Catching up...

I know I haven’t written in ages! December 2008 had been so busy but fun altogether! I juggled work, birthdays here and there, a group photo exhibit, Christmas parties at home and in the office, career-an ng presentation..haha!, last minute Christmas shopping (and wrapping!), reading the Twilight series, and trying to stay fit! My effort in trying to stay fit though had all been wasted due to all the bingeing I did during the holidays! I ate almost every not-so-healthy food - crispy pata, halayang ube, walang katapusang fruit salad, chocolates, chicharon, isaw, kilawin..the list is endless! :D

We spent the holidays mostly at home. We thought it was time to have some quality family time. We brought the kids to Dinos Alive at SM Mall of Asia one lazy Sunday, and we had a simple New Year's Eve celebration. There. And i slept for as long as I wanted! The last few days at work prior to the holidays had been pretty exhausting, so the 11-day vacation was just heaven-sent!

My 2008, to sum it up, had been a blessed year! May 2009 be another blessed and fruitful year for all of us! Happy New Year everyone! :)

Ark Avilon Zoo

Ark Avilon Zoo in Frontera Verde, Pasig City, is a super mini version of Avilon Zoo in Montalban, Rizal. The structure was built like an 'ark,' which is kind of cute, hence, the name Ark Avilon. Entrance fee is PhP200, syempre, magrereklamo na naman ako, hehe.., mahal! Why? Because there were, I think, only about a dozen animals on display. Okay, I am exaggerating pero konti lang talaga! I suggest you visit instead Avilon Zoo in Montalban because it is a lot bigger and it offers a larger variety of animals for (also) only PhP200 or so entrance fee.

Of course, the kids, especially the little ones, will enjoy every nook of the place. They are not the ones paying the entrance fees, so why should they make a fuss about it? Hehe. My kids enjoyed the feeding area where, for PhP10, your child will be given a carrot to feed the rabbits or a bag of chickenfeeds to feed the...well, chickens, you choose. Every hour, there is an animal show - like when we visited the place, they let out a chimpanzee and a hairy dog (i don't know the breed) - and the kids/parents may pose for photos with the animals, sometimes with an extra charge or for free. There is also a mini playground where the kids can play around while their parents wonder if they got their money's worth! I hope they make places like these worth visiting for the parents as well, because we are the ones shelling out the cash!

In fairness, the place is clean. The ambience is great. The restaurant inside, however, has not much to offer, or maybe, we were just to early, but still...Oh well, more photos here! :)

Kidz Republic

2nd floor, SM Mall of Asia

This is one of my kids’ favorite places to visit! Fees are PhP150 or PhP170 per kid for an hour (sorry, I really can’t remember, I had epidural twice!), PhP60 for every half-hour extension, and PhP70 for each adult companion of kids less than 3 feet. The children and the guardians get photographed in the registration area for security measures, which I think, is very important.

The place is colorful and big compared to other ‘playhouses’ we’ve visited and hence, will surely tire those super hyperactive kids out in an hour if you’re lucky, otherwise, you might find yourself paying for half-hour or so extension! The play area has tunnels, ball pit, slides, trampoline, etc. There are a few staff scattered around to assist unaccompanied children, especially in the big slides and trampoline which could be dangerous for little kids. I just hope they always clean and disinfect the place and all the toys there because when I tried to squeeze myself in one tunnel, I felt some kids’ sweat! The best time to bring the kids there is in the morning or as soon as it opens because the place gets filled with little rascals by noontime.

There is a restroom inside so you wouldn’t have to go out if nature calls, and a refreshment store when the kids get tired and thirsty. I just have one warning though for the adult companions, never ever try the slides because you wouldn’t be able to describe the feeling and your position the moment you hit the floor – talk about gravity, leave it to the li’l kids, trust me! :P

Oceanarium

Two weeks ago, we went to the Manila Ocean Park. The Oceanarium is not as big as I imagined. The self-guided tour would take about less than two (2) hours, chikahan and picture-taking included, and before you know it, you're already heading towards the EXIT door! Yup, bitin! For PhP400, I think it’s too much.

Flash photography is not allowed inside the oceanarium because it scares the fish daw. But I heard in Sentosa (Singapore), it’s okay to use flash! So, ano ba talaga?! Baka matapang yung mga fish dun, nyahaha! But as we all are famous for camwhoring, everybody kept clicking those shutter buttons away, others forgetting to turn off their cameras' flashes or makukulit lang talaga ang mga lahi! There is not enough light inside the oceanarium, so set those cameras to their highest ISO setting and use your widest aperture opening. Here are some photos I managed to take inside the oceanarium. The kids, of course, had so much fun!

There is an activity center at the second floor, including a fish spa (whatever that is). The entire park is not yet finished. There are ongoing construction and renovation here and there. Basta, everything is not yet in order.

By the way, don’t go there on a Sunday, the place can get pretty crowded, especially inside the 'tunnel', everybody seemed to want to stay there forever! For me, it's the best part of the oceanarium. And the sea creatures are just so amazing! - of course, courtesy of the greatest Artist of all time!

Makulay ang Buhay!

Remember when you were a kid and your Mom and Dad or your teachers used to tell you that eating vegetables will make you grow taller or bigger and stronger? I tell my kids the same thing and I must say it's effective because my daughters eat almost every vegetables I serve them, even ampalaya, believe it or not!

This afternoon, while I was reading a book, my almost four-year old daughter came rushing into our room and said, “Mommy, I’m not getting faster! Ate Sabel always wins the race!” She was talking about their twist car race, and Sabel, her seven-year old cousin.

I said, “That’s okay baby, soon you'll grow taller and bigger and you'll be fast enough to beat Ate Sabel in the race!”

She screamed, “No! The vegetables are not working!”

Yeah, kids say the darndest things! :P

One Afternoon at Enchanted Kingdom

So after having lunch at my brother's place, we decided to bring the kids to Enchanted Kingdom. Eat and run, haha!

The entrance fee for adult is PhP500, ride-all-you-can. If you’re a government employee, you get 20% discount, so you’d only pay PhP400. They have this 'driver’s license promo' for PhP350 only. Kids’ entrance fee is PhP320, but free for kids less than 3 feet. PhP150 entrance fee for unlimited carousel ride and access to Bumbling Boulders and Boulderville Express. These two rides, we later found out, were just some kiddie rides.

We paid PhP320 for Sofia. No entrance fee for Tallulah, of course. Danny availed the 'driver's license promo' because somebody had to accompany the kids in the challenging rides..hehe. The rest of us paid PhP150 each, and we all enjoyed the carousel ride, kahit masuka-suka na ko, hehe, and I thought my brother would pass out, haha! (photos here!)

The kids had fun, and that’s all that matters.

Tallulah's 1st Haircut

Tallulah had her first haircut today. I've thought about doing it myself but I wasn't sure if I could keep her still for even a minute. Tallulah is sooooo super hyper and so we thought we should bring her to the experts.

My sister-in-law recommended Kids Hair Salon in Robinson's Galleria. The place has several TV screens located in between the mirrors to keep the kids busy while the stylists do their thing. They have DVDs for kids - Barney, Winnie the Pooh, Little Einsteins, you name it! Also, the kids get to sit on "cars" similar to the ones we see in entertainment/arcade centers. There are also stuffed toys all over the place to keep the other kids occupied while they wait for their turn. The price you pay for all of these? PhP270!

Next time, i'll do the haircutting myself. My only problem is, "How do I do it?" Haha!