Meeting Jeff Kinney at the Dubai Lit Fest

The past weekend kicked off the 11th Annual Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, and fortunately, my family and I had the chance to attend one of the sessions at the InterContinental Hotel Dubai Festival City. Even though it was already sold out, one of my good friends managed to give us tickets for Jeff Kinney’s session. Yup, he’s the famous author behind the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. I didn’t tell my daughters where we going that evening because I wanted it to be a surprise. It was only when we were standing and waiting in the queue to enter the hall when they finally asked why we were there and I told them. Caila loves the Wimpy Kid books and Jeff Kinney is her favourite author, so you can guess she was ecstatic with my news. She actually had to ask me twice if she would really get to see the bestselling author.

A Mother-Daughter Date

From time to time, I try to take my girls on one-on-one dates; just short trips to the nearby fast food restaurant where we could sit and enjoy a meal while we talk. A few months ago, I promised my eldest that if she accomplished something in school, we would eat at a restaurant (not too fancy, but not the regular fast food or in a food court either) and I would take her shopping. Well, Caila did, and of course I gladly kept my part of the bargain.

Caila's 9th Birthday with Lego, Sprinkles, Sports, and Cream

Just like all her past birthdays, Caila had to have a theme when she turned 9 this year. And since she and her little sister had been spending their free time playing with Lego sets that their Oma and Opa gave last year, it was practically a no-brainer that she would choose that to be her theme. The good thing about it was we only had to spend on the giveaways and the family dinner to celebrate because she agreed not to have a party again. Whew! ☺

ItadaKids Sushi and Maki Making Sessions

Even though Itadaki Japanese Restaurant is located all the way at Wasl Vita in Jumeirah, our family frequently dine there because we love their food and it’s our girls’ favourite place to eat. They have a wide selection on their menu, most of which are creative rolls of maki and sushi that are so tasty and delectable, you hardly need to dip them in sauce.

One day, we were informed that Itadaki would be having its own ItadaKids sushi and maki making sessions, so since we didn’t enroll Caila and Sophie in any activity this summer, we eagerly registered them for the first batch.

Caila's Trolls Themed 8th Birthday

Since my sister treated Caila (and the rest of us) to a luxurious weekend stay at the InterContinental Dubai Marina as a gift for her 8th birthday, I knew I couldn't top that... material-wise, at least.  Thankfully, my eldest daughter had already told me how she wanted to spend her actual birthday and it didn't include a big party so we didn't have to dig too deep into our pockets this time. Whew! 

However, it did include giving away goody bags to her close friends and classmates at school.  It would have been an easy task (just buy treats and put them in bags, right?), but since she was so used to having a theme every year for her birthday, she insisted that there be a theme as well this year...yes, even though it would just be for the lootbags. This time it was Trolls. 

The Moment "Love You Forever" Became My Favorite Children's Book

One of Sophie's assignments at school is to have someone read to her regularly.  Earlier, like all the other nights, I told her to look for a book.  This time, though, she couldn't (or didn't want to) find one that she liked.  So looking through all the books we have, I pulled out one that I was sure she would enjoy.

Me:     This is a nice one! It's a very nice story and it was Ate Caila's favorite.
Caila:  No it's not!
Me:     It was when you were very small.  You even couldn't go to sleep without it.
Caila:  I don't remember. Can you read it to us?

Can't Help Being Proud!

Two weekends ago, I received an envelope from my eldest’s school. All sorts of things went through my mind as I struggled to open it: Was there a sudden increase in the tuition fee? Is there something we had to pay but overlooked? Or worse, did Caila do something wrong?

But as I unfolded the letter, I just couldn’t believe my eyes. My daughter was an awardee! And we (her parents) were invited to the school’s Annual Prize Day the following Thursday to see her on stage to receive the Endeavour Award for the past school year!

First Day of School Photos

By now, I’m pretty sure all of the schools in the UAE have started their new school year. How did your first day go, mommies?

For me, since my girls go to different schools (it’s a long story), I had two first days. Just like majority of the schools, my eldest’s first day was on the 28th of August. My youngest, on the other hand, started school on the 1st of September (although, in reality, her official first day was on the 4th of September).

A Fun Kiddie Sleepover

Not counting the ones with family friends who my parents left me with, I think I experienced a typical sleepover only once during my childhood days in elementary. It was my friend’s birthday, and she had invited a bunch of us to spend the night over and try their new pool. It was only after I answered Papa’s long list of questions, gave him the names and number of my friend’s parents, and promised that I would behave and be polite did he reluctantly allow me to go. Although it happened only once, I recall we enjoyed ourselves immensely the entire time, wishing that I would get to do it again (I did, but that was after several years when I was in university, and again only after more questioning and when my friend’s mom assured Mama she would take care of us).

A My Little Pony Party at Chuck E. Cheese's

Right after she had turned 6 years old, Caila was already looking forward to her 7th birthday. She must have enjoyed her Play-doh themed birthday so much, she couldn’t wait to start planning for her next party. Which is why, as early as May last year, our eldest daughter told me that she wanted a My Little Pony themed birthday party when she turned 7. Yes, that was just 3 months after she turned 6! Talk about excited! ☺  Of course we didn’t start preparing for the party that soon, though. That would have been too early!

After scouting around for fast food restaurants that had party halls, we attended a birthday at Chuck E. Cheese’s, Oud Metha…and as soon as the party was over, Caila told us that that’s where she wanted to celebrate her next birthday. I admit it is a great place. It has a wide variety of machines that kids and kids-at-heart can enjoy; and the best thing is, you only need 1 coin per game! However, I was hesitant to have the party there; mainly because the packages were just too expensive! Hubby and I tried to look for other options, but in the end, we gave in. After all, it was her 7th birthday...a special age to be celebrated (at least, that’s what almost everyone we know tells us)…so we blindly booked the hall in January and started preparations.

Flowers in the Sandpit

Caila had another assignment to do this weekend that involved us having to go out: taking pictures of flowers in Dubai. Problem was there weren’t that many in our neighbourhood, and no way were we going to the Miracle Garden and walk around in this hot weather.

Fortunately, when we visited my sister yesterday, we saw several blossoms in the area where she lives, much to the delight of our eldest who kept running and pointing out the flowers she wanted me to take pictures of.

Repost: Disclipline and Being a Nagging Mom

Throughout our childhood, Papa was very strict with us. Having had training in the military, he made sure his 4 children grew up disciplined and well-mannered. We were raised to always do what we were told, never complain, carry out our errands, respect our elders, and never, ever disobey them. If any of us displeased Mama and/or him, you can be sure there would be shouting and tears at home. 

My siblings and I all had our fair share with Papa’s belt on our butts. None of us were exempted. However, before I was born (or maybe when I was still a baby), he also punished my older brothers and sister by making them kneel on monggo beans, squatting for a long time, and hanging one of them in a sack until that person fell from struggling.

Caila’s Birthday Surprise at Marriott

If you think Caila’s birthday celebration ended when the last guests left the party, think again. My sister had arranged a special surprise for her niece, and it was one that we all enjoyed. The only clue we told the birthday girl was that we would be staying at a “nice, nice house” (how she describes a hotel) after the party. That alone made her excited already.

Ate Ning had booked a 2-bedroom apartment at Marriott Executive Apartments for that night, ordered helium-filled balloons in white and green (Caila’s favourite color), and two dozen cupcakes. A fruit arrangement, delicious chocolate cake, card from the staff, kiddie toiletries, and swan and monkey towels were a bonus courtesy of Marriott.

A Play-Doh Themed Birthday Party

When we asked our eldest daughter if she wanted to celebrate her birthday at school again this year, Caila said “no.” What she wanted was a party at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and to invite all her classmates from school and friends from the KFC community.

The Girls' New 'Dos

At long last, my girls had their hairs cut, done during the Eid holidays a week after Sophie's birthday.  Finally!!!

I honestly thought that Caila would back out at the last minute because she really loved her long hair and natural curls, but it was a good thing she didn't.

how they looked before

Before leaving for the salon that morning, we made sure to cut a bunch of strands from Sophie's hair which Hubby did this time.

I couldn't find the dictionary where we put Caila's, so I settled for an alternative to tuck Sophie's in.

I know I mentioned in an earlier post that we would be shaving off her hair, but then we decided not to because the winter season was coming and she'll be more susceptible to hamog and might get sick.  So we just settled on having her hair shortened, just to keep it away from her face.

At the salon, Sophie had her hair cut first.  Whether she knew what was happening or not, she was very relaxed all throughout, obediently sitting still and closing her eyes when Ate Mila would tell her to.

Then it was Caila's turn, and her beloved locks were cut.

approximately half chopped off

And finally, the end results...

I feel that Sophie's new hair makes her look like a Chinese kid, and her cheeks seem more fuller.  And I'm not sure if it's just me, but now whenever she smiles, it's like she's up to some sort of mischief. Kulit lang.

As for Caila, she looks a bit older with her Cleopatra cut. Ate na talaga. Which I think has actually helped  in the way she behaves and treats her sister.

So there. New looks for the kiddos.  Now we don't have to struggle to fix their hair every once in a while.  Finally.  For several months, at least =)

To Cut and To Shave

We have pamahiins (superstitious beliefs) in the Philippines that pertain to cutting hair. One of them is not to cut a child’s hair until he or she has completed a year old. Another is to have a smart or intelligent person make the first snips if you want your child to grow up smart and intelligent as well. For the same reason, another pamahiin is to get a bunch of those hair strands and keep it between the pages of a dictionary, encyclopedia (if you still have one) or any reference book. And still another is to shave off all the hair so that it will grow out thicker.

For Caila, since her hair was very, very thin since birth, we did all of those beliefs. I waited until she was almost 13 months to take her to the salon, and I was the one who made the first cut. In Primary School, I received certificates and awards and was the School Captain, I belonged to the top section in my last year in High School, and I made it to the Dean’s List in University so those at least account to something, right? (Nag-defend talaga ‘no? Hahaha!) After I cut a few strands, the lady at the salon shaved the rest of Caila’s hair off, and when we got home, I tucked the strands I cut in a dictionary.

Here’s how her hair developed:

Hubby with our little Shaolin

a couple of months later

hair growing

curls developing

mix of straight hair and curls

her hair now
(unruly hair on the left, combed hair on the right)

After we made her bald, Caila’s hair grew very fast so we would regularly trim her hair due to split ends or to make them even. But now, she doesn’t want to have it cut at all. Blame it on Tangled because she likes the movie and wants to be Rapunzel one day. But I have to admit that her hair does look nice. I’ve lost count the number of times we’ve been asked if her hair is really like that or if we use a curling iron to make it that way. I assure you, it’s naturally straight with natural curls at the end. Why would we destroy our daughter’s hair at such a young age? Still though, it’s getting pretty difficult to keep her hair tied and tame all the time so I need to convince her that she needs a haircut…and soon.

As for Sophie, not a single pair of scissors has touched her head. She was born with pretty thick hair, but as time passed by, it didn’t seem to grow out evenly. Instead, it became straight and thin just like Caila’s when she was her age. Now, her hair is uneven and all over her face. We always tie it back, but she often pulls off the hair ties.

thick hair at birth

thin hair at 1

her hair now

So since she’s turning 2 years old in a few days, I told Hubby that if we want to shave off Sophie's hair, we need to do it right after her birthday. At least she’ll still look cute even without her crowning glory. If we delay it, she might just look weird. 

Of course I’ll be doing the pamahiins that I followed when Caila had her first haircut, but I don’t want to be the one to cut the first strand this time. I want a doctor, nurse, or lawyer to do it. Any volunteers? =)

This Morning

I had just been at the office for 45 minutes today when I received a call from Caila’s school saying that she had vomited 3 times since the bus picked her up at 7am. I had no idea why. Apart from her coughing, she was fine when I left for work this morning.

Even though I knew they wouldn’t agree, I asked if the clinic could keep her for the rest of the day. I was right; they said she needed to go home as soon as possible. Jovy was the nearest, but I didn’t want her to wait out in the hot sun with Sophie while trying to get a taxi. I called Hubby to ask if he could leave work for some time; he was busy. Good thing my manager understood when I told him what happened.

So as soon as I had finished doing the urgent task I needed to submit to our General Manager, I headed to the school with one of our company drivers who, fortunately, was free.

On the way, I called Jovy to ask her if Caila was sick earlier. I know I said she was ok, but maybe I missed something. She said, no, except for her cough. But she did say that Caila didn’t eat much for breakfast. Just two spoonfuls of rice and luncheon meat. No milk or hot chocolate. No wonder!

Caila was lying down on the clinic bed when I arrived. The nurse explained that she had vomited once in the bus, and twice in the classroom. She didn’t have any fever, though. When I asked Caila how she felt, she just pointed to her tummy which prompted me to lecture her on why she should eat properly in the morning. She just nodded weakly.

While waiting for the necessary paperwork to be done (to allow me to take her home early), my daughter threw up again. I didn’t have any plastic bag with me, but luckily there was a trash can nearby where she vomited for the fourth time in two and a half hours.

By the time I dropped her off at home, Caila was back to her normal self, showing Jovy and Sophie her PE jogging pants that had vomit stains.

However, half an hour ago, Jovy informed me that she threw up again after eating rice and sinigang. And while fixing Caila’s bed, she found a candy wrapper underneath her pillow. Most probably she ate that last night before sleeping and didn’t drink water or brush her teeth.  She probably does this often which is most probably the reason why her cough hasn’t gone away. Haaaaay!!!

I told Jovy to keep all the sweets and hide them away at the top shelf of one of our kitchen cabinets.  Caila is now under strict orders to drink warm water and/or lemon juice with honey only. No juices or cold milk. She is not allowed to eat chocolates, candies, or anything sweet until she’s better. The only things she’ll be eating are rice, viands, and porridge.  And she has to eat properly.

Otherwise, it’s a visit to her pediatrician we will go.

Camping Out in the Living Room

This was our solution when the air conditioner in our bedroom conked out two weekends ago.

We didn’t have any thin mattress that could fit the four of us so Hubby and I struggled in bringing out the queen-sized one from our bed. You could tell Caila was excited by the way she enthusiastically helped in carrying the pillows and blankets out. And when the mattress was down and the duvet arranged, our girls started jumping up and down, using the mattress as a trampoline. Haaaay!

Caila wanted to stay awake as long as possible. First she asked if we could watch TV. When we said no, she asked Hubby to read to her. He did. Then she said she was hungry, so we gave her some cereal. After that, she wanted to talk. Finally, she fell asleep.

As for Sophie, she was practically restless from the excitement of a new place to sleep. Even though all the lights were off, the faint light from the moon made it easy for her to climb on the sofa and entertainment unit easily, and jumping on to the mattress from wherever she was. Finally, finally, she tired herself out and she settled down beside the rest of us.

You'd have thought that since she slept really late, our youngest would wake up later than usual the following morning.  But nooo! She was the first one awake, and seeing that we were all asleep, decided to try and wake me up by climbing on top of me.  Or maybe she just wanted a cuddle.

Judging from that night, I don’t think we’ll be doing this again anytime soon. Caila and Sophie would love to camp out again, but it was so exhausting to put our girls to sleep. If the air conditioner doesn’t work again, we’ll probably just resort to using our box fan instead.

Princess Diana and Sto. Niño

The other night during our weekly household at our home, one of our friends remarked that Caila was so well-behaved and acted prim and proper already at such a young age. She even went on to say that she could see her grow up to be a sophisticated lady just like Lady Diana! Needless to say, I was surprised at her statement. I couldn’t believe it. But of course, deep inside I was pleased at her words. Imagine, comparing Caila’s future self to the Princess of Wales? What a compliment!

The conversation continued to my cravings and what I liked to look at when I was pregnant with Caila (in Tagalog: mga pinaglihian), and I remembered that we had a small statue of the Sto. Niño (Holy Infant Jesus) at our home in the province that I asked one of my brothers to take a picture of and send it to me. I know there are countless Sto. Niño images on the internet, but I really wanted this one in particular. And when I received it, I printed it on A4 paper and always looked at it every day. I was in my 4th or 5th month of pregnancy then. Our friend told me maybe that’s why Caila was so pretty and behaved like she did. Her words, not mine.

And because of this, I searched my e-mail to see if I still had the picture my brother sent me…and I did. Here’s the image, in case you were wondering.

What do you think? Could there be some truth in that old wives’ tale?

Kindy Graduate

Our eldest has grown so much from the time she entered those school grounds 2 years ago. She’s learned so many things and gained so many friends, and I can only feel pride at the person she has become.

She may not have experienced shedding blood, sweat and tears to get that diploma, but seeing her in that toga, receiving that rolled up piece of paper, and bowing on stage in front of everyone last Thursday was enough to make my eyes well-up in tears.

Congratulations, Caila!

We're so proud of you.