We've taken Noah to the Chinese New Celebration since he was born (almost accidentally). He will have been exposed to so much more than me in his short life! I heart NYC!

It will be my second year as the Co-Director of Filipino Heritage Camp (FHC) and the first year that any of the 10 Colorado Heritage Camps (CHC) has two Directors that are both adult adoptees in its 19 years of existence.

I volunteered as a camp counselor in 2000 when I came across the website after doing a search on line. I still have the printed emails that I sent to the CHC Director who is pictured to the left.


I was not sure what I was getting into - traveling solo to Denver, CO to be a counselor to young kids who were adopted from the Philippines. I comforted by the fact that there was a fellow young adult adoptee that I could relate to and that a couple families happened to be on the same Motherland tour 2 years earlier!

Fast forward a decade later and many hours on the phone with my fellow co-counselor and now Co-Director. I would like to think I am ten years wiser and more experienced to take a leadership role in a camp that has become a second home and family to me.

It will be our 4th consecutive year traveling to the Rockies with my son who has been attending and recently participating as a camper, which will undeniably help play a role in his own identity development.

First of many Firsts......

After almost three years of spending time with Noah he has officially started Pre-school. His first day of course was filled with excitement and anxiety for all of us. He was eager to use his new Thomas the Train backpack that "Ganga" found for him at a tag sale and the new backpack we bought. When we arrived in the classroom the teachers set up a cubby space for him with his name on it.

We were very fortunate to bypass the torment of enrolling Noah in a NYC pre school program after we attended an Open House for our local YMCA. It is a mere two blocks away from our home and we could not be happier with the staff.

Tender Care is a 2 year old program at the Grovsenor YMCA. Noah attends twice a week for 6 hours and he has even conformed to their nap schedule. He has a wonderful diverse group of classmates that he seems to get along with. And he has a special friend named Sophia who is only 10 days older than him and actually looks like she could be his long lost sister.

I spent an hour with him before having to endure his cries to go home with me. But as I slowly crept to the stairwell I heard the teacher trying to sooth him and he immediately stopped crying.

And there is nothing else that makes a Mom's heart melt but the smile and big hug that I got when I picked up Noah. He grabbed his jacket, threw his backpack on and dragged me out of his classroom before I could say goodbye to anyone!

Little Master's Art - Bringing out the artist in your child.

I enrolled Noah in LMA classes this past spring and was so impressed with the art classes that I signed him up for the summer session as well. Living in the UWS and formerly UES, I found that the programs/activities for the younger kids was so competitive, in terms of enrollment, fees and limited physical space but LMA is truly the best kept secret in the UWS!!

I was fortunate to learn about LMA in its inaugural year and has since found a permanent host site at El Taller Latino Americano. The two co-founders have put so much thought and detail into the programming and have focused on providing a welcoming and creative space for all. Amanda is a graduate of NYU in Art History and Studio Art while Narges (a mother of a toddler) has a Master's in Design and Technology with a background

Classes are available for children between the ages of 16mo-18 years with an emphasis on enriching the children with the understanding of the art culture by introducing hands on projects that reflects artists of the day and reinforcing the idea that although art can be messy, it should also be fun! LMA has expanded to include music classes taught in both english and spanish.

If you can't committ to the 12 week courses be sure to check for their monthy, Saturday Workshops!

Information on registration and classes DEADLINE: Aug 15th

Model Filipino-American

My good friend Dr. Kevin Nadal and Godfather/Ninong to Noah has written, Filipino American Psychology - A Handbook of Theory, Research and Clinical Practice. I was especially excited to provide him with information about Filipino adoption, which very little is written about.

I was also honored when he asked me and Noah to pose for the cover of the book along with a dozen other Fil-Ams. Noah made the final cut for the front cover and there is a group photo on the back of the two of us!

BUY THE BOOK NOW!

Congrats Kevin!

My Little Master Artist

I wanted to find any type of class for Noah and to my surprise came across Little Masters Art
for kids between 2-12 years; the best kept secret in NY. Each one hour class begins with a snack, story time and an activity inspired by a chosen artist of the day. Although Noah would rather toy around with the play dough it seems like he has enjoyed experimenting with different tools and materials. Little Master's also hosts a monthly Saturday Workshop that is reasonably priced; $15 a child.

April - In like a Lamb......

The Peace Fountain statue is quite impressive, which is next to The Cathedral Church of Saint John in the Upper West Side. I discovered that Saint John's is the largest cathedral in the world and to think it is a few blocks away from our apartment! I still need to go inside the the cathedral and would like to bring Noah to the free organ performance every Monday at 1pm.


Noah's Ark plaque, I like to bring Noah to see all the small bronze figures of animals and mamals that were designed by youth and adults. Another attraction are the two peacocks that roam the church grounds. One is white while the other has the iridescent green. You will most likely hear their unique bird cries. I was puzzled when I first heard them.

I turns out that the Bronx Zoo has been donating the peacocks since 1973.

The Proud Day for All Americans and the World!

I still can't believe I was considering driving to DC the night before the Inauguration. I suppose part of me wished I was the care free person I once was but with some disappointment resigned to the fact that I would not join the thousands of people in DC.......sigh.

Instead, I woke up early (7:30am) with Noah and listened to CNN until 1pm. I watched as the droves of people descended on the Mall in the early morning hours, checked into Facebook and read friend's statuses who were in DC and happily carried on with my mommy duties.

I can agree with many that for the first time I felt patriotic to my adopted country and was optimistic about the future of America.

"The Moment"

Noah finally realized that he has to blow into the recorder in order to make a noise. He is now a champ at playing a flute as well.

Look Ma, I can hold my own ice cream bar!

Bryant Park Le Carrousel

Traveling in the city with Noah is much easier these days now that we live on the Upper West Side. The 1 train is a stones throw away from our apartment and other than the usual lifting of the stroller or of Noah, it is a breeze.

One of our summer adventures brought us to Bryant Park where Noah has open space to walk where ever he pleases. We came upon Le Carrousel and I ended up buying a 10 ride ticket because he kept on getting upset when the ride came to an end. We went around 4 times before Mom started getting dizzy.

His first time mounting the frog brought a frightened look to his face as I strapped him in. The frog was not stationary but once he became comfortable going up and down he could not get enough of it.

The mind of a toddler: intrigues and frustrations.

These days Noah's attention span is that of many kids his age - very scattered. We read that we should rotate his toys because kids can grow tired of them. When I do take them out again its as if they are entering his life for the first time.

His most recent entertainment has been figuring out the buckles on his stroller and high chair with great excitement. He has yet to successfully unbuckle the straps but heck, I can't push for everything since it will eventually happen.

He has not formulated words but is phonetically associating sounds he hears and mimics us. Otherwise, he likes to shriek with joy or frustration.

Either way, he seems to be a well adjusted little guy who loves to smile, flirt with anyone, and amuse himself with his toys. What else could we ask for?!

Baby Einstein

I have attempted to record Noah's developments but the closest I have gotten has been documenting them on this blog......sigh. I suppose it has also been a help that I photograph him as often as I can. That way I can look at the date at which the photo was taken!

His most recent achievement and our amusement has been to twist caps on bottles and containers. From a water bottle to the milk container he has become masterful at such a useful skill. It started with a Gatorade bottle; a cap that he could grasp easily when I inadvertently left an empty bottle on the kitchen floor. He spent as much as his attention span would allow him to fiddling about with it before he became frustrated. He would yell out at me when he saw me take sips from whatever I was holding and I would frantically chug down the contents before he shrieked.

He has since graduated from Gatorade bottles to water bottles; challenging because the top is so small. With his expansive dexterity has also begun to hold "his own fork" to feed himself scanty pieces of food as well as drinking from a cup.

It excites me to watch his small accomplishments as I know they will continue to become greater.

Helmet free.

After nearly six months, we went to our final Cranial appointment in Clinton, CT. The results were significantly better than expected considering Noah started at a later age than most babies that usually begin at 6 months. We are extremely happy with the results and even more thrilled that he can enjoy the summer sans helmet.

Noah had three molds made of his head and a series of pictures to document his progress. Photos were of the back, side and front view of his head. Hopefully, I can post the pictures documenting the before-during and after progress. They truly show the deformity, predominantly the right side that caused obvious squaring of his head.



Of course, he grew more aware of his surroundings especially when Cranial had to make a mold of his head that was covered with quick dry plaster. Above is the after picture of the molding process, which did not seem to go by fast enough. It took 20 minutes in which his head was covered by mesh (with eyes and mouth cut out) and layered with plaster strips.

With that being said, we are relieved that it was a positive outcome. His hair can finally grow naturally without the constriction of the helmet and he will no longer look like a footballer in training.

Homo Erectus - Upright Noah!

It has been a few weeks since Noah began walking. He has been cautious with his steps and quite aware of obstructions, though of course has had occasional stumbles.

Watching him learn how to navigate his body has been intriguing, particularly when he made his first round about. I think it excited him just as much as his parents!

These days he likes to flail his arms in the air and like a pinball bounce from couch to ottoman to his chest of toys and where ever else he wants to walk. We have had to block the television with the ottoman because with his newfound mobility he can traipse to the control panel and never grows tired of pressing the volume to maximum then casually walk off with a grin on his face.

Our first afternoon at the park (see picture above) in months has me looking forward to many more in the future. Noah was overwhelmed at the prospect of having so much open space and to poke through other peoples strollers. It's time to go to the thrift store and find toys for him to play with in the sandbox.

A Filipino home cooked meal - in a slow cooker. Who woulda thunk?

I went home to Connecticut for a well needed weekend from NYC. I took Noah to his bi-monthly cranial appointment and my Mom returned home from her ski adventures in Montana, although with an additional cast from her hand halfway up her arm. (She tore ligaments from her thumb and a shard of bone was lodged in a muscle)

We are extremely close to completing Noah's treatment to correct the flatness of his head. There has been significant improvement with the overall shape and after all of my huffing and puffing it was worth the last 7 months bringing him to CT every two weeks. I am baffled when I look at his first helmet and realize how small he was when we started the process last August.

This evening my mom surprised me by making Pork Adobo, a traditional Filipino dish in her slow cooker. She found a recipe on line, added all the ingredients and let it simmer for 7 hours. I was touched by her gesture since it was the first time anyone in my family attempted to cook Filipino dishes other than myself. It was flavorful, even Noah enjoyed the pork pieces and adobo juice on the rice.

Hapa Baby Palooza ---



(picture left - Maria, Noah, Corinne, Amalia, Malcolm - it aint easy photoging three rambunctious babies!)

I hosted a "mommas and toddlers" afternoon at my apartment(embarrassingly my first). The gal that babysits Noah is a film student and is of mixed race. One of her film projects has been focusing on the mixed race experience - post Vietnam War.

Now that I have Noah in my life I feel like there is so much more to consider when it comes to looking at his racial makeup. I cannot offer the cultural link of the Filipino language, perhaps some words I have picked up and hopefully what Ninong RJ will teach him. I spent my "terrible twenties" investing a lot of my time exposing myself to the Fil-Am experience, which included 3 visits to the Philippines, attending numerous conferences, becoming a youth organizer and Co-founding a website for adult Filipino adoptees.

In some respects I can relate to the hapa experience because my family is white and I struggled for many years to create a positive self identity, embrace my adoption and pride for my Filipina heritage.

One of the many things, I would like to instill in my son is pride of being Filipino, German and Italian. We do not know as much about the European American side of him but this may be an opportunity to research both his maternal and paternal grandparents lineage.

Car equals freedom


When you live in a city it does
not make sense to own a car unless you have money and can afford to pay the outrageous
monthly garage fees or parking tickets you are likely to get.

Thanks to my cousin, I joined Zipcar because I have been tired of taking Metro North transit. My friend lives in Nyack, which is 45 minutes outside of the city and I wanted to visit her without the hassle and stress of relying on public transportation, especially with a toddler.

Despite having been lost for an hour I still made it to Nyack with enough time to have a sit down lunch and also go to BJ's Warehouse where I indulged in economy sized things you cannot get in the city.

The picture above is of Malcolm (left) and Noah on our adventure in BJ's.


Some great perks with Zipcar:

- You are given a nifty card that only you can use to access the car,
- They cover gas up to 180 miles FREE,
- Every car has an EZ pass and if you go through a toll it is billed to your credit card,
- You can rent cars from $8-$18/hour,
- They offer different levels of membership if you require a car often or once a month,
- There are a variety of cars and if you want to go luxury rent a bmw, mini or suv,

Concerns:

- Make sure you call the garage in advance to ensure your car does not have any problems i.e. flat tire,
- Do a test run of the car you requested,
- Report any issues of the car to Zipcar,
- If you need a car during the weekend reserve a week or two in advance.

Family drum circle

About a month and a half ago when Noah started to do his military crawl he would wiggle over to the door that is propped by a djembe drum and knock it over so he could hit his hands on it.

This afternoon, as I was walking with my aunt along the 7th Avenue Street Fair I eyed a much smaller djembe and knew it was a perfect size for Noah.

The moment I handed him the drum he vigorously pounded on it with elation. We have been buying other musical toys for him like maracas and a castanet that his Aunt Loralee bought for him. I failed miserably when it came to musical instruments. I tried the piano but did not have enough patience, the flute only lasted a year though I guess if you count a recorder - I was pretty good at that!

We all have a little country in us.

Durham Fair, CT
http://www.durhamfair.com/content/44/default.aspx

In high school my friends and I would trek to the North Haven Fair, Orange Fireman's Fair and the Durham Fair in Connecticut; all of which fell between August and September. Who could not resist the amusement rides, cotton candy, and fried dough with tomato sauce?! My favorite ride was the Zipper, a two minute ride that jolted every inch of your body and was one of the best adrenaline rush!

My sister in law mentioned that the last day of the Durham Fair (in Durham. CT) was coming up and I couldn't pass the chance to go for old time sake. Though, since I was going with Noah I would not have a chance to ride the Zipper, not this time at least. There was an abundance of other attractions to keep us busy.

The rush of excitement as we were taking the shuttle bus to the fair grounds had me giddy even as I was pinned between Noah in his car seat and the rest of the stroller. With tickets in hand we were ready to conquer all.

We walked through the large warehouses of livestock that included - goats, poultry, rabbits, llamas, swine, sheep, dairy cattle. There was also competative arts and crafts exhibits, vegetables, canning, baking, needle work and so on. I can't wait until Noah is old enough to appreciate the Fair for all of its glory.

It would not be a fair without all the food vendors. We indulged in an onion flower, fried dough, root beer float and also had to force ourselves not to let our temptations get out of hand considering the food was pricey.

Next time we will have to allot more time to see everything! Can't wait for next year!

Durham Fair 2008 - http://www.durhamfair.com/