Arielle: Not A Baby Anymore

     Today, August 28, 2013, is the 15th birthday of my eldest daughter Katherine Arielle, or as we fondly call her Arielle (or Ate to her closest family members). In the past 2 posts, which I wrote a letter for her (click here) and the second was when I posted her pictures when she was a baby up to the time she graduated from elementary (click here). And now I decided to share 15 things (facts) about my eldest. I hope she will love this, and my darling Ate, this is just for fun...

1. Arielle's birthday coincides with St. Augustine' feast day. And according to my cousin who is the senior sacristan in our church, St. Augustine is the BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.

2. Her full name is KATHERINE ARIELLE...
     Katherine - was from the character of a TV series Beauty and the Beast which my husband loves to watch. There's a catch though, I never knew that the main character's name starts with a C. I just assumed that it began with a K.

     Arielle - was from one of my favorite cartoon movie, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Ariel. Ever since I was watched this, I claimed already that name for my first born child. Since the name is spelled like it was meant for a boy, I decided to add -LE at the name...

3. At the age of 3 and a half, my husband and I decided to enroll her in the nearby barangay day care center. I am one proud mom cause every time I fetch her, she has all these stars stamped on both of her arms. Her favorite toy, is  PUZZLES. You could do 2 or 3 puzzles at the same time and you could finish them in just minutes.

4. At the age of four, she began to watch her first ever movie, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE. From then on, she had her fair share of Harry Potter movie collection...

Arielle's Harry Potter collection

5. Music wise, at the age of 5, she started listening from boy bands like Backstreet Boys, Westlife to Josh Groban and Michael Buble. And now, as a pre-teen, you introduced me to such singers like Taylor Swift, Green Day, Paramore, and others. Yup she loves listening to different types of music.

6. One of our favorite past time when you were like 6 or 7 was watching Meteor Garden. Arielle, her sister Joie and I went crazy over these group as well. If I am not mistaken you're crush in the group was the White "chinito" guy (sorry forgot the name already).

7. Arielle's favorite vegetable of all time is Squash (kalabasa). She started eating the mashed squash at the age of 1, and probably this is why she has a good eyesight.

8. Arielle's nickname is NINA. I took that nickname from one of the many movies of Jennifer Aniston, while I was pregnant with her. Though it didn't stuck with her, that nickname belongs to her.

9. If Arielle, is QUIET, as in not in the mood to talk, it's either she's PISSED OFF, DISAPPOINTED, or ANGRY. This she got from her father.

10. Just like me, she loves to write. She would write things randomly. And because of this, she was part of the ESLC's school paper from grade 4 to grade 6. Some of her writings were published there as well.

11. Since she was in grade 1 until she graduated from grade 6, she just had one crush. Yup, one. hahaha!

12. From the "one length" style of her hair, all of a sudden she decided to have a haircut just like Pauleen Luna's hair...

Her used to be long hair

And here is Arielle's hair cut, she is
the one in white...

13. She has her own collection of books and it is still growing.

These are growing collection
of books. 

14. She is one stubborn, "makulit" and jolly young lady but despite of it all, deep inside, she is one hell of a young lady who knows her priorities in life.

15. One of your dream is to go to London/Paris.... I know that books and Harry Potter has influenced you on this, and I know one day, you will be able to go there. 

     So to you, our Ate Arielle, Happy 15th birthday! Continue to be a good girl to me and to your tatay. Be a good older sister to your siblings. Enjoy life while you're still young. "LOVELIFE" will come to you when you're ready my dear. And besides, your Tatay isn't really ready for that yet.

    We love you so very much my dear.... 

On Being A Mom

     There are few more hours before this important day for all the mothers, moms, nanays, inays, mudras on earth left. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, single moms, working mom, work-at-home-moms, and stay-at-home moms (like me...). As they say being a MOTHER is the most noble job in the world, a job where there is no overtime pay, no bonuses at all, a job that you have to be a NURSE/DOCTOR when your kids are sick (which I really hate the most, I mean the kids being sick and all.); TEACHER, we are our kids' first teachers, we teach them from singing the alphabets to counting 1 to 10 (or at the most up to 20 or more); PSYCHOLOGIST because we really have to understand their behavior/s; FRIEND, we have to be the very first ones to listen to our kids woes and problems, what happened to them at school. Being a  MOM is a job offers no degree at all.

     Every time I read mommy blogs, I usually tell them that I am a mom of 3 daughters. Yup 3. I have 2 pre-teens already and a 6 year old. As they say kids nowadays are totally different with kids, let's say 10 years ago. And to this I totally agree. With my 2 older ones, if they are really makukulit already, I could just stare at them and they will totally behave. As in. But with my youngest, staring with big, wide eyes is not effective anymore. Nowadays, one thing I really pray is that I am blessed with MORE PATIENCE. My facebook friends knows what I am talking about especially when it comes to my youngest. Being a MOM to my daughters is not an easy task. I have 2 pre-teens that I have to guide, tell things that are not good for them, on how to choose friends, and everyday reminder to really study very hard, because cliche as it may sound, EDUCATION IS THE ONLY GIFT that my husband and I could leave them with. With my 2 pre-teens, I have to give them, as much as possible, HONEST TO GOODNESS answers, proud to say that I do have daughters who are way smart than I am when I was their age. As much as possible I NEVER LIE to my daughters because I do believe that being honest with them in return they will be too.

With me are my 2 older daughters,
Ate Joie (with the long hair) and
Ate Arielle (in white shirt)

    My youngest Amaya, being a Mom to her is totally different cause she herself is different. As they say, NEVER COMPARE your kids to each other and I am sorry that I really can't help it. Hahaha! She is totally different in a lot of ways than her 2 older daughters when it comes to being disciplined, she wants HER WAYS to be followed, which will never happen (though once in a while, nakakalusot... hehehe). But like her two older sister, I am proud to say that she is one intelligent young girl too. Like now, I do instill on her the words, PO and OPO, of always telling the truth, teaching her to keep her toys in their proper places.

Our Amaya, the most
makulit among our 3
daughters.

     When I became a mom, I never knew what to expect and now after 3 girls, it is STILL an everyday learning for me. Learning to know each one of them. Learning what they like, dislike, of what they want to become one day. I am learning to become a mom everyday because of them. I know I am not a perfect mother (but who is) nor a good one (hey, I do have a LOT of meltdowns as well) but seeing how other people see and praise my kids of being fine young ladies, I guess I do deserve a good pat in my back. I may be a stay-at-home mom but at the end of the day, I know my girls do appreciate everything I do for them. I am one proud Mom to these girls, who NEVER FAILS to make me happy and feel so loved. So to KATHERINE ARIELLE, JOSEPHINE THERESE, and AMAYA ISABELL, thank you for being my SOURCE OF STRENGTH, for THE JOY you girls bring, for the SMILE that greets me every time you come home from school, for the LOVE you give me.THANK YOU... I could never asked for anything more....

Me and My girls....
I love you girls so much....
You mean the world to me....