Advice

Did your two year old ever try to jump, punch, pinch, bite, push, or kill your baby? Well mine does frequently, several times a day. I keep waiting for this "phase to stop." How did you handle it?

Please leave me a comment!

He looks so Sweet and innocent, doesn't he?

An Amazing and a little Surreal

Last night we were the guests at the home of Vice President Salvador Laurel. Continue for a detailed but long description.

He was the Vice President of the Philippines (like of the whole country) from 1986-1992 and passed away in 2004. His father was President José P. Laurel, president of the second Philippine Republic from October 14, 1943 – August 17, 1945.

So we had dinner at his house with his with his wife CELIA Diaz-Laurel, who was probably in her seventies and their 6 remaining children, and their families. Sunday evening they all come together in the main home of their family compound (seven homes) and have family dinner.

They didn't know what we liked so they served us a variety of food including Appetisers: Cheese, peanuts, melon, homemade apple juice, and cheese roll ups. and Dinner. First course: Tomato Bisque Soup, 2nd course: lasagna, tacos, fish, fruit salad, roasted potatoes. Dessert: Lychee, jello, Ube cake, and another yellow cake So amazing.

It was one of those experiences where I was glad I had gone to those etiquette dinners at the law school and that I wish I had been there with just Devin and not my unruly two year old. I think we made an ok impression considering they invited us back, invited us to stay in their "cottage" in Bagiuo when we leave for Devin's Mission areas this week, and to tell any military personnel that we were personal friends of the Laurel family if we had any problems.

We arrived at dinner at 5:30- we were supposed to be there at 6pm, but church got out at 5pm and we left thinking we would hit traffic, which we didn't we even remember our manners and bought flowers to bring to their family (I know on Sunday, but we didn't think they would keep if we got them on Sunday). So when we got their Lawrence (Larry) our specific host was not quite their so we waited in the guards office for a few minutes. Then we talked to him for over on hour, the mother was at church with one of the sons, who happens to Sing Opera in theater and for their church.

So the most embarrassing moment of the evening was when I realized shortly after i got their that I had 2 children with poopy diapers and only 1 diaper (totally unprepared), so I had noticed a store that was just across the street and asked if I could run over and pick up some. Larry told me it might be dangerous (ha, he has not seen me handle this country), so he drove us the fifteen feet over to the store so I could buy diapers-yea embarrassing.

So they came around 7ish and then the rest of the family came, they served appetizers in the family room, that was decorated with a chandelier and beautiful crown molding and crystal dishes everywhere. We didn't actually have dinner until almost 9pm, I have 2 children that go to bed at 8pm or earlier. Marianne was asleep on my chest in the baby bjorn and we were trying desperately hard to keep Spencer- who was a cranky two year old from totally having a melt down.

He actually did pretty well. They drove us home at 10:30pm

The whole family was extremely attentive and gracious to us, we felt very honored. Devin's Aunt Roberta -who is Philippina-who this family referred to as dear Ro-Ro worked with the Father during his campaign when she was here studying Political Science. Wow, thanks wow for an incredible evening.

The Dinning room

Apettisers: Spencer trying to dig a hole in the cheese
Celia- their were pictures of her with Mother Teresa on their mantel, and a picture of her husband with a private audience with the Pope.
Devin plying guitar with Larry before the family came
In the VP's amazing office where they would have polital meetings
Family Shot with Larry and his daughter Faith. Below is a video of the Opera singing brother and his brothers entertaining us.

Spencer on their grand piano trying to entertain us as well, sorry it is so dark.

Feeding Marianne

Marianne is 19 Weeks old so we started her on solids. I fed her a bit of banana last week and this week she tried Mango- which is probably the first food of every Philippino. She seems to really like it and tries to attack it, but of course since she is learning it just keeps falling out.
I always am making fun of the advertisements here in the Philippines because them seem sooo exaggerated, so here I am making my own Jelly AD for Philippines and for America :)- can you guess which is which.

Philippine Adventures Continue

Does anyone else's hair fall out after giving birth? It is disgusting- my hair is everywhere and i am going bald, devin tries to make me feel better buy saying it is naturally thinning, which is good in this country so its not so hot. Well there is nothing natural about this much hair falling out- leave a comment if you can sympathize. Oh and I was thinking about getting a perm to hide my post labor balding- what do you think?
SM Mall of Asia- this is the BIGGEST MALL i have ever seen in my life, it has a boardwalk out the back right on a huge lake that looks like an ocean, and has fountains. There is an ice rink inside with every american and asian mall you can think of, incredible
Oh and a fireworks show at 7pm every saturday night? hmm cool
So check this out, call ed the WOW ball, a inflatiable pool with like two feet of water and these huge beach balls that can hold a person so you can climb in and roll around like a hamster for four minutes, pretty cool,



Devin and I took turns serving in the Manila temple yesterday, I had not gone in months since marianne was born, so it was nice to go. and very beautiful
Devin is quite the artist I think when taking pictures he loves capturing beautiful flowers some day we will own a nice camera- and at least own soon that has a zoom that works our has not worked since it met the ocean last august.
Our friend Flor, who has hung out with us a few times this week! She even let us visit her house which was a nice apartment- people here kind of crack me about bubbles and personal space, they don't have a lot- just an example one of the reasons she brought us their was to cut my children's toe nails :) (for the record- yes they were long, I lost our nail trimmer and had actually went shopping for one that morning) but flor did a get job so there you go.
Ants, Ants, Ants- Yuck! The other morning We woke up to find ants crawling in my kitchen. How dare they think they can come into MY KITCHEN! we took everything out of the cupboards and cleaned and cleaned and cleaned- every pice of food we own must go in the fridge. Luckily our apartment does pest control and came up later that same day to help, now a few day later we have not seen a single bug- and for the record, no cockroach has dared show its head- I have seen a few outside along with a couple of -dare I say it" RATS on the street (I was in the jeepney at the time and happened to look out the window) and saw like three rats climbing out of somebody's house into the ditch- Ahhhhhhh- at least I know they won't get me here on the 15th floor!
We went to Cora and June's home for dinner which their entire house fits into the very smallest room of our house and probably your house, but they are a very happy family and manage to fit this drum set into the corner along with a guitar, TV, and a small Keyboard. They are a very musical family. they have 6 children ages 9-18 and all sleep in one bedroom with the parents. They are some of our dearest friends here and we are so glad to know them, some of the nicest most generous people I have ever met.
Halo-Halo a luxurious dessert of ice coconut, purple beans, refried beans and ice cream and maybe some other dessert- I must say I almost liked it. It wasn't as bad as my face makes it out to be, it was ok. We had it for the experience as my sister Darlene would say "self inflicted"

Week 3- not that we are counting . . .

On Monday we went and visited Devin at work. Here's the office

The very picturesque view out his window- The Makati skyline and Manila golf course.

Here is one of the Jeepney. I got brave this week and started taking the Jeepney to the Market instead of the taxi which costs 10x as much. Its really not to bad, I have been doing it one way every day this week and yesterday even rode it there and back- yea for me! The biggest problem is they drop you off a little farther away from your actual destination so we just have to walk a bit,- not too bad. I'm getting the hang of this Philipino thing even though I get stared at constantly.

Palengke Market (Philipino Flea Market)- we pass by it when we come home from church.

Here we are standing with the missionaries and our friend zeniff and Yunis

Sunday we went to the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial- it is the largest US war cemetery outside the US

4 Month Check Up 18 weeks Old

oh this is Marianne at church being held by a girl in our ward,- people LOVE to hold my children here.

Well Marianne had her 4 month check up today in the Philippines. I went in to just ask about an appointment and before I knew I was in a chair talking to a doctor and they were weighing her. it went about the same as any other appointment Here are the stats:

Weight: 6.33 Kg or 13 lbs 9 oz- 35%

Height: 63 cm or 24.8 in- 75%

Head: 40 cm or 15.7 in 15%

So she actually weighs 2 oz less than on her 2 month check up which at the time was 95%. But you will notice she is tall, so I think she has gotten a little growth spurt this last month and her weight will probably catch up- she still look round and chubby to me! Plus now she is going to start eating solids- today was the first day on rice cereal (picts to follow) but I think she liked it.

Another interesting difference: the doctors here I guess tell you to start cereal at 4 months all fruits and vegetables at 4 months as well and bread and biscuits at 5 months and then all the rest of the foods at 6 months. That is a little bit faster than they do in america.

She also got her 4 month shots which were all 6 in one shot!- now that is something I absolutely wish America would adopt. Also if you are freaking out that I got her shots in a 3rd world country no worries my pediatrician in America suggested getting them done here so she would have better protection and pointed out that the Philippines receive their vaccinations from the same European factory that makes them for Americans. - which I didn't know.

Wagism's from a 25 Month Old

Recent Quotes from Spencer

While reading about Samuel the Lamenite we ask Spencer "What did Samuel tell the people to do because they were wicked" "He would put them on a time out."

"What are you doing Spencer" "I'm going to hurt Marianne"- The little stinker says this about once a day and plans to do it until I stop him.

Spencer loves to talk about everything, as soon as somebody stops talking he says this.

"Hi Daddy" "Hi Spencer" "Let's Talk about it, Daddy"

Daddy is changing Marianne and says to Spencer: "Spencer did you know that Marianne has a belly button just like you!"

Spencer responds: "Poke it!"

Said to a crying 8 week old who has dropped her pacifier for the 11th time: "A pacifier is not happiness it is a choice.

"Pancer's daddy come home?! Excited!" Said by Spancer as we are picking up Devin from the Law School.

Happy Father"s Day!

To the most wonderful father and husband in the whole world. Thank you for loving me and our children. For working so hard for providing for us. Thank you for working so hard in school (graduating in the top 5% of his MBA class-just had to put that out there- I am so proud of you). Thank you for workind so hard to provide for us.

Thank you for always coming home from a long day with a happy smile on your face.

Thank you for never yelling in our home, for being my shoulder to cry on and laugh with. Thank you for being my best friend and Spencer's Best Friend. Thank you for your love and affection. Happy Father's Day Devin!

This cute girl likes her Passy but is also turning into a thumb sucker like her daddy


She is a roller and has cute smile

Back to the Future I,II, III for less than $4.00 total, that is one really cool thing here
Playing with daddy
Saturday night we had one of Devin's Sister Missionaries that he served with over for dinner she brought her friend and her auntie. they were darling and it was so fun to catch up with them Rea was her name

Happy Birthday Eli!

Here is spencer singing Happy Birthday to his cousin Eli who just turned 5! And just for fun a bonus video of Twinkle Twinkle little star! More or Less.

Tagatay

Here's some picts from tagaytay, home of the world's smallest active volcano. The trees and scenery was just beautiful. There was even a movie crew filming a movie in the park

the sun rises here about 5:20 am and sets around 6:30 pm. It makes us appreciate daylight savings a lot more.
I just love this scrunched up face of marianne sleeping.

Here's several pictures from the rest of our Cebu trip, including several of my mission friends.

Devin and Elder Irwin Boiser

The Cebu Temple
Yea for Mcdonald's play places and air conditioning in side

Here's a video of Spencer playing in the fountains at the mall. He draws quite a crowd. He just loves these fountains and we have literally 50 or more philipinos sitting here watching the little white boy running around