Bela, My Sweet Bratinela

7th: Party Preparations

2012-02-01T01:20:00.002+08:00

If only I have access to web conferencing solution, then I might be online most of the time to discuss my party plans for Bela’s 7th birthday with my ever reliable party planner, Angelette and her team.

Angelette was teasing me as I have been bugging her since December for the party preparations for Bela’s birthday. She said that I am way too much excited to book for the suppliers when I still have 11 months to go before the party.

Well, the reason why I am planning in advance is I have to plan very well so I have at least a year to save for the budget that we will need for the party. We can't pay for the party in spot cash you know, so it will take more than a year for us to pool the funds for this party.

In my family, 1st and 7th birthday is a big celebration as it is a way of thanksgiving for the 7 years of our child’s life that is why I wanted to plan ahead so I won’t miss on anything.

So far, I have booked the following already though Angelette:

1. Magician
2. Sing and Dance Trio
3. Balloon Artist
4. Host

My friend already pencil booked us on our venue of choice and she will settle the payment this February as the venue is not accepting payments yet for 2012 events.

I am so excited for this party as Bela is so much involved now with the planning so I can’t wait to see how our party planning collaboration will turn out.

Negra in the House

2012-02-01T01:09:00.001+08:00

My husband and I celebrated our 7th year anniversary last Sunday and so we decided to go out of town to celebrate. We were able to book an overnight accommodation at Estrellas de Mendoza, one of the newest hotel/resorts in Laiya, San Juan Batangas.

I was actually planning to stay in Tagaytay but since Bela has been requesting for the longest time now tat we take her to the beach, my husband and I decided that this is the perfect time to go on a weekend getaway in Batangas.

The last time we went to a beach was last August so we know how Bela misses the sand and the sun. So it is no surprise that she can’t wait to jump to the pool as soon as we reach the resort. She spent the whole day on our first day swimming in the pool or on the beach and so she got a really good tan. Just look at how dark she is now:

Oh well, what’s important is she really had a blast.

Bela, the Animal Lover

2012-02-01T00:46:00.005+08:00

My Bela is one animal lover. Just look at some of her pictures. This one was taken in Ocean Adventure where she bravely went near a dolphin and have her picture taken as she touches the mouth of the dolphin:

The next one is also in Ocean Adventure where she got really excited upon meeting the sea lion of the center and was giddy happy when she received a sweet kiss from the friendly animal:

The third one is in Tagaytay Highlands where she was so brave to touch the python:

We have taken care of all sorts of animals in the house. We have a Labrador, a Shitzu, a number of fishes, even love birds and hamsters too. That is why hubby is really pursuing the backyard chicken coops in our vacation house in Bulacan. Not only will it be an added source of income for us but also we are sure that Bela will have fun as she watches the chicken lay eggs and how the mommies take care of their eggs. I remember, that part of our childhood was going to our grandmother’s farm to pick up eggs from the chicken coops and it is one of the most enjoyable activity that my siblings, my cousins and I enjoy every time we go home to our house in the suburbs for vacation.

I am not sure up to when will Bela have her love for animals. Who knows someday she will be able to fulfill her dream of becoming a veterinarian or animal trainer in Singapore Zoo (her favorite zoo), where she will be surrounded by animals every day.

Being a Working Mom

2012-01-25T08:26:00.001+08:00

If I will have it my way and if we can really afford it, I would rather be a work-at-home-mom instead so I can be with my kids 24x7. But that is not possible as I have to help my husband earn a living for the future of our kids.

Being a working mom entails a lot of challenges as I have to juggle my time between my online and offline work and my responsibilities for my husband and my kids. But I am thankful because there are a lot of tools that I can use like salesforce reporting that will simplify my task so I can still have time for my husband and my kids.

I feel really flattered when a friend of mine asked how I do it. She can’t imagine having a full time job but still ending up to have plenty of time to be hands on mom to her kids. I guess it is just time management and my pure love for my family.

Meet Beth, Bela's Flying Dragon

2012-01-24T16:20:00.001+08:00

Bela received an Animaland Gift Certificate from her Tito Jp and Tita Grace last Christmas. She is really excited to use the gift certificate as Animaland is one of her favorite toy stores.

Since she has been doing well with her Kumon, we promised that we will take her to Robinsons Place after Cobi’s Gymboree class so she can buy any stuffed toy from Animaland using the GC. She was so giddy with excitement as soon as we reached Robinsons that Animaland was our first stop.

Since it is the year of the dragon, Animaland has a lot of new dragon stuffed toy to Bela’s delight as she has been looking for a flying dragon for a long time now so she got really excited when she saw one at Animaland.

She did not think twice and since she is a regular patron of Animaland, she knows the drill already and gave the stuffed toy to the attendant so they can start making her stuffed toy.

She named her flying dragon, Beth, and she sometimes calls Beth her lucky dragon because she said that 2012 is the Year of the Dragon.

Thanks again Tito Jp, Tita Grace, Izzie and Audrey for the gift.

Love for Arts and Crafts

2012-01-21T01:55:00.003+08:00

Bela got his love for arts from her dad. During weekends, she and her dad would stay in one of our spare rooms where they can do arts and crafts. Howell believes that in order to instill the love for arts to Bela, we have to teach her as early as now.

Howell gives her full support to Bela that almost every weekend, he will go shopping for materials for their next project like colored paper, Water Soluble Solder Paste, sticks, cups, and any other thing that they can turn into art. Sometimes, they don’t even have to buy as they can get materials from recycled things like newspaper, old wood, old diskettes that we no longer need and many more.

Bela looks forward to our weekends as she is always excited to start a new project with her dad. Thankfully, my husband has a creative side in him that he and Bela never runs out of things to do. And would you believe that as early as now, they are already doing their Mother’s Day gift for me. And that is one project that I can't wait to see.

Her Christmas Gift

2012-01-15T23:41:00.002+08:00

I know, I know it is not a good idea but hubby and I finally gave in and grant Bela’s wish for Christmas:

She actually did not ask for it but we always see her seating beside a stranger in malls, restaurants or any other public places if she sees them holding an iPad. She is just so fascinated with the games and the movies and all the cool stuff that an iPad can do that she can’t help herself and she will really take a look at the screen of anyone holding an iPad even if we tell her that it is not a good thing to do, several times.

She has really been a good elder sister to Cobi and she has been doing really well with school and with her Kumon that hubby and I decided that it will be the best reward for her. Besides we really don’t have any idea on what other thing to give her for Christmas and so to end our problem, we just went ahead and got her an iPad.

I wonder if there are pre-order video games that will work on the iPad. I don’t have to worry on the videos, as hubby is already ready with his tons of Disney and Pixar movies that he can load on Bela’s iPad.

Bela was really ecstatic when she opened her gift last Christmas and she was very thankful to us. I know she will really enjoy her new toy.

The Simple Joys of a Child

2012-01-07T16:11:00.001+08:00

Guess what this is:

This is the coin funnel located in Cyberzone of SM Manila. This is a very simple machine that has a coin slot where you can put the coins so the coin will slide and will roll and roll until it reaches the funnel and the coin will fall in the hole.

This is Bela’a favorite now and she will ask us that this will be her price if she did well in school or in her Kumon. That is how easy it is to please Bela. Imagine, all we need is just a few coins and we have one happy kid.

She discovered this machine when we went to SM The Block last December and this is where she and her dad pass time while they waited for me as I went shopping for our Christmas gifts. Since then, she will ask that we bring her to SM so she can play with the coin funnel. Good thing there is one SM Branch near our place that has this. So a few minutes drive is all it takes to make our princess happy. The simple joys of a child.

Start Your Business Right by Doing Online Market Research

2012-01-01T09:18:00.000+08:00

Ysabela Margrette Cellphone Store. This is the name of our cell phone business which I started with my brother a few years ago. Bela was my only child then and so we decided to name the store after her.

I can’t believe that it has been six years since we started that business venture. We were first time businessmen back then and we really have no idea how the business will go as we just invested right in without studying the market.

Luckily, my brother resigned from work and so he was able to personally manage our store which played a big contribution in the success of our business. But if we were to do it differently, we would have hired Infosurv first to do prediction markets for us first before we dive in on this business venture.

Inforsurv is one of the leaders when it comes to online market research and they provide host of other services like customer satisfaction survey, employee surveys, employee engagement and more. If we have hired them, we could have gotten a better understanding of the market so we can change our line of products to cater to the demands of our customers.

But looking back, my brother and I have no regrets because we know that we succeeded as we have learned to run our own business and has thought us that it takes big risk to succeed big time too.

Sniffles

2011-12-29T12:56:00.001+08:00

The cold month is here again as both Bela and Cobi have sniffles now. If only sweet get well gifts can do the trick and will wash away all their sickness….

My husband and I are actually sick too as we are both coughing like a dog. We went out last night to meet up with friends and the very next day, both Bela and Cobi have colds already.

I wish they will get well fast as it will be more polluted this coming weekend with the fire crackers and all to celebrate the New Year which I know will worsen their condition. That is why my siblings and I and our other cousins are trying to find a place where we can spend the night to welcome the new year just like what we always do every year (we are just a little late on the preparation this time, so I am hoping we can still find a nice place in Laguna or Tagaytay).

2011 has not been a very good year for us in terms of our health so I hope that 2012 will be different and we will all be healthy and free from sickness always.

QT with Bela

2011-12-29T12:45:00.000+08:00

I have no work last December 27 so it is a perfect timing that Globe scheduled for my iPhone pick up on that date. Hubby has work already but since I have no nanny at the moment, I asked Bela to tag along with me to SM Manila to pick up my phone.

Well she is a very good companion as she will never run out of stories to tell you and I know she will like it as we will be using the public transportation – jeepney, tricycle and LRT, to go to SM which is Bela’s favorite.

Of course, since Globe is very unreliable, the unit is still not with them when I arrived at the Globe Telecenter in SM Manila. They asked me to wait for a few hours as they have a pending delivery arriving within the day (and this means that the delivery will arrive anytime until 9 PM).

So pass time, Bela and I decided to eat first and as per Bela’s request we had merienda at McDo then she played in the Coin Funnel located just outside Globe’s office.

We went back after 1.5 hours but still the delivery hasn’t arrived yet. So I decided that we just go home as I don’t want to waste my time on the unreliable customer service that GLOBE is giving me.

But at least it turn out to be a date and QT with my princess which we haven’t done in a long while now.

To Bohol?

2011-12-21T05:17:00.001+08:00

Bela: “Mom, I miss the hotel where we went last time where there is a beach and a pool. What’s the name of the hotel again?”
Me: “That’s Shangri-La in Cebu.”
Bela: “Can we go back there again?”

My princess just loves the beach. My husband actually called me last time and is asking me to look for a flight going to Bohol for our anniversary / my birthday celebration. He said that it is his treat.

I sure miss the rustic decor in Bohol Beach Club, the relax atmosphere, the food, and the beach so I am really tempted to say yes to hubby’s offer but I did not give in right away.

Well ever since we bought our new house, I have been more frugal and I have to think several hundred times before making a purchase. So even if I found a good deal from PAL for their airfare, I decided not to go with it and just use the money for something else.

We will have more opportunity to travel. For the mean time, I wanted to secure first the monthly amortization of our house so we will be secure no matter what happens in the future.

Growing Girl

2011-12-20T22:15:00.001+08:00

Thanks to gap coupons, I will be able to shop for new clothes for Bela.

You see, ever since I changed her vitamins from Cherifer to Restor Big as recommended by my good friend, Kelly, Bela’s appetite increased. She will drink milk when she wakes up in the morning and will eat rice or cornflakes for breakfast. She goes to school at 11 AM and she will eat her lunch again before going to school.

Because of this, she has really gained weight and almost all her clothes are already too small for her. Hubby kept on reminding me to shop for new clothes for Bela as there is really not enough clothes left in her drawer that still fits her. But since my budget is always short, I have been postponing shopping for her.

That is why I got really excited upon finding the coupon from Gap so I can finally start updating Bela’s wardrobe.

Bela's Xmas & NY Outfits from Baby Fashionistas

2011-12-20T15:11:00.001+08:00

It has been my tradition that I shop for new clothes for all of us so we will have something new to wear for Christmas and New Year. I started looking for nice dresses for Bela at the shops in Robinson’s Place as early as late November but it is either there is no size available for Bela or I can’t find anything nice for Bela from their available items.

So I knew that Baby Fashionistas will be my last resort if I really want to find a nice dress for Bela. And Baby Fahsionistas did not fail me as I was able to buy three nice outfits for Bela that she can wear for her Christmas Party, for Christmas Day and for New Year. Just look at Bela wearing the good finds that I grab from Baby Fashionistas.

I haven’t been to their store for months now and so I was not able to help myself and I even bought two pairs of nice shoes for Bela from their store as well. There is even one dress that I really like but I am really over my budget already. At least I have something to look forward to for our next visit at Baby Fashionistas.

Organizers, Clothing Racks and More: Simple Things You Need to Organize your Kids’ Room

2011-12-13T21:22:00.001+08:00

Bela is excited to move in to her new room. It is just me who is stopping her from doing so as I feel that I am not ready to let her be on her own. For sure I will miss our small talks at night and I will miss cuddling her before we both fall asleep. So I think it will take some time before I let her move out from our room.

But if there is one thing I am excited about for having a separate room for Bela is the fact that I will be able to decorate and fix it.

The first thing that I would like to achieve is to organize the room and make it clutter free. This can be a very challenging task especially if a kid is staying in the room but it is possible by following some tips below:

1. Purchase containers and organizers so there is a designated place for everything. Assign one as a container for toys, stuff from school, dirty laundry, etc. Teach your kids that everything should always be in its designated container all the time to minimize clutter.
2. If you don’t have enough space in the kid’s room, purchase Clothing Racks and Wooden Hangers and install it in one corner of the room where you can hang clothes and other stuff to create more storage space.
3. Don’t be afraid to let go of old stuff that you think your kid no longer use. Bring out your plastic retail shopping bags and label them – “For donation to charity”, “For Storage” and for “Garage Sale” so you can start to de-clutter your kid’s room.

Hope these simple tips that I shared here can help other moms with kids like me to organize the room of their kids.

Wish List: Exchange Gift 2011

2011-11-17T22:29:00.001+08:00

I have just finished writing about a product review for the best eyelash growth product and I still have a lot in my lineup for articles that I need to do tonight. But I know the mommy of Bela for the Kris Kringle is already waiting for her wish list so I have to take a break from work and write this blog post for Bela’s wish list.

We went to SM yesterday before her birthday dinner, as we have to take her to the toy store so she can choose her birthday gift. I brought her to the Little Pony section, which is one of her favorite toys and showed her the different items on sale. She actually like this one already for her birthday gift but I told her that we will just ask her mommy for the Kris Kringle to buy this for her:

So this is her one and only item in her wish list. This is currently on sale in any Toy Kingdom, Toys R’ Us and SM stores, just the right amount for our Kris Kringle budget.

Baby No More: Shopping for her Real Hair Extensions Soon

2011-11-16T20:49:00.002+08:00

I can’t help but feel sentimental every time I look at my princess Bela. Time flies so fast. I can still remember when I first hold her in my arms when I gave birth to her and now she is growing up to be a fine lady. Yes, a lady as she is no longer a baby at 6 years old. She has a mind of her own now especially when choosing the clothes and shoes that she will wear as if she is already a teenager.

But I guess there is no way that I can stop her for growing. Instead of feeling sad about it, maybe I should look forward then to the time when we will shop together for clothes, bags, shoes and even beauty products like the new lace front wigs.

It is still too early now but when the right time comes, I will not hesitate to recommend to her the online beauty supply outlet, LeeBeauty. This is where I get all my beauty products like my favorite real hair extensions and the skin and hair solutions that I always use like relaxers, moisturizers, facial care and more. Their products are all of good quality even if the price is so affordable so I am sure my daughter will love their online shop too when it is time for her to buy her beauty essentials.

The Benefits of Acai Berry

2011-11-16T09:20:00.000+08:00

Our dear daughter just turned 6 years old today and my husband and I realized that although she is growing up fast, she still has a long way to go and there are still a lot of things in store for her and we want that we will always be there to witness all of that.

And so we came to a realization that my husband and I should really learn how to take care of our health so we can live longer for our kids. Our first step is taking supplements like Acai Berry.

So what are the benefits of Acai Berry?

1. Do you need tips on How to lower cholesterol? Well acai berry can help you with that as is said to prevent heart diseases because it helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels which helps prevent heart attacks and other heart disease.
2. Acai Berry also helps boost immune system so it helps fight infections and it gives the body energy to do more.
3. Acai Berry also contains a lot of natural fat which can aid for those who want to lose weight.
4. It is also rich in antioxidant which flushes out bad toxins from the body so it is said to help prevent colon cancer and other deadly diseases.
5. Acai Berry also has anti ageing effects so you can have youthful skin if you continue to take acai berry.

You can easily enjoy the benefits of Acai Berry as it is available in many different forms like fruit juices. You can also enjoy the benefits of Acai Berry by taking Acai Berry supplements which you can buy from stores which sells vitamins and supplements like Krill Oil, Acai Berry and more from healthychoicenaturals.

Change in lifestyle and Supplements is what can help us live longer so we can be with our kids as they grow up and be successful in life.

Xmas Shopping List

2011-11-11T02:56:00.002+08:00

It is less than 60 days to go before Christmas and I need to start to buy a gift for kids at christmas. Here are my list:
1. My 20++ God Children
2. Hubby’s God Children
3. My cousins and nieces
4. Hubby’s Nieces and nephews
5. Bela’s classmates

I haven’t started on my Chirstmas shopping yet as our Christmas bonus, which I will use to shop for gifts, hasn’t been released yet. But I am already looking for cute personalized items that I can order from Personalcreations.com.

Just look at their cool items:

All of them are so cute that I can’t decide which one to get. But I am sure, no matter what I end up ordering, the kids will love these cute and very useful items from Personal Creations.

Rock On!!

2011-11-11T02:53:00.001+08:00

Last Sunday, we attended the joint celebration for the 7th Birthday of Sam and 2nd Birthday of Migo, kids of my good friend Jacqui. The theme of the party was Nick Jr Kids’ Choice Awards and kids were asked to come in their rock star/ hip hop / RNB attire and this was what Bela was wearing:

I got the shirt from Kids of Bayo, the necktie from SM, the stockings from Divisoria and the boots was an old one that I bought for her for her UN Day celebration in school. Her tita put rock star make up on her and we brought her toy guitar to complete the look and he was able to rock her costume as she was one of the kids who received a Best in Costume award.

The party was super fun with the good host, magician (or shall I say puppeteer) Wanlu, good entertainment provided by Jives and good food. Bela and her other friends enjoyed the party. They joined Jives on stage to perform and they won’t stop singing and dancing during the games and during Jives’ performance.

Now I am really convince that a rock star party is super fun so this will be the theme that Bela will be having too for her 7th birthday.

Thanks again Jacqui and Mike for inviting us. We really had super fun.

Tips for Throwing Party on a Budget

2011-11-07T09:55:00.000+08:00

My daughter will be celebrating her 6th birthday this coming November 16. We initially have no plans to give her a party but parents can’t say no to their daughter’s request. So with a limited budget, I started my quest to plan for a 6th birthday party for my daughter.

I thought that it will be a big challenge at first but then I realized that with creativity and imagination, we could still give our daughter the party of her dreams.

Here are a few things that I learned on how to throw a party on a budget:

1. DIY. If you have a lot of creative minds in your family, tap their talents and ask for their help to create DIY items that you can use for the party. Here are some DIY party ideas:
• Instead of ordering invitations from a printing company, make your own invitations. There are a lot of resources on the web to get birthday party invitation ideas and you can use this as a template to create your own invite.
• Do not hire a professional to do the balloon decorations. Look for promo codes and vouchers and order your balloons online and search in You Tube for demos and videos on how to create simple balloon decorations.
• Bake your own cake. If you know how to bake, why not make your child’s birthday cake as one of your major baking projects. Your kids will appreciate it more as it is your labor of love for them.
2. Host the party in a venue that is free like a park, or a community center. That way you can bring your own food without corkage fee and you don’t have to pay for a rental fee for the venue.
3. Set the timing of the party early in the afternoon so you don’t need to serve heavy meal.
4. Do not hire professional host for the party. The Internet will be your best friend to search for games and activities that you can have during the party. You can search by theme and you will surely find a lot of suggested activities and games that will go well with your theme.

Birthday parties need not be expensive and always remember that the presence of family and friends during the celebration is more important to make the celebrant feel loved and special.

This is a guest post written by Melissa who works for You Love Coupons, where she writes articles about different diet programs like weight watchers and ediets. Her last project was an article about weight watchers code and ediets code.

ToT 2011

2011-11-06T07:48:00.002+08:00

Before I look for Janitor Jobs to help my friend, let me make a post here first about Bela and Cobi’s Trick or Treat experience last October 30 at Boni High Street.

I was happy that hubby decided to leave for Bicol on the 31st instead of during the weekend as what he did last year, which is why we were not able to attend any Trick or Treat event last year. So when I learned that we have the weekend to attend ToT events, I started looking for events in hotels and malls that we can attend.

Most of the events at the mall were finished already and so I have no options left but to avail of the buffet lunch in the hotel to attend their ToT event. Thankfully, my good friend Mai told me about the event in Boni High Street and we only need to have P500 purchase from any of the Boni High Street merchants to join their ToT event.

So we were at Boni High early (around 1:30 PM) so we can do some shopping first and as expected we went Hobbes and Landes, Bela & hubby’s favorite store. When we were done shopping, people are starting to line up already even if it is only 2 PM and registration won’t start until 3 PM. So we lined up as soon as we saw the queue.

It actually started to rain while we were in line that hubby wants to go home already but of course we stayed, as that is what the kids wanted. After waiting for an hour, we were finally able to register and get our loots. Bela and Cobi got lots of loots from the registration booth alone.

We then went around the different participating stores where the kids got more treats and candies. Bela had so much fun.

After trick or treating, we met up with Jacqui and her kids to have snack at Friday’s.

Bela's 6th Birthday Party Invite

2011-11-06T07:28:00.002+08:00

We were finally able to find the time to go to 168 to have Bela’s invitation printed. She had a pictorial with her dad one Saturday with the somewhat pirate attire that I bought for her. I was actually not that happy with the pictures yet but they were not able to have anther pictorial session so we just choose from her first batch of pictures.

We went to the same store where we ordered Cobi’s invitation and this is their end product:

I love it. This is the first time that they made an invitation with this theme and so I was really impressed with the output.

If I were to ask, I just like the plain invitation rather than the 2D version as I am reserving the 2D version for her 7th birthday party, but the manager (aka the hubby) likes the 2D version for her princess and so I did not argue. LOL.

But Bela is just so happy with her invite and she can’t wait to give it out to her classmates when she returns to school on Tuesday.

She Continues to Make Us Proud

2011-10-29T14:38:00.002+08:00

My kids love watching television especially Bela. Ever since she was months old, she’s very interested with educational movies and I really think that it became very helpful to her because that’s where she was able to enhance her deep vocabulary.

Before, Bela is fond of watching Disney Junior but now, she enjoys educational channel from our digital antenna just like Discovery Channel and the National Geographic Channel most likely if it’s about her favorite animals. You can see her very focused and scrutinizing every detail that she can hear about animals and you can definitely see her eagerness to learn that at times, you’ll be surprised as she will give you trivia that you’re somehow not familiar to.

Day by day, I’m getting prouder and prouder of my daughter. I am very confident that she’ll do well specifically with her academics. It’s really a good thing that you should monitor all the activities that your kids are engaged to because these will reflect in their performance as they grow.

Moving to Her Own Room

2011-10-21T05:46:00.000+08:00

When Bela was 3 years old, we bought her the 5 Piece Room-in-a-box set, which contains a bed, a toy organizer, and tables and chairs. Now that Bela is already turning 6, she has already outgrown her Disney Princess Toddler bed and so the bed is too small for her already.

Now that she has her own room after we moved to our new home, hubby and I are thinking of getting her a regular bed instead of the usual toddler bed so she will be able to use it longer.

Currently, Bela co-sleeps with us but she is already excited to move to her own room. In fact she has been helping me choose the stuff that we need for her new room like the wall decals, the lamps, and bedding.

Thankfully it is very easy to shop as we can just check online and we both love the Luxury Bedding from The White Company. They have a wide range of options for bedding so I am sure Bela will be able to find one that she likes.

I am actually not ready to let go of my daughter and let her stay in her own room but I guess this will be a good way to train her to be independent.

Good Job Ate

2011-10-20T13:33:00.001+08:00

Last Saturday was the distribution of cards at Bela’s school. Howell attended a seminar so I was the only one who met with Bela’s teacher to discuss her progress in school and to get her card.

I actually know from some of my mommy friends who have daughters in Sr. Prep that they are already using the numerical grading system for the Prep so I was actually excited to see Bela’s progress. And I am so proud and happy after seeing her grades as she really did good.

She only needs more practice for Writing but I actually expected this as I know from the beginning that Writing is her weakness. But according to Mrs. Del Rosario, she can see that Bela is really trying.

Her highest score is Comprehension (she got 98). Her inquisitive nature indeed helped in this area. LOL.

Good Job Ate!! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you.

UN Celebration 2011

2011-10-20T13:19:00.003+08:00

Next week will be the United Nations celebration in Bela’s school. Just look at her picture last year when she was still in Junior Prep:

This year, they will be representing the country USA and they were asked to dress as a cowgirl. Good thing Bela has jeans skirt and checkered polo shirt already so I just bought boots and cowboy hat for her.

I attended the meeting at school last October 18 to discuss the UN celebration and they will be having a performance on October 24 (so I better make sure that my sony handycam is ready) and then they will have a Country Fair on October 26 where we will set up Game booths for the kids and a food fair where parents will be bringing food for everybody to share.

On October 27, they will have Peace Treats which is their version of Trick or Treat. Parents are also welcome to attend this activity where kids will go around different offices to get their treats and parents will have a booth where they can also distribute treats to the kids.

I am sure all the Prep students will have fun in the activities lined up for them this October.

Another Trip to the ER

2011-10-20T10:55:00.001+08:00

The other night, I had another scare of my life when I saw Bela running and crying and she was holding her arm and kept on saying awie, awie.

Since she has been doing gymnastics, she got so obsessed in doing the cart wheel right that she practice all the time even when at home. I kept on reminding her to do it only when she is at the gym with her coach, but Bela easily gets excited and she just loves gymnastics that she sometimes forget even if I remind her. Her nanny was also not with her as her nanny was attending to something in the kitchen (this is one of the reasons why we wanted to install surveillance cameras at home. Aside from the safety of our kids, we will also be able to monitor how our nannies take care of our kids. Not that I blame my nanny because I know how active and playful Bela is).

When I checked Bela’s left arm, it was a bit swollen already and so we did a cold compress. Just to give me a peace of mind, we still rushed her to the Emergency room where she had an X-ray and an Ortho checked on her also.

Thankfully they did not see any fracture. I just hope and pray that nothing like this will ever happen again.

6th Bday Party Preps Update

2011-10-20T10:44:00.001+08:00

Finally, I was able to book already the suppliers that I will need for Bela’s birthday party at Hospicio de San Jose.

We celebrate Bela’s party at Hospicio de San Jose every year but we don’t invite our friends. We go there with our immediate family only and I just order food from Jollibee and bring a magician or host and mascots to entertain the kids.

For Bela’s 6th birthday, we will still have our usual party at Hospicio de San Jose but this time, we will invite her classmates and teachers also to join us. It was only this month that I was able to book the suppliers as I still don’t have the budget yet to pay for the down payment.

But God is really good as I was able to get the money that I was expecting last week and so I was able to finalize my reservation for:

1. Caterer: Princess Delan’s – Instead of ordering food from Jollibee, I decided to get a caterer since I called Hospicio and they don’t have enough tables and chairs for all my guests (I will have 50 kids and about 10 adults from Hospicio and I will have 50 adults and 30 kids from our relatives and Bela’s friends). Thankfully I was able to find a caterer that can work on my budget.
2. Souvenirs: Wooden Kiddie Stools by Jen Gana – I saw their mini baskets and the price is just fit for my budget. I was hesitant at first to order the baskets for the boys but hubby suggested that I asked for the shape to be change to the tool kit of Handy Manny so they can use it to put their toys and other stuff. I can’t wait to see how the mini baskets and tool kit will turn out with the characters from Jake and the Neverland Pirates show as the design.
3. Magician. I am very thankful that Angelette of Jelly Bellies was still able to get me a magician for Bela’s party even if I booked less than 2 months before the party. I am actually not familiar with Bumpy the magician but I trust Angelette’s judgment and Bumpy is highly recommended by her. And for sure, no matter who the magician is, kids will surely have fun as they are very easy to please.
4. Pirate Costume: Since Halloween is near, there are a lot of costumes being sold at SM. Last week, we were able to find a pirate costume for Bela and Cobi that they can wear for the pictorial for the invitation.
5. Invitation: Hubby will have a pictorial with Bela this weekend and hopefully we can order the invitation this weekend of next weekend.

So it is party time on November 19, 2011 at Hospicio de San Jose.

New Discovery for my Citibank Credit Cards

2011-09-30T09:32:00.000+08:00

I was so surprised when I went to Bela’s school to pay for her tuition fee because it is only now that I found out that I can use my citibank credit cards to pay for her tuition fee.

Well using my credit card to pay for her tuition fee has a lot of advantages:

1. Instead of paying right away for the tuition, I can use the cash that I have for other important things like pay for the electricity bills, shop for our grocery supplies and more as I still have more than a month before my credit cards are due.
2. I can also avail of the best credit card deals like I can earn bonus points, mileage, freebies and more if I use my card.
3. If I don’t have the money to pay for Bela’s tuition in full, I can use my credit card to pay for it and apply for deferred payment so I can pay for Bela’s tuition fee in small monthly installments which will be easier for us financially.

Now I am happy that I go though the whole credit card application as I was able to make good use of my credit card instead of just using it all the time for shopping. LOL.

Get health of your infant insured within your means

2011-09-28T22:00:00.000+08:00

The cost of health insurance is a great concern for every people. Buying a health insurance for your child is very important, as your child has a high risk of getting injured while they are playing or doing their daily activities. Try to follow some key information that will help you buy a suitable child health insurance policy at an affordable rate.

Tips to buy an affordable child health insurance policy

Read on to know the tips and tricks to buy a suitable child health insurance policy at an affordable rate.

Include your infant in your health insurance coverage:

You should know that you‚Äôre unable to buy a health insurance for your child before your baby is born. When you‚Äôll buy a health insurance policy for yourself, you should check whether or not it will cover your new born baby for one month along with you. This additional month of coverage will provide you with enough time to search carefully an affordable child health insurance plan that will suit the needs of your new born baby.

Know the exact time to buy the insurance:

The monthly premium rates of your child health insurance policy will be higher till your baby is one year old. Hence, before you renew your child health insurance plans, you‚Äôve to make sure that your child is over one year old. Suppose, if your child is born on 10th February and you purchase a health insurance policy for him/her on 25th February, then his/her health insurance anniversary month is February. You‚Äôve to renew the policy on 1st February when your child will be few days less than one year and pay the same high monthly premiums for another consecutive year. You can avoid paying such higher premiums if you buy the suitable health insurance policy after one month of your child‚Äôs birth.

Try to get checkup at regular intervals:

Like a good mother, you should plan a proper health care schedule for your baby at its tender age. Try to contact a good pediatrician and visit him for regular check-ups of your baby. Try to select a health insurance policy that will cover the cost of the vaccines prescribed by the pediatric required to immune your baby.

Select a high deductible:

Try to select a plan that has a high deductible for brand name prescription drug. This will help you save money when your baby will require such costly brand name prescribed medications.

Opt for government‚Äôs child health insurance plan:

If you‚Äôre too poor to afford health insurance for your child, then you can opt for some health insurance plans provided by the government. This will cover the cost of minor diseases and few vaccines required for your new born.

It is advisable to every mother that you should buy health insurance for your child as he/she is prone to many diseases at his/her tender age. Before you buy it, you should check every terms and conditions on the policy that you‚Äôll choose for your infant. Try to follow the above mentioned tips that will ensure your baby‚Äôs health at an affordable rate.

How to Save Money with Shopping

2011-09-24T22:24:00.005+08:00

People across America are finding new and inventive ways to save money while shopping online. There are a number of places on the web that offer promo codes and discounts on a vast array of items that you may be looking to purchase. Many people have discovered ps print promo codes and wewood discount codes as one very useful way to save money.

PsPrint is an online company that works hard at helping their customers save valuable time and funds on their internet purchases. They are one site who offers a ton of good deals on a variety of things such as promo codes and online discounts.

Virtually hundreds of online stores are offering you the ability to save big bucks on your purchases with coupons and codes. Overstock. Com is one very useful site to locate these “secret” codes. Many of these sites employ a full time staff that does nothing but locate these beneficial codes. They don’t try to force good deals down your throat or try and blow you away with a lot of hype. They are in the money-saving business and that’s all!

These sites work overtime providing you with the most current and up to date codes and coupons around. With the help of some of the internet’s most up to date technologies these sites are equipped to supply you with the best deals over the web bar none. You won’t have to spend endless hours searching them out. They do all the work for you.

Some of these valuable codes and promos are only offered for a limited time. So it is smart to bookmark anything of monetary value. The codes and promos change regularly, so you really have to stay abreast of things. It takes a bit of time and effort on your part, but it is well worth it when it comes to saving extra cash for your pocket book. If you sign up, some of the sites will even send you regular updates via email. This way you can always be aware of any fantastic bargains going on.

Wewood is another source that you can check out for discounts and codes. They are a company committed to helping the environment and saving you bucks. Check this amazing company out online and see for yourself. You can find online money saving sources that can assist you in never having to pay full price for anything again.

Savvy and smart consumers know that coupons can help them save big time on their online purchases. You can find great deals on almost anything that you can imagine. Most of these promo codes and coupons are only valid for internet shopping and not store shopping. So you will need to keep this in mind. Take some time today and check out all of the valuable money saving resources online to assist you in buying what you want at a ridiculously low price.

Author Bio:
Costea often writes about social marketing, web design and blogging tips. He also blogs about coupon and promo code offers such as ps print promo code and wewood discount codes. Currently, he is writing for CouponTriumph, a coupon blog that offers ps print promo code and wewood discount codes .

My Typical Saturday with Bela

2011-09-21T23:53:00.001+08:00

I just love weekends as I get to spend time with my husband and my kids. Every Saturday is Bela’s day as I accompany her to her gymnastics class and then we go malling after with Cobi.

Since she is trying out Kumon Math for two weeks, we have to go to the Kumon Center near her school every Saturday after her gymnastics class (hubby should reward me with Asus Tablet PC so I have some toy to play with as I wait for two hours for her gymnastics class and another hour for Kumon. LOL).

This will be our routine at least for two weeks and after her trial session in Kumon, I will request her to be transferred to the Wednesday and Friday schedule so our Saturday afternoon will be free again for malling.

It will be a very busy Saturday for me this coming weekend, as I have a meeting with the PTA in the morning and then it is gymnastics time for Bela. Hubby will be working overtime and will cover an event in the afternoon so Bela and I might go on a girl bonding on Saturday.

Back in Gymnastics

2011-09-21T23:42:00.000+08:00

Since we all got sick the whole month of August, Bela was only able to attend her gymnastics class for just one session. Bela was really sad every time we tell her that she can’t come to class as nobody can accompany her because we have to alternate in taking care of each other, as there is always one sickie among us.

But thankfully she has been attending gymnastics class again for two consecutive Saturdays now and I can just see the happiness in her face every time she is in class.

Just look at this picture of Bela that I took last week:

She actually is still scared in trying this trick but since she has a lot of classmates of her age last week who are encouraging her, she was able to try it several times.

She was also very happy last week as Kellie, her former classmates from St. Scholastica, was in the same class as her so she was really excited to know somebody in the class.

Kumon Reading

2011-09-21T23:31:00.002+08:00

Bela did good in her Kumon Achievement Test in Reading. Just look at her test score:

98/100, which means she passed Level 4A in flying colors and she is now ready to move to Level 3A. I spoke with Teacher Grace, the director of the center, and I was informed that she will be using Prep Level material by November and come February 2012, she will be moving up to the next level and she will be using Grade 1 level material which means she will be a few months advance to prepare her before she moves to Grade 1 come June 2012.

Hubby and I are so proud of her. If only we have an RV with 5th wheel insurance, we would have rewarded her with a road trip that she has been requesting for a long time now.

The reason why we enrolled her in Kumon is to develop her writing skills, as this is one area where she is having difficulty. And just after a few months with Kumon, she writes legibly now compared to when she started and she can now read. That is why she spends a couple of hours at night reading her favorite books, as she is excited because she can already read on her own.

She is currently trying out Kumon Month starting last Saturday and I think we will enroll her too in this program when her trial session ends next Wednesday.

Looking for discount batteries?

2011-09-01T01:27:00.000+08:00

After we moved to the new house, the kids now have their own room, which gives them a lot of space to put their stuff (aka their toys). The kids have accumulated a lot of toys over the years and so hubby asked the nannies to sort them out and arrange them in their respective cabinets.

After arranging all their stuff, hubby discovered that the kids have a lot of nice educational toys that they were not to play with because it no longer has a battery and so hubby’s quest to find a battery store started.

Thankfully he discovered Batterymart.com where we can get discount batteries. They sell all kinds of batteries from TV batteries, cell phone batteries, laptop batteries, motorcycle batteries, power tool batteries, portable DVD batteries and many more. What is best about this store is that they offer very affordable price for their batteries without sacrificing the quality, so we will be guaranteed that the batteries that we will buy from them for the kids’ toys will really last.

Hubby was really glad to have discovered Batterymart.com where we can buy batteries so the kids can enjoy playing with their great educational toys instead of letting it rot in storage.

Bela @ 6

2011-08-31T23:11:00.002+08:00

Bela will be turning 6 years old in two months and I am glad that she is not requesting for a Volvo car complete with accessories, blings and volvo v50 custom floor mats becase we surely can't afford it. All she wants for her birthday is a simple party with a Jake and the Neverland Pirates theme. She even agreed that we will celebrate it in Hospicio de San Jose as we always have a celebration with the kids there every year but this time, instead of having a separate celebration for our friends and relatives, we will invite them to join us in our celebration in Hospicio.

Bela even agreed that instead of gifts for her, her guests could bring donations for the kids in cash or in kind. According to Bela, this will make the kids really happy and this is her way of sharing to the kids on her birthday.

So even though we are really tight on the budget, we are making this happen for her. Lucky because her birthday falls on the month of Christmas bonus so we will have a budget for her small party.

Photo Booth for Bela's Party at Hospicio: Booked

2011-08-30T10:48:00.002+08:00

Yippee, finally I was able to book something for Bela’s 6th birthday party. It is just two months away but since we are only having a simple party since we are working on a limited budget, I haven’t really started booking my suppliers yet.

It is definite already that the party will be held at Hospicio de San Jose and we will just invite our immediate relatives and Bela’s classmates. I want to book for a magician but I yet have to see if I can still get a good one since I only have two months left before the party.

But thanks to the promo from Cash Cash Pinoy, I was able to book a Photo Booth for the party at 50% off. I noticed how the kids loves posing and having their pictures taken so I know that a photo booth will surely be a big hit for the kids. And I am sure they will be happy as they can bring their photos home.

I definitely have to finalize my other suppliers soon like the 3D Me Souvenir that I like and the other suppliers that I need from Jelly Bellies like the inflatable and food carts.

Excited for Her New Room

2011-08-29T21:37:00.001+08:00

We just moved in today in our new home. The house is still a mess as we just unloaded the boxes from the moving truck and nothing has been removed from the boxes yet.

Good thing it is still a holiday tomorrow so Howell will have one whole day to at least unpack and sort everything.

Being a little OC, Bela was having a hard time sleeping on our first night here at our new home. She was looking for her dolphin pillow, her quilt and the aircon in our room, which hasn’t been installed yet. LOL.

She already saw her room and she got all excited when she saw her bed inside her room and she told me awhile ago that she is now ready to sleep in her own room. I am sure hubby will be excited too to decorate Bela’s room. Hubby was able to collect some of Bela’s artworks, which we can hang in on area of her wall as what we have now in our old house. If only we have a document imaging software, then we would have been able to save all of Bela’s artworks since she first learn how to hold a crayon. But at least we were able to save a major part of it.

I am not sure what we will be able to finish tomorrow but I hope all the junk will be thrown away and whatever will be left in our new home are the essentials and the things that we would be needing.

6 Tips for Successful Travel with your Family

2011-08-28T12:05:00.003+08:00

So you have been planning for a getaway for your family. You wanted this to be the most perfect vacation that will leave lasting memories. But this travel adventure can be exciting or frustrating depending on how well you planned for this trip.

So to make sure that this will be the most perfect vacation that your family will surely enjoy, here are some tips for successful travel:

1. Destination. The first thing that you need to consider is your travel destination. Would you want to enjoy the beach and go to a resort or do you prefer to go to a theme park with your kids? In deciding, take into consideration the interest of your companion, their personality, their fitness and health condition (which is important if you are planning to go trekking or other physically strenuous activity), the time and the budget that you want to allot for this trip.

To search for your destination spot, the Internet will be your number one companion as everything is just a Google away. You can also ask around from your friends and family who have first hand experiences of their recommended destinations. You can also contact travel agencies to checkout their travel packages as it will sometimes come out to be cheaper than a DIY itinerary.

2. Method of Travel. Once you decide on your destination, you need to look for methods of travel. If it will be a long distance travel, will it be more convenient if you take a plane than a bus or train. Though travel by plane can be a bit expensive as compared to traveling by land. Again, Internet can be your best tool for searching for your mode of transport. All airlines, bus and train companies now have their own website where you can check the schedule and the rate so you can easily compare prices and decide which method of transport will you be using for this trip.

3. Travel Documents. Check that you passport still has 6 months validity on the date of your trip. Some countries also require visa so you may also want to check a few months in advance if you will need to get a visa.

4. Accommodation. Book your accommodation well in advance. This will not only save you money as hotel accommodations are cheaper for advance booking, but this will also avoid the hassle of looking for a place to stay when you reach your vacation spot. There are a lot of online booking sites, which ranges in accommodation types from 5 star, 4 star hotel and even hostels. Read the feedback left by the guests so you can get an idea on the kind of service that hotel can offer.

5. Research. Make sure that you do your research about your place of destination. Take note of the currency, the culture, hospitals, currency, entertainment, places to visit, food and more. This will save you time and energy and will give you the confidence that you got the information that you need as you are in a foreign place.

6. Health. Check to see if you need to get some vaccination and make sure that the medication that you will be bringing is allowed in your country of destination. If you also experience motion sickness, try checking out the site of Biobands as they have motion sickness bands that are safe to use to help you feel relieve from any motion sickness that you may feel as you travel.

Following the tips mentioned above will guarantee a fun and stress free vacation for you and your family. So have fun, travel safe and bring home lots of memories.

Shipped and Delivered

2011-08-28T12:03:00.001+08:00

3 of 4 of the Photo Books that I have ordered from Artscow arrived already in my friend’s house. I think it only took them 2 weeks to ship my items, the fastest that I have experienced from them.

It would have been complete already but the first shipment was missing the 3rd Birthday Party Photobook that I ordered. I already informed them about it and they already shipped the 3rd Photo Book that I am missing and hopefully it will arrive next week.

I can’t wait to see the complete birthday album of Bela. Finally after 5 years, I was able to turn into Photo Books Bela’s birthday party pictures (just in time before her 6th birthday party. LOL).

I have one pending album ready to be ordered in Artscow which is our HK 2007 pictures and I am currently working on our HK 2008 album. This Photo Books from Artscow is really addicting. Well for their price of $10 for 30 page photobook, who can say no.

Bela's 6th Bday Party Preps @ Hospicio

2011-08-18T09:57:00.001+08:00

It is already three months away before bela’s birthday and I still haven’t finalized anything yet. But I think I am 100% sure now that we will have the celebration at Hospicio de San Jose. We always celebrate here every year and we do not want to miss our tradition for this year and since budget is tight, hubby suggested that we just have one celebration at Hospicio instead of having a separate party for our friends and Bela’s classmates.

It will just be a simple party as all Bela requested was to have a Jake and the Neverland Pirate party and she is willing to have it in Hospicio as she according to her, she wanted the kids there to have fun on her party and receive gifts too as we will be asking for donations from our guests in lieu of gifts for Bela.

Here is a run down of my plans:

• I am thinking of getting an inflatable so kids can play during and after the party
• I will ask my cousin to make an AVP and rent lcd dlp projector to play the AVP
• I will get iStickers or 3D Dolls as souvenir for our guests and the kids at Hospicio
• I will book Jollibee to provide food for the party
• I want to get two food carts also – cotton candy and ice cream
• And if I will have extra budget, I want to book a photo booth so kids can have souvenir of the event

I know I should start finalizing the details of the party but I am still waiting for my manager to give me the budget for this party. LOL.

On Diabetes and Actos Lawsuit

2011-08-17T11:15:00.000+08:00

I love sweets. Good thing Bela is like her dad who has some aversion when it comes to sweet food. But I think it is a good thing as it will spare me from worrying about her health because I have a friend who is suffering from diabetes and I have seen how difficult it is for her to have this disease.

Another thing that added to my friend's worry is the medicine called Actos which she has been taking. Actos, which has been sold under the names ActoplusMet, Competact and Duetact, is an oral medicine for Type 2 diabetes patients and has been proven to increase the risk of heart attacks and heart failures. It has also been pulled out from the market in France and Germany because it has also been proven to cause bladder cancer.

But on a positive note, victims of Actos can still get justice and file for Actos lawsuit with the help of lawyers from O’Hanlon, McCollum & Demerath. The lawyers from O’Hanlon, McCollum & Demerath knows the ins and outs when it comes to product liability claims so they know the best plan of attack to get a just claim for the victims.

2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Birthday Party Photo Books: Done

2011-08-17T11:12:00.002+08:00

A few weeks ago, Artscow had a promo where they offered their 30 pages Photo Book for only $10 and it even comes with free shipping. I saw the photo books that my friend had created and ordered from Artscow and thankfully, I got inspired and found the mojo to create Photo Books for Bela’s 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th birthday party.

I am really happy and I was so inspired that I was able to do one photo book per day just in time for the deadline of Artscow promo. Thanks to the Album Template of Ate Jen who made my life so easy because all I have to do is upload the pictures and just drag and drop them to the template (no wonder I was able to work that fast. LOL).

Now I have no more backlogs for Bela’s party pictures and my next project are our travel pictures.

Teaching Your Kids about Financial Responsibility

2011-08-08T18:58:00.003+08:00

Parents often find themselves in a dilemma when it comes to teaching their kids about financial responsibility. Is there really the right age on when to introduce the concept of money, spending and saving? Where do you start? These and other questions often linger on a parent’s mind.

Kids of today are smart and you don’t need to baby talk them but rather treat them as young adults. While teaching about financial responsibility seems like a hard task, it could actually be fun and easy if you use some tricks. First thing that you have to remember is that you are dealing with kids and what you need are simple, basic concepts that they could easily understand.

At a young age, teach your kids about the value of saving money. One way to do it is by giving them a weekly allowance. As much as possible, avoid buying everything for your children. If they got their sight on a small toy, let them know that they can buy it if they save enough money. Limit their purchases and explain to them why they could have one item bought at the candy store or toy store.

Make the learning interesting by teaching them how to pay for their own purchases. Line up at the register and let them hand out their money to the cashier. These small things could teach them about the value of money in a fun and easy way.

Amy is a freelance content writer is also fond of traveling and outdoor adventures. She enjoys working for gulvafslibning projects and sees this as an opportunity to share information about floor sanding.

Sickies Again

2011-08-03T12:08:00.002+08:00

Last week Bela got sick and she had a very high fever. I took a leave from work and hubby too so we can bring him to his doctor. Thankfully, she was well the next day but I just ask her to stay at home and skip school to be sure that she has already fully recovered.

Unfortunately after a week, Bela got sick again. The sad thing is all of us got sick too – me, my mom, yaya, and my dad. Thankfully my sister took a leave from work to take care of the kids, as I was really feeling so weak that I can’t even get out of bed.

So as my way of thanking her, I am planning to check the website of Red Envelope. Red Envelope is a site where you can order gift baskets delivered to your door. Just look at the items from this store that I am checking out as our gift for my sister:

She loves sweets so I am sure she will love and appreciate these sweet gift baskets from us.

Update: Bela's 6th Birthday Party Preps

2011-07-26T00:06:00.000+08:00

As what I mentioned in my previous post, I have been thinking on how we can celebrate Bela’s 6th birthday. Hubby and I were able to sit down and talk about it today and Bela agreed too with our plans.

I have spoke with Ms. Amie, our contact from Hospicio de San Jose and she already reserved the slot on November 19 for Bela’s party. She said that it is okay to invite our family and friends and Bela’s classmates too and we might have the party at the gym so there is enough space for the kids of Hospicio and our guests.

If budget permits (which is quite uncertain for now as I feel that I have been a victim of electronic pickpocketing because my wallet and bank account is drained up to the last drop. LOL), we will get a host-magician to entertain the kids. I already inquired with Angelette and she gave me a quote for a good and affordable magician.

For the food, I will get ice cream and cotton candy food carts and Jollibee or McDo for the food.

I have also inquired with 3D Me and I am planning to get their 3D Me Doll package for 80 kids and this will serve as our souvenir.

Instead of gifts, we will ask our guests to bring any kind of donations for the kids of Hospicio and Bela love this idea and she even said that it is good so she will have presents for the kids too.

Now I am pumped again and I can’t wait to start planning full blast for Bela’s 6th birthday party.

For Her 6th Birthday

2011-07-10T02:05:00.001+08:00

Yay, it is July already and I haven’t made any plans for Bela’s 6th birthday. This is so not me as I always plan in advance. The past years, by June, everything is booked already and all I need to do a month before her party is just make the invitations.

But for her 6th, hubby and I still hasn’t decided yet what to do for her party. Bela actually want to have a party (after her brother’s big first birthday party a few weeks ago) so I really have to think of a cost effective plan to grant Bela’s wish.

So far, here are our options:

1. Party at Hospicio de San Jose with our relatives and Bela’s classmates. Every year, we have a separate party with the kids at Hospicio de San Jose aside from the party that we have with our friends and relatives. But hubby is suggesting that for this year, why not have one party in Hospicio and we will just invite our friends and family there including Bela’s classmates. The only problem here is I am not sure up to how many guests will Hospicio allow to enter for the party.
2. Simple party at Shakey’s with relatives and Bela’s classmates.
3. Simple party at McDonald’s with relatives and Bela’s classmates.
4. Party at SM Storyland with relatives and Bela’s classmates. I made a pencil booking already for Nov 19, which I can confirm until October 19 but this is over my budget already so I think this has to be scrapped from my list.

Howell will be coming back from Baguio this coming Tuesday and we better discuss and finalize this soon so I can start booking the party suppliers already before I run out of time.

Bela’s Grounded

2011-07-10T01:54:00.001+08:00

Yup, Bela received her first real punishment last week. She has been so cranky lately, after our trip to Bicol that she will throw tantrums if she did not get what she wants, or she will pretend that she doesn’t hear us if we want her to do something or if we want to talk to her.

Just last week, we were having a hard time making her sit down and eat, do her assignment and make her stop from doing her new nasty habit of licking her lips. So I got so tired of our everyday routine of quarrelling and bargaining with her that I told her that she is grounded and she will not have any access to TV, her iTouch or even go to malls for a week.

She cried at first but then I still did not give in and so she was able to accept her punishment. It is her third day already and she manages without TV and her iTouch and she is so conscious with her actions as she wants to make sure that she is being a good girl. Just like today, after her gymnastics class, we went to McDo for snacks and she asked me if she can play in the indoor play area beside McDo but I reminded her that she is still grounded and she can have her chance to play next week if I lift her punishment once I observe that she already learned her lesson. And she did not push her luck and just accepted what I told her.

Sometimes it is really better if we punish our kids once in a while.

Any Tips for Picky Eaters?

2011-07-10T01:38:00.000+08:00

Bela is a very picky eater. I don’t know if I should blame it on the bottled foods that I gave her when she was still a baby or she really just doesn’t want to eat.

She only likes to eat hotdogs, nuggets, chicken, and egg (that is why I am thinking to buy electric grill as at least grilled is a healthier option than fried). For snacks, she only eats cookies, yakult and juice.

When I introduce her to new food like Yogurt or fruits and vegetables, she easily gags that she will just spit out whatever we put in her mouth. This is the reason why up to now, I still let her drink her milk as this is her only source of vitamins.

Now I worry if she goes to school the whole day already. She still doesn’t eat on her own so how can she survive the whole day without eating.

For moms with kids who are picky eater like my Bela, do you have any suggestions?

Bela & Cobi in Rizal Beach

2011-07-10T01:20:00.000+08:00

Last June 30 was the first death anniversary of my mother-in-law and so we went to Bicol to commemorate Mama. This is the second time that Bela has visited the hometown of her dad. The first time we were in Bicol, we went to the house of my father-in-law’s sister, which is just in front of the beach, and so Bela and her cousins were able to take a dip. So when we were in Bicol again last week, I know that Bela will not miss a trip at the beach. So on our second day, they scheduled a trip at Rizal Beach.

Rizal Beach is more than an hour drive from hubby’s house in Abuyog and so Bela was so giddy with anticipation already so she hit the water as soon as we arrive. She was later joined by Cobi and her dad and her cousins and with hubby’s other relatives.

I did not bring any beach toys for Bela and so they just played with her cousin’s metal cars, which unfortunately were swept away by the waves. Bela’s cousin cried buckets over this toy. If only we have metal detectors garrett, then maybe there is a better chance of finding the toy and it would have saved the tears of Bela’s cousin, Gelo. LOL.

After an hour of swimming and building sand castles, we called it a day (as the sun is setting already) and then we head back home for dinner.

Even though it was just a short trip at the beach, Bela and Cobi still had so much fun.

1st Day: Gymnastics Class

2011-07-10T01:00:00.002+08:00

As what I published in my previous entry, Bela is now enrolled in the Gymnastics class at Rizal Coliseum and I can say that she really had a blast on her first day.

Bela is under Coach Roland and the class started with a warm up exercise. Just look at Bela in this video. They were just doing simple running, skipping and hoping routine and look at how she is having fun already.

After the warm up, they did some exercise in the bar and I was so surprised at how strong she can be that she was able to hold on to the bar for 10 counts as she stretches her leg.

They also did some tumbling and cart wheel.

After class I spoke with Coach Roland and he told me that Bela really enjoyed the class. I thought that she would be all tired already after her 2-hour class but she even managed to play in the trampoline.

Hubby and I wants to enroll her 2x a week so she can advance fast and to keep the momentum going but the grand parents are already saying no against it. But we will see. I told coach that I will observe first for the first month and then I will decide if she will stay in the once a week class or not.

Enrolled: Gymnastics Class

2011-07-10T00:48:00.000+08:00

If only I have engaged into sports like gymnastics when I was a kid, then I wouldn’t have a need for diet pills that work now just to help me get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. LOL.

But I am glad Bela is so much into sports just like her dad. Today was her first day in Gymnastics. She actually asked me to enroll her to Gymnastics before the schools ends but I told her that she should finish her ballet class first and then when school opens for SY 2011-2012, then it is up to her to decide if she wants to continue ballet or switch to Gymnastics. And just as I expected, she is really firm with her decision when I asked her again and she chose Gymnastics over ballet.

The Gymnastics club in St. Scholastica already had their first meeting last Saturday but since we were in Bicol, we were not able to attend. So I already talked to the Coach of Gymnastics and I got the go signal that Bela can still enroll and have her measurements taken for her uniform today.

We were already near Gate 1 when she asked me what are we doing in St. Scholastica as she wants to be enrolled in the same Gymnastics school as Kellie’s (her former classmate) and not in St. Scholastica. So I called Kellie’s mom who gave me their contact person in Rizal Coliseum and after trying it out for a few rounds, Bela got really excited that she wants me to enroll her that day so she can start with her first class.

So now she is enrolled in the Gymnastics class at Rizal Coliseum every Saturday, from 1-3 PM under Coach Roland.

On Writing

2011-06-24T10:20:00.002+08:00

On her first week at school, she came home with this:

She showed it to us and this were her words:

Bela: “Dad look, you will be so proud of me. I can now write in 3 lines only”

(I know where this is leading to and she will ask us to get her a little prize. LOL. Good thing I will buy coogi clothes for hubby so I will be able to drop by Toys R’ Us too to get her a little something.)

Writing is one of the areas that need improvement for Bela. I even enrolled her to summer classes and Kumon to help her with her writing. When she was in Jr. Prep, their teacher will ask them to copy the reminders on the board in their assignment notebook. The lines in the notebook that they are using is quite narrow compared to the writing notebook that Bela was used to when she was in Nursery so when she writes, she occupies 6 lines and even more and it is all over the place. LOL.

So when I saw that she could copy well the reminders on the board already, I was one proud mom.

First Day of School: Sr. Prep

2011-06-24T09:56:00.002+08:00

Last June 14 was the first day of school of Bela. She was excited, as she has long been telling us how much she misses her classmates. I brought her to school, as I want to see who her new teacher is and who are her classmates.

There were only 2 sections when they were still in Jr. Prep and now there are 4 sections for Sr. Prep so the 2 JR. Prep sections were spread out among the 4 sections. And so Bela end up with only 4 of her former classmates. I was glad too that the daughter of two of my co-parent from last year is in Bela’s class too.

Parents were still allowed to go inside the school on the first week. I was looking through the window of Bela’s classroom and looks like she is comfortable and at ease to be back to school again. Although she told me that she cried for a short time on the first day when we were asked to get out of the room. I hope that she will have as much fun as she have when she was still in Jr. Prep.

Win-Win

2011-06-18T23:52:00.001+08:00

Hubby discovered a gadget that has been introduced to him by our friend when we visited them in Toronto last month. It is called O Play and what it does is that you can connect an external hard disk containing movies to a TV and you can view and play those movies in the TV.

We have a lot of movies which hubby and I downloaded so this gadget is perfect for us. Bela will be able to put this gadget to good use as she loves to watch also and we already have a compilation in our external hard disk of movies that Bela loves.

This gave us an idea to purchase a digital tuner so we can use the old TV that we have so we can get a chance to watch our favorite shows which we will be able to do since Bela will be so busy watching all the movies that we have for her on our 1 Tera Byte external Hard Disk. LOL.

Hubby already checked it online and it is just affordable and it even comes with free shipping so we will definitely get this gadget so both Bela and us, can enjoy watching our favorite movies and TV again.

Tomorrow is Father's Day

2011-06-18T23:28:00.001+08:00

Tomorrow is Father’s Day and we will be visiting Bela’s grand father (the father of hubby) to celebrate with him as this is the first Father’s Day where mama is not with us.

We were not able to visit papa when we arrived two weeks ago as hubby was still away and is attending training in the US so tomorrow will be the first time that we will see Papa after our long vacation in the US.

We have no plans yet on how we will celebrate Father’s Day but I already bought gift baskets which contains sugar free candy for my father-in-law as our Father’s Day gift for him.

I am sure he misses Bela and Cobi so much so with or without any big celebration, my father-in-law will be very happy if we pay him a visit. So our itinerary tomorrow will depend on what time we will be able to wake up (which I am sure might be a little late already since it is bed weather) so I guess anything goes for tomorrow’s Father’s Day celebration.

Girl Bonding

2011-06-11T08:34:00.001+08:00

Every time my friends talk about makeup, I am always clueless. That is why I am wondering if I will be able to give Bela guidance when it comes to this arena. LOL.

That is why I got really interested and I started checking out Chattanooga beauty school, when I learned about Regency Beauty Institute. Chattanooga beauty school is one of the branches of Regency Beauty Institute and this school is very popular for giving good training in the fashion and beauty field to all their students.

What sets them apart from other beauty schools is that their campuses are like upscale salons, thus giving their students a great venue for their hands-on training.

I am sure I will learn a lot about make-up and fashion if I enrol in any of their courses so this is something that I can really consider doing someday. So when the time comes that Bela is already a teenager, I will no longer be clueless when we talk about make up and fashion and this is one of the passion that we can share together as mom and daughter.

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com or contact Regency Beauty Institute – 2288 Gunbarrel Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421

For Bela's 6th

2011-06-11T08:28:00.000+08:00

Bela is requesting to visit the Bird Park, Singapore Zoo and to ride the Madagascar Ride in Universal Studios in Singapore for her birthday. Hmm….

The daddy is saying yes while I on the other hand is sceptical if we can afford another out-of the country travel this year. Hubby was saying that it is doable if we will not have a party for Bela on her 6th.

No Party? I think that is a good idea. I am just not sure if Bela will agree with her dad especially since Cobi will have a big party to celebrate his first birthday this year and Bela might request a party too. LOL.

But one thing is for sure. We just have to choose one – travel or party. As we have tons of bills to pay this year and so we have to set our priorities.

On Kumon

2011-06-11T08:23:00.000+08:00

Did you know that Bela’s instructor from Kumon asked her to bring 30 worksheets with her on our vacation? My mom was actually not keen on the idea as she does not want to make her grand child work while on vacation. But I still brought it hoping that she will be able to find time to at least do one work sheets a day.

But she was only able to work on it in the plane on our way to New York and did not touch her Kumon worksheets after that. LOL. Well she was jet lag on our first few days and so she is asleep by at most 4 PM, then we are always on the go and of course she is drained already from the continuous travel.

But she was able to finish all her worksheets for May when we came back here in Manila. Thanks to the lola, who took time to assist Bela as she does her worksheets everyday.

Bela will be going back to Kumon starting Thursday next week and I am glad that she can submit all her May worksheet when she goes back.

Affected

2011-06-10T10:46:00.001+08:00

Now that I have Bela and Cobi, I sometimes can’t help but worry about their future. Of course, as early as now my husband and I are already preparing for their future so no matter what happens to us, we are sure that she and Cobi will be secure.

I just became sentimental after reading from the news a personal injury case from someone in Texas. The victim lost his job because he can no longer work and so he can’t provide for the needs of his family and now the family is barely coping up.

Their only hope is O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath, an Austin Personal Injury Lawyer. They scheduled a free consultation with them by contacting them here: O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949.

O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath is known for being the best in the personal injury cases. They know how the legal system works with these types of cases so they know how to attack to win the cases.

I am just hoping that the victim will get his claim so he can start a new life again with his family despite the accident.

Ni Hao Kai Lan

2011-06-10T10:40:00.002+08:00

Ni Hao Kai Lan

This is her new favorite show. I actually haven’t seen it but I think it is a show in Nickelodeon. She just kept talking about it even to the kids of our friends when we went to the US.

So after our trip, she ended up bringing home:

• a Ni Hao Kai Lan drinking cup
• a Ni Hao Kai Lan Leapster cartridge (which she loves playing)

On our thrd week in the US, she is complaining already and is asking us that we go home because she already miss watching Kai Lan as they don’t have this show in the US. LOL.

Ready for School

2011-06-10T10:34:00.001+08:00

Bela just loves animals and she would rather have an animal bag than those cute and girly Disney princesses bags that you can see in the mall. So when I saw this in Toys R’ Us in New York, I did not think twice in buying it so she has a new bag that she can use for the opening of class next week:

This is a Skip Hop bag which Bela loves so much. She has the mouse backpack and lunch bag last year and just look at how excited she is when she used it on her first day of class:

I ordered this one before online from the Skip Hop website. There are actually multiply sellers of this bag but their price is a little high compared to buying it online.) I also find the dog design cute and if Cobi is ready to go to school also, I might get him a Skip Hop bag also.

I am sure Bela will be thrilled to use her new Skip Hop penguin bag when she goes back to school on Tuesday.

Public Service Announcement

2011-06-10T04:32:00.001+08:00

This school year, Bela is an incoming Sr. Prep student already. Time really flies fast. I can still remember when I first have a glimpse of my princess, she was also born with a congenital heart disease but we are so lucky and thankful that she it is totally healed now.

I know the feeling of having your child suffer from a disease that is why I feel depressed when I read about kids’ who suffer from birth defects because of a drug called Topamax.

Topamax is a medicine use to cure migraine and epileptic patients but little did some expectant mothers know that this can pose a risk to their babies as it has side effects. Studies have proven that taking Topamax while pregnant can increase the risk of having birth defects such as cleft lip.

If you think you have a case, contact the lawyers of O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949 to help you get started in filing for a Topamax lawsuit.

School Opening

2011-06-10T04:25:00.002+08:00

I was chatting with my friends in Twitter about their kids' first day in school this week and that is only when I realized that Bela has no black shoes yet and I haven’t covered her notebook and books yet. Bad mommy. LOL.

You see, when we got back from our vacation, I got busy taking care of Cobi’s birthday party which is this coming 25th already so it totally slipped my mind that there are still some small details that I need to take care of for Bela’s school opening. LOL.

But at least I got her a new bag already, a new drinking cup and her white rubber shoes for PE. Hopefully, we can find a nice shoes (as it is difficult to look one for her size) this weekend so I can finally say that she is indeed ready for school opening this coming Tuesday (and she is just so excited already to see her teachers and classmates).

Conversations with Bela: Jet Lag

2011-06-10T04:18:00.000+08:00

Since we arrived, she has a very weird sleeping pattern because of jet lag and so she would sleep late in the afternoon and will wake up around 2-3 AM and would stay awake probably until lunch time.

So one morning when she woke up:

Bela: “Mom, what is wrong with me. Why do I wake up so early.”
Me: “Because you are still suffering from jet lag.”
Bela: “What?”
Me: “Because New York and Philippines have opposite time. So when it is morning in New York, it is sleeping time already in the Philippines so you are still adjusting.”
Bela: “What?”

But I am still too sleepy to explain so we just went down to our living room to let her watch TV and play while I go back to sleep.

===

Bela after waking up from a short nap one afternoon:

Bela: “Mom, why is it when I sleep it is morning and when I wake up it is still morning?”

===

Bela after waking up at 3 AM.

Bela (crying): “Mom, why am I not in my PJs, I did not take a bath before I go to bed and I did not eat dinner.”

LogicMonitor: The Best Network Monitoring Software

2011-06-03T14:03:00.001+08:00

Being a network administrator for more than a decade now, I have seen and witness how complicated a network systems can be. One failure of even the smallest device on the network can create havoc and may cause downtime to the system. This downtime can lead to loss in income for a company as a lot of activities can’t be completed if a network is down.

That is why to maintain a system that has 24x7 availability; a good network monitoring tools should be use by the Information Technology department of any company. One networking monitoring tools that can be use to monitor any network infrastructure be it a physical, virtual or cloud infrastructure is LogicMonitor, the best network monitoring software available in the market today.

With LogicMonitor, an added hardware or additional staff is not necessary to monitor the network. The software will do all the work as it only needs the hostname and will automatically setup all the processes and thresholds that needs to be monitored to prevent any downtime. It has a lot of special features like VMware monitoring, SQL server monitoring and windows monitoring to name just a few. It also has alert and reporting features so proper authorities are alerted right away if there is any problem in the system.

No system is fool proof but with the help of these tools, less or zero downtime is possible.

I Feel for Them

2011-05-23T01:15:00.002+08:00

My daughter was born with a congenital heart disease. When I learned of this from her doctor, I broke into tears and it really breaks my heart knowing that my kid will not have a normal childhood. But thanks to prayers, her congenital heart disease healed naturally and so she now has a chance to live a normal life.

Heart condition is one of my greatest fears that is why I am bothered after watching the video that I saw about Crestor from You Tube. Crestor is a medicine use to treat high cholesterol but it was found out that it increases that risk of heart attacks and heart failures.

But thanks to the lawyers of O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath, personal injury lawyers, the victims can file for a Crestor lawsuit.

If you think you have a case, contact them now so you can get justice for the injury that you have sustained because of Crestor.

Enrolled

2011-05-21T14:34:00.001+08:00

Thanks to my sister for taking care of Bela’s enrolment while we are away. Enrolment for Sr. Prep is scheduled on May 16 and since we are in the US, I asked a favor from my sister to take care of Bela’s enrolment.

I gave her a call last night and she is done enrolling Bela. She was even able to buy the school supplies from the school’s bookstore so all that is left for us to do is label Bela’s things when we are back and all is set for the school opening in June (I actually don’t know the exact date of their school opening).

So I have to get adult halloween costumes and a bag for my sister as my token of appreciation for taking care of my errands while we are away. Good thing I have one whole day free to do some shopping on our last day here in New York.

New Addiction

2011-05-21T14:10:00.004+08:00

This is Bela’s current addiction now:

We bought her a drawing book and Crayola markers before we left and we packed it in her carry on so she has something to do on the plane as we noticed that she is really into art works and drawing this past few days and I am just surprised at how much she has improved. She can even draw those pictures, like the Yogaba Gaba drawing, without any reference and she will just use her imagination as she draws each character. This is what kept her busy the entire flight that is why she did not get bored during the flight and even in our stop over in Hong Kong.

Howell is just so proud as he is an artist himself that he is now thinking of getting a private tutor for Bela for art. LOL. But I told him that we can just let Bela enjoy her stuff for now and we can enrol her to a formal art class if she decides to herself in the future.

My New Travel Buddy

2011-05-21T13:55:00.002+08:00

I am so proud of my princess, she is one good travel buddy. I can’t believe she has grown up so fast. I can still remember I am just wearing my maternity clothes when I was pregnant with her, and now she is turning six years old already in the next couple of months.

I thought that we will have a hard time travelling with two kids in tow but she is just so cooperative. Our itinerary is like that of an amazing race as we want to make the most of our time so my mom can visit plenty of places so we are moving from one city to another with only a day or sometimes just hours of rest, before moving to another destination.

During those times that we are on the road, Bela is so well behave and she will just busied herself with drawing, watching movies in her iTouch, playing games in her leapster or just sleep. And when it is time for us to get off the bus or plane, even if it is the wee hours of the night, Bela will obligingly wake up and just go back to sleep when we are in the car or taxi already. That is why I told Howell that she is really ready for long travel such as this. But I hope we will have the budget again to afford another adventure for our family in the next couple of years.

Trip to Toys R’ Us

2011-05-11T14:57:00.002+08:00

Bela is still jet lag on our day 2 in New York and to keep her awake, we decided to bring her to the biggest ever toy store, the Toys R’ Us in Times Square.

We left the house around 2 PM already as we sleep the whole morning as all of us are drogy from lack of sleep and the time difference. Bela fell asleep while we are riding the Subway on our way to Times Square but when we woke her up, she got her energy back upon seeing Toys R’ Us.

She actually knows what she wants already and so she went to the section of the Koobles toys and the cartridge for her Leapster. So now I have to buy new aaa rechargeable batteries so the battery of her leapster will be charged up as for sure Bela will spend lots of time playing with it during our flight.

I haven’t uploaded pictures yet taken by hubby but I will try to start tomorrow so I can share with you guys just how much our princess I having fun.

Ecstatic

2011-05-11T14:30:00.003+08:00

It is only our third day in New York and Bela is already having a blast. It was actually difficult as New York has a 12 hours time difference with Manila, but on our second day, Bela was able to stay up until 5 PM before she finally doze off to sleep.

We actually plan to take Bela to Toys R’ Us in Times Square but she was up until 5 AM on our first night (even if we were all so tired already after the long haul flight), so we were not able to leave the house early.

But we brought her in Central Park and got really excited after seeing the big park right in the middle of the tall buildings. Just seeing the birds and the ducks in the park energized Bela already. The ducks were so pretty and she can’t believe her eyes that is why she has to ask my friend if the ducks are real.

Now I can’t wait for her reaction when we bring her to Sea World and Disneyland.

The Countdown is On

2011-05-02T12:26:00.001+08:00

Bela is just so excited for our upcoming US vacation. Every night she will ask me how many more days left before we finally leave and she always complains every time I answer her as we started counting 3 months ago so she has been waiting for a long time already.

But we will be leaving this Saturday and so Bela can’t hide her excitement every time I tell her that we will be boarding the plane in just a couple of days. She even finds it hard to sleep at night, probably because she is already imagining about our trip. I showed her pictures from the website of our places of destination that’s why so she can’t hide the fact that she is just so excited to be really there.

This is the first time that Howell and I will be traveling with our kids to the US. God has been really good to us as we never really thought that this dream of ours to bring our kids to the US will finally have a realization.

But as much as I wanted to feel excited for this trip, I still have a lot of things to finish before I take a leave from work. I might even need 7 second eye lift to hide those dark circles around my eyes as for sure I will be working late everyday before our flight on Saturday.

But I am happy still because just a few more sacrifice and then I am off for a three-week quality time with my family and my mom.

My Farm Girl

2011-05-02T12:13:00.000+08:00

We spent our Easter Sunday at our house in Bulacan. Bela usually refers to our house here as our farm and every time we are here, she always have a grand time.

She tries to plant some flower, she picks fruits from our trees, and she even sleeps in a hammock under our mango tree. She is certified to be one farm girl. LOL.

I can see that Bela is growing up to be like her dad who has a love for nature and is never scared of any adventure. As a mom, my only wish is to see my kids grow up and be with them in every important milestone in their lives.

That is why my husband and I made a pact that we will really take care of our health so we can live longer (God willing). So we have been doing steps to try to live a healthy lifestyle like taking colon cleanser, staying away from bad vice like smoking and alcohol, and we just try to enjoy life.

I am sure Bela will grow up to be a fine lady and my only prayer is that my husband and I will be able to witness that transformation.

McDonalds kiddie Crew: Graduation Day

2011-04-27T13:03:00.001+08:00

Last April 8 was the graduation day of the first batch of McDonalds kiddie crew workshop. My dad picked me up at the office after they drop Bela and my mom at McDo so I can watch the event also.

It was just a simple ceremony:

• they had games (it is like a children’s party)
• talent show
• presentation of art works of the kids during the work shop
• presentation of certificate of participation

Bela really had fun during the work shop and she even gained a lot of friends. Even the crew and manger of McDo all love Bela because of her charming and sweet personality.

Kids today are so lucky they have all sort of activities that they can enjoy during their summer break. Bela really had a blast and I will recommend this program to all my mommy friends for their kids. I will surely enroll Bela again for next year’s summer workshop.

Blogging for Bela

2011-04-26T05:59:00.002+08:00

Bela has been so busy the past couple of months that I am so behind blogging all bout her activities. Thanks to the free notepad software that I installed, NotePad++, I was able to create a list of it so I won’t miss blogging any of her important activities.

I have actually started using VirtualDub to edit the videos that I took during Bela’s activities so I can easily embed it to my blog post. I have Open Office installed on my laptop also so I can compose blog post during our stop over so I have something to be busy with while waiting for more than 10 hours before we will arrive at our destination.

In less than two weeks, we will be leaving for our much awaited US trip. Bela is just so excited as this trip is actually for her as we will be going to places that she loves like Sea World, Disneyland, Universal Studios, Zoo and many more. I am sure after this trip, my list for things that I need to blog will be longer as for sure, I will have lots of story to share after this vacation.

And I am excited to say bye bye for the meantime to the software that I use for work like PuTTY and Pidgin as I am so looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.

A Lawsuit

2011-04-21T23:53:00.001+08:00

Bela was born with a congenital heart disease called Ventricular Septal Defect. This means that she has a hole in her heart. We are so lucky because the position of the hole was not sensitive that it did not require an operation. But Bela’s doctor had to prescribe a medicine for her to regulate the flow of blood in her heart to help her with her breathing.

According to Bela’s doctor, VSD is one of the most common congenital heart disease for babies. We can never really say what caused this heart problem so there is really nobody to blame for what happened to Bela.

But the condition of our neighbour’s kid who has a cleft lip is a different case as they suspect that this was brought about by the medicine Topamax that the mother took while she is pregnant.

I told them about Topamax lawsuit and they are really keen in finding out if they have a case against the makers of this medicine. So they contacted O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949.

Lawyers from O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath have the experience and the expertise to handle personal injury cases such as the case of our neighbour so I am sure that my neighbour is in good hands.

McDo Kiddie Crew Day 2, 3 & 4

2011-04-21T23:38:00.002+08:00

My mom was not able to bring a camera on the second day of Bela’s with McDo’s Kiddie crew workshop but my mom said that Bela had so much fun:

• The kiddie crew assisted in the counter, in serving the guests, in taking care of the guests’ orders and in preparing the orders. Bela’s favorite is the time that they spent in the kitchen preparing the orders like French fries, soda and float.

• The kiddie crew also assisted in cleaning up the restaurant by cleaning the tables and the windows and even the Ronald Mc Donald statue outside the store.

• They also had an art time where kids were given Mc Do’s art materials

The workshop lasted for two hours everyday. It is practically the same routine for day 2 to 4 and Bela always had a blast.

After the workshop, Bela still has energy to play at the Play Area just outside McDo while they wait for me.

A Boo- Boo

2011-04-21T23:24:00.001+08:00

It was a very busy Wednesday for me at work as it is just a short day as we were dismissed early. I did a last minute check of my email and to my hurry, I accidentally deleted the email from Bela’s school regarding their enrolment. I asked a co-parent and she confirmed that it is regarding the online enrolment form that we signed up for.

I really need to get that email as I need to enrol Bela the soonest possible time as I want to accomplish this before we leave for our vacation. Good thing I was able to contact their IT section through the help of my co-mommy, Melay, and they promise to resend to me the email when they go back to work on Tuesday.

At least after enrolment, all that is left for me to take care of includes:

• shopping for school supplies for Bela
• labelling the notebooks and books of Bela which I can easily do since we have one of those reliable epson printers at home that I can use to print labels for Bela’s notebooks and other school supplies
• have her measurements taken for her school uniform

June will be a busy month for us as it is the time for our move to the new house, and Cobi’s first birthday party. So I really wanted to accomplish as much as I can now so Bela will be ready for school opening come June no matter how hectic our schedule is for June.

A Battle for their Child

2011-04-21T23:14:00.003+08:00

It is Bela’s schedule of check up with her doctor last week and I can’t help but listen to the conversation of the parents sitting beside us who has a child with a cleft lip. The parents are confuse as to how this has happened to their child since the mother did all that she can to protect her baby during her pregnancy. Her doctor suspects that it could be caused by the medicine that she took for her migraine.

I got curious and did more reading in the Internet and sadly, I discovered more medicines that are being linked to other serious illnesses like bladder cancer which is caused by a medicine to cure Type II diabetes, which is Actos.

To get justice, these victims must therefore act and consult lawyers from firms that can help them file a lawsuit to make the manufacturers of this medicine pay for the injury that they have caused. One of those law firms is Watts Guerra Craft LLP, an actos cancer law firm.

The attorneys of these law firms knows the ins and outs of filing for a pharmaceutical case so victims will have a bigger chance of getting a just claim for the damages that they have incur.

McDo Kiddie Crew: Day 1

2011-04-20T00:16:00.002+08:00

For this summer, Bela is not that busy as compared to last year. I just let her continue with her Kumon English program as Kumon requires continuity and they discourage taking breaks. I also enrolled her again to Aqualogic’s swimming class which she has been doing for a year already. Her only new activity for this summer was Mc Donald’s Kiddie Crew Workshop.

I have long wanted to enrol her to this program as I find it cute for kids to be serving as McDo crew but she is always too young for the minimum age limit. The actual age limit that they accept is 6 years old but I tried inquiring anyways at McDo Harrison Plaza and they are just so happy to accept Bela in their program. She was part of the First Batch, together with Owie, her classmate from St Scholastica.

Last April 4 was the first day of the workshop. It was actually their orientation and the kids were given a tour of the kitchen and the restaurant and were given instructions on how to be a good kiddie crew.

Howell took an under time from work as he needs to attend to some errands and he dropped by McDo first so he can take pictures. Here are some of the pictures of Bela on her first day as a kiddie crew:

On Preschool and Motessori Method

2011-04-19T23:55:00.002+08:00

When my Bela turned two years old, my husband, my mom and I have been debating whether it is time for Bela to enter Preschool or it would be best that we just let her stay at home.

My mom is a retired preschool teacher but she is so used to the traditional method of teaching where kids should be behave and should learn to just stay put on their sit as they listen to what the teacher is saying. That is why my mom was so scared to enrol Bela to preschool as she thought that it might be a traumatizing experience for her at a very young age.

But we discovered, Giraffe, a Childcare Dublin and Early Learning center which offers Montessori Method of teaching. With this method, children are allowed to explore and learn through play. Children will also get to learn and explore in their own pace as each student received a one-on-one lesson from a teaching staff.

Because of this discovery, my mom finally agreed to enrol Bela to Preschool and we are glad that we made the right choice because she enjoyed it. We believe that she is a smart and confident kid now because of her experience in a Montessori environment during her preschool years.

And now that we have Cobi, we will not think twice and Cobi will also get to experience the Montessori Method of teaching when it is time for him to go to school.

Certified Grand Dad's Favorite

2011-03-27T12:02:00.002+08:00

Bela is a certified lolo’s girl. Being the first grand child, she captures the hearts and attention of everybody especially her grand father. But she is one sweet and charming little girl that is why she never fails to win their affection.

My dad is Bela’s official driver as my dad lovingly drives Bela to school everyday. I would have wanted to just hire a driver for Bela but my parents are really against it as you can never really be sure of the safety of Bela if we do this. So my father volunteered to take Bela to school everyday.

That is why the two are really close as they are together almost everyday. Even during weekends when Howell is not available, my dad will drive Bela to her ballet and swimming class without complain.

That is why on her birthday last Monday, Bela was even the one who reminded me to get her grand dad’s favorite cigar and cigars humidor as her gift for her favorite grand dad.

My dad is also Bela’s spoiler (in a good way. LOL). If I will scold Bela for doing something wrong, my dad will be the first one to react and he will scold me too.

I guess grand parents are just like this. As what my mom always say, their grand children gives them a different kind of joy that is why they really love their grand kids to bits.

1 Year with Aqualogic

2011-03-27T11:50:00.000+08:00

It’s been almost a year now since Bela started with Aqualogic and I am really happy that we enrolled her for their Aqua Kids class. She is just so comfortable in the water and she just loves being in the pool.

They are actually teaching her now how to do the free style and I was amazed because Bela can follow the instructions well. There was even one time when she had a one-on-one with one of the teachers and she was able to cross the entire kiddie pool by doing the free style.

Unfortunately, we will be away the whole month of May so I enrolled her only for 4 sessions for summer (and her brother will also be joining her). But I plan to enrol her back for the whole year again come June.

She is just so happy every time she is in the water and seeing how well she does, I know swimming is one of the sports where she will excel.

Prep Week Day 3: Kid’s Kitchen

2011-03-27T11:27:00.002+08:00

Since I am on a roll today and my blogging mojo is back, I better finish my three-part post about Bela’s Prep Week celebration before I search the net for inetsoft business intelligence software.

So here is the last part, Prep Week Day 3: Kid’s Kitchen

For this activity, the students will prepare two tasty treats with the help of their parents: Tasty Tuna and Cinnamon Toast. Since I have no talent too when it comes to cooking and I don’t want to disappoint Bela again, I asked my mom to go with us so she can help Bela for this activity. And the two had fun preparing this tasty treats.

After the food preparation activity was the talent show of the kids and the Prep students who are members of the SSC Ballet Club was one of those who will perform. This will be the first time that Bela’s classmates will witness her dance the ballet so she was really excited. She was all smiles the entire time she was performing.

The Prep teachers also did a dance number for their students and parents and there were also other parents who performed too.

It was really the perfect way to end the Prep Week.

Prep Week Day 2: Mathinik Kami

2011-03-27T11:13:00.002+08:00

(If only I knew that this will be a physical activity, I would have used OxyElite Pro so I will be in tip-top shape for this event. LOL).

For day 2, the teachers prepared different physical and mental games for all the families. Bela and I were asked to join a physical and mental game where they will give puzzle problems and we will solve it with the help of our kids. We will coach our kids to get the materials that we need to solve the puzzle from a basket and the kids will hand it to their parents and the parents will build the puzzle. Whoever finishes the puzzle first will win the game.

Unfortunately, our team always finishes last so we did not win this game. LOL. But that is just okay as what is important is I had fun playing with Bela and with my co-parents. And Bela was so happy for the consolation prize that we got.

Prep Week Day 1: Story Fun Surprise

2011-03-27T11:00:00.002+08:00

One of the last activities for the Prep students of St. Scholastica was the Prep Week which was held last February 22 – 24, 2011. The teachers prepared different activities per day for the students and for the parents.

I have not enough leave credits left but of course I want to join Bela for all the activities during the Prep Week so I took half day off for three consecutive days.

Prep Week Day 1: Story Fun Surprise

For this activity, they invited two multi-awarded writers for children’s books as guest speakers. They are Ms. Kristine V. Canon and Dr. Luis P Gatmaitan. They did a talk for the kids and the parents on how to create a good story book.

Their books were also sold during the event and there was a book signing after their talk.

After the talk, parents and students were asked to group themselves into two for the story book making. Bela and I were so lucky to be grouped with Melay and Thea as I really have no talent with arts and drawing. I just help in the conceptualization of the story and Melay did all the drawings.

Bela was actually upset as the story is about four friends and their pets and she is asking me to draw her hermit crabs and I don’t know how to draw it. Luckily after much explanation to Melay, she was able to figure out what a hermit crab is and she was able to draw Bela’s pets. LOL.

We were only given 30 minutes to finish the book and we were just in time to finish it.

Prep's Moving Up Day Ceremony

2011-03-27T10:44:00.003+08:00

These pictures were taken during the Prep’s Moving Up Day Ceremony held last March 18 (yeah, Bela still has a long way to go as she just started school. LOL. That is why I like to make sure of my social security benefits so I will be assured that my kids are covered whatever happens to me.)

The ceremony is actually for the Sr. Prep who are moving up to Grade 1. But the Jr. Prep students prepared a small presentation as one of the intermission number during the ceremony.

Of course, the stage parents can’t miss this opportunity and Bela specifically say that she wants us to be there to watch her perform. So I took a leave from work to be with Bela.

After watching the Moving Up Day ceremony, I can already imagine how emotional I will be when it is Bela’s turn to move up to Grade 1.

Help from the Experts

2011-03-10T13:42:00.002+08:00

My husband and I are both working really hard to save up for the future of our kids. I don’t want to think about it, but at least whatever happens to me and my husband, we know that our kids’ future will be secure.

That is why I felt really sad when I read from the news the story about an accident victim and the fate of his family. The victim is the head of the family and is the only one bringing food to the table. Now that the father is injured, the family does not know now how they can manage to survive.

That is when I thought about O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath, an Austin personal injury attorney (O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949).

The lawyers of O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath feel for the victims and they know what the victims are going through so they see to it that good customer service is what they offer to their clients first. Each case is different so they treat each case individually so they can better look into the details to get plus points on how to win the case.

I am glad that there is O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath so they can offer their expertise to help victims get justice.

Takbo Para sa Karunungan

2011-03-05T04:29:00.004+08:00

Bela and Howell will be joining this:

DZMM will be sponsoring a fun run at the Quirino Grand Stan dubbed as “Takbo para sa Karanungan” next Sunday, March 13, 2011. Hubby registered himself and Bela for the 3K run and he got their uniforms and document already.

Howell is already excited for Bela as this will be Bela’s first marathon. Of course we are not really expecting that they will win but all hubby wants is for Bela to have this kind of exposure so she will get to enjoy different activities and then it is up to her to decide which sports she wants to pursue.

You know how much excited hubby is? He is even planning to go to Recto to order a personalized medal for Bela for participating in the marathon. LOL. And so I thought that I am the only stage parent in our family. I guess I am wrong as Howell is doing a much better job of being a stage dad.

Moving to Sr. Prep

2011-03-05T02:18:00.000+08:00

In just two weeks, school will be finish for Bela. I can’t believe that she is already finished with Kinder and she is already an incoming Prep student as school opens this school year.

I am so proud of Bela and I am so thankful for her teachers who helped her get through her first step in big school. That is why I am looking for a small gift that I can give her teachers as a sign of my gratitude for all the help that they give to Bela to make her stay in Kinder a very enjoyable one.

Sowhen I saw Personal Creations custom mugs, I knew that this will be the perfect gift that I am looking for. I can customize the mugs with the pictures of the past activities of the school with Bela and her teachers and I can even add text like the name of each of her teacher.

When we were deciding if Bela is ready for big school already, there are a lot of things going through my head. As a mom, I feel so scared for Bela as I know that big school is a big adjustment. But all my fears are gone now and I am thankful for all her teachers who truly helped her adjust to the big school setup.

Summer Program @ SSC

2011-03-04T03:04:00.001+08:00

The last day for Bela’s class will be on March 18 and it will also be their Moving Up Day. This means that in just two weeks, summer vacation will officially start for Bela.

But just like the previous years, Bela always has an activity every summer to keep her busy so she has something to channel all her energy (as she has a lot. LOL). But I am glad that I don’t have to search for a nice summer class for Bela (so I can finally concentrate in looking for a metal hose supplier), as her school will be offering summer classes which is open to all grade schoolers who wants to enrol.

They have Reading, Math, Rondalla, Art, Dance and Theatre and even Filipino class for their non-Tagalog speaking students. I want to enrol her to Math / Reading and Filipino but the schedule is for 3 hours per day every session.

I better show this to Bela’s dad so he can help me decide on which class should we enrol Bela.

SSC's Prep Week

2011-03-03T23:01:00.000+08:00

Last February 21 – 24, SSC celebrated Prep Week so I always take a half-day leave to attend to all the activities where parents are invited to join.

February 22, they invited guest speakers who are authors of famous children’s book to have a talk on how to make a good book. After the talk, there was an autograph signing and then we were asked to create a book with our kids. Bela and I paired up with Melay and Thea and we adopted two kids, Yvonne and Candace, who have no guardian / parent during the activity to join us. Good thing Melay is so good in drawing so she was the one who drew on all pages of the book for us. But Bela was so disappointed as I was not able to help her draw her pet hermit crab, which is one of the characters of our story. LOL.

February 23, was a strenuous activity as they prepared games and each parent and kid needs to join. Bela and I participated in the puzzle game and unfortunately, our team did not win but we still get consolation prizes of course.

February 24, the last day of the Prep Week, was a talent showcase as selected students and parents performed for all the visitors. Bela dance the ballet and she was all smiles all throughout the performance as I know that she is just so proud since this is the first time that her classmates was able to watch her dance.

I haven’t uploaded pictures yet but I will post it here as soon as I get the chance to sort it out.

How to Help Your Kid Adjust to School

2011-03-02T22:22:00.005+08:00

Going to big school, or elementary school, is a major change for children. It often requires big adjustments on the part of both parents and child as it may often require dealing with a new environment – school, location, teachers and even classmates. Change is always inevitable so all we parents have to do is help our children adjust to the changes.

Children would need to have a smooth transition and parents can guide them through it.
1. You can begin by letting your child see and explore his new school before school starts. It would be better if he meets the key people in school too – the principal, the school doctor or school nurse and his class teacher/adviser.
2. Facilitate an avenue for your child to bond with other children. It may mean inviting kids for a play date or inviting fellow Moms for an ice cream after school.
3. Establish a goodbye routine and help make it easier. Your child, in the first few weeks of school, might get teary-eyed, anxious or even cry. Reassure her that you will be waiting for her at the end of the day and that he will be fine. If it is still happening after a few months, it might be better to ask for help and see if a teacher can help.
4. Try and make sure you arrive a few minutes early to pick your child from school. It will give him the reassurance that you are there, waiting for him.
5. Make it a habit to create a routine of early bedtimes and peaceful, unhurried mornings in your household. Kids who are well rested will have few tantrums and a calm morning routine will take the pressure off and keep anxieties at bay.

Anxiety is normal during the first few weeks. It can even affect the way your child thinks and feels, without them knowing they are suffering from it. Stomach aches, headaches, fatigue, aggressiveness, sadness and silence are general manifestations of anxiety. You can help them overcome it but talking with your child how he feels. It is easier said and done but encourage your child to talk about what happens in school, you can start by sharing your own experiences. Do not downplay his fears but reassure them that things will get better.

However, stay alert for any signs why your child is anxious and worried about school. Normally, kids adjust to school in a few weeks. But when their unhappiness is drawn out, it might indicate a more serious issue. He might be being bullied, has a hard time understanding lessons, cannot see or hear clearly, has a hard time making friends and feeling left out. Start by asking questions about how his day went and when it doesn’t draw him out, you can share your own positive school stories (“I cried for a week when Grandma left me at school during First Grade I had to go to the bathroom so many times! That’s when I met my best friend who was also crying, and things got better! I loved First Grade!).
If you still have a nagging fear or suspicion you cannot erase, it is time to call the teacher and relay your feelings.

As parents, we cannot keep changes from happening to our children’s lives. It is a constant thing people need to deal with all the time. We just need to make things easier for our children by providing a calm and reassuring presence and an easier transition for them.

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Norton antivirus coupon discount and godaddy promotion code are some of the topics that AbieL, a free lance blogger and writer, writes about for Business Opportunities Expo and You Love Coupons.

Guilty

2011-02-23T05:03:00.001+08:00

Last Monday was one of those days when I am not in the mood. In between my frustration because I still hasn’t loose weight (that I started to read about diet pill reviews) then hearing a bad news from my mom regarding one of the tenants for our apartment plus some family issues, I cracked down and loose my temper.

It was already 9:30 PM as we just finished the 8th month birthday celebration of Jacobo and I remembered that I still have to help Bela with her Kumon worksheets. Of course since it is late already and Bela is already tired and sleepy, she is also not that cooperative that I started to loose my patience and started shouting at her.

I felt guilty after as I realized that she is just a kid and she had a very long day already so I should not be pressuring her that much. So I just walked out and went to our room and just asked her aunt to do the worksheets with Bela.

Well I guess I am only human and there are really times when things like this will happen. But I have to find a way to make it up with Bela…..

Her First Time in Resorts World

2011-02-22T22:59:00.004+08:00

Last February 5, we attended Gab’s 2nd birthday in Hospicio de San Jose. Since we were already late for Bela’s swimming class after the party, we just decided to go to the mall and we all agreed that it is the perfect time to check out Resorts World.

After stopping several times to ask for directions, we were finally able to reach New Port mall. Bela was really excited as she noticed that she hasn’t been to this mall so we jump out of the car as soon as we found the perfect parking spot to enjoy the mall. And we were so lucky since we are just in time for the Lion Dance show:

Bela got a bit scared when she first saw the lion dancers but then she started playing and dancing with them when she saw the other kids going near the lion dancers. Just look at some of her pictures:

After the show, we explored the mall to check out the stores housed in the new mall but since it is just small, we were able to go around in less than 1 hour. So we just went back to the ground floor, near the stage, as there are a lot of kids playing in that area and Bela joined them.

Bela really had so much fun on her first time to the New Port Mall in Resorts World.

Kumon Updates: After 3 weeks

2011-02-20T09:09:00.002+08:00

Before I read about adapexin p reviews, let me post here first updates about Bela’s Kumon class. She started last February 1 and after attending two sessions, her Teacher, Teacher Jie, updated me and told me that Bela already knows the routine even only after two sessions. She knows how to follow instructions and she can actually read 3-4 letter words although she syllabicates the letters first before she can read the whole word.

I think she is at level 6 now, which can be completed in a month, but I got a call from Teacher Jie again yesterday to inform me that Bela is finish with her starting level and she will move to the next level already starting next session. The next level will be for a two month period but if Bela is persistent, she can finish it again before two months.

Bela brought home a book last week and I was really surprised that she is more confident in reading now that she was able to read the book (out loud) all by herself. By October, she will start with reading and comprehension for Grade 1 level already so hubby is no longer worried that Bela might be left behind in terms of reading by her classmates.

We can enrol her to a second program (Math) by August so now we are thinking that it can be a great program for her too. Kumon program can be completed in 3 years so now that the workload in school is still not that demanding, we think that this is the best time for Bela to take classes like this before she enters the more stressful grade school or high school life.

Enrolled: Kumon

2011-02-20T09:02:00.001+08:00

I published in a previous post that I received a yellow love letter from teacher. There is really nothing to be worried about and Bela’s teacher assured me that Bela just needs to practice writing as that is her only problem. But the problem is, it is challenging to make Bela sit down to practice writing at home as there are a lot of distractions at home –the TV, her toys, etc.

So before I go crazy and stress my self so much that I would have to need the best anti wrinkle cream, I decided to just enrol Bela in the Reading program of Kumon. You see, Howell was really asking me to get a tutor for Bela to help her with her reading and writing. But if I get a tutor, this means that Bela will still have to do work at home and like what I said, she needs a new environment where she can concentrate.

So I attended the parent’s orientation for Kumon (which is a requirement before they will allow you to enrol your kids in any of their program) last January and after hearing all about the Kumon program, I got really interested and decided that it can be a good program for Bela.

So I enrolled Bela and she will have Kumon lessons two times a week starting February. I can’t wait to see how Bela will improve

Jr. Prep's Field Trip: Go Nuts Donuts

2011-02-20T08:59:00.000+08:00

The last for Bela’s field trip was the Go Nuts Donuts factory in Laguna. We left Fun Ranch around 1 PM and we drive straight to the factory. It was more than an hour drive and so all the kids (and even the parents), fell asleep on our way there.

When we reached the factory, the kids were asked to go inside and once you enter, there is a small receiving area and you can see from a glass window the area where the baker prepare the donuts. One of the staff explained to the kids the steps on how to make a donut and of course, the kids listened with amazement.

After the explanation, they give each give the kids and the parents donuts. They also have a small store where we can buy donuts for take home.

We drive straight to St Scholastica after where we were fetched by Bela’s lolo.