Guijo's Gymboree Play Class and Being a Kid With My Kid

Guijo's first time at Gymboree was loads of fun!

I blinked... and in that brief moment my baby learned to sit, and crawl, and stand.  Now, he's even daring to take a few wobbly steps.  How did all this happen so fast? It really feels as though I just blinked for a split-second! My darling Guijo is still a newborn in my stubborn head, and though I am seeing him develop rapidly before my eyes, it's taking a bit longer for my brain to process the information.  Guijo's been such a perfect baby thus far, all cute and cuddly, that I want savor this stage far longer than his growth rate allows. So off to Gymboree we go, for his benefit, and mine! 

Guijo and I, waiting in line to have our turn to slide a ball down a slide.

Spending time with Guijo in the context of structured playtime allows me the chance to celebrate his milestones better because I get to participate fully in his process of discovery.  Sure, he can practice his newly learned skills at home - or any other place for that matter - but going to Gymboree offers the opportunity to shut out the hundred other things that demand attention - and I get to focus solely on Guijo.  Narra was with us at Gymboree, but she couldn't join the play class, which was exclusively for babies around Guijo's age.  My poor daughter had to watch from the sidelines, but I got her to do something fun so she wouldn't feel left out - I asked her to take photos of us!... and holding the camera thrilled her (although all the photos used in this blog entry were all taken by Yaya Ruby - Narra's shots were at crazy angles).  I didn't feel too bad for Narra though, because she too, had a class scheduled after Guijo's, and I did get to spend quality time with her as well. It's good to let my kids get used to the fact that they'll need to take turns getting dedicated parent time.

Narra, watching from the sidelines, her class starts right after Guijo's.

Learning to take turns is something kids learn in play class.  We had to queue up to use the equipment and watch all the kids in the class give each activity a try, whether it's to climb up an incline, or slide down a plank, or bounce on an air tube.  I very much value giving my kid early exposure to social situations requiring some patience.  It's important for him to learn that the world does not revolve around him, and that public spaces are shared with others.  In such a social setting, a certain conduct is required, and he will learn this intuitively (at least I hope he will).

At one point during play class, kids were allowed to pick out toys from a huge bin, and they got to play in a circle with other babies.  It's fun to see the kids play with their chosen toys, then become fascinated by a neighbor's toy - migration is inevitable, and toy-switching soon takes place - with an inspiring period of happy toy sharing in between (with Guijo that's the case...although with other kids, there were some tears involved). I found it so precious and encouraging to see Guijo behaving like a socially well-adjusted kid.  I'm one proud mama! It's too early to tell, but if this first class is any indication, Guijo's proving to be a tiny "Li'l Mr. Nice Guy".  He was just congenial and easy to handle. 

Playtime in a circle with other kids.

And then there were the activities that required all the babies (and their mommies) to do things together, like putting our babies on an air tube, and getting to grab onto handles, and holding them up as we turn the tube into one giant baby-friendly see-saw, going up and down gently.  Guijo held on to the handle tightly, and sat upright throughout the entire activity. He was very well behaved and stable, which was a huge relief. I wasn't sure how he'd react, and I was mentally steeling myself for a tantrums and tears which never came, thank heavens!

Guijo, well-behaved as we did the "see-saw".

Another activity I enjoyed involved a parachute with multi-colored panels. We put the babies on the parachute as it lay on the ground, then we adults, grabbed the edges, stood up, and lifted the fabric and spun around slowly as our babies tried to make sense of it all and struggled to find their bearings with their eyes and their bodies.  It was good to see Guijo reacting stably to an unfamiliar sensation.  As the parachute was lifted off the floor and he found himself re-orienting his body to stay somewhat upright, I saw him seeking me out in the confusion, locking eyes with me, and breaking into a smile that seemed to say "hey, mommy you're here! I know I am safe!".  We also had this activity involving an abundant supply of bubbles, which Guijo loved to pop. He was squealing gleefully throughout the activity, and I couldn't help but feel jubilant just as well.

Mother and son, paying attention to the teacher.

Gymboree requires parents and caregivers to always be within a hug's reach from their kids while on the playfloor.  This means that we get to do everything with our kids and be hands-on with all the activities.  It's playtime for Guijo, as well as for me, and it feels a lot like me getting to be a kid with my kid.  It's funny how we were both reduced to being obedient students in the presence of our teacher.  I've always been a very enthusiastic and willing student, eager to listen to instructions to learn to do something new. At Guijo's playclass, my son and I worked in tandem, as a team - partners in play! It's precious bonding time that allows me enjoy the moment - this brief and fleeting moment - when he is still learning to take baby steps.  I know this moment will be over all too soon, but in the meantime, I have Gymboree to go to, so I can savor every second with my baby, as he learns to use his body, and adjust to new situations, and be with other babies his age. 

On Goldilocks Birthday Cakes: Reflections of an Eighties Child

Oliver,  helping Narra reach her candle (grandparents looking from behind)

In an age when custom-crafted fondant cakes are the rage, a classic Goldilocks birthday cake may seem rather old-fashioned.  A number of features make Goldilocks cake designs dated: the two-dimensional cardboard backdrops; the conventional staging of props, figurines, and sugar flowers; the free-wheeling combination of elements; a radioactive color palette; and the unapologetic abundance of all things artificial (color, flavor, non-edible toppers). What would possess me to want this cake for my daughter? There's a simple answer to this question: Nostalgia. I am a child of the eighties after all, and my earliest memories of happy birthdays involved Goldilocks.

Narra's 2 cakes from Goldilock's "Dora the Explorer" Line

Times have changed, and standards for the quality of design and the ingredients used in making cakes have been raised to laudable heights.  We live in a health-conscious world of low-sugar, low-fat, and all-natural food offerings, and in such a setting, Goldilocks sugar flowers and ultra-thick boiled icing, may be read as a form of resistance.  Like a renegade soldier who refuses to surrender long after the war has been lost, Goldilocks can be seen as something of a rebel hero, one that enjoys independence from the dictates of fashion.  I found myself inexplicably drawn to the unhealthy attraction that was my daughter's birthday cake. In all its artificial glory, I marveled at how it retained its authenticity as the Goldilock's classic cake of my youth.

Narra, looking composed and behaving well as she waited for everyone to sing.

I remember my first Goldilocks birthday cake. The year was 1980. I was three years old then - the same age Narra is now. It was a "Hansel and Gretel" cake, shared with my cousin Ian, who was three days older than I was.  The cake was the highlight of our joint party.  It had a gingerbread house (though not really made with gingerbread), with icing for windows and doors, and a lot of candies as adornment. There were two figurines, a boy and a girl, and a lot of Goldilock's signature sugar flowers on toothpicks, inserted on the corners of the rectangular cake. There were even lollipops stuck in, and chocolate "coins" wrapped in gold foil scattered about. I was in heaven!  It has been three decades since, and Ian and I are now both parents. At Narra's party, I just had to ask him to pose for a pic behind a Goldilock's cake again, y'know, for old times' sake.

My cousin Ian and I, posing with Narra's cake. We had a joint party when we
were 3 years old 3 decades ago, and shared a Hansel & Gretel cake back then.

"For old times' sake".  An expression to denote doing something in the present in order to remember a pleasant or happy time in the past.  I relived many of my happy birthdays by walking Narra through the process of getting her first Goldilock's cake. We searched their on-line catalogue and she fell in love with a "Dora the Explorer" cake, specifically the model named "Explorer's Wanted".  It's a 9-inch round cake, made with boiled icing, with a card board tree at the back, and a lone Dora figurine at the center, surrounded by flowers, and lovely insects (ladybug, bee, butterfly) topping 13 cupcakes.  My mother, who offered to be in charge of buying Narra's cake, found it too small a cake to feed everyone. She wanted to get a bigger cake, with more servings, but Narra won't be swayed. She was in love with her chosen cake and she described in detail to her grandma: the insects, the cupcakes, the flowers, the tree - the shape of the cake - "the green one" she explained. There was no mistaking it. She was crystal clear and firm, that among all the cakes shown to her on-line - from Goldilock's, Red Ribbon, and a host of other fantastic galleries of independent home bakers who make amazingly beautiful fondant cakes - this particular Dora cake from Goldilock's was HER cake for HER 3rd birthday.  

Narra's choice: The Dora the Explorer "Explorers Wanted" Cake and Cupcakes

But my mother had other ideas. She decided to buy 2 cakes. The bigger one she was eyeing, and the smaller one Narra requested.  My mother has her own ghosts of post-war scarcity to exorcise with her  abundant gift-giving. For my dad and my mom, who are both from typically large Filipino families of their generation, cakes were rare luxuries. My mother made sure I did not feel any deprivation growing up, and she made it a point to get me birthday cakes. Now, she does the same for her grand children. When Narra saw both boxes of cake - she was just overjoyed!  This image triggered happy memories for me too...the image of a birthday cake, packaged in a flimsy box with plastic cover walls sitting on a table before the party started. As a kid, that always made me excited.  The packaging is meant to be obvious: a means to display the contents to anyone who wants to look.  And boy, do people look.  It's more thrilling to peek at a cake before its big reveal.  Narra looked, and looked, and looked. 

Narra, excited to see her boxes of Goldilock's Cake hours before her party.

Goldilocks hasn't lost its magic.  Through the decades, it's kept its ability to capture the imagination of children with its design formula.  Those card board back grounds? Inedible figurines? Multi-colored fancy sugar flowers? And inch-thick icing in synthetic colors? All those things that make a cake old fashioned... all are part of the magic.  Take the inexpensive figurines used as cake toppers, for instance.   After her party, Narra had the Dora figurines plucked from the cake, and she took them with her to her bath, washing them with soap and water, and wiping them down. Many independent bakers make it a point to advertise their cake toppers as "completely edible", suggesting that having an all edible ensemble is far more desirable than a cake with fake elements. In some ways, I see why that is the case.  I know that the cake arts has an ephemeral quality, and we can't have our cake and eat it too.  But getting a keepsake from a very happy day is a good thing too. I know somewhere in our attic sits a little princess made of plaster - a topper from my 18th birthday party from half a lifetime ago.  I was unable to throw it then, and couldn't do so now. In some ways, I regret that our wedding cake was more updated, and done in all-edible fondant - so we don't have a topper in our chest of family treasures.

Narra, listening to everyone sing "Happy Birthday".

When it was at last, time for Narra to blow out the candles on her cake(s), I looked around and saw in the kids' faces, the familiar look I've seen around the birthday cake table, especially when a Goldilocks cake was involved: it's that scoping look, to see what delightful little treat can be picked off.  And Narra's face, full of great expectation, as she waited for the right time to bend over her cake to blow out her candles, was just priceless.  She stood there, well behaved, looking at everyone singing to her, waiting for her cue (with her enthusiastic grandpa "conducting" in the background).  How serious she was, in trying to blow out that stubborn little flame.  It was just a precious moment!

We sang Happy Birthday not once, but twice! Lucky Narra!

I'd say, there are things you wish would change for the better, and things you wish would stay the same.  When it comes to Goldilocks cakes, I wish their cakes tasted better, with improved texture for the actual chiffon cake inside: I wish their icing was less sweet too. But truth be told, for my kid, their cakes were appealing just the way they are. The icing invited a quick swipe with the finger - something a fondant cake doesn't encourage as much. The sugar flowers were just waiting to be plucked.  And the cupcakes around the cake, were popular take home treats. People went through the trouble of lugging them around, and saving them for later.  

A cake waited for Narra at her grandma's salon where staff celebrated with her.

When Narra went to the beauty salon owned by my mom, there was cake waiting for her there too. Surrounded by the parlor staff, who are like a second family to us - who've seen Narra grow from since she was still in my womb - we make it a point to have mini celebrations of birthdays with them.  There was a classic Goldilock's mocha cake for Narra, simply decorated with the colorful flowers they are known for; and a dedication written in red gel; and a candle, of course. Without the fancy adornments and multi-colored icing, the cake still made Narra swoon.  I found it so appealing as well. The buttery icing, and sugar flowers, and the fluffy chiffon cake underneath. It's a classic for good reason. 

Narra, enthralled by the classic Goldilocks Mocha Dedication Cake.

  

Goldilocks struck a chord with my generation, and would most probably continue to do so with more generations to come.  I know Goldilocks has developed a new Luxe line, with more sophisticated cakes, with subtler designs and flavors, finer crafting, more artistic rendering of cake decor, and premium ingredients. I think they launched that line just to prove that they can do other kinds of cake.  But I am glad they haven't abandoned their traditional line that makes use of their time-honored  decorating approaches.  Be it with the colorful birthday cakes or the simpler classics, Goldilocks continues to capture the hearts of Filipino children today. I saw it in my child's face. And as she enjoyed her first ever Goldilocks cake, she tapped into our collective memory, as Pinoys... children of all ages - always children when in the presence of a good old fashioned cake, like mother used to buy.

Narra's 3rd Birthday: Exploring the Garden

Explorer's maps, loot bags, and colored folding fans.

Step 1: Grab a map. Step 2: Grab a loot bag. Step 3: Grab a folding fan - in this scorching hot weather, it  is a must-have. Narra had been talking about this for weeks - that she would take her cousins to her tree house so they can search for goodies.  While she was taking a nap before her birthday party, my sister Marion and Narra's yayas went around the garden hiding loot in spots indicated on the Explorer's map I made for the "Dora the Explorer" themed party.  

Our living room - turned - party space.

My parents were kind enough to let us use their house as a party venue. We had colorful tables and chairs, and the buffet set up inside the house.  The main event, for the kids, however, was an outdoor exploration.  We prayed that it wouldn't rain - for it looked as though it would at various points in the afternoon. I found myself looking skyward and holding my breath, urging rain clouds to move away, and to release their load elsewhere.  They were kind to Narra, and chose not to rain on her party.

Narra and Mateo following Kuya Joaquin's lead.

It was time to explore, at last! With the help of bigger cousins who could already read the map, the little kids and their ever-vigilant yayas, went off on their search.  My parents have that kind of garden that offer so many hiding places.  I wouldn't want the kids to play taguan (or hide and seek) here - it would be too easy to hide, and to difficult to find people.  A bucket of loot, for instance, was hidden behind a bush with white flowers. That should have been easy to find. But bushes in our garden tend to be tall and thick and expansive.  When they did find the bucket, the bigger kids had to pass them on to the little ones.  It was that kind of activity that allowed the bigger kids and little kids to do something together.  This was what Narra wanted, a chance to spend quality time with cousins. 

Ate Julia handing out juice to Mateo and Narra who wont to go into the bush.

We did the explorations in batches, every time someone arrived, off Narra went! To show them around. She ended up doing several rounds of exploration, prolonging her enjoyment of her party. It lifts the spirit to see kids relishing simple joys. Every little piece of loot becomes cause for celebration.  Whenever she found something, Narra would raise it up for me to take a photo of. A bottle of Cool Aid becomes a trophy in her hands.   

Proudly showing off her loot.

On one side of the garden, my imaginative father built a winding tunnel of sorts. It leads from the garage on the front of the house, and snakes over to the basement of the house, and finally  up to the patio at the back. It's a place Narra hasn't been to yet, in all her 3 years of existence. So her cousins explored it ahead of her, and she followed them tentatively.  I hid "zombies" at the end of the tunnel (and by that I mean little mats of "Plants versus Zombies" stickers).  Narra, and a few other tiny young guests, felt scared to go there, and the word "zombies" scared them even further.  I couldn't resist including this tunnel in the route! Every exploration should have a scary section, shouldn't it?

Narra, hesitant to follow Julia and Mateo into the "tunnel".

When it was time for them to explore her tree house, I felt proud to see Narra climb up the steps on her own. I felt nervous, it's a pretty tall structure, and she could fall.  Her yaya was there to assist her, but she refused to be held for support. Nope. She wanted to do it alone: because she knew she can do it. And I remembered my baby, learning to sit, then stand, then take shaky steps. I remember how tentative she was when learning to climb ladders on Gymboree's little gym equipment. Now she's climbing real ladders, with real dangers - of large ants and high falls, without asking me for help.

Narra showing the way to her tree house. She and Mateo were just babies yesterday!

We attached loot on a branch, and kids had to pick them off, as though picking fruits.  We also provided loot bags so guests can pick green mangoes which they can bring home. This became a popular souvenir from the party! Yayas had a field day plucking the fruits, removing large tree ants, and  stuffing them in the provided loot bags.  

Proudly showing off her Angry Birds wrist slapper "picked" off the tree.

Narra is usually the only kid up in her tree house, accompanied mostly by adults. On her birthday, she got her wish, of getting a chance to play there with other kids. She was so excited to show off her house, and up and down she went.  Her smiling face was a precious sight to behold. 

Narra's all smiles to have her cousins over at "her house".

With her Ate Julia and Ate Bianca.

Narra later told me she was so happy and she wanted to have a birthday party again!  I told her she'd have to wait for another year when she turns 4 years old. I realize now, that a 3rd Birthday may be the first that a child can commit to memory and really remember. I don't think she remembers her 2nd birthday at all.  It makes me think that maybe we should not throw Guijo a 1st birthday party (we did not throw Narra one either)... he won't remember it anyway. But a 3rd birthday.... now that's fun, and something I am already looking forward to for my son.  Narra kept talking about her 3rd birthday, before and after the party. 

Our family pic out on the garden.

So I am having photos developed for the album I will give to Narra's grandparents. I think showing them Narra's smile that day, is the best way to thank them for hosting her birthday.

Related Posts:
Narra;s 3rd Birthday: Exploring the Garden
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2012/05/narras-3rd-birthday-explorers-map-for.html

Narra's 3rd Birthday & The Explorer's Map For Her Backyard Party

The Explorer's Map I Made For Narra's 3rd Birthday Party

Narra's turning 3 in a few days and she knows it.  When asked by strangers "How old are you?" she gives a rather long reply - one she launches into on her own volition, and without my prodding or coaching. She'd say something like: "I am 2 years old now, but on May 7, I will already be 3 years old because that's my birthday" (she'd say this in fluent Filipino, or if the mood strikes her, though less frequently, in English as well).

I feel a bit guilty because party planning has been low on my list of priorities given how busy we've been on starting a business, and renting out our condo, and my job applications - and all the paperwork involved. I managed to get things done, however. Like giving out invitations, buying decorations, arranging for food, and getting Narra to choose her own cake. I showed Narra her choices for themes by sitting down with her in front of the computer, and showing her pictures of cakes from the on-line shops of Red Ribbon and Goldilocks, as well as other independent cake makers with photo galleries of their awesome creations. I let Narra tell me what she wanted - and choose she did. She was clear, and firm with her choice. It was the "Dora the Explorer" cake from Goldilocks that won her affection.

We're giving her a small party at my parents' house. We're inviting first cousins only, which makes it intimate, and manageable - although, in the Philippine setting, that still results  in a good-sized party. My parents just built Narra a tree house, which is perfect for the activity I planned for Narra's cousins. We're planning to do an exploration of my parents' garden where I will hide stuff for the kids' loot bags. They'll have to look behind shrubbery, climb a treehouse, pass through a "tunnel" that connects the garage, to the shady patio at the back.  We also made sure the green mango tree has ample fruit so the kids can pick some. 

I was happy to find very helpful blogs that offered design ideas, templates, and clipart for making my treasure map.  From Kira Franz-Knight's blog Tangarang (tangarangblog.blogspot.com) I got to download the templates for a treasure map, and get drawings for treasure-hunt paths, and stuff found in the garden.  Her site is ultra cool, and a party-planner's treasure trove for DIY decorating ideas. Armed with her artwork, I had fun making a map for Narra's party, with clues for the hidden objects for kids to find.  It was easy enough to find clipart of Dora from www.dora-the-explorer-adventures.com, I chose one and attached it to my map. And voila! Narra's excited!

Getting the map printed out got me into party mode (at least for a few minutes). I'll spend tomorrow preparing the garden for the party, and purchasing all the loot. I hope it all turns out well on Sunday. We'll be extremely busy that day (CRAZY BUSY: we open a new branch that day, for our food business; and it's the day we turnover our condo to our tenant; and it's Narra's birthday party too! Yikes!)  It's probably not the wisest thing to have a birthday party when one is so busy - but Narra's been talking non-stop about her birthday that I do not have the heart to set it aside this year. She will always be worth making time for, even when things get crazier and busier. 

I'll take pics of the actual exploration when party day comes. Stay tuned!

To see Kira's cool design blog visit:

http://tangarangblog.blogspot.com/

Related Posts:
Narra's 3rd Birthday: Exploring The Garden
http://nikki-mama.blogspot.com/2012/05/narras-3rd-birthday-exploring-garden.html

Guijo's Good Disposition & How He's Making Me A Morning Person

He wakes up smiling. A smile so pure and infectious, we can't help but smile right back. Oliver and I have been basking in Guijo's sunshine for months now, as our daily source of happy hormones so early in the morning.  He goes from sleep-state to full-awareness in a split second, with no grouchy transition in between. He simply wakes up, happy. Just like that.  Especially in the mornings when he rouses naturally from a good night's sleep.  I wake up to his smiling face and twinkling eyes, and I am awash with gratitude, to the entire universe, for giving me this precious gift - received in abundance. Love, hope, contentment, happiness, peace... and many other beautiful things. I feel them all, when Guijo wakes me up.  I feel the weights of my life's kharmic balance shifting favorably each moment I get lost in his eyes. All wrongs are righted. All pains are worth it. All roads not taken aren't remembered with regret, but with joyful acceptance - because the road I did take led me to this - my mornings ignited by Guijo's smile.

I'm not exactly a morning person. I get up early when I need to, with the help of an alarm clock - but I do so out of obligation.  Guijo, on the other hand, looks like he's so thankful to be awake, so excited to get up, so eager to get on with his day, and so happy to see other people waking up too. Having him, is like getting a wake up call from God, it's like I am being told to seize my days, to rouse my life from sleep mode, and embrace every waking moment with energy and enthusiasm.  A good friend from long ago once told me he saw in me a very enthusiastic person - explaining to me how the word "enthusiasm" comes from "en-theos", with the root "theos" referring to God - to be enthused, is to be infused with the breath of God.  In my enthusiasm he saw a person fulfilling God's plan, and doing God's work.  

Sometime last year, I lost all enthusiasm. No amount of material comforts (a new bag, a new phone, a new condo) could get me enthused.  No amount of non-material spirit-lifters worked either - not music, nor dance, nor prayer. I had a dry spell, so prolonged I felt like parched land that has fallen under an eternal drought. But Guijo's smiles, like drops of water forming awesome stalagmites, has led to my healing, and I am feeling excited about everything, again. I am eager to wake up, with a ready smile. Sigh (a happy, happy sigh). With Guijo it is always an "oh what a beautiful morning" or "umagang kay ganda" moment. So early in the day, he makes me feel like I am such a lucky one.