Weeky Fest # 1

I'm joining the Weekly Fest from the Pinay Mommy Community and this time we're going to post about some 4th birthday party ideas. This week's fest is hosted by The Nambiars .

We'll it's just timely since my daughter just turned four last May and she extremely enjoyed her birthday celebration.

Here are some of my party ideas:

1) Create a theme. It could be your child's favorite cartoon character or favorite color. All these can be visible in the decorations, banners, party bags, party hats and etc. If we're in Cagayan de Oro, I would show you the place to buy cheap party stuff..hehehe! It's called DD Toys in JR Borja st. :) If you have the budget, you could even let your li'l one dress up in his/her favorite character.

2) Settle for finger foods and not the ones that needed so much of preparation, and clean up . It just doesn't save you time but money as well.

3) Sing some songs and play some games! 4 years and above is the time when they enjoy their birthday parties and when they can actually join the games. Our favorite party games where both kids and parents have fun : The Longest Line, Maria Went to Town ( dressing up relay) , Boiled Egg Catching ( parent and child).

4) Give some thank you tokens or party bags to all the other children. This can range from small simple toys to sweets. Let the celebrant personally give these out to the other kids. It will teach them to not just receive gifts but also to give.

5) Let the birthday celebrant be involved in the party preparation. This will make his/her birthday more memorable. Let him/her help decorate the cake, blow up the balloons or do anything.

That's all I could think of now. If you're interested to see my post for my daughter's 4th birthday celebration , then click HERE.

The Wonderwoman Doll

This is a repost from my other blog..Lalaine's World. Since this is a 'blessing' blog. I'd like to put some of the entries here.

________________________________
February 10, 2008

It's another answered prayer for our Li'l girl! It's just amazing how God answers the kids' prayers and their heart's desires.

A few months ago, Tricia's Granny gave her a wonderwoman costume together with the Justice League DVD ( to acquaint her with wonderwoman, whom she's never heard of before). Since then she's been a fan of her to the point of asking me to buy a Wonderwoman Barbie Doll for her. This is how our conversation went that particular night.

Tricia: Amma, can you buy a Wonderwoman Barbie for me, please.

Me: There's no wonderwoman Barbie, Trish. Barbie only has Princesses. Even if they have it'll be very expensive.

Tricia: I'll pray that there will be a wonderwoman Barbie!

And she prayed. I didn't really take this incident seriously since as far as I know, Barbie/Mattel doesn't produce DC Comic characters.

Then last Friday, we went to the Duty Free Shop in Malaysia...then Lo and Behold! I saw a Wonderwoman Barbie!!?? It was standing there all alone amidst all the Barbie Princesses. I couldn't believe my eyes. Then, I saw the price. It was quite expensive. So, I secretly asked my Hubby to see the doll. He also got excited. THen I asked him if we're going to buy it for her or not since it was not part of the budget. Then we remembered that Tricia had this piggy bank where she faithfully puts in all the coins for her 'to have money to go to the Philippines' (that's according to her). She just have almost the exact amount in there. So, there goes Tricia's first Barbie Doll from her own 'money box'. So my Hubby secretly bought the doll.

Then when we went inside the car, we asked her to thank God for her surprise. Her eyes were already wide, when we mentioned the word 'surprise' but her eyes became bigger when we showed her the Wonderwoman Barbie. She was speechless for awhile. She was so happy and kept thanking us and prayed again to thank God. So, we told her that God answered her prayer which she prayed a long time ago. And I also told her that I didn't know there's a WOnderwoman Barbie. Then you know what she said? "God made the Wonderwoman Barbie for me AMma!". And I think that's exactly what He just did to answer a Li'l girls prayer.

Remembering Z boy and Tricia's Time

I miss those times when my family was here OCtober last year..These were the pictures we took ..Tricia and Z boy..we sure had fun and headache when they were together!..hahaha!!

Bestfriends???.....

(Tricia and Z's first meeting at the airport..Love at first sight!)

or

ENEMIES??

(At the hospital, there were fighting over the hidden 'microphone' they're both holding.)







SWEET???

(Tricia feeding Z taken after Z's birthday celebration)

OR

BITTER??

( yes, they are arguing!!)

Ano ba talaga kids??..You both gave Amma, Appa, Mamay and Daddy alot of headaches..hahahaha!! But it was fun!! I'm sure you're both missing each other na!..But I know you''ll both be great buddies when you're older.

The New Van

I'm so excited now. I'm waiting for my Husband to come with the new van!! Well it's not exactly new..it's a second hand van. But we're rejoicing because it's another answered prayer for us and our little girl.

We've been desiring and praying for a van to be used in the work here. And to be exact, it has only been less than 7 months since we ( including our little girl) prayed about it.. Below is the post that I wrote last year about the prayer for this van. Isn't God amazing? God answers our prayers, even our children's prayers.

----------October 2 , 2007

We are fickle minded parents, that's what I realized today. :)
Just a few days ago, we saw this 15 seater commuter van and my Hubby told our 3 1/2 old daughter, to pray that God will give us a van like that. We have been really desiring..(or maybe dreaming?) to have a van for the 'work' since a lot of people and visitors come over and it's quite difficult to transport them, aside from the fact that we always cross the neighboring country bringng a lot of things.

So, back to the day when they saw the Commuter Van parked at the basement of the mall. The van was left opened, so they saw how spacious it was and it also had a TV inside. Our daughter just loved the TV and so when my hubby asked her if she like to have a van like that..she immediately said "Yes" and prayed.

Then just this evening, we went to Tesco to buy some breakfast and other stuff for our coming visitors who'll be staying for 3 days. We bought quite a lot of stuff since we have 21 visitors coming ( yes, that's why we'll really need a van!) and as a result we got more than 10 raffle coupons for a Nissan Triton Pick- up truck as the first prize! So, while my hubby was filling up the raffle coupons, he was becoming lazy and I had to urge him to go on writing because, what if we might win the 1st prize?hehehehe!!..So, that made us thinking that having a Pick-up truck ( instead of a Van) won't be so bad at all.

So, after the coupons was placed inside the box, My Hubby and our daughter made a trip again to see the Pick up truck that's to be given away as the 1st prize...so, he asked her to pray for the pick up truck...but surprisingly, our little girl, retorted, "No, I don't want that because I already prayed for a Van!"....hahahah!! See this, children can be more consistent with what they want and be so sure of their prayers...but we can be fickled minded sometimes..hehehehe!

The Miracle of Life

Backtrack 2003

We were just newly weds - a cross cultural marriage in a foreign land. So we thought we were not yet ready to have a baby. We had so many concerns in mind if we were going to have a baby, "Are we ready for the new challenge?' Are we ready financially? Are we capable to be parents?" Those were our questions but we always shrug off the thought and concluded, if it's God's will then we just have to accept it. BUt deep in our hearts, we were not that willing.

Then on the morning of Sept. 2nd, a few days before our 1st wedding anniversary, I was doing my devotions and I read, ' there is a time to die and a time to be born'...further on... ' who can form the baby's bones inside the mother's womb ?'... I got scared. I knew God was trying to tell me something. Even a few days before that..the words ' He makes everything beautiful in HIs time' was screaming from my Bible. "Are you trying to tell me something, Lord?" I asked with my heart pounding because I was already few days delayed from my period.

Then the next morning, I did a pregnancy test. True enough, I was pregnant! I was overwhelmed with emotions. I was first worried because I thought we were not ready for a baby but then I was reminded of God's word the previous days. I was already crying and was thanking God for the miracle of life inside my womb. Indeed, it was not a mistake and truly God has a plan for our lives and especially for the baby inside my womb

.

Fast forward 2008 (Present)

The baby that was inside my womb is now turning four years old. She's a beautiful girl, smart and is indeed a great JOY to us. We thank God for giving us this GIFT. Even at this age, she already knows how to pray and intercede in behalf of others. She already wants to tell her friends about God. We know that God has a great plan for her in His Kingdom. Indeed, God has brought her into our lives in such a perfect timing. We can truly attestthat God makes all things beautiful in His time, We thought that we were not yet ready to have a child. But in God's mind, He is ready and He's always there to enable us and He did. It is just our earnest prayer that we indeed be able to nurture her and train her in the way she should go.