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It used to be all about me, now everything is about her. Now, I don't mind being left in the background -- as a matter of fact, I like it better like that. Even at a young age, my daughter has been such a poser. But she's not just all that.

When I flew back to Manila for her enrolment and to have get a hold of her report card.

Kiara: Did you get my card already?

Janiz: Yes.

Kiara: What's my standing?

Janiz: Second honors.

Kiara: Oh. That's so sad. I promise mom to do better next school year.

Janiz: No problem baby. Don't fuss about it, just as long as you did your best. It's enough for me.

Kiara: I'll try harder mom.

Janiz: Thanks baby for being such a stunning geek!

She breaks my heart like that. While other parents pressure their children, mine's putting so much pressure on herself.

Leave it to our family to binge-out at any time of the day. We've had our dinner yet we're saving room for Crave's burger. I was with my cousin Katya and she was Glee-king out on me, so i need a food fest to keep her out of the the Glee world. And only food can do that.

I'm not really sure if the pattie was grilled, but I do hope so, too much calories for the night.

This is inevitably the hottest recorded summer in the Philippines -- in my lifetime! I feel like living inside an oven! Not to mention the frequent black out. *argh* I swear I don't mind being exiled to the north pole! But my girls have a realistic solution...dive into a pool!

We really were pleading the big boys to build a pool on our backyard -- a more permanent solution of the extreme Philippine heat during the summer. I'm guessing we'll get their heads up soon. But before that happens, we drove the kids to El Dorado Waterpark in Smallville complex.

Now that the girls have their share of fun, it's time for their tummy to start to have some fun too. And the solution was just a few steps away.

Janiz: Do I hear extra rice? Going once, twice...

(Girls readily raise their hands.)

Janiz: Now what's the plan?

Kiara: It's up to you.

Janiz: Go home?

Kiara: Cool us down with some ice cream please!

Janiz: OK. But finish your food first.

Kiara: No problem with that!

Usually before heading home, I'd ask to pull over and buy some street food. I'm a street food junkie like that. You can call it skewers, barbeque, or in our local term "inasal", this night was all about that. We tried out each one of them! Read: My stomach always has a little space reserved for binge nights like this.

When we got there, there was a short line forming. A little patience won't kill a hunger me.

Janiz: Let's try all of them!

Katya: Are you sure ach?

Janiz: Yeah. These are light food, no worries.

Katya: *shrug*

My long absence in the blogging community is due to our summer vacation in Iloilo. We took time out to spend every waking moment with family and to immerse my daughter in the Ilonggo culture.

While other parents converse with their children in English, I do the reverse, we talk in our native dialect which is Ilonggo. And then leave it to my daughter to make some observation.

Kiara: Mom, kids my age here barely talk Ilonggo.

Janiz: Huh? I barely heard them talk that's for sure.

Kiara: There was this girl who hasn't spoken a single Ilonggo the whole time.

Janiz: Oh, so you're friends with this girl?

Kiara: Not really, but then again you can't really call it eavesdropping 'coz she was next to me talking to someone.

Janiz: At least there's someone you can talk English with. Good to know.

Kiara: Yeah, but what happened to: "Speak straight Ilonggo when you're in Iloilo."

Janiz: Oh, that's OUR rule. Theirs probably is the opposite.

Kiara: That's the thing! I was close to being irritated since she keeps blabbing in English and looks at me as if I don't know how to talk back. It's because of that little rule of ours.

Janiz: I don't see a problem. Let's re-phrase our rule book. "Speak straight Ilonggo when you're in Iloilo. But if the person you're talking to insists in speaking in English. Then you can unleash the English you've been keeping locked in." What do you think I'm trying to teach you here?

Kiara: Ummm...Let me think hard. Ilonggo, duh!

Janiz: It's the little thing called humility. AND trying to adjust to people, to culture, etc.

Kiara: Good Lord, that's it? Then we should have done the re-phrasing before I got myself into that situation. Imagine me, not talking?! I was close to dying!

Janiz: *LOL*

Kiara: What are you laughing at? Talk to me, I had my precious minutes wasted in silence.

Janiz: *More LOL*

Eating healthy takes an extra effort coming from me. Growing up, I wasn't a veggie lover, I was afraid to eat anything green...I really go for meat. But since cancer took our mom 10 years ago, our family has been trying so hard to change the eating habits we've gotten used to. My dad is the ambassador of healthy foods at home. So everytime I'm back home, it takes a little getting used to eating fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. Day one is ALWAYS the hardest, it drives me crazy!

And there's the thing we call exercise. My only exercise is swimming, nothing more. I only get to run if I'm preparing for a competition and that's it, the farthest I can do for the thing they call exercise. Up until now, going to the gym like everybody else is not my thing, probably never will. So when my brother went for a jog in "Trenas Blvd.", I was only there for a stroll.

I would allow force feeding, but me and exercise would have to kiss and make up pretty soon. So the hopes of getting a hot bod is out of the picture.

They say best men are molded out of faults, and, for the most, become much more the better for being a little bad.

--William Shakespeare

Family nights are made of these:

1. Binging/Eating

2. Singing/Grooving

3. Posing/Modeling

These are just some that make up what we call family nights.

Kiara and my cousin Shatella thought of going out wearing the same top. They love the idea of being twins, even just for the day.

Subsequently that day, we went to the Cheng twins first birthday party. They were so a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e!!!

I love kids, and carnivals too. *sighs*

I remember the days when having your picture taken from a studio was a weekly thing. My daughter re-live those days with her friend Cheska. I don't know what has gotten into them...when they have their cameras with them!

Not bad though. I wish we would have looked this good back in the days.