Day-Off!

The L.A. Zoo was a blast earlier this week!  Baby #1 is already 22 months young and has developed into a curious little lady!  She loves animals so the zoo was the perfect place to spend a perfect afternoon.  Did I mention we had perfect weather, too?  Baby #2 is now 10 months young and has started copying her big sister.  I wouldn't be surprised if she started walking independently in a few days.  She was so awesomely enthralled by the mommy and baby gorillas.

Here are a couple of pics (taken by daddy!) of our little trip.

Now, I'd like to think that I am a better photographer than the following pic would lead you to believe.  I just had to put this in here because this IS the essence of my babies.  Most of the times, they are just balls of blur to me.  They are so quick you think I give them a big mug of Joe for breakfast!

On the way home, we fortuitously stumbled upon a little train that goes around a portion of Griffith Park.  Baby #1 recently became obsessed with Thomas the Train Engine so we just had to stop and take a ride. Her face on the next picture says it all.

I can't wait for another day-off to spend with the loves of my life even when it's just to monkey around! 

Sigh of Relief

Yesterday, I received the best news!  June 17th will be my last fieldwork day for student teaching.  Don't get me wrong, I love student teaching and am learning so much.  It's just that I thought I would have to search for another placement to finish out the summer semester.  If you're from California, you know our education budget is so tight that summer school is no longer being offered (at least not in my local district).  So, June 17th it is!  Yay, me!  There is light at the end of the proverbial tunnel and I'm seeing the faint glimmer.  :0)

Fearless

I stopped making New Year's resolutions a looooong time ago. They never really worked for me.  Somehow, this past December 31st, it became necessary for me to drive almost 30 miles to attend a family function. This does not present a problem to regular folks. However, I am slightly irregular. Let me explain.  I learned to drive at a late age. By late I mean, get the normal age when kids are first allowed to get a probationary license in California and almost double that. I've driven on the freeway less than the number of my fingers and toes combined and mostly to go to  my doctor's appointments when I was pregnant (somehow having a baby in my tummy made me brave... weird!). Anyway, as I approached the freeway entrance on New Year's eve, I decided that for 2010 I shall fear nothing. And then, I tacked on that I'll lose the baby weight (actually make that babies). So, I am happy to report that I have been jumping on and off the freeways for the past few days. As for the weight thing, I am yet to work on that. Having received a package of delectable delicacies from the Philippines yesterday (thanks Ates and Kuya!), I think I may be facing an uphill battle and, as treadmills will attest, I really don't like inclines.

Play Kitchen: Then and Now

     My kids hit the mother lode the other day.  Baby #1's ninong and ninang (godparents) delivered their Christmas present:  a Step 2 Fresh Market Kitchen.  It comes with faux stainless steel refrigerator, stove/oven and microwave plus a copper range hood to boot!  It also has an attached store with a cash register that actually works!  If it came with a dishwasher, I would've been in tears (of jealousy more than joy because there is still a gaping hole next to my sink).  But I digress....  Both babies are so excited!  I can tell because Baby #2 laughs like Sesame Street's Bert (eh eh eh eh eh) every time her waitress/big sister serves her fake food and Baby #1 spends every waking hour (she has pushed back her bedtime) behind the counter.  Even my husband and I love buying produce from the firstborn (oooh, have i got an upcoming post about THAT!).

     I'll show you the mother lode but, first, please indulge me as a reminisce about my own luto-lutoan (play kitchen).

     Yup, it's a clay pot with a clay lid on a clay stove which is really more of a clay fire pit.  By the way, this is a new set courtesy of my parents' visit home last August.  I don't think mine made it past the third grade.  Because it was clay, it chipped and broke.  My tatay's (dad's) handy-dandy epoksi (glue/epoxy) made it all better (oh, we didn't buy a new set).  Ah, the pleasures of growing up in a six-children household and being a kid when my parents were paying for college for all four older siblings at the same time!  Yet, I loved that luto-lutoan and so did my baby sister.

     And so without further ado, here is a pic of the kitchen with my lovely Vanna-esque Baby #1 who's busily adding up momma's total.  I'll be sure to share my own play kitchen with my babies so they can appreciate theirs more.  I know I sure do.

Fast

     They grow up so fast.  Baby #2 loves solid food.  Just wait until you can eat carne asada, sweetie pie!  I really won't be able to pry the spoon off of your fingers then.  :0)

Christmas

     Christmas is my favorite holiday.  Conjures up images of my childhood back in the Philippines where Christmas decorations go up and songs are played on the radio as early as September!  Now that my firstborn (a.k.a. Baby #1) is a toddler and my littler one (Baby #2)  is seven months, I get to experience Christmas again through them.

     Still in pajamas, they played with their toys early Christmas morning.  Let me rephrase that, Baby #2 played with her 2.5-foot dinosaur while scaredy-cat big sister cried in fright.  Baby #1 is also scared of the little rocking horse that her auntie gave her.  So, I guess Baby #2 is the lucky semi-recipient!  Toys are getting so high-tech nowadays.  The dinosaur moves and grunts (which, I imagine, may really be pretty scary for a 19-month old).  The little horsey moves and plays songs, too!  When I was my babies' age many, many moons ago, my presents were mostly handmade toys.  I remember my dad made me a car once using a plastic cologne bottle and some bottle caps for tires.  I thought it was so cool!  A few months ago, he made Baby #1 a couple of maracas using pencils and pill bottles.  They were cute and functional but, afterwards, he decided they weren't very baby-friendly.  I think he's saving them for when Baby #1 is older.  :0)

     Our Christmas was quiet and merry!  I hope yours was, too.