Before the Holidays went full blast, we all got down, boogied and celebrated DW’s 3rd birthday with his classmates. DW is with the 2s and 3s class at Books and Blocks. I can’t believe this little guy is three! He was just a wee babe yesterday huhu.

Milestones

Pre-School – This year is a big one for DW (and for us too). This was the year that DW started pre-school. He goes to school everyday for three hours with nap time and snack time in between and it has been very good for DW. He’s come home with a lot of projects and he’s picked up so much from his lessons. We love Books and Blocks because the classes are small and the teachers are really nice. In his class, DW has two teachers and an “ate”. We also love the newsletters the school sends every quarter with pictures and stories of the major activities the kids have done.

We also love that DW is with other kids. Having adults around him 24/7 has made DW a little manong. He really speaks like an adult with matching “yata” and “diba?!” at the end of of his sentences.

Example: Mama, Ferris Wheel yata yan! (while pointing to a Ferris Wheel). He wants me to confeerm so that he can then say, “I want to ride the Ferris Wheel!”

He’s also learning how to share, take turns, play with other kids and just be around other people!

Potty Training – The little dude is not yet fully trained but we are getting there. We are almost ok with the peepee it’s the poopoo that we need to work on. DW only says poopoo when he’s done the deed already! He doesn’t like sitting on the potty because he gets bored. Do you know what he does now while sitting on the throne?! He flosses his teeth! haha

Teeth Brushing and Dentist – Brushing his teeth by himself and a visit to the dentist – the dude has been brushing his teeth by himself since last year but this year was the first time we made a trip to the dentist. He was brave and did not cry at the chair even when the dentist was poking around his mouth and gave him a good cleaning! The dentist said that she did so much with DW with just the 1st visit. DW went home with a Good Patient Sticker and a free toothbrush hehe I’ll post more about our visit soon.

For his birthday, DW celebrated with his classmates. I ordered Devil’s food cake from Chocolate Kiss in blue icing and lola cooked spaghetti, cheese sticks, bbq and chicken wings. DW had a lot of fun (and a lot of gifts!). All the kids knew that it was DW’s party and so when we came everyone was excited. I loved it. I was so happy seeing DW celebrate with his friends. I was so proud of DW. I was thisclose to crying I tell you but I had to suck it up. I might scare the kids and I still had pictures to take

Happy Birthday dear DW. You are awesome. When you’re all grown up and you get all cringe-y with my kisses and hugs in public, let me just say for the record that you are the cutest, the sweetest, the silliest and the funniest! We love you sooooo much! MWAH! MWAH! MWAH!

The level of detail of this event is just amazing and brilliant. If you know someone who’s planning a wedding, send them right over to this post too haha! The red and green english tea party for Laya is a great alternative to cartoon-themed parties. Primary colors rock!

Manilamommy: What made you decide to do this in lieu of the traditional 1st birthday party?

Benz: Early on we have already decided not to have a 1st bday for Laya since she had a big baptism party (read: magastos) and then we planned to go on a family holiday this summer pa so no party na lang. The Stork Studio, where we have a quarterly package, has been urging us to have an outdoor shoot since January during Laya’s 9th month shoot. But it didn’t push thru coz of tight schedule. So outdoors was pushed to the next shoot instead. Abet then said to have a one table party-look for the shoot. The more we thought about it the more it made sense. We wanted her to have party pictures and yet we didn’t want to have a big party with all the planning and gastos, so this is one of the bestest idea ever. That one table party turned into a grand one table party with the help of wedding supplier friends.

And with that, allow me to share the prettiness that is Laya’s first birthday photoshoot/garden party

a canopy of pompoms cover the family’s picnic table the backdrop are laya’s and the family’s pics from the stork studio

the birthday girl, laya. GIGIIIIL.

a candy buffet!

pinwheels, pompoms and a vintage luggage full of treats

the happy family

A couple more Q&As with Benz:

What’s the theme of the pictorial?

ETSY – homemade backyard party look. Abet calls it an English afternoon tea party-look in his blog: http://whoridesavespa.com/2011/03/29/dear-laya-rana/

How did you decide on that theme?

I have always wanted the homemade ETSY feel but am not such kind kaya my parties are never like that. since this is a photo shoot and we asked help from teddy Manuel and I gave him the site of my fav ETSY mom Kelle Hampton. Now I got the party of my dream with help nga lang. Abet wanted a picnic look as well so we asked Teddy Manuel to do that for us as well.

What were your favorite details in the shoot?

I love the pictures of Laya happily enjoying whatever she is holding coz they weren’t directed those are really her having fun. Abet likes trash-the-dress at the end especially the one where Laya was sitting/balancing on top of the cake. He calls that the “cutest caketopper”.

Who were your suppliers?

venue: Blue Leaf
styling & set up: Teddy Manuel
cake: SugarBox
mini-catering: Josiah’s Catering (for us and all the people who were there working behind the scenes)
Laya’s gown: Veluz
balloons: Jhoanne of Polka Dot Events
cookies: Joy San Gabriel
paper boutonnière: Vatel Manila
video: Threelogy & Phoeben Teocson
photo shoot by: Stan Ong of Stork Studio
details shoot by: Chuck of Cherryblock
links to the website of these suppliers in the W@W: http://www.weddingsatwork.com/wawnewsblog/2011/03/29/layas-trash-the-dress-1st-birthday-edition/

Any tips for fellow parents planning their kids’ special day?

Hmm we thoroughly enjoyed this photo shoot. And because it is a shoot we are assured of really pretty birthday party pictures! I highly suggest having one of this. Whenever we throw parties, we barely get to have family pictures as we are all busy entertaining the guests and taking care of things. With a birthday shoot, we are assured of having each detail captured and we can do all the shots we wish to have. And details are easy to furnish since you just need to make a few not for each and every guest. Kite, our eldest, only remembers her 1st birthday party from what she saw in photo albums lang. Actually I myself dont remember too much about her party outside her bday pictures so it is really the pictures that is important. We don’t think Laya is missing out on anything by not having a party since we will still celebrate her 1st year by having a family dinner on her actual birthday and a small family party on weekend to celebrate her turning one. And maybe another one when we see the family of Abet’s sister when we get to Australia next month.

Laya with her cake before she got on with her cake smashing session! Belated happy birthday dear Laya!

Read more about the party at the weddingsatwork blog HERE

Well, Jing (Jiggle) messaged me in Facebook and told me that she’s currently not accepting any hosting gigs for the meantime. She’s undergone surgery and her voice was affected. Jing has yet to gain her voice back so for the parties that she’s committed to, she’s been bringing along another host while she does her balloon art.  Jing told me that she can’t even sing “Happy Birthday” now So guys, if you still do want  Jiggles to brighten up your party, you can still definitely book her but you need to book another host. Jiggles can still create her amazing balloon creations for you for sure, maybe even order her artwork in advance if you want to wow with your guests with creations like these:

A Hula Girl!

Mickey Mouse!!

Tinkerbell

Jiggles the Balloon Lady’s Contact Details:

Jing Simpao Callanta

+63920.924.6022

+6328078029

+6328078040

http://jscallanta.multiply.com

email: jigglesdballonlady[at]yahoo[dot]com

facebook:jacqueline simpao callanta