Holidays 2017

This is a very delayed post, but I still want to do it because I want to remind myself, again and again, of how lucky I am to have wonderful people to call family.

My husband and kids are indeed God's greatest blessing to me. They pretty much are the reason for the smile on my face, the spring in my step, twinkle in my eye... you get it!!!

Importance of Taking Family Photos

Writing this post made me reminisce about our earlier trips. Napa-punta tuloy ako sa 2015 album ko.

Look at how fast my kids grew.

This photo was taken summer of 2015. Ang liit pa ni fave son jan.

How To Stay Out of My Teens' Friendship Dramas

One of the best things I love about being a mom is having mommy friends. I just find so much joy whenever I meet up with them for a quick brunch. We learn a lot from each other, and having someone to talk with who can understand what I am going through with my husband and kids is so comforting.

One of my closest mommy friends has been having problems dealing with her emotions for the past year. Her problems lie with the fact that she takes in her daughter's problems too much. And so when we talk with each other, she shares her frustrations about her daughter's friends with me, and I listen to her. I give my opinion when she asks for it. But deep inside me, I'm thankful that I don't have to go though what she's going through... I don't think I can handle it.

Just recently a New York Times article showed up on my FB newsfeed. It was such an apt explanation of what my friend was feeling. The author explains this common dynamic of parent-teen relationships. Essentially, teens emotionally dump a problem on a parent. The parent will then react to the drama even after the teen has recovered from it.

For the most part I am a newbie as far a teen dramas are concerned because my oldest daughter hardly ever has one. J's personality is one that is almost always predictably happy. She hardly has enemies, and seldom hates on people. She is not one to hold a grudge and she is capable of easily moving on to other things, she gets over everything after a day or two... like nothing even happened in the first place. I think her tolerance + soft-heartedness make her well-loved by her friends.

15 Reasons Why I Love Parenting A Teen

It was a Saturday night a few months ago, and my two younger kids were on a sleepover with their cousins at my parents' house, C was out celebrating a friend’s birthday and wouldn’t be home until late at night. It was just me and my 15-year old daughter. We had just come home from attending a thanksgiving dinner, and she wanted to watch Mean Girls together. And so even if I’ve seen it so many years ago, I forced myself to watch it again with her. So there we were, laughing together at all the funny parts and agreeing how “uncool” and “pa-cool” the mom of Regina George was.

It was at this moment, when we were laughing at the same things, that I realized… I absolutely adore having a teen!!! I love, love, love parenting a teen! I have never really been a “baby person.” I find infants too needy… they need help with everything? Personally, the older my kids become, the more I like being with them. Ooops! Did that come out bad? But it’s true! Hahaha!

Life has grown to that bittersweet moment when the oldest one (me!) has the smallest shoe size!

Family Road Trip Safety Tips + Fuel Saving Tips

Taking a road trip is always a fun time for my entire family, especially for the kids who look forward to taking such trips.

We've taken the kids to several road trips already - to Pampanga for a food trip, Anvaya Cove in Bataan, to Baguio, to Acuatico in Laiya, Batangas, to Tagaytay, to Villa Escudero in Laguna, and a lot more that are not documented in the blog.   It is important that we ensure safety first so that no one will miss out on the fun. Just recently,

1. Go for a tune-up.
Make sure your car is in good working order and have your tires, battery, motor fluids, and everything else checked by a professional. Nothing ruins a trip's happy vibe more than a stalled car.

2. Get a good night's sleep.
You have your entire family in the car with you; their safety is in your hands. Enough said.

3. Pack for the trip.
Have each of your child pack items to keep them entertained for the long car ride. My kids are old enough already to take long car rides, but they still need some items to make the trip enjoyable: Oreos, sunnies, magazines, playlist of their favorite songs and earphones, of course!  We do not want arguing over which song to listen to.

4. Study the route.
Print out your map or look it up in Waze. Waze is such a big help to me for city driving. Whenever I have to go somewhere, I most often check Waze first for what route to take.  So far, it hasn't disappoint yet.  C also used it for the time he took the kids to go camping with him.

5. Assign seats.
You know your kids better than anyone, and you know who are likely to get on each other’s nerves one hour into the drive so do your best to avoid that by sitting them apart. Yes, sit them apart, even if they seem to get along well during the early part of the trip.  Magkakainisan din eventually.

6. Be firm about seatbelts.
I constantly remind everyone to buckle up before we go. Seat belts will only work if they are worn properly. I’ve been involved in two road accidents already, and have a first-hand experience on why seatbelts are the first thing we should put on before we leave our driveway.

At some point in my the past, I had a booster seat and 2 car seats strapped permanently in our van. I am so grateful those days are over! But for those of you still with car seats, do check that your car seats are securely strapped before your trip.

7. Bring snacks to eat in the car.
My kids love to eat! For them, there’s nothing better than enjoying their favorite snacks while on a road trip.

During our recent Tagaytay trip, my mommy friends and I all met up at Shell along SLEX to fuel up and also to get our OREO snacks.

8. Take short breaks.
We usually stop to take breaks at gasoline stations.  We use this time to refill on fuel, take bathroom breaks and let the kids eat at the resto of their choice.

My husband is quite the nitpick when it comes to the fuel for our cars, he insists that we only use Shell Nitro+ because it turns out to be more cost-efficient in the long run. 

Breaks are also a good excuse to get down from the car to stretch those arms and legs... and chikka with friends! Thanks for the photo, Mish!

When we go out of town, it is usually C or the driver who takes care of navigation so I never had to worry about it. But during our recent Tagaytay outing with my mommy blogger friends, it was just me and the girls. Even if I've been to Tagaytay several times in the past, I wasn't that confident that I could make it there on my own. So I asked to convoy with my friend Didi of The Candishhh Tales.  Lucky for me, Didi also took care of printing out a map for me.

For a tsuper-mom like myself, being part of a car convoy during a road trip is safer as there is someone to look-out for me.  Big thanks Didi! I do not really notice design features of cars, but for the first time in my life I cannot tell you how comforting it was for me to see the daytime rear lights on Didi's Audi as I trailed behind it.  I did not have to look hard for it as we navigated the highway. 

Thanks to Shell for the full-tank of Shell Nitro+ Racing.  After going to Tagaytay and then driving back home the next day, I only used up about 1/8 of the fuel.

I loaded up on Shell Nitro+ Racing, and I guess my husband was right all along, it is more expensive but it really is more cost-efficient.  For fuel-efficient driving, get some good tips from Shell Fuel Saving Tips.

Till the next road trip!

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Me and Dad Camp 2014 {Year 3}

It's been awhile since C took the kids camping. The last one was in 2010, 4 years ago already! Has it really been that long? This year, C bravely took on the challenge of bringing ALL three kids to camp. I was hesitant because I feel like three kids could overwhelm him. But he is confident he can take it on!  It's his third time to go camping, after all. Do you think the third time's the charm?  hahaha!

Seems like it was just yesterday when C first took our eldest camping - a first for both of them. It was the type of camping trip where they had to set-up their tents and sleeping bags. It didn't exactly turn out that well since it rained on their camping day..."They returned to their tent late afternoon to take a rest from the afternoon's activities, only to find that the rain had found a way inside their "water-proof" tent. Everything was soaking wet. From the sleeping bags that they attentively laid out, to the shirts, toiletries and cooking/grilling utensils..." click here to read more about their first camping trip. 

The second time around was better, because it did not involve sleeping in tents... " The facilitators prepared a survival training course patterned after the TV show, Survival. As with the TV show, the teams competed against each other for luxuries; in this case, sleeping accommodations. Housing was dependent on how the teams fared in the challenges. Accommodations were a choice of either a cottage (with single beds and an ensuite bathroom) or a cabin (where sleeping is tatami style)..." click here to read more about their second camping trip.

This year's camping trip is an upgrade from the previous years... and could qualify as "glamping" (glamour camping).  Look at the facility of the CCF, Mt Makiling Re-Creation Center in Sto Tomas, Batangas.

All 5 photos below are from the CCF Mt. Makiling Re-Creation Center FB page.

A Mother's Legacy at Sofitel Philippine Plaza

Mother's Day is coming up soon.  Have you planned how you are going to celebrate it?  In my family, we just treat it like any other ordinary Sunday; we go to Sunday worship and have lunch together. Although, I always expect hand-written notes from my kids. That is the highlight of my Mother's Day. Notes, are enough for me, but the girls usually give me something bought with their own savings, too.  

A few days ago, Sofitel Philippine Plaza invited some of the SoMoms to attend the press launching of their Mother's Day event, A Mother's Legacy.  

Todd English Food Hall

Seems that everyone in Manila is waiting for a chance to dine at TODD ENGLISH FOOD HALL!  At least that's what it seemed to me, when we waited for our table to be ready last Sunday.  It's a good thing we went right after Sunday Service, and when we got there the list wasn't that long yet.  But a few minutes after, super haba na...

The curiosity about the place is well-placed; after all, TODD ENGLISH is the first restaurant by an international celebrity chef to open in Manila.  Todd English Food Hall started in the Plaza Hotel in New York.

 

{Phenomenal Tip} My 10-Step Guide On How to Enjoy a Family Vacation With Kids

School's done!  And for us moms it can only mean that we have to start getting serious with planning for our family's vacation.  Sometimes planning for a trip can get really stressful.  And mothers everywhere know that a vaction with the kids is not really a vacation.:)  I have met moms who feel like they need a vacation AFTER a vacation. Have you ever felt that way?  

When my kids were much younger, I admit there were times I have felt that way, too. But nothing a quick shake of the head cannot shrug off.  We have to watch what we think ... because what we think, we are.  Positive thoughts only!:)  

The longer I am a mom, and the more frequent we took the kids traveling with us, the more adept I have become at planning our vacations.  Along with that, I have also become an expert in dealing with unexpected changes... I deal with it by winging it. :)

As I am writing this, I am in the midst of planning for our vacation this summer.  We will be leaving soon and I am excited because I know the kids will be having so much fun in our chosen destination. I know I will be, too.

Here's my 10-step guide on how to enjoy a family vacation with kids:

1. Decide Where To Go

Include the entire family when you decide on where to go.  If it were all up to my husband, we would always just be going to Hong Kong.  He lives for food, glorious food!!! But the kids and I wanted something different.  A compromise has to be reached. 

2. Book Flight and Accommodation

For this trip, as soon as we decided on our destination, the first thing my husband and I did next was to book our airline tickets.  We wanted to get the best possible rates so we knew we had to book early. 

The next thing I did after that was to go choose a place to call home for the duration of our trip.  We are a big family (in number and physique), so the size of the room is a notable consideration in choosing a hotel.  Getting two rooms was definitely out of the question, because our destination this year has the reputation of being one of the most expensive in the world.  I don't want our hotel bill to eat up our budget for the trip.

I wanted all of us to fit in one room, but still have space to walk around.  After a long day of walking, I am sure everyone wants to go back at night to a place which is a refuge from the demands of traveling.  

Our room at the Marina Bay Sands when we took the kids on a previous trip to Singapore.
Read about our Singapore trip here.

We typically stay in big city hotels, but since our forthcoming trip is going to be quite long (for our standards), I thought it sensible to choose a serviced apartment, instead.  I think it is the best choice; for not only do we get more space, we also get the advantage of a kitchen, washing machine (so we don’t have to pack that much clothes), and the most important of all, separate living and sleeping quarters.  I am sure the rest of my family don’t really care much for these extra details, but these extra facilities can make the trip so much more enjoyable. The living room is a sanctuary for me when the kids are already in the bedroom. I really need that time alone at night before I go to sleep.  I feel like my mind is so active from taking care of everyone's needs that I cannot just shut it off and sleep right away.  C, on the other hand, would benefit from it because he usually reviews the maps and itinerary the night before.

3. Make a list of places of interest

I made a specific list of attractions that I think my family wanted to experience, making sure to mix a bit of the country’s traditional way of life with modern culture.  And then the husband and I gathered all the kids for a consensus, everyone has a say on where to go.  As much as I like to milk the trip for what it’s worth, I really avoided packing all the attractions into our “must-see,” and instead allotted ample time between sights so we can enjoy the sights on our priority list

4. Make a packing list and designate a packing area

I used to pack for everyone in the family, yes for all five of us!  But now that the kids are older, I let them pack for themselves.  I made a list and printed it out so the kids can refer to it.  We always use packing cubes, but prior to putting everything inside the cubes, I designate one spot in the play room to be the packing zone.  Everyone is given a huge hamper to put clothes and other necessities in as they begin to start preparing to pack for the trip.

5. Slow Down Pace For Kids

By nature, I am the type of traveler who tries to pack my schedule trying to do it all. But now that I have kids, I realized that this will only leave my family tired and overwhelmed.  I am realistic about what we can see and do with kids.   The less sights I have on my list, the more enjoyable and stress-free for everyone because I do not have to rush them. 

My kids love to linger in a place that interest them so we try to arrange a manageable number of attractions in a day, and arrange a mix of scheduled tours and leisure downtimes.  My son still loves to run around so we try to include a break within the day in a place where there are wide spaces so he can run around and take a break from “behaving.” Baka ma nose-bleed sa ka-be-behave. teeheehee!:)

Pawis na pawis.
He always has several shirts in the backpack he carries around
because he always needs that "running break" during the day to release his extra energy.  

One of the most unforgettable experiences for my kids was when we allowed them to spend the day in the zoo – one entire day!  We were one of the few to arrive early and one of the last to leave.  The kids passed by the moat where the lions were contained twice – once in the morning and again in the afternoon.  Such lucky timing because we were able to catch the lions in a playful mode.  They were running around the wide enclosure with no regard for us.  The kids felt like they were transported to the wide savannahs in Africa.  It’s rare to see lions run around because they sleep for about 20 hours each day, so we were extremely lucky to have seen that.

6. Learn a little of the local language

I downloaded an app for my kids to learn the language of our destination.  We always get favorable reactions from locals whenever they hear anyone of my kids trying to speak their language.  During our trip to Korea, my two younger ones gets loads of sweets from Koreans whenever they greet the locals with “Annyeong Haseo!”.  I’ve always noticed servers in restaurants break out a smile due to the kids attempts at communication.

7. Set a Budget

Cost can pile up easily for my big family, so before and during planning my husband and I talk about how much we want to spend for things like our accommodation, transportation, food, activities,etc.  Basically we categorize the things we can save and what to splurge on.

I also talked with the kids that they will be give a certain amount as “trip allowance.”  Anything they want to spend on outside of our accommodation, transportation and regular meals, they will have to pay for on their own.  This includes shopping for pasalubong for their friends, shopping for whatever interest them.

  

8. Capture Memories

Heavy as it is, I will be carrying my DSLR to document our trip.  My iPhone5 takes pretty good photos, but I want the way a big camera captures photos… more vivid and sharp.

Add caption

My oldest is also good at digital sketching, so I asked her help to document our forthcoming trip.  The photo shown above is one of her works.  Click here if you want to know what app she used. I requested her to draw certain landmarks of our trips, which I plan to include in my future posts.  For my two younger ones, I will be asking them to write down a journal to encourage them to draw and write about the things they see, food they eat and places they experience.

9. Expect the Unexpected

Even if I spent a good number of days planning our itinerary, I know that not everything will be followed.  That is why I make sure to put in a free day into the itinerary because it is likely that we will discover a new attraction or activity that I was not aware of when I was planning.  This will also allow us some room just in case we did not cover everything that we intended to do as planned.

If unforeseen events happen, C and I remind each other to just go with the flow and treat the occurrence like an adventure to be conquered. Our children will learn important life lessons from watching us deal with unexpected changes. #whomovedmycheese

  

10. Enjoy The Trip!!!

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Our Family Photo Shoot at The Picture Company + FREE Family PortraitSession!

Growing up, one of my dad's favorite thing to do during the holidays was to gather everyone in front of the Christmas tree for our annual family photo. He'd set up his SLR on a tripod and put it on self-timer mode. My parents would then send out this holiday photo cards complete with greetings to their friends.

Even if I love taking photos, I did not carry on with this tradition on to my own family. There are several occasions where I bravely took on the role of the family photographer, and let me just say that it is a task that is not for the faint-hearted.:)

So when The Picture Company invited me to come in for a family portrait shoot, I immediately said yes!  If you want a nice family picture to treasure, but none of the hassle, then I suggest you go to a professional studio like The Picture Company.

The Picture Company is good at what they do that all you and your family really have to do is just show up at any of their stores.  We chose The Picture Company in Boni High Street for our photo shoot as it is one of the branches which offers outdoor shoots.  We booked an indoor shoot in the morning, had lunch within the area, and came back at 2:30pm for our outdoor session.

Ways to Date your Spouse - On The Cheap!

I attended a parenting seminar by Maribel Dionesio some days ago. The seminar, given by my daughter’s school, was about how to team up with teens on rules and relationship.  Parents of teens, we all know, we need some help here.:) 

In any case, Maribel stressed that one important aspect on being a credible person in the eyes of our teens is to be a good parent in their eyes.  And one attribute which can make us good parents is continuously working on our relationship with our spouse.  

She strongly suggests having a once a week date with your spouse.  But we all know this is easier said than done.  Setting aside a time once a week to go out on a “date” with the husband can be a challenge once the children come.  Couples with small children especially know this to be true.  

This made me reflect on my own relationship with my husband. While we do not regularly go out on “traditional” dates.  We do, however, have our “daily date” which we both treasure.  Small pockets of uninterrupted time together, which was probably born in the early years of our marriage; surely, out of exasperation, after realizing what a major production it is to go out on a date – just the two of us.  We have incorporated this into our routine for the past decade quite conscientiously. We start our days with a breakfast date, and end it with a movie date.  

1. We both treasure our daily breakfast date.   We both consider it as an important way to start our day right.  As soon as the kids are in school, we treat the time together as our breakfast date.  On most days, I make an effort to prepare food that I know he will enjoy eating - and looking at. He is the type who appreciates food presentation, and so even if I don't do it as well as the professionals, I try to style the food before I serve it to him.

Here are some of the breakfast that I have served

He really enjoys it whenever I make the extra effort to style his plate… not that I think I am good at it.  But I know he appreciates the effort very much! Acts of service is one of his love language.
We enjoy starting the day with a quiet time to talk.  Remember, a date is all about spending time and being intimate by sharing thoughts, talking about our dreams, and having fun.

2. We enjoy capping the night by watching recordings our favorite tv shows.  After the kids have been tucked it (yes, even our teenager still asks to be tucked in each and every night), and night prayers have been said, we both look forward to watching an episode or two of our favorite tv series.  Occasionally, a glass of wine, a bottle of beer or a cup of hot choco make an appearance.  

Maybe it’s just me, but I prefer this relaxed style of dating.  Not only do we not worry about parking or getting stuck in traffic, this is also a much more economical way to date.

What about you? How do you date your spouse?

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Draft Gastropub

The Phenomenal Papa finally got his way and the entire family ate lunch at Draft Gastropub several Sundays ago. He always wanted to try the draft beers at Draft, so when we found ourselves in Powerplant with no specific agenda, we all gave in to his request.  Draft is more popular to the night-time crowd; but at my age, I think I'm way past tolerating the smoke, the noise and the crowd.  So lunch time is the perfect time to visit for us since we just want to enjoy the beer and their food.

Back to regular programming... after taking a {spiritual} break!

With school having started for all of my kids a month ago, it's now back to regular programming as far as my schedule is concerned.  I was looking forward all summer to when school starts, but now that it has, I find myself actually missing their noisy squabbles, the peals of laughter from harmless teasings, the seemingly endless "mom, I'm hungry!."  

I must admit that the house is now boring in its stillness.  There are moments in the morning when the silence seem to shout at me, and my first instinct is to look for my two younger ones; suspicious that they are again in cahoots. They have formed in my mind a long-running history correlating their suspicious silence with mischief and mayhem: cutting a siblings hair haphazardly just for the fun of it; hanging themselves from the window blinds, and putting a small hole in the ceiling because of it; rough-playing inside the closet, and breaking the closet rod... there are so many others that cause me to force myself to a spiritual break, less I say something hurtful.

A spiritual break is similar to the "time-outs" we give our kids when they were toddlers whenever they disobeyed; the difference is, with a spiritual break, the time-out is being enforced on the one actually doing the disciplining. I purse my lips and say a short prayer for the Holy Spirit to control what comes out of my mouth. I need to physically close my lips this way, otherwise I let out a slew of words that are hurtful to my kids' feelings.  There are times when I am not as spirit-filled, and all I can manage is to count from 1-10. But even so, it really helps control the damaging words which comes out of my mouth in anger.

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Anvaya Revisited

We had the chance to revisit Anvaya during the tail-end of summer; the first week of June, the week before school started for my girls..  Not much has changed since our last visit so I will not write so much about the facilities anymore.  You can read detailed review of Anvaya during our first visit here.

Although we spend a lot of time together as a family, out-of-town trips are still treasured.  There's something about a shared experience with loved ones that draws the family closer. 

Saturdate Agenda {Baking, Nail Spa, Truffle Pizza}

Last Saturday, the boys took off for the day to do their own thing, leaving just us girls in the house.  We started our day early by hying off to the kitchen to bake apple pie.  This is a long-time recipe which I tweaked to add flaxseed in the streusel.

In the afternoon, I decided to take them to a nail spa since I did promise them at the start of summer that we would take time out to do that.  So we drove off to Chic Nails at Scout Tuazon for some pampering.  My older one and I got the foot spa with pedicure package (P470), while B just settled Yummy Gummy pedicure (P150).  We are all obviously in denial that the rainy season is now upon us; as we all chose summery colors, still!

7 Layer Dip Roll-Ups

 

One of the things I couldn't escape from this summer, aside from the heat, is my kids' big appetite. They are in the house a lot, and so it would seem that I am always in the kitchen cooking up a storm. I find that it takes up a lot of my time just to feed them; so whenever I can, I try to make a huge batch of something, and keep a good deal of second servings in the fridge. Whenever they are hungry again, like maybe after two hours (I kid you not!), they could just grab one roll and eat!:)

One of my favorite recipes to do whenever I go this big batch route is the 7-Layer Dip Roll-Ups. It keeps well in the fridge for upto 2 days, and it can be eaten cold which works really well for busy moms like me. Tee-hee-hee!

Phenomenal Tip: Eco-bags and Grocery Shopping

The city where I live in has implemented the Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance since September of 2012.  All business establishments are instructed to encourage the use reusable bags instead of plastic bags.  As stipulated, the city shall be imposing a  fee of P2 to consumers who insist on using plastic bags. 

It took me some time to get used to doing my grocery shopping using eco-bags.  There were days then when I had to ask the bagger to put everything in a box for me because I forgot my eco-bags at home. In the early days of using eco-bags, one of the problems I encountered was how the bagger would just dump everything I bought in the 2 large reusable bags that I brought along, without any regard for grouping items together.  Thus, the toiletries would be mixed with the pantry items, cleaning supplies and vegetables.  This makes packing away at home a major headache also, since everything is topsy-turvy.  I just couldn't stand the disorderly way of bagging that I have since always placed 5 reusable bags in all of the cars so I am never caught empty handed, just in case grocery shopping is an errand I have to do for the day. 

2013 Palarong Pambansa

I just came back from Dumaguete after doing chaperone duties accompanying my eldest as she participated in the swimming event for the recently concluded Palarong Pambansa which was held in the city of Dumaguete, Negros Oriental from April 21 to April 27, 2013. The Palaro, which has been held annually since 1948, is the biggest sporting event in the country, composed of elementary and secondary school students from public and private schools from all the 17 regions of the Philippines.

We landed in Dumaguete just in time to witness the colorful parade of athletes, joined by a marching band and marjorettes, as they passed by the streets of Dumaguete; a thick throng of people crowding the streets cheering for the student-athletes. It was a festive and lively display which I enjoyed, in spite of the blaring afternoon sun.

For the uninitiated, the Palarong Pambansa is actually a series of meets, starting at the school level,followed by provincial, then regional, and finally culminates in the national games known as Palarong Pambansa. The process of selection starts in the first semester of the school year, wherein preliminary meets are undertaken by the individual or team athletes, and the top two winners in each school are selected to represent the school in the district meet. The process of getting the top two victors is repeated in the regional level until the final two athletes/team qualify to move up to the national level of competition.

Delegates were assigned billeting quarters in the different public schools of Negros Oriental. For the delegates of NCR, the Dumaguete City High School served as the temporary housing for all the NCR athletes, coaches and support staff. In addition shuttle buses were also provided to shuttle the athletes and coaches from the billeting quarters to the playing venues.

Food is served for breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner - for free, ha! Moreover, fresh fruits, bottled water, juices and Gatorade were also provided for free everyday during the entire duration of the games. The DepEd of Dumaguete also made sure that the sleeping areas for the athletes were comfortable as the rooms were provided with padded mattresses for sleeping. I have heard that some of the previous sleeping accommodations for the past games were not so comfortable, with the athletes being made to sleep on top of school tables, or worse on the cold floor with just a banig .

But most of the NCR athletes, like us, did not stay at the assigned biletting quarters, and instead each booked their own hotel rooms. But there are a lot of other student-athletes who slept at the public school, and most of them came unchaperoned. The athletes who stayed at the quarters had to contend with doing their own chores such as washing their own clothes and cleaning up their dishes after every meal. It would have been a very educational experience for J if she also had the chance to sleep at the headquarters, even just for a night.

The girl in the photo below is a member of the NCR-girls baseball team. I chanced upon a group of them inside the girls' room cubicles washing their jerseys. I took a photo with the intention of showing my own daughter how washing her own suit after every meet is not a chore that should be met with dread, but should be viewed as an opportunity - a chance to develop larger life skills like independence, industriousness and self-reliance.

Here are the NCR girls being briefed by their coach on the first day of the meet. A total of 8 girls to represent the elementary division, and another 10 to represent the secondary division.

This is my daughter’s first Palaro experience, and the entire episode is nothing but wonderful for her. She was able to muster mental strength as she overcame her jitters in her first event, the 100-meter butterfly, to qualify for the finals, placing seventh in the morning prelims with a time of 1:17. After prevailing over her struggle to calm her nerves, she finally clocked in her personal best time of 1:14 during the finals in the afternoon, shaving off 3 seconds from her prelims time. She was gunning for a third place finish, but actually placed fourth overall in the 100-meter butterfly. Still, even without the podium finish, we are both satisfied with how she performed.

She went on to win silver in her two other events: the 4x50 freestyle and the 4x100 freestyle.

On our last competition day, the parents of one of the NCR swimmers hosted a thanksgiving party for all of the NCR swimmers. It was a delightful change to see the swimmers have the chance to talk to each other outside of the pool for a change... wearing clothes other than swim suits, and their feet fitted with shoes other than the usual flipflops. The NCR coaches took on the task of hosting the program and providing entertainment.

Dumaguete lived up to their promise that this year’s games would be "clean, green and high-tech." We are impressed with our Palaro experience as we got timely results and photo updates via various social media sites. Even the Phenomenal Papa, who was left behind in Manila, got the game results a few minutes after they happened. Kudos to the Dumaguete provincial government for one of the most organized Palaro games!

To read ALL posts about Dumaguete, click here.

 

 

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