Happy 7th Birthday, Dana! :)

Happy Birthday to our beautiful daughter, Dana Catherine! :)

You can't imagine how fast time flies.  Here's one way to think about Dana's 7th birthday:  It's been seven years since she came out of the hotel, yes, the one I call, The Womb! LOL  It's truly incredible how such a small person can blossom into this lovely little girl that's obviously a product of Patrick and me :)  I may look like her, but her mood swings are definitely Patrick's LOL

I've often heard that the 7th birthday is a real milestone in a child's life.  I haven't really guessed why.  For me, every day that your child is alive is a milestone and should be celebrated not with parties (they help) but with love and affection.  And though Patrick and I really wanted to celebrate Dana's birthday with a huge bash, unfortunately, this year, we are kind of painfully stripped off a budget for it.  It's tough, when you think about it.  I feel guilty not being able to give her THE Party which her classmates in school obviously had.   I'm just glad that she accepts the reality and am proud of her for understanding it.

Though she didn't have a grand celebration, I did surprise her with a gift when she woke up that morning.  I asked her Ate Den to have a huge tarpaulin made of her favorite character, Willy Wonka, played by Johnny Depp.  See, Dana really likes Willy Wonka/Johnny Depp.  She brings the DVD everywhere she goes.  When she's watching TV, the DVD is right beside her watching with her ;) So, she was really surprised and her eyes glowed with delight when I presented that rolled-up tarpaulin for her :)  Her smile was priceless!!

After her school, we surprised her with a trip to SM Centerpoint for lunch :)  We all ate at Savory (Patrick was still at the office) and her Ate Den presented her with their gift - a Spongebob wallet :)  We also bought her a cake and bought ingredients for carbonara (her favorite) for dinner :)

Hot and Sour Soup

Kikiam

Reuniting with old friends

Once again, time has permitted former office mates and great friends to meet.  This time, it was at Martin's son, Kevin's 21st birthday and graduation bash, held last October 30.  It took a while to get most of the pictures so this post is a bit delayed. So, sorry for that :)

There was a casino theme as you can see, which was a perfect backdrop for our getting together.  We all shared good times, entertaining moments and unforgettable blunders that mostly centered around clubs, drinks, girls (for the boys) and  general frivolity during the years we all worked for Senator Ramon Revilla, more than 15 years ago.

Here's a toast to Kevin - Good luck on your new path!
Here's a toast to my friends - It's good to have found you all once again!



Here's a photo chronicle of the night:

Before going inside the venue
L-R: Alan, Russell, Kevin, Jerry, me, Patrick

Standing (L-R): Lily caught up with us, Russell, Mang Rudy
Sitting (L-R): me, Jerry, Martin, Ronnie

Martin opened a bottle of Patron for us to enjoy!

Ronnie and I got free hats!

Girls (seated): me and Lily
Boys (standing): Russell, Martin, Ronnie, Jerry & Mang Rudy

I've become so fat I'm able to block Jerry!

Pro Photo!
Jerry's missing! Where in the world is Jerry Panela?

Dylan's 4th Birthday

Happy Birthday to Dylan !!!

He's 4 years old and we're excited because good things are happening to him.  His speech therapy classes are going well.  He's improved a lot considering he has been in therapy for the past 3 months.  He is now able to speak more words although he still needs to be prompted for some stuff.  At least, we've noticed that he's singing more and is more receptive to learning than before.

However, like all birthday celebrants (at least in my family) we always end up in the hospital in some way or another during our birthdays.. In Dylan's case, we ended up at the emergency room on the night of March 23rd because he slipped on the stairs and he got a nasty bump on the head.  Den's friends who were here at that time were almost passing out because of all the blood on Dylan's head but I kept my cool because I knew that head wounds tend to really bleed a lot.

We went to the nearest hospital and Dylan needed to have 4 stitches.  I couldn't bear to watch him because it was obvious he was in pain.  I was thinking that if Patrick was the one who had to go with him, he probably would pass out too.  Injections and blood don't hold too well with him :)  I was also reminded of my brother experiencing the same fate.  But with Allan, he was jumping on the bed, lost his balance and he hit his head on the corner or our Betamax.  He was taken to the same hospital and he also had stitches to the head.  It's funny, because now, Dylan, Dana and Rhys (their cousin) have the same scar on their heads LOL kinda like Harry Potter look alikes LOL

I don't have pictures of him while at the emergency room because it seemed wrong to be taking pictures while he's in pain but I did take a picture of him with his head bandaged and it seemed like nothing happened after the stitching hahaha  In fact, while he was being fixed, he was crying so hard and it was like he took a bath with perspiration.  The nurses had to keep him bound with the blankets so he wouldn't be squirming and moving, it was really hard to watch.  But immediately after the bandages were on, it was like nothing happened.  He was back to his cute and charming self :)

I took about a week for the sutures to come off.  It was hard cleaning the wound and protecting it from germs because of the gauze tape that keep getting attached to his hair LOL that was what was painful to him. :D

Anyway, his wound and scar is a story that he likes hearing about all the time :)

Dana's 6th Birthday

We didn't celebrate Dana's 6th birthday with a party.  The day coincided with her Final Exams so naturally, time should be devoted to studying (yeah right!) hahaha  I just bought some pancit malabon from our favorite store, Patrick brought some ice cream when he came home and that was Dana's party :)  The important thing was that she knew we remembered and that we're together as a family to celebrate it :) I did still promise her that on the weekend, we'll have our very own Mama-and-Daughter Day Out to celebrate her birthday.

So, on Saturday after her exams, Dana and I went to Gateway Cineplex 10 in Cubao to watch Alice in Wonderland.  Silly me, I haven't been to the theater in so long and I'm amazed that 3D is back LOL I never really liked 3D - blame it on my wacky eyesight but I'm content with 2D films hahahha and the price, oh the price!! It was almost double the regular ticket price of movies.. man! it's no wonder the government can't really staunch the proliferation of pirated DVD movies.. most people (I think) can't afford to spend this much on movies! :O

Anyway,  so Dana and I still went through with it.  Of course, naturally, she enjoyed it as it was her first 3D movie ever!

After the movie, we were hungry so we ate at Reyes Barbecue at the Food Court of the Gateway Mall.  Having regained some of our energy back, we both decided to go shopping like the good girls that we are LOL

We ended up buying swimwear and swimming implements for our upcoming summer trip :)

Lance and Hannah's Birthday Celebration

October 18 - This was the day that Toni and Stevie rescheduled the kids' birthday celebration. It was originally meant for October 4, Sunday but the venue was also flooded and needed weeks to get things back in order. So they decided to hold the celebration at Jollibee in Green Meadows.

Needless to say, the kids all had a good time. It was rather unlucky that Rhys and Dimples and Jericho couldn't make it because Rhys was sick. Some of the guests were also trapped and troubled by the closing of the Quezon Circle route due to a marathon run so they ended up being late for the celebration.

Dana and Dylan participated in the games and even won a few prizes.














Of course, the highlight of the party was when Jollibee himself made an appearance!! Even the adults wanted to have their picture taken with Jollibee hahahaha
















All in all, kids and adults had a good time and there was plenty of food left over. After this, we took the kids back home because their car was still in the shop adn then we went straight to SM North Edsa to have Den's laptop looked at. I fear it's a virus and the system needs to be recovered. It's a good thing that the after-sales service at Gigahertz is great. They fixed the laptop with no charge :)

Took advantage of the 50% sale at the department store to buy the kids' their Christmas clothes :D

Tiring but Fun Day!!

Happy Birthday Dylan!!

March 18 - It's our son, Dylan's 3rd birthday! :) woohoo unfortunately, we hadn't planned on any celebration or any kind of party for him. We were thinking of just having a summer outing for the family and that's the kind of birthday celebration for them hahahhaa at least it's cheaper that way and we'll have more fun! :)




We did buy a yummy "moist chocolate cake" from Conti's in Greenhills. We first tasted the cake when Toni served it for Lance's birthday. :) We couldn't resist and honestly.. it took so long for us to finish Dana's cake that we were kind of tired of the taste hahhaha


But as you can see from Dylan's face, he's really enjoying the singing (of course you can't hear it, but trust me it was loud and hearty and funny!)


Of course, a birthday won't be complete without the customary candle blowing but we had to make do with toothpicks for candles (MacGyver will be horrified!) Oh and we also enjoyed the pasta that I cooked for the occasion.

Our boy is growing up so fast!! :)

Dana's 5th Birthday

Happy 5th Birthday to our cute and lovely daughter Dana!! hahaha

I knew Dana was very excited about her birthday, though we didn't really promise her anything. She just knew that she was going to have a cake (hehe because she was the one who picked it out!) and some ice cream and that I was going to cook some pasta :)

She wanted to play in the playroom in Megamall too but we told her that that will have to wait until we can go with Tita Flor so she can also share in the celebration. Dana was fine with that.

So, on the morning of her birthday, I heard her coming down the stairs, I immediately waited for her at the bottom and started singing "Happy Birthday" to her while doing a silly dance ! LOL she was laughing so much she had to sit on the step hahahaha

Then, Dylan gave her a hug and a kiss and even managed to say "Birthday" in his own special way ;) We then went to Goldilocks to pick up her Wall-e cake and Ate Den met us there. We had some snacks too.

As soon as we arrived, we ate pasta, sang Happy Birthday again and just had fun being together.

We also took her Lightning bike to the vulcanizing shop to have it fixed and they didn't charge us anything! LOL we just gave the mechanic some pasta too hahahaa

Next, the kids played in the garage since there were no cars so they had the place to themselves. They also played with their bubbles and basically just tired themselves out :)

In the evening, when Patrick arrived, he brought the gifts for the two kids. A remote control car for Dana and a big car for Dylan. You can't give one and not give the other hehehe They were so excited about their new toys.. so were Ate Den and I hahahaha

Because of all the energy they didn't settle down until midnight LOL

Oh and Congratulations to Patrick because he got his driver's license today !

Tita Gigi's birthday celebration

Last Friday, October 10, we went to Dana's Ninong Carlo's house to attend a party for his mom's birthday. The Aguilos' have been a 2nd family to Patrick since he and Caloy became friends and it's also such a coincidence that they're related to me since we all hail from the same small island group in the North.

The kids were a hit (I'm one proud mama!) It was such a bittersweet feeling that these people, though not related by blood, have so much affection for our kids, more so than some of our very own relatives. It's like I'm seeing their enjoyment as a way of how it would be if my mom were alive and she was able to be with them in the same way.

We went home at around 1am LOL it was a good time to catch up and even Dana's Ninong Johann took the opportunity to give the kids his last year's Christmas gifts LOL see how much time has passed before we saw each other again hahaha

The pictures are of (top) Ninang Bito and Dylan and (bottom) the kids playing with the piano (like Chiaki and Nodame) hahaha

Lance's 2nd Birthday

September 27, 2008


Today, we went to Stevie and Toni's house in Marikina to celebrate Lance's 2nd birthday :) At first, we weren't sure if it will push through because it ws getting very close to Toni's due date. But, she had her check-up earlier in the week and the doctor told her that Hannah may be coming the week after. But, for once we were on time for a celebration coz we just took the LRT train to get there hahahaha

Unfortunately, Dimples, Jericho and Rhys weren't there.

The cousins just played around while we were waiting for Ate Rose to finish cooking :) Toni did cook the hotdogs! LOL The food was so yummy!! Ate Rose, Toni thank you! hahaha and to think we even had take-out LOL

Thanks goes out to Sharon, Toni's sister for the cake !! Ang sarap!! Delicious!!!

Welcome Sofia Jasmine!

Just a couple of minutes ago, my sister, her husband and their baby just left. I was so surprised that they dropped by. Sharon probably knew I couldn't go to their place because it was so far so she made the trip herself.

At last, I saw my new niece, Sofia Jasmine, born last September 4, 2008. She's so cute!!

My sister gained a few pounds since I saw her last which is only natural as all women go through the same "torture" hahahaha

I hope I get to see more of the baby.. I will really have to take a trip next time..

Enjoy the pictures!!

It's a Girl!!

Congratulations to my sister Sharon who just gave birth to a baby girl yesterday, September 4th in the wee hours of the morning.. The baby came early after a series of premature contractions last August. She was due on the 18th but can't wait to stay that long in the tummy, eh? :)

Hope I can take pictures soon!

Dylan's 2nd Birthday

Yes.. My baby boy is now 2 years old!! hahahaha

His long-awaited gifts have finally been opened.. voila!! they are Mr. Potato Head and Darth Tater!! woohoo!!!

It's a bit sad though that his birthday coincided with my mom's 40 days.. so we can't really celebrate as much as we want..

We'll make it up to him next time.. besides, it's also Holy Week (Lenten season) here in the Philippines..

Anyway, we also opened the Shell Ferrari Cars but we're still planning on where to put it in the house.. it really should be displayed not played with hahahaha

Dana's 4th Birthday - Day 2

Well, it seems that there's a continuation to Dana's birthday celebration! Not finding suitable graduation shoes for Den at the SM Mall of Asia, we decided to go shopping at the Araneta Center in Cubao the day after. It's a good place to a shop since there are a number of malls - SM, Ali Mall, the new Gateway Mall, Farmer's Plaza and a department store-cum-supermarket combo called Shopwise.

Looks like not too many shoe manufacturers produce white shoes for graduation nowadays. We've been through so many stores, we've lost count before settling with one pair that at least looks comfortable (graduation ceremonies take a long time), priced right and looks good on her :)

After that, we went to a store called the Toy Palace, that's a little out of the way but carries great toys at reasonable prices. The kids' godmother, my old friend Dette, sent some money for the kids. We were able to buy a musical piano, a Mr. Potato Head and a Darth Tater version of Mr. Potato Head :) The kids are into Star Wars, if you want to know :0

Anyway, having expended all that energy, we ended up eating at Charly Brown (we haven't tried it yet) They have great fries and their ramen tastes good!

Dana's 4th Birthday - Day 1

What does a girl of 4 usually want for her birthday? Well, our Dana just wants a trip to the zoo and the mall :) We didn't make it to the zoo unfortunately, but we made it to the mall with more time to spare...

We went to SM Mall of Asia, last March 1st to celebrate Dana's 4th Birthday. We (Patrick, Dana, Dylan and Ate Den) ate a hearty lunch at the Mongolian Barbecue restaurant. It was an eat-all-you can feast which we really took advantage of :) Then, we spent the rest of the day looking for bathing suits ! It's summer so what the heck.. Our aunts from the States will be vacationing here in April and there's a definite trip to the beach in the works woohoo!! Dana had so much fun trying on different styles - a real trooper!! Since Ate Den's graduation was scheduled on March 28, we also decided to look for graduation shoes for her.. unfortunately, we were all too tired to really go around.. so we re-set that for another trip...

We had some digital pictures printed out, Dana was going around in her own car, while Dylan was in his stroller.. Dana and Daddy Patrick spent some quality time together playing in the arcades. Apparently, if it's your birth month you get a ton of credits to spend :) So that was also a great treat!

Dinner was spent at Don Henrico's where we had a huge plateful of pasta to share and pizza and bottomless drinks.. You can sort of deduce we love food! hahaha

We got home around 10pm and the kids still had too much energy! Their poor Ate Den was complaining of tired feet and promptly feel asleep when we got home

All in all it was a great day!