Charly's "25".

As originally posted in Facebook's ubiquitous '25'...here is Charly's version, for all her godparents, aunts, uncles and close friends of mom and dad as she turns 3 today:

1. I like music and always check to make sure mom has Hi-Five or Disney's Fresh in the car's CD player or Ipod.

2. I sleep with the scent of aromatherapy oils from Body Shop (preferably peppermint or grapefruit) and background music of Vivaldi, Bach, Tschaikowsky. Sometimes I request for Benny Goodman and Miles Davis. I also like John Mayer, the Beatles, Billy Joel, and old school rap music. I also love when dad puts on Elton John (Bennie & the Jets) during bathtime. My dad is the coolest, he downloads all sorts of music for me.

3. I'm a leftie.

4. I LOVE books and literally grew up in the kids section of Fully Booked. It's cool that the staff know me by name so my mommy knows where to find me if I run off on my own. Recent book favorites include all things Eric Carle, Dr Seuss books, Maisy (I love that the alligator's name is Charley), Madeleine (I can memorize "In an old house in Paris, covered in vines..."), and Billy Crystal's I Already Know I Love You.

5. My favorite shoes are my baby blue Crocs with Dora, Blue, and Mickey Mouse jibitz on them. Sometimes I'll wear my red Mary Jane Crocs or black Converse hi-tops but only if mom and dad ask really really nicely :)

6. Mom and Dad say I take pretty decent photos (hey, I'm three!) with my kids VTech digicam and our Olympus point and shoot.

7. I wear my baseball caps with their backside to the front.

8. I love pumpkin soup. Especially from Cibo, Press Cafe and Claw Daddy's.

9. I love munching on breadsticks. I like eating Nestle Strawberry yogurt and FIC Butterscotch ice cream!

10. I like bathing with Johnson's Baby Top to Toe Body Wash but prefer Nivea Baby Body Lotion after a bath.

11. My mommy is Filipina. My dad is South American. Although I'm a Philippine-born American citizen, I've got a smattering of Spanish, Portuguese, Indian, Japanese and Chinese blood running in me. Just like mom, dad, and Pepe - I'm a mongrel :) Riggs is the only one with a pure pedigree in our household!

12. I love going to the arcade after Gymboree art classes. I always ask teacher to give me a stamp because my mommy says it's what gets us into the arcade.

13. Pepe and Riggs are my brothers in arms.

14. I don't mind going to the dentist. I always ask Dr. Eric if he has free toys to give me at the end of check ups.

15. I love online shopping with mom, especially for books that we can browse through. The best thing about online shopping is that it all arrives in a balikbayan box with lots of other goodies from Gramma Resa that smells like the USA :)

16. I love watching Word World, Bunnytown, Strawberry Shortcake, Hi-Five, My Friends Tigger and Pooh, and of course Dora. I still can't relate to Barbie and the Disney Princesses and my dad thinks that's a good thing.

17. I'm slow to warm up to people, but talk a mile a minute once I do. I'll even share my cookies with you once we're cool.

18. I love love love my ninang Bev :) I think Ninong Mark has more tech stuff than Inspector Gadget. I think ninong Mario is tall as a giraffe. Tito Manolo is cool for liking Elton John and knowing sorts of music trivia. Ninong Raymond rocks for flying that paper airplane smack on that woman's lunch plate at Fely J's. I know one of these days Ninong Louie will change my nappies. I love when my godparents spend time to get to know me...I know I've got lots of others in the States that I haven't met...

19. I can't decide whether I want to be like Michael Phelps (without the drug suspension) or Dr Cheng when I grow up. Hmm. Sports star or doctor?

20. I get my hair trimmed at Kids Hair in Rustan's. Only Gio or Rustom will do.

21. I'm cheap with my kisses and hugs and only give them to people I really do know.

22. I like cupcakes!

23. I love the impressionists. I know Monet from Van Gogh and Matisse and Picasso. My mommy likes Cafe Terrace at Night, I like the Starry Night more. I want to go to the Musee D'Orsay for my 7th birthday.

24. I dearly love a bearwich (that's a group hug with mom and dad and me in the middle).

25. I love seeing babes and gramma resa shake their booty and dance! One day, I'll teach them to do the pretzel twist just like Jojo :)

Happy Birthday, Charly Bear! We love you for all these and so much more...