Stage Mom

I tell you moms and dads, especially to moms, of course, that it is quite easy if your child is a boy when it comes to school's programs and celebrations. Especially what I had just experienced in regards to my daughter's moving up ceremonies.

Why?

1. You have to fix their hair to a couture. She's only four years old and she wakes up late. Imagine how am I going to bathe her, dry her hair, fix her do into something she likes in just thirty minutes time.

2. Select a dress that she will like. Good thing if your child just wears anything you put on them. Mine's different. At a very young and tender age of four, she knows how to appreciate good style to "this-will-do" style. I see she's happy when people complement her about her dresses, thats why she's confident and tells you she's sexy. Yes, she knows what's sexy means. To her, it means the dress is great, it looks good on her and she's noticed because of it.

3. Make up. Not an expertise of mine but with some basic moves, I try not to make her face a canvass for some abstract designs or something. Kidding aside, when my child saw I put something on my eyebrows, she just looks at me. But.... but, beware... Once I leave the room, she will get the eyeliner and do it on herself. Believe the "Keep away from children." label. (this deserves another blog post).

5. Shoes...You dont want your child to be the reflection of your poor taste in clothing.

been a Bee-zy mom lately

Oh what a week that was! Finally it's over. After fidgeting and worrying about what to wear, what to buy, what to do, at last I survived my first and of course my daughter's Graduation Day or Moving Up Ceremonies.

Now I could find the time to doodle here again and think mushy, messy, misery and merry thoughts.

Easter Traditions

The Easter Festivity unfolds at dawn about 4:00AM exactly with the traditional Salubong or Easter Vigil. Here in the northern part of the Philippines where mostly are Ilocanos, we call it "Sabet-sabet." It is a procession heralding the resurrection of Christ and his reunion with Mary. While the images of Mother and Son are processioned separately around the church, then they meet up at the entrance, a little girl dressed up like an angel replaces the Blessed Virgin’s black veil of grief and mourning, with a white one. The Feast culminates with the celebration of a Holy Mass followed by Easter Egg Hunt at the Church gardens for the kids and kids at heart.

Happy easter everyone!

Birthday at Jollibee

Here in the Philippines, Jollibee is the number one fastfood restaurant. Here in my town, unfortunately, there's no McDonalds yet. Hoping they will set-up their branch here in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya this year.

My daughter celebrated her birthday at Jollibee last March 12, 2008. It is not actually a birthday party though. She celebrated her birthday party at school. We just ate there. Together with her cousins and grandmother (father's side), my daughter was very happy and giggly and hyperactive. She could not concentrate on her food and she likes to run to and from the playground. When asked how old she is, she just flashes her four fingers to you. She tells me she is long, (not tall). She ordered chickenjoy together with her cousins. My daughter will not eat spaghetti like most children. She doesn't like the sauce and would only eat the pasta. She also doesn't like catsup with her french fries. She would rather dip it into her gravy. She doesn't like the burger, but only like to take a bite on the bread. Choosy you say? Nahhh. I say eccentric eater. One more thing, she only likes the skin of the hotdog.

Golden Rules for Living

If you open it
close it.
If you turn it on
turn it off.
If you unlock it,
lock it up.
If you break it,
admit it.
If you can't fix it,
call someone who can.
If you borrow it,
return it.
If you value it,
take care of it.
If you make a mess,
clean it up.
If you move it,
put it back.
If it belongs to someone else
and you want to use it,
get permission.
If you don't know how to operate it,
leave it alone.
If it's none of your business,
don't ask questions.
If ain't broke, don't fix it.
If it will brighten someone's day,
say it.
If it will tarnish someone's reputation,
keep it to yourself.
If they give you something
even if you don't like it,
still say thank you.
If you fall,
get up.
If you fail,
try again.

Still at the park

The Map of Manila. How to get to the Manila Ocean Park

The floor plan.

The Manila Ocean Park.

Park Rules

Flash Photography is not allowed as this scares the marine animals. One specie we saw was injured at its mouth due to camera flash. Better to bring digital camera. The park is open from10:00am to 9:00pm Mondays to Sundays. Food and beverages are not allowed.

The Manila Ocean Park

This is the proof that I really went there! huh! Well they still don't have much souvenirs to take home or any give-aways for that matter, so I kept these tickets. The admission ticket for adults is Php 400.00 while for a child, it is Php 350.00. It's a big chunk from our allowance but I tell you, it's really worth it. If not for the limited time we were alloted to, (bec. we have to go to Avilon Zoo) I would have gladly stayed the whole day. Looking at the variety of fishes swimming could take the reality and the problems away. I felt transported to the vastness of the real ocean for just a few seconds.
Lunch came and we saw how they fed the stingrays and the sharks and the multitude of marine species. It was such a great experience. Stingrays are 'hand fed.' They were like babies that are spoon fed, straight to their mouth. Even the Electric Eel is hand fed by the scuba diver. It was like Fiesta! How I wish I was the one feeding them that exact moment. It was just so awesome!

Ocean Park Manila

Last March 4, 2008, the United Methodist Kiddie Kollege of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya went to the newly opened MANILA OCEAN PARK.
We were so excited, not just the children but us too, the parents and the guardians to visit the first world-class themed park. The Ocean Mall (as I like to call it) is a fusion bringing together in one complex an Oceanarium, a mall, a restaurant row, boutique hotel, open water marine habitats and multi-purpose function facilities.
When we visited the site, it's just a few meters walk from the Museo Pambata which we visited first as part of the students' fieldtrip itinerary. Located behind the Quirino Granstand at the Luneta Park, so it's not difficult to locate it.
Everybody had a grand time. Aside from those who have seen the Hongkong Ocean Park and the Sentosa in Singapore, it was a first time for most of us. Even those who have seen some oceanarium could attest the beauty and the size of the new Ocean Park.
My child's favorite is no other than the stingray. At first, she thought it was a bird, because of its wing-like body. Even after I explained it to her that it was not a bird, when her Papa called asking what she saw in the Ocean Park, she still replied, "a bird."
The picture above is together with her teachers and some students of the school.

my place! my town! my country!

I found a site dedicated to my hometown and province, with lots of pictures to see.

Please click on the link to see: (thanks to the site owner. : )

http://www.batch2006.com/visit_nueva_vizcaya.htm

http://www.batch2006.com/visit_solano.htm

View from my Window