Down the Rabbit Hole

At some point in my parenting journey, I wanted to go back to the workforce and gift my son with the opportunity to socialise with children his age. I was hesitant for a long time because the COVID-19 pandemic continues. However, the time for daycare finally arrived as I've been given the opportunity to work again.  I am very thankful that my son's teachers take the time to really figure out how my son ticks. On his first drop-off, in the middle of one of my son's crying spells of the day, I met with the teachers, Sherri and Charlene, about what might make my son more comfortable in school and I brought him his favourite meal, milk, snacks, and toys. Over the next few weeks, they kept meeting with me with questions about my son's new words (my son gets frustrated when nobody understands what he's saying). The first three weeks were tough for both of us because he cried during each drop-off. I questioned if I made the right decision of sending him to daycare every s...

As my son started outgrowing his Ergobaby Omni 360 carrier , I started reviewing my options for toddler carriers. Yes, I am still babywearing. I'm very thankful to my doctor and the physical therapy team, who helped strengthen my hips and knees months after delivering my baby. They have helped make babywearing as long as I'm doing it possible. (I was in pain when I entered my third trimester, probably caused by changes in my centre of gravity, the added weight, and changed gait. I'm still waddling these days when I'm exhausted.) For toddler carriers, I zeroed in on three brands: Baby Tula, Lenny Lamb, and Artipoppe. Baby Tula's ikat prints and Lenny Lamb's rainbow lotus are both eyecatchers; they always  get my attention when I check online! But at the end of months of researching, I decided to buy Artipoppe's Zeitgeist with argus pattern in oat. I must say that the price of the Zeitgeist carrier kept me from buying it before my son was born. It's too hi...

What children need the most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humour, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies. — Rudolph Guiliani  I grew up hanging out with Lola Bats and Lola Estay . They didn't offer cookies like Rudy Guiliani must be doing with his grandkids, but they did fill our tummies with yummy bulanglang  and  pupur ( dishes from Batangas), and chicken sandwiches and fried chicken (Lola Estay's specialities). I vaguely remember Lolo Bats because he passed away when I was five years old. I didn't spend a lot of time with Lolo Roman but I do remember slurping piping hot arroz caldo  every time I visited his house. My grandmothers proved to be strong-willed women while I know more about my grandfathers' reputations rather than who they really were.  I find my son and my nephew extraordinarily lucky to be doted upon by my parents: They are not the major childcare...

Teachable moments are defined as an unexpected opportunity seized by a teacher to offer their thoughts on a topic or to stimulate a student's mind to find answers to their questions (Lewis 2020). As a new mom, I look to my parents to learn how I can model their parenting styles (because they're different but complementary) to how I parent my child. I also read quite a few parenting books and articles , and follow responsive parenting accounts on social media. Based on what I've observed my parents do, I think they probably read the same books and articles and followed the same social media accounts... except that they have not. They probably just figured out, over the years, that being responsive to a child's needs is a good way of parenting. And even as all their kids are now adults, they still find opportunities to teach and to model. One particular instance pops up in my mind: Anna's a relatively new driver. She's not very confident in maneuvering her car t...

I haven't visited a zoo in a long time. My last visit to a zoo was in 2019 when I went to Singapore's Night Safari with Val. For this trip to the zoo, I was with the whole family, including Val and the wee one. It's pretty exciting for me because it's our son's first time to see the animals that he's only seen photos or videos of. I really appreciate that Biboy and Barbara invited us to join them because it's such a fun trip. I didn't expect that we'd meet the resident lesser flamingoes just beyond the zoo's gates. These pink birds are known to thrive in salt marshes in Africa (including Benin) and India. They are omnivorous, but they eat Spirulina , a type of algae that thrives in alkaline water. This alga has pigments that make the flamingoes turn pink.  After we've passed the flamingoes, we encountered a few reticulated giraffes. These are mostly found in the wild in the Horn of Africa, preferably living in savannahs, woodlands, or floodpl...

As I grow into my role as a mom, I realise that there are two camps about toddlers' crying and whining. On the one hand, parents believe that toddlers have some episodes of fake crying in which they try to manipulate parents into doing what their toddlers want. On the other, parents believe that crying is a form of communication, especially for pre-verbal toddlers (the tantrums become less frequent as toddlers learn to say what they need). The parents who believe tantrums are "weapons of manipulation" (I actually heard someone say this) prescribe ignoring the behaviour. "Don't add fuel to the fire", so to speak. For example, if a toddler had a minor fall, parents should help the toddler brush themselves off and encourage the toddler to continue playing instead of showing sympathy or giving extra attention; otherwise, the toddler learns that each time he falls, his parent(s) will dote on them even more. The parents who believe that tantrums are a mode of comm...

Now that California is slowly going back to normal, it's time to introduce the wee one to playgrounds! The challenge is to find a space big enough for him to practice walking, sparse enough so we don't have to worry about COVID-19, and contains play equipment appropriate for his age. Of course, the safest approach is for me to make his very own playground at home (expensive!); but being around other people in a public space will benefit him, so we still have to visit public playgrounds. As of this time, we've visited four playgrounds quite close to home. Here's a quick description of our playground visits: Oak Hills Athan Downs Matteo's Dream Blackhawk Plaza Crowd size (during our visit) 웃웃 웃웃웃웃웃 웃웃웃웃 웃 All-abilities playground No info ✅ ✅ No info Rubber floor ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅ ...

We invited a larger group, for the first time, after everyone who we planned to invite were already fully immunised (i.e., two weeks had passed since their second dose of Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, or since their shot of the J&J vaccine). And the occasion: Val's nth birthday (many weeks delayed as we waited for the stragglers to become fully immunised). Ate Maddie outdid herself by creating multiple cheese platters adorned with fresh fruit, jams, and biscuits. JP, once again, cooked scrumptious sous-vide salmon. It's so good that my son ate most of my salmon portion! Aung Maylika , our go-to restaurant for Burmese fare, also impressed our guests with its tea leaf salad and other dishes. I wasn't in the loop most of the time because I was taking care of the little one (who fell asleep despite Kuya Merlin's booming voice and infectious laughter); however, it proved to be an excellent party because the company was great, the conversations were flowing, and we...

On another visit to Vallejo, I thought that it would be nice for me and the wee one to hang out in a park while waiting for Val to finish up at the dental clinic (he had three appointments; during two of them, the wee one and I visited the Blue Rock Springs Park ). Dan Foley Park was just a few miles away so the wee one and I went there to while away the potentially long dental appointment. Looking at Lake Chabot's resident ducks Dan Foley Park has a lot to offer. It has a cultural centre, a man-made lake (Lake Chabot was built in the late 1800s), a football pitch, and a baseball diamond. On top of these features, the park also has a children's playground and several picnic areas. (The park had me at "man-made lake".) When we arrived, I learned that parking was free that day (perhaps, COVID-19 restrictions made for slow days at the park). And because the park is huge, I decided to park in a lot nearest Lake Chabot. From there, the wee one and I went around the cultu...

I read a CNN report about Illinois being the first state to require public schools to teach Asian-American history in an effort to make education more inclusive in the USA. Honestly, I was shocked to find out that Asian-American history is not more commonly taught in schools because Asian-Americans have contributed significantly towards defining what the USA has become. But then, why should I be surprised? The recent attacks against Americans of Asian descent (whose perpetrators have been emboldened by racist rhetoric trumpeted on social media by he-who-must-not-be-allowed-to-tweet) indicate how unaware Americans are about events that transpired in the past that moulded what used to be a socio-political experiment into the world's biggest economy. https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/09/us/asian-american-history-illinois-trnd/index.html Anyway, I find that including the histories of Asian-Americans into the social studies curricula of public schools will be a significant step towards enlig...

Val and I went with our toddler to Rutherford CA. It used to be a part of a Mexican land grant given to George Yount, the first Euro-American settler in Napa Valley, by Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. Rutherford is famous for its wineries and its tulip fields (we missed seeing the blooms in spring). Its claim to fame also includes Auberge du Soleil, the reason for our excursion. Auberge du Soleil is not as accessible as restaurants along the St Helena Highway, like Brix Restaurant and Gardens , and requires more effort to get there. However, the way we were welcomed already promised that this place was well worth the visit. After all, it's not every day that we're told that valet parking is complimentary and it's okay if we're a bit late going into the restaurant (because getting the wee one out of his car seat takes some time). In other restaurants, reservations are only held for 15 minutes and then the host starts calling from the waitlist. Val and I were excited to eat a...

We started to notice that my mom's cooking improved after we started taking her to restaurants that are known for delicious food (and she's using less chicken powder on everything). So on an afternoon that Daddy was off and Anna was working close by, we decided to have an early dinner at Thai House Restaurant in Danville. According to the Michelin Guide 2019, this restaurant offers delicious food at affordable prices, leading to it being given a Bib Gourmand . Because I've already had the pleasure of tasting Thai cuisine in Bangkok (I was there three times), I was curious to find out if Thai House's offerings had the same balance of flavours and that kick from the spiciness associated with Thai cuisine. Val visits Thailand more frequently than I did so he probably is a better judge of the similarity to Thai cooking in-country. Mommy and Daddy want to visit Thailand someday (when COVID-19 is no longer a threat) and were open to trying food that isn't sweet. Thanks to...

Just like Slanted Door , Coqueta is one of those restaurants I've seen while walking along the Embarcadero in San Francisco but I haven't had the chance to eat there. Anyway, after Val's dental appointment , we (including the wee one) ended up in Yountville for late lunch (and invited Daddy to join us). Except for Val, we've eaten at Coqueta previously and thought that this was a good place to introduce to Val. The menu is Spanish and reminds me of Chele's  Gallery by Chele , Gallery Vask's Tapas Room , and Arrozeria because of the small plates ("tapas" or "pintxos") and the paella. Coqueta features some of my favourite tapas: salmon ahumado (smoked salmon) and champinones (mushrooms, cheese, and ham skewered with toothpicks). I still miss Jamon Iberico but I probably didn't notice it on the Coqueta menu. The highlight of my meals there has always been the seafood paella sans crustaceans and cooked using rabbit broth instead of seafood b...

While waiting for Val to finish up at the dentist's clinic in Vallejo, the wee one and I went to the Blue Rock Springs Park. What piqued my interest was the Greater Vallejo Recreational District 's note about the park: A historic site with large picnic areas (eight reservable sites) with BBQ's, open turf play areas, children's play equipment, a small lake and island with ducks and peacocks, offstreet parking and restrooms. A hiking trail provides access to the ridge of Sulfur Springs Mountain for spectacular views of Vallejo and the Napa River. Island with ducks and peacocks ! Of course, we had to go! I'd love to hike, but with a baby and by my lonesome, I wasn't planning on pushing a stroller up the mountain so I had to scratch that off my list of activities. Maybe if I was more prepared for hiking (e.g., with a backpack rather than a tote bag as a diaper bag). Anyway, the park did not disappoint. A peacock was walking very close to the children's play are...

Brix Restaurant and Gardens is found in Yountville, a few miles north of Bouchon Bistro  (which was the last family outing before COVID-19 shut the whole world down and before I gave birth). This time, Val was able to join and we have our toddler in tow! I have to say that the wee one is developing a good taste in food with all the exposure to great dining experiences at such a young age. Brix happens to have been awarded L'Assiette Michelin for its good food. And I can attest to that: the forest mushroom risotto was so delicious that even our son wanted to eat more! Mommy had shrimp and grits; Daddy ate a fried chicken sandwich, and Val took wood-grilled steak frites.  The biggest draw for us though is the sprawling garden of vegetables and herbs. After lunch, we toured the gardens (except for Val; he had to take a phone call) and enjoyed the view of the Mayacamas Mountains and the Kelleher Family Vineyard. Overall, a nice dining experience for all of us after being cooped ...

  The baby is now a toddler! He understands object permanence  and protests loudly when I have to leave the house. When I was reading about object permanence in The Wonder Weeks , I thought that separation anxiety would only last two weeks. Eight months later, my son still protests when I leave for the restroom or to go upstairs but, thankfully, the waterworks only get turned on when my son realises that I'm going out of the house (for errands).  In one of his crying episodes, Val was already at a loss because the poor little one wouldn't stop crying. Nothing could console him... until they hung out by the couch and looked out of the window. My son's fascination with cars calmed him down (and he started pointing at them, saying "Ca! Ca!"). When I finally returned, he became very excited because he recognised the C230 driving up the street and parking by the driveway. Unlike Godot, Mama always returns, my young Padawan learner. 

In 2020, I first wrote about my interest in eating in restaurants that have been judged against the Michelin star rating system. One-star restaurants, like Bouchon Bistro , are known for high-quality food and are worth dining in if I'm in the area. Two-star restaurants, on the other hand, have excellent food and are good enough for me to make a pitstop at. Three-star restaurants, the crème de la crème among the restaurants judged by Michelin inspectors, are definitely worth making the trip for. Getting the star rating is a big achievement for restaurants and I get the impression that chefs go out of their way to make it hard for diners to visit them (if they are worth the detour, right?). Many of them are also expensive! A trip to any of the two- or three-starred restaurants can easily set anyone back by USD ~300.  And thus I wondered if I'd ever get a chance to eat at another Michelin-rated restaurant... until I learned more about the other Michelin restaurant rating categorie...

Whenever I take videos while my son and I are walking, I find myself wishing for a means to stabilise the videos that I'm taking, particularly the videos in which I use the front-facing built-in camera on my cellphone. Finally, I got convinced to buy a gimbal stabiliser when Val flew in because I'd like to have our family videos be fairly motion-stable. And so after a few days of waiting, my Amazon order finally arrived: a Gudsen Moza Mini S. It has three axes for stabilisation: pan (aka yaw, horizontal motion), tilt (aka pitch; vertical motion), and roll (backwards and forwards motion). What I didn't realise is that this stabiliser is not as straightforward as a regular selfie stick or monopod. Instead, I had to learn how to balance the mobile phone onto the phone holder (located at the pitch axis). And the gimbal stabiliser is heavier than it looks. Anyway, once the wee one took his nap, I went outdoors to video flowers growing in our backyard. One flower had a bee in i...

The original plan was to visit the Presidio in San Francisco. Since Anna wanted to drive, I thought that it would be less intimidating for her if we came into the City via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge rather than via the Bay Bridge (the road bottlenecks right after the toll gate going towards the bridge). Given that route, I decided to throw into our itinerary a stop at the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, which is found very near the Golden Gate Bridge. This way, we'd be able to see the famous San Francisco summer fog and decide whether we'd like to traverse the Golden Gate Bridge in extremely foggy conditions. I was quite happy with that decision because even I balked at the sight of the clouds (I'm contesting the use of the word "fog" to describe the thing that covers the bridge) sitting on the Golden Gate Bridge. And so once both cars were parked at the Museum, we stopped to marvel at the fog and then proceeded to see what the museum had to offer. No...

When we visited the City Centre Bishop Ranch in San Ramon, I saw a giant billboard for Slanted Door, a restaurant that I used to see at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. I never got to dine there because I normally only caught the BART at the Embarcadero Station; or if I were on a touristy trip out into the City, I'd typically browse the shops at the Ferry Building Marketplace and then eat somewhere near Pier 39 . Anyway, with that huge invitation, I suggested to the rest of the family that we can eat there. It's supposed to be a really good take on modern Vietnamese cuisine. A quick search online showed that the Ferry Building branch has been awarded a L'Assiette Michelin  and the chef has been given other awards as well.  Slanted Door, I can say, definitely elevates Vietnamese fare from my usual order of  pho ga  (that I usually get at Kevin's ). In fact, there's not a single pho variant on the restaurant's dinner menu! Our server suggested that we try Sla...