New Drum Class Teacher

Bela has a new teacher in Drum Class. He is the former drummer of Sponge Cola. Bela loves his former teacher, teacher Elmer, and she is already comfortable with him. But Academy of Rock has opened up their new branch in Megamall and Teacher Elmer has to take the weekend class for drums there. I asked Bela if she wants to follow Teacher Elmer in Megamall, but if I were to choose, I prefer Rockwell than Megamall as I find that mall too crowded.

Bela agreed to try Teacher Chris. During her first two sessions with Teacher Chris, she was just quiet and would even go out of the room or would request that we be with her inside the room during class. As per AOR’s manager, Teacher Chris has a different teaching style as he is stricter than the laid back style of Teacher Elmer, so maybe that's why Bela is having a hard time adjusting.

Bela completed one month session with Teacher Chris and Teacher Chris said that he noticed a big improvement with Bela. Bela is also comfortable now with Teacher Chris and Teacher Chris is even teaching her advance drum skills so Howell and I are really excited and happy with this big improvement.

And since we can really see that Bela is really serious with her drum lessons, Howell is thinking to really convert one of our spare rooms into a band studio complete with all the equipment like speakers and the like.

I am sure Bela would love this idea as she always enjoys spending time in her room, playing with her drums.

My Cutie Majorette

Just look at my cute majorette:

She got her uniform already for her Rhymizette club and she was really excited to wear it. Rhymizette is one of the clubs being offered in school and since last year, she has been telling me that she will join this club when the new school year opens.

She told me that they are practicing a dance number to the tune of one of the songs of One Direction and we are really excited to watch her perform.

A Special Card from Bela

Look, Bela made a card for us and what makes it even more special is that it is written in Tagalog:

This is one of the art works that they did in her Tagalog Class with The Learning Library. Bela enjoys her class with them because it is not a formal classroom setup. They have games, reading activities, arts and crafts and they just incorporate Tagalog language with all these activities.

I really saw some improvement with Bela’s Tagalog skills because she is starting to speak in Tagalog and she can even understand some of the words if we speak to her in Tagalog. Too bad they don’t have Saturday class this school year because I would have wanted her to continue with their Tagalog class for the entire school year until she gains confidence and be fluent with the Tagalog language.

Living my Dream

Looks like Howell has to bring out his guitar so he and Bela can have their jamming session at home. It is because Bela has been attending drum lessons at Academy of Rock for 2 sessions now and she is really enjoying it and is so into it that I think, she will continue with the class even after the school opens.

If she finishes her 4 sessions and we find that this is really something that she will spend time with, we may have to save to upgrade her drum set to the complete one as what she has right now is just the basic.

Playing drums is one of my frustrations growing up. So at least I am having my wish come true, through my daughter.

Enrolled: Drum Lessons at Academy of Rock

Bela has been attending the Beginning Filipino Workshop being offered by the Learning Library at Gymboree Serendra. She actually finished 8 sessions already and I enrolled her for another 8 sessions. Aside from this, she also has Kumon classes in Reading and Math every Tuesday and Thursday.

But these are all academic classes and so I wanted to enroll her to another extra-curricular activity and her choices is either swimming or drum lessons. I inquired with Bert Lozada at Ace Water Spa but their schedule is every day for summer and this won’t fit in Bela’s busy schedule. So I was able to convince her to take drum lessons instead and she will just go back to swimming come June.

So last week, we were able to drop by Academy of Rock in Rockwell and she had a trial class. She enjoyed it and she said she wanted to try out the class so I enrolled her for 4 sessions.

I totally forgot that Howell will be away until June and since I don’t drive, I have to ask my dad to drive us every Saturday while Howell is away. LOL. That is why I have been checking out Famous Smoke shop to check out for my dad’s favorite cigar as our bribe to him. He can even try out cigar affiliate program of Famous Smoke so he can earn on the side too.

I am excited for the activities lined up for Bela. I am sure, she will enjoy all of these.

Tagalog Class for Bela @ The Learning Library

I have been looking for a good school for Bela where she can attend Filipino class and I was lucky that I was able to save the metal business cards that I got from Gymboree last time Cobi attended class there as they are partners with Learning Library.

Learning Library is a school which offers Language and Reading classes for kids as young as 3 years old I think. They have a “Wika’y Galing” program where they teach Filipino for non-Tagalog speakers in a fun way through arts and crafts, story reading, interaction and more where they integrate Filipino language in all the activities.

I heard a lot of good reviews about the program and hopefully it will really help Bela as I really want her to learn how to speak Tagalog. 

Here is the artwork and activity that they did on their first day.

Bela is on her 4th session already and so far, she is really having fun with the program.

1st Day: Violin Class

Last Thursday, Bela attended her first class for her violin lessons at La Consolacion College in Mendiola. We were really looking for a school where we can enroll Bela and good thing, hubby's colleague mentioned about his husband who teaches violin at La Consolacaion. So I inquired and enrolled Bela the next Friday after.

Her class is every Thursday and it is a one on one class. Bela was so happy and she enjoyed her 1st class and she was just so excited to show us what she learned. She has a lot of stories like she told me that her teacher fixed her violin (thank goodness, because I thought I have to bring it to a music store to have it fix because if it were just me who will fix it, I might just use eye bolt to hold the pieces together. LOL). She was also happy when teacher told her that there is nothing wrong with her violin, as she is complaining that it is squicky, and teacher told her that she just have to hold it right. Teacher also taught her how to take good care of her violin which Bela took by heart.

She practices everyday the lesson that she learned which is about the A and E string. We bought her Suzuki Book 1 which her teacher require from her and we are also excited as to what she will learn tomorrow.

Bela's Summer Schedule: Fully Booked

Bela’s summer schedule is now officially loaded. I just enrolled her to the Filipino Class in St Scholasticta and her regular Kumon class but luckily, I was able to find a swimming school that has a schedule on weekends so I enrolled her and her brother.

They started already with their first class last Saturday and Bela was just so excited to be in the water again.

Her dad also found a school where we can enroll her for her violin class and so we went there last Friday to enroll her. The class will be from 12 – 2 PM at La Consolacion College in Mendiola. I thought that it will be a group lesson as the class fee is really so affordable as compared to Yamaha and Lyric but I was informed last week that Bela will have a one-on-one session with the maestro. Her teacher will be the husband of hubby’s colleague. Our wish is that she will be able to learn even the chorus of at least one piece so she has something to perform on her birthday.

Except for Kumon, which she really hates (LOL), I hope she will really enjoy all the classes that we enrolled her in.

My Swimmer

Look at how good Bela is with swimming:

This is the push and glide stroke that Bela’s coach thought her last week. She is so good now; she even swims better than her dad or me.

We plan to enroll her to swimming as long as she likes. Her dad’s dream is that someday, she will be so good that she can be a varsity in her school.

Swimming is good for her so she will stay fit. At least when she grows up, she might not need to read about appexit reviews. LOL. Not like me who needs to go on a diet to lose those unwanted fats. LOL.

We are happy that she enjoys being in the water. She is so confident that we can even let her swim on her own. Last week, they are already learning how to do the freestyle and backstroke and my husband and I can’t wait to see her do those strokes smoothly. I am sure in just a few more days, she will be a better swimmer than us.

Back in the Water

Bela was the happiest last Saturday when she attended her swimming class again.

She used to attend swimming class at Colegio San Agustin with Aqualogic Swim School all year round but she stopped after we were away for 3 weeks last summer. When we returned from our vacation, she said that she wanted to attend Gymnastics class instead and we enrolled her at Rizal since June.

After a few months of attending Gymnastics class, she said that she is no longer enjoying and she wanted to go back to swimming. It was December already and I know that we will be very busy with the holiday rush so I decided to postpone her enrollment until early 2012.

It was only last week that we were able to go to CSA to enroll her and she started with her first class right away. She had so much fun and so I know that swimming is really the perfect extra curricular activity for her.

She forgot some of the strokes already so she is catching up but I am sure she will get back to her grooves soon.

1st Day: Gymnastics Class

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

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.

McDonalds kiddie Crew: Graduation Day

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.

McDo Kiddie Crew Day 2, 3 & 4

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.

1 Year with Aqualogic

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.

Kumon Updates: After 3 weeks

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

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

SSC Ballet Club - Open House

Last October 23 was also the Open House of the SSC Ballet Club. So after the Country Fair event, we all run to the Dance Hall to attend the open house.

They are actually strict during regular class and they really don’t allow parents to linger around in the dance hall to watch our kids during class. So I got really excited when I read the memo about the Open house as this is the only opportunity for us to watch Bela during her ballet class.

I know that Bela really loves ballet class because even if she has to wake up early every Saturday, she will still force herself out of bed so she can make it to class. I was even asking her to stop already as Saturday is a really busy day for us and so I would rather sleep a little late on Saturdays but she refuses and she said that she really loves ballet and she really likes to continue with the class.

As we were watching Bela, I can really see how much she loves ballet and how much she enjoys her class. She was really very attentive and she really tries very hard to follow every instructions of Teacher Abbie. Though she finds it difficult sometimes to follow all the steps, she really gives her 100%.

She still doesn’t have the perfect ballet form but who knows, with practice; maybe she can be the best ballet dancer ever. What is important is that she retains her interest and passion for ballet and we are just right here to support her.

For Bela & Cobi

Ballet Class
Swimming Class
Enopi

These are just some of the extra curricular activities that keep Bela busy. Though we are happy at how these activities have helped Bela improved her skills and talents, it is no denying that this cost a great amount of money. And now that we have Cobi, this means that we have to double the budget that we allocate for these kinds of classes so we can enroll both our kids to these great extra curricular activities.

That is why Howell and I have been really talking and we both agree that we should really start saving for our kids. We also talked about trying out other investments so we can secure our kids’ future and the investment that tops our list after doing research is gold investment.

Gold is a very good investment as it is widely accepted so it can be easily converted to cash. That is why after checking out the site of United States Gold Bureau, we got really convinced to buy gold bullion from them and their hard asset professionals can help us with our initial gold investment.

We know that with gold investment, we can never go wrong.

Ballet Club @ SSC

Aside from the Girl Scout’s Twinklers club that Bela joined in school, I also let her join the Ballet Club as her second club which is one of the sports clubs being offered at St. Scholastica.

When I read the circular given by her teacher about the ballet club, I told Bela:

Me: “Oh Bela, you have a ballet club at school. Do you want to join?”
Bela: “ Yes, I already told teacher that I am joining.”

And so last Saturday, we did not have a hard time waking her up even if it is still way too early than her normal waking up time as she is really excited to attend her ballet class. She still has no uniform so she used her old uniform from Halili School of Ballet.

According to my sister, Bela was really serious during class and she followed everything that her teacher asked the class to do. At least now she has a lot of options for her career – she can be a ballerina, someone who sell merchant account, a swimmer, or a drummer. LOL.

They will have out of country shows and a recital which I think will happen as early as September. I am really excited as I know how much Bela likes this class and I am sure she will be excited too during recitals as you know how much she loves performing in front of a lot of audience.