Hotdog Dance

kian loves dancing! he would sway and jump to any tune

cayden tries to sing with daddy. of course, their fave - mickey's hotdog dance!

i love my kids! they're such happy babies!!!!

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Thursday Fun

the kids' kindermusik class commenced today. we saw some familiar faces - cayden's former classmates from first term. we changed days/venue in the second term and now back to the original sched and place. it was nice catching up with them, and of course, allison, who handles the classes. it was a bit surreal because during cayden's first term, kian was still in my tummy and now he's participating in the activities. how time flies!

the kit

kian was nonchalant and was just happy chewing on the toys given them. cayden on the otherhand, has really improved on his social skills. in his very first kindermusik class, he used to be just an observer. he didnt participate much and would just sit on my lap. but now, he joins in every activity with much gusto. so so proud of him!

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after kindermusik (class ends at 12:15pm), we rushed home, had a quick lunch then cayden and i headed out again to go to romsey rapids for cayden's first little creators class (starts at 1:30pm). it's a once a week (1 hour) arts and craft class. initially, i thought it's free for members. it's not. members get a small discount though (₤4.50per session for non members and ₤3.90 for members). but tantan and i decided to give it a try. if we like it, we'll gladly pay for cayden's fees. if not, at least we got to find out.

when we got there, i was so surprised to learn that cayden was the only pupil booked for the session. i was more shocked to find out that last week, there were no participants (the service is fairly new). i didnt bring cayden because i had kian weighed and the two coincided on the same time slot. it was early days and they are still testing the water. they're hoping to get more kids in and they are devising ways on how to advertise the activity. not all parents are keen on the time and day (but no date/time will ever be the right one for everyone!). plus, the fee kinda makes the parents think twice. imagine the price of membership, then this on top of that!

anyways, despite being the only kid booked, the whole place was set up with the whole shebang! there were lots of activities prepared, cayden didnt know where to begin! there was the water play area, foam table, painting area, plasticine area, crafts table where you can make badges and little penguins. the service is worth every penny! cayden didnt want to go home! i had to entice him with "going to see the swimming pools" but that didnt go well because when we got there, he wanted to swim and didnt want to leave either! tsk tsk!

foam table where they pretended there's snow

cayden choosing the colours he wanted to paint with

my little picasso

baking with his plasticine

little penguin

washing thomas after "ploughing" through some snow

anyways, we're booking cayden in this arts and craft class for as long as it's available. we do hope they get enough participants so it wont be scrapped. imagine messy play + creativity + imagination without the clearing up. win-win!

if you want to book: contact the romsey rapids: 01794 830333

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On Track

the past week has been really hectic. mornings were the busiest. it was the first week into our health club membership and we were still trying to find our groove. so far, tantan's happy with my efforts to maximise our membership. we've been to the gym everyday for the past week, except thursday (because we've got lots of house chores to catch up on).

the kids went to creche, as me and my mom attended a class or went to the gym to workout. actually, getting everyone ready is already a workout in itself. but honestly, i didnt mind. i was quite happy to be up early and out the house by 10am (and some days, 9am). i dont know why but i really feel motivated. i hope this isnt just in the beginning!

paparazzi shot lol

im happy and quite surprised really that cayden didnt mind being left with strangers in creche. as soon as we enter, he goes to the toys or crafts table and he'll be doing his thing. it's like we dont exist! kian on the other hand, is a diff story. he usually cries due to the fact that he's got stranger anxiety and it's nap time. he sleeps on the drive there and doesnt appreciate being woken up to be given to strangers. and staying with them for at least an hour! but as soon as he's in the buggy, pushed around the room, he dozes off.

my mom and i had our gym induction. we have the same goals - build up stamina and endurance first, then lose the tummy then tone up. our programme is fairly easy and i can already feel the burn in my abs! the class that we go to, body balance (a mix of tai chi, yoga and pilates) reinforces those goals. tantan goes to a body balance class too, at night and sometimes, i accompany him. im trying zumba next with my mom (so hard to book this class, always fully booked!) and aqua zumba with tantan. and once we've improved our stamina, we'll be joining other "higher level" classes.

mom sweating it out

watching the news while walking on the treadmill

ready for body balance

thursdays and fridays will be our most toxic days. thursdays, from the gym, the boys will be attending kindermusik. after lunch, cayden and i will be heading back to the gym so cayden can attend an arts and crafts class. fridays, the kids will be attending their swimming class after mine and mom's gym date. sounds tiring but really manageable.

view of one of the pools

there are lots of other things that we have yet to explore and take advantage of. i dont know where to begin! im really thankful that we decided to enroll. imagine, lots of activities for the whole family at an affordable package! downside is, these will certainly make our days go by even quicker lol

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Swim Swim Swim

our postponed plans finally pushed through this afternoon. a week late! the kids had fun. surprisingly, cayden seemed confident swimming about. well, mostly jumping (in shallow water), sliding, walking and piggyback-ing on daddy in the lazy river. swimming lessons started yesterday but we didnt go because we're an adult short. hopefully, the experience earlier helped the boys become familiar with the swimming venue so come next swimming session, they're ready.

aside from the swimming, we finally signed up for the health club membership. paid for the whole year too so there's no backing out now (if not, that'd be serious money down the drain. tantan wont be too happy =D). that means, im obligated to go, as much as i can should (according to tantan!). im excited though, unlike the last time we joined (diff gym), because this club offers more. im really looking forward to booking their tennis and badminton courts. plus, there's arts and crafts for the kids, all inclusive! those and the other things i mentioned previously.

even the kids have their own card

i've booked mine and mom's induction on tuesday. we'll also be able to try out their creche and see how the kids will take it. funny though, i cant seem to shake off the thought of having buffet food after working out! of course, i wont succumb to temptation *fingers crossed*. that would defeat the purpose of this whole health club thing =D

anyhoo, happy that i'm finally a step closer to my ultimate goal - having a sexy body! *insert evil laugh here* =D.

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Breastfeeding Experience

never in my wildest dreams have i thought that i will breastfeed my kids. during my younger days, breastfeeding wasnt that popular in the philippines (was i just clueless or it wasnt advocated enough then?). my mom only breastfed me and my siblings for a few weeks and we turned out ok. so i thought when i have kids, they'd be bottle fed, as is/was the way of the world.

but when i got pregnant with my eldest, we instantly decided that we'd breastfeed. formula milk was never an option. fortunately for me, there is a very big support for breastfeeding here in the uk. from the midwife, during pregnancy, to the lactation specialist, after birth, to the shops that offer breastfeeding rooms when you're out and about. plus, there are a lot of cool stuff you can buy to make breastfeeding easy, relaxed and fun.

i have been lucky because i never had real problems doing it. my kids latched without a hitch. my milk supply never wavered. generally, it was straightforward. perhaps the only hurdle that came my way was my very strong letdown during the first few weeks of breastfeeding cayden. i just put it down to lack of knowledge, being a first time mom. i know better now, thus with kian, the experience is even easier.

with cayden

with kian

that being said, i would admit, there are times when i think of stopping (yes, i still do - occasionally). they are mostly due to selfish reasons, so i try to push them out of my mind (i cant go out for longer because the baby needs me, it's easier when travelling <they dont like the bottle>, it tires me, nipples hurt from too much sucking, i get bitten, yada yada yada...). i just think of all the benefits they get and the anxiety goes away.

i stopped breastfeeding cayden when he's exactly a year old. it was unintentional. my nipples suddenly got sore, i was really in agony everytime he fed. when they healed, cayden's so used to the bottle (formula) already, he didnt want to breastfeed anymore. even when i offered my breasts, he would squirm and look disgusted with the idea =D

tantan said i should breastfeed kian till he's two. but i dont know. it's definitely easier said than done (though i know a lot of mommies who have done this, even longer!). im being selfish here but i would say my limit is at 1 y/o. firstly, to be fair with cayden, and secondly, i think the 1 year i've dedicated is long enough to protect them as they grow older. besides, they're eating solid food by then and milk will just be a supplement.

breastfeeding is hardwork. it's not easy at all. it requires strong will and dedication to be able to provide your kids with this sustenance. but it's a great feeling too. of being able to give your kids this nourishment and the bond that develops by doing so. all breastfeeding moms (past, present, future - those who decide they'll do it), give yourself a good pat on the back for a job well done!
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my kit:

i wanted an ameda pump but it wasnt available here in uk during cayden's time

this helped with my sore nipples (image fr google)

vitamins (i used the same brand for prenatal vits): image fr google

i tried a lot of brands, including washable/reusable ones, but this one is my ultimate must-have

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Rapids

we were supposed to go swimming at the romsey rapids saturday afternoon but werent able to go because the kids and i overslept. tantan didnt wake us up coz he didnt want to disturb our nap. yes, the pool is open till 6pm (we woke up at 4:30) but the membership office is only open till 4:30 (saturday) and they're closed on a sunday.

wait, what membership? i have mentioned a few posts ago about us joining a health club. aside from going swimming, we were supposed to pay for the health club membership (family membership: 2 adults and kids, yes, no limit on the number of kids as long as they're your own). that would have covered the use of their pool. but since the office is already closed, we didnt go. no point paying separately when we can have unlimited access by joining.

anyways, why this health club? main reason is, they have creche (unlimited use). so while the adults are working out or attending classes, there's someone who'll look after the kids. and there will be activities set for them as well as exposing them to other kids. nice no?

the others are just bonus:
- unlimited use of the pool, sauna, gym, studio, spa
- discounts in swimming (the kids are enrolled here), tennis (which we plan for the kids to take), etc lessons
- you can go to affiliate sites, which offer the same facilities with other extras (use of tennis, badminton, netball, basketball courts), softplay for kids (bouncy castles, etc)
- lake side activities (boating, golf)
- no price increase even after several years. it's like you lock the price (not guaranteed though but they've been practicing this for the longest time and they dont see that changing anytime soon)

and if you pay for the whole year in one go, you dont have to pay the start up fee.

since tantan's working and wont get home in time to catch the membership office open, we'll be waiting till next saturday before we can join. just as well because my mom's arriving next week and she'll be enrolling too. we'll all start at around the same time. but we promised the kids will go there first thing so we can go swimming as promised before picking my mom up at the airport. but for now, this kept them happy:

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August Bank Holiday Weekend

it was lovely spending some quality time with my little family and friends. we havent gone out in a long while (travelled). we usually just meet up in each other's houses, during special occasions, but never really went away like we used to. having kids really changes everything. no regrets though. we just have to make some minor adjustments =D

1st stop was cheddar gorge. we wanted to go somewhere we havent been to. my friend, celine, was in charge of researching/scouting for places where we can go because i'm busy with mommyhood =D. she suggested cheddar gorge and when i told tantan, he said he's familiar with the place because his former boss, who lives in the same county, suggested the place years ago, when they were still working together, but we never got around to going.

i think their website is too hyped up. i dont know, but i was a little disappointed when we got there. there were caves but i've seen better (sagada). it's also not that baby friendly because obviously, the buggies cant go everywhere (although their website promotes it as a "great family day out"). probably if the kids are a little bit older, we might have enjoyed the activities more.

the place itself is lovely, with quaint little shops that i love. but other than that, the over 2hrs travel time isnt that worth it.

inside gough's cave: ORIGINAL cheddar cheese =D

day 2: longleat safari and adventure park. tantan and i have been there twice before. good thing because we werent able to go around this time. to be able to really enjoy the place, you'll need at least 2 days to get around. we only had 1 day because when we booked our tickets, there was no option for a 2day ticket. we booked our tickets as a joint offer with cheddar gorge.

anyways, we spent most of our time in the safari park. it was raining on/off so we didnt get to appreciate the animals more. the traffic? horrendous! people were spending forever taking pictures of each animals, like they havent seen them before! seriously, you dont need to spend 30minutes just to take a picture of a monkey! what should have been an hour cruise of the whole safari park, took almost 3 hours!

we then met up with our other friends. after lunch, we just went for 2 more activities (boat and train ride) and we went back to southampton for a late dinner. it was mine and celine's joint belated birthday celebration.

last stop was stourhead. it was actually a last minute decision. we were choosing between that and mottisfont garden, which is nearer. but because it was sunny and we wanted to take advantage, we trooped back to warminster (near longleat), over an hour's drive, to go to the most breathtaking garden you'll ever see. we've been there countless of times (me and tantan) and we still couldnt get over its beauty and serenity. we really recommend it to everyone.

the boys played football (soccer) and cayden perfected rolling down the hill. i played with him until i got dizzy!

it was really a fun 3 day break. i wonder when we'll be able to do that again.....

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Water Margin

as a belated birthday treat, we had chinese buffet for lunch. it was raining but we didnt worry because of our gigantic umbrella! the WHOLE family fits! lol!

62" windproof umbrella

i was craving for some crispy aromatic duck so i suggested we go to this chinese resto that we havent been to. it was buffet but you have to order from the menu. there were lots to choose from! they were kinda strict though with how the food is served. starter kung starter, then the main course (some resto will ask you if you want everything served at once). buti na lang the aromatic duck is intermediate, meaning you can order it whenever. i chose to have it as starter.

i had these all to my self! the whole aromatic crispy duck platter!

i'd rate the food 7 out of 10. they can improve on the taste a little bit (i want my food a bit salty). but everything's freshly served then meron pang heater on the table. tantan teased me that i ordered and ate more than him so it's fair to say i enjoyed the food! i had the aromatic crispy duck platter, yang chow rice, chicken with onions and pineapples, beef with mushroom and bean sprouts, squid in spicy chili sauce, king prawn in schezuan sauce. it's not that much! lol

one thing we didnt like, they didnt have any high chairs. cayden was generally behaved but towards the end, he was leaving his seat. he stayed within our area though but he was reaching for this and that.

we were stuffed, we only had green peas and corn for dinner! ok fine, i had 3 croissants and a mug of cold milk for midnight snack =D

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