Merry Christmas

Someone is super duper excited to open his gifts...

As they say Christmas is for the children, but let us not forget to teach our kids whats the true meaning of christmas. The birth of Jesus Christ...

sharing unconditional love to all and most of all that we are all brothers and sisters. Lets pray for peace, love and that we would finally learn to love mother nature. From our family to yours, we wish you all a Merry Merry Christmas, a peaceful 2013, and may our good Lord bless us all! Merry Christmas. ~~Raquel, Jon and Saffron Chua.

Kindermusik and us

On my toddler's first graduation from Kindermusik classes, my mom said to me: those classes are more for the parents than the kids. What a funny observation to make. Imagine the parents signing up for the classes for themselves and bringing their young ones along to learn how best to entertain and stimulate their children.

But the comment was not without basis.

Since attending Kindermusik classes, my husband not only learned a few dance steps and a couple of exercise routines, but he also picked up a number of songs to sing to our daughter. Kindermusik has expanded his very limited children's song list of ABC and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star to include The Keel Row, Aiken Drum, and Dance, Little Baby, among others.

I also picked up a lot of things and I no longer need to invent or search for songs or actions to them!

The classes even gave us the opportunity to find out our daughter's learning style. She's usually quiet in class, especially on the first day or when something new is being introduced, choosing to observe us, her teacher, and classmates than participate. Surprisingly, she absorbs everything and repeats them to us back at home. She's very attentive. When we play her the CD, she can even be left by herself to dance with her toy baby. She has memorized the routines. And imagine our delight when she started singing too!

Kindermusik offers so many activities for your child's physical, musical, cognitive, emotional, social, and language development.

For example, a steady beat makes them improve their fine motor skills. Foreign languages are brought in through another country's folk or children's songs while Singapore Math is being introduced through alternating dance movements.

But what I really love about Kindermusik is how the parents play a big role in their child's development.

Before they are three years old, daddies and mommies (or yayas) are on the floor, too. They waltz, jump, fly like a bird or wag their tails like the dog Rover as well. But you don't really need a class to play silly with your child, right? If you are imaginative enough, you can play with what you have and with the time you've got for your child. But if you don't have a clue, and want to learn how best to entertain and stimulate your child then let Kindermusik teach you too.

- Mommy Smiley

I love Christmas! =)

Last December 2010 was what we consider our first christmas as husband and wife in our own place & pregnant with Saffron. Well not really our first Christmas as husband and wife since we were married December 6, 2009 but the 2009 christmas was not really counted. hehehe! We received a christmas tree gift from our Ninang Marilyn. She said this was a hit in china. It saves space and money cause the tree has built-in lights. 

This was our first tree with my nephew Tristan. 

This year I am so obsessed with christmas decors. Why? Last year, we weren't able to put up any christmas decors, no Parol (christmas lantern) not even a real christmas tree. I was busy baking orders and busy taking care of Saffron. All I have for 2011 was some figurines I got from a flea market in Dagupan Manila. 

my oldest christmas decor which I got from Dapitan market each pair cost 250.00 pesos. I bought this around February of 2010. 

This year I  promised to make an effort to decorate our house. This year is more special since it's Saffron's first christmas that he knows whats going on around him. End of October we were able to buy our 1st parol. We choose this colorful parol for Sam cause his fascinated by changing colors. 

Sam and his baba. Photo taken last Oct 22, 2012. It's our first time to own a Parol (Christmas Lantern). This lantern cost 1,000.00 bought it at Gilmore street. 

I love transforming our house into semi-festive mode, but I'd be honest...I'm more into buying ready made decorations and hoping to somewhat alter it and make it my own.  DIY stuffs??? well I'm not so good at that, so lets leave it to our resident DIY diva mommy Smiley. hehehe!

Our foyer table, decorated with Santa cups

Candy canes are my favorites. =)

Santa Cups i got from Puregold Subic during our recent trip. 

Each santa cups cost 89.00 pesos

Baba, finally found time to hang our Parol outside our veranda.

Another reason to love christmas season...It gives me license to decorate our humble adobe and gives you license to spend for gifts without the guilt. hehehe! I'm also lucky that my husband supports my craziness. He has been brainwashed to be domesticated. hahahaha! 

This is my inspiration for my tree. Photo taken last Dec 2008 at a Hong Kong hotel lobby.

So I asked Jon to get me my tree. He was actually considering of buying a real christmas tree from S & R. When I say real, he was to buy the REAL tree, fresh pine tree. I asked him not to cause there's no need for us to have that kind of tree. He said I thought you wanted the same in Hong kong? Plastic tree is fine for me. =) So, he went to true value again wanting to buy a tree and then I remembered that my mother-in-law has 2 christmas trees that she doesn't like using anymore and is just kept on our commissary attic. So we got the "slim tree" cause the other tree from Designer's bloom was sooooooooooooo huge.  Since I'm only 5'2" I needed the man of the house to put up the tree for me. 

Photo and caption grab form Jon's FB post:

Jon: Work in progress.... Well I must say, even a chef should know how to do house chores and crafts. Hahahaha Hindi Lang ako marunong magplancha. The rest, I can handle. Especially this Christmas tree. Hehe

I asked Jon to buy christmas lights. I wanted warm white christmas lights and he end up buying white lights cause that's what he wants. Marriage is give and take so i let him have the christmas lights na. hahaha! We hang some red and matte gold balls up our tree but the tree looked so sad...so I asked Jon if we can use the old christmas tree ornaments thats was kept in the attic. He said yes... It got me excited. So I worked on our tree for 3 days. 

1st day I just grab some flowers and ferns (i just call it ferns cause it looks like one but I'm not really sure if it was) and put it on our tree but still the tree looks sad and kalbo. 

 flowers and ferns 

I asked our maids to look for more ornaments. They were able to find pears, oranges, twigs, yellow and red grapes (even in our tree there is food! hahaha).

The addition of fruits made it more full but i was not really happy. Cause I think there are still spaces thats needs filling. 

I asked them to look for more. When Jon found out that I asked for all the ornaments he said...you'll use everything? our tree is so slim how can all of those fit in there? All i said was... I will find a way. =) 

I added some red twigs and some mapple tree leaf. 

after 3 days of fixing and re-arranging...That moi fixing and obsessing about my tree. =) I also have to find time in between motherhood and baking to wrap gifts & write gift cards...I just hope i can still finish everything...  =)

Here is our final tree! 

not so kalbo... I just love it... I know I might raise some eye brows...but all i can say is This is my/our tree go get yours. hehehe! =)

Oh...and I still need to buy a nice and cute belen for our house. This belen will teach Sam about our faith and about God. How's your Christmas decorations? 

Mommy Raquel