Oral Health Care

I’d like to admit I had a poor oral hygiene when I was young (I guess everybody went past that stage), as they say, “regret comes in the end”. I now reap what I sow, I have missing molars that need dentures. My kuya who is a dental technician by profession suggests dental implants, it is an artificial tooth that are placed in the jaw, it looks and feel real teeth and it does not alter the natural teeth that is next to the implant. My kuya is working in a hospital in Riyadh right now, how I wish he could make me one (for free ofcourse). But if I may fancy, I would rather have my dental implants Mexico style. I heard the place offers good dental services plus I can visit its spectacular beaches too. Not to mention Mexico offers cheap dental procedures than most part of the world. Dental implants Los Algodones Mexico specifically is the place to be, it is the most peaceful US-Mexico border, which will literally makes patients return home with a big smile.

So now, as part of personal hygiene, I introduced teeth brushing to mi bebe early. I started brushing her gums (yes, I was cleaning her mouth even before her first tooth came out) when she was around 3 months old. It was merely wiping of her gums, tongue and cheeks (inside part) to prevent bacteria build-up and to prepare it for a healthy teeth in the future. I used gauge wrapped around my index finger damped with her drinking water. It is also a good way of introducing oral health care to infants. Mi bebe just loves brushing now, so much that she’ll make sure she’ll make you feel that she doesn’t need ANY help. Lol

Goodbye my Mashie

I was about to post an update on the development of the new born pugs but something unexpected came out. Their dear mom-pug, Mash, decided to say goodbye to them and to all of us. She left us without a warning, she caught all of us unaware. She was our pet for 3 years, it was so disheartening.

It was on that fatal hot Friday, everybody in house who saw her condition got worried in an instant. My mama called me from home to inform me of her state, she reported that Mash is suffering from heat-stroke, she was breathing deep and with tongue out. I ask her to give water and shade her against the sun ray, she told me they already did and that my brother was pouring water over her tongue. They even put a fan directly on her. I thought she’ll get by with the first aid administered to her, but to be sure, and knowing that mi esposo is more knowledgeable, I asked him to call home and hear Mash’s condition for himself. He just added to dump wet her nose. We thought she’ll be okay.

When we arrived home, Mash was so far from okay. She was so weak and her body was so stiff. After few attempts of giving her emergency treatment, mi esposo finally decided to bring her to a vet-med. The veterinarian who saw her, instantly ruled out heat-stroke and told mi esposo it was caused either by corona virus or poisoning. The doctor did his best to revived her, but Mash was not able to come back home.

Back to PC Games

I’m revisiting this old time PC game. We all went crazy over PC games before the game apps for Facebook took the gaming scene, didn’t we? There’s Tumblebugs and Feeding Frenzy, newer games like Plants VS Zombies and Angry Birds. But I am particularly reunited with Dinner Dash 2. Remember how Flo returns from Nirvana to help 4 fellow restaurant owners defeat the greedy tycoon, Mr. Big? That is my game. I remember before I used to finish all 5 levels in 1 seating and take note, all (as in all the stages of each level) with expert scores, that’s how good I am. *wink*

For those of you, who are not as “good” as me in playing Dinner Dash 2, let me give you these tips (these may also be applicable in any other dash and time management games). The 1st rule is not to PANIC. So what if the queue is long, so what if their satisfaction rate is diminishing, as long as the customers do not leave, you’ll survive. But you’ll only survive with the expert rank if you do the following: (1) seat customers according to their color. You’ll receive extra point (x2, x3, x4 of the score actually) if they are seated on the right color, plus their satisfaction rating will also increase by half heart. (2) repeated action also earns extra points, so to take orders, deliver food, and collect tips in a row. But remember it is important to keep your customer satisfaction level high. If the customer is in line, talk to them using the podium or use the waiting chair, once they’re already in their seats, offer them a drink or snack or entertain them with music. Be mindful of the upgrades, it is very helpful.

But those tips are only deemed useful for the story mode, the endless shift is a different story. I tried it just now and its giving me palpitation. I’m calling an ambulance to stand-by. Lol

Fruit of Labor

It’s the 115th Founding Anniversary of this government agency where I work for. Great milestone as it is, we are not having any extravagant celebration, we were just enjoined to attend a thanksgiving mass and a free snack will be served during the merienda time. Simple as it is, everybody in this agency cannot contain their happiness. Why? Because aside from the fact that it is our pride to be part of such momentous event, the bosses was extra generous to give their employees a more reason to smile about. They authorized our Finance Office to credit our respective ATMs a reasonable amount. What can be better news than that?

On the other hand, I think I am compelled to report that my part-time job had already bore fruit. I registered to a blog ops which, luckily, gave me positive feedback. After submitting the required entry, I was sent with the payment via my Paypal account in no time. I’m so grateful with Ms. Paula for this opportunity, it was so pleasant to be working with her. I hope this won’t be our last business endeavor.

Monetary benefits are always good motivating factors to every employee. No amount is too big or small, just keep it coming. lol

Infant Vomiting

I called in sick yesterday to nurse mi bebe. We came home the other day and found that she has been throwing-up for unknown reason since late that afternoon. My mama run downed everything she had eaten and her activities that day and assured me she did not hit her head or anything. We’re worried of course, but that is not a reason to panic (even if she cried and screamed out of her frustration). I stay calmed and assured her that everything is going to be okay. It is always best for mothers to stay calm and assertive because babies will acquire the energy they display. I immediately ask mi esposo to search the net for possible reason of her vomiting and its cure. Thank goodness to these helpful sites, it relived our anxiety. But of course, I verified everything with her Pedia and still followed her doctor’s advice in the end. I'm so relived she's okay now.

Here are top causes of vomiting:

1. Stomach flu – especially if your baby is also in fever and is having diarrhea.
2. Food poisoning – this doesn't really mean "poison", it simply means there were some bad bacteria in the food your child ate.
3. Other intestinal illnesses – there are a variety of other viral and bacterial intestinal illnesses besides the flu that can cause vomiting. Most are not serious.
4. Severe cough and cold – children can often vomit after a big coughing fit. This isn't really considered a vomiting problem but rather a coughing problem. 
5. Bladder infection – if your child has had a high fever for several days with occasional vomiting, and the urine burns or smells foul, consider this cause.
6. Intestinal obstruction – this is by far the least common cause, but it is also the most serious and is considered a surgical emergency.

Here’s what to do during child's vomiting:

• Give your baby nothing to eat or drink for one hour following an episode of vomiting in order to rest the stomach and prevent further irritation.
• You may give 2 oz of Pedialyte or Hydrite to avoid dehydration.
• Monitor your baby for signs of dehydration, such as less frequent urination, a strong odor or darker color to your baby's urine, increased fussiness, lethargy, sunken fontanels, reduced tears when crying and a dry or sticky mouth.
• When six hours have passed without vomiting, formula feeding may be resumed.
• For older babies who are accustomed to solid foods, introduce clear liquids once your child is feeling better and has not vomited in at least eight hours.
• Resume a normal diet when 12 hours have passed since the last vomiting episode. Begin with foods such as bread, cereal, pasta, bananas and applesauce.
• Contact your baby's pediatrician as soon as possible.

Bride's Little Helper

Remember my post about the wedding event last weekend? It turned out to be a success. My warm greetings of congratulations and best wishes, again, to the groom and bride, respectively. I especially love attending weddings, it brings back memories of my very own wedding. The love and the romance, the fun and excitement I felt before were all present once again. If only there’s no monetary counterpart on weddings, I would love to get marry every year, that’s how I enjoyed my own big day. That might also be the reason why I really love to be involved in the preparations (and execution) of weddings, if you would remember my post, I would have volunteered to be the on-site coordinator for the couple only if somebody would take care of mi bebe. But look what I’ve found.

This was a clip from the on-site audio video presentation of the newlyweds. I missed this AVP during the reception night for some reason, I only got the chance to watch this after the groom uploaded it over Facebook. Look, mi bebe was not a hindrance after all. I was still able to help the bride before she walked down the aisle. She's just so supportive of her nanay's dream.

A Fancy Vacation

A group here in the office is busy preparing for their official travel to Palawan this April in relation to the forthcoming PAGBA Seminar. As they are so busy booking their flights and accommodations, I can’t help but jump over their excitement and plan mi own familia’s vacation. Haha

Mi esposo and I have been talking about a trip to a distant place for about forever, I just remembered it again today as I heard my colleague checking on the airfare rate. A trip to somewhere new is a yearly thing with mi familia. We make it a point to relax and unwind in time with the familia’s anniversary (our wedding anniversary actually). We targeted to visit this place last year but since mi bebe was too young, we reserved it to later date for her to enjoy as well. Planning for this trip for the second time around is as thrilling as the first time. But this is not for me to do alone, mi esposo and I always do it hand in hand. I hope it pushes through this year, anyway we still have ample time to prepare and to save-up.

As I checked on the rates over the net, I think this trip is achievable. Only we have to renew our passports sooner.

Exciting Weekend

Thank God it’s Friday! Tomorrow is going to be an eventful day for mi familia. Aside from the fact that it’s a mother’s day again, we’re also going to be busy with 2 exciting celebrations. 1st we are going to the christening of mi esposo’s niece and he will stand as the godfather. Afterwards, we are going to witness the union of love in marriage of our friends/officemates/mi bebe’s godparents, where he (mi esposo) will stand as one of the groomsmen.

What’s more exciting is that mi esposo will drive the bridal car, yes he is the official bridal chauffer. He’ll be driving the family’s white SUV, so he didn’t mind. Anyway, I believe everyone is flattered to be of service in every wedding. I would have volunteered to be the on-site wedding coordinator if only there’s somebody to take care of mi bebe. But I’m sure mi espsoso will be the handsomest chauffer in his piña barong.

The most exciting part is, the wedding reception will be held at the La Cocina de Tita Moning, my dream restaurant! I’ve been longing to dine here but still haven’t convinced mi esposo just yet. Finally this is my chance.

Weekends are the perfect time for merriment.

Baby Hair Cutting Myths

I ponder Philippines as the “Myth Capital of the World”. We lived by practicing numerous myths for every life’s occurrence. Let me take “hair” as a precise example. Did you know there’s a bunch of hair myths out here, you can name more than 1 for baby’s hair alone. The most common of which is, you must wait for a baby to turn 1 year old before they can have their 1st haircut. Although I really wanted a baby boy for my first born, I was secretly praying for a baby girl, just because of this. I’m sure I will not abide by this customary which the elders cannot forgive me with. Lol I remember one classic experience, before our wedding, mi esposo and I joined my office’s summer outing trip to Corrigidor, which is a no-no for soon to weds. Soon to weds should not travel, it brings bad omen they say, but we broke this tradition just 2 weeks before our wedding and worst we crossed a sea. Nothing really bad happened, except that come my wedding day, I looked like 2-toned bride. I accumulated uneven tan, because I wore shirt during the trip and it is very visible on my tube-wedding gown. Lol

Back to the hair cutting, I do not see anything wrong if you do not cut your baby girl's hair for a period of 1 year, but I don’t get the logic why parents allows this on their baby boys, are they Samson or something that they will be weak and powerless once the hair is cut? Don’t they find it unhygienic? And worst, are they okay that their sons are oftentimes mistaken as a girl because they are in ponytail. Well, I could not take that, thanks goodness I had a girl.

I warned you there’s more than 1 myth to this. Yes, I survived a year without cutting mi bebe’s hair, now enters a new dilemma. Did you know that somebody intellectual should take that 1st cut? It’s like a ceremonial cut or something, this is so that the baby will inherit their intellect. Wait, there’s more. The 1st cut hair should be keep between the pages of an encyclopedia for babies to be intelligent and in between the pages of a bible for babies to be religious.

If you thought you got it all, wait ‘till you hear this. Apparently, you have to turn your baby bald, for their hair to grow thick and beautiful. But this conflicts another myth which is, if you cut your hair too short, your hair will resent and will not grow back its usual beauty.

Hay, these myths drive me crazy. Good thing I’m hard headed and not really submissive with these things. Lol

Bistro vs Restaurant

For Pizza Hut that is. This post was actually requested by mi esposo, maybe he was so overwhelmed with the food and service that he wants me to pay tribute or something. Lol Let me warn you though that this is not a sponsored post, we paid for our bill, only we were so satisfied with the food that we thought of appreciating it this way.

Let me give you a little background, we were craving to dine-out last Saturday night, it was also timely that mi bebe’s essentials need be replenished and mi esposo’s TM Watch’s battery needs replacement, so we took the time for our dinning fix and headed to SM North EDSA for a quick buy. After we settled everything, we initially decided to head on an Italian Fastfood Joint but had a changed of hearts after finding that their strombolli was not available. The next best thing to do was of course to settle for Pizza Hut (but I’m sure this was actually his 1st choice), there were 2 Pizza Huts in that mall, the casual restaurant and the Bistro. We choose to try the later.

Now, to explain the title, although both the "Bistro" and the "Restaurant" are managed by one Pizza Hut Company, their “Bistro” offers wider food array, most of their pasta menus, appetizers/side order and desserts are not available on the resto, plus they offer entrees too. We noticed that the pasta plates are good for 2 persons (but we still had 1 pasta dish each), which provided us with extra eating pleasure. In general, I can consider it as the only difference between them. Both execute quality service and good  ambiance, but their Bistro is our new favorite.

Yes, we craved to dine out but we ended pigging out.

The Little Me

I’m not really an advocate of mother-daughter matching-matching thing or the so called “mini-me” dressing. Though I find it cute, my best attempt would be dressing in a motif, that’s cloths in same prints or style or fabrics or hue. The photo below shows our own version (most recent) of the “mini-me” dressing, as you can see, we’re both in denim pants, striped polo-shirt and running shoes. This was taken at our office grounds. Mi esposo, who took this photo, was also in same style of clothing that day. 

     

Although we don’t really dress the same all the time, I still can consider mi bebe as my little version. I can see myself in her in countless ways. I think she’s growing up just like me. Most of  her mannerisms and habits were from me, not to mention her captivating smile is also me. Last night as I was watching her to sleep, I noticed she was rubbing her pillow with the back of her hand while sucking her thumb, I smiled and said to myself, "that is so me". I just hope she gets to pick only my positive traits. Lol

I also pray that when she grows up, she would not be just like me. I want her to be better than me.

My Little - Big Dream

I told you time and again, I’m new to blogging. I’m still in the process of learning its intricate aspect. Contrary to common belief (or so I pressumed), writing a post is the easiest part. Apparently, there’s a bunch of other things to consider aside from a good post. One good example is the blog layout, I believe it tells the personality of the blog-owner and his outlook in life. But if you’re registered under a free hosting, this one is difficult to control. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful to blogger.com for its free hosting facility, it provides an avenue for not yet earning blogger like me to somewhat have a space in the web. But I’m aiming to have my own domain address soon. I’m idealistic like that.

Okay, that’s my little-big dream, but to realize it, I first need to know how to build a website. Haha But knowing how to make a website nowadays is doable. There are lots of tutorial sites available over the net, but you still have to be selective, careful and persistent in learning. Once I learn how to make a website, I know I’ll face various questions like, how to register a domain name? How to setup a web host? How to connect your domain and web host? How to install WordPress (to build your website with)? And how to configure it all to work properly.

Hah, I told you it’s complicated. But I’ll take it one baby step a time.

FotoSnaps.com's Photo Book

I remember few years back, mi esposo’s aunt called for a homecoming get-together, she and her husband was vacationing from the US. During the dinner, of course, was the best time for picture taking, but to everyone’s surprise, she brought out the traditional filmed-camera. Everybody teased her and made a good joke out of it. Who wouldn’t laugh out loud? Imagine, in this era of modern digital cameras, you would see a camera with roll-on film, worst from someone who dwelled in the States for a long time. Her only explanation was “I just don’t want to save my photos, I want it printed”. I think that makes sense, I believe in one way or another, every modern digital camera owners are guilty of just storing their photos on the computer or worst delete it when its memory becomes full.

But I found a solution for it, I’m glad I saw a good deal for FotoSnaps.com over the net. It’s a digital photo printing company (of some sorts) wherein your digital photos can be printed in whatever forms that may be appropriate for your need, either photo book, calendars and whatnots. I’m sorry, I’m not really sure of the proper terms for these. What I’m sure of is that, it’s a good way to print your photos. I’ve already tried one project using its software. I made a guestbook for mi bebe’s 1st birthday celebration. I complied all her photos from birth ‘till her 11th month and made a storyline out of it. I also provided callouts for guest to write-in their greetings and wishes for her. I liked the result. I was originally planning to make a scrap book, I’m glad fotosnaps saved me from this hassle. It was more convenient to create a digital scrapbook plus the finished product can be delivered at your doorsteps not to mention its technical support group was very accommodating with my queries.

I’m on my 2nd project now, I am organizing the photos from her 1st birthday and making another album for it. But now, I’m trying out their latest product which is the layflat type album. I have a voucher which will expire this 15th, I’m little on the cram here, so gtg.

March 8 Celebrations

Today, March 8 (and every March 8 of every year), I celebrate 2 milestones. 1) I and the world celebrates Women's Day and 2) I and my family celebrates the birthday of Pong, the only nephew so far in the family. And although not a yearly thing, today, 3) I and my in-laws will celebrate the send-off of my BIL.

International Women's Day is a day all women should rejoice just because it is a day specially attributed to us, girls. Have you heard of a Men’s Day? I don’t, so I believe this is something women should be proud of. And this is also a day wherein women are honored and recognized. This year’s theme is "Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures".

Today, Pong is already 8 years old. Every year, he grows bigger and bigger (literally), he’s tall and chubby, bigger than a regular 8 year old boy. He is my big baby, he squish himself in our bed every time he sleeps over. His also a caring and protective kuya to mi bebe. He also has academic achievement this year, I heard. Although we don’t see him often, I know that he feels our love, I just wish he would not forget that. Happy birthday my big baby!

Goodbyes are always bitter-sweet. It’s sad that someone had to leave but we all know it is for the best. My BIL will leave tomorrow for an opportunity to provide a better future for his growing family. His family’s going to miss him so much and I’m sure he’s going to miss them too, but this is for their dream house. This is one exciting change that needs to be celebrated. Farewell and good luck Michael!



Quezon City Memorial Circle

I’ve been itching to visit the place since it was introduced by my co-worker, they live near the place and they frequent it. He had all nice things to say about it which made me so curious. Thank goodness, last Saturday, mi familia was finally able to see it for ourselves. Apparently, my FIL is a regular jogger in that place, so that day, we went with him to jog and explore the place. We were at the place as early as… the sun had not yet rise but to our surprise many joggers were there ahead of us.  

But the QC Circle is not only for joggers, there are also numerous activities available for all, that includes all ages, all gender, all level of society and all species (yes, pets are everywhere). There is an area for boating and race track, called “paddle and ride”. There is also the playground area, where kids can play and slide 'till they drop. There's this mini-carnival which is called the "circle of life". There is also a place for adventure seekers where you can zip-line. Although these have minimal entrance fees, there are also entrance-free areas. Like the fountain, I heard that at night it has a dancing light and sounds, but during our visit, this place is the area for line-dancing and aerobics and take note, it has a professional instructor. There are also groups who do taekwondo and karate stuffs, although I’m not sure if it’s for members only. There is also the museum which showcases the life of Manuel L. Quezon, the father of the city and also the past mayors of the city. There is picnic area and of course my favorite the tiangge area, where you can buy plants, cloths, toys, pets and food.   

QC Memorial Circle is a great place for family get-away for less. If we have the opportunity, we’ll probably go back to try its other amenities. Unfortunately, I didn't come prepared, camera wise that is, its battery died on me, I was only able to take these few photos:

      

     

But we came prepared as joggers. We had running shoes, comfortable cloths, sweat towels and drinking water. We also did stretching before and after we ran.

My Photo Princess

One lazy afternoon, as I was browsing my PC's photo gallery, I saw the following photos. I cannot resist but post these. This was taken by her Ninang Shie, during the baptism of our office mate's daughter. Look at how she smiled and posed for the camera, she's innate model, don't you think? Well, I'm not really surprised, I'm sure she got it from her model turned government employee Nanay. lol 

       

She's not really new to photo shoots, remember her first time with the pro? It was followed by a studio-shoot at pic-a-boo, plus the unlimited home photo shoots using various type of cameras. But I think she responds to camera better today than before. Although I cannot teach her yet how to smile and project, I'm happy she's able to express herself the way she wants to. But I have tips for adults, I thought these to mi esposo before and I believed it help him overcome his photo frantic.

1. Practise your smile in front of mirror. You need to know your good angle and the best smile that looks good on you.    
2. Smile with your eyes not only with your lips. Your eyes wont lie.
3. Possess a positive outlook (with or without camera), your outlook will reflect on your face all the time.
4. Just feel good and enjoy.

Baby's Night Out

Our PyroMusical Competition plan pushed through last Saturday which gave the family a literal blasting weekend. Enterprisingly, the management of MOA made sure all exit points leading to the bay area, where the venue for the competition is located, is secluded and tightly guarded. You definitely have no choice but buy entrance ticket. It’s a good thing we were at the venue early which gave us ample time to choose from various vantage points. Apparently, there were other good locations aside from the given floor plan. We were made aware that you can make dinner reservations at any restaurants facing the bay where you can eat and watch at the same time. That’s what we choose.

We had dinner buffet at Gumbo (for P789 each) and watch the show from the tables they setup along the covered-corridor. It was the best choice considering we have infants with us. We originally planed to buy the P100 entrance tickets, but we changed our minds at the last minute. Good thing or else the infants would be very uncomfortable. Just look at the crowd.     

  

The fireworks display of both China and The Netherlands left a superb mark to the aweing crowd. Team China themed their piece with the story of a fox looking for love while team Netherlands used hip musics to add flavor to their presentation. Both teams executed outstanding performances which fascinated everybody, it is really very hard to judge which one was better. The dark sky suddenly turned into a colorful abstract. How do you paint the sky? Ask both teams.

 

This was the first night-out of mi bebe. We're glad she enjoyed it as much as we did. She was shouting "wow" and clapping at the same time. And she was the only infant, among the group, who endured the lenght of the presentation. Mi esposo and I both agreed that it's worth the price and maybe next time we'll reserved at the VIP section.

 

Me momma tips: How to prepare infant for night out:

1) Make sure, the kids have ample rest/sleep throughout the day to endure the night.

2) Dress them with comfortable cloths and make sure they have hats or hoody jacket for protection from the night's fog.

3) Bring stroller. Babies will more or less fall a sleep at the venue.

Note: Please forgive my low quality photos, this was taken using my phone's camera. I'll try to grab some decent photos from my in-laws and update this, as soon. 

Link Exchange

I am neophyte blogger. I’ve been blogging for merely a month or so. I thought of putting up a blog because I believe it is a proper venue for my thoughts to be voiced. I’d like to share my adventures and the knowledge I acquire as I take the journey to motherhood. I share here my happy thoughts and experiences which I hope the world will benefit. Alongside, I also would like to earn extra. I heard a lot that blogging may also be income generating. And I learned that to do this a blog must possess 2 things: 1) a niche and 2) a network.

I have the niche and I’m sure I’ll never go wrong with it. How can anyone be wrong in writing his own experience and learning? So, #1 requirement: Easy peasy! The real problem is the #2 requirement, especially to a newbie like me. It’s very difficult to build a network especially if you’re just a part-timer. But thanks to web-angel Google for giving me the solution.

I was searching over for mom blogs for possible link-ups when I came across BC Bloggers Secret. It is a network founded by Paula of www.mommydiary.net. She masterminded the creation of a Link Exchange Network, in that way no more begging for links, you will meet people willing to exchange links and everything to gain and nothing to lose.

I already joined, why don’t you? Joining is not so secret, you can follow the fast and easy steps here.

Sweet 16

Mi bebe, that is. She’s 16 months now. I know of some mothers who continue to celebrate their baby’s monthsary even after a year, but not me. I only did that before she turned 1, I made it a point to prepare special dinner for the family to fete, monthly. We even made a rule, that when the 2nd of the month falls on a weekend, we celebrate it at my in-laws, all the rest at my mama’s. See that’s how fair we are, we did not even scheduled a celebration at our own home. Lol

But actually, we only came up with this on her 3rd month. It was timely for my ate’s despedida. She was the one eager to prepare a bountiful buffet for mi bebe, I just followed the lead after she left. It was just sad that ate was not able to be back for mi bebe’s 1st birthday celebration, it would have been more fun. But at least she sponsored food cart and her esposo sponsored Jollibee’s appearance. They’re just thoughtful.

Although we do not have special food on the table, we still are very thankful for another month’s blessing. I lit a candle at the nearby Church, thanking Him for giving her another month of good health and protection. And that He may continue to send His angels to watch over her every day. I believe it's the true essence of the monthsary thing, to be grateful of the immeasurable blessings.

I still sings her the Birthday Song though, cause she likes to be sang.

The Smiling Red - Bee

Disclaimer: This is not a paid post. Contents are purely from me momma’s point of view judging from her experience and her bebe's current fascination.

I grew-up loving the big smiling red-bee, locally known as Jollibee. I especially like its ma-hotdog, ma-cheese, spaghetti and the phenomenal chocolate sundae. Although mama never bought us any kiddie toy, no fuss, just dining there is a haven in its form. I also can sing all its advertisement jingles by heart, who can’t anyway? I even grab every opportunity for a picture taken with the bee. But unlike any other fan, I have one special memory with that chain. Way back in HS, I treated my HBBs (my Tropang Alagad) for lunch, it was my birthday. While paying, one of my friends jokingly told the cashier about the occasion. When we settled back on our table, the background music suddenly shifted to the chipmunks singing a Happy Birthday Song. We all knew it was for me and we all giggled. It was a simple gesture but it's too sweet to be forgotten.

But as I grew older, my food preference changed and I also became aware of other various food chains. Plus when I was already earning, I was able to try fine dining restaurants which I thought was better. Suddenly, I forgot about Jollibee. My dining in that chain, become lesser and lesser.   

Surprisingly, mi bebe had discovered this red-bee. She is now fond of it and she’s thrilled by its mere siting. I have no idea who influenced her, you can count with your fingers the number of times we brought her there. She just attended a Jollibee party once. We had Jollibee appearance during her 1^st birthday but she barely appreciates, it was more for her guests. My mama never becomes a fan, so it’s certainly not from her. We seldom watch local TV shows, it’s not from the tube.

I’m guessing, it must be the same old kiddie charm that’s working here. I remember its commercial before stating that the word "Jollibee" is amongst the first words of babies. There may be truth to that, now I can relate. Who could resist that irresistible charm? Not us, kids (at heart even).     

So, I’m back at embracing Jollibee just like the old times. Happy meal! (oh, that's from the other chain. lol)

PS Disclaimer: It’s a Filipino food chain anyway, I don’t mind endorsing it for free. =)