November Fun Finds

I haven't written a monthly shopping find post since forever! Unfortunately, much to Job's dismay haha, it's not because I stopped shopping. I still do but have been too busy to gather my finds together, take photos, and write a decent post. You know.

But last Monday, I took a day off from work to run some errands downtown with Yuri, and I also took advantage of the downtime to take photos. So what had I been buying last month? Here they are:

CLOTHES

A. Off-Price Show

I talked about going to the Off-Price Show weeks ago and wrote a post containing my finds and their prices. Here's my favorite find of that day:

Aside from this, I also bought more tops for me and several shirts and a pair of board shorts for Yuri. For more items, head on to this blog post!

B. And more

I also bought a dress and a shirt from, guess where? SM's grocery! I just passed the clothing area and spotted these:

Peach boyfriend shirt at P299 (photo from JM)

Wrap dress at also P299

Okay na diba? I especially love the wrap dress!

SHOES

My Expo Mom 2014 Fun Finds

I try my best to be a wise shopper. If I pass by a clothing store sale, I can easily ignore it. Promise.

But I have two shopping weaknesses: food and kid's stuff. Biglang bumababa ang financial IQ ko jan. So when I received an email last week about Expo Mom coming to Davao, I knew I had to mentally prepare myself to practice restraint. Haha!

Looking back, it was a good thing that there weren't too many booths so it was not so overwhelming. Because of that, I was able to examine all products and decide 3x whether I absolutely needed to buy them or not. Which was not hard because I came with a checklist!

Yes, ako na ang prepared. Anyway, I promised to talk about my finds today so here they are:

1. Kiele Anti-Mosquito Cologne

Upon entering the expo, I made a beeline to Kiele's booth for two reasons. First, our last bottle of GIGA insect repellent is almost gone, and second, I'm curious to use a good-smelling repellent. Relate?

A bottle costs P199

Verdict: Woah I didn't know a mosquito repellent could smell this nice! And the scent lasts long ha; in fact, you can use it as an actual perfume. As for its mosquito repelling power, I'm glad to report that Yuri hasn't gotten bites since he used it last Sunday. I'm definitely buying this again!

2. Human Heart Nature Loot

Kuripot Finds from Sunday

Aside from the "injury" Yuri had gotten (which has now totally healed by the way! Praise God!), my weekend was also a weekend of shopping.

Kuripot shopping that is!

To be honest, my priority last Sunday was to buy Yuri some new shorts and jeans. Kasi...

Tumaba sya!

Finally! Hahaha. Some of you may already know that Yuri has always been on the slim side, and though he grows taller, since I buy long clothes (to accommodate his lanky frame), he barely outgrows them. Some of his clothes he's worn since he wasn't even 1!

Now, a couple of weekends ago, I noticed that one of his jeans didn't fit him around the waist anymore. They used to be long pants, but Yuri now uses them as clam-diggers. This time, I the Velcro (in lieu of the zipper) can't stay closed!

But since the outfit looked cute, di ko na binihisan. Di naman halata.

False-Alarm Kidnapping, Firing Yaya, and Other Stories

The past weekend was Kadayawan weekend and we originally planned it to be a weekend of mindless mall-hopping and (window) shopping. But more things happened that made a supposed uneventful weekend, well, eventful!

I'll start with the regular, steady stuff before I tell you about the juicy stories, ah-key?

1. My Only Kadayawan Find

There must be something wrong with me because I am no longer excited by sales. Mas excited pa ako for book sales and garage sales hehe. So despite the many sales all over the city, unsurprisingly, this was the only thing I bought:

Montessori Letter Work

I first discovered this book in my internerd-blackhole, bookdepository.com (you're welcome), and it's unique because it uses the Montessori concepts of textured letters (Google sandpaper letters) and teaching children not letter names but letter sounds. I subscribe to these philosophies so I knew I had to get it.

In the website, it costs $11, free shipping, or around P473. It's quite pricey for a board book, and while I'm willing to invest in it, I just had to shop around. That led me to local bookstore chain, Fully Booked, that sells it for only P398! Almost P100 less! Yay!

So yesterday, first thing we did was go to Fully Booked in Abreeza and when I finally found it, I never let go. Haha!

But the best thing was that when I was paying for it, the cashier told me it was on sale, so it was now just P318! Perfect! Based on the original $11 price, I saved... do the math!

2. The "Stores" I've Been Waiting for are Finally Here!

Book Sale Loot from Sunday!

My post from Monday, which is about our decision to raise Yuri to speak primarily in Filipino, received a lot of attention, and while it received positive feedback, it also received several negative reactions. I was prepared for that because I know many have a different opinion. But I wasn't prepared for the hurtful comments! Outside the blog, I actually received comments calling me absurd and insecure! It's sad how, despite the language, some just choose to be rude. But it's equally enlightening to know that some people can share their opinions while showing grace and respect. So much learning from a single post!

Anyway, let's move on and talk about something lighter. What about books? :-)

You see, last Sunday, after a long long while, I was finally able to revisit my most favorite store in the world: Book Sale.

When I was in high school, my mom and I would always go to Book Sale (and Bookshop before) to buy books. I maintained the habit and still tried to visit when I was in college. When I graduated and had a job, whenever I get my salary, my first stop is always Book Sale.

Unfortunately for me, there are only three branches in Davao City: 2 of them are in the south (we live in the north) while 1 is in the heart of the city that is not very child-friendly (think Quiapo). With a toddler in tow, I simply couldn't visit Book Sale on a whim now!


So what I did was regularly visit the online shop of The Learning Basket. And I did score a lot of great finds there! Our copies of Where the Wild Things Are and The Very Hungry Caterpillar are from it. It's clear that the owners only sell books which they and their children would read, too. But with the shipping fee, it tends to get expensive. Plus, palagi akong nauunahan haha!

(You can see more of our books here.)

Well, last Sunday, I really planned to go to Book Sale.

We're Raising a Filipino-Speaking Child

"We're teaching him English and Tagalowg and some Bisayuh," said my tall American neighbor when he and his 2-year old son passed by our house one Saturday.

I'm pretty impressed that the little mestizo playing with my little chinito spoke Tagalowg and Bisayuh. No offense meant, I was truly impressed! I'm amazed at the idea of a true foreigner who wants his son to know and speak this land's language.

You see, I wasn't an English-speaking kid (ever). Nobody I knew at school (I went to three schools during my childhood), at home, or just about anywhere spoke in straight English. Or what we affectionally call "spokening in dollars." Classy.

In fact, my peers, who were all children of middle-class parents like I am, spoke using vernacular language. Tagalog, Bisaya, Hiligaynon. My childhood language was an interesting mix of Tagalog and Masbateno (which didn't come in handy when I had potty accidents at school but that's another story).

No one spoke English, unless we're reading books, singing Spice Girls songs, or quoting lines from Pocahontas. Just having a grasp of that foreign language was enough. Suffice to say, the kids I grew up with and I were pretty terrified of our school's speak-in-English-or-bayad-piso rule.

When I entered motherhood, I was pretty surprised to see little children speaking straight English. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that, but I assumed that one of the parents must be a foreigner, thus the need to learn the language. Imagine my surprise to know that both parents were pure-blooded Filipinos. But don't get me wrong; I have nothing against teaching Filipino kids English.

Globally competitive, it's what they say. I, of course, want my son to be globally competitive, too, so buy him a lot of books for his toddler library.

But what, to me, came as a shocker was finding out these same kids could barely speak a single Filipino word. Is that even a bragging right now when a child doesn't understand the language of his land? Is there shame in speaking Filipino?

Summer Can't End Just Yet! (An Unproductive Story)

I just spent my entire summer - wait for it - working!

Since I started working from home (which was about 2 years ago), I've always looked forward to summer. Not because of the outings. Not because of the sunshine. Not because school's out (which I am not affected by anyway).

It's because that's usually the time when I get to do stuff outside of work such as baking (or what looks like it), cleaning, organizing, playing with Yuri, and thinking of summer activities we can do together. This is because during this time (around May-ish), the essays on our queue start to decrease until they go down to zero. In other words, free time.

Our summer reading list - unread (and messy)

This year, though, the situation is different. Even when it's already mid-June (oh my, it is already?!), there are still so many essays on the queue. This means a lot of students are still submitting essays. And this is great! Because many essays = salary. I forgot to tell you that no work equates to no pay, too. However, I can't help but think of the things I planned to do for summer that I never got to do. Here they are:

1. The Moon Sand and Moon Dough Project

I've had the materials ready for quite some time now. I have a bag of cornstarch, flour, food coloring, and this:

Stolen borrowed sand

Yup, that's half a bucket of sand that we shamelessly stole got from Costa Marina. It was a good thing my cousins were there; they did the dirty job for me. Hahaha!

As I was saying, the materials are ready. The only thing missing is me actually mixing the stuff together. Ugh! I need to find time to make these before the weather starts becoming seriously rainy.

Things I Want to Buy for Yuri But Can't (Yet)

There are things we can afford and then there are things we can buy if we wanted to but choose not to (yet) because it's not a top priority.

I seriously hope I'm not the one who thinks like that. Otherwise, it would just confirm my suspicion that I'm inherently kuripot. Hahaha. Well, my mom's an ultimate kuripot, so I shouldn't wonder!

Now I really don't have any problems about buying anything for myself. I'm well-trained at delayed gratification. For example, mason jars are really cheap and I first got fascinated by them May of last year but actually bought them last April. What a long wait!

But for "Yuri Stuff" or things that Yuri doesn't really need but mama wants, I can't wait for too long. I hesitate to shop for my own clothes but would buy Yuri ones even if he doesn't need them just as long as it fits the budget!

Now I'm hoping that you're secretly agreeing with me all along. Most moms siguro do, right? If you don't have a secret no-occasion list for your kid, I'm pretty sure you'll get some ideas from mine below. I apologize in advance! Hee hee!

1. Stainless Steel Cup

This is more of a need than a want because Yuri's cups need to retire. However, I can't buy one yet because, frankly, they are not exactly cheap and I want to choose the best one.

His straw cup is icky (ew, that's what you get from buying cheap), while his 1 1/2 year old Avent is starting to leak. Also, I just found out that even BPA-free plastics are still dangerous. I will save the details for another post.

Image: http://www.zebebe.com

My options are CamelBak Stainless Steel (pictured), KidBasix Sporter Cup, and Thermos Foogo.

2. Milk jars

I'm not veering away from the drinnking cup topic just yet. The one above should address his on-the-go drinking needs but I also need a new non-plastic cup to use at home.

Image from Instagram account, kitchencountermnl

My first option was a Tramontina stainless steel cup - but it's too pricey! 600 for a small cup! No way, Jose. So maybe I'll buy small milk bottles and try to look for covers. I'll hope for the best.

EDIT: Just ordered a set of the milk bottles. Sorry.

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's Happy Packages

Oh, c'mon. It's May today? Seriously, how did that happen?

I haven't even gone to the beach yet! #WAHMproblems

Anyway, I write about my grocery finds every month, but for this month, I have nothing to write about. There are three reasons why.

First, I'm trying to minimize buying processed and packaged food, so most of the time, I only buy fresh produce. It doesn't seem to make sense to write a post full of fruits, veggies, and meat.

Second, since the mortgage we have to pay for our house will be increasing effective next month (which is today pala!), I need to minimize my expenses. Especially on food.

Third, I really didn't find a need to try something new because I'm contented with the current brands I've tried. So I didn't really have a new "discovery" to feature.

Buuut I did receive a number of packages this month! Some of them I bought while some of them I received. I think they're rather post-worthy because they are useful not only during the summer (so hot!) but also throughout the entire year. Here they are:

Ready for the beach!

1. Sunblock - Coppertone Water Babies and Belo SunExpert

Sunblock's a no-brainer. In a tropical country like ours, sunblock should be used year-round. Yuri used to use Midori natural sunblock with an SPF of 30, which is frankly enough, but since paubos na, I felt the need to buy one with a higher SPF since this year's summer is just - grabe - drought level. I know Coppertone's not natural or organic, but it's the most cost-efficient for me. And I used it as a child so...

Meanwhile, the Belo sunblock is from - drumroll - Sample Room! This means I only paid for its shipping. I haven't tried it yet but I soon will!

Another addition to our library. Yay!

2. Bible Story Set

Ah, another addition to our growing library. I love this set of books because it's the prize I won from joining MomsterTeacher's blog givewaway. I was blessed too much because God allowed me to win three contests! What I love about these is the way the stories of the Bible characters are written in a simple way - perfect for kids.

I'm excited to introduce Yuri to Jesus; actually, I already did!

GIGA Baby Balm, GIGA Massage Rub, and GIGA Insect Repellant

3. Gifts from GIGA Philippines

I wrote and raved about the GIGA products I've tried, and they really are some of the best natural products I've used. Despite trying several brands of insect repellent, GIGA remains to be my favorite. And even as a toddler, we still use GIGA baby balm for Yuri's insect bites and minor cuts. Yuri just loves using it on himself and I'm not even kidding.

They didn't have to, but GIGA was kind enough to send me a small gift containing - what else - my fave products! They also included something I haven't tried yet: the massage rub. I love it! Perfect timing, too, since I'm looking for a minty balm just in case Yuri catches a cold. Nice!

My camera in a poor lighting condition. Hehehe

4. Samsung WB150F

A Weekend Spent at Home

Well, technically, we didn't spend the entire weekend at home since we went to the mall yesterday to buy some beach toys for the little boy. And some sleeveless shirts AKA sando. And ate some ice cream to beat the hot weather.

For a grand total of 3 hours.

That was because I was in a hurry to go back home because I needed to work. So I guess it totally didn't count hehe.

Anyway, I had to work yesterday morning and evening because I took a "forced" leave last Saturday. You see, Yuri's yaya is a college student (Sunday school) and had to take care of some requirements, I guess, to complete this academic year. Since the offices are closed on Sundays, she had to go on a Saturday. Basically, we switched day-offs.

My parents were also somewhere in Davao Oriental, enjoying a company outing, so it was just me and Yuri - plus my sister, who was in her own world reading a book in the tablet, so it was just really me and Yuri. It was a good thing because I really, really love to bond with this kid, especially now that he's more fun to be with!

No offense to infant Yuri but toddler Yuri is really better company. Hahaha!

It was very hot that day so we didn't dare play outside. Instead, we turned the AC on, grabbed the blanket, and made a mini fort slash tent! It was fun. I think I had more fun than Yuri...

No, Yuri! You can't enter the teeent!

Hello? Iya? Yayu? We have a problem here. Mama's driving me crazy!

We ate homemade turon, too. Ours have strawberry jam and pineapple jam in them. Yum!

The little boy is also getting into a habit of choosing the books he likes. After thumbing through them for a few minutes or so, he gets his favorite car and totally ignores the books. Boys! (Pictured above are Dr. Seuss' Ten Apples Up on Top and Janell Canon's Stellaluna.)

I'm gonna do what I want, Mama!

More eating ensues. I mean, food is the only way I get a hyperactive toddler to stay still - and I know the sugar makes him even more active, so I know I don't make any sense. It's okay; I have the license to be illogical. I'm a woman. Hehehe peace. (On hindsight, I would get really fat if I become a full-time SAHM.)

Hello? Iya? Yayu? Um, Mama's making me eat junk food...

In my defense, ngayon lang naman eh! :-P

My favorite time of the day: naptime! Bwahahaha.

Kids now come over to the house every day. That day, Princess came over, and they played "angel-angel." As for the peace sign? I don't know. Go figure. Maybe they were actually playing "hippie-hippie."

I stayed at home while the parents enjoyed this little piece of paradise. Beach, I'm coming! Wait for meeee!

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The Library Project

I live in a house that is full of books, and I give credit to the homemaker: my mom. Last time, I shared with you some photos of our bookcases, but in case you missed it, here they are again:

Aside from the books in the bookshelves above, there are still many books in the kitchen (mostly recipe books) and more in my own bedroom (Christian books, my Bible, devotionals, Eraserheads paraphernalia - alin alin ang naiba - and magazines). Someday, when we finally settle into our own home (which might be sooner than I think, God-willing), I hope it will also be filled with a lot of books.

For now, my project is more localized. My 21-month old, Yuri, has already developed an interest in books. Predictably, this fueled my obsession in buying children's books, which led to the predicament: saan ko sila ilalagay? It's a good thing there was an unused bookshelf in the house, which is perfect for Yuri's height.

At first, every book had its own place.

However, the shelf quickly filled up last Christmas.

You might not see it, but the books were just crammed together. This is a problem because it doesn't attract the toddler; in other words, hindi nakaka-engganyo. 

The amount of books was quickly accumulating, and it has only been a month since I started buying books intentionally! Pano pa kaya in a few more months? Well, I asked for help from the ultimate domestic diva (my mom), and with her magic hands, Yuri's "library" turned into this:

Disclaimer lang, malakas ang backlight (as can be seen in the photo above), so I had to use flash. #defensive

The books are now separated and categorized! Don't worry; the inside of the cabinet is not filled with Yuri's books - yet.

A Day in the Life of a Work-at-Home Mom: Toddler Edition

6:30 am: The sunlight is already streaming through the window, rousing me from a good night's sleep. I grab my phone to check the time and utter a morning prayer. Yuri is still blissfully sleeping beside me (we co-sleep).

6:35 pm: I read the Bible (on my phone) and my verse of the day.

6:45 am: After praying, I read articles in my Pocket app. I hold my pee while waiting for Yuri to wake up.

6:40 am: Job wakes up and sends me a message. He usually wakes up before me, but I woke up extra early today. We talk. A lot. Yuri also finds his way to my breasts for a pre-breakfast snack. (He nurses while asleep.)

7 am: Yuri finally tosses and turns, a signal that he's almost awake. I give him a few minutes to rub his eyes, stretch, and adjust. Then, we read a book. Currently, we're reading Pig's Egg.

Photo: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17284564-pig-s-egg

7:15 am: We go downstairs for breakfast. Breakfast today is bread, eggs, and sausages, but Yuri prefers to eat cereal. We eat together.

7:25 am: I'm done eating. (Somehow, ever since I became a mom, I've never had time for leisure eating.) I get up and wash my plate (and cup and spoon and fork). Yuri remains in the high-chair as he's still eating. I always sing a nursery rhyme for Yuri from the kitchen; my current song choice is 10 Green Bottles.

View from the kitchen. Don't worry; it's not as dark as it looks. It's just the effect of the backlight. :-)

7:40 am: Yuri is finally done eating! I remove his bib, take him out of the high-chair, and wash his hands and mouth at the sink. I pass him to his yaya (stay-in nanny) while I wash Yuri's utensils and clean his tray and chair.

7:45 am: I get Yuri from the yaya and ask her to heat some water for Yuri's bath. Yes,we don't have hot water in the bathroom. I prepare the bathroom and undress the excited little boy.

7:50 - 8 am: I give Yuri a bath. Yuri loves taking a bath so much that he doesn't want it to end. Luckily, today, he doesn't fight me when I saw bathtime's over.

8 - 8:15 am: I dress Yuri up in thin, comfortable clothes. We also cuddle a bit while breastfeeding.

8:15 am: I pass Yuri to his yaya. They go outside the house to play and look at insects. I sit down at my desk to work.

9:00am: They go back inside to play and wreak havoc.

8:30 - 11:45 am: Work, work, work

11:45 am: I prepare Yuri's and my lunch. Today's lunch is turkey burgers, which are bland, but Yuri loves them.

12 nn: Yuri and I eat together. Honey can eat whenever she wants to, but she prefers waiting for us to finish. I finish eating before Yuri and wash my plates while he eats. When he's done, his yaya takes him so that I can wash his plates and clean his chair.

12:30 - 1 pm: Cuddle time! Yuri and I will usually read a book but this time, we quietly watch Stuart Little. He nurses again and eventually falls asleep. I switch channels and watch Life of Pi.

1:15 pm: I give a sleeping Yuri back to his yaya. He stirs but falls asleep again.

1:30 - 4:45 pm: Work, work, work

3:30 pm: Yuri wakes up from his nap and resumes playing - and wreaking havoc.

4 pm: I give Yuri merienda. Today's merienda is a bowl of macaroni salad.

5 pm: I get Yuri from his yaya and he nurses a bit. Then, the sun has not set yet, we go outside to play. We watch cars, birds, and basically anything that move. I also get out a Christmas book (this was during Christmas vacation) and I read it to him. We are reading Karen Katz's Where is Baby's Christmas Present. Yuri loves saying the "No" part!

5:30 pm: I take golden-hour photos. But of course.

Toys and Book of the Week: Time For Bed

Hi there! I'm doing a toy rotation system for Yuri's toys. Some of you might have known that by reading my blog post last week, but for the rest of you, here's a recap on how I do it:

A week's worth of toys should have one educational toy (shape sorter and the like), plush toys (stuffed toys), cars and toys with wheels, and little non-toy trinkets (like his Calpol's cover) to encourage Yuri's imagination.

Anyway, the bottom line is get out only a few toys each week (the number of the toys and the frequency of the rotation depend on you!) and keep the rest hidden. So far, it proved to be only advantageous in our household. Less mess, fewer toys to pack away, gets the child to play with all his toys, and encourages the child to read more books. 

To make the most out of this system, as well as to help you curious souls out there, I will be featuring my chosen toys each week. Just in case you want to have a clearer idea of how to do it. As for me, blogging about it is gonna be a constant reminder to be vigilant in choosing toys every Sunday night!

In addition, I'd also like to feature one book per week. Again, this is for kindred souls out there who also want to raise readers and bookworms like me! By doing this, I hope we'll be able to build libraries for our budding book-devourers. Okay, gawa-gawa ko lang yung word na yun. But it captures the essence, right? Who doesn't want a kid who devours books like there's no tomorrow?

Anyway, enough talk. For this week, here are Yuri's toys:

I've given him wooden puzzles over the last weeks, so to minimize suya, I didn't get out another puzzle this week. Instead, I got out some electronic toys that he wasn't able to use for over a month now. I chose those that can, at least, teach him something, so I got the piano with a mini shape-sorter (unfortunately, one piece is missing!) and an electronic turtle that teaches words. The most educational toy would be the shape-sorter.

I also got out a little plush puppy, a plastic clapper (which we used last New Year's Eve - it was really loud). For the non-toy category, I got out a pink hairbrush. I didn't bother to get a wheeled toy anymore because he has several toy trucks in the living room (I think they are becoming a mainstay!).

And this is our book of the week:

I wanted to feature Yuri's ultimate favorite book at the moment for my first ever Book of the Week feature. Yuri loves "Time for Bed" by Mem Fox, illustrated by Jane Dyer. I read it to him every bedtime, and one reading is never enough for him. He even asks for it when he wakes up in the morning!

Funny anecdote: There was one time when he didn't let me finish a second reading of Time for Bed. Instead, he got the book from me. Then, he got one of his stuffed toys (I think it was Jollibee), and laid it beside him on his crib. He got the book, flipped through the pages, and mumbled as if he was reading. Then, he said to Jollibee, "Tuyog, anayt!" (Tulog, good night!). He then hugged the toy and kissed it. Suh-weet!

Baby Verdict: 
I think Yuri loves this book because of the different animals. There are different mother-baby animal tandems featured with unique "good night" lines. Based on experience, I think all toddlers are enamored by animals, making the book a sure hit. I also think he likes the book because he relates to the little boy in the last page. He thinks it's him! By the time I get to that page, he says, "Tuyog Suri" (Tulog Yuri).

Eh kung ano kung blonde yung boy? Sya daw yun eh!

Mom Verdict:
I don't get annoyed with Yuri's requests for me to repeat reading the book because reading it is like singing a song. The lines are very rhythmic and melodic and stress-relieving. Also, they are very easy to memorize. This is a good thing to remember for us, mommies, because there are times when I'd be too sleepy to read and I'd just close my eyes and recite the lines like a pro!

Seriously, though, the best part of the book for me would be the watercolor-style illustrations that are realistic and romantic. Plus, the fact that it features different animals and the correct names of baby animals (i.e. horses and foals) makes it educational, which makes bedtime learning time!

(I got the book from The Learning Basket for only P90. What a steal!)

PS:
For the record, I don't do book rotation. I think it's not yet time for us to do that because we only have a few books. Also, I want Yuri to be always surrounded with books. Unlike toys, I want him to be able to have a lot of options for "reading" (closed in quotation marks because he doesn't read yet - duh! Hee hee). Finally, if the living room will get messy, I want it to be messy with books. Just like this:

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