Mikaela's 13th Birthday

Whew! The birthday party for my oldest daughter, who turned 13, was on December 21, 2012, but I forgot to blog about it since I was so busy. We opted to celebrate her birthday with her friend at school while they were having their CHRISTMAS PARTY, despite the fact that her actual birthday is on December 18th.

The day we were born is the most important to us. As well as that, in order to have a fantastic birthday, we need to plan an incredible party. First, I had a conversation with Mikaela about the kind of party she envisioned having, and she mentioned something cute and kid-friendly. Therefore, I searched the internet for a design that I could use for her cake, and I came across this adorable and ingenious cake made by THE SWEET CAKE FAIRY.

Photo credit to THE SWEET CAKE FAIRY

In light of the fact that we are going to celebrate it at their school, I have chosen to also serve cupcakes in order to ensure that everyone gets an equal share. I need to inquire with her teacher adviser regarding the number of students that are present in their classroom. After that, I got in touch with my friend Margaret, who had a bakery close to our town and who not only baked but also made cakes for any and all events.

And as soon as Margaret received my message, she answered back. I immediately sent the photo to her via Facebook private message so she could replicate the cake design.

 

December 21, SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PARTY. While the children are very busy singing and dancing, my mother and I, together with Ms. Teresa Alemanza (my daughter's teacher adviser), and my dear friend Beth, are very busy preparing the cake and cupcakes that will be placed on the table.

photo credit: brendanlim via photopin cc

The combination of ice cream with baked goods like cakes and cupcakes is a PERFECT MATCH.

By the way, I do have a birthday wish that I placed on my daughter's Facebook timeline:

To Mikaela Francesca:

You have brought so much happiness into my life. This person is stunning, bright, clever, perceptive, and, most importantly, full of spirit. Loving things like Android Tablets and other electronics, which you and your sister, Chelsea Jeanille, had a lot of fun sharing with each other and participating in amusing activities together.

If you want to have a good relationship with your mother, sharing school life with me is a terrific step to take. Since that lovely moment in the middle of the night when I first had you in my arms, you have been making me over for the past 13 years. I can't imagine my life without you. That is the most breathtaking scene I have ever witnessed in my life. There are no words that can adequately express how grateful I am to have a daughter like you, K-la, who is 13 years old and has made my life as close to perfect as it is possible to get.

Best wishes for your birthday, Ate!

Mama JL with love 

My Daughter's 1st experience with the Vending Machine

If either my children or their friends have events at or outside of their school, you can count on me to follow my promise and share any relevant updates with you. At the wake that was conducted for our grandma at Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes, my family and I went there in order to offer our respects and show our support for the family.

In the midst of my children's exploration of the area, they eventually returned to me to request funds. When I asked them what they were going to purchase, they told me that they were going to get a cup of coffee from a vending machine.

Oh, this place, Cosmopolitan Davao, really has a vending machine? For fun, I grabbed my Android tablet and went with my kids to the vending machine. People are waiting in line to get a hot or cold cup of coffee or Milo.

There are two models of NESCAFE vending machines, namely, Automated Vending Machines (AVM’s) and Tabletops. Both offer a wide variety of basic and specialty selections from hot coffees to hot chocolate by NESCAFE and MILO. These recipes carry a winning taste with consumers of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO’s) and Offices where these machines are mostly located.

AVMs, or Automated Vending Machines, also have soft drinks and juices.

I am so glad to know that we already have an AVM here in Davao City.

Free vending, coin-operated, and card-operated options are all available in vending machines. Coins are accepted at this automated teller machine. A cup of coffee, Milo, juice, or soft drink will cost you ten or twelve pesos (PHP), respectively.

• INSERT COIN, BILL or CARD.

•  TAKE YOUR PICK.

• WAIT TO LOAD CUP.

• FINISH LOADING ( Lights are OFF).

• GET YOUR CUP NOW.

It's a brilliant concept to give each and every customer a wide selection of hot and cold beverages to choose from without making a mess or making them wait. The process of getting in line takes only a moment. It is very simple to use, and it also has the capacity to take and hand out change.

          

FIRE ONE BULLET GET TWO BIRDS and more....

To kill two birds with one stone is an idiomatic term that I first heard from my father when I was a little child. It means finding a way to solve two problems at the same time with a single solution.

My two kids love to have VARSITY JACKETS and ANDROID TABLETS. All I have to do is buy them both, but I don't have enough money to give them both a gift. My money is in my PayPal account, so I had to buy the gadgets online because I didn't have time to go shopping in person.

So, just like I said I would, I bought their gadgets from LAZADA online. It's a good thing I still use their deals, which can save me up to 50%.

PINK COVER for my youngest daughter, CHELSEA.
BLUE COVER for MIKAELA, my eldest. 
Both are white Android tablets.

And I have to buy their varsity jackets at the mall, where they can try them on and choose the color they like best.

VIOLET/YELLOW for CHELSEA
PINK/WHITE for MIKAELA

Both parties are overwhelmed with joy at having received their gifts. They are so busy talking that they almost forget to say "THANK YOU."

The ability to fire one bullet and obtain everything in one convenient package is a tremendous HELP for those of us who are mothers. As long as we are able to control our spending and provide as little as possible to our kids, we will be able to get a BIG BANG out of the one bullet that we have available to us. No regrets at all. It makes me very happy to see my kids' happy faces, hear them giggling as they play on their electronics, and see them wearing their varsity jackets every time they leave our house., and hoping that they would continue to achieve high grades in school.

~HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!~

UNITED NATIONS 2012: My Two Chinese Girls

The search for the school's Mr. and Ms. UNITED NATIONS 2012 has become one of the most anticipated events of each and every academic year.

And this is the very first time that my two daughters have taken part in the activity. Both Mikaela Francesca Pal and Chelsea Jeanille Pal have a passion for dressing in traditional Chinese clothing. They have arrived from the country known as the "LAND OF THE SLEEPING GIANT," China!!!!!!

My Two Chinita Girls

 

For me, the point of a United Nations celebration is not to teach our kids how to compete with other countries. When children think of the United Nations, they will think of competition, and I am afraid that they will carry this idea as they get older.

Back when I was in elementary school at Assumption School in Davao, this kind of activity was no longer allowed. It was taken out so that children would learn that competition between nations is bad. It does nothing to help kids. And I guess they're right to get rid of this kind of thing.

This activity is done every year at the school where my kids go. And kids need help from their parents, right? Even though I don't like competition, I have to be there to back them up.

More than 200 students from kindergarten to sixth grade are waiting in line to compete. 

The judges were looking at the prospects with great interest.

They wear their NATIONAL COSTUMES, which are adorned with various colors and surrounded by country-specific words.

I am proud of my children's bravery and their abilities, even though they did not place in the top ten. This makes me think of a phrase I once read, which said something along the lines of, "Winning is Not Important."

When it comes to these competitions, the most important thing in LIFE is not so much to win as it is to participate. In life, it's not so much about winning as it is about the fight that you put up. Participation in the activity is more important to me than victory for my children. By taking part in it, we gain some knowledge from it, and winning contributes to an increase in our overall sense of self-esteem.

I have a lot of pride in my children! And for that, my congratulations are in order.

     

BUWAN ng WIKANG PAMBANSA 2012

Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa 2012

Paksang Diwa: "TATAG NG WIKANG FILIPINO, LAKAS NG PAGKA-PILIPINO"

DEPINISYON NG FILIPINO:  Ang Filipino ay ang katutubong wika na ginagamit sa buong Pilipinas bilang wika ng komunikasyon ng mga tenikong grupo.  Katulad ng iba pang wikang buhay, ang FILIPINO ay dumaan sa proseso ng paglinang sa pamamagitan ng mga panghihiram sa mga wika ng Pilipinas at mga di-katutubong wika at sa ebolusyon ng iba't ibang barayti ng wika para sa iba-ibang sitwasyon, sa mga nagsasalita nito na may iba't ibang sanligang sosyal, at para sa mga paksa ng talakayan at iskolarling pagpapahayag.--RESOLUSYONG BLG. 96-1, Nilagdaan Agosto 28, 1996.

Sa pagtatapos ng buwan ng Agosto sa paaralan ng aking dalawang anak nagkaroon ng isang pagtatanghal na inumpisahan ng tagisan ng galing sa pagkanta ng "ISANG LAHI", ito ay nilahukan ng mga batang mag-aaral sa iba't-ibang baitang.  Kinder1 laban sa Kinder2, Grade 1 laban sa Grade 2, Grade 3 laban sa Grade 4 at Grade 5 laban sa Grade 6.

Sunod na kategorya ay ang INTERPRETATIVE DANCE ng "BAYAN KO". Parehong paglalabanan ng iba't-ibang baitang.  

Sa aking pinakitang larawan ito ay nilahukan ng pangkat ng mga kalalakihan galing sa seksyun ng Chico.  Seksyun na aking anak na si Chelsea.

Sunod na Kategorya ay Sabayang Pagbigkas, ang tagisan ng galing sa pagtutula ng iba't ibang baitang.

Sa larawan ay ang mga napiling estudyante ng Grade 4-Chico kasama na ang aking anak na si Chelsea.

Sunod na kategorya ay ang tagisan ng galing sa pagsasayaw, NEO-ETHNIC DANCE, dito ay naging magka tunggali ang dalawa kung anak.

Grade 4-Chico sa musika na ESTUDYANTE BLUES ni Freddie Aguilar

Naging matagumpay ang pagtatapos ng Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa ng Cesareo Villa-Abrille.  Ang mga bata ay masayang nagpamalas ng kanilang galing at talino sa pag-awit, tula at pagsayaw.

Pero ang tanong ko lamang alam ba nila kung bakit natin ipinagdiriwang ang BUWAN NG WIKA?  Sa konteksto ng promosyon ng wikang dayuhan sa Pilipinas, ang Proklamasyon Bilang 1041 o ang Taunang Pagpapahayag ng BUWAN NG WIKANG PAMBANSA sa buwan ng Agosto 1-31, ay nagsilbi na lamang na isang paalala or pagunita na meron pa tayong sariling wika na dapat ipagmalaki kahit na sa mga sitwasyun na makikita natin na mas lalo na nating tinututukan  ang pag gamit ng wikang dayuhan.

Huwag na po tayong mabibigla kung may mga Pilipino na hindi na marunong magsalita ng Filipino, or sumulat man sa salitang FILIPINO.  Naging sandigan na nila ang wikang dayuhan na kung saan kung ang Pilipino magsasalita man sa dayuhang pamamaraan at mali-mali ito ay ating pinagtatawanan. Nakondisyon na ang ating ulo na pag dayuhang pananalita ay kaanya-anyaya pakinggan at  matalino.  Pag ganito na ang takbo na ating wikang kasarinlan malimit ito ay mawala na lamang sa isip ng ating mga bagong henerasyon.  Marapat din lamang na kahit papano ay ating bigyang pansin ang ating WIKANG FILIPINO.

CHELSEA and MIKAELA suot ang Neo-ETNIKONG PANDAMIT

    

Chelsea's NATIONAL HEROES DAY PROJECT

In the Philippines, the birthday of Andres Bonifacio, the founder of the KKK, or Kataastaasang, Kagalanggalangan Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, is commemorated as National Heroes Day on November 30. This is because Andres Bonifacio was born on November 30.

It was then amended and moved to the fourth Monday of August to honor the men and women, known and unknown, who gave their lives defending our country, the Philippines.

This day is celebrated with a great deal of fervor by the people. A day that is ideal for commemorating the lives and contributions of our GREAT PEOPLE who gave their lives and battled for the independence of the Philippines.

In this, kids from different schools pay tribute to our NATIONAL HEROES by writing essays and making postcards of people they look up to and admire.

Chelsea's Works:

  

My youngest daughter has a lot of respect for all of our NATIONAL HEROES, and she wants to know more about them. She even asks her grandfather to tell her everything about GOMBURZA, ANDRES BONIFACIO, RIZAL, etc. At school, they talk about this, but she wants to know more.

The Department of Education wants all public and private schools to talk about the bravery and patriotism of our national heroes in classroom discussions and other related activities in subjects like Sibika at Kultura, Hekasi, Araling Panlipunan, Values Education, Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health, Filipino, and English. Teachers have been holding contests and debates in which students write essays, draw pictures, tell stories, or give speeches. The goal is to teach students about the values of heroism, nationalism, patriotism, and love of country that our country's heroes showed during hard times.

As we celebrate our NATIONAL HEROES, let us not forget the heroes who make our country something to be proud of. Among our MODERN DAY HEROES are OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers), PUBLIC and PRIVATE TEACHERS, NURSES, DOCTORS, NOT EPAL POLITICIANS, and others. Their ongoing efforts in making their jobs truly bless and are remarkable in the eyes of the Filipino people.

MABUHAY!!! 

SCRAPBOOK FOR CHELSEA

The only thing left for us to do is come up with some fun projects for our children to work on. As parents, this is one of the tasks that we have.

My youngest child has requested that I create a SCRAPBOOK for her. To put it simply, that is my stance. Making scrapbooks was a hobby of mine when I was in elementary school and later in high school. A unique variation on the scrapbook format.

On the other hand, for my daughter Chelsea, she requested that I make a scrapbook.

A SCRAPBOOK

HATCH ANIMALS

BORN ALIVE ANIMALS

It is a simple task for me to complete. I started by doing some research online and collecting all of the photographs and topics that are necessary for her scrapbook. Also, print it out.

After that, I attached it all together with a paper clip made of plastic. After that, I created a lock for her scrapbook by stitching together two miniature buttons.

I decorated her scrapbook by sticking on a few pictures I had cut out of magazines.

The completed project.