"Speak English" was one of our school policies several years ago when I was still a  Math teacher of a certain school, actually a private school.  Anyone who violates the rules will pay one peso. Because of that, students tried their best not to speak vernacular, otherwise, their "baon" would easily run out.

That particular experience gave me an idea last week to do similar in our own home: "Speak English" to my little girl,  of course with exemption "No Fine Policy". (hehe).

I know it sounds awkward and baduy (uncool) for a typical Filipino Family like us to use the said language.

I guess most of you would react "why bother" in fact,  we have our own dialects where we are already comfortable of? Well, I did not say it's mandatory, what I was trying to say is to interact with your child while still young using "BASIC ENGLISH", is it difficult?

Moreover, you don't need to be like an American dude who can speak fluently in order to teach your child the "most basic and common English", right?

Unless, you grew up in a family who is speaking English well.  Unless you were raised in English-Speaking countries.  Unless  your parents sent you to a prestigious school and the medium of instruction is pure English.

Frankly,  it has always been a daily struggle since it is not the usual thing we do (with my husband). Even though we learned English concepts in school half of our life (from Kinder to College), but the fact that we did not practice the concepts to real-life conversation, then we can't say we can speak  English spontaneously!

That's why when Ronan and I  started talking English to our little girl for the first time, we both laughed when our tongues would sometimes twist, or mistakenly pronounce the words. However,  we refuse to give up for the sake of our child's welfare.  "Practice makes perfect, dba? "

The bottom line is "it's all about our child who may benefit from it in the long run".

There are two main reasons why it made us decide to do such thing:

First, English has been very important in academic success.  Learning the language is a vital skill to develop while your "kiddo" is still young. So when the time comes that Chesska is ready to school, she'll comprehend her lessons easily.

Second, it is a valuable asset for your "kiddo" to possess in order to succeed in job and or business as well in the near future.

I don't foresee yet the disadvantages of using the said language in our own home. All I know for now is that it has lots of advantages over disadvantages. Why not start speaking "Basic English" (I reiterate "basic") at home with your child right now? Do not mind other's criticism. Just focus on your child's success.

Good Day and God Bless!

Chesska's wit shown each day has continued to amaze us (including my husband). You and I both knew that toddlers including Chesska, are typically curious about anything seen, heard, and touched. But there was a special action which surprised me on a particular day that  almost no one could ever imagine.

Ask me why?

Ok, one weekend, my little girl, aged two years and five months, was too busy pressing her new dressed-chicken toy, since it made a sound when pressed. The sound was awful,  much like a slaughtered chicken - but has a bit raspy sound. (hehe)

Ok back to Chesska's story...

Chesska has already a prior knowledge on human body parts and alphabet. (In fairness to her, she can sing the alphabet with confidence.) So while Chesska was busy inspecting the chicken's body parts such as nose, eyes, etc, a moment later, she came to me and showed the inverted dressed-chicken and specifically pointed the chicken's  feet and said aloud, "Dabolyo" (in her language) or a letter in an alphabet "Double-U (W)".. haha! Well, she is absolutely correct. That is the concrete representation of letter "W" in real-life.



A round of applause for Chesska!

Have you ever had that imagination when you were her age? Ask your parents. Me?? Seriously, I have never been thought of that in my entire life.

How about you? What are your tot's funny stories? I'll be glad to hear from you by leaving your comments below.

It's already been two weeks since I last wrote our escapade at  Camp Phillips Bukidnon. And this new blog post should have been published sooner right after Camp Phillips article, but then again, I had a crazy schedule for the past couple of weeks - aside from work,  I had a lot of responsibilities to take care of - so I was unable to do a blog post. Anyways...

Now,  I'm going to share with you our next series of escapades, which is the Dahilayan Forest Park adventure.  Dahilayan is one of the barangays of Manolo Fortich, where Dahilayan Forest Park is situated. The park is a 30-minute drive from the heart of Camp Phillips, Brgy. Agusan Canyon – the place where the administration and control of pineapples took place.


Before going to Dahilayan, the whole family had already set schedules for each place except Good Friday of course.

Wednesday - arrived at Camp Phillips
Holy Thursday - toured around Camp Phillips and Agusan Market
Holy Friday - watched "The Bible" series
Black Saturday -went to Dahilayan Forest Park
Sunday - explored Del Monte Club House at Cawayanon
Monday - Home Sweet Home (went back to Davao)

How do we get to Dahilayan Forest Park from Camp Phillips?

Camp Phillips is a passing point going through Dahilayan. We rented a multicab for 1000 pesos, a capacity of 10 or more. But there's another option to take you to the park via habal 2x (motorcycle), with a charge of 400 pesos for a round trip. As we were heading to our destination, we’d noticed a partially cemented-road specifically the right portion, and all kinds of vehicles were not allowed to pass since the concrete was still fresh. I guess it will be totally finished in 2-3 months time. Unfortunately, we passed through a bumpy road - mind you - it didn't bother us because we were busy sightseeing. Along the way, we saw a very lush and wide field of Del Monte Plantation, with the beautiful blue skies above, and a nice view of mountains and pine trees from afar. The cold breeze that gently kissed our skin was completely refreshing. Well, we credit that from the pine trees that give off lots of oxygen, plus the place itself sits at a higher altitude. Even though I haven't gone to Baguio yet,  but as far as the coldness of Dahilayan is concerned, I considered this place as the Baguio Capital of Mindanao.

Here’s the evidence of our escapade to Dahilayan Forest Park in a particular order.

A quick glimpse of a wonderful creation of God while the cab's running.

We stopped for awhile to take photos. Almost one-fourth trip to Forest Park.

Dahilayan Forest Park Main Entrance

Dahilayan Forest Park Entrance and Rides Fee

General Rules and Guidelines

Here we are! From the main entrance, one should go in the left direction and take a few steps going down the forest park. The mesmerizing ambiance of the hill along with the pine trees wowed us.

Forest Park

Forest Park with animal statues

Picture2x pag my time

At the right portion of the forest park, a spot for best viewing of the nearby mountains.

Very clean and green landscape.

In front of the hotel.

ADVENTURE PARK

A 2-storey lodge situated in Adventure Park area, a few minutes walk from forest park.

As Dahilayan claims that they have Asia's Longest Dual Zipline, which is TRUE.

Kid's playground - Still located in Adventure Park.

There's nothing more exciting than driving around the 3.2 kilometers terrain and steep hills via buggy. A cost of 800 pesos is worth trying. (More pictures coming soon...)





Lastly, I will share with you my pros, cons, and recommendations. No offense for Dahilayan,  especially for my cons - keep in mind that wherever we go, whatever we do, there has been always room for improvements. I hope Dahilayan will take these "cons" as a challenge to further improve their facilities and services in order to satisfy their customer's needs. If I were to rate Dahilayan, I would give a score of 4.5 out of 5. The negative .5 is a room for improvement.

Pros:

a. Dahilayan offers fun-filled activities which everyone can enjoy - both young and old.
b. You can avail discounts on entrance fee during weekdays.
c. The park has stunning views, perfect for selfie and picture taking.
d. Facilities are good.
e. Dahilayan is surely an ideal vacation spot for the whole family during summer for the climate is cool.
f. A little Baguio of Mindanao.


Cons:
a. It is crowded during peak season - especially Holy Week when we were there.
b. No personnel assigned to check bags and things upon entering. For me it is SOP.
c. Every gesture costs a penny. So be sure you have lots of funds along to enjoy all adventures particularly buggy, luge, zorbit, etcetera.
d. The cafeteria is small to accommodate numerous guests during peak hours.
e. Comfort room is dirty and messy. No one clean regularly.
f. Not child-friendly since the forest park is slightly steep. Be sure to stay close with your child to avoid untoward injuries.
g. Lack of crews to address the needs of everyone especially during peak season.
h. It is very far away from Davao City.


Recommendations

a. Don't go during peak seasons.
b. Bring foods along to save extra money.
c. Go during weekdays to avail discounts on entrance fees.
d. If you want to try the buggy and ATV, don't go when it is raining or even drizzling. Buggy will not be available.
e. Bring lots of money if you want to try all adventures.



I hope you enjoy reading this post and feel free to ask question/s or drop your comment/s by using the comment form below. God bless!

Hello, dudes! Summer is officially here! And the sun's heat seems like scorching our back, and we can't help but think of a getaway to temporarily refresh us from a very hot climate. By the way, how do you spend your Holy Week? Us? My family and I went to Camp Philips Bukidnon - the focal point of Del Monte Plantation - which provides lots of jobs to its immediate community including my brother. Camp Phillips's climate is cool the entire year, so it is a must-see destination for everyone when it is hot and dry.

How to get to Camp Philips from Davao City?

We left Wednesday early dawn to avoid congestion at Ecoland Terminal. It took us 8-hour trip getting to Camp Philips via Rural Transit Bus. Yes, 8 hours! That long, which made our butts and feet cramp due to prolonged sitting. Just imagine, carrying a 2-year-old toddler and with all the baggage along, huh, It was super dooper exhausting. Ok back to my story hehe. So we dropped off in "ALAE", one of the barangays of Manolo Fortich, also a stopover for buses and vans.  Then, we rode a jeepney going straight to Camp Phillips,  approximately 10-15 minutes. So before I will tell you what happen next to our adventure, first, I'd like to share with you our expenses.



View Larger Map


Finally, we arrived safely to my brother's house Wednesday afternoon. Ronan and I were totally drained so we decided to spend the rest of the day to relax in order to get extra energy for the next day adventure. On following day, we woke up very early to take a walk around Camp Philips along with my brother's wife and her children. Everyone was excited, especially Ronan.  Every time we passed by a nice view, we took pictures.

At the main entrance of Camp Phillips, you will see this signage - WELCOME CAMP PHILLIPS!

One can look around the camp without seeking any permission from Del Monte. However, taking picture of houses is strictly not allowed because of the previous NPA attacks. Since then, the camp was surrounded by numerous security guards (they called them Kadre) to secure the place.

Upon entering Camp Phillips,  you will see the biggest replica of pineapple, perfect spot for picture taking.

Picture taking in front of Del Monte Pineapple field.

Ok, I ran out of ideas what to write on my blog. But when I pondered upon Chesska's activities all this day - running back and forth tirelessly; cluttering our sala (living room) with toys of any kind; watching her favorite music videos;  munching her favorite snack, etcetera, instantly,  I came up with bright ideas (ting!) what to write. Since she's already two and obviously a big girl,  there are a few random things about Chesska that you should know:

1. She is a risk taker. 

I'm unsure if other babies/toddlers do the same. But Chesska is a risk taker. One time, she had tried putting her fingers over the lighted candle despite my previous orientation of "HOT". (It was brownout then, that's why we used a candle). She had also tried banging her head (in slow motion) on the concrete wall, finding out how painful it was.  Have her fingers caught in between every time I closed the door. (fortunately, I was always in alert mode to stop those from happening )

 Warning. Don't allow your child/ren to do the same.

2. She never smiles to new people. 

I bet. If you are new to her sight, she will never smile at you.  Even if you throw candies and confetti trying to amuse her. She would just sharply stare at you from head to foot until you melt. Promise!

3. She has a good memory. 

At age 2, she can already identify the parts of her body; count and identify numbers from 1-10; almost memorize and identify ABC (but getting there); sing a few lines of a certain song; tell her name and age in complete sentences when being asked;  perform dance steps from famous dance songs (Waka(2x), Kiyomi, Gimmie2x, Loca, etcetera)

Note: The paragraphs in italic written below are updated one month after this post for the sake of recording my child's progress.

At age 2 years and 3 months, she can completely say our complete address, and finally, sing ABC song with confidence. Though I don't expect the correct pronunciation of the words, I can tell that she say and sing them correctly.  She continues to surprise me every day and makes me even prouder of her.

4. She is also Kikay (fashionable) - Pictures coming soon! 

Unknown to many that Chesska is also Kikay. Yes, definitely she is! She loves tinkering her closet; and picks clothes herself to wear. Any clothes combination will do. Swimsuit with leggings underneath. Sleeping wear with a skirt. (fashionably fierce!)

5. She is cranky.

When pressed toys get malfunctioned, she will throw them away. When building blocks toys suddenly collapsed after piling up, she will freak out.  I can tell that she wants them fixed or arranged without mistakes.

6. She is a breastfeed addict.

I know it looks awkward seeing a toddler, as half of your size, breastfeeding to his/her mom. But not with Chesska. She likes breastfeeding better than formula.  Isn't it healthier seeing a baby breastfeeding than holding a cup of cola?

7. She is a fruitarian. 

One of her favorite food trips is munching with fruits. Banana, apple, papaya, guyabano, mango are among the fruits she likes most.

8. She is well-behaved when outside of her territory.

Don't get me wrong. But most kids are very hyperactive and naughty when in certain venues or events (birthday party, public places, malls, etc.) But I'm proud that Chesska is opposite. She will just behave and observe what has happened around her.  But when in the house, she's mobile.

9. She cannot sleep without her pillow.

Pillow is her favorite buddy. Anywhere she goes, or before she sleeps, she will bring her pillow along with her. But I promise her to buy a new one, replacing her saggy and old pillow. (lol)

10. She is a Papa's Girl.

I envy my husband. Chesska is much closer to her father than me. As we all know, fathers are "spoilers",  while mothers are "antagonists" (Kontrabida) again.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and I'm pretty sure that some I have listed are your baby's character/s too. I wrote these things so when Chesska is older, she'll read this, and become proud or maybe surprise of herself.

Last December 16, 2013,   my OB gave me my first DEPO - an injectable contraceptive to prevent pregnancy. I was told that the said contraceptive would wear off for about 3 months, and there would be likely an absence of menstruation.

However, on 1st week of Feb (one and a half month later after DEPO), I was spotting,  but not that heavy like menstruation, so my theory was that maybe it was just part of DEPO SIDE EFFECTS. During the next few days, I was alarmed when spotting continued to persist, and much worse about it I suffered from dysmenorrhea (ugh).   I was dismayed because I believed DEPO should work well as it supposed.

By then, I checked back to my OB and told her of my problem. I got ULTRASOUND, but she had not seen any indications or problems on my ovary. From then on, I made my mind to stop DEPO, because of the thought that I might not just compatible with the contraceptive. So I shifted to PILLS in the hope that my spotting would stop. After taking several pills (I think I took about 15 pills already),  still, my menstrual bleeding was getting heavier and severe. It bothered me so much since  I felt nauseous already and I couldn't concentrate on household tasks, and much more on my online job.  If I would count the days from the start of bleeding, it is almost 1 and 1/2 months.

In the fear that I may suffer anemia due to blood loss, I went back to my OB and asked advice how to stop bleeding. She prescribed me two medicines.

1. Hemostan (Tranexamic Acid- read more about Tranexamic Acid) . I was advised to take 2 CAPSULES three times daily. Meaning, I had to take 6 capsules daily for two days. I know that's a lot of medicines but I did not anymore complain. I wanted to get well very soon. First of all, she's my doctor ever since and I had so much respect on her.



2. Sorbifer (anti-anemia).  I had to take two capsules daily for 15 days.

After 2 days of taking Hemostan, bleeding had finally stopped (thankfully). The effect was very quick than I thought. I am now very very careful of what contraceptive I should take. Maybe it just so happen that I am not just compatible with DEPO..

Disclaimer: The information shared on this site is based on my personal experience. My health condition differs from yours, therefore,  it should not be considered  as medical advice. Always consult a licensed doctor if you have questions or concerns related to your specific health condition. 

It is undeniable that the majority of us struggle in handling finances.  What we are not aware of is that we lack discipline and lack know-how in managing money. We spent our money extravagantly like a one-day-millionaire. And at the end of the day, we kept wondering where our money had gone to. Well, I'm not exempted from this situation. During my 20s, when I started earning,  I'd been a slightly compulsive buyer.  I couldn't help but buy the things I wanted - it could be clothes,  sandals, or other useless stuff. My friends thought I was stingy, but  I was not.  I realized I had a tiny amount in my bank account after I resigned from work. I should have then 6-figure savings.

source: www.etmoney.com

Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this review.

Finally, Chesska's 2nd birthday was successfully celebrated last January 14, Tuesday,  at KFC along Quirino Avenue here in Davao. I can't believe she's already two. Time flies so fast, right? By the way, Ronan and I chose KFC as a party venue for our dearest daughter, for a change. And speaking of a party venue, I knew, most guests especially the kids had been anticipating either Jollibee or McDonalds, but then,  we decided to go for KFC to give a little surprise and excitement to the kids.

But you know what? Chesska was so quiet and not even smiling all throughout the birthday party as if she didn't care - well she's just too young to understand what's happening around her. But she looked great with her Angelina ballerina attire but then she wore a frowny face. tsk... tsk...

Nevertheless, the party ended up smooth, and brought more excitement to the kids! KFC did not disappoint us. The party started at exactly 6:00 p.m. hosted by KFC's staff. Here's the flow of the program with a little tweak as suggested by myself.

*Opening Prayer
*2 Games
*Dinner
*2 Games
*Mascot Appearance
* Candle Blowing
*Giving away of Loot Bags






Their total package costs 4, 500 including party decor, themed loot bags, party hosting, invitation cards, party hats, cake, venue, themed prizes, cake, and mascot appearance (foods are not included). Click here for more details

Loot Bags for Girls- Lunch Box with Giant Puzzle Inside

Loot Bags for Boys- Lunch Box with Giant Puzzle Inside

Cake

Angelina Ballerina-themed cake was not available so it turned out to be Chuckie Design. (chucks na!)

Mascot Appearance 

They danced, giggled, and took pictures with Chuckie.

Foods

via: http://www.kfc.com.ph/menu

From their menu packages, I ordered 30 pieces "Adult Meal Package" for 150 pesos each", consisting of:

*1-pc Chicken w/ Rice
*Any regular fixin
*Mushroom Soup
*Reg. Drink
*Brownies

For kids, I ordered spaghetti + fun shots for 105 pesos. I just brought ice cream since you are allowed to bring provided that you sign their waiver.

Expenses: 

I spent less than 12, 000 pesos for 32 adults and 18 kids. A bit pricey but it's worth it!

Final thought:

If you want something new,  surprise your guests with nice prizes, loot bags, and mascots, then KFC is a fantastic and great venue for any occasion that suits your budget. Two thumbs up for KFC.