The Silly Pumpkins

DYI Spartan Costume

2013-03-11T13:35:00.002-07:00

Just want to post this simple DYI Spartan helmet and shield we made for our big brother. Every year its getting harder and more complicated as to what they want to be on Halloween. He wanted to be a Spartan and we didn't really had the time to go around and look for the costume and so we thought we make it ourselves....we had so much fun making it and it actually turned out to be a pretty cool costume :)

Our little brother at the Pumpkin Patch..

How can I get my four year old son to give up the bottle

2012-04-23T15:54:00.001-07:00

My almost four year old son is still on bottles. He drinks on a cup for the others but when it comes to his milk/ "dodo", he wants it on the bottle. We have tried to get him off it so many times that I literally run out of ideas.He never really liked pacifiers or sucked his thumb. He basically ask for it before nap time and before bed. I did limit them and actually made him eat so he won't ask during the day but at night time he's really begging for it.We bought so many sippy cups but he won't take them. We even told him that big boys don't drink on the bottle and he totally agree with us but at night he converts himself into a baby so he could drink his "dodo".
I asked our doctor one time and the told me that it is still okay as he is a picky eater and he will eventually get off it when he's ready. Well he is taking so long time to do it!. I just wish he would do the same way he did with potty. One day, he just refused to wear diaper and goes to potty by himself. I thought that was easy and a wish come true! I guess you can't have your wishes come true all the time.

For our readers, any suggestion? For those moms who went through the same , what did you do that actually made your kiddo gave up the bottle. I would love to hear your input on this.

Thanks. ;)

Easter Weekend in San Fran..

2012-04-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

Its been while, I know. Family activities, work and other extracurricular activites have been pouring in non stop for the last three weeks.
Me and the kids had a cool easter weekend, flew to San francisco to attend baptism of Baby A., daughter of one of my girl friends. Our kids met for the first time and they absolutely had lots and lots of fun together. For now, Sean favorite things are: "Easter Egg Hunting and the Golden Eggs" . We are back home now and Sean wants to go back to SFO to see his new bestfriends with a big reminder for me: Next time we go, do not forget to bring Daddy. ha ha;

Weekend in Seattle

2012-03-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

Spring Break !! Two weeks of no school, no homework, no waking up early, YOOHOO! :D
We also had one weekend with everyone at home so we thought we do something special. We decided to go on a road trip and Seattle sounds like fun place to spend the weekend. The weather maybe the same as Vancouver (wet and cold) but at least it'll be a different scene and lots of new things to see.

We have a list of places we wanted to visit and checked out in Seattle . One of them is Jollibee (McDonald version of the Philippines) at South Centre Mall in Tukwila. We don't have it in Vancouver and the kids loved their chicken and burger steak meals so we gotta have that for sure.

Our next stop: The Pike Place Market. We took a good ten minutes to find a parking spot. Of course, it was a Sunday! and the place just was soo busy. We finally found a place to park at the far end of the market and just so happened also right in front of the first Starbuck Store. ;) Cool!

We loved walking around the Public Market where they sell fresh produce, seafoods and crafts by local artisans. You can also find a variety of unique shops and restaurants inside. A perfect place to go on Sunday with family.

Downtown Seattle:

Seattle Art Museum

Well, I think the trip Seattle won't be complete without visiting the Space Needle. We all went up to their observation deck 520 feet high. It was Awesome!

Of course, going and back we stopped by the outlet and did some shopping. .I can't explain why but nobody remembered to take pictures while shopping. hahaha.We were so engrossed with it, we forgot to bring out the camera. Yes, we did spend some but it was all worth it. We had so much fun and it was one great family bonding time.

Flowers for you..

2012-03-13T22:03:00.001-07:00

I love colors. I love flowers. They are everywhere and they are beautiful. Flowers brightens our mood and make us happy.

I just have this little need in me to take pictures of beautiful flower arrangements I came across. Here are a few photos taken from my Iphone.

Back to blogging..

2012-03-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

When I started this blog, I made a promise to myself that Il be active and be on top of everything. How hard could it be? To write something at least once a week, connect with other mom bloggers and blog for fun should not be difficult to keep up, right? I guess, I said it way too early 'coz I failed. I've been out of the blogsphere for more than a week trying to fight the lingering flu and so are the kids. Thought Il be fine and could tackle it easy but sad to say, I wasn't able to keep up. To work while on the process of recuperating and coming home to take care of sick kids totally drained my energy at some point.. I kinda realized in the process I'm not a Super Mama after all. hahaha After a week of trying to get rid of flu, we finally overcome the sickness.

Now, everyone is well and happy. Back to our normal healthy self, ;) and me to blogging...

Spring Break has started and the kids are home for two weeks. No homework, no waking up early, my kids are just in heaven! I just hope Mom and Dad also got Spring Break from work. hahaha Il' just keep on dreaming:)

Stay tuned for our little getaway post "Weekend in Seattle" coming soon.

The Birthday Chronicle Review and GiveAways

2012-03-05T20:13:00.000-08:00

A personalized (8 1/2 x 11) mini-newspaper front page, going back as farasJanuary 1, 1900 up to December 31, 2010. Your Birthday Chronicleincludes agreeting, by name, from the then-President of the United States,plus newspaperheadlines and stories from the year of your birth.

You will enjoy reading your Birthday Chronicle over and over again.Always a conversational piece with groups young and old ... you will be able to read and reminisce about the academy award winners and the top music hits andsongs fromthe year of your birth.

I received this Birthday Chronicle from Casie from“Because I Tried It” for review. Just so happen I was looking for a unique gift for a family friend whose birthday is coming very soon. When I got the email, I put my friend’s name as the recipient (and other info) and emailed back to Casie right away. I’m surprised how fast I got the reply with The Birthday Chronicle on PDF format and ready to print. For me, that’s one excellent service by the way.I printed on a photopaper and placed it on a nice frame and (Voila!) it turned out to be the perfect personalized gift!

I find the Birthday Chronicle unique and a very interesting product. Not only it makes a great gift, it is also nice to have for keepsake. The Chronicle shows the weather, around the world headlines,the US president residing, Academy Awards, celebrities and even the top hits of the date I provided. Its kinda fun to know what happened to the world especially on the day/year you were born, don't you think? I would love to have one made for each of my kids too :)

‘Because I Tried It’ has a variety of Personalized Gift for Anyone, Anytime to choose from. Gift Certificates, Treasured Keepsake,Letter to Santa just to name a few and guess what? They offer free items often! Isn’t that nice? To learn more just sign up for their Newsletter, follow them on Twitter and/or be friend on Facebook.

GiveAways:

“Because I Tried It” is offering The Birthday Chronicle free to two of my lucky readers/fans :) This GiveAways is open to everyone worldwide as it will be sent via email on a PDF format ready to print and to enjoy. For your chance to win, ENTER NOW on theRafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
<a href="http://www.tomoson.com/?code=CONTESTf1c5c6c6c24fb5122e4a02a146816893">Sponsored by Tomoson.com</a>

GiveAway!! 120$ Cash

2012-03-01T00:42:00.001-08:00

I was asked to share this GiveAway with you guys for a chance to win $120 Cash.!!.. The good thing about this one is: if you win, I win too!!. :) Yehhey!! so please feel free to join in, we could get lucky!!

To ENTER Contest Chest: Rafflecopter below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goodbye Old Steve....

2012-02-29T21:40:00.000-08:00

Old Steve is the name given to our Dodge Caravan minivan. Don't ask me how and why it got its name cause I don't really know. My daughter, Leena started it one day and everyone in the family just followed along. We had Steve for quite a while and has given us great service. We used it almost everyday for the last six years and never had any major problem. These last few week though it started to show some signs of wear and tear that we decided it's time to let go and better get a new transportation for the family. With three kids on the go, school, work, extra curricular activities to go to and me as a new driver (who can't deal with extra stress while driving) we can't risk having the car break down on us right on the spot.

My husband and I went looking for one for two weeks and Boy! Im telling you it was tiring. There were just so many family cars to choose from. Me, who doesnt have much knowledge about choosing a car or cars in general, didn't know which one to go for so I let my husband hunt for what he thought the right ones for us and I would then take a look and test drive it. ;)

I guess it all boils down to what you really want from a car and what you can afford. The more we looked, the more I realized that if you want some you have to sacrifice some. Anyway, we finally found one that fits our needs after two weeks of hunting and I am very happy with it.

We decided to get the same but a newer version of the Old Steve. A Dodge Grand Caravan SE. It has some nice features like the stow away seats and definitely more space. We don't really care much of the add ons but they are still nice to have. :) The most important thing for us is a car we can rely on. Now we can plan road trips again without hesitations and maybe go camping sometime in the summer. Isn't that exciting? :)

Of course, we sadly said our goodbyes and thank yous to Old Steve for his great service before we drove home with the new one. I could see the kids likes the new minivan and so far no new name has been mentioned yet but I know it won't be long..

What about you? For a family car, would you choose comfort for economy or the other way around?

For the Love of Dancing

2012-02-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

When I showed this video to some friends a couple weeks ago, it gained a few smiles, Oohhs and WOW's to our little Sean. Thought I post this video today as we were so busy this past week and I didn't had the chance to post anything. Besides we need a break from our crazy skeds and deserve a little entertainment. :) Sean got these little moves that just too cute to pass. He loves to dance..so sit back and relax folks and enjoy the show!

RECALL

2012-02-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

Tassimo Recall!

Last night, a friend told me about Tassimo brewers being recalled. I have one and I know a few friends who have those coffee makers too. I looked around and here's what I found:

Health Canada posted a recall on Tassimo Single CupCoffee Makers under Bosch brand – manufactured between June 2008- February 2012 and Tassimo Nabob and Gevalia brandExpresso T discs- manufactured August 2011- January 2012

According to Health Canada: The T disc that holds the coffee or tea can burst and spray hot liquid, coffee grounds and/or tea leaves onto consumers using the brewer and onto bystander, posing a burn hazard.

Visit the Tassimo Recall Website or call the Tassimo hotline 1-866 918 8763 for more information.

The All-In-One Gift..

2012-02-17T23:11:00.000-08:00

My husband (Khalid) and I had a talk. We have three weeks vacation in June that we have to prepare. With three kids in tow, we have to travel on a budget and really have to plan ahead of time. For the last 3-4 years, we've been going back to the Philippines at least once a year and every time we usually allocate 3-4 days stay on a beach. Though we had lots of fun on those trips, this year I'd like it to be different. Its hard to admit folks, I'm turning 35 this year and I have this promise to myself years ago that every five years (started ten years ago) I have to do something new or visit places I've never been to and so this is the year.2012.

Anyway, back to the talk, I suggested a few places and Khalid did too. Somehow he mentioned the place that I thought just perfect for us to visit! To be fair, I gave him exactly three seconds to take it back.(haha!) I know men rarely change their mind and given just 3 seconds fast, he never had the chance. :D Even if he did though, I wouldn't have heard it anyway because I was already busy applauding and telling him how smart he was to suggest the perfect place. You can imagine how ecstatic I was at that time and I guess, my sweet husband just saw me glowing of excitement. From there the decision was made.

We are going to... Paris, France!

Oh Paris ,I'm coming to see yah!!!

The kids and I are very excited. We can't wait to see The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Cathedral Notre Dame and the famous Champs Elysées. To have petite pain au chocolat for breakfast and drink latte at a sidewalk cafe in the afternoon watching people go by in that beautiful city is just pure pleasure. Haayy (day dreaming)

Wake up, Me! :)

The trip is only a few months away that means I have lots of planning to do and of course budgeting as well. Speaking of budgetting, the kids agreed to save their money from the newspaper delivery for the trip. I also told my husband that he doesn't have to get me anything on Valentines Day or Mother's Day or my birthday or even on our anniversary. Ain't that nice of me. ;)haha.. Lets just call the trip to Paris, the All-in-One Gift. So far everyone is on board and working together to make this awesome vacation a success.

For our friends/readers, please free to leave us stories, tips and suggestions that you may have about family travelling to Europe (comment box below). I will gladly appreciate it. Thanks.

Product Review: Elfishki and the Giant Cake

2012-02-15T23:04:00.000-08:00

Elfishki and the Giant Cake
Interactive iPad book for kids

Once upon a time, on the beautiful Rainbow Island in the middle of the Sparkling Sea lived magical little people called Elfishki. Some of them could fly like butterflies, and some could swim like mermaids. They shared the island with animals who could speak, and trees who did not talk but understood everything. All in all, this was a place where miracles happened every day.

Elfizz was an owner of a gloomy restaurant named Chest of Ghosts where the staff was eager to please ghosts. On the opposite side of the square was a bakery, Gingerbread Nook, run by a pretty plump Elfishki lady called Maggie. The two were at odds with each other until one day they had to work side by side.....

Here's what you find in the iPad application:

1.Original, not found anywhere else captivating texts, designed to develop your child’s conscious reading skills - according to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
2. Stunning interactive art, classic animation and videos.
3. Professional Audio Voice over of the story, so your child can listen along with the text.
4. THREE (3) Questions on every page of the book specifically designed to help your child analyze the text, boost their imagination and make predictions about the story.
5. A bonus game specifically designed to boost your child’s imagination - Decorate the Cake - where you can save and share your child’s fantastic creation.

Awesome iPad Book!!

I love the colorful layout and the interactive play of this app. My four year old son loves this book, though he’s not really reading yet, he likes to go through the pages and looks at the pictures. He specially likes to touch the objects that make cute little movements. This book makes reading a lot more interesting and super fun.

I also like that you can choose to Read or Listen to the narrator. Don't get me wrong I love reading to my kids but being asked to read a favorite book, 3 times in one sitting, can be tiring. The three questions on each page are a great way to follow-up understanding and encourage kids creative mind :)

“Decorate your Cake” is an amazing game. You get to decorate your own cake, take a picture and put a caption on it. All my kids (3) had fun decorating their cake and now, I have a dozen pictures on my iPad. Another plus is you could email those pictures to friends or use them as a simple e-card.

Room for Improvement?:

It’ll be nice to be able to put your own personal greetings or caption on the picture.

More bedtime stories. J

If you want to know more about this app, here's the you tube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tw3eEv2oA-Q

Product Website: http://www.elfishki.com/fairy_tales_myths_and_legends.php

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.tomoson.com/?code=BOTTOMf8bca49d5d3303c0cbf425b6b779d37d">Tomoson.com</a>. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Hawaii- Quick Getaway

2012-02-11T01:11:00.000-08:00

2011 was a fun year for the family. We had a few quick getaway trips and one of them was to Honolulu, Hawaii....

April, 2011

The family went to Hawaii for 4 days with friends. The kids were ecstatic to have their friend, Kaitlyn (our friends 10yr old daughter) on vacation. yehheey!! Like they say, the more the merrier!
I should say, we did alot on that 4 day trip. We wanted to do something different each day to make it more fun and eventful. Here's a quick run through...

Day 1: Off to the beach.!!, . That's the main reason of going to Hawaii, right? :)) We had our fill of the crashing waves, warm sand, the heat and the sun..... that also goes to say, we all got toasted on the very first day :/ but it was alright, everybody was happy and satisfied.

Enjoying the beach!!

Day 2: The road trip! Everyone wanted to see the rest of Honolulu so we decided to rent cars and off for a drive around the island. I wanted to visit the Macadamia Nut Farm Outlet, the kids wanted to venture the maze at The Dole Pineapple Plantation, little Sean asked for a swim again, another wanted to visit Pearl Harbor and the list goes on...
Backpacks loaded with snacks and drinks, route all planned out, maps ready..we started early morning on our second day..

Day 3: Snokeling!! Hanauma Bay's most popular activity is snorkeling. Swimming above the rocks and spotting a variety of sea creature was a fun way to spend the day..

Day 4: Our last day :( We had breakfast at the hotel, went out for a quick swim and did our last minute shopping. Time just went so fast that it was then time to pack our bags and fly back home.

We had lots of fun in Hawaii. The kids loved the experience so much that they've been talking about it for months. One thing I know for sure, we will be coming back...soon

Here are some little things to remember:

Sunscreens: Bring tons and remember to apply before you leave the hotel and every 2 hours if you are on the beach even if the label says "Waterproof".
Plan your day. It's alot easier if you know what you want to do and where you want to go.
It's always handy to have a stash of on-the-go snacks and drinks specially with kids.
Don't forget the cameras, extra memory cards and battery chargers.
Small First-aid kit.

I'm sure there are more of the "little things" to to keep in mind, please feel free to share some of yours.

The Preschooler

2012-02-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

When we started Sean on preschool last September, I should say it was a bit of a struggle. I remember the "leg-hugging don't go away mommy" cry and "I have a tummy ache so I need to stay home" excuses. I knew it was going to be a challenge as he had never been to a daycare or any play group before. Like any other family here in North America, me and my husband are on work-stay home shifts. When hubby works, I stay home and on his days off, I go to work. When Sean turned three, we thought it's time to introduce him to the real world, to socialize and meet new friends. Well, he took four months to adjust (but hey, he can take as much time as he want, haha :)) and to like the goodness of the preschool life. Now he loves school and always looking forward to see his friends. As the proud mama, I say you're the coolest Sean!

Likes doing art and playing with glue!

Learning about texture.......yeheey sand!

Sean and friends

Welcome

2012-02-04T19:27:00.001-08:00

Hi. My name is Emee, mother of three silly pumpkins: Leena (11), Yvo (10) and Sean (almost 4), married to a wonderful hubby K.. We're pretty much the regular family who loves to do fun stuffs like camping, swimming and skiing. We also love to travel, see new places and most especially we love to take pictures. I'm not a big blogger kinda type but I like to share my pics to friends and family. Hope you enjoy our family blog :)

Christmas 2011