Last day in Taekwondo

Toy Train

The Ate was busy playing and enjoying the wooden train and tracks until the little one woke up and destroyed everything. Haha!

Rafa is one and half!

Daddy's rituals before leaving the house for work include kissing us (even if the kids are still asleep) and saying "I love you." One morning, Rafa woke up early in time for Daddy's goodbye kiss.When he whispered "I love you" to Rafa, she replied. What she said made my heart want to somersault in joy. She said "Babu." I know she meant "I love you." Isn't she the sweetest?

Now that she's one year and a half years old (18 months exactly today), Rafa can say a lot of words already. She says them very clearly and she really uses the words when she talks to us. She calls me "Mami" and her Daddy "Dadi." When I point to myself and ask her who I am, she'd say "Mami" same with "Dadi", "Lolo", "Lola" and even her own name "Pah-pah"

When she wants to feed, she'd say "Mami, di-di!"

When she wants something she'd point to it and when I ask her if she really wants it, she'd say "Uh-um." And then I'd ask her "What should you say if you mean yes?" then she'd change her answer to "Po-po", meaning "Opo."

She'd say "No" if she doesn't want something, she'd say "Baba" if she wants to go down, even up. Hehe.

If she sees a dog, she'd say "Doh" and when you ask her the sound of dogs, she'd say "Arf arf!"

She also calls cats "Mingming", fishes "Fush" and birds "Bee." When she hears the sound of airplane, she'd point to the sky and say "Ee-pin."

I think she'd also potty train early because she's already showing some signs. When she has poopoo in her diaper, she'd point to it and say "Poopoo" and when she's not wearing one and she pees, she'd announce "Wiwi!" and when you ask her where, she'd say "Pipi." Haha! Funny.

I can also see that she's growing up independent and responsible even as early as now. When she's not hungry or wet or sleepy, she would just get her own toys and play. When she's finished playing, you tell her to pack away her toys and she'd do it, she'd put the toys and books back exactly to where she got them. When she's not breastfeeding or playing or sleeping, you'd find her in one corner browsing a book. Sometimes you'd hear her sing or make sounds as if she's actually reading.

When she's bored and done with her usual activities, she'd play Market Day or Endless Alphabet with our iPad. But this one we limit their use. While we know that it's not good for kids to get exposed to gadgets and the likes, we also believe that they have to cope up with the environment, with the technology and with the modern ways of living and doing things. When she hears my phone ring, she'd get it if she could, put the phone to her ear and say "Hello?"

She is also a fast learner like her Ate Gabbie. I can make her do things like clean up, throw a trash (she has her own trashcan and she knows where it is), turn on the electric fan, close and open the door and light and even watering the plants. She's also my little helper in setting up the dining table.

And although she can already eat solids on her own (we semi-practice baby-led weaning), she still breastfeeds and she's 100% cloth diapered. She may not be aware of it yet but her contribution to saving the environment is very significant.

I'm overwhelmed by the new things I learn about her everyday. I'm looking forward to hearing her talk and exchanging ideas with her. She may look like her Ate in some ways or another, but she is growing up to be her own self, carving her own unique niche in this place called earth :)

Happy 18th month Rafaelle! You are our little sunshine. We love you :)

Water Features @ BGC

It was the kids who had so much fun on my birthday when we went to BGC water feature and let them play in the fountains.

Upon seeing the water, Gabbie immediately asked if she could join the other kids who were already splashing water to each other.

A couple of minutes later, Rafa began playing with the water then a few minutes more, she was already dripping wet.

This is so far the cheapest and most accessible summer getaway that we can get.

Fun, fun, fun! At the Enchanted Kingdom

When Gabbie got an honor and two more awards from her Kinder 1 class, we promised her that we'd take her to Enchanted Kingdom. She's been there last last year during their Nursery field trip but she was not allowed in some rides because she was not tall enough then. This time. She was able to try not just once but twice, even five times some rides that require kids to be at least 36-inch tall. Oh, she was able to enjoy the Dodgem (bump car) seven or eight times. She went in the Riogrande also twice and got soaked from head to toe after. And there was this dinosaur ride that she rode for five consecutive times!

Rafa, on the other hand, went in for free. Good thing, because there weren't many rides that kids her age (and height) can enjoy. But she was able to try the train (so slow that Gabbie declared it "for kids only", forgetting that she is still a kid). There was a also playroom where they jumped to a sea of plastic balls, lied down and buried their little faces pretending to sleep.

The last time I went there was in 2004 I think. There were a couple of rides added and of course I wouldn't let the chance pass without experiencing them. So I did, and I got a little dizzy. Sign of aging?! Haha.

Gabbie and I tried but got really bored riding the ferris wheel. But it was nice to see the whole of EK with all the lights from above. It was fun, in Gabbie's own words.

As for Rafa, I told her that when she's big already, we will go back there so she can enjoy the rides. She said a soft and sweet "uh-uhm" so I guess she understood.