My Mommyology

December 11, 2012
by mymommyology
6 Comments

My Mommyology Likes: Rise of the Guardians

If my mommy mush brain hasn’t failed me, the last movie that I saw in the theater was Brave — that was when Sam and I had our movie date in Chapel Hill. We’ve been back in Manila for the last few months and up until last Saturday I hadn’t set foot in a movie theater.

The irony of it all was that before we left for Chapel Hill (before we had kids), my husband and I would watch movies almost weekly. Any new release, we’d make time to see it. But then since we’ve been back, watching a movie has not made it back into our regular programming just yet. I think it’s mostly because when the weekends hit, the schedule doesn’t work out, or the kids have a different agenda. Also, we both felt that Jamie might still be too young to watch a full-length feature in a dark surround-sound theater.

In the last week however, several different people have told us that the Rise of the Guardians was a must-see, even for kids. I hadn’t even heard of the movie (I have obviously not been following the latest trailers or checking the newspapers’ movie pages!) so we checked out the trailers on You Tube. I’d have to say that the trailers are a tad-bit misleading and present it as a very scary movie. Sam saw them and said she didn’t want to watch it.

Nonetheless I persisted and questioned several trusted sources, and they said that Sam would enjoy it… and maybe even Jamie. So last Saturday, while Dad was at a basketball game and we had a free afternoon (I think it’s also the last one we have this December!), I took the risk and headed to the 4pm show. I had all these scenarios in my head about how I would keep Jamie from getting scared so that we could sit in our seats and watch the show I had my mom (our other accompanying adult for the film) buy hotdogs and chips — just in case we needed some form of pacifying.

As it turned out none of it was needed. Jamie was a little scared about the trailers and the loud sounds at first, but I held her and told her it was going to be okay. The minute she saw the moon and Santa and the elves, she was completely mesmerized. And she sat through the whole 100 minutes of the film without a fuss! I was pretty impressed. I doubt she got the whole story, but she enjoyed seeing the action and the characters on the big screen, and it was nice because somehow she learned about the Sandman and the Tooth fairy. Plus, she liked the silly little jingly elves. Not bad for a first movie for a 21-month old!

Adorable Elves! Full of character!

Sam on the other hand was a little bit more apprehensive coming into the movie. Nonetheless she sat in her chair, hotdog in hand and absorbed pretty much what she could. I had to explain a few things to her here and there because she kept asking me why (I’m told 4-year olds do that sort of thing often), but I didn’t mind. She did get a little bit scared and overly dramatic over some of the scenes with Pitch the Boogeyman but after she climbed into my lap she still sat through them. She said she was more afraid of the scary music. At first she held to her original feelings that she didn’t want to watch it, although she did want a picture with the pop-up poster outside after the show. We’ve been talking about the movie ever since and with every conversation and every new memory she’s slowly learned to appreciate the lighter, funnier parts. Now she says she wants to go and take her dad to see it, because she “really really REALLY liked it!“. Ah, the mind of a toddler indeed.

She even has a favorite part of the movie, which involves the scene below. I’d tell you – but I might spoil it for you!

What’s in the bags you say? 😉

Sam has picked the Sandman as her favorite character (I must admit I like him a lot too). Before going to bed at night she and Jamie ask if the Sandman will bring them some dreams! Of course, with Christmas just around the corner, we talk about Santa a lot too. And then there’s Jack Frost — and Sam says she misses seeing his snow in Chapel Hill.

The movie is all we’ve been talking about for the last few days, which is why we keep going back to McDonald’s. Their Happy Meals contain several of the characters (Santa is not part of the list! Boo!), and so the girls have excitedly and repeatedly asked to have chicken nuggets and fries just so that they could get a few “new guardian toys” to play with. We’re 70% of the way to collecting all of them.

The Happy Meal Guardians

It’s a pretty cool film if I do say so myself, and it has a lot of great messages for kids and kids at heart. Everyone has something to learn from the Guardians. It’s one of those films you want to see more of, or see again, or own a copy of at home (and I want to do all three!). Best of all it talks about a basic truth we can all live by and use well into our years. In Sam’s own words (she came to the conclusion all on her own) that for as long as she believed in the Guardians, then she needn’t be afraid of the Boogeyman. I don’t think she could have said it better.

What did you think of the movie?

December 4, 2012
by mymommyology
4 Comments

My Very First Mommy Mundo Bazaar

The Manila Christmas rush is in full swing and the crazy shopping madness has indeed started. I haven’t gotten a jump on my shopping yet since I fear the overflowing parking of the malls and the crowd, especially with two little girls in tow. It’s quite hard to shop when both my eyes are on them all the time.

There have been the usual bazaars popping up left and right, and I’ve been hearing great things about some of the “finds” that people get. Since I’d come back into Manila, I’d been more fearful of the bazaar crowds and parking troubles. My last (dated) impression of a bazaar (for the benefit of my non-Manila friends, a bazaar is a bunch of stalls side-by-side selling all sorts of things — like a street fair except it’s in air-conditioned quarters. It’s a very common event come the Christmas holidays here) was that there were mounds of stalls cramped together, with merchandising sky high, and very little walking space. I remember it being incredibly hard to breathe. At one point, it seemed like everyone was selling a little bit of the same thing, I was seeing triple and didn’t know which way to go. It was exhausting. I couldn’t for the life of me, think about bringing in the girls and risk losing them amongst clothes, food, and the crowd. But still, bazaars are great places to get shopping done.

So — I picked as a “test run” to shop at the Mommy Mundo Bazaar a few weeks ago. I was a lot more confident about coming to this one because Janice (the founder of Mommy Mundo and fellow SoMom) was running it and since I know Janice personally, I was sure she and her group would think of every single concern moms (like me) would have.

True enough, the minute I entered I knew I was going to be able to breathe easy. There was ample space to walk in and register AND there were signs for stroller parking and an area for moms to breastfeed and change diapers. I’d never encountered a bazaar like that before – ever! It’s so simple and it addresses the basic needs that moms with kids would have when coming to bazaars like this. I’m glad they thought of it.

They had me at stroller parking.

Then there was a “welcome” huge loot bag that came with the registration filled with samples, a magazine, and space to put your shopping buys. I also got my 24/7 2013 Mom Planner which I am genuinely excited to use. There’s a reason as to why it’s called a mom planner — because it is tailor-fit to suit the way a mom writes down things in her week. There are portions for each child, for the husband and for mom herself. There are Child Info Sheet pages where you can list down each child’s friends, parents, contact numbers, activities and schedules — and I found that pretty neat. Now with the two girls in two different schools, I feel like there are so many new parents and friends to keep track of, it helps to have it all in one planner! There are coupons too which I know I will use particularly when summer sets in. And finally, there are inspirational quotes from real moms for each week. Of course I will say that I am privileged to have been one of those that Janice asked a quote from. I’m so flattered that she used it (My little claim to fame)! 🙂

It’s a great planner. Moms all over the world can actually use it!

The SoMoms had a booth where we could meet other moms at the bazaar and talk to them about pretty much anything under the sun. I was pretty excited about that and I hung out there for a while (It was in front of the Enchanted Kingdom booth too and I was eagerly waiting for the Wizard mascot! Alas, he eluded me that day). I would say that I met a lot more people as I mingled through the bazaar. Again I was quite surprised at the few that I spoke to who have already come across my little blog and so I’m glad that it somehow has helped them; so thank you once again.

I think that the best part of it all, was the quality of the concessionaires present at the bazaar itself. I’d venture to say that there weren’t that many stalls as compared to a typical bazaar, but the ones that were there sold a good variety of products. It was a good mix too because as I observed, there was not much direct competition amongst the merchants, and that seemed to give the everyone an equal chance to make enough for the weekend. I even got to speak to several of the moms at their booths. A common thread in our conversations was that they realized when they became moms, there was a huge opportunity to create or distribute brands and products for moms, babies and toddlers that catered to needs not yet met by the usual local sellers. Everything from lactation treats, the Spinkie pillows, wooden toys, soft sole shoes to brands like Happy Baby and my very own carrier Baby K’Tan were there and I was so glad to see them (and in my head I was looking for excuses to buy more from them too!). In the case of Tricia Matoto-de Santo, the creator of a now-favorite purchase, the Dizzy Dress (thank you CrashTestMommies and OCMominManila for the discovery!), she created her dress as a happy compromise between her and her daughter’s daily clothing dilemma (something I am currently experiencing with both girls!). I am glad she did as Sam loves her dizzy dress. Jamie loves Sam’s dress too — which means I need to get another one so that the girls can happily twirl together.

Dizzy Dresses, Spinkies, Baby K’tans and my WonderWorld wish list toy for the girls — what more could I ask for! 😉

I loved shopping at this bazaar, talking to other moms and discovering all these new finds. It was easy, it was relaxing and quite honestly a lot of fun. The girls came for a bit and enjoyed playing with the other kids their age. There was enough space between the booths so I never lost sight of them. Of course, the Mommy Mundo Bazaar has now set the standard for what I feel a comfortable bazaar experience should be. I can’t wait for next year’s run because I think I am going to do a bulk of my shopping here (ergo – I should save up for it already!).

November 27, 2012
by mymommyology
3 Comments

Children’s Parties in Manila

There is a big difference in the way children’s parties are generally done here in Manila than from the way we’ve experienced them in Chapel Hill. When I try telling my non-Filipino Mom friends about how elaborate a party of a toddler can get in US budget terms, they are quite surprised. “It’s almost as much as a wedding!” they say. I’ve recently confirmed this with another mom who does children’s party events for a living. She says it is a very lucrative business these days.

I’ve gotten into several healthy discussions with other moms who have had their children’s parties on both sides of the spectrum (the big ones and the smaller intimate ones) and I can see why they happen. For the bigger parties, a lot of the time the guest list balloons because we have so many close friends and family close by that share in the joy of our child’s birthday. Not to mention that each child that you invite, comes with just about three adults: mom, dad and yaya. So if you have 10 kids, it’s safe to assume you’ll have around 30 adults already present on top of that. It is a good excuse already to see everyone and get together (As my husband says, the marginal cost per head is more efficient as compared to having several smaller-scaled ones). Of course, it’s also a celebration of thanks — because who isn’t happy that their child just turned two… or three? And what parent wouldn’t give their child the best party that they could in their power? It’s who we are culturally; every celebration is a fiesta. The acceptable level of the fiesta is of course very subjective.

Speaking of fiestas, Jamie and I recently attended the Mexican Fiesta-themed party of her 2-year old classmate. I had never met the parents before (no reason yet for us to get together in school), so we showed up at the party without recognizing anyone but a few yayas who I see at pick-up and drop off for their kids. Immediately though upon entering, Jamie was given a Mexican sombrero, and we found ourselves in an arts and crafts area with colored sand bottles, a balloonist and glitter tattoos. There was also a mechanical bull ride for the kids, a tiny ball pit, and… a live pony ride! It was Jamie’s first one in fact. There were at least three event photographers clicking away, one even with a portable instant printer on his back, like a hi-tech Polariod. It was amazing. The food was amazing, the set up and the give-aways (they even had one for yayas!), it was all just… amazing! I honestly can’t imagine how much all of that would cost, although I will admit it’s wonderful to be invited to those kinds of events. They have a host and all these games and prizes. It’s like being transported into a different world for a short span of time and the kids get so much out of it to take home. Jamie has not stopped talking about “riding the brown pony” since.

Jamie loved every minute of this one!

As a guest, I do enjoy being invited to parties like those. As a host for my kids’ parties though, I don’t think I’d survive mounting one of that scale both physically and financially. My husband and I agree that we’d rather allocate that money towards a family trip, which is actually our plan for Sam’s 4th birthday. She did however, manage to squeeze out a small, fairly intimate celebration with a few friends. As we did last year, I let her dictate her own guest list and the activities that she wanted to do. I am beginning to see a pattern in her choices — it’s all art-related (Do I have a budding artist on my hands?). She did after all say that when she grows up she’s going to be a painter…

This year, Sam asked for some “Kiddie Art”, by Kiddy’s Arts Town — a little discovery we made at a local Toys R’ Us branch. It starts off with a stenciled design outline on an aluminum plate. Then you fill the design with colored paint. Once that’s done, the design and plate are baked in a mini-oven so that they gel together to form a colored picture. Then, the design can be peeled off and with the help of a little water at the back, it can be stuck onto a glass surface. It’s pretty neat actually.

With OCMominManila’s daughter M at their designated Kiddie Art table.

Sam had been pestering me for this activity for months, which was why we decided to have it as the main event for her party. She literally sat at the little table making about 10 stencils all in all, with the help of various adults (as you need to paint within the black outline of the design and use a toothpick and cotton buds to clean up the excess). She even wanted to do it again the next day! It seemed to be a great activity for the other kids (and adults as well) since a lot of them were engrossed in the painting and the baking for the entire duration of the party. Plus, they got to take their art works home as an added souvenir! There was no need for a lot of fan fare and parlor games. That worked out quite well since Sam is not a parlor-game kinda gal. It seemed like the adults thought it was a good activity too.

In a way I was glad to have somehow interspersed the kind of kids’ party fun that we’d gotten used to in Chapel Hill. The parties we’d attend and host were always one big playdate, with one main activity (with lots of food and cake). All in all, it turned out to be a nice afternoon. More importantly the birthday girl was incredibly satisfied with her party. I suppose ultimately big or small, at the end of the day what really does count is that the kids enjoyed and had fun.

We have part 2 of Sam’s birthday celebration coming up in a few days — I’m actually so excited for that! And I can’t believe she’s turning 4!

***

Kiddy’s Arts Town does a minimum party package of P5,960 which is equivalent to about 40 small stencils. They have big ones too and you can opt to mix and match. For more inquiries email ruth@kiddysartstown.com.

November 14, 2012
by mymommyology
33 Comments

Meet the Mom behind My Mommyology (Now a Part of Mommy Mundo SoMoms)

There is a give-away at the end of this post. 🙂

*clears throat*

Hi everyone. My name is Jenny Reyes, and I pen the blog that you are reading now. If you’ve been following me you’ll know that I have two girls whom I adore to no end, both born and raised in Chapel Hill, my home away from home. I have, until this very day, managed to stay under the radar with respect to my identity and my photo. No real reason: I just liked the privacy of it all. I’ll get to why I changed my mind in a little bit.

It was around this time two years ago when I first started blogging. Apart from Sam, the next “possession” that was always by my side was my Mac. I was always online, trying to stay in touch with the world, particularly with activities happening across the Pacific. Writing has always been a hobby of mine, and after I had Sam, I never had enough time to complete my many jumbled thoughts on a sheet of paper. Typing was always much faster. So when OCMom suggested I try my hand at blogging, I went for it. I was also a few months away from having Jamie and I couldn’t imagine how I would find the time to sleep, much less maintain a physical hand-held journal. So blogging it was.

The easiest topic that came to mind was (and admittedly still is, the most prevalent one in my life) motherhood and parenting. Like many moms, I never run out of stories to tell about my girls and the twists and turns that they put me through on a daily basis. Time and again I’ve said I’m a student of motherhood, because (like many moms!) I look for whatever it is that’s out there that will help me be the best kind of mom my children need. I’ve shared a lot of my experiences and personal stories, as well as the little insights and nuggets of learning that I’ve picked up along the way. I have to say — I feel very humbled to know that other moms who have stumbled across My Mommyology have learned a little bit here and there too (Awww! :)).

A few blog posts, some tweets, and a relocation to Manila later, I was asked by Mommy Mundo along with some other moms (a lot of whom I’d “met” online, through my blog, Facebook and Twitter interactions) to be a part of a pioneering group of Social Media Moms called SoMoms. We are a collective of moms active on Social Media (thus the name!), all with unique voices and points of view relevant to moms like ourselves. We have a wide range of beliefs, concerns, and advocacies that we like to share and talk about or learn from one another as well.

Because of my family situation, I was one of the last moms to join the group. But when I first met all the other SoMoms in person, I felt right at home. Well — we’d all been communicating with one another virtually months before, but more than that, everyone was very welcoming and interested in my own experiences and what I had to say. We realized that as much as we have our own individual parenting styles, we are all passionate about sharing our discoveries with other moms, giving advice, creating conversations and building relationships with readers and followers alike. In other words, we are a social media mom support group — and why not? All moms need one after all!

Grab your husband’s credit card, and let’s go shopping! 😉

While we like meeting new people online, we enjoy face-to-face encounters too. I know I’d love to meet other moms and build my mommy network, wouldn’t you?

The SoMoms will be at the Mommy Mundo Bazaar at the Rockwell Tent on November 24 and 25 (If you haven’t done your Christmas shopping, this is a good place to get started!) Come and meet us at our booth to chat, share stories, ask questions about our blogs, advocacies and passions, or simply just to make some new friends. We will also act as your personal shopping guide and customer service and tell you where to find certain things you’re looking for!

To sweeten the deal, ALL the SoMoms are giving away a Mommy Mundo Bundle prize this next week, which contain a Mommy Mundo Passport and the much-awaited Mommy Mundo 24/7 2013 Planner (I’ve heard good things and I can’t wait to get my copy!). Feel free to visit the other SoMoms’ pages and increase your chances of winning (some of the links are at the end of this post)!

Without further ado, here are the mechanics:

1. Follow the Rafflecopter give-away steps below to earn points from now until November 21, 2012;

2. The winner will be announced on November 22 here on my blog. I’ll leave your name at the entrance of the Mommy Mundo Bazaar so that you can claim your prize there (it already includes an entrance ticket to the bazaar!);

3. The prize is fully transferable so you just need to let me know if it will be you or someone else claiming the prize before November 24 (We want to make sure we leave the right name at the entrance!); and

4. The prize is forfeited if the winner does not go to the Mommy Mundo Bazaar.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

See you there! I look forward to meeting you all! 🙂

Know more about the Mommy Mundo So Moms by visiting our webpage here. Contact us at somoms@mommymundo.com.

Join the give-away from the other SoMoms too:

J and the Three Boys: Why I Blog

Go Jackie Go: Giveaway: Launch of SoMoms at the Mommy Mundo Bazaar 2012

Apples & Dumplings: Mommy Mundo SoMoms + Giveaway

Manila Mommy: The Mommy Mundo Social Media Mom Network (an Intro and a Raffle!)

The Painter’s Wife: Introducing Mommy Mundo SoMoms (Giveaway Alert!)

Mommy Fleur: Introducing The Mommy Mundo SoMoms (With a Giveaway!)

Chronicles of a Nursing Mom: Introducing Mommy Mundo SoMoms

Manila Fashion Observer (MFO): Meet the SoMoms + A Giveaway!

OCMominManila: The Mommy Mundo SoMoms and a Giveaway!

November 12, 2012
by mymommyology
0 comments

The Halloween Hangover

Halloween may just be Sam’s most favorite occasion. I just realized how much she loves to play dress-up lately and Halloween gives her the perfect excuse to do it (and she can get treats we wouldn’t normally give her too!).

This year was a little funny in terms of our costume master plan. Early on in the year Sam took a liking to the Toy Story films we got her dad for Father’s Day (It was a double-purpose gift obviously — similar to the anniversary gifts I’d received in the past) and so she asked if she could be Woody for Halloween. I was surprised that she didn’t relate to Jesse more but anything is okay nonetheless. I am in support for whatever it is she wants to be and explore, be they boy or girl or gender neutral in nature.

I got her the Woody outfit for the summer and she wore it practically everyday after camp. The plan was to have Jamie eventually dress as Jesse, however as a last-minute change that didn’t work out and Jamie ended up as Abby Cadabby, the costume we had in storage from when Sam turned 2 (If you read my Halloween post last year, you can pretty much guess what Jamie will be next year!).

A Woody and a (cool) Abby Cadabby

Sam used the Woody costume in several pre-Halloween parties, and I think she felt a little out-of-place because no one called her “Woody”. They all would say “cowgirl” or “Jesse”. Even I couldn’t get why since, I thought the Woody and Jesse costumes were very distinct (Or is it because I’m just a Toy Story fan?). At first Sam would correct them and say, “No I’m Woody,”but then eventually she stopped and just smiled and let everyone think what they wanted to think. Her smile was bigger though towards my friends and other like-minded parents and relatives who called her out immediately as “Sheriff Woody” and commended her for making such a cool unexpected choice for a little girl.

And then at some point closer to Halloween, Sam decided she wanted to be a spider instead. While everyone around her wanted to be some form of princess or fairy or flower… she got it in her head to be a spider. I was willing to comply, even if I thought it a bit odd. Even my husband couldn’t believe it when I told him — “A what?!” was all he could say.

So for three weeks I searched high and low for a 4T sized spider costume. Some parents told me I could easily make one but unlike OCMom and her award-winning DIY costume-making skills, I didn’t have it in me. Like cutting children’s hair, costume-making is not in my mommy resume.

I’d have to say that I was quite disappointed. We went to 4 different stores that sell costumes, and all of them had pretty much the same choice options: princess or witch (or some variation of them). They had a Spiderman costume but Sam said that she wanted one with 8 legs, not the superhero. There were a few but only for kids 24 months and under, and even those choices were so limiting (spider, pumpkin, some fruit or vegetable, and a furry animal…) that I didn’t bother looking for a different costume for Jamie to wear either.

I had Peggy Orenstein’s book in my head about how we stereotype girls early on and the costume choices available were proof of that. Here is my daughter with her imagination and creativity running free (just like in her ballet recital, instead of being a bunny or a ladybug, Sam wanted to be a monkey!) and yet all she was being offered were princesses from different fairy tales and their witch counterparts. She said no to all of them each time and didn’t change her mind. I even confessed to Sam that we’d exhausted all local options and she just said to me unfazed, “It’s okay mom – you’ll find one.” Talk about faith in your mother!!

I ended up ordering from Amazon as a friend was willing to bring it home for her, but after a few shipping glitches we realized that it wouldn’t make it back in time. In the end I was able to convince Sam that a feminine-looking little bumblebee would have to do and she did comply, but only wore it to one party. Her story when people commended her on being a bumblebee was that she was supposed to be a spider, but mom couldn’t find a costume. Gee, thanks.

Two days ago, my Mother-in-law dropped off the things she brought home for us from her latest trip to the states and Sam finally got her wish. The spider costume came in with the loot along with a few other things, and we opened it up. Sam wore it THE. WHOLE. AFTERNOON. She picked up her pumpkin bucket and started going from room to room pretending to trick-or-treat too, and she filled her bucket with things from the cupboard and little knick knacks here and there. Today she said she wanted to be a spider again and hopefully we could all go trick-or-treating. “Please Mom?!”

I used to think that Halloween costumes were an inefficient use of funds because the child would only wear it once, but boy have I been proven wrong! To date, our dress-up bin of clothes, props and accessories continues to grow in size because we still keep all the costumes the girls have asked for and have made (such as princess crowns and the like). Sam and Jamie (and their dad) find different reasons to be someone or some thing almost everyday, and it is great for their creativity and imagination. Sometimes Sam will put up something with lots of circles and say she is a Polka-dot Maker. I love it! For now though, her flavor of the month is the spider and spinning webs, and so we shall be just that.

Jamie in the meantime has taken to her sister’s Toy Story likings and tries to keep up with the Halloween dress-up games too…