This is Abby on her first day of pre-school taken in August 2007, a few days before she turned 3…

This next photo was taken on Abby’s  first day of Pre-Kindergarten, taken in August last year…

Just last May, Abby had her formal spring portrait taken in school…

It’s an awkward smile, yes.  Hee hee.

Last Saturday, June 20th, Abby graduated from Pre-K.  Here is her formal graduation portrait…

I love the cap.  I love the toga.  I love Abby in all her pre-school grad glory!  Hee hee.  The graduation ceremony lasted for all of 30 minutes.  It was far from pre-school graduation ceremonies that we have back home in that there was no program, no awards, no song numbers.  It was very informal yet heartwarming.  The kids were simply called one by one and handed their “diploma”.  Informal as it was, I had to hold back tears.  Kahiya naman ano?!  Hee hee.

After the graduation, there was a carnival in Abby’s school for all the students and their families to enjoy.  We all had a blast and I volunteered to do face painting yet again. ;)

Haaay!  Nakapagpatapos na kami ng anak…sa pre-school.  :D

Here are more photos of Abby from her pre-school graduation…

It’s true, too, you know! :)  While I’m making and packing Abby’s lunch, hubby prepares Abby’s breakfast. :D

And here’s the Father’s Day card that Abby made for her dad.  I should have scanned it against a colored back ground though.  Sorry about that! :D

The card cover

The top half of the card when it is opened.

The bottom half of the card

Happy Father’s Day to my dearest Munchkin!  Abby and I love you very much!

And to all you awesome dads out there, Happy Father’s Day! :D

{[This...

...multiplied by a couple hundreds] plus [strong winds and rain] } multiplied by 10 minutes equals….

Last Thursday, Mother Nature had a surprise for North Austin: hail which varied from pingpong to tennis ball sizes (in the worst hit areas) that lasted for more or less 10 minutes and huge funnel clouds, which, thankfully, didn’t touch the surface of the earth to become a tornado.

Here’s a photo of our neighbor’s outdoor sofa.  It’s blurry because I took the photo with the blinds drawn.  Hee hee.  Stalkerish, I know!

Here’s a big piece of glass from Hubby’s 2nd floor office window. :D

So where’s the lid that’s supposed to cover this hole?

Here it is, several feet away! :)

I always say that I fell in love with Texas, Austin in particular, at first sight.  I doubted that love during the 10 minutes when we were invaded by balls of ice. :D

We thank God for keeping us safe in such terrible weather condition…again.  Prayer works wonders!

Have a wonderful week ahead, y’all!  It’s going to be really great! :)

As a mother, one of the things I readily accepted is the fact that I don’t know and can’t teach my daughter everything.  There are some things that are better left to the experts…like ice skating. :)

Over the weekend (thanks to an ice skating birthday party hosted by our friends), my Li’l Munchkin gained the confidence to explore the ice on her own after only some very basic instructions from an ice skating instructor.  I was beaming with pride as I watched and took photos and videos of Abby balancing on her skates without having to hold on to anyone.  My heart skipped a beat and I held my breath every time she fell.  But after every fall, she got up again and tried to skate.  Abby’s not exactly gliding and sliding on ice yet, but before the summer is over, I’m guessing she’ll already be an expert skater. ;)

Here are the photos…

Abby listens intently to Ms. Kate for some basic instructions.

Holds on to dear life, that is, Ms. Kate’s Jacket.

Oops!

Getting some help from Ms. Kate…

…and Abby agrees to let go.  Way to go! :D

At 4 years old, Abby was the youngest of the birthday party guests to go on the ice. I just thought I’d mention that.  Can’t help it, sorry! :D

Abby wants to go back on the ice soon.  And she will. :)

I’m sharing the videos, too, of course!  But first, a message to my Mom…Mimi, it might be better if you don’t watch the videos.  :D  But if you insist, please, don’t scold Abby’s well meaning parents.  Hee hee.

And to all of you, don’t think we’re horrible parents, ok?  Because really, we’re not…most of the time.  :P

I’m calling this next video, “Daddy to the Rescue”.

The girl at the end of the clip is Nikki, if not for whose arrival at the party, Abby wouldn’t agree to go on the ice.  Thank you, Nikki!  Oh, and in case you’re wondering, Hubby isn’t much of an ice skater.  But he looked very convincing, didn’t he?  As for me, I too shall conquer the fear of ice skating and falling on my big behind.  I’m giving myself until the end of the year. It shouldn’t be any different from cooking. Har har! :P  Seriously, I’d love for the three of us to skate together someday soon.

Have a great week y’all!  Cheers to bravery and courage!

Alam mo ba na ang “largest zoological experience” dito sa Texas ay mararanasan sa Dallas Zoo?  Aktibo sa research at conservation ang Dallas Zoo.  Sa katunayan, ito ang kanilang misyon: “Long term conservation and management of species in captivity, as well as in the wild”. Ayon sa website ng Dallas Zoo, Ginagampanan nila ang misyong ito “through our strong commitment to a sustained and comprehensive conservation and research program that supports both basic and applied research in the field and in captivity.”

At alam mo ba, na dito rin sa Dallas Zoo  matatagpuan ang Jack L. Hamon Gorilla Conservation Research Center?

Alam mo ba ang itsura ng matampuhing gorilya?  Ganito…

Hee hee.  Ayan, di na siya nagtatampo, mahiyain lang pala. :D