Holidays 2009

I know -- this is really late. I'm playing catch up with the blog, photo and video uploads before Baby Reese arrives!

It's been a hectic holiday with all the events that filled our calendar, but it was a great end to a memorable year. Here's the link to our pictures and videos on Flickr:

Holidays 2009

Thanksgiving in Mendocino

For Thanksgiving weekend, Dad surprised Mom and Dylan with a fun holiday in Mendocino and Fort Bragg. We rode the "Skunk Train", a steam engine train that went through the ancient redwoods and pygmies from Fort Bragg to Willits, then spent two days enjoying the indoor heated pool at our hotel. We also took in the breathtaking vistas at the Mendocino Botanical Gardens and Port Cabrillo lighthouse, then dropped by our favorite wineries in Anderson Valley. Dad also tapped his inner pro photographer and took some photojournalistic pix of Mom and Dylan!

photos from our Thanksgiving weekend in Mendocino

Dylan, Pearl and Zaki at the Oakland Zoo

After months of not seeing each other, Dylan, Pearl and Zaki finally set a playdate at the Oakland Zoo. The kids had a blast seeing their favorite wild furry friends, but most of all, they enjoyed being with each other's company (even though they quarrelled half the time!). Click on the link below to see pictures and videos of the kids at the Oakland Zoo:

photos and videos of Dylan, Pearl and Zaki at the Oakland Zoo

Happy Halloween from the knights of the round table!

It was a chilly night in the great kingdom of Castro Valley, but the 2 handsome knights of Highland Drive braved the weather and joined other costumed lads to go hunting for some tricks and treats!

Here's King Dylan-arthur and Sir Ron-celot in their mighty armour:

Dylan at the pumpkin patch

What better way to welcome autumn than a colorful visit to our neighborhood pumpkin patch! Dylan enjoyed the hay ride on his little wagon and got to pick his very own mini pumpkin!

Guess who's two? It's Dylan, that's who!

It was a fun-filled birthday week for our little rascal! He went swimming at Cull Creek lagoon with his best bud, Zaki. Then he had his Thomas mini-cake on the day of his birthday. Then on the weekend, he enjoyed a full day with his friends at the park, partying it up with food and games galore to celebrate his special day. What a lucky boy indeed!

photos - Dylan's 2nd birthday party

videos - Dylan's 2nd birthday party

Eurotrip!

We've been sooo busy the past 6 months that we decided -- the heck with it, it's time for a break! So we packed our bags, jumped on a plane and spent three glorious weeks in Europe! Ninang Daphne joined us on our wild ride through Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain and France. Click on the link below to view our photobook and journal of our adventures in Europe:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronanddawne/collections/

5 years...

Below is the cover of the 5th anniversary photo book I made for the hubby. Click on it to see the entire album!

Summer with Uncle Rani

Uncle Rani spent a good chunk of his summer vacation with us, and Dylan had a blast having a "big kid" to play with all summer long! During the week, he helped Uncle Rani do chores around the house, then on the weekend, he took Uncle Rani to all his favorite places -- the park, the aquarium, the city, and of course, the beach!

Here's a video of the two kids hanging out at Santa Cruz Beach. The water was shallow but cold, but that didn't stop the little guy from going for it -- that is, with Uncle Rani by his side the whole time!

photos from Dylan's summer with Uncle Rani

Look, Zaki, fish!

On a sunny Sunday in August, we decided to take the kids on a field trip to the California Academy of Sciences. They enjoyed running after butterflies in the rainforest exhibit, watching the penguins eat and play, and petting some lizards at the reptile show and tell.


The best part of the day, though, was spending time at the Steinhart Aquarium admiring the colorful Philippine coral reef exhibit. Dylan was so excited and was running around the aquarium yelling out to his buddy, "Look, Zaki, fish! Fish!". What a fun day for the two best buds!

photos from our field trip to Cal Academy of Sciences

A Day at Gilroy Gardens

What summer would be complete without a trip to the amusement park? Dylan gathered his best buddies, Pearl, Jordan and Zaki, and drove to Gilroy Gardens to enjoy all the rides and events all afternoon long!

photos from our visit to Gilroy Gardens - August 2009

Vacation in Toronto

For the July 4th holidays, we flew out to Toronto for a week to spend time with family and friends. We had a very hectic week filled with parties, lakwatsa and fun! Dylan enjoyed spending quality time with his lolos and lolas, titos and titas, cousins and buddies!

The highlight of the week was visiting the African Lion Safari near Niagara Falls. Dylan went on a safari tour around the animal reserve, where he saw lions, baboons, giraffes, ostriches, deer and so many more! To top the day off, he got to see the elephant show and even got to ride on one! Click on the links and videos below and see how much fun the little rascal had in T.O.!

photos from Dylan's Toronto vacation

videos from Dylan's Toronto vacation

A Pleasant Surprise!

I had been wondering why I was feeling a little off lately. My balance was a little off, my appetite was a little off, my energy was a little off... That could probably only mean one thing... SURPRISE! Dylan is going to be a big brother soon!

Luau Party, but we didn't get the memo!

So we went to a Luau-themed wedding reception, except we couldn't find the wedding invitation and didn't know that it was a luau party. Here we were, the three stooges -- the only ones dressed in formal attire while everyone were in their bermuda shirts and floral dresses. Sorry, we didn't get the memo!

CSA Forever!

Mila (nee La Torre) and John Gutierrez were in town, so we gathered some Augustinians in the Bay Area to take them out in the town. We reminisced stories of high school (and even grade school!), and of course, the premonition I had way back when we were in Grade 4 that these two would end up togethere (despite them being frenemies at the time). Never thought I had a third eye (or a natural matchmaking instinct!)

Mother's Day - the saga!

Daddy is an aspiring movie producer! Here's a 5-part video series of Dylan's Mother's Day for surprise for Mommy...

Reality TV Junkie!

Look who's into 'Dancing with the Stars'! Here's Dylan scoring the dancers on the show. A reality TV critic in the making!

The Aquarium - Rex Navarete Style!

Daddy's a big fan of Rex Navarete, so he took Dylan to his version of the "aquarium" at Ranch 99! Oh, Daddy -- why did they cut the head of that fish?!!

Kids To Work Day

Every year, eBay and Shopping.com host a very fun-tastic Kids To Work day. Dylan played with fellow SDC babies, enjoyed a magic show and even won a cool prize (an inflatable bouncy pool). The star of the day, though, was Ace, the magician's dog, who quickly became Dylan's best buddy!

A sunny Saturday at Tilden Park's Little Farm

One unseasonably warm Saturday in April, we decided to drive up to Berkeley's Tilden Regional Park to visit their Little Farm. Dylan had a blast meeting the farm animals and even got to feed Billy the Goat! Here he is with some friendly feathered friends...

Spending some quality time with Nanay and Tatay

On their way back to Toronto from the Philippines, Nanay and Tatay stopped by San Francisco to visit their little ruggamuffin. During their short visit, they discovered the wonders of Wii -- which got them so hooked they were ready to buy it as soon as they got home! Check out these vids of Nanay and Tatay showing off some moves, and also the little Chinese boy on the drums :)

Wii Party with the gang (and the babies!)

Every now and then, our group of friends find time in our busy schedules to meet up and just hang out. One Saturday, we decided to have sushi night along with some Wii fun. While the parents took over the kitchen mastering the art of sushi, headed by our head chef, Jowell, the little kids had their own fun.

Here's some proof of what BNG life is really like these days, with kids. Not to scare you newlyweds thinking of the next step -- but it's definitely not as easy as it seems!

Although, sometimes, the big kids get to play too :)

At the end of day though, it's a cute video like this that reminds us that despite all the hard work, it all worthwhile...

... especially when they give you a sweet goodbye kiss that you just couldn't resist (right, "Ninang Ganda" Ochie?!)

Dylan gets high on Hi-C...

We gave Dylan some juice one night after dinner. Big mistake. The little boy turned into a little energizer bunny that just kept going and going and going. He kept us up for another hour telling stories about how his day went (in babytalk, of course). We definitely learned our lesson!

Dylan and Zaki

Dylan and Zaki share a short quiet moment together on the piano. These two best buddies (or "frenemies", depending on their moods) are living proof that having two boys mean trouble and headache for Mom :) But they are awfully cute together though!

Dylan's first big boy cut

After months of suffering from Mommy's failed attempts at hairstyling, Dylan finally gets a break and visits 'Cool Tops for Kids' for his big boy cut. Don't let this video fool you though -- he wasn't that good at the hands of Sandy, the stylist, who got a little nick on her hand when Dylan refused to sit still. But Dylan came out with a stylin' do (thanks to his stage mom's directions!), and we hope that they take us in again the next time around!

Chillin' with Dad

Just chillin' with Dad, who coincidentally is celebrating his birthday today! Getting a little old there, big guy!

Meeting the real lion...

Our little lion, Dylan, finally meets the real deal on a visit to the San Francisco Zoo. He spent the afternoon getting acquainted with his furry friends as well as getting up, close and personal with some penguins, kangaroos and chimpanzees. Dylan also had fun at Emilie's roaring birthday party at the Lemur Cafe, then experienced his first ride on the carousel. At the end of the day, he was chased out of the zoo by a colorful peacock. Fun times!

A Valentine weekend in San Simeon

For Valentine's day, Daddy came up with a little surprise for Mommy and Dylan -- a road trip to San Simeon to visit Hearst Castle! We started out early on Saturday morning to enjoy a scenic drive along Highway 1, passing by Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur. We spent the night in San Simeon, then spent the next morning visiting the famed Hearst Castle.

It was a windy day, but we braved the weather to experience the opulent life of William Hearst back in the golden days of the 30's and 40's. Dylan enjoyed the bus tour, mainly coz he wasn't strapped in a car seat :) He also enjoyed running around the grounds and hanging out at the massive Versaille-esque pool. But the best part was just hanging out with Mom and Dad on a scenic road trip along the beautiful California coast. It was a great weekend and memorable Valentine's Day indeed!

Pearl's birthday

The next generation BNG's celebrate Pearl's birthday at My Gym.

More of our little helper...

Can't get enough of our little helper? Here's more of Dylan helping Mom out with housework. This time, he learns to do the laundry!

Our little kung fu master...

Every Friday, Mom works from home and gets to see Dylan in action all day long. Here's a video of one of the many stunts he pulls on a daily basis:

Mommy's little helper...

On a sunny Friday afternoon in January, Mommy's little assistant marched outside to help with the gardening. Dylan was a big help in the garden, although it was more work for Mommy to clean him up after he was done! But hey, it's the thought that counts! We just hope that he'll be this helpful when he grows up :)

Remembering Mark...

A week ago, I got a text message that floored me, and I still find it difficult to read to this day. I couldn't believe it at first, but the next day, it was evident -- my friend, Mark de Ocampo, is gone.

It's been quite a few years since we last saw each other, as life has led us to very different paths. But it only took a moment before all the memories started flooding in. All the funny moments we shared with friends from way back when. All the crazy times that defined us as we struggled to make do with our new life as immigrants in a new world. We were young yet mature, happy yet conflicted, grounded yet lost... I'd like to think that the years that followed have brought more meaning, but I know that there are still many questions left unanswered.

What comforts me when I think of Mark is knowing that he's in a better place. For all the struggles that he went through in his young life, he always kept his head up, and he always offered a helping hand to others even when he himself could use the help. Above all, he was a joy to be with and an understanding friend. Our time with him may have been too short, but we will always remember him for the laughter he shared with all of us. Mark, wherever you are, we will miss you dearly.

       

The RD2 Yearbook 2008 is done!

After a laborious effort over the holiday vacation, the RD2 Yearbook 2008 is done! Mommy spent many weekend hours organizing thousands of pictures and paring them down to 144 photobook pages.

This yearbook was prepared with lots of thought and love, and we hope it gives you a glimpse of the wonderful year we had, especially with Dylan around! We hope you'll spare some time to check it out on our Flickr site at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronanddawne

Pianissimo...

After years of saying we were going to get a piano, we finally made good on that promise! We just thought it would be a great gift for the little guy, and for the parents too! Mom found a great deal on a used piano on eBay -- it's a little old, or should we say "well-loved", but it's well worth the price. Daddy and Dylan have already tried it out a few times and it looks like it's a keeper!

RD2 rings in 2009!

For the past 5 years, we've been out and about celebrating the New Year. So this year, we decided to do things differently -- we put our itchy feet to rest and stayed home to ring in 2009! It was a quiet and cozy evening with the Dygmeister, just enjoying the piano, some freshly baked goodies Mom made and a 2004 Esterlina Reserve Pinot Noir (to jumpstart our year-long celebration of Mom and Dad's 5th wedding anniversary :) -- none for Dyg though!)

But even with just 3 people in the house, we made sure we made enough noise as we bade farewell to 2008 and welcomed 2009. As we watched the ball drop in Times Square, we shook our pockets full of coins, banged on Dylan's toys drums, clunked our wine glasses and greeted each other a happy new year! May you have a blessed 2009 everyone!