A Weekend With The Band

Last weekend, Stephen and I attended a baptism where my husband is a ninong, among other college friends. I will not tell you about the event but more of the guests. The other ninongs were my husband’s band mates back in college, he being the bassist. These guys, if you look back in college, seemed like your regular college rocker: tambay sa hallway, do nothing but play the guitar, wears their uniform differently and seemed to be drunk or something most times. It seems that all that matters to them then was music and rock and roll. 

That’s what I thought until I became the girlfriend of a rock band member and got full access into their world. 

I was practically a band aid or the stage girlfriend. Whatever label, I’m that girl that was tagged along to every gig, front act performances, band practices and band meets. I’m also the official photographer. That’s when my whole perspective of rock bands changed. They are deep thinkers and intellectual people (thus, they can create song after song), they have so much passion for music and performing (just like I used to be a theater addict), they are such fun people, in an eccentric way. Being artists, they were able to express themselves in a way they know how and where they excel. And, a real artist doesn’t have to do drugs to get his creative juices flowing. 

I learned so much about music while I was a band aid. Got associated with the words like blues, metal, punk rock, grunge, glam, etc. I learned how to listen to songs from Live (my fave band so far aside from Wolfgang), Clapton, Mr. Big, Dream Theater, The Cure, Metallica, Black Sabbath and even Cake and CCR (Creedence Clearwater Revival) among other rock, blues and alternative bands. I learned to filter out each instrument (esp. the bass line) while listening to songs since my husband always asks me if I noticed an off key or beat during practice? That became useful for me when I present a new music theme to clients at work. 

Fast forward to today, these guys and all other rockers we know are successful family guys now. One has become an amazing lawyer. When he passed the bar exam, I think that’s when my husband realized they will never become a famous rock band. Haha! The others became businessmen, went into banking and finance, into film and commercials. Some continued with their passion and is getting into the music stream in New York. The dad of my husband’s new inaanak was one hell of a guitar player. He’s into real estate now and recently purchased their own home. Isn't that great news? Not only because they are our long-time friends but because I  know how they used to struggle just to get a gig in a week or a month at least, juggle school, family and love life.

They still miss playing as a band. They tried and failed all the time to do even one jam session because of schedule differences. My husband sometimes plays his bass guitar on his own but tells me it’s sad to play alone. I told him he’ll have to teach Sophie and Sam how to play the guitar because I gave up on learning the instrument a long time ago. Gladly, Sophie seem to have the interest in guitar playing. I hope she and Sam get their dad's musical talent. 

Recipe Share: Potato and Cheese Casserole

Potato and Cheese Casserole:

This is one recipe I have kept for years. I always serve this during parties and my guests would always ask for the recipe. This year I’ve decided to finally share the recipe everyone to enjoy! It quite easy to make J

Ingredients:

1 kilo potatoes, washed and cleaned well with skin on

3 cloves garlic, unpeeled

½ c. evaporated milk

125 g. or ½ slab melted butter

1 cup parmesan or cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

What to Do:

1. Cut potatoes in 4. Place potatoes and unpeeled garlic in a pan with water. Boil until cooked.
2. Drain water and place the potatoes in a mashing bowl. Any deep bowl will do as long as you have enough room for the other ingredients and for mashing. Peel off garlic and add them to the potatoes. Add milk, butter, cheese, salt and pepper and mash away! Don’t use blender as this will make the recipe gluey. You would want to leave some chunks in those potatoes;
3. Once ingredients are mixed together, put it in a baking pan, top with some more grated parmesan cheese and bake for a few minutes until top turns slightly brown.

Happy Holidays! J

GT - Apparels and Accessories

I have been MIA in GT for this month but I'm glad to spare the time to make this entry for this week's GT. 

This is my most fave topic, I love accessories! My choice of clothes/outfits are very basic and classic, I  try not to waste money on fad fashion unless I think they have staying power. I just update my outfit with accessories. I'm a self-confessed trinket addict. My sister and I, that is. I love and revere red so I have the tendency to pick out something red like this red necklace I bought from Shangri-la Mall stall. The wooden beads for a bracelet, from my brother. 

I also got this red knitted sweater from Tango. It's very versatile, can be used over my LBD for a more dressy look or a white long sleeves shirt and jeans for a casual look.

 My latest find is this owl ring (sorry, blurred photo). I have a thing over vintage and antique-looking trinkets so I bought this at a bazaar for P130 (original price is P150 but the tawad queen in me had to haggle).

See other GT entries at : http://beautyqueengene.com/

Mommy Moments - BIG Things

 This is one big sneeze from Sam as I was taking his picture for his new haircut :)

Sophie proving herself to be a big girl now, wearing mommy's race shirt (which is like a dress on her) and standing in a big pool in Zambales

This photo with Santa last weekend when we visited the new SM Novaliches. Sam loves mascots while Sophie freaks out when she sees one.

Posing beside the giant Shangri-la Xmas tree. No matter how much we tilt the camera upwards, we can't get the whole tree in the picture. 

 :

Enjoy other mommy entries in:

Watery Wednesday : Guimaras Island

This shot was taken as our boat reached the mini pier of Nagarao Island resort, Guimaras.  

Nagarao Island resort, unlike it's more modern and famous Costa Aguada Resort, uses it's generator for electricity only during dinnertime. A little after 6pm, it's lights out already. Yes, electrical companies have not reached this part of the country yet by 2006. When we went to Guimaras, we actually saw an electrical company putting of electrical posts and cables so I hope they have electricity by now. 

According to the resort manager, they did not bother to invest in stronger generators since most of their clients are foreigners who prefer to use kerosene at night and they don't bring radios, laptops or any gadget either. They wanted to experience full back to nature experience when they're in Guimaras. 

This is a shot of the neighboring island where the resort gets its potable water and fish supply. Almost all residents in the area have small boats to get them from one island to another. Conversely, fishing is the people's main source of income.  

The bridge leading to Costa Aguada's private dock. We got an island hop treat from our host.

The kids makes the sea their playground.

Guimaras is such an awesome place with it's unspoiled beauty and charm so imagine how affected I was when news broke of the oil spill in this area. I imagined the lush mangroves being victim to this disaster :( Thankfully, with the help of NGOs and other private citizen, Guimaras is getting back on it's feet. 

My Watery Wednesday entry for this week :)
 

Recipe Share: Roasted Herbed Chicken

Something to share in time for the holidays so you can maximize your spice rack :0

What You Need:

1 whole dressed chicken
2 tbsps. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp powdered garlic (optional)
pinch of salt
fresh pandan leaves or lemongrass leaves
melted butter
1 pack McCormick Chicken Pandan Marinade mix

Procedure:
1. Combine all herbs, salt and pepper in one small bowl. Season chicken with mixed herb ingredients, rub herbs on chicken cavities, inside of the wings and legs. Stuff inside of chicken with fresh pandan or lemograss leaves. In a separate bowl, dissolve pandan mix in water and marinade chicken for at least 3 hours (for best result, marinade overnight).

2. Brush chicken with butter and roast in turbo broiler over 150 degrees Celsius for 30-45 mins. or until done.

3. You can create a sauce by mixing the chicken sauce/drip with a little seasoning, butter, pepper and cornstarch. Boil in a saucepan over low heat until sauce thickens.

Lunch Break - Chocolate Kiss

I missed Chocolate Kiss, the last time I ate at their Roces branch was I guess a year ago. It's quite off route our lunch area so we always forget to consider it as a lunch destination. However, I've been imagining their very delectable baked potato for a week so off we went to CK.
We ordered baked potato (to share since it's quite big for one person) and their Seafood puttanesca pasta (P240), maybe shared too if you're not that hungry.

the baked potato (P135) I've been craving for weeks. See the sour cream dripping? Yum!

Of course, we can't miss their bottomless iced tea (P70) served with a small pitcher of honey and calamansi, sweetened to your own liking. Only few restos still serve their iced tea this way. We went back to work with such a happy feeling after having a heavenly lunch :)

The Roces branch is a five year old small and charming cafe with just about 10 tables that can sit 2-4 people each. Chocolate Kiss mother branch is inside UP campus.

Try also their cakes, super yummy :)

Devil's Food Cake (photo courtesy of  chocolate kiss)

Mommy Moments - So Little

Sorry, this is a late post. Been busy much that I haven't visited other mom in last week's MM. 

Here's my entry for Mommy Moments:

Sophie and Little Brother Sam:

She was trained to tend for her younger brother as soon as Sam got home. 

My mom taught me to always make Sophie partake in the caring of her younger sibling so she will not feel jealous but proud to become the Ate.  

Ate Sophie sat beside Sam while he gets his morning sun. She was an alert guard, asking for Sam's milk when she thought Sam might be hungry.

Health Talk: Detox Diet

A few weeks ago, I heard over Mo's radio program Mornings With Mo asking Grace Lee all about this detox diet she just had (knowing Mo, he was mocking Grace about this). This got me interested, I feel like I need a cleansing diet from all the poultry, dairy and toxins I get into my body everyday. 

Looking back I remembered my mom doing her version of this detox diet and labeled it cleansing diet. She eats only carrots, potato and kamote (CPK) and drink only water and homemade pito pito (seven seven) herbal drink for a week. We were trained to drink pito pito drink, if you've tasted Conti's iced tea that's what pito pito basically tastes like. It's composed of  7 different types of herbs like lagundi, tanglad (lemongrass), banaba, pandan, alagao, sambong, guava leaves, etc. boiled, strained, drained and drank like tea. Nowadays, I know that you can only complete your 7 herbs from Quiapo since the vendors there have complete lineup of herbs (and whatnots). 

Anyway, I was only able to research on detox diet this morning on the internet. Offhand, it looks a wee bit complicated than I wish it would be because it could do more harm than good if not done properly. Well, any type of diet can be harmful if you go overboard. It was recommended to make a visit to a doctor who practices alternative medicine before starting detox. However, I also found these tips on the web - a detox you can do at home to aid in cleaning the body and eventually losing weight properly:

·                        Drink eight to ten glasses of water (preferably filtered) every day. This flushes your system and replaces the water your body loses day just through respiration and elimination.

·                        Stop eating sugar and refined carbohydrates like white flour. They lack nutritional value and give you a sugar "high" that leaves you hungry and craving more sugar. Explore substitutes like agave nectar.

·                        Break the caffeine habit. Caffeine is a powerful stimulant to your central nervous system. Like sugar, it sends the body on a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. It can also interfere with healthy sleep.

·                        Get healthy fats into your diet. Essential fatty acids can be found in unrefined flax seed oils and walnuts. Avoid unhealthy saturated fats (Big Mac!) and hydrogenated fats, often found in processed foods like crackers.

·                        Increase the amount of fiber in your diet. Eat complex carbohydrates like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic. Fiber promotes a healthy digestive and intestinal tract.

·                        Stop overdosing on protein. Eat less dairy and meat, especially factory-farmed products loaded with hormones and antibiotics. Focus on tasty, non-animal sources of protein.

·                        Reduce your exposure to toxins by reevaluating the products you use at home. Green your beauty routine, green your kitchen, and green your cleaning supplies.

Commit to a "detox lifestyle." Choose healing foods and practice mindful eating. Help your body detox with saunas, steam, colonics, skin brushing, epsom salt baths, and massage.Learn how to lower stress through meditation, visualization, relationship-building, short and long-term goal-setting, yoga and laughter. 

source: http://spas.about.com/od/homedetox/a/homedetox.htm

My mom also used to go to a doctor (Dr. Ang) who encouraged her patients to try alternative medicines for prevention and cure, she helped us cure our asthmas and we were asthma free ever since. She already passed away several years ago (+) so I have to find another doctor that can enlighten me on detox diet. I hope I can accomplish this project before the year ends. 

other source: http://altmedicine.about.com/od/detoxcleansing/a/Foods_Avoid_2.htm

A Mommy Worries

I’m sleep-deprived and busy taking care of my sick baby for how many days now. My baby boy has been with fever since Monday afternoon. We started giving him Paracetamol but come Wednesday night when his fever reached 39.9degree Celsius we decided to bring him to the hospital already. We got to the FEU ER by midnight and the doctors checked on Sam and took a blood sample from him. This is one of the procedures that I really hate but I know is important to rule out Dengue or any other scary diseases. I’m not the type of mom who prefers to leave the room during these kind of procedures but when the doctor stuck the the needle in search of the right vein, I was silently praying ‘Dear God, please help him find it quick’ because Sam was already crying so hard. I know he was crying so hard because 1) he’s being pinned down and 2) for the needle in his arm, in that order. He doesn’t cry when the doctor checks his ears, his throat or his tummy but when you pin him down he cries so much. They also need a urine sample from him to rule out UTI so we also have to put a wee bag on him which irritated him a lot. He kept crying ‘Mommy’ ‘mommy’ and was pointing to his diaper because he wants it removed.

Come 3:15 am, we finally got blood test result and it showed he has normal platelet count and hemotocrit is normal also. Thank God! No urine sample by that time but we’re really dead tired and wanted to go home so we just signed a document with a promise to be back as soon as the specimen is available. Anyway, the urine test showed normal result also so the verdict: it's viral. Super thank you God!

You see, we just came from the ER last week because of Sam’s diarrhea (something he ate or drank at a restaurant). He was given antibiotic for a week then we were instructed to go back Tuesday or Wednesday for follow up check. We were definitely back but for a different reason this time.

I don’t know if I already shared this here but my little boy is really one of my greatest worries because he is more of the fragile and susceptible to illness. He was diagnosed with high bilirubin level or what we normally call jaundice when he was born. Although jaundice is normal to new borns (since their liver is not yet functioning at optimum level), his case was somehow beyond normal level,thus, we stayed in the hospital another few days after I gave birth. They had to put him under phototherapy treatment (ultraviolet and infrared) which they setup in our room for 24hrs. I had to pump my milk because, ideally, he doesn’t have to get off the light even for milk. My husband and I alternately looked after him and made sure he doesn’t remove his eye cover (so as not to damage his eyes) and that he was turned every now and then for his body to get even exposure to the light. It was difficult for me that we had to turn him on his stomach because he was a day old then and he may find it hard to breath so I watched him like a hawk even if I’m tired myself from giving birth. What’s extremely difficult for me is the acceptance of the situation. Being a mom, we always wish the best for our kids but when trials like this come our way, my initial reaction is to blame myself and question myself why situations like these happen. I was asking God for forgiveness and mercy the whole time I was in the hospital. Thankfully, after the phototherapy session they took another test on him and his condition improved. The morning sun is enough follow through medication for him.

during  the phototherapy session at Manila Doctors Hosp.

At one month old, he developed a skin disorder called dermatitis. When I observed him for several weeks, I realized that exposure to pollen and dust triggers the allergy. The doctor said that if an allergy like this doesn’t go away after a couple of years, it may develop into full blown asthma. Another scary scenario for me. He was under steroid medication for a couple of weeks and lots of creams for months and months. All stuffed toys and linens that may trigger his allergy were stashed away and we can’t bring him to the playground L We also had to make sure he doesn’t scratch his face so as not to worsen his sometimes crusty red face. With God’s grace, he was given a gift of healing by the time he turned one. He can now play with any stuff toy he wants or go to the playground anytime there’s a good weather.

I guess the last and most difficult for me as a mom was when both my kids were diagnosed with Primary Complex. This is basically TB in kids. Sam, being the more fragile and younger (I guess) of the two, got Pneumonia which is, according to the doctor, an onset / effect of PC. They got it from their yaya. I was so devastated when I found out about this that I was thinking of quitting work and just take care of my kids myself. However, people around me who knew how I love my career and that how much we need the perks from my job now more than ever discouraged me on this option. My mom and my boss who is also a mom were my constant advisers and guides during this time. Apart from them, I found it difficult to share at first to my other friends but eventually I was able to accept that something like this may become a part of motherhood. I somehow opened up to some other friends. I thank them for their support and encouragement. By sharing also I realized how many other parents have gone through this phase since this is quite common in our country. The treatment took 6months which is the minimum treatment for PC and it was a really a trying 6months because we have to make sure they take their medication every single day and we have monitor their weight gain because during their PC stage, their appetite diminished and lost several pounds. This is one reason I’m glad I kept my job - the hospital bills, checkups and medication were covered by my company benefits. Our yaya, maybe out of guilt, decided to go back home no matter how much we tried to let her stay (she was a good yaya anyway). We were worried that she will not take medication and just let it be, that’s dangerous for her. One friend suggested that, in the future, maybe it’s better to let the helpers undergo medical checkup before we accept them. This is also a good suggestion but the problem is, if they’re already under our employment, we can't really dictate where they go or who they interact with on their day off. I can’t let them take the xray test every after day off. Maybe a quarterly check up is necessary,though. 

Sam at 2 months

When I found out I was pregnant with a boy, I remember my very first prayer to God was that He makes me a mother who is fair and just to my two kids. A mother who will provide equal nurturing, discipline, compassion and love to my two kids. I adore my 1st born to the hilt and I was happy then with just a little girl. Then, I got pregnant again and my first worry was that I may not be able to love him as much as I love my princess. But God has a way of making things work for all of us and I guess this is His way of saying ' you will never miss this little guy, he will keep you busy' (or that's just my interpretation of the situations). In a nutshell, I'm happy and thankful that Sam is generally a healthy boy. He was able to surpass all medical conditions he went through and remained a happy and smart little boy. I love him with all my life as much as I love my little girl.

Shopping and Boxing Weekend

Saturday: I accompanied my husband to RCBC Bankard’s Brand Mania in Silver City Decagon in Ortigas (near Tiendesitas). This is an event for both Bankard and non-bankard cardholders. Being his even, my husband had to man the event on a Saturday and asked me to accompany him but he was worried that I might get bored.

When we got to the Silver City near Tiendesitas, my jaw dropped and I got a slight panic seeing the brands that participated: MNG, Mossimo, Terranova, American Rag, Salsa, Boboli, Skin Food, Park Jun, Lola, etc. etc.  Almost all went 70% off! After registering at the entrance, my husband practically let go of me like a child being allowed to play in the playground!

At the end of the day, I was able to buy: leather belts from Terranova, P70 each ; Skin Food hair wax P157 only ; Mossimo jeans P990 (originally priced at P2200) ; TRN kids sweaters for Sophie and Sam P300 each; Boy’s polo from Mossimo P290. I was also carrying winter boots from Angels for Sophie for how many hours because they were so cheap, only P300 but after a while I thought Sophie will not wear it because it's too hot to wear in this weather. So I dropped it with much regret. So, did I get bored? LOL. I told my husband, ‘I can stay in a mall from 9am until it closes and I will never get bored.’ J I also won a backpack from Vans during a raffle promo plus husband got a P2000 GC from ParkJun so I will definitely get that haircut I want :0

After lunch I attended a photography seminar (sponsored by RCBC also) by landscape photographer and Canon ambassador Jay Jallorina. This also kept me preoccupied because it went for about 4-5 hours. It wasn’t a technical class as I wished but somehow I learned a lot about landscape photography like what are the important elements that we need to see in a good landscape photograph. One thing nice about the seminar is that I saw amazing photos from his presentation that were taken from different regions of the Philippines and made me want to go to these places and experience nature’s wonder for myself.

Sunday: my husband subscribed to our cable’s pay-per-view for Manny Pacquiao’s fight. We invited the clan to watch the fight at home and lo and behold, the guys came marching in as early as 1030am. They definitely don’t want to be late for the fight J That was also the first time my dad visited our new house, all for a Pacquiao fight!lol. By the time the fight started (around 1:15pm) the house was jam packed with some of our relatives and neighbors already viewing it from the garden. Anyway, I’ll have to give it to Manny for being a 'class fighter'. Congrats Manny! I now forgive you over that elevator prank you gave me a few months back. One thing nice about watching it live on pay-per-view is that you not only get to see it live but also in HD resolution, with nice-to-listen-to commentators and no commercial breaks. Of course, I know I will personally benefit from the tons of commercials we have during our airing, that’s how we make money in the first place. lol! 

Watery Wednesday # 3

Taken several years back on our way to Manila from Bacolod via Superferry (sea travel). I accompanied my nephew to the playground atop the ship and noticed the cloud formation that obviously meant rain is coming. What's more interesting, however, is that somewhere over the horizon it's sunny. And yes, it rained so hard by nighttime I barely slept throughout the trip. 

My Watery Wednesday entry for this week :0

Hairstyle, et al.

I have been contemplating for many weeks now on a new hairstyle. Been wearing my hair long for how many months now and, it being my default hair length, I have the tendency to cut it short every now and then. My hair history so far:

My default hair, long with side swept bangs

curly hair in 2006

shoulder length with long bangs in 2009

Super short hair with long bangs in 2007

rebonded hair in 2009

So now, I'm thinking of two options: perm my hair again and add a little color different from my normal dark brown color. Like this one:

blond?

Or grow  it longer and go for dreadlocks!

HAHA! The Annie perm is really something. LOL! 

Seriously, I'm considering a long bob and maybe give my hair a break from those artificial color because I believe the current texture of my hair was due to too much hair coloring. 

I was able to visit RCBC's Brand Mania last Saturday and dropped by Park Jun's booth. I have heard nice reviews from other bloggers and friends who have tried Park Jun so I think I will visit it one of these days. I'm also thinking of getting another rebond. The one I had with Red Salon in T. Morato was a bit pricey but worth it. However, I'm thinking of volume rebond so that it's not as flat as the regular rebond.
Hay, when hair becomes an issue to women, it's a serious issue :)

JOHNSON'S® NATURAL™ Baby Lotion | Johnsons Baby

Finally, a line Johnson's products that's truly safe! JOHNSON'S® NATURAL™ Baby Lotion | Johnsons Baby

Here's their selling point:

JOHNSON'S® NATURAL™ products have

• No Parabens
• No Lanolin
• No Petrolatum
• No Dyes
• No Paraffin
• No Phthalates
• No Animal Byproducts
• No Silicones
• No Essential Oils

When I checked the ingredients, it's much better than what's inside a regular Johnson's product. Just taking out parabens, animal byproducts and phthalates from their products will make me consider buying and letting my children use them.

I wonder if this line is already available in the local market?

Sophie and Sam, both being toddlers already have become so much more of my playmates. I believe that the moments we spend together clowning around, playing pretend, reading stories,etc. are just as precious and as priceless that when I get to bed at night I really thank the Lord for bringing me such joy that is motherhood.

What are the moments we enjoy together:

Sophie and Sam at Fun Ranch

1) Clowning around. I first discovered how much they enjoyed mommyclown during a thunderstorm. Both of them are really scared of thunders and lightning, they panic, cry and hide. When I saw that Sophie was starting to panic as thunder rolled, I grabbed a bunch of cotton balls, put it in my nostrils and blew it off while I made a funny face. The moment they saw the cotton balls fly off my nose, they laughed so hard they forgot about the chaos outside;

2) Playing pretend. Who doesn't love this game? Not only is it fun it also helps children develop their imagination. Sophie, Sam and I love to pretend having a party eating the yummy cakes, candies, ice cream and lemonade pictures from their story or counting books. They especially love 'munching' the pictures from Sophie's Hello Kitty counting book because it looks so delicious! Even Daddy and the yayas get to share their ice cream and lemonade :) We also like to pretend to travel. 'Take a jeepney', 'pay the (invisible) driver', go to the next room and 'take a cab' to Jollibee or McDo. When we 'get' to the fastfood, we order and eat (imaginary) meals. It's just so much fun :0

3) Sing song. Anything from Barney songs (Sam loves the elephant song), nursery rhymes, TVC (TV Commercial) jingles, Telenovela themes, Magic Sing Tagalog songs (Sophie's fave is May Bukas Pa) we would sing it! Ever since Sophie was 2yrs old she likes to mix and match songs, use the lyrics of one song with the melody of another song. She also likes to invent songs that only she can sing, sometimes I just help her with the lyrics so she can finish her song. She feels proud after finishing her composition :)

4) Shower Time. This is something that Sophie and Sam loves to do with their dad. During car wash day, Sophie and Sam loves to go out and get wet with Daddy. They both love being hosed and pretend it's rain. I have to stay dry, though, because someone has to clean the wet kids :)

the kids gave the car, the street and themselves a wash

These photos were taken in 2002 in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, one of the islands/resort in the Philippines that has white sand and perfect sunsets. These were taken around 530pm, just as the sun was going down. I had to rush and capture these because the sun was changing position fast. In photography, it's all about capturing the perfect moment, right? :)
Back then, I didn't have a digital camera yet so I took these using my old film-based consumer camera. When I saw the prints I was amazed at how it turned out.

My entry for: http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Kids Say the Darndest Things

One weekend in the car with Daddy, Sophie and me:

Sophie: Mommy, anong ibig sabihin ng dog?( Mommy,what does dog mean?)

Mommy: (knowing he enjoys watching Bantatay) Dog is like Bantatay. He's a dog.

Sophie: Mali! (wrong!) Dog is Aso. 

Mommy: Oh... yeah, you're right... I then turned to my husband and said, 'Over analyzing mom answers a very simple question'.


My husband and I laughed so hard!

School Hunt Part 2

The past few weeks, husband and I have been busy with school hunting for Sophie. Basically, I do the research which schools around our area have good rep (based on parenting sites, websites, etc). I already made an entry for two schools that we checked and so far we still feel we need to search more. So far, this is as much as we got:

Good Shepherd Catholic School – Rado St., Fairview, QC. This is a traditional school, with average 25 students per class for Nursery and Kinder. One thing that got me interested in this school is that it’s a Catholic school and I, coming from one, believe firmly that children should be exposed to as much religious activities and practices because somehow it deepens their relationship with God. I want to inculcate that in my children. However, when I talked to the registrar, I got disappointed because, being a full traditional school, they’re not as accommodating and open to queries as the other schools. We weren’t even given a chance to check the classrooms saying classes are ongoing. Makes me remember how strict the nuns and school personnel in my school.

Active Thinkers -  http://activethinkerscdc.multiply.com/. this is a progressive school and just 5minutes away from home. Although it’s progressive, they also incorporated the use of some textbooks so that children will not get disoriented so much when they transfer to big schools and get a load of textbooks. It’s a small school, basically a home transformed into school. It accepts students for the toddler’s playgroup to prep level. My husband and I were able to talk to the owner teacher Lenith Nolasco and I think she convinced my husband with the progressive way of teaching. You see, my husband is skeptical that progressive school will effectively prep a child when it’s time to go to big school. We have shortlisted this school J

Kinderheim – 35 Holy Spirit Drive, Don Antonio Heights. http://www.kinderheim.com/.

This is also a full progressive school and I was able to talk to the Asst. Directress (sorry I forgot her name) who was very patient in answering all my queries and showing me the classrooms and facilities of the school. The school looks more like your average home-turned-school but it’s really not. There’s a 3-story building with a gymnasium when you get through their one-storey homeschool. You see, Kinderheim accepts students from daycare to grade 6. This is a very impressive school, very modern-looking, clean and well maintained.

My husband and I were also able to check out Falcon Learning center again and he agreed with my worries about the security of the school. Diliman Prep was also in our list of nice schools. I got answers and a nice tour from one of the personnel but husband is worried about the location since it's on the other side of Mindanao Ave. We don't really want to stress ourselves and Sophie with that travel to school five times a day. Also, Diliman Prep is a big school and we feel that Sophie will be better off starting in a smaller school. 

So now, we're actually down to Kinderheim and Active Thinkers. Both schools told me I’m an early bird and I still have time to think so the next few weeks will be spent jotting down the pros and cons of both schools and making the final decision. Both schools also suggested we enroll Sophie in reading readiness class on summer 2011. Since next school year will be her first time to go to school summer classes will help her become oriented with school life and aid her reading skills. 

Mommy Moments - It Comes in All Shapes

Sophie likes triangles and squares. Triangle because it reminds her of yummy yummy pizza and squares because she likes drawing houses. When I ask her to make vertical lines only she will also make horizontal lines to connect two vertical lines and make a square :)

Sam loves, nothing else but…circle! Anything round is a ball to him and good for dribbling. Any flat circle is a steering wheel J

This week's:

Fashion Blog : What To Wear To Work?

 Do you have the tendency to choose outfits that are on the top drawer over and over again just because you're too lazy to dig into the bottom part and see what's down there? I go to work five times a week and for how many weeks now, I'm kinda always wearing black, gray and brown. You see, these are safe colors for work especially if you sometimes feel sluggish about dressing up. Most especially because this batch of clothes I alternate are those that's easy to grab and wear.

However this week, maybe bit a little by holiday charm, I decided to reshuffle my outfits and these are what I found:

blue layered top with RL bag (still has black)

with my pink ukay ukay bag

with olive green N.West bag (looks dull)

or this long blouse from China (still has black,ugghh)

this dress with nice color block (from Landmark)

I also remembered I bought this boyfriend jacket. The thing with bf jackets, you have to be careful how you wear them so they won't get too sloppy especially if you're petite like me. 

I ended up with the blue spaghetti-strapped blouse, Franco Sarto bag and denim jeans because I remember it's TGIF! and I don't like to wear a dress today. Grabbed my denim trench jacket and put on a pair of good ol' 3-inch heels. Did I already mention I'm petite? These shoes are my saving grace and because I'm so used to wearing them I have a very few collection of flats. I started buying flats only when I got pregnant and it took a while before I got used to walking in them, feels like I'm tipping backwards in flats :(  I can run in heels than in flats :)

Ohrelle open-toed shoes

Off to work I go! :)