the test results

this was alex in the morning right before going to kindergarten. i took photo of her showing the place of her missing tooth (which she lost the other day).  she was in a very good mood.  it had gotten even better in the evening...

i was so anxious since yesterday about the results of the entrance test she took last thursday.  while i was out doing groceries with andy, i got a very surprising phone call.

while i was looking at the vegetables, an unknown number registered on my mobile.  i didn't recognize the voice on the other side but she knew me and said: hi minela! alex passed the test!  at first i thought the call was from the school.  i was so shocked, because the results weren't supposed to be released until the following day.  it turned out, she was one of the expat mom friends i have.  her daughter also took the test.  she couldn't wait for the results and went to the school personally to find out.  she asked to see the list and surprisingly, they showed her together with the names.

i was really happy but still shocked.  i wanted to see the results just to confirm that i wasn't dreaming.  i kept checking the website since the evening.  then the morning... mid morning... before lunch... until i decided to go with hubby to the school.  the results were still smoking hot when we came to the school.  we even spoke to the lady who was posting them.  later, i learned that the results were supposed to be posted after lunch.  my bad! :D

anyways, i was almost teary-eyed seeing that alex had made the cut and how well she did in her tests. even on the day of the test, i was so proud at how well alex handled the whole thing.  in my mind, even if alex didn't make the cut, i knew she'd done well.  it was a no brainer, i had to run to the mall to get her presents.

congratulations alex!!!  keep up the good work!

alex the pupil

alex lost her first tooth today.  and another one is soon to follow.  she will be turning six in two months and soon after she will go to elementary school.  i know i have said this a thousand times before, but i don't think i have said it enough: time goes by so fast.

last thursday, alex took the entrance test for the international baccalaureate english primary years programme (ib-pyp).  daddy and myself were so nervous that day.  we both went with her, together with andy.  then when we were queuing for registration, i could feel alex's chest beat like crazy drums.  it was so nerve-racking. i was particulary nervous.  there were about 80 candidates and only 20 will be accepted. i really want her to be accepted in this program because it's our only option for an english-based education.  and the best part is, it's a state school (read: free education).

the test was in two parts.  she did the school preparedness test and interview. then there was a written test.  i was really happy when it was over.  i feel and am confident that alex did her best.  moreso, she seemed to have enjoyed it.  she even made a mock test for me at home which was similar to what she did. now, we just need to wait for the results...

good luck alex!

alex writes and spels?!?

i heard alex and karol in their bedroom talking while i was still in bed. i didn't realize what they were doing until andy and i went to their room after they left for kindergarten.
alex likes to draw. most of the time she forgets to clean up and leaves her work on the table. this morning was no different and as usual andy got hold of her work. i've saved many of her works many times before, but this was the greatest save so far....

now i realize, what the fuss was in the morning. alex was asking karol what words he would like alex to write for him. see how many words/names you can recognize! :))

sick day = play day at home

the biglets were sick and had to stay at home for the whole of last week. the only good thing about it is that they can play with mommy, daddy (when he's not at work), and of course andy. alex usually likes to draw by herself. sometimes, she also likes to boss karol around into playing a diner in a restaurant, a student in school, or a sick cat. it usually starts nicely, but most of the time it ends up into a fight. sigh!

so one day, mommy had to think of some way where all three piglets can play together. we all built a tower of blocks. well, sort of! karol built a truck while alex and mommy patiently waited for andy to put a block. in the end, only alex and mommy was left. alex was so amazed at how tall the tower is. i had to take pictures of her with it. and, thinking the tower was taller than her, she had to tiptoe at one of the pix. :D

filipino songs

alex used to be able to sing "ako ay may lobo, "bahay kubo" and "sampung mga daliri" with her own funny thwang. however, over the course of time and since she's out of practice, she has forgotten the lyrics.

a few weeks ago, she learned the jollibee counting song in filipino. and last week, she asked me to teach her again "bahay kubo." she hasn't memorized the whole song yet. but she would sing bits and pieces of it from time to time. one time i heard her singing and it went something like this

bahay kubo, kahit munti
ang halaman doon ay sari-sari
singkamay at paa

cool song, ain't it?! :D

five year old alex

on the day of her birthday, i took her to the old town to go to church. unfortunately, we went to the wrong church and wasn't able to hear mass. on top of that, the shoes she was wearing gave her blisters. i really felt so bad for her, as we had to walk a long way until we got to the pharmacy to buy plasters, and finally to the shoe shop. we got her a new pair of hello kitty sandals to save the day.

afterwards, we headed to mcdonald's for her happy meal lunch and had ice cream right after. since we missed the mass, we dropped by at our church to say a little prayer. then, we went straight to pickup karol from her old kindergarten.

it was the first time she visited there after she left last december. she was so excited to see her former teachers and classmates and yet, she became a little bit shy when everyone gathered around her. it was a nice feeling seeing her happy there. we were lucky that they accepted her back (plus karol) even if they were full. we just need to wait for the doctor's go signal so alex can go back to kindergarten.

in the evening, we had a simple dinner and of course a cake. but alex had to pretend to blow her candles since we didn't have lighter nor matches around the house. (sorry, mommy's fault) then she got a boxful of art supplies from mommy and daddy. she was so overwhelmed and couldn't help exclaiming, "wow! so many!!!"

two days later, she had another celebration with two of her closest friends and more family of course. she got nice presents.

* thanks to julinka for the littlest pet shop cat doll which she now takes to bed every night.
* thanks to natalka for the paint your nails barbie. another addition to her collection.
* thanks to tita lucia and tito peter for the microphone that allowed her to sing more.
* thanks to babka for the vaccuum cleaner which she so loves.
* thanks to dedko for the scooter she's been wishing for for a long time.

two more days later, she got the best ever birthday present. finally, after months of waiting the doctor gave the go signal... and tomorrow (oops! it's actually already today), alex will be going back to kindergarten! yay!!!

* thank you LORD for another blessed year!!!

yesterday, today, tomorrow...

it's past 12 midnight so it's already alex's 5th birthday. i just finished the last touches for my very first fondant birthday cake.

i have been trying to teach alex the concept of date and time for quite some time now. she already knows the days of the week and the names of the months. but i think, she hasn't fully grasp what yesterday, today and tomorrow mean. most of the time she refers to the past as yesterday, whether it be last week, last month or last year. :D

yesterday morning, at breakfast, i thought it would be good to try to explain to her that tomorrow is already her birthday. while i was doing a monologue, she looked at me and asked,

"so mommy, when will it be three-morrow?"

then she gave me a mischievous smile, and i couldn't help but laugh and hug her. happy birthday my dear little, funny, smart alex! :)

alex's bests

yesterday we cut karol's hair for the summer. no more side parted hair. i will really miss that boyish hairstyle :(. now, he's a skin head and he looks almost like a different boy. or in alex's words, "he looks like a boy that is without a name karol."

--ooOoo--

in the morning, alex was having snack in the kitchen while i was cleaning up. i gave her a slice of banana bread which i baked last night. then she wanted to tell me who are the best ones for her...

"you are the best, for baking delicious cupcakes and cakes.
karol is the best, for finding a merry go round one time*.
babka is the best, because she takes me to playground everytime.
and daddy is the best, because he likes mo all the time."

*this happened almost two weeks ago. we were shopping in pandorf outlet store when karol disappeared. daddy found him outside by the playground in one of those merry go rounds where you drop coins.

"i see"

another interesting dinner conversation between alex and daddy :D

alex: daddy, did you know? germs are everywhere!
daddy: i see.
alex: no, you don't see. you hear.

makes sense! now, i'll remember this everytime i say "i see" or "I C" (sms style) :D

chewy and bitey

alex: mommy, why do we say chewy?

hmmm... mommy had to really stop and think how to explain this. knowing she likes chewy candies, i made a contrast between chewy and hard candies. hoping she gets the picture, i said that chewy candies we can chew and hard candies not.

well, she probably understood alright because she blurted out, "aha! and there are also bitey candies, which we can bite."

my little lyricist

alex started singing almost the same time as she started talking. singing and talking is like breathing for her. what amazes me most though is her ability to memorize songs.

when she was about two years old, i tried an experiment. i sang bahay kubo to her every nap time. on the third day, she memorized the whole song. unfortunately, she has totally forgotten it already.

anyways, then there are those times she just picks up the lyrics on her own...

♪♫♪barely even friends, then somebody bends unexpectedly...
stethoscope as rhyme, song as old as time
beauty and the beast♪♫♪
-- beauty and the beast ost

♪♫♪when somebody loves you, everything is beautiful
every hour spent together, ready, get set, go...♪♫♪
-- "when she loved me" (toy story 2 ost)

three hands!!!

i don't know what is it with this day, but alex is pulling so many of her antics. it could be that she's bored and is missing karol, who is at last back to kindergarten after three weeks.

mommy decided to put andy in the car seat while she goes about hanging newly washed clothes. alex decided to entertain andy and tried to put rattle socks on her. of course andy was kicking nonstop. alex kept trying to talk andy into staying still to no avail. exasperated, she blurted, "oh my gosh! if only i have three hands!!!"

took a lot of self control for mommy not to roll on the floor laughing. :))

she still didn't give up though. kept trying and talking to andy. one time she almost called andy "karol!" proof that she also tries to boss karol around :D and then i heard her again say, "oh my goodness! i wish for a third hand!!!"

this time she approached mommy who couldn't hold her laughter anymore.... the more she tried to explain why she needed a third hand, the more mommy teared up from laughter. :))))

eyelids

after lunch conversation with alex

she suddenly remembered tangled, the movie we watched at the cinema. she remembered the princess hitting the prince with the pan and closing it's eyes (i.e., fainting). then she remembered the chameleon.

alex: she (referring to rapunzel) also found a lizard.
mommy: ah! that's her friend. it's a chameleon; it changes it's color.
alex: everything?!
mommy: yes!
alex: even it's eyes?

mommy had to stop and think for a while...

mommy: i think not. maybe it closes it's eyes and then the eyelids change color.
alex: eye what?

mommy closed one eye to show what eyelids were.

mommy: eyelids! see, there's skin...
alex: so why not eyeskin?

long pause... mommy had to stop herself from laughing. then, honestly answered...

mommy: i don't know.
alex: because that would be silly.

the end! :D

the kiss

i discovered something interesting from the conversation i had while i was putting alex to bed. she was on her way up to bed when she started...

alex: mommy, when are we going to aia's house again?
mommy: i don't know. but we might go to adrian's house on sunday.
alex: again?!
mommy: yes! you remember him?
alex: yes, but i kissed him.
mommy: you did?!! why did you kiss him?
alex: because i love him. he has lots of toys and i thank him.
mommy: aahhhh...

mommy trying to sound nonchalant about the whole thing tried to continue on with the conversation.

mommy: you remember that?
alex: yes! we were there when there was party...

HSP

Henoch–Schönlein purpura (HSP)

Henoch–Schönlein purpura (HSP) is a form of blood vessel inflammation or vasculitis which affects the capilliaries and frequently the kidneys. It results in a skin rash associated to joint pains (arthritis) and sometimes cramping pain in the abdomen.

HSP is an unusual reaction of the body's immune system in response to an infection (either bacteria or virus), usually of the upper respiratory tract. Drugs can also trigger this condition. HSP occurs most commonly in children, but people of all age groups can be affected.


The Symptom

Alex usually wears tights/leggings during winter. One day, when she came home from kindergarten, we found red spots on the area of her calf. It was a cross between a bruise and an insect bite, and has a very deep red to purple color. At first we suspected they were bruises. We dismissed it since it didn't hurt her. So we thought it might just be some form of allergy from wearing tights and having very dry skin.

After a couple of days or so, similar spots appeared near her elbow. Then, the last straw was the one that appeared on the joint of her middle finger. At this point, we still didn't have any idea what it was so we decided to take her to the doctor.

The pedia immediately suspected HSP and recommended Alex to go to hospital. The doctors in the hospital had her admitted on the very same day; she stayed for 10 days.

Various tests were made to check her blood and kidney. They took blood and constantly monitored her weewee. She was immediately put on antibiotics. Later on, we learned that this was a wise move since she was also positive with Streptococcus pneumoniae (or pneumococcus).

Then more medications were prescribed when the test results came out positive for HSP. Thankfully, she didn't have any of the associated symptoms. Her kidneys were clear, but they had to put her on Prednisone (a synthetic corticosteroid drug) to prevent further complications, plus other meds and supplements to counter some side effects.


Meds

Now Alex is home. However, she cannot go back to kindergarten until she finishes the countless medications she took home with her:

Penbene (syrup) - antibiotics
Prednisone (tablet) - sytnhetic corticosteroid
Famotidin (tablet) - inhibits stomach acid production
Ascorutin (tablet) - for blood vessels and a lack of vitamin C.
Zyrtec (drops) - antihistamine
Kaldyum (capsule) - potassium
Celoskon (tablet) - vitamin C supplement
Biogaia (drops) - probiotic drops
Vitamin E (tablet) - supplement
Fish Oil with vitamins D & E (syrup)

Most of these she has to take twice a day, some even thrice, except for the supplements. As if a 4-year old taking tablets is not bad enough, Alex also had to be woken up at odd hours for the not so tasty antibiotics. :(

Oh well, you gotta do what you have to do. Looking at the brighter side of things, we have at least a couple of things to be thankful for. First, Alex is doing ok. Ever since the beginning, no one would suspect that she's sick, except for the rashes. Secondly, the prognosis for HSP patients are excellent with no long-term problems. Hopefully, it will not recur for Alex.


It's not over yet, but I believe we are getting there. Thank you Lord, and thank you everyone for all your prayers!

the four-year-old alex (part two)

mommy is really so proud of little alexandra. she's growing up so fast that i have to weed out her clothes like every other week the last couple of months. :)) moreover, she can be very independent and can do a lot of things on her own.

* she already knows how to swing by herself. she learned a bit of rhythm and tempo, at long last! mommy was afraid she has daddy's sense of rhythm. (well, she probably still does.)
* goes to weewee by herself. she wipes and washes hands by herself also. but we insist to do the wiping after uu :D
* she can dress herself from top to bottom; shirt to shoes. though only when she's in the mood. otherwise she'll pretend she doesn't know how to do it.
* she knows two prayers, prayer before meal and prayer to the guardian angels.

alex's bedtime prayer
angel of GOD, my GUARDIAN dear, to whom HIS love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. amen. bless mommy, bless daddy, bless karol, bless myself, bless my friends (she added this one by herself), bless all the whole world of the ___ (fill in the blanks, e.g., family, your classmates, stars, tv, etc. and by etc. i mean whatever she comes up with).

the last few days, i asked her to pray for her daddy. today, i asked her to pray for our unborn baby. it went a little something like this:

jesus, please help daddy feel better so that he can come home soon.
jesus, please help the baby eat so much so that he will be very strongest.

shoeses!!!

after church, we had lunch at the newest mall in town -- eurovea. naturally, mommy took advantage of the opportunity to go shopping (for the second time since it opened last march, but in the same week :D) last time it was clothes, and today it's shoeses!!! i know, but i can't help it. it's really fun to shop with alex. she likes trying things on.

being a "school girl," alex needs lots of shoes. she has outgrown most of her shoes and the new ones that daddy bought from US were still too big (or so i thought!) anyway, so we bought her insoles to make her mary janes fit, and shoes/slippers for kindergarten.

slippers for kindergarten
complete with accessories

of course mommy also bought a pair of ipanema for herself and couldn't resist buying a pair for cutie alex.

cute ipanemas (mommy wants for herself)

when we got home, i made her try on the two pairs of supposedly big shoes and surprise! surprise! they fit already! so no need for the insoles.

shoes that were too big:
(1) nike mary janes; (2) nike rubber shoes

now she has like half a dozen of new pairs of shoes/slippers :D

(1)tinker bell thong slippers for home;
(2) barbie clogs from tita niña (2 years ago)

big sister alex

the whole of may, the kids have gotten sick. of course we had to visit the pedia several times. we almost always had to wait with other patients. luckily, there's a nice waiting room with toys, pencils and papers, rocking horses (or mouse :D).

on our last visit, alex was on the rocking horse while an older girl was on the bigger rocking mouse. (it was an elephant before. go figure!) karol, being the curious kind, was approaching the girl. then, she started telling him off in a not so nice voice.

poor karol, went away; went closer to our side where alex was rocking. alex then began to tell the girl something in slovak, "to je moje bracek! nechaj ho!" (that is my brother! let him be!) naturally, the argument didn't end there. the other parents started smiling already. i had to ask hubby for translation and it went something like this:

big girl: this is mine! (referring to the rocking mouse)
alex: it's not yours!
big girl: it is mine. i will not let anybody else ride this!
alex: but when the door (pedia's door) opens then you will go inside and somebody else can ride it. and when you go home, other kids can use it.

it was a really very funny scene and at the same time very touching. on one side there was karol acting very hurt. he was just standing on one side; looking down on the floor; not moving at all. i had to call him to my side to offer him some comfort which he readily accepted. it was as if he was trying to be strong. and on the other side, there was alex defending his little brother.

the four-year-old alex

birthday presents in bed, that's how alex's birthday started. at first, she stayed lying down while opening the first box. then she realized there was another box underneath when it made some sounds; she immediately shouted, "maracas!"; stood up excitedly and asked her daddy to help her open it. we can see on her face how happy she really was, specially when she said with all her heart, "thank you soooooooo much!"

the whole day, she was all giggly like a high school girl seeing her crush. even after a few days, if you ask her how old she is she would have this expression on her when she proudly says she's four.

the evening was celebrated with dedko and babina. she got a special cake from dedko in the shape of a pumpkin.

a second party was held with her friends julinka and natalka.

the filipino experience

the filipino people
first night back in ph, it was already evening when we arrived in san pablo. so we did the whole night time routine of showering the kids and preparing them for bed. then, come sleeping time...
alex: daddy, but who will stay with me?
daddy: don't worry, i will stay with you.
alex: no! but i want some filipino people to stay with me. like inay or tatay.

the filipino house
we went to boracay for a week. alex was so happy having disney playhoouse channel. but one time, she wanted to watch some cartoons she was watching while we were in san pablo. so she said, "mommy, i want to watch the thing that i watchted in the filipino house. you know?"

the filipino kindergarten
in slovakia, alex spends most of her weekday in kindergarten. fearing she would miss the experience, i opted to take her to nursery school in san pablo. unfortunately, it's a very different setup. in slovakia, it's mostly play school. while in philippines, children her age are technically schooling, writing and memorizing stuff. it was probably a shock to her and made her miss her slovak kindergarten even more. "mommy, i want to go to my slovakia kindergarten. i don't want to go to the filipino kindergarten. it's too long already."

the filipino brumik
brumik is a bear-shaped cake filled with different flavored cream filling we buy in slovakia. i brought some for our trip back to philippines. alex likes these for her snack, and of course we ran out after some time. then, i bought a chocolate filled cake made by gardenia and packed it for school. she liked it, and the next time she asked for it, she said, "mommy, i like the filipino brumik."