Trial @ Yamaha School of Music

I know I need to look for free insurance quotes as we really need to finalize the renewal of our insurance but then I can’t wait to share this picture of Bela.

These pictures were taken during her trial class at Yamaha School of Music last Saturday. She received a drum set from her Tito and Tita on her last birthday. She really loves musical instruments and is really interested in learning to play it but since she already have a drum set, we decided that we let her try drum lessons.

My mom inquired at Yamaha School of Music in D. Tuazon, Quezon City last year. They normally accept students for their drum lessons aged 5 years old and up but they already had a 4-year old student before so they said that Bela can have a trial to see if she is fit for the program.

As soon as she sees the drum set, she quickly went inside the music room and said “Oh, my favorite!” She comfortably sit in front of the drums and started chanting “1-2-3” while tapping the drum sticks together and started playing with the drums.

The instructor commented that Bela has a potential as a drummer but the problem is she is still too small for their drum sets (which are for kids aged 7 years old and above) and so she can’t reach the pedal which the instructor said is an important aspect in learning how to play the drums. We told them that Bela has a drum set at home for her age and we can try brining in the chair that goes with her drum set and she can try again if she can reach the pedal of Yamaha’s drum set using her own chair.

The owner scheduled us for another trial on Friday. Hopefully, Bela’s chair will work with their drum set so she can enroll in their Drum Lessons program as she is just so eager to learn how to play the drums.

Complicated

When I was still young my only problem was how I can escape nap time so I can play outside. Now I realized, the future of a child is already in my hands. How can I raise them so they will be a better person. How can we make a better future for them.

Just like now, just making a decision on which school to send Bela is a very complicated decision for us (or should I say, for me) to make. I just feel that I have a big responsibility that we should make the right decision because it is for her future. The decision that we will be making might make ore break her future.

When we were choosing a pre-school for Bela, I thought that it is the last time that I will be confused. But seems like, every year, I am always at lost on what to do with regards to Bela’s schooling. Thank goodness for anti aging skin products, because if not for them I might be looking so old already for thinking so much about all this stuff.

I was asking my mom, if it is really this complicated. I just need to choose a school for Bela but I have spent countless sleepless nights already just thinking about it. My mom just smiled at me. Maybe she knows that in time, I will surely know what to do. Just like what my blogger friends has mentioned, I just have to use my gut feel and mother’s instinct.

Comparing STC and SSC

Aside from the fact that I am in a dilemma if we will send Bela to big school or not this year, I am also not decided yet as to which big school should we choose if ever we decide to enroll Bela to big school this school year.

We are only down to two choices: St. Theresa’s College (STC) in Quezon City and St. Scholastica’s College (SSC) in Manila. We initially looked at Colegio de San Agustin and Assumption in Makati but I learned from my blogger friends, that distance is a big factor to consider since it is also stressful for the child, especially at their age. So we dropped CSA and Assumption and we just narrowed our choices to STC and SSC.

Both schools have good facilities – they both have computer laboratory, art room, music room, playground, learning resource center, gymnasium, etc. What I like about STC is it is nearer our house. It is just a fifteen-minute drive fro our place so Bela doesn’t have to wake up that early. As for SSC, it is 30-45 minutes drive from our place. I also feel safe with STC’s surrounding, it is more quiet and secured as compared to the busy streets of SSC. I don't have that much information with the methods of teaching of STC, but from what I read so far about SSC, I like their curriculum. They use a teaching method for grade school called SMALL GROUP PRESCRIBED INSTRUCTION WITH INDIVIDUAL PACING which means that

* instruction is carried out in small groups most of the time
* within the small groups, each student works to attain previously set goals at her own pace
* academic work is prescribed by teacher, or with bigger children, and is mutually agreed upon by teacher and pupil
* achievement is measured in terms of individual abilities and pace

I think this method will be a big help for Bela’s adjustment to big school. As for extra-curricular activities, SSC offers more extra-curricular activities for their students than STC.

We plan to attend the parent’s orientation for both STC and SSC so we can learn more about their program and then we will decide from there. Hope that God will give us the guidance to make the right decisions for Bela’s future.

Big School or Not to Big School?

When it comes to decision making where the future of our kids is at hand, I am always faced with a dilemma. Just like now when we have to decide if we will enroll Bela to a big school this coming school year or we should just let her stay in her current school for one more year.

I must say that I am really so stressed out that I need a face moisturizer and I really don’t know what to do. Actually, hubby and I already agreed that we want to move Bela to a big school this year so she can start with the kinder level, then Preparatory before going to Grade 1. We thought that by doing this, Bela will have find it easier to adjust to the big school setup since all of her classmates will be new students like her instead of moving her to big school by the time she is ready for Preparatory level.

But then after talking to the Admissions Officer at St. Scholastica’s and we were informed that Bela has to master writing by June, my mom got alarmed and got scared that Bela might find it hard to adjust since she is still playful and she might get traumatized. We were also able to talk to the director of her current school and she is discouraging us to enroll Bela to big school. According to her, Bela’s cognitive and social skills is already ready for big school but she is still not mature enough for the new pressure that big school will bring.

Last October, I was able to talk to Bela’s teacher and she told me that Bela can make it to big school and she is already ready. This is also what her Developmental Pedia had mentioned during our last visit.

So now I am face with the question: big school or not to big school? I even emailed my blogger friends who are moms like me for their take on this. I really appreciate all their inputs and I am really thankful because I really learned a lot from them and this will really help us in our decisions.

I pray that we will arrive at a decision that will really benefit our daughter.

Bela's Application at St. Scholastica's College

We are already set in enrolling Bela at St. Theresa’s College for their Kinder program this coming school year but then I changed my mind again and thought of checking out other schools so at least we have a basis for comparison. (Is there a multivitamin that can enhance my EQ so I don’t have to be like this where I am always confused when faced with situations like this?). I already got an application form from St. Scholastica’s last October but I did not pursue the application since Bela was already accepted at STC.

Since I received a lot of good feedbacks about St. Scholastica’s College, we decided to try it out also and we submitted Bela’s application last January 8. She was scheduled for interview last January 9 at 8:30 AM. It is actually an interview-exam since Bela was asked to answer 4-5 pages of worksheets I think. After less than thirty minutes, I was called by the Grade School head who administered the interview-exam.

Her comment was that she was alarmed that Bela still has poor writing skills. She was able to answer the worksheets except the last page where she was asked to copy the small letters but she said that her handwriting is still not legible even the way she colored the shapes. She also commented that even the way Bela holds the pencil and color is not correct. But cognitively, Bela did well and her writing is the only area that we have to practice.

We we’re asked to proceed to the Admissions Office to know the result of the interview-exam. Unfortunately, the Admissions Officer is not present so we we’re asked to come back on Monday.

Come Monday, we we’re able to talk to the Admissions Officer and we we’re informed that Bela is now accepted to their Jr. Prep program but we we’re told that we really have to train her to improve her writing skills.

We haven’t paid the reservation fee yet of P2,000 but we have until January 18 to reserve a slot for Bela.

My Life

Kids are really amazing. Sometimes, I feel I need to use anti-wrinkle cream to survive being a mom but majority of the times, I just feel so happy and lucky to have Bela. She is our source of joy, our inspiration, the reason why Howell and I are working really hard to give her all the best this world has to offer.

Now that she is to become an ate soon, we can already imagine that she will be the sweetest ate to her sibling. Every night, she will kiss and hug my tummy and she will tell her baby “IT” (that is how she calls the baby inside me) how much she loves him. She will also tell a story to her baby IT before she goes to sleep. She also likes it every time she helps me with my medicines and she reminds me every time I drink it that it will make me and the baby strong.

Every time I visit my OB, she is always with me and will hold my hand if my doctor asked me to lie down to check on me and she will always tell me “That’s ok mom, everything’s going to be ok.”

After a long day at work, my husband and I loves it every time she welcome us home with an excited tone saying “Mom, Dad!!” and then she will hug us and kiss us.

No matter how bad our day is, I am sure that everything will be okay as soon as we see her. I am sure it will be double the fun, double the happiness and double the contentment we will be feeling as parents with the coming of our second child. We are thankful for the precious gifts that God has given me and Howell.

Bela's Application at STC

Bela will be turning 4.5 years old come June so we are now considering enrolling her in big schools. St. Theresa’s College, which is one of the schools that we are considering for Bela, will be opening their kinder program this school year which is open for kids aged 4.5 – 5.5 years old.

My mom inquired last October and filled up application forms for admission. Bela was scheduled for interview and luckily, Howell and I were on a holiday that day so we were able to accompany Bela for the interview. The interview will be conducted by the Guidance counselor. We were asked to wait at the Guidance Counselor Lounge and Bela started reading books while waiting. A few minutes after, she was fetched by the interviewer and she went with her interviewer alone with no problem. I was praying the whole time Bela was inside for her interview. I am confident that she can answer the questions but I am worried that she won’t stop talking. (That is the comment given to her when she had her mock interview at MSS. She won’t stop talking and sometimes will tell stories that are not related to the questions being asked. LOL.) After 15 minutes, the interview was finished and the Guidance Counselor said that she passed the interview. She even commented that Bela knows a lot already for her age. I mentioned that Bela is still having a hard time writing but I was assured by the Guidance Counselor that it will not be a problem.

We were asked to pay the reservation fee of P2,500 to reserve a slot for Bela for Kinder and we we’re informed that there will be a Parent’s Orientation on February 27, 2010

Disney on Ice

Bela had a blast as we watched Disney on Ice at Araneta Coliseum. The last time we watched a show (The Dora the Explorer show at Aliw Theater), Bela got scared and since then, every time we watched a show, she will rather go out than stay inside the theater.

So when I told Howell that there will be a Disney on Ice show, Howell is really not up to watching it as he thought that Bela might just get scared again. I know that Joaqui of Peachy loves Mickey Mouse and so I had the idea of watching the show with them so Bela has a kid companion in watching which might help her overcome her fears. We also asked the other MBAP mommies if they want to watch with us. We ended up watching the show with Peachy and Joaqui and Jacqui and Sam (look at Jacqui. She just gave birth a few months ago and she is already back to her pre-pregnancy weight. I wish I can find a quick weight loss program that combines eating nutritious foods, exercise and weight loss products to help me loose weight after I give birth).

We met up with Peachy and Joaqui at the food court of Gateway Mall as it is still early. We went inside Araneta around 5:30 PM (show starts at 6 PM) and Bela and Joaqui had a chance to buy a souvenir from the souvenir shop. Bela got the Stitch doll and Joaqui got the Incredibles toy figure. Jacqui and Sam arrived a few minutes before the show.

We got the best seats in the house – front seats facing the ice skating rink which is really a dream come true for the kids as they we’re able to watch their favorite Disney characters up close. Bela kept on running to follow the characters everywhere they went. There was even one character that joined the audience and the kids we’re able to have a short interaction with him.

Bela just loved the show and you can really see the excitement in her face while watching it. She even asked me if we can watch it again the next day. Every penny that Howell spent for our tickets was all worth it.

Excited to Go to School Today

Bela was so excited to go to class today. She was even the one who wakes me up to ask me to prepare her for school.

The reason why she is so excited is because she is bringing to school today some of her water transportation toys. Modes of transportation are their topic for this month and for this week, they will discuss different water transportation and so they were asked to bring some of their water transportation toys. Bela brought with her, her Little Einsteins submarine with Leo, Backyardigans Pirate Ship and the new Water raft toy of her dad.

At first she doesn’t know what a raft is so Howell has to show her pictures of water rafts from the Internet so she can picture out what it is for. Since the toy water raft is a bit big, she is asking me if we can go to the beach so she can play with it. I saw the panama city beach condo rentals and thought that Bela will have fun here playing with her water raft, but since I am pregnant, I don’t think any travel would be possible until I give birth. So for now, she just has to enjoy playing with her water raft and her other water toys in her small bath tub. LOL.

She will be arriving from school in a few hours and I am sure she will have a lot of stories to tell me on what happened at school as they play with their water transportation toys.

Shopaholic Bela

When we went to SM Appliance Center to accompany my aunt to buy her refrigerator, I saw this cute Lenovo laptop computer with a Mickey Mouse design. I showed it to Bela and she said:

Mom: “Bela, look. A laptop. It has Mickey Mouse. Do you like it.”
Bela: “Oh, a laptop. For me? I like it.”

And then she tried to open the display cabinet to get the laptop.

Mom: “No, if you want it, you have to pay for it. Do you have money?”
Bela: “Yes, I have.”

And she tried to dig into her pocket to get money and she raised the twenty-five centavos that she got from her pocket. She went to the saleslady and gave her money and she is asking for the laptop. The saleslady just smiled at her.

She loves playing with my laptop and she loves typing letters in MS Word but I think her Clickstart toy will be enough as her first computer for now. LOL.