tutor mama chronicles: the filipino subject

almost 3wks into schooling and i am pretty much happy with how xia is doing in class...  except for filipino where she really struggles (and it's even an understatement!).  she is not interested on it and she feels it's the hardest subject of all.  the first week in school was just about introducing herself in filipino and she can't still do it on her own even now on the third week :(  i am partly to be blamed because i have not really trained her on filipino while she was going to an english-only preschool for 2yrs.  too late for me to realize it...

she's quite advanced on her math, english and science because it seemed they have to go back to basics on those subjects to the point that she's now getting bored on shapes, colors, letters, phonics, etc.  they have just started learning cvc's in reading while xia can already read sentences!  good thing for me that she's doing quite well already on those area so we can focus more on filipino.

last weekend, we were supposed to do advance study on the lesson for the entire week on filipino which is about bahagi ng katawan.  i had to do real slow - starting from paa, tuhod, balikat, ulo and had to sing the song for it so she can easily recognize.  then i had to move to the parts of the head.  boy, it was quite difficult!!!  and honestly nahiya ako sa sarili ko that i haven't exerted effort on teaching xia basic filipino words!  all she really knew was buhok!  we spent quite a lot of time going through the parts of the head.  and with her little span of attention, i had to resort to various tactics to get her focused on the subject.  as much as i want her to finish the entire body, i had to stop when i felt that she was starting to get overwhelmed.

before we slept last night, i knew at least that she can already identify the parts of the head in filipino including ang tamang pagbigkas. when i tried to review her again in the morning, OMG all she could remember were buhok, mata and ilong!!!  di na nakilala ang tainga, bibig, dila, ngipin, pisngi!!!  so i had to go through it again with her in our morning study time.  dinaan ko na rin sa matinding dasal na sana di na nya ulit makalimutan...

fast forward to tonight, the first thing i checked after the diary was her filipino book.  i was hoping against hope that tumama naman sana sya in case meron silang ginawang activity related to it...

and she did not fail me!!!  dannnndaaaraaannn!!!

yayyyy 3 stars!!!  i couldn't be happier!!!  hahahhaa ang babaw ko i know!  sakto lang din na yung nakaya lang namin aralin nung weekend ang lumabas sa lesson today.  

and we have to study more!  ang dami pang bahagi ng katawan na dapat aralin... ohmygosh, help me God!!! 

we really need to double our effort on filipino!  it's even humiliating to find out that her 2 half-japanese classmates speak filipino more fluently than her!!!  kaloka.  kaya ngayon me tagalog time na sya sa bahay... 

happy hi-5!!!

xia is 5 today!!!  her big day!!!  and she can't wait to be 6 hehhehee...

all she ever wants is a disney frozen-designed cake.  i have to grant her wish with 2 cakes!!!

and cute cupcakes too! 

we had a celebration with family and close friends last saturday via a pool party at the village clubhouse.  as has been the tradition, family from the province flew in because xia would want all her cousins to be with her on her birthday.  that deserves a separate post 😘

today was spent with her classmates since it was a school day and would not want her to miss school!  while it was a very simple (and quick!) celebration, xia had a time of her life!!!  her classmates enjoyed celebrating with us with jollibee chicken and spaghetti and cupcakes!!! 

xia's classmates sang for her a birthday song and she blew the candle on her cake.  the kids went crazy over the frozen cake and cupcakes!!! 

we were only allowed 20mins (strictly during recess time only!) to make it all happen.  so we just enjoyed the rest of the time watching the kids eat after serving them food.

there was one boy who came up to me, shook my hand and told me that he was glad to meet me.  such a polite boy, too bad i didn't get his name!!!  

xia came up to me in the middle of the celebration, hugged me and this was what she said: "thank you mama for the party here at school.  i am sooo happy!"... and she gave me a kiss.  i wanted to cry but held on to it.  even now as i remembered that moment, i am almost in tears!!!  that's what i liked about her - she appreciates all that i giver her and show her...

the kids also thanked me for the party and i made sure i was out of the room after 20 mins.  it was a "fastbreak" party!!!  

thank you to ms. agus who helped secure the permit and made the celebration special for my xia... 

after school, she brought home gifts from her classmates.  she loved them all and she opened them one by one upon reaching home... 

the big box came from me - remember the rule getting expensive toy only on birthday and christmas?  well, she got one today! 😉😆😄

super hi-5, xia!!!  you are my piece of heaven here on earth!!!  i can't ask for anything or anyone to be in my life because you complete me 💜💜💜 

i love you soooo dearly!!! 

may all your wishes come true!!! 💋💋💋

xiaism 2014.01

xia woke up at the wrong side of the bed last saturday.  she was not her usual sweet self.  she would normally be smiling and would hug and kiss me good morning.  but that saturday morning was different...

she woke up sad and when i asked her why, she just said she wants a new toy.  she noted that i have not bought her a new toy for quite sometime.  so i told her i will buy her a cheap toy when we go to the mall and she insisted we go right there and then.  she was close to crying so there was a lot of explaining to do...

mama:  we cannot go to the mall yet because mama doesn't have money now.

xia:  why you don't have money mama?  

mama:  remember mama has to buy you new uniforms, new shoes, new bags, baon and has to pay for your big school.  mama would want to give you everything you want if only mama has money.

she was already crying while listening to me and started to hug me.  and then another question: 

xia:  how can you have money again mama?  you go to work?  

mama:  yes, mama has to work.  i told you already right that mama is in the office everyday so i can buy milk (and i enumerated again the things i buy for her)...

in between sobs, she said:

xia:  mama, please work a lot harder so you can buy me toy ok? 

gusto kong matawa sa hirit ng anak ko promise!!!  i did not see it coming, i swear...  ang clever lang!!! 😆😈😆 

but i hope that she was able to understand that she doesn't always get what she wants and that she needs to work hard or in this case her mama has to work hard so she gets what she wants. 

i am just blessed to have a daughter who doesn't insist - as long as you have a satisfactory explanation about your decision or point.  she doesn't get it when you say "because you need to do it" or "because that's what i want"...  she's smart enough to know that it's not the right answer and would not accept it until she gets to the bottom of things.  i think this was what she acquired from her 2yrs montessori schooling where kids were trained to ask, ask and ask again until they get an acceptable answer.  so in any conversation i have with her, i don't take shortcuts!  i make sure i give her a complete answer at once 😉😉😉 

big day at big school for my little augustinian!

xia is officially an augustinian!!!

classes in the big school started last june 10.  i went with her to school on the first day and parents/guardians were allowed to bring them to the classroom.  

xia was really excited on her first day - so was I! :)  we went early to make sure she got warmed up before the class started.  it allowed me to take more pictures too :)  

kuya matt brought her to school too as his classes start next week.

we met up with nathan (xia's carpool mate and classmate at abba's) inside the campus while waiting for their class to start.  

the kids were allowed entry into the classroom 15mins before the actual start of class.  i made a lot of bilins while we were queuing: be a good girl, make a lot of friends, listen to teachers and follow their instructions, etc.  she just kept nodding but not sure if she was listening because she was more excited to see her classroom and meet her teachers and classmates.  

we were 4th in the queue and were greeted by teacher donna.  xia said goodbye to me from the door but teacher noticed that i was taking pictures of xia so she allowed me to go inside.

teacher told xia to choose her seat.  the other 3 ahead of her took the seat at the sides (the seats were in U shape) - but being the stariray kid that she is, she took the first row at the center :)  

there were some drama of kids not wanting their parents to leave them behind but i wasn't concerned at all with xia.  she was about 3 when she first started schooling and she just turned her back on me on her first ever school day.  what more now when she's about to turn 5 and on her 3rd year in school.  it was easy-peasy for her!!!  she made me so proud of her again!!!

we picked her up after school and i was so excited to know how the day went for her.  her school for 2 years being a montessori school was a lot different from a traditional one.  so i knew there will be adjustments to the new method and the new environment... 

alas, she enjoyed her first day and gave me big hug and sweet kiss when she saw me by the door of her classroom!  she said she made 2 friends :)  

she went home with her diary and this made me feel pressured.  

this means that i have to manage my time well so i can attend to her homework.  this is something new to us so we need to work together on this.  

did not go with her anymore on the 2nd day.  kayang-kaya na ng anak ko eh na wala ako ;)  she had more fun because of her PE time!!!  when i asked her if she wanted to go back to abba's she said no because she loves her new big school :)  

i'm quite relieved!  it's the real world now for me and xia and we will conquer this together!!! ☺☺☺ 

bring it on, big school!!!  

june!!!

xia has been excited for her 5th birthday since june 25 last year - haha yes, one day after her 4th birthday!  every month she would ask if it's june already.  

when june 1 came, she would wake up everyday (for 7 days now) asking me if it's her birthday already!  ganun lang sya ka excited talaga.  she said she is excited to turn 5, then 6, then 7, then 8 and she goes on and on counting her next age ;)  

she knows we are not going to have a big party - after her 1st birthday, there were only very small gatherings with just family and closest friends.  and all she would normally ask is a nice cake and a nice toy...  this year she asks something specific:  a frozen-themed cake with elsa, anna and olaf on it.  time to scout for it!!! 

i can't believe she's turning 5 soon!!!  

prepping up the cuties for big school!