First Exam

Two weeks ago the nursery class had their first minor exam for the first quarter. I never imagined 3-yr olds doing exams without mommies or daddies by their side. The two-hour waiting time outside their classroom while they were answering 50 or so items in their test papers felt like forever. When I asked her at home what they did in the class she just said "I color, and put lines and put circle." I kept telling myself that it was no big deal and there's no pressure, after all she's just in Nursery but deep inside I couldn't help but feel a little anxious at the same time excited for the results.

After a week, they were given. The first page of the exam showed her score of 20 out of 20. It was for the subject they call Reading which included the letters (circle the pictures that begin with letters ABC) and picture association and matching I couldn't contain my happiness when we got in the car. I kissed my baby and told her that she was very very very good.

The next page was about Math where she got perfect score again (15/15). It was about coloring the objects with their natural colors.

And then there's the exam for Writing. She didn't get a perfect score because she still couldn't write straight lines and follow the dots and trace broken lines properly. But it was perfectly OK for me. We're still practicing with her coloring and writing skills.

There was also the exam for the Language subject which was about polite expressions and actions. She got them all correct except that part about greetings where I think she got confused with the positions of the sun in 'good morning' and 'good afternoon'

Overall, her score was, for me, EXCELLENT. 90 out of 105 is no joke for a 3-yr old.

To our dear Gabbie, you did a really good job and mommy and daddy are so proud of you. And we love you and we will always be here to guide you and help you and... to us, you are the best, Anak.

Bib :)

For the days that she had runny nose, Gabbie had to wear bib to wipe her sipon off even if she's attending the class. She said she looked like a baby going to school. :)

Rainy Day Outfit

I have noticed that despite the flu shots and daily vitamins, kids are still prone to catching viruses especially during rainy season (just kidding when I said that she gets sick when daddy leaves, it's just a coincidence of course). One time it was really raining when we went to school. My inlaws dropped us just a few feet away from the school. Gabbie had her own umbrella but still she got wet. The next day she already had colds.

Last Friday, it was also raining when the class was dismissed. But we had to go to SM Marikina to do some errands. I think she got wet again from the rainshower because the following morning, she was coughing and there was already some signs of colds, and fever.

So we decided to get her a raincoat that she can use during rainy school days instead of umbrella. I'm thinking also of getting her a pair of rain boots to complete her rainy season outfit.

Sick Again

Seems that Gabbie is having separation something whenever daddy leaves for a business trip. Last time she was hospitalized when daddy was in Germany. Now that daddy is leaving again, she's starting to have colds, cough and slight fever. I'm hoping this is just 'lambing' and not a trend.

Just lying down watching Barbie while waiting for review and school time. She usually spends this free time to bike or play with toys in her room.

Eating hot sopas for lunch

The Elusive Star

Once or twice during her summer class, Gabbie went out of the classroom with no star stamp on her hand. On one of those occasions, she went back to the teacher and asked why she didn't have a star. The teacher said "Oh sorry, because the 'stamping' session was over when you finished eating." And then she got stamped and went home happy.

Now in her nursery class, she got star stamps only during the first few days. One parent said it was for "pa-kunswelo" or "pang-uto lang sa mga bata".

On the following week, she didn't get one, and when I asked her why, she said the teacher did not give her. She went back to the classroom and asked for a stamp. But the teacher said "Ay Abby, tomorrow you behave ha so I will give you stamp."

I felt sad for my baby. But I didn't talk to her about, because I didn't think that she was not behaving in the class. She has other classmates who (even until now) cry when the parents leave the room, who (believe it or not) bully other kids and who just walk around and don't listen to teachers at all even during lecture. She wasn't like them, but she's the one who cannot sit still on her seat for longer than a few minutes without doing anything (writing, reading or playing with blocks).

Still no stamps on the following days. And when I asked her at home, she said "I don't like stamps mommy." But she looked sad. So the next day I talked to the teacher. I asked her if Gabbie was not behaving properly that's why she wouldn't get any star so we can talk to her and help. She said no. It's just that Gabbie was just too slow in doing her seatwork (read: coloring) so she was always late for the 'stamping'.

We didn't require her to bring home a star everyday, in fact I was already getting used to not seeing her hand stamped at all, because she was doing really well in her seatwork anyways.

But last week she had a star. I told her I was happy she got one. She was happy with it too.

Everyday (even if I already sound like a 'sirang plaka') I remind her to just stay on her seat and stand up only when the teacher ask them to.

Yesterday, she got out of the classroom and showed me her hand. "Mommy, I got a star- with a crown!" It was a king star, given to students who did their work and behave excellently inside the class.

The teacher said she no longer roam around the room when they're not doing anything.

I'm so proud. And I thank God for the guidance and patience. :)

Practice Coloring

Gabbie may not be good and patient in coloring and drawing but I'm not really convinced that she totally abhors art at all.

We were doing practice coloring at home when she suddenly stopped and said, "Mommy I want to make up my baby doll." It didn't occur to me that she was thinking of using her crayons. I left her for a while to check my emails. When I came back, baby doll already looked like this:

She was happy with her work, she was beaming with pride when she said "Mommy, I put make-up on the baby. She now looks like a mumu baby doll!"

My Baby Girl Gabbie Princess

I just had to share these photos here. Still can't believe that it's been three and half years. And soon she will become a big sister already.

In the CMC nursery a few hours after she was born, and first week on her nursery class three years and five months after.

Slowly But Surely

In her nursery class, they do coloring everyday. During the first day, Gabbie was the first one to finish the seatwork, but she did not just color the apple, she colored almost the entire paper. At home I told her to not color outside of the picture, and we practiced with her coloring books. She was very careful not to color in the outside, but it took her a long time to finish an apple.

On the following days, I noticed that she was always the last one to finish the seatwork. When it was time to eat, she'd just join the class in praying then she'd go back to her table to finish her work while her classmates were already starting to eat. I talked to the teacher about it and she said that Gabbie is still slow in coloring and that she needs to develop more her motor skills. But she had a note in her book the other day that it is improving. Meaning, she'd no longer color in the outside but it made her do her work slow.

At home again I asked her why. Quoting her exact words, "Mommy, if I color faster, I will color in the outside." So that explains why.

When I looked at her seatworks, her scores are mostly perfect (9/10, 4/4, 6/6).

Slowly, but I think we're on the right track. My daughter is doing things slowly but surely now. She may not be the first to finish her job but she makes sure she's doing it right.

How To Drive Like A Pro

Looks like Gabbie learned her lessons well from driving the car with daddy or mommy "in the castle".  She's referring to the church just outside our village. Everytime we go out riding the car, she would sit on mine or daddy's lap to drive from the "castle" to our house.

That's how she learned to drive.

Happy Fathers Day Daddy!

Your love is one of the greatest gifts of all.