Lia's third

Lia at 3
Originally uploaded by micaela

We celebrated Lia's third birthday at McDonald's. We let her choose between a beach trip and a McDonald's party, and she chose the latter--with a Disney Princess theme.

So...off I went again, working out my canvassing powers. McDonald's provided food, decors, invites, loot bags, and game prizes, but I just couldn't resist. I had to conceptualize a souvenir, canvass for cake designs, choose between a pabitin and pinata, decide whether to have a glimmer or henna tattoo booth, and look for a design for Lia's birthday dress (and have it tailored).

I settled for name bracelets for souvenirs. Aside from costing lower than my other souvenir ideas, it was personalized--therefore, had more appeal (and use, which is really my number 1 criterion for souvenirs). I took a trip to my bead haven in Quiapo, where I bought the letter cubes and other supplies. When I was ready with everything, I asked for every kid's wrist measurements. Then I put each bracelet in a gold pouch (most appropriate, because it was a Princess party).

I surveyed everyone if they wanted henna or glimmer. Henna won, and so I went off to Robinson's Galeria to talk to Gene Testa, a known tattoo artist, and hire their services for henna tattoing.

Since Goldilocks was the "accredited" cake supplier for McDonald's parties, I went to their Pasong Tamo branch (it's open 24 hours!) to look for cake designs. I brought Lia along with me so she can choose her own design. She chose a Cinderella round cake.

I went to New Divisoria Mall in Divisoria to buy a pinata. I chose pinata over pabitin because Lia doesn't quite like pabitins (she had experiences where she couldn't get even one item). I chose a Cinderella pinata to go along with her cake. We shopped together for candies and chocolates to put inside the pinata. And together, we put all the goodies inside the pinata. As for the stand, I had my mother order one from the local carpenter in the province.

For Lia's dress, I searched the net (where else) for designs. I found one which had an a-line cut. Unfortunately, my mother insisted on it being a ballgown, and had petticoat done. :( I could not throw it away, or have it repaired or done all over again, so I made do with it.

I made all the preps, and stayed on budget. :)

When the day of the party came, Lia was so excited. She welcomed her guests with a smile, said "Thank you" when she was greeted "Happy Birthday", and kept on smiling until the party ended and she was already tired and sleepy.

Lia's favorite gift? The pig pillow given by Lolo Father. How she loves it! Which made us parents realize again that Lia's joy really lies in simple things. :)

Mall tantrums (not)

This is why I'm proud of my Lia even if she pisses me off sometimes: at the mall, she does not go stomping or have crying spells or tantrums or lying-on-the-floor drama whenever she wants something that I don't buy for her.

It's really a wonder how I did that: discipline her shopping behavior. When we go out (especially when we go to Toy Kingdom), I tell her, before entering the store, that we're not buying (just looking around), or we're buying but not an expensive toy, or we're buying but just one item. And she doesn't have a problem with it at all! I never experienced even one bit of a complaint from her.

Last Sunday, we went to Toy Kingdom. I told her that we were not buying anything, but she can point to me what she wants for her birthday. She said, "Okay, Mommy". Then we went around the store, but she could not tell me what she wanted! She'd approach one shelf, look at one item, look at me, then walk away. I don't know if I wanted to laugh or if I wanted to pity her.

So last night, when I was in Robinson's Galeria, I dropped by Toys R Us. I decided to buy her something special--as a reward for being a good girl. I was also a bit guilty of not buying her anything for the past 3 months! After buying this huge playset, I called her up, and told her I had a surprise for her. When I got home, was she glad--AND thankful! I never felt so appreciated. She is such a grateful kid.

I hope she continues this kind of behavior until she grows up!

Guess who Lia turned out to be?

These days, not a day goes by without me scolding Lia. For having so many excuses before doing anything we ask her to do, for not eating properly, for not coming when she is called, for not waiting for her turn, and many other reasons.

One day, I told her, out of exasperation, "You know, when you were smaller, you were a very good girl. Now, you're not nice na. I wonder what happened to you?"

And Lia graciously replied, "Because...I turned out to be like Daddy!"

And while Neil reacted violently, I laughed out loud. :)

Lia went (sorry, this is a late post) to school

We enroled Lia in summer playschool, for about 10 sessions. The school was near home, just inside the village. We didn't have time to go to a trial class, though, because by the time we decided to enrol her, trial classes were over.

Because we didn't get to attend the trial classes, enroling Lia was sort of a gamble for us. What if she didn't like it? But, when we visited the school before her summer class started, she instantly liked the place. I also liked the place, since classes were not confined in just one classroom. There were different rooms (art, play, etc) where kids get to transfer to/around during the two-hour class.

Lia was the only girl, though! There was another girl but she didn't regularly attend class. So, Lia was surrounded by boys. And the boys! Whenever they needed to hold hands or do the choo-choo train, they scrambled to get to hold Lia's hand (or waist, for the train thingy). ;)

According to the teachers, Lia's a bright kid. :) I do hope they're right, hehehe.

We're not enroling Lia yet this June, though. Besides the fact that she's still young (turning 3 on the 26th), we don't want to pressure her yet (plus the fees are sooo high, it's enough to make us think twice if the schools are indeed good).

Who turned off the light?

Last Easter Sunday, we went to Sta. Rosa, Laguna, to visit my tita. After mass, we decided to head to Tagaytay to have dinner at Antonio's.

On our way up, the sky was a deep, dark violet blue--twilight. Lia was looking out the window, staring at the sky.

And then she asked. "Mommy? Who turned off the light in the sky?"

I was baffled. I answered, without thinking: "God."

And then Lia said, "Aaaaah. From the church?"

Lia&Vida@ActiveFun

Lia&Vida@ActiveFun
Originally uploaded by micaela.

Here they are! It was just too hard to pull them out of ActiveFun--especially Lia. I had to go inside and persuade her! :)

Fun Ranch

Fun Ranch-ActiveFun
Originally uploaded by micaela.

Finally! We got around to visiting this place. Parents have been raving about Fun Ranch in blogs and e-groups, that I got so curious about it. Ginny's invite was timely: we set our kids' play date to Fun Ranch last Saturday.

Despite careful planning (i.e., thinking there were fewer kids if we went there early), we arrived at ActiveFun to see so many kids in the playground--care of a birthday celebrant. :( Since Lia and Vida were already excited, we had no choice but to let them in along with the birthday celebrant's guests.

After an hour, we had to pull the kids away because we had to have lunch. We hopped to nearby SM Hypermart and had lunch at A Venetto (always a wise choice because their food always got our tummies full). We went to the grocery (where I bought prepared Yakitori and Chicken in Pandan Leaves--prepared food is heavensent for moms like me!) before we returned to Fun Ranch.

I couldn't let Lia play in ActiveFun anymore, though, as I could already see that she was tired and sleepy. We just had one round at the Merry-Go-Round, then she bid goodbye to Vida.

My assessment of Fun Ranch? It isn't too big at all. Neil and I were talking about it, and we liked the playground we took Lia to, at the SM Mall of Asia, better. It was bigger, brighter, and the air conditioning was better.

Maybe if we go on a weekday we'd have a different perspective. We'll try that next time. :)

LIA quips

Here are just some of the reasons why Lia brings so much joy in our lives. :)

Lola Molly: Lia, can you count up to 20 for Lola please?
Lia: No.
Lola: Please? Please count up to 20?
Lia: No.
Lola: C'mon Lia! Please count up to 20!
Lia: Okay. (Pause)
Lia: Up....to....20!!!!!!!

Mommy: Daddy, you know, the little boy (in class) likes Lia!
Daddy: Really? The boy has a crush on my baby?
Lia: Yeah. (And then says in her most nonchalant voice) But I don't like him!

Lia: Dad, please turn off the TV.
Dad: Why?
Lia: Coz you're watching basketball.
Dad: So? Why should I turn it off?
Lia: Coz basketball is bad for me! Turn it off, Daddy, turn it off!!!

Mom: Daddy, let's go to Disneyland.
Dad: Why?
Lia (wide-eyed and whispering): Dad, Mickey Mouse is in Disneyland!!!

Lia (in church): Mommy, what's this? (Points to an embedded cross on the pew)
Mommy: It's a cross.
Lia: No, Mommy! It's a....? (Waiting for mom's answer)
Mommy: A cross.
Lia: Tsk! It's a letter "T", Mommy!!!!

Lola Molly: Lia, don't eat too much sweets, okay?
Lia: Okay.
Lola: Lia ha? Remember what Lola said. Don't eat too much sweets!
Lia: Lola you're koooolit. You said don't eat sweets then you said don't eat sweets again. That's two times! You're kooolit!

(Here's another variation)

Yaya: Lia, be careful. You might break the Cutex (translation: You might drop the nail polish bottle).
Lia: Okay.
Yaya: Lia! Be careful!!!
Lia: You're kooolit. I said OKAY na nga di ba?!

Lia (singing): It's the start of something new...it feels so right to be here with you.....
Mommy: Lia, come here.
Lia (still singing and not paying attention to Mom): ...looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart....the start of something new....
Mommy: Lia!!!
Lia: My name is not Lia!
Mommy: What!!? What is your name, then?
Lia: Lia Gabriella Montez. (from High School Musical)

:)

Lia's first long trip

lia_vida_fireplace
Originally uploaded by micaela.

We recently took a trip to Baguio, for Mom's birthday celebration. :) It was Lia's first long trip! I thought she was going to get bored, but five hours on the road was just right--she slept, she chatted with Ginny's daughter Vida, she sang.

We stayed at The Manor in Camp John Hay, thanks to Ginny's family's timesharing privileges. As soon as we checked in, we knew the kids loved the place.Check out Lia and Vida at The Manor's fireplace! :)

We were in Baguio for four days with Ginny's family, and John and Ryan. We had plenty of time to take in the sights, and the food, hehehe. Lia herself was enjoying the food, much to my surprise. Plus, she took her first horseback ride (which was, again, unexpected, as Lia has more "scared" moments than brave ones).

When at last our trip ended, and we headed home, Lia refused to "go home". True enough, when she caught sight of our home, she screamed and cried, "I don't want to go home! I want to go back to Baguio!" :)

Lia's third Christmas

train
Originally uploaded by micaela.

As usual, we spent Christmas with Neil's relatives in Cavite, my family in Sta. Rosa and Alabang, then back to Cavite. I was dead tired after Christmas, but Lia must have been more fatigued!

We bought a train set for our little girl. It was what she wanted--and after thinking about it, we gave in. After all, it was better to see her all happy that she got her train set, rather than seeing her disappointed over our own choices. ;p

Lia was only able to open her gifts on Christmas morning, though. She slept through Noche Buena. :)

Sleep tight, baby

Last weekend I rearranged furniture at home. As I've just bought a new sofa set, and started rearranging our living room, everything else followed (with the rearranging, that is): the area under the stairs, the two bedrooms upstairs.

For me, the hardest area to "rearrange" was our bedroom. It's where all three of us (Neil, me, and Lia) sleep. Originally, we put our large bed and a single bed side by side, so that Lia, who sleeps on the single bed, can still reach for me when she wakes up in the middle of the night. But last Saturday, I removed the single bed and replaced it with Lia's toddler bed--one with railings so she won't fall off. Although I still positioned it beside our large bed, it was different from the single bed because there were railings between Lia and me.

That night, Lia didn't complain when I told her she'd be sleeping on her toddler bed. We held hands between the railings while she fell asleep. But, in the middle of the night, she woke up and cried out in surprise. She climbed back to the large bed and snuggled between me and Neil.

When that happened, I sorta wanted to let Lia be. It was okay for me to let her sleep with us (actually, I secretly wanted her to sleep beside me as long as she wills!), but she had to learn about independence (or something like that, hehehe). So, when she finally fell back to sleep, I transferred her to her bed.

It took a long time for me to sleep again that night. I wanted to laugh at myself for "missing" Lia because we weren't snuggled together anymore. :)

Oh well. I have a loooong way to go. I'm sure there'll be more moments like these while she's growing up!

My little ladybug

CIMG1256
Originally uploaded by micaela.

Here's Lia in her Halloween getup--and it won her Best in Costume in our office trick-or-treat!

I thought she wouldn't wear the darned costume. We had dress rehearsals weeks before the Halloween, but every time we wore it on her, she'd try to take it off and cry.

Fortunately on trick-or-treat day, she didn't give me a hard time with it. I guess with all the kids wearing costumes, she didn't mind anymore.

:)

Mom's favorite words (of Lia)

Lia was a noisy newborn baby. That's not just because every time she cried, she cried her lungs out and woke up even the farthest neighbor. She was also very chatty, and she reacted to stimuli by speaking up (even in babbles). Whenever I talked to her, she'd talk back, and she'd always smile or stick out her tongue.

When Lia was about 5 months old and discovered that it was her own voice speaking, she was delighted. She screamed and laughed whenever she could.

When she started to speak "Dada", "Mama", and her first favorite word, "No!", I knew she'd never stop talking. Not only was she getting accustomed to speech, she was loving every syllable.

Now, she's starting to be conversational (much to our delight). And, she talks the whole day! Funny thing last week - her voice had become hoarse (I really don't know if it was from talking - bet it was).

Here are some of my favorite words/phrases, straight from Lia's mouth:

• "Huh? What you saying?"
  
• "Oh my God!"
  
• "What you want?"
  
• "Why it's like that? Because..."
  
• "Whel al you?" (Where are you)
  
• "Mommy's inside the phone!" (while talking to me on the phone)
  
• "You have umbrella?" (asked when it's raining)
  
• "Why?"
  
• "Why?"
  
• "Why?"
  
  

=)

Lia hates sand!

CIMG0840
Originally uploaded by micaela.

And here's proof. She cried, she squirmed, she screamed if we put her down and let her walk on sand.

This was her first time at the beach and she didn't like it. So not like mommy, huh.

We're hoping it's just first-time jitters and that she'll eventually learn to love the beach!

Is your child being bullied?

Wow. My title looks like those of self-help articles/books. But no. I chose that because Lia is being bullied.

I don't know, "bullied" may be a strong word, but I don't have any alternative for it yet. But what do you call this situation: Lia greets the kid with an enthusiastic, "Hi!!!" and she receives a "No, Lia, don't come near! Don't play with me!". And when Lia attempts to get near the kid, the kid pusher her (in front of me), and then does a hand gesture that says "I'll knock you off".

Almost every time, the kid does something to Lia and Lia ends up always verbally abused, and sometimes physically hurt. And Lia keeps on wanting to play with the kid, while the kid shoots her with dagger looks and an extended "Don't, or else" arm.

Just this week Lia went over to where the kid was, said "Hi!" and the kid twisted Lia's foot. How about that, huh?

Neil is just so mad, he wants to pinch the kid the next time he sees her. Uh-oh. Me? I still don't know how to deal with it. I just assure Lia of our love every time!

Terrible Two's -- not true!

That's because we're experiencing it from Lia -- and she's not even two yet! Her favorite words: "Ayaw", "No", "Don't like". And when we're scolding her she scolds us back. Actually, there's no use scolding her because we just end up laughing.

How do we deal with it? We give up. Really! Because we've learned that if we keep warning her to not do this and that, she only either laughs it off, or does it again and again.

Oh well. I guess toddlers aren't at all adorable if they weren't so smart (or smart alecky)!

Cuts and bruises

Yesterday, Lia acquired her second bruise of her lifetime. I found out about it when I called home to ask about my baby, and the helper informed me that Lia's knees have just been scraped. The neighbor's kid pulled Lia towards her, and with Lia's smaller steps (the kid was 1.5 years older), she stumbled and scraped her knees, plus bruised her finger.

I went home with six cups of ice cream yesterday just to cheer Lia up. ;p

Lia had her first ever knee scrape around three weeks ago, while running along the stretch of the garage. She wouldn't let the nanny hold her hand, so there. She knew it was her fault; she told us the story of how it happened, later that day.

I wonder how she feels about her physical injuries? My first ever memory of my knees being scraped was when I was around 4. I was playing near a parked Pepsi truck. A great idea struck me - I climbed onto the truck, holding on to Pepsi bottles. Of course, I fell. Voila, my first ever bloody knee bruise. I ran home crying, and my mother poured (yes, poured) half a bottle of alcohol onto it. I believe my howl was louder than a hundred dogs'. From then on, I was very careful not to get myself cut/bruised. The memory of the searing pain of the alcohol was just too much.

Unperturbed. For now, that's how Lia is with her bruises and insect bites. ;)

Lia's second Christmas

9
Originally uploaded by micaela.

I'd say Lia enjoyed her 2005 Christmas than the previous year's. This time she appreciates things - and guess what comes out when she opens her gifts. A loud and sincere "WOW!". Hahaha!

Mom and Dad bought her a VTech toy. She appreciated it all right. But the next day, when Lia got a bike from Ninang Anna and family -- well...just look at the pic to see the pure joy on her face!

Missing my baby

Yeah, big time. It's just that since the start of the month I've been out almost every weeknight and even on weekdays. As if I had a choice. :( My baby feels my absence, too. When I'm with her she won't let me out of her sight.

One day last week I came home late, and Lia was still up! Poor baby. Neil said she won't sleep. So I immediately took her to our room and lulled her to sleep. And she did; she slept right away.

This coming week's going to be hell for Lia and me again. Tomorrow, office Christmas party. On Wednesday, am attending another party. And another engagement on Friday night.

:( :( :(

Goodies!

goodies
Originally uploaded by micaela.

And here's the little angel checking out her goodies.

Until now, the pumpkin basket still hasn't been emptied! Too much goodies in there!