This is going to be a quick WS post. I am catching up on some expiring blogging tasks, as usual hee hee. 

Anyhow, I think I failed to make a Christmas greeting entry here so I hope you had a good one :)

Just sharing some Christmas Photos. We had a blast but the little one was the one who enjoyed Christmas the most, thanks to Santa for giving him what he wanted. He has been a good boy so far...

And he greeted baby Jesus with a loud 'Happy Birthday' on our Christmas Day mass.

More Christmas stories later. Enjoy the last week of 2008!
...and just in case you haven't completed your Christmas shopping (still), check out these replica watches.

Moving on from my non-stop whipping of pastries. I have to be away from my kitchen even for a short while or I'd badly need a diet pill ASAP!

Anyways, my weekend was planned to finish all blogging tasks and pending photo uploads. I wanted to finish them asap by hook or by crook because I still have a lot of greeting cards to be sent out. Also, hubby and I need to rush on some gift buying task on this last weekend before Christmas. However, my other Personal Blog's template went caput and I had to attend to it asap because my SPs will suspend me for having a barely readable blog. It took my 4-5 hours to comprehend the CSS codes and by the time I was free to blog, I was too tired and wanted to just sulk into TFCing (pretty controversial The Buzz this week huh!). It was actually a blessing in disguise because I wanted a 2 column blog and I was able to decipher it. Also, its header is much much better now than before :). Less sunshiney lol!

While I was busy fixing the glitch, I had to come up and check mini-Stripe in his room, guess what I saw. Mini-Stripe was busy putting Spidey to sleep hee hee. He told me that the big bear was me to which he shouted, big mama!!! Yikes!

Then the other day, Stripe went looking for his car keys. Guess where we saw it:
 

Look Closer :) He said he needed keys to start his tricycle engine as well  LOL!

Moving on to my previous and very UnChristmassy Entry. I really could not come up with a decent personal update in my other Personal Blog, so I just sat down and watch Jack Frost with mini-Stripe. He has been watching this since November and was telling me the story from time to time but it was only now that I sat down with him and watch it. Guess what, I was pretty emotional for the film and I cried buckets and buckets! Of course, I have to hide it from the little boy but the movie hit my heart rock bottom. Now, I know why he adored the film, it was a story of a very busy father and a son. 

The Holiday used to be my favorite Christmas movie but now, it would have to be Jack Frost!

We went out today for a quick trip to a specialty store to buy additional Christmas decors. Anyhow, it was a very short notice from Stripe that he would pick us up a little after lunch. So I was in hurry dressing up and mini-Stripe was pulling shirt, pants and jacket from his closet (yes, at 3 he already has the liberty to choose what to wear with my approval, of course). Then when we went downstairs, mini-Stripe went straight to the shoe cabinet as soon as he heard his Dad's car at the parking. This was his lines.

mini-Stripe: I'm coming! I'm coming! Wait up wait up! MOM!!! Where is my hotwheels shoes...? NOT AGAIN! I don't like blue socks.

he was referring to the socks in his shoes, then he went up to me and asked.

mini-Stripe: Did you wash my brown socks?

Okay, I think it's a little too early to give him the freedom on what to wear. But inside of me, I was so amused and was giggling on how cute my toddler was, talking to himself.

He is starting to be like his dad, very choosy with his socks lol!

I am starting to consider digital scrapbooking. I have been inspired by my twittermates, especially Joy & Aggie who made photobooks of their kids, family events etc... With the tons of photos I have, it would be practical for me to just make a photobook instead of printing them and buying a photo album. I have start scrapbooking before (the manual) but it can get too expensive and takes so much of my time. Not to mention that you have to put out and keep the materials every time you scrap, that is too much work and too much clutter!!! Ethan is already 3 turning 4 next year and that means 3 years worth of photobooks, not to mention our honeymoon and other travels tsk tsk... Do you think I can do this with full-load of subjects next year? Hmmm, we'll see.

For the meantime, here's a shout-out to my twittermates who is into digiscrapping, where do I start? How do I begin? Is it very costly? HELP! ACK! :)

...and speaking of, I have an extra domain that is so apt for digiscrapping. I might set that up specifically for my digiscrap milestones, oo addict na kung addict sa domains lol!

If you have not been checking on my other personal blog, chances are you miss these stories of Ethan. Anyhow, I am posting the story here too :).

I keep forgetting to blog about this but this ain't something really nice to read for those who are eating :). I just have to record this here before it slips my overloaded memory of the lil boy

To begin with, my son is such a happy child. No matter how monster mom I can turn into when he's starting to be really stubborn, he still remains a naturally happy child. I was like that when I was a kid, always happy, always giggling and most of all, my mom said I loved to be laughed at!

One dinner, we had this conversation:

mini-Stripe: Mom, I want to be funny, a funny kiddo!
Yellow: Okay, why?
Stripe: Huh?
mini-Stripe: I'll tell a story!
Stripe: Go ahead.
mini-Stripe: I noticed everytime I drink pediasure mixed with chocolate milk (he was referring to the silk soya milk which I mix with his PediaSure), I utot after.
We were laughing so hard at this time....

mini-Stripe: And then, I feel like pupu. When I pupu it smells like my milk. (he was laughing so hard this time!). I think mommy, tummy is not happy with the milk. It's baho, smells like pupu.

And HERE's another funny conversation of him and his yayay in Pinas...

Too many things in my hands right now.
Too many to dos in my list but I never get anything done.

I wonder when I'll ever be able to peep in your blogs?

Nevertheless, thanks for checking me in. Have a good WW everyone!

...and by the way, just a little trivia. Did you know that CLA means Conjugated linoleic acids that could be found in most meat and dairy products. Well if you have some concerns with the use of CLA, check out more information at consumerpricewatch.net.There have been many studies about CLA and I found some bit of useful information that site.

My son's concept of helping and reaching out.
What's yours?

Have a good week ahead!


And speaking of helping, reaching out and sharing. Hubby's Aunt's company plans on giving out promotional pens to their customers on the whole month of December as their thank you gesture. They are currently on the look out for the best design on promotional pens as well as notepads that would come with it. I know that their customers would be thrilled to see these surprise goodies as hubby’s Aunt plans to insert the pens and notepads on their orders so the customers would be surprised.

My toddler can't get enough of toys with wheels.
Even at a tender age of 4 months, he was already fascinated by these things.

Yesterday, he was bugging us to buy another set and I told his dad we should take a picture of his hotwheels and show how much he has already. After seeing them, he told us, These are plenty mom, no need for new ones. 

Thanks Heavens!

Happy Monday! Speaking of, I need to donate some of his baby bedding at the nearest trift store.

We went out for a quick mall/bookstore trip today to buy me some notebook for my 2009 planning (as if!). I'm a sucker for notebooks. But instead, we got mini-Stripe a winter jacket at Burlington Factory and this Hotwheels track set. I was convincing Stripe not to get this for our toddler as he has tons of Hotwheels track set but he's such a daddy's boy argh!  And besides, he promised this would be his gift for Christmas and the last toy purchase for the year  (pinocchio wannabe hee). In the end, mini-Stripe was so good at convincing us. Anyhow, Stripe has to drop by his Aunt so I was left to fixing the track! I swear I am so not good at this and I give up easily but I managed to do it yey! See how complicated it is? And when I got home I checked the prices, we got this for a good deal at $20! The running price is actually $30!!! Is Black Friday Sale starting already? Happy WW everyone!

Before I check on some spray booth for a friend, here's sharing my WS entry.

Yet another weekend photos of mini-Stripe.
The story of these photos was about his very late nap (read:waking up at 7pm). And so around 11:30pm, we trooped to Wal-mart until he gets sleepy.

Can you see his signature pose? We are telling him to stop putting his arms on his waist, but he just won't stop. A mini-camwhore too.

Have a good week ahead everyone!

Candid photo of my boys :).
Wordless.

It is both funny and strange that I only notice how much mini-Stripe has grown whenever I see his photos. All this time, I have been stressing myself with stuffing him all kinds of food so he would grow taller and bigger. But, at his age of 3.6 years old, he is really big. Looking at these photos made me realize that I have indeed a grown-up little man. These photos left me wordless, how fast time flies!
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Another milestone for our ever-adventurous and inquisitive 3-year old.

For many days now, mini-Stripe has been telling me that there is an 'alone cat' in our neighbor's house. You see, he gets to walk in the patio every morning while I watch him from the inside. Until one day, I asked a maintenance staff to check on our garbage disposal. As usual, mini-Stripe was so inquisitive and talkative that he kept telling the staff that there is an 'alone cat' in the neighbor's house. The staff was forced to knock the sliding door of our neighbor. True enough, I heard a purring cat or kitten! Stripe who was here, was asked by the staff if he knew about our neighbor. He only said that he had not been seeing anyone there, nor a car parked outside of their unit for several days now. Apparently, the cat was left inside without anyone to feed him. After a while we learned that the cat was starved for 3 weeks already and the management took custody of him until the owners are back.

Mini-Stripe was too proud to tell me: 'SEE MOM, ETHAN SAVES THE CAT!'

Oh yes, I guess he did :)

moral of the story: Always listen and believe in your kids, they never lie, at least at 3! Teehee.

Before I blog on other things, let me blog this aawww moment which happened this week.

...in many ways mini-Stripe is definitely like his dad.

He may look a lot like me but his characteristics and gestures are more of Stripe. One time I was preparing the ingredients for their favorite meal: TINOLA (even in food they share the same liking), so I was chopping off the chicken when mini-Stripe came up to me and said:

"MOM, be careful, don't hit your fingers. You'll get bubu, I love your touch!"

Before hitting the sack last night, mini-Stripe requested us to transform all his 16 transformers into cars/helicopters/planes and tanks. He thinks cars are useful than autobots and decepticons, so they looked like these. He carefully placed them on our bed and told the baby sheep to watch over them while he sleeps. He said the baby sheep is like mama and that the transformers are his baba's angels. We were not allowed to move them. So we camped in at mini-Stripe's room the whole night.
Stripe promised to wake me up at 4 but it was only at 5am that he successfully got me out of the bed. Here I am, finishing the last few stretches of this quarter's case study proposal which has to be submitted by 7am today.

I swear I am going to blog like crazy today but for now let me leave you with a very sensible prayer and a charming picture :). Have a happy Sunday. Toodleloo!

Dear Lord,
So far I've done all right.
I haven't gossipped,
haven't lost my temper,
haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent.
I'm really glad about that.

But in a few minutes, God, I'm going to get out of bed.
And from then on, I'm going to need a lot more help.
Help us God to be good. Amen.

Speaking of his room, we might have to change the table lamp we originally bought, I wish we would be able to find a lamp that would match his crayola-themed room.

I have a lot of things in my hands right now (I think I am beginning to bore you with this same old statement?!), but the big difference now is that I am having a hard time focusing and sometimes I end up staring at my laptop with zero productivity. Or I end up snuggling in the bed and dozing off till my mini-Stripe screams on top of his lungs. Blame it all on the cold, gloomy and depressing weather! I have also been neglecting some of my kitchen duties and breakfast these days are prepared by Stripe.

We turned 1 year here yesterday and I clearly remember how cold the wind was when I got off that plane from Philly (we had a connecting flight from LA) and my sweats were not enough to protect me from the chills (from the weather and excitement of seeing Stripe). That as soon as we left the airport bus, mini-Stripe and I had instant colds and sore throat. No exaggeration. So I guess, my body have not really adjusted to the east-coast weather after 1 year. Gawd, I miss the Cali sunshine.

So what are the things in my hands, aside from school and blogging tasks? I have been busy researching for our D.C. Halloween getaway. I realize I would not make it in the travel industry. I suck being a travel agent!

Also, I have been busy teaching mini-Stripe to read, not just alphabets but words. If you know my son, you cannot mix play with learning because you just can't. He cannot be academic while on his fantasy Ben10, Spider, Transformers etc... world. So when my friend Joy (whose son, Aidan is in the accelerated reading program in their school), told me about Starfall.com, boy oh boy I am amazed! You should try it out with your kiddos. Mini-Stripe was able to complete reading some words till Letter Z in less than 2 weeks! We now have reading sessions 2x a day, after breakfast and before dinner.
Although, he is a bit confused with some words...

YELLOW: Let's proceed to letter Z! What is that Ethan?
mini-STRIPE: Z as in Zipper mommy!
YELLOW: Where do you see zippers?
mini-STRIPE: Zants, Zackets, Zhorts. (pants, jackets, shorts)

ROLF!

and he has the making of an O.C. like his mommy, every night you would see him busy arranging his Cars and hotwheels like this. He said, they needed a garage!
Have a happy and warm week ahead!

Sometime last week, my mom sent us some goodies :). When I say goodies as in MANILA GOODIES! Anyhow, one of them was mini-Stripe's Halloween costume. It was his request from his Tata to send him this Spidey costume from Pinas. He did not want those we saw at Toys R' Us, he wants them straight from his Tata.
As soon as tried it out, he was confused and asked me how come he can't make any web and why won't he stick on walls. hee :).
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click, click and click are mini-Stripe's current favorite words!

After almost a year of staying in the box, he has now been using his Leapfrog's ClickStart My First Computer or he has now appreciated this gift we gave him last Christmas. He is so interested that I have to stop him from time to time as his eyes would go red from playing this, he refers to "working" than playing when he's into this. This is such an educational toy and he has mastered some of the keys without looking :).
Also, he has been into taking pictures. He knows how to take photos from my phonecam and digicam. This is his idea of photography direction.
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