My 40th birthday - Year 2014

Hulk made of Lego at the Lego store in Downtown Disney District Anaheim

Twenty-Fourteen has come and gone but the memories will stay with me forever. It's a big year as I turned the BIG 40. I had a surprise high tea celebration orchestrated by my husband Matt and my trusty sister Jasmin. My beautiful friends were there for this special occasion (a few girls missing).

I love surprises!

High tea with these beautiful ladies. I love this day.
Decorations by Ang and Jas, cake by Alma, photos by Mary

As part of my birthday celebration, we embarked on a family holiday/adventure to LA, San Francisco and Las Vegas.

We had the privilege of staying at Disney Grand Californian Hotel and obtain a 2-day pass to Disneyland and Adventure Land. For my actual birthday dinner, I booked the most expensive restaurant in Disneyland, Carthay Circle restaurant. I thought, why not? The kids fell asleep half way dinner though. In hindsight, worst idea everrr.

The kids slept a lot - jet-lagged and their little bodies trying to adopt to the time difference.

I take selfies when I can

We also partook in a Pirate Night organised by Matt's colleagues. This event particularly enjoyed by Jack.

Summer asleep on the bench

Look at Jack. He needs two swords!

One happy pirate family!

We also visited Hollywood Walk of Fame and Chinese theatre.

I finally saw the sign. "I saw the sign and it opened up my mind. I saw the sign."

We also had the opportunity to stay the night at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. The same night President Obama was there. I didn't get a glimpse of him but I did his body guards, agents with walkie talkies and earphones wearing sun glasses and his guard dogs.

Hollywood theme dinner with my handsome husband Matt

San Francisco was our next stop. We found it a very friendly place. We enjoyed sight-seeing and the food tasting! San Francisco does not disappoint.

I also met up with my high school friend from the Philippines Eva and her husband Gil.

Beautiful people - Gil and Eva

My birthday cupcake at the Rainforest Cafe, Fisherman's Wharf

Pier 39 where you will find the sun bathing seals of SanFrancisco

Gil, Eva, myself and Alcatraz in the background. I think.

Las Vegas surreal and extravagant in every way. We went on a gondola ride, ate in a Parisian hotel, watch a volcano erupt, have a picture with a Minion and other CRAZY stuff!!

There was not a dull day. We walked and visited famous hotels in the strip 

Cafe au lait si el vous plait

We finally gave in and let Jack have a  photo with the Minion

Our home for 5 nights

View at night

Our room

View during the day

More views from our window (further left)

More views - further right

Inside The Mirage

Humungous aquarium at the reception of The Mirage

The Golden Nugget hotel. The slide goes in the shark tank! Hello!

I tired the 7 Layer Choc Cake, the Hershey 5th Ave Cream cake, the carrot cake, the Pecan pie.

More and more cakes. I am sad to say I didn't try any of these cakes as I ran out of nights.

I totally love life and totally love my family and friends. Thank you 2014 for such a great year.

Celebrated 5th year anniversary with this lucky guy ;-)

2015 is looking very good already.

Before Fifty Shades of Grey

... was Different Shades of Red. LOL.

Potty Training ... it ain't pretty

Potty training my little boy is a frustrating thing ... my family have been giving me some tips and I tried to put one in place - the potty training reward chart. I am here to share the chart to those interested and would like your feedback. What can I do to improve it? Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Christmas is a coming

BOOM! 35 days till Christmas Day! This year went so fast. I wasn't sure what had happened? I had to sit down and think about the big and the little moments which makes this year a memorable and an important one.

Which also leads me to think what I am teaching my kids about Christmas? Is it only about being good so they will receive the presents they desire from Santa?

Growing up in the Philippines where Santa is not so big. We knew stories about him but he wasn't the big picture of our Christmas celebration/tradition. We had and still have 'simbang gabi' (Night Mass) which has a very deceptive name because mass actually starts at 4 or 5AM!! Which means I had to wake up at 3am and the kids in the neighborhood walked to the chapel/church for mass.

We would also form groups to do Christmas caroling - knocking at people's door and singing in exchange for small silver coins. I knew that some kids would make their own drums from cans, deflated balloons and rubber bands; and tambourines from 'tanzans' (beer/coke bottle tops) and wire.

Christmas Eve and Midnight Mass are also a big celebration and we have certainly kept that tradition in our family in Australia.  

When I was a 9 or 10 year old  student of St Anthony Catholic school, we created Advent Wreaths as a project to commemorate the birth of the savior  Jesus Christ (Roman Catholic). Our wreaths actually have 4 candles which we light every week the last one being purple and lit on Christmas day.

What Christmas tradition am I going to create with my kids? I've started telling Jack that it's Jesus' birthday on Christmas Day. To which he responded 'birthday cake.' So we are going to bake Jesus a chocolate cake.

When they are a little older, I can involve them in making a wreath and decorating our Christmas tree and nativity set. Atthe moment they are destrying my tree - by Christmas day all the baubles are gone. I'm happy if its still standing. LOL.

Call me crazy, drama queen

Sometimes the littlest of things just topples me over and I have a meltdown.

Image from http://meltdown--vocaloid.deviantart.com/#/d2g8va0

Yes, I am a whinger too. And I should stop complaining and just do something about it. So, what if you are sleep deprived and even though you want to do things for yourself - sleeping is a better option. If I can only 'knit' & sleep at the same time :-(
(I really don't want to knit but you know ... something).

I am a woman. I'm suppose to be able to multi-task.

I know my mountain is small. There are other mum's in worse cases. I have  a supportive husband. (We've gone a long way on this). SO I should not be complaining EXCEPT I feel that the inner me is missing out. I keep cancelling her hours of quiet time because I love my family so much. I am neglecting her. A happy inner me - makes a happy mum and happy children and happy family.

The burgers are better at home!

Love the burgers that my husband made tonight. I call it The State of Origin Burger! It's Wagyu beef patty - cooked perfectly. What's also special about it is the caramelised onions, the roasted onion aioli and the side serving of home-made chunky fries! Mouth watering!

Toilet Training Jack - Getting Ahead of Myself

First day of toilet training - major fail

We finally bought a toddler's toilet seat so I can start Jack's potty training. The plan is when I see him doing the 'deed', I rush him to the toilet and sit him in the throne. Simple.

Nothing is ever simple! I see the 'signal'. I call him to do his 'poo poo' in the toilet and I was surprised he followed me. Took pants and nappy off then sat him on the potty. He cried and cried and I am hugging him and singing the Alphabet song, etc. He cried and cried and nothing came out :-(

I am going to spare you the (not-so) gory (but-still-gory) details.

So he's changed and happy once again minding his own thing. I am tending to Summer on the rug, when I saw Jack running out of the bathroom with the  potty in his head! I laughed out loud and thought  - 'we have along road ahead of us.'

Fun times ahead!

Long road ahead of us with Jack's toilet training!

Mum's turn!

Non-related picture. He likes to use everything as his hat! :-)