First Communion

Fist communion is a very important occasion in the Catholic faith and so is in RJ’s school. The school planned and prepared hard to make the said occasion memorable.

Hubby and I were excited to witness RJ’s acceptance of the Holy Eucharist for the first time. When we arrived at school that day, I was happy and contented with what I saw…everything is white except for the carpet which is red. There are white flowers everywhere I look and the children are singing touchy religious songs in their mellow voices, enough to give me goose bumps and make me cry. That was indeed, unforgettable.

There are different ways to mark and document that day but for me it is best to have her first communion solo picture to be photo framed. Because it is a special occasion, RJ’s photo needs a special frame too. While I am browsing the net, I saw a very nice frame. It is a personal creation, a wood frame that is perfect to hold RJ’s photo from that blessed day. It’s a beautiful way to remind us of RJ’s acknowledgement of a new level of maturity.

As parents, it is important to witness and document every milestone of your children. Always have your camera and videos ready and think of creative ways to preserve the photos and videos that your child can proudly look at when they grow up.

Motivation, Not Bribery

We are lucky to have a smart daughter. I am glad that we have inculcated good study habits in her. But kids will always be kids. There are times she is not in the mood to study her lessons or make her assignments most especially when she sees her playmates wandering outside or she knows the computer is on. So to motivate her to study harder, we promised to buy her tablet if she will make it to the top ten of her class. A 32gb ipod touch would be great but she is just a kid so a local version would do (besides we have limited budget). Others may think it is bribery but it’s not. It is a reward for her hard work. It is our way of motivating our daughter to study which I think is alright as long we are not spoiling her.

reading

As parents we need to work out with some tricks and motivation which would maintain our children’s enthusiasm to study but remember that every child is different and special. What works for my daughter might not work for your child. Just be patient in trying different tricks until you find the right one that will work for your child.

Stressful Sunday

Sunday is supposed to be our rest day; watching movies on DVD, taking power nap and all. But yesterday was a very stressful Sunday. It was exactly the opposite of all Sundays we had. It was raining hard when suddenly our laundry area (also serves as our storage) got flooded. The water is stinking as it is coming out from the drainage. Hubby and I immediately scooped the water so it won’t reach the kitchen. It didn’t last for long because the water subsided rapidly as the rain stopped but hubby and I were forced to clean the down spout and the laundry area after. Sadly, some of the things that are stored in the laundry area, including RJ’s old toys, got soaked. In times like that, I realize how important elevated metal buildings are. It is a perfect storage for unused belongings most especially for flood prone areas like ours. I just wish we have a space for it.

I can’t forget the look on RJ’s face much more when she saw her wet toys. She was teary eyed when we trashed them. The scene may be distressing for her. It is the third time she witnessed such incident and she panicked each time. I just hope and pray that she won’t develop Antlophobia (fear of flood) or else it would adversely affect her.

Would I Allow My Teen to Online Dating

Would I allow my teen to online dating? I see many free dating sites online but I didn’t pay much attention to it as I am not interested until a friend who has a teenage daughter asked me this question. My child is just a 4th grader, too young for a date. But if she reaches the right age, would I allow her to online dating? Before I answer this question, let me just first enumerate the pros and cons of this new form of social match-making.

Pros:

•Getting to know a potential mate from the privacy of your home may be comforting.
•Online dating is more of intellectual interactions (knowing each others interest, etc.) rather than physical connections.
•There are many free best dating sites to choose from so online daters have greater choice on who they meet because they could browse to several profiles.
•Online daters have a greater opportunity to know each other before the physical interaction.

Cons:

•Online dating is not always safe. Many sexual offenders are taking advantage of online anonymity and use dating sites to prey on their victims.
•Some would claim they are single when in fact they are already married.
•There are people or groups that use online dating sites to collect email addresses and personal information.

Online dating has its pros and cons and so are other social networking sites. Even the traditional dating has its negative and positive sides. That’s how life goes. Now, would I allow my teen to online dating?

Allowing your child to date is probably one of the biggest decisions parents have to make in life. But dating is a natural part of being human so yes, I would allow my daughter once she’s at the right age. Either online or traditional dating, I would let my responsible teen to make that decision for herself. But as a parent, I would still give her all the advices I could give including the emotional consequences of dating.

Club Manila East Taytay

Two years ago, we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary at Club Manila East Taytay. The original plan was Boracay but due to financial constraints, it didn’t push through. Still, we had fun that day because of Club Manila East’s great water attractions. Below are photos and updated Club Manila East Taytay review that will guide and help you decide to visit the place.

Club Manila East Taytay is a seven-hectare resort situated inside the village so you have to ride a jeepney from the village gate to the resort. If there are no jeepneys available, you can ask the security guard at the gate to call the resort and the resort service will fetch you from the gate. Or if you want, you can walk from the gate to the resort (about 1 kilometer) like what we did because there was no jeepney available and we didn’t know that we can be fetched by the resort’s service.

Upon reaching the resort, there was the reception area, the cashier and the aviary. It’s very simple place outside. We could hardly believe that inside is a seven-hectare facility. The best resort we have visited so far in Manila’s suburbs.

Before you browse the pictures below, please read these:

1. Bringing of food inside the premises is not allowed. You can bring your food provided you will eat them in the parking area (inside your vehicle). Club Manila East has in-house restaurant that serves Filipino and continental dishes.

2. Like in any other resorts, you can only wear proper swim suits plus you have to wear a wrist tag while inside the CME premises. The wrist tag is water proof and will be given to you upon payment of the entrance fee.

3. Entrance fee is P350 per person. Children below 3 feet is free. Day accommodations ranges from P1,000-P1,500 and night accommodations from P3,050-P3,300 or click here for the updated rates.

4. All accommodations have locks so you don’t have to worry about your things and you do not need to leave a person to look after them. You just need to deposit P300 for the keys so don’t lose the key or there goes your P300.

Cottages Available:

The Cabanas

There are 100 Cabanas available surrounding the gigantic lagoon which is a scaled-down model of Laguna de Bay. This is good for up to 20 persons complete with sink, shower and bath.



The Huts

Sorry, I have no picture to share for this one as it was deleted from our camera. The hut I think is 2.5 x 2.5 square meters with monoblock table and chairs. Good for 10 persons.


Beach View Cabins

You can stay here if you want the view of the beach. This is facing the beach wave pool. Can accommodate 10-12 persons.


Picnic Huts

Would you believe you can use these picnic huts for free? So if you are alone and just want to swim, do not bother to pay for big cottages. Don’t worry about your valuable belongings as there are lockers for rent. I just  don’t know how much is the rent for a locker.

Lockers

For Overnight Accommodations:

Doña Luz Hills View Villas

Can accommodate families and barkadas. Each Doña Luz villa is furnished with two single-beds, a sofa bed, hot and cold shower, bathtub, a mini-bar, a microwave oven, and a dining area.

(photo credits: last 2 photos, CME)

Don Renato Garden Villas

Perfect for couple who want some quiet moments. Don Renato rooms are available with one matrimonial bed or two single beds, a dining area, hot and cold shower, a microwave oven, a huge mirror by the bed, and an outdoor mini pool.

(photo credit: last photo, CME)

Water Facilities:

The Lagoon

The Gigantic lagoon is a 9,100 square meter that holds the Sun-screened Pool, The Boating Area for the kayak and wake boarding, The Kiddie Pool (hope this one is shaded too just like the other pool) and the Giant Slide Pool.

The Kiddie Pool…with fountains and waterfalls.

 

The Sun-screened Pool…for those who are afraid of sun burn.

 

The Boating/Kayaking Area

 

The Buzzy River

A 600-foot stream of gently flowing water across 16,000 square feet of land.  Guests can ride in rubber tubes and go by its riverbanks, thru waterfalls and under bridges, and just relax and enjoy the sounds and scenery. My husband really wanted to try this but unfortunately it was closed.


The Lap Pool

The Beach Wave Pool

A 19,000 square feet pool with waves of 8 different patterns and with maximum height of 4 feet.


The Ocean Waves

Ocean Waves is the biggest wave pool and the first surfing pool in the Philippines. Its size is more than ten basketball courts combined. It is divided into 3 parts, the Diving Pool, The Family Waves, and the Surfing Pool. Sadly, it is closed for cleaning when we went there.

Their latest attraction is the 6-storey high (320 meters long) zipline that will take you across the entire resort. Teehee! Can’t wait to be back there.

Location

Click the map for larger view.

For more details you can visit www.clubmanilaeast.com.

Photo credits:
www.topicsonearth.com
www.clubmanilaeast.com
maps.google.com