Been so long ...

First off I'd like to greet everyone Happy Holidays! Sorry it's been so long. Anyway, I'm gonna tell you now what's been going on with us.

Today is the last day of school for this year so Finn has a week off. School starts on the 2nd. And because it's the holiday season, yesterday they had a holiday presentation at school. Every grade performed. Fortunately, Pre-K was the first ... actually, the 2nd since they started the program with 5 kids playing instruments. And then it was the pre-k's turn. They sung (more like recited) 2 songs which I'm pretty sure none of us know about. The first was Chubby the Snowman and it was a hand gestures kind of thing. The second was something about bells and it was an action type where they stomped their feet, turned around, jumped, that sort of thing. They did pretty well and they were all so cute!

That afternoon, Finn also got his red belt and trophy in TKD. He took the belt promotion test on Tuesday. That's Grand Master DJ Kim with him. Can you believe he's already a red belter? Master Kim also told us that he'll be sending Finn to 3 tournaments next year (^_^) If you remember, Finn had his first taste of competition this year in May and won a Gold and Silver medal. I think next year he'll be sending Finn to NY, NJ and somewhere else. I'm so excited! Even if I know it's gonna be a bit expensive. Anyone care to sponsor Finn?

Jojo has been on vacation since the 11th so we've had time to go to places in the afternoon. One Wednesday we watched Happy Feet and since it was during the week, we were the only ones in the theater! Which was a good thing since Finn was dancing through most of the movie (^_^) Another day we went to have lunch at Minado, the Japanese buffet that we love so much. We've also had time to watch lots and lots of anime (^-^) We've finished Naruto ... well, the ones that have been released so far so that's up to episode 213. Jojo is currently downloading 214-215. And we started downloading Bleach and have finished up to episode 100. We have Death Note too but so far we only have up to episode 12.


The 16th and 17th was our Church's Year-End Thanksgiving. The CWS (Children's Worship Service) was held Saturday morning and Finn got 2 awards, one for Most Active and another for Perfect Attendance (^_^) It's nice to know that he participates even if I know he doesn't fully understand the lessons yet. He even gets disappointed when he doesn't get called on to answer ... hehehe.


Tomorrow we'll be going to CT to a friend's house for a small gathering. Then on Sunday we'll be going to my Aunt's house. She's gonna host a lunch on Monday but we won't be able to make it then so we're going on Sunday instead. Monday we're driving down to VA with another family to stay with a friend until the 28th.


We've been a little busy, maybe that's why I haven't gotten around to updating this until now. Well, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a blessed New Year too!

Below Freezing!

Temperatures suddenly dropped today from a high of 50F (10C) yesterday to a high of 30F (-1C) today! Just now I was watching the weather channel and it says at the bottom right that temp is 19F (-7.2C). I thought I was still sleepy and didn't read it right, maybe it was 49F. Alas, it really is 19F (-_-) Not only that but it's gonna be windy today with gusts of up to 40mph (64.37km) which means it's gonna feel even colder that it really is. Wind chill will probably feel like it's 10 below the current temperature (9F= -12C, 20F= -6C) *sigh* Take me back to Key West!!!!!

Key West

This weekend I was in Key West, Florida to attend a friend's wedding. I had a super time! First of all, I was alone since Finn has school and Jojo had to stay behind to take care of Finn. Second, it was great to be in warm weather. Third, I didn't have to worry about chores (^_^)

I left early morning on Friday going to Miami, then Key West. Good thing I was able to eat lunch at the Miami airport coz I arrived at the hotel past 1 and Tita Vicky (bride's mom) and Moms and Pops (groom's parents) went out for lunch already, and the couple (Melissa and Peter) were doing errands. After I unpacked, I walked to a drugstore to buy some stuff. It was hot! Unfortunately, my summer clothes are all in storage already so I was stuck with jeans. Anyway, I walked back to the hotel where it was cool and read the book I brought with me. About past 2 they were all back and we just hung out and talked. It started raining too so we just stayed indoors. It stopped raining before dinner so we went out to eat at the Conch Republic Seafood Company. Food was sooooo good especially the Conch!

The next day after breakfast, we went out to buy Moms some slip-ons to wear to the wedding ceremony. After that we had to split up coz the girls had to have their nails done, and Michael (Melissa's brother) wanted to go to the Hemmingway House. Moms and Pops and I decided to have some lunch at Sloppy Joe's (great Sloppy Joe pizza). After lunch we took the Conch Tour Train which went around the island. It was a very informative tour. After 90 mins, we started to walk back to the hotel to get ready for that night's welcome dinner. The dinner was held at Bagatelle and food was again, sooooo mouthwatering! After dinner, Catherine (their niece) and I got our henna tattoos (^_^) Then a few of us walked around some more.

Sunday was the wedding day but we had the whole morning free so after breakfast, Tita Vicky, Jane (her friend) and I walked to the Butterfly Conservatory. It was so beautiful inside with all the butterflies. Tita Vicky had to leave early coz she had to have her hair done. So Jane and I stayed a bit more in the conservatory. After that, we walked to the Southernmost Point of the continental US (it's still up for debate though) which was not far from the conservatory. We had our pictures taken and then walked to look for Mile 0 of US1. After all that walking, we had lunch at Wendy's coz that's closest to the hotel and we had to get ready soon for the wedding.

There was a trolley hired to pick up guests from 2 points going to the venue which was Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. I was designated as the videographer and at the same time I tried to take pictures from my camera. If you look at the album, you might see some off-centered photos ... that's coz I was holding a videocam and a camera at the same time. Anyway, the ceremony was nice and short. We took the same trolley going to the reception held at the Audobon House. After all the partying, we went back to the hotel and some of us (mostly Peter's friends) decided to go out again (^_^) We went to Sloppy Joe's for some drinks and more talking.

Monday morning was departure day for almost everybody. 3 of us went to the airport together coz our flights were just 5 mins apart. This time I was passing through Fort Lauderdale, then to Newark. My connecting flight from Fort Lauderdale was delayed for 1 hr and 30 mins but only 30 mins delayed in arriving at Newark which wasn't bad. I slept through most of the flight coz I've been up late the couple of nights before.

Home at last and after dinner, I started uploading the pictures into my laptop. Then off to bed I went. Now I'm trying to catch up with "work". *sigh* I miss the nice warm weather already and the very laid back atmosphere in Key West. Can't wait to go back there.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Happy Thanksgiving! Sorry, I know it's late but I didn't have time the past few days to update this. So what has been happening? We always spend Thanksgiving lunch with my Aunt. She does all the cooking and they're all great (^_^) Of course there's turkey with 2 different kinds of stuffing this year, cranberry sauce, gravy, lasagna, corn, green peas, sweet potato, rolls ... what else ... wine, hmmm ... and we had ice cream cake for dessert. I wasn't able to bake anything this year and I'm not sure why.

Anyway, after that, we went straight to a friend's house for Thanksgiving dinner with friends. So more food and more good company (^_^) I wasn't able to eat a lot coz I was still full from lunch but that's ok. After dinner, most of us were talking about black friday - sale time! A lot of shops will be open at 5am and there are early bird deals too so of course a mass of shoppers is to be expected. Jojo left early coz what he wanted was an early bird item but unfortunately, it was already gone when he got there (-_-) When he got back, the three of us went to KB toys to do our shopping for all the kids here. Then off to Target for more shopping. We finished our list in one day!

When we got home I started wrapping the gifts already coz if I don't, I might get lazy and put it off until I cram-wrap. This was a very expensive weekend for us so we have to cut back on our shopping for now.

So how was your weekend?

Crazy Hat Day

Today is Crazy Hat Day in school and this is what Finn decided to wear. As we were about to go, he insisted that I wear my hat too. So I did (^_^) We were wearing our silly hats on our way to school and when the wind blew, his propeller would turn. So cute! Not everybody had a hat on. There was one who was wearing Mickey's Wizard hat and another wearing Goofy. There were a couple of fuzzy, furry hats and one with a big butterfly on it. Of course the teachers were wearing hats too but no other parent was. We werent' supposed to but since Finn insisted, how could I refuse? Besides, it's fun to be silly sometimes (^_^)

Itadakimasu! Part 2

Last night's spicy spam musubi was delish! I even made another batch for Jojo's lunch today. Then Finn requested that I make him a musubi for lunch too (^_^) So this is what I made this morning: regular spam, spicy spam, and hotdogs. Yum yum yum ... I'm getting hungry already (^_^)

Update: I just posted an album with step by step instructions in making musubi (as requested by Cess) (^_^)

Itadakimasu!

This is my latest culinary achivement, the spam musubi (^_^) It was only recently that we decided to try and make it so we bought sushi rice, furikake, nori and a bamboo sushi roller (for ease in shaping the rice). I didn't look for a recipe before we bought all these so we didn't have rice wine. Fortunately, it's optional in the recipe that I decided to follow. I used spicy spam coz we like it spicy. Hopefully it will taste good (^_^)

(Itadakimasu: this is uttered before meals and it expresses not only gratitude for receiving food but remorse for taking a life so that you can consume it)

Weekend trip

We drove down to Viriginia this weekend to attend a surprise bridal shower for a friend. It was a 3 1/2 hour drive and we went straight to the restaurant where the shower was gonna be held. There weren't any games, just good food and opening of gifts. Unlike the other bridal showers that I've attended, this one didn't have a theme to it and the gifts that were given were already the wedding gifts. BTW, her wedding will be held in Key West so I guess that's why they're giving their wedding gifts already. I sent our gift way before and had it delivered to their house. Anyway, aside from that, all the ribbons that were on the gifts were put on a paper plate and made into a hat which she wore at the end. They also wrapped her in the bigger ribbons and it looked like a mini dress on her (^_^)

After the lunch party, the girls went on to Melissa's (the bride-to-be) cousin's house for a Passion Party. So Jojo and Finn went ahead to Melissa's house coz we were gonna stay there for the night. The Passion Party was great! A girl came and presented us with her products that included lotions, spa sets, oils, and the like including edible stuff and things to play with (~_^). We had a great time. We played a little game too and all I can say is, among the girls there, I was like the virgin. I don't know if that's a good thing or not ... hehehe. After the presentation, you can order what you want from her. When that party was over, 4 of us went to Melissa's place and stayed overnight.

The next day, after having breakfast, Melissa took us to Theodore Roosevelt Island. Finally, we were able to see decent fall foliage and I now have great fall pictures. It was a nice place coz it has a swamp and a marsh and information along the trails. After that we decided to start our drive back home so we said our goodbye's there. But we made one last stop at a scenic overlook along the George Washington Memorial Parkway. I just wanted to take more pictures (^_^) Then we went home. The album is posted on the right for your viewing pleasure.

Uno!

The three of us were playing Uno last night and in one of our games, Jojo almost took all of the remaining cards (^_^) Just look at all the cards he has! hehehe ... needless to say, he lost that game (^-^)

School Pic

Here is Finn's school picture, taken Oct. 11, 2006. Yeah I know, it's one of those forced smile pics but that's ok. He looks like a really big boy now doesn't he? The class photo wasn't distributed yet. They're waiting for the make-up photography session to be over and then they'll distribute the class photo. They didn't do a traditional group picture, instead they're going to put their individual portraits on one sheet with their class info. Kinda like a page from an annual. That way, even if a student was absent during the scheduled photography session, that student's picture will still be in the class photo. I think this is a good option especially for younger kids since I'm sure not everybody will be looking at the camera, or some are making silly faces or whatever. This way, everybody will look their best (^_^)

Fall Drive

Today we drove to Pennsylvania to see some fall foliage. Sadly, most of the trees were past peak already so it wasn't as colorful as we would have wanted. It was also a very windy day, with up to 50mph winds! So the windchill really had us shivering. A lot of trees lost their leaves already too. But nonetheless, it was a good day trip.

We went to Tyler State Park coz they had a covered bridge inside the park, at the very far end. I wanted to have a driving tour of all the covered bridges in Bucks County, PA but it would take the whole day and we were with friends and they might not want to drive the whole day. So Tyler State Park was a good choice since the park is huge and they had a great kids area. We went down to see Schofield Ford Covered Bridge first. The road leading to the trail is a dirt road and most of the visitors who come here go for the hiking or horseback trail (you have to bring your own horse though). The trail to the covered bridge goes down and to the left. This is the first time I've ever seen a covered bridge so I was looking forward to this. The Schofield Ford Bridge was built in 1874 and is the longest covered bridge in Bucks County. You'll be able to read more on it's history in one of the photos that I took (see album on the right).

After taking some photos, we headed back up to the car and drove back to the main park. We walked around first and the trail here had more colorful trees so pictures were taken of course. Then for lunch we went to the Maze Picnic Area. But guess what, we ate inside our cars coz the winds are just too much! We wouldn't have enjoyed our meal with the wind blowing on us and we're out there freezing. After lunch the 3 of us went to the fun barn near the picnic tables. It's a kid sized bard with a slide and a fireman's pole. Beside it was a maze for kids, hence the name Maze Picnic Area. Nearby is a sand box. Across the field was a playground with another parking lot but we just walked ... rather, we ran (^_^) We just had a little race. Finn went to play for a while then we walked back to the car. After resting a bit, we decided to head back.

It was a nice, liesurely trip, even if the winds did keep us from staying out too long. We'll just keep this place in mind for future trips, preferably with more friends along and better weather conditions too.

Stuff

Finn went home with a pumpkin today. Every student in his school got to choose one (^_^) Not sure what to do with it yet. I'll have to buy carving tools if we're gonna carve it ... or just leave it as it is. I guess Finn can always paint it instead, less mess. If we do decorate it, I'll take a photo and post it here.

Today is also World Series Day in school. Kids were asked to wear their favorite team. Finn doesn't have a shirt or baseball jersey but he does have a Mets Jacket so that's what I put on him. Anyway, not everyone was wearing their team so that's ok. Most of what I saw were Yankees fans ... too bad the Yankees didn't make it.

Friday is Finn's belt promotion test so expect pictures next week. If he passes, he'll be a high blue belter (^_^)

So long ...

Finn's best friend in school will be moving to Orlando tomorrow (T_T) Of course Finn is sad and he says he's gonna miss him. Too bad this is the only picture I was able to take this morning when I picked him up from school. For some reason, my camera didn't want to work so I had to use my phone. And they were in a bit of a hurry so I was only able to get one shot. They sit across from each other at their table and when Finn tells me about school, he always mentions Fabian. Their teacher even told me this morning that they're buddies. Too bad they won't be able to see each other anymore, unless we go to Orlando for a vacation. I asked for their email so that Finn and Fabian can write each other. I hope they continue to keep in touch and be friends as they grow up.

I remember in 1986, I had a close friend who moved to NJ and up to this day, we're still friends and we continue to keep each other updated. In fact, I'm going to attend her wedding in December (^_^)

Hmmm ... I wonder how Finn will be tomorrow at school. And who will be his new best friend? *sigh*

Finally, pictures!

Ok, so last time the photos won't upload and I tried again tonight and woohoo! Here they are. Ok, so that's Finn's TV when we put it in the living room. As I said in my previous post, it looks so out of place. Today we bought our new TV and it fits perfectly! This is soooo heavy. I can help Jojo lift it while walking but we're on the 2nd floor and that was a different story. Good thing our landlord was home when we arrived so he helped Jojo take the TV upstairs. Our old TV was I think 27" and Finn's is 13". This is a Philips 30" HDTV. Sweet! It also has PIP (picture in picture) so you can play a DVD or VHS or if you can pick up a digital channel and watch cable at the same time (^_^) Tomorrow I'm gonna have our cable box replaced and maybe get an HDTV converter. There's a one time fee for that and only $1 a month.

And that, is my Apple Cream Pie. It's fairly easy to make but preparation may take some time since you have to thinly slice the apples. For a nine inch pie, it will use up 3-4 medium sized apples. Tastes pretty good, kind of addicting actually coz it's not too sweet. If you're nice, maybe I'll share the recipe with you (^_^)

Our Day

There's no school today for Finn and Jojo took the day off so we had a whole day to spend together (^_^) First off, we were supposed to go to a TV repair shop coz our TV of 5 years is starting to show signs of wear. It's a flat screen and the picture isn't flat anymore ... it has curves on the sides and lots of lines show up at the bottom and the sides as well. So we go to the address that we found at a website and guess what, they've moved already. So we went to another town where we know had a repair shop and voila! It's not there anymore (-_-) So we went back home and looked on the web again for other shops. We found a close one but they don't service our brand so we have no choice but to dispose of it and buy a new one. Good thing it's Columbus Day on Monday meaning, sales abound (^_^) Hopefully we'll find a good deal on a nice TV on Monday. In the meantime, we moved Finn's small TV to the living room. Our old TV filled up the whole top of the stand and with this small one, it just looks so out of place ... hehe.

We left again to have lunch at Minado ... yummmm! We were so full (^_^) After lunch we went to see Open Season at the theater. I've told you before that Finn gets so worked up whenever he watches something right? Well, this is no exception. He was crying towards the end of the movie! I mean really crying, tears streaming down his face and all. I had to cover his mouth with my hand to somehow lessen the noise. He didn't stop until we left the theater. He has so much empathy it's crazy!

Well, after that we went home already. We're expecting someone to come pick something up right now and I had to bake an Apple Cream Pie. I baked one last week and I forgot to take a picture of it but this time, I made sure to take one but for some reason, the photos won't upload!!! Anyway, it's really good (^_^) And it helps use up the apples we have here. We still have a lot of apples but I have ingredients for other apple dishes so I'll be baking some more stuff in the coming days. I hope I don't forget to take pictures so I can share them with you (^_^)

Back to School Night

Last night was Back to School Night at Finn's school. It was a way for parents to meet the teachers and see what their kids do at school. First the parents sat at the gym and listened to the PTO president and principal and superintendent make their speeches, updating us on what's new in school and all that. Then we went to our kids' classrooms where the teacher is waiting for us. Finn's teacher, Mrs. Johnson, took us through our kids' day from the moment they enter the classroom until it's time to go home. She prepared a folder with our child's name in front with some handouts concerning the things our kids do. It was placed on the table where our child sat so I now know where he sits and who sits with him at the table. Each table is colored and Finn sits on the blue table.

I'm gonna take you through Finn's day at school. First, everyone goes to their seat, opens their bag and take out their folder (every kid has a folder and that's where you place your note to the teacher if you have any, and the teacher places school notices and her newsletter and projects they've done in there too). They place the folder in a tray and then the teacher will call out a table so that they can go to the "closet" to place their bags in the shelves and hang their jackets. They are color coded too so they know where they should leave their things. Next they go to circle time, recite the pledge of allegiance, do the calendar and weather report. Then it's story time. After story time, they go to centers. Here, they are divided into groups. A small group will do a certain activity and the rest have playtime or another kind of activity. Then it's snack time and bathroom. They also have activities that focuses on the letter of the week. Last week was A so everyone was asked to bring an apple and they did apple prints. This week they're on B and they are asked to bring in a stuffed bear on Thursday and they're gonna talk about that.

Everyday they also discuss the class rules, the most difficult is keeping hands and feet and objects to yourself. Meaning, no touching whatsoever! Coz once they touch each other, pretty soon they'll be grabbing toys from one another and they get in a fight. When that happens, the teacher takes the kid out of that situation and puts him in a sort of corner for a little while. The kids also do the cleanup by themselves. They have to put everything back in its own container and in it's own place on the shelves. I just wish he'd do the same here at home (-_-)

So that was back to school night. This coming weekend is a long weekend coz the teachers have a seminar on Friday so no school. Then Monday is Columbus day so that's a holiday too. Jojo was able to take Friday off so even he is on a 4-day weekend (^_^) Wednesday next week is when the kids will have their school picture taken. I'm thinking of what he's gonna wear already. When I get the portraits, I'll make sure to post it here.

Ok, I guess this is enough for now. Till next!

Fundraising

With Finn in school now, there's bound to be some sort of fundraisers. Sure enough, the first one was sent last Wednesday. Finn came home with brochures in his backpack and a note about the fundraiser. There will be prizes for the top seller, top selling class and top seller in grade. Even the students from the top selling class will receive something. And if you sell at least $20, you get to choose a reward for yourself. There are 12 categories, depending on the total amount you sold, and each category has at least 5 reward choices. Plus, if you sell at least $150, you'll be entered into a drawing for an am/fm portable cd boom box. Not bad incentives at all (^_^) And the products for sale are not bad too. Most of the items though are for the coming holidays but there are still some useful and yummy stuff in there. If you want to see the brochures, I made a site for it here: http://www.geocities.com/finnbernales/index.html. Since I can't visit all my friends to show this to them, might as well make a site and let them browse through it in their own time (^_^)

So this fundraiser will end on Sunday and we have to return the orders with the payment on Monday. Orders will be delivered by end of October. Proceeds will help pay for extra programs and activities in school. Jojo brought the brochures to the office and told (not asked) his close friends that it's mandatory for them to buy something (^_^) Too bad his boss was in the Philippines at that time, otherwise he'd be blackmailed to buy everything if he wants Jojo to stay in his current project .... hehehehe. Anyway, we made a lot of sales at work. Aren't they great to help out Finn and his school? (^-^) My aunt and our landlady bought some stuff too. I chose something for myself and guess what ... our total reached $186.50! For our reward, we chose the mini air hockey game and Finn can't wait! Wish us luck for the drawing (~_^)

Apple Picking

Today we went apple picking with the Galfos at the Barton Orchards at Fishkill Farms in Hopewell Junction, NY. This is our first time ever to go apple picking and it was fun (^_^) The weather cooperated too, it was cloudy but the showers that were expected, didn't come. So we each bought a 1/2 bushel bag to put the apples in (a bushel is about 48 lbs of apples) for $14 and rented a pole so we can pick those at the top. We started out with the Jona Mac rows and of course we were eating it as we went along. It was delish! After a few picks we went to the other side towards the Paula Reds. It was crunchier but not as sweet. Then to the Sparta Mac and MacIntosh. Our verdict? The Jona Mac is the best. So we decided to just go back to the Jona Macs and fill our bags with it. Still munching on them as we picked (^_^) It was past noon by then and we were getting hungry so we just went to their store up front to take a look at what they had to sell and left. Other activities in the orchard were gem mining and a corn maze but we were hungry already so we didn't get to go in the maze. Maybe next time. Now we have a lot of apples to eat, bake, cook, and give away. I'll post the album next time coz it's late and I'm getting sleepy and it's gonna take a while to upload so you'll just have to wait (^_^)

Babies!

We have babies! No not me ... our guppy gave birth last night. Can you see that black spot in her belly? Those are the fry (^_^) Guppies have live births, they don't lay eggs. At first I could only see one but when I cleaned the tank, guess what ... there's at least 50 of them (there were so many I couldn't keep track. there are more on top, at the bottom and on the other side)! Imagine that. I don't know if the other fish ate some of the fry coz they do that, so there might have been more. I transferred them to a bowl so they can swim freely and have more food to eat. When they were in the tank, they were all under the marbles hiding from the big fish ... coz they're very tasty fishfood to the zebra fish and their mommy. So now we'll have to see if they survive. I may have to buy another tank for the fry. If they all grow up, I'll have to check the pet stores if they can buy them. Otherwise, it'll just be a donation ... or I'll start giving them away to friends (^_^) I can't have those many fish, coz we don't have room for a big tank ... and that's gonna be very costly too. I wonder if the guppy will give birth in a couple of months again ... even if our male guppy died a few weeks ago. Guppies I guess store sperm so she can get pregnant without the male. We'll see (^_^)

Pinoy Food

We're not deprived of pinoy food coz that's mostly what I cook but of course there are specialties that you don't normally prepare for yourself like crispy pata and sisig (our fave). Today, Jojo decided he wanted to try making sisig. Fortunately, we found a recipe in one of our cookbooks. So off we went to the asian market to buy the ingredients (pig's ears and butt and liver). He's currently cooking it so I'll just post pics later on when they're done. We even borrowed a friend's sizzling plate to make it seem authentic (^_^) I also bought taho which I've missed a lot. It was soooo good. I ate 3 bowlfulls ... can you say katakawan? hehehe. What a yummy snack. Come back later to see a picture of our sisig ... I hope it's successful (^_^)

UPDATE:
All I can say is ..... YUMMMMMM!!!!! The sisig was a success (^_^) But I don't think we'll be doing that often ... too much work. Maybe Jojo can prepare that for parties and other special occassions but otherwise, I think we'll just buy it when we're craving for it (^-^) Doesn't it look authentic? I think your mouth is watering right now ... you want some don't you (~_^)

9/11

It's the 5th anniversary of 9/11 and Finn's school declared today as red, white and blue day. That means everybody should come wearing patriotic colors. So he wore his red and white striped shirt with a thin blue piping on the collar, blue jeans and his sneakers that has RW&B colors. Even his jacket is RW&B. Not sure if they're gonna do something special to commemorate 9/11 ... the kids in pre-K weren't even born then so they have no idea what happened that day. Guess I'll find out soon enough ... it's almost time for me to walk to school and pick him up. Later!

School Boy

It's Finn's first day of school today (^_^) Assembly was at 8.45 for pre-K, kinder to grade 5 was at 8.30. We walked since it was just a block away and when we got there, the bigger kids were entering the building already. We waited for a few minutes at the assembly area, the principal was there and then the teachers arrived. Finn will be under Mrs. Johnson. So the kids were asked to form a line and they followed Mrs. Johnson inside the building. Finn wasn't scared or nervous ... he was excited which is a good thing (^_^) I hope he behaves so he doesn't get in trouble ... hehehe. So now I'm just waiting for 11.15, that's when I have to leave to pick him up. The house is quiet right now, I'm still half-expecting him to call out to me (^_^) I guess I'll be getting used to quiet mornings from now on.

First Haircut

Finn had his first salon haircut today (^_^) I've never taken him to the salon coz it's expensive so I always cut his hair. I've asked him before if he wanted me to cut his hair short but he didn't want to, he wanted bangs so he can comb it in front. Today we asked if he wanted to try out the salon coz we had coupons so it was only $8.95 for a kid's haircut (regular price was $10.95). Besides, school's gonna start on Wednesday so I thought it would be a nice treat before school. He agreed and when we got there, we looked at pictures and he picked one that he liked. He's a good boy when it comes to cutting his hair, he doesn't move around like other kids so all went well. After the cut he said he looked nice. He said he looked very handsome (^_^) Now he wants me to cut his hair short like this everytime. He looks different doesn't he?

Labor Day Weekend

Yesterday we went to Connecticut coz our friends held a barbecue party ... even if it was raining [Apaw was grilling in the garage (^_^)] Lots of food were served ... corn (steamed and grilled), chicken, ribs, sausages, hotdogs, veggies, fried rice, salad, crabs, chips, cake, fruits ... it's like it was our last meal! Everything was sooooo good (^_^) After lunch we played Taboo, girls against boys, and girls won (^_^) Too bad I didn't beat my record of 5 words, but we still won. There were even prizes prepared for us! We left a little past 7pm and it's a good thing we didn't get stuck in traffic coz Naruto was at 9, we didn't want to miss that.

This morning we went to church and after that, we had to do the laundry. We got home after 3pm and decided to take a nap. Finn always takes a nap on the sofa so we left him there and slept in our room. When I woke up at 4.30 and went to the living room, Finn was still sleeping on the sofa, on his Spongebob blanket. I thought Jojo fixed it for him but to my surprise, he did it himself! He tucked his blanket as neatly as he could and he slept on it. Isn't that cool? So proud of him (^_^) At 5pm we went to the park so Finn could ride his bike. Then he played in the playground. We left at 6.30 coz it was getting dark and looked like it was going to rain again.

Tomorrow I think we're going to Costco and maybe to my Aunt's house for lunch, or merienda ... if they're home. It's been a long time since we went there to visit. Hope the weather's nice tomorrow too, don't want anymore rain.

Things I've done

Got this from Hazel's blog:

Highlight the ones you've done.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said ‘I love you’ and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played DVD for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

A Full Day

This morning the 3 of us went to the optometrist for our annual check-up. Finn's eyes were good, mine didn't change, only Jojo's changed a bit. I thought I wouldn't pick a frame anymore since there wasn't any change but I did, hey ... it's covered by the insurance so why not? When I get this pair, I'll have 4 pairs of eyeglasses (^_^)

After that we stopped by the pet shop next to the doctor's office and got more fish. Our male guppy died this morning so we only have one female guppy left. We decided to try a different species since the guppies and the tetras didn't last long. Hopefully the zebra fish will live longer.

At 11.30, Finn had his TKD class and after the class, he was awarded his blue belt and a medal. Now his belt rack is full (^_^) We already ordered another one and that will be filled until he gets his high brown belt.

After lunch we went to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's (again). We got lucky coz somebody left a cup half-full of tokens (^_^) So we played a lot of games that gave out tickets. In the end we had 268 tickets that Finn redeemed for 4 prizes. It was fun (^_^)

Coat of Arms

Found these coats of arms at http://www.cafepress.com/. I was thinking of making one for us before but now I don't have to, coz here it is (^_^) Bernales, is of course my surname now. Cruz is my MILs maiden name. Fernandez is my maiden name, Lerma is my mom's maiden name, Arce is my grandmother's maiden name and Heredia is my great grandmother's maiden name. That's as far as I know.

Now here's what I gathered about the meaning of these symbols:
Colors - red: warrior or martyr; military strength and magnanimity / blue: truth and loyalty / gold: generosity and elevation of the mind / silver or white: peace and sincerity
Wavy line - sea or water
Castle - safety
Crescent - one who has been honored by the sovereign; hope of greater glory
Cross - faith; Christianity; service in the crusades
Fleur-de-lis - purity; light
Lion - dauntless courage
Serpent/Snake/Lizard - wisdom
Square symbols - constancy
Sword - justice and military honour
Tower - safety and grandeur

Pretty cool (^_^)

First Bike!

Well, first big boy's bike anyway (^_^) Got it today and we assembled it the minute we got home. He kept asking "is it finished yet?" as we were putting things together. Needless to say, he was excited. *sigh* He looks like such a big boy already.

Belt Promotion Test

Finn had his belt promotion test this afternoon and he did very well. He was able to break his board in one try! (That's the picture on the left - I'll post the link to the album tomorrow) I'm so proud of him. As usual, he's the smallest one there in his rank (high purple) and if he passes, he'll be a blue belter! I'm glad that he's really enjoying TKD. Everytime I tell him he has a class he'll say "yay!" or "I'm so excited!" This morning when I asked him if he's ready for his belt test he said that he was and asked me if we can go already ... that was before lunch and his test wasn't until 6pm (^_^) So cute. I just hope his enthusiasm won't fade when he grows up.

Picnic and the Beach

Last Aug. 5, Jojo's company held a family picnic at Flushing Meadows Park in NY. We were near the lake and playground so Finn had fun, especially at the fountains. We also brought his bike so he rode that too. There were lots of food including pinoy barbecue, lumpiang shanghai and turon (^_^) The guys played volleyball using a soccer ball (-_-) so I bet that hurt a lot. We didn't stay long though coz we had to go to church that afternoon.

The next day we went to Bradley Beach, about an hour away from the house. We were supposed to go to Sea Bright with another family but Evelyn was in the hospital already, giving birth to twins! We can't postpone the trip to the beach coz Finn was already expecting it so we just looked for directions and went. We were there from 9am to 4pm. The weather was great, the water was perfect, we had lots of fun! 2 of our friends decided to join us and got lost on the way and arrived at the beach at 2pm ... at least they had 2 hours of beach time. The only thing we didn't have that day was an umbrella. Imagine spending the whole day at the beach without a shade! Good thing the sun hid behind the clouds for some time. Jojo has a noticeable tan now, I got burned at the back coz I forgot to put sunblock there. Finn is a bit darker too. But it's all good (^_^) I wonder if we'll be able to go back to the beach before it gets colder.

New Beginning

I've decided to discontinue our old website in favor of this new one, mainly because of the ease of updating it. My personal blog at Friendster will also be discontinued because I've reached my maximum allowable disk space. Hopefully by maintaining just one blog, I'll be able to update this regularly. We'll see (^_^)