There’s this blog post on Blogging Parents specially dedicated for couples who are having extreme difficulty in conceiving a baby.

The blog post basically is promoting an e-book entitled “How To Get Pregnant“… The Ebook was written wby Liza Olsen or something. According to her the tips and techniques and suggestions listed on her book is guaranteed to work since she used it herself.

For me, I don’t personally recommend it, but if you are one of those people who are having problem, a $40 ebook wont hurt much.. and anyway, it’s a 60 day money back guaranty.

You can call it what you want, mini notebook, ultraportables, netbooks had been “in” nowadays. As I can say, all my friends are buying this gadget as if buying a candy in a store. Because everyone I know has one. In this modern time, they are used for different purposes.

Aside from its convenience, it is also very light to carry.  Unlike laptops or notebooks, as far as know, its smallest size is 5 inches. Though, you can use it for surfing net and for storing file records. Its downside is you don’t have CD/DVD player/writer built in it, that sometimes in this modern life in addition, is a necessity.

Two of the most beautiful songs about Fathers.

Father and Son

Father and Son is a classic song by Cats Stevens. In his own words, “the song, well the idea is going to go a long time”.

The great thing about this song is the idea of a conversation between a Father and a Son. The song is about an exchange between a father not understanding a son’s desire to break away and shape a new life, and the son who cannot really explain himself but knows that it is time for him to seek his own destiny.

Stevens sings in a deeper register for the father’s lines, while using a higher, more emotive one for those of the son.

I like the concept of songs that do conversations like Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney’s “The Girl is Mine”, only Cat Steven’s “Father and Son” is a conversational song between a father and a son, done by Cat Steven himself.

The first two parts (verses?) is the Father, talking to his son about advising his son not to go on his way. Telling him that he’s still young and there’s a lot of things to learn before venturing out in the world.

The 3rd verse is the son, probably talking to himself and saying that he must go, that he’s been listening to his father all his life and he wants to make decision by himself.

Now the last two parts, I like. The 4rth verse is the father talking and son talking back (the backup harmony/vocals). The father saying, ‘sit down, take it slowly’ and the son responds, ‘no, I know I have to make this decision alone).

Then the last verse, it’s the son’s turn to talk (notice the high pitch voice of Cat Steven). The son is saying that he still wants to go.. and the father replying ‘Stay. Why must you go and make this decision alone?’

Excellent song. Beautiful!

Here’s the lyrics for you to enjoy further.

It’s not time to make a change, just relax and take it easy
You’re still young that’s your fault there’s so much you have to know
Find a girl, settle down, if you want to, you can marry
Look at me, I am old, but I’m happy

I was once like you are now, and I know that its not easy
to be calm, when you’ve found something going on
But take your time, think a lot, why think of everything you’ve got
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not

How can I try to explain? when I do he turns away again
it’s always been the same, same old story
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen
now there’s a way and I know I have to go away
and I know I have to go

(away) (away)
It’s not time to make a change, just sit down and take it slowly
(I) (know) (I have)
You’re still young, that’s your fault, there’s so much you have
(to make this)
to go through
(decision) (alone)
Find a girl, settle down, if you want to you can marry
(no)
Look at me, I am old, but I’m happy

CHORUS #2:
(stay) (stay, stay)
All the times that I cried, keeping all the things I knew inside
(why?) (must) (you go and make this de-
It’s hard, but it’s harder to ignore it
cision) (alone?)
If they were right, I’d agree, but it’s them they know, not me
Now there’s a way, and I know that I have to go away
I know I have to go

Just want to note here that last week, while we were doing the grocery in SM Fairview, we bought this very cool Sponge Bob Stuff toy for Sean. He loves that show/character… that’s why we bought that one.

I remember when Matt was so hooked with Barney and Friends, we also bought him “Barney”.. then BJ then Baby Bob… We probably should buy that Star fish side kick of Sponge bob huh?

My 3-year old son has grown so fast from a helpless and fragile infant to a super active toddler! Although he’s still not in pre-school yet, I am looking for some toddler activities that I can engage him on so that his day can be both physically and mentally productive.

I have been searching the web for some example and ideas of run and productive activities for a child not any more a babby but not going to a preschool yet… a toddler. Activities of a toddler of course includes crafts and coloring and other engaging and fun stuffs. And here are some of the things that I found out:

Indoor Toddler Activities

When we say Indoor activities, that’s also means fun and exciting toddler activities at home. These can be played with fun and entertainment, like I said.

Play House

A toddler playing house is one of the best way to keep him entertain. This activity can be both for boys and girls. Let them play around an imaginary kitchen, prepare a make believe pizza or dinner. Important thing is to make it engaging.

Coloring Activities

Toddlers love to make things with this hands and fingers. Let them color some coloring books and other related coloring activities. I bought my son a Dora The Explorer coloring book once.. but he just wrote the alphabet in it.. But now, I think he’s ready to do some coloring.

Read Book

Another great activity for a toddler to do inside the house is to read children’s books! Toddlers learn a lot by reading various books. Reading can add fun, joy and enjoyment when books contain stories, fairy tales, fun characters and some fun games.

These are just some example of toddler activities you can do indoors. There are other stuff you can engage your kids in if he still not in preschool yet.

We will post about it next time.

Technology, Learning Aid for Kids and Toddlers… I am a strong believer of this. As a matter of fact, I already written several blog posts which fully coincides with this idea, that technology really do play a big part in educating our children.

Here are some of the earlier posts about it:

• Educational TV Shows
• Educational DVDs
• Online Educational Games

.. and there are probably others. The general idea is internet plays a big role in helping our kids learn. WIth these I would like to add ipods in one of the learning tools… Not the mp3-only ipods but the video ipods… Based on my personal experience, my son learned good values on the movies I put in my video ipod.

Technology really is a Learning Aid for Kids and Toddlers

Dora The Explorer has invaded the Filipino children! I’m not sure if every kid here knows Dora and Boots but my son Matthew sure knows them! We have several of Dora The Explorer DVD as well as Barney and other educational DVDs like Batibot (oopss, that’s Sesame Street), Baby Einstein and Galloping Minds series.

These type of shows will surely help a child in his early learning of alphabet and numbers and colors and shapes.

And now, not only does Matthew knows the Dora The Explorer TV show/DVD, he now knows that there are Dora the Explorer online games!

It’s been a couple of days now that we’ve been playing Dora the Explorer Online games in Nick Jr’s website! There are a couple of them there, actually. We tried each one already.

Now I’m searching for Dora The explorer games that can be downloaded so he can play it locally (and at the same time cleaning the Window Blinds).

Already found on, thanks to Jehzeel.

This is the biggest purchase I made when I was in Canada… An LG HDTV.. all we need now is a tv stands or a wall mount to properly set it up.

I set it up to include the Samsung HT20 home entertainment system and over all the sound and pictures are close to perfect!

We have watched several blueray movies already (Transformers, , LXG 1408 etc…) and i can say that every dollar spent was worth it!

THere will be more family movie time, I’m sure of it… sarap kaya manood dito.

I have been receiving email and comments in my Educational DVD post. They are asking me where to find a DVD or VCD version of the original, if not the best education show in the Philippines, Batibot.

Since Batibot was originally aired under RPN-9, I can only say to the (great) parents who asked me about Batibot to try ask RPN people or the executive producer of the Show – Fely De Los Angeles-Bautista.

History of Batibot

Long before computer memory became cheap and widely available, there is Batibot. Batibot is a children’s television program from the Philippines, based on Sesame Street. Premiering in 1984, with the name Sesame!, and eventually renamed Batibot several years later. Batibot in Filipino means “small, but strong and robust“. As Sesame!, the program used both English and Filipino as the media of communication, but after evolving into Batibot, the show became a completely Filipino language children’s educational show.

It was produced by the Sesame Workshop (Children’s Television Workshop) and Philippine Children’s Television Foundation, Inc. (PCTVF). CTW broke this relationship with PCTVF in 1989.

Just want to share the first set of pictures of Matthew with his first box of crayons.

Couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that Matt knows his colors, and by this time he can recognize all colors easily! He even recite colors of barney and friends.. He’ll said Barney – Purple, Baby Bop – Green, BJ – Yellow… Alf – Orange.. (yes, there is an ALf.. I don’t know him)

Anyway, here are the pictures…

These are taken April 16, the day we bought it in SM Fairview. Pardon the pictures, it was taken using my phone only. Some may be very blurry that you may need a low vision aids.