singing Tagalog songs...

Here are two videos of Enna-Marie where she sings Tagalog songs: the first one is called "Bahay Kubo", a traditional Filipino folk song that tells of a small hut (which is kubo in Tagalog) with the variety of vegetables surrounding it; the second one is "Ako'y Maliit na Sundalo" which is translated in English as "I am a Small Soldier", this is one of the songs Menchie learned during childhood at Bahá’í children's classes.

EM's recent writing & drawing...

learning to write the alphabet, from letter A-I

...continuation...from letter J-P

learning to write her name

also writing some numbers

artwork 1

artwork 2 (the 3rd drawing she said is her "Oma")

Various videos of EM...

It's been a long time since the last posting we did here in our blog...but we would like to share with you now some of our favorite videos of Enna-Marie that we took from July to September. The first three videos captured her singing in Hebrew, while the last one was a dance performance...enjoy!

Little busy bee...

This month Enna-Marie turned three and a half yrs. old and is a busy girl. She still goes to pre-school from Sunday to Thursday and to her ballet class every Tuesday, plays at home and sometimes she's out playing with friends, listens and dances to music, does a lot of coloring (and maze too which she just learned lately), cooks with daddy, helps mommy to do some chores at home, visits the beach every other week, and just enjoys her time being with us.

wearing daddy's short pants



















brushing her teeth



















learning to fold some laundry clothes

baking a carrot cake

playing at the beach with Elfida

biking her "big bike" in the balcony

dressing up with lingerie

having fun with Carmel at the beach

quenching thirst from "ice drop" (Filipino version of popsicle)

laughing with Farid while daddy plays with them

performing together with her co-pre-schoolers at the End of the Year Bahá’í School program

with her new friends at ballet class (can you spot EM?)

biking with Carmel

at the mall wearing huge crocs shoes

at a friend's swimming birthday party

playing beach ball with Rodrigo

kids in gan waiting to be picked up by their mommies

I love to color...

My favorite activity these days is coloring...I love it. Just recently my mom has taught me how to color inside the picture. It is not so hard, after a few tries I was able to do it. My mom and dad said that I'm getting good at it. I learned to draw different shapes as well, see fourth photo. I am happy that I'm learning a lot at this stage and I look forward for more!

What she says...

Here are few things that Enna-Marie says when she talks to us:

Mom: "Enna-Marie can you help me?"
EM: "Of course mom, I can help you".

Mom: "Thank you sweety."
EM: "You're welcome!"

One time EM sneezed and no one said anything. She said, "Mama can you say bless you to me, please?"

When EM learns mama is sad, she tells her...
EM: "Mama, I will make you happy". Then she pats her face or shoulder.

Before bath time EM asks papa: "Can I have some bubbles and can I wash my hair?".
Papa: "Can you ask mama if it's okay."
EM: "M-o-o-o-m...Can I wash my hair and can I have some bubbles?"
Mom didn't answer as she is busy doing something in the kitchen.
But EM goes back to papa anyway and said: "My mom said it's okay." :-)!

In the morning when she wakes up, she happily tells us...
EM: "I slept by myself. I don't need mama and papa." (meaning she slept by herself in her own bedroom and didn't go to mama and papa's bedroom)

Each night before she sleeps, she asks her mom: "Can you give me a massage? Mama nods her head as a sign that she's in agreement with her. Then while getting a massage and hearing some lullabies, she turns to mama and says: "I want to give you a hug and a kiss." And then she says the beautiful words: "I Love You!" (sometimes "I Love You So Much!") ... :-) :-) :-)!

EM knows that it is good to share a toy, food, book, anything we have. So when a friend (or classmate) of hers shared something with her, she reports to mama or papa: "My friend _____ shared with me today. That's nice." Then she goes..."because Abdul-Baha said we should share." And vice versa when she happens to share something with a friend, auntie or uncle, she reports the same to us.

More three yr. old cuteness...

three year old cuteness

coloring her book

EM being picked up by mommy from Gan

painting is her favorite activity too

say Chi---nese :-)

reciting her favorite prayer at bedtime

dressing up as an Arab girl



















waiting for daddy at the cashier in IKEA

got excited to see a visitor in the balcony...

at the playground with Rodrigo

Latest videos of Enna-Marie

Enna-Marie loves singing and dancing, and since it has been a while since we last posted a video of her on our blog, here are two of her recent "performances":). In the first video she dances to a song called "A place in the choir" by Red Grammer; in the second video she sings a Hebrew song that she learned in Gan on the occasion of "Rosh Hashana", the Israeli New Year; and in the third video she sings the "ABC song" both in English and Tagalog.

Big Girl indeed!

We've been back to Haifa for more than a month now and thought of updating you all on what has been happening with us lately, especially with our growing daughter Enna-Marie.

First we decided to stop the use of the pacifier which Enna-Marie used for eight months after being weaned from mommy's milk. We told her she's a "big girl" now and that "big girls" don't use paci. She agreed and got excited when we suggested to have a little 'paci-cutting' ceremony. We helped her cut the nipple of the paci, so that she would know it wasn't working anymore. She only asked for it 2-3 times without crying and she was perfectly fine since then.

Second we moved her from her crib to a big bed, we bought a guard-rail and placed it at the side so she can't fall off the bed. We are happy that she likes her new bed and she tells us that she is now a "big girl" and not anymore a baby. Of course, her newly afforded 'freedom' means that she occassionally would come out of bed when she's supposed to be sleeping, but on the whole she seems to have been dealing with this change quite well!

Then third this month, we decided to bring her to kindergarden (Gan in Hebrew). It is a privately owned nursery, and you may remember seeing some photos of the Gan that we posted earlier this year. We decided to bring her earlier than we originally planned, which is when she turns three in December, since we can see that she is very independent and is ready to mingle and socialize with other children. Also since there are two other children from the World Centre who are also going to this school for the first time, one of which is even two weeks older than she is, it helped us in deciding to bring her as we know it will be easier to adjust altogether to this new environment. So far, she is doing fine in school, meeting new friends, doing some arts and crafts, learning music and some Hebrew words, playing with friends. And most importantly, she is happy!

The last new thing that she recently learned is using her potty-going to the bathroom. She basically one day initiated it herself and has wanted to use it more and more ever since. By now she is not wearing diapers anymore during the day (oh she loves wearing panties or underpants), but only at night. The teacher and the assistants at school have also greatly helped and encouraged her in this process.

We are so happy and impressed with these milestones and we so much enjoy seeing her develop every day and watch our little one growing into "big girl" Enna-Marie.

Here are some of her recent photos...

cutting her pacifier

showing her new bed

smiling for mommy at kindergarden's first day of class

painting with her new friend Rodrigo

here she is back to Rose Garden class

swimming at the balcony with Tara & Lillian

another photo with her girlfriends at Rose Garden

imitating mommy when she saw her singing & playing guitar

happy smile

content smile after eating dinner

telling a story to mommy

eating ice cream with Rodrigo

Enna-Marie started attendng Baha'i School as well this month

snack time at Baha'i school

with friends Aliyah & Layla at Gan