Congratulations, Stevie and Toni!

Well, we have a new niece, Hannah Sofia Garcia Tadeo, born on October 01, 2008 :)

I'm afraid I can't post pictures yet as I promised Toni she'll do the honors hahaha

All I can say is that she's cute!

So, congratulations guys! ;)

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!!!

Dinosaurs in Manila!!

September 25, 2008 Yep, you read that right, in Robinson's Manila, there were 9 life-sized, fully-automated robotic dinosaurs from Denmark. We couldn't miss it considering we are all fans of Jurassic Park and it was cheap at just P25 per person. We were coming from Philam that day and Robinson's was just at the back of it. So we decided to go for it! :) and it was fun hahaha The moment we went in, Dylan let out a loud roar at the T-rex that was at the center of the exhibit. People around us were laughing :) Dana on the other hand was scared and didn't want to get near it LOL Lots of moments for picture taking as you can see :)

A trip to Manila Zoo

Saturday, September 20, 2008


It was Patrick's payday so we decided to take the kids to the zoo. For the longest time, they've been wanting to go but we always had little or no money to take them so it was such a relief that we were finally able to take them out of the house and bring them to where they wanted to go :)

The kids were so excited! Patrick and I were too because we knew that the zoo had undergone some renovation so we wanted to see just what's improved.

We were lucky enough to see the elephant during feeding time, so he's more active than usual hehehe We timed our trip to be a little late in the afternoon so the animals were awake when we got there. The highlight of our trip was the tiger who was up and about. I wish he had let out a huge roar to top off the experience but really it was such a magnificent animal.. and scary to think that he's so big and can bite your whole head in one gulp LOL

The experience was a bit marred when we encountered a family along the way and the father was pointing to the tiger and telling his kids it was a lion!!! oh my gosh!! how can you not even distinguish a tiger from a lion!!! there was even a sign on the fence telling you what animal that was! I was so irritated (can't you tell?!) hahahaha

Anyway, we were also happy to see the hippo moving about.. usually we just see the top of his body in the water :)

The ostrich was alive and kicking as well :) I wonder what happened to his other friends? The last time we were there, there were three of them.. hmm..

So finally, we get to the playground - there were swings, slides, jungle gym and even a fountain park where water shoots out from the ground in sequence. It would have been nice to shoot it but there were kids running around naked in the water LOL Only in the Philippines, I think LOL

Dana went immediately to the slides. She didn't like the swing because she says she may fall. So up and down she went on the slides.

Dylan was different. Since this was his first time to actually be on the slide by himself, he was a bit wary, although he was looking closely at his Ate Dana. When Patrick put him on top of the slide and let him slide, the expression on his face was priceless! It was like, "what was that?!" and then he smiled LOL Then Patrick put him on top again, let him slide, this time he made a sound LOL He said, woooooow!! all the way down hahahahaha after that he was literally unstoppable :) Poor Patrick hahahaha

After the zoo, we went to the nearby shopping mall to buy some groceries. We were able to buy Dana a Jumpstart CD which we immediately played when we got home.

It was a good day! :)

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!!

Tadeo Get Together

Last Saturday, September 06, the Tadeo family had a small get together in Stevie and Toni's house in Marikina. Patrick, the kids and I went and so with Dimples, Jeric and Rhys. It was a good time for the kids/cousins to bond and for the grown-ups to catch up on things. For one, Stevie and Toni are expecting their 2nd child, Hannah Sofia within the month so that's pretty exciting for everyone.

The reason why we're all there was because their Dad and stepmother, Tita Flor, have sent a balikbayan box so we were getting our share from it. Dana got a ViewMaster, a Disney Princess Flashlight, lots of clothes, pencils, stickers, a book. Dylan got a ball gun and a toy car. They both got their share of chocolates and lollipops too. Of course, Dana is limited to one lollipop a day and she should drink water afterward. That's the rule hehehe But it seems that her Ate Den likes the lollipops as well ! LOL

There were a lot of diapers but they were too small to fit any of the kids. Dana doesn't wear diapers anymore so that leaves only the three boys. Lance, Stevie and Toni's eldest, wears XXL diapers, while Rhys (Dimples' son) and Dylan, wear XL. The diapers ended up going to Stevie and Toni for Hannah :) I did ask for one pack of diapers for my sister Sharon who also happened to give birth last September 4. In the end, Rhys and Dylan shared with the pull-ups that were also in the box. Dylan doesn't wear diapers anymore, except during the night. It really saves us on the cost of diapers LOL

There were also a lot of T-shirts, Den and I got some of them :) And of course, Patrick's favorite, lots of Spam canned goods :)

Patrick was also happy with the three pairs of shoes he got. It was also the right timing because his other rubber shoes were falling apart LOL

Anyway, I'll update the pics as soon as I consolidate them :) For the meantime, enjoy the pics that Dimples took with her camera phone :)

To Dad and Tita Flor, Maraming, Maraming Salamat Po!

Dylan got a Hair Cut!


This post is late in coming because things have been pretty busy at home, what with cleaning, writing, more cleaning and more writing and basically taking care of the kids.

Last August 24, Dylan got his hair cut at the local barber shop. We usually go to the Kids' Hair Salon in SM Manila because that's where the kids usually have their haircuts but they cost P250. It's still pretty affordable considering that your kids just sit quietly while they're getting their hair done. They have TV sets which air Barney, Dora and Blue's Clues shows so the kids are pretty much occupied. But since, we're really financially strapped we couldn't afford to and Dylan needed a hair cut so bad because his eyes are already getting irritated from his hair.

So we decided on taking him to the local barber shop (there's a number of them around where we live) which charge anywhere from P20 to P50 for kids' hair cuts. Mind you, some are air conditioned, some are not and they're pretty regular, home-based businesses so you can't really expect the luxurious treatment you get from going to the mall salons. Anyway, to us, as long as Dylan gets a good cut then its fine. Beggars can't be choosers, right?

Anyway, things went pretty okay. Dylan wasn't fussy at all although he would get tired of putting his head down but that's it. I did end up with some hair on me because I needed to calm him down a number of times (he got weirded out by the sound of the shaver!)

Over-all we spent P40 (yeah, cheapskates! LOL). After that we bought Kutchinta and Puto at our favorite store right across it. :)

Favorite Great American Seafood Cook Off

In our family, everyone loves seafood. If we can eat seafood every day we’ll be content and satisfied, especially if we get it fresh and natural straight from the local wet market, which is a blessing, because it’s quite near our place. Food doesn’t quite taste as good when you buy frozen from the supermarket, in my honest opinion.

So, because we love seafood so much, I always make it a point to experiment with new recipes and the Internet is a great place to search. I came across this irresistible recipe from the 2008 Great American Seafood Cook Off. It’s called Louisiana Shrimp and Andouille Cassoule from Chef Brian Landry of Louisiana and as you can see from the picture, it’s positively scrumptious!

It looks very simple to make, the ingredients are readily available in the local market or at your neighborhood groceries and you don’t need any specialized equipment to cook the food in. I might substitute the beer with our local brand though just to give it that native touch. This recipe is perfect for us because it’s got shrimps and sausages that we all love. It also seems interesting because you don’t normally cook this kind of food in the Philippines, so cooking it and eating it will be an adventure for us.

To my friends who share my love for seafood, I know you want to download the recipe, so just visit their site and look for the cook off at www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookOff.com. If you live in the United States, you may also vote for your own favorite recipe and possibly win a trip to New Orleans prize package that comes with two Southwest Airline roundtrip tickets, hotel accommodations, dining experiences and more!

Happy Cooking and Eating!

Sponsored by Lousiana Seafood

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!