Sleepover

Dear Sabrina Banana,

"Why don't you want to take care of me anymore?"

You have been asking us this question more and more lately. You see we are slowly training you to learn how to take care of yourself. Maybe daddy and I should have done this sooner, but we cannot help wanting to take care of you. We do realize that we need to let you grow into the person God wants you to be. So we need to start training you to be more independent.

Last Friday, you were invited to join a sleepover and despite our apprehensions . We trusted the people you were going to be with and I knew they loved you and would take care of you like we would. We were glad that you were able to experience this. You were just as apprehensive as we were. You were wondering who would take care of you, etc

You did it. You told me you were nervous during certain parts of the sleepover but you still tried your best. I couldn't be any more proud. I'm looking forward to more activities that would help you grow in your relationship with other people.

Love ya,

Momma

Teacher Mommy

Dear Sabrina Banana,

We have been homeschooling for around 2 months now and it has been a breeze so far. I am loving every single moment of it and you seem to be adjusting well. I thought everything was going well until you started reacting to my corrections a little negatively. I don't normally shout at you, in fact, I very rarely do. Yet somehow you feel somewhat affected. One time, I asked you to write all the letters from A-Z. I looked at your work and said "Great, you're done. Now let's look at the letters. Tell me which letter you think you can improve". You started to cry and say "You don't like my work".

I said we should take a break. I asked for a break not because you needed it but because I did. I wasn't expecting that reaction. I realized that despite everything going well you are still adjusting to our new roles. From mother-daughter to teacher-student. I realized that I unknowingly coddled you with too many compliments and now it's harder for you to receive feedback from me.

We're working on this. We're slowly processing things and doing things better (I think). The beauty about this is that I know, that you know, just how loved you are and with that as our foundation, I know this glitch won't affect you much.

I realize now that we'll go through more of these issues through our homeschooling journey but I know it will be worth it so I say...bring it on.

Love ya,

Momma

IQ

Dear Sabrina Banana,

I was lucky enough to have access to the most famous IQ tests there are and so I took advantage and you were assessed. Daddy and I marveled at the results. The thing is, you were tested by students and daddy wanted to know if we should have it done officially. I said no. What's the point? I merely wanted to know if your fine-motor delay was hindering you in other ways but other than that, knowing the actual/official IQ doesn't really do anything for me. Are we going to love you more or less? Nope! Are we going to treat you differently? Nope!

I also wanted to avoid bragging or ego. We have nothing to do with your intelligence (or lack there of) it's all from God. And whether your IQ is 70 or 160,  it's our job as parents to nurture that regardless. So what's the point of making the results official? Nothing. =)

Love ya,

Momma

The Best Things in Life are Free

Dear Sabrina Banana,

4 weeks ago, I whined and whined to Daddy that I feel so bad because we don't have any decent library for you to enjoy here in the Philippines. Daddy said I should make the best out of what God has given us here in the Philippines. So I sighed...made one call and found this darling library near us for free!!

This was like a dream come true for you. You were so excited that you were literally pulling on my hand trying to get me out of the door. When we opened the door to the children's area...you looked on a bit shyly. You stepped on the rug uncertainly. It was as if you weren't sure that all this goodness is real.

We stayed there for 2 hours that first time...we have returned 4 times since. I am so happy that such little things can give you such a huge amount of happiness!

Love ya,

Momma

Conversations with Sabrina -- Home

Liv: Honey, you know what your home is in my heart!
Andrea: Huh, why? Did you eat my house?

Homeschooling Adventures

To the people who read this blog, specifically those who are emailing me and asking me to share homeschooling stories, I'm sorry but I really meant for this blog to be for my daughter, if I have anything noteworthy to share, I'd probably post it on my personal blog: Liv at Home

I hope you understand. 

In Your Element

Dear Sabrina Banana,

I have spent a big chunk of my life trying to find the things that make me happy, those that make me "me". I think people in general go through their whole life finding that place they belong, or that person that makes them more of who they are.

It's always tricky being a mother. There's that fine line between guiding you or imposing my will on you. 2 years ago for example, I made you play soccer. The moment you were on the field, I knew you didn't belong there. You weren't into it. And though you went through the entire session, I knew I shouldn't have made you  go through that. I know better now, or at least I think I do.

Last summer you started bugging me about gymnastics. I don't know where you got that idea but somehow you wanted to learn this sport. Your Wowa was a gymnast so maybe it's in your blood. Nevertheless I wasn't sold on the idea. I thought it was too dangerous, and that you were too young and that our lives were busy enough as it is without this extra activity. You persisted and I realized that it wasn't just a passing fancy. So your dad and I agreed to let you go.

You weren't great from the start darling. In fact you struggled.  Your motor issues made it hard for you but you were determined to learn it. Now 4 meetings after and you have conquered your fear of the balance beam and doing everything you need to do. It made me realize how important it is to listen to you. To be in tune with your passions and talents.

I don't know if you're going to be an Olympic gymnast one day...and frankly I don't care. I do care that you are learning how to be committed to something. The daily exercises and the long walks in the sports center are no jokes but you rally through it. I also care that you are toughening up. Last time I saw you hit your face on the beam and I asked you during your break if you were hurt and you looked at me as if I just asked you the silliest question and you said "I always get hurt in gymnastics" then you ran back to the beam as if it's the most natural thing on earth.  I care that you are beginning to understand the value of persisting on something even if it's not easy. Lastly, I care that you are happy.

Love ya,

Momma

How to Make a Bowl of Cereals

Dear Sabrina Banana,

Today you asked me to take a video of you and I obliged. This is the unedited result:

Not bad for a first timer!

Love,

Momma

Conversations with Sabrina-- God and French Fries

Today's lesson: God made me and I will live for him. After a long conversation...

Liv: Who in the bible lived for God? 
Andrea: Not Eve, not Cain. Abel did!
Liv: How come?
Andrea: Because he gave his best when he offered to God.
Liv: Who else.
Andrea:Noah cause he was different. He was nice when everyone around him was mean. 
Liv: Right, so when you're in Mc Donald's playing at the play place and everyone's being mean what should you do?
Andrea: I'll tell them to stop being hurtful.
Liv: Exactly. You don't do things just because everyone else around you is doing it.
Andrea: I have a question
Liv: What?
Andrea: When I'm in Mc. Donald's in the play place where will you be?
Liv: What do you mean?
Andrea: Will you be there buying french fries for me?

From God to food....it always ends up this way.

Conversations with Sabrina - Love and Marriage

Andrea's been bugging me about anniversaries...after the nth question ...

Andrea: What's an anniversary?
Liv: It's the birthday of your marriage
Andrea: But you and daddy don't have marriage, you have love!

Ano daw?

A Child's Prayer

Our prayer before lunch today was awesome:

Dear God, 


Thank you for all the nice things you have given us. 
Please help us catch the wild daddy-mal when he gets home from the office. 
Please help us find great hiding spots so that he won't see us. 


Amen. 

Super Swamp Heroes

Dear Sabrina Banana,

I am writing this for documentation sake, because I feel we have broken down a barrier, one i've been trying to break down for the past couple of month. You see honey, you've always been so concerned with right and wrong, so much so that you're not so keen on imagining things. This bothered me because I strongly believe in the importance of creativity and the imagination and your penchant for being exact and right is hindering you from exploring your creative side.

I don't know if it's homeschooling or if it's from your gymnastics lessons but somehow this week you started feeling more empowered to imagine! It started when you drew red and yellow clouds the other day. I was thrilled! I told you that I wished we could really see yellow clouds outside...we dreamt about what it would taste like if we licked them.

 Then today you came to me with your own story -- with a title! You called it the Super Swamp Heroes and here's how it goes. (This is written in the way you relayed it to me)

- There were 4 super heroes who live in a swamp.
- Then a robber came and put all their costumes in a sack and took them away.
- The next day the super heroes went to the house of the robber to get their costumes back because they can't help people without their disguise.
- The robber was not home because he went to the supermarket to buy breakfast.
- He bought cereal and 3 kinds of milk, the white kind, chocolate and strawberry.
- He also likes pancakes with regular syrup, maple syrup and strawberry syrup! I had a blast listening to this story.

I told you we could turn this into a book so your daddy can read it when he gets home from Davao. Please keep on dreaming and imagining.

There's such a beautiful world inside our minds and I hope you don't go back to being afraid of exploring it.  --Liv

Love ya,

Momma

Conversations with Sabrina - Beauty

Liv: I think we should look really pretty when we pick Daddy up from the airport. I'm going to wear a dress!!
Andrea: But we don't need that, we're already pretty!

Conversations with Sabrina -- Vocabulary Lessons

Andrea: Mom what's a storage? 
Liv: Any place where you can store or keep things. A cabinet is a storage.
Andrea: How about your bag?
Liv: Yup! 
Andrea: And a computer?
Liv: Hmmm, why do you think it's a storage?
Andrea: There are pictures in your computer.
Liv: Great thinking! Yup, in that case it can be a storage.
Andrea: I'm a storage! I keep food inside my mouth and body. 
Liv: ---speechless----

Conversations with Sabrina - Crunchy Deers

Andrea: Mom did the hunter eat the mommy of Bambi?
Liv: Maybe
Andrea: Are deers yummy?
Liv: Some people think so
Andrea: I will never eat them because of their horns!
Liv: Okay
Andrea: Unless the horns are crunchy

A Child's Prayer

Dear God, 


Thank you for letting me learn about attentiveness and for hotdogs....

Breakfast Fun

Dear Sabrina Banana,

One of the best things about being a mom is having the license to be a kid again. Today we did an activity that was so much fun, I couldn't help wishing I had the chance to do this when I was a kid.

First, we made our own "paint". The mixing and blending was great fun but I think you enjoyed tasting each paint more!

Did we make a mess? Oh we sure did!!! But ultimately who cares? You will never remember how neat the house is at breakfast but I'm sure you will remember that day when you and I went crazy and made our own food paint.

Here's our finished work. We ate them, and dipped them in our paint. It was so yummy! We are both left covered all over with colors....we're a mess....a happy, full mess. And I'm so glad we did this.

Love ya,

Momma
p.s.
Edible Paint recipe available here

You Were Sick...

Dear Sabrina Banana, It's been a while hasn't it? Life took over and I didn't manage my time in such a way that I still had time to write here. I'm sorry for that. This past couple of weeks have been crazy. First we put up our family business and then you got sick...very sick. This is your first time being sick after Daddy and I have become Christians and the experience was so different that I felt like I had to share it with you. Your being sick has always affected me so much. Most people think I'm always cool and unaffected --usually they're right, but not when it comes to your health. When you get sick I feel crushed and worried and panicked. I feel like I have to control everything otherwise you will not get well. This time, I still felt bad but in a different way. I felt bad that you were suffering, that you were not okay. I felt bad that you couldn't eat, that you were listless and tired but I wasn't as anxious as before. I realized that you are from God and that you are a child of God. He knows your needs, he knows how to take care of you. I didn't need to control anything because He is in control. Daddy and I prayed with our d-group. We listened to experts advice, did our parts and then lifted everything else to God. We are blessed that after 6 days you are fully recovered without the need for hospitalization. How amazing is God? Love ya, Momma

Conversations with Sabrina - Richness

Andrea: Mom, what's rich?
Liv: It's when you have everything you need and you're happy
Andrea: Am I rich?
Liv: Do you have everything you need?
Andrea: Yes
Liv: are you happy?
Andrea: YES!!!! I'm rich! I'm rich!

Conversations with Sabrina - Great Great Great Parents

Andrea: Is Nanay my grandmother too? 
Liv: Nope, she's your great-grandmother.
Andrea: Why?
Liv: Cause she's the mother of Gramma, your grandmother.
(silence)
Andrea: You're a great mother mommy...

The fact that she turned 5 today is already making me cry...add statements like this and I'm reduced to mush.

Independence, Self-Reliance and Gushing

Dear Sabrina Banana,

I love you so much and I would love nothing more than to spend as much time with you as possible. I would gladly and happily be with you forever if I could…but I can’t. My ego, my being, the mother in me are all aching to baby you. I want so badly to have you dependent on me, I want you to need me, to be reliant on me. I want you to have to call out my name first thing in the morning just because you need me. But I know that’s not good for you in any way. It would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t prepare you for the time I might not be with you anymore.

In a few days, you would be turning 5. That one year from 4 to 5 might not mean much in the greater scheme of things but for you, that one year spells a myriad of changes and development. The most significant for me is how much you have been striving for your independence. My heart is bursting with so much emotion, there’s sadness at losing your complete and utter dependence on me (as when you were inside my stomach), then there’s joy….joy that you are growing beautifully and developing according to your age. And of course there’s pride. Can any mother talk about her child without pride? I think not. I’m proud of the ways you are advanced, and of how you persevere inspite of any delay in your development. Lastly, I am humbled. Humbled that among all the women in the world, God chose me to be your mom. That despite my shortcomings and mistakes I was deemed worthy to raise and guide you throughout your life.

I have to recognize that I don’t own you and that despite coming from me, you are not me. And so I begrudgingly start letting you go and you are lapping up independence like your life depended on it. Yesterday you bathed, brushed your teeth and dressed yourself. Not an easy task for a kid with fine-motor delays…yes you struggled but you kept trying and you persevered! The excitement in you was palpable upon seeing your “success”. You asked me if I was proud of you…”Always” I said, and I meant it.


That night, I was resigned to not being needed anymore. Yet before you slept you looked at me and said “Mommy, do you want to snuggle?”. I smiled and said “Of course I do!”. At that moment,
I realized that letting you grow up did not mean losing you. It simply meant getting to enjoy you differently…maybe, just maybe in an even better way.

Love ya,

Momma

Spell It Out

Dear Sabrina Banana,

I must confess that we have been snickering a bit (albeit lovingly) at the way you pronounce your "L"s and "SH"s. We would repeatedly ask you to say words that we know you're struggling with just because you sound so cute saying them. Last night, I asked you to tell your Gramma about your memory verse from Sunday school which goes like this "Trust the Lord with all your heart"

Liv: Andrea can you tell Gramma about your memory verse today?
Andrea: Trust the Wohd with all your heart!
Gramma: The Wohd?
Andrea: No the WOHD.
Grama: Wohd?
Andrea: WOHRD!
Gramma: Wohd?
Andrea: L-O-R-D!

OMG. We were so surprised. We didn't know you could spell! This is so interesting because this is not a word you come across often even in your Bible. You don't study this word in school. So I know you spelled it out phonetically instead of by your memory. I must say, you shut me and gramma up pretty good last night. =)

Love ya,

Momma

Lessons from You

Dear Sabrina Banana,

I have been feeling so tired and sick these past couple of days that this Sunday, I let the exhaustion get to me. I was irritable and grumpy. I was generally unpleasant to be with.

I could tell that you knew something was wrong with me. You took on the role of peacemaker and you generally tried to make sure I wasn't even more irritated. I'm amazed at your sensitivity and I'm sorry for causing you any distress.

At night, I felt a bit better. I went to your bed and apologized. Our conversation went like this:

Mom: Banani, I'm sorry for being grumpy today. I shouldn't be grumpy. I'll try to be better tomorrow.
Sabrina: Why were you grumpy?
Mom: I was feeling sick and it made me grumpy.
Sabrina: If something hurts you can just feel sad, you don't have to be grumpy.
Mom: You're right. I'll do better next time.

OUCH. You definitely schooled me! You are right of course. I shouldn't have been grumpy. Being sick is no excuse. I mean what I said, I'll do better next time.

Love you,

Momma

What is Love?

Dear Sabrina Banana,

A friend of mine who is a teacher in a preschool asked her students what LOVE means. I found their answer so interesting that I decided to ask you as well. I was sure you were going to come up with a crazy, funny, far-off answer but I was so wrong. When I asked you what love meant, you said:

"It's caring for someone. It's when you take care of somebody"

I was taken aback. Wow. You got it!

Love ya,

Momma

Trust

Dear Sabrina Banana,

Last week, you were sick. I wrote you a letter during that time: Sick Baby. I told you about how I tried to teach you about the need to trust me and to believe that I will not lie to you and that I will do my best to take care of you.

Imagine how terrible I felt last Tuesday when I was 10 minutes late in picking you up!! Here I am asking you to trust me, yet I wasn't so dependable. =( As soon as you got inside the car you immediately said "Mommy you weren't there when I went out".  I apologize and told you about what caused the delay. You looked at me proudly and said "I just waited in the classroom and I didn't cry".

You see, in the past, you used to cry at the slightest delay of your fetcher. I asked you why you didn't cry and you said "Because I'm sure you will pick me up, like you said." WOW. On one hand, my guilty feelings resurfaced but at the same time I'm so happy that you now understand that Daddy and I can generally be trusted (albeit, 10 minutes late in this case). When you said this, I pulled over and hugged you....and I silently thanked God for guiding daddy and I in raising you to be as wonderful as you are now.

Love you,

Momma

Obsessed

Dear Sabrina Banana,

Last night, I read a story for you before your bedtime. You didn't really need me to read for you but I love reading with you. Because we get to talk about the stories (last night we discussed what prophets were...and generals) and be silly and have fun.

After our reading activity, you crawled to bed and then you asked me if it's okay if you brought your bible to bed. I said that would be okay. So you spent the rest of the night quietly reading your bible

Then, you quietly crawled into your blankets, and slept...while hugging your bible. Daddy and I were gushing all night. We can be silly like that.

Love ya,

Momma

Empathy

Dear Sabrina Banana,

Can I tell you a secret? When you were younger I was sure you had asperger's. This is a condition which makes you unable to feel empathy for others. It's having , shall we say, shallow emotions. You see, you were very cognitive. You were very concerned with patters, and you get obsessed with order, etc. I went as far as having you tested and everything came out normal. I guess there's nothing wrong with you...there must be something wrong with me then =)

This afternoon, as I was giving you a bath, you proved me wrong once again. You were trying to balance on one foot and I told you the story of how my Nani fell while trying to balance on one foot and how she has a wound because she fell in the bathroom. You were so concerned and you kept asking me "Is she okay? Are you sure she's okay?"

You then insisted that we go to Nani's place to give her your plaster strips. I told you that she already has a band-aid and you said your favorite Phineas and Ferb Band-aid is best because the drawing will make her feel better. You love these bandages and I know you would rather have all of them for yourself but you didn't even hesitate to offer them to Nani. I hugged you because I was so happy.

I don't know exactly how one can teach empathy...but I'm glad I don't have to find out as you already have it.

Love ya,

Momma

Sick Baby

Dear Sabrina Banana,

You have been sick these past couple of days and you have no idea how hard it is for both Daddy and me to see you as uncomfortable as you are now. We don't know why you got sick, it could have been from the play place we visited over the weekend. Our whole household is affected because we don't know how to deal with you being this sick because you very rarely get sick. The worst that has happened to you is that you had fever for 24 hours...now you've been sick for 4 days!

Thank goodness you are such a great sport. You take your medicine like a champ...no complaints at all. Sometimes, I'd wake you up in the middle of the night to give you medicine and you had no problem with that as well.

You know what? One of the most challenging things I've experienced is hearing you cough like crazy in the middle of the night, then look at me with tears in your eyes and say "Mom it hurts, it really hurts". There was that pleading look, as if saying "Mom, you are always able to fix things. Why aren't you fixing this? Why aren't you making this pain go away?". It broke my heart in ways you will not understand until you yourself have your own child.

Yesterday, I told you we were going to the doctor. You were not happy with that. You said you don't want the injection and by your own words "The doctor makes me nervous". I told you that I am sure the doctor will not give you shots today and that you have to trust me. Our conversation went like this:

Liv: Do you think I always tell you the truth?
Andrea: Yes
Liv: Do you think I lie to you?
Andrea: No
Liv: Do you believe I am going to tell you the truth now?
Andrea: Yes
Liv: The doctor will only use three things, thermometer, stethoscope and a flashlight. That's it. No injection. I promise. Do you believe me?
Andrea: Yes

When we reached the doctor's office you went from nervous to alert and friendly. You said hi to the doctor, embraced the doctor and gave a detailed account of your illness and your medicines. I was laughing because I'm not used to you being that sociable. The doctor was so impressed, and truth be told, so was I.

I told you after that I felt proud of you. I felt proud because you obeyed, and because you were able to "force" yourself to do something you don't want to do.

You're feeling a little bit better now so the challenge for all of us at home is having to remind you to take it easy and take it slow. Every time Daddy and I would call home to ask how you're doing you would have 10 complaints about the things your nanny won't let you do. We have to gently remind you that your body is still trying to get better and yes, your nanny is right...this is not the time to fly a kite. =)


Love ya,

Momma

Bookmark

Dear Sabrina Banana,

You had to make a bookmark in school. When you went home, you wanted to know what a bookmark was. I got confused for a while. What do you mean, what a bookmark is? Then it dawned on me. You honestly had no idea what it's for.

You see, sometimes, I forget that you haven't been around this world that long and that you cannot imagine what a bookmark is for. I explained it to you and your eyes lit up. I can see that you realized that "wow" a bookmark is a great invention.

You hurriedly got a book and you went through a soliloquy of sorts:

Andrea: Hmmm, I think I will read a book. Look I'm reading a book. Oh, now I'm feeling sleepy. Let me get my bookmark and put it here. (closed your eyes for a few minutes and  then) Oh, I want to read again, where's my bookmark?

What a spectacle just for one, small, homemade bookmark! It's quite funny.

Love ya,

Momma

Bad Mood

Dear Sabrina Banana,

Mommy's in a bad mood today. So sorry for being short-tempered and irritable =(. You have nothing to do with why I feel bad but I feel like you're taking the brunt of it.

Love you,

Momma

Handling Disappointments

Dear Sabrina Banana,

My heart bled when I had to tell you that you will not be joining your friends on your second field trip. Your entire class is supposed to go to Tagaytay but I couldn't go with you. Daddy was supposed to go but something came up at work which made it impossible for him to take you.

You have been to the zoo in Tagaytay so I know you won't be missing out on the learning, you will however be missing out on the fun. That's what I'm most sad about. I know you would have loved to play with your friends but unfortunately we really couldn't find a way to take you to your trip.

I felt so proud of the way you handled the news. You said you felt sad, you asked me why you couldn't go and I explained it to you. That's it! No rants, no whining, no tantrums. I heard you tell your dolls that they couldn't go somewhere because their mommy needs to do something. That tells me that you have understood what I was explaining to you.

I wish you know that when we have to say no to you, we feel worse than you do. Trust me! All we parents, want to do is to make our child's life as easy and as fun as possible. That's not what we should be doing though, we should be teaching you how to deal with the things that life will throw at you. The disappointments, the frustrations, the anger, the sadness.  I should not be shielding you, I should be guiding you as you deal with the negative emotions life throws at you.

I pray that I am able to do this.

Love ya,

Momma

Quality Time

Dear Sabrina Banana, 

Daddy's work takes him away from us several days a week. It breaks his heart you know? Having to be so far away from us and knowing that we miss him just as much as he misses us. Which is why he takes the time to take you out on dates on certain occassions. Like this movie date!

Daddy can't spend as much time with you as I can but there's no denying that he loves you sooooo much. The important thing is not how much time he spends with you but the quality of  your time together.  

I once said that the best thing I've ever done as a mother is to make sure that you have a dad as awesome as your dad. 

Love, 

Momma

Mercury Report

Dear Sabrina Banana, Around 3 months ago, you were asked to report about Mercury. It was quite exciting because you really love planets. The thing is, I don't want you to memorize things. I think memorizing things will not be effective in reporting because if you forget one little thing, you lose the entire flow of your presentation. Also, the point of this is to teach you something, not to get you to repeat random facts. What I did was I pasted questions on the board that you would read. Then you can answer the question as you would want to. You had so much energy while I was shooting this video it was hard to capture it. You said, you weren't as "jumpy" during your classroom presentation though so YAY! Love ya, Momma

 

Read Here, Read There, Read Everywhere

Dear Sabrina,

I was just telling Daddy how much easier our lives have been since you started reading whole books by yourself. You're addicted!!

Here you are in Starbucks as we meet up with Gramma. (Water, comfy couch, choco chip cookie with macadamia and a book?....ah, this is the life!)

Here you are in the car on the way to Sunday worship.

You know, I'm going to have to start imposing rules on where you can read. You'll probably be a bit sad about that, but I really need to take care of your eyes sweetie.

Love ya,

Momma

Favorite Author

Dear Sabrina Banana,

Ever since you found out what the word author meant, you have been going around telling anyone who would listen that Dr. Seuss is your favorite author =).

Last Sunday, while we were in the car with Daddy you had this conversation:

Sabrina: Daddy who's your favorite author?
Dad: When I was a little boy I like Franklin W. Dixon and Hans Christian Andersen
Sabrina: He's the author of Thumbelina!

Wow, I didn't even know that. Hahaha. I don't know why you know that but good on you!

Love ya,

Momma

Random Special Day

Dear Sabrina Banana,

We normally don't allow you to sleep with us at night. You see, we think it's important that you learn to sleep on your own plus Mom and Dad need the night time to catch up with each other. We do allow you to sleep with us during "special days"

Special days are birthdays, Christmases, New Years, etc. Last night, I asked you if you wanted to sleep on mommy and daddy's bed. You said "Is it a special day?". I said YES! And you wanted to know what the occassion was. I said "January 11 is Mommy loves me so much day". You dug that!

Is is hereby decreed that January 11 will be the official "Mommy loves me so much day"

Love ya,

Momma

Princesses and Knights

Dear Sabrina Banana,

You don't want to be a princess. You cried when your nanny said you should be a princess. You said princesses don't do anything except stay in castles. You said you want to be a knight, because they keep the princesses safe.

I respect that. Heck...I applaud that!

I guess not exposing you to Disney princesses has its perks. There's a study that shows that children who were not exposed to disney fairy tales have happier and more satisfying relationships than those who were. I can see why. Imagine being lead to believe that love happens at first sight and from that point on you don't have to do anything...you will be swept off your feet and your life will be perfect. BALONEY!

This is why I like the story of Beauty and the Beast. Belle is smart, she cared deeply for her father, she bravely looked for her father, she took her father's place in the dungeon, she didn't fall in love based on appearance. She had more depth and substance than the other princesses.  The other princesses aren't as interesting for me.

You on the other hand, don't care at all for any of them. Funny how you care more about Dopey than Snow White for example. =)

Love ya,

Momma

How to Eat Ice Cream

Dear Sabrina Banana,

Sometimes, all it takes is a simple activity to remind us that life is fun.

Thanks for the reminder.

Love ya,

Momma
p.s.
Crazy cause you love the cone more than the ice cream

Sharing as a Way of Life

Dear Sabrina Banana,

The psychologist in me knows that it's normal at this age for kids to start becoming a bit selfish. I am grateful that you are not as selfish as you should be developmentally, you are actually quite generous at this point in your life. You understand the concept of sharing, but truth be told, it's more often understood as others sharing their toys with you rather than you sharing your toys with others.

Dad and I are constantly trying to find ways to make you understand the value of sharing. Last December we got the chance to join Tita Joy's annual Christmas charity where her family buys toys and gifts for children. All 3 of us tried to help put goodies inside the bags (we were able to stuff 1000 bags!) but unfortunately we had to leave before all the bags were packed.

True, you got tired halfway through our shift but at least you were able to experience doing something for others. I know it was tough not opening the toys you saw around you....but you didn't and we couldn't be more proud.

Last week, we went a step further and we went through all your toys and you made a pile of things you were willing to part with to share with other kids.We are now going to find kids to share these toys with.

You know what honey, even I struggle with this sometimes. I think it's such a blessing to have you in our lives because it reminds daddy and myself that we need to be good examples to you.

Love ya,

Momma

Preparing for a Photo Shoot

Dear Sabrina Banana,

Today you wore make-up for the first time. You were both terrified and excited. Terrified because you thought I was going to paint your face and turn you pink all over. Excited because you're doing something you've seen me do once in a while.

To be honest, I wasn't very comfortable exposing you to make-up so early. I was sure to tell you that you're wearing make-up not because you don't look good without it, but because you need it for your photo-shoot.  You seemed to understand what I was saying...or at least you nodded vigorously when I said it.

You squealed in delight when I put "sparkly stuff" on your eyes. After all, what silver fish is complete without sparkly eyes right? You also squealed in terror as the mascara wand approached your lashes.

You asked me after I finished putting on your make-up if you looked pretty. I said "You looked pretty without make-up, now you look ready for a photo shoot." That seemed to make you happy.

It was surreal when you got home and I was wiping the make-up off with baby oil. You  asked me why I had to remove it and I explained to you the importance of making sure we take off make-up at the end of the day. "Was I really having this conversation with my 4-year old?".

I hope you know that the only reason I let you wear make-up is because the teacher specifically said that the kids should have make-up on for the photo shoot. We established today that you can only wear make-up when you have a show on stage. You seemed satisfied with that.

Love ya,

Momma

Impulse Trip

Dear Sabrina Banana,

Daddy decided to surprise you one afternoon and just like that we were off to Araneta to watch Disney on Ice.   You were beyond excited! You were even more excited when you found out that you were allowed to spend your money to buy one of the toys on sale...you chose the binoculars.

It was quite funny how your body tensed up with excitement at the site of Mickey and Donald and your other favorites.

Yup, you had a blast!

And because you had fun, I had fun too.

I am so thrilled that you have a dad who is willing to give up rest, just to spend time with you and have you experience things you like. It's such a blessing!

Love ya,

Momma