Haley's Birthday Bash

*this has been sitting in my drafts for more than a month. i made it a point to finish it today because tomorrow would be too late (literally! hahaha)*

Whenever I'm in front of the laptop, Haley would show up beside me saying "san betdey ko Ate Em?". It's her way of telling me to play a video clip of her second birthday party for the nth time. I get pissed sometimes but when I see her scream out of happiness watching it, the irritation vanishes into thin air and is replaced by that overwhelming feeling of joy and pride that I was able to give her the celebration that she wants. Call me stage sister but I wouldn't exchange that moment for the world ^_^

Now allow me to share how it turned out :)

The original plan for her 2nd birthday is to just celebrate it at home: mom and titas would cook food, kids from the neighborhood would come over for some games and loots -- mostly DIY stuff. But since the little girl, whenever asked where her party will be, says it's gonna be at Jollibee, I made both ends meet to give it to her. And I am so glad I did! Here's why:

I'm working on a limited budget so I chose to have a small affair, with only family and close friends invited. Funny because there were more adults than kiddos! And since we're not a fan of moving birthdays to a different date and most of the guests have day jobs and her Ates have school, it was set for dinner. Not your average children's party, eh?

 

 

There were only a handful of kids, most of them between 2 and 5 years, that's why they enjoyed every single part of it! Unlike other parties where they are outnumbered by their ates and kuyas, this time they're the stars of the show. They joined the games, won a lot of prizes and had a jolly good time.

 

 Obedient little girl.

They we're asked to close their eyes while the hosts hid their shoes for the game.

Of course the adults had fun too! They even made fun of me in this game called Maximum to Minimum. It was a team game wherein members have to arrange themselves based on different criteria. For example, the host says "Maximum to minimum - arrange yourselves according to age", it's going to be oldest to youngest. My team was leading, 2-0, and during the third round the instruction is minimum to maximum according to face value. I got a big ego so yeah, I insisted I should be at the back of the line. Guess what, we lost! Meanwhile on the fourth round, it was max to min based on waist line and all of them was shouting that I should be in front! I hate them to the bones! Hahaha. But we won, so it's all good. :)

 

This is what I look like while everyone's laughing at me.

You nasty people! Hahaha.

 

Haley was having the time of her life – running around, posing for pictures, joining her little friends in the games – until her special guest came...

Yeah, she's scared of Jollibee! We asked her everyday for weeks before her big day and she consistently said she won't be afraid anymore but there she was, trembling and holding on tight to whoever carries her whenever the mascot is near. Hahahaha. But in fairness, she handled her fear pretty well because she still managed to smile for group pictures.

 

And then came the obligatory candle blowing, which she didn't enjoy much on the spot because she's still conscious about Jollibee being at her back. Good thing I had the presence of mind (despite being the busy bee) that I was able to capture it in video. Now she relives her moment every single day and she has the same excitement as the first time she saw it. Mind you, it's on repeat pa!

 

Afterwards she opened a few gifts. She actually got Nonong Jhay's presents (a Jollibee stuffed toy and a bracelet) the moment she woke up. She loved the toy so much that she carried it around the entire day and it's very thoughtful of her two friends to give her Twirlie and Hetty during her party. Now Jollibee has playmates and Haley couldn't be happier!

In a few minutes it was time for wrap up. We conveyed our birthday wishes for Haley then said our thank yous to everyone who came. It was indeed a small party but Haley's memories of it was greater than we've ever imagined.

Jolli-beef!

It's another Friday! :D Although mine is a TGIT (Thank God It's Thursday because my long weekend started yesterday), there's still something to be thankful for today. This morning, Jhay and I went to mass together at Quiapo church and even if it's hot and crowded, I loved it because it's another moment of worshiping Him with Jhay by my side. After the mass, we hit the Jollibee store in front of the church to grab a quick breakfast. And here comes the highlight of this post:

I looooooved the Jollibee Beef Tapa! It's the first time that I ordered this and it didn't disappoint! ^_^ It was as appealing to the palate as it was to the eyes. Very tender and tasty and just oh-so-good! Well, Tapa King is still #1 in my book but for 76 pesos (with a cup of hot chocolate on the side), it's a good deal!

C'mon, head to the nearest Jollibee tomorrow and try it! I had a lovelier morning because of it and I'm sure you will, too! :D

Mommy for a Day

Last Sunday was a real family day for the Rolle clan because it was my nephew Rafa’s 1st Birthday. Two party areas of Jollibee Alabang were occupied because all the relatives were there to join the fun.

The birthday boy and his family.

When I was a kid I adore Jollibee and guess what, some things never change. I still crave for Jolly Spaghetti every once in a while. I’m still enticed by Aga Muhlach holding the “crispylicious, juicylicious Chickenjoy.” And of course, I still take pictures with the endearing mascot of the country’s #1 fast food chain.

Jollibee and Me :-)

Yeah, I enjoyed the affair. I got to see the cousins who I seldom see, only this time all of us are young adults already. I took pleasure handing the kids the “Bring Me” item, proving time and again that I am every inch of a stage sister. I loved taking lots and lots of photographs: capturing family fun, immortalizing priceless Haley moments.

Mom brought with her a box of crayons to keep Haley busy.

She loves coloring and writing. Very good baby! :)

Haley dancing with her bags of chips. Mom brought those too! Haha.

Super cute! :D

 Slowly baby... You might end up as big as Ate Em. Hahaha.

The kids playing "The Longest Coin"... with a twist.

Haley loving her loot bag.

I and my Epic Friend. We're both pretty, I know! :)

Two of my best-loved godmothers.

Family shots! *Mom's the one in yellow, btw*

After more than two hours of being a kid again, I assumed another role. Because Alabang Town Center is just a few steps away, my aunts decided to stroll so I went with them… but Haley went with us too! It shouldn’t have been much of a deal had Mom come with us but she didn’t so I had to take care of the little girl. Thing is she doesn’t wanna walk because she’s scared of wearing shoes again! Last time they went to the mall she had new shoes on and she walked and ran around like there’s no tomorrow, and the result? She had 2 blisters per foot. Poor baby. And poor Ate Em because I had to carry her in my arms the whole time.

As if it wasn’t tiring to wander around ATC, we went to SM Southmall next. Haley fell asleep on the way so I had to cradle her from the car to the mall. I could feel it, I look haggard already but I am the day's Mommy, right?

That's me thinking how Mom (our real Mom) can take it when we go malling for hours, considering how small she is and how heavy Haley is. Hahaha.

After some wooing from her Ate Faye, Haley agreed to get on these super cute kiddie rides! They're battery-operated so kids can freely drive around the area. Indeed, Haley enjoyed it! :)

A dolphin, a panda and an... ant? Whatever! Haha.

These rides are at 10php for 3 minutes. So sulit!

After the fun rides, she walked already, but she still didn't put her shoes on. 

Look at how she enjoyed walking barefoot. 

She even posed with her Ates and Kuya.

Haley with two of her favorite cartoon characters.

 

Then we dropped by SM Storyland. We took a few pictures while it was the teenagers' turn to have fun.

 Faye, Choy and our cousin P-jhay in the mini Roller Coaster.

Do I really look like her Momma already???

At around 7pm it was time to go home. We had to commute going home since Tita A and her family's still driving to Cavite. Inside the bus, Haley's still energetic as ever!

 Pic #1: Making pa-cute with her cheeseburger

Pic #2: Her "no, you can't get this from me!" look

Pic #3: Headset's playing "Nobody" by Wondergirls.

Look at her hands, she's acting it out! :)

She was making kulit the entire trip until this 3-day sale poster caught her attention. Shopaholic in the making? Nah, she's actually singing A-B-C over and over while pointing out the letters. Adorable much noh? :)

We got home after an hour of travel. Yes, I was sooooo tired. In fact, my arms hurt until now. I experienced being a mommy and it's tough, but at the end of the day, seeing Haley happy makes all the effort worth it :-)