My SuNnY SiDe uP NooK

Choosing A Childcare Provider

Choosing the best childcare provider for your child (note: not the best daycare in town) is tough. Paying a visit from one daycare to another is not enough.  It needs extensive research, reading reviews, asking for references, etc.



But one thing I have learned/realized if not for this incident I had witnessed: your child should be HAPPY.

Are kids happy in daycare?  Kids are going to act better when they are happy at daycare. If possible, go on a field trip or other longer-term outing and observe kids to see if they are mostly happy most of the time. Your gut feeling about your child's overall happiness and the quality of care being received may give you the greatest peace of mind. If you don't get that feeling of comfort, it may be time to seriously evaluate your options. There are countless qualified, loving and engaged providers who would love to care for kids!



What I have realized too is that a prestigious/private pre-k school may not always be the best for your child. Finding the right care provider for your child is the best childcare. Like I have said: your child should be happy. If your child is not happy how could he/she learn?


Second, finding the learning style of your child is important. In my personal opinion children at a very young age shouldn't be taught to count 1 to 10 or ABC. There's nothing wrong with it. While it may work for other kids doesn't mean it will work for your child.




Right now, I just want Foster to be happy. I am a firm believer of the Law of Readiness. I don't want to force Foster to learn if he's not ready yet.



I don't feel bad anymore for what I had witnessed this morning. In fact, if not for that I wouldn't realize what I had just realized today. I don't care anymore if I took Foster to the daycare full of toys. He have a lot of time ahead of him to learn what he needs to learn. He will learn by experiences and observations. He will learn from his friends and classmates. He will learn when he is ready to learn.



I trust my gut feeling more than ever before. Indeed, mother knows best.
 

Odds and Ends

Just as I was ready to do another blog entry, Randy just called to say he wants to pick Foster up (its only 4:00 pm). That means I have to go because the car seat is in my car. He's excited to pick his son up. Yesterday evening he was crushed and wanted to cry when Fosterkept saying "no dada!" Randy had just arrived from his business trip to Florida and was so excited to see Foster. Foster and I ran out the door but he wasn't as excited as I was. Obviously, he doesn't like to see his dada because he's the one who disciplines him. Meaning to say, a lot of don'ts and restrictions. Anyways, gotta go.... need to go to Foster's school now! see ya later alligator!

Knick Knacks Posting

Now that Foster has been going to school for almost two weeks, I got all the time to  clean our entire house. Some of the junks I got from garage sales are literally going to the junk and most of them will be donated to the Purple Heart. And then there are way too many stuff in each rooms we don't really need that would end up in the trash can, to Purple Heart, some I saved for the next year's garage sale and the rest I can probably sell online. I thought of sending them to the Philippines but they too have way too many junks there...haha.

I like the fact that I can relax a lot but still I can't get Foster off my mind. His first day at school was a little bit hard on me that I was crying from home all the way to his school. I was consoling myself that at least I won't yell at him anymore... Foster will learn a lot... he'll meet new friends. Its indeed exciting for us.

Back to his daily routine...

Foster is still having a rough time in school. He seem to have not adjusted well yet. His teacher, at least, told me that he's not crying anymore and is playing with his friends now. He's not eating his food much. He seem to be quiet everytime I come to pick him up.

Whats so nice about his school was the fact that the administrators and teachers has been there for many years now. Our separation with Foster on his first day wasn't that of a big deal. No drama. His teacher just told me “mommy, say bye-bye to Foster” and “Foster, say bye-bye to mommy.” Just like that and then he pick him up and went to the back door where the other kids were playing. His teacher made sure that the other children were at the back yard probably so that they won't stare at Foster. And so that Foster won't feel ashamed or embarrassed.

The other advantage is that the owner's brother, on the other hand, owns the gymnastic school at the back of Foster's school. So every Tuesday, There's a gymnast instructor who comes to their class to teach them some acrobats? Lol.

And then they are taught to play musical instruments, they cook and paint too. Last Monday, they listened to classical music. Fridays are swim days and pack lunch which should consist only of sandwhich, fruit and vegetable. Just like a regular school.

I've found out that Target store don't sell nap mats. I have to buy it online. Personalized ones are nice but expensive. So I am stayingclose to my budget (which is $25).

Foster's Daily Sked

Foster's Daily Schedule

6:00 – 7:45 Breakfast/Gathering Room

7:45 – 8:30 Toy Work/Outside Play

8:45 – 9:15 Line Time/Attendance/Pledge of Allegiance/Group Lessons

9:15 – 10:00 Work Time/Snack/Potty Time/Diaper Changing

10:00 – 10:30 Outside play

10:30 – 11:00 Potty time/Stories/Songs/Finger plays

11:00 – 11:30 Lunch

11:30 – 12:00 Nap Prep

12:00 – 2:30 Naptime

2:30 – 3:30 Potty Time/Diaper Changing/Snack

3:30 – 4:15 Outside play

4:15 – 4:30 Potty Time/Diaper Changing

4:30 – 6:00 Toy/Work/Story Time/Indoor Games/Music

6:00 – 6:30 Jr. Staff classroom

The Unauthorized Chef

This yummy dinner is so easy to make. All you need is:

(click the photo to view)

1.) beef (flank steak or skirt steak)
2.) corn
3.) portabello button mushroom, rub with extra virgin olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4.) spinach with lemon and garlic recipe
5.) herb (I suggest peppermint because this goes pretty well with the beef)
6.) butter and salt for the corn

To make:

* Grill the corn first with the innermost part of the skin on. Wrap in aluminum foil when already done to keep it warm.

* Grill the beef next. Cook it according to the desired doneness (Randy and I prefer medium to rare). keep in foil to keep it warm too.

* Grill the mushroom. The trick is to tasty mushroom is always grill it right after you grill the meat. Put it exactly where you grilled the meat. The mushroom absorbs the flavor of the meat.


Spinach with Lemon and Garlic Recipe

Ingredients:

Spinach
Garlic
Lemon
Lemon zest
Salt and pepper
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

To make:

Slice the garlic thinly then mix with olive oil in the pan. Start the heat. Saute for a minute. add spinach by batch. Transfer the spinach to the coriander and drain the juice.  Return to the pan. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and lemon zest. Voila!



Bon apetite!

Peter's Online Typing Course

I have discovered something addictive but worthwhile, useful and so much fun.

I took proficiency test for our school district last month. Part one of two tests was typing. Since I am applying for a job that requires typing, I am using my free time to learn.


And what a nice website I've just found two days ago! http://www.typing-lessons.org/lesson_1.html. I am getting addicted to it because their typing exercise is like a game. I am taking the authors advise seriously (lol because I am determined to get any kind of job):

• No mistakes. Always be sure and in control. Follow the principle of 100% correct practice: to make a mistake is to learn incorrect things, and to confuse that which you already know.
• Slower is faster. Speed comes from certainty. The more you type things correctly, no matter how slow it has to be, the more certain you will be, and the faster you will become a proficient typist. Increase speed only when you feel sure enough to do so.
• Don't look at the keyboard! If you don't know where a key is, look at the keyboard to find it, then look away and type the key. Do not guess; always be sure.
• Relax. No unnecessary or dysfunctional tension!
• Hit the keys squarely in the center. If you find you aren't consistently doing so, SLOW DOWN!!! It should feel good to type!

I am recommending this website to those who still use the point system typing. Enjoy!

FoSTeR iS GoiNg To The DaY CarE

So... its inevitable. Whether I like it or not Foster is going to the day care. Tomorrow will be his first day. I have mixed emotions. Sad, excited, happy for him, anxious and relief. This will be the first time Foster and I will be apart so I'm anxious. For sure I will cry tomorrow when I drop him off to school. I am just consoling myself that Foster will have friends and playmates. He'll get to socialize and learn. Its good for both of us as I'll have time for myself, relax, get some rest -the much needed break. We have to get off of each other. Foster will sure cry in the next two to three weeks but I was assured by the staff that he'll be ok.


This is the day care that was on the top of my list - the Montessori Child Development Center. The Montessori approach. They said Foster will learn to count one to twenty, one to ten in Spanish, ABCs, etc. There's not much toys there. They encourage the kids to be creative and all. I only wish they have webcam so we can monitor Foster (like kids r kids. but we can't afford it right now).

At the same time Foster will have his swimming lesson at Fleet every Thursdays for the month of July right after his day care at 6:00 PM. That is where my next door neighbor's (Pattie Shieh, the newscaster at Fox News Houston) kids go to. They're all very active in sports. Hopefully, Foster will be too. They're already participating in the swim competition. Fleet is where the professional swimmers are trained. That's what I am told by the people there. People who join the Olympics or something. So I am happy for Foster. I am grateful that Foster has been given the chance to do this at an early age. So thankful and appreciative of what we have right now. I couldn't ask for anything more when it comes to Foster's welfare because he's very well taken care of by Randy and my in-laws.

A note to my own mother:

Mudra,

hehe... Sa una lihim akong naiinis pag tinatama mo ang aking blog. Pero sa loob loob ko din tama ka naman at defensive lang ako kase di ko matanggap na tama ka hahaha! Anyway, buti na lang medyo nag mature na ako at nakikinig ako sa mga sinasabi mo dahil wala namang ibang magtatama sa akin. Ika nga "mother knows best." At dahil sa mga paalala mo sa akin, eto na realize ko na tama ka talaga at kailangan kong maging mapagpakumbaba at i-"tame" ang aking blog. Naisip isip ko nga sa mga nakaraang blog ko eh medyo mayabang ang dating at nakaka offend sa mga kapwa ko immigrant at Pinoy. Kaya simula ngayon ang blog ko ay "Welcome to Sunny Side Up"

Kaya dahil dyan ang mga posts ko sa blog ko ay magiging simple at informative (talas-talasan daw sabi ni Memei) haha! that's all!