We are Family!

The one with today is the day

2012-01-31T18:14:00.000-08:00

We will know if simone has been exposed to primary complex. The first time i heard it from my pedia as one of the three possibilities of simone's condition, I felt really sad...and a failure again as a mom. But you know, these are really some of the things that are inevitable. You just can't seem to track any known bacteria or virus there is and avoid your child to be in any place near it or any person for this matter. So when we had the tuberculosine test last monday (did i spell it right?), it was horrible seeing my child cry until she loses her breath because of the pain it brought. I know the test was more like a skin allergy test and i hated that test. I vividly remember hating it more than my epidural injection when i was gave birth to Simone, so i can understand if the pain was too much for her. After the test, we headed to the mall, treated her to an unlimited playtime and Tom's world fun and we ate 'til we got our tummies full. We also went to her cousin's just so she'd be happier. hehe. yeah, we spoiled her that day, just so she can forget the painful feeling she had with the test.

Anyway, whatever the results are, we're pretty calm and still, knowing that God is in control. And I promise to be more hands-on as I can and watch her health 24/7 (if it's even possible!) I remember reading an FB post made by my friend of how she used Skype to track her kid on the other room, more like a web conferencing solution to her problem of being at two places at the same time. So i guess I can be like that too, more like a restaurant who's open 24 hours a day...or Goodah for 25 hours a day. haha.

A healthy baby makes a happy mommy. :) love you anak. :)

The one with new househelp

2012-01-27T07:37:00.000-08:00

I'm happy we have a new househelp again. I won't expect that much so i won't get frustrated if she does'nt stay that long with us but i still hope she would. I like her. :) She's very gay. haha. She moves fast, she's not picky with food too. She likes to text but at least she doesn't own two prepaid cell phones and just one. :)

But most importantly, Simone loves her instantly and that's what matters. :) I hope i can be more organized now that i have an extra pair of hands.

The one with Bacolod getaway part 2

2012-01-13T03:16:00.001-08:00

To continue my Bacolod post, let me start again by posting some pictures.

while waiting at Bacolod airport for tita kuki and tito jason. :)

eating banana split.

nice shot of Bacolod Silay Airport

Simone has always loved travelling. She's one really good travel kid buddy and we're so blessed with that. :)

TIta kuki and Tito Jason

nature shot of danjugan island...winner!

beach front

the lakwatsera family! :)

The food in the resort were okay. They were cooked right after we ordered so we're guaranteed that everything's fresh. The prices of their food was reasonable too and that's what we enjoyed very much.

The restaurant was small. Only several tables that can accommodate no more than 30 pax but as i said in my previous post, it felt exclusive knowing that we were only 7 who were checked in at that time, so we did'nt mind.

Our sole objective of being able to relax was achieved. Our whole stay consisted of just water activities: swimming in the pool, island hopping in Danjugan island, swimming in the island, strolling along the shore and eat by the beach. Yes, this is the life! hahha.

Ayu's Spa Resort's amenities were ok too. The pool in the resort was simple but clean. They also had a jacuzzi that Simone enjoyed so much. They also have sauna which i enjoyed. The rooms are pleasant, clean, water pressure not so reliable but the bed is comfortable. All in all, their service is the one thing that made them pass with flying colors for me :)

The island, Danjugan island is a marine-reservation island (did i get that right?) Everything's within nature. They only have solar panels to get solar energy, they have kayaks which we enjoyed. "manong" gave a very well-explained background of the island but the island was not as "virgin" as it was in the pictures he showed us. I guess a lot of development and improvement had to be made, but then again, it would'nt be as preserved as it is now if things would get commercialized around.

When we went back to the resort, we took a dip again on the beach and the pool until evening. Our only rest from the water was when we had to eat. hahaha.

Simon made this one of his top trips for 2011 for the sole reason that he was able to relax and enjoy a short break from our busy life. And for that i get a pat in the back. :)

I want to plan another travel! hahaha. :)

The one with I'm back!

2012-01-13T02:27:00.000-08:00

Before i lose this blog for not being able to update it, let me greet everyone a big Merry Christmas and a Happy New year! I know, it's almost a month since Christmas and most of my neighbors have taken down their christmas lights, but what the heck, this is the only time i got hold of my blog again and i'm so excited, have lots of stories to share and pictures to upload. I hope i'd be able to blog everything :)

Watch out for more posts...Have a great year ahead!

The one with what should i get for him?

2011-12-19T05:04:00.000-08:00

Yes, unfortunately, after all the hard-thinking process of choosing and buying gifts for friends and families, i only realized today that i have'nt thought of what gift to buy for Simon. Admittedly, we kinda splurge on Christmas and birthday gifts but since he just recently purchased a keyboard, i was hoping that would be a christmas gift too (and maybe a birthday gift?? hahaha) so when the iphone 4S commercial ran on TV and we saw it, he was teasing me if i could buy that for him. waah! i don't know if i could still get him something that expensive. hahaha. Will Joop perfume or another pair of shoes do? hehe.

I'll update you soon! i gotta get something for him. :)

The one with Christmas gifts

2011-12-19T04:32:00.000-08:00

It's hard to think of gifts for families. For friends, we decided to go with a uniform gift for everybody. I hope they all like the biscuits we bought at Marks & Spencer. It has its own advantages, preparing the same gifts, at least it's easy to buy again in case you still need to purchase.

But for families, man, it's hard to think of gifts for them. Even harder to know what they really want, where to buy it and if the budget will still fit. Last time, i remember giving my mom a set of Swarovski Crystal beads which i made myself. She loved it so much, she still wears it til now. Also, i think i had a good buy when i bought our moms nice bags just last Christmas. They both loved it.

Now i have to think of gifts for my brothers, my brothers in law and two sisters in law. :) Waaah! and i thought i'm done with the shopping!

The one with Christmas program

2011-12-19T03:56:00.000-08:00

It was Simone's 1st Christmas program in school. I was a bit nervous since the first time she participated in their school activity, she was so not in the mood and the costume that her lola made was not even used. So we did'nt expect that much. But to my surprise, she participated the whole time. We're proud parents to see her just up there (the venue was at SM Cinema 2 Masinag) and she knew the actions albeit the many absences during rehearsals. hahaha.

Congratulations KILA for a job well done! Even the decors were made by the school staff themselves. They bought a lot of styro, flex tube, paints and glitters to make a nice backdrop for every change of scene in the christmas program :)

Thank you anak! We're proud of you!

More pictures to follow :)

The one with HMR

2011-12-17T21:32:00.000-08:00

I did mention in my previous post about how best buy items are in HMR. and no one can argue with that. They have way improved their items and when i went there a few days ago, I was going crazy with the items. They have everything! from refurbished computers to cake decorating items and brand new shoes. I love it! Here are my purchases:

~ honeycomb queen size, complete set - flat sheet, fitted sheet, 2 pillowcases, all 300 thread count. Price: 990.00 you can buy this at regular price of 2k up.
~ Puma red sneakers for simon size 10 1/2 at 790.00. Oh my, i can just jump for joy. and to think that i accidentally saw this near the counter because someone left it there and it's available already for sale. so happy! it fits Simon well. super nice too. :) and i really think it's genuine :)
~ Cupcake decorating set at 200.00 - i bought it for my sister in law. was supposed to buy the cupcake stand too but ran out of stock

I will surely go back to HMR soon. love it! the best!!!

The one with missing the bed

2011-12-17T21:16:00.000-08:00

I seriously miss our bed. Every year, i try will all my might to be not as busy as i was the previous year, but something and another thing will come up and i'd end up getting more that what i can bear. haha. But i'm proud to say that i'm more organized now than last year. I was able to get more corporate events this year but it was still manageable. It feels like i'm always wearing heated gloves and my adrenaline just keeps getting higher. haha.

I just miss sleeping. I recently bought sheets from HMR (which by the way is the most best buy so far) but i could'nt use it yet. I'm making a countdown of the number of days before Christmas and making a countdown of our last day of party before christmas too. hahaha.

Merry Christmas everyone! I miss you bed! Don't worry, we'll spend quality time soon. hahaha.

The one with when we get older

2011-12-17T01:56:00.000-08:00

Next week, we will be celebrating our 6th anniversary as husband and wife. And I'm amazed how time flies so fast. It still feels like it's just two years ago when we got married. A lot of things happened and changed but i can still say we're still the same couple. Although, it made me think how we will be like twenty years from now. And here are things i think we will be doing then:

~ Simon might be playing golf. He's not a basketball person so i think he can get interested with golf since when that time comes, he would need to choose a sport for himself. By then, i'm foreseeing that there would be more high tech gadgets for golf, like gps systems for golf, more sophisticated golf clubs and gears. I still don't get the hype of playing golf but i think golf will fit him well.

~ I might have another kid and hopefully if we're on target with our baby project, s/he will be seven years younger than simone. :)

~ I hope Simone has a fulfilling job that she loves or a business that she dreams of. I hope she will be with someone she prays and hopes for :)

~ I hope I still have Partyboosters by then :)

Everything that we hope when we get older, as long as it's according to God's plan, I'll continue to go with the flow...

The one with bacolod trip

2011-12-17T01:32:00.000-08:00

The short trip we had last week was fun. I felt i needed to blog about it and share the cost and share our experience.

Travel date: December 11 to 13, 2011
Manila to Bacolod via Cebupacific

Airline tickets: I was able to book the ever famous piso fare of Cebupacfic. For us three, a total of 1,200.00 (or 400.00 each person for a round trip ticket to Bacolod) if it's not a best deal, i don't know what is. hahaha. The service was okay. We went to NAIA 3 so airport was ok. Our flights were both on time, i'm so happy. My sister and brother in law got the airphil promo and both their flights were delayed for almost an hour.

Bacolod airport was ok. It was'nt big but for a provincial airport, it was nice enough. (at least the restrooms were all working) haha

Resort: Ayu Spa White Beach and Resort
ayusparesort.com
Peso power: 4,500.00 for a 3D/2N accommodation of a Deluxe Room with balcony.

Going to Ayu Spa took us almost 4 hours of travelling by land. Good thing the hotel booked us a van where we can all share with the cost. (separate rating on the van)

When we went to the resort, it was not love at first sight compared when we went to Bohol. hihi. It was 5pm already, high tide and could'nt appreciate the beach that much. I was wearing a maxi dress and all i could think of was, "i should have bround northface jackets here" because it was cold that day.I thought "so this is it?" But Bacolod is an island you will learn to love and appreciate. I love the fact that it's closer to nature. You can actually hear birds chirping or some animal making an unusual sound. You learn to appreciate the simplicity of life and how wonderful it is to feel the serenity. The reason why there are rooms in the resort that do not have TVs. of course, since we were with the kiddo, we had to have a TV. hahaha

Anyway, going back, what i love about the resort was the service. They served us midnight snacks, the waiters were so courteous. Even if there were no phones in the room, you can easily ask for anything to be served in your room since their staff would roam around the hotel every now and then. I also loved the fact that we were only 7 who were checked in at that time, so it felt like it was exclusive to us.

I'll continue with my post...sorry to cut this short

The one with instant power

2011-12-17T01:03:00.000-08:00

Don't judge me with what i'm about to blog...hahaha.

Just want to share an interesting experience and realization I had recently. A couple of months back i bought a designer bag, well if you're one of the few who follow this blog, im sure you know what i'm talking about. It took me a whole year to decide on it and one of the reasons of starting to own one is because it gives a certain "leverage" to my type of clients. And it turned out, it somehow did.

Just the other day, i met up with a client. They're actually the parents of my client, my overseas client who found about me in the internet. So picture this, the parents are oldies and not as techie too, so when it comes to dealing with suppliers, they expected the traditional "contract signing" etc where in fact, i've been corresponding with their daughter for months already and confirmed a lot of things about the party. So anyway, they met up with me to give a partial payment in person. I had the impression they did'nt want to give it at first, thinking that i may be just a bogus. I was a bit (slight lang naman) offended and when they asked for the contract, i went to the car, got my "bag", ipad and the contract. I don't know why i had to bring everything, but it was an impulsive act. When i gave out the Tea Party Invitations my client asked me to make, I felt i showed off a lot of my "things". Then all of a sudden (im not sure if it's just me), they felt comfortable talking to me. All of a sudden, they agreed to giving the partial payment. I know it sounded materialistic on my part and felt something's not right in the picture, but the truth of the matter is, i felt there's some truth in it as well. That at times, you really have to prove your "worth" thru material things you possess because they really don't know you from the start. They will only depend on impressions, and factors that add to these impressions are things that you own, the car you drive and your personality. I felt like i was trying to impress them or something. hahaha.

But when they warmed up to me, i had a great time chatting with them too. I also realized maybe it's really not easy to trust people, add to the fact that they really don't know me. So in the end, i still understood the situation :)

hehe, just want to share...again, no judging please. ;)

The one with much needed vacay

2011-12-15T00:57:00.000-08:00

Amidst the hustles and bustles, we were able to take a quick vacation in Bacolod and unwind just before we head on to the busiest month of the year. :) I took advantage of the cebupacific's piso fare and was so delighted that i was able to book not only for my family, but for my sister in law and her husband.

I've always had the same feelings while preparing for a trip, you know, the type who is not that excited and feels like i'm leaving a lot of things undone so how can i go to a trip with a lot of things in mind. But since we i booked it already, we felt we did'nt have any choice. hahaha.

But the impulsive decision had its own advantages. In the end, happiness still prevailed and the sadness of leaving a serene and very peaceful place while packing again for the city felt like forever. hehe. I'll post a separate travel entry about our bacolod trip.

Travelling may be a luxury but once in a while trips can be priceless. The quality time you spend with your family can never replace even diamond rings or the latest gadget in town :)

The one with Little Mermaid

2011-11-19T16:23:00.001-08:00

I'm so happy we brought Simone to watch The Little Mermaid play at Meralco theater last night. She enjoyed the play. I was a bit nervous she would'nt like it. Even if it's Ariel she's gonna see, it's her first time to see a theater play and it overwhelms me that she loved it. She really is an artist :)

Allow me to give some personal reviews about the play and our experiences with it as well.

~ I've always loved plays. I don't watch that often but I enjoy everytime i'd be able to. I just dont like waiting in lines but good thing, we did'nt wait that long with this one :)
~ I super love Sebastian. He really sings good.
~ Kudos to Rachelle Ann Go for portraying a Ariel very well. She really studied the character and even her accent was almost the same as the one in the movie.
~ King Triton was not i expected. I was looking for more of a big, tall, and a person who exudes more authority but he was'nt that bad at all.
~ Ursula got the most applause i think :)
~ Erik Santos tried hard to play his part, it's just that everytime he talks, i can't understand most of his words. It was like he was always in a hurry to finish and deliver his lines.

All in all, it was a very good play. Simone stood the whole time, she did'nt want to sit coz she might miss a scene. haha.

The one with richness

2011-10-30T23:10:00.000-07:00

While we were on a trick or treat activity yesterday, Simon and I were talking about how nice it is to spend time with your loved-ones. I'll write another post about the trick or treat but it was really refreshing to spend time with your kid and family.

Simon then said, "how i wish we all have the time to just spend it with our families and money will just pour in" i laughed with what he said coz i know it's impossible, since we're not born rich. but it came me to think how life will be if you were born rich. will you really spend time wisely and be with your family as often as possible. Maybe it will happen if you own crown steel buildings, or you have your own mall and that you don't have to worry about anything.

I guess what i'm trying to say is that spend time with your loved-ones more -- your parents while they're still strong, your siblings even if you dont get along (im blessed i and my brothers get along), and your bestfriends (because they are your next best treasures after your family).

Have a long weekend ahead! :)

The one with 60th

2011-10-29T01:17:00.000-07:00

I'm so blessed my mom just turned 60 last October 22. I thank God for giving her another year and truly, this year is worth celebrating. It was a simple yet memorable celebration. We stayed at Linden Suites, and had a sumptuous dinner at Likha Restaurant in Eastwood. I know it was not a very elegant party with QuickNameTags.com name tags for guests but at least it was something she will always remember. My 3-month old nephew stayed with us at the hotel, everybody just had fun. Simone loved spending time with Marco, her other cousin and my parents enjoyed the pool and jacuzzi. :)

Happy birthday mommy! thank you for your love. thank you for raising us the way you knew how...we will always be thankful that you are our mother. I love you!

The one with movie review: No other woman

2011-10-26T04:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay...im not a movie critic so why bother giving a review of the movie???? I just want to express what i feel and think about the movie. so here it is...

~ story plot was good. The characters were all convincing, esp. Anne Curtis. Hands down, convince na convince ako na querida sya. haha.
~ Cristine Reyes' character was convincing too pero while watching the movie, i kept wishing she would someone who's less conservative and more of an elite and "sosyal" woman as well. kasi in real life, men don't cheat just because their wives are conservative or timid or masyadong mahinhin. They cheat because they are tempted. So i think it would have been more of a good fight if cristine's character was at least leveled to anne's as well.
~ Some think cristine's acting needed improvement but i think she was good. She's the kind of wife who was in denial at first so she was trying to just ignore and be nonchalant about it but the moment she knew about her husband's infidelity, she tried to be someone she's not, fierce, palaban and those sorts. Pero lumabas na lang talaga ang gretchen barreto nya during the fight scene with Anne curtis which i think is one of the best scenes in the movie.
~ The fight scene was the best for me because all three were just so good. I really felt like all of them were victims and not just Cristine. The line of Anne was the best, "Tama na!" while she was on the floor as if begging Cristine to stop. I felt her pain, pain of being sorry for hurting other people, pain of feeling alone because Derek will leave her, and pain of not being loved in return, when she has done everything she can.
~ I love Carmi's character. In real life naman, even if the mom is a victim of infidelity too (meaning her husband cheats too), ganun talaga sya mangangaral sa anak nya...of what she thinks is best...and that is to fight a good fight. You just can't leave your husband in an instant. You will fight for it and prove that no matter what happens, you will stand by him. When she was scolding Cristine of what she needed to do to save the marriage and then while at the top of her voice, she just welled up, i love that scene. yung galit na galit kana, naluluha ka tuloy. parang totoong ina talaga.
~ The ending was just as i expected. I also think that the scene of Derek and Anne seeing each other for the last time before she left for the US was ok. I mean, i know some frowned on it and mostly said, why the heck they'd have to meet pa. I was thinking it was more of a closure.

There, i'm glad i watched it with my mom. I know better if i've watched it with my husband but another woman's perspective was nice as well and i enjoyed our conversation after the movie. We don't have any experience or situation about infidelity issues ha, it was just really an eye-opener for all of us to be watchful of and the movie gave just that :)

The one with short-lived

2011-10-26T03:50:00.000-07:00

I knew it...When i learned that we have a new househelp, i got so excited, i know it would ease a lot of workload on my part but there was this certain thought that bugged me what if she does'nt stay that long and we'd be left without an extra pair of hands in the house.

And truth be told, the new househelp will leave on Nov. 3. It was saddening but at least i can prepare myself not to get too comfy to the fact that we have someone helping me with the chores, cooking and picking up toys that Simone forgot to pack away. I'm trying not to be too dependent on her so that by the time she'll leave, it would'nt be as hard too.

Glad I did'nt buy yet her uniform. I was at this store and i saw a line of maid uniforms, one of which was so small it would pass as a sexy maid costume for the Halloween...or Valentine's, hahaha.

In the meantime, we'll just enjoy the short-lived convenience we have and maximize whatever chore i need to ask her to do. ;)

The One With Not Done With Christmas Shopping Yet

2011-10-21T02:38:00.000-07:00

I know I keep talking about Christmas and how happy it would be even though I'm not even done with my Christmas shopping yet. I mean, it would be nice to buy stainless steel bracelets online and make Christmas shopping for girly stuff easy. (Especially if you want to keep Christmas shopping expenses to a minimum. You'd rather do it online, away from 4 years old kids who love shopping beside you). Ahahaha!

Really, I have to finish my Christmas list already and start seriously shopping for Christmas presents. I hate to get in the rush when I could very well start shopping now and avoid it. So yeah, there are still plenty of time to get into my good book and my Christmas list. LOL!

The One With No Pressure Childhood

2011-10-21T01:11:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've mentioned yet that when Kumon had their free-trial classes last month, we had Simone undergo the diagnostic test for the program's leveling. I've forgotten what level she was recommended to start at, I only remember that their facilities wasn't quite what I expected, no shiny floors like one of those laminated floors at quick step flooring, nor modern and fancy decorations. It was as basic as most academic facilities.

We didn't pursue the trial classes though, not because the facilities don't look modern (hehe), but because we decided in the end that Simone doesn't need additional pressures at her age. I mean, she's only four and I think she isn't behind academically speaking with other kids her age. So she doesn't need it at this time, and we can always enroll her in the future if she wants to. Simone wanted to make sure Simone will only have good memories of school, no pressures.

So what was I doing inquiring about the program in the first place? Hehehe. Just blame it on my paranoid self. And yes, I was helping out my sister-in-law enroll my nephew in the program :)

The One With Happy Anniversary

2011-10-20T23:50:00.000-07:00

On Oct 28, my in-laws will be celebrating their 39th year wedding anniversary. I know that it's going to be a very happy celebration and we're all looking forward to it. They deserve to have a happy one. Even if they don't get to go to a vacation this year (the equivalent of looking into mobile homes for sale in the US, and forgetting all home obligations and traveling together for the rest of their life-- OA?), I think just knowing that everyone is doing OK with their families and marriages would be gift enough for them. Happy anniversary mommy and daddy!

The One With Happy Christmas

2011-10-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

Christmas is my most favorite time of year, and this year I'm excited for Christmas for lots of reasons. One of the reasons is that it wonderfully reminds me of a new year coming. And come next year, we'd finally be able to pay off the down payment for our very own house! Yay!

I can still remember the days when Simon and I hesitated, worried and doubted. We even thought about leaving the house where we're renting now and getting one that's smaller with a smaller rent. But God is so good and provided more than we asked for.

So, we're really going to have a happy Christmas! So happy and blessed we might be giving away several Christmas prizes to our staff. I think fuji cameras might be nice :)

The one with painting gallery

2011-10-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

These are some of the paintings Simone made last September. It's just amazing that she has these strokes already for a 4-year old. Whenever Simon and I would talk about it and how proud we are of Simone, we will just find ourselves thinking at the end of our conversation, that we may be just being parents who are a little "overacting" on their kid's accomplishments. (you know, the kind that always insist their kid to sing even if they can't hit a tune, hahaha)

But when i posted it in FB and a lot liked it and commented how talented Simone is, especially when my bestfriend Jill told me that she really is talented and not just because she's her godmother, it confirmed that yes, she is really talented in painting. hahaha. (moreso, it confirmed that we are not OA parents)

Continue to enjoy your skills anak! we're just here to support you all the way :)

Pinocchio

Butterfly

Tinkerbell

Blues Clues House and one of the flowers in PVZ

Princess

The one with another wishlist

2011-10-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

I don't know if i mentioned before that Simon got me my dream sunglasses for my birthday last August. I'm such a spoiled wifey. haha. We were looking at these Ray Bans in a store and i told him i've always wanted one....dreamt of one, but the cheapskate in me would rather buy the 200-peso sunglasses that you can find in tiangges. haha. And even if he does'nt own one, he insisted that he'd buy me one as a birthday gift. can it get any sweeter than that?! hahaha.

Thank you beh for a shower of your unconditional love...that even if you find it impractical to buy, or it's something that you still don't have yet, you don't think twice getting me one, just to make sure it will make me happy. aaawwww... cheesy!!! love you :)

The One With Hopes

2011-10-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

I should mention that we recently got a new house help. Our old got married and now only works as a staff/run-errand for Party Boosters. That's right, I've been keeping the house all by myself for quite sometime now and have managed (to my husband's and my surprise too!) quite well without a nanny, a cook and an all-around help. Well, I do hire out a clean and laundry woman to do the cleaning and all our laundry twice or every week, plus I hire out our old help on a per-day basis when I absolutely must leave the house for business meetings and others, but I'm left with daily chores, cooking and taking care of Simone all day everyday (not to mention picking up after her and packing away her toys like every second!). And I gotta say, taking care of a kid is actually more difficult than doing household chores, so even though I don't do bulk of the housekeeping, I do feel pretty like I've got my hands full all the time, especially when Simon is not around and I have to "multi-task" with Simone.

Ok, ok, maybe that's not too difficult to do, but I do think it's one of the reasons why I tend to lose my patience with Simone more easily than before, when I've got a nanny to call when I needed to pee, or take a bath without worrying she'll burn the house down or run into trouble while I'm in the bath. I can even take a nap when I needed one. I mean, I know it's different when you're tired and I acknowledge what great help house-helps are. They gave us more me-time which I do believe makes us better parents when we have lots of.

So now that we've got a new help, I hope to spend more enjoyable time with Simone, and stretch my patience for as long as my sanity will allow. Hehehe. I love you so much Simone! I'd even buy you your own house when you grow up and install all kinds of home luxuries like water softener for you! Hahaha! Seriously, we love you, kid.

And thus, I truly truly hope this new help will be with us longer. Not only because we needed one, but also because we're paying more (and getting less) with a clean-laundry woman's bi-weekly pay plus an old help's daily salary.