Horseshoe Crabs!

In late April, Rene excitedly showed me pictures of a "helmet" crab.  Some Korean photographers chanced upon a pair among the mangroves at Emerald Playa, one bigger than the other. 

He even has a picture showing their underbellies, which are soft and not protected.

They look really menacing, but are harmless.  Even if they look like they can swiftly attack us humans, they only feed on mollusks and worms.  Their long tails act like rudders so they can plow through sand and muck.   It also helps them go back belly side down when they get tipped over.

Last Friday at noon, Elise answered the ringing phone and turned to me,"Daddy said to go down RIGHT NOW, as fast as you can!  I think he saw a creature!"  So, we dropped everything and went down to the beach.  There was a pair of them again!

One was smaller than the other and was attached to the bigger one.  The female is the bigger one, and the male is the smaller one.  During high tides and full moons, they mate and bury their 20,000 eggs in the sand.  In some places, there is as much as six males latched on to the female.

We found out later that they are not "helmet" crabs.  We thought they were, as they looked like huge helmets.  But helmet crabs look like this.  

photo from http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/kodiak/images/photo/crabtelekin.jpg

They are called "horseshoe" crabs. They used to be called "horsefoot crabs", as the shell looks like a horse's hoof.

photo from www.wildheartshoofcare.com

When they walk around on their dozen clawed legs, they look like this:

photo from DCWild Gallery

They have evolved very little in the last 250 million years.  Maybe because they can go a year without eating and can survive extreme temperatures and salinity.

The horseshoe crab's blue blood is copper-based, and is used to test the purity of medicines.  Chemists use it to detect dangerous and fatal bacteria in newly manufactured medicines.   Certain shell properties are also used to speed blood clotting and to make absorbable sutures.  Having had two Cesarean deliveries, I can appreciate that, as I had absorbable sutures.  Very cool.

Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away!

We were confined indoors on a very hot morning a few weeks ago.  We could feel the fiery sun and could smell the humidity as we opened the balcony window.  There was nothing to do outside, so we decided to paint some pictures.

It started to get cloudy very slowly, and the smell just became wetter and wetter.   I called the kids to inhale and smell the approaching rain. In about ten minutes, the sky was gray and the drops fell loud and hard.

 
Nacho, still wearing his painting smock, was hypnotized by it all as he sat under an umbrella.

The rain was so strong and so refreshing that I wanted to go out with him too.

And why not?  The three of us changed into our swimsuits, put on shirts and shorts on top, and with three umbrellas, walked around the beach and the lagoon, jumping on muddy puddles.

Bad Eating Habits No More

It's been a tiring week.

Nacho had diarrhea since last Saturday and did his thing about three to four times a day.  And one of those times always included a trip to the bathroom at about 2:00A.M.  He also had low grade fever that I had to check regularly, so this meant less than three hours of sleep for me every night.

Just when his continuous fever disappeared on Tuesday night, it was Elise's turn.  She had a severe stomachache and could not sleep since her 9:00a.m. bedtime.  Then she finally let it all out on the bedroom floor, and the Jollibee spaghetti she ate at dinnertime looked like it had not been digested even after three hours.  Just when we got everything cleaned up, Nacho had to go again, and he still had diarrhea.

The next day, we finally went to the pediatrician at Palawan Adventist Hospital.  She had been out of town so she could vote in her hometown for the national elections and Wednesday afternoon was the earliest she could come.  But she was constantly texting with me as I updated her on Nacho's condition.  Since Nacho's fever did not go higher than 38.1, there was not any cause for alarm.  He drank lots of water and did not get dehydrated.

Turned out Elise had indigestion and Nacho had a viral infection, as expected.  They are now both on a soft diet with minimal dairy and no sweets.  No iced tea, hardly any juice and no carbonated drinks. She prescribed Domperidone (Motilium) for Elise, which took effect immediately.  Elise is now playing and is back to her cheerful self.  We were also told to give Nacho some Bacillus Clausii (Erceflora), which is some live good bacteria for his tummy.  After one dose, his diarrhea was also gone.  So now, we are just continuing the medication and the treatment.  Nacho lost some weight, but I am sure that he will regain it.

What was good about this pediatrician was that she took the time out to talk about things that were related to the stomach.  She asked how Nacho eats, how long he eats, and his other eating habits.  After I told her how, she labeled me a "Full Time Feeder." Yes, it takes Nacho about two hours to eat.  By the time he finishes breakfast, it's already lunch time.  And yes, he still drinks a lot of milk, about 50% of his diet. Yes, he is still a part-time bottle drinker. Yes, I end up giving him a lot of milk if he does not eat a lot of food. Yes, he brings toys to the table.  Yes, I follow him around with a spoonful of food.  Yes, of course, I feed him to speed up the process.  Yes, he can feed himself.  How much do I think he should eat?  No, not a mugful, just a cup, about 250grams. Do we celebrate when he eats a lot, and tell him he is a good boy?  Do we get upset with him when he does not finish his food? 

Is the TV on when they eat? Yes, sometimes.  Okay, most of the time.  Okay, all the time.  She said this was probably why Elise did not chew her food well too.

No excuses.  I've done a lousy job helping my kids appreciate food on the table, three times a day, even more.   I let this part slide.  And because of it, their stomachs did not digest properly and will not be able to tell their brain what it needs or what it does not need.  When they eat and give it their hundred percent attention, they know when to stop, when to drink, and when to get some more.

We were doing fine late last year.  I did not go into details that when we were in Manila, they both ate properly.  Nacho was even almost bottle-free.  Our dining room was separate from the room with the TV.  Since we moved, everything happens in one room. But this is not without a solution. The TV still has an OFF switch, and the toys can still be banned from the table.

I told the doctor that I think Nacho regressed a bit.  She asked me if I have been focusing more on Elise..... Looking back, we were a bit too much into each other's faces when we were rushing her 3rd and 4th quarter grades.  Yes, about that time, he slowly drank from the bottle more frequently, and only ate when I fed him.

So, all is well now.

Cut down the milk by 90%.  Increased snacks.  We've gone through three meals without any distractions - toys, books, TV.  No more of the usual stuff.  Shockingly, Nacho is eating properly and is eating adequate amounts.  I just give him a little bit, and if he wants more, he gets more.  No more fireworks and a marching band when he finishes his food.  And if he can't eat it all, then he will just have to wait till the next meal... or snack.  I shall quietly put the leftover away. 

I am close to thanking God for letting Nacho get a mild viral infection, and for Elise's tummy to give up digesting that spaghetti the other night. Thank God for making their parents realize that things needed to change.

Elise's New School

On June 7, 2010, Elise will attend second grade in Salve Regina, the previously named "Mary, the Mediatrix".

It is a private Catholic school that has relocated from downtown to a site slightly off the National Highway, which is about ten minutes away from here.  It is still partially under construction.  Physically, it is a far cry from the other two schools we visited, which had nice school grounds and were several floors high.  This one is simply composed of classrooms, a school office and a computer lab.

I also saw a small canteen...

There is also a multipurpose basketball court and a garage for several school service vehicles.

There was also a building that was almost finished, which I hoped was a library. I did not see any playground, but I know that every Friday, they have Physical Education and even teach their students tennis. We are not too concerned about the lack of swings or slides, as she can always relax on a hammock, climb trees, play in the beach or swim in the pool.  The classrooms are not air conditioned, but each has its own toilet, which I appreciate.

The lockers are all outside the classrooms.  

Nacho had a could not resist opening each and every one of them...

...and picking up whatever was left behind from last school year: paper clips, erasers, bookmarks...

Salve Regina is a relatively new school, and still quite small.  The School Directress is also the owner, and she also teaches some subjects.  She personally administered the achievement tests of Elise, scored them right after they were taken and even took the time out to let her know what she did not get right.  Fortunately, Elise scored high enough to be placed in the Advanced Class.  Rene proudly said that he did not expect anything less.  Meanwhile, I was a bit nervous because whatever she did not know would reflect on her teacher during the previous grade - and that was me.

She was only given English, Math and Science tests.  They also had a Filipino proficiency test, but after Elise asked too many questions while taking the test, they decided not to let her take it anymore.  I was sternly advised to work on Elise's Filipino grammar and pop culture double-time, as she did not even know who Regine Velasquez is.  The Department of Education is now requiring students to take a nationwide Filipino proficiency exam on the 3rd and 6th grades, and we still have time to make her catch up.  I was so tempted to tell her that even if my daughter cannot speak Filipino fluently, she truly loves the Philippines:  And even if she does not know who Regine Velasquez is, she knows who Lea Salonga and Manny Pacquiao are!  I bet her existing students do not even know who Efren "Bata" Reyes is!  Last school year, she was most engaged when we studied the different land and water forms in our country.  She breezed through Grade One Philippine history, is an environmentalist, has decided on her candidate for the the upcoming elections, and she has her own opinion about migration to other countries!!!  But I decided to just let the Directress discover Elise's love for country herself.

After that very defensive train of thought, what I really like about the school is its homey atmosphere.  Their teachers are so warm and nice. It is also still a very small school, and only accept up to 20 students per class. Other schools have too many students and I was not comfortable with some teachers whom I witnessed during the class visits.

Another good thing is its Catholic formation.  They remember Our Lady often by reciting one decade of the Holy Rosary a day and the Angelus at noon.  There are also First Friday Masses and special celebrations of feast days.

We are most pleased with the afternoon schedule of the advanced class.  They start at 1:00P.M. and end around 5:30P.M.  In the other schools, there is no advanced class, and they usually start at 7:00A.M. and end at 3:00P.M.  (I am thinking that 2 hours of that would mean their lunch and recess breaks, lining up, getting everyone moving...)  With Elise's half day schedule, there is less rush to get to school and we can still spend time together eating a relaxed breakfast together as a family, maybe even lunch.  I can supplement her learning and partially still home-school her in the mornings, or help her prepare for quizzes and exams without having to study too late into the evenings.  We'll work out a good, well-rounded routine!

Meanwhile, we have a month to polish our Filipino...

Beachfront Play

Elise surprisingly preferred to stay indoors and read her Teen Titans comics while Nacho and I briskly walked out to the beachfront for our usual late afternoon frolic. He brought along with him about ten paper boats for a race in one of the little pools in the sand. 

Only two survived, as they easily tipped over and sank.  He cried over the poor ones who did not make it and was very upset that the last two survivors ended up submerged in the end as well. We talked about why it happened, and he planned to make bigger ones out of newspapers next time. 

A few hundred meters away was a fisherman's boat that turned in for the day. Nacho desperately wanted to "drive it and go far, far away to the sea!"  He is a little man of animated gestures, and he repeated his wish over and over with outstretched arms.  We had another talk about how we needed a boatman to take us to the sea, and that we need to leave very early in the morning, and make sure that it is safe to go into the deep sea.  He said he was telling Daddy to wake us all up very early next time and tell the boatman to come along so we can see some fish.

I let him daydream for a while.  I spotted some fishermen who were fixing their nets for tomorrow's early morning fishing and went over to say hello.

There was a new lifeguard's station on a sandbar in the middle of the shallow sea.  It was so tall, that even during high tide, the water would only reach on the lower one third of the station. In a few days later, they will paint it white and bright red.

Several new bright flag markers were floating on bamboo squares to warn the swimmers (and waders) during high tide to go no further, for their own safety. Nacho was drawn to them.  He first inspected the one nearest him.

But he couldn't resist going to the one partially submerged in water to see if he could float on it. The marker was tied with a long nylon string to a large dead coral on the sea bed. It was immovable. He spent almost an hour trying to make it float around in circles by wriggling with it. 

Later on, he discovered that it was easier to make it move if he floated on his belly holding on in front of him, while he kicked around to make it go.

A little later, we turned around and saw Rene coming towards us. Nacho's face lighted up, and they talked about the critters again.

And a bit later, ran and kicked a ball around.

 

Then we heard a squeal and a laugh.  "Elise is here!".  We were having too much fun and she wanted in. 

So the three ran and kicked some more.  They would occasionally kick the ball my way, but they knew I was too busy documenting every minute of our memories.

It went on till sunset, as usual.  

And I resolved that the next time there is some running, chasing or kicking, I will take less pictures and play more.