A Charmed Life

Ethan and his Funny Remarks

2010-07-21T17:20:00.000+08:00

Ethan: Mom, what is "suspended"?

Mom: You mean , what it means to be suspended from school?

Ethan: Yes.

Mom: If you are suspended from school, it means that you did something very bad and you will be punished for it. You will not be allowed to attend your classes for a few days.

Ethan: Hmmm, you wont be allowed to attend classes? (after a short while) I WANT TO BE SUSPENDED!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Ethan: Mom, let's go to America!

Mom: Why?

Ethan: I want to meet Obama.

Mom: Do you know him? Why do you want to meet him?

Ethan: He is the president of the United States and he is veerrrryyyyy RICH!

continued by my mother in a different setting...

Mommy Yan: Do you know who the president of the Philippines is?

Ethan: No.

Mommy Yan: Noynoy Aquino.

Ethan: Noynoy? Is he gay?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mom: Ethan do you want to have some Lasagna?

Ethan: No! Lasagnas are for cats!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I try to make it a habit to pray with my kids every night. I ask them to read a prayer from a children's prayer booklet. And to make it more exciting tonight, I made them say out their personal wish after reading. Here it goes ---

Cheska: I wish I'd be smart.

Ethan: One Million Dollars!!!

Ethan Strikes Again!

2010-04-12T11:30:00.000+08:00

Grandpa Dada: Ethan can I borrow your PSP?

Ethan: Nope.

Grandpa Dada: Why?

Ethan: You're too old.

(Bagang!)

------------------------------------------------------------

Ethan: Mom, do you know that every girl in the universe is in love with Justin Bieber?

Me: I'm not ...

Ethan: YOUNG girls .... (toinks)

------------------------------------------------------------

Me: Ethan, can you hand me over the tissue?

Ethan: Mom, you just have to give me compassion and understanding and I'll give you everything you want.

(Asa man ni niya napunitan?)

----------------------------------------------------------

Ethan: Mom do you know that Tito Gino is destroying the Ozone Layer? He's using his aircon the whole day.

Me: ( a little speechless) Okay... do you know what Ozone Layer is?

Ethan: It's like an umbrella that protects the earth. (In his as a matter-of-fact tone of voice --- Laban?)

Holy Week 2010

2010-04-05T05:16:00.000+08:00

We really didn't plan much for our Holy Week vacation this year --- especially since my mom convinced me (or should I say forced me) to undergo a beauty regimen which would require me to stay indoors for atleast one whole week. My face had been peeling off for almost a week now and I feel like an alien. I can't believe I let her talk me into this. I was never really a vain person and I was almost satisfied with my skin until my mom kept telling me that I should really undergo a peeling session. Well I have to admit, I am fast approaching my mid-30's and my skin isn't getting any better with age.

So pretty much the whole vacation my family and I stayed indoors. We didn't go the beach at all. Unlike last year when we had a big vacation in Baguio, we celebrated the holy week in a very simple but meaningful way.

April 1 (Maundy Thursday) - Visita Iglesia. We visited 7 churches namely: St. Joseph, Carmelite, Redemptorist, Assumption, Sta. Ana, Fatima and Sacred Heart (our very own parish). We have been doing this as a family for 2 years in a row now.

April 2 (Good Friday) - Just stayed home. Glee season 1 marathon.

April 3 (Black Saturday) - Watched "How to Train your Dragon" at NCCC Mall. Too bad we weren't able to catch it in 3D. Nevertheless I truly loved the movie. My kids kept on saying it was awesome!

April 4 ( Easter Sunday) - Heard Easter Mass at Sacred Heart. Lunch at Jollibee, SM and went grocery shopping after.

Holy Week is indeed my second favorite season of the year ( next to Christmas). Even though we don't celebrate it in a big way like having vacations out of town, I feel so spiritually blessed being with my family the whole time.

Happy Easter everyone!!!

Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010!

2009-12-31T18:31:00.000+08:00

The Year 2009 had generally been a good year for me and my loved ones despite all the trials the country had to go through. Earlier this year, I was transferred as executive secretary of the Chief Financial Officer. It was a major adjustment for me as I am very new to the Finance world. But with the help of my new friends and my nice but often misunderstood boss, I was able to grace through the changes.

One of the happiest times for my family was our vacation to Manila Ocean Park and Baguio City that happened on April. It was our second major trip and it was truly unforgettable. Other highlights include : Ethan's landing in the honor's list and Cheska' improving in her academics, several financial blessings, coming home of several balikbayan friends and of course the busy but fun-filled Christmas season.

And for my hopes and prayers for 2010:

1. Good health and safety for the whole family.

2. Career: Hubby's career to flourish. Mine to stay the same.

3. Kids' academics to be better (especially Cheska's).

4. Financial, emotional and spiritual blessings.

5. Bonus = Family HK Trip

I think the mere togetherness of my whole family during 2009 was itself the greatest gift and I would pray that we would stay happy together for more years to come. Thank you Lord for all the years that went by and bless the years and years ahead.

Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010!!!

My Top Ten Favorite OSTs

2009-11-13T09:32:00.002+08:00

1. Pretty in Pink
2. Grease
3. Empire Records
4. Sixteen Candles
5. Some Kind of Wonderful
6. Reality Bites
7. Dying Young
8. Somewhere in Time
9. 50 First Dates
10. Singles

Kids Say the Darndest Things Part 4 (Ethan's funny one-liners and dialogues)

2009-10-29T09:52:00.000+08:00

Ethan: We should buy a new car, Mom.

Mom: Why, what's wrong with our car?

Ethan: It's boring!

~o~0~o~

Ethan: Mom, are you gonna marry a new husband?

~o~0~o~

Ethan: Tita Mae, are you an evil scientist? Do you make potions? (upon seeing Mae's test tube collection in her room)

~o~0~o~

Ethan calls his grandparents "Senior Citizens"

~o~0~o~

Ethan: When I'm 21, I'm gonna marry the "beautiful-est" wife!

Pizzaholic

2009-09-18T10:57:00.000+08:00

I've been addicted to Pizza since only God knows when. The first pizza I tasted was I guess in Baguio back in the early eighties. It was just a plain cheese and ham pizza... just like the Mommy's pizza we all know. Eversince then, I've been craving for pizza and eating it at least several times a month.

Here are my top ten favorite Pizza Places (not necessarily in that order):

1. Merco - I will forever love their four seasons pizza (specifically the sardine part).

2. Zed's - the place is not so good nowadays though--- at least not the good old wholesome family place we used to know back in the 90's. But there just a few times I would phone in and order a take-out. Sicilian Pizza's my favorite.

3.Tower of Pizza - this pizza place closed down I think almost a decade ago. This has been my hang-out place with my cousin and college friends. They have two branches, one in Legazpi street above the Orange Brutus and another at U-Mall (now City Triangle). I don't remember the flavor we used to order there. But i still remember how i used to love it especially with ketchup on it and paired with a glass of ice cold coke.

4. Papa's Pizza - now called the Paparazzi... i love almost all their pizza flavors but i've always been fond of ordering the Sicilian flavor.

5. Picobello - I love their Margherita pizza. Their buy one take one promo was really a hit. Their place was always full during 2-5 especially on weekends.

6. Charlie's Diner - their pizza tastes almost just exactly like Picobello. Almost the same price too.

7. Coco's - Their 50% off promo really got my attention so hubby and officemates went to check out their pizza one Saturday night. I particularly liked the healthie vegie(not sure of the exact name) flavor. I didnt like the pepperoni flavor much.

8. Calle Cinco - I know that this is probably not known as a pizza parlor but a bar/ coffeeshop instead. I tried ordering their pizza one time and I was not disappointed. In fact I loved it... their sicilian pizza tasted like that of Zed's.

9. Basti's brew- known as a coffeeshop and not a pizza parlor, but they also serve great tasting pizza. It's a little expensive though considering the small servings.

10. Shakey's - I know that I've been trying to avoid oily commercialized pizza but I just couldnt stay away from Shakey's. Apart from loving some of their thin-crust pizza, I also love their mojos, chicken, spaghetti and chocolate supershake.

I have yet to try:

1. La Toscana

2. Cups and Lowercase

Any more suggestions?

Looking at the Bright Side

2009-07-27T07:36:00.000+08:00

The Dark side:

Water interruption in our area which went on schedule from 10PM Saturday night and lasted until 5PM Sunday afternoon. We were actually forced to take a bath using rain water since I forgot to stock water in my bathroom despite all the advisories and text messages from friends. And added insult to injury, at around 3PM Sunday afternoon, after going to SM we went home to a brown-out.

Story behind the brown out:

At around 11 Sunday morning, we headed to church. We were actually late for a couple of minutes. Just a few minutes after we settled, a loud explosion rocked the area. The alarms of cars parked outside went off. The mass celebration was suspended for a few minutes. I actually fearing that the explosion may have happened just where we parked. Everyone inside the church was horrified. A few minutes after, the mass went on when it was found out that it was just the electric transformer that went overload. So I was quite relieved. Honestly, i really thought it was a bomb. And because of the said explosion, the whole area covered by that electric post had a brown-out.

No Water, No Electricity ---what could be worse? At around 4PM, my mother was texting me to check in a hotel or inn. We knew for sure the kids are not going to be able to sleep at night without aircon or electric fan. I was almost tempted to do that, only I had my Lola to worry about. I just can't leave her alone especially since my helpers went out on that Sunday.

Early evening, I heard people outside saying that the electricians only started fixing the post at 5PM so it means that we won't have electricity until 10PM! What a curse!

And now, the bright sides to the story:

I was able to enjoy a candlelit dinner with Hubby and my 2 kids. Usually if we eat at home, the kids would be eating on another table infront of the TV watching cartoons, while hubby and I eat in the bigger dining table. Last night was a great family dinner indeed. We were eating in one table--- just as we should. I would have to wait for another brown out for that to happen again!

The kids were able to play outside with other kids. No television and no computer. They were able to enjoy the things I enjoyed as a kid. Playing street games... patintero, in-out, bahay-bahayan, baligya-baligya... and whatnot.

We went out for a drive at around 8PM. After I withdrew money from the ATM, Hubby suggested that we eat durian at Magsaysay. It's been awhile since I've been craving for durian. Last night, we finally got a chance to eat one of the yummiest native durians ever. My kids really enjoyed it!

At 10PM, after I fan the kids to sleep ( I haven't exercised my arm muscles in a long time), the electricity came back. Boy, was I just the most thankful person in the world.

With this trying experience, I heartily thank the Lord for electricity and water. I would have never really appreciate them this much until last night! And looking at the bright side of it, Thank God for brown-outs and water-interruption... it drew my family a lot closer and made me realize we can do more with less.

ONE SONG

2009-03-16T05:59:00.000+08:00

Copied from Daphne's post --- nalingaw ko...

Using ONLY SONG TITLES FROM ONE ARTIST/BAND, cleverly answer these questions.

My pick: EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL

1. Are you a male or female: I ALWAYS WAS UR GIRL

2. Describe yourself: UNDERSTANDING

3. How do you feel about yourself: FASCINATION

4. Describe your ex boyfriend/girlfriend situation: LOVE IS STRANGE

5. Describe your current boy/girl situation: I DIDNT KNOW I WAS LOOKING FOR LOVE (UNTIL I FOUND YOU)

6. Describe your current location: NATIVE LAND

7. Describe where you want to be: IMAGINING AMERICA

8. Your best friend is: SHADOW ON A HARVEST MOON

9. Your favorite color is: BLUE MOON ROSE

10. You know: TALK TO ME LIKE THE SEA

11. What’s the weather like: FROZEN RIVER

12. If your life was a television show what would it be called? CROSS MY HEART

13. What is life to you: ROLLERCOASTER

14. What is the best advice you have to give: LETTING LOVE GO

15. If you could change your name what would you change it to: APRON STRINGS

I Love You Sadado

2009-03-06T10:53:00.000+08:00

I was ecstatic when it was announced at the office that we are no longer required to work half-day during Saturdays. It only meant that I would have one full day all to myself since my Sundays were meant for family. It also meant that I could save fare or gasoline and outfits to wear (haha!).

Eversince I started working, I have been used to working half day on Saturdays, so imagine how new this was and how relieved I felt. There was a catch though, we were required to work 8am to 6pm Mondays to Thursday to compensate the 4 hour-work for Saturday. Can you imagine how grueling waiting for 6pm could be? I have tried it for four days now... and it wasn't a piece of cake. Whenever we go out from work, it was already night time. When I arrive home at 7, I get so hungry I could eat a horse! I'd get so tired and it would mean short-cuts on my daily tutorials with my little girl. I would easily doze off as early as 9PM! But then again, I have no right to complain.

And now the joys of having Saturdays off...

1. Sleeping in (til 8 or 9 if i get lucky)

2. I'm finally gonna get that facial I've always procrastinated on

3. Foot massage and Pedicure (i sometimes procrastinate on this too, hence the ugly feet)

4. I'm finally gonna watch all the DVD's I bought and borrowed

5. If I really want to get really lazy then I'll probably just sleep and eat all day --- that's actually something I haven't done in a such long time --- maybe 10 years?

Now I really mean it when I say "I love you Sabado!"

Kids say the Darndest Things at Parties

2009-02-09T11:45:00.000+08:00

Party Host: Give me a name of a boy that starts with letter O

Child #1: Olsen

Party Host: Good, how about another one?

Child #2: (thinks really hard) O-boy!!!

(This was actually repeated when the party host asked for a Girl's name that starts with letter U)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Party Host: (forms a balloon into an animal) Ok kids, can anyone tell me what kind of animal this is? Clue: it has a long neck.

Little boy: Dinosaur!!!

(I think the boy will grow up to be an archaeologist)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Party Host: (forms a balloon into a dog) Can anyone tell me what kind of dog this is? Clue: it starts with letter P and ends with letter E...

Cheska: PUPPY!

Party Host: Im sorry it's not a puppy because it ends with letter Y... you can try again

Cheska: (Koojee whispers something to cheska then...) PLU-TOE!!!

(To those who dont know Pluto --- he is Mickey Mouse's dog... Hehehe justify jud ng mommy!!!)

A Tinkerbilly Birthday Party

2009-02-08T16:33:00.000+08:00

My Early Years as an Employee

2009-02-04T06:23:00.000+08:00

After realizing that I am now in my 10th year as an employee (I was officially hired by a company in JVA on May 1999), I had a recollection on what transpired during my early years at work.

After graduating college and passing the PT Boards, I first worked as a Volunteer at a Rehabilitation Center in UM Multitest. During my second month of volunteer work, I got a call from Tita Itang (my first boss' secretary who later became my ninang during the wedding) and she told me that I was in for an interview the following day. I was expecting a job in Marco Polo which opened just recently that time but my boss (father of my friend Yvette) told me that for the meantime I can work in his office (RSSI of JVA) while waiting for my job interview in M.P.

During that time I was one of the youngest employees at 22. I liked my job there. I was actually under the Manning Company but my work is more for DICI which was the agency for Sumifru that time. My job was to encode various reports. I was paid minimum salary but I was really surprised how i was able to afford everyday taxi fare to the office (I lived in Obrero and JVA was at Juna Subd). I was pretty complacent which is why I decided not to pursue Marco Polo or try my chance abroad. After DICI, Cool Shipping (a spin-off of DICI) came to picture, then Sumifru... and the rest they say is history.

Three Banana Companies, a husband and 2 kids later, here I am still an employee. I wouldn't have it any other way. Looking back I could say that if I did have regrets there'd be very few of them. Right now I am grateful where I am. Compensation-wise I am way far from what I used to earn before. Not really that big but just enough. At work, there may be so many things to criticize about but my mother always reminds me that I am way luckier than thousands of others who are jobless. I may be complaining about a lot of things like having to wake up early everyday, coming home really tired from work, having to deal with people of different walks of life, injustices at work... but at the end of the day, I will be always thankful for this job.

Thank you Lord for the 10 wonderful years at work!

Bedtime Stories

2008-12-29T13:24:00.000+08:00

Tonight is my second night in Lupon, my hometown. I was not born here but this is where I spent the first 5 years of my life. Although I am not very familiar with everybody here, having to leave this place at a very early age, I just felt that somehow I owe it to my kids that they experience what I have felt like as a child back then in this simple old town. Everytime I visit, I can't help but get flashbacks.

Last night, I could hear from our room, my Dad telling stories to my two kids. I love how they laughed and giggled just listening to him. I could remember back then how he used to tell us stories, too. How he would awaken our imagination. How he would teach us songs, rhymes, riddles and games. Although hubby loves to play with the kids, I could not hide the fact that my Dad was really the best Dad to play with. He was so patient with us and so much fun and creative, too. He never fails to amaze us.

While I was trying to get Ethan to take his bath after playing outside the whole afternoon, I had to drag him and convince him that after the bath Dada (my dad) will tell them stories again tonight, then he complained "But he only knows one story!" My mom and I were laughing our heads off. Very true... when i came to think of it the only story I actually remember my Dad tell is "Jack and the Beanstalk"... but a different ending everytime!

But nevertheless, I love "Jack and the Beanstalk"... brings back good ol' memories of my childhood days. I'm sure my siblings Mae and Gino would completely agree.

Thanks Dad for bedtime stories... I mean Jack and the beanstalk stories!

My Busy December Schedule

2008-12-11T06:41:00.000+08:00

A very busy Christmas season indeed!

Dec. 3 - Pia's Shower Party at World Palace

Dec. 5- Sumifru Christmas Party at DavCon

Dec. 6 - Ryan And Pia's Wedding at Eden

Dec. 10- Marco Polo's Bookers Night at The Deck, MPolo

Dec. 11- Longlong and Agot's Wedding, Orange Grove

Dec. 13 - Carla's Birthday Party at Deca Homes

Dec. 14- Ligid Island with Yvette and friends

Dec. 15-17 - Kids' Third Grading Exam

Dec. 18- Kids' Class Christmas Party

Dec. 19 - VHT Christmas Party (Kris Kringle)

Dec. 20- 24 - Christmas Preparation (buying and giving of xmas presents for inaanaks, friends and family)

Dec. 25- Christmas Day

Dec. 26- Sharon and Jip's 5th Wedding Anniversary

Dec. 25- Jan. 2- Long Holiday Yehey!!!

Softly

2008-11-21T16:51:00.000+08:00

softly, as the morning sun
comes through my window pane
thoughts come to me
memories of you fill my mind and i smile
so gently and my world transforms
into a merry carousel
turning me around
bringing me back to a place where i found
you there, time could have stood still and then
we’d spend all our moments to share
the dreams that we’ve known sometime, somewhere
and as, we go through the days
remembering the love we made
i know that you’ll stay
bringing me more than that mere words can say
i know, that time can stand still and then
we spend all our moments to share
the dreams that we know sometime, somewhere

Just kinda stumbled into this song while listening to the radio on my way home today. The senti side of me comes to life again. I really love Apo Hiking music (my other favorites: Anna and When I met you). No wonder they lasted 30 years together (and still counting...) their songs are amazingly timeless.

Halloween and HSM Fever

2008-11-01T15:16:00.000+08:00

Due to the upcoming big event of our company "Banana Congress" which will be held next week, I ve been soooo busy the whole week. So busy during the halloween season that I didn't have time to:

1) go trick or treatin' with my kids so I asked my mom to take them to SM and my sister to dress them up with an old costume they have in the closet. They went as twin spanish dancers. Too bad, i forgot a tiny detail--- i forgot to ask my mom to take pictures (huhuhu). Anyway, what's important is that they had fun.

2) go to the cemetery to visit my departed loved ones especially my maternal grandfather, my aunt and my paternal grandparents as we would every year.

3) log in regularly to my 3 favorite sites : multiply, facebook and friendster.

Just to make up for lost time with my kids (we had been going home past 7 for three consecutive nights already), hubby and i took them to watch "High School Musical 3"

Disney never fails to amaze me. For the 3rd time, HSM creators had me stomping my feet and singing along to songs that i even heard for the first time. As early as the opening of the movie, I had goosebumps all over. I was truly impressed from start to finish. My whole family is really a big fan even from HSM1. You'll be surprised but hubby is a much bigger fan than I am! He has a complete OST of HSM1 in his computer. My kids, they memorize all the songs ---they'd sing with feelings. Can you imagine my 2 kids singing as Sharpay and Ryan in "What I've been looking for" ---really funny! As for me, I'm actually wishing that I could learn all the dance steps especially those from "We're all in this together". Now, I want to learn the steps in "A night to remember". The choreography of all the dance numbers is really superb --- and I'm talking about HSM 1, 2 and 3.

It's very rare for me to love sequels of movies but this time, I think it gets better after every sequel. For HSM3, I got to appreciate it the most because of the wide screen effect. But generally speaking, I love all HSMs equally.

Disney, you did it again. Indeed a movie to remember!

Doctor Mom

2008-09-05T09:26:00.000+08:00

Just this week my kids got sick due to Upper Respiratory Tract infection. They were absent from school for 3 days. It is probably the worst cough Cheska got ---she was literally barking like a dog every 3 minutes even when sleeping (we've had 2 sleepless nights) and just listening to her makes me pray that I am going through her ordeal instead of the poor little girl. Ethan on the other hand had on and off fever, even reached the highest at 40 degrees. This is the worst part of being a mother, seeing your children suffer in sickness.

Through the years I've had with my kids, I thought that I've seen it all but as time comes I realize that I'm still in for more. For Ethan, we've been in and out the ER many times due to: infected wound (his swollen toe turned violet and he was crying all night), allergy to meds (the price for not consulting a doctor before giving meds), greenpeas got stuck in his nose, pellet stuck in his ear and the latest was abdominal pain. For Cheska she was only hospitalized once due to asthma when she was 3 months old but later on she was also diagnosed with primary complex and pneumonia. The doctor said she has weak lungs but when she turns 7 her lungs may grow stronger and more resistant to diseases. True enough this year, this is her first cough illness. I do hope things will get better after this episode.

Few tips to new mothers and soon-to-be's. Always keep on handy:

1. paracetamol- tempra forte for fever 37.8- 38.9 and opigesic (suppository paracetamol) for fever over 39 degrees -- super effective.

2. neozep/ disudrin (for colds/ stuffy nose)

3. Kool fever (gel badge you put on the child's forehead to reduce fever)

4. Vicks (has a relieving effect especially when they have colds, i use it when i massage their back, front, neck part, hands and foot)

5. Thermometer

6. Betadine and band-aids

7. celestamine (for allergies, also works for coughs)

8. Sinecod Anti-tussive ( Dr. Deedee emphasized that this is to stop cough but not to treat cough) --- i only give this at night time so the child could sleep undisturbed

9. Mefenamic Acid (pain reliever)

10. Off-lotion

If you have kids, it's really important to keep a medicine cabinet or a first-aid kit. I always make sure to stock meds because I really hate rushing to the pharmacy especially during night time emergencies. I've always wanted to master the art of motherhood --- to shield my kids from any kind of sickness and accidents, though it really is hard especially being a working mom and all. So the best I could do is always be prepared for the worst. Even if it means budgetting a little more on meds. After all, it always pays to be ready and you can never gamble on your kids' health.

College Days

2008-07-17T17:56:00.000+08:00

College days seem like just yesterday. But it's actually ages since then, a decade ago to be exact since my College graduation.

This was the world as I knew it back in college, first year college that is...

Jeepney fare - P1.50 ; Taxi or i mean PU fare from downtown to our house in Matina- P10.00

Gadgets and Gizmos: No cellphones, digicams, Ipod, PSP, mp3 etc. I had my first cellphone during internship, it was a motorola teletac (u could actually kill by hitting it on someone's head). O yes we had cameras, but we had to wait a fews days before we could see our pictures --- papadevelop pa sa kodak center ang film--- magasto!

Computer class : We were studying wordstar and lotus 123 and our printers were epson dot matrix. I couldn't even hold a mouse right. Still used floppy disks. I think microsoft windows was just introduced when i was in 2nd year college.

Fashion : Giordano classics shirt/ poloshirt, super low waist straight cut jeans na folded paired with blousy shirt and sneakers na walang socks, cole haan shoes, doc martens, benetton pants...

Gimik Nights: Spams, Acropolis, Rock concerts, Colasa's, Tequila drinking sessions (di pa uso ang coffee shops, internet cafes and bars) --- THE ULTIMATE GIMIK ERA of my life... kaya ngayon super graduate na ako jan (thank goodness!)

Music: Side A, The Dawn, Eraserheads, Yano, The Youth (kumanta ng multong bakla -- the national anthem of pinoy rockers) , Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundtrack of the movie "Singles"

Hang-outs: Victoria Plaza was the only mall and VP cinemas were still clean. Tower of Pizza, Orange Brutus, Papa's Pizza, TAPS, Mercorner.

Shopping Capitals: A&M, ATU Plaza, C. Pablos, Sassy Boutique

Davao City back then: No floods, classes were never canceled due to heavy rains, minimal traffic ... oh i miss the old Davao.

(Hard) Facts of (My) Life

2008-07-11T17:55:00.000+08:00

Hubby said "Don't cry over spilled milk" and I added : "but dont forget to clean up the mess!" (after he had a small car accident last Monday which actually left us "car-less" for God knows until when)

* * *

My favorite nights of the week: Friday and Saturday!!! Gimik nights? Nah! --- MY PRECIOUS REST NIGHTS. I feel like bugs bunny when he was screaming "no more classes, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks!" --- I actually feel like I'm back in school nowadays... have to study with my kids everynight --- and it is really a huge struggle ...especially for someone who hates studying and has somehow cheated her way through college (hope my children won't read this in the future!).

* * *

1980's (Our generation): We were left by ourselves to prepare for school (taking a bath, wearing our uniform, preparing our things, eating bfast, riding our carpool), we were left by ourselves to study, we didnt have techie stuff, we never had sundays at the mall, we only get toys during special occasions. Yet we were obliged to be present at school everyday, we passed our subjects with flying colors, we were fine independent kids.

2008 (Our kids' generation): They had to be given baths in the morning, their uniforms had to be donned on them, fed during breakfast, all their school things are prepared for them in the evening, they had to be accompanied by yaya during lunchbreak and dismissal. They had to be supervised during study hours, they were given the luxury of being able to play the computer and other cool gadgets, every sunday is mall day for them and toys were like a necessity than a luxury. Yet they refuse to go to school at times, they have low grades, they even talk back sometimes. It makes me wanna sing " Nang isilang ka sa mundong ito..." Am I just loving them too much or not disciplining them enough?

* * *

Not so good years: 1988, 1993, 1997, 2003 and 2008. I do hope and pray that things would get better this second half of the year...

* * *

They say that when you hit rock bottom, there's no other way to go but UP! I do hope that this is rock bottom, and that... i am indeed on my way up!

* * *

I do miss blogging so much. Aside from being busy at work, found myself at my lowest recently. As much as possible I'd like to blog about happy things. But I guess life is just really a long rollercoaster ride. We can never be happy all the time. But just like I always tell my friends during depressing times: "The sun always shines after the storm"

First Day of Classes

2008-06-13T17:02:00.000+08:00

Anecdotes during the kids' first days of school:

On Cheska: It was lunchtime. I arrived the school just in time at 11:45. Cheska was already sitting by the waiting lounge. I saw that the blue house (the eating area) was already packed with kids eating their lunches. Oh No! Where will Cheska have her lunch? Since Cheska already brought all of her things with her I told her that we should bring it back to her classroom. She may have thought that she's only half-day, I guess she's still used to pre-school sked. When we came to her classroom, I saw that one mother was feeding her kid inside the room. I knew that it was not allowed but it's first day of classes so I think it was just excusable. So I started setting the lunch box on Cheska's desk and fed her. There was this little girl who sat just at the back. I was really amazed because she was eating all by herself. I asked her "Where's your mom? Are you gonna eat all by yourself?" and she replied that her mom could not come during lunchbreak. After awhile she asked me, "Why are you feeding her, can't she eat by herself yet?" She had this look of disbelief written on her face. I was actually embarrassed so I just told her "She can eat by herself but she could get messy and the teacher will get mad". When I thought of it, I really admired her parents for training her to be independent. But I just couldn't bear to think of my little girl being left all by herself during her adjustment period especially since she's now in a new school. But then again, I also knew that just like a mother bird to her offsprings, I must learn to let my kids spread their wings and fly. I'm just soooo not ready yet right now.

On Koojee:This is the funny part. Koojee's sked is: feed him at 10:30 (brunch), give him a bath at 11, leave for school at 11:40. His class starts at 1pm but I have to bring lunch to Cheska so we have to be at school early. He was already inside his classroom at 12:30. He must've gotten hungry already because before the bell rang, he was already asking for food. So I opened his baon and gave him one cookie. Another kid saw this so he announced to other kids "Hey, it's lunchtime!" and all of them opened their bags to eat their baons. I was like "No no no... it's not recess yet... only him, only him!" ... I'm not sure if they listened to me but anyway I just left the room in a hurry and just told myself "Uh-oh! Blooper!"

During the 4 days I was on leave to take care of my kids and help them get through their first week of classes, I was very exhausted. I had low back pain, my feet hurt, I was so stressed out. I actually had 2 consecutive sessions of massage to relieve myself. I was so tired but my body was always on the go. Even if I took naps when the kids were at school, I still could not fully relax. This is probably the most tiring week of the year. But even if I go on whining and complaining, I could never hide the fact that I am so fulfilled. I even told some friends that: at work I get stressed out for other people ... but as a full-time mom, I get stressed out for my family and that is actually the best kind of stress in the world.

While the Kids were Away

2008-06-09T11:59:00.000+08:00

My mom took the kids to Lupon for their last vacation before school starts. They stayed there for 4 days and 3 nights.

So while the kids were away, the parents took a night out.

Went to the movies. Watched "What Happens in Vegas". I really enjoyed the movie.

Wanted to have coffee at Kangaroo to check out the new place but it was very crowded.

So ended up in Yellow Hauz... an equally good coffee shop.

Yello Hauz is very cozy and homey.

Hubby ordered brewed coffee and blueberry cheesecake

I had Latte On the Rocks (monotonous!) and Brownies. Guess what? I finally found a latte that would top off Blugre's. Totally loved it!

This is really fun! It's been a while since we last went out, just the two of us...

...but I really miss the kids.

Cheska's Gift for my 32nd Birthday

2008-06-09T10:41:00.000+08:00

The story behind the gift first...

June 9, the day before my big day, Cheska was busy looking for paper and pencil. All I thought was that she was just going to sketch since she really loves to draw a lot. While Hubby and I were eating breakfast, she kept on asking us what's the letter for this sound and that sound. As I've mentioned before, she's not very good with spelling yet. I did not have an inkling on what she was cooking up.

When I finished taking a bath and rummaged through my closet, I noticed a folded paper under one of my shirts. As I was unfolding it, a feeling of excitement crept through me. My daughter made a birthday card for me! The first ever! I think she meant for me to find it on my birthday. On the outer portion, I could not read the words she wrote. But inside it goes: " i Lav Yu Mama". I was so touched! Then she made a calendar below the words and she encircled "10" which I guess stands for my birthdate, "18" which is for her birthdate and "21" which is Koojee's. Sorry Hubby I guess she doesn't know your number yet.

The best birthday present I got this year! Thanks Cheska, you made my heart soar in such a special way.

Ironies in Life

2008-06-04T11:30:00.000+08:00

1. A closet full of clothes and yet " I dont have anything to wear!"

2. Searching in vain for something and it just shows up when you least expect it to.

3. It rains when you have planned out a beach outing or an outdoor party.

4. No taxi when you're rushing off to some place.

5. Bad internet connection when you're so eager to POST!

Wanted Nanny

2008-05-23T12:40:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, my kids' Yaya went home to her province for a supposedly short vacation. We had a prior agreement that she will be attending sunday school starting on June so she has to get her report card and birth certificate from her hometown. My Lola had been warning us already that Yaya will not come back anymore because she has other plans. Silly me, I believed my Yaya more than I did my own Granny. So I waited in vain for her to come back. She was scheduled to go to my mom's place at Lupon Thursday so she will ride with my mom back to Davao on Friday. No signs of her until late afternoon of Thursday so it finally sank in that she's no longer coming back.

You could just imagine how my nanny-less week was like:

Monday - was late for work, brought the kids to my in-laws, went to the bank, went to Cheska's school for enrolment then went to work. Went back to inlaws at 6 to pick up kids. Tutorial session in the evening.

Tuesday - drove kids to my inlaws again---this time it was a struggle because Koojee refuses to be left there (he had to be dragged down from the car by his lolo, uncle and dad) can you imagine how stressed out I already was at 8AM. In the evening we picked the kids after work. Koojee is his happy self again. Tutorial session in the evening.

Wednesday- decided that I cannot go through the stressful morning I had on Tuesday, I filed a personal leave just so I could take care of the kids myself. Activities: Brunch at McDo with kids, went back home to do some chores, went to Gmall and ate at Greenwich with kids, went back home. Tutorials.

Thursday - Sis agreed to babysit for me since she was off-duty. Thank heavens i was able to go back to work. She almost went berserk because she thought she lost the kids, they were at their yaya's room the whole the time. The kids definitely drove her crazy the whole day. How relieved she was when we finally got home in the evening.

Friday - No sign of yaya the day before so only Mom and Dad went back to Davao. They did the babysitting the whole day. In the evening, I helped Mom do the laundry (using my good ol washing machine of course). You could just imagine the mountain of clothes we washed. Was so tired I fell right asleep even if I havent finished hanging the clothes yet. But Mom was kind enough to finish the work for me... thanks mumsy!

So this is how life is like in the States! I dont think I could last another week like this. So help me God find a new Yaya...