Allson and Allison's Wonderpets + Hi-5 Partey 2012

This year was the easiest, most hassle-free, budget-friendly birthday preparation i ever had for the kids.

I got two 8" round cakes from Cakes and Memories (fellow moms from the South knew for sure how terrible this bakeshop's customer service was-- [past tense, ok?], nevertheless, i  got my cakes from them. the frugal mommy i am. their moist chocolate caramel cakes are superb, i just can't resist it!)
An 8" round cake would be enough to cover my kids' blowcakes. I got 2 of them. They won't be the star of the event anyway as we were holding the celeb at a play place. The kids might just ignore the cakes.

I got about 2 dozen balloons prepped for their mini party. Was expecting around 20 kiddie guests-- that's about 9 from allison's class (they're 19 in class  but i thought only nearly half would make it to Rob), 3 brats from the neighborhood, a nephew, and 6 officemate kids.

The initial plan was to get 2 cakes from C&M and order a giant pizza from, where else??? Pizza Hut of course! :D But Pizza Hut Robinson's Place Dasma and eve SM Dasma is not serving the giant one anymore. So I crossed it out from my planner. Will have to get trays of pasta from a friend then. Oh, jeez. this reminds me of Hannah. I miss her. :) Moving on, the plans weren't realized as I was very busy a few days before the kids' celebration. I was not even able to print out a peg for Allson's Wonderpets cake. I just gave the C&M staff a cutout of the wonderpets logo so they can make a gumpaste that would look like it.
Bought 3 boxes of Country Style crazy squares, logs and twists, 2 cases of C2, some candies and gums, and 2 dozens of non-woven mini bags (for the looties). Did an Art Attack for some Hi-5 hands, Jupjup artsys, and WOnderpets logos from spare construction paper we have at the office. Tagged some facebook friends on an e-invite, printed out a few invitations for Allison's classmates and the neighborhood kids, and texted my closest friends and relatives. This would do, I guess.

Come after shift, November 13, rushed from the office to the bakeshop to pick up the cakes.

Allson's Wonderpets Cake was very plain and dull. I even had a slight argument with the staff on how the gumpaste logo turned out to be. They didn't make a blue border for the red W on the yellow gumpaste. It didn't look like Wonderpets'! So we bought some candy-coated chocolates (mini Nips, to be specific), opened about 14 packets to collect blue candy-coats to complete the blue border for the Wonderpets logo. Added dots of red and yellow candies over the little cake, and voila! My efforts brought some life to the little blowcake!

Allison's Hi-5 cake was topperless. I was sleepless for several days contemplating on what to do with it. It has to resemble at least a bit of the Hi-5 theme. That morning, I thought of borrowing Tita Ginny's picture stand (a piece I have commissioned JenClaymaster to make for Ginny on her 27th birthday) as it resembles some color as the base cake I've ordered. Didn't realize it can do the trick. Here's what happened:

Not bad, uh?

Now we move on to the party. There was no program or anything. We just let the kids rule the floor. Set a Hi-5 and Wonderpets dvd playing at the background, and there you go...

The three hours were well-spent. It was a fantastic way to celebrate my kids birthdays, with this age range.

I told you, it was hassle-free.

Here's Allson's Tarp--

The Loot Bag Contents (Gums and Candies)--

 

The Invites-- 

Oh, let me share with you the peso powers. You won't believe it!

Action Station 3hour exclusivity-- 4,500 powers
8" Round Cakes from Cakes and Memories @485ea-- 970 powers
24 balloons on stick @13ea-- 312 powers

Mushroom Pasta Trays (serves 30) -- 700 powers
Country Style Doughnuts disc @20ea-- 720 powers
C2 Solo x 2cases @7.75/bottle-- 372 powers
Candies and Gums-- 500 powers
Non-woven bags @12ea--  288 powers
Allson's 3x4 tarpaulin-- 180 powers
Invites @4.75ea-- 114 powers

What have I not included? Oh, the gas to and fro, mobile phone talktime, and miscellaneous ones... :)

My Kids' Trick or Treat Attires

The practical and resourceful mommy that I am :)

I wanted my kids to have the best costume they could have this coming halloween but of course, we have some budget constraints here as their big bash is upcoming.

For Allson, I had:

• some scrap fur material @ 40pesos/kilogram from a factory in Batangas (his entire costume consumed only about 350grams of fur. )

For Allison, I bought:

• 5 yards of black soft tulle @100pesos
• elastic @20pesos
• black shades @35pesos
• black pantyhose @30pesos
• tiara @150pesos
• black shoes @150pesos

Plainview's Buwan ng Wika

This was a cute video of the nursery kiddos from Plainview Academy:

I was holding my 9-month old baby Allson while taking this video. We were cheering for his Ate Allison.

Sa totoo lang, this was the best presentation that day. Everybody was happy watching these kids.

Sana next time, Drich can come with us so he can take the video for Ate...

Operation: School Hunt

Yeah right, I should have listened to hubby when he first commented about Allison's school.  It's adamant that my little girl will not be given appropriate attention in that school since each class would have about 25 pupils per session. To think that this is a nursery class!

Allison was the kind that gets excited when you say "going to school" or "go see teacher," etc. And she did well in school. Being the youngest, her teacher (and classmates) would call her "Baby Girl." They even forgot what her real name is. She was everybody's darling and there's no doubt that these people and piplets love her. I was shocked one time when she told me about what her teacher told her. Says she, "Baby girl, buburahin ko na yang mouth mo!".  After that story, she started making excuses on going to school. She'd say, "look mommy oh, may fever pa ako" or "i'm sick today mommy oh."  This called my mom's attention. So I talked to teacher and asked her about what baby girl told me. Eon... It was true pala. She says she didn't have the intention of hurting her feelings or threatening my daughter to that point. Ang sa kanya lang daw, masyado nang madaldal yung bata at ang hirap na daw patahimikin. Sige na. I understand that. When I spend a whole day with my daughter naeexperience ko yang kadaldalan nyang yan but I seldom complain. I am actually happy that she asks questions almost all the time. Probably because I'm her mom.

Now it's probably time to look for a better school for my daughter and we started scouting since February.

SCHOOL#1: Mary Help of Christians Montessori

Mary Help of Christians Montessori

Margarita St. Pasong Tala,  Dasmariñas City, Cavite

Tel Nos.: (046) 416.12.76 to 77| Fax: +63.46.416.17.47

Almost across the Kumon Learning Center's building in Dasma is MHCM's main campus. One day after  Allison's Kumon class, we dropped by the school to inquire about the admission stuff and requirements. Of all the schools we've visited, this was the only school where we have experienced being attended to by someone who's very professional and courteous (not that the others weren't courteous or accommodating ha).

Lets go to the peso power part:

Tuition & Misc (NKP): P29,150

D/P: 5,000

Installment: 2,761.50 x 9

Books: (about) 2,000

Uniform: 800/ set (XS)

PE Uniform: 800 (XS)

Entrance Testing Fee: 200

SCHOOL#2:International British Academy

International British Academy

Gen. Aguinaldo Hi-way, Anabu ll-D, Imus, Cavite, Philippines

Tel. No.: +63.46.471.59.22 | Fax: +63.46.471.59.24

Email: info@iba.edu.phWebsite: http://www.iba.edu.ph/

IBA isa town away from Dasma. It's about a 40 minute drive from home but we're still considering it since we've heard real good feedback and it's well commended by my OB, Dr. Carlos. She says she didn't have any regrets of enrolling her kids in IBA since it fosters her kids' everything. :))


Here's the peso power part (brace yourselves!):

Tuition & Misc (NKP): P62,592

D/P:10,912

Installment: 6,460 x 8
Registration: 5,000
Development Fund: 10,000

Books: loaned

SCHOOL#3: St. Nicholas De Myra School

St. Nicholas De Myra School

1/F Dasma Gardenville,

D. Mangubat Avenue

Burol Main, Dasmariñas City, Cavite

Tel. No.: +63.46.416.41.06

St. Nick is budget friendly and the facilities were, I guess, okay. Air conditioned classrooms, security, accessibility... There was an ongoing summer reading class when I visited the school and I was attended to by the guy from the admissions desk who introduced himself as a high school teacher from that school. I told him I want to see the NKP room, and he bluntly told me, "may class kasi dun ma'am, itong kabilang room na lang silipin nyo since pareho lang naman yan." Well, I am sorry but I was not really impressed with the school or perhaps on the way that he introduced it to me. Well, from afar, the school looked like a real big school but in reality, hehe... it was not. I was not turned off by the school not being a big one but the fact that that teacher told me that they do not have co-curricular activities for NKP and he was actually very proud telling me "Ay ma'am, wala kaming co-curricular or extra curricular activities para sa nursery, and we're proud that we are pure academics for NKP." Napa-huwaaat?! na lang ako. And you're proud about it, teacher? Errr.. don't you think that co-curriculars are vital to foster and nurture these kids' abilities and confidence? Tsk tsk...




Class Size: 15 max


As I have mentioned, this is budget friendly. Here's the peso power needed:

 

Tuition & Misc (NKP): P21,297

D/P: 8,997

Installment: 4,100 x 9

Books: (about) 1,678

Uniform: 1,000/ set (XS)

PE Uniform: 500 (XS)
Entrance Testing Fee: 150

SCHOOL#4: St. Jude College, Inc.

St. Jude College

URC Ave.

Salawag, Dasmariñas, Cavite

Tel. Nos.: (046) 416-3818/686-0042/496-5300

Website: http://www.stjude.edu.ph/

Satellites: Robinson's Place Palapala & Langkaan, Dasmariñas, Cavite

We dropped by St. Jude after paying our cellphone bills @ the Sun Shop in Robinson's Place Dasma. It called my attention since I didn't know that there was a school inside Rob and it was a satellite of Allison's dad's Alma Mater> :)


Class Size: 15 max


Peso Power:


Tuition & Misc (NKP): P15,516.64

D/P:5,000

Installment: 2,879.14 x 4

Books: 2,017

Uniform: 600/ set (XS)

PE Uniform: 650 (XS)
Wash Day: 325 (XS)


SCHOOL#5: Wizbee International School

Wizbee International School

Bgy. Zone I – B Dasmariñas, Cavite

Class Size: 10-15


Peso Power:


Tuition & Misc (NKP): P56,165

D/P: 15,292

Installment: 4,917 x 9

Books:1,762

Uniform: 800/ set (S)

PE Uniform: 730 (S)


SCHOOL#6: Conrinthian Institute of Cavite

Corinthian Institute of Cavite

Blk. C-4 Burol I, Dasmariñas, Cavite

Tel. No.: 851-33-17

Class Size: 20 max

Peso Power:

Tuition & Misc (NKP): P16,250

D/P: 6,000

Installment: 1,128 x 10

Books:1,587

Uniform: 450/ set (S)

PE Uniform: 475 (S)
Notebooks: Free :)

SCHOOL#7: Plainview Academy

Plainview Academy, Inc.

Blk. 41 Lot 3 AB to 6 AB Phase III, City Homes Resortville

Langkaan, Dasmariñas, Cavite

Tel No.: (046) 540-6378

4243473853641635364722536565/6+36685

Satellite: Fatima III, Dasmariñas, Cavite

Class Size: 5-10

Peso Power:

Tuition & Misc (NKP): P15,600

D/P:7,800

Installment: 936.00 x 10

Books: 2,680

Uniform: 350/ set (XS)

PE Uniform: 480 (XS)

SCHOOL#8: Brentwood Academy of Dasmariñas, Inc.

Class Size: 15 max

Peso Power:

Tuition & Misc (NKP): P13,500

D/P:3,500

Installment: 1,000 x10

Books: 3,200

Uniform: 650/ set (XS)

PE Uniform: 380 (XS)

Notebook and Diary:  550

SCHOOL#9: Westhill International School

Westhill International School

Carlos Trinidad Avenue

Salitran IV,

Dasmariñas City, Cavite, 4114 Philippines

Tel. Nos. (046) 416-5541 to 42/ 0917-886-6711

email: westhill.is@gmail.comWebsite:  www.westhill.edu.ph

Peso Power:


Tuition & Misc (NKP): P50-60,000

D/P:

Installment:

Books:

Uniform:

PE Uniform:


SCHOOL#10: Colegio Dela Estrella

Colegio Dela Estrella

53 Summerwind Drive

Burol Main, Dasmariñas, Cavite721.

Tel No.: (046) 416.40.97 | 0928.247.0025

Peso Power:


Tuition & Misc (NKP): P9,500

D/P: 2,400

Installment: 1,066.70 x9

Books: TBA

Uniform: TBA/ set (XS)

PE Uniform: TBA (XS)

SCHOOL#11:Dansart Angels Academy

Dansart Angels Academy
Block 24 Rome Street,
Summerwind Village, Dasmariñas, Cavite

Tel No.: (046)

Oliver's younger brother is an alumnus here. One thing I liked here was the NKP uniform. They're cute and britty.:)

Peso Power:


Tuition & Misc (NKP): P23,450
D/P:

Installment:
Books: 4,500

Uniform: 1,000/ set (XS)

PE Uniform: TBA (XS)

SCHOOL#12:Asian Trinity

Asian Trinity School

D. Mangubat Avenue

Burol Main, Dasmariñas, Cavite

Tel No.: (046) 416.4107

Peso Power:


Tuition & Misc (NKP): P22,250
D/P:  P7,620

Installment: P2,313.39 x 9
Books: 1,420
Uniform: 750/ set (XS)

PE Uniform: 750/ set (XS)


SCHOOL#13: Immaculate Conception Academy

Immaculate Conception Academy

Science Campus, Dasmariñas Plaza

Dasmariñas, Cavite

Tel No.: (046) 416.3636 | (046) 416.4067 | (046) 850.3131


Peso Power:

Tuition (NKP): P16,607.70
Misc (NKP): P6,372.85
Other Fees: P3,271.88
D/P:  P7,875.75

Installment: P4,594.17 x 4
Books:
Uniform: TBA/ set (XS)

PE Uniform:TBA/ set (XS)