Splish, Splash Saturday

Well, it seems like Summer isn't over yet. After so much rain, the last long weekend of Summer gets the nice warm weather. Good thing we did not winterized our pool yet. So what better way to enjoy Summer --- SWIM!

We spent the our Saturday afternoon swimming in our pool. We thank God for the pool, we really were not looking for a house with a pool; we loved the house the first time we saw it and the pool is an extra, a bonus from God. We used Jakob's underwater camera. So happy that we used the right settings this time. Everything turned out well. We got this camera from a friend for over 2 years now but we always forget to use it. Not anymore, we have our new favourite gadget now...for the water at least.

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Macaroni and Cheese

It has been a while since the kids had mac and cheese. I served it today for lunch and I was surprised at how they missed their mac and cheese.

Jakob finished first.

Beata and Jethro finished almost the same time.
I usually serve it with more milk and Jethro managed to eat his mac and cheese by himself. It was so fun to watch them eat and enjoy every bit of their lunch, I can't help myself so I grabbed my camera and took a video of how skillful Jethro was scooping and eating his mac n cheese.

It is now confirmed, mac and cheese is a favourite here!

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You can't make a monkey out of me...

We visited the Toronto Zoo yesterday...after two years. It was nice to be with some church friends with their kids my kids' age. They all enjoyed each other's company. And it was nice to be with somebody who knows which way to go -- it saved us time and our energy (from walking). And also, we bought our first zoo annual membership. Now, we can go anytime we want even for just two hours every visit unlike staying for the whole day just to make the most of your visit paying regular fees.

So, we saw the ususal favourites -- the giraffe, the elephant, the lion, the monkeys, the snake. And I am impressed at how well my kids were during the entire zoo visit. They would not wander around, they would come when called and they would ask permission before they do anything. Wow! We rode the zoomobile, we walked, we talked, we went up and down the steps (with my trusty stroller--which I love so much!), we went from one pavillion to another, then we stopped by the splash park to play for a few minutes before we head home. The kids are tired but nobody complained except for Jethro who was very sleepy because it was his nappy time (he was so tired and sleepy that immediately after we left the splash park, he slept right away in the stroller (woke up a little when I load him in the van) until we got home.

But I forgot my handy-dandy camera! So no actual pics of us in the zoo (except if I can copy and save some from Stef and Leslie! note: just added few pics! Thanks, Stef!) just this picture that I took when we got home - Beata and Jethro sleeping in the van.

Now we'll just see how many visits we can make in a year to make our annual membership worth it!

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WEDNESDAY re-WIND: Toronto Zoo 2006

Toronto Zoo. June 2006. This was our last visit to the zoo (until today...more about it tomorrow!) I forgot that it has been 2 years since we last visited the Toronto Zoo. Here's a picture of Beata and Jakob. Jethro was still a baby (but he was with us, only stuck in the car seat in the stroller!).

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Road Test

Raymond took the day off today so he can watch the kids while I go take my G2 exit road test. This is my second attempt to get a G License so I was really nervous. And praise the Lord, I passed the test. And to celebrate, we took the kids to McKinney Park to enjoy the nice warm day. It was perfect! They enjoyed the splash park and the playground (with the foamy floor!). Jethro, who was hesitant to get wet at first, did not want to leave.

I just hope and pray that the warm weather will stay for a few more days. I love that I am able to drive the kids around to get to places like the park, the beach or the library. I could never imagine myself driving in the Philippines, or even owning a vehicle there! And now that I can drive on the highway, who knows where else I can take them. Florida perhaps? Naaah. Let's try the Toronto Zoo first. :D

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Bye 2's & 3's Class

Yesterday was Promotion Sunday at Faithway Baptist Church---that means my little Beata is out of the 2's and 3's class and is now ready to go with us to big church! She was very proud when I picked her up from her class last Sunday. She had a cap on and a goodie bag from her class. She did nor remove her cap until we got home. She was so proud walking down the hallway up to the parking lot. I think she is so proud to be a big girl now. That's all she ever wanted. She wanted to grow up soon so she can go to school and do all the things big girls do.

We really can't stop them from growing. All we can do for now is guide them and teach them and ask for much help from God as we rear them up for Him. We'll see what happens when she officially begins going to big church. I just pray that she sits still and behave.

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Yard Sale Today

We had our yard sale today. It started at 8 am but we were up and moving by 6 am. Kids woke up at 7 am and Jakob helped a lot by taking care of breakfast for him and his brother and sister while I prepare outside and while Raymond post some signs. Kids were very happy to participate, they priced their own toys and people were happy with the prices they came up with like 51 cents or 99 cents so they gave them a dollar or two instead. They were playing and snacking all morning so by noon one of them is knocked-out.

Here is Jethro on the swing, fighting to stay awake but his attempts were hopeless :) I am sure everybody who have kids have this moment where kids fight to stay awake...and lose!

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Full Day Friday!

It was a full day for us today. I thought we were just gonna spend the rest of the day at home since I am getting ready for a yard sale tomorrow but I was wrong. We went to the Whitby beach in Brock Street at noon and had a picnic lunchdate with some church friends. It was a hot day but the kids had a blast playing by the beach, then to the nice pirate ship playground, then to the splash park then back to the playground. We stayed till about 3 pm and Beata and Jethro were just too tired on the ride home and I had to leave them in the van sleeping while Jakob and I enjoy our ice cream.

In the evening, we headed out for the regular soccer game. I originally planned to stay home so I can make more preparations for the yard sale but since I really had not started anything for today, I decided to just go with my family to the game (more practice for me driving the highway plus I get to join them watch the game). Raymond took Beata and Jethro to the playground (again! they never get tired of the playground). The game lasted till about 8 pm. Imagine almost 5 hours of walking, running and playing. Boy, were the kids tired! I am sure they would all have a goodnight sleep...I can just hear them now...zzzzzzzzzzz!

It was a FUN-filled day!

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BMX in Beijing Olympics

The BMX race was launched today in the 2008 Olympics. It was surprising to see men and women compete for gold in the up and down dirt and gravel track. Most of them started riding their bikes in their early years (the winner in women's, if I can recall right, started riding a two-wheeler at the age of 5).

Well, Jakob has a different story. We were never outgoing before he started school at age 5 (well, we never had time and place to ride a bike downtown Toronto. I was always afraid that we might get hit by a car and end up in the hospital), so he was really not given a chance to start learning to ride his bike early. Then we moved to Ajax...and PTL we have child-friendly streets to practice biking but then Jakob was not too interested. He was too lazy to pedal, never had the confidence (maybe because he was still on training wheels even at school age while his friends are on big two-wheeler bikes). So I guess he was more embarrased than lazy. But when school ended this year, he was determined to learn to ride his bike even with training wheels. His spiderman bike is a bit too high for him so I bought him a smaller one just for practice. We started with 4 wheels (that took a while), then three wheels for maybe a week (plus few falls, a couple of scratches and a bruise or two), and now just two. Wooohooo! I am as excited as he is. He loves the feeling that he can go fast without having to fall. He likes riding it even for just 2 minutes while I unload his brother and sister from the car. And I love to see the smile on his face knowing that he made an accomplishment. I told him that he can tell his Grade 3 class that this Summer..."I learned to ride my bike!" Maybe he'll see smiles or hear giggles from his classmates but who knows, he might end up in Olympics one day. :D

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WEDNESDAY re-WIND: Aloha!

Aloha! Jakob and Beata in matching Hawaiian outfits (from Raymond's Aunt who live in Hawaii that time). Picture was taken July 2, 2005. Notice Jakob's imitation of the Hawaiian dance? LOL

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We like to match!

I have always wanted to dress up in matching colors with Raymond when we used to be sweethearts in college. Was not so successful back then. Okay, maybe we matched 3 times max. (But frankly, my hubby now seems to enjoy dressing up in matching colors too. He takes a peek at our church clothes on Sunday and makes sure his tie, at least, matches our outfits. Thanks, hon!) Raymond and Jakob used to have a matching shirt that they wore for Father's Day years ago when he was still the only child.

Did not get a chance to do with a lot when I had Beata coz I got pregnant months after she was born. We'll I can say that I have rebounded and got back into my "passion" of dressing up my children (and sometimes me and my hubby would tag along) in coordinating/matching colors. It takes patience trying to get similar colors in many, many visits to the stores. But I can say that I am very proud of our matching clothes so far (considering that I did not get to spend a lot because I buy most of them from thrift stores or second-hand shops).

Here's a picture of the recent "match" (ha, sounds like boxing! very timely for the Olympic Games going on). It was for our Watermelon Sunday in church. I was thinking of red and black but...all their red and black are mostly for Winter/Christmas which will be too hot to wear that day. So I decided with the Summery colors of red, white and blue. (Jethro had orange, blue and khaki...that'll will do. It does not look obvious, right?)

Jakob does not seem to mind, he actually gets excited to match shirts with his brother even in regular play clothes. Well, gotta keep doing it until they are old enough to feel awkward in dressing up in matching outfits (hopefully that won't be too soon). Until then, I have to keep an eye on those matching outfits from the store. :D

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Books of the Bible

Jakob, who wil soon turn 8, already knows all the books of the Bible (both new and old). He knows a whole lot of Bible verses too (including the whole Psalm 23 and the Christmas story). Beata, who is only 3 (will be turning 4 in about 3 weeks) is enthusiastic about learning the books of the Bible too. I got a video of her here reciting until 2 Kings (this was taken August 5, she knows until Proverbs now). I plan to teach her all the books of the Bible before she starts school next year:D

oh, and Jethro our 2 year old is memorizing it too. He knows them but is still having a hard time saying them. Will post a video of all of our 3 kids reciting them, hopefully, soon. We are so proud of them.

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WEDNESDAY reWIND: Jakob's Baptism

June 25, 2006 at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Stouffville, Ontario

Jakob had his baptism this day.

He received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior on June 16, 2006.

We thank the Lord for what is happening is Jakob's life now. He loves to go out and pass out church literature and Gospel tracts. He loves to read his Bible and he loves to listen to sacred, God-honouring music. I cannot wait to see what else God has in-store for him.

We love you Jakob.

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We're back!

We are back from camping. We camped from Thursday to Saturday (3 days, 2 nights). Well, the weatherman was right, it'll rain for those 3 days. Rain was pouring hard when we got there Thursday. We have to set up our tents in the wet grass and soil. Look at how dark and heavy those clouds are in the picture. That's where we are heading.

Our fellow campers got soaked setting up their tents. We were greeted with heavy, pouring rain. But kids are happy they saw a train paseed by (my kids are fascinated by trains, especially the boys!). And as usual, our minivan is packed, even with a car top carrier already being used. lol.

THINGS I'LL NEVER FORGET:
(1)Jakob got to use a camera for the first time. Wrong settings though. We used flash for all his pics and it is already bright outdoors so the outcome for all pics are not so nice. He got a good one of the water, though;

(2)Jethro went to the hospital on Friday for an emergency "pop". His elbow got dislocated from playing so we have to get a doctor to pop the elbow back to its place (he had it before, so we were not surprised). Good thing there was a hospital in the area;
(3)We got a chance to go "boating" in the rapids..IN THE HEAVY RAIN! We did not do it last year because we did not know that there was this nice rapids in the camp and also, Jethro was still young for us to do such thing last year. It was so much fun.

There are 8 families from Faithway Baptist Church that joined us this year. And I think it made the camping more fun. Kids get to play with other kids they know. We get to have a feast EVERY single meal. We have a good campfire get-together at night. We got the whole island to ourselves (except for one campsite, but they came late Friday night so the island's ours for most part!). We would definitely want to camp together again. So many helping hands, and so many laughs!!!

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My First!

My first blog entry! I cannot believe it. I have always wanted to make a blog...i think for about 3 years now...but I have always put it aside, then things will come up and I would totally forget about it. And now that I've started it, I need to take time to reflect on all the nice memories my family makes. I feel sorry for not recording all the wonderful (and funny) things that happened and now forgotten...well not totally -- I can remember the event but not so much the details. Well, it's never too late and I am starting now. I just hope and pray that I can keep up with it.

Tomorrow, we are going camping. We will camp for 3 days and 2 nights. The weather forecast says that it'll rain for those 3 days. That'll be something. We just have to wait and see what mem'ries we would make. :D

We will be going to Black River Wilderness Park (same place we went to last year) It was actually our first camping trip. Here are some pics from last year...

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