Since we are leaving for Hong Kong this Monday, I made the helper clean the two luggages we will be using for the trip the other day so they were out in the hallway. Last night, I had the time of my life laughing as the little girl came rushing to our room with one of our rolling luggage full of her clothes shouting, “Let’s go, let’s go. I’m ready!”. Apparently, she packed all on her own the yaya said. She knew she was trooping to Hong Kong to visit Cinderella so she packed her stuff and even claimed that the red Samsonite Luggage is hers.

Now, it got me thinking, should I get her her own luggage? I have seen really nice kids luggage over the net and I am sure she’ll be delighted to own one of them. I wonder what type of luggage will suit her. Should I get her a something with wheels too? Or a backpack? Or better yet, get her those new luggage they call “spinner”, the newest version of the rolling luggage where one can easily maneuver through narrow aisles and crowded airports. We’ll see. I guess I need to check on a luggage buying guide first before deciding on what to get for Sophia. But I’m pretty sure she’ll love the idea of having her own luggage whenever we travel.

Part one here.

After our sumptuous lunch at Antonio’s, we headed to Tagaytay Highlands to finally get our membership cards. We of course tried them while we were there.

First off, Sophia wanted to go horseback riding and here she is …

Then we went to the animal farm. Here are some pics.

We were hungry by the time we finished going around the zoo so we took the cable car going to the club house to eat. My camera ran out of battery at this time as I forgot to charge it so wasn’t able to take pics anymore. After eating, Sophia wanted to go fishing and ride the funicular going to midlands but it was already 6pm so they were closed already. She instead played on the outdoor playground before we went home with some other kids.

By the time we reached the car, the little girl was so tired and in no time, she dozed off. Jon then dropped by a friend’s car supply store to get the steering rack he ordered and off we went home. It was a fun but tiring day. We promised the little girl to make her swim and go fishing next time we come back. Now, she can’t wait to go back!

One fine afternoon, nagkukulitan ang mag-daddy.

Soon, Baby Bullet will join them. Ang saya-saya!

We had a sumptuous lunch at Antonio’s in Tagaytay last Sunday.  We were once again yayaless as Sophia’s yaya was on a day-off so it was just the three of us - Jon, Sophia and I which made our lunch date extra sweet.

The little girl was very relaxed so we were not in a hurry to eat at all as she was having fun looking at the coy pond.  We sat right beside the pond thats why.

Here are some photos.

Here’s what we ate, Jon and I had one serving of each plus bread and soup.

For dessert, here’s what we had.

Food was yummy but a bit expensive. We are coming back though to try their other specialty - lechon de leche which needs to be called in first a day before.

Next, our Tagaytay Highlands Kwento.

Sophia’s most favorite friend. (as she would put it)

We were in Shangri-la Mall last Sunday with good friends Martin and Jacqui (and cutie Marla too!). We ate lunch at Clawdaddy (1st pic) and went around the mall after. Dropped by at Mickey’s Space (2nd pic) to get the inner quilt for Sophia’s comforter set and was able to buy a few assorted stuff. As we went around, I was even tempted to get the Delsey luggage I saw on sale but changed my mind the last minute. Before heading home, we let the kids ride the carousel, here’s Sophia with her yaya.

Thank you friends for the comments on my jackpot post.  We really are in cloud nine. Jon is probably the happiest dad on earth right now, HAHA.  You all know how we wanted to have a boy, right?  And thank you to the Big Man up there who heard our fervent wish.  We really can’t ask for anything more.  To say that we are so blessed is an undertatement.  So, all I can say now really is just THANK YOU.

As all of you have said, quota na kami. Yes, I believe so.  Well, atleast that’s what we think right now.  I wonder if it’ll change in a few years or so but so far, having two - a girl and a boy, is already enough for us.  We have big plans you see so Jon believes we can only sustain two (or three the most) with the lifestyle and plans we have for our kids. 

During my ultrasound, funny how my OB Sonologist commented that all the while she thought I was so prim and proper but when she finally wrote the word BOY on the screen, I screamed like a little girl.  I just couldn’t help it as I was preparing myself for another baby girl because most people I know commented that I looked like I was having another Sophia.  But were they so wrong! LOL. Jen are you hearing me?!?! LOL!

Jon had the biggest smile too, I swear. He kept calling everybody after. He even is treating friends to a buffet dinner at Circles in Makati Shang and his farm employees had the whole night drinking, partying and merrying, LOL! Super happy obviously. As for me, I think I still am in denial. I still can’t believe it. I so wanted to have a boy really para we are done and yun nga ang binigay. Hay, as I said in my other post, happy happy joy joy talaga.

goes like this now that we have a school girl.

6am - Sophia and I wake up.

6:10am- Yaya feeds Sophia breakfast while I snooze a little more. If I am going to school with the little girl though which is usually twice a week, I take my bath at this time.

6:50am- Sophia takes a bath with the yaya while I prepare her “baon” and the stuff she needs to bring to school. For today, they were asked to bring candles.

7:05am- Yaya dresses up while I dress Sophia up, brush her teeth, clean her ears and nose, put lotion on her and what-nots.

7:20am- Off to school.

She attends an 8am class. If I am with her, I just take her to school and I’d ask the driver to take me to the nearest Cafe, with wifi of course!, while yaya stays in school and I’d kill time blogging and surfing the net over either a salad, pasta, sandwich and fresh juice. I usually am very productive with “my work” when I’m in a cafe rather when I’m at home. There’s no urge to just lie down every once in a while thats why.

By lunch time, we’re home or the little girl is home. If I am not with her, she must see me as soon as she arrives. Read, I should be waiting at the gate LOL.

Nap time follows after lunch. Sophia takes a good 3 hour nap each day. By the time she wakes up, its almost 5pm already. She then takes her daily exercise walking her dog, eating light snacks and playing in the garden until about 6:15pm. She eats dinner after. By 9pm, we are all tucked in bed.

Now, care to share your schedule with your school girls/boys Jody, Joy, Jacqui, Tet, Juliet, Alpha, Dez, Abie and Kelly?

are spent in the garden goofing around, playing, eating and what-have-you’s. Opps, and walking the dogs too! Sophia owns a chihuahua that she loves to bits while the husband now owns a Mini Bull Terrier. This dog looks like a pig I’m telling you which is why we named him Porky, LOL! I will post a photo of him soon.

**The husband’s fascination over his show quality Labrador faded early and decided to send the dog to his mom’s place. The dog was big kasi.

Anyway, here’s the little girl with her dad one lazy afternoon.

Every afternoon, after Sophia wakes up from her nap, I make it a point to ask her about what she did in school while we we eat snacks in the garden. If you’ve been with my daughter, you’ll know she’s a good storyteller. Sumbungera in short as she just loves talking, period.

I had the shock of my life with the story she had in store for me yesterday though.

Here’s how our conversation went.

Sophia: “Mommy, I was fighting with somebody in school today.”
Me: “What, fighting? Why? What did you do? Why did you fight? Fighting is not nice.”

Halata bang na tense? Ang dami na agad tanong? LOL.

Sophia: “I pinched a girl.”
Me: “Pinched? Why, what happened? Who did you pinch? Why did you do that? That’s not nice. Don’t do that again.”
Sophia: “I only like playing with my friends Amira and ____ (I forgot the name) and I didn’t like playing with the girl with a mole here (pointing on her cheek) so I pinched her because she keeps on disturbing us.”
Me: “Sophia, that is not nice blah blah blah…yada yada yada…”

Sermon to the max but I had the urge to ask where she pinched the “girl with a mole.” To my surprise, she re-enacted the whole scene pa. She took of my slippers and told me to stand and then she held on my right foot and pinched it on the side. Sabay sabi ng “Like that, Mommy.” I suddenly asked, “What did the girl say, what did she do?” She answered, “She just went away.”

Oh my.

But the story doesn’t end there. Here’s more.

Apparently, she was still “inis” with the girl with a mole so she followed her and shouts a “big hurray!” with matching raising of two hands in front of her. As in shout ha, she re-enacts eh. And I asked,

Me: “What did the girl do?”
Sophia: “She transferred to the other line…”
Me: “And?”
Sophia: “I followed her again and shouted “HURRAY!” (with action and a big loud voice talaga!) in front of her.

(If you’re familiar with the song “If you’re happy and you know it shout HURRAY!”, that same type of hurray)

I know this is bad but I wasn’t able to help myself, I laughed so hard! BAD!!! Di ko mapigilan. If only you’ve seen how her eyes grow really big and the big voice she has when she says hurray, matatawa ka. Natatawa rin ako why on earth would my three year old daughter do something like that?!?!?!? SUSME! Syempre palusot ako, I said I wasn’t laughing because of what she did kase bad yun but I was laughing because of something else and then came the sermon, a long one at that.

At the end, she promised to not do it again and I told her to say sorry the next day.

Hay, grabe. I was so afraid that she might get bullied in a big class setting but never really imagined or expected that she’d be the bully!

The little girl was asked to bring a picture of mommy to school yesterday for a project they will be making. I was so excited that I immediately took out all our albums and started looking for that perfect solo picture of mine. After almost half an hour of looking, I only had 4 solo pictures on my hand which to me were not even close to acceptable. They were either blurred, or I wasn’t in the middle of the photo or other people were at my back. Gosh, I realized most of my really nice pictures are with the little girl or with the dad. This can’t be.

I simply refused to give up so I didn’t lose hope, I opened my laptop and searched the thousands of photos stored in my flash drive. I bet I will find something decent. For petes sake, this is my daughter’s first ever school project! And voila, there it is, my perfect solo picture. I had the perfect smile, photo was perfectly angled and no bystanders around me. I clicked print instantly and you wouldn’t guess what luck I had next. The printer was out of ink!

Can this be really happening? Just when I needed it most. I had the driver instantly run to the nearest computer store to get an ink but I was surprised to learn that it was pretty much more expensive than getting it online.

Lesson learned here, I will need to stock up on ink, toner and toner cartridges bought online to save money as with a school girl now, I will need such supply all the time and at unexpected times!