The play area had just opened so the toddler and I had the whole pen to ourselves. It was so much fun! The pen was about half a foot deep at least. There were so many balls. I felt like I was six years old! I kept falling on my butt.

Meanwhile, Timmy was quite the expert maneuvering his way around the pen. It wasn’t his first time to play in a pen full of balls. His Dad usually accompanies him, but today I wanted to be his playmate!

If it weren’t for my toddler I probably wouldn’t have had the chance to wade through this pen. It was an awesome experience. I think I had more fun than the little boy did.

So woohoo! It was a dream come true for this thirtysomething. You’re never too old to play in a pen full of multi-colored balls. If you haven’t tried it, you totally should. So much fun.

Getting to Manila Ocean Park was pretty easy except for the traffic on Quezon Ave. Super bummer as the construction of the underpass near Araneta Ave. caused a major jam. Crap. We didn’t let it dampen our spirits though! After a dose positive thinking and a repeating medley of “Twinkle Twinkle” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider”, we were there. Hay salamat.

Manila Ocean Park is the first marine-themed park in the Philippines. There are a lot of things to enjoy here. H, Timmy and I decided on journeying through the Oceanarium. This is a marine life exhibit with over 5,000 varieties of underwater creatures. Best of all, we wanted to see the underwater viewing tunnel (Asia’s largest!) and the fishes swimming over our head. The admission fee for this is Php 400 per adult, Php 350 per kids 4ft & below, free for kids 2ft & below.

Upon entering the Oceanarium part of the Park, we were greeted with an “outdoorsy” kind of exhibit. Aaaaah, ganon pala. I thought we’d be entering the tunnel right away. Excited much?

Timmy the toddler was still a little iffy about the fishes because of the new environment.

My favorite part of this outdoor experience was the Koi Feeding Pond (sorry, no pictures). You feed the koi with a baby bottle full of pellets and those fish aggressively feed on it. Scariness at first, then amusement comes second.

Indoors (yehey aircon!), fish exhibits of all sizes welcome and delight you. Timmy began warming up to the fish once we entered this place.

A school of Pompano. My tummy was yelling, “Aren’t those yummy?”

This is the tunnel. It’s about 25 meters long and full of people, I mean, fish. Yeah, it can get quite crowded. Can’t blame the folks though! It’s fun to have your pictures taken here.

It was feeding frenzy time so there were two divers regaling the fish with food and the crowds with their friendly underwater hello’s.

After the tunnel, there are more fish exhibits. There’s a huge shark tank. Timmy got a kick out of this “sleeping” shark.

Ang Kalaliman. This part of the exhibit was MY FAVORITE. It’s in a dark corner. I could stand in front of this tank for HOURS. The fish just kept on going round and round the ship rod. Just give me a chair that reclines and I could watch these fish swim in circles all day.

After the Oceanarium, we decided to get lunch. It was a long way out though! We passed through a portion of the Penguin Exhibit and some parts with wonderful views of Manila bay.

I want that boat, Mommy!

There’s a gift shop at the Oceanarium exit. We just had to get a souvenir of our marvelous morning. Clownfish hat for our little clown? Perfect!

There are a bunch of snack kiosks and some fastfood joints at the entrance of the park. We decided to have lunch at Hotel H20′s Makan Makan Asian Food Village. They had pretty good Nasi Goreng and Bird’s Nest Soup. Our waiter was pretty awesome too. No food shots because I was uber hungry and so were the boys.

Other activities you can enjoy at Manila Ocean Park are the Sea Lion Show, Jellyfish exhibit, Aquanaut voyage (a guided diving experience), Glass Bottom Boat Ride, Fish Spa, Musical Fountain Show and a Penguin Exhibit (you need closed shoes and a jacket for this one!). We’ll return for the others another time.

Overall, it was a great experience. We’ll return next time with more family members in tow! Before bedtime this evening, Timmy watched videos of our fish-filled morning over and over and over. I think this boy enjoyed our visit to the Oceanarium most of all.

If you’re thinking of visiting the Oceanarium, here are some tips:

1. Eat before your visit. You can’t bring food and drinks into the exhibits.
2. Go first thing in the morning. If you want to avoid crowds, go as soon as it opens. We were leaving the park around 1 pm and hordes of folks were coming in.
3. Expect that there are lot more noisy adults than noisy kids. I guess big fish tanks just bring the kid out in everyone.
4. Manage your expectations. It’s not a suuuper huge aquarium but it’s not rinkety dink either. Thailand’s Siam Ocean World is still my favorite, but our local one’s not so bad. I just wish that they would fix a few things. (See next tip).
5. Parking’s far from the entrance. The road was so muddy, rocky and sandy. Since it drizzled a bit before we got to the park, there were puddles even on the sidewalk. NOT very safe. Getting to the ticket booth was an adventure in itself. Plus, there was tons of construction work leading to the hotel and the park’s entrance. It doesn’t make for a warm welcome at all. So just expect a short trek from the North Parking to the Park ticket booths. Bring an umbrella in case it’s too hot or rainy. This is as of today, Nov. 13. Who knows, construction might end tomorrow.
6. If you’re coming from Quezon City, expect traffic along Quezon Ave. cor. Araneta. Major construction is still (and forever) ongoing.
7. Best of all, ENJOY! Bring your camera. Bring your enthusiasm. Children, you’re going to love this. Adults, cherish this experience from a kid’s perspective. Bring your inner mermaid/merman and have lots of fun at the park!

Manila Ocean Park
Website: www.manilaoceanpark.com
Facebook Page: Manila Ocean Park

And I’ve never:

1. Baked a pie.
2. Lived on my own.
3. Been to Nice or the Isle of Greece (while I…)
4. Sipped champagne on a yacht.
5. Gambled in a casino.
6. Had a cat.

7. Seen “Father of the Bride” without getting choked up.
8. Successfully used a bookmark from a book’s start to finish.
9. Memorized an e.e. cummings poem.
10. Had a margarita in Mexico.

11. Hitchhiked.
12. Made a snowman.
13. Been able to do the Roger Rabbit.
14. Spiked my coffee.
15. Seen a duck in a raincoat.

16. Tried a “freefall” ride.
17. Worn a superhero costume.
18. Done cartwheels.
19. Poached an egg.
20. Gotten a tattoo.
21. Fantasized about Brad Pitt. Promise.
22. Seen Inception.

This was written for:

Photo: “Mexican margarita vertical” by Melissa Wiese, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved. Photo: ““How do you make an egg laugh? Tell it a yolk” ~” by turtlemom4bacon, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved

Oh-kay! Let me take you on a tour. Let’s start with the sketchpad on the right:

Care Bears Sketch Pad
Ballpen
Mongol Crayons
Red toy car
Big Bird figure
Baby Po figure
Bag of M&M’s
Camera case
Stickers
Folded cloth diaper
Bib
Wallet
Hairbrush
Lotion
Baby wipes
iPhone
Red kit which contains Claritin, Ponstan, lipstick, face powder and anti-bacterial hand gel
Sunglasses

It’s a baby bag with some of Mommy’s stuff, that’s what! I whip out the sketchpad and the stickers when we’re at restaurants. It keeps him occupied for a few minutes. When the stickers are no longer entertaining, out come the crayons one by one. I don’t give him the whole box because he empties it on the restaurant table, causing a huge mess. The toys are obviously for entertainment, the cloth diaper for wiping sweat, drool or food from his face, the bib a back-up to the others in his baby bag, the lotion acting like first aid for his sensitive skin.

The stash of M&M’s keeps me sane. I never leave home without chocolate.

The baby has dominated my bag. I’m fine with that. But I’m not sharing my M&M’s!

What’s in your Mommy bag?

The man of, and in, my dreams *sigh*

Husband: “Sige pag-naging jowa mo si Scott Speedman pwede mo na ako hiwalayan.”
Me: “Husby! Paano ka na?”
Husband: “Eh, maghahanap nalang ako ng iba.”
Me: “O sige sino sa ‘yo?”
Husband: “Si Solen.”
Me: “Ayoko! Pinay yun eh. Possible yun.”
Husband: “Anong possible. O sige sino Pinoy sa ‘yo?”
Me: “Wala eh.”
Husband: “John Lloyd?”
Me: “Ayoko.”
Husband: “Sam Milby? Dingdong Dantes?”
Me: “Hmmm. Sige pag-iisipan ko muna.”
Husband: “Basta pag naging jowa ko si Solen pwede mo na akong hiwalayan.”
Me: “Hahaha, paano kung foreign?”
Husband: “Blake Lively.”
Me: “Gossip Girl! Fine. Isip ako.”

Okay now I have to think of a Pinoy counterpart to his Solen. Challenge ACCEPTED! Any suggestions?

So this must be our version of the “Freebie List.” This game was presented on the third season of FRIENDS. The “freebie list” is a list of celebrities that one can romance (and do other smexy stuff with) without anyone getting upset. In that episode, Ross trimmed down his list by eliminating Isabella Rossellini, who he bumps into shortly after.

I am so not taking Scott Speedman off my list. I’ll worry about the consequences later. Haha!

To my dear conservative friends: This is obviously just friendly joshing between me and H. Should any of the above scenarios happen, it’s most likely because one of us was dreaming or you are living in an alternate universe (which my present universe self would be kinda be jealous of).

Do you have a “freebie list” with your partner? Share if you do! It’s all in good fun!

*****

Here’s the English translation:
Husband: “Okay if Scott Speedman becomes your boyfriend, you can divorce me.”
Me: “Husby! What about you?”
Husband: “Then I’ll just look for somebody else.”
Me: “Okay who’s your choice?”
Husband: “Solen.”
Me: “No! She’s Filipino so that makes it possible.”
Husband: “It’s not possible. Okay who’s your Filipino choice?”
Me: “Nobody.”
Husband: “John Lloyd?”
Me: “I don’t like him.”
Husband: “Sam Milby? Dingdong Dantes?”
Me: “Hmmm. I’ll think about it some more.”
Husband: “The deal is if Solen becomes my girlfriend we can split up.”
Me: “Hahaha, what about a foreign star?”
Husband: “Blake Lively.”
Me: “Gossip Girl! Fine. Okay I’ll start thinking now.”

Image source: f*ckyeahscottspeedman – One of my favorite tumblr blogs EVER.

What was I doing when I wasn’t looking? Fixing toy clutter. Before I could say, “All cleaned up!” I heard a little shuffle behind me. Ta-da. I wonder why he just HAD to take all his laundry out. I think he was searching for one of his toys. Or maybe he just wanted a little more clutter in the room.

Maybe the title of this post should’ve been Toddler and Laundry VS. Mommy!

We were having a quiet lunch and I was complaining to my friend how I didn’t have time for myself anymore. She looked at me square in the face and asked, “But aren’t you a stay-at-home mother?” I nodded, raising my own fork instinctively as she put hers down. “Then you must have at least some time for yourself,” she insisted. “After all, you don’t do much all day, do you?”

It took every amount of energy I had not to hurl my fork across the table. I calmed myself down thinking silently to myself that no, she didn’t understand because she’s not a mother. No, she didn’t understand because she doesn’t run around all day chasing a toddler. Her words stung. There I was relishing what little time off I had from Toddlerville when that question was, well, innocently, thrown at me. I realize now that her question was borne out of curiosity more than sarcasm, but at that very moment my fork could have made quite the weapon.

The corporate world was my life for twelve years. When motherhood came my way, I knew I wanted to be a stay-at-home mother, especially during my son’s first years. It’s been six months since I’ve resigned, but every day I am challenged in a totally different yet still dynamic setup. I tell you: Nothing compares to the challenges a stay-at-home mom faces every single day, every single hour. It’s just as (if not more) dynamic, tedious and tiring, only you can wear pajamas and go barefoot all day.

“I take care of the baby,” I replied in a tentative tone. How else could I answer the question? Do I tell my friend a typical day in the life of this mother? Waking up when the baby does. Playing in bed before we go down for breakfast. Preparing breakfast. Having breakfast. (Have you tried feeding what could be the world’s pickiest eater? If that doesn’t drain your energy, I don’t know what will.) Cleaning up after breakfast. Washing poop. (Have you tried washing the cute butt of what could be the world’s wriggliest baby?) Cleaning up. Bathing baby. (I repeat: Wriggliest) Nursing baby. Teaching baby with building blocks, crayons, cars, crumpled paper, empty tin cans and old socks. Chasing baby around the house (repeat at least ten times throughout the day). Wiping away drool. Wiping away sweat. Fixing the laundry while he stays still for ten minutes watching a DVD. Picking up the toys he throws on the floor so he doesn’t slip on them while running around the house. I haven’t even gotten started on what happens right before lunchtime.

If a stay-at-home mom of one experiences this crazy scenario everyday, what more a mother of two? Three? What more a mother of preschool children, of tweens and teens? What more a mother of all of the above? I don’t want to imagine what their reactions would be when they are thrown the question, “You’re a stay-at-home mother? Then you don’t do much all day, do you?” Let me clear the table of all cutlery before World War Fork begins.

I looked at my friend and repeated, “I take care of the baby.” This time I said it without any trace of apprehension. It filled my heart just saying it again. The day is all about the baby. The days are all about the baby. I’m a stay-at-home mother and proud of it. The few moments I have to myself come when midnight strikes. Call me Cinderella. Midnight is when I begin writing freelance or getting into the shower. The little one consumes majority of 24 hours and I am immensely happy about it. True, I am crazy tired, but it is what it is. We stay-at-home moms are quite the misunderstood lot, aren’t we?

You don’t do much all day, do you? Maybe I should ask my friend to come join me for a day in Toddlerville. For lunch we’ll eat with our hands the way the toddler does. I don’t trust myself with forks just yet.

Looks like an ark on the outside!

We arrived at Ark Avilon Zoo around 4.30pm. There weren’t that many people, but shortly after we arrived a tour group followed. I’m guessing the morning is the best time to visit the zoo so it won’t be that hot either.

Ticket Area

A ticket costs P300/adult, P200 if you’re a kid, free if you’re one year and below. Timmy got in free. Here’s what the first floor looks like:

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Upon entering the zoo, you’ll encounter a beautiful blue and gold macaw and a white parrot perched on their stands. You can have their picture taken with them, under the supervision of a zoo guide. Both sides of the first floor’s long hall feature various wild animals.

Daddy and Timmy check out the Double Wattled Cassowary.

Eagle Owls… do not disturb!

These birds were quietly perched on their stands but I didn’t want to bug them. They were quiet but sure looked fierce!

Congratulations Mama Bear!

Aw. We only got a glimpse of Mama Bear in her cave. That’s okay, her baby needs her more!

Thinking tiger…

Can you see the White Tiger? He’s up there by the window. He looks like he’s in a deep reflection mode. Maybe he’s enjoying the view of the parking lot.

Fishy Foot Spa

Fish foot spa anyone? These fish eat the dead skin on your feet! I got intrigued by the concept but (a) I wasn’t wearing flip-flops, and (b) I wasn’t (and still am not) sure how hygienic this is.

Where’s Nemo?

Timmy loved this aquarium. Of all the coves in the zoo this was what he was drawn to. If only it were easy to maintain an aquarium, anak!

Candies for the carp?

You can buy food to feed some of the animals in the zoo. But don’t be misled by those sweets. Those aren’t the things you feed the animals!

H and Timmy enjoyed feeding the hungry carp. Just a few sprinkles of the fish food and they’d come swimming wildly towards you.

I’d hate to be a piece of bread in this pond.

If by any chance you find yourself needing to go the clinic, there’s a First Aid station on the first floor right beside the stairs leading to the second floor.

Let’s go to the 2nd floor!

Creepy crawlies…

To the left: All kinds of snakes. At the center: All kinds of lizards. This is not my kind of floor. To the right: All kinds of birds.

Emerald Tree Monitor Lizard

Lizards freak me out but I can’t say this one in particular wasn’t, well, attractive. Aren’t its greens so vibrant? It probably makes for great camouflage in the woods. This next one though looked pretty scary.

Mangrove Monitor Lizard

If you like snakes, there’s a whole caboodle of them here. I’m not sure if the green one in the second picture is the California King Snake or the Red-Tailed Green Ratsnake. It looks like a garden hose, don’t you think? Better not accidentally step on it!

Sssssssslytherin…

Don’t step on this one!

Nice to know!

The birds on the right side of the second floor were really beautiful. I found this Black Cap Night Heron particularly captivating.

Feed the birds, tuppence a bag…

Beautiful blue bird!

There was one bird that was just loose around the second floor. I think it’s the Victoria Crowned Pigeon. It was really pretty and just minded its own business.

There’s a feeding station on the second floor as well. You can feed the bunnies, goats and sheep all the vegetables they can eat.

Here bunny bunny bunny…

The second floor can get kind of noisy, and you’ll find the noisemakers right here. Baaaa. Noise and all though, I REALLY liked this sheep. Maybe I was a shepherd in my past life. There was one sheep that was just staring at me. As in STARING. I will never forget that sheep stare. I will return to the zoo and see if I can spot that same sheep.

There was something calming about this area. Maybe I wasn’t a shepherd in my past life. Maybe I was a sheep. Baaaaa.

If your children want to rest from animal sightseeing, there’s a play area on the second floor too. There are a couple of swings, a slide, some sandboxes and playsets to the right (not pictured). Timmy enjoyed the slide a lot.

There’s a refreshment area right across the children’s play area. It can get pretty warm on the second floor, so better hydrate! There are lots of different beverages here, as well as some snacks and ice cream.

While you’re resting, check out some of the trinkets you can take home with you as a souvenir. Timmy chose a bright green hummingbird.

Back on the first floor, stop by the souvenir shop and buy something to remember your special time at the zoo. We got a cute little wrist-toy for Timmy which featured a toy turtle, but he ended up not being too fond of it. Oh well.

Ark Avilon Zoo’s operating hours from Mondays to Thursdays are 9.00-6.00 pm, and from Fridays to Sundays and holidays 10.00 am to 7.30pm. We spent a little over an hour at the zoo. I think we would’ve stayed longer if we had fed all the animals, but that amount of time was just right for us as the baby was getting tired.

We’ll definitely go back one of these days. It was a lot of fun and a great break from our usual mall-filled weekends.

And that’s the closest you’ll get to a tiger, Timmy!

Ark Avilon Zoo
Frontera Verde Ortigas Avenue Corner C5, Pasig City
Telephone Nos. (+632) 706-2992/ 706-2993
Email Address: arkavilonzoo@gmail.com
Website: www.avilonzoo.ph

Shortly before 2011 rolled in, I snacked on a bowl of tofu. This is a simple dish my mother-in-law made. It’s cubed tofu sauteed in oil, chopped white onions, chopped green onions, ground pork and shrimp.

More simple good eats that I enjoyed were two slices of bread: one slathered with a Quezo de Bola spread, and the other topped with oh-so-delicious chicken pork adobo. Then I washed them all away with a cup of strong, dark tea. Bliss.

While I relished my simple and tasty meal, I finished Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love” and started Gwenda Blair’s “Donald Trump” biography. Good reads.

By eleven, I tucked the baby in and we dozed off into dreamland. Had it not been for my husband waking me up to softly greet me “Happy New Year!” I would have slept through the night. Well, I guess I did. After saying “Happy New Year!” back, I drifted off to sleep again.

Simple. Delicious. Restful. I like that. Sounds like my kind of year.

Based on your New Year’s Eve, what will 2011 be like for you?

Make a baby quilt.
My toddler has outgrown a lot of his infant clothes. Being a sentimental freak, I’ve been holding on to them and they’ve been clogging the closet. I want to transform some of his old onesies into a quilt. I’ve found a lot of patterns online but I’m still a little overwhelmed by what I googled. I just want a simple pattern with no fancy schmancy borders or stitching. I’m envisioning the quilt to be a bunch of squares side by side by side, with the designs doing all the storytelling.

Let me explain why this is a challenge. I don’t like sewing. When I see a hole in my shirt, I stitch it up so badly I end up making the hole larger. My home economics grade back in elementary school was just average, and I needed my Mom’s help (and my grandma’s, our helpers’, a little Elmer’s glue…) to finish my sewing projects then. I plan to stick this one out on my own! I’ll give it to Timmy when he’s older. It’ll be his Mommy’s labor of love. I just hope I don’t take five years to finish it!

Bake a pie from scratch.
So the goal is for us to have turkey come Christmas 2011. We’ve always had either roast chicken or litson manok during Noche Buena. Next holiday season, our family plans to bring in a little more Western punch and serve turkey. Now what’s a turkey dinner without pie right? My sister challenged me to bake a pie. At first I was like “Nooooo.” I hate baking. I don’t like how precise it is. Give me a bunch of veggies and I can stir-fry it to deliciousness (by my easy-to-please-me standards). Give me flour, eggs and a mixer and I have better luck at making semi-clay creations out of it rather than creating a passable crust.

But I changed my mind just as quickly BECAUSE I did dream of baking pies this year. I still do. I have a very cute pie cookbook at home that I read before bedtime but have never used. I also have more free time in 2011 (that’s a story I’ll tell you another time) so practicing pie making will be possible. I’ll start with easy recipes first. I have eleven months to practice, right?

Care to declare yours?
More than declaring, I think that support from friends and family can help you accomplish resolutions more effectively. If there’s a way you can help me with my above resolutions, I welcome tips and tricks. I also encourage you to declare your own resolutions for the new year! Post them in your blog and share the link with me, or post your resolutions in the comments section. Let’s help each other stick to our goals for the coming year.

Images by PinkStock c/o Flickr. Some rights reserved.