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 361: A Reunion with Friends

I always look forward to reuniting with my ex-Aboitiz 'family' in Cebu. In my 3-year stint in the Queen City, these ladies became my family. Living away from home was indeed difficult but being with my gal pals made it easier and quite fun. We've been through a lot, our friendships tested and we've all passed with flying colors!

Having our own families and other interests have made meeting up far less in between and so whenever there is an opportunity, we grab it and make sure we make time for each other.  Due to some scheduling conflicts, our ISM Queen and her brood couldn't make it and we surely missed her this time around. 

The night was filled with good food, great talk, much laughter, amazing issues and Guinness  records of sorts (all revolving around degrees and women's handbags). Even the kids had a blast getting to know each other and bonding. By the end of the night, my kids refused to go home and were asking if they could still play with pals, Elle and Jaz. 

As with our usual get togethers, time is always too short, where stories were abundant and lengthy...it was a wonderful night filled with so much fun, camaraderie and love. There's so much to look forward to this coming new year...I'm sure we'll be given more opportunities to meet and catch up stories.

Day 357: Cousin Bonding

As predicted, it was indeed utter riot and chaos once the kids met up with their cousin Eejah. Loud shrieks, laughter and pitter-patter of feet permeated throughout the house as the children made up for lost time and played as if there was no tomorrow.

It was really unfortunate for those in the graveyard shift since they couldn't catch up on needed zzzzz's during daytime as the children would keep on shouting, laughing and running around.  Well, I'm sure they'll manage eventually...LOL!

Day 304: Splash Slide

Initially afraid of the water slide, Cailie musters enough courage to try upon the prodding of Kuya Jarred. Reassuring her that it's fun and that he'll be there to protect her throughout the ride, she agrees. This is the classic example of "once you start, you can't stop"...she's been unstoppable at the slide ever since that first try...

Day 303: A Faerie Princess Birthday

Before celebrating Halloween, All Saints' and All Souls' Day, a very special day is remembered in the family. The big princess of the house, CAITLIN ALYSSA turned 4 years old today. To make her day truly memorable, I let her wear her fairy wings, wand and tiara during lunch. She sure looked so beautiful in her faerie costume. 

The family enjoyed a buffet lunch at Mom's Finest Buffet where the fare included bam-i, crispy chicken, braised spareribs, four seasons vegetables, pork sarciado and fancy dessert choices. After a brief afternoon nap, the kids had fun swimming at Almont Inland Resort. Beaming with happiness, Cailie didn't expect to receive a gift upon arriving home and she was all smiles when she discovered her birthday loot - Dora belt, two Hello Kitty ponytail holders and a pair of Hello Kitty shoelaces. She was doubly happy to know that Kuya Jarred purchased part of her gift using his savings.

It was simple and yet for my Cailie it meant the world...Happy Birthday sweetie!!! We love you!

Day 281: Nature's Bounty

This was the very first time we joined an out-of-town field trip together with the entire elementary class and faculty of BFCS. For two years in preschool, our entourage only composed of the Nursery, Kinder 1 & 2 classes and itinerary was usually limited to within the city only. 

Well, this school field trip turned out to be a family bonding time too as we all joined Kuya Jarred and his schoolmates. It began as an adventure ride since we decided to just wander off on our own and take the public bus from Butuan City to Balingoan, Misamis Oriental which took about 2.5 hours on the road. 

We arrived at Mantangale Dive Resort an hour short of noontime and just in time for Jarred to join the group picture taking. Soon after, it was time to unpack our lunch/picnic kits and get ready for lunch. Everyone brought so much food that it turned out like one big picnic party and sharing with each other was one of the greatest highlights of the day. 

After a short rest, the kids hit the pool, swam and played to their hearts' delight. A couple of hours before departing for Butuan, the kids were gathered by their teachers for some games and sports events. 

It was already dusk when we finally arrived home and it was obvious that the kids had an amazing time as they were soon dozing off to dreamland after a full day of fun, friends and family bonding. 

Day 251: World-Famous Sponge

This little guy was one of the first ever cartoon characters that my son fell in love with as a toddler (I think he's tied with Diego & Dora for first place).

Having spent mornings watching Mr. Squarepants, I would usually have LSS and catch myself singing the phrase, "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"...gosh, even Mom got hooked by this yellow creature.

Well, over the years, SpongeBob has become a regular "creature" around the house, with all three of my children now who can easily identify him and his signature theme song.

Day 250: Family Royalty

...meet the family's tag team of mischief and street smart antics - Cailie & CeeJae, the two princesses who can wrap everyone around their little fingers. These two can be loud, boisterous and certainly attract attention wherever they go but both are also gifted with so much wit and charm, they never cease to amaze us. These two little girls love music, they adore singing and dancing, in whatever form and style. In our family, these two own the throne to royalty. 

Day 249: Fancy Footwork

Perfect coordination...super abdominal strength...pristine timing...and a prayer to not get wet...

These are the factors essential to successfully lift this container half-filled with water with just the use of feet and leg power. To sustain it in mid-air for a few seconds will really stretch your abdominal might to its limit. 

Well, the SUN Team did exactly that...and won this game.

Day 241: BCBP-Butuan's 14th Anniversary

Despite a hectic week, the Lord has blessed hubby and I with the time and opportunity to help out with the preparations for the 14th anniversary of our BCBP community in Butuan. It was an out-of-town celebration and details on food, the mass and program had to be planned and laid out well.

All in all, everyone had their spirits renewed with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, their tummies filled with scrumptious food and their bodies and minds juggled a bit during the fun games.

It was a wonderful event for brothers and sisters in the community to bond with each other and their families. We look forward to many more of these in the future.

Day 239: Celebrating BFCS' 22 years

By the end of a very long and tiring week, everyone was ready to take things slower. Today marked the awarding ceremonies of the SportsFest and Literary-Musical events held earlier in the week. By noon, parents and teachers also had an opportunity to bond over the Luncheon Fellowship. In the end, all kids went home winners, their hearts full of pride and joy.

Day 237: Sports Fun

Day Two of the week-long Foundation Week festivities rallied the athletes of Butuan Faith Christian School. It was a fun-filled day of sports, games and a whole lot of bonding. The different teams first competed in a quiz followed by games and sports activities. The mommies and guardians weren't spared as they too joined in the fun.

Day 236: Grand Parade

Students, Teachers, Admin and Parents unite to start the celebration with a big bang!

Princes and Princesses with their court

After nearly a month of preparations, the long-awaited school foundation week celebration has finally come. This year, BFCS certainly pulled all the stops - from the very successful fund raising activity (plastic recycling) to the announcement of this year's young Prince and Princesses. 

For me personally, this event has given me the opportunity to help out and support the children and faculty in the different contests. It was also a wonderful venue to meet up and get to know the other parents in the community.

Take a peek at the grand opening salvo...

The fierce warriors - DACTYL Team

The bright and cheery SUN Team

The ever-sparkling  STAR Team

The young scene-stealers - TITANS Team

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 218: First PTA 2010

With the school's foundation anniversary fast approaching, Butuan Faith Christian School (BFCS) held its first PTA meeting for SY 2010-2011. Instead of the usual general PTA assembly, we were broken into groups. This year's grouping theme is about celestial bodies. My son Jarred is part of the Sun Group. The other two groups in the Elementary level are Dactyl and Star while the Preschool level is called the Titans Team.

Topics discussed were the different contests our children were going to be involved in like Speech Choir, Reader's Theater, Song Interpretation and Field Demonstration. It was such a blessing to have parents who are so open and willing to support their children in this endeavor. At the end of the meeting, we all agreed to come in full force during the foundation week and even participate during the SportsFest.


Go go go SUN team!!!

Day 196: Fellowship

Several brothers and sisters from our BCBP community gathered together at the lovely home of couple members Bro. Nonoy and Sis. Belen Rosales to celebrate the eve of their town fiesta (Carmen, Agusan del Norte). Surrounded by a great view, enclosed in a wonderful abode, we shared the company of great friends over chit-chat, food and drink. It was indeed a wonderful way to bond and get to know each other better.  I'm looking forward to more bonding moments like this in the community.

Day 167: A New School Year

After nearly 3 months of summer vacation, Jarred is back in school and ready to face the challenges as a Grade I student. He's bound to discover many changes in this new school year. For one, short pants are no longer part of his regular uniform as he's required to wear long pants already. Secondly, his daily school schedule has shifted from half to whole day. He has to wake up early in the morning and prepare for a full day which starts at 7:30 am and ends at 5:00 pm. Another big change is the introduction of a couple of new subjects like Computer and Sibika. When he was in preschool, he only had two teachers, one who taught subjects under the English Department and another who taught the subjects in Chinese. This time around, he's going to have a different teacher coming into the classroom for each of his subjects.

On this first day, it was noticeable that a few of his former classmates weren't around as they've transferred to other schools but there were about 5 new students in class that Jarred easily befriended.

I'm sure he's looking forward to another year of learning, challenges and fun at BFCS.

Day 160: Fast Food

What was supposed to be a quick errand at the local mall turned out into a family bonding moment. I planned it all in my head already...quick stop at the courier to send off a document then to the telecom shop to send payment for a purchase - two tasks that could've been done in less than 30 minutes. Well, that's the ideal situation had I been by myself however, my 3 rugrats tagged along so you could pretty much guess that each child added about 30 minutes or so to the tasks at hand. It was almost past lunchtime when I finally finished the things I set out to do and just decided that we grab a quick bite at the mall's fast food area.

To avoid too much mess, I decided on burgers for the two older kids, a pasta dish for the baby and mami with empanada for me paired with tetra pack juices. I had low expectations for the food since I knew it was a local mall that's not in the same caliber as SM or Robinson's but I must say their food fare were both yummy and affordable. At the end of  an hour's meal, the plates on our tray were wiped clean...burp!!!

Day 135: Familia Roden's Summer 2010

With a little over a month before a new school year begins, my family and I managed to sneak in a final beach frolic to cap the summer of 2010. Set in the rustic shoreline of Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte, the kids had their fill of sun, sea and stones (there wasn't much sand in the area). It also gave us the opportunity to reconnect with relatives from hubby's paternal side. My children never ran out of playmates as cousins and neighborhood kids always flocked them wherever they went. Refreshing summer breeze, crystal-clear sea water and the company of family and friends, summer in Eastern Visayas proved to be a wonderfully memorable one.

Day 127: Perfect!!!

The end of summer classes for Cailie won't be until May 13 but since we'll be going out of town by tomorrow so I can vote on Monday, her teacher allowed her to have double sessions this week. For today, she had her very first taste of an examination - both in Reading and in Math. I'm proud to say she aced both!!!

It was a good decision to let her test the waters this summer to know her interest and level of learning. She is obviously advanced compared to her Kuya at the same age. Cailie exhibits good motor control skills when given writing tasks and her attention span is quite lengthy.

I'm sure she will miss Teacher Lolibeth but I know Cailie will cherish wonderful memories of a productive summer experience with her.