PHOTOBOOK

I just discovered photo books. And I'm hooked.

Just like most moms, I've taken lots and lots of pictures of my three children. But in this age of digital photography, most of our pictures have not been printed, much less placed in albums or scrapbooks. They are just posted on Facebook and saved in my computer's hard disk.

That was until I found out about photo books. To put it simply, a photo book is like a coffee table book and a personalized photo album rolled into one. And since my baby B's first birthday is fast approaching, I felt that this a good time to give photo books, which I intend to show around during the party, a try.

Edit Your Pictures. I read somewhere that it is important to edit your pictures before using them for your photo books. I edited mine using Picasa, a free photo editing software from Google. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a techie. The extent of my editing prowess is limited to crop, highlight, fill light, increase shadow, and sharpen. But the pictures came out a lot better even with my minimal editing.

For my initial venture, I tried two photo book makers, one of which is Photobook Philippines.

1. Software. As a newbie, I want a software that is ultra user-friendly. Photobook's software meets this criterion. In fact, it even offers a number of ready books--photo books that have pre-designed templates.

A sample of a ready book. All you need to do is add your pictures.

Since I want a personalized photo book, I decided to make my own from scratch. I never had trouble with Photobook's software. It was very easy to use. The instructions were clear and even a non-techie like me had no trouble following them.

Just drag the page style of your choice to the page you're making
then add your  pictures.

This is another page style that I like.

It was also easy to insert text. Just click then drag the text icon (A+)
to the page you're editing. 

You can also change the color of your page background.

You can also use a picture as your page background.

Unfortunately, and this is my only beef so far with Photobook, it does not have readily available page backgrounds to choose from. (Or it may have but it was not apparent to me.) I still need to ADD images that I can use as background. Contrast this with Picturebook, the other photo book maker that I used, which has lots and lots of available backgrounds in solid colors and in prints. But I guess this is a small price to pay for a stable and error-free software.

Just drag your chosen background (right side) to the page
you're editing.

Picaboo, another photo book maker, also has lots of wonderful backgrounds. However, I didn't want to pay US$24.99 for shipping alone so I said adios to it.

The other thing which I wish Photobook has is the online sharing capability that Picturebooks and Picaboo have. The best that Photobook could suggest is for the client to create proof files which can be combined into a PDF file and then emailed to family and friends.

A sample of a proof copy.

But as you can see, with the words "Proof" prominently appearing on the page, it was easy to understand why I decided not to email the proof files.

 2. Customer Service. I am pretty impressed with Photobook's service. I called its Philippine office and requested if it's possible to have my photo book delivered by Friday, or barely 4 working days from the day I sent my order online. The girl I talked to politely said that it normally takes 7 working days to finish the book and another working day to deliver it. However, she said that she would take note of my request.

And guess what? My photo book has just been delivered to our house this afternoon, 3 working days from the day I made my order. That was fast, really fast!

I can hardly wait to see my photo book!



(To be continued. My next post would be about the photo book's quality.)

*I added an image zoom effect on the pictures. I hope it works. (It does work!)
** I paid for the product mentioned here. I don't personally know anyone from Photobook Philippines. I have not received any compensation to write this post.
*** I've already discovered how to download the frames and images which I could use for the background. Upon opening the Photobook software, click the "Check for Updates" tab, then click "Start". A list of frames, images, etc. will appear. Just click those you want to download. Note that you have to be connected to the internet to do this. (Updated on 08 November 2011)

HAIRCUT

Disregarding tradition, my baby B had his first haircut yesterday, a week before he officially turns 1 year old.

Getting ready for his haircut.

What will happen to me?

"Excuse me, but what are you going to do to me?" 

The barber had an easy time. B was so well-behaved!

Call it overacting but I really felt emotional about it. It was like I was saying goodbye to his "babyhood". Unlike my experience with my two daughters whose hair I just trimmed myself, the change B's first haircut brought was so drastic. 

B with his new look!

All of a sudden, I now have a little man!

Raising FILIPINO-Speaking Children

August is not just World Breastfeeding Month. For the Filipinos, it is also Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa (National Language Month). 

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When I gave birth to my first child 8 years ago, my husband and I made a decision to raise her as an English speaker.

Our mistake was in thinking that in order to raise an English-speaking child, she should not be exposed to any language other than English. (What were we thinking?) We instructed the yayas not to speak to her in Filipino or in any local dialect. All the educational materials (books, DVDs) that she was exposed to were also in English. We reasoned out that she will eventually learn Filipino when she starts mingling with the other children in school.

Not knowing any better, we repeated the same mistake with our second daughter C.

It was a wake up call when I heard my then 5-year old daughter sing "Bayang magiliw, Perlas ng....what's that word again?" And we're talking about the same girl who knew the entire lyrics of Camp Rock's "This Is Me".

What have we raised? Mga banyaga sa sarili nilang bayan. (Foreigners in their own country.)

As a result of our folly (and I can't even claim the folly of youth), we now have an 8-year old girl who has to double her efforts in preparing for her Filipino class. My 6-year old daughter hardly understands, much less speak, Filipino.

Our situation is not so peculiar. Other Filipino families are experiencing the same problem. Friends have posted in FB videos of their children singing what sounded like the Philippine National Anthem. Well, the melody sounded like it's Lupang Hinirang but the lyrics were definitely not those of our anthem! And just in case you're wondering, I also have a similar video of my daughters singing our national anthem, or what sounded like one.

Having realized our error, we introduced three important changes in our household. Hopefully, the Filipino adage, "Huli man daw at magaling, naihahabol din," will hold true for us.

1. We started talking to our children in Filipino. We assumed that our children will learn Filipino from their friends and classmates. Big mistake. Most, if not all, of my children's classmates are also English-speaking kids.

We experienced difficulty at the start especially with our second child. Whenever I talked to her in Filipino, she would just stare at me as if she didn't hear anything. I had to translate everything in English. But our efforts paid off. While C is still having a hard time talking in Filipino, she could now at least understand a little Filipino.

I and my husband have also been talking to our 11-month old baby B in Filipino and in English.

2.  Make learning Filipino words fun. Our family loves to play "I spy with my little eyes something that is..." Instead of doing this in English, we started doing it in Filipino. And so I spy became "Ang aking mga mata ay may nakikitang...ano ito?" This is actually more fun than merely saying chair is upuan.

3.  We began buying Filipino story books and read them to/with our children. In my previous post, I mentioned that my husband and I are trying to raise readers. Unfortunately, while we do have lots of children's books in our home, almost all of them are written in English.

So we started buying children's books that are written both in Filipino and in English. I usually let my children choose the stories that they like. And unlike the books written by foreign authors, the books by Adarna, Lampara, Hiyas and other local publishers are relatively inexpensive. Here are some of the Filipino story books my children like:

This is a 2-in-1 book. Aside from learning Filipino,
my second daughter C also learned the importance of
sleeping early.

This book introduces problem-solving
and how to count in Filipino.

I like Dr. Gatmaitan's stories. This one illustrates a father's love
for his disabled daughter. It actually made me cry. 

When my first daughter chose this, we had a discussion on the
difference between fiction and non-fiction. And then she asked me,
"What's fiction in Filipino?"

(Picture taken from Adarna's website)

My daughter F just bought this book from her school's book fair yesterday. This book "reminds us that children who grow up with two parents in one home are raised and loved no differently than those who have two homes." (From Adarna's website) And should you need to discuss the sensitive topic of separation in a manner that children can understand, reading this book is a good starting point.

What about you? Is your child having problems speaking in Filipino? What have you done to help your child? Please share some tips.

BREASTFEEDING TALK BETWEEN ME AND MY FORMULA-FED DAUGHTER

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (August). For this month, we join the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action in its "Talk to Me!" theme where participants will share personal experiences, insights or recommendations in communicating breastfeeding intentions and goals to their support system. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."

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"Ma, did you breastfeed me when I was a baby?" my second daughter asked me one afternoon.

"I did. I breastfed you for two years."

"What about me?" my 8-year old firstborn inquired.

It took me a while to answer her. The truth is, I breastfed her for a few days only. Due to delivery-related complications, I was given medicines that the doctors said were not safe for a newborn. My first month after giving birth was spent confined at a hospital, and going back and forth the emergency room due to high fever, vomiting, and severe allergic reaction to medicines. By the time it was safe to breastfeed my daughter, my milk had dried up and she absolutely refused to latch.

So, how does one discuss breastfeeding with a child who was formula-fed? How does one emphasize the importance of breastfeeding to a daughter who, in a brood of three, happens to be the only one who was not breastfed?

I distinctly remember that while I was thinking hard and fast on how to answer her, there were three things that I wanted to be clear about. 

First, I love her very much and my actions and decisions have always been guided by that unconditional love. 

Second, breastmilk is still the best for babies under most circumstances and had it been medically safe for her to have my breastmilk, I would have willingly and lovingly breastfed her.

Third, while I intend to breastfeed B, her youngest brother, for as long as possible, my breastfeeding goal is not limited to that. As a mom of two girls, it is my long-term goal to raise daughters who, when the time comes, would choose to breastfeed. But I know that it would be difficult to do that if F perceives breastfeeding negatively as a result of her being the only one who was not breastfed. 

With the "what I want to say" being clear in my mind, I began to answer her question both in words and in deed. 

1. Honesty is still the best policy. "Yes, I breastfed you but for a few days only," I told F. I could have just answered her yes because technically, that is true. (Ah, have you noticed how lawyers often resort to technicalities? But I digress.) I've always tried to be honest with my children. I wasn't about to start lying to her by omission.

2. It's all about love. I emphasized to her that I love all three of them--her, my firstborn, her little sister and the bunso. Because I love all of my children, I want to give them the best milk. And breastmilk is still the best for babies under most circumstances. 

This, I told her, is the reason why I breastfed her sister for two years and am still breastfeeding her baby brother who is now 11 months old. And my unconditional love for her is also the reason why I breastfed her for the first few days of her life. 

3. I never assumed that she would not understand me. I explained to her that while I've always intended to breastfeed her, I would never knowingly put her at risk. Unfortunately, because of all the medication that I was taking after giving birth, it was not advisable for me to breastfeed her (or at least that's what my doctors told me).

"I get it. You were sick and you didn't want me to get sick also," she said.

Come to think of it, that perfectly summed it up.

4. I let her (and my other daughter) be a "part" of my breastfeeding relationship with baby B. I always make sure that she feels welcome to stay with me while I'm breastfeeding B. I also pointed out that my breastfeeding B benefits not only the baby but the entire family, including her and her sister. How? Since breastmilk is free, she knows that Mom and Dad don't have to buy formula milk. Instead, we can use the money to watch movies or buy her favorite Geronimo Stilton books.

5. I discuss breastfeeding with her and correlate it with her experiences. For example, last December, she and my second daughter had a terrible bout of cough and cold which necessitated frequent visits to the doctor. She had to drink nasty-tasting antibiotics in order to get well. And then she remembered that B did not get sick at that time. She concluded that it must be because B was drinking breastmilk!          

I am happy to say that most of my breastfeeding pictures were taken by my daughter F. And when she started doing this, I knew that she understood my message--that breastmilk is still best for babies.

But more importantly, she knows that I love her, breastfed or not. 

*On hindsight, how I wish I knew then that relactation is possible. This is why being informed about breastfeeding is so important and crucial to a successful breastfeeding experience.

**My daughter is not only a part of my support group. Had she felt bad knowing that she was the only one who was not breastfed, it would probably be difficult for me to continue breastfeeding B openly.

Please do read the posts of the other blog carnival participants:

Communication and First Time Breastfeeders 
Creating a Pro-Breastfeeding Culture in the Family
How to get others to support you in breastfeeding
Pre-Natal Pediatric Consultations Are Necessary
On breastfeeding: Say it, claim it, get support!
My Best Breastfeeding Support System — My Husband
Communication through Breastfeeding
Escie's World: Ready, Get Set, Go! for Breastfeeding
I'm breastfeeding, and that's that.
BreasTALK : Text, Retweet, Share your Knowledge and Experiences
A Shout out to My Breastfeeding Buddies
Talk and Make It Happen
How I Taught the Family to "Breastfeed"
Effective Communication Bucket List
6 persuasion tips for breastfeeding moms and advocates
How I recruited my top breastfeeding buddies
Couple's Decision and Communication: Key to Successful Breastfeeding
A-S-Ks (On Breastfeeding Questions, Help, Support)

YOU ARE AMAZING!

"Ate, you are amazing!"

This was Ina's reaction upon learning that her Ate Fran has been accelerated in her ballet class. A year after starting ballet together, Ina is now in yellow class while her Ate is in lavender, or two levels higher than yellow.

Not only that. Her Ate Fran is one of those chosen to take the Australian ballet examinations in April, an opportunity that is given to a select few.

I was really worried about how Ina would take the news. Would she be depressed? Would she be envious? With a mere two-year gap between her and Fran, it's not uncommon for Ina to compare herself, her abilities, her accomplishments with that of her Ate's. That Fran has this not so nice habit of telling Ina that she's better in Math, in writing, in drawing, oh the list goes on, does not help (we're working on this). I, as the mom/referee, usually end up telling Ina that Ate is better at some things because she's two years older.

"Wait until you turn 8," I told her.

To which Fran has this ready reply, "But when you're 8, I'll be 10!" Hay.

But it turned out that I need not worry. Ina, my lovely little girl, has shown maturity beyond her years. She was not only happy for her Ate, she was actually proud of her! She reasoned out that she would probably be in lavender class when she turns 8. But for now, she's happy that she's been promoted to the yellow class.

Besides, she may not be a good ballet dancer. At least not yet. But she is one terrific storyteller.

Thank you Ina for teaching me a valuable lesson. Thank you for reminding me that there is such a thing as finding joy in somebody else's happiness.

You are truly amazing.

Kung fu snake-style?

THE PROMISE

My first daughter started dancing ballet last year at the age of 7. I guess that's a little late. But at age 4, she was more interested in swimming.

F may have started late but she's dancing as if she's trying to make up for lost time. I've never seen her this passionate, this intense, this serious. Ballet simply brings out the best in her.

And so a year after starting ballet, she had her first recital.

F as a sprite.

That's her on the right side.

Doesn't she look good?

The Hawaiian number was such a big hit! F is 3rd from left.
My 2nd daughter is in front of her.

F is on the left.

F and I are in the front row.

With her superb ballet teachers and schoolmates.

Last Saturday, her teacher happily informed me that F will be accelerated from pink to lavender* class and that she is one of the few students who will take the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet (ACB) examinations slated in April next year. She emphasized that not all students are given this opportunity. She also suggested that F take extra ballet lessons.

Now, F is already taking street dancing classes on top of her regular ballet classes. I don't want to pressure her so I left the decision to her. Her decision? Yes, yes, yes.

As I looked at the older girls who probably have been doing ballet since they were 5, I saw the promise of what she, with hard work and dedication, could become.

For now, I would hold on to that promise.


*I never did ballet. But as far as I know, the beginning classes' uniforms in her school are pink, yellow, red, then lavender.
*My second daughter is in yellow class starting this month. Here is my post on her reaction when she learned that her Ate would already be in lavender class.

RAISING A READER

"Read! Read! Read!" Dr. Seuss, the author of numerous children's books, gave this simple advice to the children of Troy, Michigan way back in 1971. 

I've always been an avid (and indiscriminate) reader. One of my earliest and fondest childhood memories is waiting for my Nanay to arrive home from the market knowing that she bought Pilipino Funny Komiks for me. 

When I was about 8, I remember spending my summer vacation in my aunt's house here in Manila. And what a wonderful vacation it was! I had all the time in the world to read some of the finest children's literary classics like Heidi, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Black Beauty, Robinson Crusoe and a lot, lot more.

It's no wonder that I ended up taking law, a course that requires a lot of reading. Of course, law books are a lot thicker (and less interesting!) than my usual fare of Funny Komiks.

I spent good times reading Funny Komiks!

As parents, my husband and I are doing our best to instill in our children the love for reading. Here are some of the things that we've been doing to encourage our children to read.

1. We read, read, read where the children can see us. Remember what the child experts are saying? Children will follow what you, the parent, do and not what you say. We try to set aside some time doing nothing but read. There were times when my 6-year old daughter would come inside our room while I was nursing my baby saying that she would just do some silent reading.  

2. We make the technology work for us. One of my high school friends laments that children nowadays seldom read. With all the high-tech gadgets vying for the children's attention, reading books is not on the top of their to do list. But we made the technology work FOR us. I've discovered that there are a number of free applications that can be downloaded on the iPhone/iPad that make reading interesting and fun. One of them is Story Time, a free application that contains several children's fairy tales that are beautifully illustrated. And it even has "Read it Myself" or "Read to Me" options. 

I also noticed that some textbooks have an accompanying CD. My 8-year old daughter's textbook in Sibika has a CD. It contains some videos that emphasize certain topics discussed in the book.

And I remember reading these wonderful books providing knowledge on 4 key areas--life, nature, science and our world--when I was 8.

Picture taken from the internet site

I compared the old set which came out in the early 80's with the new set that my husband bought last year. While there was no noticeable difference on the given information, the new set took advantage of technology and made reading fun and interactive. I cannot describe it in words but here's a video of how "Walter" works.

Oh, and this is Walter.

3.  When in the mall, go to the bookstore. Ok, I guess my kids don't have much choice because their mom will definitely go to the bookstore. Going to the bookstore has become a "tradition" on our part. I let them choose the books that they want, within a reasonable budget, of course. I believe that one can never have enough books. And I'm happy to say that their excitement in going to the bookstore is as much as if we are going to the toy store.

It's good that some major bookstores now have reading areas. Oh, how I miss the Books for Less in Mindanao Avenue, which had reading areas for old and young alike. 

4.  We encourage them to borrow books from the school library. This does not only foster reading. Borrowing books from the library is a good way for the children to learn the concept of responsibility. They learn that they have to take good care of the books and that they have to return them on a specific date. Or else, as my daughter puts, "I'll be fined!"

5.  We ask our daughters to read to their baby brother. The girls get to read, the baby enjoys being read to, and it is a great opportunity to strengthen love among the siblings.

Happy reading!

(Looks like we have another reader in the family.
B at 11 months.)

THIS MOM NEVER LOOKED BETTER

Babymama, an online store and community of breastfeeding moms, got me thinking. If I were to compare my pre- and post-motherhood self, where do I look better?

This question is a no-brainer for me. I have always believed that I am like wine. I get better with age. (Ok, I actually laughed out loud after typing that.)

My problem is I have to present proof, a picture of myself before I became a mom. I had a hard time looking for pre-motherhood pictures because most of them are gone. Gone with the flood. Except for my wedding pictures, the ones that are left are those hanging on my parents' wall.

But then I thought, if I were to do a comparison, I might as well bring out the big guns. It would not be fair if I were to post my fairly recent picture side by side one where I was sporting some funny-looking clothes and outlandish hairstyle. Instead, I should use a picture taken at a time when I was my most beautiful self--the day I became a bride.

And this is what I came up with.

(My editing was bad. Had to crop the "before" pic for better comparison.)

Admittedly, I am a few pounds heavier. I now have grey hair. Taut and flawless skin is a thing of the past. But what are these compared to what I have gained. My days and nights are filled with children's laughter (of course, there are the occasional cries.) I open my bag and I get to see incomparable art works saying that I am the best mom in the whole wide world. I go home and I receive lots and lots of hugs and kisses.

So when my 7-year old daughter told me that I may be a little fat but I am still beautiful, I believed her. I believed her with all my heart.

And this is why I say that nine years and three kids later, this mom never looked better.

* This is an entry to Babymama Mother Day's Raffle. Babymama is an online store where I purchased my Unimom Forte double electric breastpump, the pump that made exclusive breastfeeding (no cow's milk) possible for this not-at-home-from-6 am-to-8 pm working mom of a 7 1/2-month old baby boy.

A DAD TO WOULD-BE BALLERINAS

Being a Dad to two would-be ballerinas is tough, as my husband has recently learned.  He not only has to wake up early on Saturdays, he also has to start learning the language. 

This is an account of some of his experiences (yes, published without his permission but no, he wouldn't dare sue me) which earned a lot of guffaws.

While Ina, our 5-year old, was getting dressed for her ballet class, Ina blurted out, "But Dad, you forgot my tutu!"  My poor husband, with his face clearly showing his bewilderment, asked me, "What's a tutu?"

After the girls' first class in their new ballet school, my husband commented that he likes this new school better.  And what did he say exactly?  "You know Babe, I like this new school more than Katrina Halili's School of Ballet.  For one, there are fewer students in a class."  You guess it right, I could hardly breathe because I was too busy laughing.  Hanggang sa ballet, si Katrina Halili ang naiisip.

Ballet started in France and this is the reason why ballet terms are in French.  Since the girls wanted to practice some of the ballet steps they learned, my husband, proud to have remembered a new ballet term, said, "Ok, why don't you show me 'salta'?" "What do you mean," Fran asked him.  "Jump," he answered.  Uh, uh, that's not salta.  That's 'saute'.  And I couldn't resist adding that "salta" was used by Dora the Explorer.  And no, it's not French.

But what the heck.  He may not know the terms.  He may not know the correct name of the school.  But he's always there to say, "Good job, girls," after every ballet class. 

And that is more than good enough for Fran and Ina.

Fran

Ina

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME?

"Will you still love me," Ina asked me a couple of months ago when she first learned that I'm pregnant with my third child.

Ina--my second daughter, the baby whom I breastfed for two years despite working full time and attending out-of-town hearings, the girl who is the mirror-image of her Dad but vehemently argues that she looks like me--turns five years old today.

 

Will I still love you?

How can I not love the little girl who keeps on telling me, "Mom, I love you with all my heart."

How can my heart not melt for the little girl who gives me her very own special drawings every night without fail and sheepishly apologizes because they're not perfect.

How can I not be amazed by this smart and funny girl who dares me to go hang-gliding with her and who, with a twinkle in her eyes, asks, "What do you call a snail that lives in a ship?  A snailor!"

How can I not smile when I remember you agreeing with me that I'm fat but telling me two days later that I look great.

How can I not look forward to seeing you all grown-up and embarking on adventures on your own when I heard you tell your Ate that you need a flashlight so that you can look at the hieroglyphics on the wall.

How can I not be astonished to hear you, at age 3, used the words "exasperating", "compromise" and "hibernate" in our daily conversation.

And how can I not thank God for this wonderful little girl who has touched my life in so many ways.

Yes, Ina, I will always love you.

I will love you even if there MAY come a time when you'll...

       forget to say that you love me with all your heart

       get tired of making your special drawings for me

       fail to crack your jokes

       candidly tell me that I'm huge

       stop inviting me in your adventures

       just use simple words, or worse, not talk to me at all.

And this is a promise from me to you -- I will never stop telling and showing you how much I love you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY INA!

SNIPPETS

Snippets is an account of the short conversations between me and my daughters, or between the two of them.

Fran, my 6-year old firstborn, is smart and responsible. She does her own assignments and even helps out her younger sister in doing her homework. She reminds me of her school activities, the things she has to bring and her schedule for the week. Her study table puts to shame my own office table. Fran is also creative and adventurous. She takes beautiful pictures and is a great dancer! She enjoyed riding the zip line in Baguio and wanted to try the one in Bohol, the longest (480 meters) and highest (altitude of 200 meters) zip line in the country. Her most recent adventure? Swimming in a 12-meter deep underground lake inside Cambagat Cave!

Ina, my 4-year old daughter, is funny, witty and street smart! She loves to read but hates to write. She claims that writing is "so boring"! Her vocabulary is amazing. At age 3, she was already using the words "exasperating", "compromise" and "spooky". Like her older sister, she wants to try out new things. Her latest must-try adventure? She wants to go hang gliding!

Raising my daughters is like one roller coaster ride. But boy, what a ride!

20 Feb 2010 - Fran: Mom, do I also have a dimple? Ina: Ate, you have dimples--on your nose! Poor Mom was trying really hard not to laugh out loud.

19 Feb 2010 - Mom: Ina, let me put sunblock on you so you'll be protected from the sun. Ina: Why? Does sunblock have mystic powers? :(

17 Feb 2010 - The girls are excited to go back to Panglao, Bohol. But they have one request -- "Mom, no tarsier this time. We don't like the tarsier to STARE at us!"

15 Feb 2010 - Fran has just informed me that Jupiter and Venus will appear to be just half a degree apart around 6 pm tomorrow, February 16. Is it just me or what? I'm too spaced out for this! :)

15 Feb 2010 - Ina: Mom, why don't we go hang gliding together? Uh uh, I hope it's just the fever talking. (A fervent wish of a mom who's really scared of heights.)

31 Jan 2010 - Ina: Mom, you cook the best pasta ever! Fran: I love you...and your tuna pasta!

17 Jan 2010 - Ina: Mom, I have jewelry inside my nose. Fran: Ina, I told you never to put things inside your nose.

16 Jan 2010 - Mom: Remember Panglao? We're going back there this February. Ina: Can I bring "Love Fellow" (a small elephant stuff toy) to the beach? I'm sure he would love to use his long trunk to dig the sand.

10 Jan 2010 - Mom: Don't forget to brush your teeth. Ina: Ok but can Teddy brush his teeth also? (and before I can reply) On second thought, I think Teddy is still sleepy.

10 Jan 2010 - I'm sick and asked the girls to accompany their daddy to the grocery. After telling them to remind Daddy to buy their favorite cereals and cookies, Ina told me, "Mom, you're supposed to give us a list."

27 Dec 2009 - Ina: Mom, I'm worried. Teddy has a tummy ache. Mom: Huh? Ina: So I gave him a nice bowl of warm milk. MOM: Uh, uh.

25 Dec 2009 - Ina: Is Santa real? Fran: No he's not. It's just pretend. Ina: Ok then give me that toy given to you by Santa.

20 Dec 2009 - Fran thinks that I'm Mrs. Fields. She keeps on saying "Mom, I love your cookies. You make the best cookies ever!".

07 Dec 2009 - Fran: I look funny, I'm super bungi. Mom: You are beautiful as you are.

06 Dec 2009 - My daughters' dialogue on possession and ownership -- Ina: Ate, give that toy back to me. Fran: But this is mine. Ina: But I got it first. Fran: It's not about who got it first, it's about who owns it. :)

30 Nov 2009 - Fran to Mom: I told you you'll enjoy the zip line! (She tried it first!)

30 Nov 2009 - Mom: Ina, have some strawberries. Ina: I don't like strawberries. I want oranges only. Mom: But strawberries are so juicy and they're rich in vitamin C. Ina: So are oranges. :(

29 Nov 2009 - Mom: Fran, you better take a bath or else the butterflies will say that you smell bad. Ina: Mom, butterflies don't talk... But they might die once they smell Ate.

22 Nov 2009 - Sorry would have sufficed. But no, Ina had to say, "Mom, I apologize. I know I'm so stubborn."

15 Nov 2009 - About a month ago, my 4-year old daughter told me that she wants to go to Egypt. This afternoon, I heard her say to her Ate -- "Where's my flashlight? I need to look at the hieroglyphics!" :)

04 Nov 2009 – Fran asked me, "What is the TM for?" Hmm, a trademark lawyer in the making?

29 Sept 2009 - My daughters and I were watching the news on the aftermath of Ondoy when Ina said, "That's why we have to take care of our earth!"

27 Sept 2009 – I was busy arranging clothes and baby blankets to donate when my daughters asked me, "Can we help?" In giving, I received more -- children who are concerned with the needs of others.

21 Sept 2009 - Fran: Barkie looks like an arctic fox! Arctic fox??? Her being an avid reader of National Geographic for Kids is showing. :)

21 Sept 2009 – Fran asked her Dad, "Why two-way? Shouldn't it end with s because it's plural?" Now that she's done with the general rule, I guess it's time to discuss the exceptions. :)

12 Sept 2009 - Overheard this while my daughters were playacting -- Ina: "Ate, you'll be the princess (and while Fran was visibly elated) ... and I'll be the queen." :)

12 Sept 2009 - On my way out, Ina told me, "Mom, I love you with all my heart!" My students just got lucky. Their tax professor is in a very good mood!

12 Sept 2009 - Conversation with Fran very early in the morning--Fran: Mom, what is "fingers" in Filipino? Mom: Daliri. Fran: Oh, I thought daliri is..then she sticks out her tongue. :)

10 Sept 2009 – Ina just said, "Everybody has a job in this house. Me, I'm in charge of the phone (she loves to answer phone calls). So Mom, can you buy a cellphone for me?"

26 Aug 2009 - Just gave Ina my special "mom-to-daughter" kiss and was already on my way down when she said, "But Mom, you forgot to kiss my other cheek." What a wonderful way to start the day! :)

16 Aug 2009 - While planning for our next trip to the beach, Fran asked me if we could bring Barkie, our Jap Spitz. Before I could reply, Ina said, "Yes, but don't forget to put sunblock on Barkie!" :)

16 Aug 2009 – I was discussing "being good" and "good behavior" with Ina when the latter said, "Ok Mom, from now on, I'll be brave!" :(

16 Aug 2009 – I know that my tom yum is appreciated when Fran, after several servings, said "Perfect"!

11 Aug 2009 – Ina: "Why do you call them Chocolate Hills? Can we eat them?"

11 Aug 2009 - Conversation with my daughter after a relaxing day in the beach -- Mom: "So what do you want to do next?" Ina: "I just want to meet some friendly aliens!"

07 Aug 2009 - We're off to Panglao tomorrow. The kids have been singing "Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, please shine down on me!"

06 Aug 2009 – I was bothered because my daughters associate the Laban sign with "loser" as a result of watching Hole in the Wall. I had to do a major re-education yesterday.

04 Aug 2009 – Ina has been having tantrums lately. She keeps on shouting, "I want to have a baby sister and I just want to name her Pookey!" Might be a nice name in some other part of the world but definitely not here in the Philippines.

27 July 2009 - I was showering Ina with lots of kisses when she suddenly asked me, "Mom, can you buy me a book about kissing?" Uh, uh, I think I'm in trouble.

23 July 2009 - Conversation with my two daughters -- Ina: "This is exasperating!" Mom: "Ha! What do you mean by exasperating?" Ina: "You know, it's taking Ate so long to apologize." (She was getting irritated waiting for Fran's apology.) Fran: "Mom, you mean you don't know the meaning of exasperating?” Now, that is what I call exasperating.

07 July 2009 – I was tired and mentally drained after 5 hours of oral arguments before the Supreme Court, but was uplifted by Fran’s unconditional love. She just told me, "Mom, I love you even if you're taba!"

06 July 2009 - While we were driving along UP Ikot, Ina was pretending that she's a pirate sailing on the seven seas. Suddenly, she shouted, "Wait, I see a shark over there!" Guess where she was pointing at? It's no other than Malcolm Hall, the building that houses the University of the Philippines College of Law!

24 June 2009 - 2009: Storm signal # 1, no classes, my daughters are disappointed. 1995: Storm signal # 3, classes in UP Law were not suspended, Mom was EXTREMELY disappointed.

23 June 2009 - Heard this conversation from my 2 daughters while Ina, the younger one, was practicing writing letter P. Fran: "Practice makes perfect. Practice and perfect start with P." After a while, Ina, who's starting to get irritated with her writing skills, was told by her Ate, "And patience starts with P." Ina, who was then really really irritated, blurted out, "Patience, I have no patience." Goodbye to letter P.

18 June 2009 - Last night, I had this conversation with Ina--Mom: It's time to sleep. Ina: But Mom, I don't like to hibernate.

16 June 2009 - On our way to dinner last night, Ina sang this -- "Rumbly, rumbly, this tummy is hungry!!!" Hmm, a poet and a composer.