Little Boy Crocs

Months ago, I went to Greenhills and saw these cute Crocs imitations. Denver and I bought a pair of blue ones for Ippo when we came back. Ippo wears them often since they’re comfy and very easy to put on. Before Christmas of last year, we kind of lost Ippo in a department store. I was looking for some shoes. Denver thought that Ippo was with his yaya, and Mai thought that Ippo was with his Daddy. Of course we all panicked as soon as we found out he was missing. Denver found Ippo in no time. It appeared that Ippo had been strolling in the kiddie shoe section. When Denver found our son, he held up a pair of red Crocs imitations to his dad and said “Daddy, Kwoks.” We didn’t get them for him since his blue ones were still good.

The blue pair have been his favorite until last week. Ninang Sony wanted to buy her godson real Crocs. She found out about this spoiled six year old (our neighbor’s grandson) who shows off his original Crocs and Havaianas to Ippo. The kid makes me sick but that’s another story. So anyway, we brought Ippo to Rustan's and we had him pick his first pair of original Crocs. He chose a very bright yellow, Mickey Mouse edition. He refused to take them off so he had them on his feet from the time he tried them on until we were at home.

In our house, he had them off his feet for like a minute. Denver asked Ippo to show Daddy his new Crocs and Ippo stored it away like he was protecting some kind of treasure, then decided he had to wear them again. Later on, I saw him staring at his feet and heard him say “Wow. Kwoks. An ganda.” We had already changed him into his pajamas but he still wouldn’t take them off.

The following day, Ippo showed me his old blue pair and said “Mommy, dirty.” Later, Mai reported that Ippo tossed the blue Crocs outside the house. His yaya retrieved them of course. He has refused to wear the blue ones. Mai teases him by removing the yellow ones from his feet but he yells when Mai does that.

On Wednesday, he went to school wearing his bright yellow Crocs with his school uniform. The day before that, he insisted on wearing his Mickey Mouse cap (with Mickey Mouse ears) with his school uniform. Barely three and he already has these little obsessions. My kid is hilarious.

Ambisyosa

Now I’m really interested in reading The Secret. I first learned about it through some stranger’s blog, and then Third mentioned it in his comment on Biggest Loser.

I’ve wanted to lose weight since giving birth to Ippo. (I know that’s a long time). I tried a few times, but gave up because I didn’t feel like I was making any progress. Looking back, I actually dropped from 186 lbs. to 155 lbs. but still felt so fat so I stopped dieting. Man, that’s 31 lbs. lost and I didn’t even give myself credit for it. This time I am dead serious about sticking to it.

My cousin’s getting married in June and I am a bridesmaid. The other bridesmaids already have their pretty green dresses. Sony asked me what I’m going to wear and I told her I won’t have a dress made until a month before her wedding. I hope I didn’t scare her. She wants to see the design and color first because she has very specific guidelines about the length and shade (and even our hair).

So, I’ve set an ambitious goal of losing 40 lbs. by June. I’ve taken Third’s advice and now I’m like thinking about my goal every waking minute. I’ve even dedicated my 2008 Starbucks Planner to this goal. I’ve filled the pages with the line “I will lose 40 lbs. by June.” Each day has a list of what I’ve eaten. I also note down physical activities I’ve performed. You must think I am so weird, but again, let me say that I am really serious. I want it so bad it scares me.

A colleague told me that losing 2 lbs. a week is sensible. Since starting my diet journal, I’ve monitored my weight loss, and I think I am on track. From 177 lbs. on New Year, 175 lbs. on January 5, now I am yo-yoing from 169 to 171. I know it’s not much but if I stick to it, I know I will lose 40 lbs!

I’ve completely eliminated rice for three weeks. I know I won’t be eating rice for a long time. Not even California Maki, one of my faves. I’ve managed to avoid ice cream, cake and chocolates. Uh-huh. Denver ate the chocolates I got for Christmas and I refused to order cake when Sony and I were at The Coffee Bean. I bought some olive oil last week (very unlike me because it’s a bit expensive). And today I asked my tita to buy fresh tuna from the market. I don’t like fish dishes at all. I can eat tuyo, danggit, Spanish sardines, canned tuna, sushi, sashimi or breaded fish fillet, but that's it. But because I want to lose 40 lbs., I am including fish in my regular diet. My tito offered to smother my tuna belly in butter because he knows I am sensitive to fish smell but I said no to butter and yes to olive oil. Naks.

So what do you think? Can I lose 40 lbs. by June?

Questing, questing, questing

My last song syndrome on New Year’s day is this song from yesterday’s Backyardigans episode, The Quest for the Flying Rock.

Questing, questing, questing
Never resting
Questing, questing, questing
Racing to the rock!

At twenty-nine, I do not enjoy watching cartoons (unless it’s Japanese with some humor and a little violence), but I just love the Backyardigans. They have the best music, plus Austin, Pablo, Tasha, Tyrone and Uniqua are just the cutest.

I’d like to buy one of those Fisher Price Backyardigans Singing Dolls, but they are just too expensive. And my son takes pleasure in the obliteration of most of his toys, so it really won’t be such a great idea to buy him expensive gifts.

Ippo likes to sing and dance to songs of the Backyardigans, but his favorite is Dora the Explorer (not Diego). I made him watch Diego before, but he just adores Dora.

In school, his teacher would show him a big Dora doll to distract him so that Denver and I could sneak out of his classroom. I feel bad every time I go to the toy section and I see a lot of Dora stuff that I can’t buy because it would be just so weird to buy my son a girl doll. On his birthday, Denver got him a Dora the Explorer drum set. I got him a Dora drinking cup earlier this year. It’s already broken but he still likes to use it.

On Saturday, I saw a Boots doll. I bought it thinking that Ippo might like it, since Boots is Dora’s best friend. Ippo and Boots have been inseparable since I brought it home. I thought Boots was a little costly when I got him, but after seeing how happy Ippo is, it was definitely worth every peso.

Biggest Loser

I’ve entered the Biggest Loser. No, it’s not the famed television show featuring obese contestants, but yeah, the contest I joined has the same concept. It’s a weight loss competition, only it’s our own version (office edition). So no, I won’t be wearing a two piece during weigh-in. We won’t be living in a barn equipped with the latest work-out machines, and were not training with anyone like Jillian Michaels. We’re on our own, but the deal is no lipo/meso, no drugs or any other kind of intervention besides exercise and diet.

First weigh-in is on January 2. The biggest loser takes home P18,000 on February 29, 2008. I don’t think I’m going to win, but I need to lose weight anyway so I decided to join. If I had known I’d be entering this thing, I wouldn’t have ended my Fitness First membership. I’ll have to try Hip Hop Abs asap.

Computation for determining the winner is lost weight over original weight, which is why I think I’m bound to lose.

The contestants: Jenny Q, Jenny B, Jenny D, Gwen, Dova and yours truly. To come up with P18,000, each of us will give P3,000 for the pot.

Oh well, goodbye P3,000. But you never know right? I just might be the biggest loser.