Wanted: A Toddler-Proof Christmas Tree

Audrey and Antonino just love Christmas trees. At home, they demand that we "Turn on tree!" (meaning the lights) even in the morning. Once the lights are turned on, they stare at it for a few seconds then try to grab the branches and ornaments. Yikes! My mom (aka LaMom) suggested that we put up a toddler-proof tree in the twins' playroom so I searched the internet for options. I found a lot of cute ideas but most of them required plenty of DIY tasks that I didn't have enough time for. So imagine my joy when after a few days, LaMom surprised Audrey and Antonino with a kiddie-sized Christmas tree! Actually, it wasn't just any tree. It was the Christmas tree she bought for me when I was 4 years old! She even let me decorate it on my own. I remember putting cotton on the branches because I wanted a winter wonderland-themed tree. How cool is it that now Audrey and Antonino can decorate my kiddie tree?

Scenes From A Family Photo Shoot

When Audrey and Antonino turned one year old, we had our first family photo shoot. Since they're about to turn 2, I figured it was time to have another shoot to document how much they've grown since then. Plus maybe have a few family photos where everyone is composed, smiling and looking at the camera. I know, I may be asking too much from my twin toddlers but it was still worth trying.

Teaching Kids About Easter

As a kid, Easter meant searching for plastic eggs containing tiny toys and chocolates. But as I grew a bit older, I learned that it should really be about giving thanks for the resurrection of Christ. Now that I'm a parent, I want my kids to be able to enjoy the sweets and at the same time understand what truly matters on this holiday: Jesus and what He did for us.

"So Jesus, whom we pray to every night was nailed to a wooden cross where he bled to death. But it's OK, he came back to life after 3 days! Don't be sad, here's some chocolate to make you feel better."

Our First Family Portrait

When I was pregnant with Audrey and Antonino, I searched for newborn twin photo ideas. I really loved the look of those wrapped shots where twin babies are posed really close together as well as the shots of one parent cradling both twins in their arms.  But when I was approaching my 34th week of pregnancy, I started to go into labor. Because of this, the twins were born three weeks early so they had to stay in the NICU. When they were finally discharged, we were instructed to go on an extended quarantine at home to avoid exposing them to unnecessary germs. Needless to say, a portrait session was the last thing on our minds.

New Year's Eve With One-Year-Old Twins

I put a lot of pressure on myself to do something really grand this year for New Year's Eve because it's the twins' first NYE with the family. Their actual first NYE was in 2017 and was spent at the NICU because they were born 3 weeks early. Obviously, we didn't toast with champagne because I was still trying to breastfeed and we were not really in a celebratory mood because we were anxious to bring the twins home. Here's our first family photo taken on NYE 2017 by our NICU nurse.

Making Life Grand

I come from a tight knit family and my grandparents are a major part of my life. When I was younger, my Lolo (grandfather) and Lola (grandmother) would always be ready to babysit me and my cousins whenever our parents were at work and we didn't have nannies.

Lolo would spoil us by cooking our favorite food and giving us special treats like chocolates and ice cream.  He would also tell us stories from his childhood which we would all enjoy listening to. Lola, whom our family said goodbye to early this year is a saint! Aside from going to mass everyday (sometimes even twice a day) to pray for us, she would always make time for us. She played with us, sewed our costumes for school activities and even tutored us in Math.

My childhood was enriched because of my Lolo and Lola which is why it's important to me that the twins have a great relationship with their LaMom and Mima. The twins are very lucky to have two doting grandmothers. And since it's grandparent's day today, I made a list of how I think grandparents make life grand.