The help told me that last night, the ex-yaya called. Apparently, her brother left her with her current employer. (She left us so she could work closely with her brother. Alas, the brother left.)

It seems to me that she wanted to go back. And it was expressed to her that she will be willingly accepted back here. (Yes, expressed in way like “Di ka ba naawa sa amo mo? Di ka ba naawa kay Mikee? Ang tagal tagal mong alaga, iniwan mo. Di mo ba namimiss? Kung gusto mo bumalik, tatanggapin ka naman dito eh.“)

Actually, when I learned about it this morning, I told hubby who is reluctant to get her back. He said what she did is really annoying. Mind you, my husband is a very patient person. So it is a big deal when he thinks someone or something is annoying. I just told him that we badly need a yaya for Mikee and this one Mikee has come to like. He said he’d still think about it.

Anyway, the help asked the ex-yaya so she could fetch her in case she wanted to go back here.

Help: San ka ba?
Yaya: Pasig
Help: San sa Pasig?
Yaya: Malapit sa (QC) Circle.

Waaaah. Hopeless.

We always arrive 30 minutes earlier for Mikee’s Saturday “class”. This way, she has time to relax and (re)familiarize herself with the surroundings.

While we wait, I read some parenting magazines. One article catched my attention. I’m pretty sure I’ve read this before. So even before, I knew that parents are discouraged to say NO to their children but forgetful that I am, I forgot how to do this. So here I am blogging about it so in case I forget again, I know where to look.

Ok, I don’t remember all but I’ll share what I think are attainable for a mom like me who HAD the habit of saying NO to her daughter.

How to say NO to your kid/s without really saying it:

• Give the positive equivalent of what you want to say. Instead of saying, “No, you can’t eat candy till after dinner.”, say “Yes, you can have candy after dinner.”
• Give an option. When your kid plays ball inside the house where he/she is likely to break something, say “You can play ball outside or you can stay inside the house but keep the ball to your room.”
• Say how you or others feel. “If you hit her, she would be hurt and she’ll cry.” or “If you hit me, I’ll be hurt so please stop.”
• Don’t be too strict. You might be restricting your child, and saying NO too much. Kids have the right to play and be happy.

Honestly, after reading this and had the urge to say NO, I stopped to think what to tell Mikee. Yes, it isn’t instinct for me not to say NO yet. But at least now, I stop and think. I think I’m getting there.

Mikee and I have a different routine that started just few days ago. It used to be that I’ll wake up then wake Mikee up. But lately, I’d wake up being nudged by the little girl. And what’s nice about this is upon opening my eyes, I’d see her smiling at me waiting for me to greet her good morning. Looks like my daughter has found a better way to start our morrning.

Don’t you just love motherhood?

Today was Mikee’s first day to attend her play group. We arrived there early with socks on and no piece of body jewelry. The idea is to familiarize her with the place before the “lesson” starts. Then one by one, her playmates arrived. She easily became friends with the other kids. She had no trouble with sharing. She willingly let go of the toy once a playmate gets it from her. Passive?

The trouble started during the welcome song. All the kids were sitting obediently with their mommies. Then Mikee stood in the center of the circle and started jumping and dancing to the music. This had motivated the other kids to join her. So all 5 kids were jumping. Woohoo! So I’d say my daughter is quite influential. Hahaha.

I was able to take just one picture because I was busy convincing Mikee to sit down and sing with the teacher.

Would you believe that today had been educational for me as well? I learned that there are a lot of simple words inside the house that I can (and should?) teach Mikee. Nouns and verbs. This has been a problem to me. I just teach what is on Mikee’s poster and books. I never had a guide. Now my mission this week is to “review” her with her “lessons” today.

Let me just blog about this very quickly.

The yaya who left is now working as a store saleslady (or in tagalog, tindera). This I was told by the help. She and the yaya are neighbors in the province. And the yaya’s mother told the help’s mother who told the help. She is earning as much as she was earning as a yaya. This only means it wasn’t about the money. She just didn’t want to work as a yaya anymore.

As of now, the help takes care of Mikee when we are away or busy working. Actually, it’s the help who likes children. The yaya don’t. The help would take a bath and be very fresh before getting Mikee from me. So fresh you’d think she’ll go out on a date.

Note to MBAPs: it was the help who was with us on our Mcdo party.

So unlike the ex-yaya who picked her nose while taking care of Mikee. I tell her to wash her hands whenever I caught her. I’m telling you, this happened many times. But I liked her ‘coz she was hardworking. It’s just that she didn’t like kids.

Oh well, like I told her, “what comes around, goes around.”

After 3 months of working from home, I am expected at the office starting this Monday.

And tonight, the yaya left. Talk about perfect timing. She said it was an emergency but when hubby asked her what the emergency was, she can’t come up with an answer. I let her go ‘coz I was afraid that she might leave anyway when hubby and I go to our office.

Her older brother came to fetch her. I inspected her things. I was a bit shocked that her things were all packed up. She was ready! I told her to leave the yaya uniform but gave her the yaya rubber shoes.

I just told her I am letting her go because she said that it’s an emergency but if she has just got another job, she should be afraid of bad karma, ‘coz what she did was bad, leaving us hanging, without any warning.

Another challenge for our family come Monday.

I don’t know how but we will!

Prepare Mikee’s birthday party, that is. It’s just a month away. Yet, we haven’t done anything. As previously agreed upon, we will have a simple party this year (next big party is on her 7th). But still, I suspect fastfood chains are fully booked by now. If that’s the case, we’ll hold a simple get-together at home. Sorry kids no games ‘coz Mikee’s mommy doesn’t know how to host party games. Hehehe.

I’ll post an update hopefully next week. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I am so tired. While the yaya is on vacation, the routine goes like this:

I wake up in the morning to do some mommy stuff. Then while Mikee is busy watching Hi-5, I’ll start working (I am now situated just right outside the bedroom door. This so I can see Mikee while I get the most signal that I can from the router.) After Mikee has gone fully awake from jumping while watching the show, I’ll give her a bath. After which, we’ll start watching Baby Einstein. This does not only help Mikee, but me, as well. You see, just this morning, I was so stressed with the workload and the demands. Thank goodness for the classical music I was hearing. It calmed my nerves. Well, somehow.

I try to teach Mikee some things. I want to maximize the time that we’re together. I talk to her in english while we “study”. (I know the yaya talks to her in tagalog, and that the yaya and maid talk in Visaya in front of Mikee so no wonder Mikee is so confused. )

After the maid is finished with her chores, only then she’ll get Mikee from me. But I bring Mikee with me after lunch. Lately, she gets cranky after lunchtime, a clear indication that she’s sleepy. (Sometimes, I think to myself, was it because the yaya was watching TV that Mikee couldn’t sleep as early as this? She used to sleep at 5pm onwards for her nap, again at 1am and wakes up at 10am. )

I really don’t want to talk about my work. What I can say is, I’ve been struggling for my work-life balance. Yes, it’s a struggle!

After dinnertime, I give Mikee a spongebath. (She takes a bath if I have time before dinnertime) When she’s all comfy, only then that I’ll start washing the bottles.

Geez, yaya life is so hard!!!

(For the first couple of days, I wash Mikee’s clothes even if the maid was offering to wash them with our clothes. I gave up. She now washes them. After all, a supermom is a myth.)