Taiwan

I realized that it is almost a year after our trip to Taiwan. Having your kid enter the first grade, your schedule will change drastically--couple it with the construction of the MRT (along Commonwealth) and the traffic...you'd be left with so little time to do extra things like this: go through our travel pictures and blog about it. Ha! Finally, it's summer --mothers rejoice! Ah, but seriously I am happy to have a break just be with my children and my family.

We've been cleaning our home and and I was also cleaning up files when I saw our photos from this trip. If I blogged about it earlier I might have plenty of things to write about but as my husband always tells me: your brain won't keep memories like videos...they're more like pictures you flip through. That's when I am so glad that I love taking pictures. I love documenting my family.

I don't remember much details about our trips --maybe highlights or unfortunate events we come to laugh about eventually--but the pictures we took are happy memories I know we can look back on.

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

DAY 5

Some low points in our trip:

- getting lost and arguing about directions
- being so hungry you don't want to talk
- waking up extra early because KIDS
- bringing two backpacks always: Ellie's milk, bottles, wipes, diapers and extra clothes for the kids/      cameras, gimbal, gopro, etc.
- Bean's front tooth almost coming out that's why every meal is crying time
- Ellie always wanting to be with me than anyone else (backpain and shoulder dead)

High and memorable points of our trip:

- family is complete
- celebrated dad's 60th
- weather not as hot as Manila
- kids were easy to manage (except Bean when it came to her moving tooth)
- milk tea
- great views
- subway
- a lot of cute dogs
- plenty of jokes and laughter
- a lot of memories to keep.

That's a whole lot of pictures. I could not blog about other things because as much as I can I want to do things chronologically. That's the OC side of me. It also took me quite some time to post process each photo (and more) to get the same tone--so I hope I was able to accomplish that.

10/52

10/52

  "A portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2019."

This 52 Project hasn't been smooth sailing as I haven't posted weeks 6 or 7-9. Sometimes life happens. I've been going through a lot, emotionally and while I am not completely okay I can say I'm better. I spend less time on social media these days and I am glad for it. Anyway....here are some photos I snapped of my daughters this week.

Bean is doing well in school--she's doing great. In fact, she ranked first in her batch come the third quarter. I really really want to keep this to myself--but understand that I am just so proud of her and our team work of course. Call me, OC but I keep track of her lessons every start of the quarter--this is not for her but for me. We do not pressure her to study--never. As long as she does her homework then she's free to do what she wants. Some ask me how we deal with Bean's school work--nothing special really just: 1. Do your homework. 2. A week before exams I read her lessons so that I know what to ask her when it's time for her to review. Adam makes mock math quizzes for her on our small black board. Aside from that, we just really love to read.

But my relationship with Bean is quite complicated lately because there is a lot of conflict with our personalities as she is becoming her own person and not the little girl who used to idolize me. She speaks her mind freely and that's what gets to me. It's not always rainbows and sunshine...sometimes it's a gloomy day for both of us.

With Ellie it's a different story. This girl is full of energy that I feel drained at night time. But she's the kind you can't resist. She now knows how to count and sing the ABC's. Bean was way early with talking and Ellie has just started talking in sentences. No matter, everyone just adores her. Even her big sister can't help it.

It is also so hard to capture Ellie with a camera. She doesn't like it, unlike most kids you can order to pose, Ellie runs away when she knows you're taking her picture.

Hopefully I get to be more present in this space. I know I will be. Until next.

Catching up with my 52 Project

2/52

 "A portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2019." 

Taken on the first half of our Hong Kong trip. 

Bean is the organized kind of kid who makes plans; 

Ellie is the type of kid who "wings" it.

3/52

 "A portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2019." 

Although tiring, we managed to enjoy Disneyland with minimal sleep and maximum kids.

4/52

 "A portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2019." 

I wasn't able to take Bean's photo because she's in school the whole day and I'm stuck with this little monkey until I get to fetch her. Eleanor is so full of energy that it drains me at the end of the day but she brings so much joy and laughter to our lives.

5/52

 "A portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2019." 

One loves to bake and decorate food and one loves to eat. I lucked out.

6/52

 "A portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2019." 

This week I decided to be more mindful of this project and to avoid using my phone to snap pictures. I can easily tell which I took with my camera and with my phone, can you? Anyway, I am so glad that Bean is into crafting again. She asked us to buy her a few acrylic paints and brushes to customize her unicorn--we are so proud of how she turned it into a leopard appaloosa! Seeing her big sister paint, Ellie also started to try it out and she was at it for two days in a row. Maybe they're artists in the making.

1/52

1/52

  "A portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2019." 

I did the 52 project with Bean last 2014; while I missed some weeks I sure did have fun documenting her growing up.This little space of mine on the internet is where you will find how Bean grew up and how I bloomed as a mother. I plan to start this project again this year because time is flying fast--Eleanor is no longer a baby and I am not yet down for that. I also want to document her growth and how much she is the opposite of her big sister. Good luck to me and this project! Happy 2019!