School Days

Edgar and I spent some time with Chamina at her pre-school last Thursday for their "Friendship Day". The kiddies had prepared "friendship soup" (like a vegetable minestrone), homemade bread and fruit leather and we had a nice little dinner in her classroom with the other parents. We had a chance to see how Chameans spent her days and talked with some of her homies.

One of Chamina's favorite activities- digging for "treasures"

Samantha, her amiga por vida

Holiday Photos

Chamina and I went on a quest to take Christmas portraits this morning. I usually have her pictures taken at Kiddie Kandids inside Babies R' Us, because you could walk right in and there's never any wait. I didn't anticipate a holiday rush being that it was a regular old middle-of-the-week Tuesday. I mean, everyone couldn't have taken the day off like I did this morning, right? When I got there (at 10am!) I was told there were no sitting times available until 2:00! Yipes! I guess everyone did take the day off.

I called one other Babies R' Us and Sears-- no luck. If anything, the wait was even longer. So, I busted out my ELPH and took some shots of my own at home. They aren't professional grade by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn't take much to make kiddies and doggies look cute! I'm kinda glad I didn't spend a truckload of money on photos after all, because Chamina was interested in posing for maybe about 10 seconds before she started getting antsy. I managed to get in a few pretty pictures, though! Bribery is the key, it turns out, for both humans and animals.

"Say CHEESY!"

Ok, one more and I'll let you watch "Big Sister Dora".

Turkey Day

Turkey Day on the (Mira) Mesa: Another "friendly" game of Turkey Bowl saw the white-jersey Chargers roll to victory despite their stunning lack of Oples and an abundance of girls (Yeah, Tina and Theresa, we rock!). Unfortunately, no one was around to videotape the darn thing (What? Blasphemy!), so it was up to everyone's fuzzy memory and a few courtesy shots from Karla.

Yes, that's EJ's scary, white butt in the middle of the picture below.

Why?!? Dear God, WHY?!?

Uncle Jim's was the place to be afterwards, with the hot tub bubbling warmly and the gorge-fest piled high in the kitchen & desserts in the dining room. I swear, I don't know if it's a Filipino thing or just an our family thing, but our spread always makes even those gargantuan Thanksgiving dinners on TV look slightly anemic. Karla's to-die-for sinigang na baboy made everyone's second-helping list and pretty soon it had disappeared behind many an expanding waistline along with the lechon kawali, BBQ pork, and pancit. Man, I love this holiday!

There were birthday shout-outs to Kimay and Uncle Bob, who turned 21 and 50 respectively (redux birthdays are very much in vogue now). This came with even more delicioso food (mango cake- yum). Did I mention how much I love this holiday? =)

The best part is the hanging-around-with-people-you-adore time, but that goes without saying...

After the sh*t-talk, bati na naman

The little monsters

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Feet

Here's a good shot of the silly chupacabra's foot... she has Fred Flintstone toes like her mama (all even and spread-outish), but her feet are still cute.

Potty-Training (aka The 7th Circle of Hell)

Why aren't people just born knowing how to use the damn toilet? I subjected Edgar, Rollo, Chamina and myself to 3 days of intensive potty-training madness because a co-worker of mine swore up and down this was THE ultimate way to get kids using the "potty". She sent me the guide, which I proceeded to devour like a starved beast.

One vital question before I continue my story is, "Why am I so desperate for Chamina to get out of diapers?" Well, I actually never intended to hurry her through the potty-training process, having been a rather difficult child to train in that area myself (or so I've been told). I figured, she's bound to get it before she goes to kindergarten so what's the rush? Then circumstance reared its unpredictable head: Miss Myrna decided to retire after 21 years in the child care business, and Chamina needed to find another daycare! EGADS. (What does this have to do with potty-training, you ask? Read on...)

Edgar and I immediately rushed to UCI Child Care Services (where we've been on the waiting list since I was 3 months pregnant with Chamina). We were told there was an opening in November! Yay! The Child Care Center's affiliated with a wonderful university, its reputation is unmatched in Orange County, and Edgar would be RIGHT THERE in case anything should come up. It was perfect! We toured the classrooms, playgrounds, we met the Director, Chamina's teacher, even the pet chicken "Chickety-Chick". All was well, until we saw the fees. Not to bore you with sordid details, but my eyes bugged out and I think Edgar may have swallowed his tongue.

Anyway, seeing as how this was THE BEST option hands down, we "sucked it up" so to speak, and enrolled Chamina. There was a ray of hope, however. The fees went down pretty drastically if the child had "toileting skills". AHA! Hence, 3-day potty boot camp.

Now, back to my potty-training nightmare... it's not quite as bad as labor, birth, or the first 6 weeks of mothering, but it ranks pretty high up there. I had to muster up all my patience not shake the bejeebers out of poor little Chamina every time she peed on the floor. You see, this 3-day guide goes for the jugular-- you are not allowed to use Pull-Ups, Training Pants, or any other padded contraption that may make things easier for you and your child. No, you just use regular panties and CLEAN UP the mess everytime she makes it.

"But," you may think,"How often does a child pee/poop during the day anyway? Once? Twice? It can't be that bad!" HAHA. The Nazi guide also tells you to ply your unsuspecting kid with all forms of liquid (popsicles, juice, water, milk) ALL day, so they can "practice" going to the toilet as much as they possibly can. Isn't that a form of torture you're not allowed to use under the Geneva Conventions?

I didn't think either of us was going to be left standing after the first day of this. Chamina peed so much I prayed we wouldn't get washed away in a river of urine. Thank God for tile floors! The second day was only slightly more bearable. I was beginning to doubt my own sanity, and I was sure I had compromised Chamina's as well.

Then TODAY happened. AAAAAHHHH! God really does listen on Sundays. I don't know what was different about today, but today she just GOT IT. She caught herself before she let go, told me "I need go toilet" and when she got there, she peed. HOORAY! She had one accident (which was actually mine and her Daddy's fault, because we weren't around and we both thought the other was watching her). I can't believe I'd be so happy about bowel movements and urine, but I was elated. I know she's far from being fully trained, and any parent would tell me in a heartbeat that she'll have many more accidents to come, but for now I am at peace with the potty.

Enjoying her umpteenth popsicle on Day 2

Wow, some things ARE instinctual!

Marley Fest 2006

No, this post's title isn't referring to a bacchanalian feast in celebration of Bob Marley. Rather, it headlines the 3-day craziness that was Leelai's 3rd birthday!

First up was a trip to the Long Beach Aquarium with the two monsters, where a GREAT time was had by all. We went on a non-crowded day (always a plus) and Chamina & I got to experience the Lorrikeet habitat for the very first time ever. It's not for the faint of heart, let me just say that right now. Tia Melon and I got molested by some very aggressive birds! Uncle Shevitz was much better at handling our (psycho) feathered friends, while Leelai and Cham just looked on with dazed, kind of scared, expressions.



We got to see all the fan favorites (manta rays, sharks, starfish, etc.) and even got special Halloween treats like touching a snake and a lizard (Marley was all about the hands-on experience but Cham was content just to look).

holding hands

Gigil!

The next day was Marley's Chuck E. Cheese birthday bash in Diamond Bar! Chuck E. Cheese was another first for Chamina, who TOTALLY loved the rides, games, kids, and food. In fact, the only thing she didn't love was Chuck E. Cheese himself. Poor mouse! It was like a scene from one of those movies, where the guy in the costume comes out and all the kids gasp, run away, and cry their eyes out. Chamina had a different technique: she turned her back on the offending creature and ignored him until he couldn't be ignored anymore. Then she just screamed "MOMMY!" That always works.

The monster approaches

AAAHHHHHH!!!

Aside from the creature-scare, she had a blast running around with partners-in-crime Leelai & Joey. While everyone else was packing up and getting ready to go, all you could hear was "GGGRRRRRROARRRR!!!!" and the three girls tearing around the play area and careening down the plastic slide.



Day 3 was the capper to the festivities, with Halloween and Marley's "real" birthday, at the Juarez clan's house in Glendora. I was afraid Chamina wasn't going to last until Halloween night, especially since her Lolo reported that she hadn't had a nap that afternoon... uh-oh. Sure enough, she took a nap on the way to Glendora, and did NOT appreciate being woken up when we got there. A long tirade and a few snotty boogers later, she agreed to get dressed in her princess outfit and go trick-or-treating with the rest of the gang. Jillian became her mentor: they held hands on the way to each front door, she helped Cham get down any steps, and she reminded her to say "Trick-or-treat" and "Thank you!" It was truly one of the most adorable things I have ever seen.

pictures with Lolo before the drive to Glendora

Afterwards was a muuuuch smoother time, with the little ones playing with their bags of goodies (but only one treat!), and everyone enjoying each other's company. Leelai had a pumpkin pie cake and a rousing rendition of the "Happy Birthday" song, then she, Joey, and Cham got silly for the cameras. Those 3 are hilarious together.

Aurora & Jasmine

All in all, it was hectic, crazy, and exhileratingly fun!

Pangkins

Chamina & I spent the better part of Saturday looking for a pumpkin to take home to Daddy. We hitched a ride with Tia Melon, Uncle Shevitz (that's what Chamina calls him), and Marley to the Cal Poly Pumpkin Festival and spent some time on "The Great Pumpkin Search of 2006". The day was blazing hot (or to quote Melon "the #@#$% hottest day of the year"-- swear word added), so tempers flared pretty early on. Chamina got sick of pumpkins somewhere between tripping/falling on a dried vine, and finding a rotten pumpkin with flies nesting in it (she and Marley were quite offended). After miraculously finding some decent ones, we beat a hasty retreat to the nearby Cal Poly Piggly-Wiggly for some much-needed snacks and air-conditioning. Melon and I tried again to entice the wee ones into some more activities, but Marley seemed tired and Chamina flatly declared; "I no want pangkins. No more pangkins, Mamma. NO." *Sigh*



That being said, we grabbed lunch and headed back to Melon's place. The girls got to eat their chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers and watch Dora in peace. We had such fun, Chamina pitched a fit when it was time to go home! And later, when her Daddy asked her if she had fun at the pumpkin patch, she said "Yes! I luff pangkins!"

Contemplating the meaning of life... and pumpkins

"Nuuuu HAUS!"

That's what Chamina yells everytime I pick her up from Miss Myrna's in the afternoon. Actually, it's a question first- "Weh [where] go-eeng? Nuu HAUS?" When I say yes, she then screams "Nuuuu HAUS!!!" all excited-like. I wonder when it will become "old house"?
Anyway, I've got to love her enthusiasm, especially after all the work (and moola) we've poured into this place. It's finally starting to feel like our home! We had it all spiffed out for a UCI Alumni Association dinner this past weekend, so I thought I'd take some pictures and share them with you guys "before-and-after" style. We still have a ways to go, but Chamina loves her new digs! She's all about having her own big-girl room with a big-girl bed and all her stuff around her. When kiddie guests come over, she takes them straight to her room, like she's super-proud she has someplace for them to go and play in. It just warms my heart. =)

Living Room: Before

After

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Dining Room: Before

After

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Kitchen Nook: Before

After

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Downstairs Bath: Before

After

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Master Bedroom: Before

After

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Chamina's Room: Before

After