Li'l Man's Scrapbook Album

My li'l man is already 8 years old and is in his pre-teen phase so it's difficult for me to put him as this in the scrapbook album. But I know I will do it because I love him and I want him to have this as my gift to him. This reminds me of a quote I cut out from a the +Oprah Winffrey magazine that answered a question about good memories. 

"A scrapbook my mom made for me, which spans almost my entire life." -Nat Gagne

Of course I can only hope to have the same appreciation from my children. No worries, Zivv. In case you happen to stumble upon this. 

I have gathered all the materials needed, but I still feel they're not enough. I'll begin with just one page today, and I'm sure it will begin to move smoothly from there. 

Beginning My Second Project

Morning is the best time for me to do anything from checking emails to practicing yoga which also are my top two things to do for the day. 

My creative activities happen after lunch. Unfortunately, it's quite hard to begin these days since after lunch is so hot even with the air conditioner on. So I am only about to begin my second project of the year that is my li'l man's scrapbook album. 

Part of the reason for not being able to begin is also because I still have not formulated in my mind how to design it. As my li'l man grows older, it becomes harder for me to do his scrapbook album. I must admit that babies and toddlers are children's phases I enjoy most and therefore draw a lot of inspiration from. 

My li'l man is already 8 years old and is in his pre-teen so it's difficult for me to put him as this in the scrapbook album. But I know I will do it because I love him and I want him to have this as my gift to him.

 

First Project Done ... Or Is It?

My first project of the year - our album - is done. Done means all the pictures, embellishments and captions are mounted. 

 “Some folks say I have a short attention span, but they just…Oh look, sparklies!” -Unknown

There are pages I really adore, but a lot of times the pages are there waiting to be finished. 

This is "adore" page. A tribute to my naughty, haughty but loving grandmother who passed away last year.

 

This is "waiting to be finished" page. "I Wish I Knew" from +Oprah Winffrey's magazine The Oprah Magazine where celebrities were asked to write letters to their young selves. I wrote one for me too :) I still feel it's bare and need more embellishments. 

 

I'm never really finished, and I doubt I ever will. I will always find my pages bare. I always go back to them feeling there's more to be done, but I never do anything once I'm "done". 

 “Scrapbooking fills my days – not to mention my living room, bedroom and closets!” - Author Unknown

Although there are pages with too colorful pictures or pictures just need not be embellished or simply because I want the page to be simple.

So I always say my work is never done. There's always something to be done with the work done.

 “Perfection is the enemy of completion.” - Bird Dunn

But for now, I am done, and I am moving on to my next project. 

Finger Tap

My son taps his feet to make sounds from his shoes. My son also taps his fingers on the piano to make beautiful sounds. 

When I was young, I too took piano lessons. So did my husband. I had a wonderful experience because Lola Neneng - my grandmother's cousin - taught me so patiently and lovingly. I grew up and sadly stopped :( 

After years of not seeing each other, last year, when Lola Nanny died, the news reached Lola Neneng and she visited. Boy was I glad. Happy to see this woman who did not grow one year older the last time I saw her. She was and still is as lively and as chatty as before. My heart literally smiled in the middle of mourning. 

A couple of weeks after settling in a world without our naughty, haughty but loving grandmother, I asked Lola Neneng if she could teach my li'l man to play the piano because he was showing interest. She said yes and with a big discount! What every mom wants :D 

There was a phase when he got disinterested because it was interfering with his play time, but now he's ok. His dad supports him by downloading free piano pieces he likes like Little Big Planet.

Music from his favorite Playstation Game "Little Big Planet" 

 “The piano keys are black and white but they sound like a million colors in your mind"

 -Maria Cristina Mena

For my son it's fun. For me it's so much more. I see a very bright future ahead for my son who at a young age of 8 can already do so much. It's not bad that I enjoy seeing and listening to him too. 

 

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Li'l man was happily busy with his swim class the first two weeks of summer, and Tap class took a back seat. I would drive him to Tap class right after swim class to take just 30 minutes of it, instead of 1 hour, just so he wouldn't be too behind. Now that swim class has ended, Tap class takes over as his main activity for the summer. 

At this point, he's having a great time. He finds it challenging but enjoyable. 

As mom I choose carefully what my son gets into, but the main purpose really is for him to do something which he finds fun and to continuously learn from. 

I'm glad there's so much to do during the summer, and so much happy that I'm there. I'm there to make sure they're ready; I'm there to make sure they have the right amount of guidance, encouragement (this includes the occasional "Wake up!" and "Eat your breakfast already!" commands) and nourishment (this includes containers and containers for snacks); and I'm there to take pictures so that they have pockets full of memories to reach from when they're older.

I think Tap is great! I think my son and Tap fit well. His feet are made for it. As mom, it's important to know what your child will enjoy, what your child is good at, and pray that he finds both in one or more activities together. Lucky for me, it's easy to spot which one with my li'l man.

We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams. -Angela Monet

"I started tapping and it was okay. Then after about two years my feet knew what they were doing!" - Adam Garcia

Now I just need to convince him to take Ballet or Jazz to improve his posture :D

Swimming Class So Fun

Swim class was so much fun for me! :D I saw my children happy and improving everyday. 

My li'l girl, the one who got my side of the family's love for water, improved so much in terms of social development. She allowed the coach to teach and guide her, and the other moms and kids to say hi to her. 

My li'l man, on the other hand, was able to develop confidence in the water. This allowed him to be calm, relaxed and enjoy being in the water more. 

Overall, as mom, I am very happy that my children have already done so much, and summer has just begun. There's more to come and I'm very excited for them, and excited for me to see them grow in experience and love. 

 

Good read on swimming for children.

Researchers have documented that the stimulating effect of child-paced infant/toddler swimming lessons has the potential to increase intelligence, concentration, alertness, and perceptual abilities. Improvement in social, emotional and physical development has also been published. Of course, the manifestation of such inspired cognitive, personal and motor development takes time, patience and repetition. I have personally observed this phenomena and have confirmed this with other veteran instructors, especially in children who started lessons prior to 12 months old, but it’s never too late to receive these unique and subtle benefits of infant-toddler swimming. These babies eventually become extremely peaceful and relaxed in the water. http://www.babyswimming.com/benefits.htm

Busy Summer

There are some activities I didn't plan that came up and made my busy kids even busier :D Happy busy though. Their Mama Tet's simple birthday dinner at Bayleaf Hotel and Sunday lunch were still experiences and these make my children happier and wiser. 

The highlight of their weekend though was DEFINITELY going to Eastridge. Papa Lolo Leb treated us out there to lunch, swim and have snacks with best cousin, Tala!

The food was great! All three children ate a lot. Of course us moms too.  

They enjoyed riding the Golf Cart Papa Lolo drove to his game. 

 

  

We swam for hours! To quote my Instagram post  "One of the most beautiful, nicely-made and family-friendly pools I've been in." The landscape around it was gorgeous! With a mountain at the back and all around plants. The pool's structure was enticing. It was deep enough to swim in, but shallow enough to relax without the need for paddling. It had two shallow areas for children to play around in while the moms sit in the nearby chairs with halo-halo :D and a bubble area for relaxation.

 

Have I mentioned their great food? Ha! Ha! For snacks we had yummy spaghetti and refreshing iced tea.  I know the spaghetti's yummy because my husband (who is a picky eater) gave it a two thumbs up.

Overall it was a good experience for the kids, and for me too! The place was absolutely beautiful, enticing, relaxing and fun. 

 

 

Our summer feet enjoying the activities that summer brings us.

Swimming Class

Growing up, I remember spending summer in endless TV watching and swimming. I don't want that for my kids. Of course I let them do it once in a while, but for them to do only those during the summer would  be wrong. Such a waste of energy. There are so many things one can do during the summer.

So, I enrolled Zivv to tap class which he does the whole year and together with Astraea to swim class at Chito Rivera's Swim School in Don Bosco, Mandaluyong. 

Got it from Cash Cash Pinoy! Don't you just love vouchers :D 

Zivv is enjoying it very much, but Astraea the natural swimmer has to adjust to having a coach. She doesn't warm up easily, and doesn't like being told what to do, so the presence of a coach was enough to make her bawl for forty five minutes on the first day.  

Happy to say though that she is adjusting well.

"The benefits of "baby-friendly", infant/toddler swimming are unique, uplifting and contribute to the positive development of the whole child. Through the soothing medium of water, we are able to tap into the child's potential, both within and without." http://www.babyswimming.com/benefits.htm

Easter Sunday

There were three reasons to spend Easter Sunday in celebration. 

1. To celebrate a Lolo's birthday.

2. To celebrate a cousin's birthday. 

3. Of course the reason for our salvation. 

Easter Sunday was spent with the babies hunting for eggs and the bigger kids painting eggs.

Let me share with you a wonderful post from (in)courage:

Between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, there's Saturday. Pain, confusion, it seems like all is lost.
 

Sometimes it feels like we live in the Saturday - But what no one knew is that Saturday had been overcome! LIGHT shines in the darkness, even in the darkest night!

Summer's Here - Enchanted Kingdom

The week-long summer vacation events included a trip to Enchanted Kingdom. 

It's not much compared to the vacations the kids have been to but what's a Manila trip for the Ilonggo cousins without visiting Enchanted Kingdom? 

I didn't get to do much or take many pictures since I had to stay with the babies. So the big kids didn't have much pictures. 

The fun, I'm sure, will stay with them for a very long time, if not for the rest of their lives.

 

"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it takes people to make the dream a reality." - Walt Disney

Tradition Shared

Growing up, my family would go to San Mateo Rizal where my father grew up to watch and join the procession. 

We would either go Wednesday or Friday or both days. First, we would go to my father's father side where the Nazarene was and still is housed. There, we would have a light early dinner, and wait for the procession to begin. Soon as the Nazarene passed by the house, we would walk behind it to my father's mother side. 

There we would have San Mateo Rizal's famous pospas and kakanin. Yummy!

Since becoming a mom, I haven't joined that tradition. My family and I instead would go with my husband's family on a vacation. 

This year, Papa invited all of us to join him, and we did. 

Photo by VVV

My son didn't enjoy it very much especially coming from a fun-filled stay at the hotel with cousins, and pretty much like me when I was his age, but I do hope he appreciates it in time. 

Between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, there's Saturday. Pain, confusion, it seems like all is lost. Sometimes it feels like we live in the Saturday - But what no one knew is that Saturday had been overcome! LIGHT shines in the darkness, even in the darkest night! - (in)courage

 

Summer's Here - Richmonde Hotel

Cousins from Iloilo arrived for the Holy Week and a Tita treated all of us to an overnight stay at Richmonde Hotel. The kids didn't do much here but swimming, eating and sleeping together certainly made them all smiles for two days.

The pool looked enticing but it was very windy on the 39th floor that it was hard to just sit and relax while watching the kids. The kids didn't seem to mind it though. 

Fish tank style bathroom. Photo from the bathroom to the bedroom.

It wasn't big enough for a suite but nicely laid out. It actually fit three (3) adults and three (3) small kids. The other suits were just as full. Boy was it hard to move from suite to suite following the kids. Ha! Ha! 

 

Hungry from playing all day.

 

 

Getting all the kids in one place is a challenge. I just took this chance when I found it. Perhaps the playful stairs made them all gravitate towards it at the same time. 

 

 

The whole experience was a blast! The kids running around. The adults trying to catch up. Ha! Ha! It was a very good treat from a very generous tita. 

 

"Love is a gift from God which cannot be seen or touched. It is felt by our heart, it gives us joy, sometimes sorrow, but it's just a part of it because love is an unexplained feeling felt by individuals which makes them happy and able to have inspiration from it." - Unknown