Growing up with Bea

Halloween 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 18:49:00 +0000

I have been so remiss at updating this blog. I know, I know... As the old cliche goes, life happened.

I have been tempted to give up on this blog for so many reasons, but whenever I go through my past posts, I can't help but smile, at my daughter's antics and adventures.

Often I get caught up on SEO, blog hits, monetizing and key words that I would get too overwhelmed to continue. This time, I've decided to do this just for me, for my own recording of our lives, just like the old times. :)

Anyway, enough blabbering. I just want to share about my daughter's halloween adventures last year. She was nine years old and she dressed up as Cleopatra. We just used her black dress from two years before and then bought some egyptian princess accessories in our local thrift shop, Value Village.

It worked perfectly because as it turns out, teal or torquise is her current favourite colour at that time. I just put some green eye shadow on her lids and drew a line with an eye pencil, and voila! My pretty egyptian princess is ready for trick or treat!

I was swept up with the excitement and decided to draw some kitty whiskers and a kitty nose on my face. Fun times!

Funny though, as much thought that goes on in the process of preparing for halloween costumes, oftentimes they are not really seen because kids get bundled up with thick coats and toques anyway since it gets freaking cold outside! Haha...

Bea's Day with the Dinosaurs and a Dinosaur Egg

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Sat, 23 May 2015 17:15:00 +0000

Last week, the whole family went to the Telus World of Science Edmonton (TWOSE) to visit the Dinosaurs Unearthed Exhibit. Read about our adventure here..

Digging for Fossils

Bea had a grand time in the giant sand box where kids can jump right in and use brushes to look for fossils.

Move it, move it!

When I asked her which part she liked best about the whole exhibit, she said she loved the part wherd she got to manipulate a Stegasaurus into moving its body parts like the tail, the neck, even the tummy!

The gift shop is strategically located near the exit. We wanted to buy a ref magnet, but they only had the 3D ones which we didn't like. Bea opted to get a dinosaur egg that "grows" in water. It is called Growing Pet Hatch 'Em.

It is a huge egg that you are supposed to submerge in water. Then after 12-24 hours the egg will hatch. The photo on top shows the egg more than 12 hours under water.

Bea was so excited. She kept on checking on her egg. It actually took more than 24 hours before the dinosaur finally emerged.

Orangey

Here she is! Bea named her Orangey for obvious reasons. Isn't she cute?

Bea's 9th Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Wed, 20 May 2015 22:18:00 +0000

Last January, our princess celebrated her ninth birthday. It was the first first time we celebrated Bea's birthday far away from her aunt and her grandfather. I tried to make it special for her. I tried setting up a simple celebration the Sunday before her actual birthday. Too bad though, her cousins had previous engagements so that plan didn't materialize.

We did the next best thing though, we made an early morning surprise "party" for her!

I asked her dad to pick up a simple red velvet cake at Sobey's and he immediately hid it in the fridge. Bea had no clue it was even there.

The next morning, as Bea was eating her breakfast, her dad walked in carrying the cake with all nine candles lit. We were singing "Happy Birthday" as he brought the cake to the table. It was very clear that Bea was overwhelmed! The surprise was a success!

I also bought some cupcakes for her to bring to school and daycare. I had to ask permission prior to this day (secret from Bea of course). Both the school and the daycare require only store-bought pastries, so that they're sure that the cupcakes are peanut-free. That is one thing we found out about kids born here in Canada, they are prone to allergies, especially peanuts.

After school, we had a simple dinner where we sang to our princess again. We also had KFC, Bea's favourite fried chicken, and spaghetti.

Time is flying so fast! Bea is now 9 years old, in a few years she would be a teenager, scary! Haha. From the horror stories I hear about having a teenager in the house, I'm really dreading that time. Any tips?

Cold and Cough Medicine for Children

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Mon, 18 May 2015 15:46:00 +0000

Bea is feeling under the weather. It must be the ever-changing weather here in Edmonton, Alberta. One day it is warm, full of sunshine, the next day it's snowing!

The other day, Bea came home with the sniffles. I just let her drink lots of fluids hoping she can fight off the virus naturally. After a few days, her cold is still there plus cough. Argh. She also is complaining of a headache. We had to go to the drug store to purchase a cold and cough medicine. That's what we miss from the Philippines, the usual medicines we are used to. Since moving here in Canada, we had no choice but to look for alternatives and adapt. So we went to Shopper's Drug Mart and browsed through the many choices of medicines in the cough/cold/fever aisle. Finally, we decided to get Tylenol Complete for Children. The bottle said it can relieve stuffy nose, aches and pains, fever, sore throat pain, dry cough, runny nose and sneezing. Plus, it has a bubble gum flavour.

For Bea's age, (6 to under 13 years old) dosage is 10 ml every 4 to 6 hours. But be careful not to give more than 4 doses in a day.

Hopefully this medication, plus lots of fluids, will help my Bea be back to her healthy, happy self in no time.

Working on a School Project with Daddy

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Wed, 13 May 2015 03:51:00 +0000

A few months ago, Bea came home with a homework to come up with a project showcasing stable shapes, like cylinders. Bea decided to make a sheep. Realizing that this is an arts and crafts project, and a science project at the same time, I implored the hubby to take charge. Between the two of us, he is the artistic one. He reluctantly agreed.

Bea and her daddy eagerly started planning for the project. They decided to use their favourite 3D cartoon show, Shaun the Sheep as peg.

Bea's Shaun the Sheep

The end product was truly adorable!

Materials used:

Toilet paper rolls

Boxes

Egg crate

Cotton

Black Sharpie

Black Spray Paint

Here are some behind-the-scenes shots:

Looking back though, I think it was a pretty bad idea to give the sheep long legs, because apparently Shaun wasn't that stable. When hubby and I visited the school for Bea's demo of learning, Shaun already lost a leg. They made sheep too tall to stay true to Shaun the Sheep's appearance.

A Mother's Day Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Sat, 09 May 2015 22:36:00 +0000

Yesterday, my daughter came home really excited. She asked me to close my eyes because she had a surprise for me. I happily obliged. When I opened my eyes, I saw this beautiful sight in front of me:

My mother's day surprise

Apparently, her teacher from school helped the class make a simple but meaningful gift for moms. She happily explained to me that she even chose my favourite color of wrapping paper and ribbon. Isn't that sweet? I eagerly unwrapped my present.

My Perfect Gift

I was so pleased when I saw my gift! It was a purple handmade photo frame containing my Bea's beautiful beaming photo. I loved it! She even decorated the photo frame on her own! The gift also came with a sweet note.

Mother's Day is on Sunday. We will be celebrating it for the first time here in Canada. Although I am happy for my husband that he gets to be with his mom after years, I am a bit sad that I won't be able to visit my own mom in the memorial park in the Philippines. That's ok, I can always whisper a prayer for her in heaven. :)

We have no solid plans yet how we'll celebrate Mother's Day

tomorrow. The important thing is that we'll spend the day together as a family. How are you spending mother's day?

Fridate at Ikea, Edmonton

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 18:53:00 +0000

Last Friday, I got home first as usual. I rested a bit while waiting for the hubby and Bea. Hubby is in charge of fetching Bea from daycare. This week was a particularly busy one for all three of us. I had Math finals plus our class hosted the welcome lunch for the new batch. Hubby experienced several "difficult" customers. Bea was student of the week, which meant she helped teacher with miscellaneous tasks and presented the week's show and tell.

While I was still in school I texted hubby, "Let's go out tonight." "OK!" was his eager reply.

When we were still in the Philippines, we went out often. Here in Edmonton, we don't go out as much mainly because malls close early! Hehe. Plus, we're trying to watch our budget too. Anyway Ikea is always a good option because they close at 9:00 pm, they have affordable yet delicious food, and they have really house goodies at very reasonable prices!

It was definitely a fun Friday date for our family. We had dinner, Bea played in the play area for a bit then we went and bought a few items for the kitchen. :)

Spring Concert 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 21:43:00 +0000

Spring has finally come in Edmonton, Alberta. Last Tuesday, we attended Bea's very first Spring Concert in her school. It was held in their gym. Only 2 tickets were given per family. The school didn't sell additional tickets. Extended family were invited to the dress rehearsals instead. I found this very effective since the audience for the performances was just a small group, easier to manage too.

Bea performed with her cousins, who attended the same school. Her grandmother was also able to come and watch. There were 3 kids in my brother-in-law's family so I guess they were given a couple more tickets.

The evening was fun. Berto and I watched Bea with our full stage parents battle gear. Berto had his DSLR and various lenses while I had my trusty digital camera.

The girls performed without a hitch. I felt so proud watching my Bea perform. I was also happy to note that she is now a few inches taller than her cousins, which is good since she is older than they are.

I loved how organized the school was. After the performances, parents were given some time to take pictures. Then, kids were ushered back into their respective classrooms where parents are supposed to collect them, for security purposes. Smart move.

Right after, we took the opportunity to take a few shots with the whole family outside the school. My mother-in-law then invited everybody for dinner. I begged off though, since I still had a ton of homework to do, but Bea and her dad went. Maybe I can join them next time. Fun night spent with family, priceless.

The Home Depot: Free Workshop for Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 22:14:00 +0000

I found out that The Home Depot holds regular free kiddie workshops every month. This month it was about building an EMS truck. It will be held on Saturday October 4, 2014. It's open for kids from 4 to 12 years old. They will need a hammer, glue and paint brushes for the project but all these materials are provided by The Home Depot workshop leaders. Kids should be accompanied by an adult.

There was an online registration but sadly it was already filled up. However, the site did say that we can still come to our chosen branch and register in person. The workshop starts at 10:00am. I guess depending on our schedule on Saturday, we can try to drop by our nearby branch Edmonton South Common at 2020-101 Street N.W., Edmonton.

photo from homedepot.ca

First Time to Ride The School Bus

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 20:39:00 +0000

Bea has been attending a Catholic school here in Edmonton for a month now. Thankfully, she seems to have adjusted pretty well. Everyday, her English is getting better and better plus she's making new friends. When we first registered her, we also signed up for the school bus. However, since by the time the school office returned from summer vacation, the roster of students to be picked up by the school bus was already finalized. The secretary told us that they'd be able to accommodate us by the next month. So, today, on the first day of October, Bea got to ride the bus for the first time! Her wide smile can barely contain her excitement, Back in the Philippines, her school was only walking distance away from home so she never got to experience to ride a "service".

Today she got up earlier, finished her breakfast faster and kept on repeating the bus number of the bus from Stock Transportation that will pick her up. When the bus came (promptly at 7:45am) she got on excitedly! By the way, she wore her new skirt that I got for her from Target. =)

Later, I'll be picking her up on the designated bus stop. I'm as excited to hear how her ride went and how her experience being all "mature and grown up" felt. =)

Toy Shopping at Walmart

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 19:11:00 +0000

Toys Aisle at Walmart

When we first arrived in Canada last June, we stopped by my cousin's in BC for a visit. She worked at Walmart and Bea asked to see the store. While still in the Philippines, Bea spent countless hours watching youtube videos about new toys and they'd often feature toys bought from Walmart. I think she thinks of Walmart as a sort of Disneyland full of toys. So just as she was starting to miss our family back home, we visited a Walmart. Boy, was she happy! She squealed with delight when she spotted the toy aisle. They were selling all kinds of dolls, but she zoned in on one particular doll, the Elsa Doll. It was still a bit steep at $18 (on sale too!) but I still wanted to get it for her anyway. A little welcome to your new country sort of gift. Something to keep her mind off the toys and loved ones we left in the Philippines. Thankfully, when we were about to pay for the toy, my cousin paid for it, with an employee discount too!

We are so grateful for so many blessings. Thankful for wonderful family with generous hearts!

Of course now, we can also conveniently shop online on walmart.ca. They have free shipping too! The only hitch is that we still don't have a canadian credit card so.... online shopping will have to wait, And I tell myself... this is a good thing. Right? Right?

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 15:35:00 +0000

My Little Pony

My little one just went completely gaga when she found out that there is a movie showing her current favorite characters from My Little Pony here in Edmonton. Of course Queen Elsa, Anna and the rest of the Frozen gang is still number one in her heart, but lately she's been very interested in these magical little ponies. In the movie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy are going to be performing with their new band, The Rainbooms. Then a rival group, The Dazzlings thought of turning the competition into an all out Battle of the Bands. Tensions mount and discoveries are made. One thing can be sure though, it will be a very magical, colorful and musical adventure!

I hope hubby's schedule allows some time for us to watch this movie at the Cineplex. If not, we'll just have to wait for the DVD! =) Thanks to this movie, my daughter is all hyped up and excited about My Little Ponies characters once again.

Photo from Cineplex.com

Tips on Surviving a Long Flight with Kids. Bea, and Our Move to Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 17:04:00 +0000

Last June, our merry family of three left the Philippines for the promise of a better future in Canada. The processing of our application as provincial nominee took almost 5 years. It was a long wait. We were even thinking that nothing will ever happen to it. Then one day, we got an email from the Canadian Embassy saying that we should schedule our medical exam. Wow! From then on, everything was a blur! Everything happened so fast. Of course we still had to attend to our family business, Bea still had school activities and then we also had to think about settling our affairs in the Philippines in preparation for our new life in Canada.

We attended several seminars in preparation for our move: the Canadian Immigrant Integration Program (CIIP), the Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) and of course the Pre-departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) by the philippine government.

The seminars talked to us about the transition we will experience as a new comer to a new country. They gave tips and suggestions as to how we can settle in our new environment. They talked more about the adults. They told us not to worry about our kids. Children adjust better than adults they say. Just give them 2 weeks playing outside and they'd have a Canadian accent already. That was good to know, but I was still a bit worried. How will Bea adapt? She can be a bit shy when meeting new people. It's a good thing that she has 3 cousins there, at least she already has playmates to look forward to.

On the day of our flight Bea was really excited, but I can also tell that she's a bit sad about leaving her Ninang and Lolo in the Philippines.

Bea was really a good girl during the flight. We had to fly on 3 planes. It was really tiring as it was, imagine if you had to travel with easily bored kids!

Here are some tips on surviving a long flight with kids:

Orient your child. Before the day of the flight, talk to your child and tell her what to expect during the flight. Tell her it would involve a lot of sitting down and waiting. Children get bored easily especially if they're all excited to go to new places. Expect the "Are we there yet?" question a lot. But at least they'd still know what to expect.

Research. Ask whether the planes you are riding had TV screens where your little one can watch cartoons or her fave educational movie. I think most planes do, but just in case they don't, be prepared with movies or games on your phone or tablet.

Bring toys and books. Don't bring toys with little parts that may fall off and get lost in the aisles. Just bring something like his favorite toy car or her favorite doll. Something that can keep her pre-occupied without making too much noise. Remember to be respectful of those sitting near you. If it's a long flight, it can be awkward having to deal with hateful glances from strangers. Better bring books too.

Bring snacks. The airline might have snacks to serve but these may not always be to your child's liking. Bring something you're sure your child likes. This will keep her and her tummy happy.

In our case, it helped that the planes also had individual TV screens where Bea watched cartoons. They showed The Lego Movie at that time and she loved it. When she got bored, she'd play with her toys. When she got hungry, she snacked on some cookies we brought from home. Good thing we brought snacks, Bea didn't really like the food they served on the flight. It wasn't that it was bad, she just wasn't familiar with chicken pita and salad. hehe..She wasn't a bit scared even during our flight from Vancouver to Edmonton where we experienced a lot of turbulence. Good thing we were prepared.

So far, Bea is adjusting pretty well here in Edmonton. She's attending school with her cousins. Language is not much of a barrier. Everyday she gets better and better in speaking English. She's also acquiring more and more of that Canadian accent. I'm just so proud of her!

Read our post about our last day in the Philippines here .

Pretty Stainless Steel Earrings

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Fri, 16 May 2014 01:52:00 +0000

Bea lost her earrings a few months ago. We've been planning to get her another pair. We usually get her the earrings for babies bought from the drug store since they're hypoallergenic. We initially bought earrings from our pediatrician, but then we found out that Mercury Drug Store also sold earrings with birth stones. We don't really get Bea's birthstone, we just buy whatever color she likes.

However, we kept on forgetting to get a pair, and we were worried that the holes of her earlobes will close already. So I lent her my smallest hoop earrings, which was still too big for her. =) I kept on telling her it's just temporary but she got stuck with the hoops for months!

So finally, when we went to the mall a few days ago, I remembered the earrings! We went to my favorite stainless steel jewelry shop, Imono. I figured that since the material is "surgical steel" it follows that it is hypoallergenic. Plus I cleaned it with alcohol first.

Heart-shaped Earrings

Beautiful earrings for the beautiful girl

I got her the cutie heart design with a faux diamond in the middle. I didn't get her something super expensive, just in case she loses this one again. =)

Buying New Rubber Shoes

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Fri, 09 May 2014 04:02:00 +0000

After a blogging hiatus, I’m back to tell you about Bea’s new milestone. A few days ago, we got her first “big girl rubber shoes”! We went to the department store to look for new rubber shoes for her. We went straight for the children’s section and tried to look for something that suited her. When she finally got to pick a style that she liked, we asked for the biggest size in that style. When Bea tried to fit the shoes, it was too small! The sales lady then directed us to the ladies’ section, she said we should try the smaller sizes there. Awww… my baby’s feet are no longer fit for a baby…

With a heavy heart, we trudged on to the ladies’ section. Our first reaction: everything was expensive! Unlike in the kids’ section where we can still buy something below P1,000, here almost everything is 3k up. Waaah. We're apprehensive to invest in expensive shoes, knowing she'd outgrow them soon. Then we found the World Balance corner. Finally, something we could afford! Hahaha! Being still obsessed with Queen Elsa of Frozen, Bea chose a colorful style, mainly of blue color but with accents of green and purple. It was adorable!!! And it only cost us P1,499.

Here she is wearing her new World Balance Active Grid rubber shoes. My baby is really growing up so fast!

Our Princess Is Eight!

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 04:21:00 +0000

We celebrated our only daughter's birthday two days ago. We woke up early and heard mass. After mass, we rushed home so Bea can finish her breakfast and go to school on time. We didn't have any party planned this year, but we wanted her to feel special on her day so I let her wear her crown to church and school. Actually, she wore it the whole day! So that she'd feel princess-like the whole day!

We fetched her from school and bought some food for our simple lunch. We bought a small chocolate cake from Red Ribbon. Then we bought some DIY decorating flowers and sprinkles from Goldilocks. When we got home, Bea had a grand time decorating her own cake!

We also got some left over Cinderella cupcake toppers and put them on the cake too. The finished product was beautiful!

Happy happy birthday Princess Bea!!!

It's Only Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs for Bea

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 16:19:00 +0000

Bea "cooking" the hotdogs

Earlier before this evening, Bea told me she wanted hotdogs for dinner. Good thing her Lolo bought some for her a few days ago. As always, she was so eager to help me cook the hotdogs.

First, she got them from the fridge herself. She took two pieces, peeled off the clear plastic covering of each hotdog and then waited for further instructions. I got a small non-stick pan and heated over a low flame. I told Bea to put some warm water in the pan. This is how I cook my hotdogs, just like I cook tocino. I cook them in water instead of in oil. This way it's healthier and the finished product looks better, smoother and not at all wrinkly. =)

I put the hotdogs in the water and stirred them constantly as Bea looked on. I rolled them from one side to the other as the water evaporated. This should continue for about a minute, don't stop, because the hotdogs will burn since the pan has no oil. I then transfered the cooked Tender Juicy hotdogs on a clean plate as Bea excitedly took it to the table to start her dinner. I knew the hotdogs tuned out quite good, the big smile on her face told me so! =)

Shoe Shopping with Bea at Payless Shoe Source

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Sat, 04 Jan 2014 00:04:00 +0000

Bea's cutey black shoes

Just before the year 2013 ended, I had a big revelation. As a mother this is pretty big news. My sweet 7 year old daughter now has her own opinion when it comes to buying her stuff.

The other day, I took her shoe shopping since her pink sandals' straps broke. We went to SM Masinag. We were supposed to go straight to the department store but when we passed by the Payless Shoe Store Bea just wanted to go in. I've never bought shoes there myself. I did buy earrings from them since they have stylish and affordable fashion accessories like earrings, bracelets and even wallets and sunnies.

Once inside, Bea immediately touched shoes that were either for babies (Dora the Explorer and other characters) or too mature for her (as in stilettos and platform wedges). I tried to sway her to look at safer pumps but she would just look at them, shake her head then go to find another high-heeled pair. Argh! I realized that days of imposing what I wanted her to wear is now coming to an end. Kids nowadays really do mature faster! I remember my mom fixing what I will wear until I was in gradeschool... Or maybe that's just me. Hehe.

Anyway, we finally compromised on getting safe black flat shoes, with glitzy, glittery ribbon across it. Plus it was on sale! We got it for only P500++. Win-win!

My little girl is really growing up fast!

Shopping after Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 17:25:00 +0000

On Christmas morning, Bea eagerly checked the stocking that she placed on the Christmas tree the night before. She was soo happy to find P50. Then her grandfather's friend dropped by and gave a little red envelope. When I asked her how much was inside, she nonchalantly said P50 only, but when I checked, it contained P500! When I explained to her that this is actually more valuable than she initially thought, she got really excited! I guess she's only beginning to grasp the value of money.

A few days after Christmas, we all went to the mall to attend to some errands. Bea came along because according to her, she wanted to do some Christmas shopping too. ;) Us girls both went straight for the bookstore while her dad looked for some place to sit. He knew we were going to be in there for some time. It has finally happened! She is now as excited as I am to go to the bookstore!

I told her to go and get what she wanted to buy, but she should choose wisely since we will be spending her P550 that she got for Christmas. She happily went off, picking stuff then putting them back down, as if assessing if they would fit her shopping spree budget. Hahaha! My little smart shopaholic in the making.

After what seemed like an hour, she finally approached me and said she was ready to pay for her loot. We went to the counter and guess what? She was just P47 short! Amazing!

Her daddy couldn't resist laughing out loud when he saw his two girls approach him from where he was sitting. We both had a big paper bag from National Bookstore each! Like mother like daughter I guess!

She bought some puzzle books, coloring books, a clay modeling book, 24pc Crayola Twistable crayons, a memory game and a tub of cotton candy we saw outside the bookstore. See how happy she is with her goodies!

She has since then declared that National Bookstore is the happiest place in the world! I'm so proud of her!

Reading The Little Mermaid Book

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Sat, 28 Dec 2013 17:39:00 +0000

I just want to share that after trying for so many years to get Bea to like books and reading, it has finally happened! She now loves, loves, LOVES to read! She reads just about anything!

Some time ago, she'd often roll her eyes at me whenever I ask (demand) that we go in every bookstore we pass. She'd glare at me whenever I'd purchase another book. She'd hate it even more when I ask for a short break which I call "Mommy Time" and lock myself in our room for some peace and quiet with a book (and some munchies).

Now she loves books too! I guess the change happened when we got her new glasses. Because of the dog bite, which turned out to be a sort of blessing in disguise, we found out that Bea had terrible eyesight, and badly needed glasses. I guess that's when she started reading properly and started appreciating the words she read. Now she reads a lot! she'd rummage through her old books and read those. When she's done, she'd find more books and read some more! Ahhh! My little mini-me!

Last month, I bought her a set of Disney Princesses Read Along Books. It was actually a set of 5 but I just took out one and hid the rest. This way, she'd appreciate the books more. I let her read Tangled. She just adored the movie and as expected, she loved the book too!

This Christmas, I took out Little Mermaid and wrapped it. I told her it was her Daddy's gift for her. She almost jumped with joy! Although, she is now so good at reading, she finished the book in just one sitting! I remember months before when we'd finish a book in three nights. Now she's just getting better and better at it!

Mommy Lesson Learned: my daughter has her own timeline of learning. I can't impose on her what I expect her to be able to do at a specific time. When she's ready, she'll know and she'd just do it. Patience is a virtue. Thanks baby for reminding me.

Attending A Minions Party

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 14:47:00 +0000

Last Sunday was a hectic one for our family. We attended a kiddie party organized by one of the best party and events organizers Apple of Yanple's. This party was extra special because this was for her youngest son and my inaanak... Aethan!

This year, Aethan turned 3. The party theme featured his current favorite: Minions! It was held in Shakey's Marcos Highway.

Before going to the party, we made sure we heard mass first. We won't have time after the party anymore since proceeded to our barkada Christmas party afterwards. Told you guys it was a hectic Sunday!

Just before 11am, we arrived at Shaker's and we knew we were just in time. The party was just about to start. All our friends plus their respective families were there. I just love it when we get together with them. Bea loves playing with the children of my barkada. They're almost family :) One time, she asked me if they were her cousins. :)

As expected, there were a lot of games! Bea got a lot of prizes, and all of them were minion-themed. Even adults had a great time. We also joined in the games. I joined the balloon relay where we had to pass along a balloon then spell Aethan's name with our butts. That's me wearing a dark blue shirt, busy spelling Aethan's name. The girls' group was so competitive, we won! As a consequence, The boys had to line up and spell Aethan's name with their bottoms facing the audience! Har har har. Too bad Berto didn't join the game.

When the minion mascot came out, the kids were so happy! They rushed towards him for a photo op. Here's Bea with her friends. Of course even adults refused to pass up the opportunity. My friends and I also had our picture taken with the one-eyed Minion.

Thanks to Apple and her family for inviting us to Aethan's Minions party. Bea and our whole family definitely had a grand time!

Happy Birthday to Me! (2013)

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 16:45:00 +0000

Last month I celebrated my birthday by having a simple staycation in a hotel where our not-so-little Bea splashed around in the bath tub till her fingers turned pruny and blue. She didn't mind at all that unlike last year, we didn't get to go to Laguna to dip in the hot springs there. For dinner, we just popped a dvd of a cartoon movie and had Jollibee meals delivered to our room.

It was as simple as that, but we were all very happy =)

The next day, on the way home, we dropped by the stores along White Plains and bought Maning's Lechon Pugon, Jacinta's Kutchinta and Pancit Malabon.

Another year has passed, I am very grateful for all my blessings, including the learning experiences that I also encountered along the way. I am so grateful for my family, grateful for the past year, hopeful for the new year ahead of me!

For a more detailed post about my birthday celebration, click the link here!

Rainy Sunday Out

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 13:37:00 +0000

Yesterday, Berto and I had a meeting with a client in Robinson's Ermita. We decided to bring Bea along. It was such a rainy day! We were supposed to go to the memorial park first to light candles for my mom since it's her birthday, but it was raining so hard, we decided not to go anymore since we won't be able to go down the van anyway. We'll just go some other day.

We arrived in Robinson's just in time. We went to the meeting place (Cafe Breton), met the client, said hi then after a few minutes, excused ourselves. Daddy willll do most of the talking anyway so we left him to do what he's good at. =)

While daddy's busy, us girls went window shopping. Although we agreed on just looking, when we passed by the Disney Princess shelf, we saw so many adorable things! There were Disney Princess gowns, bags, pencils, socks and shoes. Then we saw this cute ID lace. I remembered that her ID lace from school just broke, so we bought one. I thought that item was more useful compared to the princess crown that she was begging me to buy.

After all the walking, Bea and I got hungry. We decided to start our lunch, daddy will surely come in a while, we went to the food court and ordered food from Chin's. This was Bea's first time to try their food. I ordered Garlic Chicken and Chicken Noodles. Just like her dad, Bea is not too keen to try new food. She initially resisted what I got for her, but when she got to taste it, she finally gave her nod. =) Daddy arrived after a few minutes and had lunch with us. Bea kept on telling him to get the same food, assuring him it was good! All the while, it was her dad's turn to be apprehensive to try this new dish. Argh! Like father like daughter.

After lunch, we walked around for a bit until we met someone tall, soft and yellow: The Happy Lemon mascot! Bea squealed with joy and hurried over for a photo. The mascot was happy to oblige, even though we didn't buy anything from their shop.

We did take her to the nearby Quickly kiosk so that she can taste one of our favorite drinks. Again, Bea didn't even want to try my Choco Loco Super, but when she finally did, she simply loved it! She didn't return the cup we "shared" which is just fine with me. I'm just glad she's now trying to enjoy new tastes and flavors.

TBT: A Walk in the Park

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Ok, so since I have so much backlogged posts about my Bea and her activities, I have decided to launch a brand new portion in our blog ingeniously named as TBT or Throwback Thursdays. I know, how unique huh? I will still try to think about a new name for it, but in the meantime, I will be using TBT.

This actually happened in 2007. On a Saturday afternoon, we were scheduled to return the vcd's we borrowed. (vcd pa talaga!) We decided to bring Bea along. Whenever she hears her daddy start the van, she panics... She tries to walk to the van to make sure that she gets to go too! Anyway, we stopped by the Evolution Park in front of C & P Mall. Bea shrieked when she saw the cement cows, she started saying "mmmmm" (Moooo) while pointing at each one of them. =) Good thing the park wasn't that crowded... Except for that one kid who was friendly with Bea at first, but then started pulling her arm when he got too excited. grrr...

After our mini pictorial, we were about to go home already but Bea freaked when she saw a Jollibee sign. We had to go in! Daddy and I just couldn't resist, so we stopped by the burger joint for some snack.

Good thing that after severe bouts with GERD, Bea was eating small amounts of solid food again by then. She is finally enjoying the delights of eating out.

Bea ate some spaghetti and burger, and drank some juice... Although feeding she still took so long, we were very grateful for her improvement. At least her food aversion seems to be getting cured; (thank God!) however her milk aversion is still causing trouble for her (she's still terribly underweight and small for her age).

By the time we got home, it was dark already, and Lolo and Yaya were a bit worried, but it was really worth it because our little girl was all smiles!

These are such wonderful memories of her childhood. It was only yesterday that Bea could barely walk and talk and now she has her own passport and everything! Ahhh! How time flies!

Bea's First Trimester Examinations

noreply@blogger.com (Berto and Kwala) — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 17:10:00 +0000

Today is the last day of Bea's first trime exams, yes it's finally over! Woohoo! I feel it's more of a relief for me than for her. The past three days we've been fetching her from school. School ground looks so chaotic at dismissal time, maybe it's the children's way of letting off steam and stress from their examinations. Girls run all over the place, boys climb whatever they can climb. It was very amusing just to watch them!

Finally we see our little Bea, dragging her Snow White lunch bag and her small bag hanging down her body loosely. Well actually it's my small bag that I've decided to just give to her. After all it's pink! And it's perfect since it is big enough to accommodate her school diary and some notebooks and books. She'll get to use it during examination days.

These were taken last Tuesday, first day of exams. We saw her from afar looking tired almost dragging her feet, but when Bea saw us, she was all smiles! I think she appreciates that her dad and I were there for her.

I hope she did well on her exams! Oh stop it! I'm sure she did! =)