BookMagic

7 Working Days 'Til We Know

2012-02-01T21:34:00.000+08:00

Lucas will turn four (4) years old in August. It means that we MUST enroll him to Nursery Class this coming school year. The hunt for a preschool began late last year and well, we sort of decided where we want him to go.

We submitted the requirements last weekend (with Lucas thinking that he IS going to school that day. He was kinda disappointed when we trooped to the car after showing him the preschool area) and his entrance test/interview was scheduled today.

No parents were allowed inside the testing area and I was a little nervous, thinking he might refuse to go inside without me or his daddy in tow. I was pleasantly surprised when he went with the Teacher who called the kids inside to begin the "test". While waiting, JJ tried to listen to what's going on inside and he came back reporting that he heard several "Lucas" and "Let's see who's behaving/ sitting down properly" from the test administrator. Oh dear.

After about forty minutes, the doors opened with Teacher ushering the kids outside (there were three of them who took the "test"). Lucas came out smiling (which I hope is a good sign) while presenting me with his test permit with a writing that says "results will be out after seven working days".

It will be a long week.... we are just hoping that our little boy made the cut. This experience left me wondering whether parents these days (us included) are putting too much pressure on our kids and ourselves! particularly when it comes to school and learning. Hmm, are we????

Brangelina

2012-01-23T11:19:00.000+08:00

It is awards season again in the US and the stars are turning up all glammed-up in red carpets all over town. Chanced upon several pics of Brad and Angelina. I got the pictures from People.com.

at the Producers Guild of America Awards

At the Golden Globes

Beautiful couple.

Monopoly Deal

2012-01-15T22:25:00.000+08:00

P329.75 well spent...

On most nights, you'll see me, JJ and Daddy G playing after dinner. It's a fun, easy-to-set up game that's pretty much very enjoyable. Credit to Kuya Larry for introducing us to this fun past time. I am not that good playing though and I end up losing most of the time (the pikon in me ends up giving JJ the silent treatment whenever I feel like he's targeting me during the game :P ).

Monopoly brings me back to my childhood, when I played the board game with my friends Katthie, Jheck, Jing, Cez, Apple and Shiella. We had our rules, the banker usually giving out bonuses so we can have money again! :) It was fun then and the reinvention is still fun now.

Available in toy stores and hobby shops.

It's our Fifth!

2011-12-28T22:35:00.000+08:00

A simple dinner to celebrate our fifth year as Mr. and Mrs....

Of course, it won't be complete without the little guy

Family pic

Lucas took our picture while having dessert

Trying to be funny by hiding from the camera but nahuli ko rin naman siya :)

A kiss, Mom?

Ooops. Custom timer settings pala also takes 3 successive shots...

~*~

Has it really been five years since that December day when we woke up panicking a little since the sun seemed a little shy? :)

Christmas is...

2011-12-26T16:50:00.000+08:00

... having your sister style your hair with your parents nearby, laughing at the friendly "asaran" going on between the two of you
... watching your nephews fight over the gifts they got. The moms are a little stressed while Lolo looks on smiling (as if saying, now it is your turn to referee...)
... eating nilagang pork ribs for lunch. Yes, cooked just the way you like it and just the way you had it since your were a kid
... having Arroz Caldo for Noche Buena. It's one of the mainstays (like nilaga) in the annual menu
... all about family and traditions.

*********************************
Merry Christmas! I hope you all had a good one...

Lucas and his "Tubs"

2011-12-05T21:35:00.000+08:00

Lucas loves to "swiimmm", as he calls bath time. Here's a peek at how he's grown in the past years, as seen in his "tubs".

With Daddy at 6 months.

Kasyang-kasya pa sa baby bath tub niya

At a little more than a year old.

Na-discover na niya ang wonders ng timba.

Before turned two.

Kasya pa rin sa magic timba.

At three years old, ito ang dialogue niya kadalasan habang nakababad sa magic timba:

Lucas: Mommy, help me. I am stuck. (in short, hindi na siya kasya)

Ang solusyon: gumamit ng batya :)

Caramel Made Me Smile Today

2011-12-05T20:57:00.000+08:00

... caramel ice cream, that is.

Reminded me of FIC's Caramello. This one's a little cheaper but without the yummy pastillas bits you'd find in FIC's. Oh, but the ice cream's just as delicious. I half-heartedly asked hubby to close the lid as I kept on refilling my little cup...

Thank you Magnolia for a new wonderful flavor to crave for.

Fun Sunday

2011-11-27T18:57:00.001+08:00

The day started with a kiddie party at Jollibee in Blue Wave.

Paul and Chai's Ynigo celebrated his 1st birthday

Lucas was all hyper. With poised little Bella clapping in the background

He made singit so he can have this pic taken with Jollibee (when did he get the monicker "bestfriend ng bayan" ? Just wondering)

He ate a little bit of spaghetti but finished his chocolate sundae

After the party, we were off to MOA for a stroll...

Little boy saw the play area near seaside

Mahal ah... at P50 for 15 minutes!

He wrestled...

climbed up

Used the slide...

He kept on jumping in this big donut-like thing...

and of course... slide again

.. and again.

To say that it was difficult getting him out of the play area was an understatement :) But we were able to lure him out of the area by promising we'd drop by the toy store so he can browse. But lo and behold, no toys na pala sa Creamery area... good thing he got distracted when we entered the Logico area (any feedback on this? several packages were shown to us and well, we find it expensive. We wonder if it's worth it).

After a few minutes, we decided to call it a day. Lucas was asleep before we got to EDSA. Napagod siguro sa kakatalon niya...

We went home tired and well, happy :) It was a fun Sunday indeed.

Next stop? Lights show in Ayala Triangle...

Grocery Tips from Smart Parenting

2011-11-20T22:06:00.000+08:00

Clean Fifteen
Generally low in pesticide residues (many of these either have a thick rind or covering you can discard or a strong odor that naturally fends off pests):
1. Onions
2. Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocados
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet peas
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

Dirty Eleven
Consider buying organic (and cut your intake of pesticides by as much as 80%)
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Imported nectarines
7. Imported grapes
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce

*From Smart Parenting November 2011 issue.

Astronaut

2011-10-16T21:07:00.000+08:00

Lucas and I were looking out the window, marveling at the full moon. All of a sudden, he says...
Lucas: Mommy, let's go to space Mars!
Me: Oh, you want to go to Mars...
Lucas: Yes, Mommy... Mars
Me: What are you going to wear?
Lucas: Hmmm.... a jacket! A helmet and.... 'jamas! ('jamas = pajamas)
Me: Ok, but you have to study hard to be an astronaut.Ok?

Lucas: Ok, mommy...

~*~

Happy Birthday JJ!

2011-09-29T22:42:00.000+08:00

Happy 31st Daddy!!!

Cheers to many, many more years of laughter, building & fulfilling dreams and weekday dates.
Lucas and I love you very much :)

Lucas's 3rd Birthday Celebration

2011-09-23T21:55:00.000+08:00

Lucas's 3rd birthday celebration was simple, with dinner at home with the family. We had the usual children's party food like fried chicken and spaghetti. Lucas's cake was Shopwise's yummy and moist chocolate cake.

Here are several pics from my son's birthday celebration:

Horsing around while waiting for dinner

With Mommy

with his cake

I know... cute, right?

Blow...

With Ate Denny

Opening Ninong B's gift

Wow! It's Stanley

Ang daling kumiss at yumakap ah...

Track's been there for almost a year now... at mukhang hindi siya madi-dismantle anytime soon

Happy Birthday baby... we love you!

Hong Kong: Day 3

2011-09-09T13:42:00.000+08:00

CITY GATE OUTLET

Since everyone was tired from the whole-day Disney trip, we decided to have a relaxed day and just visit the City Gate Outlet. Route namin is almost same as our MTR route when we went to Disney.

Nice shops:

1. Giordano – though sale sa HK and may sale din sa Giordano stores outside City Gate, better yung deals sa City Gate. Say near our hostel, yung sale sa Giordano is 3 leggings for HKXX (di ko na matandaan how much), sa City Gate parang 5 leggings for the same price.

2. Mango – kaya lang small sizes ang jeans eh. Size 25 ata.

3. Michael’s Thomas and Friend’s store – cheaper ng kaunti compared to Toys R Us and maraming items na wala dito sa atin.

Tips:

1. Since sale sa HK from July-August, better if you also visit mga shopping malls. May sale din sila and mas magaganda at newer yung items.

2. Harbor City Mall

a. Longchamp: maraming 50% off. Tempted nga ako to buy kasi yung isang le pliage medium 50% off. Nasa HK550 na lang (P3600++ when you convert to pesos).

b. Zara: Di ko alam kung ako lang or cheaper dun? At since sale ang daming nice items na mura. Basic tops meron at HK39, may dresses at HK119 at may office trousers na HK119! Nanghinayang ako dito kasi nakita ko lang yung shop past lunch na on the day ng alis namin. Eh 2:30 ang usapan namin na balik sa hostel to leave for the airport. Nawindang ako sa madaliang pili. Sayang L

3. Ocean Terminal

a. Mothercare: nice ang items for sale and cheap ang Avent items. Marami kaming nabili for Lucas, may mga shirt na parang P200 pesos lang. For infants, maraming cute na onesies, shoes, tops. Niloloko ko nga si JJ na ipamili na namin yung next baby kahit wala pa since mura J hahaha.

b. Toys R Us: siempre, tuwa ang mga bata dito.

4. Square Mall: maraming shops like Mango, etc. Malaki yung Marks and Spencer though hindi ko talaga napasok since nadaanan lang namin one night. Sayang nga kasi halos tapat lang ng hostel naming. Kita namin yung mall from our bedroom window.

Hong Kong: Day 2

2011-08-28T23:22:00.000+08:00

Day 2: HK Disneyland

Our hostel is very near the TST MTR station. Two buildings away lang, MTR station na. We went to HK Disney via MTR. At first, I was really hesitant for my mom since naka-wheelchair nga siya. Good thing I asked Ate Lina (Pinay staff in our hostel) about it. Worried ako since walang lift yung nearest MTR exit sa hostel and there’s no indicator sa maps kung san located ang lifts. Ate Lina showed me where the lift going to the MTR station is and assured me that all MTR stations have lifts. It was so easy and no hassle at all :) We arrived at Disney without a sweat. And the locals are very considerate. They’d let my mom go in/ go out of the train first and they’d move to give my parents space. Another thing, sa train, I usually carry Lucas going in and walang palya, when there's no seat available, someone will give up his/her seat for me and Lucas :)

Tips:

1. Kakaiba ang weather sa HK when we went to Disney. Humid and hot. So if you are going there around the same time (August), bring lots of shirts for the kids and you, an umbrella and kung may handy fan kayo, bring it na rin. Bring water rin since hindi naman mahigpit sa Disneyland. Mahal din ang water dun. There is a water refilling station in Adventureland. I don’t know lang where pa yung iba.

2. Rent a stroller if you did not bring yours. Mahirap maglakad-lakad lalo na pagod na si kiddo. Just put a towel or lampin as lining sa stroller. Parang plastic material kasi eh and makakadagdag pa sa init. If I remember right, HK60 ang rent plus HK200 na deposit.

3. Several rides have a fast pass. Get fast passes rather than lining up. At least you will not waste time lining up. Puedeng ikot ikot muna then go back when it’s your fast pass time na. Ang dami, as in ang daming tao sa Disney this time compared nung first time namin ni hubby (December 2007). I guess summer break kasi nila don?

4. If you are with a big group, better to separate kasi iba iba kayo malamang ng gustong puntahan/rides. What we did was to agree on a place where we will meet. As in kung hindi tayo magkita-kita the whole day, dito tayo magkikita ng ganitong time para sabay tayo umuwi. We just ensured lang na minimal yung time na alone lang umikot sina Daddy (I think nag-solo lang sila when my mom got sleepy and chose to rest in one area).

5. Check out the schedule of the shows. Then schedule your rides around those times.

~*~
Funny hirits of my nephew Matty:
At Disney, tiempo nandun sila sa area where Mickey and Minnie do visitor greets and pic taking:
SIL: Uy, sina Mickey at Minnie. Picture tayo. Pila pila.
Matty: Ma, ayan na sila oh. Kita mo na sila. Picturan mo na! Wag na pumila. Ang init init eh...
*Oo nga naman, kita na sila eh :) * Ayaw na niya ng picture na kayakap sila.

At Disney pa rin, they passed by the teacup ride (itong ride na ito, hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit blockbuster na blockbuster. Sa lahat ng daan namin sa kanya, laging mahaba ang pilya. As in mahaba)
SIL: Gusto ninyo sumakay? Tara, pumila tayo...
Matty: Ay wag na. Meron naman niyan sa Pilipinas eh. Dun na lang tayo sa mga shows Mommy. Malamig pa.
*Wala nga naman Golden Mickeys at Festival of the Lion King sa Enchanted Kingdom. In fairness, silang mag-anak ang halos na-complete yung rides and shows.

At Sogo Mall near HK Museum of Arts. Nagpapalipas oras kami since matagal pa ang Symphony of Lights Show. Since humid at mainit, we decided na better kung ikot ikot na lang kami sa mall.
Matty: Tita, puede ba bumili na kayo? Pagod na pagod na ako eh. Kanina pa tayo ikot ng ikot dito. Bumili na kayo para makaupo naman tayo.
*Oops.. sorry po :)

~*~

Pictures

With Kuya Matty: Lucas' first train ride

Just arrived at one of the happiest places on earth

Rented a stroller for the little guy

At the parade

Hay. Haba ng pila. When it was Lucas' turn, ayaw na niya. Okay, so si Daddy at Mommy na lang :)

Nasulit ang pagkuha ng fast passes

Hot and humid sa labas. Solution? Visit all the souvenir shops. Then park the stroller kung may space. At least mahaba ang nap ni Lucas.

Disney Princesses. Where is Princess Tiana?

Love the colors

My boys

My parents. Taking a break from all that heat...

Pinays in It's a Small World..

Chugga-chugga-choo-choo

Kaya siguro nagkalagnat the day after, pawis pawis then nagbasa...

with Holly Shiftwell

The castle at night

JJ's turn

Lucas with Lolo Popsy and Lola Momsy

Mickey Mouse Waffle...

Cowboy?

Reasons why I love this trip. (kasama yung kumuha ng picture, yung mga nagkokodakan sa may Disney entrance at yung mga nasa Tung Chung Outlet nang mga panahong ito)

rare family shot

at Sunny Bay station. Uwian na :)

Hong Kong: Day 1

2011-08-21T08:23:00.002+08:00

Travel Dates: August 7 - 11, 2011
Travel Companions: JJ and Lucas, Popsy and Momsy, TJ and Meng (plus Matt and Migs) & Chissa and Bodie (8 adults + 3 kids)

*~*
Our CebuPac flight was at 7:55AM. On time naman umalis yung plane and we arrived in Hong Kong 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Immigration took time. We went out of HK airport past 11 AM na. We went straight to our hostel (Golden Crowne Guesthouse in Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tui area). After checking in, my dad, mom and my sister and her bf went out to check the vicinity and look for places for lunch na rin. Kami naman since gutom na si Lucas, we went out na to eat.

Prior to our flight, Lucas and my nephews played at the NAIA3 walkalators. Wonder why they weren't turned on?

After lunch, we just took a rest and settled in our rooms. We unpacked what we can unpack like yung mga bottled water na dala namin and other snacks. Late afternoon, we went to the Hong Kong Museum of Art to wait for the Symphony of Lights. JJ and I didn’t really like the said show when we first saw it in 2007. But aside from my dad, it’s everyone’s first time in HK. So naisip namin, we’d let them see for themselves and decide kung maganda ba yung lights show.

We were a bit early at the HK Museum of Art so we decided to go to Ocean Terminal before the show. My parents just stayed in the Sogo Mall to pass time.

Lucas: while we are waiting for lights show.

With Daddy, in front of HK Peninsula

At the Ocean Terminal

Mommy and Lucas with Mater

My boys :)

After the show, lahat sila, mejo na-bore daw :) But they agreed that it is a must for first-time HK visitors. A few minutes after the show, we walked back to the hostel. My brother and SIL bought food from KFC na lang. We had dinner at the sitting area of the hostel. Then since Disneyland ang pupuntahan the next day and puyat dahil early flight, we decided to call it a night.

Tips:

1. Put your umbrella in your check-in luggage. Ang dami naming nakitang umbrella near the immigration area. As in one huge container. Good thing hubby read sa site ng Cebu Pac na no-no ang payong sa carry-on baggage.

2. Bring a pen in your carry-on baggage. This is for filling up the arrival/ departure forms. Also, if you are travelling with your family, write your passport, flight and other details in a piece of paper for easy reference when filling out the forms. Sometimes hassle to check everyone’s passport number and date/place of issuance while filling out the forms.

3. Since no free meal during the flight, bring snacks for you and the kids. Also, it was a relatively short flight (2 hours) but we still brought toys for Lucas and my nephews. Good thing kasi wala pang 30 minutes into the flight, the kids got restless na.

4. If you are with your toddler, I suggest you bring a stroller. My mom uses a wheelchair and ang hindi lang niya napuntahan is yung Night Market sa MongKok. There were times na naglalakad-lakad sila ng Dad ko along Nathan Road and never sila nagka-issue sa wheelchair ni Mommy. Same thing with MTR and sa malls. I guess that means the place is good for strollers too. Kami kasi we didn’t bring ours. Hand-me down kasi yung stroller ni Lucas and we are not sure kung kaya pa na magheavy-duty walking around. Hinayang naman kami to buy a new one just for the trip. But if you have one, bring it na lang. It will make your life easier.

Happy 3rd Birthday Lucas :)

2011-08-15T14:01:00.000+08:00

Happy happy birthday sweetheart.

You are so kulit these days and you try Mommy and Daddy's patience everyday. But despite Mommy's kasungitan sometimes, know that I love you with all my heart.

Thankful

2011-07-25T16:17:00.001+08:00

Thank you Lord for hearing our prayers :)

I know we are still far from the finish line but thank you thank you for this development.

Current Reads

2011-07-12T15:12:00.001+08:00

I recommend this book for moms with toddlers. I am not yet done with it but here are the author's general principles and what she promotes and encourage throughout the chapters of the book:

1. View and respect your toddler as an individual

2. Cheer your toddler on toward independence - without rushing him

3. Learn how to tune in to your child's verbal and nonverbal language

4. Be realistic - toddlerhood is a time of constant change

5. Promote your child's development and family harmony

6. Help your toddler manage his emotions - particularly his frustrations

7. Develop a strong meaningful bond between Dad and your toddler

8. Facilitate your child's becoming a social being

9. Manage your emotions

10. Nourish your own adult relationships

I can say that it has helped me already! I am now more patient with Lucas and I try very, very hard not to shout at him even though I am frustrated already. I also try other means aside from force to get him to do stuff, like taking a bath (before, this activity can really be a STRUGGLE) and eating time (I learned to RELAX and not stress too much on his picky-eater nature). Of course, there are still those times when I feel like he just wants to TEST his limits on me and his dad but hey, we have a toddler after all. And what's important is that we are learning more on how to deal with him properly. I'd share more when I finish the book.

I am also done reading Jude Deveraux's latest title. It is another nice read from Deveraux. I finished it in three days (an amazing feat really, given that reading a book -for me- is a luxury these days). Imagine me with a booklight at 1 AM (Fact).

I love love Philippa Gregory! I love how her stories are based on facts, the characters really existed and how events mentioned in the books really happened. From what I know, Gregory usually fills in the gaps whenever her research fails to provide portions of her character's story. The Other Queen is a page-turner and it left me wanting to start on her other books. I first read "The Other Boleyn Girl". After that, I am hooked.

This is the next book in line. The Queen's Fool. I am hoping it'd be as good as the other Gregory books I read.

Chic-Boy

2011-07-05T10:39:00.000+08:00

My reaction was comic when I got this SMS from the husband:
"Labs, sa Chic-Boy daw kami magdi-dinner."
SAAN DAW????
Moments later, and a testament to how well he knows what runs through my head and how much he loves teasing me, he sent another SMS:
"CHICken at baBOY. Chic-Boy. In Jupiter. Here's website..."
:-)

He enjoyed the food and promised that he'd soon take me and Lucas to sample their simple yet yummy dishes.

~*~
Our first visit was at the El Molito Commercial Complex branch in Zapote Road, Alabang. We ordered:

Cebu Lechon Liempo: So delicious. What made it more yummy is the vinegar that came with it.

BATCHOY: Lucas loved the noodles and soup. It is a steal for P49 pesos. But JJ says that he still prefers Ted's.

SABA IN SYRUP: My love affair with saba just never ends.

We promised to be back.

Our second visit was in the BF Paranaque branch. This time for merienda. Lucas and Dadi G were with us. We ordered pretty much the same things and again found their food "sulit" for their price.

Chic-boy

Will we go back for a third time?

We already did :) We went back the next day for lunch. And yup, we still left the place happy and our tummies filled.

~*~

Verdict: Highly recommended

London, England

2011-07-05T09:57:00.000+08:00

... was where Nole was crowned as the Wimbledon Champion.

The following Monday, he also became the new No.1 Player in the World

I wouldn't have minded Nole's win as he's my second favorite player but the win came courtesy of my FAVORITE player :(

At least Rafa has Roland Garros... and he can always try his best again next season. Still, it is hard not to feel a little sad as the next tournaments will be on hardcourts where Nole played extremely well in the past. Rafa fans can only hope and pray for better results in the next games.

~*~

I read that Nole is now on a gluten-free diet as his nutritionist found that the athlete is allergic to the said protein late last year. Could this be the key to his amazing tennis this year? Read one article here .

Making Faces

2011-06-26T23:00:00.000+08:00

Recently, I noticed that Lucas loves having his picture taken. For fun, I thought I'd ask him to make different faces. And I was happy he obliged. Take a look.....

This is SAD :(

This is ANGRY >(

This is HAPPY :)

~ * ~

After a while, he asked me to take pictures of him with some of his trains...

With Toby

With James...

To say that he loves Thomas the Tank Engine and the other trains is an understatement (and I believe deserves a separate post). Fellow n@wie Leslie surely understands. We saw them at Amici in ATC last weekend. Lucas saw Kuya Jared playing with Henry. My little boy HAD to go near him. Ending, they swapped trains while we're all eating. After the meal, it was time to swap trains :) Thank you Kuya Jared. See you guys in our next playdate.

Borrowed Henry

~ * ~

To end this, I'd like to share with you our recent conversations with Lucas:

Mommy just got home from work...

Mommy: Lucas! What did you to today?

Lucas: (tapping his chin with his forefinger) Hmmm... let's see....

On our way to the parking lot from Robinson's Department Store where Lucas was crying /begging so we'd buy him James. We are to meet Tito B near the parking lot.

Lucas: Mommy, buy James. Please. Buy James.. (may konting iyak pa ito)

Mommy: We will buy James on your birthday ok?

Lucas: Ok...

Here comes Tito B...

Lucas: B, buy James?

:) baka nga naman makalusot

*****

Hope you guys had a nice weekend.

My Yayo :)

2011-06-16T05:50:00.000+08:00

What do you have when your husband is in between jobs? Yup, you got yourself one trusty caregiver.

Daddy often takes Lucas to Jollibee where the little boy enjoys his favorite meal.

When daddy gets bored, he brings Lucas to the mall.

Daddy and son date in Glorietta

In Makati, where Lolo G had a business meeting.

Daddy was walking a few meters away from Little Mr. Independent. At least twice, people stopped by to ask if Lucas was accompanied by an adult.

Where are you going little guy?

~*~

I am sure Lucas will miss spending time with his daddy when the husband starts working again in July. In the mean time, I am kinda glad JJ's with Lucas as I am swamped with work these days. At least I feel less guilty going home late most days.

Anniversaries!

2011-06-01T09:06:00.000+08:00

Today marks the 31st year of Popsy and Momsy's marriage.

June 1, 1980

~*~
Dadi G and Mami E celebrated their 33rd anniversary last May 17.

May 17, 1978

~*~

Happy Anniversary! :)

Movies Movies

2011-05-26T22:47:00.000+08:00

Excited to see this one with Lucas. It will be his first movie theater experience.

I hope this one is as action-packed and exciting as the first two. Of course, the husband's been eyeing those TF3 toys that recently went on display in toy stores.

Conversations with Lucas

2011-05-26T22:34:00.000+08:00

At Amici in ATC while eating gelato. Lucas drops his spoon.
Lucas: Oh no Mommy...
Mommy: It's okay. I have two. I'll give you one. (I gave him the pink spoon)
Lucas: No Mommy. Don't like pink. Don't like pink Mommy...
Mommy: Oh okay. You can have the green one....

~*~
Mommy: Ladies and gentlemen, here is Lucas Ethan Vallesteros!!!!
Lucas: Thank you, thank you...
Lucas: (mejo bulol) Ladies and gentlemen, here is Mommy Ethan Vallesteros!!!!
Mommy: Nya!
Pati si JJ, Daddy Ethan Vallesteros daw :) hehehe...

Little Snippets

2011-05-23T13:53:00.000+08:00

... from our past weeks

Little boy playing with our camera....

Lola E's reading glasses.

The lens were removed. He's wearing only the frame

Cuteness

~ *~

An afternoon at the park. Said park is a short walk away from our home. Makes you wonder why we don't visit often. Hmm, made we wonder too...

Baligtad ata ito...

Lucas: Slowly daddy slowly... Faster daddy faster faster

I always pray that Lucas will grow up "close" to Daddy and Mommy.. (ok, puede rin kay Mommy lang... :) joke.)

See-saw fun...

~ * ~

And quoting my son as he closes a book after reading, "The End!"

Holy Week 2011

2011-05-02T14:53:00.001+08:00

Ours was spent at home, with Daddy attending to car-related chores and Mommy just keeping our little boy company (and well, trying!, to do some spring cleaning).

I baked blueberry cheesecake for my sister. It was my first time to use Eunice's recipe so I was kinda nervous. Good thing she was there to help me out. It was delicious!

Hubby installed the mesh car grill

He also repainted the side mirrors that I, uhhhmm, scratched accidentally.

Lolo G with tabachoy Lucas :)

Lucas: Daddy, so heavy

This is a late post, I know. But better late than never right? And I hope you all had a meaningful Holy Week. Next long weekend is on June 18-20. Time to plan something :)

Another Milestone

2011-05-02T14:32:00.000+08:00

Guess who sat by himself on a dentist chair? Guess who let the dentist clean his teeth without Daddy and Mommy's assistance and without making a fuss (read: not even a single tear!)? :)

.. and we couldn't be happier :) We were so proud of him.

Daddy JJ was happy because he was dreading the part of the dental visit where he has to control all of Lucas' 20 kilos from squirming as the dentist goes about her task of cleaning and checking Lucas' teeth.

It was a surprise, really. I told him days before that we will go the dentist in a couple of days where his teeth will be brushed and cleaned. He just kept on saying, "Ok Mommy" whenever the upcoming appointment was mentioned to him so I took his reply with a grain of salt and just expected the worst.

But then, he willingly sat on the chair and the rest is one-mom's-proud-moment history.

~ * ~

Can I add that he's potty trained already? Yey! to savings from nappies...

Next mission is to have him speak Filipino. I asked Ate Denny to speak to him in Filipino (to enforce the one person, one language rule) but then he says, "No, Ate Denny, don't like it... don't like it" when she speaks to him in Filipino. Hay, next move is for me to be the designated person to speak to him in Filipino.

Let me know if you have any other tips :)

P.I.C.'s 60th Birthday

2011-04-22T13:08:00.002+08:00

Lolo P.I.C. (Partner-in-Crime) celebrated his 60th birthday this year. Yey! may discount na si Lolo :) Lolo G had a post-60th birthday bash at Yakimix in Greenbelt with family and close friends.

Here is Lolo's party in pictures:

Lucas and Tita Nice

The boys (less Tito Eugene): JJ, Tito B, Lucas and Tito Daniel

Happy Birthday Lolo G

blow :)

Quality Control. Taste niya muna kung yummy :)

Paulina's jewels (missing Tito Ed): Tito Julius, Daddy G, Tita Sylv, Ate Vivs, Tita Baby, Tita Olive, Ninong Ding and Tito Jun

Ninong Ding with pretty Isabel

Turned it into a playground: Lucas with Ate Laura, Ate Lily and Kuya Enrico

~*~

WHY P.I.C.?

1. When Lucas was into Handy Manny and started requesting for his own "tools" particularly, a hammer, Lolo G didn't just buy him a toy hammer. He looked for a small hammer that my son can handle and taught him where he can use it (the wooden shoe rack!).

2. When Lucas requests for Jollibee, Lolo G will most probably be getting his car keys within a minute of his apo's request.

3. When Lolo G buys bread in BF, they will surely pass by Ruins to buy toys for my little boy.

4. Lucas runs to Lolo G's room if he thinks he can escape me and JJ. One time, we were about to brush his teeth when all of a sudden he ran to Lolo G's room and jumped on their bed. Sumunod kami ni JJ. Akala niya di na siya magtoo-toothbrush because he's in Lolo's room? Nu-uh.

5. Lolo G (and Lola E) know the Playhouse Disney characters already. Little boy loves to stay in their room specially on weekdays. And there's the usual request to watch cartoons in the living room where Lola E watches TV.

6. Whatever time of the day, Lolo G will make his apo his special bread (aptly called "Lolo's bread").
7. Lucas was playing with dirt in the garden (as in kinakamay niya!). To the rescue si Lolo G. Akala ko sasawayin niya. You know what he did? Inabutan ng shovel! Para daw hindi na kamayin :) hehehe...

Here are the "partners" through the years:

~*~

Happy Birthday Lolo! Cheers to a lot more birthdays to come :)

Tita B's Birthday Lunch

2011-04-21T09:13:00.000+08:00

Tita B, Chissa and I got together for lunch to celebrate Tita B's birthday. Destination? Spiral in Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

Sofitel describes Spiral as Manila's most fashionable eatery. It is a concept restaurant with multi-cuisine open cooking stations. Indoor and outdoor environments blend beautifully in the spacious, natural setting.

Type of cuisine : International
Opening hours : 06:00 - 00:00

Without further ado, here's our mini-feast:

My Japanese plate. Loved the sashimi and the asparagus wrapped in bacon.

Lamb chops with mint sauce and peking duck. Peking duck wrapper has a strong flour-like taste :( But the duck itself was yummy.

Tita B's curacha (?)

My Chinese plate

Yummy dessert. This part of the meal made me happy :) Mango crepe, creme brulee, blueberry cheesecake and marshmallows dipped in chocolate. Hmm. If only I could eat these all day and not gain a pound...

Tita B tried the paella. She found it too spicy.

Chissa and her buttered lobster

After dessert, I was thinking of eating something to cleanse my palate. My sister laughed when I went back with this plate :)

Tita B's dessert

Happy Birthday Tita B!

View from our table

Chissa and Tita B

Me and Tita B

We stayed and talked (and laughed!) until the hostess said that the buffet will close soon :) Yup, that looong.

~*~

Verdict.

I find it too pricey. This time, we got 50% off the bill so it's fine. But I don't think I'd be happy to pay full price for the spread. I'd rather spend at 7 Corners. Here's why:
1. 7 Corners' rate is PhP1300plus tax per head
2. Almost everything that I ate at Spiral, I also ate/saw at 7 Corners (almost because admittedly, Spiral has a better dessert station). I am not sure about Tita's curacha. But then I didn't try curacha so for me, it doesn't really count.

One nice thing about Spiral though is their customer service. I'd give them that. If Spiral and 7 Corners are priced equally, I'd go to Spiral. No questions about it. But then at its current rate of PhP2000++, for me ( I stress, this is just poor me), it is not worth it.

Europe's Future Queens

2011-04-10T10:46:00.003+08:00

Yup, another post on European royalties. I told you I am fascinated.

Over the years, reporters have been saying that European royalties have changed and became modern. Indeed. Gone were the days when marriages between monarchies were contemplated on the basis of strengthening one's kingdom. Now, they seem to marry for love.

Kate Middleton will join a list of "commoners" who snagged Crown Princes' hearts en route to becoming future queens of their husband's countries.

PRINCESS MARY OF DENMARK

Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, RE (née Mary Elizabeth Donaldson; born 5 February 1972) is the wife of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark.

The couple met at the Slip Inn, a pub in Sydney, when the Crown Prince was visiting Australia during the 2000 Summer Olympics. Their official engagement in 2003 and their marriage the following year were the subject of extensive attention from Australian and European news media, which portrayed the marriage as a modern fairytale romance between a prince and a commoner.

Their wedding in May 2004.

With their children, Prince Christian (continuing the Danish royal tradition of the heir apparent being named either Frederik or Christian) and Princess Isabella.

With their newborn twins. Born earlier this year.

PRINCESS MAXIMA OF NETHERLANDS

Máxima met the heir to the Dutch throne in April 1999 in Sevilla, Spain, during the Seville Spring Fair, also known as the "Feria de abril de Sevilla." In an interview, they stated that he introduced himself only as "Alexander," so that she did not know he was a prince. She thought he was joking when he told her he was a Prince. They agreed to meet in New York, where Máxima was working for Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, two weeks later. Their relationship apparently began in New York, but the Princess did not meet the Prince's parents, Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus, for some time.
The news of the couple's relationship and eventual marriage plans caused controversy in the Netherlands. Máxima's father had been the Minister of Agriculture during the regime of former Argentine President Jorge Rafael Videla, a military dictator who ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1981 and who was responsible for many atrocities against civilians (An estimated 10,000–30,000 people disappeared during this and subsequent military regimes before democracy was restored to Argentina in 1983). However, the research determined that Máxima's father had not been directly involved with the many deaths in question. Even so, his possible presence at the royal wedding was debated for several months.Approval for the marriage was granted by the Dutch parliament (necessary by law for the Prince of Orange to remain heir to the throne), but Máxima's father offered not to attend the wedding. Out of solidarity with her husband, Máxima's mother also remained absent from the wedding on 2 February 2002 in Amsterdam.

Crown Princess Maxima of Orange

Dutch Royal wedding in 2002

With their children Ariane, Alexia and Amelia

PRINCESS METTE-MARIT OF NORWAY

When the engagement between Crown Prince Haakon and Mette Marit was announced, many Norwegians felt that the Crown Prince’s choice of partner was inappropriate. This was primarily about her being a single mother, but information concerning her involvement in the Rave scene in Oslo, which included a significant drug-subculture, also added to the controversy. In addition, the father of her child was convicted of drug-related offences.
Her first official appearance as the intended bride of the Crown Prince was at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo City Hall on 10 December 2000, following the announcement of the couple's engagement on 1 December. At the press conference, Crown Prince Haakon said that he and Mette-Marit had been together for about one year. Haakon gave Mette-Marit the same engagement ring as his grandfather King Olav V and his father King Harald V gave to their fiancées.
The couple married on 25 August 2001 at the Oslo Cathedral, Oslo, with attendance of statesmen and royalty from around the world.

Her 2001 wedding with Prince Haakon

With their children Prince Sverre Magnus, Marius and Princess Ingrid

PRINCESS LETIZIA OF SPAIN

On 1 November 2003 to the surprise of many, the Royal Household announced Letizia's engagement to the Prince of Asturias. Afterwards, she moved to live in a wing of Zarzuela Palace until the day of her wedding.
The wedding took place on 22 May 2004 in the Cathedral Santa María la Real de la Almudena in Madrid. It was the first royal wedding in this cathedral, which was consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993. It had been nearly a century since the capital celebrated a royal wedding, as the present king and queen married in Athens, and the prince's sisters, Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina, married in Sevilla and Barcelona respectively.
As Letizia's previous marriage involved only a civil ceremony, the Roman Catholic Church does not consider it valid and therefore did not require an annulment before her Catholic marriage to the Prince of Asturias.

Her May 2004 wedding to Prince Felipe

With their children Infanta Sofia and Infanta Leonor

CAMILLA, DUCHESS OF CORNWALL

On 10 February 2005, it was announced by Clarence House that Camilla and the Prince of Wales were engaged; Camilla had been presented with an engagement ring that had belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The marriage was to have been on 8 April of that year, and was to take place in a civil ceremony at Windsor Castle, with a subsequent religious blessing at St George's Chapel. To conduct a civil marriage at Windsor Castle would oblige the venue to obtain a license for civil marriages, which it did not have. A condition of such a license is that the licensed venue must be available for a period of one year to anyone wishing to be married there. As the Royal Family did not wish to make Windsor Castle available to the public for civil marriages, even just for one year, the location was changed to the Windsor Guildhall. On 4 April it was announced that the marriage would be delayed by one day to allow for the Prince of Wales and some of the invited dignitaries to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II. As Charles' parents did not attend the marriage ceremony (the Queen's reluctance to attend arising from her position as Supreme Governor of the Church of England), neither did Camilla's father; her children, instead, acted as witnesses of the union, as did Prince William and Prince Harry. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh did, however, attend the service of blessing, and held a reception for the newlyweds at Windsor Castle afterwards. Following the wedding, the couple travelled to the Prince's country home in Scotland, Birkhall, and carried out their first public duties as a couple during their honeymoon.

In her April 2005 wedding with Prince Charles

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla Rosemary; née Shand, previously Parker Bowles; born 17 July 1947) is the second wife of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and is the current holder of the titles Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay and Countess of Chester. Although Camilla automatically became the Princess of Wales upon her marriage to Prince Charles, she prefers to be known by the lesser title of Duchess of Cornwall, avoiding confusion with the Prince of Wales' first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales. She uses this title everywhere except Scotland, where she is styled Duchess of Rothesay.

*~*

Images from official websites of the Crown Princes and other websites.

Other info from Wikipedia

A Perfect Saturday

2011-04-10T08:48:00.000+08:00

... goes like this

Hubby will be busy fixing the car

Little boy will be playing with sand and dirt

... and I will be nearby watching over them while reading a magazine (and salivating over the ice cream ad :) )

*~*

I love how I felt at that particular time. I had no worries. My family is okay, everyone is healthy. Hubby and I had no pending task from work that we should complete over the weekend. All we had to do was spend time as a family.

I know it won't be like that all the time. That is how life is. At least, I would always have carefree days just like that perfect Saturday that I can look back to when I have to...

Royal Engagement Portraits

2011-03-30T17:48:00.000+08:00

Ever since I read novels by McNaught, Lindsey, Deveraux and Garwood, I've been "interested" in European royalty. It didn't help that my Lola Ima was so into Princess Di that she has all People Magazine episodes with the late princess as cover. My lola hated Camilla so much that she calls her k_b_yo (I know, bad. But what can I say? She loves Di!).

As you all know, Princess Di's firstborn is getting married this April. I chanced upon People Magazine's feature on the engagement portraits of other royal couples. I think it is part of their preview to the much-awaited wedding this coming April.

Prince Albert (King George VI) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1923)

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (1947)

Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones (1960)

Princess Anne and Mark Phillips (1973)

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer (1981) - formal

Informal

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson (1986)

Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones (1999)

Prince William and Catherine Middleton

All official announcements from the palace now refer to Kate as Catherine.

I love this shot. They look so in love.

~*~

As much as I don't want to admit it, I would like to see how their big day goes :) I guess it's the little girl in me who loves happy endings. And hopefully, this particular royal love story does.

Lucas and Fruits

2011-03-25T10:37:00.001+08:00

... are NOT compatible!!! It is really a challenge for me to get him to eat fruits. Before, he will occasionally eat mangoes. But that is it. His regular "fruit" intake comes in the form of fruit juices that he loves. But the sugar content of those can make one cry. And the sucralase content of those low sugar fruit drinks scare me.

A fellow n@wie posted her Magic Kong Pop as a way of making her toddler eat veggies. Read her post here. I read it last year and forgot about it until my chance encounter with a popsicle mold in Robinson's Galleria last February. I bought the popsicle maker and made my first set of popsicles.

My popsicle recipe:
Del Monte Four Seasons Fruit juice as base - it has a pretty strong color and it masked the fruits that I added
mangoes ( 1 slice)
papayas (about a cup)

I just placed them all in a blender and liquified the mixture. I tasted it and added water as I found it too sweet at first. Then I put the mixture in the mold and placed the mold in our freezer.

The next day, I am happy to report that the dear little boy ate it :) It was a little messy but at least he got to eat fruits!

Ice cream Mommy!

Yum yum

Lick it...

Gone!

I hope the novelty of it won't wear off too soon. We'll see as my next batch is waiting in our freezer.

Date Night: Uncle Cheffy's

2011-03-25T10:13:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Sheryl and Laurs, I got to try Uncle Cheffy's. The food was so good that on our next date night, I decided to bring JJ in their Burgos Circle branch so he can try Uncle Cheffy's panizza and beef ribs.

No food yet?

Yummy Uncle Cheffy Favorite Panizza

JJ loved the arugula.

Memphis BBQ US Beef Rib Finger.

This is definitely not for weight watchers. The beef was juicy and tender. Hay, hindi ko na lang iniisip kung ilang calories yan.

We will definitely be back again (budget permitting :) ). Hmm, wonder if those groupon sites will offer Uncle Cheffy's vouchers soon?

This is how you document things when you are too shy to ask the waiter to take your picture :)

We capped our night with coffee and cheesecake from Coffee Bean

'Til the next date night!

Summer na!

2011-03-16T13:47:00.000+08:00

Summer was made official by our family's first trip to the beach this year with JJ's Safeway family. The destination: Subic Sweetwater Resort in Bataan.

I was the designated driver for our trip to the North. JJ told me that I can easily manage EDSA given that it is an early Saturday morning. He also told me to enjoy the NLEX drive. Hay, I realized that EDSA is divided into lanes that are far smaller than those of SLEX's and C-5's! Haha! I kept on honking my horn kasi feeling ko ginigitgit nila akong lahat. Yun pala, nasa right lane naman sila. Hindi lang talaga ako sanay :) As for NLEX, hubby was right. It was a breeze. Kakatuwa kasi ang luwag luwag. If only ganun ang EDSA...

Anyway, here's our first summer adventure in pictures:

First stop of the day was breakfast. We were all craving for McDo. Good thing the last stopover prior to SCTEX has a McDO in it. I gave up the wheel after breakfast and accompanied Lucas in the backseat.

When I was about to get in the car, Lucas shouted: "No, Mommy. Drive Mommy. Mommy turn to drive." Hmm. Ayaw niya ako katabi? But JJ told me na he probably wanted me to drive para his legs will have more room. Kapag si JJ kasi ang nagda-drive, nakasagad yung upuan niya, so less space for Lucas' legs...

And siempre, my other little boy enjoyed SCTEX (may 180 pa daw yan, hindi ko lang napansin. susmio!). Admittedly, when I started driving, I became more conscious of how JJ drives. Nagiging backseat driver ako talaga. Na nerbyosa :) Siguro it's because I know I can't pull off some of the things that he does when driving.

Lucas and the beach.

Daddy stayed in the shade...

Lucas loves playing with sand. Oh, and he buried Thomas in the sand! We just realized it the next morning when Lucas started asking for his little friend. I thought JJ placed Lucas' toys in the car. Minor panic when JJ said no but then I remembered the little boy digging a hole near the car so hanap hanap. We found Thomas buried nga! Poor train! He spent the night there...

Greens

The beach. So peaceful.

Our family

Enjoying their dip

Me and my Mini-me (I can imagine hubby's face when he reads this :) )

Me: Anak, look at Daddy oh. Smile!
Obviously, he didn't listen to me

Our guapo beach boy

The BUILDERS!

Sunset and the men in my life

Yey! After several minutes and a few reworks, Thomas is ready for Lucas...

And here's how Lucas showed his gratitude: by stomping on it! Hay... He only enjoyed it for a few minutes. AND the winner of all winner in comments. After stomping on his dad's work:
Lucas: Daddy, more Thomas?
Hahaha! Whaaatttt?????

The little boy was asleep by 7 PM that night. He was exhausted from all his antics. He woke up pretty early the next day. When JJ woke up, we took a walk down the beach and saw them...

Nice view

Family picture?

It was a pretty sunny day...

Lucas in action...

Took this picture before we left the place.

Goodbye Subic Sweetwater. We all had a blast!

Next thing we know, we were packing our things up so we can leave after lunch. Hay, it was short but sweet. I wish we could've stayed longer.

Next stop was Royal Duty Free in SBMA. Of course we had to buy chocolates! (what diet? :) ). But we limited our purchases to items we don't usually see in the supermarkets here in Manila (like Snickers Dark). Though we also bought our favorite Symphony (the blue one!) and a pack of Milky Ways. Hay, makes my mouth water just writing about them here.

Our last stop was Apalit, Pampanga. Popsy's hometown. I spent all my summers there when I was a kid. Yup, I can speak Kapampangan quite fluently (though a little rusty now). My Lola Ima's death anniversary falls every 15th of March. It was nice that we were able to drop by and visit her grave.

Then it was time go home....

Car Wash Anyone?

2011-03-11T10:24:00.000+08:00

Meet our car wash staff.

JJ and Lucas!

He soaps the car thoroughly

Dunks his sponge when he needs more soap

And cleans the car again and again and again and...

again...

And his wage? Well, let's say no cash out to him. Just give a decent meal :)

~ * ~

Thank you for helping daddy Lucas :)

Just turned 12

2011-03-02T23:40:00.000+08:00

Happy 12 years JJ :)

One nice thing about having a different wedding date from your bf/gf anniversary is the chance to have two separate celebrations. As our wedding date is in between two big family occasions (Christmas and New Year), we usually just opt for a dinner/lunch celebration and then splurge when we celebrate our bf/gf anniv come February.

This year, we chose to stay overnight at the Crowne Plaza (courtesy of Popsy's Priority Privilege vouchers).

First stop of the day is Seven Corners where we had lunch. Priority Privilege voucher entitles the user to a 50% discount on the food bill when dining (party of two). Children under the age of 5 are free of charge.

That's our little boy enjoying the play area outside 7 Corners. It was pretty hard convincing him to go inside and have lunch.

Hubby enjoying the lamb chops and rib-eye steak

My plate (or should I say plates?). Loved the lamb chops. They were cooked perfectly. With mint sauce, arggghh, it will make you forget you're watching what you eat. Also loved their Japanese station, particularly, the sashimi and the maki. Yup, you guessed right. Those two were , uhhmm, only part of what I had for lunch.

We took turns entertaining the little boy while having our longer-than-usual meal.

Lucas just played with the marshmallow dipped in chocolate. Probably because the chocolate is not sweet enough for him. For JJ though, the chocolate was perfect.

Now to our room. We requested for a King-size bed. The hotel was fully-booked (Edsa celebration?) so there weren't any standard room with a King-size bed left. Good news is we got upgraded to a De luxe room :)

The two beds...

Dancing Lucas is enjoying the big space...

Thomas... enjoying the view (of a building being renovated?)

Self-portrait...

Initial plan was to take Lucas for a dip in the pool. But plan was scrapped when the little one ran a fever the day before. We just stayed in the room and relaxed. After a short rest, we went out to the nearby Galleria mall and looked around. We also bought Lucas donuts. Since we're still full from lunch, JJ and I decided to buy a light meal. We capped the night off with decaf coffee courtesy of HSBC :)

The next day, we were up by 7:30 AM. Breakfast at 7 Corners is definitely a good way to start one's day :)

Lucas and his pancakes & syrup

JJ's waffles and bacon

My Tocilog :)

Believe me when I say that there are lots of choices. Breakfast staples like pancakes, waffles, bread, cheese and jams are all available. There is an omelette station. The grill station serves rib-eye and salmon steak. The Japanese station serves several types of maki. The Chinese station serves congee and noodles. There's yogurt and cereals. The Filipino station served tocino, daing na bangus and longganisa. There were fresh fruits as well. Oh and there is an Indian station but JJ and I didn't get the chance to try anything from there.

After breakfast, we went back to bed and watched Playhouse Disney until it was time to take a bath and prepare for check out. The little boy loved the bath tub :)

The tired dancing boy was asleep even before we got out of Crowne Plaza's parking lot. But it was quite evident that he had a blast. JJ and I did too. Though JJ was a little bored sometimes as Lucas had the TV on Playhouse Disney the whoollleee time he was awake. We opted not to avail the hotel's internet services as we found it ridiculously priced at P300 per hour.

The vacation was kinda short but we enjoyed the fact that we do not have to wake up early on a Monday morning :)

Here are snapshots taken before we left the hotel:

Dancing Lucas

My boys...

Lucas is undeniably my look-a-like here

Pagod

~*~

Wonder where we'll celebrate next year... :)

Raisin

2011-02-23T06:19:00.000+08:00

This post is long past its due. Anyhow, here's Raisin.

I love the color

I just need to get a bag organizer to make my life a little easier. Sometimes, it all gets too mixed up in there.

Lucas: Mommy! Bag, bag...

Speaking of gifts, this came in the mail today. Thanks Bo :)

Lucas and his barber

2011-02-05T23:22:00.034+08:00

I know I say this often but really, time flies soooo fast! This morning, we got another reminder that our son is growing up much too fast for us.

He usually cries buckets when it's time for his tresses to be trimmed. Earlier today JJ and I were surprised when he ASKED for a haircut. Alright, not really out of the blue. It's time for his haircut and expecting it to be an ordeal yet again, JJ was prepping Lucas by telling him that he will have his haircut while taking a bath. The initial plan was to cut his hair after lunch, during his bath, so he's kinda distracted. But surprise of all surprises, Lucas said, "Haircut! Haircut! Haircut!". We clarified. "You want your haircut now?". He replied, "Haircut. Like". With eyes as big as saucers, we got all the tools as fast as we can and snipped, snipped...

Wow. He really didn't cry. He just sat there and played with the brush we used to brush hair off his skin. Another milestone :)

Ohh. How I love this crinkly smile :)

With our trusted barber... Daddy!

Is my hair okay mom?

Hay. Imagine. Smiling for the cameras na. You would think he's this behaved every time right?

Thank heavens...

2011-01-31T14:57:00.000+08:00

...for generous husbands (think Raisin :) )
...for husbands who tell you this when you study the Starbucks Calorie Counter flyer "Labs, when you start counting calories, it's no longer fun..."
...for children who say "Mommy hug! Hug! Hug!" every night before you guys go to sleep
...for dads who still pick you up in the office even though you no longer live in the same house
...for moms who prepare your favorite dishes when you visit home (and this is on a bi-monthly basis)
...for sisters who lend their time, bags, make-up, colognes and generally make you feel that you can be whoever you are when you're with them
....for brothers who are there when you need them (may it be about buying cheap Avent bottles for you or ensuring that there is tube ice because Ate insisted on it)
...for lolos, lolas, titos and titas who love your son and look after him while you're out there, working

...for nephews and nieces who assure you that your children will have a lot of friends to hang out with in the future (they make Christmas eve gift opening interesting too)
...for in-laws who made you feel like you're part of the family already beginning day 1 of your meeting (titos, titas and cousins included)
...for titas who are generous not just with material things, but with their time and advice too...
...for titos who make you feel treasured by telling you stories of how you charmed them (some years ago) into buying you stuff or how you sang this one song or performed this one dance or said this funny thing...
...for friends who make you look back and marvel at how you guys have matured and changed yet, still close friends
...for friends at work who make you laugh when you're stressed out

Thank heavens indeed.

Love and Other Drugs

2011-01-28T22:57:00.000+08:00

Me-time Thursday. Watched "Love and Other Drugs" while JJ was having his me-time.

Nice movie. Interesting story. Catchy dialogues. Excellent performances. I won't say more lest I spoil it for those who are yet to see it.

Not a fan of Jake. But I think he did great in the movie.

Anne was just amazingly good. She looked beautiful for most part of the movie.

Magic V!

A turning point in the movie...

Just sweet...

Date night: Purple Oven and Aysee

2011-01-24T00:19:00.000+08:00

It was date night last night. JJ's friend from college (Happy Birthday Edmon) celebrated his birthday at Kajo's Bar in Madison Square (?) along Pioneer in Mandaluyong. As expected, the guys talked Magic again :) -- no complains here, just stating facts.

It was an after-dinner party (call time 8:30ish) so I asked JJ if we can drop by Purple Oven first and then have dinner at Aysee's to try their famous sisig.

Purple Oven. First heard of this bakeshop from my sister-in-law Eunice. They were made famous by the fact that they supply pastries to Starbucks coffee shops in the country. I love Starbucks' banoffee pie!! So, when I heard that Purple Oven is the supplier of these famous banana/caramel pie, I instantly wanted to visit it. Last December, Mami E got a banana loaf from the same shop as a gift and it reminded me once again that we are yet to drop by the said bake shop. Then came the invite for Edmon's birthday. Everything just clicked for my sweeth tooth :)

It wasn't what I expected. The shop, I mean. I was giving directions to JJ and I almost laughed when my husband said, "Sure ka ba dito? Entrance ata ng motel ito eh". Hahaha! Understandable. Given that the Dahlia Motel sign was bigger than the St. Peter street sign. Not knowing what we're looking for, we passed by it the first time and asked directions from one of the guards a few blocks before the street ended. A U-turn later, a guard was ushering us in and pointing us in the direction of the bakeshop. It doesn't look like a bakeshop naman kasi :) haha. And it is not. Commissary pala with a retail store in front.

Ref full of chocolate cake goodies. Sorry for the pictures, I was kinda shy to take pictures kaya click lang ng click.

Croissants. Banana and Orange Poppy Seed Loaves. Glazed and Chocolate Doughnuts.

They also have brownies, revel bars and crinkles. They all looked yummy but the crinkles were a little expensive at P200++ per dozen. I tasted yummy crinkles from my sis-in-law Innah and they were much cheaper than that :)

Hay Banoffe Pie. Kung hindi ka lang kailangan i-ref asap, ikaw ang inuwi ko :)

Lava cakes

Purple Oven retail store

With the refrigeration requirements, I decided to try their Chocolate Campfire. I am sure I'd have the chance to go back and try your other yummy cakes Purple Oven. Just wait 'til we move to One Corporate Center :)

Next stop was Aysee. Okay, I've heard endless raves on how absolutely delicious their sisig is. So, I figured, we're in the area na rin so we might as well try. We also ordered Tokwa't Baboy.

The verdict. Maybe I expected too much? I dunno. But I wasn't that happy with it. I probably expected too much, it was a complete letdown. Even JJ wasn't raving about it. We both feel that Gilligan's is much better. Baka we like the crunch? The Tokwa't Baboy was ok. The bagnet-like pork was good though it screams "heart attack" :) We probably won't be back again there anytime soon.

~*~

I am sure you are wondering if the cake was good right?

Doughnut muna. We got Lucas a couple of these.

He looked happy with it when we took the picture but he didn't taste it :) Pa-cute lang pala when he said yes when I offered it to him. Ending, extra calories for JJ.

Oohh. Logo pa lang yan.

Top View.

One more before the taste test.

Cake was good. Lots of chocolate in every slice. It was not too sweet. One layer has chocolate cream and the other has small chocolate chunks. I am not an icing person so I ensured that my slice had minimal icing. Just a little slice will go a long way in satisfying one's craving for chocolate.

I will definitely buy it again though I like Classic Confection's Choco Oblivion more. But for P520, I think this cake is a steal.

Lucas and his favorite playmate

2011-01-23T19:21:00.000+08:00

It is definitely an understatement if I say that Lucas loves to play. He LOOVVVESS his trains, his blocks, his cars and his play balls.

Here are a couple of shots of him in action with his ultimate playmate...

A Castle?

Daddy... his ultimate playmate

Lucas: Pichur Mommy :)

Before he topples his dad's creation

Jump!

He likes 'em bubbles....

Our bubble machine :D

Playing with choco coins from Tita Nice

Thank you Ninang Laurs for our new centerpiece :)

Built by daddy!!!!

He can play with this new toy all day! No kidding!

~*~

We are trying to lessen TV time by encouraging him to play with his toys more. But I tell you, it is kinda difficult with Disney Playhouse. Good thing he loves shows like Little Einsteins and Word World. So I am thinking that's good TV right ? :) But he still gotta have his daily dose of Thomas and his other Sodor friends...

HSBC's Starbucks Promo is Back!!

2011-01-17T18:44:00.000+08:00

Starting February 1, 2011, get a TALL drink or a 3-PACK VIA from Starbucks with your everyday spend of P2000 from your HSBC Credit Card. Charge slips starting January 15, 2011 are qualified and must be claimed within 30 calendar days from transaction date.

Visit http://www.hsbc.com.ph/1/2/personal/credit/starbucks-instant-rewards?WT.ac=HBAP_PH_PWS_HM_SIR_0001#page=page-1 for more details.

~*~
CALTEX Promo
Starting February 1, 2011, get free fuel from Caltex with your everyday spend of P2000 from your HSBC Credit Card. Charge slips starting January 15, 2011 are qualified. Claim within 30 calendar days from transaction date.

Visit http://www.hsbc.com.ph/1/2/personal/credit/caltex?WT.ac=HBAP_PH_PWS_HM_CIR_0002#page=tab-1 for more details.

Still Have a Lot to Learn about Parenting

2011-01-15T09:08:00.000+08:00

Got this from Mec and Matt's Cradle.
~*~
21 memos from a child
1. Don’t spoil me. I know quite well that I ought not have all that I ask for, I’m only testing you.
2. Don’t be afraid to be firm with me, I prefer it. It makes me feel more secure.
3. Don’t make me form bad habits, I have to rely on you to detect them in the early stages.
4. Don’t make me feel smaller than I am, it only makes me behave stupidly “big”
5. Don’t correct me in front of people if you can help it. I’ll take much more notice if you talk quietly with me in private.
6. Don’t make me feel mistakes are sins, it upset my sense of values.
7. Don’t protect me from consequences, I need to learn the painful way, sometimes.
8. Don’t be too upset when I say “I hate”, it isn’t you I hate but your power to thwart me .
9. Don’t take too much notice of my small ailments, sometimes they get me the attention I need.
10. Don’t nag if you do, I have to protect myself by appearing deaf.
11. Don’t forget that I cannot explain myself as well as I should like. This is why I am not always very accurate.
12. Don’t make rush promises. Remember that I feel badly let down when promises are broken.
13. Don’t tax my honesty too much, I am easily frightened into telling lies.
14. Don’t be inconsistent. That completely confuses me and makes me lose faith in you.
15. Don’t tell me my fears are silly, they are terribly real and you can do much to reassure me if you try to understand.
16. Don’t put me off when I ask questions. If you do, you will find that I will stop asking and seek my information elsewhere.
17. Don’t even suggest that you are perfect or infallible, it gives me too great a shock when I discover that you are neither.
18. Don’t even think that it is beneath your dignity to apologize to me, an honest apology makes me surprisingly warm toward you.
19. Don’t forget how quickly I am growing up. It must be very difficult to keep pace with me, but please do try.
20. Don’t forget I love experimenting. I couldn’t get on without it so please put up with it.
21. Don’t forget that I can’t thrive without lots of understanding love, but I don’t need to tell you, do I?

Lucas' Christmas 2010

2011-01-13T16:30:00.000+08:00

It was kinda weird celebrating Christmas this year, with Lola P's death a few days before Christmas. From December 21, 2010, we all tried to be with Lola by visiting her daily after work. Luckily, last day of work was on December 23. We were able to take Lucas to visit Lola P a few days before the cremation.

Lucas with Ate Lily at Lola's wake

The clan spent Christmas at St. Peter's Chapel instead of having it in Lola's house in Balut. It was also Lola P's last day to lie in state as her cremation was scheduled December 26. The grandkids decided to takeover Tita Sylv's Christmas cooking duties by deciding to pool our resources and should I say cooking talents? to prepare the menu for Christmas Day. Our assignments include barbecued ribs and vegetable salad with JJ's yummy Asian dressing. Both were hits! (unless everyone pretended they were good so as not to hurt our feelings :) )

Before we left the house for the family's Christmas lunch, Lucas had a chance to open his gifts from Mommy and Daddy. As mentioned previously, we presented his gifts one at a time for him to enjoy each toy for a longer while.

Lucas on Christmas morning. Hooray! Another train for his collection.

Tito B helping the little boy open his gift from Ate Ria

Ooooh. It's Buzz!!

Blocks from Ninang Michelle and Tita Nice

Wilson and Brewster from Tito Ninong B

Cutie pie enjoying his toy

~ * ~

I hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas. Cheers to a blessed 2011 for all of us.

Lucas is an addict...

2010-12-30T01:25:00.001+08:00

Addicted to Thomas the Train, that is.

My son gets all giddy when he receives anything Thomas-related. Be it towels, a cap, DVDs, books. But we can tell that he's happiest when he gets new trains to add to his collection. Amazingly, he knows all trains by name (well, at least those who are in Season 8).

Kinikilig talaga :) This is why we can't resist buying him new trains.

He loves arranging them in one straight line

See? You can tell he loved what he just got

~*~

So, guess who got into panic-buying mode when they chanced upon the Wooden Railways series on Sale at Toy Kingdom :) Haha. Of course, it didn't help that JJ just received his SM Gift Cheques, a company Christmas gift.

We gave them to Lucas one by one. I think we still have 2 or 3 left wrapped and hidden inside our cabinet. We see that he appreciates them more and each gets to be his favorite train for a longer while this way. Of course, it's also one sure cure for his tantrums...

~*~

Moving on to my other toy addict (this one's a Transformer addict). We're looking for Prime Voyagers that recently went on sale. Would appreciate any leads :) Been to malls in the South already and sadly, they've all been sold out :(

Our Linen/Silk Anniversary

2010-12-28T23:43:00.001+08:00

I almost clobbered the hubby when he greeted me "Happy 3rd Anniversary" at a little past 1 AM this morning. A sweet gesture, yes. But he should've counted properly first. See, it's our fourth anniversary already :) I restrained myself (lest I have to drive him to the hospital (on our anniversary no less) with a head injury) and just said "Happy Anniversary Labs. But please count again" :)). Now, this kind of booboo would be unforgivable to some but lets give hubby a break. He really has issues counting years and months. But I digress, to celebrate our 4th year as Mr. and Mrs. Vallesteros, I would like to share pictures from the past years.

Our 2006 Wedding. Gray skies but thank heavens it didn't rain. Think garden reception :)

2007: Merely two months after our wedding, JJ was sent abroad for training. Took it as an opportunity to have our honeymoon overseas. This same year, after an HPT I took early morning of our 1st anniversary, we found out that we're gonna be Daddy and Mommy in about eight months.

August 2008: Everyone was all eyes on the Olympic Games held in Beijing, China. A week after the opening ceremonies (August 15, 2008), I was watching the gymnastics competition in the Delivery Room while giving birth to our dear darling son, Lucas Ethan.

2009: Big year for me and JJ career-wise. We also celebrated Lucas' first birthday.

2010: Yey! Lucas is big enough to take vacations with us! Still challenging but at least he already appreciates the change in scenery.

~*~

Looking back. I cannot believe how much our lives has changed in the past four years. I am looking forward to celebrating more years with you JJ. Cheers to a brighter future for our little family.

Farewell Lola

2010-12-27T09:45:00.000+08:00

JJ's Lola Poleng passed away early last week. She was 88 years old. From what JJ and my in-laws told me, she lived a full life. Challenging, yes. But she emerged victorious. One just have to look at her six children to see that.

Though I've known Lola for only a short period of time, I felt everyone's loss because in that short time, I got a glimpse of the great mom and grandmother that everyone adored and loved.

I am sure that JJ will tell our children stories of how his Lola P braved the PNR commute to help him out with his assignments. How Lola took good care of him when he stayed in Morwood Drive.

Farewell Lola. You will always be in our hearts.
~ * ~

With Lola and Tita Sylv, our 2006 wedding

During the reception, where she made everyone laugh with her speech

Lola's 87th Birthday celebration

Early 2009. First time she met Lucas.

Hollywood Siblings

2010-12-19T08:35:00.000+08:00

Got these cute pics from People

Kingston and Zuma Rossdale

Heidi's Leni and Johann

Madonna's Lourdes and Mercy

Ben and Jennifer's Violet and Seraphina

~*~

I just find the pictures cute okay? :P I am not hinting at anything here. Not yet :)

Proud Momma Moment

2010-11-24T13:09:00.001+08:00

Lucas was playing with his toys outside our bedroom. Said toys were initially in a big plastic box. He was taking them out one by one and understandably, after a while every piece was out of the box and scattered on the floor. Lucas was having fun so I let him be. I went inside our bedroom and set up my computer where I can still keep an eye on Lucas while he's playing. One minute he was playing with his toys, next minute, he was jumping up and down on our bed. Surprised, I asked him if he's done playing and if Mommy can put his toys inside the plastic box already. He replied, "Cover Mommy, cover". When I looked outside, my heart stopped. The toys were inside the plastic box already! Everything was inside, not one single toy was left lying on the floor. And all this he did without me asking him to. Wow. Proud and touched, I hugged him and said "Thank you" and praised him for doing such a good job of storing his toys. Kaya pala he was saying "cover", because that is all that's left for me to do. Cover the box :)

~*~

The Big 3-0

2010-11-12T06:12:00.000+08:00

Yup, JJ and I just turned a year older. Here are snapshots of our birthdays:

Looks can be deceiving. This chocolate cake from Shopwise looks simple but believe me, it's so yummy. Moist and soft. All for P300++.

My boys.

Eugene and Eunice celebrated their birthdays by having a swimming party at Eugene's condo.

Little Lucas loves to swim.

Candle-blowing

Lucas found a new toy

My cake - from Mom and Dad. Yeah, I was craving for Smores then...

Wiser at 30?

Our little cake lover

See? Kailangan may QA

Yummy Mommy :)

Conversations with Lucas

2010-11-11T22:24:00.000+08:00

While watching the Spongebob episode where Gary ran away from home...
Lucas: Mommy, where find Gary?
Mommy: Hmmm, I dunno....
Lucas (looking under our bed): Gary! Gary! Gary!
He went on to look for "Gary" outside the bedroom. I followed in his wake, explaining to everyone in the house who Gary is and why Lucas is looking for him :) We moved to Bikini Bottom na pala.

*~*
While playing...
Lucas: Mommy, say ahhhhh
Mommy (opening my mouth wide, showing him my teeth): AHHHHHHHH
Lucas: Oooh, shark! shark!

What's new

2010-10-19T21:49:00.000+08:00

Wow! It's been weeks since I last updated this blog. Feeling ko naman maraming bumabasa eh no? :) Haha, but for the sake of those who frequent my little space in cyberspace (JJ and Chissa), I would like to share that I can now drive. Not just inside the village ha? Yes, from Sucat to Fort Bonifacio :)

I took driving lessons at Smart Driving in BF Paranaque. Looking back, hindi ko akalain na aabot ako sa punto na hindi na ako mahihimatay after ko i-start yung kotse. I've gone a long way .Kudos to the driving instructors who were patient with me. For those thinking of taking driving lessons, I highly recommend Smart Driving. Sobrang value for money and I am proof na talagang matututo ka. They also gave assistance when I had my student permit converted into a non-pro license. It was such a breeze (well, just make sure na online yung San Juan LTO :) ).

Malakas rin siguro ang loob ko to actually drive alone because I took manual driving lessons. Automatic yung kotse namin so it was far easier nung actual driving na. Thanks rin to JJ who was confident enough to let me drive on my own.

So, if you see a '99/'00 Civic na sobrang bagal sa SLEX at sa C5, chances are it's me :)

Lucas turns 2!

2010-09-21T15:52:00.000+08:00

Munchkin turned two last August 15. We celebrated the milestone at home by having lunch with our immediate families.
Here are some of the snapshots during our little one's big day.

Birthday banner made by Tita Eunice (aka Chini)

Daddy did the QA work. We loved the ribs. Thanks Tita Cheese for coming early to cook Kare-Kare (yummy too!).

Knick-knacks for our nephews

While everyone was busy preparing stuff for the lunch party, the celebrant was busy too. He was running around the house, playing with the gifts he received earlier that day. Pawis pawis na :)

Mommy getting the cake ready. Celebrant can't help but taste the cake's icing.

Lucas, Ramone, Lighting and The King :)

Happy birthday sweetheart. Daddy and Mommy love you much much.

On Being a Mom

2010-09-03T13:23:00.000+08:00

I dropped by Clarice's site and read this entry. I just had to re-post it here. Clarice got it from Kate's blog. Kate, on the other hand, got it from Indigo Manila.

It's a very nice read.
*********

Being a Mom

We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family."

"We're taking a survey," she says half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.

I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood.

She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester be lurking in that restroom.

However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.

I want her to k now that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.

My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time.

TRY NOT TO CRY....

I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.

****************

Little Angels in our Family

2010-08-02T13:23:00.000+08:00

A long drive was the order of the day yesterday when we trooped to Pampanga to attend my 3-month old nephew Enzo's christening. He is such a big boy now :) It is amazing how fast little boys like him fill up.

Here are snapshots of Lolo Popsy and Lola Momsy's grandsons...

Julian Matthew - MATTY

Juan Miguel - MIGGY

Lucas Ethan - LUCAS

Luis Jacob - LUIS

Lorenzo Macarius - ENZO

Popsy's been badgering us (his married children) to work on his granddaughter :) Haha! as if it's that easy...

~*~

The reception was held at Cabalen's in Robinson's Starmills in San Fernando. Buffet again. JJ and I probably gained five lbs. each with all that eat-all-you-can thing the past weekend :)

There's a mall-wide sale the same day so the family checked out the stores. Mom and Chissa loved the Mango and Plains & Prints outlet stores. Mom enjoyed shopping and was kind enough to buy tops for me and my sister. Thanks Mom :)

~*~

It was indeed a fattening weekend :) More please....

Happy Birthday Lola E :)

2010-08-02T11:55:00.000+08:00

Lola E turned a year older last Friday, July 30. We celebrated her actual birthday at home with lamb chops and chocolate cake (both were so yummy! the cake was so moist!).

Saturday, the family had dinner at Yakimix MOA. Good thing Nice was able to call days ahead and reserve a table for us. First batch (Me, JJ, Lucas, Ate Michelle, Einar and Enrico) were seated by 6:10PM. We were there early so as not to lose our reservation. If we didn't come in by 6:15PM, our slot would have been given to someone else. Believe me, the line when we got there was pretty long already!

We enjoyed the food :) Our little boy was running around the place after he had his fill of fried rice, blueberry cheesecake and ice cream. It was pretty tiring but what can a mom-to-a-two-year-old-who-loves-to-run do? :) As usual, loved the salmon sashimi and maki. Missed the siomai though.

After dinner, we decided to walk around the mall. We dropped by Booksale. It was HUGE! Ate Michelle and I enjoyed browsing through titles. Got lots of children's books for Lucas at reasonable prices. Ate Michelle and I left the place dreaming of days when we can browse to our hearts' content (translation: Just us, without the kiddos :) ). It will come, Ate. It will come.

Ate Mariel is back :)

2010-07-26T16:52:00.000+08:00

Yey!

I am sure most of you are familiar with the anxiety that comes with a very good household help going on vacation. The past two weeks weren't really that difficult for us, thanks to Mommy E and Tita Nice who watched over Lucas while we were at work (one major perk of living with my in-laws :) ).

But was I glad when Mariel sent me an SMS saying that she's already at Dumaguete airport's waiting lounge, waiting for the boarding announcement. Sigh of relief indeed. Now we can go back to "regular programming". Back to regular gym sessions, aero class and other "me-time" activities :) Of course, date nights are back too.

A month away from his second birthday

2010-07-15T13:57:00.000+08:00

Lucas turns 23 months today! Whew! In a month, our little guy will turn two years old. Sniff. Sniff. I know it's such a cliche' but really, how fast time flies.

Here's a couple of Lucas's pics:

At Isabel's 1st Birthday Party

Hi Mom! Lucas watching the games for adults

Obviously, starstruck! He kept on pointing at him and shouting his name but he refused to go near Jollibee.

"Water!"

With daddy and with mommy...

Choo-choo train at Festival Mall

At a family dinner

MILESTONES:

"A" = apple, "B" = B, "C" = coo-coo (for cookie), "D" = Da, "E" = egg, "P" = P, "R"=R
Can count from 1-5, when he's in the mood. Can fill in the next number until number 10 (Thanks Tita Nice for patiently teaching Lucas)
Says the following words and uses them in the right context: Mommy, Daddy, Lolo, Lola, Ate, Danel (Daniel), Cwaker (Cracker), Yumyum, Up, Joo (juice), Igs (Migs), Bath, No, Ya, Cake, Cream (ice cream), egg, bread, jump, book, please (pwease), swim, etc. (forgot the other words na but he says a lot. he also imitates the words from his tv shows (Dora, Thomas, Sesame Street). Lolo G often calls him a myna bird.
Can identify the following animals and can say what they are aloud: dog, nyaw (cat), rabbit, frog (fwog), mouse, duck, pig, ipi (ipis or ladybug, ipi tawag niya :) ), elephant (elepa). He barks when he sees dogs and says "Nyaw!" when he sees cats.
Imitates actions
When he hears people call our household help "'day", he calls them Day too instead of his usual "Ate"
He sometimes calls his daddy, "J" and calls me "Chie" when he hears people calling me by name.
One day, he was writing on a paper. When we asked him what he's drawing, he replied, "Ipi" (ipis). Believe me, his scribble was nowhere near an actual ipis :)
He loves Thomas the Train. He'd eat, sleep, take a bath, travel, etc. with his trains. We love buying trains for him because his face lights up with delight when we show him his pasalubong.

Mini Shopaholic

2010-07-09T15:42:00.000+08:00

I dropped by Amazon earlier today and saw the synopsis for Sophie Kinsella's upcoming book. Mini Shopaholic will be available by September 2010. Oh I just can't wait!

I got the UK version cover from Sophie's website

Click here to see the synopsis at Amazon.

Wimbledon 2010 Champion

2010-07-07T18:22:00.000+08:00

Celebratory forward roll

At the Champions Ball

With Serena

Vamos Rafa!

Pictures by Julian Finney/ Getty Images.

I Love Breaking Dawn

2010-07-02T15:39:00.001+08:00

I started reading Eclipse a few months ago but after three chapters of Bella and Edward professing their love and saying they cannot live without each other every time the opportunity presents itself, I decided to put it back in the shelf and moved on to another book. Hubby was insistent that I continue reading as the mushy parts will give way to the exciting parts of the book soon after the third chapter. I only conceded when I saw the Eclipse Movie trailer and saw a group of vampires and asked, "Ano yan J? May army of vampires?". And his reply was, "Tagal ko na sinasabi sa iyo na basahin mo na kasi ulit..". And so I did. And finished it in two days.

As all you Twilight fans know, you just cannot put the third book down and not want to start on Breaking Dawn and see how it will all end. This one I also finished in two days. It was just so hard to put down!!! For me the fourth book is the best. Meyer did a great job in developing the story in the past three books. It was marvelous how she made everything work out in the end.

I cannot wait for the two-part movie...

As for Eclipse the Movie, hubby and I will try to find time for it. But maybe by next week. We're banking on a lesser movie house crowd :) I cannot blame those who wanted to see it ASAP and endure long lines though. If everything went on as in the book, I am sure the movie is all worth the long wait.

Pahabol Summer Getaway

2010-07-01T16:06:00.002+08:00

Our pahabol summer getaway was so much fun because we spent it with dearest friends and my sister. I am glad that our little Lucas enjoyed his first trip at the beach. Sure, there were challenging times (our son is after all, just 22 months old and is bound not to behave himself 100%) but as my husband says, he wouldn't have it any other way.

Welcome to Kalibo! We got the 7AM flight. Little boy was amazed that we were riding the big plane. He was just a little bit scared when we took off. After a few minutes, he asked for "dodo" and fell asleep.

Lucas enjoying his popsicle. Dungis dungis. Right: We weren't able to check in immediately. While waiting for the 2PM check-in, my boys decided to swim in the pool. Astoria' s pool is really nice.

"Swide, daddy! Swide!"

Little boy got tired with all that "swiding". By dinner time he was still sleeping. JJ and my sister decided to get takeouts from Deco's (the Original La Paz Batchoy) and Jonah's fruitshakes. After dinner, we decided to call it a night. We were all up by 4AM given our 7AM flight and we all needed the sleep.

DAY 2:

Stroll before breakfast

After breakfast, we again decided to have a stroll by the beach. We encouraged Lucas to walk for as long he wanted. But I was always near him as there were lots of broken glass by the beach :(

Swimming with Mommy. Lucas was saying "akkkk!" each time he'd taste the water. He enjoyed the beach but he had more fun in the swimming pool.

Daddy was building a "sand train" for Lucas.

Lucas loves playing with the sand. Probably thinking, "Why is Mommy letting me play with dirt?Hmm, might as well enjoy the moment before i hear her crazed 'Nooooo! Lucas!'".

We had dinner at Hawaiian Barbecue and frappes at Starbucks

Lucas enjoyed dancing to the tunes played by the solo performer in a restaurant near Astoria. By the musician's smile, I'd say he was delighted with his audience too.

DAY 3:

Our day began with a boat trip around the island. Pics were taken while we're waiting for everyone to finish breakfast.

At Puka Beach. While this pic has all the makings of a "posed" candid shot, it really is not. This is just us convincing our son to move near us so we can have a decent family picture.

Family Picture. This is the best that we can do, given the circumstances :)

He loved chocolate popsicles

Group lunch at Hawaiian Barbecue

My son is notoriously a picky-eater but he eats a lot and with no complaints whenever we eat out. Go figure.

Beach scene

Night swim with Mommy. Daddy stayed out of the pool to be the photographer for the night.

DAY 4:

Our flight to Manila is at 2:45 PM. As we were set to leave the island by 11AM, we took one last stroll after having breakfast. It was a rainy morning. The gloomy day mirrors how we feel about leaving the island.

Looking back, I knew I was sad to leave because I had a nice time with my boys. From these pics, I do hope the hubby had fun too...

Still "swiding", until the last minute...

Bye Kalibo! Hopefully, we'd be back again soon :)

~*~

As much as I loved the trip because I was with my family, I was disappointed with a couple of things.

1. There were lots of broken glass and cigarette butts by the beach. I wonder what happened to the daily cleaning thing these days?

2. The algae. Enough said.

3. JJ and I had minor tummy troubles our whole stay. The culprit is probably the purified water we brought from a sari sari store. It's Natural Springs. Wonder what they put in there???? Good thing Lucas had his rotavirus shots and was not at all affected.

4. Most heartbreaking of all was when we snorkeled near Crocodile Island. The marine life was probably just 20% of what I saw when I snorkeled in 2006! That was just 4 years! I wonder what my son will see when he's old enough to snorkel :(

A few days after our trip, I read an entry entitled "Bora-cry" from Anton's website. I do hope that something can be done to save the island.

Random pics

2010-06-15T13:10:00.000+08:00

We had several road trips the past weeks. My Aunt and cousin are here in the country for a short visit. The first week, we all trooped to Pampanga for a get-together.

L: The little boy just woke up and was not in the mood yet.

R: All dressed-up. Lucas having breakfast at NLEX.

My boys with our free coffee c/o HSBC.

Lucas: On one of his trips with Lolo G (who takes him everywhere!)

Date night with hubby. Chicken a la Kiev for me and American Grilled Pork Chops for him :)

Chocolate Kiss take-out from Momsy and Popsy (proof that parents never cease to spoil their children ;-) ). Just y-u-m-m-y. Not in the picture: Blueberry Cheesecake. It was gone before I thought of taking a pic.

Thanks to a Sesame Street episode, he often pretend that he's angry...

Mommy: Why are you angry Lucas?

Lucas: *growls*

Mommy: Oh no, you are angry...

Lucas: *giggles*

On our way home from Popsy's and Momsy's...

~*~

It will be Lucas' first beach trip this weekend. I will try my best to post pictures soon :-)

And He Bites it Again

2010-06-07T12:49:00.000+08:00

Rafa got his fifth French Open title last night. He defeated Robin Soderling in three straight sets (6-4, 6-2, 6-4). After the victory, he regained the No.1 spot in Men's Tennis.

Bacolod Trip

2010-06-07T12:43:00.000+08:00

Officially, Bacolod is now my favorite project site. I still love you Dumaguete, but you have to come second from now on :)

After 6 years of working in my company, I was finally able to visit our Northern Negros project. Just a little warning, I won't mention what we did for work in this post. But that doesn't mean that we didn't work hard while on site :)

Day 1 began with an 8:40 AM flight to Bacolod. We immediately proceeded to our site in Murcia upon arrival and the first day of work began. We had Guimaras mangoes as dessert after lunch and boy, were they delicious. Just divine! Dinner was at Aboy's. We had mostly seafood. Oysters, grilled tuna belly, garlic scallops, squid and fish sinigang (I cannot exactly say what kind of fish but it was great. They used this bean to make sinigang sour. I just forgot the exact name of the bean). We stayed at L'Fisher Hotel, across the street from Bacolod's famous Calea. After dinner, Pam and I dropped by Calea for coffee and to sample their famous cakes. And we weren't disappointed. After the first bite, Pam and I were instantly thinking how we're gonna bring home cakes :)

Imported Chocolate Cake and Strawberry Cheesecake

Day 2. We were on our way to the site by 8:30 AM. The breakfast at the hotel was okay. It is your usual fried rice/fried egg/tocino or tapa or danggit kind of meal. But since it's free, no complaints there. We had lunch at the Pataan Resort. The water fall made our stay relaxing. I guess the sound of running water does that to you.

We had dinner at a Japanese Restaurant, Kaisei, near our hotel. The Japanese consultant enjoyed the food saying he was quite suprised that the restaurant is "almost" authentic. I enjoyed the food (tempura, sashimi, soba, etc.) and it was also cheap. Our bill was a little over 2k (5 pax). Not bad! After dinner, we again trooped to Calea for coffee and cake. This time we tried the Apple and Caramel Cheesecake, Chocolate Cake again and the Cathedral. We went back to the hotel with smiling faces :)

On our last day, we just stayed in Bacolod to finish our tasks. Lunch was at Sweet Greens. Food was okay but again, not something I'd go back for. After the meetings, our colleagues brought us to a place they call RUINS.

Ruins was a mansion built by Don Mariano Lacson for his first wife. It was a grand place considering it was built several decades ago. The materials they used (based from what the guide says) were all first class, which is probably why the structure stood the test of time and weather.

After Ruins, we again dropped by Calea for snacks and to buy cakes to bring home to Manila. I decided to buy in slices so we can try the other cake flavors.

The trip was tiring but fun :) I am also happy that we were able to accomplish all the tasks we set out to complete.

The next morning, I gingerly opened the cake box:

What's in the box? Imported Chocolate Cake, White Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce, Blueberry Cheesecake, Tiramusa Cheesecake, Apple and Caramel Cheesecake and Chocolate Cheesecake. The verdict? JJ loved the White Cheesecake and I am still a fan of the Imported Chocolate Cake. The other flavors were yummy too :) Will definitely bring home cakes again when I go back to Bacolod.

Happy 30th!

2010-06-01T07:03:00.000+08:00

Happy 30th Anniversary Popsy and Momsy :)

I hope you had a great time at Taal Vista. Thank you for re-scheduling the celebration so I can join the party :)

Love you both. Cheers to 30 more years together.

Just Busy...

2010-05-28T14:28:00.000+08:00

Yup, you read it right. I am still here, just way too busy with work these days. For you to have an idea, this is how my weekly planner looks like:

That was for last week, things didn't change much for this week. Planner still looks the same. So crowded, one task after another :)

I will be off to our power plant site in Bacolod on official business next week. It will be my first time to visit Bacolod and I am looking forward to the said visit. I am still thinking if I will bring my camera. I want to take pictures but given that I have to bring my breastfeeding paraphernalia (freestyle, fridge-to-go), I am seriously having second thoughts. Hay, this is really why I want to buy one of those tiny cameras that fit in a small handbag. Ours is kinda big for trips like this one.

Anyhoo, that's it for now. Hopefully I'd be able to drop by here and write something again soon.

I'd leave you now with Lucas' pic wearing sunglasses :) He's really growing up too fast!

Nadal's 18th Masters Title

2010-05-18T10:33:00.000+08:00

One word. WOW!

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Nadal The Master Of ATP World Tour's Premier Tournaments
by: Paul McPherson

Rafael Nadal’s 18 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles won before the age of 24 is one of the most jaw-dropping achievements of the Open Era. To give context to the speed of the accomplishment, the man with whom he previously shared the record, Andre Agassi, was 34 when he won his 17th Masters 1000 title.

Interestingly, it was Nadal’s stunning victory over Agassi in 2005 in the Montreal final that made an immediate impression with Agassi’s former coach Brad Gilbert. “After that win over Agassi I thought this kid was going to an outrageous level,” Gilbert said. “He won Canada on what I thought was the fastest hard court I had seen in 10 years and he also won the Madrid title indoors at altitude. It was then that I thought this guy could win a boatload of tournaments.”

Montreal was one of four ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles Nadal won during his breakout 2005 season, which reaped a career-best 11 titles. Nadal has won three or more Masters 1000 titles in five of the past six years. (He won two titles in 2006).

So just how many ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles may Nadal win over the course of his career? “Just looking at the next four years, if he can stay healthy, the over-under is 30 titles,” says Gilbert. “You expect him to win two a year on clay and at least one other – so that could easily add up to 12 more in the next four years.”

With the exception of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments present a challenge not found at Grand Slam level: the requirement to play without a day off in between matches against the best players in the world. The format doesn’t suit everyone. Former World No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov won two Grand Slam titles but tasted no Masters 1000 success.

Gilbert believes that Nadal’s exceptional conditioning and focus on peaking for Grand Slams and Masters 1000s work in his favour. “At the Masters 1000s the top guys often have to win five matches in five days to take the title and physically that takes a toll. Rafa knows how to manage that extremely well.”

Although Nadal has won six different titles and reached the finals of eight of the current nine Masters 1000s, the foundation of his amazing streak has been his dominance of clay-court Masters 1000 titles, of which he has won 13 shields in the past six years. He has won a record six consecutive Monte-Carlo titles, five titles in six years in Rome, one clay-court Madrid title (two Madrid titles in all) and the 2008 Hamburg crown when the tournament had Masters 1000 status.

Not only has Nadal won more ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles than any other player, he also has the best winning percentage (83.7 percent), boasting a 180-35 record.

And he may be just warming up!

Picture from Getty Images

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Keeping my fingers crossed for Roland Garros. Vamos Rafa!