Minecraft Inspired Birthday Snack Bags

My little man is celebrating his 10th birthday tomorrow.  His birthday happens to fall on a school day.  He's excited to spend his special day with his classmates.  As a simple way of celebrating his 10th birthday, Yohan will give snack bags to his classmates.

Yohan is such a big fan of Minecraft so his dad and I thought of making custom-made Minecraft bags. We bought green fabric bags and printed a pattern of the Minecraft Creeper.  Jules traced the pattern on an illustration board and used a cutter to define the significant parts.  With a bit of black spray paint, we managed to mark each bag with a Creeper's face. 

A snack bag won't be complete without goodies. We're going to fill each bag with chips, biscuits, pretzels, chocolates, and juice. Every bag will have a tag to mark Yohan's 10 birthday.

 

Early Valentine's Date

I spent the first day of February by going on an early Valentine's date with the two special men in my life -- my husband and my son. We had dinner at the newly re-opened Spiral restaurant at Sofitel Philippine Plaza. Some of you may remember that back in September 2011, Spiral was devastated by a storm surge that flooded many establishments in the area. Spiral was submerged in waist-deep flood waters. Sofitel was forced to temporary close their flagship restaurant because of the damages brought by typhoon Pedring. The renovation of Spiral took more than a year to finish. It finally opened its doors again last Nov. 8, 2013.

It was our second time at Spiral. We enjoyed our first lavish buffet experience. The three of us had no doubts that our second experience would be equally great.

We went down the familiar grand spiral staircase leading to the elegant restaurant below. Lovely ladies welcomed us to the newly refurbished Spiral. We were seated just across the back of the grand staircase with a view of gentle, flowing water. It was perfect!

The food was as great as we remembered. We were glad to see our old favorites and there were a lot of new dishes added to the sumptuous buffet. For my family, it's the best buffet in the country. The abundance of food is simply overwhelming. The new Spiral is actually divided into 21 dining ateliers.  I don't think it's possible to try everything in one night.

Some of my husband's personal favorites include crabs, shrimps, crayfish, steak, bulgogi, beef short ribs, lamb chops, and the Asian pulled noodles. I love the Peking Duck, Chinese dimsum, Korean noodles, and skewered seafood. My son, Yohan love their salad, pasta, and freshly baked pizza.

I was surprised how my little man turned out to be quite a cheese connoisseur because he enjoyed trying out the different types of cheese at the Cheese room.   The three of us share a liking for Japanese, Chinese, and Italian food.  We also loved their freshly baked bread that we dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Yohan preferred butter and pesto on his bread.

After that sumptuous feast, we barely had room for dessert but I knew I would regret it if I missed their delicious creme brulee. Sadly, they don't serve those melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies like before. I think Spiral should really consider bringing those heavenly cookies back. Yohan enjoyed the candy bar and the chocolate fountain. The three of us tried the Creamery which serves different types of ice-cream and toppings. Sadly I was too full to try their chocolates, truffles and pralines.

I had a fantastic time with my family and I'm so happy because on that same evening, I met a dear old blog friend in person. It was a pleasure seeing Kathy of Life is KulaYFul! She is sweet and charming in person as she is on her blog.

 

Yohan's Recollection and First Communion

I'm thankful for family and dear friends who took time to write Yohan letters for his first recollection.  Jules and I also wrote him one.  Yohan told me how touched he was by everyone's kind words.

Yohan received his First Communion last Friday. It's another significant milestone worth celebrating. The boys wore traditional barong while the girls donned their beautiful white dresses and veils.  The children lighted their candles and prayed for guidance. During the Offertory, Yohan offered fruits as symbols of good life and thanksgiving. 

I was assigned to read the Prayer of the Parents. Together we humbly asked God to guide our children in their journey in life and to protect them from the temptations that surround the world. 

Witnessing Yohan receive the Holy Eucharist for the first time gave me a sense of happiness and pride.

A Pirate on Halloween

Yohan is a reluctant trick or treater this year.  He told me that he didn't want to join the Halloween village party this year. I respected his decision to stay home but he gave in to my request to go trick or treating. Jules and I went to the clubhouse to show our support for the event organizers then went back home to pick him up.

Yohan was already dressed up as a pirate when we arrived. He has always been fascinated with pirates, particularly Captain Jack Sparrow.  He never gets tired of watching the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Yohan even brings the DVDs whenever he rides the car.

Jules and I accompanied Yohan around the village for Trick or Treat. I noticed that he wasn't that excited to collect sweets like he used to when he was younger.  I guess my little boy or rather my young man is growing up fast. 

Yohan's Gift

I was so touched when Yohan gave me this stuffed toy giraffe last Saturday.  He won it at Shakey's Fun Zone. 

After lunch, Yohan asked me for some money to exchange for game tokens.  He usually plays his favorite car racing arcade game but he told me later that when he spotted "The Claw" in one corner of the room, he suddenly thought of me.  He gave up his favorite game and used his tokens to win me a stuffed toy. 

I named her Mara. It's a long story but the name is not inspired by the soap opera Mara Clara. ha!ha! Anyway, I will always cherish this sweet gift from my son.


 

First Honor

Congratulations Yohan for being First Honor in class again. I'm very proud of your achievements. Thank you for studying hard and always doing your best. Keep up the good work!

How to Make a Cub Scout Flag

This is Yohan's second year as a Cub Scout.  Last year, he had his Cub Scout Investiture.

Yohan is more active in scouting this year.  Last quarter, he was chosen as Assistant Patrol leader of his group.  He came up with their patrol name Dragon and volunteered to make the group's flag.

Making the cub scout flag became a family activity.  Yohan requested white and red fabric from his grandma while I searched for a simple dragon graphic online.  As soon as I found one, I printed it and Jules painstakingly cut the outline.  He placed the stencil on top of the fabric and used spray paint to fill the spaces in the pattern. We made two flags, a white and a red one.

Yohan and I worked on the outlines of the dragons. Yohan decided that the red one will be the official flag of Team Dragon. To complete the flag, Jules attached it to a long bamboo stick.

Earlier today, Yohan went home to share some good news. He had been promoted to Patrol Leader this quarter.  I'm so proud of my young cub scout.

Yohanism #40

After reviewing for three make-up quizzes that Yohan needs to take on Monday (after being absent for two days), he suddenly goes into Pirate lingo mode ...

Yohan: "I'm so tired of reviewing Mom.  I need a break. If I was out at sea and I was a pirate, I would make my crew walk the plank for entertainment."

I laugh at the thought.

Yohan: "I feel like sinking into Davy Jones' locker."

Me: "Huh??? What do you mean?"

Yohan: "Davy Jones' locker is the bottom of the sea. That's how deeply tired I am."

I was dumbfounded. ha!ha!

I made this pirate hat for Yohan several months ago using black cartolina for the hat and bond paper for the skull.

 

Paper Airplanes

When I was young, I used to make paper boats and paper planes.  I enjoyed folding pieces of paper until they transformed into familiar shapes. I'm glad Yohan recently discovered the simple pleasure of creating paper planes. His Dad taught him how. When Yohan mastered the folding techniques, he made two planes and presented them to me. He said the black one belongs to him and red one is for me. My red plane has a heart and the letter "M" that stands for Mom.

A look back at last school year's highlights

It's a brand new school year. Summer is long gone and rainy days are here again. When I think about the past school year, I realized I have a lot of things to be thankful for.

•  Yohan won a bronze medal in the school Math and Science Quiz Bee.  He was a little sad when he  came in 3rd but I told him that I felt very proud of him the moment I found out that he was chosen as a participant in the Quiz Bee.  Winning a medal makes me twice as proud.

• I'm happy that Yohan met a new friend in class. J and Yohan clicked immediately because they realized that they share many things in common.  They both love to read, draw and play video games. Yohan's adviser told me that she immediately noticed that both of them are wide readers.  They both excel in class.   J and Yohan have become best of friends.

• Yohan had his Cub Scout Investiture last school year.  I witnessed the kids light their candles and recite their oath. I went up on the stage to put Yohan's cub scout neckerchief to symbolize his formal acceptance as part of the Boy Scout of the Philippines. 

• I'm so proud of my son for earning an Academic Achievement Award at the end of the school year.  I'm very happy because has been a consistent 1st Honor since pre-school.  Last school year's Recognition Day was very special because my mom was here on vacation.  It was her first time to see her grandson go up on stage to receive a medal. 

• I found out on Recognition Day that Yohan was Ranked No. 1 in the whole Grade 2 level.  I was teary-eyed when I heard the official news from the school administration.  The Top 3 students were given corresponding discounts on the following year's tuition fee. Since Yohan was Top 1, he received the biggest discount. I'm proud of Yohan's academic achievement and thankful for the big savings.

Revisiting 2011: Singapore Trip part 1

Let me begin the year by filling the void I left on my blog.  Last year was a good year and I would like to take this opportunity to share some of those memorable highlights.

I'll start with our family trip to Singapore last summer of 2011. It was a very memorable vacation because it was Yohan's first airplane ride and it was our first trip out of the country as a family.  It was an adventure from the start because we didn't go on a tour. The tour packages we reviewed only featured selected places so we decided to go on our own.  It was a great decision because we were free to choose our destinations. I booked our airline tickets and hotel accommodation online.

Our Singapore trip was tailored fit for Yohan. We know how much he loves animals so we put the top 3 zoos in Singapore on our itinerary.

Singapore Zoo

The Singapore Zoo was so amazing! It was an adventure in a tropical forest. We came close and personal with different animals. Just imagine 2500 animals living in that 28-hectare sanctuary.

The animals in Singapore Zoo enjoy living in wide and lush habitats. They have a taste of freedom unlike the animals from other zoos that spend all their time in small cages.

 Some of the animal attractions in the zoo.

Here are just a few of the animals we encountered during our walk ...

It was a pleasure to see 3 beautiful white tigers, also called Bengal tigers. walking, swimming and playing in such a spacious habitat. 

One of the majestic white tigers at Singapore Zoo.

Yohan and I rode on the back of a beautiful Asian elephant. We also saw several other elephants playing with a huge ball and spraying each other with water. I've always been awed by the intelligence and strength of elephants.

Fun elephant ride.

  

There were free-ranging orangutans on top of the trees. It was so cool to see them swing, lounge and play right above our heads.

Swinging orangutans.

It was Yohan's first time to see a giraffe. We wanted it to be truly memorable so we let him feed one of the giraffes.  Just look at that long tongue!

Feeding the giraffe with carrot sticks.

At that time, Angry Birds was at the height of its popularity. It was funny because a foreigner approached my husband and offered to buy the shirt he was wearing. Jules politely declined. :)

The zebras were so close.

Before going home, we bought several furry pals and shirts as keepsakes.

At the souvenir shop.

Yohanism #39

Yohan asked me the following questions ...

Yohan: "What's your favorite mammal?"
Me: "dog"

Yohan: "What's your favorite amphibian?"
Me: "frog"

Yohan: "What's your favorite reptile?"
Me: "lizard"

Yohan: "What's your favorite bird?"
Me: "eagle"

Yohan: "What's your favorite fish?"
Me: "clown fish"

Yohan: "What's your favorite insect?"
Me: "butterfly"


I was in the mood to return the questions ... 


Me: "What's your favorite mammal?"
Yohan: "platypus"


Me: "What's your favorite amphibian?"
Yohan: "axelotle"

Me: "What's your favorite reptile?"
Yohan: "komodo dragon"

Me: "What's your favorite bird?"
Yohan: "condor"

Me: "What's your favorite fish?"
Yohan: "aligator gar"

Me: "What's your favorite insect?"
Yohan: "praying mantis"


After hearing his answers, I have to admit, I don't know what some of those creatures look like. ha!ha!

Yohanism #38

The earlier football game between the Philippines and Mongolia was exhilarating. Adrenaline rushed whenever the ball came very close to the goal. My family cheered as Chieffy Caligdong gave the Philippines its first goal. We were ecstatic when Phil Younghusband gave the country its second goal.  It was a 2-0 triumph for the Philippines.

Here's a funny conversation after the game ...

Me: "Phil Younghusband is so cute!"

Yohan: "Mom, it's not about the looks. It's all about the skill."

ha!ha! I almost died laughing. Good thing Phil is blessed with both. :)

Congrats Azkals! 

Yohanism #37

My parents recently sent me several gifts. I was so overwhelmed with happiness which made me utter ...

Me: "My dad and mom are the best parents in the world!"

Yohan heard it and seemed baffled. He asked me ...

Yohan: "What about you?"

Me: "My parents are kinder and more thoughtful than I am."
 
He touched my shoulder and said ...

Yohan: "Mom, don't underestimate yourself."

Photo Hunt :: Colorful

Come and join PhotoHunt

My son had a fun 7th birthday celebration in school a few weeks ago. My husband and I brought some food for the kids and gave each one a personalized birthday token. In lieu of the usual loot bags filled with candies and chocolates, we gave them these colorful miniature pots with wooden animal clips. We had the kids' names printed to give the giveaways a nice touch.

How To Make a Cupcake Tower

For our son's recent birthday celebration, hubby made a simple 3-tier cupcake tower from scratch. It was fun and relatively easy to do. Even the birthday boy helped out.

Interested to make your DIY cupcake tower? Here are the materials and simple steps.

You will need: 
2 large Styrofoam boards
2 even sized Styrofoam squares
ruler or measuring tape
marker
decorative paper (or fabric)
scissors
cutter
tape
glue
long and thin wooden stick (BBQ stick can be used)

Procedure:

1. Cut 3 Styrofoam squares measuring: *8x8, 10x10 and 12x12. Use a ruler or measuring tape to get precise measurements. Use a marker when making measurements so you can easily cut the proportions using a cutter.

2. Cover the Styrofoam boards and squares with decorative paper or fabric. For paper, you can use craft glue. For fabric, it is better to use glue gun.

3. Connect the pieces using wooden sticks. You also have the option to glue them permanently.

4. Clean the surface of the tiers. You can gently wipe the decorative paper or fabric with paper towel. Arrange the cupcakes starting from the last level going up.

Enjoy!

* You can also use round Styrofoam boards or ready made cake boards measuring: 1×8″, 1×10″, 1×12″. Replace Styrofoam squares with cylinders.