Amphitrite's Magickal Muse

Day 1 again

2012-01-26T01:09:00.007+08:00

Russell woke me up in the middle of the night. He rarely does this so I got a bit concerned. I asked him if he is hungry, he said no. I asked him is he had a bad dream, he said no. I offered him a glass of milk and he drank it in two gulps. Now, I can't seem to get back to sleep.

Oh well, might as well blog...

AF showed up yesterday. A really big bummer for me. Actually I've been expecting to see AF since tuesday after my doctor's appointment. I didn't get a chance to see my regular OB because she is currently in the operating room so I was endorsed to another OB. He did a pregnancy test using urine and it was negative. Then he sent me for a TVS, a bit painful because my uterus are retroverted. They found nothing inside me so a definite negative. I was bummed out that I needed to blast the car with music so that I won't think about it while driving.

Hubby said that I should not worry so much. We also found out that the gestational sac can only be seen around 7 weeks. I was just 11 days delayed so they will really find nothing. Which made me think that I might have made a mistake going to the doctor on tuesday. I also wondered if I didn't go to the TVS and they didn't probe me, then the cell might have implanted.

Sigh, I can't go on like this. I must stop on the what ifs and just focus on what I need to do right now. I need to stay positive and deal with the stress as much as possible. I'll go to my regular OB on tuesday to discuss with her what happened and ask her to help me prevent it from happening again.

The good part will be that hubby and I will start Bding so much again, lolz! Now I have to plan for our valentine's date. Suggestions anyone?

Blessed be.

I'm late

2012-01-23T14:54:00.003+08:00

I'm 10 days late.
I'm always warm, almost hot sometimes.
I don't feel any nausea or sore boobs.
I'm always sleepy.
I'm always irritable.
I'm not craving anything else except citrus fruits.
I tested when I was 4 days late and it was BFN.
I don't want to test and see a BFN again.
Hopefully I'll go to my OB tomorrow and finally have the correct answer.

Blessed be.

whoa wednesday

2012-01-18T09:01:00.005+08:00

Ok so it's wednesday. AF is 5 days late. My temp is 38.5 this morning and I was like "whoa! do I have a fever?!". I haven't test again because I can't find an early detection HPT here. I got a couple of BFN on monday and I got so frustrated that's why I still didn't test.

Last night, I opened the Monopoly board game that I bought for DS Russell. He was so excited to play with me because he was bugging me for the board game since Christmas of 2011. He finally got his wish and we played one round.

At first I was winning, I bought more properties than him. Then my winning streak was broken by the income tax space, darn the tax! Russell started earning money through the community chest and chance cards, he even bought hotels!

The lowest moment of my first monopoly game with my son was when I have less than a thousand bills and I landed on one of his hotels. I have no money to pay and even if I sell all my properties to the bank it is won't be enough. I finally threw up my hands and shouted "Okay you win! I don't have money left!" Lols

He was so happy that he won. He even asked his dad this morning to play with us tonight.

What games do you play with your kids?

Blessed be.

No dinner tonight!

2012-01-16T03:12:00.003+08:00

I got really disappointed and upset on my son tonight.

My son is studying in the room for an exam on monday. He knows that he needs to study because he wants to get high grades. Then in the afternoon I cooked popcorn for him as his snack. I mixed melted butter and cheese because that's the way he liked it. He went downstairs when he smelled the popcorn and I gave him a bowl to fill with popcorn. He then went to sit on the couch with his dad and watched tv. I let him watch tv for 10-minutes and asked him to go back upstairs because he needs to continue studying as he is not yet done reading according to him.

I went upstairs to find the whole bowl of popcorn in the trash. I asked him politely why he threw the popcorn. He said that he got angry because I won't let him watch the movie downstairs. I told him that he needs to study for his exam. Then I told him that because he wasted the popcorn, he will not get dinner at all. He cried and I left.

He kept waking up around 12midnight. I knew that he woke up because he's really hungry. I asked him what's wrong and he just hugged me then apologized. I gave him a bowl of cereal which he finished eating in 5-minutes and he went back to sleep.

MIL said that I'm way too strict. I told her that my son will not learn the importance of food and that we should not waste it if I keep on tolerating his actions of throwing food when he is angry.

How will you handle the situation with your child?

Blessed be.

Earn Money by participating in discussions

2012-01-13T03:06:00.002+08:00

myLot User Profile

I've been a member in myLot since my Russell was born. I've been paid numerous times through E-gold.

Blessed be.

Movie: My Househusband

2012-01-09T12:20:00.008+08:00

I watched this movie because my best friend requested it. This post is written not by a film critic but a simple movie goer.

Spoiler Alert!

The movie is about Rod and Mia, a married couple with two big kids. Rod is a bank manager while Mia sells life insurance part-time and stays at home with the kids. They live in a house located in some posh village, own two cars and has a stay-in maid. Sounds good huh? They were okay until the bank where Rod works was bought by another bank and he decided to resign leaving Mia to work for a living.

What I liked about it

It successfully portrayed machismo and pride among filipino men who feels embarrassed when their wives earn bigger than them. As Rod wouldn't want to accept any job than will give him less salary than his former one, I mean money is better than having zero right?

Lack of communication between husband and wife was also present the entire movie. Rod doesn't talk too much when he was the one working and Mia became the same quiet workaholic when she's the one bringing home the bacon. There are plenty of married couples who went their separate ways because they couldn't understand each other or like I said, lack of communication. So I guess, they got this part right too.

What I didn't like about it

The one thing that I couldn't shake off is the way Mia's family reacted when Rod finally decided to apply for a job in Canada. Here in the Philippines it is already hard to obtain a job, much more if you are a manager and above. Trying the luck to get a managerial job in countries abroad is a fairly sensible choice over staying at home being bitter. In reality, filipino families would be excited if one member of the family is planning to work abroad and eventually bring the whole family after a year or so. The movie showed it otherwise, the parents and siblings of Mia was so against Rod's decision to go to Canada, the reaction is so far fetched from where I came from.

To conclude...

I think the movie survived because of the extremely funny supporting role of Aida. I found myself impatiently waiting for her every time the focus goes back to the lead actors. In my honest opinion, if the actress Eugene Domingo was not in the movie at all, then the movie will be a total drag.

Watch the movie if you are a Judy Ann Santos, Ryan Agoncillo or Eugene Domingo fan. Watch it to support the Filipino film industry. Watch it, but don't expect much from it.

What do you think about the movie?

Blessed be.

5 words that babies use

2012-01-06T00:17:00.005+08:00

I saw this video about the five words that babies use. It was so cool that I know I have to share it with moms out there. I wished that I saw this video 7 years ago when I was almost close to tears because my Russell won't stop crying due to gas even though I just burped him. This video is very helpful especially for first-time-moms and moms who will have another one on the way after so many years.

See it on You Tube

Baby dust to all you are TTC and I hope this video will help us all.

Blessed be.

Old fashioned or Scientific

2012-01-04T04:09:00.013+08:00

On Babycenter.com there is a message board topic Anyone trying the old fashioned way? without OPK etc... wherein one member is asking if there are women who are TTC but doesn't use OPKs and Temping. Here is my reply...

I just count the days of my menstruation cyle. DS was a huge surprise for us, DH and I were not expecting him to arrive so early in our lives but now DS is already 7.

I think there are times that women should really know what is hapening inside their own bodies, especially when the clock is already ticking faster. I mean, I'm 27 so I hope that I don't any problem conceiving our second child but I have a friend who is just 1 year older and she has PCOS, now that made me concerned.

My OB knows that DH and I are TTC, she did an TVS and found nothing wrong with me internally. She recommended that we try naturally just count my cycle and without the OPKs and Temping. If nothing worked in a couple of months then we'll might run some tests.

Russell came a surprise for hubby and I seven years ago. Now that we are thinking of trying to conceive (TTC) # 2, I began researching online for articles that can give me explanations on how a baby is conceived. Oh we all know how babies come about but do we know what happens in a scientific manner? I found a few websites that helps women understand their own bodies in order to give them a fair advantage on when is the most appropriate time to conceive a baby.

I'm a member of Babycenter.com. It is a great website for parents and parents-to-be to interact and exchange tips with each other. It was my best friend when I was pregnant with my Russell and I'm running to my best friend again now that we want to have baby #2. Although sometimes all this Getting Pregnant discussions about Ovulation Prediction Kits (OPK) and Body Temperature (Temping) overwhelms me because I'm not doing those things. It sounded like a lot of work for me, and when something sounds like a lot of work for me I get stressed out and when I get stressed out I may not be relaxed at all to conceive.

Anyone else TTC here?

Blessed be.

Lazy Monday

2012-01-03T00:16:00.006+08:00

I know it was the first monday of the year but I felt so lazy and I don't know why. I have a long list of errands to finish but I haven't done half of it.

Let's see what's on my list so far:

Deposit to savings account
Pay credit card bills
Clean the car
Take puppy to groomers
Prepare my son's things for school (holidays are over)
Donate pre-loved clothes
hmm what else??

Oh well, I have to wake up early tomorrow so that I could start early.

Blessed be.

Kid's Body Mass Index

2011-12-27T00:11:00.012+08:00

I have been always concerned with my Russell's weight. He's always been slim since he started walking. Three years ago he was underweight due to the medication for the primary complex he unfortunately got from heaven knows where.

Kids Health.org calculates a child's Body Mass Index accurately because the child's age is taken into consideration. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Russell's weight within the healthy range. So even though he doesn't look like the kids on the vitamins commercials (in Filipino term siksik) , I can put my worry into rest. Now, I just need to make sure that he maintains a healthy diet and exercise then everything will be alright.

BMI Calculator @ Kids Health.org

Body mass index: A key index for relating a person's body weight to their height. The body mass index (BMI) is a person's weight in kilograms (kg) divided by their height in meters (m) squared. (www.medterms.com)

Have you checked your child's BMI today?

Blessed Be.

Super Early Monday Post

2011-12-05T02:15:00.004+08:00

Yesterday when I was out with my friends I remembered that I have an account at Babycenter. I was so amused that my login there still worked after I haven't been able to visit the site for a yew years.

Russell celebrated his 7th birthday last Nov.27 and I only got to rest for a bit then it's back to the hectic daily schedule. It is actually 2am here in the Philippines but I'm still awake because I dozed off around 4pm and now my eyes just won't shut! lols. Anyways, DS is already excited for our trip to Hongkong Disneyland this weekend, oh I hope it won't rain there because it's been raining all day here.

Tomorrow oh I mean in a few hours I have lots of errands to do, bills to pay, deposits to the bank and of course the never-ending homeworks. Is it me or does it make every mommy feel like they are back in elementary once more? lols! When I graduated from college, I was like "Oh goodness! I'm glad school is done!" but now I'm back in school, worse, I'm back in 1st grade!

Oh well, I'll have to review my "TO DO" list (again!) to make sure I did not forget anything. I sometimes feel like a moronic robot because I keep on forgetting stuff.

Have a safe day to everyone!

Blessed be.

7th Birthday Party

2011-12-03T01:41:00.016+08:00

This is the conclusion of my entry Planning a 7th birthday party.

Our Russell turned 7 on Nov.27 and he already had two celebrations. The first was a party held with his classmates at OB Montessori. The second bigger party was at Max's Restaurant.

It was actually his dad's idea to hold a party since a child becoming 7 is pretty much a big thing for everyone, so I gave in. I thought after being a wedding coordinator would lessen my stress over the party planning. It felt different when the party I was planning was for my own child. I was more excited yet more stressed.

Here's a bit of review of our party suppliers

Rainbow Catering (c/o OB Montessori professional high school)

P 6,900

The price is inclusive of snacks and drinks for 30 people, 3 games with prizes, hosting ang mascot. The high school teens of OBMCI were very gracious and effective in handling kiddie party with 30 screaming hyperactive kids.

Max's Restaurant

P36,685

The staff at Orosa branch are very attentive and helpful until after the party. I only reserved the venue 17 days before the party and we had no problems. I paid more than 50% as deposit and paid in full two days before the party, the payment scheme was my choice by the way. The only comment that I could give is that they only provided 6 pieces of game prize. I was glad that I asked their staff the day I paid in full and I had a bit of time to buy additional prizes. If I remembered to ask earlier or if their staff told me I would have gone to Divisoria for more prizes. Also it would have been great if they told me that the party hats was actually an art activity for the kids, that way we might have explained it to the kids. Great service in general anyways.

Cake and Cupcakes by Diana Dominguez

Mickey Mouse cake - P250

It was a dummy cake used only for the candle blowing ceremony of the party at OBMCI.

Race Car cupcakes - P1800

The 40 pcs cupcakes were just an addition to the cake provided by Max's. Diana was a high school classmate of mine and she's very great baker. I gave her a picture of the party setup at Max and she incorporated as the cupcake topper. She delivered the cake and cupcakes for free and very on time. We gave away the cupcakes to Russell's guests and they loved it too.

Magician - Host

P4,500

Christopher is really accommodating even though I only booked him one week before the event. He even let me watch a video of his magic act so that I could show it to my son before we decide. He moved really fast when I asked him to send me a proposal so that I could deposit the reservation fee to his account. When my son requested to meet the magician in person before the party, Christopher gladly set an appointment for us to discuss the details of his hosting, balloon twisting & magic acts. He even let Russell participate in his magic acts because my son wants to let magic too. Russell had a lot of fun and thanked me for hiring Christopher the Magician for his party. I cancelled the first magician I booked named Ruel Vapor because he gave flimsy excuses about emailing the contract to me even after I deposited the reservation fee to his account.

Mediamonsters Productions

Photographer - P2,500

Drew arrived at the venue 1 hour before the party to prepare and take pics of the venue before the party started. He could really instruct a child how to pose for a picture that will really look great on print. He would take every angle possible and is very quick to move in order to get the perfect shot.

AVP Projector - P1500

He arrived with the photographer to set-up early. I only down my netbook on the table beside the projector and he set it up by himself.

70 printed pics in an album - P800

They were supposed to deliver this yesterday with the soft copies of the pictures in a dvd but it seemed that the one responsible for endorsing the deliverable forgot to mention this to the messenger. Hopefully we'll receive the album soon as everyone is excited.

Chocolate Fountain

P3,500

The supplier was referred by Max's restaurant. The fruits they brought to the party is really freshly cut and they are only cutting it minutes before the party started so that the apples will not turn brown. I paid them in full two days before the party so that I won't have to think of anything else during the party. They were done setting up when I arrived one hour before the party started.

Breakout Events

My team mates assisted on the party day with the guest list, seating arrangement, and giveaways. I made the table numbers using plastic cups filled with pebbles and styrofoam for the flag that indicated the number. On the side of the plastic cups, we taped the names of the people who were supposed to sit there. Well, the table assignment was followed by 75% because some guests who said they were coming did not arrive while some brought extra people with them. It's a good thing that we had extra seats because of those who did not arrive. My team mates arrived on time as usual, they helped me with deciding some details that came up during the party and helped me pack up our things after the party.

diy Table Numbers

diy 30pcs candy cups and 30pcs prizes from Toys R Us and 88 Japan Store

Max's 30pcs lootbags and 6pcs of prizes

Below is the computation of our the cash we spent to celebrate our son's birthday. I hoped I helped some of you who are planning a party on your own.

Russell will be have another intimate celebration with just me and his dad in Hong Kong on Dec. 9 - 11. We are all so excited for our first out of the country trip!

Have a safe day everyone!

Blessed Be.

For Vanity's Sake

2011-11-17T00:28:00.012+08:00

We all know that stretchmarks is the first the "badge of honor" of mothers and I'm very honorable (LOL) because my tummy was fully stretched 7 years ago. I tried lots of creams, lotions and oils just to improve the appearance of my skin. The marks are lighter now but are still very wrinkled and visible.

Then I saw the 75% off coupon for Carbossi Therapy on BeeEconomic and my hope to improve the skin on my tummy went alive once more. Of course I researched first on what Carbossi Therapy / Carboxytherapy is all about and how it can lessen the signs of aging, cellulites, sagging skin and stretchmarks.

According to http://www.carboxytherapy.com/

"Carboxytherapy refers to the cutaneous and subcutaneous administration of carbon dioxide gas [CO2] for therapeutic purposes."

"Studies have demonstrated that carboxytherapy improves skin elasticity, improves circulation, encourages collagen repair, improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and destroys localized fatty deposits."

"There are no known risks associated with carboxytherapy. Carbon dioxide injection."

Stretchmarks appears when the collagen in our skin are ruptured. The injection of carbon dioxide directly to the stretchmarks stimulates collagen formation thus improving the elasticity and appearance of the affected part of the skin.

My take on the treatment:

It is painful. The syringe will be injected into the stretchmark and the carbon dioxide will flow from the needle to the skin. During the first injections, I felt dizzy because of the pain but after a while I got used to the feeling.

It is also good thing that the therapist in Total Skin Care Center is talking to me non-stop during the procedure. Our conversation made me shift my focus away from the pain and into the things we talked about. The procedure took only 30 minutes. Will I go back? Yes, for my Vanity's sake.

What products for stretchmarks have you tried? Did they work?

Are you willing to try Carboxytherapy?

Blessed be,

Class Schedule

2011-11-16T23:56:00.005+08:00

Russell is a grade 1 student at OB Montessori. The class schedule is not similar to what I experienced when I was still in primary & secondary school where all subjects are squeezed into one day.

In OBMCI grade 1 students have 9 subjects, although they only study 4 subjects per day. On the first day of school, students were given a circular where they can find the Class Schedule and Uniform / Dress Code.

I tried giving Russell sole responsibility of preparing his school things the night before, but there are days that he forgets one of the notebooks he needs. I pasted the class schedule on a piece of old folder and wrapped it with plastic cover. Then I taped the class schedule on his study table, yet still the same situation. Lastly, I tried color coding the days and he finally got the hang of the changes in his schedule.

How do you help your child organize his / her things for school?

Blessed be.

Planning a 7th Birthday Party

2011-11-10T23:24:00.004+08:00

Our son Russell will turn seven on Nov. 27 and hubby requested that we throw a birthday party for him.

Here's my checklist:

I'm DONE with....

1. Guest list

2. Venue / Food - done

Nov. 25 (Friday)

- with classmates and teachers only

- Rainbow Catering by OB Montessori Sta.Ana Highschool Dept.

- theme : Mickey Mouse

Nov. 27 (Sunday)

- with relatives and friends

- Max's Restaurant

- theme : Speed Racer

3. Digital Invitation

- I opted for this one so that I can announce the Date & Venue as soon as I paid the deposit.

- sent the invites via facebook and email, will text everyone tomorrow

Will need to follow up on...

4. Cake for Nov.25

5. Magician for Nov.27

6. Photographer for Nov. 27

7. Outfit for Nov. 27

sample digital invitation

sample confirmation

I guess that's it.

Blessed be.

)O(

Right in the Middle

2011-11-06T15:06:00.009+08:00

"Beginnings are scary. Endings are usually sad, but it’s the middle that counts the most."

Goodbyes are never easy as everyone else says so, now I've proven the truth of it. I usually try not to get attached to anyone so that it will not be hard for me to say goodbye because for me people always leave. I built my own sanctuary behind a thick impenetrable password protected wall to keep my emotions safe from everyone. Only a few people managed to obtain a password and get a glimpse of the me behind the wall I purposely built to protect myself.

The wall becomes thicker and stronger when I'm in the workplace. It helped me stay professional and maintain a stable mind even when things go wrong at work. It helped me perform continuously even after being slammed to the ground by an angry client. I routinely check the wall just to be sure that I'm still safe behind it. I do not want anyone to see my weakness, especially my tear-brimmed eyes when my weakness been struck.

I usually let people in one at a time but the people who gave me this gift managed to penetrate my wall with such ease without me knowing that they already got a good glimpse of me behind the wall. I am an emotional person but I usually control my emotion when I'm in front of other people, much more when I'm in the workplace. People sometimes call me two-faced or bi-polar or fake because I can still manage to function, even smile at the most hated person when I need to.

Yesterday was my last day at work. It was a very hard decision for me to leave because I love my work so much. Still, priorities should be set and followed without question. I had a feeling that they are making a going-away gift when I saw the wrapper on one of the tables of my co-worker and the scotch tape with cute design was borrowed by the same co-worker from my teammate. I invited them to a going-away party and we were set to head out to Laguna for an overnight swim bonding. And I thought they will present the give during our time in Laguna, I was so damn wrong!

When 5pm struck in our quaint office, they called to where all the action happens in our office and presented me the gift they painstakingly crafted for me. All walls came crashing down and tears fell like waterfalls down my cheeks. To my surprise everyone else were either tearing up or almost close to tears. I swear all my pictures holding the gift will show a red-eyed swollen person that looks far from me.

I will never forget the guys and girls whom made my 8-month stay with the company enjoyable and worth remembering. You know who you are.

Blessed be.

)O(

Movie Night: Real Steel

2011-11-01T13:22:00.003+08:00

photo taken from IMDB.com

It was the first movie that Russell and I watched together minus Daddy Ronald. Russell was so well-behaved and cooperative during his Boy Scout investiture that I felt bad when I cannot take him to the zoo due to the rain. So he chose to watch this instead.

Spoiler alert!

What I liked about the movie

Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) was a washed-up boxer who seemed to gave up on his dream and is on the road to self-destruction. He always lets his robot boxer fight half-assed and ends up losing the match. I liked that he managed to change when he realized that he really love his son. He decided to makes things right by letting his guard down and opening his heart to Max.

Max Kenton (Dakota Goyo) is the 11-year-old son of Charlie. He thinks fast and is very determined to get his way. He dug up the robot all by himself. When he decided to make Charlie get Atom the robot a fight, he cleaned, re-programmed and trained the robot. In the end he's responsible for the Atom's biggest fight ever, they challenged Zeus the WRB champion.

I see Russell in the characters of the movie. Sometimes he is so scared that he would not try at all to get what he wants. Sometimes he would only accept a YES to his request, no matter how outrageous it could be. Russell's personality is a bit similar to Max's, he is smart, funny, hardworking, determined and super opinionated.

Why you should watch it

If you want to see a movie about a person who achieves his dream after falling flat on his face, or if you want to witness a great father-and-son bonding, then you should definitely watch this one.

Until next movie night..

Blessed Be.

)O(

Typing Speed Test

2011-10-08T15:37:00.004+08:00

Ever since I considered being a WAHM (Work-At-Home-Mom) I've been researching on legit online work that can help me earn income while my son is busy in school. Most sites I could find require certain skills like programming, website design, technical / creative writing and since I have yet to learn other skills I decided to practice my encoding skill.

Here's my speed so far, a bit slow I know..

55 words

free online typing test

I need more practice, so bye for now.

Blessed be,
)O(

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

2011-10-07T19:05:00.003+08:00

Transcript of Steve Jobs' Commencement Address

Steve Jobs was one of the greatest innovators the word ever knew. Apple products are sought after every techie person, even my 6-year-old son wants to have an Ipad. His death might take a toll on the company or might be the chance for others who are like him that follows their heart.

Upon watching the video, I remembered that I also had my own share of life's bitter medicine and it made me a better person.

I was born in a conservative family where the free spirit will be harnessed and will be made to conform with everyone else. The way my mind works is very unorthodox for my family and this often got me into trouble. I desperately took a course that I don't really like just to impress all of them. I tried my very best to please them but I wound up hurt and depressed because I still can't provide what they expect from me.

Eventually I broke free from the chains and decided to create my own path. A year after, I got pregnant and I thought that my life is over. There I was, a college undergrad with little money and a baby on the way. My boyfriend and I tried to make things work all by ourselves.

If it have not been for my lack of good luck that I was born in the family I knew and that I could not finish the course I initially took to impress them, then I would not have found my way to where I am now.

My baby's father, now my husband, helped me obtain a scholarship in one of the finest college that teaches practical lessons to working students, De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde. I learned that life does not end if you don't graduate by age 21. I learned to accept the bitter past, enjoy the present and prepare for the future.

Life is too short to keep on doing things you don't like. I love taking care of my son most. And when I knew that he's different from kids his age, probably like me when I was a weird kid, I decided to choose him over my job. I love my job but I love him my son more. I might have hurt those who depend on me to keep the business rolling but my son depends in me more than anyone else. He's my greatest and most loyal customer. I am very thankful to have a husband that supports my decision.

I am done trying to please everyone else. Now I know that I have to simply follow my heart and do what I love, then everything else will fall rightly into place.

RIP Steve Jobs. Thanks so much for the wisdom.

Blessed Be.

)O(

A mom's crossroad

2011-09-30T22:57:00.005+08:00

I always wish that I could be in two places at one time.

One will be at home caring for my family while the other will be in the office earning. I love what I do in the office, being someone in the corporate world is something I yearned for a very long time. I love my family more, I love seeing the smile on their faces every night when I come home, their laughter that echoes in my ears gives me the reason to be strong everyday.

Recently I decided to leave behind something I love and focus my attention to my greatest love, to be a wife and mother that is always available for the family. I even made plans on how I can still help my husband provide for our family while staying at home (most of the time). I daydreamed on how I'll go about my day, from preparing our breakfast, taking our son to and from his school, overseeing our business operation & finances and adding another one in the family.

Then...

I heard these words, "We don't want you to leave. I don't want you to leave. We have plans to remove you from the desk and bring you outside." Now I'm confused....

Maybe a good night's sleep will help clear out the fog.

Blessed be,

)O(

Pancakes on a rainy day

2011-09-27T15:36:00.009+08:00

Typhoon Pedring might be bringing chaos the country, I could not have been more happier to have a reason to stay at home for the day. I definitely would not trade my safety for a day's salary, so I decided to stay at home.

I took out the pancake maker I bought a couple of weeks ago. It took me 15 minutes to make the pancakes yet it only took them 5 minutes to eat everything. Nothing could make me smile than seeing my boys fighting over who will get the biggest piece, lol!

Later I'll spend a few minutes on the elliptical machine before I go upstairs to Yoga. These two are oblivious to my presence when they are playing Mario Brothers on WII. For sure they will only remember me when their stomachs start to grumble.

What do like about rainy days?

Blessed be,

)O(

A library book

2011-09-22T18:20:00.006+08:00

I took a time off from work today because of my absolutely painful migraine which prevents me from walking straight without falling flat on my face.

Our son Russell saw my lack of balance this morning and got really concerned. I could not even reply to his questions when he got home and asked for help on his assignments. Before dozing back to sleep, I heard him say "Mommy I have a gift for you, it's a book.....".

When I woke up around 5:30pm, I saw a rather tattered Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire book beside me. I read the paper from OB Montessorri Library slipped in one of its pages and it showed that Russell borrowed the book from the library.

I was so touched by my son's gesture that I can't help but tear up. I hugged him so tight that he screamed "Mommy you're crushing me!! hahaha!".

And these are one of the moments that I always miss when I'm at work.

Blessed be,

)O(

Aug. 27 - 28 Manila-Baguio trip

2011-09-04T00:22:00.013+08:00

We've planned our trip to Baguio for a couple of weeks that is why even though typhoon Mina is unrelentingly beating the Northern part of Luzon, we decided to continue our trip.

Ronald said we could travel at night so that we can still rest at the hotel before we go around Bagiuo. We loaded our Suzuki Swift with our bags and topped up then we hit the road. After driving for a few hours I decided to pass by Luisita to buy some midnight snacks. Russell was sleeping the whole way and was very grumpy when I woke him up to go to the restroom.

The roads in Tarlac and Pangasinan are worse than the roads here in Manila. We could've cut the travel time to 5 hours if the roads are not so bumpy. It's so hard to drive over the bumps and holes using a compact car, still we went on.

At exactly 12:30 am, we entered McArthur / Ben Palispis highway aka zigzag. The rain is getting heavier and fog is starting to welcome us as we go up the steep road to Baguio. Below is a picture of a one-lane part of the zigzag.

We arrived at the Hotel Veniz around 1:30am. Check-in was a breeze and so was finding a parking space. We decided to rest for a while, take some pictures and finally get a good morning's sleep. The hotel room is very clean and well presented. We got the junior standard room with free buffet breakfast for 2.

Buffet breakfast in Veniz Grille is yummy, but since we woke at 9am the food on the buffet table was almost gone. We requested for the frech toast basket to be filled up again and after a few minutes a waitress gave us a plate full of french toast, yummy!

The rain was pounding every inch of Baguio, the only place we can go is SM Baguio. Some parts of the mall is wet because the rain is being carried by strong wind inside the mall. Still, we have to take some pictures eh? We had lunch at the mall and strolled the whole afternoon.

We decided to eat dinner at the hotel and try the Cafe Veniz. Here's what we ordered.

Liempo

Steak

Chicken

The only tourist spot we visited are Mines View and Good Sheperd convent to shop for pasalubong before going back to Manila.

We had lunch at Solibao Restaurant in Burnham Park, their Fried Chicken and Kare-kare are so yummy.

Kare-kare

Fried Chicken

Some may think that we wasted our time and money going up Baguio on such a stormy weekend but we think otherwise. We had fun going up the zigzag and experiencing the fog hitting our windshield. We screamed in delight every time the cold wind blasted our cheeks. We bonded the whole weekend and that's the most important part of our trip.

Here's a summary of our expenses.

I will always go back to Baguio with my boys. So until next time.

Blessed be.
)O(

Angry Birds!!!

2011-08-16T21:11:00.003+08:00

Since the game "Angry Birds" became popular, Russell is pressuring me to buy every single Angry Bird merchandise and more often than not, he becomes disappointed. He would kiss and hug me for as long as he can just to hear me say "Yes" when he ask "Mom, can we buy the Angry Bird pillow? It's so cute!"

One of the traits that I love about my son is that he does not throw tantrums whenever he doesn't get what he wants. He simply mumble a sad "Ok" if my answer is "No" or "Next time". There are times that he will negotiate with me, like he'll massage my back or daddy's back when we buy the toys. Still, if I choose to decline and be firm in my answer he will just say "Ok".

So what made me buy the two Angry Bird pillows? The price.... LOL... Most pillows we see are worth P300 up but these two are just P99.99 each in Toy Kingdom - SM Makati. My husband commented that the quality of the pillows are not similar to the higher priced ones but Russell does not seem to mind. He even requested his dad to take our picture with his pillows and then asked me to post the picture immediately on facebook. As soon as our food arrived, Russell made his birds sit on the couch and told us,

"It's ok if these are not expensive because,

Angry Birds will always be angry."

Blessed be.

)O(

3-day weekend

2011-06-20T14:00:00.002+08:00

I finally remembered the meaning of the word "REST". I've been stressed up to my last strand of sanity for the past few weeks due to my new responsibilities at work.

I feel like I've been neglecting my mommy duties because work takes too much of my time. I'm usually in the office before 8am and arrives home around 7pm. I only have a couple of hours everyday to attend to my son's needs. I often wished that I could be a SAHM (Stay-at-home-mom) so that I can give 24 hours to my son.

That is why I am so thankful for the 3-day weekend because I got more time to spend with my son. We went to the mall to buy groceries, something we haven't done in a while because his dad and I were always in a hurry. We spent the whole sunday doing his assignment and talking about his friends in school. I love the way my son's eyes twinkle whenever I ask him about his day in school, or his taekwondo class. It gives him the impression that I am really interested in what he is doing and it makes him look forward to his next class so that he can tell me more stories.

We planned to wash the car and give the dogs a bath this weekend but because it was raining non-stop we are trapped indoors. I asked him to tell me about the game he's playing on facebook and he excitedly taught me how to play. It's like my world turned upside down because mommy is the one learning from her son.

I wish there will be more long weekends this year so that I can have more time for my son.

Blessed be.

)O(