juls random thoughts

Kurt and his classmates had a presentation this morning during the 8am mass in the village. I was so teary-eyed as I can't believe that he's a big boy already. I am so proud of him as during the entire mass, he was very well-behaved even if he's far from us as he is with his classmates. They sang Angel of God and even had some actions to go with it. Funny lang the little boy as he only did the acts on the first round, on the succeeding rounds, parang nag-sink-in sa kanya na ang daming tao, natulala na. Here are some of the pics:

Kurt before the mass:

During the presentation, before priest's final blessing:

With kuya Sean:

With lola, Iyos, lolo and kuya Sean:

More of the pictures here.

Wala lang.. Just saw these in my My Pictures folder. Just sharing. These pictures were taken in Beijing, China.

Last June 29, our cluster in the office had an outreach activity. We took 21 kids from Asosacion de Damas Filipinas to Avilon zoo and the members of the cluster with kids were able to take our own kids instead of the kids from the orphanage. Kurt had a lot of fun and funny cause he thinks that Avilon zoo is forest due to lush trees and plants. Poor boy as the zoo he's seen so far is Manila zoo last September as posted here, here and here. Below are the pics on that weekend, wasn't able to take a lot of pics as the little boy always insist on him taking the pictures.

We had lunch first in Jollibee Montalban courtesy of Jollibee themselves, the kids food were for free.

As posted here, the little boy had a lot of fun. Below are some of the pictures of that day:

The little boy watching under the rain with his little umbrella, lolo's gardening shoes and Casper sweater:

Catching some fish with dada:

Look ma at my catch!

More fish to catch!

Look! here's another one, even Casper is looking at the catch!

The loot after several hours of "fishing" and fun!

I have to post here too the photos of the boy while having a bath on the rain, they did that during the morning and had this fishing fun late afternoon.

Last saturday, July 5, we had a get-together with our w@w turned n@w and more specifically knows as calipanga friends. We haven't seen each other as quorum for such a long time that I can't even remember anymore. When Raquel and Carlo had their house blessing and daughter Alyssa's 2.5 birthday last May, Quel and Songs and Lau and Jo were not there (same as the usual absentees: Benz and John, Nyree and Jasper, Ais and Joey and of course Jeanny and Edwin who's in the US na) then before that we had a Christmas dinner in Makati, wala naman sila Raquel and Carlo, and Aileen and Kristian plus the usual absentees above but Ais and Joey was there. There have been a lot of plans and ayain but our schedules won't just meet. This time we decided to push through kasi mababawasan na naman kami ng isa, Jo will be leaving soon for Ukraine so that was our despidida get together for him in their house. Compared to our usual kita-kita since we had kids, this time, we decided not to bring the kids, an all adults affair. And the outcome?! we were surprised when we looked at the time kasi 4am na pala!! and we didn't notice it. We're all so surprised and happy kasi before we had kids, malimit kami mag get-together and we usually go home ng 3am or 4am and now when we meet with the kids, we usually go home at 11pm-12mn, minsan nga earlier pa but this time that we met without the kids, ganun na naman! hay naku! sarap kasi magkwentuhan eh! sapilitan pa ng uwi ang lagay na yan! because of this, we've made a pact na sana eh at least quarterly eh mag get-together ulit kami. And hopefully, our plans for a group anniversary celebration will push through! we just can't believe that we're about to celebrate five years!! and to think, the SARS (surprise anniversary celebration for the Ranas) that was organized when we were planning our wedding pa is John and Benz' 5th wedding anniversary. Parang noon feeling namin ang tagal-tagal na ng five years eh yun pala kami na yun ngayon. Grabe bilis!!

Calipanga family during our 2006 summer outing:
L-R: Lau and Jo with Danielle, Aileen and Kristian with Gabby, Rachel and Denden with Inigo, Benz and John with Kite, Jeanny and Edwin with Keogh, Me and Hubby with Kurt, Quel and Songs with Jeg

Calipanga girls (without Rachel) with Toni during Kite's 5th birthday:

L-R: Nyree, Quel, Me, Toni, Lau, Jeanny, Ais, Aileen and Raquel

Calipanga boys (without Denden) during Kite's 5th birthday:

L-R: Jasper, i think it si Ram ni Toni, Jo, Hubby, Edwin, Joey, Carlo and Songs

Funny kasi ang papayat pa namin grabe!! lahat kasi preparing for wedding pa lang.

After SARS (same night), with the Kink cake (John's surprise gift to us):

Complete din sila: L-R, standing: Edwin, Carlo, Joey, John, Songs, Jasper and Jonathan; L-R, seated: Hubby, Denden and Kristian

During the group bridal shower organized by Benz and Tisha, few days after SARS, still in Batis Asul's place, we're holding RAquel's shower gift to us:
We had other pictures kaso most are with hubby but mostly before the wedding kasi on our get-togethers when we had kids, we seldom take pictures na.

Continuation of this post

WARNING: Photo overload, goes to show that I so love Summer Palace.

Summer Palace (UNESCO world heritage site) – I so love this place, I actually even liked this better than the Forbidden City, only the pictures can explain why. Summer Palace is the emperor’s vacation house, basta ganda-ganda ng place. And as if hindi kami napagod sa pag-akyat sa Great Wall and Ming tombs, we even went up pa the Yu Feng Pagoda on top of the hill. Grabe talaga! Pero we’re so enticed with the beautiful structures and surroundings na kahit super pagod na, go pa rin kami ng go.
















To be continued... too much photos already

Continuation of the Beijing kwento...

Ming tombs (UNESCO world heritage site) – we went to Ding Ling, the only tomb that have been excavated. Ming tombs is composed of 13 tombs of the 17 emperors of the Ming dynasty, instead of building pyramids, they create an underground palace on hills and that serve as the emperor’s mausoleum. We passed by cherry farm so we bought na rin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_Dynasty_Tombs ; http://www.mingtombs.com.cn/ ; http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1004
Bridge entrance:

Ano raw?



Going to Underground Palace where the tombs are buried:

Inside the underground palace, behind us is the emperor's throne and some of his possessions:

A replica of the emperor's, empress', concubines tombs and their kept treasures:

Finally, up and out!

Last in ou itinerary for the day was Summer Palace.

To be continued...

Friday last week, I was surprised when I got home from work as the yaya told me that Kurt has homework. Wow! only on second week in school and he's got homework already and to think he's only a nursery. When I checked his assignment notebook, I found four assignments! so while the little boy is still excited in doing his homework, we answered it that friday night. I completely forgot to take pictures then but since its a friday today, new set of assignments again! I took pictures already of his assignment last week.

First, the task was to color the two pictures with their natural color. So I asked the little boy the color of apple and sun. Here what he did:

Second, put a check mark if the drawings are alike, then put an x if not. Well, the little boy know the answer, the problem is in putting the check mark and x. As in we practiced first before actually doing it, unfortunately, the little boy's check mark was not clear, nagmumukhang x so i told him to just put a diagonal straight line instead. Too bad however that the teacher did not give points to those drawings that he wrote his version of check mark, malabo kasi kaya he only got 2 out of 4 correct. Kainis!! gusto ko sana ireklamo sa teacher kaso sabi ni hubby wag na.

Third, to put an x on the drawing that differs with the rest. on this, the little boy got everything correct so he was given a star.

And lastly, the hardest of them all, he's asked to draw the missing parts of the face. The little boy knows that the drawing misses two eyes, one nose, one mouth and two ears but to draw it! that's another thing. I'm just so proud of the little boy that he did not give up until he's satisfied - he keeps on erasing until he likes what he did. And here's the funny face that he draw:

He's got four new homework again and a note from the teacher. Apparently, he'll always have a homework on fridays. I'll be posting the second homework next week - with the teacher's marks.

Wow! I really have a schoolboy now.

Saturday, May 31, our agenda: Great Wall of China, Ming Tombs and Summer Palace.

First part of the trip - Great Wall (UNESCO world heritage site) – we went to the Badaling side, which is the part of the wall nearest to Beijing, we left early kasi since it’s a weekend, madami daw tao. I was so in awe of the place when I saw it, parang I can’t believe that I am actually there. Fortunately, nakayanan ko akyatin yung tallest tower, fourth tower, which has total of 888 steep steps, some parang stairs, others as in steep road lang. grabe talaga experience! Pagod! Pero so worth it, I can’t actually describe how it feels, basta kakaiba. Had lunch in Starbucks, yes, there is starbucks in great wall = ) then off we go to Ming tombs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badaling; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_wall_of_china

Ticket booth:


Group picture at the entrance:


Roel, me and My with the awesome background of One World One Dream (theme for the olympics) and the wall that we will climb, it'll take us 888 steep steps, some stairs some just steep road, to rich that top in the background and that'll be the fourth tower.

Now, we're the same level as the olympics theme:

Few more steps, three towers past:

Finally! on top! but once we got on top, that's when we saw more of the wall at the back and I am so at awe of those people who continued on walking to think I am so dead tired when we got to the top. As obvious in the photo, only five of us survived the climb to the top, others gave up midway. I almost did actually but seeing that I'm a few steps to the top made me decide to go for it.

One of the unexplored side of the very looooonnnngggg wall:

Window in one of the towers on our way back down:

A photo on the other side: