Skylanders Swapforce

V was excited for October to come. It's his birthday month and ActiVision will release a new batch of Skylanders the Swapforce (USA release Oct 13 and UAE release Oct 18).

It's only during his birthday that we allow him to buy an expensive toy but just one and if it's too expensive he get's to choose between having a party or just the toy (he usually choose the toy). This year was different Lolo Dino (my Uncle Dad a resident of Kansas City) asked him what he wants for birthday and Christmas without any hesitation he told his GrandPa names of Skylander characters that he wants to add in his collection and to make sure Lolo doesn't forget anything he made a list.

V is 6 and his MineCraft Cake

V designed his Minecraft cake.

It was a week long holiday here in Dubai when LittleMan V celebrated his 6th birthday. We initially planned to have a family celebration and have dinner at his favorite restaurant  but he insisted that I make him a cake and have 3 of his friends from school come over.

Aside from playing Skylanders he's also into Minecraft (I think every kid is) so before he request me to make him a figure cake I suggested he design his very own minecraft cake. He's eyes lit up and requested that he make the cake with me.

School lunchbox week 3 and an Easy Puff recipe

Some of our lunchbox food this week is just a repeat if what V had two weeks back. He just insisted on not bringing his heavy thermal Sahara lunchbox.

Since my V requests almost the same kind of lunch food I will try and feature something new every week.

I was getting bored preparing the usual deli meat sandwich every morning, as I was staring at our fruit bowl full of red and green apples (Vs favorite fruit) a sudden craving for McDo's apple pie happened.

School Lunchbox Week 2

Second week of school was a bit difficult. V starts and ends his school day complaining/asking why he has to spend a really long time in school, they all do really a lot of work, and that he misses his old school. I keep telling myself it's just an adjustment period and that we made the right decision.

This school week we welcome a new lunch box - GoodByn Bynto. You can see from the photos below that it has 3 compartments, I can fit everything in 1 box!

 

Deli Meat Cheese Sandwich, Yakult & Milk, and Strawberry Grapes mixed fruit.

(I was not able to close the lid after taking this photo so I took the milk out and placed it inside his bag)

feedback:

Bynto came back with half of the sandwich and a few pieces of fruits.

 

V liked his new lunchbox because it is easy to carry and doesn't take lot of space in the table.

Rice, 15 Chicken Nuggets, and Apple Oranges

feedback:

Tiger box came back home with the rice and 8 nuggets

September 18 -  He kept on asking me to feel him because he's hot (aka fever) while eating breakfast, I assured him that he is fine and healthy. When it was time to go down to wait for the bus, V started crying because he's nervous he won't be able to do good work in school. I was holding back tears as V went inside his school bus crying. I sent a message to his adviser asking her to talk to V and assure him that school is fun.

2 Apple Puff, 2 Yakult, Strawberry & Grapes

feedback:

1 apple puff

Dad C decided that he will drive V to school which made him really happy.

Mix of Nutella & Cream Cheese square bread, Spam & Cheese sticks with ketchup & Yakult

feedback:

1 Spam Cheese stick, 3 pcs of bread.

His classmate D ate one of the spam cheese stick.

School Lunchbox Week 1

Yes, I know we are on the 3rd week of school but it's never too late to share V's school lunchbox.

Parents were reminded during the school orientation to pack healthy lunch for kids to bring since unhealthy sweets can make young ones be hyper active.

V's school start very early, assembly time is at 7:20 am and 8th period ends at 1:40 pm. I initially thought that Grade 1 will have two breaks (1 for snack and 1 for lunch) but they only have one at 10:25 am till 11:00 am, when the teacher told us about this all the parents reacted with one question "Won't the kids get hungry?" to which the teacher replied with "That's why you should make sure they eat a healthy heavy breakfast."



My week 1 lunchbox ideas for V was to send him a filling snack/lunch to school and preferably something that is warm. During our vacation I bought a Sahara Tiger Thermal Lunchbox this keeps food warm for up to 8 hrs (C did prove this to be true, lunchbox was prepared at 5:30 am and stayed warm till 12 noon). V's complain on this lunchbox - heavy and big.

 



 

I was on a search for V's perfect lunchbox something light, has compartments and something that will keep food warm. The search led me to Daiso I purchased this rectangular shape clear box, silicon muffin cups and clear square box with lid.



 

I'm giving myself a pat on the shoulder for managing to pack a pretty healthy lunchbox for V. Here's what I prepared for 1st week I just forgot to snap a photo of his 1st day lunch.

1 Cream Cheese, 1 Nutella & 1 deli meat animal shaped sandwich, Full Cream Milk, boiled Corn, Apple & Olives.

feedback:

V came home telling me that his classmate ate 3 sandwiches, good thing he ate all of his corn.

  

Rice topped with Broccoli & Carrots, Apples & Oranges, Banana Oat Muffin, Chicken Adobo strips with Quail Eggs

feedback:

V came back with 1 muffin, untouched rice, 1 pc of apple slice, half of adobo strips

  

Rice, Boiled Corn & Edemame beans, Shrimp Hakaw

feedback:

Rice and half of the corn & edemame came back home

  

Yag Go! Chocolate Milk, Deli Meat & Cream Cheese Sandwich, Yakult, and Apples

feedback:

V ate all his apple and came home with half eaten sandwich.

  

Overall I'm happy that V ate most of the food I prepared for him. V doesn't want to eat a lot in school afraid that he might go potty #2 and he requested that I don't send him with a lot of food in school.

What did you pack for your kid's school lunch? & What is your favorite lunch box container?

 

1st week of Junior 1

*sigh*


My V all smiles inside his classroom for Junior 1.

I asked him if he'll stop kissing Mama in front of his friends because his in grade 1, V replied with a hug and wet kiss telling me I will never stop kissing you Mama. ( I will come back and show him this post when his a teen and refuse to give me a kiss!)

We have survived 1st week of school and I admit I was the one nervous that I won't wake up early enough (bus pickup at 6:13 am) and that I won't pack enough food for him.

I've been crazy searching the stores for the perfect lunchbox since V complained that the Sahara Tiger lunchbox is too heavy but hey it keeps his food warm even after 6 hrs!



Vs week 1 school lunchbox feedback is that I send him way too much food. Too much? He comes home complaining he's soo hungry! He explained that he doesn't want to go potty #2 at school that's why he doesn't want too much food.


How was your 1st week of school?

V beat the claw game machine!

I won Mama! For the first time I won!



Beaming with delight with a screaming LittleMiss beside him.

After the claw game drama which broke Vs heart, I was hesitant to make him play again but he would insist every time we see one.

I finally gave in when he insisted that he wants to do it for his LittleMiss. He maneuvered the claw from left to right and finally settled above the toy pressed the red button. Viola! Claw grabbed the toy and dropped it.

V won!

Skylanders Limited Edition for E3

LittleMan V requested that we put his collection on the blog, so here it is.

We give V rewards whenever he does good in school (he was perfect in all his dictation sheets in class and passed school entrance exam), and he would always ask for toys and on that particular toy store trip he was looking for the Trash Pack toys but it was not available.  Good thing it was not available!

Daddy came home one night with the Skylanders PS3 Starter Pack and from then on Vs collection has reached to 30 characters.  He's watching videos and reading about them. He made a video about them which I recorded using my iPhone.

We followed Skylander gamers on youtube and he learned about the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) and asked us to go the expo. He felt really bad when he learned that those who went to the expo got limited edition Skylander characters. I told him that one of Mama's friend was in the E3 expo, both V and Dad exclaimed that Mama has cool friends. I even became the coolest Mom when I told him that our twitter Dahlink Nick got a Limited E3 Skylander character. V asked if he can visit Uncle Nick and get to see his Skylanders Bronze Hot Dog E3 Release.

Before I got a chance to ask Nick if we can see his Skylanders E3 release I got a message inviting us to drop by his office for some E3 goodies. So we did right after Vs graduation, and we were in for a big surprise.

Uncle Nick handed him goodies from the expo and also gave V two Limited Skylanders E3 release - Silver Spyro (E3 2012) and Bronze Hot Dog (E3 2013). He was beaming with happiness and declared to his Dad that Uncle Nick gave him the best gift of his life.  THANK YOU Uncle Nick!

 

V's friends declared him the coolest!

2013 School Year Ends

My LittleMan V graduates from Kindergarten.

Yesterday, he bid farewell to his school friends and teachers. It was our first graduation ceremony and along with other parents we have each witnessed how our children grew from the teary eyed KG1 babies to confident KG2 students.

This September he will move up to big school as a Year 1 student in a new school.

A big THANK YOU to all his teachers, classmates, nanny, and school bus driver for making his kindergarten life a fun one.

V leads the boys as they sing "Glowing Inside" to say Thank You to Mom & Dad

 

Moving Up

 



 

This year my first born V will move up to big school (Year 1) and will step into a new milestone in his life. He is not only saying bye to his kindergarten life but will also say bye-bye to his school and classmates.

We initially didn’t plan to move him to a different school since we know that he is happy and has bonded with a set of friends. Daddy C and I wanted to gauge how he would handle taking an entrance exam and also see if he would pass or not.

When I got the call that V was qualified to take the entrance exam it felt like I was the one who needs to prepare for it. I told V that we are going to the new school and a teacher will ask him to answer some worksheets just like what we did at home.  Then I saw the topics covered on the entrance exam half of the topic was still not discussed on V’s school and when I started to review him he just refuse to answer the sheets because “teacher didn’t teach us that yet Mama.” I settled at the thought that if he makes it well then good and if not it’s just not meant to be.

Four of us were up and drove to the school, V was calm and I was nervous asking him if he was ready, made sure that he ate a good breakfast. He got annoyed and reassured me “Mama I will just answer the worksheet and be my best. It will be fun”

We saw some of his friends that day which made him happy. After the exam I kept bugging him what was the worksheet about I just got a plain reply of “just like in my school mama.”

He passed the exam. He passed the interview. He will move to a new school for year 1.

Him passing the exam felt like I also pass as a Mom.

 

*photo from google image search

What are you Mom?

Conversation with V before afternoon nap

V: “Mom, what are you?”
M: “What do you mean?”
V: “Mom like when my friend said that her Mommy is a dentist. How about you what are you?”
M: “I’m your super Mommy. A stay at home Mom”
V: “No! What do you like when you grow up?” (upset with my answer)
M: “My work before was helping people in the office with computer and internet problems”
V: “I mean now Mama! I want you to be something else like T’s Mama is a dentist. I want you to be something also.”
(By this time he’s already crying while repeating “I want you to be something else too”)

I too cried.

I’m really not sure why I did but I imagined him having a chat with his classmates with most of them having working moms and he doesn’t have anything to say on what his Mum do. V gets upset when he doesn’t have anything to say about something.

So I told him that being a SAHM is also a kind of special work and I get to be rewarded with spending every minute with them. I knew he wanted some other answer besides me being his Mum so I told him that Mommy is also a blogger and sometimes I get to be invited to events and write about it and Mommy is a baker that makes cake and other yummy sweet treats. I get to do all this cool work and stay at home with them.

I then asked him if he really wanted me to be something else and work out of the house.

He replied with a big NO.

I asked him again what my job was, and he happily replied “Chloe and mines super mommy.”

Crying over the claw game machine

 

Kuya V begged me a dirham to play the claw game at Lulu, we don't allow him to play this silly game since I know he will not get 1 dusty toy out. He insisted since he never tried it once so I gave in.

He moved the claw from left to right just above the red plush toy push the button, he watched the claw move down with a wish to get the toy but the claw didn't even manage to grab the toys tiny hair.

Poor kid played it twice and failed. He cried all through out 30 minutes of grocery shopping asking me why he failed even if he tried he's best.

a visit to they Eye Doctor

Kuya V ended 2012 wearing eye glasses to correct his astigmatism.

I've been getting several inquiries on why he's wearing one and what decided me to have his eye's checked. It all happened when LittleMiss went to the pediatrician for her 5 months check. Out of the blue I just asked Dr. S if I need to bring Kuya V to an eye doctor even if he's not complaining of any problems. His reply was, as soon as your child reach the age of 5 you have to visit an ophthalmologist for a routine check as it is just the right age where your little one is able to properly answer questions and recognize the letters/pictures on the test. This is of course if during your pediatrician check your doctor didn't find any obvious reasons for an eye check before the age of 5.

Just before Christmas and shortly before LittleMiss turned 6 months we scheduled Kuya V to see an ophthalmologist at a specialty hospital but then got turned off because Kuya V need to go back for 3 separate days to complete the check and the doctor is only available in the morning. Hubby didn't like the idea of just me and the kids travelling to the hospital.

While having Christmas lunch Daddy C asked if I can check if we can get a schedule at City Hospital, so happy they have 1 slot left for the day. Kuya V was checked at 3 pm by an  ophthalmologist first then an optometrist. Several eye reading test was done in about 30 minutes & 1 hour interval, the nurse also put some eye drops that was necessary for test. All test was done and the ophthalmologist explained to Kuya V and hubby C why he need to wear glasses and what was the problem.

From what I understand (from Hubby's explanation) V has an astigmatism which he inherited from my husband's side and that he needs to wear spectacles for 5 years and have his eye check every 3 months. Now during the 5 years duration test results might show that he doesn't need to wear one anymore.



He's instructed to wear specs everyday and gets to remove them only when taking a bath and sleeping. Next check will be this March so hopefully things improved.

I do suggest that you go have your kid's or your eyes check at least yearly even if you don't notice any obvious problem.

 

Last dance with Sheya

I just learned that 7th birthday are suppose to be celebrated in a grand way. I don't remember having a fancy celebration when I turned 7.

 

Vierte with birthday girl Sheya

Our family friend, the Mendoza's celebrated the 7th birthday of their youngest at Novotel Hotel. Pretty Sheya had 2 birthday gowns for the event.

Kids presented a Move's like Jagger Dance and V had a special last dance with Sheya.

 

V was Sheya's last dance. 

He's such a young man now worrying about clothes to wear and what shoe's goes well with it and his hair has to be spiky. He's got 5 girlfriends and one special girl to whom he likes to hold hands with. 

You will always be Mum's 1st baby boy!

 

 

Sports Day - Race into space FS2

FS2 Sports Day happened one foggy morning in Dubai. They shoo the fog away with their dance moves shaking booty and waving hands.

 

LittleMiss C was Kuya V's biggest fan.

Let the race begin!

to the finish line! The kids who were first on the line cheered on their friends while some even went back to help.

Our little cheerleader just woke up from nap and wondering whether Kuya V won.

Smiling and waving to Dad on his way to the finish line.

Woohoo!

Congratulations PPS FS2!

a Monster Love Letter

 

Last week the topic on V's class was monsters.

 



 

He went home at the end of school week with three love letters from a pretty girl - Z.

 

 

Ice Age Musical

 

[caption id="attachment_1381" align="aligncenter" width="390"] Ice Age Live Musical - Burjuman[/caption]

 

Last Friday we surprised V with Ice Age Live Musical Meet & Greet at Burjuman Centre.

 

 

Ice Age Musical was about 45 minutes long and right after kids get to meet and have a photo taken with the characters.

 

Thank you Burjuman for all fun free shows for our kids. Looking forward to the next one.

 

 

 

Starting a Christmas tradition - Advent Calendar

Growing up my family's Christmas countdown starts on the first Simbang Gabi. Santa Claus was not a biggie for us we had our very own gift giver which was our parents, godParents, Aunts and Uncles. The highlight for us would be the Noche Buena , opening of gifts when the clock strikes 12 midnight and finally getting our Christmas money from our GrandParents.

 

Having a family of my own, I want to have a tradition for Christmas specially for the kids. Something that they will remember when they have kids of their own.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Christmas 2010. We should really have one this year with Chloe.[/caption]

 

My eldest V believes in Santa Claus, we didn't really introduce him I guess he got it from his friends in school. When we put the Christmas tree up he has been bugging us when will Santa Claus visit.

[caption id="attachment_1318" align="aligncenter" width="347"] He's a big boy now, asking us to take a picture of him doing something silly or funny.[/caption]

 

This year I showed Daddy C several ideas for Christmas and we both love the idea of having an Advent Calendar. Of course C let me decide what kind of calendar we'll use as well as crafting them. I managed to create a stocking from colored papers and made us of old gift wrappers to design them.

After all the crafting Dad took charge in hanging them in a string and up on the wall, high up where V would require our help to reach one.

 We are on the 3rd day and he has been looking forward to getting the message which just brightens his morning.

What Christmas traditions did you have as a child?

Have you created a new one for your own family?

First taste of rain 2012

It's raining!

One lil boy went crazy tasting & feeling the rain.

"Mom it taste like water and my face is wet!"

Today Dubai got it's proper rain with thunder and more than 5 minutes of rain drops. Some even got a chance to shower in the rain.

Vierte clowning to 5

V chose a clown cake design to celebrate his 5th birthday. He gave me specific instructions on how his cake will look like.

We asked him if he wanted to have a big party or special gifts from us. All he wanted was clown cake for school, chocolate muffins, Oreo bites and special gifts.

Baked a chocolate cake on a bowl pan so the face wont be flat but the cake turned out to be dry so I decided to use round 6" inches baking pan thus a flat face for this clown. So sorry for giving you a flat face happy clown.

Before leaving for school V made us promise that we bring his sister to school as well.

The joy on his face when we revealed the cake in front of his friends was priceless. "My mom made that for me!"

We learned a lesson from last years 4th birthday dragon cake to not make a mess on the classroom. Instead of slicing the cake for the kids to enjoy each one had a vanilla cupcake with nutella frosting, chocolate covered oreo bites and fruit juice.

At home we surprised him with gifts; he didn't know that he would still get gifts from us after giving him a school party.

Thank you Mum & Dad & Chloe! I got the best gift of all!

We love you Kuya Vierte!

Thank you for always making us happy.

You're the best big brother for Chloe.

Thank you for assuring Mum that you're still my baby.

Happy 5th Birthday!