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 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 295: A Camping We Will Go

After a week-long stretch of quarter examinations, the graders of BFCS are so excited to have their yearly scouting day and overnight camping today. This is the first time that my son, Jarred will join such an activity. In fact, the event has a lot of firsts for the family. It is the first time that my son will be spending the night away from home and from us. 

When I dropped him off at school this afternoon, I felt that tugging at my heartstrings once again...those warning bells that seem to scream that he's growing up way too fast for me to catch up. After dinner, I couldn't help but ask hubby for us to swing by school just to check how Jarred's doing. We were quite amazed to see a lot of cars parked in front of the school. Obviously, we weren't the only ones stressing over this "night-away-from-home" event. The kids just finished their evening activities and were about to have their snacks before preparing for bedtime. When it was finally time for bed, there was a mad scramble of parents and kids going here and there, lining up at the comfort rooms, going in and out of assigned bedrooms. Mommies were going after their kids, making sure they did their nightly rituals properly. I was not spared the same as I had to make sure Jarred knew how to keep his stuff away neatly. It was only when I felt satisfied enough to leave him on his own that I decided to finally ride the car and go home. I hope my son has a good night's sleep tonight...I don't think I'll be able to sleep soundly though as my thoughts will be drifting off to Jarred all night through.

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 254: Flip-Flops

My favorite pair of casual footwear...the popular flip-flops. I love wearing them everywhere...so you can say I flip over my flops. 

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 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 234: Girl Power!!!

Not too long ago, there was constant struggle and battle with my eldest daughter during dress up time. She refused to wear anything feminine and opted to strut in jeans or sportswear. For a while, it was devastating for me as I've waited such a long time to spend "kikay" moments with my daughter since for many years before her birth, it was only Kuya Jarred I had to dress from head to foot. Of course, for boys it's a no-brainer...shirt, shorts/jeans, slip-ons or rubber shoes and that's it! 

It took the arrival of another princess in the family to finally awaken the fashion diva in  Atchie Caitlin. Nowadays, dressing up is such a breeze! My big princess now loves to do fashion shows of her different outfits, mixing and matching them up. And with her gorgeous long hair, Mommy can really bring on the kikay power to the max!

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 223: Glow

I'm quite a BLUE person myself (in cases when it's Blue vs. Green, that is) but I just had to take a snap of my darling princess in GREEN here as it is one of the colors that truly suit her. The blouse she has on is one of her favorites since it has a hoodie which she likes a lot.

Day 178: Beautiful Eyes

What a lovely sight

So much innocence

And beauty in those eyes.

Twinkling like stars

Bursting with joy

With each smile.

Day 119: My Princess

It wasn't too long ago when I held Cailie as a tiny baby in my arms. I remember being thrilled to see how fair-skinned she was, with lips that could rival that of Snow White's. For a long time, she remained tiny and small for her age. There was a point I was alarmed about her size but many friends assured me that as long as you see her active and bright, there was nothing to worry about.

And how right they were! My princess may still be on the petite side but she has grown so much over the last few years. She's certainly taller (which explains why her long pants now look like capris) and heavier. Whereas before, she would burst into tantrums when asked to wear dresses and skirts, she now looks forward to dressing up and being fashionable.  It was just a matter of time before she discovered the world of being "kikay".

Cailie is very expressive, "malambing" and thoughtful yet she's tough and formidable when she needs to be. With her Kuya by her side, she was able to take advantage of learning the English language painlessly. I could see that she got her love for school and learning from him too.

She's a doting "Atchie" to Shobe, CeeJae, many times helping Kuya take care of the "bunso" in the family. I guess she's pretty secure in her place in the family that's why our initial fear that she may resent having a new baby never materialized. Cailie adores CeeJae!

Sometimes, I do wish time would not pass by so quickly...I still want to enjoy my babies as they are now. I'm sure before I know it, my little princess would be all grown up and ready to face the world.

Day 91: Lovely in Green

During a visit to Kuya Jarred's school today to get his graduation photos and report cards, little Cailie decided to don another new shirt from Lola and Tita Tintin.  She chose this Old Navy hooded shirt in green with black stripes paired with her old denim shorts.  Cailie wore her Old Navy flip flops and pink sunglasses to complete the look.

She gamely posed for me as I took shots of her from different angles.  I'm so glad she's beginning to take interest in girlie fashion as she used to refuse anything that looked feminine.  Gone are the days she'd don a baseball cap and refuse to remove it unless it was bedtime already.  Whew!!! 

Day 87: My Fashionista

Upon seeing the mountain pile of new clothes and footwear sent by her Mommy Lola and Tita Tintin, Cailie became so excited to try on the items.  She went "oooohhhh" and "aaaahhhhhh" every time I showed her something new.  She especially liked the trench coat, matching jackets (younger sister CeeJae has one too), matching formal dresses and hooded shirts.

She handpicked this Radio Flyer jumper (a hand-me-down from cousin Tristan), printed blouse and pair of aqua sneakers to wear for Palm Sunday mass today.  As I look at her now, I give a sigh of relief...gone are the days she'd kick and scream every time I try to let her wear a dress or skirt or anything girly.  I've hidden most of her baseball caps so she's okay now with ponytails and pigtails.  I guess with little sister CeeJae around, Cailie was able to rediscover the fashionista in her.