Still Counting

this was cayden's 4th round with identifying the numbers, that's why he's goofing around already. i kinda realised that i should be videotaping this too late hahaha!

anyways, he's doing better. he's still confusing 1 with 7. sometimes, 5 with 3. he also knows the number 10, which surprised us really because there's no number 10 on our rubber mats where we practice most of the time, only 1 and 0 separately. oh, he knows zero too! going back to 10, he knows it but as i've said, this was his 4th round already. he insisted on playing the guess the number game even though he didnt want to anymore because it's bed time and he'll find every excuse not to go to bed yet! lol. see, he even knows twelve! he learned that from the telly, not from us. he knows eleven comes after 10 and then 12 comes after 11.

the video was cut off prematurely, before cayden finally guessed the number 10, because kian pressed the end button on my mobile accidentally! hahaha

if only he does this correctly every time! he'll do it properly maybe once or twice when asked. afterwards, he gets bored already and just say numbers at random, most of the time, without even looking at the number, without even thinking!

but whatever, as long as he's learning, good enough for us!

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Counting To Four

at the moment, i dont regret making cayden watch tv/video a lot. aside from it helping me do my chores (as it keeps the tot occupied), i see that he is learning from it.

cayden doesnt like to be forced to learn. he follows his own schedule. he'll do things in his own pace. when he's in the mood, he'll answer your questions properly. if not, he'll play you along and pretend he doesnt know anything (when in fact he does, bec he's done so when he's playing by himself, without being asked). we teach him through play but most of what he knows, (though im embarrassed to admit this) he learned from watching the telly (bec when we teach him, either he'll change the subject, go somewhere else or play with something else). he'll just surprise us with how much he knows!

aside from numbers, he knows his basic colours and shapes (square, circle, triangle, heart, diamond) and animal sounds (monkey, donkey, horse, bird, dinosaur, etc). if only he'll concentrate more when we teach him the alphabet! the shows that he watches doesnt teach letters much lol

i know one day we'll have to reduce his tv time but for now, i let him be because it's doing him a lot more good than bad.
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counting to four lyrics:

One, two, three, four

monsters walking 'cross the floor
I love counting, counting to the number four

Oh you counting, counting with me
to one less than five, and one more than three

Oh, Oh, Oh, we're counting to four
Oh, Oh, Oh, let's count some more

One, two, three, four
penguins that went by the door
I love counting, counting to the number four

I see four here, I see four there
favorite number, nothing can compare

Oh, Oh, Oh we're counting to four
Oh, Oh, Oh let's count some more

One, two, three, four
chickens just back from the shore
I love counting, counting to the number four

Oh, Oh, Oh we're counting to four
Oh, Oh, Oh lets count some more

One, two, three, four
chickens just back from the shore

One, two, three, four
penguins that went by the door

One, two, three, four
monsters walking 'cross the floor

balm balm balm balm (repeat 2x)
Ohhh
counting to four
Ohhh (repeat 2x)
counting to four (repeat 3x)

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My New "Friends"

even though "Friends" (the popular sitcom a few years back) has ended, reruns are still being shown on a local channel. and i still watch it, no matter how many times i've seen it. and i still laugh as hard as if i was watching every episode for the first time.

then, i saw an episode of "how i met your mother (HIMYM)", while waiting for "friends" to start. and instantly, tantan and i got hooked. i know, i know.... we kinda discovered it late. 6 years late to be exact. dont get me wrong, i've heard of it, just didnt take the time to check it out. i was sad when "friends" ended its run. i still ask why they had to end it. they were doing great. ratings were high. but like all other good things, it must end, i guess.

fanpop.com

HIMYM is supposedly about ted mosby and how he met his wife, as narrated to his kids by his future self in the year 2030. but really, it revolves around the lives of 5 friends (covering relationships, work, gimmicks, quirks) just like the characters in "friends". they also have their own "centerpark", the "maclaren pub", where they hang out. lots of similarities but because each episode has been cleverly written, you can overlook and forgive them. you'll actually only realise these similarities when you think about it.

i particularly love neil patrick harris' character, (have you met...) barney stinson. he is the bomb! really, im in love with him!!! well, he's a serial womanizer, devious and cunning in every sense. but he's also the sweetest friend and though his ways are mean sometimes, he just wants what's best for you. come to think of it, most of the time, he has a valid point. and his catchphrases? LEGEN- (wait for it...) -DARY! lol. i did say i love him, right? lol

we are slowly catching up. we're on the 5th season already. im getting a little bit sad bec once we catch up, we'll have to wait a week before we see the next episode. and that sucks! i hope this lasts longer than "friends" did.

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Kian Crawling

finally, kian crawled at a faster pace lol. he actually prefers the rubber mat than the bare carpet. cant blame him, i hate the carpets too!

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Swamped

for a 2nd straight year, we havent done much for the summer. last year, i was in my first trimester (with kian) and wasnt feeling particularly well. dont get me wrong, i still had a relatively easy pregnancy but because my mom was away at that time, cayden just turned one, and i was spotting, we decided to take it slow and didnt go out much.

this year, tantan's swamped with work. well, their company is swamped with work because they get new clients everyday (which is good really. better that than none, right?). he has to work most weeknights (at home) and weekends (saturday, from home. sunday, he goes to the office) since may. they even hired contractual help to get through most of the work. just tonight, tantan said, "you cant imagine how much work i/we need to do" (not complaining, we were just chatting). he also said he doesnt see it calming down until the end of the year and might even carry on till after the new year.

fortunately, tantan is enjoying what he's doing. plus, they are very well compensated. and on the sundays that they work in the office, their boss treats them to lunch =D. but sometimes i cant help but think, is it all worth it (i mean the money)? we dont get to have as much family time as we want to. and it's only during summer that we get to go out and travel. sadly, we havent done much of that. soon, it'll be autumn and winter, and we'll be in hibernation mode again.

dont get me wrong, he hasnt slacken on his daddy duties. he tries to play with the kids as much as he can as soon as he comes home. but i want us to do more as a family. i shouldnt be complaining really. it pays for all the family's wants (and i we have a lot! lol). maybe when my mom comes back in less than a month i'll feel differently. at least i'll be able to bring the kids out more often. and come september, our schedule will be busy again, with both kids doing kindermusik and swimming lessons. plus, we're going back to the gym so that will keep everyone occupied.

the thing is, time goes by so quickly. i want us to be able to cherish the kids while we still can (because they're still dependent on us!). time will come when they dont want to be seen much with the old 'rents! oh well. dont mind me. im just pooped from all this bumming in the house!

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6M

a couple of days ago, kian celebrated his 6th month birthday. i cant believe that in another 6 months, you'll turn one already! you are still the easiest baby in terms of feeding, sleeping and being entertained. but you are now becoming a person of your own. you now voice out your dislike (by crying and kicking hard) and love (by chuckling and reaching out) for certain things. but even if you cry, you are very easy to pacify.

before wowa (lola/grandmother) left us for her much needed break, i was really scared of being left by myself to look after 2 young kids. but because kuya is old enough to appreciate the tv and has explored pretty much everything in the lounge that nothing intrigues him already, i can just leave him in there while i do my chores.

with bunso, as long as he's fed and had his nap (which is very regular), i can leave him in his crib or on the floor with his toys. at 6 months, he still doesnt crawl but he can go places by rolling and rotating (super expert na!). if he's grumpy, i put him in his bouncer and make sure he sees me while i do my thing in the kitchen. and he'll be content

being left alone with 2 young kids isnt that hard at all! im so lucky having the kids i have! (this should be a separate entry but what the heck....)

i digress from my main point.....

kian, i love it when you wake up and smile at me, first thing. i love it when you reach out for me, like making sure im there. you'll touch my face, my arm, or hand and sleep soundly knowing im beside you. dont worry baby, i'll never leave your side (and kuya's and daddy's).... i love it that you want mommy more than daddy, but you have to learn to play with daddy more. he works hard for us, you know hahaha.

happy 6th month bday baby!

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Get Your Sunnies Out!

july was my birth month. i was itching to buy something as a birthday treat but didnt know what. then my sister asked me to buy her a longchamp bag (because it's cheaper here than in pinas or hongkong). when i decided i wanted a bag like hers (colour and size), it's not available anymore. blessing in disguise na din because by then i realised i didnt need another longchamp bag because i already have one. i dont need another one in a diff colour. if im gonna buy something, it has to be something different so it's not a complete waste of money (me thinks).

you see, my husband's lucky im not into designer bags or shoes. i just buy high street brands (if ever i find something i fancy). not being arrogant here, if i want to, i can afford to buy a designer bag (ie LV, gucci, chanel, hermes) at least one in my lifetime naman. but i really cant justify the costs. i can buy other important stuff with that kind of money. besides, my idea of a "bag" nowadays is limited to nappy and mommy bags.

anyways, since the (longchamp) bag i wanted wasnt available anymore, i went to look for an alternative. then i remembered the cambridge satchels featured in a few blogs i frequent. what convinced me to order was the fact that it's made here in britain, handmade and in pure leather. i looked and i imagined myself using it -- carry! lol! so the problem na lang, what size and in what colour. i decided to get the 13", which i think is just the right size for my frame. then it was a toss between the red and the flourescent orange. the latter won. i figured the red is a little too "serious" for me. the orange is young and hip (and im so into orange right now - dont know why!)! i had the bag blindly embossed with 2 letters - Q and T (QT, short for my alias - qtbelle and whatever else it connotes lol).

it took over a month to be delivered. as i've mentioned, it's handmade. but the wait was so worth it. the smell of pure leather is heaven! again, you need sunnies to look at it as it's blindingly bright! but i love it! happy birthday (albeit belated) to me!!!

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Thinspiration

tantan and i have decided to head back to the gym (i'll blog about this some other time, when we've actually paid the membership fee =D). im now looking for an inspiration. i want to be realistic and choose a celebrity MOM because i dont think my body will shrink back to pre-pregancy shape (after all the tummy stretching that is!) and choosing a single, young celebrity isnt being realistic at all (for me), not even sensible!

anyways, heidi klum first came to mind. still a model (i think models arent the ideal inspirations bec they're all body and weight conscious and has a size they have to maintain) but during her last pregnancy (her 4th, mind you!), she said she only did light cardio workouts and swore to not dieting. that is pretty reasonable especially to someone who loves to eat and is too lazy to work out (me!).

image from google
look at that tummy! (my problem area)

i swore to tantan that i will haul my ass off to the gym every chance i get *gulp*. we're paying the whole annual fee in one go (to save from all the extra fees) so i've got to be diligent and think of the money i will waste if i dont go. so help me god!

but as a back up plan, im still saving up for a belo trip if this fails!

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Kian Driving

it was super hot today. finally, felt like summer! no matter how much i enjoy the warmth (bihira maging ganito dito sa england kya ninanamnam ang mga ganitong araw!), the kids were feeling the heat, especially kian who is already stripped to his sando and nappy.

trying to find ways to entertain him (cayden, no problem - just play cars and he's good =D), i decided to sit him in their little tikes cozy coupe car. he's 5months and 24days old and i didnt think he'll be able to sit in it by himself. but he did! and he enjoyed it immensely! he was also honking (well, more like banging) the horn after a while. he looked like a pro! =D

the kuya gamely pushed the car around, although towards the end, he wanted to get into the car as well but they wouldnt fit! trying to teach cayden (and kian later) the concept of sharing. fingers crossed!

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Cry - Laugh

sorry about the quality of this video. i just use my phone cam to video the kids (we cant find the charger of our handycam!!!!) and this particular one, i was using the front cam of my phone, which has a much lower resolution. cayden wants to see himself while i film him (how vain!). he's practicing his acting skills. but i dont think he's there yet! still, he's so funny when he does these things =D

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