kids (learning) toys

our little girl owns a bunch of toys (like most kids her age) and we've come to master what toys she loves playing with. we've also taken her to toy stores a lot of times and these are the top three toys she ALWAYS go to and take time playing: 1) ball; 2) bicycle (with support wheels); and 3) bubble toys.

her most recent toy (given to her as a birthday gift) is a kiddie SPALDING basketball worth P3++ (almost 400 bucks). she's fond of playing with balls at home, whether just passing it, tossing it, kicking it, throwing it, and lately, she's beginning to learn how to dribble. sounds boyish. but i personally think it's cute.

anyway, i'm thinking of toys that will be interesting to our little girl, and at the same time educational--- toys that'll make her think, or those that will enhance her creativity. she was bought a bag of building blocks (the cheaper alternative for LEGO) by her mama lola i think those kinds of toys are best at her age. the other day, i was looking at this and thought that she may already appreciate playing with it:



shaping clay is a part of nursery (or kindergarten) class. i remember having this activity in school when i was still a kid. i didn't really enjoy it because i simply do not have any artistic blood in my veins. making any good shape out of the mashed (or rounded) clay is always in vain. but well, i guess its just me. i loved writing and singing more back then.

wifey & i believe that our little girl is intelligent (just like any other parents to their kids) but yeah, she never gets tired of discovering things. even if we tell her not to do things that are dangerous to her, she still wants to learn by experience. sometimes her curiosity is adorable, and most of the time it's not. but kids are kids. they only pass this stage once and the least we can do is to appreciate everything. yes, EVERYTHING. even if she's already too big to play little, but still too little to play big. dig?

[caption id="attachment_2682" align="alignnone" width="300"] little Aya hoarding canned goods. panic buying? :P[/caption]

Good Food, Good Friends, Nice, Nice Place!

on the occasion of colleague Rach's birthday (today), we have celebrated this as early as June 8th... excited much? :P it was my first time to go out with a big bunch of PCFI colleagues after work, and it was my first time to visit Galileo Enoteca Deli as well. Surprisingly, it is just located near our workplace. And another surprise for me... it offers Italian delicacies! Did i just say "pasta?" they serve not-so-ordinary dishes that will surely satisfy your taste buds. but that's not the end of the surprise for me. the ambiance. it's THE ambiance. excellent for that perfect proposal moments, very good for private family or friends gathering, or simply an intimate dinner date with your special someone. Galileo Enoteca Deli is also a wine restaurant. The interior design of the place will surely captivate your heart and it definitely adds to the perfect dine-in experience of every customer. Added attraction to the place are artworks (paintings) hanged on its walls, and one of them was made by our birthday celebrator. just being proud about it. ;)

wasn't able to take note of what we ordered and ate but i'm already looking forward to revisit the place, this time with my two girls. it's worth a visit for your next special occasion. no kidding.

[caption id="attachment_2676" align="alignnone" width="300"] Ren, Szantee, Tina, Nix, Mac, Didith, Jon, Rach, Ricky[/caption]

(from its FB page)

Galileo Enoteca Deli (Wine Library of wines) - Place where you can explore Food and Wine pairing. Italian Deli and Authentic Italian dishes best complimented with perfect glass of wine.

Mandaluyong Branch:
No.80 Calbayog Street Corner Malinao Mandaluyong City
532.04.82/ 534.46.33
Open from (Monday to Saturday)
11-11pm


Eastwood Branch:
Ground Floor, City Walk 1, Cyberpark, Eastwood City, Bagumbayan Quezon City (Beside Dulcinea)
0922.832.80.71
Open from Monday to Sunday
11-11pm
(Beside Dulcinea, Across Something Fishy)

Boracay Branch:
Galileo Enoteca
Balabag, Boracay
Malay Aklan
Station 2 Beach front (Near Dmall)
0923.569.65.20- Look for Naide

Happy (3) Kaarawan!

Our little girl turns three today! That also means that i'm already a father for three years. wow, it's that fast.. the time, that is. Can't help but look joyfully at our little girl as she grows and learn more new things that just make us awe effortless. some people are asking if she's enrolled to school already but wifey and i think that it's too early for her to go to school. she learns at home anyway with her mom patiently teaching her the basics she needs to know. well, as every pre-schooler tries to learn, our little girl already knows the A-B-C, she knows numbers 1 to 10, she can distinguish basic colors (with the color violet she refers to as "purple"), she knows the basic shapes including "star" and others such as the moon, sun, she can easily tell a boy or a girl if you point to the people she's familiar with, and much, much more tricks that can really surprise us.

earlier today, while mom & dad were at church, she woke up with her lolo daddy and we saw them waiting outside our house when we arrived from church. then when her lolo daddy grabbed the sweeper, she immediately followed and helped him. we prepared her for the children's worship service also but before cleaning up (taking a bath), we let her blow her first (small) birthday cake. well, the major celebration (which includes the REAL birthday cake) was to be served in the afternoon at my in-laws' place since the little girl shares her birthday with her uncle Jayson. so she gets to blow the three candles in the real birthday cake later in the afternoon.

[caption id="attachment_2669" align="alignnone" width="300"] her first "cake" today[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2668" align="alignnone" width="300"] blowing the "real" birthday cake[/caption]

looking at my daughter, i can just pause for a moment and wonder how i'd be preparing for her education. there's no backing out now. tuition fees especially for pre-schoolers are very costly. and all i can do is to hope for the best of everything.

i wanna thank the LORD God for everything... and the most precious blessing our family received is the existence of our little girl, Aya Camille.

I love you, anak! :D

What's your coffee personality?

it's been a long time since i answered these online quizzes. browsing on some results of a keyword (work-related) i entered in google, i ended up reading a forum for females, and found this quiz: What's your coffee personality?. Feeling that it's a slow Saturday workday anyway, i took the quiz and answered this set of multiple choice questions:

1 .) You wake up on a weekend morning. What's the first thought that pops into your head?
- You tell yourself that it's time to get up, but that you don't have to rush.
- It's time to put on your running shoes and hit the road or trail!
- You think about your current hobbies and interests. Having free time means you can do the things you love.
- You start planning how your schedule, which will involve doing your errands and meeting up with friends.

2 .) What is your typical breakfast like?
- A big meal with rice because breakfast is the most important meal of the day
- A sandwich because it's something easy to eat on the road
- Just a pack of crackers is enough
- It depends on what you and your colleagues are craving for. You like having breakfast together before the workday begins!

3 .) Where do you usually get your coffee?
- You make it at home and pack it in your thermos.
- A coffee shop that’s in between your house and the office
- That small coffee shop where they may not have many fancy machines, but have a lot of ambiance
- Just the office pantry (plus, it's a convenient way to get a glimpse of your office crush)

4 .) You manage to get to work with time to spare. How do you spend the extra half hour?
- Probably browsing the news or chat with your officemates
- Checking your e-mail and reviewing your agenda of things to do, ordering them according to priority
- You fix yourself up. The commute to work is a killer, and you want to present a professional image to the world
- Having breakfast with your workmates

5 .) How do you manage work-related stress?
- You take yoga classes after work a few times a week.
- You try to spend at least a weekend every month or two hiking and camping.
- You make the time to indulge in your hobbies.
- You go out for an after-hours drink with officemates.

6 .) What kind of music perks you up?
- Old school rock music
- Techno or trance
- Pop hits from the '80s and '90s
- The latest radio hits

7 .) On a typical work day, how many cups of coffee do you consume?
- Maybe two or three cups. Any more, and you'll be bouncing off the walls!
- Probably four or so. You like the buzz, and it helps you work.
- One, maybe two. A little caffeine is enough to get you through the day.
- You often lose track. You like leaving your cubicle every now and then to pour yourself a cup because it allows you to stretch your legs.

8 .) Do you order different types of coffee drinks for different occasions?
- Yes. When you're with friends, you tend to pick beverages you might not have tried before.
- Nope. You get your usual--it's tried and true, and it means you don't have to take so long to order.
- Yes. You're always on the lookout for something new.
- No, you don't change your order because of different occasions, but you do change it depending on your mood.

9 .) What do you do to chill out and relax?
- You like quiet days at home with a book or movie; you save your energy for nights out with friends.
- The gym--you have a number of friends who go there, plus working out gives you endorphins, which make you happy.
- The spa for a massage--there's nothing like having someone work the kinks and knots out of your muscles.
- The mall with friends--a little retail therapy goes a long way, and even if you can't buy, it's fun to try!

10 .) At a coffee shop, how long does it take for you to order your coffee?
- Less than a minute because you tend to have an order in mind before you line up, though you do listen to the barista's suggestions.
- As long as it takes for you to say “coffee.” You pretty much rattle off your order, pay, and wait.
- Not long, but sometimes you take your time because it's so hard to choose something you’ve never tried before--especially if the cafe has launched new drinks.
- Not long at all; the barista already knows you by name, and all you have to do is confirm that you're having your usual order.

and, here's my quiz result:

You're a LATTE!

You’re light and bubbly, and you never let anything get in your way. You are very passionate about your hobbies, and while this gives you a lot of satisfaction, it can sometimes get in the way of your work life. You can be a bit of a clock-watcher at work, but you do finish your tasks. It’s just that you need to get out of the office to do what you want to do. It's not that you hate your job; it's more that, while you enjoy your work, you prefer to think of it as a way for you to fund the endeavors you're really passionate about.

You like to keep things light, so a latte is perfect for you! Shortened from caffe latte, Italian for “coffee and milk,” a latte can be as simple or as jazzed up as you like it. It’s simply coffee and milk--more milk than a cappuccino or a macchiato--but it’s far from boring. Whereas other mixed coffees have the coffee as the base, this one has the milk as the base, with the coffee being poured on top. One thing to note is that many shops serve their lattes with artistic renditions of hearts, petals and other simple designs.

if you wanna try the quiz, you may answer the questions here: What's your coffee personality?. it should be nice answering them while sipping your favorite cup of coffee, right? :D

Monday, what's up?

it's a brand new week and headlines unite with the defeat of Manny Pacquiao to Timothy Bradley via split decision. while i admire Manny for every boxing performance, i can easily move on with his loss to his recent match, mainly because if it was a real defeat, then it'd somehow keep his feet on the ground. But some analysis say the match was just all about money. well, boxing is a business. sadly, the sport has to come to this point where fair matches should be driven by "some factors" and that the fans come to the losing end.

on another note, weekend was good. i got to run my first fun run event although it wasn't a full run, i get to realize i need to do more physical workout. unlike when i was in my previous job, i get to carry big boxes when i do inventory so i get a free workout even when working. running regularly is one of my "wants" but getting time out for this is the difficult part for me. now that i get to work six times a week, i only have Sundays for my personal stuff. and the day must also be divided with church and my family so planning to run got more blurry. that's why somehow, even if still unfit, i'm thankful that i was given the opportunity (since there are no other choices) to run for this sponsored event. i also realized that i need to get a good pair of (an all-around) rubber shoes. Ren was kind enough to take photos of the event. "Takbo Para Sa Kalikasan," was initiated by the provincial government of Cavite and was held in Trece Martires. this coming Saturday, another cause, this time for the senior citizens, will also be held in Cavite. the fun run will happen in Imus where our company also took part of as sponsor. I'm not just sure if I will be representing our company again to run, or maybe we can tap someone to run for this event while i do the documentation. whichever, both are okay to me.

this week, my family gets to stay in Mandaluyong for a couple of days. it means i'm near my work place. Yay! i can get longer sleeping hours! and yes, living-rich mode, haha! i'm looking forward to bring my two girls in one of our projects in Cavite tomorrow. we'll be doing some preparations for a BIG event by mid-week. it's holiday tomorrow in celebration of the country's independence day but we need to work. well, at least my colleagues are nice enough to offer me to take my two girls during our ingress. :)

busy days ahead... as always. but being busy is better than doing nothing at all, right?

comfort zone?

[caption id="attachment_2656" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="my 1st open house event with PCFI"][/caption] i'm slowly getting used to my daily "routine" with my 3-month old job. traffic has been cooperative most of the time when i'm on my way to work, i get a pretty good parking slot, i get to be greeted by friendly staff when i enter the building, i get to be with cheerful people when i enter our room, and i've a supportive boss. work's not so little, i SHOULD write on my calendar of activities. i've been provided with service units necessary for my job like mobile phone & laptop... honestly, this is my FIRST time to be provided such "accountability." my wifey affirmed that i'm in the marketing department since those are necessities. well, i guess. it just feels so different from my previous jobs. now i work six days a week but i'm more comfortable being in the day shift and entitled (again) to holidays after a year of working on holidays with no extra pay. i just love to be home right after office hours and be with my two girls. i think i'm getting the hang of this. although, i still wish for more family time on weekends. nothing beats a two-day OFF in a week's work. perhaps, and still hoping, that someday, we'll have the Saturdays to ourselves. i still have a LOT to learn about this new job and an industry practically new to me as well. i'm looking at better things ahead, trying to focus on my reason of taking this new task in exchange of my previous careers. patience is a virtue. and i do hope i get that nilaga by giving a lot of tiyaga. i just need to be positive about the things around me, and yes, everything will be fine.

Everyday, I Love You!

to the girl who's always been cheerful...
to the lady who's forever modest...
to the woman who's every time responsible...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!



just for being who you are, everyday i love you! you are indeed God's blessing to me and to our little Aya :)