy was pooping and peeing in his diapers all his life! Suddenly making him do these stuff seated on a chair can be downright scary. It wouldn't be fair to make them shift into this new stage in life in just a couple of days.

Then again, some babies really do learn to potty in just a matter of days. If yours does, congratulations! If yours does not, high five!
--- Okay, what I gave you were more on mental and emotional tips. What about physical and material preparedness? Here are more of my tips:

3. Potty-training is most stress-free if the child can communicate.

I'm pretty blessed to have a talkative child, and to be honest, it made the process of potty-training a lot easier. This is because he can easily tell me if he needs to go potty.

I'm not talking about just verbal communication either. Some smart mommas teach their babies sign language which makes communication easy and efficient. Even if your child can't talk yet but can easily relay to you the poop and/or pee message, then I say go for it!

Not all will agree with me, but if you're not yet very comfortable about your child's communication skills - but he'll get there! - I really suggest you be patient. Save yourself and your child from the unnecesary stress. Again, choose your battles!

4. Choose the right potty chair.

April 7, 2014

Thoughts on the Mommy Wars

I am not a fan of the so-called mommy wars. I must admit that I am passionate about the choices I make (i.e. breastfeeding, attachment parenting, and open-ended play) and I have a strong opinion about them, but I will never think of having an actual argument with another parent about these choices.

I am only human so there are times I catch myself judging other parents, but God made me realize I could be easily like them have my circumstances been different.

Now, I've been lucky that in the first two years of Yuri's life, I haven't encountered anyone who debated my beliefs. Sure, I received a couple of comments when Yuri still wasn't walking at 12 months old, but those were from family and family friends. They don't have the right to judge, yes, but I'd rather hear comments from them than from actual strangers. I considered myself lucky for never having them.
But I recently realized that as the child grows up, the "war" becomes less about you and your parenting style and more about the child and his milestones.

Unfortunately, I learned this in one weekend and in two different incidents.

None of these incidents were really harmful - in fact, they were bordering on petty - but it made me see how easy it is to judge other people.
First one is from a dad, an American neighbor, who just happened to pass along our house one Saturday afternoon. He had his son with him who was just a couple of months older than Yuri.

He asked me how old Yuri is and I asked him about his son, too. Then he asked me how many words Yuri can already speak.

You see, at that time, Yuri was just making random noises while playing with the other child.

I hesitated, frankly because I have already lost track. And also because I had to speak in English haha. I started, "Well..."

But he cut me off and said, "Oh he can't speak yet."

"What?"

"He can't speak yet? My son can already say many words. English, Filipino, even some Bisaya words. He (pointing to Yuri) can't speak yet?"

March 31, 2014

Yuri Turns 2: The Simplest Birthday Celebration

Warning: Photo overload ahead

I mentioned in a previous post that we chose not to have a birthday party this year. I realized that when the child is very young, especially if he is as deathly afraid of strangers as mine was (a year ago), then the party is not really for the child; it's for the parents.

Let the guilt-trip begin.

Just kidding. Of course, I know our intentions. We want to celebrate their birthdays with a blast! And we want to do the very best we can do to do it. And if your child is happy with people and parties, then by all means, go for it!

Yuri is no longer the timid baby he was last year, but this time, I want to make his birthday all about him. I wanted it to be completely stress-free and just happy. The result is the simplest birthday celebration ever.

There was no theme, no fuss. Well, the general theme of the day was everything Yuri likes and loves. Since it's his day, I wanted to make sure he ate, played with, did his favorite things. I'll stop here and let the photos do the talking.
The birthday boy in pambahay clothes.
Playing with his favorite toys: cars!
Ate his favorite breakfast food: yogurt with fresh fruits!
We also read some of his favorite books. This is The Quiet Book.
And I let him play his favorite video game but only for a limited time, don't worry. :-)
It's also one of the rare occasions we get to watch TV.
Just lying around, doing nothing. Careless like a child should be!
Running (and dancing) out on the street
The cake!

March 26, 2014

Yuri is 2: 24 Random Things About You

Dear Yuri,

You're 2 today! To mark the first hour of your birthday, uh, you fell from the bed. It's okay because, well, I placed a cushion on that side of that bed. You woke up alarmed with large eyes, and I said, "Okay lang, baby." You closed your eyes again but not before you replied, "Okay nan."

To say I'm absolutely in love with you is an understatement. I completely adore you and I thank God every day for giving you to me, to us. I cradled you back into my arms again (we cosleep), and as you settled down to nurse, I smiled and then I thought of all the random things that you, in all of your two years, have or have not done.

Since you are 24 months today (2 years!), I decided to write down 24 random things about you. I hope you enjoy reading them when you're older!

1. You never drooled. Ever. I remember seeing little babies with bibs which seemed to be permanent parts of their outfits, but not you. You never wore a bib when you were little. Even when you started eating solids, the only time you had to wear bibs were during mealtimes.

2. You were never fussy when teething. In fact, I didn't even notice when your first tooth erupted. Recently, I only noticed that four of your molars were already present. You didn't even make a peep, not a sound. Well, to be honest, you could have been clingier during those times, but I was none the wiser.

3. You were a colicky baby. To this day, I never found out the reason. All I know is that during the first three months of your life, you would cry straight for three hours each night. I did everything I could do, but nothing could stop your crying. You suddenly stopped after three months.

Really?

4. You started sleeping through the night when you were four months old. It was as sudden as when you stopped being colicky. One night, you just slept through the night, of course, while nursing a few times. By then, I stopped being fearful of being alone with you.

5. Yes, I was afraid of being alone with you the entire night. I was only 23 years old, living the life of a single mother, with a colicky baby to boot. This is why we slept in the living room for 3 months.

6. For the first three months of your life, I slept on the couch while you slept on your stroller. The crib was too big for you then, and I was afraid you would feel insecure in it.

7. You are 24 months now (2 years old!), but you have never been to the beach yet.

8. You had to spend the first six days of your life in the hospital because, er, you went out of momma's tummy late (I had to get cut up), and by the time you were out, you already ate meconium, your first poop. So cool, right? I bet you couldn't wait to tell this to your playmates. But remember that it could have caused different complications, and through the grace of God, you came out very very healthy. (Birth story here)

9. Even if I breastfed you for 2 years (and counting), you had S26 as your first food. Nobody taught me how to breastfeed in the hospital (as neither of your lolas were there, and your lolo doesn't know the first thing about breastfeeding).

10. You spoke your first word when you were around 16 months old, and it was "car."

11. You went on your first airplane flight when you just turned 7 months old. We went to Cebu to visit some relatives. I was anxious, but you were very behaved during the flight. In fact, you only cried because you already wanted to nurse, and after nursing, you were fine.

12. Your first tooth erupted when you were 11 months old. It was late compared to other children, but that's okay. Your teeth erupted one by one during the next months anyway.

13. You used to be so wary of strangers, but now, you're warming up. Whenever another baby or kid visits the house, you go out of your way to make him or her feel welcome. You even consider your ninangs as friends now!

With Ninang Teena (or Nina Tina)

14. During your first months, momma wasn't so style-savvy yet, and there was a month when you wore hand-me-down girls' shoes. Don't worry; you still looked so adorable. Of course, you also had boy shoes hihi.

15. You never tore a single page from any book, unlike a certain sister I know who tore almost all of my Clueless books. I still preferred giving you cloth books when you were very little, though, because I was afraid of the chemicals in the ink. After your first birthday, though, we began reading many books!

16. You became obsessed with cars after your first birthday and until now. You even recognize specific neighbors' cars now.

17. You are a carb-monster: You're a fickle eater but your love for carbs remains consistent. Your favorite foods are pasta (w/o red sauce), pancit, bread, crackers, cake... In fact, when we were at Vikings, all you ate were ramen and mantao.

18. Speaking of carbs, your latest favorite food is the humble but glorious suman.

19. You took your first step at 13 months, which is later than some children, but again, it's perfectly okay! You were running a few months after anyway.

20. You are always mistaken for a girl. No matter where we go, someone almost always mistakes you for a girl. Even when you were looking like this:
Seriously?

21. You had a very wide vocabulary even before you turned 2. I always say that you might have been a late walker but your talking skills compensated for it - not that we need compensation!

22. You were potty-trained a couple of weeks before turning 2. Save for a few days of regression, everything else went smoothly. Yay!

23. You currently love dancing and singing. You would dance to any tune you hear on the radio (using your signature rolling hands dance step), and you would try to sing whenever you hear a song you like!
Don't stare at my tongue.

24. You are turning out to be a very sweet and affectionate little boy. A few months back, I prayed that you would show affection more because, well, you're a bit rough like a little boy should be. Now, you're fond of giving kisses, hugs, and you even occasionally tell us "I love you." I love you, too.
___________________

There is more of you and more to you than these 24 random things, baby, and you should know that these are but a few of the things that I hold dear to my heart. I'm pretty sure I will spend a big part of my life telling you more about the things that make you so special to me. Happy birthday and I hope you have fun this day (unlike last year hee hee).
Photo: http://oldbarnrescue.com/
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
I pray you grow up to be a man after God's own heart. God be with you!

_________________________________________________________________
Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

rss_bunny

Or by entering your email here:
Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.

March 21, 2014

Yuri's Second Birthday Wishlist!

It's Yuri's second birthday next Wednesday!

(Okay, you and I both know that this is my wishlist and not Yuri's. Let's just leave it at that.)

Wow. I have a 2-year old. I still could not believe it. Despite being thrust into motherhood unprepared, here we are, 2 years later, not just surviving but actually thriving!

Okay back to topic. Yuri's turning 2 in just less than a week. Unlike last year, when we held a small Mickey Mouse-themed party, this year, I have nothing planned. Seriously! I found out the hard way that Yuri wasn't into socialization especially if majority of the guests are adults. I still recall with guilt how he just stayed in one corner because he was anxious and afraid of all those people. I also recall how I was forced to let his yaya put him to sleep because I was still entertaining guests. I had a heavy heart the entire time because the night was supposed to be for him, but his mom wasn't even able to pay attention to him.

Other children might like big parties and company, but no, not my then 1-year old Yuri.

So this year, we'll stay at home and eat as a family. We'll also be eating out on the next day, which is my sister's graduation. Even if he's bigger now and already know how to socialize and make "friends," I wouldn't take a risk again. I want to make sure that he's really happy on his day and that I give my full attention to him.

But because we're not planning to do anything big this year, my focus turned toward - what else? - gifts!

I really, really like buying stuff for Yuri (what mother doesn't?), but lately, I've been more interested in buying food rather than things. But when I tried searching for gift ideas, my interest in toddler stuff got rekindled. Ayayay!

Job wanted to buy Yuri a bike, but I complained that the boy already has two rides, and that's too many for me. We decided to get the bike when he's older.

With the bike idea scrapped, we were at a loss for ideas. What could we give Yuri? Well, the following are the products of my "research." Haha!

1. Salt Water Sandals
Photo: justbyliving.blogspot.com
I am borderline obsessed with the idea of little feet inside open leather sandals. Can you imagine? Aside from the fact that Yuri is about to outgrow his shoes, it's also already summer, and his kicks don't really fit in. Plus the sandals are just too gwapo for words.

I wanted to buy something affordable, but I could not find anything like these sandals in local malls. All they have are rubber/nylon/neopyrene sandals with velcro. Nope!
Photo: www.lesjeunespousses.blogspot.com
Should we buy Yuri Salt Water sandals? They're a bit pricey. Do we think we should take the plunge?

2. Toy Airplane
Photo: www.babble.com
This is what Job wants to give Yuri (aside from the bike). I thought he just wants to level-up from toy cars, but he reminded me that when Yuri was only a few months old, I told him on impulse how it would be nice if Yuri becomes a pilot. Thank you for remembering that! Yes, it would be really nice! I can also imagine Yuri zooming around with his "epeyn."

3. Indoor Basketball Hoop
Photo: http://www.toysrus.com/
Not the most creative gift idea, I admit, but aside from cars, Yuri is becoming very interested in balls. Who knows? I might have a little Lebron in my hands.

4. Aqua-Doodle Playmat
Photo: reliancehvg.co.in
Since Yuri is already turning 2, and since summer is approaching (which means a lighter workload for me), I knew it's time to give the boy serious homeschooling. I mean, we teach him all the time, but pretty soon, I need to be intentional about it.

Thus the desire for an Aqua-Doodle mat. Yuri's been showing interest in writing and drawing; unfortunately, he prefers markers over his magnetic board. And you know markers are never good news. I like how this mat only uses water. No accidents and stains!

Notable omissions:

1. Play-Doh set (I'm not sure about this since I'm planning to make our own!)

2. Books (Dami pa kaming di pa nababasa! Books are always on my list, though.)

3. Toddler Armchair - yung may cushion (I have yet to find an affordable but high-quality chair.)


_________________________________________________________________
Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

rss_bunny

Or by entering your email here:
Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...