Christmas at Starbucks

'Tis the season to be jolly.. and to again experience Starbucks Christmas :)

I went to SM BF Paranaque today for a meeting and arrived an hour early so I went ahead and entered Starbucks since it opens an hour before mall time. I was excited to see the red menu, the red cups, the new food varieties and the Christmas drink menu. :)

My first 2015 Christmas Drink

Last year, I became a huge fan of the Christmas Cookie Crumble Frap, so this year, I decided to go with the new drink, Christmas Pantone Latte. This drink is inspired by traditional Italian Christmas fruit cup. You can have it hot, iced or frap. I chose the iced version and paired it with Chicken Pastel Empanada.

It had some sort of spice that strongly influences its taste. Actually feels like milktea to me. It's not as sweet as I expected which is just right, and the fruit sprinkles become a little "nougatty" and soft when dripped in the cold drink.

I would still have to try the Frappucino version to taste and see the difference with the iced option.

New Food Options

You have to give it to Starbucks for going out of their way to make sure their Christmas drinks are paired with new and exciting food options. New things in my eyes are the Italian Cheese Pocket, the Christmas cookie, Roasted Chicken and Turkey Wrap and the pasta dishes - Spinach Lasagna and Penne Al Formaggio. 

Of course, the Toffee Nut Loaf and the Peppermint Brownie are still staples to complement to Toffee Nut Latte and Peppermint Mocha drinks.

I also saw new cake options: the Dark Belgian Chocolate Cake, Birthday Cake and White Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake. Excited to try them next time!

Another reason for being excited about Christmas at Starbucks is the Starbucks Christmas blend and have that good ol' holiday coffee cheer at home or in the office.

The Planner

This year, Starbucks came up with a smaller version of the planner. You can choose either the regular size or the smaller (but thicker) size. The 2016 Planners come in Black, White, Red and Green.

Sorry for the blurry photo. Taking pictures of the planner is actually not allowed so I just zoomed in the planner from where I am seated :D

Lucky Day :)

Best part of my visit is that I got the limited edition sticker card with a free sticker. So I now have 2 stickers but only bought 1 drink. Weeee! :)

Indeed, Christmas at Starbucks is here. :)

Natassja's Pre Debut Shoot BTS

Hey everyone! I know it's been a super long while since I wrote a post, and I am hoping I'll be able to write regularly. :)

So today, I'm going to write about the pre-debut shoot of my eldest daughter, Natassja Danielle. :)

I had thought long and hard about what do to like the concept, where to shoot, etc. and I ended up with nothing. LOL. We didn't buy new clothes or shoes. We just took whatever we have that's nice inside her closet. Talk about being lost in space. #wasak haha.

As August drew nearer, I needed to just "wing it", and get trusted people to help me with the pre-debut session. Just a few days before the shoot, I figured the best place to do it is at the grounds of Philam Village. So there. We're good. I prayed that we have a good weather and no rain as I have no backup plan whatsoever. Haha. :)

The Shoot Day

HMUA: Chichi Sotomil

With all my talented make-up artist friends, the easiest to go to would be Chichi Sotomil because she's only within Las Piñas.

On the day of the shoot, we went to Chichi's house for Natassja's hair and make up. Steph was kind enough to do Natassja's hair. We were ready in a couple of hours and of course had some photos before we left.

Natassja with the talented MUA Chichi Sotomil :)

Natassja with Chichi (left) and the great hairstylist, Steph (right)

Chichi's IG photo

Photographer: Photos by Mot Rasay - Framed-Up Productions

Now for the photographer, I also have a lot of great photographer friends. My good friend, Mot Rasay, was the one I asked to do the shoot for the debut party and he told me he wants to do Natassja's pre-debut shoot anytime so we sealed the deal.

After we're done with Natassja's hair and make up, we went on our way to Philamlife Park to meet Mot and his trusty sidekick, Jasper a.k.a. Jasper Bieber. :)

When we got there, Natassja changed to her casual dress first and they immediately worked. Natassja didn't want me watching - she'll get really conscious so I just sat by a nearby park bench while they had their photoshoot. Of course, I had to catch a candid and post it in IG as well :)

My IG post :)

After the shoot at Philam Park, Jasper had to go since he will be going back to Lucena. Of course, we needed to take some photos with him too :)

Natassja with Jasper Bieber (left) and Mot Rasay (right)

Wacky pose :)

With the goodness of Mot's heart to be also our trusted man-on-wheels, we drove to C5 extension and Mot took shots of Natassja wearing her formal dress. They spent another 30 minutes of shooting and I was left inside the car waiting patiently while playing Candy Crush :)

After the shoot, we ate at Xander's in Pamplona, Las Piñas, to cap the successful shoot day. Heard good reviews about this place and Mot haven't tried it yet. Xander's exceeded our expectations. I will have a separate post on my Xander's experience soon. :)

Acknowledgments

I'd like to thank my good friends Chichi and Mot, along with their trusted partners Steph and Jasper, for making this day possible and easy as a breeze for my Natassja. I would never have pulled off such a classy and stylish shoot if it weren't for all of you. <3

I'm very much excited to share the actual shots but I will do that on a separate post - making sure I don't share so much. LOLs. Thanks for reading, guys! :)

KTG Turns 2

As a mother, I need to find ways on how to augment to my income. Two years ago, by either stroke of luck or faith as you would have it, I stumbled upon 2 people who would change my life forever and make me realize one of my dreams - be a wedding coordinator.

The first marathon meeting of KTG at SBC Megamall :)

Kiss The Girl Events had its very humble beginnings. From the initial meeting at Cafe Mary Grace in ATC, we took off and after a month, our bookings just poured like crazy. We were all unsure that time, but I believe Papa God had something cooking for us. So here we are, after all the happy memories, bumps and bruises we've had along the way, we've reached Terrific Two. :)

I would like to thank, first and foremost, our magnificent Papa God who has blessed us with so much. We won't be who we are now without His intervention and His love. To You, we give all the glory. :)

Also would like to thank my family - for being so understanding and supportive that I oftentimes need to miss family affairs or having to prioritize KTG meetings over watching a movie with them. I draw my strength from all of you and without your love and support, we would probably have never been as successful. To my kids - Natassja, Neenah, and Nukh - I love you all and I appreciate the time you also spend with me when I bring you to my meetings. To my mom and dad, thank you for always filling in for me for my kids whenever I'm not at home. I love you and thank you for your never ending love. Let me also thank the families and loved ones of my partners - I'm sure you also give the same support and love as I have received from mine. :)

A big thank you to all our awesome clients - most especially the ones who have gambled with KTG while we were starting out. In 2011, we had 11 weddings (since July). But come 2012, we had 80++ weddings. It was more than what we have expected and it was your trust and confidence in our team that made us soar to greater heights as the power of word of mouth truly made us recognized in the wedding industry. And to our present and future clients, we can only give you our utmost assurance that we do not just do weddings for the money (as we all know we're still pretty affordable), but we have the passion and the heart to ensure your wedding day will be as you hoped it would be. :)

To our wonderful wedding supplier friends - thank you for the kindest words, referrals, complimentary kulot or plancha and makeup (haha), and the love. We have done a number of weddings who are also suppliers and it's very fulfilling when people in the wedding industry trust us with their own weddings and events. We love that we are able to hang out with some of you and get to know each other outside the working environment. We promise to always make sure you will be fed well during KTG weddings. :)

To the best kendeng girls in the world, and likewise our dearest friends - Ate Salve, Angel, Anj, Vonski, Clea, Jam, Cathy, Kath, Sarah, Len, Joanne - I super love how you all stepped up and became as fabulous as you can be in every KTG wedding. I am so proud to have worked with all of you and to have imparted knowledge for you to be as efficient as you can be. Thank you for bearing with all the long hours, drama, jabarness, wa-poise, pagod and kalat moments. I look forward to more kendeng moments with each one of you, and we hope your acquired KTG genes will grow on you. :)

L-R: Salve, Arbee, Abby, Cece, Cha, Cathy, Jam, Joanne, Sarah, Vanessa
Photo by: Alvin Basa, Jr.

To my super fantabulous partners-in-crime and sisters-at-heart - Abby, Cha and Arbee - it would be difficult to imagine enduring each wedding without you three - physically or in spirit. Thank you for your trust, respect, understanding, and love. We have endured a lot of stressful situations and because of those, we became better, stronger, and more comfortable with ourselves when we do weddings. We became more than business partners, we are sisters and good friends who also know how to have fun (if we have time, that is). Because of that, we have more happy moments and we have a better support system. And I can't be any happier to share the time, food, ballpens and blessings with you three. I love you all to bits. :)

Photo by: Alvin Basa, Jr.

It has been a terrific two-year ride, and for sure, the journey won't stop here. I am a proud KTG girl. Happy anniversary, KTG. <3

Natassja Danielle: High School Graduate

She was 2 1/2 years old when we thought of enrolling her at the Summer W.A.R.M. Program of
Holy Rosary Academy of Las Pinas City. That was way back in 2000, 13 years ago to be exact. Natassja Danielle N. Mariano (Tassja, Tashi, Tash, Tashing, Danielle (if hindi kaya i-pronounce ang first name) was immediately noticed by the school administrators and owners. She was cute, charming, and was eagerly "bibo". She wanted to go to school, ready with her cute little bag, pencils and crayons. At a very young age, we were glad the school accepted her to start formal Nursery class. And she has not stopped studying since then, always being the youngest in her class. :)

She was one of the early students of the school, which is why she is well loved by the owners of H.R.A., Capt. and Mrs. Galang, as well as the teachers and staff.

Time has passed. She graduated from pre-school. And then elementary.

Has it been 4 years since that day?

During high school, I remembered when we started, she was still the happy-go-lucky student who doesn't study at home but passes her subjects with flying colors that she receives quarterly certificates. But when she entered her Senior year, she vowed that she will do everything in her power to graduate with honors. This was when I started to see her burn the midnight oil - researching, typing, reading, solving problems. She has been diligently studying even at home plus she has been really active in school - member of the HRA's B.E.S.T.S. or the outstanding students of high school, team captain of the High School Volleyball Varsity team, member of the HRA chorale, CAT officer assigned as one of the Corps' staff, and a member of the Rosarian Dance Crew who won 2nd place at the recent LAPRISA Pop Dance Competition.

B.E.S.T.S.

High School Volleyball Varsity Team with Sir Jun

C.A.T. Graduation

H.R.A. Chorale Mini-Concert at the 2013 HRA's Year End Presentation

When the time came for the 4th quarter PTC, Natassja was really nervous and she really wanted me to attend. So I did. And we were all ecstatic when we learned that she will be getting 4 awards during graduation day.

The first (and most obvious) is the Loyalty Award, having studied at Holy Rosary Academy of Las Pinas City for 13 years. :)

She was a consistent recipient of quarterly honors so she emerged the Top 2 in her class, which makes for another medal. :)

Because she has led the Seniors' volleyball team to 2 victories, plus being the Team Captain of the varsity team, she was given the Athlete of the Year trophy. :)

And finally, Natassja's hardwork paid off. She became the 2nd Honorable Mention of her graduating class. :)

I would like to thank, of course, the Lord, for giving me such wonderful children. They are truly my blessings. My parents, for their super support, understanding, and love for my kids. For all of Natassja's teachers - Ms. Lyn, Ms. Oyie, Sir Ariel, Ms. Rosa, Sir Jun, Sir Noy, Ms. Lehnz - .. you have been vital to the development of my daughter and  I salute you for your noble work. To, H.R.A., most especially to Capt. and Mrs. Galang - thank you for taking care of my daughter while she was your student. To Sir C and Ma'am Bayot - thank you for bringing out the best in my daughter and for believing in her intellect and talents.

To all her friends and classmates, I know you have made a mark in each others' lives so thank you for giving the gift of friendship to my daughter. To everyone who has mentored and taught Tashi throughout the years - whether you're within HRA or outside, you are all a part of her success in her elementary and secondary school life. :)

With Mrs. Thet Galang - HRA's Directress

With Sir Noy

With Sir Ariel

With Ms. Lehnz

4th year EXCEDENCE - HRA Batch 2013

Congratulations, my Tashi. You are now a college student. Things will be more challenging and I know you will face all those challenges head on. I love you and I am soooo proud of you. <3

Love for Volleyball

Who would have thought that the Geronimo volleyball genes would run through the veins of my 2 daughters - Natassja and Neenah.

I am proud to say that I have been playing volleyball since I was in Grade 5, consistently played in the school intramurals during high school and joined the varsity team during my senior year. In college, I trained for a while in the varsity team but our team was unfortunately disbanded. I was fortunate to have been trained by Volleyball Coach extraordinaire, Mr. Cuenca, a member of the national volleyball team and coach to a number of volleyball teams, including the Philippine team. I also joined a few inter-barangay leagues. I am an addict of this sport and always loved to play.

My other family members in the Geronimo clan also played this sport beautifully - our beloved Ate Minna+, and my cousins Ronnie and Rochelle. It was from a spike of my cousin Ronnie that hit me on the face which actually removed my fear of volleyball.

My eldest daughter, Natassja, joined the varsity I think 2 years ago. And Neenah joined last year in the elementary level. Both of them have excelled in this sport that is so close to my heart which is why I totally support them as they continue to better themselves and show their love for volleyball.

Lovin that they both do overhead service :-)

This year, both of them are playing in the varsity team of Holy Rosary Academy of Las Pinas City and it's  exciting for me, too, that they are playing in one team. Today is intrams day at HRA and they told me they would compete with each other as Freshmen and Seniors. I have not seen them in action yet, thus, I didn't want to miss this opportunity so I dropped by late afternoon to see how well my kids played.

Candid moments while waiting for service :-)

Neenah's freshies team didn't win both their games but I was so proud of how their team played. They even beat the Juniors in one set, a feat which has not been achieved by any freshman team in a while. They also gave a good game vs. the Seniors where Natassja was playing. I could really say Neenah earned her right to be named "female athlete of the year" last year when she graduated from elementary. :-)

Neenah in action

Natassja exceeded my expectations. As I knew she was a good player, she was very composed even if I knew she was pressured with their game vs. the juniors. She led her team and played as if she owned the court. And I also have to congratulate her teammates as well. Great job, Excedence. :-)

Tashi in action

I was indeed one proud mommy today, seeing my 2 daughters play the sport I truly love, and play it very well. I hope they continue their love for the sport and develop the values associated with it - dedication, teamwork, humility, and respect.

Graduation Moments with Neenah

Times flies so fast. Neenah Yzabelle Nicolas Mariano, my second baby, just graduated from Elementary school last March 30, 2012 at the Insular Life Auditorium, Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

Food trip: Magnum Chocolate Ice Cream

So I've been seeing this poster at 7-Eleven and I am just intrigued with this new Magnum Ice Cream Bar. So on the hottest day ever recorded in the Philippines for 2012, I didn't let the day pass without satisfying my curiosity on this new dessert treat.

Apparently, Magnum has already been popular in other countries but I haven't heard of it 'til I saw the seemingly impossible-to-miss posters at 7-Eleven's entrance door. When I approached the chiller, I was surprised to see not just one, but three variants of Magnum: the Classic ice cream bar, Almond, and Chocolate Truffle.

Of different things :)

Lunch Time

Today, I remembered it's Friday, so therefore, I decided not to eat anything meat during lunch. :-) I had Country Tuna sandwich ordered from The Sandwich Guy. It's been quite a while since I had my last TSG meal so I was quite excited when my order finally came. But sad to say, I wasn't all satisfied. Don't get me wrong, the tuna spread was good, veggies were fresh and all. But I just didn't have the "full" feeling after eating it, comparing it to HBLT or roast beef. It was not that bad tho.

But I still have yet to blog about my lunch yesterday, until I eat it again. :-)

Report

So today is management meeting day, and when everyone uploaded their reports in our chatroom, I was surprised to find their reports direct to the point and plain simple (in MS word docx only). And I fabulously worked on my report yesterday using powerpoint. Haha. To think my report is already toned down because I didn't want them to feel I'm too OA. But so much for that, I guess I'm really destined to shine. :)

Death

I wanted to talk about death last weekend, however I didn't have the energy to write. Two people I know passed away last week, within the week. Shocking so to speak, because they are quite young. Arth is probably around 30, and Christina is the same age as me, 34.

Death is inevitable. We meet someone, then in an instant, they could be gone. And as I quote the timely sermon from the priest who officiated the mass at Christina's wake, the reason God does not allow us to know when we will die is because we always have to live our life as if it were our last.

Life is short. Tell the people you love that you love them and show it to them. Live life to your fullest. Be thankful for when you wake up, it's a blessing coming from the Lord, because you are given one more day to make a difference.

I leave you with that. Happy lunch, friends! :)

Fighting the Social Stigma of Persons with Intellectual Disability

Going back to my previous post on the Family Fun Day celebration of Las Pinas Montessori School, I just can't help but not comment on the students suffering from Intellectual Disability. Those with autism, mental retardation, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, aspergers, among others, were just so game in the competition. I stare in awe as they participate from one game to another. Cheering their hearts out for their teams, rooting for it to win. And their parents are ever supportive. :)

I salute LPMS for not having a separate activity for students with special needs because it cuts the barrier and does not stigmatize them. Exposing and having them interact with regular students make them feel more "normal" and would not feel like they are losers or unwanted.

Sadly, not everyone give the same love and care for persons with intellectual disability. We perceive them as abnormal people and would not want to interact with them because of a number of reasons. They're scary as they might harm you. Perhaps they will have a hard time talking to them. They don't have the patience to handle dealing with them. A number of reasons for sure.

When Nukh was diagnosed with Broad Spectrum Autism, I've heard some comments from neighbors that he is "abnormal." It broke my heart to hear those comments, especially those whom I have considered friends. While we cannot dismiss the fact that there is abnormality in his behaviour, it doesn't make him less of a person.

Nukh's heart is genuinely real. He shows you he's happy when he is happy. Sad when he is sad. Frustrated, angry, surprised, excited. You name any feeling you'll think of, and he'll honestly show you what he really feels. You'll see it in his eyes, his actuations. The challenge is to verbalize what he feels. And what difference is it for us so-called normal people. Oftentimes, when we are sad, we hide our true emotions by telling everyone we're ok. When we're hurting, we don't cry because it will be perceived as a weakness on our end. So who's the normal person now?

As with the symposium I attended at Las Pinas Montessori a few days ago, I stopped and thought of just starting my own crusade on protecting and upholding special children. I'd like to blog my way and be an advocate to hopefully lessen the social stigma that children like my Nukie experiences.

We consider our Nukie to be our lucky charm and our biggest blessing. And we will continue to do so. We love him for who he is, and will do all our best to help him cope up with the "norms" despite his condition. We're seeing a lot of improvement. But there's still a lot of work to be done.

Today, I hugged Earl, Nukh's classmate with mental retardation. He was plain happy to see me and embraced me wholeheartedly. When he finally broke the embrace (it was quite a hug I may say), I raised my hand and asked for a high five. His father was just happy I did that.

As I borrow the words of Dra. Rhoda, who was one of the speakers of the symposium, if you have nothing to say to someone who has intellectual disability, just offer a smile. It will surely come a long, long way. And knowing that you did something good would do wonders for your self, too. :)

The New Selecta Cornetto

I just want to share my experience on the latest edition of the Selecta Cornetto ice cream cone. They now have a White Chocolate variant. I was at a nearby convenience store while searching for the Cornetto flavor I wanted at that time when I stumbled upon this. Wee! Was I excited to try it out! :)

As a lover of white chocolate, this Cornetto version didn't fail my expectations. While its toppings are made of white chocolate sprinkles and melted white chocolate, the ice cream didn't come off as too sweet. If it's vanilla ice cream, then it should be the reason why it isn't too sweet. But if it is white chocolate, they did an uber great job by not exaggerating the taste. I was enjoying the ice cream so much, I just found myself at the end of the cone. And as the traditional Cornetto has a chocolate tip, this has white chocolate tip. :)

I enjoyed eating my Selecta Cornetto white chocolate ice cream cone. Hope you do too. :)

Family Fun Day at Las Pinas Montessori School

Today, I was supposed to be in a wedding for Kiss The Girl Events. However, because of mommy duties (and no one to take my place), I had to accompany Nukh to Las Pinas Montessori School's Family Fun Day celebration at Citadella Clubhouse at Casimiro, Las Pinas City.

To be honest, I was not that excited because at the back of my mind, I was worried about our wedding, with the main reason that Abby's sister passed away early this morning and Arbee is understaffed. Plus, I had babysitting duties with Audrey this morning so I was quite tired already when I went to accompany Nukh around lunchtime.

But things changed when we stepped in the clubhouse. The four teams were already together, practicing their cheer. We had to group ourselves with the Magenta/Pink team to know our cheer. And I never realized that the Family Fun Day at LPMS is so hyped. Everyone - from the teachers, students, and parents - were very competitive and excited. So my spirit woke up a bit and just enjoyed the company of other parents and my little boy.

I saw a familiar face - Cyrus Guevarra. He was a college batchmate and he was together with his wife and 3 kids. It was nice to catch up with him for a while. His eldest was part of the preschool dance group who participated in the last LAPRISA dance contest. :)

The event started with the cheering competition and we did our best. While we didn't win, our team did quite good. :) My mind was already filled with thoughts that next year, wherever my Nukie will be included, I will make sure to participate and give ideas to win more prizes haha.

Of course, after all that cheering, it made us hungry so we opted to buy some snacks. But for some reason, the prices for the snacks didn't feel right. I had to pay P45 for the quality and quantity, it was not worth it. :( The quantity was lesser than the P25 Mcdonalds regular fries. I was disappointed and I said to myself that on the next big event, I'd like to be a vendor and sell it for a cheaper price but still get a good margin. Haha.

Then came the games. We didn't emerge the champion, but we won in several games. I participated in the Tug-of-War, mommy edition. Because of teamwork and mommy power, we won! :) And soon after, our team also won the daddy edition. Then we won in the trip to Jerusalem when a surprising little girl beat the hell out of 3 big boys and raced to the lone chair to bag the prize. We were so proud of the girlie :) And lastly, we won in the Karaoke Showdown of couples. Not bad. We could have done better, but not bad. The competitive spirit in me wanted to unleash but I feel it was not the right time. YET. Haha.

Nukh joined in two games - the caterpillar race and the trip to Jerusalem. He didn't win. But he did surprisingly well. For the caterpillar race, it was the fault of the parents who were helping out that time that's why they lost. No coordination. But for the trip to Jerusalem, I was surprised to see Nukh beating other big kids as he swarmed his way to find a seat when the music stops. He was eliminated when the changed the rules and there was a racing involved. As his coordinator teachers were proud of him, I was the proudest of all. From 15 students, he remained at the top 5. :)

We felt we were lucky as we were informed before the break that there were pieces of paper stuck under the chairs. And if we got a paper and brought the condition, we get a prize. We luckily had a paper on our chair and the condition was to bring a glass of iced tea. As the excited mommy, I bought iced tea so Nukh can claim his prize.

And as champions of the tug of war, we got this as a prize. While one mommy said "After all the hirap, ito lang?" I jokingly commented, "Ok lang yan, Louis Vuitton naman e." :)

After their finale presentation number "Moves Like Jagger", we hurriedly left the venue because we were sooo hungry. No part two of the uber expensive french fries. But I did treat Nukh to a one-piece chicken with rice at McDonalds for doing a job well done. :)

Even if I was distracted while we were there at the Family Fun Day, the look in Nukh's eyes having his mommy with him at the Family Fun Day was just priceless. I will never trade it for anything in the world. :)

Note: I wanted to post pictures but my camera isn't being recognized by my PC for some reason. So I will post pics soon. Thanks for reading! :)

Dealing with Intellectual Disability

When a parent is faced with the realization that his or her child has special needs, one would have a multitude of emotions. Instant reaction is shock, sadness, anger, sometimes in denial, pain, and worry. My Nukie doesn't look like he is special. He looks like a normal boy, as you can see in this picture. But if you talk to him, observe him and spend time with him, you'll find some of his characteristics are just out of the "norm." While I am also noticing different actuations, I was still in denial that Nukh had issues that needed to be addressed. To me, he was just a boy who had slow developments and I know it would eventually be ok.

After gathering the courage and upon the recommendation of his "big school", Holy Rosary Academy during his Prep year, we transferred him to ARE Playschool, a smaller school. And we were also advised to seek the assessment of a Developmental Paediatrician. We went to Dra. Cielo Malijan. After an hour of tests, imagine the shock when I learned that Nukie has Broad Spectrum Autism. While I didn't feel really good after hearing it, I have already prepared myself for that meeting and it didn't really take a long time before I finally accepted the findings. Dra. Malijan immediately recommended for Nukh to undergo occupational therapy weekly.

After about 8 months of taking occupational therapy, we went back to Dra. Malijan for another consultation. This time, she recommended occupational therapy twice a week, and to start speech therapy as there are already signs of improvement. I won't enumerate all the changes, but I know that from the time we entered Dra. Malijan's clinic, he has significantly improved his discipline. It's not abrupt. But small, slow changes excited us and made us more inspired to push with Nukh's therapies.

After Nukh graduated at ARE Playschool, we transferred him to Las Pinas Montessori School, and yet I was faced with another sort-of "bad news". Nukh won't be accelerating to Grade school yet. He was placed in Juniors class, wherein he will be given one-on-one lessons with other SPED students. But I am very thankful this the decision of the school because I felt he really needed more attention in class. As he continued his occupational therapy and speech therapy, it was also noted that he needed behavior modification therapy.

My family is also a key player in Nukh's improvement. While I have to admit that it's really hard to be consistent, we really do our best to do our part in ensuring Nukh's improvement in education and with his behavior. Now, we can bring him to the mall without much distractions on his part. We are even able to take him to mass now. Weee! :)

According to Dra. Malijan, the findings can still change. But as it is, the team that works together to help Nukh improve works non-stop.

Like his other sisters (blame it on the genes - ahem!), Nukh is a fantastic dancer. And he can carry a tune. He's really awesome with computers and Lego blocks. He's very sweet and kind, and obedient at times. We love him dearly, and we consider him our biggest blessing and our lucky charm. :)

Welcome to my blog :)

This is the first time I am blogging as a mom, because I was really inspired with the symposium I have attended earlier on handling the social stigma of people who have intellectual disability. It made me realize that it's about time I become an advocate of disability, and at the same time, talk about how proud I am of my kids. <3

Let me tell you about my 3 kids.

Natassja Danielle N. Mariano
Tashi is my first tender care baby. Born on August 12, 1997 in Muntinlupa Medical Center, I had her when I was 20 years old. Great dancer, singer, speaker, volleyball player, and potential event coordinator haha. I really think she's my mini-me.

Neenah Yzabelle N. Mariano
Neenzy is my youngest daughter. Came into the world on December 3, 1999 at Perpetual Help Medical Center, 2 years after Tashi. Also a great dancer, singer, tennis player, and volleyball player. A lot of people say she looks like my mom. But Neenzy is our "lola" because she is more matured. But she's supposedly the more responsible one. :-)

Nukh Rafael N. Mariano
Nukh was born in November 19, 2003 at Las Pinas Doctors Medical Center. The only boy in our family - as we are two girls, and my 2 older children - so he is king of the house. He is diagnosed with Broad Spectrum Autism, but regardless, we love him very much. He's mucho handsome and English-speaking so better be ready for some nose-bleeding conversations when you go talk to him. :-)

If you notice, all of them have special name spellings. It was really what I wanted because I was kind of frustrated with having one short name. Since I named Natassja after Nastassja Kinski, I named all of them starting with the letter N, and because I started Tashi with a second name that ends is "elle", I followed suit with Neenah, and "el" for Nukh.

It's pretty difficult to raise three kids without a partner. But I have no regrets having them. They are blessings and I love them dearly. This blog will be dedicated to our life's adventures and misadventures, so I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing about them. :-)