Tip Tap Soft Soles Party

I had to re-sched my knee therapy last Saturday to attend the Tip Tap Party hosted by Tip Tap and Tickled Moms. Events such as this should not be missed. I knew that the kids would have a great time and I knew there'd be lots of goodies and activities that Gabbie and Rafa would enjoy.

Turned out it was really worth it (canceling my therapy, that is). Rafa was on the play floor most of the time playing while Gabbie joined the games and won most of them. She took home A LOT of toys and prizes for joining Trip to Jerusalem, Bring Me and Shirt Designing activity. Oh they also had cupcake decorating activity where Gabbie did 3 or 4 cupcakes I guess, and topped them with candies in various designs to her hearts content.

Aside from the yummy food and treats (love love love the spaghetti and cheese sticks and the cupcakes!), there were a lot of freebies, too! We went home with a bag filled with chocolates, cookies, Nutri-Del rice cereal (which Rafa sooo loved she really asked for a second helping), baby colognes, powder, etc.

But the best part of it was the free Tip Tap shoes that owner Ian Yao gave away for all the babies present in the party. I got a pair of pink size 12-18 month mary janes for Rafa, perfect for her pink dress and pinky pinky Hello Kitty party next month :)

My Little Mermaid

Confirmed! She's a mermaid in her previous life. :)

And I'm starting to believe that swimming is for her, and she is for swimming. Nobody taught her this. It was never taught in her swimming lessons.

I love everyday surprises. :)

Upside Down

Gabbie surprised me one day when she read an entire book (I'm A Big Sister) on her own with only a few complicated words pronounced like she was reading in Filipino.

But just a few days ago I heard her reading something in the garage. She was looking at an empty carton that was folded and kept in one corner for disposal.

"Fra-gi-le. Do not drop"

"Mommy! It says 'Do Not Drop'!"

At first I thought 'ok, simple CVC, CCVC- kayang kaya mo na yan'. But when I turned to look at what she was reading, I was even more surprised.

She was reading the words written upside down! O di ba, ang saya. Haha!

Proud mommy lang :)

11th month!

Rafa's 11th month fell on an Sunday so it was given that we would be out the entire day. I had my therapy in Med City at 8AM then we went to hear the mass/novena in Baclaran. After a semi-quick lunch in Max's where Rafa and Gabbie had lomi and chicken, we went straight to Nuat Thai for daddy's massage appointment. While daddy was having his 'me time', the girls and I stayed in the nearest Starbucks (in Katipunan) to satisfy Ate Gabbie's coffee craving. But we ended up getting a Strawberry Frappe instead. Rafa slept a few minutes after we settled (breastfeeding in Starbucks- check!) and after an hour or so, daddy  followed us but we went back to Nuat Thai so I can also have a massage (inggit lang!).

We went to a grocery and ended the day with a pizza as our dinner at home. We're saving the pancit and cakes and ice cream for her big day a month from now.

Happy 11th month Rafa!

Time indeed flies when you're having fun.

Hello Kitty Party!

It's gonna be a Hello Kitty Party! Wheeeee!

I'm almost done with the lootbags. Just need to fill them with a little more so they'd look stuffed and full.

I should be out shopping for goodies for the candy bar next week. And should be printing the labels and tags and TY cards.

And should be finalizing the guest list by now.

Girls just wanna have fun :)

I think I need to get used to this scenario already. When they play, they really make kalat and gulo. But even then, when they start to giggle and laugh at each other's antics, all I could do is just laugh and giggle with them- I can't help it, it's contagious.

Swim baby, swim!

I know I shouldn't be surprised. Rafa loves water so much, just like Ate Gabbie. Few weeks ago we went to Ace Water Spa. It was Rafa's first time in a swimming pool. We stayed in the water for about three hours, no signs of Rafa being scared or bored whatsoever.  We just needed a 10-minute break for her to nurse and then went swimming, sliding and playing in the water again.

And then last week, we went somewhere in Marikina for a swimming engagement party. As expected, Rafa swam like she wasn't a 10-mo. old baby (even I almost forgot! Haha!) She wasn't even scared to "ride" daddy's kickboard and she endured the cold water for like thirty minutes huh!

Looks like we have another Dyesebel in the family :)

10 months today!

She claps her hands as we sing the happy birthday song to her. She moves her body like it is her own version of Superbass dance. She stands up, sits, and decides to crawl towards and goes up the stairs.

She turns 10 months today!

Mommy, why do we have a head?

While I was putting the girls to sleep one afternoon, Gabbie looked at me and asked, "Mommy, why do we have a head?" I had to have her repeat her question because it never occurred to me that she would ask such question at her age.

I put down my phone for a moment (I read my Yahoo mail while I put them to sleep) and looked at her, eye to eye. She was waiting for an answer and I was obviously buying time. I had to think of an appropriate answer. An answer that a four-year old can understand. Then I remember their lesson in Science few weeks back- about the parts of the body, and the head.

"Because the head holds our eyes, ears, nose, mouth and what else?"

"Hair, chin, cheek, eyebrows..." Sure she remembers her lessons well.

"So if we don't have a head, we will not have our eyes, and..." I intentionally didn't finish my sentence. I wanted her to think and be the one to tell the functions of the eyes.

"We can not see!"

"And if we don't have a head, we will not have our ears and..."

"We can not listen!"

"And if we don't have a head, we will not have our nose and..."

'We can not breathe!"

"And if we don't have a head, we will not have our mouth and..."

"We can not speak!"

"That's right. And inside our head there's brain."

"What is a brain?"

"The brain tells us what to do, it is what we use to think. So that in school, we know..."

"How to answer the exam!"

"That's right! That's why we have a head."

How can I not be proud I have a smart daughter?

Just like mommy

‎"Mommy, may I borrow your cellphone?"
"Later anak, you sleep first and I will read something here."
"In your cellphone?"
"Yes, I have something to read (email, that is)."
"Why, is that a book?"

This made me smile. I hope she will always associate reading with real books and not iPads, iPhones, laptops or any gadgets and will always love doing it the old fashioned way.

Just like mommy :)