Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Entrance Test at School # 2

Miya took the entrance test at School # 2 on 20 March. Her test was scheduled at 8am. We were there a few minutes after 7am. Unfortunately, the test did not start at exactly 8am. I don't know exactly why they started late. We were asked to go to the admin office and from there the girls (there were three of them) were ushered to the testing area. This time around we were able to say goodbye and good luck to Miya.

Bye, Miya!


We were advised beforehand that the entrance test and interview with the parents will be simultaneous so for this test, Joema was with us (plus it's hard for me and Miya to go here and then go back home via Uber). It must have been almost 10am before we were asked to go to the testing area. It was our turn for the interview. Good thing, we were the first parents to be interviewed. We were asked about Miya's personality, how she handles things, how we are as a family. My makulit daughter was bugging us to go to the swimming pool just at the exact moment that the teacher was asking us how she is if she doesn't get what she wants hahaha! Hay naku! Anyway, after the interview the teacher told us that the admin office will contact us if our daughter passed or not but she let it slip that Miya "did very well in the exam" (her exact words) but it was beyond her authority to let us know if Miya passed or not. After that we went around the pre-school area to look at the classrooms. 

One of the classrooms in Miya's level

Kitchenette at the play area

When we asked Miya what was asked in her test she said she doesn't remember and then she repeated what she told us about the test at School # 3 hahaha! 

Monday, March 30, 2015

Week 12: The 52 Project 2015

I was not able to submit these photos on the site but I'm uploading these here. The reason for the non-submission was I though I didn't have a photo of Miya for this week. It turned out she took a number of selfies on my phone! Hahahaha!

28 March 2015
27 March 2015
Miya: She was using my phone to watch Youtube, I didn't know she was taking selfies hahaha!  I only saw this photo this morning.

Javi: The little boy can now sit up from his rocker. Although he hasn't sat up on his own from lying down on any other flat surface.

Friday, March 27, 2015

The 52 Project 2015

I should have started joining the 52 project this year as early as the first week but I got too lazy. It's only now that I realize that I should do this not only for the kids but for me as well. To see my kids grow in each week. I joined last year but unfortunately didn't last through the year. So here's hoping that I will succeed for the whole year in 2015. This post is to catch up on weeks 1 through 11.

Week 1

11 January 2015



10 January 2015

Week 2

Taken 17 January 2015
Taken 12 January 2015
Week 3

Taken 22 January 2015

Week 4

Taken 26 January 2015
Taken 30 January 2015
Week 5

Taken 2 February 2015

Taken 7 February 2015

Week 6

14 February 2015


Taken 12 February 2015
Week 7 (FEb 16 - 22)

22 February 2015
22 February 2015

Week 8


25 February 2015


Week 9

7 March 2015


7 March 2015


Week 10
12 March 2015
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Week 11


20 March 2015

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Entrance Test at School # 3

We're down with the entrance tests for two out of the three schools we've submitted our applications to. The first scheduled entrance test was at the third school. It was last 17 March at 1:30pm. Since it was a Tuesday and our car was coding, I told Joema I'll bring Miya to school and we'll ride Uber. Plus when they scheduled us for the test and I asked if it's the same day of the interview, they said that the interviewer might not be available on the same date so we decided Joema doesn't need to be there for the test. I left the office at around 11am and arrived home at 11:45 to pick-up Miya. We arrived at the school a few minutes after 12noon. Miya still had school last week but fortunately they were just doing rehearsals for their graduation and on that day the rehearsal was scheduled in the morning. So after school, she still had enough time to have lunch at home before I picked her up. On the way to the third school I told her that a teacher will get her and take her somewhere where the assessment will take place. I called it assessment because that's what they call it in school. I also quizzed her on spelling her name. She doesn't remember the spelling of her second name so I told her if she's asked to write her name, she only has to write her first name, middle initial and surname, no need to write her full name hehe. Since we were early and had time to kill, Miya played at the play area first.


Can you see her?
We went inside the office after a few minutes and looked at the yearbooks instead. Two little girls came in and borrowed the yearbook we were looking at.

Miya: Mommy, if I go to school here is that what I'll wear?
Me: Yes, anak. Do you like it?
Miya: Yes.

Whew! I thought she wouldn't like the uniform because her favorite color is pink and the uniform is not color pink.

She found crayons inside the office so I let her draw to while away the time. By around 1pm, two more little girls arrived for the exam. One little girl was only three years old but she was bigger than Miya. Her mom would ask her to count things, and identify the princesses' posters inside the office. A few minutes after 1pm I got hungry so I ate the packed sandwich I had. While eating the examiner started calling out the kids scheduled for the test. So when she called her name, I instantly gave Miya her bag and handed her to the lady. We didn't have time to say goodbye to each other, I didn't even tell her good luck or I love you. At the same time, hindi na rin nya ko nilingon when the lady took her. Haaay..she's a big girl na talaga.


I was reading a Smart Parenting magazine while waiting for her. I don't think I even finished one article when she came out of the room with a teacher right behind her. So I asked, "O, why? What happened?" thinking that she wants me to go inside the room. And then the teacher said, "Interview na po tayo." Napasabi pa ko ng," Ay, ako na?" Ahahaha!

It wasn't actually an interview but more of the teacher orienting me on how the school is. She first asked me if we're already decided to enroll Miya at that school or we're still looking around. So I told her that we're applying to different schools and haven't decided where to enroll Miya. She mentioned that Miya told her about her current school and about Javi. It didn't occur to me at that time that she also interviewed Miya. It was only later that evening when I was trying to process our conversation that I realized she interviewed Miya because Miya told her things. I thought initially that Miya told her those things while taking the test but then again when I asked her when the result of the test will be released she said that she was not the one in charge of the test, she was just asked to do the interview. So Miya wouldn't have told her those things during the test but during a one-on-one interview. By the way, the test was done one-on-one too. So anyways, at the end of the interview she gave me a pink slip of paper and told me that the reservation fee is P5,000 in case we decide to put Miya to that school. I asked again when the test result will be released and she told me I could just ask outside. So when we got outside, I asked the receptionist regarding the result. She said she doesn't know and we'll ask the examiner (the first lady who took Miya inside the room). And when she went out to pick another student, I asked her "Kelan po lalabas yung result for the test?". She looked at Miya and said, "Ay, yan? Naku perfect yan, diretso na kayo sa registrar." Woah! Miya got a perfect score in her entrance exam! Amazing! I was so happy and proud of her and I told her so. After leaving the office, we went to the classrooms and looked around. I liked the lay out of the classrooms. It had three big tables with 4 to 5 chairs each table and then a bigger part of the classroom is open space. They also have a big TV inside. Miya was allowed by the teacher to go inside the classroom. Anyway, I saw from the classroom's door that they were offering a summer enrichment program so we had to go back inside the office to inquire. After all that we went to the registra's office. I was expecting that they'll give me a deadline to pay the reservation fee. Unfortunately, the deadline the lady gave me was the deadline for enrollment which was on the 31st of March. So we only have a few days left to decide. One of schools we applied for has scheduled us for test and interview on 13 April! I don't know what we'll do. As of writing, we still haven't decided yet. I took already took note of possible school bus for her.

While waiting for our Uber ride, we called Joema to tell him the good news. He was very happy. He asked Miya what were the items in the test but Miya didn't want to answer hahaha. When the car picked us up, I asked her again. She said that the teacher asked her to use a specific color and she got the right one from her box and so on. She also said she was asked about the sounds of the letters. I asked if she added and subtracted numbers, she said yes. I asked if she identified shapes, she said no.

When we got home Miya only had a few hours to rest and then she was off again to a classmate's birthday party. It was a very hectic day for my little girl.

Monday, March 16, 2015

Cinderella

Yesterday, we brought Miya to the cinema to watch Cinderella. This was a milestone for her as it was her first time to watch a full length movie at the cinema. We're afraid to bring her to the cinema because she always has 1,001 questions while watching at home hehehe. But we promised her she could watch Cinderella the first time it's trailer was shown on Disney Channel so yesterday we trooped to Shangri-la Mall to watch the movie.

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We don't usually allow her to eat junk foods but since this was a special occasion we let her eat chips! 
The added bonus was the Frozen Fever short movie before the actual movie started. Miya was so happy! Although she still had a lot of questions. The first one incidentally tugged at my heart, "Ganon din ako paglaki ko mamamatay ka din?" when Cinderella's mom died. Ugh! I was teary eyed but at the same time I can't explain it to her while we were inside the cinema as other watchers might be disturbed. While on our way home, she asked me why Cinderella's mom died because she associated the parents dying as a consequence if the kid is bad. Truth is I couldn't answer her directly. She asked me again this morning about Cinderella's mom's death but I again I couldn't answer. I think I just have to have a one-on-one talk with her soon about this. Sorry to be so morbid but in the end, the movie was great! I loved it! Hubby loved it, too, because he commented "Buti na lang hindi nila iniba yung kwento" comparing it to Maleficent. I love how magical Cinderella's appearance at the castle was...from her first appearance up to her first dance with the Prince! The actress playing Cinderella - her beauty grows on you. When I see her on TV, I wasn't really a fan of her beauty. But after watching the movie, she was perfect as Cinderella! I didn't realize how cruel her life was with her stepmother and stepsisters and how kind she was with them. Oo nga naman kung ako yun iniwan ko na silang lahat. I hope I can also impart to my own daughter some wise words like her mother did - always have courage and be kind!

Friday, March 13, 2015

Miya's School and Javi's Cough

I know I'm supposed to follow a schedule for my blogging but well this post is entirely out of the schedule. If I don't blog about this now, this will be irrelevant in a few weeks. Considering that I still consider this blog as a documentation of my and my family's life I need to make a quick blog update on what's been happening.

Let's start with my eldest. We're now in the process of applying to big schools for Miya. Yes schools with an s as in more than one school. We applied to three to be exact. We went and submitted to all three schools yesterday. We brought her along so that she can see all three school. And I was also hoping they'll shedule her for an assessment instantaneously. But all three schools gave us testing dates. 

Miya at the first school watching the kids practice for their Moving Up Day


Miya at the second school again watching the kids practice for the Moving Up Day

Wasn't able to take a photo of her on the third school because we didnt really see much there. She was even asking why she has no classmates in the third school hehe. Incidentally her first entrance test will be at that school. 

Meanwhile, our little boy has cough. We actually went to the pedia last Saturday for his vaccine and already mentioned about it to the pedia. But that time he coughs only in the morning when he wakes up. So the pedia said it might be because he was just clearing his passageways after waking up. 

Javi and Daddy last Saturday

But by Sunday, it progressed into a persistent cough. By Tuesday, yaya texted me that Javi vommitted while coughing. Hindi pa din ako nagworry dahil usual na nasusuka ni Javi yung excess milk na naiinom nya. Naisip ko napasobra sa pag-ubo kaya tendency nilabas yung nainom na gatas. Yesterday morning Javi woke up from coughing. This was around 5am. He couldn't stop coughing and he was getting irritated that I had to carry him na. See, we don't really wake up for me to carry him because he usually just stirs, I nurse him and he goes back to sleep. But not that morning. When I carried him and placed him on my shoulders (burping position) ayun nilabas ang milk. Joema woke up around this time because of Javi's non-stop coughing.  He wiped our floor and clean it. Since both of us had no work yesterday because we were bringing Miya to the schools I told him we could bring Javi to the pedia in the afternoon. I actually didn't want to give Javi cough medicine because he's not yet 6 months old. I wanted him to continue to drink pire breastmilk so even if the pedia prescribed Ambroxol for him we didn't buy it right away last night. I thought we could just increase hia milk intake and continue putting on Vapor Soove on his chest and back and even his feet and he'll be okay. Unfortunately, he woke up at 4am this morning with a couging fit. He again vommitted his milk when I carried him. He's so kawawa na that I already bought his medicine when I got to work. I'll administer the meds when I get home later. 

Yesterda. Javi was so sleepy but he couldn't sleep because he kept on coughing

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