After my last three more than a mouthful entries about Abby’s birthday, I’ll just write about whatever comes to mind (oooh, that may be a lot after all!)…

Welcome Luncheon at St. Albert the Great Parish

Last Sunday, we attended the welcome luncheon for new parishioners at St. Albert the Great Parish, the church we’ve chosen to register with as parishioners.  Here in the US, one has to register with a parish to become an official parishioner, which will allow a person to receive sacraments, be accepted in Catholic schools, avail and be a member of various ministries, etc.  We signed up with the church last June.  We love it there because the pastor, Fr. Isidore, is such a fun priest and his homilies are never boring.  Plus, we’ve always felt welcome at St. Al and it truly is a very diverse parish, made up of people from practically everywhere in the world!  During the luncheon, we met our fellow newbies at the church, which included a Filipino couple, Zaldy and Ana Marie who moved in to Austin only last year.  I’m glad hubby discovered St. Al! :)

Inflatable Wonderland

After the welcome luncheon, we headed off to Lakeline Mall to look for “something” (will tell you more about it in a couple of days ;) ).  When we were done, we spent about an hour at Inflatable Wonderland, where we usually bring Abby when we don’t have anything planned.  Only this time, I was Abby’s playmate for a great deal of the time that we were there.  Usually, it’s hubby who looks after Abby whenever we go there.  But because he had to leave us there for a few minutes, I had no choice.  And was I glad!  It turned out to be a great work out for me…jumping on the inflatables, running through inflatable pillars and going down the slides.  Hee hee!  Hubby said I should have been charged the entrance fee as well for playing too much!  Can’t wait to go back there again.  Tomorrow perhaps?  Entrance is 50% off on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so why not?  Nyahaha!

Eat All You Kanin

Our 3-cup rice cooker finally had one over me last Monday.  The table’s been set, the ulam has taken it’s rightful spot on the table, and Hubby and Abby were seated on their places.  I, on the other hand, had a glass bowl on my left hand, “official rice cooker sandok” on the right , ready to ”make sandok“ the missing ingredient to our typical Pinoy family lunch…kanin.  Surprise, surprise!  All I could do was gasp when I flipped open the rice cooker top.  There was no rice to speak of because the kanin was still just bigas soaking in water.  This is a big blow to my SAHMmy ego!  (insert blush here!)  I’ve already caught myself forgetting to switch the rice cooker to cook mode a couple of times before, but always way before meal time.  Oh well, there’s always a first time.  It was only a 15-minute wait anyway.  Hopefully, it won’t happen again. ;) 

My License is Here!

My driver’s license came in the mail last Monday.  Yipee!  I will now just keep the temporary one as a souvenir. :D  And I have to say, this license has got to be one of the few where I don’t look like I’m in a police line-up.  I’m all smiles and hubby did tease me about it.  He said the pic genuinely reflects how happy I was for passing the driving test, to which I didn’t object. ;)

Parenting Woes

Was there a full moon sometime between yesterday and Monday last week?  Ever since hubby went on a business trip Monday last week (and came back Friday night), Abby has been extra whiny, extra naughty, extra kulit, extra likot, extra everything!  She stirs up a battle over anything…eating, taking a bath, brushing teeth, napping, bedtime, everything!!  And it’s driving me ridiculously nuts!  Promise!  Every “acceptable” form of discipline has been tried and tested.  I even threatened to put her on the next flight to Manila, which I interchange with a threat of me flying back to Manila instead.  Bad Mommy!  I have to stop doing those as the angels might hear me and take me seriously.  You know nature sometimes has a not so good sense of humor.  These are the type of days when I just want to scream, pull my hair or cry.  Haaay.  Sorry.  Hopefully, this is just a short phase.  Today has been really good….so far.  (cross fingers here!)

And We Score!

Abby and I scored a few new stuff at the outlet mall yesterday…

an Ariel lunchbox from The Disney Store for hubby…joke!  It’s for Abby! :D  Her camouflage style lunchbox has too many stains.  I’ll attempt to get rid of the those unsightly marks after I remove all the knick knacks we hot-glued to it. ;)

a pair each of black and white Nike Roosh Cabrio for Abby and me – I wanted to get the pink and white ones but they are not available in Abby’s size.  I’m so lucky that my feet fit in the youth size 6Y.  Woohoo!  I’ve always wanted for Abby and me to have identical shoes.  Well, finally!  Next, I hope to fit in girl’s size clothing, like I used to!  Well, as they say, it’s free to dream. ;)

and a pair of Girl’s Sunray Adjust II for me – This was the only pair left and again, it’s size 6Y.  This sells for $25 at the Nike online store, but we got it for only $15 at the Nike Outlet.  Woohoo again for me! :D  This may not appeal to other girls my age because, well, it’s grape and pink, but hey… :P !  Nyahaha!

That’s still more than a mouthful.  I get carried away a lot of times. ;)

Finally, the last part of Abby’s 3-day birthday weekend. :D  On Sunday, 19 August, our party of three, together with our Houston-based house guests and very dear friends, Allan and Mia and their daughter Ninna, drove to New Braunfels to get wet and  “kid-level” wild at Schlitterbahn.  We planned this trip a good 3-4 weeks before Abby’s birthday.  And there was no stopping us even if the lure of a tax-free shopping spree at the Prime Outlet San Marcos proved to be very tempting for Mia and me.  Hee hee!  We got our tickets at a good price, too!  Lakeline Mall, a Simon Mall, had a Schlitterbahn summer package for only $75 dollars and includes 2 general admission tickets  to the waterpark, a $25 gift card to be used at any Simon Mall, 3 free kids meal coupon at Texas Land & Cattle and 2 Coca-Cola sodas (Mia, I forgot to give you your sodas!).  Normally, general admission tickets are worth $38.95 a pop.  It’s like we got ours for only $25 dollars each.  O, ha?! Abby’s and Ninna’s tickets were bought on-line and it was our luck that Schlitterbahn New Braunfels had an on going promo of $2 off per ticket bought on-line. ;)

It was already around 1pm when we arrived at the waterpark and armed with our waterproof disposable cameras, wasted no time hitting the waters.  The park was only open until 6pm at the time of our visit.  That meant we only had 5 hours to cram as many water attractions as we could possibly can!  The film we used to take pictures in the water is still waiting to be developed.  So for now, I’ll just share the pics we took using our digital camera before and after swimming. :D

Abby was well ready for this water park adventure, thanks to all those times spent swimming in the Avery Ranch pool and splashing at Brushy Creek Park.

Both Abby and Ninna wore swim vests, which were available in different sizes and for everyone’s use free of charge.  Self-confessed stage moms that we are, Mia and I had to take pics of our kids first before finally heading off to the pools. ;)

I braved wearing a swimsuit, unworthy as I am.  :P  It helped knowing and seeing that half the people out there were, er, less worthy than I was…if I may say so myself!  Nyahaha! ;)

At exactly 6pm, the lifeguards directed everyone to leave the pools.  As in!  And here we are, a shade darker and ready to head home.  Notice that except for us, the park is already empty.  Bakit ba?!  We had to take more pictures!

I hope to get the film developed either today or tomorrow and in one way or another, I’ll post more exciting photos of our Schlitterbahn adventure.   

And with that, we ended Abby’s 3-day fun-filled birthday weekend.  Whew! :D

On August 18, Abby had her birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese.  It’s funny how in the Philippines, I never even considered Mc Donald’s or Jollibee as a venue for Abby’s parties, not that there’s anything wrong with them.  Who doesn’t love McDo and Jollibee?!  They’re always a big hit among kids….and parents, too!  Let’s just say kiddie parties in the Philippines are now entirely on a different level….magicians, bubble show, face painting, glitter tattoo, etc.  I’m sure you know what I mean. :D

We chose Chuck E. Cheese’s because the ages of the kids we’ve invited are between 3 and 10.  For sure, they’ll find something fun to do at CEC, the same goes for the kids at heart.  Besides, we’re new in town and we didn’t know of any other party options until after we’ve booked with CEC.  Anyway, here’s the rest of my kuwento….oh, and don’t forget to mouse over the pics for more detailed description. :)

On the way to the party, Abby got to use our gift to her for the first time.  Party time was 4:00pm and would be 90 minutes long, as in no over time.  That’s because there’s only a 30-minute interval in-between parties. 

When we got to CEC at exactly 4pm, it was only a matter of a few minutes when our guests started arriving one by one.  I distributed the tokens right away and the kids wasted no time in playing whatever game they liked.  All in all, we are only 6 families totalling 11 children and 11 adults.

I baked these goodies for the party.  As a token of our appreciation, our guests took home chocolate chip cookies, baked form scratch. ;)  But I have to admit, I was short on chocolate chip supply and the cookies could have used a lot more.  Hee hee.

The kids sat down to eat about 40 minutes into the party.  They had pepperoni and cheese pizzas, fruit punch and a slice of the birthday cake.  We only had one long table for the kids and another  long table for the parents.  There were about 3 more parties going on all at the same time.  This is truly a totally new experience for me us! :)

After making sure the kids are all settled and heartily biting on their pizzas, the mommies and daddies finally sat down for, you guessed it, pizzas and buffalo wings and soda, and well, cupcakes. :D  The menu can’t get any simpler than that. ;)

After a short performance, Chuck E. went to each celebrant’s table for the birthday song and blowing of candles.

Our party time is supposed to be upto 5:30.  And the party host, Priscilla, started putting the food in boxes before 5:30 and caught all of us by surprise.  But that’s ok.  We simply transfered to the next 3 tables next to the party area and continued eating.  The kids continued playing at the game/arcade area.  It’s hard to tear kids away from CEC and our guests didn’t start leaving until after 6pm…some even later, like Bet and her gang, the Pangilinans and us. 

Abby opened her gifts at CEC, so I won’t have to worry about clean-up at home.  :D  And she got really cool stuff!

 It was already 8pm when we finally left, but not without Abby doing some more crawling and climbing first.  We were also able to exchange the tickets Abby won for some cheap stuff.  The prizes at Tom’s World and Time Zone are way way better! 

It is in celebrations such as this when the presence of family are even more sorely missed.  There was not one blood relative in our party.  But we’re glad that our adopted relatives made it to Abby’s party.  As far as we’re concerned, the few friends we have here are family, and they all came in full force. :)

End of Day 2.

ps. Click here for the complete album.

Abby’s 3rd birthday fell on a Friday, August 17.  We always make it a point to have a little celebration on the day itself even if there’s going to be a party another day (in this case, Saturday, August 18).  We did that for her first birthday and on her second (where it was the only party!).  Her third shouldn’t be any different.  And we thought, why not celebrate for 3 days to cover an entire weekend?!  Here’s Day 1…

As in her first two birthdays, there was a birthday cake waiting for Abby, complete with candles for her to blow, when she came down for breakfast.  Only this time, the cake, make that cupcakes, were homemade. ;)  I used flat-bottomed ice cream cones instead of paper cups.  Got the idea from Pillsbury!

Since it was a Friday, Abby had to go to school.  We got her new clothes and a “Birthday Girl” button.  :D  I think there’s an unwritten rule that new clothes are a must during birthdays…well, for kids at least.  Ok, so I may just have imagined that!  We took lots of pictures first before we finally decided to drop her off.  Hee hee! 

I worked my SAHMmy butt off baking and decorating these goodies (and more!) for Abby’s class.  Sweets are usually not allowed in school.  But they do give exceptions during birthdays!  And it’s stirctly cupcakes only!  No goody bags, no balloons, no nothing.  This may come as a shock to Pinoys.  It’s quite normal to disrupt classes in favor of a birthday party in Philippine pre-schools. 

But looking at these kids, I dare say that my sleepless night was well worth it. :D  Being able to eat something sweet in school is really a treat for them!  I requested one of Abby’s teachers, Ms. Jossie, to take pictures of Abby and her classmates.  And she was so kind to give in to my request. 

These pics of Abby in school are my first glimpses of what she does in school.  So she actually does something in school!  Not that I didn’t know that!  Hee hee.  It’s just that she can’t quite articulate what she does in school when I ask her. 

In the afternoon, I prepared dinner…nothing fancy, just camaron rebosado, spaghetti with meatsauce and broiled chicken (marinated in terriyaki sauce).  I didn’t dare fry the chicken.  Frying chicken and I don’t quite mix well.  I almost triggered the smoke alarm the last time I fried chicken.  Promise!

We only had my friend Bet, her three sons and two nieces for guests.  That’s a total of six kids including Abby.  That already makes for a fun party!

We had an early dinner because Abby’s birthday coincided with the tv debut of High School Musical 2 and it had a 7pm time slot.  As soon as it started, the kids were glued to the tv. :)  But the 3 younger ones, Abby, Milo and Jezie, spent a lot of time in Abby’s play area as well.

Abby’s kuyas and ates made a giant birthday cookie for her!  How sweet!

During a commercial break, the kids gathered around the dining table to sing “Happy Birthday” to Abby and for the candle blowing.

It was already almost 10pm when hubby, Abby and I found ourselves alone again.  Before Abby went to sleep, we gave her our gift…something she thought she wanted and would remind us to buy every now and then. ;)  Well, it definitely made her happy…and would give me a rest every now and then from singing in the car and would allow me to drive in peace. :D

It sure was a long day, but definitely a very happy one!  End of Day 1.

PS.  More pics here. :D  Did you mouse over the pics for the descriptions?  ;)

Look at me, me, me; I’m three, three, three

I’m as happy as can be, be, be

Can you tell?  Can you see?

I’m a very very very happy me!

- sung by Baby Bop :D

Dear Abby,

Wow, Sweetie!  Look at you!  You’re 3 years old!  Now, you can hold up 3 fingers in front of you when people ask how old you are…something you’ve been practicing to do for some time now. :)  You make 3 sound like a very important number.  Well, to me, it is!!

To say that you changed my life is an understatement.  But hey, change is supposed to be good!  That’s what more mature people will tell you. ;)  Everyday, you turn my life upside down and inside out.  You fill my days with countless dips and dives and you have the sheer talent of sending me through a roller coaster of emotions in just a matter of minutes…seconds even!   Believe me, I don’t need Six Flags to experience a thrill ride.  You are just about enough. You literally and figuratively rock my world, and so effortlessly at that!  :)

Your Daddy and I thought it was funny when, a few days ago,  you blurted out the words, “I’m not a baby anymore.  I’m (a) little girl!”  Well, I hate to break it to you, Sweetie, but you will always be our baby. :D  But I have to admit, you are growing up, and way too fast for MY own good.  Keeping you entertained seems to be such a challenge now, when it used to be a cinch.  Coochie-coochie-coo, peek-a-boo and  funny faces just don’t cut it anymore…not the way they used to. 

From a 7-pound plus baby who could sleep comfortably on a queen-sized pillow (safely on the bed, of course!), you’re growing up to be a very active, smart, talented and curious beautiful little girl.  You are a ball of energy.  And like Star Trek’s Starship Enterprise you seem to think that you have a “continuing mission to explore strange new world….to seek out new life and new civilization….and to boldly go where no one has ever gone before.”  Hee hee.  Yup, Mommy was such a Trekkie during her younger days!  At 3, everything’s bound to be strange, new and bold. :D

You love to sing and dance and most of the time, you want mommy to sing and dance for or with you!  You thirst for stories…from books and those that mommy made up and you want to hear them over and over again.  We’ve read your books one too many times that you can fill in the blanks as I read them to you.  I like how you tell me the stories in your own words with the pictures as your guide.   

Your “abbyisms” never fail to put a smile on my and daddy’s faces, which reminds me, I have to do another entry on them! ;)  You used to speak in broken English with matching hand gestures to help convey what you mean.  Now, you speak in complete sentences, sounding more and more like a big person. 

Our days aren’t always smooth sailing though.  Just like any other  normal little girl, you whine, throw tantrums and get into a fit when things don’t go your way.  Sometimes, these make it easy for me to forget that you’re only 3.  Believe me, Sweetie, I am trying my darnest best to keep my cool, be understanding and simply to remind myself that you’re a kid and don’t know any better.  But sometimes, closing my eyes and counting from 1 to 10 don’t work for me.  You see, Mommy has an elastic limit, too!  I truly apologize for all the times I’ve lost my cool, raised my voice or gave your toosh a “palo”.  I can’t just let misbehaviors go unnoticed and uncorrected because if I do, then Mommy wouldn’t be doing a very good job.  And I really do want you to grow up into a fine young lady! :)  What amazes me is how you never held a grudge against me or your daddy after we give you a scolding.  You’re always ready to give us hugs and kisses after we’ve explained what you’ve done wrong.  And we thank you for that.

Abby, you have so much ahead of you.  Your future is but a clean slate and it eagerly awaits you.  Like candies in a candy store, there’s so many choices…some sweet, some sour, and Daddy and I will always be here to guide you.  We’ll do everything we can to provide you with a bright and happy future.  But it’s too early for you to worry about these things.  For now, you don’t have to stress yourself out any more than what you want for breakfast, the colors you want to for your art works or the stories you want to read at bedtime.

Look at that, I went on and on again and went on a gabfest when all I really wanted to say is that I love you very very much and I can’t ever imagine my life wihout you.  You’re a source of joy for Daddy and me and each day, you give us a reason to be proud parents…prouder than we already are.

May you have many more birthdays to come, Sweetie.  And I pray to God that He give you many many more and that He continue to shower you with blessings.

Tight hugs and sweet kisses to you, Abby!

Love,

Mommy Weng