A happy family affair

Although estranged, Ara Mina and Patrick Meneses, Mayor of Bulakan, Bulacan, got together to celebrate the second birthday of their daughter Amanda with a big Under-The-Sea-themed bash, cutely called #AmandainTWOthesea, at the Andrea North Clubhouse on Balete Drive, Quezon City last Dec. 17. The cutie was called Little Mermaid Mandy.

Members of both Ara’s and Patrick’s families were all accounted for. Ara’s sister Cristine Reyes came with husband Ali Khatibi and their daughter Amarah.

Why did Ara choose the name Amanda Gabrielle for her daughter?

“So that her nicknames would both sound boyish,” said Ara. “I wanted a name with the letter H, kasi my real name is Hazel. But I had a hard time looking for one that started with the letter H. Why not Hannah? There are so many Hannahs already. So I decided on a name that starts with the letter A, just like my name.”

Several months after AG was born, Ara and Patrick broke up (they were not married). Fancy-free since then, Ara has been quoted as saying that if ever she’d have another child, she would prefer to have Patrick still as the father (just like Mylene Dizon who had her second child again with Paolo Paraiso even after they had broken up).

“Even at a young age,” Ara described AG, “she is very friendly and is used to being in the public eye. She’s very jolly. She gets easily attached to other kids even if she’s with them for only a short time. Very friendly siya.”

During the party, AG graciously interacted with the guests; she never cried. She had five outfit changes during the party that lasted for two hours and a half.

The party was full of fun and games, both for kids and adults alike. Ara gave away prizes to all the kids who participated in the games. The mommies and daddies played a round of “Bring Me,” and the husbands gamely participated in an impromptu staging of a “Mr. Pogi” contest, eliciting laughter from the crowd. A bubble show had the children elbowing their way into the line to get their turn, with the Birthday Girl, of course, getting the most turns inside the bubble maker. She loved every minute of it.

When the time came to sing the birthday song, AG basked in the attention, while her parents beamed with pride and happiness. AG gamely posed for selfies with everybody, once again showing the friendliness that she got from both Ara and Patrick.

No guest went away empty handed. The giveaways included products from Nuby, the party’s major sponsor, as well as pillows and knapsacks shaped into fishes. And the biggest takeaway was a cute little fighting fish that the children went crazy over. Ara joked that giving away animals might become her trademark giveaway.

“Baka puppy na pamigay ko, magbre-breed na lang ako, para mas mura!” Ara laughed. “Siguro pag seven years old na lang siya ako ulit mag-ce-celebrate, para makaipon ako ulit!”

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected].)