Aha Mama!

After 17 months

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:44:00 +0000

Has it really been that long?

I have disappeared from the blogging world for almost 18 months! During that time, I ‘sort of’ forgot about my blogs. I also didn’t visit any other sites in my blog list. I also stopped digital scrapbooking. And not just gradually, mind you. I made a full stop!

I think I have been overwhelmed and pressured before to keep my blogs (emphasis on the ‘s’) up-to-date constantly. I had around 5 blogs to keep track of. Very time consuming. That time, Liam was 8 months old and was crawling and learning to walk. So my attention had to be on him all the time.

And so I lived my life…off-line. Except for daily visits to my Facebook account, I stayed away the computer most of the time.

But a few weeks ago, I received a notice of renewal for my domain names. I had to decide if I wanted to renew it or stop it altogether. I thought of not renewing them and deleting all the blogs I made. So I visited the sites one last time. After visiting my sites, I also browsed my online friends’ sites. Then, I started to miss it -- blogging about my day and my experiences. I missed reading other mom’s blogs and learning new things.

So, instead of deleting all 5 blogs, I have decided to retain two. This one – about my experiences and life as a mom. And my digital scrapbooking blog. I also made a resolution to try to update these two blogs often.

But I have to take baby steps, though…Please bear with me if I won’t be able to post regularly. I am not going to pressure myself unnecessarily so I won’t promise updates regularly.

So, I will be seeing you around, then? :)

We were at the Peak

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:53:00 +0000

Thank you to all my visitors and readers who stop by and leave comments despite my loooong absence.

One important lesson I learned from our trip was ALWAYS bring extra batteries for the camera! I was so silly NOT to bring any extras. This was our first family vacation and I did not even think of buying an extra battery pack for the camera. Halfway through the day, the battery was already drained. So we had to use the cellphone camera instead.

I have FINALLY finished sorting the pictures from our mini-vacation. Allow me to share them with you. Some were taken using Nikon Coolpix and some with Nokia E51.

Victoria Peak, Hong Kong

On the way to the Peak Tram Terminus. We just walked from the Central Station to the terminus and we got a little disoriented and lost.

After a scenic route through Hong Kong Park, we made it to the terminus.

Photos taken from the Sky Terrace at Victoria Peak. Leelai and Papa Wins enjoyed looking thru the large binoculars (?) wherein you drop HK$5 to be able to see.

It was glaring so we were squinting alot.

Liam's first time to stand on his own for over 30 seconds. A momentous event at a special location!

The breathtaking view. This was around noon.

That's it for now. Next post will be photos and a short review of our hotel - Hotel Benito.

Peak Tram (roundtrip) + The Peak Tower Sky Terrace - $48 (adult)
Peak Tram (roundtrip) - $15 (child, octopus card)
The Peak Tower Sky Terrace - $10 (child, octopus card)

I'm (sort of) back

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:42:00 +0000

I'm back...well, just sort of.

We came back from a ten-day vacation last Thursday. It was a fun yet very tiring trip. First we spent 6 days in Manila and then four in Hong Kong. There was so much walking and carrying that I got sick for two days when we got home. And then, the two kids got sick one after the other. As such, I might not be able to be online as much for the coming days.

The kids must come first. And then I must (MUST!) clean our house! So blogging will be taking a back seat for now.

Thanks so much for still visiting! I still read my email and WILL blog hop from time to time...

dNeero and the Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:41:00 +0000

dNeero has come up with a set of questions for its Philippine members. Take a look!

Ruby Tuesday: I Heart You

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:27:00 +0000

This is my second entry for Ruby Tuesday. It is late but still in time for a Valentine theme, I hope. :)

We bought Baby Liam a toy walker for Christmas. The heart is one of the buttons on it. When pressed, it plays tune.

Liam loved to play with the thingymajigies on it when it was new. But two months later, he is already bored with them. We still let him use it as a walker, though. And he likes pushing it while we cheer him on.

I hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Join here.

Weekend Snapshot: Bonding

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:31:00 +0000

Papa takes off Leelai's shoes so that they can take a break from playing soccer.

Liam just wakes up from his nap and gets a kiss from Mama.

There are more photos in Thursdays = Soccer Day.

Join here

Toy Hunt: Teddy Bear/s

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 07:47:00 +0000

This week's toy hunt is all about teddy bears.

I'm taking this chance to introduce the newest bear in our collection -- Goodnight Bear from the Care Bears.

Leelai already has Funshine Bear which I gave to her when she was two.

When you squeeze her tummy, she speaks:

"Hiya pal, Funshine Bear here."

"Best friends make the best fun."

"Wanna play?"

"Friends like you make anytime fun time."

Goodnight Bear we got from Timezone at NCCC, Maa. Leelai loves to play there and she has finally won enough tickets (100?) to redeem a Care Bear. She chose Goodnight Bear because she wanted Liam to have one, too. Aww, isn't that sweet?!

Join TOY HUNT every Saturday.

Thursdays = Soccer day

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 07:20:00 +0000

Thursdays are when Papa Wins has the afternoon off from work. Since last week, Leelai has been dying to go to the field at Agro to play soccer with her Papa. We haven't gone in a while because it always rains the night before we plan on going. Muddy grass = Laundry problems.

Last Thursday, we were finally able to go. Papa Wins and Leelai had a fun time at the soccer field. Liam was asleep half the time but woke up to enjoy a few minutes on the picnic blanket.

After the field, we went to SM City and bought Liam a new pair of shoes. His first pair was getting too small for him already. We got him a pair with Winnie the Pooh on front that squeaks when stepped on.

While shopping, we met a friend, Tita D--, and her son, R--. Tita D-- gave Leelai P100 (again) to spend at the amusement center -- Worlds of Fun. (Thanks D--!) So after buying shoes, we headed for WOF to spend the P100. Leelai played (I played a little, too) and won about 170 tickets. Papa Wins and Liam went somewhere else because Liam was asleep and might wake up with the noise.

After that, we ate dinner at Bigby's Cafe. Leelai was beginning to get worried. She wanted us to eat faster so that we could leave already. She did not want to still be inside the mall when they were closing their metal doors. I think she has a phobia of: 1, the loud sound they make when all the stores close at the same time; or 2, being trapped inside the dark mall at night.

Either way, we ate as fast as we could and left the mall just a few seconds before the metal doors closed. All in all, it was a fun day (except for my allergic rhinitis I mentioned in my previous post.

Valentine Linky Love

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 06:38:00 +0000

I received this love-ly tag from PinayMommyOnline. Perfect for this month of the hearts.

= Start Copy Here =

VALENTINE LINKY LOVE
SPREADING LOVE ALL OVER THE WORLD

‘For God so loVed the world,
That He gAve
His onLy
BegottEn
SoN
That whosoever
Believeth In Him
Should Not perish,
But have Everlasting life.’John 3:16

Master List: 1. Pinay Mommy Online 2. Small and Simple Things 3. Heartnet02 4. Aha Mama 5. Your next…

Rules:
1. Post this tag in your blog if you believe in the message. Please don’t forget to copy from = Start Copy Here = to = End Copy Here =. If you want, please include your own thoughts about LOVE.
2. Tag as many friends as you want to help spread the message to the world.
3. Comment with the link of your post here so that you will be included in the master list.
4. Don’t forget to come back to the master post once in awhile to check and update your own blog’s master list.
5. Please don’t delete this tag or put no follow tags. Let’s spread love and so as linky loves. Thanks!

= End Copy Here =

I am tagging Make or Break (Peh), When Mom Talks... (JoyD), Happy Thoughts Happy Tot (Pearl), Mommyhood (Leah), My Precious Niche (Eds)and anyone who wants to play along.

A very 'ker-chooey' day

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:56:00 +0000

I will be making this quick since I am already drowsy from the anti-allergy medicine that I took. The whole afternoon I had been sneezing my head off. My inner ears were itchy and my eyes were itchy and teary. My nose was runny and ...you guessed it...very itchy. I had to pinch my nose shut and hold a cloth diaper (a hanky was too small!) to it constantly to stop the dripping. When I was at the mall...people I pass by might have thought I was covering my nose because they smelled bad. I wasn't. They didn't smell.

It was the family's weekly afternoon together and it was slightly ruined by my allergic rhinitis. I drank a blue pill -- an antihistamine which I always forget the name -- after lunch but it didn't take effect right away. The symptoms were still there and had even gotten worse. I should have taken something that was quicker and earlier...

It was only during dinner that I was able to drink Allerin AH -- Diphenhydramine HCl. Within an hour, the medicine was already starting to take effect. It was such a great relief.

I was already able to eat dinner without sneezing once. On the way home, the dripping already stopped. And now, I am super sleepy already.

What triggered the allergy attack? I don't know, exactly. Is yogurt an allergen? Because that's all I ate for breakfast that was unusual and the sneezing started a few hours after that. It could also be the dust, I know. But our house is a constant mess and has been for quite a while now. If it IS the dust..why just now and why just me?

Anyone?

Weekend Snapshot: New Beginnings

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 06:42:00 +0000

Leelai is starting school on June. So last weekend, we started working on her workbook called "Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons".

Baby Liam's upper front teeth erupted also on the weekend. He now has four teeth at 9 months old.

Join here

Toy Hunt: Farm Animal Toy/s

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 08:58:00 +0000

This is my first entry to the weekly Toy Hunt. These are Baby Liam's farm animal toys (from Fisher Price's Little People Farm Animals). These were one of the many Christmas presents that he received from Tita Dodon and Tita Pia.

I love the turkey and his 'ribbon' feathers. The goat, I don't like so much. Liam doesn't like him, too. Maybe because he is not as colorful as the other toys. Or, maybe he doesn't like the feel of the goat's fuzzy beard. :)

Join TOY HUNT every Saturday.

I am not Dorothy

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:15:00 +0000

...of the "Wizard of Oz". And I am not lost and wish to go home. But I still love my new ruby red shoes which was given by Lola Dedet last Christmas.

Join here.

WS: Philippine Eagle

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 05:23:00 +0000

We spent our Sunday afternoon at the Philppine Eagle Center in Malagos Davao. The big birds were in huge cages and THIS is the closest photo I could take of them.

Stay tuned for more photos.

Join here

Lucky Colors for the 'Moo' Year

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:32:00 +0000

Kung hei fat choi or happy 'moo moo' year!!!

Today marks the beginning of the Year of the Ox. If you believe in luck, here are the colors to wear to attract it this year:

If you are a...	...wear these colors for luck
Tiger Ox	Pink and Red
Rat Monkey Rooster	Yellow and White
Dog Pig	Blue and Black
Rabbit	Any Blue color
Dragon Snake Horse	Red and Green
Sheep	Blue and Yellow

Marco Polo Davao's Valentine Room Promo

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:06:00 +0000

This arrived in my inbox the other day. It is a flyer for Marco Polo Hotel, Davao's Valentine Room Promo. Their previous offers that I was aware of were called the Sunday Best Rate and the Christmas Holiday Promo.

The Christmas Holiday Promo was Php2,588net/night for the room only. The Sunday Best Rate included an overnight stay on Sunday and buffet dinner for two. And it was Php2,888net.

Here's what the flyer says:

Valentines Room Promo

Marco Polo Davao celebrates the season of love with a special room promotion. Enjoy a blissful overnight stay in a superior room for only Php2,988.00net, inclusive of breakfast buffet for two. Choose your own date for that perfect escape as this offer is good from February 1 to 16, 2009.

Come share the love where each moment becomes truly remarkable.

Promo is exclusive for Davao residents only. Cabana Terrace room package is available for only Php7,000net.

For reservations and inquiries, please call (6382) 221-0888 local 7341 or 7342.

We wanted to avail of the Sunday promo last December...but since our schedule was full, we were not able to. I will ask Papa Wins tonight if he wants to avail of the February promo...But I highly doubt we will since we are going out of town later that month.

Baby Liam discovers his toes

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 00:13:00 +0000

Just recently, Baby Liam found out that he has toes. And he also realised that they taste good! LOL!

Here are a couple of photos I took of him sucking his toes. It was a good thing that he just finished taking a bath then...

I thought that he would not pass this (sucking on toes) stage anymore. But I guess all babies do...

Applying for Liam's NSO Birth Certificate

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 09:15:00 +0000

The other day, I applied (thru proxy) for a copy of Liam's birth certificate from the NSO (National Statistics Office). The birth certificate (BC) on security paper (SECPA) is one of the requirements for getting a Philippine passport.

Since it was the birth certificate of a minor that was being requested, only the following are allowed to request/receive the certificate:

parent of the minor (a valid ID is required)
legal guardian (a valid ID and proof/declaration of guardianship must be presented)
authorized representative (an authorization letter and the valid ID of both parties must be shown)

Processing fee for the certificate is P140.00 per copy.

The entire process from start to finish took three days. It would have taken only half a day if there was no problems.

On the first day, my representative (cousin BB) brought with her the authorization letter. But, I forgot to give her my photo ID. So, she was not able to continue with the application.

On day two, she applied in the morning and was told to go back in the afternoon because NSO had a problem printing the forms. When she went back in the afternoon, the server was still down so she was told to come back the next day.

On day three, I (with the two kids) went to NSO myself. At ten minutes to 12 noon entered the office to claim the certificate. The guard told me that the employees were already having their lunch. But when I pointed out that I still had ten minutes he let me thru.

They were in fact already eating...but since it really isn't their lunch break yet, I waved my receipt at them until one of them stood up to assist me.

I was in and out of NSO in less than a minute, I swear. :) Now if only all government transactions were that quick...one could only dream, right?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Post Script ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

*Download Application Form - Birth Certificate

*One could also apply online at eCensus. Processing time is approximately three days and the fee is P315 ($20 for foreign deliveries and credit card payments) for local requests. Delivery time is approx 2 to 6 working days for within the Philippines and 6 to 8 weeks for outside the Philippines.

Applying for a Philippine Passport for a Minor

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:45:00 +0000

Urgh! It's two-thirty in the afternoon. Ate Leelai, Baby Liam and I just arrived home. We went to the Department of Foreign Affairs (Jacinto St., Davao) to apply for Liam's passport but were missing some requirements so we had to go home.

The three of us already have passports so I only had to apply for Liam's.

According to the DFA website, these are the requirements for a new passport:

Personal Appearance is required.

Since Liam is still a minor, then either parent must appear instead.

Duly accomplished application form.

The form may be downloaded -- Front and Back -- from the DFA website.

I was also given a form by the guard at the door.

Birth Certificate (BC) in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) or Certified True Copy (CTC) of BC issued by the Local Civil Registrar duly authenticated by NSO.

We applied for this yesterday and got the forms this morning.

Three (3) colored photos of the applicant taken against a royal blue background. Applicant should be in decent attire with collar.

Liam's passport pictures were taken at Jerry Sy's studio in NCCC. The photographer had a hard time because Liam wouldn't look at camera.

It only says three copies in the form but the 'checker' at the door asked for four copies, though.

Proof of identity / Supporting documents indicating full name, date and place of birth and citizenship

I was asked for a copy of Liam's baptismal certificate. However Liam hasn't been baptized yet so I don't know what other proof they could ask for instead.

Other Supporting documents

Marriage Contract -- I was also asked for a copy of our marriage contract (from the NSO). This was the requirement I forgot to bring with me.

Mother's Passport -- I was also asked to bring my passport. I must remember to have it photocopied first before going back there.

Passport Fees
- Regular Processing (14 working days) - P500
- Expedited Processing (7 working days) - add P250

I don't think we need to fast track the processing so I don't have to pay the additional fee.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I will probably go back to DFA tomorrow to continue with the application. Hopefully, I could leave the kids at home with Papa Wins so I would not have a hard time falling in line. I will let you know how it goes.

Papa Wins once suggested that we apply for the passport online to avoid the hassle and stress of falling in line...I checked online and indeed, one could apply at http://passport.com.ph and also at http://www.telephonepassportexpress.com It even says that the service is available nationwide. It is very convenient BUT expensive. I will have to call and inquire if their services are available in Davao.

Last Minute Bonding with the Sissies/Titas

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:29:00 +0000

My sis, Don and her boyfriend, Nick, were leaving for New Zealand on a Saturday (Jan. 3). My other sis, Pia, was leaving on Sunday. Their holiday break in Davao was ending so that Friday, we spent the day with them.

First we ate lunch at Gerry's Grill in Gaisano Mall. I wanted to use my discount coupon which could have saved us P250 off our bill. Unfortunately, it already expired a week before.

Here's a photo of Sis/Tita Pia with Leelai taken by Lola Dyels with her iPhone. (Notice Leelai's new haircut? I will tell you about this later.)

After lunch, we went shopping for clothes...their clothes mostly. And make-up, too. We were suppose to have our nails done at Gaisano. But we couldn't be accommodated right away so we transferred to SM City instead.

At SM, we ate merienda at Igloo. We had fries and ice cream. Yummy!

The three of us then had our nails done at the same time. It was a challenge because Baby Liam was with us. I carried him most of the time but whenever he got bored, I would give him to his other Titas for a while.

Leelai patiently waited for us. She occupied herself by playing with the games in Tita Pia's cellphone. We forgot to bring her Game Girl (Nintendo DS) kasi.

We finished around 7pm. And since Tito Nonnoy and family already arrived from Tacurong, we ALL (except for Great Grandma Dedet who was not feeling well) had dinner at Roadhouse Cafe. Tito Nick's treat.

Triple Award Tag

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 05:01:00 +0000

I've been tagged by Pinaymama. This is my first tag for the year. I love tags and blog awards and I am looking forward to more in the future. :) wink, wink!

Here are the rules for the award:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

I wish to pass these awards to:

Enjoy!

Driving Music for the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:55:00 +0000

I haven't been able to drive as much as I used to last year. First, Papa Wins has been extremely busy and uses the car a lot. Second, Baby Liam hates riding in the car seat. He is okay at first but then cries after he realizes that no one is picking him up.

I always turn the stereo on whenever I drive, though. Whenever Leelai is with me in the car, it is her CD and songs that we listen to. But if I am on my own, I listen the the radio or my CD compilation which is now mostly American Idol songs.

I have to download more songs and burn new CDs to match the new year! If you have suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Cool Pet Gadgets

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:44:00 +0000

Max our Beagle is all alone now. Button and her puppies were transferred to Pangi last month because of a number of reasons. First, Button kept escaping under the gate...still! Second, the puppies were becoming more mobile and it became hard for me to keep an eye on them. Third, those interested in viewing and buying the puppies will find it easier to go to Pangi than our house. And lastly, the vet can easily visit them there for their shots.

Now that Max is all alone, I wanted to find ways so that he won't feel depressed and bored. And luckily, I came across the site PetGadgets.com - Innovative Pet Products. It has a vast collection of pet products that are really interesting and unique.

Take the Chatterbowl, for example. It is a food bowl that talks! You can record a message (up to 10 seconds) for your pet. Every time the pet takes a drink or eats from the bowl, the message automatically plays. Max would love this pet gadget, don't you think?

Check the site out. They also have stuff for other pets like cats, horses, rabbits, and more.

Happy 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (Shebadoo) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:04:00 +0000

Happy New Year, my dear family, friends and readers!

Glitter Graphics - GlitterLive.com

After the long holiday break, I am back online. I have a lot of stories and pictures to post and share with you... But I hope you could wait a bit because most of the pictures were taken using Dodon's and Nonnoy's camera and I have to get those from them yet.

I hope you have enjoyed your holiday break and, like me, are looking forward to a great new year ahead.

See yah!

Aha Mama!

After 17 months

We were at the Peak

Victoria Peak, Hong Kong

I'm (sort of) back

dNeero and the Philippines

Ruby Tuesday: I Heart You

Weekend Snapshot: Bonding

Toy Hunt: Teddy Bear/s

Thursdays = Soccer day

Valentine Linky Love

A very 'ker-chooey' day

Weekend Snapshot: New Beginnings

Toy Hunt: Farm Animal Toy/s

I am not Dorothy

WS: Philippine Eagle

Lucky Colors for the 'Moo' Year

Marco Polo Davao's Valentine Room Promo

Baby Liam discovers his toes

Applying for Liam's NSO Birth Certificate

Applying for a Philippine Passport for a Minor

Last Minute Bonding with the Sissies/Titas

Triple Award Tag

Driving Music for the New Year

Cool Pet Gadgets

Happy 2009!

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