A Charming Bed and Breakfast Inn

Cheesy title, but really.

The last time we were at Tagaytay, it was a day trip and Picnic Grove disappointed us big time.

This time, it was an overnight trip, it was chilly, fog enveloped the area early in the morning, it was our tenth year anniversary as a couple and our son can now appreciate things and trips better.

We stayed at this wonderful 8-room bed and breakfast called Joaquin's and feasted our eyes on a perfect view of the volcano right outside our room. We had our own small patio where we leisurely ate breakfast, the room had a charming shabby chic look and have I already mentioned the view? If we could eat it, we'd be so full by the time we went home. The place was so nice our son cried when we went around doing tourist-y stuff. He wanted to stay at the hotel the whole day.

***

For a change, I didn't book anything prior to the trip. Since it was low season, the plan was for us to look around and see what's the best deal. I was eyeing this place already but when you have a child with you, you have to think of convenience first. The most logical place for us to stay was at Summit Ridge (where Robinson's, Starbucks are). But as luck would have it, all the lower room types are booked and I didn't want to spend 6k for what they were offering us.

So, off we went. We were looking for another inn called Potter's Ridge. We didn't find it.

Last place we looked at was Joaquin's and after we were shown the room, we were sold.







More Tagaytay stories in the next few days. Right now, I just wish I'm back there.

To the Principal's Office

From friends telling their own tales of dealing with principals and teachers, we expected we'd be in this situation maybe 4-5 years from now. Definitely not in his first formal year of school, and most definitely not in the first 2 months.

But, it's not really to the principal's offce. Let's say we were called by Teacher for "small talk".

The boy apparently hit a classmate. It's what his teacher wrote on his diary.

Not because I am the mother, but I know him. My son doesn't hit, doesn't grab toys out of another kid's hand. I've been bringing him to the playground for more than 2 years and if there's anything he's learned there aside from developing stronger muscles and limbs, it is (1) no hitting and (2) wait for your turn.

So we went for that talk. And I was right. It's not really hitting in that context. Jared was so excited because he has another really energetic classmate, went up to that boy and put his hands on the other boy's chest. No one was really hurt.

Still we gave him the talk. Of not hitting. He said he's a good boy in class.

Teacher also said he threw the mongo seeds used in an art project in class and when teacher was offering him a tissue, he shred t into pieces and threw that at teacher, too.(this one I believe)

My boy. I had to remind myself he is just 3 years old and the youngest in class.

The Schoolboy

I realized that it's been more than 2 months since school started and I have not blogged about Jared going to school. I mean the regular school since he had tried going to summer play schoool for two years in a row.

I'm so sleepy I can't write properly but suffice to say, we've already been called by the teacher for a mini conference. =) Will blog about that soon.

Here are his pictures from the first day of school.

p.s.
our Tagaytay weekend was so fun Jared now wants to live in a hotel

Starbucks Date

Our plan was set.

We'll talk over coffee for me and maybe a vanilla frap for him. Share a plate of pastries. Laugh.

But my date slept on me!

It was after a full day of energetic play at my office when we whiled away the time at Starbucks Harbour Square to wait for his dad.

After giving his order (a big cookie), he drank milk, walked a bit around the coffee shop, asked to be taken to the rest room, fidgeted in his chair, then sat on my lap and slept. Thanks to the staff, they gave a big, comfortable chair for my tot to sleep on while I read magazines of months past.

It was still a good way to end the week. A date (although cut short by sleep) is still a date with my son and some me-time with a magazine and a cup of coffee is a nice way to unwind after a hectic week at the office.

In my Hands: My Clay Alphabet

For an energetic todler, one has to be really creative to cultivate curiosity and inquisitiveness and to keep his body busy. We're having trouble keeping up with the latter aspect. =)

But it isn't just me and hubby raising our son. So in this case, five minds are better than two. There is my mama, sister and an aunt whom we credit for giving the same loving care, and sometimes even more patience, to our little boy.

One of his favorites recently is to help shape his clay into big and small letters of the alphabet.

Below are the pictures of how proud he was of his accomplishment.

My Little Monkey

This series of books by Eileen Christelow is a find from Booksale. His fascination and eventual love for the book started with 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.

He does jump on the bed to imitate the monkeys, screeches like one and at times teeters dangerously goes to the bed's edge as if to demonstrate the "one fell off and bumped his head" line.

Those 5 little silly monkeys getting ready for bedtime, jumps on the bed and gets a bump on their head gives him laughing fits no matter how many times he's read through it.

After a month of reading this to him everyday, I scoured the bookstore to try to find a gem again in those piles of books. And gem I found as I happily bought two more: Five Little Monkeys with Nothing To Do and Five Little Monkeys Sitting on a Tree.

On another visit, my eyes spotted the fourth book. Now the Little Monkeys Goes Shopping.

I am now bent on completing the series with 3 more books. Hope I do find them at booksale this weekend.

Just the perfect series to start my own little monkey's love for reading.