Klamotten

Babes With Babies

Playground

Posted by on Sep 14, 2010 in home stories | Comments Off

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The kids and I used to spend our free time at this playground. I would read a book and later take photos while they enjoy the slide, and everything in the swing set.

I once wrote that boredom is not in the dictionary of Viennese children. Child-development and well-being is very much a key concern in this city. Aside from lots of art, music, dance and sports development programs, play is an everyday routine. The city sees to it that every neighborhood has a play area. At times…more than one. In our area alone, there is a playground just a minute’s walk from the door of the building. Another is on the opposite side where we just cross the pedestrian lane (that’s where the photos were taken). Walk on the other cluster of buildings and there’d be open grounds, swing sets complete with slides, seesaw, swings and mini-walls to climb on. There’d also be a big sandbox in which sand are replaced on certain periods of the year.

DSC09076Rides (animals and vehicles) are also prolific, not just in the malls but also on the streets. Also, family fun parks have been sprouting in each district which spells F-U-N for the kids.

Anyway, the swing set was removed and only the sandbox along with the elephant rides were left. This saddened the kids of course, had we a yard to place suchswing sets I’d make sure I’d buy them one, that with just like the photos here, a climbing wall, a rotating seat, slide, swing and bars. These are what makes playing enjoyable after all!

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There are construction jobs going on as of press time…particularly on this lot. As mentioned the swing set has been removed a year ago following a toddler’s accident. (It does happen.) For which I wouldn’t know who to blame, the kid for being very active or the mom who didn’t keep a good eye on him.

I saw a water installation in the works but it’s too early to tell if there’s gonna be a pond…I hope not because they’re putting it on the kids’ favorite spot to slide down when the snow gets thick! Should they decide on a pond,  it would surely be lovely in the summer but a nuisance in the winter.

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Them enjoying the swing set which will now only be remembered in this photo.

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Unforgettable Summer

Posted by on Jun 3, 2010 in home stories, Mommy Moments | 18 comments

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Beach, apartment and pool, bridges and gondolas, pizza and pasta…Guess where were we one summer time? :)

We’ve had fun trips mostly during summer especially when we don’t have plans of visiting home (read: Philippines). Italy was one of those memorable summers we had…though Pinas would have been more enjoyable since we get to spend time with the family not to mention that the money spent  anyway for flight and shopping is the same amount spent for a week at the coasts of Italy. I bet we’d have the same fresh seafoods too!

The apartment we rented in Lignano is in a small compound with it’s own pool and a few minutes away from the beach. When we’re not so ecstatic going to the beach then we let the kids play at the pool. Since this is Italy, where pasta and pizza are originally from, we maximized the opportunity and ate with much gusto…Pasta ala pesto, marinara, carbonara, tomato-based, topped with shrimps, with salmon, ground beef or simply just the sauces, they were awesome. Since pasta can be used/cooked everyday for a year without repeating a dish there’s an endless choice to which we would stuff our selves next. Pizza topped with almost everything edible, cooked by the modern oven or the traditional one…they’re all a delight. We didn’t forget risotto (little rice) too! Chicken, shrimp and anything on it is like eating during a feast at home…and the Gelato of course, pistachio, strawberry, vanilla, straciatella, gum and chocolate, name it and they have it for as low as 0.80€ per cone!

The highlight of our trip was when we visited the City of Bridges, Venice. Armed with a map and our two cameras, hubby and I toured the city well, as real tourists.  We  bought Murano glasses, some souvenirs (no masks unfortunately), we witnessed a musician playing on wine glasses with water and we reached the Grand Bridge and finally ate canelloni just at the foot of it. We got lost once but got back on track and ended up at the Piazza San  Marco.

This summer we would be home for my brother’s wedding. Surely, we’d be having new memories, new photos to take and new friendships to rekindle.

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Biking Weekend

Posted by on Apr 5, 2010 in home stories, Pixel bug weekend | 8 comments

(Trying on a new dress I bought from the pre-teens section.)

I realized that my daughter has grown when I started buying clothes for pre-teens and not for little girls. :) Time really flies so fast and I thought I don’t really want it to go by just like that. Thank goodness, hubby is in tune with this.

We went biking as a family for the first time, the little girl got on her old bike which seems too small now. Good thing I sill have my other bike around, hubby took it out from the cellar and she can ride it well now. Same thing goes for the bigger boy, so we need to upgrade him to dawty’s bike now. ;) Our youngest has yet to ride with daddy as he can’t go on for long runs, he actually fell asleep.


(Dawty on the small bike, son on even smaller bike.)

We didn’t plan on going anywhere so we just followed the road less travelled…I mean the bike lanes. The city is very friendly for bikers, providing paths for easy travel. We travelled a route that usually takes 15 minutes with a tram and so it was a bit too much for me :D . Muscle pull perhaps but I did jog a bit before we left, but the pain was too much I wasn’t able to walk the next day. We ended up at the Waßserpark and saw that lots of flowers has been blooming, there were also kids at the playground, families on picnic, old people/couple out on a walk and ducks at the lake. This is after all adjacent to the Danube…I so wanted to come back and take my camera with me to get some serious photos. (Photos taken with an iphone camera, sorry about that).

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(Daffodils in full bloom, Ume/plum blossoms in bloom and dawty watching ducks from afar.)

Next weekend would be a better time, the plants would surely have their leaves then. Have a nice week!

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Summer days are here…

Posted by on Mar 25, 2010 in home stories, Mommy Moments | 18 comments

Well almost.

The days are getting longer and it’s ok wearing thin jackets now, so slowly the sun is being nice and sunny! One of the mostawaited to-do-things in the summer is swimming….for my kids anyway. They love the water unlike me, and would spend a whole day there if allowed. lol.

I never allow the kids on water without their arm floats. Safety is of course a primary concern. It is with the help of the floats that they learned how to swim, our little boy learned when he was 2.

Summers…I don’t like the sun too much because I brown easily, same for the kids but come autumn, their color would pale again.  Sun protection is also important when going out in the summer. A lotion with SPF 30 is best during those fun days.

Don’t forget the beach ball, floats, goggles and water gun for additional fun…oh swimsuits and swimwear!!! I always buy one size bigger a year before, (read:when they’re on sale ;) .

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Summer means shades, hat and ice cream time too! (Photos are from our Italy vacation last summer.)

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Ausflug (Field Trip)

Posted by on Mar 19, 2010 in home stories, Mommy Moments | 5 comments

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My daughter is in the second grade, and field trips are scheduled often by the teacher and parents in connection with studies. The kids are learning how to read time so we went to a trip at the clock museum last month. Nevermind the cold, the kids had their smile ready as I aim the camera. Below photo is my daughter (middle) with two of her classmates. Whenever we go on trips outside the school they would be in pairs as we walk and if there are available seats at the tram or train they can each occupy one…but as mommy, I prefer walking about taking photos of them.

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The museum is located at Vienna’s 2nd district, not far from the city center thereby frequented by tourists. It was a one ride trip to the endstation of the tram, merely 30 minutes travel time. We had to walk from the station and I found some interesting spots to photograph along the way. I haven’t been back there yet, but I plan to photograph the ‘hidden’ treasures of Vienna that I spotted as we walk along. We arrived about 8:45 am and since it was still closed we walked a bit to kill time.

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Our guide was very able regarding knowledge of clocks, time, era and he has very effective humor to get the kids listening and “ohhhwing” as he explains. Below is the first clock to welcome us, a 600 year-old ensemble which has been used as a town clock.

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Here, you will see the teacher (wearing glasses) and a parent as they listen along with the children about cuckoo clocks. There were 3 floors of display in total and all of them has a story to tell, an era where they belonged and of course unique design according to trend.

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My daughter was not much in the mood for photos, was glad that her classmate was and she was able to persuade my daughter to smile. :D I was prohibited to use flash so pardon the blurring of the photos….

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There were so many clocks on display….some were parts of a painting, others were hanging clocks, wristwatches, artisan clocks, those owned by emperors and other famous Austrians, still others were bigger than the kids and I.

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Wii (are) Fit!

Posted by on Mar 15, 2010 in Fitness, home stories | Comments Off

We’ve had the Wii balance board for sometime now…unused. No pain, no gain, goes the cliche. Unless I actually use it, the board wouldn’t make me fit, ne?

Wii games such as tennis, bowling and golf are some of the games we (kids, hubby and I) enjoy. Believe you me, these games actually make one perspire a lot. When time won’t permit me to visit the gym like I used to, I’d spend half an hour or so playing tennis with hubby, when he’s too busy the kids would be willing opponents. Wii tennis also helped them a lot that during tennis practice games, they’re able to hit the ball well ;) .

I’ve read positive reviews about the balance board as well. And I of course intend to write my own. So far I’d run for 8 hours each week….I know, few…but that’s better than nothing right?

Ok…the first part of this article was written almost a month ago lol. I’ve been spending more hours on the board in addition to a belly dancing class. :D I’ve been doing lots of hulahoops, boxing and aerobics (I’d say my favorite because I enjoy the dance rev-o too!).

Since it’s too cold outside this is the best hubby and I have as an alternative for biking and jogging. He really enjoys snowboarding and quite funny he’d suit up as well. :D

I cannot say that there’s a significant difference now than before regarding my weight…2 kilos perhaps but that’s ok, I’m really getting there. There’s no such thing as being late when it comes to fitness so I’m doing mine now and will stay with it until I can. ;)

So far, I’ve run for 8-10 hours each week! :D I know, it’s not much but it’s better than none at all.

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