DIY Christmas wrappers and presents

"Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas... dum...dum... dee dum...."

I can't help singing that song as I see Christmas decors everywhere - in the mall, the lanterns and lights adorned on houses we pass by at night...Of course, in our house our tree has been up since after Beaboo's birthday last October, thanks to our official Christmas decorator - Lola Cora! :) It has been a tradition to decorate our house and put up our tree right after Oct 5. since Lola has to go back home to Paranaque after that. So yes, it has been Christmas-y in our house really early. 

But yesterday, I was busy wrapping a few Christmas presents. And my little girl was busy on her own. Guess what my busy little bee's up to? 

Beaboo Anecdotes Revamped

Some of Beaboo's latest antics... sharing them with you before I forget them. :) 

*About Money:  

BEA: Mommy can you buy me a toy?

ME: but you have tons of toys already and besides we don't have money

BEA: But I have money!! look!! (she shows me her coins, about P20 of assorted coins)

ME: But sweetheart that's not enough. we need the paper money too.. we have to work really hard so we can have enough money to buy you toys 

Package from the USA (Worldwide Culture Swap Group 62)

Another package arrived for us from the USA.  

It was sent by the Robisons from Ohio, USA.

Saludos desde España (Worlwide Culture Swap Group 62)

Saludos desde España! Greetings from Spain! 

It was a wonderful surprise for Bea when she arrived from school last week...

The package from the Boned family of Spain has arrived!

Let's Cook: Thai Stir-Fry Chicken with Cashew Nuts

While hubby and I were in Thailand, this Thai Stir-Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts was one of our favorite dish. There was even a group of European tourists who order this same dish almost everyday! :)

Worldwide Culture Swap Group 62 - FROM KENTUCKY, USA

This was waiting for us at home today...

It was a package from Lexington, Kentucky, USA! 

The McConell's package has arrived! 

Bea was so excited seeing the items

Worldwide Culture Swap

The Worldwide Culture Swap is a project initiated by three French expat moms aimed at promoting different cultures around the world to children - starting with their own - to partner families/ children all around the world. Their tagline being "Bringing you the world, one package at a time" is a simple endeavor which centers on bringing families from different parts of the world closer to each other by introducing their own cultures to partner families  within a WCS group. 

For starters, and to those of you who are utterly curious ( I know I did :) so here are a few information from their website about this culture swap program:

Ballet Fever and its benefits for kids

For so long, I have been longing for the day I would have a little girl to enroll in ballet class. :) Call it my childhood frustration or what ( i have two left feet!), but it was a plus for me knowing that my beaboo also happens to love dancing especially ballet! She would dance and do pirouettes and tiptoe across the room at times when she feels like dancing (well more of pretending to be a ballerina) -- even at the mall at times. :)

So a few days ago, we trooped over to a dance studio in Gensan for her first ballet class. It was nice to see all the pictures of little ballerinas in their recital dance wearing their tutus and ballet slippers. The minute we walked into the office, beaboo's eyes (along with her dad) was all alight with excitement.

Anghel dela Guardia

For  many nights, my beaboo has been having nightmares. She usually wakes up in the middle of the night screaming and kicking. There was even a time I got really scared of her since she woke up really really angry. Her eyes were scary and she started screaming "I hate you mommy". I was even contemplating whether I should call a doctor friend or a priest friend to do exorcism. hehe. I was at loss, I couldn't understand what my little girl was going through. Then I learned she was not just having nightmares, she was having "night terrors". See previous blog about night terror here.

And then I started a devotion to my Guardian Angel. I've learned that these celestial beings are not figments of our imaginations, but truly do exist. God in His goodness has given each of us a personal angel, not only to protect us in

Nightmares vs Night Terrors...

For almost a week now, my little girl has been waking up middle of the night screaming at the top of her lungs angrily with bouts of kicking and punching her pillows. I thought she was having a nightmare so I always go to her bed during fits like these and try to comfort her. But oftentimes, the more I give her attention, the more she resorts to screaming and kicking. 

I had no idea what my little girl was going through. I am not only losing sleep but getting worried whenever she has nightmares. Then, just last night, she was having another episode.