Getting an A for Initiative

My girls were preparing for bed earlier this evening.  They took a shower, brushed their teeth (still a battle) and got their PJs from the closet in the playroom.  All throughout this process, I was just watching them from afar, making sure no one gets rushed to the emergency room.

When it was time to put on their pajamas, my three-year old daughter still wanted to do it on her own.  

"Nemo is a big girl!  No more baby!"

Smiling at this progress, I gave her shirt and just let her be.  I continued working on my deliverables for work.  A few minutes after, I heard loud giggles, one of them sounding halfway giggle, halfway crying.

This is what I saw:

Where did the other arm-hole go, Mom?

Latest fashion?

But still, I give my daughter A for initiative.  That's progress right there.  I am confident you'll do it right next time.

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Halloween!

Half empty or half full?

Trick or Treat!

Hurray for that most wonderful time of the year!  

,,, and no, I did not mean Christmas just yet.  I mean Halloween - a yearly event my little girls look forward to as much as Christmas morning.  

Months before Halloween, they give suggestions on who they want to dress up as.  This year, Pot wanted to go as Harley Quinn (too scary and sexy to materialize).  They went with fairies instead.

The office theme was Disney and Fairies.  For one afternoon, Tinkerbell sprinkled fairy dust and transformed the workforce into fairies and elves.  Different characters then visited their world - little Peter Pan, Captain Hook and all the rest of the Disney classics.

It is amazing how kids bond instantly when they get together for Trick or Treat. My little girls are normally very shy but when they are in their costumes, they change into friendly beings. Heh.

Pot with new friends, Rapunzel and Angel

Wordless Wednesday: Heeere, Somethin' For You!

Precious smile

Nemo's gift on my drinking glass.

Fun Times At Austin's - Pixie Forest

It is fun reminiscing the good ole times.  One of these days, my girls will bug me to take them out with their cousins for some playground time.  This was done regularly before but because we have not had any handy helpers at home for months now, mommy needs to do all the household chores.  Believe you me, playtime is not as easy as it seems.  It requires a lot of energy not just from the kids but the mommies as well.

The last time we did this, my sister and I went home dog-tired and unable to move until the next morning.  It was a lot of fun though so we do not have any issues doing it over and over again.

When we do take the kids out to play, we usually bring them to Festival Mall where Pixie Forest is.  It is an indoor amusement park with a number of rides and activities to choose from.  We normally spend about 100 to 150 pesos of tokens per child to get them busy.  If your little ones are into trying out rides, it is more practical to get a ride-all-you-can pass for 150 pesos.

When you get lucky, you will find these guys waiting for you to take pictures (and scare your kids).

My girls and their cousins love spending their time at Austin's in Pixie Forest.  It is a huge activity area where kids can jump, slide and make like they are monkeys all they want without bothering people.  I personally do not like their requirement that there should be a guardian to look after the kids.  It gets crowded with all the parents and/or guardians with legs sprawled on the floor.

When the kids get tired, they can sit in front of the television to watch their favorite cartoons.  Just a reminder, if they catch the movie when it just started, prepare to spend another hour and a half with them watching.  Movie date for one-third of the price. :)

All in all, spending time in Festival Mall to keep the kids happy is a treat.  I can't wait to do this again.

If you wish to bring your kids, you may refer to Festival Mall's website for more information.

Cheers!

Handling Criticism With Class

This story hits very close to home.

There was a time in my life when I felt I was not good enough... that people look down on me because I am overweight.  Photoshoots were my worst nightmare.  I hated my body because it succumbed to the pressure of my pregnancies; it never came back to how it was.  I missed dinners, parties and reunions with family and friends because as soon as they see me, they talk about how big I have become.  

There's a thin line between preference and prejudice.  I understand preference - everyone is entitled to it.  People will always be inclined to like something over another.  Prejudice, however, is looking down on something or someone just because he/she does not fit the bill - the norm according to their own preference.

I've recently (finally) made myself understand that I am not less of a person than anyone else just because I have weight issues.  I do not pressure myself to be a size 2 just because people like women that way.  Whatever I am doing now, whether to keep my weight as is or lose it, is my decision based on what makes me happy and healthy.

Jennifer Livingston showed us how to address pressure with grace.  Some people might ignore, keep getting hurt without letting anyone know, or worse, stoop down to bullies to retaliate.  She showed them with class.

Homemade Cake Pops!

My first try on making cake pops was not all too fabulous.  Watching it online made me feel like it was going to be a breeze, but when I saw the ingredients on my own table, there were suffice to say some second (and third and fourth) thoughts about the whole thing.

It turned out to be fun, albeit a bit stressful.  Since my daughter requested that we make them for her third birthday, we decided to give in and make it as our little project.  I asked an officemate to bake the cake for us a day in advance and she agreed.  That got one task out of the way. 

Next was this first timers challenge of finding the best possible decoration ensemble.  I went all out in Landmark Makati, buying bars of chocolates for the coating, rainbow and chocolate sprinkles and little kisses to decorate.  I still have that fun McCormmick food coloring from our Easter egg hunt.

The cake pops turned out lovely after they were arranged by my creative sister in a pedestal.  We bought a small purple yam cake to accompany it, which made Nemo one happy little kid.    

The one drawback was this:  We wound up having enough cake pops to energize our hyperactive monkeys for the whole week... but hey, birthdays are only once a year, right?  Right?

Oh I lied--there was another drawback:  The mess.  The unholy, unscripted, unbridled, out-of-control, out-of-bounds, outrageous and all-around indescribable...mess.  That kitchen, at the end of the project, made Beirut look like a club-med holiday.  And again, Nemo was in absolute bliss over the whole thing.

Again, I just want to make sure if I got the memo right.  Birthdays are once a year, right? :)  Happy birthday, Princess Nemo!

  

Que Horror!

No one has prepared us for this.  

After invading our subconscious all week, it went to our home uninvited today. 

...

Warning:  If you do not want a long-lasting LSS (last song syndrome), please do not watch it. 

I was doing my household chores this morning while Nemo was quietly doing her stuff in the playroom.  It was the best time to listen to music because big sister Pot was still in school with her Dad.  I hooked up my phone to my computer's speaker system and started listening to my choice of songs.

Pot and her Dad came home without me noticing.  Within minutes, the familiar tune announced my bratinella's presence - the Tap the Frog tune! Full blast!

Oh dear universe, please keep us sane for the rest of the day.

(insert some whistling to the tune of this catchy game)

That Guilty Pleasure

I don't know what came over me two afternoons ago.  It was probably the loud cry of the bookshelf to rescue him from all the clutter the girls have gifted him (READ: books that are inserted like pieces of an abstract art).  It could also be because of the boredom at home because my energizer bunny-like little girl has been suffering from asthma.  She was in bed all-day except when she wants to conveniently walk around the house while throwing up.  (I'll stop being graphic here)

So anyway, I browsed through my husband and myself's conjugal properties in a shelf (a.k.a.  our books).  One book got my attention.  It was one of my priced possessions back in my early college days.  

My Ally McBeal: The Official Guide book!

For those of you who are too young to know who or what Ally McBeal is, it is a hit series back in the 90s by David E. Kelly that focuses on courtroom con law firm drama with a twist.  The characters are mostly lawyers but they are shown as human beings who have regular lives - not merely people who get you in out of trouble.