Of Alphabets and Growling Bears

My bestfriend Mars recommended a site for online tutorials for toddlers. I found it good and very helpful in teaching my 3-year old Borjie. So when he woke up this morning, I told him that we are going to study. He said that he doesn’t want to study with me as he wants to go to school. I told him he can’t go to school yet, but I will be his teacher for now. He was expecting that we will be grabbing some papers and pencil, but to his surprise, I open the computer. He insisted that he wants to get some papers and pencils, but I told him that since I’m the teacher, we’ll do it my way.

So we went to Starfall.com. I was surprised that Borjie can identify some of the letters of the alphabet, and has easily picked up the sounds of each. Zaira also took some noteworthy interest and has diligently mimicked the sounds. Everything was going well until the study showed a growling bear, and then everything went boring for Borjie. He keeps on asking me to repeat the part where the bear was growling. I tried to put his interest back on the topic at hand, but he wouldn’t hear any of it anymore and has kept on asking for the growling bear.

And so I have to end our session for now. I went to youtube.com and there his eyes feasted on the tigers, crocodiles and bears eating each other. These are the kind of stuff that my kid enjoys….*sigh*. And then it took me a lot of bribing before I was able to steal the computer away from him again.

Friday High

Okay...I know I shouldn't be doing this. I should be catching up some sleep as I only have a few hours of sleep for the last few days. But it's Friday, and knowing that tonight will be last night to come to work for the week is like a shot of caffeine for me. Aside from that, my kids have been bothering me like crazy. They keep on banging on our bedroom door until I haveno choice but to open the door for them and let them in. Well, so much for rest....

And of course, the convenience and tempatation of having unlimited internet at home. The fact that a computer and internet connection is justa few feet away from by bed, and the urge to slam my fingers on the keyboard is a tempation I would love to indulge in....

And so for now, sleep will have to wait until the weekend...

My Kids' Prayer

My kids usually sleep late, so when I was still on a night shift, I rarely get the opportunity to put them to sleep. And since I am now on the day shift, I now have the chance to tuck them to bed everynight. And everytime, what signals the bedtime is the prayer time.

I teach them to pray the "Jabez Prayer", following the long list of "thank you's"

We begin by thanking God for their milky and nappy...then "thank you, Jesus for mommy and daddy"...and then the list goes on...

We thank God for each other, then for all the people in the house. Most of the time, they are the ones who initiate thenames and I just repeat it after them for affirmation and acknowledgement.

Eventually, they have understood that they can add names and items on the list. Aside from thanking mama and papa (my parents who are in Manila) Borjie has learned to thank Jesus for Jollibee, for slides, for toys, for Narnia, for Tarzan, for Mickey Mouse and for swimming. After he met my sister and her bestfriend, he added Tita Dobz and Tita Gingging on the list. When he got a Baby Einstein book from Tita Mars, that hasbecome a priority. Zaira on the other handed added Dora, Barney and Baby Bop (Kuya helped translate them to me coz I couldn't make out her words at first) and after she got a Barbie from Tita Mars, she was added to her list. Then we thank God for keeping us safe and healthy

After the narration of the people and things to thank God for, then they would say, "Oh, Lord, that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory (and believe me, 2 year-old Borjie can say it in full), may your hands be upon me Lord and keep me away from evil. In Jesus name we pray..." and together they will say "Amen!".

I am amazed that as young as my children are, the have understood the concept of being grateful for the things they enjoy. I only taught them to begrateful for the basic things we are getting like milk, food, shelter and eventually, they started adding the things they enjoy doing or having and the list goes longer everyday.

I purposely taught the "thank you" part first because I want my children, above all, to acknowledge that all things come from God, and I want them to, more than anything else, have a grateful heart.

Kids' Delight

Before leaving for work yesterday, my kids' nanny told me that my 2-yearold son refuses to eat rice. She asked me if she could buy other food (aside from the one being served) for him like, hotdog or ham. He has always been picky, he probably got that from my pool of genes. I told her that my kids are not allowed to eat processed foods. I told her that as long as he drinks milk and eat cookies, she need not worry about it.

So before going home last night, I told my husband what the nanny said. We agreed to buy the kids jollibee chicken joy and see if that would make them eat. True enough, we we're greeted with squeals and delight by the time we opened the door, and they both shrieked "Wow! Jolllibe!" when they saw the plastic bag we're carrying.

And so it was that two toddlers gobbled up 2 Jollibee chicken joy and rice, dipped with loads of gravy. They were so happy with the food they ate, that Borjie, my 2-year old son came up to me said..."thank you, mommy!"

The food cost us a little over a hundred, but seeing the delight in their faces, and hearing my child say "thank you" with all sincerity melted my heart in one priceless moment.