Marco: 1 year & 2 months

This month, Marco went to the dentist for the first time. :-)

No cavities. And we'll brush regularly to keep it that way.

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He didn't start out with too many words this month but just within the span of a few weeks it seems like he's using more "words". Some of the things he says are--
milk bottle- De (or dedededede when he's impatient).
Snake (stuffed toy)- Ssssss
Tigger (stuffed toy)- Tiiii (and sometimes he actually says Tiii- guh!) I think this might be his first 2 syllable word.
Ball- Bo
Motorcycle- Mo...
Truck/Car- broom broom

He's practicing how to talk by making all these funny sounds. Here's one that I caught-- growling





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The start of this month he just started doing 2 steps before flopping back down to crawl. But at the end of this month he's taking a whole lot of steps already. I counted 15 steps once. And he could pull himself up to stand without having something else to help prop him up.

My first video of him walking--



I also taught him how to kick. It was pretty funny at first because he thought kicking meant holding your foot and swinging it to hit the ball. He looked so cute (and funny) when he'd grab his foot.

Here's him kicking (properly):



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His first time at the Marigondon beach house:

I love you so much, my dear Marcocobear! You are always smiling and laughing. It tugs my heart every time you complain when I leave the house. You always send me off with your flying kisses. I love that you are still small enough to sleep beside me every night. I watch you and listen to you and smell you. You're a good boy! :-)

Marion: 3 months & a half

Summer activities:

She started ballet classes at Steps Dance Studio.

Trial class:

     Her first ballet teacher is Teacher Alice. Marion loves being in the dance studio and is always very excited to go to ballet class. I think she might be the eldest in her Baby Ballet class and always makes it a point to follow her teacher's instructions. She's been going twice a week this month. :-) When we're home, she'll sometimes tell me about "good toes" and "bad toes".


I also signed her up for "acting" class with Make Believe Productions . She's the youngest in her class (held at Fully Booked, Fort). She enjoys it also but the classes are long and she gets very tired after. They will have a show soon, let's see how she does then. :-)

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We were in Cebu last weekend and we were in Marigondon last Saturday. My kids' first time to be there, I think. Or surely their first time to swim there.

It was also her first time to ride a wave runner. She sat in front of me while I drove. Absolutely fearless. For a few minutes, I set aside all my mommy worries and being the sensible one and we flew across the waves. :-) It was great! :-)

Here she is with cousin Dean.

The waverunner.

I don't have a photo with her, but here's me with Dean.

Marco: 12 months & 1 month

His first haircut was last March 17, 2013

Before:

After:

(The kiddie salon was full that day. The Hernandez boys were there for their haircut also. Cousin Emil helped entertain Marco who was crying during his haircut. Anton Azurin was there, too. :-)

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Finally he's attempting to walk.

His yaya said she saw him take around 3 steps away from the sofa towards the tv. I saw him pushing on a stool and on his car.



Today he can take 3 to 4 baby steps on his own.

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Swimming

First day of swimming class with Teacher Ria (Aqualogic Swim Co.) was last April 2. He didn't cry while in the pool, only when we took him out when class was over. Yikes, Teacher Ria made him dive. Not very nice videos. I hope I can get better ones next time.

A little nervous in the pool...

but no crying.

He cried though when we took him out of the class after his class ended.

We need Daddy to come to swimming class with us so we can get better pictures!

Easter 2013

Our books for Easter

Owen's Marshmallow Chick by Kevin Henkes

An Easter Gift for Me by Crystal Bowman

I tell Marion that Easter is all about Jesus having risen from the dead.

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Easter treats and fun

We made some cereal/crispies treats ("nests") for the chocolate eggs. 

The Yaps came over Saturday afternoon and Tita Nikka introduced us to Shrinky Dinks and we made these:

And she colored some eggs (Marco ate some hardboiled eggs after.)

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Family!!

Kimpura lunch

Dinner in Magallanes

Marion: 3 years 5 months

Her concept of Jesus is a superhero.

I just saw this pic on FB.

And her prayer is always, "Jesus, give me power!". When I ask her why she wants power, her answer is "I want to be strong and tell monsters to go away!"

Talking about Jesus while in the potty (sorry, anak. It was such a precious conversation I had to record it regardless of the other business you were taking care of.)



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A school year just ended.

I forgot the schedule when her class picture was to be taken so here she is in a very comfortable tee.

And a class picture with Teacher Maica and Teacher Haydee.

This is her Developmental Checklist from this school year.

Except for most items in the Socio-Emotional aspect wherein she is considered to have met program expectations, everything else is a check-plus, that is, exceeds program expectations. I learned from her teachers that she spends the most time playing with her friend, Rafaela. The Narrative Report also gave more information on how she was in the classroom. It came as no surprise that her favorite part was Storytelling Time.

Her class' presentation for Moving Up Day was a dance number to Robot No. 1 (From High Five). Here she is:






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She's been doing more artwork lately.

She had seen a set of colored pens by my bedside and asked permission to use it. I allowed her, she went down to her desk then came back up to my room showing me this.

This is a volcano. It has eyes and mouth. It is from the south. (Me: Where's the south?) Far away.
(Date: March 19)

Then I told her to make another artwork for her dad.

While drawing this, I sat beside her to watch and she gave me a narrative while drawing: "First you make a straight line, then a slanting. The mix the black and gray to make smoke. Then start back from the top to make lava. Then make eyes and mouth. (Me: Why does it need those?) Just a pretend one for imagination. It has long eyelashes too. See? It is so plain, not fancy. I'll add more colors. Do you like it very fancy? Very colorful? (Me: Yes.) So I'll make it colorful right now. (Me: I'd like it to have some purple flowers.) But the flowers haven't bloomed yet. Flowers are sick. (Me: Why?) Because somebody forgot to water them. (Me: Who?) Somebody asked the monkey. Monkeys are forgetful. They forget to do things.

These are artwork she did at her lolo's house:

I don't remember what the left one is but the right one is the blue sky with colorful flowers.

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Milestone!

First movie in the theatre! The Croods

Before going in the theatre

I attended a bridal shower and so didn't get to watch the movie with her. But she went to watch it with her Guama, Diku Joe (with Ate Emy), Ahia Dean (with Yaya Elsa) and Daddy Rocky. She sat on Guama's lap the whole time.

When I saw her at home, I asked her what the movie was all about. She said:

"It is about a family. They had to go to a placed called tomorrow. The dad got left behind so they had to go back for him."

When I asked her again after a couple of hours, she said:

"There was a lion who was not friendly. So they ran back to the cave and the dad said Go back! Go back! Go back! But then the lion was friendly."

Marco's 1st Birthday Party- Superhero Party!

Rocky wanted a superhero party. I wanted it to be a "young" superhero party... and comic book superheroes (to me) are not young. So I asked an artist to come up with our own superheroes.

Artwork by Carlo Ongchangco
(Rocky just added the text for the tarp at the party venue entrance.)

A bouncy castle where kids bounced the entire afternoon.
Jared Inflatables

The stage where kids were at the mic when they wanted to, play and bring home whatever they found there-- star balloons, frisbee/shields, glow sticks, balls, bubbles and a discovery box with stars (bag tags & glow in the dark ones).

Kids picked out their capes and logo (circles and stars) and colored their own masks.

Flash formula (berry juice), Gamma juice (broccoli juice) and Lazer Liquid (carrot juice) for the young superheroes.
Rocky took care of the design and so was able to sneak in some comic book superheroes into the party. ;p

Some more treats. Candies from candywarehouse.com (Flash pop candy rings and candy stars)
Not in picture were the ice cream  cups from Big Scoop.

Cake from Tazzy Cakes.

Centerpiece: spray painted superheroes with felt capes and as star. Jars with cotton candy/wonder fluff, wafer sticks/super sticks and chocolate covered sunflower seeds/power rocks.

Mighty Marion, Super Marco with me and Rocky

The birthday boy.

Traveller's Photobooth
(I booked them through a group deal ;-D)

Still wearing her cape a few days after.