Lilliput Academy's Summer Art Class Graduation

On May 19, 2012, my son experienced another milestone in his life, his first graduation. :)  Being the excited mom that I was, I let him wear a semi-formal outfit (green polo, black slacks, and black leather shoes) and he looked so handsome!

morning face (while waiting for classmates to arrive)

opening prayer

waving to someone

When Teacher Jona was about to start announcing the students' names for the iArt Class, we noticed that Ryken was still seated.  A fellow mom even asked me, "Hindi ba kasama siya sa art class? (Isn't he an art class participant?)" We called Teacher Jona's attention and she immediately apologized.  She got confused with the names because Ryken is my son's nickname and his formal name was the one indicated in the certificate. :)

with Teacher Jona

class picture

their last artwork given with the Certificate of Achievement

There was a song and dance number and we were all anticipating it.  I love performing on stage and I was hoping Ryken's a performer, too. :)  But he wasn't in the mood that time, haha!  He just stood there and moved his hands a bit.  It was really funny. :)  I'm not familiar with the song, though.

he's not in the mood to dance :)

It was a memorable day for all of us and the next summers will surely be fun, too! :)

Thank you, Teacher Jona! I had a great time!

first graduation family picture :)

Dragon Doodling and Shading

I recently noticed that most of Ryken's drawings look like this.  It could be any shape.  He makes an outline first then shades the inner part.  When I asked him in particular what this was, he said it's a dragon.

 But he also called this drawing a dragon. :)

Chef Ryken's Pizza Bread

One afternoon, I requested my yaya to assist Ryken in making pizza bread so he can do an activity and have merienda at the same time.  The pictures were taken by my yaya's daughter.  Ryken was very proud of himself!

They used Del Monte Sweet Pizza Sauce, Del Monte Pineapple Tidbits, Purefoods Sweet Ham, and Eden Cheese.  Yummy!

putting the sauce

then the ham

the pineapple

then the cheese :)

the pizza bread are now in the oven, yey!

Ryken with his Yaya Angie

Funny that Ryken did not eat the pizza bread, so we ate them instead when we arrived home from work, hehe.. :)

Ryken's Artsy Summer 2012 at Lilliput Academy

 

I was looking for summer activities for Ryken to boost his socialization skills and I chanced upon Lilliput Academy's iArt Class which was offered for free!  Yey!  And the school's part-owner, Beng Remollino, was my highschool classmate. :)  They only asked us to bring glue, scissors, jumbo crayons, and an apron for the art sessions.  I only bought the glue and scissors since Ryken has a set of Crayola's My First Crayons and the apron was a kitchen apron we found in my mom's home which fortunately fit him, hehe.. :)  The school also has a free cooking class, the iCook, but since Ryken enjoys doodling and coloring, the art class was the better choice.

There are 8 sessions and classes are scheduled every Monday and Wednesday, from 8:00am - 10:00am.  The first session was held last April 23.  I knew that it would be a challenge for Ryken because he is a late-riser but on the first day of class, Ryken woke up earlier than usual.  He was probably excited to go to school, too. :)

The class started with a prayer and circle time.  I was very proud and happy (even teary-eyed) seeing Ryken listening to Teacher Jona and participating in the activities.

how the shapes are drawn using 'sleeping' and 'standing' lines

sticking the parts of the face

They made little boys/girls using colored paper cut into different shapes with our (parents/guardians) assistance.  I remembered Ryken not liking the finger painting activity we had in a playdate with N@wie kids so I waited for his reaction when they were told to spread the glue on the paper with their fingers.  He seemed not to mind. :)   

our little boy puppet :)

We chose to stick the little boy on a popsicle stick instead of paper so that Ryken can play with it like a puppet.

Hello, Dubai! :)

I just love Ryken's expression here and how I wish this was really taken in Dubai. :)

But no, this is the La Paz Sand Dunes of Laoag, Ilocos Norte (famous setting of the movies, Panday ni FPJ and Temptation Island Remake).  Hubby and my in-laws went on a 4x4 ride here and they did the sandboarding, too.  We spent the Holy Week in Laoag and Batac, the hometown of my parents-in-law.  

Friends who've been to the Middle East say that this can easily pass as a Dubai picture.  Astig! :)

Lord, We Pray for Stronger Lungs for Our Baby

It was late evening of March 13, 2012 that I noticed Ryken having difficulty breathing.  He had cough (with severe phlegm) and colds then and his back arched a bit as he breathed, which was unlike the other times that he was sick.  He couldn't sleep well that night and he kept on tossing and turning on the bed, probably finding the best position where he could breathe more easily.

I contacted our pedia, Dra. Grace De Joya, early morning the next day and she advised that I give Solmux Broncho to Ryken and that I also bring him to the clinic for check-up.  Dra. Grace's initial diagnosis was pneumonia and we were advised to do a chest x-ray.  She also prescribed Clarithromycin and Salbutamol Nebules.  Ryken was supposed to be admitted to the hospital but thankfully, he was still energetic and playful and didn't lose his appetite so there was no need for confinement.

smell, smell :)

We were lucky that hubby had a nebulizer and Ryken seemed to enjoy nebulizing because it probably helped ease his breathing.  We just let him smell the "smoke" since he cannot put the apparatus yet in his mouth.  

We went to Philippine Children's Medical Center (PCMC) in Quezon Avenue for the chest x-ray since the hospital is just across our office.  When we got the result after two days, the impression was "Bronchopneumonia and/or primary koch's infection."  The pneumonia was already being treated so our pedia advised to have a PPD skin test done to confirm if Ryken is positive for primary koch's infection or primary complex.

The Cranky Rosary Bearer

Shortly before he turned two, Ryken experienced being a rosary bearer in the wedding of his Tito Jowell and Tita Reah last August 6, 2011.  Jowell was my former officemate whom I also consider as my guy bestfriend.  Hubby and I were very excited!  I trained Ryken to walk using the pillow for our wedding rings with "Canon in D" as background music.

However, we did not make it in time for the wedding march. :(  It was all my fault.  I have poor time management so we left the house a few minutes before 2pm (the ceremony was at 2pm, I didn't know that they indicated the exact time of the ceremony in the invitation).  We did not anticipate the traffic at the Meycauayan tollgate and the wedding was at Divine Mercy Shrine in Marilao, Bulacan.  If there was no traffic near the tollgate, we might have made it to the march since our route was through NLEX (North Luzon Expressway).  Jowell even called me as we were a few meters away from the church to ask permission if they could start the processional without us.  Har! Of course I said yes.  I wouldn't want to be the reason for the delay of their wedding, hehe.. :)

Upon arrival at the church, Ryken just clung to me.  He didn't want to be put down.  I wanted to take a picture of him by the red carpet near the entrance door but he was scared of the door.  He might have felt overwhelmed with its gigantic size and the great amount of light that passes through from outside.  We chose a seat at the farthest right of the church as Ryken was already having tantrums.  He didn't want to stay inside the church!

Good thing my mom was with us so she brought Ryken outside.  Ryken's mood lightened up a bit when they went there.  He played with the monoblock chairs, inspected the steel gates of the side entrance, and looked at the lighting fixtures and the bystanders.


However, during the pictorial, Ryken didn't want to stand beside the other bearers.  He started crying and didn't want to be left alone so I was part of the picture.  He really wasn't in a good mood that day.

the cranky bearer

Ryken behaved better at the reception, probably since he's used to eating at celebrations.  I hope next time he'll be a better bearer. :)  And yes, I do promise to prepare early so we will arrive on time at the wedding venue.

My Friend, Jollibee

Ryken has really grown up. He's not scared of Jollibee anymore. We're proud parents! :)

Though I saw him turn a bit rigid when the mascot hugged him, hehehe.. :)  But he relaxed soon after.  At least now he appreciates birthday parties more than when he was younger.

Train, Train, Choo Choo!

Ryken loves trains.  I cannot recall when I introduced him to Thomas the Train but it was the time that I bought a 60pc-pack of Pampers Active Baby Large and there was a free Thomas DVD.  He was probably more than a year old then and he enjoyed the show so much.  I also remember a time when we were in the Toy Section of Landmark and he saw a Thomas train and never let it go.  His papa had no choice but to buy him that manually-operated toy train.  It's the type of toy where you push the driver down and the train zooms forward.  It's one of his favorite toys up to now. :)

Our little boy had the chance to ride the MRT for the first time when I had a reunion with college friends in Greenbelt last January 2011.  We rode the train from Quezon Avenue Station and alighted at Ayala Station.

The second time Ryken rode the MRT was when we attended a birthday party at KFC, SM Megamall last January 2012 (haha, such a coincidence that the occasions were a year apart).  He still enjoyed it, of course.

pogi pose

excitedly waiting for the train

The party finished at around past 7pm.  On the way back to Quezon Avenue from Ortigas Station, the train was jampacked and we had to wait for more than 30 minutes in line.  Good thing the MRT management has implemented a scheme where all passengers fall in line (in two's) by the entrance/exit door markers to ride the train.  I remembered to take Ryken's picture as a survivor of a jampacked MRT.

shocked! :D

'Til the next ride! :)

What's Sulit, Mama?

the next Bench model :)

We are loyal customers of 'Cuts for Tots' SM The Block.  We were assigned to Kuya William, Ryken's 1st barber here.  We chose this haircut because it is presko and it fits his looks.  Hay, big boy na ang anak ko.  Ang ama, bumili pa ng Bear Necessities Extra Gentle Styling Gel for Kids para raw maaayusan ang anak niya kapag may lakad. :)  Tamang-tama pa, Nido Jr. ang milk ni Ryken.  Yun nga lang, hindi niya kilala kung sino si Bimby, hehe.. :)

Ryken's 2nd Birthday Weekend: Mommy Milkshake Marathon

The Mommy Milkshake Marathon (MMM) was held last August 14, 2011 at Bonifacio Global City (BGC).  It's a yearly activity organized by Mommy Mundo to celebrate World Breastfeeding Month.  We chose to join the run to cap off Ryken's birthday weekend.  :)

Our Macau Holiday (October 2011): Day 2 (Senado Square, St. Paul Ruins, Camoes Garden, Macau Tower-Skywalk X, Macau Airport)

I did a lot of research prior to our trip and most of the info I got came from the Macau Thread of PinoyExchange (PEx). Thanks to commoner and rap_sd6 who created the thread and to all the PExers who contributed. :) 

We were a party of 5 adults and 1 kid (a senior at 62yrs, then 29, 26, 25, and 18 yrs old, and a 2yr-old-kid).  The promo tickets were bought in February 2011 (tagal ng paghihintay, hehe).

OCTOBER 31, 2011, Monday (Senado Square, St. Paul Ruins, Camoes Garden, Macau Tower-Skywalk X, Macau Airport: MACAU - CLARK)
It's the last day of our holiday. :)  The little boy woke up late again and we were able to leave Hotel Sintra at 12:30pm.  I advised the front desk that we will be a bit late 'coz they might charge us for late check-out.  After leaving our baggage with the concierge, we walked to Senado Square.

natuwa ang bata sa upuan

checking-out

our baggage at the concierge

Hotel Sintra lobby

rickshaw :)

Senado Square was just near Hotel Sintra and there were green directional signs on the street dedicated to tourists that you can follow.

the directional signs

I didn't expect Senado Square to be small.  It looked big in pictures and movies.  We went inside St. Dominic's Church to pray.

the famous landmark where Aga and Angelica met, hehe.. :)

St. Dominic's Church

the altar

thank you, Lord, for all Your blessings :)

Our Macau Holiday (October 2011): Day 1 (Macau Ferry Terminal, Cotai Strip: City of Dreams, Hard Rock, Venetian)

I did a lot of research prior to our trip and most of the info I got came from the Macau Thread of PinoyExchange (PEx). Thanks to commoner and rap_sd6 who created the thread and to all the PExers who contributed. :) 

We were a party of 5 adults and 1 kid (a senior at 62yrs, then 29, 26, 25, and 18 yrs old, and a 2yr-old-kid).  The promo tickets were bought in February 2011 (tagal ng paghihintay, hehe).

OCTOBER 30, 2011, Sunday (Macau Ferry Terminal & Cotai Strip: City of Dreams, Hard Rock, Venetian)

*(this portion on the ferry ride was copied from Day 4 of our HK Holiday)

Upon arriving the Hong Kong Ferry Terminal (which was around 5:00PM), I quickly went to the NWFF booth and bought tickets for the Kowloon-Macau 5:30PM trip (HKD166 each).  Ryken should have a ticket even if he's only two years old (but this wasn't checked when we boarded, sayang!).  The terminal is similar to the Batangas Port :)  Hubby and my brother went to 7-Eleven to use up the remaining credits of our octopus cards and they bought Yakult, water, and some biscuits.

After a few minutes, I heard boarding announcements in Chinese and it was a bit inaudible because of the noise of passengers in the terminal.  I was aware that we have to board at least 10 minutes before departure time.  It was around 5:25PM already and when I listened again to the announcement (now in English), it was already the last call for boarding!!  We ran from the pre-departure area all the way to the ferry as I saw some Chinese also running. Haha! Another Amazing Race episode in our holiday. :)

The fastcraft was huge and roomy and it was bigger than our local Supercat.  There were only a few passengers and the ferry left on the dot.  We sat at the middle part of the ferry.  The trip was smooth except for some portions where I almost felt like I would vomit (blame it on the Yakult I drank earlier, har!).  My sister-in-law who was a first-timer on a ferry got seasick and she forgot to bring Bonamine.  My mom hails from Victoria, Oriental Mindoro so we're used to riding fastcrafts and ro-ro ferries.  Even Ryken wasn't troubled by the waves but when we were near the Macau Ferry Terminal, he cried a bit and slept on my lap.  Baka nahilo na rin.  

Bye, HK! (view from the ferry)

Macau Friendship Bridge (view from the ferry)

as we approached the Macau Ferry Terminal

We were able to exit the ferry terminal at around past 7pm.  The trip lasted for 1hour and 10minutes and immigration was a breeze.  Don't forget to get Macau maps at the Tourism office which is by the entrance door of the terminal.  After customs, look for the sign that says Exit to Hotel Shuttle Buses and upon exit, turn left.  The shuttle of Hotel Sintra (small red van) is in the same stop as that of Grand Emperor Hotel (their bus is purple in color with a number 88 on the body).  We met a Filipino there who was holding a sign of a hotel (can't recall which one) and we chatted a bit.  It took a while for the Sintra shuttle to arrive.  Its first stop is Grand Lisboa then 2nd stop is Hotel Sintra.     

our hotel room

finally, some breathing space! hehe..

naka-peace sign kami ('di nga lang nakita)

I booked two standard non-smoking rooms directly at Hotel Sintra's website and they replied promptly to my reservation.  You don't have to pay for anything but they request for credit card details to secure your booking.  There's also a deposit of MOP1,000.00 per room upon arrival which is refundable upon check-out.  We got two standard rooms and one of us was a sneak-in.  They weren't strict at all but of course, we did it discreetly.  My hubby fetched my brother who waited in the lobby while we were all fixing our things in the room.  The security guard on duty at that time was a Filipino who was a new OFW in Macau (isang buwan pa lang siya roon).