Enchanted Kingdom

Sharing a few of our photos from our recent visit/surprise pasyal for my daughter.

Why You Should Sign Up Your Kid to Mcdo Kiddie Crew - just my mommy thoughts :)

Summer is here and one of default summer activities we always come up with is to join the McDonald's Kiddie Crew program.
It's been years since my daughter joined one and it's proven to be one of the most memorable and valuable activities she's had.
Let me count the ways.

1. It's affordable. For less than P600, your kid gets the fun and experience, plus the exposure, the uniform, free meals, ID, cap, and sling bag.

2. It's convenient. They're available in all McDonald's branches. It's just a matter of picking a branch near you.

3. The program runs on a per batch basis. This way, it's easier to choose the week that's convenient for you.

4. Kids get to meet new friends, both kids and adults alike.

5. The staff are always accommodating and are genuinely concerned. My daughter kept saying that her "teachers" are nice and funny.

6. It teaches life skills like taking turns, cooperation, discipline, being tidy, being polite, keeping promises and proper hygiene.

These and the memories you will create indeed are worth signing up for the McDo Kiddie Crew summer program!


https://mcdonalds.com.ph/userfiles/images/portal-carousel.jpg

This Season of Grieving

It's been around 3 weeks since my only sister suddenly died. She was complaining of a terrible back ache, which was quite normal because she has a mild case of scoliosis, but that fateful day of February 3, her back pain was so intolerable that she went to my mom's room to rest on her bed, then she said she wanted to vomit, but wasn't able to anymore because she collapsed. Her eyes looked terrifyingly delirious and she couldn't form words anymore. To say that it is painful for me to recount what happened next is an understatement. I may perhaps be able to write them in due time, but right now, remembering everything brings back all the fear and trauma.

Anyway, we rushed her to the hospital at 11pm, at 4:45am she was having seizures (her 4th or 5th on the emergency room), at 5am she was being revived and given CPR, at 5:40 she was brain dead but there was some heartbeat, at 6:45am she was pronounced dead. Cause of death is Multiple Organ Failure due to Sepsis and Pneumonia.

As what I always answer my friends who ask how I am coping with the loss, daytime is easier because there's so much to do. But night time is the worst because my mind involuntarily rewinds everything. Every scene, every conversation, all the minutest detail always return to my mind. It's so scary and I am scared at the highest level. I didn't know I am capable of this much grief and fear. not only do the scenes return, but also emotions and thoughts, realizations, what if's and what could've beens.

Many times I am afraid of closing my eyes because all I can see and think about is her struggle in the emergency room. Many nights I feel like drowning. My heart is heavy with sorrow and terror.

This is driving me crazy.

Soccer Summer Camp

It's been three years since my daughter started playing soccer. Soccer camps are really fun not only because of the of the games but also of the lessons one learns by being in a team. My daughter has learned camaraderie even among kids that she's not regular classmates with, even among kids of various nationalities. In my daughter's soccer camp, she's had Korean, American, Japanese, Malaysian, American, Canadian and Chinese teammates.

Being an only child, it's wonderful seeing her not having ANY problems dealing with others. She's always been Miss Friendship ever since she was a baby and up to now I can see her veering towards being happy both in a group or with one BFF. Regardless, she's having fun!

Anyway, just wanna share some of the latest photos of her during her soccer games.

Dr. Walter Mischell's "Marshmallow Test"

Many years ago, I came across this article that discussed Dr. Walter Mischel's "Marshmallow Test." It's an interesting study on delaying gratification for children. This said study was done in the 1960's at Stanford. I've always found it interesting and knew the moment I read about it that I am going to teach it to my child.

You see, Dr. Mischel gave children two choices; be able to eat one marshmallow anytime they want, or wait for an adult to enter the room and that's only the time they can take and eat two marshmallows. In a nutshell, one marshmallow now, or two marshmallows but you have to wait. Wise Mr. Mischel followed his subjects through the years and found out that the children who could wait and control their urge to get a marshmallow "have lower BMI, lower addiction rates, a lower rate for divorce and higher SAT scores."


As parents, especially of onlies, it is always easy to give in to our child's need and wants. But delaying gratification not only teaches them patience, but also discipline, grit, and whole lot more of life skills they will definitely need in the future.