For Allison Lenneth - On her 3rd Birthday

If you browse around the internet, most blog posts about greetings for a kid's birthday are written by Mothers. So, for a change, here is one written by a father, LoL!

"Don't blink! They'll be grown before you know it."

To my everdearest Allison Lenneth,

Before you were born, I always remember when people around me say that time flies by. Now that I am a dad, I experienced first-hand how that was true.

Before, I look at people like they are stupid when they tell me, "Don't blink! They'll be grown before you know it." However, come to think of it, those silly people (as I thought them to be) are right.


Today, you - our dearest daughter - Allison Lenneth is celebrating your 3rd Birthday. Yes! You are now 3 years old. That is how fast time flies.

Considering that this past year has been a challenge is a BIG understatement. As a father with a not very outstanding set of "Daddy Skills", you sure have shown me a lot about myself, what I need to learn about parenting, and how MUCH patience I have (and don’t have). However, the most noticeable and amazing thing that has developed this past year is your "BIG" personality.

Interestingly, you are many shades of shy when it comes to other people. I guess, you are really cautious and just take a lot of time to warm up to people  who you do not see often and it is just your nature, but when it is just us, Oh boy! What SHY? You are anything, but that! Mahiyain ka sa ibang tao, pero pag tayo-tayo lang, you go Nuclear! Despite that, All I know is you are something special.

Also this past year, you started to show some traits that prove that in many ways, we are a lot alike:

• You love arts and crafts (always looking for a pencil, crayon, and a clean sheet of paper to draw whatever you like on it).
• You have shown interest in Music (You have shown the ability to memorize lyrics and can belt out a tune when you sing, you also showed interest in playing guitar)
• You are a fast learner (You absorb almost anything being taught to you, guess I gotta call you, "Allie the Sponge.")
• You are a talkative kid (This one does not need explanation, I guess)
• You know how to use your imagination (You do tell a lot of make-up stories using the characters from all the movies and shows that you watched, Nice!)

On the other hand, regardless of those good traits you are showing, you are also developing a little "Bratinella" attitude too and this year has had many ups and downs. Some of your "not-so-good, but still cute" antics are:

• You became so smart that we just cannot fool you anymore (I try to lead you one way, then you, as by instinct, go the other way as if you know what is going down all along)
• What Allie wants, Allie should get, or else..Tantrums galore.
• When you are watching videos in YouTube - if there is buffering, whoever besides you is in for a hurting, LoL! (No Torrents rule when Allie is watching was started because of this, could you believe that?)
• When you are being scolded, you give us the "Dinosaur" (RAAWR!)

Despite those little hardships, you have grown up SO MUCH this year. I’m very much aware that since you are now 3 years old, you are officially entering “Threenager” territory. They say that at this age is when a parent is about to start to pull their hair out (good thing I am planning on sticking for a "Chris Pine" hairdo all year round, LoL!), but God sure does know what he is doing when he made 3-year-olds, because just when somebody is about to be annoyed with your antics, you immediately whip out something unbelievably cute or funny that melts away whatever negative is in the air. Good thing Allison is, you are about 95% cute and just 5% trouble, right?

My wish for you, my sweet birthday girl, as you turn 3 years old, is that you will keep being Allison Lenneth and in line with that, I promise that I will always keep being your Papa Ecko because I believe that for the next years to come in your life (and mine too), staying true to ourselves will always bring good things and those good things will make the time (that flies so fast) be worthwhile.

To close this one, I will use a line from a song that was used in one of your favorite animated features this past year, "Mr. Peabody and Sherman" (Beautiful Boy by John Lennon)

"Out on the ocean sailing away
I can hardly wait to see you come of age
But I guess, we'll both just have to be patient
'Cause it's a long way to go, and a hard row to hoe"

..and Remember Allison, "I love what you are, I love what you do, and I love You!"


- Papa Ecko

Ciao!