Day 115: I'm Two Today!!!

Time really flies so fast...wasn't it only yesterday when our cutie-pie CeeJae made her grand entrance into the world? Well, it's already two years since then and she's grown into a very witty and a parrot-like chatterbox. When you hear her talking you wouldn't believe that she's only two...she talks wise beyond her years.


A week before her special day, whenever Mama Lola would ask her what she'd like for her birthday, she'd reply with a list of specific requests - chocolate cake, spaghetti, balloon and ice cream. 


And so with the support of her Ninongs (godfathers) JunJun and Jeffrey, Mama Lola Alice, Papa Lolo Fred, she got her wishes today. With family around her, she blew the number 2 candle on her Orange Brutus Chocolate Monster cake and had a feast of Spaghetti, Roast Chicken Rosemary and Baked Pork Liempo.


It was a simple celebration and yet to her it meant the world.


Thank you so much Lord for all the blessings you've bestowed upon our little angel throughout the past year. 

Day 114:"Dirt Bike" Fun

Eyes widened in awe and excitement when my two older kids saw a bunch of other children going around a makeshift track using battery-operated kiddie dirt bikes. Back in Butuan, they usually spent whole-day weekend playdates at Jarred's best buddy Francis' home to experience such a ride. 

Well, it's a lot different here in the city...first, the ride doesn't come free - it's P35 per child and second, it's not ride-all-you-can - your money can only get you as far as 5 minutes on the bike. 

Since it was their first time and it wasn't something they would be allowed to do frequently, I thought it wouldn't hurt to let them experience it even just for once. Those precious five minutes seemed to last a lifetime as I watched them do the rounds on the track. The joy and the thrill that was evident on their faces was worth more than the seventy pesos paid for the ride.

Day 51: Spaghetti Sunday

My three kids are typical youngsters who love Pinoy-style spaghetti. It's no wonder that it's on top of their minds whenever we pass by the towering signages of either Jollibee or McDonald's.  However, ever since discovering that a typical meal at any of these two outlets would cost our brood of five at least P350, we've tried to lessen, if not eliminate, going there for meals.

The last time the kids were treated to their fave spaghetti was over the Christmas holidays in Cebu. I knew they'd love a spaghetti weekend so I tried to fit the meal budget so that I can prepare their favorite. Looking for frugal means to still enjoy a childhood favorite, I discovered that using certain ingredients could still make a mean spaghetti without being too expensive. Instead of ground beef, I use CDO corned beef that's being sold per kg at the grocery. By substituting such, I can still afford to add mushrooms and hotdogs to the recipe. As for the hotdogs, I use the secondary hotdog line of a famous brand - in this instance, instead of the CDO premium Bibbo brand, I use their Idol brand. The kids would barely notice the difference since it's mixed in the sauce anyway. With a budget of P260.00, I was able to make enough spaghetti that stretched to three meals. The first two meals were with pasta and the third one was with rice already as the pasta ran out. Not bad eh?

As you can see, the kids had bulging bellies after eating and it was "clean plate" all the way!

Day 34: Under the Covers

Kuya Jarred decides to just chill surrounded by pillows

You really have to hand it to children's imaginations whenever they are left to have fun using the simplest things. 

Right before bedtime, my three rugrats seize the opportunity to horse around for a while using pillows and bedcovers. So, take a sneak peek at what happens in our room at night...

Cutesy CeeJae plays hide-n-seek

Sweet Caitlin is on hyperdrive

Day 343: Serene

Caitlin's very long hair has allowed me to explore the many ways I can fix it.  Pigtails, ponytails, clips, hair bands, braids...you name it, I've done it.  However on most days, I prefer to braid her hair since it's the one that looks neatest on her.  Whenever I unravel her braids the next day in time for a bath, her hair comes off in a glorious tumble of curls and waves.  And it was one of these moments when I took advantage of preserving such a look of serenity on my young daughter's face. 

Day 338: Jarred Andrei turns 8!

The month of December is always extra special because aside from celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, our family also celebrates the natal day of JARRED ANDREI, the firstborn son.  Eight years ago today, I gave birth to a 7.3 lb healthy baby boy at the General Santos Doctors' Hospital.  It was a challenging delivery since I had to succumb to a caesarian operation after a gruelling 12-hour labor that didn't progress beyond 3 cm.  As a first time Mom, many things were so new, unfamiliar and downright scary.  It didn't help that I had the worst possible recovery period from my operation.  I just thank God that hubby and my Mom were at my side to give me loving support. 

Since birth, Jawed / "Mokong" / Red / Redboy has always been a dark-skinned baby and he revels in this "kayumanggi" complexion even now as a young man. Being the first grandchild on both sides of the family, Jarred was doted upon by his grandparents, aunts and uncles. He was showered with not just love and care but also with lots of tangible goods.  During his early years, Kuya Jawed enjoyed all the pampering and spoiling as an only child.  Suffice to say, he developed a less-desirable temperament as a young toddler.  

Fortunately, things turned around soon after the arrival of a new baby.  At age 4, Jarred was at the ripe age to become a Kuya.  And boy, how he doted on his baby sister!!!  He became a protective and caring older sibling to baby Caitlin.  Kuya made sure he was always around to assist Mom and Dad with caring for the new baby.  

All of the wonderful qualities that a young boy should have, started to unfold and develop rapidly soon after Jarred began preschool.  His academic learning and personal development multiplied tenfold within his year at Kinder 1.  He was growing up to be a charming and articulate little boy.  Jarred also took pride in his studies, oftentimes placing in the class top 5.  

He was almost 6 when another baby was welcomed by the family.  Even though he was obviously dissed with the fact that the men in the family are now outnumbered, he continued to play his role as a loving Kuya to both girls.  He could already do small tasks involving the care of his two younger sisters.  

When Kuya graduated from preschool last year, he made the whole family so proud by finishing as Salutatorian of his graduating class.  He certainly made such a stark turnaround from being a young "bugoy-bugoy" to a young man, teeming with intelligence, wit, charm and love. 

Today, he continues to grow in the love and fear of the Lord, learning day by day about God's plan for him.  He is growing up to be a very prayerful young lad, a responsible and dependable son, a loving and caring brother, and a reliable and affectionate friend. 

At night, while asleep, I peek in on him and get amazed at the sight of this wonderful young man.  I fight back the urge to wish that time freezes so that I could always keep him like this...but I know that time will pass and he will have to grow his wings and fly to fulfill his dreams. 

But for now, he is my little man...the other important man in Mommy's life...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Son!!!  I pray that you continue to soar in life and achieve everything you set your heart and mind into.  Mommy and Daddy love you so much!

Day 311: Unico Hijo Gwapito

Unlike CeeJae's hair which seems to take forever to grow, Kuya Jarred's grow long and thick quite fast that's why he needs regular appointments with the barber. 

Today he had his haircut on the way home from church. It took less than 30 minutes for the barber to shave off that thick mane of hair and end up with a neater and more manageable look.

Day 307: Storybooks

My children love to read and thanks to generous Lolos, Lolas, Ninongs, Ninangs, Titos and Titas, they are able to enjoy great quality storybooks.

Many of the books are interactive and can really engage the attention of even the most rambunctious toddler. 

Aside from reading, my kids have other ideas in using these books - from props to dividers and what-have-you. It just goes to show how creative children's minds can be.

Day 302: Hide & Seek

Little CeeJae loves to play hide and seek and she uses varied ways to enjoy the game. This time around, it was the sofa edge that served as her haven, showing off her head and face every time I would click the shutter. These are the simple joys of a young precocious toddler I call "my baby princess". 

Day 301: One Cool Ride

None of my daughters care to play with dolls but show them a cool toy car or ride and their eyes would light up like sunshine. This cool battery-operated car was something CeeJae couldn't let go of once she was neatly tucked in. She sure looks like she's ready to race on a Herbie-lookalike. Who knows? She may grow up to become a race car circuit driver in the future...hmmmm...

Day 300: Two of a kind

CeeJae finds a new friend in TomTom, Siansi Jenny's youngest son. Older by about 6 months, TomTom plays "Kuya" as he shows CeeJae the ropes on how to play ball and ride the twirly-burly.

Day 258: Loo! Loo!

If there's one thing that baby CeeJae goes gaga over, it would be balloons.  These colorful orbs never fail to attract her eyes and she'd exclaim "Loo, loo...!" whenever she'd see any around her, even when it's more than ten feet away.

This is the reason why her attention holds up pretty well during birthday parties - she can't seem to take her eyes off the balloons.  And she's one smart little girl, she knows when the party's over and she'd tug at me to pull off a balloon or too hanging on the wall for her to bring home.

Day 255: Weird Stash

There's a bunch of santan plants adorning the front facade of Kuya Jarred's school and it has become my eldest daughter's habit to pick a few santan flowers to bring home every time we drop off her kuya there every morning.

Well, I always thought she'd deconstruct each piece and try to taste the sweet nectar inside like I did when I was younger. However, I was surprised to find these drying up inside an old biscuit tin. So it seems my big princess Cailie has been keeping her stash of santan blooms to dry out. Well, I guess I need to teach her about that nectar thing one of these days.

Day 248: Sour Face!

Caitlin...still lovely and adorable even with such a sour face.

Remember the late comedians, Pugo and Tagak? Well, aside from being such great comic artists, they were both well-known for their award-winning "mukhasim" expressions for a popular vinegar commercial decades ago...

Well, my big princess makes her own sour face and I think she could give both comedians a run for their money...

Day 230: Princess DIVAS

Two months ago, I posted an entry about my concert diva daughter, Cailie. Apparently, the youngest in the family, CeeJae, has also been bitten by the concert bug and now joins her Ate in a "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" concert.

Watch and listen to their beautiful voices as they lovingly dedicate to you their masterpiece...

Day 222: Playdate

My children always look forward to being with other children and getting the opportunity to play outside the home. So when the chance came for them to be with co-BCBP kids Paul, Louisse, Mariella and Miko, it was indeed a riot!!! They had loads of fun playing with balloons inside a nice play area.  Even little CeeJae couldn't contain herself with just being with us, she made the effort to join the older ones in their games and exploration. Wow! It's so wonderful to be young again!!!

Day 217: Truly Pinoy

Ask any Pinoy abroad what food they miss most from home and I'm sure Jollibee would be on their top 5 list. A brainchild of the Caktiong family of Davao, it began as a small Magnolia Ice Cream House in Cubao, Quezon City originally named JollyEgg. Over the years, the business evolved into a hamburger/fries fast food outlet and eventually changed its name to the ever famous JOLLIBEE. 

The unique Filipino flavor in their food offerings is probably one of the main reasons why its such a hit for us Pinoys. Nowadays, the famous bee mascot is a familiar landmark anywhere in the country and is even making its presence felt at key cities in Asia and North America.

My own kids have developed a love affair with Jollibee - having the Yum Burger, Jolly Spaghetti and Crispy Fries as their top favorites. Of course, it doesn't hurt that most outlets have a play area where they can spend hours of wonderful playtime.

What's your favorite Jollibee food item?

Day 213: Crowning Glory

Wasn't it just last summer 2009 when I could hardly keep Caitlin's hair neatly pinned or tied since it was awkwardly short and her strands were quite thin. Well, look at how her hair has transformed into a gorgeous mane of silky strands. Almost reaching midway to her back,  she likes it when I fashion her hair into two equal braids. Sometimes, when pressed for time, I just let her tuck the sides behind her ear just as in the photo above for a more dramatic look. 

Day 210: Icy Treat

One refreshing treat that usually delights my kids is the tingling icy goodness of ICE POP or for those who grew up in the 70's and 80's, we used to call it ICE CANDY. This millennium's version are rainbow-colored fruit-flavored gel treats sealed in plastic that can easily be frozen at home. They're sweet and cool but personally, I prefer the good old homemade ones in tiny ice bags filled with real fruit bits and milk.

What's your ICE CANDY story?

Day 208: Makin' faces

Our little bunsoy knows when the camera is focused on her...here are just some of her many faces...

CeeJae dear, you really are my precious gem!