I have always seen myself as a very fair mother. 😛 I try to make ALL 3 kids feel my love & attention equally. Well, truth be told, more with the 2 girls coz the boy doesn’t seem to want my love or my attention, lol (hugot). Iba talaga pag may girlfriend na, itapon nalang sa kangkungan si Mommy hmp!

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw my birthday surprise for the little one (posts of her birthday celebrations to follow in the weeks to come, promise. Bumi-bwelo lang ako kasi ang dami sobrang detalye, ahuhu!). Of course hindi pwedeng walang surprise for the GO-ddess. 😉 I already feel bad that her debut was not at par with our recent debutante’s party -although I did make up for the lack of luster with other no occasion gifts subsequently.

One nice thing about the giblings is they don’t keep track of who gets what or who gets more. I gave Ate a pricey bag once & her little sister even helped me choose & buy it for her. Ate came with us to check out debut suppliers and not once did she mention we were already spending too much for a one-nighter. My Babyson knows his siblings’ clothes shopping habits & not once has he complained na lugi sya kasi nga he doesn’t like to shop, teehee.

Kaya naman ang sarap nilang mahalin coz wala talagang bahid ng sibling rivalry. At all. They are genuinely happy for one another & are very supportive of each other -as proven yet again when the 2 older siblings acted as emcees for our dear Neni’s debut. I think it helps that I also try my best to be fair to all 3. The secret is really just loving all of your kids equally para walang inggitan.

Plus, they are really not materialistic. They love their brands of course, who doesn’t. But those are just perks. They can live simply if need be. Ako lang talaga yung spoiler now that I am able to given them shiny, shimmering, splendid things.

—

—

For Ate‘s 23rd birthday, I gave her a low-key surprise in school coz she really doesn’t like to call attention to herself. Every year I wrack my brain trying to figure out how I can make their birthdays extra special. I don’t know why I do it coz they don’t even like surprises haha. I think I do it for my benefit more than theirs! ;)) I want them to have wonderful childhood memories kasi, moments they can tell their children one day when Kap & I are long gone. Remembrance that will make them smile when their thoughts are triggered by an act, or a place, or a thing. Hay, drama queen lang talaga ako, aminin! 😛

—

—

I don’t know if she really didn’t have an inkling that I was doing something special for her that day, or she was just pretending in order to humor me. Several weeks before her birthday, even when I was focused on #JENAsaisquoi , I was already asking her if she wanted a dinner party for her clique in school so I can arrange. Last year she agreed to a dinner party. But she said they are all too busy lately with studying that she doesn’t have energy na to celebrate. Even for our family dinner ayaw na lumabas, hay naku. Lowbatt, my poor princess.

And so, Mommy got to work! Early morning of November 7 -Tuesday, I went to pick up her birthday cake. She tagged me on Facebook, hinting at a cake, so even though it was SO GROSS –pigsa, nana and all, I asked my favorite baker, SHARON BANOCNOC of Baker Mom Specialty Cakes, to make me one.

—

CLICK HERE for link. Ew.

A custom cake like this costs 2.5k you may contact Sharon via Facebook messenger, or by calling this number: 0917-8746307. Sharon was able to copy the exact thing down to the bukol hehe, galing!! \m/

—

Then it was off to pick up the little piggy. Of course nothing but the finest for my GO-ddess. I ordered a biik Truffle Rice Lechon from Dedet dela Fuente of Pepita’s Kitchen for my darling’s surprise lunch.

—

From Alabang, it took us an hour or more to get to Magallanes for the little piggy pick-up huhu. I mean, OINK OINK! :'(( Traffic is getting worse by the minute, I swear! @_@ To order, call or text Pepita’s Kitchen at 0917-8660662. Dedet has other rice stuffing flavors: Chinese Lechon de Leche (chestnuts, cashews & mushrooms), Spanish Manileña Lechon de Leche (spanish chorizo with talangka paella), French Lechon de Lehe (truffle rice), Pinoy Lechon de Leche (choice of sisig paella, binagoongan rice, laing rice, bicol express rice, or rice with salted egg), Birthday Lechon de Leche (stuffed with pancit parañaque), German Lechon de Leche (with herbs & garlic), Japanese Lechon de Leche (filled with japanese curry), and Than Long Lechon de Leche (stuffed with noodles & crab meat). Grabe, ibang level na ito! <3

—

I hope I was able to make today special for you, my Nana. I know you don’t like surprises, but I simply cannot let this day pass without letting you know JUST HOW SPECIAL YOU ARE TO ME, and that I would go to the ends of the earth for you any time, any day, any way. I love you my firstborn. :-* Thank you for my many firsts with you!

—

There are some people in life that make you laugh a little louder, smile a little bigger, and live just a little bit better. Thank you HOES for being that kind of peeps for my Nana. BEST. SUPPORT. GROUP. EVAR. !!! <3

—

But wait! That’s only part 1! For part 2, our family dinner, I ordered Thai specials from our favorite caterer & restaurateur in the South, Neil’s Kitchen! We were able to try Neil’s Thai dishes during one of my mom’s catered birthday parties, so I knew we were in for a treat.

First off, Neil doesn’t scrimp on ingredients. He cooks not to earn, but to make his regulars happy customers. <3 Secondly, an order for 5-8 pax is actually big enough to feed a small army! Kaya sobrang sulit. I ordered 7 different kinds coz as you know, we are heavy eaters. But gaaah, we hardly made a dent, lol. I guess we’re having left-overs for the rest of the week. 😉 #busoglusog

—

You may place your orders directly by calling Neil’s Kitchen in Westgate at 02-7111334, 02-7108962 & 0917-3112916

Hihi, I got confused with so many things on my mind haha. So here’s the list of what I ordered for Ate’s birthday dinner at home. Not to be missed are of course, the Pad Thai (top right), the Bagoong Rice (lower right), and the Ground Chicken. All of them are really good but if you need to pare it down to 3 essentials, then these are my top 3 recommendations! <3

Neil’s Roast Turkey & Roast Beef are a staple at our happy table. Do try it when you have a party coming up, I promise you’ll thank me for the recommendation. 😉

To order, you may alternately call or text the woman behind it all, my dear friend Michelle Ramos at 0927-3370121 & 0928-5247404

—

Wow, you blew so many cakes today Ate! May all you dreams & wishes reach God’s ears & may He make them all come true in His perfect time!

—

Dear Lord, may our family always be protected from harm, misfortune & sadness. May we always enjoy the privilege of spending time together to share joy, celebrate happy occasions, and to be there for each other when there is need for comfort. May good health always prevail in our home, and may there be ever-present faith in God’s mercy & grace. Amen. Thank you Jesus for another year in our dear Jana’s life. May You always keep her safe in your love & in your protection.

Guys, never forget, prayer is the most powerful weapon against trials. The most effective medicine against sickness. And the most valuable gift to someone you love. One of the most important things we can do as parents is to teach our children the POWER of prayer, not just the routine. Thank you Mom for teaching us this, and for always believing. <3

—

My Jangi, you’re the air that I breathe, the beat in my heart. You’re the tear in my eyes when we’re apart. You’re the pride that I feel with all that you achieve, the one who gives me hope in what you believe. You’re a part of my body, and now you’re all grown. But I’m not ready to wave goodbye, as you find a life of your own. My beautiful Nana, you’ve grown up so fine. It makes me SO PROUD, to know that you are mine.

I hope you had a wonderful birthday! :-*