Bitten By The Shutterbug

Xmas Eve, after the rocus and the almost-ended-up-in-the-ER incident ,we had our dinner ( instant noodle soup....my sister would not believe that we didn't have a feast just like in the Phils) .Kids went to bed quietly.I took a quick shower and got ready to watch tv before we go to bed. DH pointed a box sitting on our ottoman and he told me that "he thinks it's for me". My husband is not very good in giving surprises to this is a big deal for him. The box was not wrapped ,actually it was an old box.....but it was heavy when I lifted it....so I thought " hhmmmmm..must be a brick and he wants to play trick on me ......." Inside the box was another paper bag..a more christmassy looking box and so then I got really excited and I thought " hhhhmmmm maybe a brick wrapped inside this paperbag..."
The "brick" was wrapped with those thin colored tissue papers so I could not really make out what was inside and my brain was going " if this is really a brick I hope he could dodge fast enough coz its surely will land on his face"....
Slowly I unwrapped the thing and voila!!!......a new digital camera!!!!!
At 11:30 pm I was jumping up and down like a kid ...I was really surprised!!!
I didn't asked for anything this xmas because I figured he already spent so much money helping my family in the Philippines but he knew that I wanted a more powerful camera coz I love taking pictures. I think this is one of the best Christmas present I have ever had so far..

So what do you do with your new toy???!!!
You play with it till you learn all the tricks and make the full use of it.

I'd like to share some pictures that I took with my new cam.Pls. click on the images to make it bigger.

The picture quality was so good you can see the details of the xmas tree so clearly

Santa Said She'd Been Really Good So She Got Her Wish

Shinjo Wont Be Left Behind.He Got Some Nice Presents Too

Trigger Happy Mommy Captured Shinjo's Goofiness

He Luvs Modeling For Mommy

Practicing With The Color Effect. Shinjo In Sephia

Soo Busy With Her New Gadget She Wont Even Look At The Cam

Happy New Year Indeed To All!!!

5 Days Before Christmas

Shinjo had their xmas party at his school today and he wont see his classmates & teachers till next year, January 4th. Princess have until Friday at school and then she'll have a two-weeks long winter break.

When Do I Get A Break???
....in your dreams Mel...

I talked about ordering toys online and so I did...and guess what??
I returned most of it because I didn't like the toys when they arrived...very disappointing...so no choice but to head out to the store before it gets emptied by the eager shoppers. Whew....thank goodness we found all of the toys on our list.

We got our tree too..but not as big as last year . I think my dear husband was distracted about something because he was obviously wasn't paying enough attention when he bought it.The tree was not perfect ( according to my taste) but I didn't want to say anything. I had to re-do the decoration because the tree was leaning so much it looked like its gonna fall over my head. ...patience....patience......and with a little bit of trick the tree stood perfectly straight & still. I just love real tree...I know that with all this "environmental issues" that it's probably more ideal to mother earth to juts have a fake tree but I thought...come on....I don't pollute ( not too much) and I recycle so its not like I'm not doing anything so I think I can be forgiven for having a real fresh cut tree for xmas.


My MIL came and help put up the ornaments so it was fun. Kinda like our family tradition as well , to be together , helping each other decorate the tree and have the same holiday spirits. We also discussed about what are we gonna have for Christmas dinner and I dunno if it was clear on my face that I was a little disappointed . I explained that I just missed the holiday feast that we have in the Philippines where we have so much food and desserts for the whole family ,friends and neighbors to enjoy.

Mas masaya ang Noche Buena sa atin!!


I hope all of you guys will have a joyous Christmas and a wonderful New Year!!!

Here are some latest pics of my little kiddos.

Ang Mga Mahal Ko Sa Buhay

Anticipating,Online Shopping And An Award

Could you believe it??? As I am typing this post there is only less than 22 days left before Christmas!! That fast huh!!
Like always I have it all planned ...find the perfect tree, take the holiday ornaments out of the storage closet, surf the net for the right toys for the kids , plan for the xmas dinner etch etch...but I had to put my plans on hold for a while because of some major events that is going on with my family in the Philippines.

First, our youngest sibling got a job in Saudi Arabia and we've been scrambling every ways to make sure that his first flight out of the country will go smoothly. I must say I am a bit nervous coz he's only 22 and still very immature but come to think of it , I had my maiden voyage when I was 16. I guess I'm worried coz I know that it's not as easy as they think with all the adjustments that he has to go through.I have been texting him so many time giving him advise & tips on what to do , what to bring , what to expect. Part of me was so proud how he came around from being the problem child of the family to being a grown up with all his wonderful plans and hopes....another part of me is sad because he is going away just like me and I know that this will break my parents heart. But , we all have to make our own choices for our future.

Another major event is my sister's board exam (BS RN ) scheduled today and tomorrow. This is her second try and I am praying so hard that she make it this time. I know how much pressure it is on her especially now that our brother is going over seas ahead of her ( napag iiwan na sya). I trust her and I know that she will do everything she can to pass this exam...its for her own future....its for her own good.

I miss my brother and sister so much most of all during this holiday season.
When we were small kids , my father would bring Andok's Fried Chicken and some hot pandesal and call it "noche buena". No matter , the excitement for the coming of xmas and the New Year were not dampened by the meager amount of food on our dinning table , we still celebrated the joyous occasion as if we were chowing down expensive ham and other fancy dishes. We were still happy because we were together.

-----------------------~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~---------------------------


My anxiety and restlessness is off the roof so I thought maybe surfing the net for toys would help me relax......NO...it didn't..it just made me more edgy. I guess I must have forgotten how it is to shop for toys. Last year was stressful because they were no longer infants nor toddlers..they are now "younger kids" or so the toy websites categorize their ages. Within an hour of looking I realize that it even more agonizing this time ( and the next years perhaps) not only because of the kids different interests but also the kind of toys that are out there. Not to mention the prize ( expect to shed a few hundreds if you have more than 1 kid ). Our DD requested a Nintendo DS and I tried to explain to her that if this is what she really likes then that's the only gift she's gonna get because Nintendo is expensive. She graduated from Leapster Learning Center which she loved so much that she accumulated 10 different game cartriges. Seems like she'd made up her mind so Nintendo it is for her. Our DS on the other hand is just starting to learn ABCs and he loves to color and paint and he is so interested with all kinds of animals.He also likes songs, music and books. My Amazon.com wishlist is full of options just for Shinjo .Me and my DH will have to sit together and pick the ones that we think are best for him.

We're doing all of our shopping on line and taking advantge of Free shipping. I don't think I could take the kids to the store and let them pick the toys they want then expect them to wait till xmas. That's just turture to them , I think.I mean , its hard even for grown ups to wait . If we have a babysitter , I would shop by myself or with my husband, but definitely not bringing the kids. And besides,I'm comfortable sitting infront of my laptop, in my flannel jammies and a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Here are some good websites for educational and unique toys.
1.Baby Universe
2.Wokits
3.ELC
4.Kaplan
5.Sensational Beginning
6.One Step Ahead

Happy Shopping!!!!


-----------~~~~~******~~~~~~-------------
My friend Tess and Bless gave me and award. You guys are so sweet. I'd like to give you a big bear hug if I could. Thanks to both of you.

I'd like to share this award to every one on my friends list coz you all deserve it too!!!

A Trip To The Clinic & Some Funny Story. : Part 2

This one is about my son's recent visit to see his new pediatrician and also to get his Flu shot. God knows how I hated to be in the waiting area much more surrounded by sick kids w/c made my misery 10x worse but this was my little peanut's annual check up so I was a little ok with it.

His new pedia , lets call her Dr. H , is a giant . I figured she's tall when I read her resume on the hospital's websites about her being a former member of her collage basketball team .I was wearing a pair of boots w/ heels but I still looked like a midget in front of her towering height which probably over 6 feet tall.

Dr. H is nice and she asked many questions about Shinjo and told me plenty about herself . I like the fact that she didn't look like she's in any rush to be done talking with us and Shinjo kinda liked her and comfortable around her which is very important to me.

Time to do a quick examine of Shinjo's vitals and some other routine check ups.Laying down on the bed ,Shinjo was made to take off his pants so the doctor can look at his genitals . The little bugger was making a fuss so Dr.H gave him a tongue depressor to keep him busy while being examined.
Dr, H :" Hmm...seems everything is ok...2 testicles....no bumps or anything.... OH NO..I think we should take that away!"

I swear I thought I was gonna pass out after hearing what Dr. H said and she caught my gaze and read my pale and scared expression. I was so shocked I couldn't open my mouth. That's when Dr. H said " Oh I meant the tongue depressor because he was chewing it "
I gave out a big sigh of relief and we all had a big laugh even the student doctor who was there accompanying her. Gosh , how would you feel if the doctor tells you that your son might never have any children because there's a problem with his manhood?! Beside, I wanna have some grandchildren too.

Luv Ice Cream!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daughter is now in first grade and her level of curiosity doubled up.
Everyday she looks at the calendar and ask me what date is it or how many more days before Xmas. One day she even asked how many minutes before her birthday which is not till June next year. So my solution was teach her how many minutes in an hour , an hour in one day , a day in a week etch etch and we do this while driving to school or while I'm doing something in the kitchen. She's still confused about it and I think it will take a while to understand but at least she's not gonna ask me how many hours more before my birthday.

Being such a social kid , she's now asking me about "sleepover" and I was like " how about a sleep over in the Philippines FOR GOOD"...No , I didn't tell her that but it just bothers me how a 6 year old kid get this idea? My 1st guess are her classmates and they are all about the same age. I can't believe parents would allow their kids to spend a night at their friends house at that age. NO WAY!!!

Another one of her many inquiries is "Why do girls have pepe and boys have wiener?"
I just couldn't be honest with her so I had to lie and simply said "so we could tell w/c one is a girl or a boy" and quickly change the topic.
An article at Parenting magazine written by Julie Tilsner says that it's okay to lie as long as it wont do any harm to them. Little white lies are justifiable according to the experts because young children can't understand complex or scary situation such as when your child says " Mommy , will you be with me forever?". Would you tell them no??? There are downside of course but I think it out weighs the results of when you try to explain to your kids too serious stuff that are beyond their grasp. Just make sure that your little white lies are age appropriate coz they will soon learn them later on . The experts also advise that when it come to thing that are happening at home or in the family such as divorce,illnesses or death that we should be honest with them about it. They may not care if you lied about why their favorite toy got broken but don't lie about something that they will care about 10 years from now.

Her 1st Permanent Tooth Popped Out

Her Hair Is Now Long Enough To Make French Twist And Made Me Promise To Never Cut Her Hair Again

My Two Little Devils ~ Halloween 2007

'Twas a perfect night.The sky was so clear with the stars shining bright.Cool wind that was gentle enough to keep the little trick-a-treaters relax and comfortable with their Halloween costumes.Such contrast from previous years when not only it was freezing cold but also drizzling rain all day long.This year the kids flaunted their cutest costumes and never needing to put on any heavy jacket or raincoats.
I had fun taking pictures and the kids were just in h-e-a-v-e-n!
Here's some my two kiddos' Halloween pics:

LakeView Farm Where We Got The Pumpkins


Our Jackolanterns.Mommy Was So Proud Of Her Carving Skills Lols


Princess Dressed As An Evil Witch.2nd Pics With Madisun As TMNT

Shinjo As Count Dracula Coz He Likes To Count Them Treats

Now, mommy gotta hide their stash before this little monsters devour them lols.They got so much sweets & candies to last them till next Halloween.

Not Enough Days In A Week :)

It's been a busy week yet again.
Sunday we went with our friends to this huge farm for a pumpkin patch trip for the kiddos and boy did they had a blast!!.It was their first time and so was mine . Personally, I still couldn't completely embrace the idea of a "celebration" for this particular event because to me as a filipina ,it's a time to remember our relatives & loveones who passed away and also I was quite sure there were more bigger ,prettier & cleaner pumpkins at Costco or Winco so why in the world we were in the middle of a farm , all muddy and cold I would never understand but who am I to spoil the fun. Kids were just ecstatic to see all the activities in lined for them such as petting zoo,corn maze,haystack maze,train ride, pumpkin patch , boat ride and some delish food kiosks. For less than 15 bucks the four of us gets to do all of these stuff and bring home the best pumpkin that we could find for the Halloween.In the end I thought that it is indeed a fun holiday coz it's about family sharing activities that everyone enjoys. I'll try to remember to wear rain boots next time.

Boat ride,The Pumpkin Patch and Petting Zoo

Monday was spent general cleaning coz the next day is a special day for my MIL and I want to make sure that the house is impeccable in all corners . I was in such a mood for cleaning , I even clean my car that has been begging for some TLC :)
Tuesday , we celebrated my MIL's birthday.
Times like this when I'm not really in the mood to cook especial dishes, we just ordered take out from Red Robin. I am just so glad that we are so easy & predictable.We order same food everytime and everyone is fine and happy with it which makes life so much easier and we still had lots of time left to enjoy a movie.We had Baskin Robbins ice cream cake btw..how easy is that?? No fuss , no huss and MIL was happy with her bday celebration.

Shinjo school had their own little pumpkin patch on Wednesday at school too and they painted their own pumpkins & brought it home. It was so cute what my son did , he turned the pumpkin into something that looks like the globe because of it's bluish green color . I'll post pics of the pumpkins that we got after they've been carved.

Thursday , my daughter had a Parent Literature Night. I'm not actually the most social type and prefers to be on the back stage but I didn't want my kid to be left out and so I went. It wasn't as bad as I thought and many parents came with their kids and I got to meet some of them and they all have one thing to say about my daughter, " Oh my gosh your daughter is such a talker"...lols but I already knew that. There were book reading , family games & activities and the most fun of all is the free pizza and refreshment....oh actually it's the ruffle draw and the free books which I love tremendously coz there were no limit , only your guilt , coz you can take as many as you want!!!

Friday , I wanted to go window shopping for holiday outfit for the kids but I got so much stuff to do at home so I decide to re-sched my mall trip. I couldn't believe I spent 4 and a half hours ironing our clothes that afternoon. Heck I even ironed DH's boxer shorts , I think. I was just on a roll with loading up the dirty laundry & ironing the dried ones. Whew , what a day. While I was swooshing my arm with the hot steaming flat iron back & forth , I was in front of the TV watching new episodes of Law and Order SVU that I recorded , some old episodes of Scrap booking from DIY channel up to the evening local news. I was so glad when I was finally done.I think I've ironed half of our entire wardrobe. Dh felt bad so he ordered Japanese take-out for diner.

Speaking of scrap booking, I have made a few pages but I had to put them away for awhile coz I get to immersed with the whole process and as a result many of my daily chores piled up undone such as the laundry,dusting , bathroom etch etch.It's funny when my husband goes to work with crumpled shirt,his co-workers assumed we had a fight lols. Anyhoo..here are some of the pages that I have done. I will finish the whole album which means I still have maybe 300 more pics to go.

Some Of My Finished Scrapbooking Project

Saturday we went to the newly opened Ikea .About 20 mins drive if we didn't got lost.The navigation couldn't find the entrace to this humongous mall that sits amongst other big stores such as Staples,Marshalls ,Bestbuy etch etch. Ikea was so big and since it only opened in July this year a lot of people are still curious at what they could find in this popular Swedish store. The driving and the immense size of it got me so tired I totally lost my appetite to buy anything. I was contented on just looking around ,scouting and kinda making mental note at what I'm gonna buy next time. We had to stop by at Target on our way home but I was just too exhausted otherwise I would have gone inside Target to check out their dollar only section but instead I just stayed in the car .Hmmmmmm sign of aging :)

Sunday,we just stayed home. I think even the kids have had enough fun for the whole week. We watched old movies and I made toasty Philly Cheese Steak sandwich for lunch and when I'm done with this post , we are gonna watch The Pirate of The Caribbean:At Worlds End and have some nice rum and coke drink...ahhhh...relaxing.

Ta ta for now and have a fun Trick'a treatin' :)

Playground Politics

There's this wonderful play area that we go to regularly. I love it coz it's very safe, far away from the road,well kept, has a clean bathroom, lots of tress, benches & picnic table ,it has a big tent that covers the whole play area to keep dry from the rain & a big parking lot.

Since the beginning of summer vacation we go there almost everyday. I observed that everyday there are different groups of parents & kids that gather around on the picnic table. For instance I noticed that every Thursday afternoon , a group of Indian moms are there, on Wednesday Japanese & maybe Hispanic groups on Tuesday. So everyday we see different nationalities & I've yet to see any Filipino group. For what reason I don't know .I started to wonder because I've feeling left out more & more whenever my kids had to share the play area w/ these kids & since we don't belong to their group we are outsiders , or at least that's how I see my daughter gets treated . It hurts for a parent to see their child struggles to fit in .Instead of just going there & have fun , she has to assess first if she can play w/ whatever group of kids who's there at that day of the week.

Being an outsider to the group is just one of the problem that I see. Another one is those moms or parents who go there to chit-chat or read or talk on their cellphones. In other words, they stop paying attention to their kids ones they sit their butts on the benches , enjoying the sun & whatever that occupies their thoughts. On the other hands, their kids are bullying my kids & I had to stand there & make sure my kids don't get hurt or get into an accident because some kids can't behave in a public play area.

Maybe one day I'm gonna get into a fight with some parent but I'm ready for that coz I wont let my kids get pushed around. I don't judge people & I believe we all care deeply about our kids but we should also never forget to be considerate of others & as a parents our number one role is to guide them & if our kids are doing something bad, we can't just ignore it because we are too busy chatting up w/ our friends etch etch..

I think we will still keep going to that park no matter what coz it's for everyone & anyone. I just have to be more vigilant in watching my own kids and maybe someday there'll be a Filipino group in that park that will welcome us.

Her Favorite Tree

Down The Slide