Miracle in Bangkok

Heehee!  This does not have anything to do with religion.

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Last week, I witnessed a miracle right here in our apartment.  Yes, in our very own apartment!

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Aly cleaning her room.  Haha!

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I can't believe it!

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I know I said this many times before and I'm beginning to sound like a broken record but I can't help it!  My babe is growing up too fast! *Sniff!*

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She didn't just clean her room ha.  She also organized her toys.  And she did it with no help from mommy or daddy!  Another proud moment for mommy!

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And she didn't just organize them.  She did it the mommy way: putting the same items together and labeling the Ziploc bag (e.g Barbie shoes, Polly Pocket, etc).  Richard said kuhang kuha daw ni Aly yung organizing style ko.  I'm so proud of my babe!  Ok, I'm gonna cry now...

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Thanks, babe for doing this!  Mommy loves ya!

Nag-panic si Mommy

I was having a quiet, lazy morning when my phone rang.  It was Aly's school.  She said something about the swimming pool and chemicals and Aly coughing...it was a blur and frankly, it was not easy to understand with her English-Thai accent and all.  But I understood that Aly was sick so the nurse had to bring her to BNH.  Worry sets in but I managed to thank her, hung up the phone and called Richard.  Hubby said he'll go to BNH as well, but I told him that it might not be necessary.  I can handle this myself.  I'll just call him when I get there.

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All I can think about was my poor Aly.  She was probably looking for mommy.  Gotta hurry.

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So off I went.  No ligo (but naligo naman ako kagabi bago matulog), no make-up, no kilay (yikes!)...slipped on leggings, a shirt and oversized shades for a touch of glam...bahala na!  My babe needs me.

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I was at the lobby waiting for a taxi (ang tagal pa nga dumating gosh!) when I called the school again so they can tell the nurse to wait for me at the hospital.  I was on my way.  

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Halfway to BNH when I realized oh, shoot!  Dalawa pala ang BNH dito: one at Convent Road (where we usually go) and one that's right across Aly's school!  But it was too late, I was halfway there.  Nevertheless, I called the school to ask which BNH and my hunch was right.  Aly was at the one that's like walking distance lang from our apartment.  Sumakit bigla ang ulo ko.  We can't turn back.  We were stuck in traffic.  The nearest U-turn is like super near BNH Convent.  I'll probably reach it in ten minutes -- at best.  Sana pala naligo na ko.  Ganun din pala.  Hay!

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Then again, I thought about my poor Aly.  She was probably looking for mommy by now.  Hope she's ok.

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Thb80 later, I eventually made it to BNH across Aly's school.  Para lang akong namasyal sa taxi.  Sayang ang time at ang pamasahe!  When I got there and nadatnan kong eksena ay: Aly with her two classmates, giggling, talking and having fun while coloring (they were given activity sheets by the nurse).  Hindi sila mukhang may sakit at parang walang nangyari.  Aly was actually surprised to see me there.

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Ay naku!  Mukhang ako yata ang kelangan ng check-up!  Sumakit ang ulo ko.  Na-high blood ako sa mga pangyayari.

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Oh well, I'm just glad my babe is ok.  Turns out, they were cleaning the pool and they used chlorine -- lots of it siguro.  It was during breaktime so Aly and her classmates were out playing when they inhaled the chlorine and started coughing.  The pediatrician checked all four kids and they're all ok.  Thank God for that!

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I always thought that I can be cool and calm in these situations but you'll never really know until it actually happens.  I never thought that I would panic, but then I did.  Ganun yata ang effect ng walang kilay.  Hindi ako prepared.  Haha!  Oh, well...

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I have some issues with the school though.  Humanda sila.  I will write them a letter.

Aly's Love

Taken during the Chatrium cooking class.
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One night, before going to bed, I asked Richard: "Do you think Aly knows that I love her?"
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He said: "Of course, sweetie! She's a smart girl. Nararamdaman nya yun through the things that you do for her."
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I went to bed with a smile :)
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Aly's a sweet girl. She's also very malambing. Not a day goes by when she would hug me and tell me that she wants to hug me forever. And she would just sit right next to me, hugging me while I'm on the computer. This little angel loves me. No doubt about that.
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But the best validation that I got from her came in the most unexpected way. This morning when I got out of bed, Aly was already in the shower. She finished breakfast early and took a bath by herself. All I had to do was help her dress up. So I asked her, "Babe, why didn't you wait for mommy to help you take bath?" Her answer: "Because I want you to rest some more, mommy." I was dumbfounded. Such big words from a six-year old (soon to be seven!). I am so blessed to be loved by this girl!

Day Off

Alyannah had a playdate with Kit yesterday so I had the entire day all to myself :) What did I do? I went to the spa. Minsan lang mangyari to eh.

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Refresh @ 24 is at Sukumvit 24. This is the spa's Victorian themed lobby/lounge area.

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I got the Refresh Sabai Mak Mak package. It started with a 30-minute Thai Herbal scrub and ended with a 120-minute aroma relaxation massage.

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From the spa, I proceeded to nearby Carrefour to buy groceries and a quick lunch at McDonald's.

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At the spa, it was massage therapy. Here naman at Carrefour, retail therapy. Can it get any better than this?

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It would have been a perfect afternoon, but I got stuck in traffic for two hours on my way home.

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When I finally made it home, I just dropped off our groceries then proceeded to Bangkok Garden to pick up Alyannah. She greeted me with a big hug and non-stop kwento about her afternoon.

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Aly also gave me this letter. It says, "Der Mommy You I Love You". Aww...

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Wonderful ME time :)

Alyannah's Reward for Being a Good Girl

Richard and I promised Alyannah that if she's a good girl, we will buy her a teddy bear at Build-A-Bear. It was actually more like a bribe just to make her eat more and faster. So now that her eating habits have improved -- she asks for more rice, second servings, eating at record time -- we had to keep our promise.

Allow me to share our Build-A-Bear Workshop experience with you.

First, you will chose what kind of stuffed animal you want. Aly chose the Beary limited edition Collectibear friend amethyst teddy in purple.

Next step was to choose a sound that will be inserted in your teddy bear. Aly wanted her bear to say I love you.

Now, it's time to stuff the bear!

To turn on the machine, all Aly needs to do is step on the pedal and the sales assistant (SA) will do the rest.

Next, you put a heart in your teddy bear and the SA will close it up.

Then, you go to the bear bath where you fluff the bear and brush the fur to make sure it's clean.

Now it's time for my favorite part! Dressing up the bear! There were so many outfits to choose from!

We got a shirt, panties and bunny shoes.

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Let's put the clothes on teddy...

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Isn't she pretty?

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While the SA is packing up Aly's new teddy bear, we'll work on her birth certificate :)

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We named her Chelsea! And she has the same birthday as lola Aple :)

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It's time to bring Chelsea home! Thank you, daddy and mommy for my new teddy bear! I love it! :)

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Sabi nga ng mommy ko, kahit ano gagawin ng mga magulang para lang kumain yung anak nila. And she's right. I think I tried all kinds of tricks, gimmicks...even minor threats like "if you don't eat fast, hindi kita isasama mag-shopping mamaya!" just to make sure that Alyannah is eating properly. Truth be told, I think Build-A-Bear is quite expensive for a stuffed toy but the big smile on Alyannah's face was worth it! Plus, the fact that she's eating well and growing up fast is truly priceless.

Krisan's School Year Resolutions

With Aly back in school, I now have more free time in the morning. So aside from my usual morning routine of doing the laundry, ironing clothes, cleaning up after breakfast and watching Ellen on tv, here are three more things that I should do while my daughter is away.

In no particular order...

• Go to the gym and spend at least 20 minutes inside.
• Water the plants regularly (in other words, everyday!).
• Spend more ME time i.e get a manicure/pedicure, have lunch at the mall, read a book at Starbucks, etc.

I'm starting to get tired of my old routine so it's time I spiced it up a bit. I should start trying to do things on my own and stop feeling lonely and helpless when my husband and daughter are not around. If I keep doing this, I might end up being losyang. Yikes!

This afternoon, I went to the mall by myself, had lunch solo and surprisingly, I found it very relaxing! I felt more productive. I just wish the malls here would open earlier than 10.30am so I have more time to go around. I guess I will just have to figure out a better way to spend my me time.

Panic Tuesday

This happened yesterday at around 10:00am.

I was happily getting my dose of morning tv when suddenly, the phone rang. I knew right away it was my husband (sino pa ba ang tatawag sa kin dito dba?) and I thought he was calling me to just to say hi -- my husband does that sometimes; he would call me in the middle of the day just to ask me what I'm doing, if I'm ok, etc. Well, it turns out that he didn't call for chit chat. He called because one of his officemates told him that there was a bomb scare in Alyannah's school and he wanted me to go and check if it's true. I didn't believe the news right away, but it wouldn't hurt to go and check so I grabbed my bag and went.

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When I was inside the elevator, I still had my doubts. I mean, a bomb scare in my daughter's school? Come on. Impossible. It can never happen! But it all changed when I saw other NSIS mommies at the lobby rushing towards the school. Oh god...don't tell me...Then my cellphone rang and Richard said he was able to talk to Walter (the school's deputy director), who confirmed that there was indeed a possible bomb threat -- they do not know if it's just a hoax or a real bomb threat -- and as a precaution, they moved all the children to a room that has no windows.

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When I arrived at Bangkok Garden, my fear escalated when I saw police cars and policemen all over the parking lot. Shiyet, this cannot be happening to me. I have to get Alyannah out of the school. Now. But I can't because the parking lot has been cordoned off so I can't get to the gate. Then I realized that the bomb was not inside the school. It's in the bus that's parked outside the school. And to get to the gate, I have to pass by the bus! Yikes! Buti na lang, Aly's classroom is at the other end of the building, far away from the bus. I called Richard and told him I can't go inside, but I will find a way. He was really worried so he dropped everything at work and headed home.

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Okay, I shouldn't panic. The next thing I did was, I looked for someone who can speak english. Thankfully, one of Bangkok Garden's security personnel can speak a little so I asked her how I can go inside the school. She said I can go to the other side. So I went. I was relieved when I saw that there were no police cars at the parking lot, but they were not letting people inside the school. Good thing Richard's officemate, Morgan, was there (his son, William, is Aly's classmate) so at least there's someone I can talk to. So we waited a bit, but after realizing that's there's nothing that we can do, Morgan decided to eat breakfast. As for me, I headed to Starbucks and bought myself a Caramel Frapuccino to calm my nerves. I tried to call my husband again, but there was no phone signal. I thought they probably cut it off as a precaution.

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I went out again to the parking lot and saw more mommies so I stayed with them. Moments later, the policemen were telling us to move back. They were all moving away from the bus too. Then, I heard someone shouting something in Thai and all of a sudden, we heard some sort of explosion. It sounded like a contained explosion (like it exploded inside a box) so I didn't hear any broken glass, people shouting, or anything of that sort so it wasn't too scary. But still. I told the mommies that we can go to the other side, but they said they were too scared to go. Ok, kung ayaw nyo, ako na lang. So I left them and went to the other side. I'm so glad I did because I saw another batch or mommies walking towards to school so I followed them. When we were finally inside the school, Walter was there to meet us. He explained the situation and told us that we can take our children home as they will be closing the school for the rest of the day.

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The K3 kids were inside the music room watching a movie and when I called out to Aly, she greeted me with a big hug. Boy, was I glad to see her! I wanted to cry! When we got out of the school, Richard was already there. I was happy to see him too. The moment I saw him, I knew our ordeal was finally over.

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I told my husband that we should go and tell the other mommies that they can now get their children from the school. This time, there were more mommies waiting at the other side and when they saw me with Aly, they were kinda surprised. They were probably wondering how I got my daughter. Kayo kasi eh, ayaw nyo sumama sa kin. Anyway, I told them that they can go to the other side to get their kids. Some of them looked like they were about to cry so I told them not to worry because the kids are ok.

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Finally, we were back at the apartment. We also found out that the bomb was just a hoax. It didn't really matter at that point because I had my daughter and my husband with me, safe in our home and away from harm. Richard took the the day off and spent the rest of the afternoon doing jigsaw puzzles with Aly.

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Looking back at what happened, I realized that when it comes to your child's safety, there is no such thing as over reacting. Some of the mommies were practically trembling in fear, especially when they heard the explosion, but you can't blame them. I was scared too. Gosh, I was scared like hell! But I can't just stand there and wait, you know. I knew I had to find a way to get to my daughter. Luckily, I was still able to think clearly in spite of my fear. I was actually proud of what I did :) Forgive me for putting the spotlight on myself, but it's not everyday that I am faced with this kind of situation, nor do I intend to experience this again! Tama na yung nangyari kahapon. Hehe!

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Oh, I think this is worth mentioning...remember I said that I was watching tv when Richard called? Well guess what I was watching? An old episode of Grey's Anatomy, the last episode of season one. Yeah, the one with the bomb. Hay...what a morning!

Mommy Tools - Clothing Labels

Alyannah has a tendency to forget things. At the age of five. Can you believe it?!? She would often ask me where her toy/book/pencil/ruler/notebook is and I would always tell her that she should know where it is because she's the one using it. One time, when I picked her up from summer school, I noticed that her water bottle was missing so I asked her where she placed it. She just gave me a blank stare. Good thing her teacher was within earshot so she told me where Yan could have left it.

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When they had a field trip to the IMAX theater to watch Kung Fu Panda, they were required to bring a jacket in case they feel cold. Knowing how forgetful my little girl is, I gave her specific instructions not to take off her jacket because I'm sure that she will forget about it especially when she starts playing. According to the teacher, Yan did keep her jacket on even while playing even when she was starting to sweat. The teacher told Yan to remove her jacket but she refused. Masunuring bata.

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That's why I should label all her things so that in case it gets lost, especially in school, it can be returned to her. My original plan was to order iron-on labels for Alyannah's school uniforms online, but I found them too expensive (USD23 for a set of 50 + shipping costs). I also saw cheaper rates, but they do not ship internationally. Writing her name on the uniform was never an option because 1) I find it too tacky, 2) I can't bring myself to write on clothes with a permanent marker, and 3) it's too damn tacky! So what's a mom like me got to do?

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Make the labels myself.

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Materials: ribbon (I chose pink of course), thread and needle.

First, you write the name on the ribon using a pencil, then follow the pattern with the thread and needle.

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Ginawa ko na lang Aly kasi kung Alyannah ang tatahiin ko, baka abutin ako ng pasko.

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Here's how the labels look like after sewing them on the uniforms.

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Side kwento: I remember when my mom told me the story behind my nickname. A lot of people used to ask me kasi why my nickname starts with a "K", when my real name starts with a "C". According to my mom, my original nickname was spelled "Chrisanne" -- it's a combination of my first two names (Christine Anne). Nung bata pa kasi ako at hindi pa uso ang computer, my mom had to make labels using a sticker and a pen. I can't remember exactly what those labels were for, basta I remember my mom getting tamad from writing so she shortened it. Thus, Chrisanne became Krisan.

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Parang history repeated itself when I shortened Alyannah's name to Aly when I was making the labels. Iba na talaga pag tinatamad -- you learn to innovate. Hehe!

Alyannah's First Day in Summer School

It wasn't as chaotic as I thought it would be, thanks to our little girl who did not give mommy and daddy a hard time. Alyannah gave us her full cooperation -- she woke up right away, she ate her pancakes with gusto, went through her bathroom ritual without any fuss -- all with enough time to spare for picture taking. So far, so good! Sana ganito kami tuwing umaga. Hehe!

Mommy, I'm ready!

I like the outfit that you prepared for me :)

Let's go!

Mom, hurry!

This is the way to my school. It's just a short walk from our apartment.

See? We're here already.

My new teacher, Ms. Heather, said that the other teachers are having a meeting so we still have a couple of minutes for picture taking.

This is the entrance to the lobby.

Behind me is the playground. I'm sure I will be spending a lot of time there with my new friends!

This is the door to my classroom. I will be taking the Kinder 2 class for summer.

Welcome to our classroom!

Meet my new classmates!

Time to explore and play with my new friends!

I love the toys here!

School was fun! Look at my artwork!

I was in full stage mommy mode as I tried to document every step of Yan's first day. Para akong paparazzi na nakabuntot sa anak ko. Come to think of it, I was the only mommy with a camera that morning! Haha!

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Alyannah didn't need any warming up. She instantly felt at home -- as if she's been going to that school for years already. There was zero hesitation and shyness. Chinika nya agad yung teacher nya. Sabi nya, "I have many friends in the Philippines." She totally forgot about mommy the moment she stepped into the classroom! After she kisssed me goodbye, she immediately ran off to the nearest toy. I was the one with separation anxiety because I still lingered outside the classroom long after Yan kissed me goodbye. I just wanted to make sure that my girl is going to be ok.

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Apart from separation anxiety, I also experienced a little bit of culture shock. The other mommies were looking all glamorous with their make-up and blow dried hair -- how they managed to look like this at eight in the morning is beyond me -- I was looking like a train wreck in my walking shorts, shirt and flip flops. While the other mommies were carrying designer bags, I was holding a red umbrella and a camera (buti na lang yung bago dala ko and hindi yung luma). Gone are the days when I would bring my daughter to school in my pajamas (sa Kidcore kasi ginagawa ko yun). Hehe!

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Yan had a great first day in school. Heather told me that she was very active during circle time and she always had something to share (in other words, madaldal talaga si Yan -- oops, Aly pala). I have to admit that I missed my daughter today. The house feels lonely without her. Pag-uwi ko pa lang, na-miss ko na sya agad. But I know I have to let her go from time to time because that's the only way that she will be able to keep making mommy and daddy proud.

How (Not) To Raise an Athlete

Last week, we found ourselves at the sports section of Central Department Store. This is actually the last place that I will go to in a department store since I'm not really big on sports (that's an understatement!), but since I was with mom and dad at that time and we had a couple of hours to chill until Richard picks us up so what the heck? We saw this huge rack filled with balls of different sizes. They had soccer balls, basketballs and plastic balls with cartoon characters on them. Standing beside the rack were a couple of kids playing with the balls -- dribbling them around and stuff. So I asked my daughter Alyannah to try it for herself. Little did I know that what's about to happen will have a big impact in my career as a full-time mommy. Alas! My little girl does not know how to dribble!

My dad suggested that I should buy her a ball para matuto. In my mind, I was thinking: if I buy her a ball does that mean I should teach her how to dribble too? Gosh! Hindi ako marunong! Pwede ba turuan ko na lang sya magluto? Hehe! To get me off the hook, I just told Yan to ask her dad to buy for her -- para si Richard ang magturo! Haha!

So how did this incident have an impact on my career in "mommyness" (imbento ko lang to: this means being a mommy)? You know the saying like mother, like daughter...how the traits of the parents are supposed to somehow be reflected on their children? If this is the case, then my daughter's future in sports is doomed. As my bestfriends Pat and Ria would say about me, I hate P.E to death! Siguradong absent daw ako pag may P.E. I dunno, but I just wasn't born with the sports gene! My siblings though, know at least one sport. My brother Mick knows billiards, my sister Angel can kick ass in basketball (she used to be basketball MVP in highschool!), and my youngest brother Jofe plays basketball too. As for me, I cannot even run to save my life! Do you remember the scene in the movie The Day After Tomorrow, where the people in New York City were trying run away from the big wall of water? If I were in that situation, ako na siguro yung una sa mga nalunod. I'd rather walk briskly and risk drowning with poise and grace, than look silly running. I don't really know how I look like when I run but I figured that since my body's not accustomed to it, I probably look goofy. When my cousins and I were younger, we would play cops and robbers, agawan base and langit lupa in my lola's garden and guess who would always be it? Syempre ako kasi ako pinakamabagal tumakbo.

In spite of that bad childhood memory (don't you just hate it when you're always it? I'd rather play lutu-lutuan.), I still tried to get into sports. In gradeschool, I joined the softball club. In highschool, I joined the volleyball club (but I didn't last a month) and the taekwondo club (here I stayed longer -- too long in fact, until the whole class got promoted to yellow belt and I was the only remaining white belt so I quit). In college...oh, let's just skip that! There's nothing much to say except that I flunked almost all my P.E classes! I mean, who fails P.E? I guess ako lang. Hehe! When I was working in Highlands, I also joined the employees' volleyball tournament (I know, what was I thinking right?) and that ended up in my "If I Could Turn Back Time..." list. I tried so hard to like sports, but sports can't seem to like me back!

Just because I lack athletic skills doesn't mean Alyannah should be like me. So, when we were at Tesco Lotus last weekend, I bought her a new ball. Bahala na si Batman! I'm sure that she will eventually learn some ball handling skills -- I just hope she will not break any of my decors at home! Haha!

I took some photos of Yan playing with her new ball. Sorry if some of the photos are blurred, I haven't finished reading the manual of our new camera yet!

Look at my new Strawberry Shortcake Ball!

Ok, let's see...

Ooopssie!!

Let's try that again...

Oops again!

One more try. This time, with knees bent.

Ayayayy!

Aarrgh!

This is better (applying a technique that her daddy taught her -- bend knees, legs apart)! Wanna ba like Mike! Woohoo!

Oh my goodness!

Mommy, ang kulit naman ng ball!

Watching Yan running after the ball more than dribbling was hilarious! We ended up laughing.

Mommy, I'm tired.

Mag-modelling na lang kaya ako?

Hindi pa sya nakuntento, she put down her ball so that she can...

Dance!!

Oh well, looks like Yan's only hope is her dad -- or her titos. However, based on the photos that you've just seen, mukhang gustong mag-artista na anak ko. Haha! Patay tayo jan!