Trick or Treat

It's Halloween once again... one of Bree's most favorite day (next to her birthday and Christmas).

Year after year, Sabrina has always been a Disney character - Tigger, Jane (from Tarzan), Tinkerbell, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Kim Possible, etc.

But not this year.

We went costume shopping more than a month ago. And from the many choices we saw in the 5 (yes 5) halloween stores we went to, she chose a SOLDIER costume. CAMOUFLAGE no less. I'm not sure how she decided on that, but i am glad that she did. I wonder if it means she's growing up and no longer wants to be a prissy sissy girl. Hmmmphh. NAHHH. She's still so much a girl, our princess. I guess this year she just wanted to be different from all her friends.

Ok, so anyway, halloween today. Picked her up from school and we went to Burbank Mall for some trick or treating. We went to all the stores that give out candy. We were there early so the stores are still generous is their treating. She had fun. She went inside the stores and said Trick or Treat, while i just stay outside by the doorway of each shop watching her from afar. Some of the stores would say, sorry no candy. But that didn't faze her. She just went on to the next store.

After we've combed the entire mall, we went home, and again, she did some trick or treating in our neighborhood. She just went to a few houses, since it was getting dark and we were getting so tired.

We also gave out some candies to our neighbors' kids. We gave each child probaby 5-10 candies each. There was only a few kids in our street, and we wanted to get rid our our candies (Bree's rejects), so we gave out a handful per child. Eh hindi pa rin naubos... maybe next year pwede pa

Church Choir Concert

Friday, Oct 28th, the SRB choir had their first concert. Sabrina and the rest of the choir members have been practicing for the past couple of months. They have been practicing for the concert every Wednesday, sometimes up to 9:30pm. Everything finally paid off on Friday when they had their concert. It is religious-themed show "Tales of Wonder" by Marty Haugen. The music was so upbeat, they did it with a Hawaiian flare, like an island of Paradise. I could feel myself singing with the performers. It was not a typical religious show - solemn. This one is very alive. They even sang a tagalog song. Actually, it was a song in in the english language, but translated into tagalog. Original title is "I Say Yes My Lord" and they had a stanza called "Susundin Kita." And what's funny is the non-Filipino kids actually know the words. It goes like this:

Susundin kita
Susundin kita
Sa lahat ng panahon
Mabuti't masama
Susundin kita
Sa lahat ng iyong salita
Susundin kita

Nakakatawa talaga - i can see the blond people mouthing the words, and singing them correctly, i might add.

After the concert, they had a little reception for all the performers and even the guests. So, all 300+ people walked (or rushed) to the reception hall for some fruits, cheese, crackers, turon, lumpiang shanghai and empanada. Everybody was asking what the turon was (they are already familiar with the shanghai and empanada) and i described it to them as a sweet banana burrito. (sorry, Dr Agatston, i had 2 turons)

Even days after the concert, i catch myself humming the songs. susundin kita...

Sleepover Part II

Speaking of sleepovers, Bree was at a sleepover field trip at Sea World in San Diego. It was a girl scout activity. A lot of the girl scout moms slept over, too, but not me. Clay and I dropped Bree off at Sea World at 5:45 last Saturday, and then we went to the mall and watched a movie, Domino.

So, for this Sea World sleepover, the girls (and their moms) slept next to the penguins, thus, this event is called the Penguin Encounter. They had pizza for dinner. Sang some camp-like songs and played some games. The chaperones said the girls didn't sleep until midnight.

So, when they woke up the next day, they are already in the park and got a headstart with the rides. So wala pang pila, because the park officially opens at 10am.

Clay and I went to Sea World around 10am and met up with Bree and the troop. We went to the shows together, rode some rides, and had lunch together. We all gave up at around 2pm, and headed home to Los Angeles.

It was a pretty fun-filled weekend.

Sleepovers and Being Yagit

Bree's group of friends at school have been going on a few sleepovers the past couple of months. It seems that instead of having a regular birthday party, these kids prefer a sleepover. And of course, for Bree's birthday in February, she's gonna have one, too.

So, we've been dropping her off at her friends' house, and we've been noticing that the houses get bigger and bigger. Her first sleepover was at Jenny's house. Very roomy, nice part of Burbank. Then her second sleepover was at Sarah V.'s house, they have a big gorgeous house. It reminded me of the Cortez' house in the Spy Kids movie. With the hispanic hacienda type of interior design. Then last week, we dropped her off at Sarah C's house. OH MY GOD. Huge house in the Glendale hills area. As in nakaka-shock-boogie ang dating. Sabrina can't help but compare our house to theirs. She now feels very "underprivileged" because our house is just medium-sized. Kawawa naman sya. Kami ay tinaguriang yagit.

Give me an A...A!

Bree has been doing good on her studies this school year. Maybe because of certain incentives and punishment that will be imposed.

Every Friday, Bree would bring home her tests from school for that week. Her teacher has already graded them. And Clay's "agreement" with Bree was: for every "A" she gets on her test, Clay would give her $5. Mukhang napasubo ang Daddy nya. Because Bree has been bringing home almost all A's each Friday.

My agreement with Bree is kinda different. When we get her first quarter report card, for every non-A grade that she gets, we (or the hairdresser) will cut off a half-inch from her hair. So, if on her report card, she gets 4 B's, then two inches will be cut off from her hair. I know it sounds like a very drastic "punishment" but we'll see how it goes.

over ba?

It's Race Time Again

There are only a couple of reality shows that i can tolerate, and The Amazing Race is one of them. I do not have a favorite family team just yet, but i know that i totally hate the Paolo family. Their mom just never stops talking and nagging and whining and complaining. I just cannot take them anymore. They almost lost today (they were 2nd to the last). Too bad, i was hoping they'd lose this leg of the race.

The detour today was pretty interesting, the battlefield part. It makes me want to go to that Welbourne place in Virginia. I wonder if they do the battle as part of some kind of tour.

I think the reason i got hooked on Amazing Race is when they went to the Philippines. And with that shot of the Palawan lagoon... wow, very amazing talaga! I wish we could visit that place, and stay at that particular resort. Maybe next year?