Our First Champagne-- Merry Christmas!

Champagne?!.. NOT. It was sparkling juice.. and we really loved it (esp Diego). Merry Christmas everyone-- CHEERS!

Christmas Breakfast with Alex and Miko

Julio's Composition (Grade 3)

This was Julio's project which was posted on the Grade 3 Bulletin Board. Mom took a picture of it because she said she wanted to share this story with you all.

Indiana Jones Birthday

It is November again-- our birthday month! We, Julio and Diego turned 9 and 6, respectively. We had the most awesome party! Indiana Jones-themed complete with treasure hunting! All our friends agreed that it was the coolest!

Dad and mom prepared the treasure hunt-- and Dad even dressed up as Indiana Jones! Coolness!

All of us kids had to follow instructions which Indy (Dad) gave out so we could earn our clues. We even had to perform some tasks which tested our strength, intelligence and yes patience. The activities included drinking a magic potion from the holy grail (actually drinking milk from our goblets); hunting for medallions from the monkey bars in the park; entering the "cave of wonder" (this was actually the tube and slides in the playground)for some clues. Then we went to a place called the "snake pit" where we had to transfer snakes (gummy snakes really) from one table to another using chopsticks. We also had to build a pyramid out of stacking cups! And then the toughest-- we were asked to count all the mailboxes located by the Admin office. What a challenge!.. According to Dad there were 250 mailboxes but our answers varied from 40 to 1,050 (now where did we get those numbers from?! nobody knows!) Our favorite activity was when we were asked to match flags of different countries assigned to us-- we did this in the "forest" where the matching cards were taped on trunks of trees. This was really fun! Last stop was to look for a tree in the park tagged as the "tree of life"-- where a box of candies and chocolates awaited each team!

Thanks Dad and Mom for the awesome birthday party ever!

Some pictures for you to enjoy!




Our cake says it all.











Sipping the magic potion from the Holy Grail as Indy (Dad) looks on.









At the "Snake Pit"











Building a pyramid like the Egyptians.














Cheers to the birthday boys!

Heroes: Halloween Edition

We went Heroes last Halloween-- but with a twist.

We dressed as local national heroes Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio to show our patriotism and love for the Philippines - Mabuhay!

Painting a Winning Masterpiece

Dad brought us along last Saturday to his office's charity activity... We sure were glad that he did-- we had a great time showing off our painting skills and knowing that our masterpiece will be put in good use-- a shelter to a family. Yes, we painted a house! In particular, a house project in "Gawad Kalinga", we painted it blue just like the house in "Pinoy Big Brother".

We got dirty and messy but did not complain. We knew we were doing something worthy-- helping the poor.

Dad and Mom were very proud of us!

Big Boy, Big School, Big Day

J&D (Julio and Diego, as if you have not figured it out yet) now both go to EIS-- Diego finally made the big move and moved to the big school. Here is a picture of his first day in the big school... ofcourse with the big man himself-DAD! And Big brother Julio is just so very proud!

In this picture, big boys check the enrollment list for Diego's classroom assignment.

Running Mates Once More

Brothers forever, running mates once more! We joined the "One Run One Family One La Salle" Fun Run on Sunday (July 13). We ran (okay, walked) 3 kilometers-- more aptly, it was a walk in the rain! It poured that Sunday morning just as the race started but we did not mind-- we jogged (okay, okay walked!), got wet, got wetter... but had lots of fun.

BTW, it was a special race for us as Dad for the first time ran with us. One Family Run indeed.

And so we say once more-- the family that runs together, sweats together!

Futsal Season Begins

We opened another Futsal Season last Saturday-- and what a big start it was for our team! Go Magallanes Team!

We won our first game against BelAir Team, score of 7-3! WOOHOO!!!

Picture above shows goalee Diego enjoying a victory ride c/o team mates (from left) Javier, Sancho and Kuya Julio ofcourse!

Corregidor: The Rock That Rocks

It was another virtual history tour. We went cruising to Corregidor Island via ferry from the Manila Bay. The ferry ride to the island was 1.5 hours, we slept most of our travel time as we had to wake early that morning to catch the 8AM trip. All in all, it was an easy ride.

In Corregidor, we boarded a tram which took us on a tour of the Island Fort. It was World War II once again! But without the figthing, thank goodness!

The island of Corregidor is strategically situated in the entrance of the Manila Bay and as such served as the "gateway" for naval defenses and attacks during WWII. Its fall to the Japanese forces was instrumental in the subsequent capture of the Philippines and the retreat of the American forces.

And so, we trekked back through time as we visited the barracks, the cannons, the armories, and the forts. Bullets and puck marks characterized all these war mementos- each had stories to tell, each a witness to unimaginable atrocities perhaps.

And then there was peace as signified by the War Memorial and Museum-- it is a reminder to all that the war has ended and freedom regained! The Memorial is a fitting tribute to all brave women and men who fought so we can live as freely as we are now!


Our most favorite part of the tour was the Light & Sound Show at the Malinta Tunnel which is a re-nactment of Corregidor's most dramatic WWII events. The Malinta Tunnel is a tunnel complex built by the US Army which was initially used as a bomb-proof storage and personnel bunker. But was later used as hospital and dwelling place for all embattled service men, their family and crew during the siege of the Japanese forces.

The main tunnel is 831 feet long, 24 feet wide and 18 feet high. It branches off to 13 lateral tunnels on the north side and 11 lateral tunnels on the south side. Each lateral averaged 160 feet in length and 15 feet in width. The third lateral on the north side from the east entrance served as the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur and the USAFFE. Malinta Tunnel also served as the seat of government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines- as Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmena took their oaths of office as President and Vice-president in here in 1941.

A little bit of a trivia-- Malinta Tunnel derives its name from Tagalog word 'linta' which means 'leech'; and "malinta" literally means "full of leeches".

We also climbed up the Spanish Lighthouse, the oldest landmark in Corregidor. Known as Faro de Isla Corrigedor (Corregidor Lighthouse) in the olden times and originally built by the Spaniards in 1836. The present structure is a reconstruction since it was destroyed during the war. On the viewdeck of the lighthouse is a 360 degree view of the island, South China Sea, Manila Bay, Bataan and Cavite provinces.

Villa Escudero - Picnic By The Falls

We head off to Villa Escudero (in the boundary of Batangas and Quezon provinces) for a refreshing picnic by the water falls! We were ofcourse with the babes once again-- Mom, Ninang Sheila, Nina and Bel.

The day was simply awesome! Our means of transport within the resort was quite unique- we rode'caritelas' drawn by humongous carabaos. En route we were entertained and serenaded by singers and guitarists who sang "kundiman" or folk songs. We even got lucky and sang "Bahay Kubo" along with the singers.

And the highlight of the day was lunch which was served at dining tables laid out by running water from the falls. We ate and waddled.. waddled and ate.

It was also an experience of Philippine history. We visited the Escudero Private Museum - which houses a varied and diversed collection of mainly religious arts which consists of procession floats and church memorabilia. Clearly these took us back to the Spanish era.

Also on display were dioramas of Filipino ancestors and their way of living then; antique oriental ceramics; costumes from around the world; wildlife; rare coins; old currencies; furniture; weapons of various kinds and sizes (our favorite!; and even clothes of past Philippine Presidents and spouses.

Coolness!

Camped Out!

Julio, Diego and good friend Javier camping out in the park.

We Can, You Can, Toucan!

We searched high and low-- wandered through the zoos and parks of Southeast Asia-- but he remained elusive. We are talking about Diego's favorite bird - the TOUCAN.

But wait!!! Of all the beautiful things that we heard about our local Avilon Zoo... could it be?! really possible?!.. That YES!!! A toucan indeed resides in this animal sanctuary in Montalban, Rizal. We saw pictures on the website, read blogs about it... but nothing beat the thrill of finally... finally seeing a toucan in real color!

So on that cloudy Saturday morning, we all went for an adventure... The Avilon Zoo was not easy to find and the drive was not traffic-free. But it was all worth it-- the zoo was very very nice indeed! The animal collection was impressive! Plus the animals themselves were all healthy, happy and groomed!

Mammals of all kinds- bears, kangaroos, wallabies, deers, capybaras, tapirs, armadillos, orangutans and babboons to name a few. But of course there were wild cats - the lions, tigers, jaguars, pumas and the leopards were just amazing! The clouded leopard remained as Mom's favorite. The Persian leopard was just too majestic that instantly it became Diego and Mom's new favorite.

Reptiles of many types and sizes - crocs, lizards, geckos, turtles and snakes. Even komodo dragons... We have seen so many species of these scary-looking creatures. There were some creepy creatures too such as tarantulas (and other kinds of spiders!!!!)and scorpions.

But for us, especially Diego, the pièce de résistance was its aviary - birds and birds and birds. Oh we have never seen such vast collection of these winged-friends of ours-- from the sweetest to the fiercest; from the tiniest to the biggest.


All we could say was "oooohhhh" as we walked along the cages of birds of prey like eagles, owls, hawks and vultures(imagine?!). And more "ooohs" as we came face to face with the giant ostriches and casowaries.
There were breeds of parrots, parakeets, mynas, canaries, hornbills and yes the magnificent toucan! Diego was just so happy to see one! And we could not blame him-- the toucan is a breed of its own class! Its colorful beak and gentle eyes are just mesmerizing!

On our way out-- Diego requested for us to pass by one more time his new friend, Toucan's cage-- just to say goodbye and see you again! This is definitely a beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Julio & Diego - Meet & Greet - Tom & Jerry

Super Model Diego

...well not yet, but getting there! Diego graces the April 2008 issue of Smart Parenting magazine (see pages 68-69). He, together with best buddies Javier and Nikolas, models and poses for an article entitled "Back To Momma Nature"- a feature which encourages parents and kids to enjoy some outdoor activities and adventures. How very apt for the "park-loving" Diego and friends! Ofcourse, the shoot was nothing but fun- did not seem work at all! See final prints and believe!

Dad In Action

Dad's newest passion is mountain biking!

Last weekend (April 5-6), we drove to Subic to cheer for Dad on his first mountain-bike race! Dad was a natural-- he was fast and having fun! We were pleasantly surprised to see our Dad competing and smiling at the same time too! That was cool! He fared well on the race as well- maybe among the top 30 on his first lap. Now, that was coolness (totally! as Diego would put it).

Congratulations to our Dad! Once again, you make us proud!

While in Subic, we made a side trip and revisited the El Kabayo Riding Stables. This place was especially memorable to Diego who was only 6-months old when we were last there. But now 5-years and 51 pounds later, Diego finally enjoyed his first horseback ride on the mountains of Subic. His horse Viajera did not seem to mind the poundage by the way.

So just like Dad, we had some riding fun as well.

Julio's Bunny Smile

Kuya Julio is growing up fast! He lost two front teeth recently and got visits from the Tooth Fairy. He is getting rich too from all these visits!

We Love Cebu!

Holy week destination for us was Cebu-- and we loved it!

We stayed at the Maribago BlueWater Beach Resort, where everything was peaceful and bright. The beach was small and very private... we sure missed the usual Holy Week bustle ala Boracay- but could not complain having the beach all to ourselves most of the time in Cebu! We basked and baked under the sun -- and we have got some nasty, nasty sunburns.. Ouchh! But still we are not complaining.

And more history lessons in Cebu! It was on the island of Mactan where Spanish conquistador Ferdinand Magellan landed in 1521 and claimed the Philippines for Spain. He baptized Raja Humabon and his wife as King Carlos and Queen Juana. And later on erected a wooden cross on the shore to symbolize the Christianization of the island. The cross is now called Magellan's cross and stands at the center of a hut as its marker. Not far away from Magellan's cross is the Basilica del Sto. Nino- the oldest church in Cebu. We went to both Magellan's Cross and the Sto. Nino church- a trip down history lane indeed!
Next stop was Fort San Pedro. For us, it looked like a mini replica of Fort Santiago in Intramuros. It also served the same purpose during the Spanish time- a refuge to Spaniards, who were most often than not treated with hostily by the natives (remember, Lapu-Lapu?).
We went on top of the world too! The Tops, as its is called by the Cebuanos, is the highest point in the province of Cebu. It is a picnic ground amidst lush greens. We visited at sunset and had a grand time looking down the entire Cebu City- marveling at the night lights. Ofcourse, we had our fill of barbecue (sinugba) and hotdogs- yum!

Check out more pictures-- and see how much fun it was for us!

Diego is Best in Reading and Problem-Solving- CONGRATULATIONS!

We are so proud of our little big boy Diego!

He finished Junior Kindergarten with flying colors and was awarded "Best in Reading Comprehension" and "Best in Decoding". Way to go!

Shown in this picture- Diego, in light blue shirt, waiting for his medal with his classmates.

We Ran To Save The Tubbataha Reef

Our first marathon was for a good cause!

Today, 2nd of March 2008, we ran and finished a 3-kilometer marathon to save the Tubbataha Reef in Palawan. It makes us so proud to think that we did something to help protect the "home" of all those sea creatures that we love. We did it especially for Dad and Mom's favorite sea animals, the dolphins and the dugongs, respectively!.. And maybe for some sea rodents out there, which if any, would definitely be Kuya Julio's most favorite.

We ran, walked and ran again the whole 3K stretch with Mom, while Dad beat his personal record in the 10K run (congrats, Dad!). It was a great family bonding time for all! Diego, who has the most love for animals in all of us, had the grandest of time. By the way Diego now wants to be a vet when he grows up to further help all the animals in the world.

We congratulate ourselves and look forward to more races in the future. As we now say - the family that runs together, sweats together.

We urge everyone to vote for Tubbataha Reef as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/nominees/asia/c/TubbatahaReefReef/

Wheeee!!!! Down We Go The Giant Slide!

During EIS Family Sports Fair. What a fun day it was! Looking on as we slide down, are Nina and Bel.

Hot Air Balloon Fiesta... Weekend of Everything That Flies

Saturday, 9th February 2008. It was a very early road trip to Clark- once again we were with favorite road trippers Nina and Bel and Ninang Sheila. Dad and Mom woke us up at 2AM, and ofcourse, we could not be woken up! so we were literally carried and hauled off to the car. Half asleep, we traveled and reached our destination before sunrise.

We were to witness our very first Hot Air Balloon Festival at Clark!

We were one of the first few cars to park at the designated parking lot, around 4:30AM. It was chilly!-- the wind was unusually cold-- or was it because we were all dressed lightly-- expecting a rather warm day in the sun =D...

At 5AM, we all walked to the Clark Air Field where the hot air balloons were to be filled up and launched. Ang lamig! The air was really really strong and cold!! We waited but no balloons were in sight. Waited, waited, waited... then an announcement- due to strong winds, balloons could not be inflated and would not be able to fly!
AWWW!
So, we contented ourselves with "everything that flies" instead. It was fun nonetheless, a weekend well spent for the whole family! We enjoyed watching the airshow, the paragliders and even flying our own kites. But we had the grandest of time- trying the different AirForce combat gadgets on display at the exhibit! The military weapons, vehicles (including jeeps, tanks, choppers), and even rescue gadgets. Coolness!

And by the way, the picnic was great too! Thanks Ninang and Mom!

We will definitely go back next year, wind or no wind!