#MommaDiaries | HE ISN'T FINISHED WITH ME YET

Sharing with you snippets from my Notes app on the phone. I tend to type down my thoughts when I don't have enough time to blog. RL had exams the past week, and this Momma's hands have been tied with a ton of things to do. And there are tough days, as most of you would know. But then, there are also good ones. This was from one of those bad turned good days. Yesterday, I was once again reminded that God is in charge regardless of our circumstances. Whenever there are days He seems absent and quiet, I have learned that trying times exist because He wants to show you He is God. So be thankful for the bumps, He's got you covered.



AUGUST 4

So this morning, yaya told me A had lost her wallet. The wallet had P3,000+ as she was supposed to pay her club fees last week (but couldn't because of time constraints and the long queue).

My initial reaction was true to yaya's threat to A right before she left for school: "Nako, hanapin mo yan, magagalit mommy mo!"

I was angry, and frustrated. I actually typed angry words as I started composing a message to A on Messenger. Then I stopped. Caught myself and prayed. I have been praying for a change in my relationship with A (we've hit snags through the years, and aren't exactly friendliest of friends - teenagers!). This morning, God reminded me of His unconditional love and never-ending grace. So I took back my words, and instead typed "...I pray God helps you find your wallet intact. I love you."

That was at 11 AM, and A replied to let me know she has searched everywhere to no avail.

Money can be replaced, but a child lost to anger is a child lost forever. I struggled to hold my tongue, as I prayed for God to lead me so my words come out right.

This evening, as I walked in the house, A tells me she found her wallet at the Lost and Found over lunch (even though she had gone to check all Lost and Found nooks earlier this morning). "But when I messaged you, you said you already checked!", I quipped.

She did. But after lunch, for some reason, she decided to check again. And there it was.

So yes, I know this was a Mommy lesson, in as much as it was a responsibility reminder for A. I know that the Lord is fixing my heart, and I am thankful He isn't done with me. Because, man, I know I have so much more to learn.

Makes you realize that we also have to be thankful when problems come our way. Our initial reactions are human reactions. I pray I learn to turn to God first when trials come. I pray I will always react with grace at first instance.


PS. Dear cheekeegirl, sorry! Had to redo this post as something wasn't right. Didn't realize your comment didn't go through as it was on the previous one. So, publishing it here nalang. ;)

"OMG! I am touched with this experience you had. It's like me. That I need to watch my words and actions on certain situations. Thank you for sharing." - cheekeegirl

#MommaDiaries | Celebrating 14 Years @ Miao Cat Cafe!

My not-so-little teddy bear is no longer a baby. She is now 14 - imagine that! To celebrate, she decided she wanted a small get-together at a cat cafe. So she did the planning, and we took her cat-loving friends plus RL to Miao Cat Cafe on Congressional.

We've been wanting to visit Miao since it first opened. This is actually our second visit, since we went to check it out in March. The hard part in inviting a small group is you need to carefully weed out your list. A hopes her other friends would understand that Momma's budget is limited, and she wanted her guests to enjoy the cats (not everyone loves cats. KY hates them so she did not go).

I had BentoMomma Moneigh call up the owner (they used to be officemates) so at least they knew the kids were coming. Miao Cat Cafe is a cozy little cafe hidden on top of Cake 2 Go on Congressional Avenue in Quezon City. They renovated last year, so it is now bigger than when they first opened.

This is my favorite nook at the cafe. So cozy!

The beautiful thing about Miao Cat Cafe is that it is home to a lot of cat breeds. They even have a Sphinx and a beautiful Maine Coon!

Meet Aubrey, the resident Maine Coon cat. 

Aside from all these purebred cats, Miao also fosters rescued Puspins (Pusang Pinoy or Pusang Kalye).

A and her fave puspin, Tiger.

Together they make such a happy place for cat lovers like my A and RL.

Meet Elfiya, the Scottishfold. 

Yes, we love boxes! And crates! And baskets! And all sorts of hiding places. 

We packed a cat-themed pouch with kitty goodies (we forgot the candies!). I had our baker make cat-themed sugar cookies, too!

Meowwwww... everything kitty cat.

The kids spent a good two hours (one shift) at the cafe. The entrance for each child is P150 per shift. I chose to pay the adult fee of P300 so they can order food and drinks as the entrance for adults comes with it.  The child fee only includes a drink.

A said the other kids were thrilled to be with the cats. Meanwhile, my daughter played host so well, she was too busy to take photos even though she had my camera.

RL with Cotton, the alpha male. 

If you're visiting Miao, do wear socks as you will be required to leave your shoes at the foyer and change to disinfected slippers. They also have a number of rules you will need to follow, plus a waiver to sign.

Happy 14th to my teddy bear, my panda, my A! We love you!  

Miao Cat Cafe is located at 2F, #7 Congressional Avenue (on top of Cake2Go), Quezon City. Please take note of their shifts throughout the day.

Shifts at Miao Cat Cafe.

Thank you, Miao Cat Cafe, for allowing my daughter and her friends to celebrate her special day with your cats. She really loves your place. We will be back!

| facebook.com/MiaoCatCafe
| instagram.com/miaocatcafe 


Happy Birthday, A!

#MommaDiaries | McDonald's Burger Shop at KidZania!

A few months ago, the kids and I were invited to try out the new McDonald's Burger Shop at KidZania. I didn't get to publish the post right away, since I got entangled in the hustle and bustle of work, Sydney preps and BentoMommas. I finally get to sit down and write today. If you are a parent and you haven't taken your kids to KidZania, I suggest you save up and book a visit. It is worth it. Kids will enjoy the concept (you can read more about it here) and well, it trumps any other theme park in the country.

So when McDonald's finally opened its Burger Shop at KidZania, the kids were more than thrilled! Line up for the Burger Shop and have your child learn the ropes in making McDonald's iconic Cheeseburger.

McDonald’s President and CEO Kenneth Yang, Alonzo Muhlach, Play Innovations Industry Partner Director Cecille Mariño, and Play Innovations President and CEO Maricel Pangilinan-Arenas formally open McDonald’s Burger Shop with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

Yep, a new McDonald's store is in town but it isn't like any other burger shop! It is kid-size, where kids as young as 4 years old are crew members - learning how to make burgers the McDonald's way. Welcome to McDonald's KidZania!

Getting briefed on what the task ahead will be. The kids had to wear specially-made McDonald's aprons in order for them to feel like they are real crew members inside a real McDonald's kitchen.

Both my kids have had McDonald's Kiddie Crew experience. RL, who was part of the Kiddie Crew two summers ago (he had a bridging program for first grade this past summer and couldn't join Kiddie Crew at the branch near us), was giddy and excited (more like, feeling like an expert, hehe).

Just like at a real McDonald's kitchen, the kids were taught the proper prep procedures in making the popular Cheeseburger. But first, they were reminded on the importance of cleanliness and proper hygiene.

First step: Cleanliness and hygiene! All participants must carefully wash their hands in a kid-sized sink that resembles what crew members use in every McDonald’s kitchen. 

Then it's Cheeseburger-making time!

Cai's little girl Y learns how to put Ketchup and Mustard on the Cheeseburger bun.

With every Burger Shop visit, kids will get the chance to put together the Cheeseburger - complete with all of its tasty ingredients - the 100% beef patty, a slice of American Cheese, tangy pickles (my favorite!), minced onions, ketchup, mustard and perfectly toasted buns.

Tin's little girl B assembling her Cheeseburger. Like B, tiny workers get the chance to play and learn important life values at McDonald’s Burger Shop in KidZania. Key lessons incorporated in the activity are the value of hard work, responsibility, discipline, and even self-confidence and social skills. 

“Making a McDonald’s Cheeseburger is an exciting activity in itself, but the real treat for kids and their parents is the experience and values learned while doing the activity. Together with KidZania, our hope is for kids to learn and appreciate the importance of hard work and responsibility, at the same time building their social skills and self-confidence,” said McDonald’s Philippines President and CEO Kenneth S. Yang.

Finishing off their cheeseburgers. A towers over the other children (and crew!). She's only 13!

The best part? They get to take home the Cheeseburgers they make!

Proud of their work at the KidZania x McDonald's Burger Shop! Next step: GRUBBING ON THEIR CHEESEBURGERS!

A and her Cheeseburger!

Funny RL and his cheeseburger.

“KidZania Manila is a place where kids can do big things and let their creativity run free,” said Maricel Pangilinan Arenas, State Governor for KidZania Philippines. “Here, they get to experience how a community operates, discover different careers, and learn while having fun by working closely with real-world brands that they know and love, like McDonald’s.”

Let your kids do big things. Have them experience KidZania!

KidZania Manila is located at Park Triangle, Bonfacio Global City. Open from 9AM-4PM on Mondays to Thursdays, and 9AM-2PM and 3PM-8PM on Fridays to Sundays. For more information, visit http://manila.kidzania.com.

Share your McDonald's Burger Shop photos! Don't forget to hashtag #McDoatKidZania!

FB | facebook.com/mcdo.ph

Twitter | twitter.com/McDo_PH

Instagram | instagram.com/McDo_PH

#MommaDiaries | FATHER'S DAY (Part One)

And just like that, Father's Day came and went. This year, the kids went about the day without much reference to their absentee father. And although we were pretty busy that day with family activities plus a BentoMommas workshop at Rustan's, I must admit I didn't encourage any form of reaching out. I mean, we've done all the reaching out in the past. Now if this man truly wanted to spend time with his kids on the day fathers are celebrated, his efforts would go beyond that one missed call.

I can hear my MIL telling me "Ikaw naman, pakipot ka pa. Tumawag naman pala, di mo lang sinagot." But see, I've gone through this several times in the past. He'd call. I'd answer. He'd promise. We'd believe. He'd show up late. He'd fall short (insert all other disappointments here). We'd compromise. He'd go home. And then silence. Nothing. No calls. No text messages. Repeat cycle after two weeks or whenever he feels like it.

After going through the same cycle for the past 6 years, A is finally fed up. She doesn't even think of sending her dad a greeting. When he sent the usual "balita?" text Saturday night, she replied with a spam text she copied from a spam message we received earlier that day. "He keeps sending us the same one-liner, it's irritating. Doesn't he have anything else to say?" Yup, you can't fool a teenager. My 13-year-old knows better.

RL, on the other hand, still doesn't know what he's missing. Or maybe... he just doesn't miss anything at all. At Kid's Church, the kids were tasked to make a Father's Day card. I have often wondered what RL would do if he came across a situation where he would be asked about his dad or anything of the sort. After church, he came bouncing happily with a card addressed to "Angkong" (grandfather in Fookien/ Chinese). He proudly showed me that he even signed it from "K, A and RL."

That evening, on the way home from Rustan's, I waited if one of them would ask to call their dad to greet him. One block away from the house, I finally asked in case they were waiting on my go signal. But RL was quick to answer with "No. I already greeted Angkong a 'Happy Father's Day'. I also greeted Jesus. Because today, He is my daddy, because He is the One taking care of me."

"A Father to the Fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling." Psalm 68:5 NIV 

Bento 101: Charaben

From Wikipedia: 
Kyaraben or charaben, a shortened form of character bento is a style of elaborately arranged bento (Japanese boxed lunch) which features food decorated to look like people, characters from popular media, animals, and plants. Japanese homemakers often spend time devising their families' meals, including their boxed lunches. 

Originally, a decorated bento was intended to interest children in their food and to encourage a wider range of eating habits. It has now evolved to the point where national contests are held.


With all these bento photos that I've been uploading both here on the blog and on Instagram, I've received many requests to do tutorials on how charabens or decobens are made. These are very popular in Japan, and I suppose it is the same way here, with bento-making on the uptrend.

Recently, I've had the chance to teach Michelle (Momma N' Manila) and Mia (my soaperstarmama friend and stalker) how to make owl charaben, and I think I've pretty much mastered (well, sort of) the art of molding onigiri without the mold. In fact, the girls were thinking it would be easier to mold with just their hands, but I guess this bento momma proved them otherwise (didn't I?), hehe.

So anyway, here's what we made that day.

From left to right: Mia's, Mine and Michelle's. Hoot! Hoot!

I shall save the retelling on what went on during our mini-workshop for another post. Today's all about making charabens, and I will teach you how to make a bear-y simple one. Haha, get it? Bear-y easy bear charaben. This will be a photo blog, as there are a lot of photos to help you with the step-by-step procedure on how to put this one together.

BEAR-Y EASY BEAR CHARABEN

Ingredients:
Rice
Main Dish
Vegetable Dish
Side Dish of Fruit or Vegetable
Cheese
Nori/ Dried Seaweed
Bread
A stick of Uncooked Spaghetti

We had pork adobo leftovers, and that basically influenced my choice of which charaben to make. I was thinking I could use the sauce to make brown-colored rice, and it would make a nice bear. Charabens need not be complicated. You can use leftovers! I always do.

Here's how I made my bear-y easy bear...

I took some sauce and mixed it with my rice.

You don't need adobo to make this. Use brown rice or seasoning mixed with white rice.

Scoop enough rice in a food-grade bag to mold the bear's head.
Make sure rice is packed such that it doesn't break when taken out of the bag.

Place directly in your box or in a large, round silicone cup.

For ears, scoop about a teaspoon of rice into the bag and mold.

You will need two. Break off about an inch of uncooked spaghetti noodles.
Dip ends in mayonnaise or sauce to make it stick to your rice balls.

Push your noodle halfway through the small balls to make ears.

Attach ears to head like so.

Using a bear cookie cutter, punch out some cheese.

Once you get the bear punched out, reverse the cutter and punch again.

You will then have an oval for the bear's face, and ears for the bear's... uh... ears. Hehe.

Attach to rice like so.

Take a piece of bread and flatten it with a rolling pin or glass jar.
You don't need the whole slice, just a tiny piece. But my kids love eating bread scraps. Hehe.

Using a small circle cookie cutter, punch out two circles for eyes.

Attach to the bear's head like so.

Punch out two nori circles using a single hole puncher.
Attach to the bread circles using mayo and tweezers.

Using the HapuMogu face nori puncher #9 (available at Saizen), punch out a couple of half moons.

If you don't have this puncher, just use scissors to cut out those shapes.
The nori puncher just helps with precise shapes.

Attach those half moons to the ears like so.

Using a smaller single hole puncher and a HapiMogu face nori puncher #8, punch out more nori circles.
Apply to face to add details to the bear's cheeks.

Using the nori I used to punch out the half moons, I took a pair of scissors and cut out the bear's mouth.
I followed the shape of the half moon to help me get the right curve.

I wanted to serve vegetables and a side of cherry tomatoes with the pork adobo,
so I used three mini oval silicone cups.

Voila! My bear-y easy bear charaben! Nothing to it, right?
Served my bear-y serious bear with pork adobo, fried zucchini slices and some cherry tomatoes.

I used the following bento tools to make this charaben.

These tools are available at Saizen!
Rolling Pin, Hapi Mogu Nori Punchers, Single Hole Punchers, Silicone Cups, Cookie Cutters, Picks and Tweezers.

Because I hardly get to make my not-so-little girl bentos anymore, she got this bear-y cute bento for lunch today.

Pleased with her bento, although I doubt it filled her tummy. This is RL's small bento box after all!

For more bento fun, follow me on instagram!

http://instagram.com/momma_makes_imbento

~~~ * ~~~

Have you submitted your photo entries for Saizen's Create Your Own Bento Photo Contest? You have three more days to make them and beat their September 30 deadline! Hurry! Make those bentos and send in your photo today. You can win upto P3,000 worth of Saizen Gift Certificates!

To those asking, the photo entry should contain three elements: 
1) Your finished bento, 
2) The Saizen tools you used to make your bento, and 
3) A photo of you making your bento.

Edit these photos together to make one photo like so...

Pretend A made this bento and that photo is of her making it.

For detailed mechanics, check out Saizen on social media:

| facebook.com/saizenph
| twitter.com/SaizenbyDaiso
| instagram.com/saizenph

Teaching Compassion.

My daughter A has been talking about this new girl in the school bus, E, who is some sort of a bully. "The other kids call her Donya since she's such a boss, but she's the newbie, so it's irritating."

That was a couple of months ago. And during that conversation, I wondered if I was lacking as a parent, and if I failed to teach my kids compassion. I discussed each situation that A claimed to be "annoying" and proceeded to lecture her about doing "what Jesus would have done." I cited many possibilities resulting in the kid's attitude toward her new bus mates, including the fact A supplied - "she lives alone with her lola."

And I thought she understood what it meant to see past faults after that conversation.

This morning, while in bed, RL comes up to discuss school bus stories (he rides the bus home with his sister).

RL: "Mom, Ate A doesn't like me talking to Ate E (same new girl in the bus)."

K: "Why? Does she (E) bully you? Does she fight with you?"

RL: "No."

K: "No one talks to her? Doesn't she have any friends?"

R (answering with conviction): "She does! One friend!"

K: "Who?"

RL: "ME!!!"

While I am sad that I need to have another talk with my daughter, my heart is rejoicing over RL and his heart. 

"Train children to live the right way, and when they are old, they will not stray from it." (Proverbs 22:6 NCV)

Back and Back to the ER!

It's time to start writing again. I couldn't find time to write the past two or so weeks, or has it been a month? I tried to fit in a post or two in between a very, very, VERY hectic schedule at work this past month, but only managed to get a couple or so in. The good news is: I'm back! And I hope I get to post regularly until the year ends and of course, after that.

The kids and I attempted to have a relaxing long weekend (after the week that passed, and the stress someone's visit caused), but we spent almost the whole afternoon of Sunday at the Emergency Room. A woke up with a fever Saturday and broke out in rashes after lunch. I tried to pass it off as something non-crucial, but then she woke up burning Sunday morning.

While waiting for the Doctor...

In ISOLATION, because they wanted to make sure it wasn't something contagious.

She hates needles!

Bad rash, but not itchy. We were sent home with a prescription for Paracetamol.

It turns out I was right. She got the same rash and virus RL had earlier this year (she had it back then only milder). Apparently, this has been going around lately and she was actually not the only kid at the ER with this. It isn't Dengue or the new Chikungunya disease, but I had her tested for Dengue just the same. The rash is not contagious once it breaks out. We were sent home with orders to rest and a prescription for Paracetamol, in case her fever persists.

We paid about P3,200 for the ER consultation, CBC and Dengue NS-1 test. My friend, whose son also had the rashes Sunday, took her son to another hospital and paid about P1,600 for just the CBC and consultation. And although the added expense will mess up my budget, it doesn't hurt to pay extra for peace of mind.

I hope and pray that the rest of the year will be illness-free!   

Have your kids been sick lately? How much are ER fees at your hospital of choice? I am thinking of getting extensions to our health card (currently covers me only). What's a good option?