Team Lucky Toe at the Globe Run4Home Run 2011 (Mommy and Me Mondays #12, Blue Monday #1 & Ruby Tuesday #12)

Running as a race has become a craze in the Philippines. Check out running portals and you will find all weekends of the year already filled with so many race schedules.

It is such a great opportunity to run for a cause. Since we had our first experience of running for a race when we joined Haribon Foundation's Million Hectare Challenge last year, my husband and I were all set to join more run this year. What sets us apart though is that we run for a cause.

Haribon Foundation was one of the 4 organizations to benefit from Globe's Run4Home 2011.
As a beneficiary, we were given free race slots to represent our organization.

@ the Haribon booth before the race

Yesterday, March 27, Team Lucky Toe was fortunate to have the chance to run at Globe's Run4Home. Since there were still extra kits, I grabbed the chance to get one for my husband and for Leon.

M run the 5 kilometer distance while me and our son Leon did a combination of run-walk-carry-walk-run at the 3 kilometer distance. We were with my office mate Nikki and her daughter Maxine. Leon and Maxine are like cats and dogs when in the office, we were surprised though that even during the warming up, the two were like good friends, and was holding hands most of the time. lol!

with Maxine, fooling around during the warm up exercises

Something to be proud of Leon was that even when he was already too tired, but upon seeing the finish line, he was determined to cross it, running! Some 50 meters away, he started running again and was even more challenged when he heard people cheering for him while he was running. I ran behind him, cheering him as well until he crossed the finish line.

added attractions for the kids,
2 Star Ship Trooper runners (walkers)

past the 1K mark and still running...

As a mother, looking at his face lit up upon crossing the finish line was something I cannot describe. He stood gallantly at beyond the line because he knew what he has accomplished. For a 4 year old toddler, 3 kilometer is definitely a long way to go, and Leon conquered it!

Team Lucky Toe after the race at the Haribon Booth

more shots after the race

got the chance to meet up with some
high school friends who joined the run, too

Until such time that Maia joins us again, when she's a bit older, the three of us are looking forward for the next run which will be next weekend, April 2 at the Hyundai Accent Run.

Hope to see you there too!

Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

Team Lucky Toe all set for Globe's Run4Home 2011

I just posted some days ago about Globe's Run4Home 2011, Haribon Foundation being one of the 4 beneficiaries of the event.

Although we were not yet informed of the official count of registrants that chose Haribon as their beneficiary, I am already thankful to those who have registered. Regardless of whether they picked Haribon as their beneficiary, be it Habitat for Humanity, Virlaine Foundation or Gawad Kalinga, all provides homes and many will benefit from this up coming run. I heard though that Haribon Foundation comes in second in the most picked organization.

And to show our support, we at Haribon will run alongside with the participants. As an employee and a family member of Haribon Foundation, Team Lucky Toe is all set to run for our home - the forest - bringing back our forest, brings forth biodiversity.

M's 5K kit

while mine and Leon's are 3K
can't wait for Maia to grow a little bigger so that she can run with us as well.

Hope anyone is free this Sunday, come join the fun! Run for Home!!!

Mommy Moments: White

White is such a pure color, it signifies cleanliness. That's why it's quite difficult to wear white considering our active lifestyle.

For the kids, most of their house clothes are dominated by the color white, basically for practical reason that it does not absorb too much heat especially in tropical countries such as ours.

Leon in his white Haribon shirt in front of a tank display at the Philippine Navy Compound along Roxas Blvd., Manila.

Maia clad in her white dress during her baptism in May 2010.
All of us in our white Haribon Million Hectare Challenge 2010 shirt.

Mommy and Me Mondays & Ruby Tuesday #11: Malling around

After dinner in one of the malls in Quezon City.

Maia and I are waiting for Daddy and Leon who went around
to check out some toys and gadgets in the nearby stores.
Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

Globe Run 2011: Haribon Foundation as Beneficiary

Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources, Inc. is one of the beneficiaries of Globe's Run for Home 2011. Together with Gawad Kalinga, Habitat for Humanity and Virlaine Foundation, registrants are required to choose among the four who will benefit from their run. Part of the registration fees goes to the chosen organization.

In behalf of Haribon Foundation, I am inviting running enthusiasts to join the run and choose us as your beneficiary. Why Haribon among the other organizations? Just like the three other organizations that provides home for the homeless and less fortunate people, Haribon Foundation's cause provides home not only to people but to biodiversity as well. Forest restoration goes beyond tree planting and carbon sequestration. Forest restoration brings back life not just to animals living and benefiting from it but also to people directly living within the forest areas and to us urban dwellers.

Aside from giving shelter, it provides, food, water, clothing and medicine. It also supports culture and tradition.

On March 27, 2011 at the Bonifacio Global City, join Globe's Run4Home, together we can make a difference, let us restore our forest, run for our Home, our Forest!

Mommy Moments: Purple

This week's color theme is PURPLE and here's my share to

It was easy for my to look for a photo of Maia in purple. Her Lola Baby's 2011 Christmas gift to her was a pair of purple blouse and leggings. Here she's wearing the ensemble during Alex Gabriel's Christening.
While it took me a while to look for a photo of Leon, here's the closest that I've got :D He is playing with Maia's puzzle mat...

Takbo para sa Karunungan (MYM#10 & Mommy and Me Mondays #10)

On March 13, Sunday, we joined a Takbo para sa Karunungan at the Quirino Grandstand. This was organized by DZMM the radio arm of ABS-CBN. The event also marked their 25th anniversary, thus the proceeds of the run will provide for the schooling of 25 scholars.
All the while I thought it would only be and M who will be joining the run. Although Joel, his officemate was there too. M actually learned about the run through Joel. But M wanted to bring along the kids but I said we can only bring Leon.

We took off at 3:45 am to be able to reach Quirino Grandstand before 5:00 am for the on-site registration. It was only me and M who registered, fee was at P300.00 or about $7.3. Inclusive of the fee is the race bib, singlet and map.
During the small program and warm up exercises, we were already wearing our singlets, Leon asked for his. Oh no! I immediately told him, I was wearing his. (I got a small sized singlet which was really small - yey! I fit it). He just nodded, but when we were about to run, he insisted to wear the singlet. I had no choice but to take it off and had him wear it.
We ran the 3 kilometer distance. I was able to do the course with more run than walk, 70% run 30% walk. While father and son mostly did the walking. Leon said when he reached the finish line, "I got tired walking but wasn't tired at all from running" - cute!

Father and son crossing the finish line

The run was generally okay, there was the 25 kilometer distance to which a Kenyan runner got the 1st spot. 10 and 5 kilometers were also available at it is in most of the runs here in the Philippines. Added attractions were the local celebrities who were there to support the cause. Spotted were Karyll who ran the 5k distance and Winnie Cordero who joined the 3k participants. The former vice president Noli de Castro was there, ran the 5k too, same and the ever gorgeous Cory Quirino.

with Winnie Cordero, one of the news anchor of DZMM

M, Leon and Joel with the Karyll before the run

We went home all tired but was feeling great about being able to help bring children to school through a fun activity. Looking forward to another run within this month maybe or next month.

Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

Mommy Moments: Green!

Green is somehow our family's color...being an advocate of the environment and the refreshing feeling it gives us when we see the green grass or the green leaves...it's soothing in the eyes.

It's one of Leon's favorite colors too...aside from blue and red

Here's Leon with some green in his clothes and
his green and black shoes.
While Ronald is stepping on some green stump.

Maia with the green miniature hot air balloon we bought at the

Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clarkfield Pampanga.

While I'm wearing a green miniskirt, lol!

5 years and still going...Happy Anniversary!

It seems like it was just yesterday but we are celebrating our 5th year anniversary exactly today. M and I tied the knot on March 8, 2006 at the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church commonly known as the UST Chapel.

Time flies so fast yet everything that happened to us as a couple are still vivid in my mind. Not that I cannot believe it, Leon and Maia are the living proof of our fruitful and maturing relationship.

I never felt this happy. Having children is one source of chaotic happiness and having a spouse to share all my feelings is another thing. M is a good friend, my best friend that is aside from being my husband. I guess, that is one factor why despite some misunderstandings, we still end up at peace with each other.

Being married to each other for 5 years plus almost 3 years as a dating couple gave us enough time to know each other, although there are still more to learn in the years to come, I may say that we've already showed our true selves to one another. I know we will be able to face the challenges we are facing in the days and years to come because we've already laid the foundation of our relationship. Beyond love, we've learned to trust each other, to have faith in one another and to acknowledge that both of us have our weaknesses. We've learned to complement each other - one's weakness may be the strength of the other.

We may be a young couple compared to many out there but as promised during our wedding day and in front of God and our witnesses, we are bound to keep and fulfill our promises to each other given the many challenges in life.

I believe that there is no such thing as the perfect man or woman, I am not an exception to this, but I know there is the perfect partner - a perfect match - and M is my perfect match. Complementing each others imperfection creates a close to perfect relationship and that's what we are aiming at.

Leon and Maia's existence brings our relationship to a higher level. We are more responsible in almost all aspects in the relationship, emotional, psychological and spiritual. These, we try hard to inculcate to our children and with that it also harness us to become better persons.

As what I've posted in my Facebook wall...
"I am looking forward to more petty quarrels that will make our relationship stronger, to a more challenging life as a couple and parents to our children and to a more matured relationship filled with LOVE, HUGS and KISSES until my hair grows thin and gray and yours all gone :)"

I thank God for putting meaning in my life through the man who's destined to be my better half - M. Happy Anniversary dear! I Love you and will always will!

XOXO

Playtime (MYM#9, Mommy & Me Mondays #9, RT#9)

Last March 2 was Leon's 4th birthday. We were supposed to go out of town for the weekend to celebrate his birthday unfortunately something came up with my husband's work that we decided to postpone the family outing to a later date.

Instead, we promised to buy him a gift after hearing mass. As usual, we went to SM Megamall after mass, had dinner then went to Toy Kingdom to buy his gift. While I was looking around for the perfect gift, father and son came out of sight.

Toy Kingdom at SM Megamall is now sporting a new look. It's more spacious and has a play area for the children to play around. I later found M and Leon at the play area, where else.

Leon was having fun playing with the gigantic building block toy. He was busy stacking them up then enjoying the sight of it falling down. Later on, he already had friends playing with him.Maia, on the other hand is too little to be left crawling around with the bigger children. She was contented watching Kuya Leon having fun. Daddy M was telling her that she'll experience the same when she's big enough.

We just had Maia ride a display bike for photo opts.


And before the store closed, I was able to sneak out to buy the bowling set toy as our gift to Leon. He was surprised about it and was grateful about it that he kept on thanking us on our way home.

My share to this weeks:

Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?