Taking the Plunge Together

Ianna Chloe

2012-01-25T11:36:00.000+08:00

Belated Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Kung Hei Fat Choi everyone!

So sorry to have neglected my blog :( I was busy giving birth to another little person hehe. I usually update through FB. As soon as I come back to work, I resolve to be more active again *fingers crossed hehe*

Anyway, I gave birth to Ianna Chloe last December 29 (yes, again same birthday as her Papa and Kuya Ethan). It's going to be a triple celebration na every year pohon :) I was 4cm dilated on my Dec 28th checkup and given that I had GBS (group B strep) infection around my 7th month, we had to ensure that I was loaded with antibiotics during labor in order to protect Ianna. So, we couldn't risk an emergency situation, and SO, we decided to induce na.

We now have a little girl to take care of, not that the Kuya needs less care. The 2nd time is more a challenging because Kuya loves being noisy so mahirap pag nagna-nap ang little girl. But I especially love those sweet moments when kuya kisses the little girl and simply says, "ang bango ng baby smell mo" or "Ianna, anong gusto mo?" or just this morning when he was showing his picture books to Ianna and read to her. I'm glad I get to be part of these moments.

About the little boy, he's now on Level 4A (3 levels up in 6 months), started out as a non-reader but now, he can read na talaga. I find him at times reading his books, like the Cat in the Hat. He finished his achievement test (to move from 5A to 4A) in 5 minutes! Cool!

***
We are expecting some changes this year. I won't talk about it yet, saka na lang once things are on the go and we get something definite na. But it's definitely a big change, something that excites me and yet gives me some jitters at the same time.

***
We're going home to Davao before my ML ends so Im definitely looking forward to that. But going back to work, not so much especially when Ethan tells me not to go back to work na daw kasi love nya ako (his way of saying he misses me).

***
Guess that's all for now, the baby girl is waking up, ready to recharge and go on USB mode again :)

almost 36 and making decisions...

2011-12-03T15:28:00.001+08:00

weeks into my second pregnancy, that is :)

almost a week shy before Tips can say "Hello, world" pohon. ayan na naman ang feeling ng paghihintay, ng pag-iisip kung paano ko malalaman na parating na siya, kung kelan nya talaga type lumabas. Gusto nya bang kasabay si Jesus, or sina papa at kuya, or hihintayin nya ba ang bagong taon?

kayo na ni Lord ang bahala, anak, kung kelan ka talaga naka-schedule na lumabas. basta, sigurado ako kahit anong petsa pa yan, matatandaan ko ang bawat pangyayari gaya nung kay Kuya Ethan mo. at kahit anong petsa pa yan, magiging special sya sa akin, kasi special ka sa akin. sabi nga ni Kuya Ethan, "kasi love kita".

---

napanood ko ang Our Idiot Brother last week. kinopya lang daw ni A sa isang kasamahan, hindi alam kung ano ang kwento. buti na lang at pinanood ko. nakaaantig ng puso ung movie. simple lang naman ang hinahatid nyang message - giving others the benefit of the doubt.

ung tipong, hindi mo pauunahin ung skepticism. ung hindi mo iniisip na may ulterior motive or masamang hangarin ung isang tao kung kaya ginagawa nya ang isang bagay. ung magmahal just because.

maaaring napaka-naive na pananaw pero parang ang gaan siguro sa pakiramdam na hindi ka nag-iisip lagi ng 1, 3, 5 times ahead kung ano kaya ang plano ng taong ito at ganito ang hinihingi sa akin. ung tipong tanggapin mo lang kung anong sinabi nya, malay mo, totoo naman pala.

ganun ang pananaw ng character ni Paul Rudd (ang idiot brother), naive na nagpapakatotoo sa nararamdaman. kaso dahil hindi nga sanay ang mga kapatid nya (na panay babae) sa ganung pananaw, pag nagkakabulgaran - napupunta sa away, sa galit.

andami kasing "rules" sa society kung ano at alin lang ang pwedeng sabihin.

napag-iisip ako. hindi ko alam kung may konek pero itong last week lang, napunta ako sa isang sitwasyon na kelangan kong sabihin kung ano ang sa tingin kong dapat. masasabi ko lang, mahirap kung may tao kang sinu-supervise sa trabaho.

ang laki ng responsibilidad mo para sa kanila. at ako pa, personality ko na na kapag binigyan mo ako ng responsibilidad, sineseryoso ko un. lalo na kung may taong involved. lalo na kung malaki ang implikasyon nun sa kanyang kinabukasan.

OA ba? ganun ako e, karir kung karir.

so ganun na nga. may nababasa lang kasi ako sa patutunguhan nung mga usapan kaya kelangan kong magsalita at ipaglaban ang sa tingin ko ay dapat. magalang pa rin naman ang pagkakasabi ko, hindi naman ako nambaboy o nang-alipusta. sana lang tumagos sa utak nung kausap ko ung punto ko at hindi sa ego nya (at baka sa akin ang balik nun hehehe. di bale, basta nagawa ko naman ang tingin kong dapat - no regrets at all!).

---

"Follow your bliss" - Joseph Campbell (1904-1987)

2011-11-23T12:46:00.001+08:00

So, it turns out, I just had to switch to the new blogger interface and voila! my previous post was published...poor tech-challenged me. LOL.

November is almost over, which means...ML for me, birthdays for my mag-ama, Christmas and New Year, of course! The most wonderful time of the year for me :)

About a month ago, I was a bit panicked that we didn't have our supplies ready for Tips. It was just the paranoid in me worrying that I might give birth prematurely. I'm glad to say that now, I'm a bit more prepared...I've bought supplies that Tips and I would need while in the hospital, her lampin and clothes are already washed and ironed, we've bought pillows for her na rin. Only thing left for me to prepare for is knowing when to give birth! Yes, you read it right...even if this is my second time, I do not know how to tell if I'm going to give birth because, as you would recall, Ethan was induced. So, I come in still a bit unprepared :)

On the name game, we have something in mind for her second name but not yet entirely decided :P (But most probably, it is final - gulo, no?)

I have a lot of projects in mind...and several projects still pending. I would really want to work on my projects when I get home from work but sometimes, the lower back pains and difficulty in finding a suitable sitting (or lying) position gets the better of me.

Not to mention that the little boy is getting a little bit more clingy. Always wanting to be by my side "Hug muna tayo, mama" "Office ka ba? Ayoko. Kasi love kita" "I have a flower for you, mama" very sweet, and so hard to resist.

He's in Level 5A in Kumon (reading) now and knows how to read (I don't doubt it anymore LOL). Lately, he loves to watch Strawberry Shortcake (in Cartoon Network), I know parang pang-girl pero siguro attractive ung colors. He loves to draw and color (can finish his Copy the Color books in one night) which we encourage, but is very lazy to practice writing (which Albert tries really patiently to remind him - surrender kasi muna ako, naninigas tummy ko hahaha).

I have 3 weeks to go before my maternity leave starts, and I am SO looking forward to it and the coming year. We have scheduled a longer stay in Davao, and some other development that I'd rather talk about if it has become more definite...mahirap na, baka mausog (wag naman sana).

And yeah, Christmas shopping...almost done. Mga boys na lang...hirap kasing mag-isip ng gifts for boys lalo na if they seem to have what they need na (or we can't afford to give them what they want LOL).

So, I guess I'll have to cut this...till my next update.

p.s. I passed my second OGTT (yahoo!). My OB says maybe it's just the way it is (to date, I have not yet returned to my pre-pregnancy weight, I'm off by 1 pound). In total, I have gained 7 lbs lang! But Tips is of the proper size naman according to the ultrasound result. Salamat sa Diyos.

Baby Names

2011-09-27T14:42:00.005+08:00

Wrote this last September but for some reason, I couldn't publish it. Some tech issue here at work. Anyway, I really hope this works today...

***

We are again in the process of selecting a name for our little one :)

I like the name Ianna. And would like to have Karmelle as her second name but A doesn't like Karmelle daw. So I'm also thinking of Kathlyn (which A also likes) but my mother doesn't hahaha. Ang hirap mamili! But I think we're quite definite with the Ianna (which means God is gracious).

Now, why I and K? May kwento yan. Our initials are A & C (skipped B), then we have Ethan Gregory (skipped D then F). So to follow the pattern, I will skip H and J hehe.

I also like the name Sofia pero marami na rin ang Sofia :P (well, much like Ethan hehe)...Danielle would also be nice then mama comments, parang ung sa horror daw. I almost scratched my head then a light bulb went *ping* and I told her, "Ano ka ba, Damien un mama." Hahaha she was thinking about The Omen.

So, I'm still stuck. Maybe you have something in mind...what name that starts with K would sound nice with Ianna?

***

Meanwhile, mama will be going home to Davao on Sunday. Back to the old routine na naman ako. Meron na naman kaming kasama sa bahay, but still needs constant reminders on her chores. And I don't feel like leaving her alone with Ethan while we're in the office. Mabait naman ung bata kaso hindi ako masyadong confident na kakayanin nya.

So, magpapasama ulit kami sa mama ni A.

***

Christmas is almost here. Have you started your Christmas shopping? Ako, medyo. At least meron na akong 2 na na-cross out sa list ko :P hope we can take time pa to buy stuff before my tummy gets too heavy (kaso syempre, kelangang may budget hehe).

***

I guess this is all for now. Ethan is becoming very precocious, trying to exert his independence to the point of really trying my patience sometimes. So I need a longer rope :P Nevertheless, he's still my beloved little boy who's very affectionate and brings a smile to my face. He brought home a flower for me last Sunday after his visit at our neighbor's house (nagpaalam namang kukuha ng bulaklak, don't worry hehe).

And he's such a parrot...a funny parrot! Never ending talks and imagines being part of some faraway place with his favorite cartoon characters as his playmates. He loves watching Nick Jr especially Team Umizoomi...then doodles on his drawing pad, or plays with Connect the Dots.

He's also starting to do phonetic reading, recognizing 2-3 letter words such as Go, And, The, Up, Zoo, An, It, Is, In, On, Off, etc. It's amazing :)

***

I'd like to end this post with a short prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for always providing for us, thank you for your grace and blessings. Thank you for keeping us healthy and safe. Amen.

2011-09-06T06:11:00.002+08:00

Yes, Tips is a girl :) so quota na. hehehe.

I had my ultrasound yesterday, with A, Ethan and my mama. Kaya sabay-sabay naming nalaman na girl si tips :) sabi ni kuya Ethan, ibang Tips na lang daw. hahaha, as if ganun kadali.

She's due around A&Ethan's birthday, so pag nagkataon...1 big celebration na silang 3 pohon *tipid*

I'm excited kasi makakabili na ng girlie clothes, maayusan na ng clips pohon - ginawang doll.

I also gained 3 lbs since my last check up. A little bit short than the target of 4lbs but at least I gained weight. I lost 8lbs in between my first and 3rd month checkups. Then gained only 1.5lbs on my 4th, so my doctor ~~asked~~ required me to gain at least 4lbs! And had me check my blood sugar (OGTT) because low gain weight is one sign of high blood glucose level.

I'll get my result this afternoon and I'm crossing my fingers and praying that my blood sugar level is normal...I don't want to go into insulin injections, please!

Hmm...what other news? Mama is around and will be staying for one month, yey! Ethan is almost done with this Level 7A in Kumon (Reading) and it's really amazing how he is able to read familiar words (ung mga paulit-ulit) like "is, in, the, and, ox, on, zoo". He can also comprehend how to read two letter words. Although sometimes, he spells "off" as F-O-O daw. hehehe.

He also knows the letter sounds, that's why he knows that the item pictured is "water" and not "milk" because of the first letter of the word :)

There is one other news pero pohon na lang pag medyo mas may linaw na :)

Finally, 110 days to go, Christmas na! So excited...

2011-06-21T13:15:00.002+08:00

Just came from our 1 week vacation in Davao. Ayoko pang bumalik sa trabaho :P

The little boy LOVED staying in Davao, in fact, ayaw nya pa raw mag-babay sa Davao. And he was asking me if we can go back to Davao (nung nasa bahay na kami sa Sta. Rosa ha!). My gosh, baby, if only it were that easy, I'll be flying with you asap. Kasi pati si mama gusto rin mag-stay pa dun :)

He had a grand time watering Grandma's plants every morning, watching Playhouse Disney until 10pm (later than his usual sleeping time), playing with puppies, feeding Jandy (Grandma's lone fish) and birds (with matigas na kanin LOL). It was his first time to really experience Davao kasi dati pag umuuwi kami, sobrang bata pa sya to appreciate it.

We were also able to bring him to the beach. Although it wasn't a "pretty" beach, at least he experienced playing with sand, shrieking with delight upon seeing waves crash on the shore...his imagination letting him think that the ocean takes away kids to distant islands.

He also swam in the first "wave pool" in Davao, wearing a lifevest and bravely swimming even in very deep water - confident because the life vest allowed him to float. When they take breaks (to eat), he was always on the lookout and egging his Papa to eat faster so that they can go back to the pool and swim again :)

I would love to let him experience that again. Hopefully, we get to stay longer next time.

I'll post pictures once I'm able to copy the files from A's camera. I am ~~a little bit~~ very much delayed in creating posts for my blog BECAUSE of this...

Yes, going on 3 months! :) Of course, we don't know yet if Tips (as Ethan has called Baby#2) will be a girl or a boy, not that it matters. So there...till my next post.

2011-06-01T10:18:00.002+08:00

Wow, June na. Ang bilis ng panahon...ang dami ko pang utang na post.
Hehe, pasensya na po Pie, sana magawa ko pa ung post na sinabi ko hehe.

Uuwi kami sa Davao on the 11th, yey! :)

*** just to document Ethan's development***

On our way to Manila, while on SLEX:
Ethan: Drive through naman tayo sa McDo, gutom na ako e (parang true!)
Me: Ok, what do you want?
Ethan: Fries and Coke Float.
(after we ordered, he tried sipping the Coke but cannot kasi tinusok ko sa ice cream ung straw hehe)
Ethan: Mama, it's just not working! *kunot noo*

While reading about underwater creatures, we came across the word invertebrate. I explained to him that an invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. A and I let him feel my spine...
Me: That's the backbone
Ethan: Ito...(pointing to my ribs) frontbone

LOL

Just last night, some neighbor kids were in the house and played with the little boy (Bob the Builder). When they went home:
Ethan: Pano na yan? Pano na ako mag-fix [ng gamit]? Wala na ang friends ko?
Hehehe dramatic

2011-04-24T16:16:00.002+08:00

Just dropping by to greet everyone a

HAPPY EASTER!!!

2011-04-14T08:33:00.003+08:00

Ei, yes I'm back! (since Friday actually, but didn't have time to post kasi ngarag na naman dito sa office hehe).
I'd just like to give a shout out to Pie, thanks for your kind words and sabi ko nga kinilig ako learning about how my blog is to you :)

I still owe my blog a post on my trip to Korea. I got to visit the Hwaseong fortress and the palace which was the set location for Jewel in the Palace. Will post about that when I get to transfer my pictures from the camera memory stick to our external HD.

Another post I owe is something for Pie, which would be something inspired by Divasoria's Glossy Features. Hope I get to do it next week :)

I leave you with another of Ethan & A's conversations...

Ethan (holding a whisk while they are preparing chicken spread): Papa, baker ako. Ikaw ang aking estan.

Yup, estan = assistant

Ito pa isa... Me: Let's go, Ethan. Lagay na tayo ng lotion

(we use the Bedtime lotion from Johnson's as it's supposed to calm him down and make him ready for sleep. So far, we've been using it for 2 nights but I end up sleeping ahead of him LOL)

Ethan: Bakit, Mama? Para ma-mo-tu-rize? :P

2011-04-06T06:42:00.002+08:00

argh! why do my posts come out as one gigantic paragraph??? i write it naman with spaces in between. grrr... wednesday, 2 more days then i'm going home. good thing i was able to buy kid's stuff last night and will be going back tonight. ooohhhh...matutuwa si little boy nito :)

2011-04-05T05:41:00.002+08:00

If it was a challenge to find food the other night, yesterday was a bondat day for me. My training started at 10am then we had lunch past 12. I didn't have enough sleep the other night so there was some point where I was trying VERY hard not to doze off. Good thing was that my training is more of a hands-on type of training instead of classroom stuff! Breakfast was buffet type in the hotel but I didn't eat much - one tiny croissant, one dinner roll, butter, lots of orange juice, 2 pcs of bacon, 2 pcs of Korean sausage, half a kiwi. Lunch was a different matter though. My trainor brought me to a Chinese restaurant just within the company's vicinity. He chose the course menu, worth 35000 won each! He told me later that his Sr. Engr. scolded him because lunch was too expensive but he was wondering why there had to be a limit. Hehehe. Anyway, for lunch...it started with 3 pika-pika: peanuts, pickled cabbage (not kimchi) but something a bit spicy with some vinegar, and pickled radish & cucumber. I actually ate the radish, it was good. It tasted something like hilaw na mangga LOL. Then there was mixed seafood in a clear soup, yum. Then stir fried mushrooms/asparagus/squid/shredded green onions/young corn and maybe there were some other stuff but those were the only items I was able to identify. Then fried breaded shrimp with lettuce with a dressing that was something like caesar's salad dressing. Yum again. Next came 2 giant scallops sauteed in something like sweet&sour with minced mushrooms, red peppers, bell peppers. Then came the spicy stuff - stir fried beef with mushrooms (several types) and lots of hot pepper, served with mantao hehehe. I wasn't able to finish this because it was quite spicy and I ran out of mantao that served as my neutralizer. I thought that was it when the waiter asked if I wanted rice or noodles. What??? I asked what they served with it, my trainor told me just that - rice or noodles. So I chose noodles. Good thing the serving was not much, and it was in clear soup. And last course was dessert - strawberry sorbet. Wow, that was really a lot but it was good :) Buti na lang hindi ako inantok nung hapon. Panay hands on activity naman so gumagalaw kaya rin siguro. So for dinner, I just asked our trainor for something light. I wanted a quick one because I still planned to go to Homeplus - their hypermarket - and check out the chocolates, etc. Turns out Homeplus has a food court. I chose a Japanese-like meal (for 5500 won) with noodles & soup (clams and shrimp) plus a side dish of tiny sushi-like (but just rice) with egg strips + kimchi. My trainor ordered bimbimbap and he gave me some so that I'll know the taste. Again, I wasn't able to finish dinner - very large servings here! But they're so slim! Waaahhhh! That's all for my first day. I'm now trying to get some stuff done before my trainor fetches me at 9am. It's now 7:30 and I still need to have breakfast. At least I had a good night's rest. And last night I was able to see my little boy although I couldn't hear him and he couldn't see nor hear me :P A was able to get TeamViewer which allows me to access his laptop at home. It had a camera so I saw them - happy :) I miss my mag-ama.

Kor-ee-yah!

2011-04-03T21:45:00.003+08:00

My first time to go to Korea and I end up missing my stop on the bus going to the hotel :P I was briefed that the last stop would be the hotel but I guess the driver had other plans. Hehe. I heard him call out IBIS and some other words I didn't understand so I had no idea that he was asking if someone will go down at IBIS :P Good thing there is another passenger who also intends to go to IBIS hotel. So we shared a taxi ride, split the bill. He's from Taiwan, here on business too. Funny, he was trying to speak in Chinese with me, probably checking if I knew how to. Hehe. I think I get mistaken for some other nationality. When I was in Japan, a guy on the same train talked to me in Japanese. Because he thought I was Japanese, but the funny thing is (or was it ironic), he was Caucasian. Anyway, I digress. I'll be here for 5 nights, be coming back on an early flight on Friday. Five nights away from my family, 5 nights sleeping on a double-sized bed...all on my own. Ah, I miss the little boy. Only way to communicate is through Google chat and text. Sadly, this laptop (issued by the company) does not have camera so we can't go on video chat :( Oh, had dinner in a Korean (of course, I'm in Korea, right?) restaurant at the back of the hotel (courtesy of the Taiwanese friend hehe). We had to go outside and place our order using their tarpaulin as it was the only one that had pictures on it :P We ordered Kimchi soup, I asked if it was spicy, the waiter said "No, not hot". And he was right, the soup was indeed COLD. Hehehe. We saw a small pot (steaming hot) so we ordered that one and again split the payment. The soup turned out to be some spicy soup with cucumbers, red peppers (the really spicy type) and tofu. It was served with rice. Tried it but found it too hot. :P So I ended up eating the rice with the side dishes (pickled veggies, nori, tiny sausages) and now I'm too full from the noodles and rice :D Wow, welcome to Korea! :)

2011-03-29T13:36:00.001+08:00

Apparently, tuloy na tuloy na ang trip... kailangan nang ikundisyon at magpaalam sa maliit na bata :) 5 nights din na di ko sya makakatabi sa pagtulog, sila lang muna ni A. hehe. ako yata ang may separation anxiety :P

2011-03-25T15:02:00.003+08:00

Whew! Please let go of your emotional baggage, it will bring you nothing but stress :P
There are things in life that you cannot change...it's bad news, I understand. You can either accept it, laugh it off then move on OR let it fester and make you bitterer and bitterer (LOL).

I choose to laugh it off. What do you choose?

ART

2011-02-28T08:16:00.011+08:00

MS Paint is an application that gets the most traffic in our dilapidated laptop (hehe).

*Side kwento: A bought a SmartBro (dongle) kit but cannot make it work on our laptop - tried having it activated, loaded some credit, wala talaga. Only to find out that it works on his Kuya's laptop. Patay, bagong laptop na kelangan LOL*

Anyway, back to MS Paint. Ever since we've introduced MS Paint to Ethan, he loves tinkering with it. You can find him seriously quiet (after a few episodes of his favorite Bob the Builder or Pocoyo) and just doodling on Paint.

At first, he was always asking us to draw his builders (Bob the Builder's construction crew) which resulted to something like this:

Yes, it includes pictures of everyone, including Grandpa&Grandma, Lolo&Lola and Sabrina. And yes, that's the best I can come up with hahaha. There's Lofty, Muck, Travis, Dizzy, Scoop, Scrambler and Rolly (if you want to see their actual appearance, just Google Bob the Builder LOL).

And then, there's A's version of Lofty (with Ethan adding the details LOL):

Sometimes, he also asks me to draw his trains, or him swimming with a dolphin.

The magic of Paint, you can just copy and paste an image then change the color. Madayang nanay! LOL

In case you're wondering, yes, that's an igloo!

And sometimes, there are really weird requests, like drawing him while he "pupu"s :P

A also gets his share of requests. I saw this picture showing Ethan and a little girl (I'm guessing it's Sabrina) playing pingpong.

Sino kaya ung natutulog? LOL

The little boy also requests for drawings showing how his day was like - we went to Home Depot (where he played on a slide), and he saw Santa, then we went to Nuvali and saw a lot of koi fishes; Chinese New year in Sampaloc with the dancing dragon and him playing "hit the palayok" (LOL, sorry I can't remember the name of that game) which contained a lot of confetti. Of course, we rode Pula (our car) when we went to these places. Everything is contained in this picture. Ah, what a mother has to try and do to depict these memories...

And then one day, I just told him...you try to draw pictures on your own. He said he doesn't know how to and I insisted and told him that he can do it. Because he's magaling ... LOL lumulusot lang ako kasi ayokong mag-draw hahaha.

And these are what he came up with:

That's a rocketship (the yellow one)

Do you see Pato (Pocoyo's friend duck LOL)?

a house by Ethan, the car by me haha

a big, big catfish (with the red whiskers)

Mama, look! I drew a lion!

And then one day (Feb 21), he wrote his name. I forgot after how many tries, but that's not the point ;-) Ah, success! :) Sweet, sweet child. Papa and Mama are so proud of you!

p.s. I also have a watercolor abstract painting that Ethan made, waiting to be framed.

some updates

2011-02-28T07:40:00.002+08:00

It's the last day of the month, and Mama's last week with us before she flies home to Davao on Saturday pohon. Was quite an activity-filled month especially when Papa was also here and we were always out during weekends.

Off the top of my head:

lunch at Bag of Beans (bundat!)
Paradizoo in Tagaytay
Toy Kingdom (Megamall) - hurrah for Ethan!
swimming in Pansol

We were finally able to achieve one of our goals for the year - go to a zoo! We actually planned to go to Ark of Avilon but it was the day of Gen. Reyes's burial so I was anticipating the traffic that was called C5 so we decided to go to Tagaytay instead.

Ethan had a great time looking at the ostrich ("sexy lumakad"), the tigers, and Milky the white lion cub (who is just too too sad trapped in a small cage - cage pa nya nung cub pa lang sya pero di na sya cub ngayon). He also enjoyed the magic tricks and the Waka Waka dance number LOL! He didn't want to ride on the tiny horse (what's it called? I forgot) to have his picture taken. Takot daw sya hehe.

Of course, since Grandpa was here, the little boy scored a lot of trains (again) to add to his growing Thomas the Tank Engine collection. A few days before we were scheduled to go to Toy Kingdom, he was already enumerating the trains he wanted - started with just Mavis, Toby and Edward which progressed to Mavis, Toby, Edward, Duck, Donald and Oliver! Buti na lang maraming out of stock hahaha - he was only able to buy Duck, Edward and Stanley.

And then, his Uncle Abet was home from Australia so andaming pasalubong din na toys! He had 6 Hot Wheels cars, a soccer ball, an educational VTech Buzz Lightyear toy (which he's scared of) and several shirts and shorts ulit. Such a blessed little boy to have a lot of people who give him stuff - lucky us! LOL.

Then we went swimming (sort of despedida for Kuya Abet) in Pansol. Last time we were there he was about 2yrs and 4months old (during his cousin Sabrina's birthday) and he was just floating along his salbabida. But this time, he was able to really enjoy swimming. Nakakatuwa kasi hindi sya takot sa tubig. He even dips his head on his own and knows to hold his breath underwater. He jumps from the pool's side into the water and eventually was able to walk on his own (on tiptoes) in the kiddie pool (I think about 3 ft deep). Ayaw din umalis kasi swim pa daw sya, I'll try to bring him to the ocean when we go home to Davao in June pohon.

Yes, may ticket na kami papuntang Davao for a one-week stay in June! Yey!

I think that's a quick roundup of our activities for the month. Had a lot of fun! :)

2011-02-03T10:02:00.002+08:00

Oh Yeah, Mama and Papa arrive on Saturday (pohon). Yeah, baby! :P

Almost a month since my last post...let me just say that things have been hectic in the office and I have been given a new assignment. I am now covering the workload of two colleagues who have left the company. What is weird though is that they were my former bosses!!! So imagine, what I have to cover. But I know I will get through this. The power of positive thinking :)

Happy Chinese New Year to everyone!

1-11-11

2011-01-11T07:47:00.004+08:00

A great morning to everyone :)

So, how's your first ten days of the year? Yes, I know, time really flies fast and before we know it the first month of 2011 is over!

That's why I resolved to write down some goals for the year. Last year has been quite a tough year financially especially the first half. Thankfully, things managed to get easier around August and THANKFULLY, the Lord has always been there to provide when the going got really tough.

This year, we plan to build up our savings and hopefully restore it to how it was before our financial meltdown :P

A and I talked about it earlier on the way to work, it would be nice to bring Ethan to the beach, the zoo, and an oceanarium. The little boy has experienced swimming in a pool but I would like to see his reaction when he sees the wave as it crashes on the shore. I'd love to see him running as if he is being chased by the waves - much like what I experienced when I was small. I would LOVE to build sandcastles with him (kahit hindi ako marunong, madali namang pasayahin ang bata). He also loves watching animals, hence the zoo and the oceanarium. I promise to come up with a budget for this :)

I would also like to do some travelling, if the budget permits. But I would really like to go home to Davao for the holidays :) I have about a year to save up for that; I also have to be vigilant in monitoring seat sales for the different airlines!

I guess that's my list for now. I would like to put in that I want to lose some weight but that has been on my mind for like 15 years since! :P

2011-01-06T07:43:00.002+08:00

First off, Happy New Year to everyone! All my digits are intact so I have other reasons for my lack of posts :P

Yep, I was able to push through with my plans on my list (pardon me, I just need closure hehehe):

- ~~Sew curtains for: sala, kitchen, master's BR, ethan's BR~~ -- but it did take me until the afternoon of Dec 24th to finish everything!
- ~~Buy curtain rods~~ -- with much push on A to go and buy the long rods from the hardware just outside our subdivision
- ~~Buy closet for the Green room~~
- ~~Buy a couch~~
-- the last two items were purchased on Dec 16 and were delivered (with much hullabaloo! first, they weren't able to deliver on committed date then they delivered the wrong couch!) only on the 27th

Only thing left on my list is to buy the stepladder. For now, I am using our aesthetically-challenged used-to-be-white Monobloc chair WHICH I am planning to overhaul by spraypainting it red! I already have the materials, all I need is the time to finally push through with the project :P

Our house was blessed last Dec 29 and we had a small salu-salo with family and friends (which includes neighbors - 2 families for now) also to celebrate my mag-ama's birthday. It was fun but I can see the wisdom in Lucy Torres-Gomez's hosting mantra: to invite a small group at a time, with all of them having something in common with you. This way, you would not be missing out in your hosting duties to any group.

Finally, it's back to work after 2 weeks of vacation time. Buti na lang, I am on one-week training, I get to assimilate at a gradual pace!

Here's to wishing us all a great 2011 and praying for good health, safety, peace, love and happiness and more blessings for this year -- and of course, thanking the Lord for keeping us within His grace in 2010!

2010-12-13T08:05:00.003+08:00

Ehem...

- ~~Purchase Christmas tree -- waaahhhh, wala pa rin!~~
- ~~Enhance silver Christmas balls~~ -- left it as is
- Sew curtains for: sala, kitchen, master's BR, ~~ethan's BR~~ -- dapat magawa ko sa weekend
- ~~Glue gun all parts of the Christmas wreath~~
- ~~Finish Merry Christmas garland -- almost there!~~

Other stuff:

- ~~Buy shower curtain~~
- Buy curtain rods ~~and braises~~
- ~~Screen windows and door -- to be installed on Sunday!~~
- Buy closet for the Green room
- Buy a couch
- Buy a stepladder -- for the vertically-challenged moi

Well what do you know, I am almost done with my list. I have also wrapped some gifts last night. I wanted to wrap all the gifts but I ran out of wrapper (haha as if andami ng gifts, 2 pieces na lang kasi wrapper).

Crunch time!

There's no place like home

2010-12-01T08:23:00.009+08:00

Ahhh, it feels great to finally have our own house, a milestone indeed :)

We moved in last Sunday morning but I was on leave since Friday to do last minute clean ups and packing. Still, we stayed up past12MN of Saturday, then the hauling truck arrived at 7AM of Sunday. We were done with all the unloading by lunchtime and left with a disaster area LOL.

By Monday afternoon, this was how the house looked like...

The kitchen...of course, that's where we start :) I believe it was the first area that got cleaned up and semi-organized because it is the most used part of our house.

The cabinet houses a lot of stuff - some toys, tall stuff like the ironing board, mops, old stroller etc, extra toiletries, bed linen, towels, curtains, among others. The brown door leads outside while the white one leads to our teeny tiny toilet & bath.

This is our room, also known as the Green room. As you can see, it still a disaster of sorts with boxes and stuff all over. The little boy is busy watching his Pocoyo movies. He's wearing a vest and socks because it was very cold. In fact, I can't take a bath in the morning without hot water; water from the tap is as cold as just-melted ice! We are located near Tagaytay so what do we expect?

Then this is Ethan's room aka the Blue room. That's Lola Lory on her mattress :) Ethan's bed was also his crib - it's convertible to a toddler's bed...you can see the crib railings near the bed. And yes, he played with his toys and left Makibao (that's the zebra with a green scarf) lying on his side har har.
And this is our living room aka evacuation/disaster area :P it would be the last room that will be organized and cleaned up. I will be able to clean up the house in time for Christmas :) yeah, I'm sure I will. Definitely. Very. Confident. Uh, sure.

Which brings me to my list:

- Purchase Christmas tree -- waaahhhh, wala pa rin!
- Enhance silver Christmas balls -- mukhang leave it as is na
- Sew curtains for: sala, kitchen, master's BR, ~~ethan's BR~~ -- dapat magawa ko sa weekend
- ~~Glue gun all parts of the Christmas wreath~~
- Finish Merry Christmas garland -- almost there!

Other stuff:

- ~~Buy shower curtain~~
- Buy curtain rods and ~~braises~~
- ~~Screen windows and door -- to be installed on Sunday!~~
- Buy closet for the Green room
- Buy a couch
- Buy a stepladder -- for the vertically-challenged moi

Whew! A lot to do but I know I'll be able to do it, watch me...I'll keep you posted. ;-) *that's psyching myself*

2010-11-17T07:44:00.002+08:00

Finishing touches are underway...yesterday, they were almost done with the hanging cabinets. My kitchen counter is very pretty already :) What I really love are our doors! We purchased panel doors (solid wood, mahogany) and had them varnished by our contractor and they turned out so great! I'm so happy with our doors *ehem, obvious ba?*

Let me check my checklist:

- Purchase Christmas tree -- waaahhhh, wala pa rin!
- Purchase Christmas lights
- ~~Finish 10 cross-stitched ornaments~~
- ~~Enhance 3 snowman ornaments with beads~~
- Enhance silver Christmas balls
- ~~Finish handmade ornaments: Reindeer, ornaments finished 2 last night! woohoo!~~
- Sew curtains for: sala, kitchen, master's BR, ethan's BR

Other stuff:

- ~~Tutu: need to sew on pretty flowers, the tutu itself is done~~
- ~~Buy 3 sets of doorknobs and deadbolt~~
- ~~Buy 3 panel doors - to be delivered on Friday! woohoo!~~
- ~~House turnover - scheduled today~~
- Buy shower ~~curtain rod~~ (and curtain)
- ~~Pay bonds for house improvement~~
- ~~Inform contractor of selected floor tiles and preferred layout~~
- ~~Choose paint color~~ - chose light lemon yellow for the living room and kitchen, light blue for Ethan's room and light green for our room
- ~~Buy ceiling fan~~

We were also able to buy our wood parquets for the rooms yesterday! And stuff for the bathroom (mirror, shelf, towel rack, and bidet - because our t&b is just too small that it would be too tight inside if we have a big pail) :) there goes my Christmas bonus (although, I also placed a portion of it to savings - see, I can be good).

Hope to have the house done this week so we can slowly bring our things in by next week and schedule our move in by Nov28.

2010-11-02T07:15:00.002+08:00

52 days to go, and I'm way behind my list. I was out of the loop for about a week, A's grandmother passed away (rest in peace, Nanay) so I was out of the office for about a week. I just notice that with someone dying, it becomes a reunion of sorts...and people become updated on the lives of their relatives :)

Anyway, let me see how far I've come on my to-do list:

- Purchase Christmas tree
- Purchase Christmas lights
- ~~Finish 10 cross-stitched ornaments~~
- Enhance 3 1 snowman ornaments with beads
- Enhance silver Christmas balls
- Finish handmade ornaments: ~~Reindeer~~, ~~ornaments~~ ~~finished 2 last night! woohoo!~~
- Sew curtains for: sala, kitchen, master's BR, ethan's BR

Other stuff:

- Tutu: need to sew on pretty flowers, the tutu itself is done
- Buy 3 2 sets of doorknobs and deadbolt
- ~~Buy 3 panel doors~~ - to be delivered on Friday! woohoo!
- ~~House turnover - scheduled today~~
- Buy shower curtain rod (and curtain)
- ~~Pay bonds for house improvement~~
- ~~Inform contractor of selected floor tiles and preferred layout~~
- ~~Choose paint color~~ - chose light lemon yellow for the living room and kitchen, light blue for Ethan's room and light green for our room
- Buy ceiling fan

We had a small windfall so we opted to purchase a 2-burner gas stove hob for the kitchen! Well, it was that vs the ceiling fan. I decided to prioritize it because it needs to be installed on the kitchen counter vs the ceiling fan which we can have installed anytime :)

Also, some good news, our home loan proceeds have been released, FINALLY! So we can have our walls painted and the cabinets made. We're still checking if we have some extra money to buy cabinets for the rooms and wood laminates for our room flooring! One thing at a time, check and recheck the budget :)

I started clearing out some stuff last Saturday, and we still have SO MUCH stuff to dispose of! Again, one thing at a time. I really have to edit out our stuff because we have a lot that we couldn't fit into the house. Good thing, MIL offered that we can stuff some things in Marikina :P But still, we'll be handing out a lot of stuff, good thing that it's Christmas time, a time for donations and hand-me-downs :)

Guess I'll have to end here. I'll try to take pictures of the house so that I can post soon :)

Christmas decor list

2010-10-11T08:12:00.004+08:00

I feel like I'm in my wedding preps again, making lists of things to do and crossing items out one at a time. Let me indulge my OC-ness.

- Purchase Christmas tree
- Purchase Christmas lights
- ~~Finish 10 cross-stitched ornaments~~
- Enhance 3 1 snowman ornaments with beads
- Enhance silver Christmas balls
- Finish handmade ornaments: ~~Reindeer~~, ~~ornaments~~ ~~finished 2 last night! woohoo!~~
- Sew curtains for: sala, kitchen, master's BR, ethan's BR

Other stuff:

- Tutu: need to sew on pretty flowers, the tutu itself is done
- Buy 3 2 sets of doorknobs and deadbolt
- Buy 3 panel doors
- ~~House turnover - scheduled today~~
- Buy shower curtain rod (and curtain)
- ~~Pay bonds for house improvement~~
- ~~Inform contractor of selected floor tiles and preferred layout~~
- Choose paint color - I'm currently drawn to lemon yellow for the sala and kitchen with ~~Tiffany~~ robin's egg blue for an accent wall and Ethan's room. Have yet to choose for our room. A has given me full reign for the colors :P
- Buy ceiling fan

What else? I think that's it for now. I'll have to revisit this list from time to time :)

****
We left the little boy's bottles in Marikina, except for one. So last night he had to drink his milk from a glass before sleeping. I had to explain to him that we need to do this for one week.

Me: Ethan, please drink your milk from a glass muna ha. Naiwan natin bottles mo sa Marikina. Para ma-save natin ung 1 bottle pag nagpatimpla ka sa gabi.
Ethan: O-o-Ke-ey. Pero buy na bottles sina mama and papa no?
Me: Hehe, di na muna tayo buy. Kasi next week naman makukuha na natin ung bottles mo.
Ethan: O-o-Ke-ey.

Yes, he's growing up. Fast. He already knows how to reason out. When we answer his workbook (for Preschoolers), he knows the right answer as well as the reason why it is the right answer.

Example, an activity which shows pictures of kids doing different activities and Ethan has to tell whether the kid is doing the right thing or not.

Example 1: A kid is shown being rowdy and climbing a cabinet
Me: Is it right to do that?
Ethan: No
Me: Why?
Ethan: Kasi baka mahulog. Bag! Bukol sya.

Example 2: A kid is shown unwrapping a piece of candy.
Me: After nyang balatan ung candy, san nya ilalagay ung wrapper? Sa table?
Ethan: No
Me: Sa floor?
Ethan: No
Me: Saan pala dapat?
Ethan: Sa garbage can.
Me: Ah ok. Ikaw ba sa garbage can mo tinatapon ung kalat?
Ethan: Yes!

And several other examples. He really has a lot of antics already, including posing when the Vaseline commercial (Uno! Dos! Tres! Quatro!) goes on air. And then last night, he sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with complete lyrics (although the tune still is a bit different hehehe)!

When he hears the countdown to Christmas, he says, malapit na ang birthday ko! :P

2010-10-08T08:54:00.000+08:00

woohoo! I have finished 7 out of the 10 cross stitched ornaments that I am preparing for our Christmas tree (which still needs to be purchased).

I also have the fabric I need for our curtains but I am putting that lower on my priority list as it is faster to make. Although I still am thinking of purchasing a sewing machine from Ace Hardware. You know, the wee little sewing machine they're selling for about 3k. It would really help me with my crafts and sewing projects that I will get to do in the future hehehe.

We're done with the punchlisting for our house last Monday and there are just minor rectifications that need to be done and will be due this coming Monday. FYI, punchlisting is the process during which the buyers inspect the house (all the nitty gritty details) and if they find it acceptable, they then sign the acceptance documents and the house is turned over to the owners. So, we're almost done with that.

Discussions with our contractor (a new one) for the house improvements are also underway and they are ready to start work by next week. The budget is also almost-there *hahaha* but we have enough to cover the 50% for them to start with construction.

Life is really getting exciting! :) I can't wait to start prettifying (IKR, if there is such a word) our house. It will be slow but we'll get there :)

94

2010-09-22T06:49:00.000+08:00

Ilang araw na lang Oktubre na, ramdam ko na ang simoy ng hanging Pasko :) at maaga nang dumidilim...94 na araw na lang, Pasko na!

Ehem, wala pa akong nasisimulan sa aking mga planong dekorasyong pamasko. Pero meron na akong mga sinulid at tela, kailangan ko na lang talagang simulan. Sa Biyernes, wala kaming pasok kaya plano naming mag-Divisoria. Sana may mga Christmas tree na, plano ko ring bumili ng tela para sa kurtina. Whew! Nakakatuwa.

---

Ayan, masasabi ko na sa wakas na settled na ang aming pambayad sa monthly amortization ng bahay. Wala na akong worry na baka pumasok kami sa in-house financing. Bakit nakakatakot? Interest rate sa in-house = 18% kumpara sa bangko na 11.25% (published rate). Sa published rate pa lang, ang laki na ng pinagkaiba. Paano pa kung makakuha ng mas mababang interes kapag nagpa-fix ka ng 5 taon lang?

At least, settled na ito.

---

Dumaan kami sa bahay kahapon. Hindi pa nate-turn over ung unit namin sa project engineer samantalang sabi ng contractor plano nila i-turn over nung Huwebes. Ayun pala, may pinapaayos ung project engineer at itong linggong ito na lang daw nila i-turn over. Hehehe. Buti naman at pinaayos ng engineer.

---

Gustung-gusto ni Ethan na manood ng Wonderpets. At ginagaya nya pa (sinasabayan) ung mga aksyon ng mga bidang Wonderpets...lalo na si MingMing (ung batang bibe). Alam na rin nyang kantahin ung theme song.

Ang dami nang alam ni Ethan, ang daldal na rin. Nakikipag-deal pa.
A: Halika na, bath time na.
Ethan: After this one, ok?
A: Ok. Basta after that, ligo na ha.
Ethan: Okay.
(Pagkatapos ng palabas)
A: Tara na, finished na ung pinapanood mo.
Ethan: Okay, bath time na.

OR an alternative ending

A: Tara na, finished na ung pinapanood mo.
Ethan: After this one, ok? (Nge, naki-bargain ulit)
A: Ay hindi na, usapan natin was just that one episode.
Ethan: Oh-ke-ey.
Hehehe

---

Just last night...

Me: Let's go downstairs na, Ethan. Time to eat dinner.
Ethan: Okay. Let's go.
(Pagbaba, hugas na ako ng kamay. Si Ethan papunta dun sa kanyang "bed" sa sala)
Ethan: Mama, dito tayo. Higa tayo.
Me: E di ba kakain na?
Ethan: Dito tayo.
Me: Bakit ba tayo higa? E kakain na nga.
Ethan: Mama dede :P
Me: Okay, dede ka muna sandali tapos kain na tayo ng dinner okay?
Ethan: Oh-ke-ey.
(After a few minutes)
Me: Tara na. Sige count ako till 5. 5...4...3...2...1
Ethan: Hehe stop na.

Madali naman syang kausap. Siguraduhin lang na tuparin ang pinag-usapan :)

2010-09-13T07:56:00.002+08:00

Got my laboratory results last Saturday. I give thanks to God that I have normal results except for uric acid (which was a little bit above the range) - blood sugar, creatinine, lipid profile.

But I have astigmatism with a -0.50 reading for each eye. Still have 20/20 vision though :)

---

I bought 3 plain shirts in Surplus Shop for P69.75 each then I bought some fabric flowers (the patch type) from National Book Store and just embellished my new shirts :) I have already made one. Will post a pic hopefully by tomorrow.

---

Still haven't started my Christmas stuff. But we've already scheduled our Divisoria date on the 24th :) It will be a holiday in Calamba, hopefully we can get there early.

I plan to buy fabric for curtains, hopefully a Christmas tree skirt (have yet to find out how to make it), some felt for my ornaments, and other craft stuff. This weekend we plan to visit A's lola in Sampaloc so we can swing by Quiapo and look for some cross stitch stuff :)

Budget na lang kulang hahaha.

---

On the homefront, our contractor texted last night and I learned that they plan to turnover the house this week. After that, we can have the acceptance scheduled then construction on the interiors can start - ceiling, floor tiles, kitchen counter extension and hanging cabinets, in that order of priority depending on how much our money can cover.

Our bank loan has also been approved - so less to worry with regards to financing. We just need to sign the papers then it's good to go :)

Ah, God is good :) Thank you po.

trying out SM's WiFi

2010-09-05T08:00:00.003+08:00

am in SM Marikina for blood extraction. I was having migraines these past few days so i had to see an opthalmologist. She asked me to have my blood sugar and lipid profile checked. Even have to check for anemia. Whew. But she said that i definitely need glasses. Let's see.

I was able to quickly access WiFi here in SM, let's see how fast my post gets published :)

2010-08-24T07:48:00.003+08:00

Tonsillitis gone! Yey!

The little boy has colds and cough though :(

I was able to ~~buy~~ hoard several towels from Megamall that I plan to embroider *wink* I have an inspiration board for Christmas. What? It's going to be September in a few days anyway, hahaha.

I hope I'll be able to execute my plan :)

Tonsillitis

2010-08-13T15:22:00.002+08:00

It hurts to have tonsillitis but it hurts more to know that I have to pause breastfeeding for a week because i will be taking antibiotics :(

I hope this goes away soon...

CATS

2010-08-09T07:36:00.003+08:00

The tickets were bought almost right after we watched Lea Salonga's Your Songs concert last December. I didn't know about it but was really hoping to catch it so it was really a pleasant surprise from A.

The show was to start at 7:30 in the evening so it being it a Sunday ~~where~~ when traffic going to Manila (from the south) is really heavy, we left at 3:30PM. We were armed with our 16Gb MP4 player which contained Season 1 episodes of Spartacus:Blood and Sand. We also had a big bag of Marty's (the vegetarian cracklings hehe), 1 liter of water, a pack of Halls, a Cheeseburger deluxe and McChicken sandwich.

We arrived at the CCP complex around 4:30 and was able to find 1 parking slot in the CCP Parking area. It turns out the matinee show was still ongoing...we were able to find a better spot later on.

So, we stayed in the car and watched about 2 episodes before we decided to go inside and just wait in the lobby. Of course, I had to get a souvenir photo with the banner :P and we checked out the souvenir items. Unfortunately, those were really too pricey so I decided not to buy na muna.

Our seats were in Balcony 2 (yes, way up there), Row G (yup, almost the backmost row) but at least we were located at the center :) We purchased two binoculars (CCP version) for P50 each. According to A, using the binoculars upgrades you to Balcony I location seating. In all fairness, the binoculars really helped.

As I entered the seating area, I had to take a backstep kasi nalula ako sa taas! LOL. Imagining morbid stuff, I wondered if someone should trip on the steps and start rolling, is it possible for that person to fall off the balcony? According to A, that is what the wooden balustrade/barrier by the aisle was for - to prevent someone from falling off should they trip and start rolling. But really? With all the laws of physics, can they really assure me that it wouldn't happen? There is Murphy's law after all. LOL.

Anyway, when the show started, it got a little bit annoying because some of the people on the front rows started leaning forward hence blocking our view. The binoculars couldn't help. At all. Because of course, all you'd get is a magnified view of someone's hair...or worse, someone's scalp! Grr. The redeeming factor perhaps, is that sometimes, they get tired (these are oldies BTW) and lean back. Ahh, bliss!

As for the show, I liked the rhythm of the songs and I liked how everyone danced - very graceful. I'm really not very familiar with the musical but I read through Wiki on what the story is about. So, somehow I can grasp how the story was going. LOL. But to be really honest, I was only familiar with two songs - of course, Memory and the other one is Magical Mr. Mistoffelees. A on the other hand whispered to me that he was only waiting for the parts where Lea sings because he didn't understand the story. Well, he knew that there were cats who were waiting to know who would be identified to be reborn. Well, to be honest, that was really just the story :P

Now, about the performances...of course, Lea as Grizabella does not need much discussion. Her voice is magical and her enunciation is superb, period. How she puts feelings into Memory - awesome and elicited silence from the crowd. You could almost hear everyone just give a sigh right before the thunderous applause. :)

I also loved Rum Tum Tugger, oh he was so much! If a cat can swagger, Rum Tum Tugger really did! I also loved Mr. Mistoffelees, such a great dancer! In general, I loved how the cats cartwheeled. I loved it so much, I was wishing I could do cartwheels LOL :P

We were home by 11PM, the little boy was already asleep beside grandma and he was still sleeping when we left this morning. I really loved the experience! Thanks Ga for accommodating my whims when it comes to stuff like this :P If there was one thing that marred the whole experience, it was knowing that there was a little boy at home that I missed so much. But according to grandma, hindi naman daw naghanap sa amin. LOL :)

2010-08-04T07:57:00.002+08:00

I received two comments from my dear friend Diane today and it really made my day. I am glad that I get to send out positive vibes to someone and equally pleased to learn about it. Thanks, 'nak! :)

***

We visited our construction site (haha) last Friday. We have doors now, th facade as well as the internal walls were already being painted. The toilet is almost done - the utilities are already being installed. Just a few more finishing touches and it can be turned over to us.

Never mind the bullheadedness or the rudeness of the contractor (and her peons). Pinapalampas ko na lang, ayoko nang ma-stress. What we do is talk to the engineer-in-charge for the project (who is from Suntrust) and just air out our concerns to him. I made it clear to him that we are having a hard time talking to the contractor hence we had to resort to talking to him about stuff.

We are already scheduled for seminar on the 14th (this is where they explain to the homeowner about things that are needed during acceptance/turnover). AND, our home loan has already been approved by the bank! Yey, just need to secure for the additional stuff we need - the ceiling, the floor (tiles) and extension of the kitchen counter.

The best is yet to come indeed. :)

***

I'm also on the initial stage of planning for Christmas decors. Hahaha. Excited ba? We plan to purchase a standard-sized tree. For the past 3 Christmases, we had a very small tree installed. It was only a little over a foot tall with mini-Christmas balls and ribbons. This year, I'd like to have a standard-sized one.

Now, why plan so early?

It's because I plan to make the ornaments myself. Hand sew fabric ornaments - I'm shying away from Christmas balls that can break and may hurt the curious little hands in the house. At least if we have fabric ornaments, he can't get hurt from it. I already have the stuffing and some felt fabric on hand, need to buy more fabric and of course, the tree :)

***

On a final note, we will be watching Cats on Sunday! :) I'm so excited for it. Thanks Ga for the tickets :)

TGIF

2010-07-23T07:23:00.002+08:00

It's been a week since we last visited our house! Sana lang may nadagdag na...finish na lang e, paint, doors, toilet and ung sink sa labas ng bahay. Pati pala windows. Sabi ng contractor, pag napinturahan, pwede nang tuloy-tuloy ung paggawa nila. Daming palusot...

***
Been TL (tulo laway) for the past week sa mga craft blogs - here, here and here - among a few. Parang gusto kong mamili ng maraming tela hahaha. Meron din akong naka-line up na cross stitch pattern, may thread na ako just need the aida cloth. Namana ko ang pattern and extra thread from Mama. I'm itching to get started!

Sometimes I wish I am a SAHM so that I can do some stuff for our house - of course, while the little boy is asleep LOL. But then I realize that I need to go to work hehehe. Hopefully, in the future, I would have this chance.

***
This week, I managed to wake up at 4:30am and do a lot before going to work. I wake up at 4:30, prepare our baon/breakfast, buy bread (and manage to do some short walking), then clean the car.

So I realize, if I was a carwash girl, I should have earned at least P250 by today - assuming carwash rate is at P50/carwash. Mura lang rate kasi labas lang naman nililinis ko hehehe. Allowance na rin yun for a week :P

This would have been money saved IF A brings our car to the carwash everyday. Kaso hindi, so wala naman kaming natipid. Hahaha. I'll consider the P250 paid in kind na lang - kasi na-e-exercise naman ako sa umaga. So what's my point? Wala lang, random thoughts. LOL

***
Yey, it's Friday! Hopefully, we'll be able to watch Spartacus (the series) na tonight.

Watercolor paintings

2010-07-20T13:40:00.005+08:00

When we attended a birthday party last June, we gave a watercolor paint set to the birthday boy- complete with a set of paintbrushes, coloring book which was a tutorial of sorts, and palette. Ethan wanted watercolors too so we promised to buy him his own.

About a month ago, I was finally able to buy him his watercolor.

And he was so happy dipping his paintbrush in water then on the paint and proceeded to make several colorful lines and what-nots on his drawing paper :) Here are some of his works.

I always say that everyone starts out as an abstract artist...and some grow old with doing just that :) Here's his take on abstract painting...

A wrote Ethan's name and made the footprint. The rest are Ethan's brush strokes.

The long orange figure in the bottom left is a seahorse according to the little boy. So, I imagine this to be his take on an underwater coral garden. :)

See how much mothers love their kids? Hahaha.

SYTYCD update

2010-07-20T07:00:00.010+08:00

All images are from Google Images

Down to the Top 10 finalists for this season (I know, I know. I've already said since my first post that this is way too late)...

(Standing, from left: Melissa, Kupono, Kayla, Evan, Randi, Jason and Jeanine. Front row: Brandon, Janette, Ade)

This time, there was a change in partners as the girls picked their partner's name from a hat. First pair was Evan and Kayla. Now, Kayla is the tallest girl (but everyone falls short when they stand next to Cat Deeley though) while Evan is the short and stocky guy. AND, they were going to dance the Viennese Waltz. What they did was Evan wore the heels while Kayla went barefoot :) So they ended up almost the same height. Evan was quite strong as in one part, he lifted Kayla with just one arm! :)

They got a lukewarm response from Nigel and Mary, with Mary saying that Evan's feet appeared to be plopping instead of gliding. I think this may have to do with the height difference, Evan has shorter strides than Kayla so he had to make faster steps to catch up. IDK, just my opinion. But in the end, Debbie (the guest judge) called them White Lightning and Gene Kelly.

Next pair was Janette and Ade. This time, there was still a large height difference - Ade was the tallest guy and Janette the petite salsa dancer. They had a hiphop routine and I can really say, every week Janette just impresses me. She is very fiery and the way she dances, I can only say, she goes all out - her energy is a force to reckon with hehehe.

Needless to say, they got great reviews.

The third pair was Jason and Jeanine, choreographed by Travis Wall - the runner up of STYCD Season 2. It was the first time that he choreographed for the show. The pair had a contemporary piece which was quite moving and passionate. Mary Murphy was moved to tears when she was explaining just how much the show has helped nourish talent in dancing - given a former contestant could come up with something as moving as the routine.

Second to the last pair was Kupono and Randi who did a Paso Doble routine. The music is something that would make you imagine watching a bullfight. However, Kupono and Randi just didn't impress the judges. Well, they didn't even impress me :P Even I can discern that they were having a hard time, especially when they needed to do some lifts. Kupono didn't have the strength to lift (and sustain) stocky Randi. I think they would get eliminated.

Finally, the last pair was Brandon and Melissa who did a Broadway dance routine with the Age of Aquarius from Hair (the musical). It had a hippie-vibe with the flower power and peace mood. I really like it when Melissa does lifts, she seems to be floating on air, probably because of her ballet background.
So which did I like best? Jason and Jeanine's routine.

2010-07-19T07:50:00.002+08:00

Been trying to get a few minutes of exercise this weekend by buying bread from the bakery that was nearest to our house - about 2 blocks away.

I was planning to do this morning routine - wake up at 4:30am, cook/prepare our baon, do two rounds of walking (on our village's main road), go home to prepare for work.

So I set the alarm for 4:30. I woke up when it rang but just had to snooze for 15mins more hahaha. Got up at 4:45, prepared our baon and Mama's breakfast. I was waiting for it to get a little bit lighter outside, was too chicken to get out in the dark :P So, I left the house at 5:15, bought bread but didn't do any walking because it was already late. I opted to clean our car, at least I can do some stretching na rin.

When I got to the office, my nose started to itch - you know that feeling when you get all sneezy and preparing to have a cold. Uh-oh. Maybe I should have worn a hat when I got out this morning.

Nahahamugan pa rin ba ang matanda? Akala ko para sa baby lang un? Hehehe.

2010-07-06T08:16:00.001+08:00

Oh boo. I missed last night's SYTYCD episode :( I got caught up sewing Ethan's bedsheet (manually, kasi).

And yey, Mama's here. She'll be staying for 2 months! :)

Nothing much to talk about for now...will come back...

Random

2010-06-29T05:57:00.002+08:00

Can you read my mind?
Do you know what it is that you do to me...
...Here I am, like a kid out of school
Holding hands...

If you know that song, then most probably we belong to the same generation (or you're a bit older). That's the theme song for Superman.

I heard it when we passed by the SLEX toll gate on our way to work this morning. It brought back memories - of being a kid, watching Superman and seeing my aunts swoon over Christopher Reeve (wait, was it Lloyd Samartino who was the local counterpart? Hahaha).

It reminded me of a time when everything's all fine and dandy, no cares in the world. It reminded me of playing on the streets where I was always a salingpusa because I was the youngest kid in our block; of watching Batibot and Thundercats, He-man and She-ra, Silverhawks, Rainbow Brite, and Smurfs. I also remember hearing the Angelus on the radio at 6PM which obviously signals that all kids should be inside the house, otherwise you might hit a being who's not like us :P

Ahhh...the joys of being a kid; being carefree and happy. I just wish my little boy would be able to experience playing on the streets with our neighbors - patintero, tumbang preso, shato, agawan base, etc.

BTW, I asked A whether there was someone who portrayed Superman before Christopher Reeve because he is the one who sticks to my mind, and he said that Reeve's dad also played the part. How sure? I don't know...nanggu-goodtime na naman siguro tong asawa ko hehe. Mai-Google nga.

SYTYCD update

2010-06-23T09:32:00.007+08:00

So, Tony and Paris got booted out. I wasn't able to catch the elimination show (I don't know when it was aired - boo) but not seeing them on the Week 2 performance meant only one thing, right?

For Week 2, I loved the Disco routine by Brandon and Janette. Thechoreographywentspeedoflightfast! It was unbelievable how the two of them managed to familiarize themselves with their routine, much more make it an amazing performance! Whew.

Image from chrissiatkisson.blogspot.com

I also liked the Pop-Jazz number by Kayla and Max. I loved how it had a story and amazing costume :)

Image from chrissiatkisson.blogspot.com

And of course, I'm still rooting for Karla and Jonathan who had such an emotional Contemporary routine that moved Mary Murphy to tears. Hehehe. Even though I know (by now) that Karla gets eliminated somewhere in the process, I'm still rooting for her :P and Jonathan (who's such a cutie).

Image from chrissiatkisson.blogspot.com

Randi and Evan (with their Jive number) are strong contenders as well. But I don't know, I just can't feel the chemistry there - same as with Asuka and Vitolio.

Image from chissiatkisson.blogspot.com

Image from avclub.com

I really hope I can catch the elimination show. I wonder when AXN schedules it.

New template (obviously)

2010-06-23T08:50:00.002+08:00

I've just been informed of the new Template Designer feature for Blogger so I decided to use it :)
This is the result...

I needed something to keep my mind off of some things that I don't want to think of right now. Makes sense, doesn't it? Hehehe.

Which reminds me, I still have to make an estimate on the cost of having smoked glass attached to our windows. Let me work on that and see you later :)

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-21T08:10:00.002+08:00

Belated though :)

Happy Father's day to Papa, syempre the best father for me! Thanks for always being there, a calm presence behind all whirlwind chika that Mama and I do. Hehehe.

Happy Father's day to my other Papa, A's papa. I can see how much you cherish your moments with the little one :)

And of course to A, happy father's day! Thanks for being such a hands-on papa. Katuwang ka talaga sa pagpapalaki kay Ethan. Thank you for the support and love you shower on us :) Love you.

SYTYCD Season 5

2010-06-15T09:09:00.007+08:00

I had the chance to catch the first show of Season 5 (every Monday on AXN) featuring the Top 20 dancers last night while I was ironing our clothes :P I know, I know...SYTYCD is on its season already, but what can I do? It is what AXN is showing! :)

I was following the past episodes which featured the auditions for this season but was unable to catch that one where the top 20 were announced.

Image courtesy of: fanpop.com

Anyway, I really enjoyed the routines. Some were so upbeat while some almost ethereal. My favorites were the following:

1. Mad (hiphop dance) by Jeanine and Phillip

Image from calldrmatt.com

This was a really cool routine to open the show with and its tempo really caught my attention. What's great about this was that Jeanine didn't have ay hiphop experience at all but she was able to hold her own.

2. Jai Ho (Bollywood) by Caitlin and Jason

Image from avclub.com

Very unique number! And the handstand by Caitlin really showed her gymnastics training.

3. Pokerface (salsa number) by Karla and Jonathan

Image from calldrmatt.com

The song, by itself, is catchy. Add that with the cool and sexy routine - it was fun to watch :) And I was drawn to Karla just because she ~~seems to have~~ has (ha! I Googled it) Filipino blood there somewhere.

4. Right Here Waiting (contemporary) by Melissa and Ade

Image from calldrmatt.com

This was the ethereal number. These two seemed to be floating on air when they danced - it looked so effortless!

While I wasn't really that impressed (naks, parang professional dancer hahaha) nor moved by the Broadway routine by Asuka/Vitolio and Foxtrot number by Janette/Brandon. I don't know, I just didn't feel any emotion there at all :P

Image from calldrmatt.com

Image from calldrmatt.com

BUT, that doesn't mean that they didn't dance well. Everyone was a great dancer, very powerful and they were able to learn the choreography in such as short time - well, they were the Top 20 amongst thousands after all!

I was done ironing the clothes just as SYTYCD ended and in time for CSI:NY. I really love CSI - NY, LV, Miami...in that order. Most of my favorite TV series are in AXN - Leverage (new season!), Chuck (I have yet to determine the timeslot), House (who wouldn't love him? hehe), and CSI. I'm looking forward to Justified, it will start on Thursday. Now, NCIS LA, I haven't been able to watch an episode yet - I usually end up sleeping rather than finishing the episode.

Looking forward to next Monday :)

All aboard!

2010-06-07T07:30:00.002+08:00

It was a long-time agreement that when we had the chance to visit Nanay (A's maternal grandmother) in Sampaloc, we'll ride the LRT. We told him that it was going to be a big train and he asked if it was like the one in Festival Mall *LOL* We told him no, it's bigger than that, it would make the train in Festival Mall seem really small.

From time to time, on our way to Marikina, he would get a glimpse of the LRT and I would always point out that that was the train that we would ride.

So yesterday, Ethan had the chance to ride a real train. Side kwento muna. He didn't want to eat nor drink milk yesterday morning so I told him that he had to eat or drink milk because empty stomachs were not allowed to enter the train station. LOL, talk about blackmail. Expectedly, he drank the milk. *Ooohh, bad mama*

Anyway, on to the story. So we took the train from Legarda station and got off in Cubao. Unfortunately, that particular trip was quite passenger-full so we didn't have the chance to get seats and have Ethan look out the window. Needless to say, the little boy got a bit impatient - I had to ask him to count the number of stations that we passed through. But he did say that the train was "nice train, papa" and that it was big.

In Cubao, we went inside Fully Booked and he had a grand time browsing the books. He saw a book about a train engineer, another one about builders, and went gaga over the Thomas the Train books. We bought him a Thomas the Train ABC Book and bought another Angelina Ballerina book for his cousin Sabrina.

By the way, when we ask him what he wants to be when he grows up, he answers, "I want to build tall buildings, trains..." That's why he loves Bob the Builder and Thomas the Train. On our weekend rides to Marikina, he's always on the lookout for builders - cement mixers, backhoes, bulldozers, and cranes.

But I digress.

After our trip to Fully Booked, we bought a Double Cocoa Fudge milk shake from Dairy Queen. It was good that we bought the 16oz one because between Albert and I, Ethan kept on reaching for the straw! He loved the shake so much that when we finished it, he pointed to the DQ stall and asked us to buy more! LOL. But we had to tell him no because it was too sweet and cold and his throat might hurt (and our pockets too LOL).

What's really nice about Ethan is that it's easy to make him understand stuff like that and we don't have to get into a wrestling match. For now. Hehe, hopefully never. I believe it helps that we make him understand and sometimes reach a compromise with him. And if we came to an agreement, we make it a point to fulfill our part of the bargain. That way, it would be easy to reason out with him the next time we come to a similar situation. Another example would be when we go to his pedia for a vaccination. He already knows the routine so when he is asked to lie down, he starts to cry and say "Sakit". Instead of telling him that it wouldn't hurt, I tell him "Oo anak, masakit nga. Pero sandali lang naman. You need it to fight germs. Mama and Papa will hug you na lang." In that way, we didn't discount his feelings because what he feels is true - it does hurt. It's better to acknowledge that fact and just assure him that it wouldn't hurt for long.

So okay, I digressed again :P

We were luckier on our trip back because we were able to sit by the window so Ethan was able to watch outside. And so, he enjoyed the trip more. Every time we stop by a station, we told him, it's time for some people to get off and more people ride on the train. And just as the train is about to leave, he tells us, "Mama, no more peoples." Hahaha. And he makes these sound effects *hado hado hado choo choo* LOL.

I'm really glad that we were able to bring Ethan on this "adventure" and I feel very blessed that we were able to provide for it - sabi nga ni A, mas mura pa ang round trip ticket namin sa LRT vs the train ride in Festival Mall :)

2010-05-24T08:17:00.007+08:00

They're two, they're four, they're six, they're eight

Shunting trucks and hauling freights

Red and green and brown and blue

They're a really useful crew

All with different roles to play

'Round Tidmouth sheds and far away

Down the hills and 'round the bends

Thomas and his friends

Thomas! He's the cheeky one

James! Is vain but lots of fun

Percy! Brings the mail on time

Gordon! Thunders down the line

Emily! Really knows her stuff

Henry! Toots and huffs and puffs

Edward! Wants to help and share

Toby! Well let's say - he's square!

No, I haven't lost my mind :P and that is not a poem I wrote. Those are the lyrics to the Thomas and Friends theme song. A and I were able to memorize it the other weekend when the little boy asked that the video be played in a loop for what seems like an eternity! :)

Ethan can also sing it...here's his version:

Two, three, six, seven, eight

Shunt trucks...freight

Red...brown...blue

...crew

...roles..play

*grunt grunt*...far away

...hills...bent

Thomas and...friends

Thomas...cheeky one

James...lots of fun

Henry...brings...mail...time

Gordon...down the line

Emily...her stuff

Henry...toots...pops (LOL)

Edward...share

Toby...he's square!

Now, I have a new set of lyrics to determine, this time it's for the Bob the Builder song. So far, I know the first part.

Bob the Builder, can we fix it?

Bob the Builder, yes we can!

Scoop, Muck, and Dizzy

And Roley too

Lofty and Wendy

Join the Crew

Pilcher and Bird

Travis and Spud

Playing together

Like good friends should

Bob the Builder, can we fix it?
Bob the Builder, yes we can!

Then I googled the remaining portion:

Hey! Time to get busy

Such a lot to do

Building and fixing

'Til it's good as new

Bob and the gang

Have so much fun

Working together

They get the job done

****
We went to UP last Saturday because it was an agreement with the little boy the other weekend (that we'd go back to UP so that he can run around and play football). While my mag-ama were playing, I brisk-walked for one round of the Acad Oval.

I did it in 30 mins, yup, THAT long. Hahaha.

It felt good to sweat though. That kind of sweating, I welcome it. Same as when I do my house chores like cooking, or cleaning up the house. But when you're sweating while watching TV, that kind I don't like - because it just means that the weather was just too much.

Anyway, back to my kwento. We are actually planning to make it a regular thing - going to UP on Saturdays, right before going to the grocery. Ethan actually looks forward to it - "punta tayo UP, play ball." It has a lot of advantages - the little boy gets to develop muscles for running (hehe) because we noticed that some kids (smaller than him) can run at a more steady pace than him; at the same time, A and I get to have some form of exercise -him, running after Ethan and me, doing my brisk walking; we get to visit UP again :)

****

Last Thursday (I think my posts are going backwards hehe), A and I took a leave from work to look for tiles for the house. We visited Wilcon Builders Depot and Alabang Home Depot (both in Filinvest) and we were able to buy sample tiles for our bathroom and kitchen.

We wanted to upgrade our tiles from the standard plain white tiles that came with the contract for the house. We also plan to choose our own kitchen sink - buti na lang, our contractor is agreeable to just offset the difference in the price. Because if we're not happy with the tiles, albeit already part of the contract, why not choose our own, right?

So, our home will be kinda green (because the tiles are green hehehe) - I (ehem) wanted a complementing color scheme for the house (ayaw ko kasi ng patche-patche). Buti na lang, A and I like the same colors - blue, green, gray. Hehehe. So we chose green - it's also cool to the eyes but livelier than blue.

I'll post a pic of the tile scheme for the bathroom when I have it. This is the exciting part, going through the details. I have to remember to bring our metal tape measure thingy everytime we visit the house so that we can measure our way around.

****
Oh, forgot to mention that I had a 24 (~~season 5 - I think~~ season 7 na pala!) marathon on Saturday night. I slept at 2am but was only able to watch until the 10th hour :P

And Saturday (and Sunday) mornings were spent exercising my imagination, ~~building~~ shaping tractors, backhoes, trains, jetskis, sailboats, motorcycles, and bulldozers using building blocks. Buti na lang pumapasa kay Ethan. Hahaha.

****
Overall, it was a great weekend. Looking forward to more like it :)

God is good

2010-05-13T08:33:00.003+08:00

Your father knows what you need before you ask him. Therefore I tell you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your
body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than
clothing? So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we wear?"
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that
you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will worry about itself. Today's trouble is enough for today.
(Matthew 6:8b,25,31-34)

The Lord is good, He has provided for us, as always. It humbles me so much, knowing that He is always there for us. I should really cast my fears to Him and learn not to worry so much.

Thank you po, Lord. Maraming salamat po.

2010-05-04T11:45:00.003+08:00

Got this from the comments in the Current Events Manila section of the blog Remembrance of Things Awry.

****

Notes from a Seminar on the Election Ballot
by Kenneth Yu10.
May 2010 [9:39pm]

“I attended my barangay’s seminar on the 2010 elections today, arranged by the captain, Ralph Diaz. I learned a few things from Mr. Diaz about the election ballot that could be informative for all of us:

1. Mr. Diaz said that the ballot is very, very sensitive to marks, ink, H20,stains, scratches, folds, sweat, etc. If, say, you have grime on your hands,or your hands are wet, or your sweat drops onto the ballot, the PCOS(Precinct Count Optical Scan) Unit will not read it. So, keep your hands very clean before voting. That is why the indelible ink will be put on your finger after you’re done voting, and not before, and why you will be given your ballot in a folder, a “Ballot Secrecy Folder”, so that you can lessen the actual handling of the ballot with your hands.

2. Shade the egg-shaped hole beside your chosen candidate fully (you will be provided with a marker). Don’t check, line, X, dot, or half-shade it,because the PCOS Unit will not read it. Try not to go beyond the lines also(well, not too much).

3. Mr. Diaz said that there will be a barcode going around the ballot. If this is marked, even scratched, in any way, the ballot will be spoiled. He said that if anyone else handles the ballot, watch them well, in case they intentionally scratch the barcode with a fingernail to prevent your ballot from being counted. He used as an example that if you’re obviously for a candidate that, say, an unscrupulous precinct official is against(hopefully, there’s no such thing as an unscrupulous precinct official),that official may scratch your barcode to prevent your vote from being counted.

4. You will have four tries to put your ballot through the PCOS Unit.You can put it in forward, backward, front side up, back side up, whichever, but only four tries. If after the 4th try it doesn’t read properly, goodbye ballot.

5. You will get one chance to have your ballot changed if you don’t like it.That’s when they first hand it to you. Inspect it right away. If you see any folds, scratches, or marks, you can ask for a change (which may lengthen your voting process, Mr. Diaz added).

6. Bring a list of your chosen candidates on a piece of paper so that you won’t spend too much time filling out the ballot. If you make your decisions on the day itself without a list, you could spend a long time filling it up.

7. Watch the readout on the PCOS Unit when you insert your ballot into it.Mr. Diaz said that if successful, it’ll read, “Congratulations! Your ballot has been scanned.” If not, it’ll say why (improper shading, etc.) Get that“Congratulations” message before leaving to make sure your vote is counted.

8. Bring an ID (Voter’s ID is best, but if you don’t have one, driver’s license, passport, etc. any valid ID with your address and preferably a photo is all right) to present to the BEI (Board of Elections Inspector).If you can find out beforehand through your barangay, also get your Voter’s ID number, precinct number, and your sequence number (the number beside your name in the voter’s list). This’ll speed up your voting process.

9. The ballot you are given will only be readable by one specific PCOS Unit. In other words, only one machine will be able to read your ballot, because it’s pre-registered there, so when you’re ready, line up at the propermachine. Don’t line up at the wrong machine; your ballot won’t be read, and it may spoil your vote.

10. Polls open on May 10, 2010, at 7 a.m. and end at 6 p.m.

11. Mr. Diaz said that the Comelec told him that with the PCOS Units, we will know the winner of the elections in 5 days. Otherwise, the PCOS Units will allow for a manual count since all votes will be recorded inside the machines (let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, because it’s going to take the usual weeks and weeks to finish the count).

12. The PCOS Units have internal batteries that can last 16 hours in case of power outages. Since the voting period only lasts 10 hours, there’s a 6 hour buffer. But still, let’s hope for no brownouts on May 10, 2010.

13. The PCOS Unit will print out the vote count in what looks like a very long cash register receipt (whose print will last for 5 years, he said),which will be put into a sealed box that’ll be sent to the Comelec for proper counting. Also, the PCOS Unit will count the number of voters who are voting based on the ballots inserted into it, so again, watch the screen on the machine to make sure of voter count, as well as other important messages.

14. Mr. Diaz said that you should vote only the exact number you should vote for. So, vote for only 1 president, 1 vice president, 12 senators, 1 party list, 1 mayor, 1 vice mayor, 1 member of the House of Representatives, etc. (the limit will be there on your ballot as a “Vote for not more than ____”).If you vote for more than the stipulated number, that particular portion of the ballot is spoiled. You may, however, vote for less (as in, if you can’t find 12 worthy senatoriables to vote for, it’s all right to vote for less than 12).

15. Mr. Diaz stressed repeatedly that in voting this time, one should not make mistakes. It’s asking a lot from us, but he said that over and over again. His words: “Don’t make mistakes, otherwise, you’ll spoil your ballot”.

16. Of course you’ll also be asked to do the usual signing of forms and marking of thumbprints.

Feel free to share this note. I wish I could take questions, but I only took notes as Mr. Diaz was speaking, so I doubt if I will know the answers. Any questions you have can be sent to your Barangay Captains, or to the Comelec.”

****

2010-04-30T07:41:00.003+08:00

The little boy has a lot more in his repertoire. examples are...

Baa baa black sheep
have any wool? (sing in whisper, in short breaths)
Yes sir, yes sir
Three bags full
One for master, one for dame, one little boy lives lane
Baa baa black sheep
have any wool?
Yes sir, Yes sir
Three bags full

***

The owl and the pussycat
went to sea
on beautiful green boat
took some honey plenty money
up in note

***

jack and jill
up the hill
fetch pail water
jack fell down
crown
jill
tumbling after
la la la la la
la la la la la
jill
tumbling after

***
I felt bad for Siobhan. Well, I usually feel bad for those who get voted out. Even for Katie Stevens whom I only really liked when she sang Let It Be. I mean, she seemed over confident to me :P One exception to this though (the "ooh-xxx-got-voted-out-I-feel-bad-for-xxx" feeling) would be Paige. That girl, I'm still wondering how she got in the Final 12. I really believe that Lilly Scott deserved it more.

Oh well.

So last night, I felt that Big Mike deserved the boot out. If it were up to me, I'd really boot him out because I wasn't moved by his performance. At all. I mean, it didn't help that the song he chose wasn't something I'm familiar with but I wasn't familiar with Casey's song either but I liked how it turned out. According to A, the judges say that Big Mike lends an emotional performance but for him, it was just corny. Too emotional, to the point that you just want it over and done with. Hahaha.

I know that Siobhan isn't really the best singer but her uniqueness makes us await her performance every week. Because you just don't know what her outfit would be nor what her song would be. You just know that there would be some Lambert-ish wailing in there :)

If it were up to me, main contenders for this season would be Crystal and Lee. How it would turn out, let's see. :)

Oh yeah, I'm talking about the American Idol here. Hehe.

Favlelet is the new Black :P

2010-04-22T13:43:00.002+08:00

Favlelet equals eggplants, Grimace, and Barney. Yup, favlelet is violet in Ethanspeak.

He used to say va-let and then one day we just heard him say favlelet while clutching a green button. Are you confused? Hehe. Let me explain. I bought a set of green and violet buttons from National Bookstore (from their scrapbooking section) which I intend to use for my sewing projects. The little boy used to play with these buttons that they ended up scattered into different corners of the house. One day, he saw a green button and he proceeded to point and chant "Favlelet. Favlelet." Needless to say, we couldn't get it even though I racked my brains out trying to decipher what he meant. I had an inkling, but the idea just didn't take shape. Until one day, he held out his baby bag (which was colored violet) and said, "favlelet". Turns out, my idea was right all along...he was looking for the violet button when he saw the green one :)

This would be another entry on Ethanspeak.

coco lala = coca cola
bushin = washing machine

There are some words that may be really difficult for him to pronounce but if he does pronounce the word, he enunciates it well. Like the sound of the letter "F". Or when he says "Express train" or "accordion" (and he knows what that is, too). Each syllable is well-enunciated.

It just may take him some time to finally pronounce violet or washing machine properly. Until that time, I'll enjoy the cuteness of favlelet and bushin. :)

More Ethan Speak

2010-04-19T15:28:00.002+08:00

Me: Ethan, haba na ng hair mo. Ask Papa to bring you to the barber.
Ethan: Papa...let's go...barber. Cut hair...
A: Okay, anong name ng barber?
Ethan: *thinking*
A: Bob? Bob the Barber (he's singing the theme song of Bob the Builder)
Ethan: Tama yun... (meaning, hindi tama yun)
A: Ay, ano pala dapat?
Ethan: Builders
A: Ah ok, Bob the Builder
Ethan: Ayunnnn. Tama!

***
A: Anong name ng barber? (ang kulit no? tanong nang tanong)
Ethan: Mister Barber
LOL

***
Ethan loves watching the Bananas in Pajamas (B1 at B2) which he and Lola catches on the Australian Network channel.

Me: Who's B1?
Ethan: Is-san (meaning Ethan; sometimes he gets confused by the "s" sound and the "th"sound)
Me: Who's B2?
Ethan: Papa
Me: How about mama?
Ethan: Lulu (one of the bear friends). Lolo, Morgan. Lola, bear din.
He notices that A is still not in the room (he's still preparing Ethan's milk for the night). Ethan goes near the stairs and calls out...

Ethan: B2!!! Are you?! (B2, where are you?)

***
The little boy can also count up to 13 now :P

He can also sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, which goes something like this..

Twinkle Twinkle...little star
how wonder what are
above world high
daymond (diamond) in sky
twinkle twinkle... little star
how wonder what are

***
He's also starting to learn the concept of counting...not just the correct sequence of the numbers but actual counting. Sometimes, he gets confused when the objects are in disarray and he loses track of which items have been counted already but in general, he gets the idea :)

***
He loves books and listening to stories, even asking for stories that makes us make up stories from time to time. It's an exercise for our imagination as well.

Sometimes we work on some workbooks, one of which is the Disney Playhouse magazine (ethan speak = mazagin) which features several Disney Playhouse characters. It features simple puzzles like finding pairs or identifying which of the two pictures has more items on it. And the great thing is that he knows the right answers!

That's why our highest purchase for the month was on books (Well, except for gasoline and groceries of course)! But I'm fine by it, being a bookworm as well, because books will be there for a long time. He can keep on reading the books and learning about stuff.

***
The little boy is definitely growing up. I can see touches of me in him, whenever he gets very impatient haha, or of Albert when he sleeps with his feet touching a cement wall or just by being makulit.

And nothing beats that feeling of hugging his warm little body while we're asleep, or of receiving hugs and wet kisses from him, or just when he calls me Mama and holds my hand and I feel like I could slay dragons for him. :)

***
On another note, house construction is under way. The walls have been put up already (hollow blocks pa lang) and the front door jamb has also been erected. Whew, few months to go! Hopefully, we get to transfer by end of Q3 or early Q4 this year :)

2010-04-04T16:36:00.000+08:00

Happy Easter everyone! Hope you had a meaningful Holy Week :)

2010-03-30T13:08:00.002+08:00

Whew, it's been a while...almost a month actually :)

My Holy Week vacation starts tomorrow. We're going home to Marikina and spend the rest of the week there. It will be FIL's birthday on Saturday and MIL's naman on Monday. I had to start packing our stuff last night - actually, I just dictated what we needed to bring and A packed our stuff...the little boy was attached to me kasi hehe.

I still have to pack toys and books for the little boy...as well as his feeding paraphernalia AKA milk and bottles. Have to pack his vitamins and toothbrush/toothpaste too.

Speaking of the little boy, he has grown to be quite a chatterbox :) similar to a parrot although I don't get irritated listening to him over and over singing "a-pe-bet jungle" hehehe. That's Alphabet Jungle, in Ethan-speak. He has this DVD of several Sesame Street episodes with the Alphabet Jungle being one of his favorites - the other one is the Get Up and Dance which features mostly dancing and singing stuff.

Ethan gets bulol at times but you can easily get him to follow the correct pronunciation when you slowly speak the syllables to him. Examples of his funny words...

Me (passing by McDo): What's that?
Ethan: Bakdo *LOL*
Me: What do we usually buy from McDo?
Ethan: French fries
Me: What else?
Ethan: Ice cream
Me: And...
Ethan: Hamgeger

***
Ethan (while letting a ball roll): Oops sorry
A picks up the ball and gives it to Ethan
Ethan: Thanks!
or a variation
Ethan: Thank you sir *LOL*

***
Ethan singing the alphabet song:
ABCD EFG akjgd LMEOP QRS TELEVI DoubleV X Y Z
Now I know...ABC
NEXT TIME akdjgkdsjgkl ME

***
In Tito Doc's (his pedia) clinic:
Lady Medrep: How old are you?
Ethan: *silence*
Me and Lola: Two years old po
Me: O Ethan, how old are you daw?
Ethan: Four!

Until now, he still says he's four years old :P

***
He also knows some words of his favorite nursery rhymes or songs, example

Me: Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the...
Ethan: Fiddle
Me: The cow jumped over the...
Ethan: Moon
Me: The little...
Ethan: Dog
Me: Laughed to see such fun, and the dish ran away with the...
Ethan: Spoon!

And he is smiling eagerly, awaiting his parts when we sing that song. Or that song from The Lion King...

Me: I wanna be a mighty king so enemies beware. Well, I've never seen a king of beasts with quite so little...
Ethan: Hair
Me: I'm gonna be the mane event like no king was before. I'm pushing up on looking down, I'm working on my...
Ethan: ROAR!
Me: Thus far a rather uninspiring thing. Oh I just can't wait to be...
Ethan: King
Me: No one saying...
Ethan: DO THIS
Me: No one saying be there. No one saying...
Ethan: STOP THAT
Me: No one saying...
Ethan: SEE HERE
Me: Free to run around all day, free to do it all my way...

Ooohhh, I just love singing and dancing with Ethan :) Seeing his big smile, it's something really very special and something I hold very dearly.

Looking forward to more songs and dances with you, Ethan! :)

*****
On a different note, construction of our house in Sta. Rosa Hills is now underway. We visited the site yesterday and they have already outlined the structure of the house. Wow, we're really excited about it!

Self-Frosting Nutella Cupcake

2010-03-01T10:45:00.007+08:00

We have an abundance of Nutella in the house :) We had a large jar (almost empty) and two unopened medium-sized jars. So, I was searching for recipes that would make use of Nutella.

I found two which I felt was quite easy to follow. This is one of them. The other is the No Knead Nutella and Roasted Hazelnut Challah, which I hope to make soon.

Self Frosting Nutella Cupcake
from Pinoy Cook

140g butter, softened to room temperature (about 1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
9-12 (depends on how many muffins per pan) heaping tsps of Nutella, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. Place sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. With a wire whisk or mixer, beat butter and sugar together. Beat until mixture is light and creamy.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

5. Add flour mixture and mix until batter is smooth (hardly pourable).

6. Line muffin pan with paper cups.

7. Use an ice cream scoop to fill pans until 3/4 full.

8. Top with a heaping teaspoon of Nutella. Take a toothpick, dip into unbaked cupcake until tip hits bottom of pan. Swirl Nutella with batter so that some batter comes on top of Nutella.

9. Bake in a preheated 325F oven for exactly 20 minutes.

****
It was a very straight-forward recipe which you can easily follow and it yields yummy cupcakes :) If you want it a bit more moist, perhaps you can add in some more butter or mix in some oil.

45 Minute Cinnamon Rolls

2010-03-01T10:26:00.005+08:00

First off, I wasn't able to take note of the time so I don't know how much time it took me to bake the rolls ;-)

45 Minute Cinnamon Rolls
from Real Mom Kitchen

1 1/8 cups warm water

1/3 cup oil

2 tbsp yeast

1/4 cup sugar or honey

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

3 1/2 cups flour

Filling:

1/4 cup butter, softened

cinnamon

sugar

Icing:

2 1/4 cup powdered sugar

3 tbsp butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

milk (I didn't put in milk when I made the icing)

1. Mix first 4 ingredients and let rest for 15 minutes. (If you will use instant dry yeast like me, I just added the yeast to the flour and instead of mixing the first 4 ingredients, I just mixed water and oil first). Add salt, sugar and egg. Gradually add flour.

2. Roll out into a 9x13 rectangle on a well floured surface.

3. Spread butter on dough. Sprinkle dough generously with cinnamon. Follow with sprinkling sugar over the cinnamon. This is also a generous amount. Enough to completely cover the cinnamon so you can't see it.

4. Roll up from the long side to make a log. Cut into 12 slices and place on a greased cookie sheet.

5. After shaping, let rest for 10 minutes.

6. Bake 10-15 minutes at 400F until golden brown. Remove from oven and mix up the icing. Let the rolls cool a little before putting on the icing.

****

I guess I'm too scared of flour. So I ended up not using the whole 3 1/2 cups - I think I had about half a cup left. I was mixing the dough and it felt tacky enough so I stopped adding flour. Bad decision. Because when I started to roll the dough to make a log - I couldn't make a log! The dough was too soft so it couldn't keep the log shape :(

See that? I had a cinnamon roll, a cinnamon croissant, a cinnamon arbitrary-shape. hahaha!

Oh, and with the cinnamon and sugar, I scrimped. Big time! So I had a not-too-sweet roll. But it's cool that the icing was able to make up for the sweetness. I guess, my decision to scrimp was not that bad because if I didn't do it, the roll would've been too sweet for our taste :)

This is the reason why I chose that saying located at the upper right side of my blog - WHEN BAKING, FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS. :)

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings with Oven-Fried Potato Chips

2010-03-01T09:41:00.005+08:00

As promised, I'm now posting the recipes I prepared the past week. But where to start? I guess I'll just write it down in the order I prepared them. So that makes the first one...

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings

from the Steamy Kitchen

2 1/2 lbs (~1kg) chicken wings, separate at the joint

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp ground cumin (I used chili powder as a substitute)

1 tsp kosher or sea salt (or 1/2 tsp table salt)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or melted butter)

2 tbsp minced fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp seasoning salt (I have no idea where to get this, so I just used our salt at home)

1 cup blue cheese dressing (I prepared ranch dressing, recipe of which I will also post)

1-2 tsp Dijon mustard

1. Preheat oven to 425F. In a small bowl, mix together oregano, rosemary, cumin (or chili powder) and salt. Lay chicken wings on a baking sheet and season the wings with the mixture.

2. Bake the chicken wings for 20-25 minutes (it took us about 35mins to cook the chicken probably something to do with our oven temp - note to self: buy an oven thermometer). While chicken is baking, mix together oil, fresh basil, garlic, parmesan cheese and seasoning salt.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together blue cheese dressing with mustard. (Again, I didn't have blue cheese so I looked for an alternative and the nearest one is ranch dressing - which I prepared from scratch).

4. When chicken is cooked through, toss the wings with garlic/cheese/butter sauce. Serve with dressing.

****

Ranch Dressing

from allrecipes.com

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream (I used buttermilk - prepare 1 cup of buttermilk by placing 1 tbsp of lemon juice on a liquid measuring cup then add enough milk to make 1 cup)

1/2 tsp dried chives (I replaced with 1 tsp fresh spring onions)

1/2 tsp dried parsley (I replaced with 1 tsp fresh flat parsley or even celery can be used)

1/2 tsp dried dill weed (this one I found a substitute through Google - 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed + 1/4 tsp paprika)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Just place everything in a blender and adjust according to taste. I had to add some salt and pepper because I found the initial mixture too sweet (probably because of the mayonnaise I used).

****

Oven-Fried Potato Chips

from the Pinoy Cook

large potatoes (the quantity depends on you)

olive oil

salt

pepper

herbs (I used Carmencita Sensations Provence herb mix - sea salt, tomato, thyme, oregano, garlic, sage, marjoram, basil and rosemary)

The herb mix above was purchased from Shopwise and is recommended for use with chicken. There is, supposedly, another herb mix (called Toscana) which is recommended for pasta. I only had the Provence one however, so I tried it out. It worked for us naman :)

1. Scrub the potatoes clean, making sure to remove any particles such as soil.

2. Slice the potatoes thinly, about 1/8" with skin on.

3. Brush both sides with olive oil then arrange on a single layer on a baking sheet.

4. Sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper.

5. Bake in a pre-heated 90C (194F or thereabouts hehe) oven until browned.

****

So there you have it. That was Monday night dinner for us. We had some more left, enough for our baon the next day.

The chicken wings were good...as in yum yum good :) and the potatoes were the perfect partner. Definitely cheaper than going to Shakey's to order their chicken and mojos combo :)

2010-02-27T15:12:00.002+08:00

I was able to prepare several recipes this past week but didn't have the time to get the pics from the camera just yet.

I prepared chicken wings from Steamy Kitchen, self-frosting Nutella cupcakes, baked Spaghetti with both the sauce and cheese topping recipe from The Pinoy Cook, canonigo and meatloaf from Feeding the Boys, and cinnamon rolls from Realmomkitchen.

I will do my best to upload the recipes and pics next week because I really want to share these to everyone, most especially my experience with the recipes.

I still have some recipes which are part of my wishlist: No Knead Nutella Challah bread and Hainanese Chicken Rice from Steamy Kitchen, and pita bread from the Fresh Loaf.

Check out the links, you'll find great recipes there :)

Getting that Picasso Vibe

2010-02-12T16:02:00.005+08:00

We usually arrive home at 5PM from the office. Ethan is usually waiting for two short beeps from our car, looks out our window and says "Hallo, Papa. Hallo, Mama."

The other afternoon, as soon as I came in, he was pulling on my arm and giving me his drawing book and crayons. He was asking me to draw Pingu.

Do you know Pingu? In case you don't, here's a picture of him that I got from his website (http://www.pingu.net/).

Pingu is this clay penguin who is quite talkative and playful. Unfortunately, until now, I still haven't deciphered what his nationality is (although I have a strong suspicion that he's Japanese). Anyway, Ethan loves watching Pingu on ABC5 (Nick on 5) and sometimes when I catch it, I watch it with him. It's similar to watching silent movies.

So, Ethan was asking me to draw Pingu and his Daddy and Mommy (yeah, he sometimes calls us mommy and daddy. we don't know where that comes from). So, I made this.

I know, I know. I'm not the greatest artist there is in the world but the little boy's reaction gave me that Picasso vibe. I felt like one of the greats by just seeing Ethan's smile. Ahh, one of the gifts of parenthood :)

Happy weekend everyone!

Another foodie post: Baked Ziti and Herbed Oatmeal Bread

2010-02-04T09:22:00.005+08:00

This was dinner last night.

Again, I got the recipes from realmomkitchen. She loves bread so much that she has several recipes on different types of bread.

As for me, it was my first time to make bread. Honestly, I got all nervous about it because it was my first time to cook something with yeast. So, I approached it with the only way I know how...READ about it. Hehehe. I googled about yeast and baking, which actually led me to several great sites. If you want to learn about bread baking, check out Baking911 and theFreshLoaf. I warn you though, it may be information overload but it was information I needed. I checked out their pages on bread baking. I learned about the different types of yeast, about the First Rise and the Punch Down and the Second Rise and so much more! All the tabs in my IE had bread baking sites for about a week hehe. I made notes about the techniques on my recipe printout. That's the OC in me, on overdrive hehe.

But enough about that, it's quite embarassing - me...the bakezilla or cookzilla heehee.

I have printouts of several bread recipes from realmomkitchen and I'm excited to try them out especially that one on 45-minute cinnamon rolls and her peasant bread. Last night, I just tried her Herbed Oatmeal Bread which I paired with Baked Ziti (again, her recipe).

These turned out to be a hit with my MIL and hubby-o. I just really hope that the little boy develops a bigger appetite for solid food. So, without further ado, here are the recipes. Items in italics are my notes, I incorporated the techniques I got from the baking websites.

****

Herbed Oatmeal Bread

2 cups water

1 cup rolled oats

3 tbsp butter

3-3/4 to 4-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used about 3-1/4 but it could use some more)

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp salt

2 pkg Active dry yeast (I used Fleischmann's active dry yeast which sells for P145/3 pkg at Shopwise. I know, it's pricey but I couldn't experiment with yeast just yet)

1 egg (at room temperature)

1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp dried basil leaves

1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves (I used ground oregano so I had to use less than 1/2 tsp - about 1/4 tsp+1/8tsp)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

6 tbsp butter, melted (bring to room temp; I used only 5 tbsp - 3 +2)

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; stir in rolled oats. Remove from heat; stir in 3 tbsp butter. Cool to 120 to 130 deg F. This should be lukewarm by the time you mix it with the yeast. Too much heat kills the yeast.

2. In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast; mix well. Here's another thing I read about yeast...you can't add salt directly with it because apparently, salt kills them too. So just set aside about 1/4 cup of the flour and mix that with the salt. Once you've mixed in the other ingredients with yeast, add in the 1/4cup flour + salt. Add this mixture to the rolled oats mixture and egg; blend at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.

3. By hand (i.e., don't use the mixer; just use a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula), stir in an additional 1-3/4 cups (or more) flour to form a stiff dough. Add the flour half a cup at a time. When the dough starts to smoothen, add a tbsp at a time. STOP when the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Apparently, we can't rely on the recipe that much - we may need less or more than that of the recipe, depending on the type of flour used and the humidity at the time of preparing the dough. Continue to mix the dough until smooth and elastic - about 5 minutes. Cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

4. Grease a 13x9-inch pan. I used a 11x13-in pan, it worked just fine - if you're not really that particular about the bread's appearance. Punch down dough several times to remove all air bubbles. Press into greased pan. Using a very sharp knife, cut diagonal lines 1-1/2 inches apart, cutting completely through the dough. Repeat in opposite direction creating a diamond pattern. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and cloth towel. I just can't make this diamond pattern without pulling on the dough, I guess my dough was bit too sticky and needed a little bit more of flour.

5. Let rise in a warm place (80-95 degF) until light and doubled in size, about 45 minutes. For a warm place, if you have a gas oven, heat the oven to 200 degF. Close the door for 1 minute. Turn off the oven then place the rising dough inside. If you're using an electric oven, you have to leave the oven on for about a minute and a half.

6. Heat the oven to 375 degF (remember to take out the dough first!). Uncover dough. Redefine cuts by poking tip of knife into cuts until knife hits bottom of pan; do not pull knife through dough. As I've mentioned earlier, I couldn't make the diamond pattern so I had to contend with diagonal lines hehehe.

7. In a small bowl, combine parmesan cheese, basil, oregano and garlic powder; mix well. Set aside.

8. Spoon 4 tbsps of butter over cut dough. I just used 3 tbsps.

9. Bake at 375 degF for 15 minutes. Brush remaining 2 tbsps butter over bread. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese-herb mixture. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or cool.

****

Baked Ziti

This recipe is enough for a 9x13-in pan. I only had a 8x8-in pan so I just halved the recipe.

1 lb ground beef (approximately half a kilogram)

1 cup onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (32oz) jar meatless spaghetti sauce (I used 2 packs of 8.8oz Clara Ole 3-cheese spag sauce for my half-recipe)

1 cup chicken broth

1 tsp oregano

1 (16oz) package ziti pasta, cooked and drained (16 oz = 1 lb = 454 g; I used San Remo penne pasta, about 250g for my half-recipe)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I'm sure using mozzarella would have made it more delicious but I didn't have any so I just used Kraft Eden cheese and it tasted fine)

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degF. In a large skillet, add ground beef, onions and garlic. I added just a little bit of salt to the beef. Cook over medium-high heat stirring frequently until the beef is browned. Stir in spaghetti sauce, chicken broth and oregano. Reduce heat and simmer for 10minutes.

2. Stir in 1 cup of sauce into the cooked ziti noodles. Spoon 1/2 of the ziti mixture into a 9x13-in baking dish. Sprinkle 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese over the top of the ziti mixture. Top with 2 cups of sauce, then add remaining ziti mixture and top that with the remaining sauce.

I find this to be a great technique to have the cheese incorporated into the flavor of your pasta dish. Placing it on the middle was a genius idea! It may be the usual for some but I just found out about it last night :P

3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degF for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

I didn't need to preheat my oven because I was baking bread and I didn't follow the 350 degF temp either. I just popped in my pasta with my bread but reduced my baking time (for the pasta) from 20 minutes to only 15 minutes. Then took it out, sprinkled the cheese and baked for another 10 minutes.

****

That's about it!

On the homefront, the little boy is getting more makulit each day. And he loves watching Pocoyo, Bob the Builder, the Piglet Movie, Pixar's Partly Cloudy, Dora, among others. He watches it while on his tummy, with his legs swaying in the air. AND, he chuckles at certain parts of the movie. Hehehe. Nakakagigil nga minsan kaya natatadtad sa kisses at hugs from me :P

When we leave in the morning for work, usually he's still sleeping. So we just kiss him goodbye. I can't be content with just one kiss - kasi I smell him pa. Baon ko sa office ung sweet baby smell ni Ethan :)

I'm sure I'm getting incoherent here - when we sing that Rehab song from Glee (by Amy Winehouse), he just dances to the music with his bungisngis smile. Ah, ang sarap tuloy kantahan para sumayaw nang sumayaw hehehe. They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said no, no, no...*insert chubby buttocks and arms swaying to the music here*.

His jigsaw puzzles are becoming no-brainers for him because he can solve them in less than a minute - these are wooden puzzles featuring 4 mom-baby animal pairs. He also has Joytoy puzzles with the numbers stuff. Basta wala lang sumpong, mabilis magawa. Pag may sumpong, kung anu-ano ang pinipilit - like making 6 go to the 9 spot. Kanino kaya nagmana sa kakulitan ito? Hehe.

And, we now have a parrot in the house so we have to be really really be extra careful with the words that come out of our mouth. Because the little boy can easily repeat them.

He's also learning to feed himself (usually soup) using a spoon. We also noticed that his left hand is bit more dominant than his right. No problems with that, and we don't plan to force him to be a righty if indeed he's a lefty.

Potty training, er, getting to that. But I guess he's not that ready yet. Preferring to make his potty chair a throne for his bear (King Bear daw) or Pablo (of the Backyardigans). Hehe, he'll get to that :)

Hmm, this post is getting all lengthy. I'll stop here, till my next :)

Baked Tilapia and Corn&Tomato Salad

2010-01-28T09:03:00.003+08:00

I got to try another dish last night. The recipe came from that small book of Good Housekeeping, the one with Easy Everyday Meals - it should be available at the bookstores. The recipes were Baked Fish with Thyme and Roast Potatoes and Corn and Tomato Salad with Fresh Cilantro.

The baked fish was great, quite flavorful. And A liked the potatoes :P I loved the fresh and light taste of the salad, I may be making this quite often.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take even a single picture of the food. Bummer, right? Maybe next time.

****
Baked Fish with Thyme and Roast Potatoes

1 kg white fleshed fish like lapu-lapu or maya-maya, scaled and cleaned (I used tilapia, it's cheaper - 3 pcs for a kilo hehe)
6 sprigs fresh thyme, or 2 tsps dried thyme
1 lemon, sliced
1/2 cup butter (I divided into 6 parts, 2 parts per fish)
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
6 medium sized potatoes, quartered (I used only 4 - only 3 adults in the house)
2 tbsps olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Lay fish on a roasting pan or baking tray. Season the insides of the fish with salt and pepper. Stuff thyme, lemon slices, and half of the butter (1 part of the butter) in the fish's belly. Again, season the outside part of the fish with salt and pepper. Top fish with the rest of the butter (the other part) and some thyme.

In a small bowl, toss potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour potatoes onto roasting pan, beside the fish.

Bake for 45 minutes or until fish is done. (In my case, since the tilapia was smaller than a 1-kg fish, it took only 25mins for the fish to be done.) Check if the potatoes are done. These may have to keep in a few minutes longer (in my case, about 50mins is ok).

Serve whole with lemon wedges on the side. Dribble pan juices onto fish before serving.

Corn and Tomato Salad with Fresh Cilantro

2 cans whole kernel corn
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I used celery, it's the least aromatic for A hehe)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsps salad vinegar (I used balsamic vinegar)
Salt and pepper

Combine corn, onion, tomatoes and cilantro in a large bowl.

Toss to blend with olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

****
Hope you have fun with these recipes because we sure did :)

Apple Cobbler and Inasal

2010-01-26T11:03:00.005+08:00

I think I've mentioned in this blog before that I'm no domestic goddess :P but I do dabble in cooking from time to time. I usually search food blogs like those of pinoycook, realmomkitchen, and yummy and when I find something that I'd like to try (or have ingredients on hand), I cook it for my family.

Last week, I had several (about 6) red apples in the fridge that are getting all wrinkly. So I googled for a recipe that will use overripe apples and I found a basic cobbler recipe. It's quite easy - all you need is sugar, flour and butter (and of course, the fruit).

****

Basic Cobbler recipe

The original recipe is for a 9x9 baking dish. I used a small loaf pan and just used 2/3 of the recipe. Here's the original one:

1-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 cups sugar, plus a little bit more for sprinkling (I didn't need to sprinkle since the apples were quite sweet)

1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

fresh fruit, peeled and cut into chunks (I used our overripe apples which worked perfectly fine)

Combine flour and sugar. Add the butter, mixing as you go, until the mixture forms a soft dough.

Grease your baking dish then put the fruit in the dish. The recipe suggests that the amount of fruit you place should be about a 2-inch thick layer. Sprinkle with sugar, if needed.

Take about a handful of dough and flatten into disks and lay them on top of the fruit. Use all patties to fully cover the layer of fruit. Bake at 350F for about 45-50mins, until the crust is golden brown.

We found the crust a tad too sweet so next time, I make this, I'll try to lessen the sugar. But all around, the recipe was uber simple and truly foolproof!

****

Another one I tried out during the weekend was Yummy's recipe for chicken inasal. I found it in their 2010 planner (an officemate has one and I just copied the recipes that I found interesting). Overall, it was good :) The chicken was malasa so their marinade really works. We just had a hard time cooking it because we couldn't get that perfect barbecue - crispy skin without charring it. Next time, we'll work on the technique :)

Yummy's Chicken Inasal

2/3 cup local white vinegar (I used Datu Puti)

1/2 cup soda (I used Sprite)

1-1/2 tbsps chopped ginger

2 tbsps calamansi juice

2 tbsps brown sugar

1 tbsp onion powder (I used finely minced onion, I forgot to buy onion powder hehe)

1/2 tbsp rock salt

1 tsp ground pepper

1 whole chicken, cut in half (I used 6 leg quarters)

For the annatto oil:

3 tbsps corn oil

1/3 cup annatto seeds (I just used slightly less than 1/4 cup because it was mainly for color)

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsps local wine vinegar (I used white vinegar because we didn't have any sukang tuba)

Mix vinegar, soda, ginger, calamansi juice, brown sugar, onion powder, salt and ground pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces; rub the marinade into the chicken. Keep at room temperature for 1 hour before refrigerating. Chill overnight.

To make the annatto oil, warm oil in a saucepan and add the annatto seeds. Stir until the seeds release their color (and aroma). Strain to remove seeds. Return the oil to heat. Add salt, butter, vinegar; simmer for 2 minutes.

While grilling the chicken, baste with the annatto oil.

****

The recommended cooking time is at least 20minutes. We took about 40 minutes per batch (we had a small grill which could only accommodate 3 chicken quarters each time so we had to do batch cooking).

I'm looking forward to more experiments in the kitchen. Hopefully, I'll get to blog each time. Ciao!

Reading

2010-01-12T08:54:00.002+08:00

In preparation for the start of the construction of our house (yey!), I am currently reading the book Guide to Homeownership by Armando Ang. It's not easy...my eyes tend to go glassy from time to time especially if the author cites Articles and portions of the law.

The book is about 500pages thick, although I don't really need to read the whole book since there are chapters that touch on condominiums and townhouses.

I go on OC-overdrive on times like these when I need to prepare for something major. This Saturday, we will meet with our broker at the developer's office to discuss when we can have the house construction started, whether we can make amendments on the floor plan (at no additional cost), what the restrictions would be, etc. So I have 4 more days to browse the book and come up with my list of questions.

Aside from this book, I'm also looking up references to feng shui :P And so far, my mind is reeling with the information on the 5 elements, auspicious dates, correct areas to promote health, prosperity, etc.

In short, I am not doing so much job-based work. Much shorter, I am playing truant :P

But this is something that cannot wait *yeah yeah justify* so I really have to do this. Hopefully, I come up with my list soon. Maybe you have something to contribute? *wink*

Back to work

2010-01-04T09:34:00.003+08:00

Happy new year to everyone...it's 2010! Can't believe we've gone through a whole decade in this new millenium. There was a time that I couldn't imagine how starting the year with "20" instead of "19" would be and now, a decade's gone already :)

We went home to Davao for Christmas. As always, I love going home. I love staying in our laid back city (although heavy traffic is not alien to our city - but still, way better than EDSA during rush hour). And no, hindi po magulo sa Davao.

The little boy played with Grandma's Christmas tree - kaya nawala na sa ayos ung lowest part ng tree - and with Grandma's butingtings. He also had his time watching Nick Jr and Cartoon Network. He played with his tito's (my cousin's) puppy and rode on my bro's old bike. We also went to Crocodile Park and he saw the small and large DewDews (read: crocodiles), birds, Simba (a large cement figure of a lion), Phant (elephant), key (monkey - actually an orangutan), and snakes.

Christmas Eve was spent exchanging gifts and videoke :) Ethan received a Mickey Mouse train from us, a train set with tracks from Grandpa and Grandma, a toy saxophone from Lollie (that's my tita) and a R/C truck from Uncle Soc. And boy, we had to find a box which can accommodate his toys since we need to check it in during our flight back. Not to mention, I had to stuff all spaces with clothes to ensure that the toys don't get jingled and jangled during the trip. Thankfully, his toys made it in one piece :)

My boys celebrated their birthday in Davao (pictures to follow, I have yet to get those from A). We had a lechon de leche (yum), a Backyardigans cake (from Red Ribbon), another cake (as a gift from Lolo July and Lola Trining), spaghetti, salad and fried chicken. A and I also ordered balloons (which were all left in Davao hehe). Kami-kami lang ang nandun so it was quite low-key, no stress for us.

Then we came back to Manila last Dec. 30 to meet the new year in Marikina. Kasama lang namin sa bahay sina Lolo at Lola :P Ethan still had gifts to open (from Tito Abet and Ninong Jojo)...both train sets - one was a Thomas and the Fire Engine train set (complete with a bridge and cave) and the other one was Emily with additional railroad tracks. Needless to say, the little boy was agog with excitement :)

In Davao (where firecrackers are banned), we had a quiet Christmas...in Marikina, relatively quiet (compared to previous years). There were several firecrackers lit a few minutes before midnight, went to a high during midnight then a few minutes after, tahimik na ang paligid. I remember when I was a kid (hindi pa banned ang firecrackers sa Davao nun), ang paputok nagsisimula na mga 11:30 pa lang. I had to check regularly kung 12MN na ba kasi andami ng paputok. Tapos peak during midnight - Judas belt, fountain, trompillo ayan sindihan na ang lahat ng yan. And it won't die down until mga 12:30am. Ngayon siguro hirap na talaga ang buhay, mahal ang paputok kaya unti na lang ang binibili :)

So, what are the plans for the year ahead?

I would really want to lose weight. And give more focus to the little boy. I'd like to allot at least about 30mins sa hapon/gabi (during weekdays) for him - to just read books, sing songs, ganyan. Sana magawa ko :P

2010 is almost here

2009-12-31T17:39:00.003+08:00

Happy New Year to everyone!

Hope 2010 will be a good year for us. May the Lord continue to shower us with blessings. May there be a peaceful and fruitful election...may the voters choose wisely.

We just got back from Davao where we spent Christmas with my family. We came back with colds and cough though but still, had a blast in Davao and really wished we could stay longer. Maybe next time :)

Again, welcome 2010!

Love,

Che, Albert and Ethan

Early Christmas Gift

2009-12-14T09:45:00.007+08:00

I received an early Christmas gift (or was it a belated birthday gift? hehe) from A last Saturday. The opportunity to watch Lea Salonga's Your Songs concert!

I've always admired Lea's voice for its clarity. Also after reading through her blog and her column in Inquirer, it gave me SOME idea of how she is as a person. Her professionalism is also admirable, even with her stature in the international stage, she takes time to learn songs. When she sang for Cory's funeral mass (Bayan Ko), she took 2 (or was it 3?) days to "learn" the song and sing it repeatedly. From her blog, I also sensed that she's a hands-on mom and a breastfeeding advocate.

Needless to say, I admire the girl :)

So, being able to watch her in concert was truly a great experience for me. Being able to watch her in this particular concert, was the bomb! Hehe. The concept of her Your Songs concert is that people (i.e. fans) get to request a song that they would like to hear her sing.

Before the concert, A got good seats (we were seated sa gitna)

Requests ranged from Broadway songs to OPM love songs to Air Supply, pop songs and novelty songs :P She even sang (and danced with the Philippine All Stars) Rehab (by Amy Winehouse), Pokerface (Lady Gaga), Halo (Beyonce), Basang basa Sa Ulan (Aegis), Huling El Bimbo (EHeads), Himig Natin (Juan dela Cruz band), and did a duet with Jet Pangan (Salamat).

Richard Poon was also "awwww"-worthy. I can see a lot of women in the audience going giggly and so kilig. Ai Ai was a hit, ang kulit! And in fairness, she can sing :) She was even asked for an encore...I can understand how her shows/concerts can reach standing-room-only status.

After the concert, I even queued to have my souvenir program signed by Lea. Ask A, this is something which I DO NOT do. I even cringe at the thought of going up to an artista, say hi, and ask to have a photo taken with them. But with Lea, man, was I disappointed when they announced that she will just sign (so no picture-picture!). Waaahhhh, bummer!

Throughout the show, Ethan was on the back of my mind. We left him in the care of Lolo and Lola so that A and I can have our night out. It was the first time he slept (in the evening) without me by his side. He was asleep past 9pm (I texted Mama), at the time the concert has just started! But it appears that I'm the only one with the worries because the little boy didn't put up a fuss AT ALL. Hehehe. Apparently, he asked for us but when he was told that we were out (nasa office :P), he just accepted it and went on his merry way...singing "ang nagsindi nitong ilaw, walang iba kundi ikaw..." while waving a big poinsettia picked from Lola's Christmas tree. Well of course he did not sing sing...more of hummed and sang his own lyrics :)

It was a great evening and I can say it was worth the stress of traffic on the way to the concert and back! Hmm and that's BIG coming from me...I and my footlong patience :P On our way to the car pa pala (after the concert), I smelled the most gorgeous of smells...inihaw na dried pusit! Ah, it was heavenly to just take in the smell. I didn't buy though, maarte kasi ako sa street food, I only eat streetfood in UP hehehe.

Thanks, Ga for a dream come true. We missed Saigon and Cinderella...oks lang kasi sa concert na 'to nakita ko ang different sides ni Lea...na kaya nya ring maging malandi (kahit mejo manang pa rin) hehehe. Sabi nga ni Ethan, I...lov/f...youuuu! :)

Words

2009-12-04T09:30:00.003+08:00

Do you know what a "blate" is? How about "turtow"? "Ko...La!", "Gweegwee"?

Those are some of the words that come out of Ethan's mouth. It takes a few repetitions before I get to decipher the words. And it's fun when you do get to understand what the word is!

The first word, "blate", is actually bulate. He was asked where he and Lolo went during his visit to Marikina. He replied with creek. When asked what he saw there, he replied "blate". Hindi namin gets hehe. So he repeated, "blate". Still confused faces from us. So he said, worm (with the wriggly finger action) and that's when I deciphered it. An "A-HA!" moment for mama :)

"Turtow" is an animal, an amphibian specifically. One of the Wonderpets is a "turtow". Yup, it means turtle.

Perhaps you've heard/seen the commercial/call of ABS-CBN for change. Perhaps you've heard the song "Ako ang Simula". One day, Ethan just sang along with the commercial..."Ako ang Simula" (this is sung on a relatively high pitch)...Ethan burst into song.."Ko...La" hehehe.

Finally, "Gweegwee" is his name. When you ask him what his name is..."Tan...Gweegwee". That's Ethan speak for Ethan Gregory. :)

Gene Pool

2009-12-01T08:43:00.007+08:00

First off, it's December! :) It's usually the "busiest" month, with the holidays and kitakits.

On the 5th, Papa and Mama will be going home to Davao. Not sure when they'll be back, Papa will have to request for temporary assignment again.

On the 8th, it will be Mama's birthday (it will be her 57th pohon). On the same day, A and I will attend a former officemate's wedding.

On the 12th, A and I will be watching Lea's concert "Your Songs"...surprise ni A, bumili pala ng tickets after several hints from me. hehehe. I'm quite excited about that!

On the 19th, we will be going home to Davao and celebrate Christmas and the mag-ama's birthday there. Before that I still have to cover the gifts for the kiddos and bake some orders (of carrot cake).

In 23 days, it will be Christmas Eve. Syempre, in 24 days...Christmas day! :)

In 28 days, birthday na ng mag-ama ko. A and I will have a two-year old pohon. And A will be 30 yrs older than Ethan :)

On the 30th, we'll be back in Manila since we'll spend New Year's Day naman dito.

-----

Now I get to this post's title...the gene pool.

People who know me way back when I was still a baby, i.e., my parents, my titos and titas always say that Ethan looks a lot like me. But for those who haven't seen my baby pics, they always say that Ethan looks like Albert.

Sabi nga ni Mama, kasi magkamukha daw kami ni Albert. Magaling si Lord at pina-partner Niya yung may similarities ang features para ung anak nila fusion ng dalawa :)

Here's proof:

That's me. I was around 14months old then. And here's Ethan:

Here are other shots:

----

Ethan is now 33.5 inches tall and weighs 11.7kg. Just recently, his uncle Abet sent some shirts for him, ang cool ng designs :) Though still a bit large, at least he has several shirts in line for him...hehe we don't need to buy him clothes for a while :)

I bought 2 pairs of pants for him from the recent tyangge sale in our office. A pair of kid's pants cost PhP100 at buy one, take one. So, a pair costs PhP50 lang. Not bad because the cloth, though denim, was really soft. Also bought him a pair of shoes. Pag suot nya ung pants and shoes, hay...boy na talaga si Ethan. Hindi na baby. :P still can't resist calling him baby though and kissing him a lot :D privilege ng nanay yan!

Ang daldal na rin...sometimes he babbles words that we can't comprehend but most of the time, he can hold conversations. About dinosaurs (taps = triceratops) and layn kim (lion king). He can dole out complements, "nice!", "wow!", "da" (ganda) and say thank you din ("kyu"). He knows the colors, can count from 1-10. He can solve simple puzzles. And so much more. Kids do know a lot, you can only marvel and be amazed at how much their brains can take in!

Advanced Merry Christmas! :)

2009-11-03T07:43:00.000+08:00

So, how was your long weekend? We spent it at home, save for Saturday when we went to SM Sta. Rosa since we had no power from 3AM when the wind was just going crazy. Bagyong Santi was mostly strong wind, not much rainfall (at least in our area). On our way to SM, we saw a lot of trees that fell down, some Meralco posts also fell...it was something like Milenyo. But thank God, power was restored by 8PM (unlike Milenyo where it took days!).

Okay, back to happy thoughts :P

Early Sunday morning, I was baking pancake muffins for breakfast (but we still had rice and sisig hehe). Monday naman, I baked Madeleines. Hay, the pancake muffins were okay but the Madeleines, so so lang...I was expecting them to be cookie-like kaso parang muffin pa rin. I am still a beginner when it comes to baking so I follow the recipe to the dot. That's one thing that I notice with baking (versus regular cooking), I can't play around with it pa. We were just lucky to get this recipe for carrot cake from Allrecipes.com which turns out really fantastic...as in baking goddess fantastic! LOL. So, unting practice pa.

The weekend was also spent playing with Ethan, watching his DVDs with him, eating an apple, some chips, some cookies with him. It was also spent laughing at his antics. Oh, and one thing we're really proud of...he can count from 1 to 10!!! He knows the sequence but he doesn't know how the number looks like yet. So we take it a day at a time. Good thing he stays with Grandma or Lola at home, he gets good exposure to educational stuff.

Ethan also loves to dance! And he's quite a performer, loves it when we are amused with his performance - even requesting for claps hehehe.

He does get mischievous from time to time - getting a bit hard-headed and insists on what he wants. But we get firm with him in a way that he knows that he's not the boss around the house. But in general, he's even-tempered.

He can also hold conversations with us. He babbles while telling us what he and Papa saw during their walk to the park (birds "tweet tweet", rem = worm, with matching wiggly finger, and ants!). Sometimes it takes a few repetitions before we understand what he means but he has his way of making us understand. One time during his bath, Grandma was just waiting for him to finish playing inside the pail. He called out "Mah! Mints". Mama didn't understand at first so she asked him what he wanted, and he repeated "Mints". Seeing that his Grandma didn't understand him, he gestured with his index finger (making it like a dropper) and that's when Grandma understood that he meant Vitamins. Because that is their routine, he will take his vitamins while still inside the pail :)

I could go on and on but what I really want to say is that the little boy is really growing up. Looking at him, I feel fulfilled that I have been part of this miracle, this gift from God.

Baby#2, is that you calling? :)

Going 3-0!

2009-10-23T08:07:00.002+08:00

In 2 days, I will be hitting the big 3-0! :P Hmm...milestone.

Turning 30, I wish I could be more of a hands-on mother. I mean, I'm doing my best to be there for Ethan but I feel like it's not enough. I would like to be able to read, play, dance, sing with him more. I'd like to be able to prepare his meals, lull him to sleep, wash his clothes...in short, I'd like to take care of him 24/7.

But that's not currently possible. So I continue to do my best to take care of him when we're at home together. And I really wish my temper doesn't get the best of me.

----

My birthday also signals the coming of Christmas for me. In exactly two months' time, it would be Christmas.

I used to think that my birthdate is cool because I have the same day as Jesus's (the 25th). Hehe.

Christmas is almost here and I'd like to start with Christmas shopping hehe. On my list, I've only bought 3 pa lang. I plan to give out baked goodies na lang (like mini carrot cakes or madeleines). This would be DIY gifts - I'm even planning to make the gift box myself.

Hopefully, my plan will push through :)

Choles

2009-10-13T07:41:00.003+08:00

One thing that's bugging my mind right now is A's high level of bad cholesterol. (ugh, I know!)

He found out about it on a recent free cholesterol check that they had at work. He couldn't believe it at first so he went for another test and consulted with an endocrinologist as well. Well, the test came out the same - he did have a staggering level of bad cholesterol!

Why the endocrinologist? Because A has a thyroid problem. And he read somewhere that hypothyroidism can cause high cholesterol (slow metabolism and all that!). A used to have hyperthyroidism sometime during college (I didn't know him yet then) and he went for radioactive iodine treatment. His hyperthyroidism stopped alright, but the RIT burned through most of his thyroid, hence, he now has hypothyroidism. (I know, grr, right?)

So, now he is hypo and the endocrinologist prescribed him with hormones to help his system get back to "normal". This hormone supplement will be, sadly, for life. Hay. Sad. But then life has to go on.

And so, this led me to look for healthy recipes online. I saw this recipe for tri-veggie pasta sauce and pesto chicken at the Yummy website and I tried it out last night.

The verdict?

Two thumbs up from the hubby and a ginormous appetite from the kid! I was really glad that they liked it.

They were bitin pa nga because I cooked a small portion of spaghetti lang because I was hesitant that we'd like it - sayang kasi ung noodles. Hehe, nabitin tuloy :P

We thought that the chicken would taste blah, but surprisingly, it turned out flavorful. Of course, compared to the usual fried chicken, it was more bland - si Mama yun ang sinabi, wala daw bang asin. Hehe.

It was also my first time to use spaghetti sauce made from fresh tomatoes (usually kasi store-bought spaghetti sauce). As I was cooking it, I had to add more spices to make it more flavorful. I also used more of the parmesan cheese, instead of salt, to bring saltiness into the sauce.

While I was cooking the sauce, it tasted bland for me. Siguro nga kasi you'd look for the taste of meat that's usually present in spaghetti sauce. But when we incorporated it with the pasta, surprisingly ulit, masarap sya :)

Hay basta, tuwang-tuwa kami ni A lalo na andaming nakain ni Ethan (who usually has poor appetite for solids)!

P.S. I read from Today's Parent website that there's such a thing as "too much juice" which can ruin a kid's appetite. It was a suspect for me kasi before Ethan drinks a lot of juice and ends up with very very poor appetite. Coincidentally, the same day I read the article, Mama also decided to stop Ethan's juice intake muna (and just have it after meals). So as soon as I told Mama about the article, we had data na agad because we observed Ethan's appetite to improve agad. *Me and Mama have really connected brainwaves I think hehe*

Ethan's latest

2009-10-09T07:45:00.003+08:00

I'm back with a list of Ethan's latest antics:

He loves watching his DVDs - Mo-mo (Sesame Street which features Elmo), Baber (that's Bob the Builder!), Ney (Barney), Go-Go (can refer to Dora or Diego). He loves to dance and he's got rhythm! Sabi ni A, mana daw sa kanya hehehe.

- He can recognize Boots and Swiper. When we say "Swiper, no swiping!", he responds with "oh men!". Just discovered that this week. Grandma bought him a Dora CD which he watches a lot. According to Grandma, he also tries to answer Dora's questions.

He converses more and we already recognize a lot of his words. When he comes up with a new one, it's quite easy to decipher because he can find ways to help us understand him. Some of his words are:

- Hap = hat/cap, he gets confused because he has a hat and a cap which he uses. He got used to calling it a hat but when he wears his cap, he calls it a hat as well. So we also tell him that it's a cap. Maybe he got confused so he calls either a "hap" now :P

- Bang = he says this when he falls down. We don't know where he heard it and how he was able to associate falling with the word

- Another thing that's amazing is that he converses in English. I'm wondering if it's easier for him to say the words that's why he chooses to speak in English. We don't talk with him in straight English all the time, it's mostly Taglish. He also understands Cebuano because when I and my parents' talk about what the little boy did during the day for example (in Cebuano), he listens then does what we are talking about. It's amazing, really.

- "Come" or "Walk" = come with me or walk with me. He usually pulls your hand when he says this and brings you in front of the refrigerator. Then he says,

- "Pen, pease" = Open, please. Then he proceeds to find what he wants inside the ref.

- "pen, cose" = Open, close. He does this while opening and closing his hands.

- "up, don" = "Up, down". Beware, because he wants to ride on your legs while you mimic a seesaw.

- He can also associate verbs with common nouns that go with it. For example,

- Ethan is driving (or riding) a...(he responds with) Car
- Ethan is reading a... (he responds with) Book
- Ethan is writing with his... (he responds with) Pens
- Ethan is brushing his... (he responds with) Teeth. and he can enunciate the "th" sound
- Ethan is wearing his... (he responds with) Hap
- Ethan is watching... (he responds with) TV
- Ethan is drinking... Fee (that's coffee, patay na) or Juice

I made a bed cover for him (which also included several pillowcases) which had Spongebob as design. He used it for the first time last Tuesday. As soon as he saw it, he exclaimed, "Wow!" sabay higa at hug sa bed nya. Hehehe. Worth it ang pagod ni Mama :)
He also loves to dance to the tune of Hokey, Pokey. And the theme song of Backyardigans, as well as Hi-5 songs.
EDIT (10/13/09): He can identify colors na rin - he knows red, blue, green, yellow, orange, violet (vlet), black, and white. He also recognizes numbers - one, two..three..four..five..six..eight (hehe, he skips seven), ten! (he also skips nine).

He's drinking more milk now but eats very small amounts of solid food lang. Kaya pag napansin naming may gana, we take the opportunity to feed him solids talaga. I read that too much juice can lead to this, so we try to minimize his juice intake.

Malapit na ang Christmas, we're going home to Davao pohon :)

Ondoy oy oy!

2009-09-28T09:34:00.002+08:00

How are you? I do hope that you're okay.

I thank God that my loved ones are safe...save for an uncle and his family whom we've last had communication with last Friday night. They live in the Lamuan area (in Marikina) and they were staying in the 2nd floor of their house since the first floor was also flooded. They only had raw spaghetti noodles to eat and some milk for my cousins (who are around 7 and 8 yrs. old and one of them celebrated his birthday last Saturday pa talaga). Up to now, we don't have any news about them...I really pray that they're okay.

We were also in Marikina last weekend. Saturday morning we were on our way to Marikina from Sta. Rosa. We left around 7am and dropped by Concepcion Market pa because mama had to do buy stuff. We left around 8am and were on our way home (to SSS Village), we were in a hurry because SSS gets flooded when heavy rain pours. As expected, several streets were already flooded so we decided to wait it out by the church (which is in an elevated area). We saw the water reach up to waist level.

Around 11:30 we decided to look for some place to eat. We saw Cafe Feliz and had lunch there and decided to continue waiting for the rain to stop and the flood to subside. By this time, electricity was already cut off. We reached home around 4pm when the rain subsided and flood water dropped to about the level of the sidewalk. We saw some cars wade through the rain so we decided to follow. It was quite difficult because there were a lot of debris on the street.

Worst thing that happened to us was the blackout. Just the incovenience of having a blackout. Phone lines were also down. Thank God water supply wasn't stopped. We are very thankful given the situation of other parts of Marikina, Pasig, and Rizal province, we were very blessed.

Oh, and A fell into a manhole (well, his left leg). He had to get anti-tetanus shots last night. We went to Concepcion to have him checked but ended up going home ulit kasi hindi ma-contact ang HMOs. We didn't have any cash either (well we had about P400 but it wasn't enough to get the shots), ATMs were all offline. In the grocery, there were a lot of people buying basic supplies like water, food, clothes, slippers. Some of them had no homes to go to. Grabe talaga.

The next morning, my parents were on the 6:30am flight from Davao so we had to go the airport. We went out at 7am, went around Marikina for an hour then decided to go back because roads were still not passable. Thank God for my BIL and SIL who offered to meet my parents for us. We were only able to go out of Marikina at 2PM but we still had to look for a passable route. The roads were all muddy, there were vehicles left on the street some that were all muddy inside. SM Marikina's carpark was covered in mud and the Marikina river was still churning out muddy water.

We were back home in Sta. Rosa around past 5pm. Thank God that in our area, there was no flooding that happened.

Nakakatakot ung experience. I feel sad for those who lost their homes, who were stranded on their rooftops with no food nor water, especially those who had babies, kids and elderly persons with them. It was really a tough day for the Philippines. But it should also serve as a wake up call for everyone to always be prepared for the worst.

I really do hope that we all learned a lesson from this experience. A lesson that we do not forget with the passing of time sana.

Second trip to the dentist

2009-08-24T08:06:00.003+08:00

We brought Ethan to the Abesamis Dental Clinic in Festival Mall for his second dental visit. It's been six months since we first brought him there. The night before, I was preconditioning him about his visit telling him that we'll be visiting the dentist tomorrow and he'll be asked to open his mouth. His reply? "De...De..." [Hindi, hindi.] Uh-oh.

We had to wait for 30minutes before we were accommodated so he had the time to play on the slide and with the toys in the waiting area. As soon as we went inside Dra. Ama's clinic, he started looking around. He agreed to sit on the dental chair at first, but when the overhead light was switched on, he hung on to Albert and started saying "De...De..."

And that's when the crying started. Because Tita Doc asked him to open his mouth so she can count his teeth. He really didn't want to. Big, fat tears were streaming down his face. Akala mo talaga kinakawawa. Hehe.

The little boy has 13 teeth now, 2 (or 3) of which are erupting pa lang. Tita Doc advised us to make our visit more frequent (within 2 months' time) until he gets accustomed to his dental visits and hopefully he won't be as scared next time.

Buti na lang, covered ng HMO nila A, meaning no cash out for us. Hehe.

I started to take out his other toys from the box and I'll be keeping some of his toys na rin. That way, I can rotate his toys. Nagsasawa na rin kasi sya sa ibang toys nya. I took out Thomas the Train ("twain"), a fire truck ("tuck"), a xylophone, and his magnetic writing toy.

We're having a roll with the writing toy! Even though I'm not much of an artist (ehem, hindi magaling mag-draw), the little boy can still recognize what I drew. He knows the train, car, tree (tee), kite (kai), fan (fon), phone (fong), TV (veevee), moon (mun), star (tar), plane (pane), house (haw), chair (cha), bed (bed), bee (bee, with matching cog = hug and kiss), butterfly (bfly), feeding bottle (dede), straw (tow), and several other items that I can't recall right now *memory loss*

He watches Sesame Street, and he has a new favorite now. Previously he loved the Get Up and Dance ("Den") episode, now he likes the Alphabet Jungle as well. He pronounces the letters after they are named, inuunahan pa nga minsan! Ah, the sharp memory of kids.

He also recognizes some of the numbers. One time I heard him and A counting. A said "One.." and Ethan continued "..Two...Twee...Fo..." I'm not sure if he made it to five. Although this is still inconsistent, depende sa mood. Hehe.

Last Friday morning, out of nowhere, Ethan put on his slippers and wore his hat, pulled on A's hands then pointed at the door. "Ba..." labas daw sila. Saan ka pupunta? "Ide..." Sa slide daw. Ano pang meron dun? "wing" (Swing) Tsaka ano pa? "Ee-o" while he gestures up and down. Seesaw daw. Ayun, nag-aaya sa playground. Mainit na e, mamaya na lang hapon. "Later in the afternoon" sabi ni A.

Around 4pm, hinihintay ko lang mag-aya ulit. Saktong nagising si Albert sa siesta nya, ayun na nga, nag-aya na ang bulilit. Sabi ko kay A, kelangan nyang tuparin ang usapan nila. Hehehe...punta na namang playground.

Ang dami nang kakulitan ni Ethan. Matigas na rin ang ulo minsan. May paiyak-iyak na ngang alam e. Alam na rin nya ung magpapabigat ng katawan pag ayaw nyang umalis sa kinatatayuan nya, kaya no choice ka kundi buhatin sya. Pag umiyak (nagdadrama), madali din naman siyang i-appease so ok lang.

Nakakapagod pero nakakatuwa. Almost 20 months old na sya. In about four months time (pohon), may 2 year old na kami ni A. Iba-iba naman daw ang temperament ng mga bata. Sana hindi totoo ang "terrible twos" na title kay Ethan. Hehehe...

2009-08-12T10:14:00.002+08:00

This is heart-wrenching.

http://momsformoms.multiply.com/photos/album/1/Dr._Jose_Fabella_Hospital#

As a mother, my heart goes out to these wee ones. And really grateful to be blessed enough to have access to better hospital care. We have the luxury of choosing which hospital to go to and be able to afford the high-end ones (but opt not to). Our companies' health benefits cover our dependents (for a minimal fee) and allows us to have regular check-ups.

It was difficult to view the album and I found myself tearing up. Totoo nga ung sabi ng nanay ko dati sa isang naglilibot na pulubi na dala-dala ung anak daw nya na nilapag lang sa semento kahit tanghaling-tapat. Sabi ng nanay ko, kung talagang anak mo yan, hindi mo matitiis na ilapag sya sa semento.

Because the heart of a mother is just too full of love for her child.

That's why it saddens me to see 2-3 babies sharing one bassinet. There are several more stories to tell... and several people have already started raising funds to help Fabella. You can check out the BagHag, Chuvaness, and MomsforMoms.

On my part, I'd like to purchase Earth's Best diapers from Handy Dandy diapers (as suggested by Moms for Moms) since for every 10 packs that they sell, they pledged to give one pack to Fabella. This way, I'd be able to help not only Fabella Hospital but also the environment (I have yet to check if I'd be able to save some money as well, hopefully it's cheaper than the commercial one that Ethan currently uses).

Government hospitals are really run-down...e ito pa man din ang takbuhan ng taong-bayan pag kelangan nilang magpa-ospital at wala silang pambayad sa mga pribadong ospital. Ang laki-laki ng tax na binabayaran ko, bakit walang improvement na nakikita sa health care at edukasyon? Primary needs ito... well siguro kasi napupunta lang sa dinner sa Le Cirque.

2009-08-11T08:26:00.002+08:00

It's time for another Ethan update :)

----

Yesterday, I received a blank message from Mama. I was typing out a message when another one came in. I thought Mama just made a mistake but when the second message turned out to be another blank, I immediately knew what happened.

So I sent her a message, "Ma, ginadulaan ni gamatoy ang imong cellphone. Nag-send ug 2 ka blank message sa ako." [Ma, pinaglalaruan nung maliit ang cellphone mo. Nag-send ng 2 blank messages sa akin] To which she replied, "Lagi, makatulo pa unta ang maldito. Maayo na lang nasakpan nako." [Oo nga, makakatatlo pa sana tong maldito buti nahuli ko.]

In the afternoon, we talked about it again then Papa said, "Ay mao diay. Nag-send pod sa ako ug 2." [Ay kaya pala, nag-send din sa akin ng 2.]

Toink! So the little boy was able to send 4 blank messages pala! Ubos ang load ng grandma! We were laughing, and guess what, the little boy was laughing as well. Hay sus.

----
Last week (when we had rainy weather), A was washing the car and the little boy wanted to go with him. I told him we cannot go out because it was raining, the most we could do was watch Papa from our small porch.

He immediately pointed at an umbrella...e mejo slow itong nanay nya, sabi ko pa, "Ay yes, umbrella..." but he kept on pointing at the umbrella, then I had an epiphany (haha exagg) and I got what he meant!

He was telling me pala to use the umbrella so we can go out even if it was raining. Hay!

----
He has almost memorized his alphabet chart (well not the letters but the pictures that represent the letters).

He knows the apple, bee, cat, duck, egg, fish, goat, horse, kite, lion, mouse, nest, owl, pencil, rabbit, sun, tree, umbrella, van, and the xylophone.

If you ask him to point at the egg, he points at both the nest (which contains eggs) and the egg.

He can vocalize (approximately hehe) - bee, duck (kack-kack), egg (geee), fish (ish), kite (ayt), lion (this one he can only mimic the growling sound hehe), owl, tree (teeee), umbrella (bralla), and van.

If you ask him what is the color of the book of the little pig (in Three Little Pigs, one of his favorites), he will answer greeeeeen.

Then if you ask him what the color of the sky is, he will answer....greeeen. Hehehe obvious bang ito lang ang alam nyang color? :D So when he says this, A corrects him by saying "Nooo, the sky is blue." Kaya ngayon when you ask him what the color of the sky is, he will answer "Greeeen. Noooo." hehehehe...

----
As I've said, The Three Little Pigs is one of his favorite stories. As soon as you open the book to the first page, he immediately says "Ba-bye". Because the first page shows the little pigs saying goodbye to their mom. When asked what the little pigs' baon is, he enumerates "Baaa. Cheee. Dede." [Bread. Cheese. Milk.] (And one time he told A, "Cooo" - Coke din daw hehe).

The next page shows the first little pig with his house. When asked what the house is made of, Ethan says "Stowww". [Straw]

The second little pig's house is made of? "Ticks" [Sticks]

The third little pig's house? "Tone" [Stone].

And then the big bad wolf appears. The picture shows the Big Bad Wolf peeking at the first little pig's window and the little pig is sweating. So, the Big Bad Wolf asks the Little Pig, please let him in. What does the little pig say? "Noooo." Then he points at the sweat and says "Cry". Umiiyak daw ung pig hehehe.

The next page shows the straw house blown apart. Ethan mimics the wolf blowing strongly at the house. He does this for the next page as well which shows the 2nd little pig.

When we reach the next page, the 3rd little pig is shown drinking coffee. The little boy wants to move to the next page which shows the wolf falling into a pot of boiling water. Ethan then shouts and taps his diaper - napaso daw kasi ung wolf. Then his shouts turn into whispers...kasi patay na daw ung wolf kaya mahina na ung sound. Hehehe.

The End.

Repeat 100,000 times :P

----
Another favorite is the Sesame Street DVD, particularly that episode entitled Get Up and Dance. Kung tape lang un, pudpod na un sigurado.

May kakumpetensya na kami sa TV kasi pag feel nya, he just says "Mo-mo! Mo-mo" over and over again. Elmo daw kasi. "Den" - he wants to dance daw. And he does. He follows what the kids and Big Bird are doing and dances.

----
He follows instructions na rin like, "Ethan, please give this to Papa". Or "Ethan, come here. Hug mo ako, gusto ko ung may sound. Kiss din, ung may sound." And he proceeds to do these.

Sabi nga ni Grandma, tumatanda na daw. :)

----
He also loves books. When we go to SM Sta. Rosa, SM has a stall selling books. Ethan immediately goes there and browses through the books. Nakakatuwa, at least nagbunga naman pala ung mga time na nilaan namin para i-introduce sa kanya ang books...pati na rin ung pagbili namin ng books para sa kanya, at least, na-appreciate na :)

----
In 4 months time, he'll be turning two. Kaya nag-iisip na ako ngayon kung pano ang magiging celebration namin nun. But most probably, it will be with family lang :)

2009-08-06T08:10:00.002+08:00

I was 6 years old and in Prep at the time of the EDSA Revolution. According to Mama, she fetched me from school that day and I was hesitant to leave kasi baka ma-mark daw ako na absent LOL.

I remember yellow ribbons and the Laban sign and of course, Cory Aquino. I guess, she was my first president, i.e., she was our president nung nagkaroon ako ng malay tungkol sa mundo. Hehe. I remember she visited us at the Ateneo (de Davao University), we were all lined up at the backfield and she arrived aboard a helicopter. I remember she was in yellow and the grasses were swaying to the strong breeze made by the helicopter.

I don't know now whether I saw the actual coverage of EDSA Revolution on TV or just flashbacks. But I saw a lot of people, soldiers, private citizens, nuns, priests, families gathered together and around tanks.

Of course, I knew about Ninoy. And I really view the dictators as bad people.

Bayan Ko was our Prep graduation song. I still know the lyrics of Magkaisa and Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo (which I view as our version of We Are The World hehe).

These past 5 days, we were glued to the ABS-CBN and ANC coverage of Cory's wake and burial. My father was crying especially during the eulogy of Mel Mamaril. It was heartbreaking. You can feel his sincerity from his speech and the way he saluted Cory afterwards. I got goosebumps when the EDSA songs were sung.

It was inevitable. But still, I felt sadness when it finally happened. Farewell, President Cory and please continue to watch over the Philippines.

2009-07-20T14:43:00.003+08:00

If you knew me way back in my grade school days, you'd never think that I'd grow up crafty. I was just ~~wading~~ way over my head in those Home Economics classes in Grades 5 and 6. I didn't have the patience to do my projects, much less stitch a good running stitch or crochet a perfect knot. I even had my mother beautify a Work Ed (back in Grade 4) project of a small box made of popsicle sticks BECAUSE to her horror, her only daughter, was making a hideous draping of some boring cloth on the box.

Of course I exaggerate at my mother's horror. LOL. But really, my mother is the artsy type. Very creative, very full of ideas. Our house is her masterpiece - she really wanted to study Interior Design but my grandfather was very strict and didn't want her to study outside Davao City. (Sshh, she doesn't want to broadcast that but there I go :P)

But I digress.

I don't know the specific time when it started but I just know it was during college. Maybe I got in touch with my inner self (aka may sariling mundo). I started with cross stitching because that was one craft that I've sort of liked and found easy to do. Then it progressed to sewing just recently.

I started buying Real Living and Yummy magazines instead of fashion magazines. Maybe I was nesting, having my own family, starting to get domesticated and all that vibe.

Or maybe it has something to do with economics as well. Haha. I've always been a sucker for bags (aren't we all? Hehehe) but my ~~stingy~~ thrifty side just tells me that I'll be paying for something which I'll just set aside later on. And on closer inspection, it made me think that I could sew something like it.

So I started scouting for DIY websites. And believe me, there are A LOT! My favorites are instructables.com, tipnut.com, and about.com. These sites just give me a lot of craft ideas.

These also provide recipes which I try out from time to time. I choose those with ingredients that are easy to find. I now have 8 types of dried herbs on my cupboard to experiment on taste. I've grown to like celery and the nice aroma it brings to dishes. I have balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, oyster sauce and chili flakes on stock as well. Just yesterday, I experimented on a stir fry recipe which I just thought of on my own - just used logic to decide on which veggies and meat would work well together. And I'm glad it turned out delicious (hehehe love your own!).

More recently, I also started making my own (costume) jewelry. I saw an ad for a 1-day workshop on making jewelry which I wanted to attend but couldn't find time for. Then DIY flashed on my mind again so I started to look for jewelry on my favorites sites and voila! I found several tips and tricks from my trusted sites. I just had to buy my beads, findings and tools from Quiapo - that much I knew from reading local magazines and talking to friends who share the same hobby.

Now, when I walk around the mall and find cute bags and bling blings, I'm still tempted but a voice inside my head stops me because it whispers..."You can make that yourself for less the price". LOL.

I didn't think that I would turn into this crafty person but I'm really glad I did. Now I have an outlet and this shared passion brought me and my mother closer. We gush at the same stuff now although crocheting is still a challenge for me (I just can't make relaxed stitches!).

Grandpa and Grandma are in town!

2009-07-02T07:58:00.002+08:00

Grandpa and Grandma arrived from Davao yesterday and will be staying for at least 3 months. Papa has requested for office transfer to Tagaytay so that they can stay longer and Lola can take some rest from her almost-2-months stint with Ethan :P

Since last night, the little boy has been ~~glued~~ attached to his Grandpa. He woke up early this morning and managed to kiss us good morning (managed because Grandpa and Grandma weren't up yet). But as soon as he saw Grandpa, haaayy...na-dedma na kami ni A hehehe.

He wanted to go upstairs and play with Grandpa kaso paalis na kami so sabi namin babay. He agreed to stay and wave goodbye to us (from our porch) as long as Grandpa was with him.

Nyahaha. Matindi.

----

The little boy has a lot of antics now. Nakakatuwa.

He knows the actions for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (un nga lang kelangang naka-fast forward ka pag kumakanta kasi mabilis mag-shift ung actions nya hehe), and Ang Maliit na Gagamba (yes, he likes the tagalog version more than the Eensy Weensy one. When we start singing eensy weensy, he says "Ba-ba"...gagamba daw).

He has this book entitled My House which shows several stuff found inside a house. There's a:

Sink - Ethan, what do we do in the sink? He makes the action of washing his hands.
Shower - What do we do in the shower? He makes the action of washing his hair (the same action he does when asked how do we shampoo)
Bed - What's this? Beeee. What do we do on the bed? He looks for something soft like a mattress or the sofa bed and lies down.
Door - What's this? Dooooo. Then points to our door.
Chair - What's this? Chaaaaa. Then proceeds to point at our dining chairs.
Table - Proceeds to point at our dining table. What do we do on the table? He puts his hands together as if in prayer (but this is still inconsistent, sometimes he does it, sometimes not).
Window - Points at our window.
Radio - he places his fingers to his ear and dances...

When asked what he and Papa are going to buy in the bakery..bread and? Cooooo (coke). Patay na.

He sways to Barney's song...you know, the I Love You song...and hugs everyone when we get to the "...with a great big hug..." part.

He waves (more like close-open hehe) goodbye and says "Ba-ba" then gives you a flying kiss.

"Ba..." may mean ball, balloon, bag. When the syllable is repeated, it may mean, baba (as in go down) or babay. Car is "ca..." and a motorcycle is "vroom". "Ka-ga" is karga (he wants you to carry him). "Dee" (or is it "gee"?) is the TV.

He can shout out his lungs saying Mama but when he says Papa, it's a mere whisper. When you ask him to say it louder, he says it A BIT louder but can only manage Pa. Hehehe.

I could go on and on but then you'd get bored hahaha.

----

Our maid-of-honor is on her wedding preps as they plan to march down the aisle next year. Ehem ehem...and I'm her...matron-of-honor. Ooohhh...that sounds so...matronic bwahaha.

This led me to taking out from the baul aka external HDD my files when A and I were on our wedding preps. When I saw the excel files and my folders - gown designs, bouquets, hairstyles, shoes, etc...I realized that I had LOTS of files to maintain then. It really brought out the OC in me. And so I gladly passed on the files...

I'm really excited because this would be the first time in years that I would be attending a friend's wedding...can't wait! For now, diet...pano kaya mapapaliit ang braso? Di bale ang tummy, pwedeng idaan sa cut ng dress. Hehehe.

2009-06-23T11:13:00.002+08:00

I am a Papa's girl ;-)

I am the eldest and the only girl so I guess, my being a Papa's girl is a given hehehe (although even my younger bros are also close to Papa). His experiences as a kid have always been a source of inspiration and pride for me. Knowing what he went through and what he has become, it brings tears of pride to my eyes (the sentimental me, who would have thought that I have it? hahaha).

My father is not perfect (who is?) but I consider him the best. Seeing how he (and Mama) dotes on my kid now, always reminiscing about how I was as a kid and how similar Ethan and I are (and I have proof of this, I just need to scan my old baby pics hehe), I'm just happy that so much love is showered on Ethan.

One thing I've learned from him is to stay humble. And kind (okay, that's two). I may be mean and give out snide remarks from time to time but when it comes to people who remind you to be thankful of what you have, I'm a softie :P

I also see how much he loves and cares for Mama - he may not be the expressive type but I know. I can't express how, but I just feel it. And that was something that I looked for in my then-future-husband.

And I'm glad I found that in A.

He's very patient with my tantrums (hehe, parang nasa terrible twos pa rin ako) and my impatience. He's very hands on with Ethan and I can see how close the two of them are. I'm just glad that God chose another best for me.

2009-06-10T10:23:00.003+08:00

With my very busy schedule (ehem, work within the week and laundry during the weekends - and of course, being with Ethan), I find it really convenient to e-shop. I've mostly shopped within Multiply but have bought from a couple of eBayers as well...we even purchased our dining table through the internet! Hehehe. It's quite convenient, I look at their products online, I email them my order, pay via bank deposit, then wait for the products to be delivered on my doorstep!

I frequent Indigo Manila for Ethan's needs - their Jar of Hope and our bestfriend, the Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me insect repellant. When we moved to Sta. Rosa, there are a lot more trees in the neighborhood and this meant more insects - particularly mosquitoes. Ethan is the "kagatin" type (just like me) and on him, the bitten parts darken as well. So the two products I mentioned above really help me a lot.

The Jar of Hope relieves the itchiness and the insect repellant prevents the bad mosquitoes from getting near. We just have to be vigilant and reapply every few hours or so. And the products really work because since then, he doesn't get all those nasty bites anymore. And I don't need to worry about DEET (unlike OFF lotion) because it's made of all-natural ingredients so we can reapply as often as we want.

During a recent shopping episode, I also purchased a bar of soap from them (it's supposedly made for baby's skin) which I've yet to use.

Another recent purchase I made is from One Planet Noah - this time, the products are for moi! I have skin asthma (eczema, acute dermatitis, whatever else it's called) and I easily get rashes from harsh soaps. But I adore soaps with a yummy smell. Yup, that's my dilemma.

When I chanced upon their website, I saw all the minty soaps and I just wanted to try these out! Again, these soaps were made from natural ingredients so it would mean that's it's mild and thus, less chances of having rashes! Just like those bars of soap that I bought from Ilog Maria. So I bought a lot of soaps (6 bars, to be exact) and a jar of their body cream.

I've been using the body cream (which has VCO but doesn't feel greasy at all) and my skin feels just like how it felt when I used regular lotion. But the beauty of using this particular body cream is again, the natural ingredients! In a way, it's relief that I'm feeling knowing that I lessen the incorporation of synthetic stuff onto my body (because food nowadays has those, and I still use regular shampoo and etc etc).

I've also tried using the cream on my face (and have just recently switched to the sunblock from Indigo Manila) instead of the usual product (from Pond's) and I've seen less breakouts. I know, it's supposed to be a body cream but it says it's mild enough for baby's skin so it should be okay to use on my face. Hehehe.

So here's the stuff I bought (apologies for the bad lighting, busy ang aking photographer hehe).

2009-05-25T07:02:00.002+08:00

After I was done with my not-so-humongous (well, not as high as last week's) pile of laundry last Saturday, I finally got the chance to watch movies and some episodes of Chuck (the TV series). I watched Twilight (I know! Just now!), got midway through Baler (had to stop because Ethan was asking for dede), and Confessions of a Shopaholic (Again, yes, just now!).

Honestly, I found Twilight (the movie) to be boring as opposed to the book. I mean, yes, there were a lot of sappy parts in the book wherein Bella was just waxing romantic over everything and anything about Edward but the movie...was just too boring for me. I don't know, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I liked the book.

Then, Confessions of a Shopaholic. Hmm, what can I say but...was it really based on the book? I read the book, and there were about a million (okay, exagg) details that were different in the movie. Becky was the same annoying shopaholic (sorry, I find her annoying because she just couldn't help herself and buy all those stuff that she didn't need while she was neck-deep in debt. Sheesh, doesn't she think?! Oops, that's the frugal side of me, unleashed!) but Luke became a different person. And Alicia Longlegs wasn't gunning for Luke at all (at least in the book)! It was more of her being a freak and a snob but it was about her job and not Luke.

Now Baler, this would be half-baked (as I haven't watched the whole film yet) but I find Anne Curtis's intonation very not-Filipino :P In fact, it would be easier for me to believe that Jericho was the pure Filipino and Anne the half-Spanish character. Hmm..baka naman may twist? Hahaha. Let's see.

At least, Chuck was great! I was again intrigued by the plot and can't wait to finish the last 2 episodes of Season 2. Hope I can still watch it tonight :)

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movies (except for Twilight pala). Just couldn't help but comment. By the way, in between movies, aside from checking on the washing machine, I was playing Text Twist...that one, it still brings me to an all-time high even if I play it again and again and again.

Was a great weekend for me, hope it was the same for you! :)

50 Things you love and hate

2009-05-15T08:29:00.002+08:00

...about raising a toddler.

I chanced upon this article from the latest issue of Working Mom and found myself relating so much with what the author wrote. So, I'd like to share it here.

---
50 Things You Love and Hate about Raising a Toddler
by Chary de Guzman-Mercado
Working Mom vol.9 no.4 (May 2009)

My children's toddlerhood is becoming a distant memory. But I do remember a few things - some of which are simply adorable and make me wish I could have another baby just to see it all again. But some are so annoying I am glad my kids are past that stage. Here are some of the most endearing, and most irritating moments to expect from the average 12-24 month old.

1. Budding independence leads them to insist of feeding themselves, even if they end up getting more mush on their clothes and the floor. They also treat food on other people's plates as open game for sinking in their grubby little paws.

2. The fussy eater has discovered a new trick to end feeding time struggles - just push the whole plate off the table and smile.

3. They discover food they like and eat more than you think could possibly fit into their tiny bodies - and then prove you right by barfing it all out in the car.

4. The threat of choking is ever present. Older siblings can't wait for toddlers to turn three so they can finally own toys with small parts.

5. Even after taping rags or styrofoam pads to table edges, they find some random corner to bump into.

6. Your TV is now devoted solely to playing Barney and Baby Einstein in an endless loop. Your sanity hangs by a thread. [this is also true for reading books! - che]

7. They discover how much fun it is to paint. Too bad they discover this gift while wielding your favorite MAC lipstick on the cream-colored sofa.

8. They rummage through your bag or dresser to "hide" your things in the trash, the laundry basket, or your shoes!

9. Instead of shape sorters, they prefer to see how things fit in sockets, electric fans and drains.

10. Your bed, the couch, the rug and random corners all smell like the ghost of a very large, not-yet-toilet-trained dog.

11. These unsteady eager walkers have no sense of gravity, and you constantly try to break their falls. You now have a slipped disc that can only be fixed with surgery.

12. Drool, drool and more drool...On your shoulder when you carry them. On your parents when they greet them. On someone's birthday cake when they join the blowing.

13. They disregard you, and you constantly need to redirect them. Wait for me to get a tissue!! Keep your diaper on! Don't wipe your nose with your sleeve! DON'T TOUCH THE POOP!

14. For toddlers who love baths, the struggle is getting them out before your water bill bleeds you dry.

15. For those who hate baths, it's rushing to get them clean before the neighbors complain from all the yelling.

16. In either case, the bath is always followed by a chase around the house to rein in a wet, naked toddler.

17. This is the age when "advanced" toddlers get a handle on toilet training, and demand to be brought to the bathroom to expel two drops of pee...

18. ...while the happy slacker celebrates donning of a new diaper by promptly pooping into it.

19. They holler during haircuts like it's a trip to the guillotine, making everyone wonder if you abuse your child in private. You resort to cutting his hair at home, and people wonder why your kid has that odd bowl haircut.

20. At the toy store, they want to buy expensive, development-stunting toys. When you summon the backbone to refuse them, they hurl their bodies to the ground crying. When you try to heave their dead weight off the floor, they act like all their muscles have atrophied.

21. At restaurants, the sight of all that sharp silverware and breakable china is the ultimate turn-on. Nothing short of a Baby Einstein video can break their determination to see if these objects will break when thrown.

22. They talk away when you want quiet, but when you try to impress your friends with their advanced speech, they turn mute. [or pretend-talk away into a cellphone but when someone is actually on the other line, they just sit there, listen and smile - che]

23. They cry at the top of their lungs the minute you get on the phone with your office.

24. Everything at the playgroup is "mine". Any child that violates that understanding must have her hair pulled, preferably when that child's parent is watching.

25. When a toddler's toy is "grabbed", biting the offender is a great option for settling differences.

But for all that pain and humiliation, the payback is more than adequate. No longer the newborn that seemed preoccupied only with drinking, sleeping and defecating, toddlerhood is when you see how their minds work, how their preferences are formed and their fears faced. Even fathers who were perplexed and alienated by the newborn become more comfortable dealing with the less fragile toddler.

26. Toddler's chubbiest and juiciest parts (like cheeks and toes) - can be peppered with kisses by Mom and Dad, because they are big enough to be handled with ease. Unlike older kids, they don't wipe off your kisses either.

27. They can say many words in the cutest, sometimes most inexplicable, ways, i.e. "oosh" for shoes and "tappity" for food. [or "o-wa" for Dora and "mo-mo" for Elmo -che]

28. When they cannot explain what they want, you have to read body and face language to guess. The expression for "I want to poo" is a killer!

29. Some walk only on tiptoe, making them look like they are ready to fly into your arms.

30. Everything they put on their bodies looks great - be it the latest fashion trend sized down to fit them or just a diaper.

31. They still have that baby smell of milk and powder, unlike the smell of sun and sweat that comes with older children.

32. They never ever have bad breath, even after chugging eight ounces of milk and taking a nap. [Amen! And the smell of their breath...ooh, I just love it. In fact, I purposely breathe in Ethan's breath while he yawns hehehe - che]

33. They have no hang-ups about dancing in public, including flashing their underwear to get laughs.

34. When they fall asleep in your arms, they mold their bodies into yours, and it's pure bliss. [and their faces, ah, you'll never see how much of a dynamo he is once awake -che]

35. They can be sitting on a monobloc chair and believe they are riding a horse, driving a race car, or piloting a spaceship into outer space.

36. They innocently wave at complete strangers and stare openly at gas attendants, street vendors, and, their favorite - bald people. [this list includes salesladies, people queueing with you, waiters/waitresses, etc -che]

37. They think they can enter a TV show or movie the way Steve "skidoos" into a Blues Clues scene.

38. They pretend to be reading, even when they are holding a book upside down.

39. They have no preset notion of tune or melody so are extremely forgiving of your tone-deafness.

40. Their idea of "pretty" is not dictated by fashion magazines. You could still be wearing your old pajamas and still be called "beautiful" by your adoring toddler.

41. Eager to be grown-up, they distinguish themselves from other babies by pointing and saying "baby".

42. They can dispense hugs, kisses, smiles, and other tricks on demand, or just when you are about to lose your mind. [ooh love these especially those hugs na madiin (haha ung may tunog) and those kisses with sound - che]

43. When you enter the door after a long day at work, they yell "Mama" and reach out for you in a way that melts all the stress away.

44. As the rebellious stage is still about a year away, they will do the "close/open", "beautiful eyes", "where is the light?" routine whenever you prompt them.

45. They have a look of pure amazement when they taste goodies like ice cream or chocolate for the first time.

46. They show inestimable happiness at the simplest of things like birds on the ground and the moon in the sky.

47. They never fake joy, sadness or anger - their emotions are genuine and communicate rather than manipulate.

48. They remind you to pay attention because everything in their eyes is new and fresh.

49. They already seem to know that being with Mama and Papa is better than being with Yaya...the separation anxiety when you leave is a heartbreaker, but the joy of reuniting is priceless.

50. They have that light of intelligence in their eyes as they begin to understand the world around them - that demonstrated affection breeds reciprocity , talking is the fastest way to get what you want, and actions like scampering towards birds elicit delightful effects.
---

See, I really enjoyed reading that article. :)

We've moved!

2009-05-11T08:53:00.002+08:00

Finally, we've moved house. Successfully. :P

The lipat bahay truck arrived at 7am last Saturday and we started loading our stuff around 7:20. We were done by 8am, travelled to Sta. Rosa and done unloading by 10am.

We're still like an evacuation center right now, with all the boxes and stuff. So far, we've cleared up the living room and the dirty kitchen area. The kitchen is semi-set up already. The ~~beds~~ futons (aka mattress sa sahig) are set up in their respective rooms. I also prioritized Ethan's closet. But the rest are still in boxes.

That's okay. Everything will be arranged. In time. :P

We also went back to the house in Muntinlupa to clean up, throw out the garbage and give the keys to our landlady. I miss the house, we've got good memories with it. We stayed there for 3 years.

It was Ethan's first home. And it was our venue for all his cupcake birthdays. We had no problems with the house itself. It was getting a bit crowded, but we could've adjusted.

Our concerns were with its location. To get to the house, we had to go through a narrow alley (could fit one car at a time), then go through a narrower gate (could accommodate only 1 person at a time). In case of emergencies, we would have a problem getting out, or for the rescue people going in. And we had to prioritize that concern, because Ethan is left at home with only his lola every working day.

So now, we feel safer in our current home. It's also a shorter drive to work, meaning, we leave a bit later than usual and most importantly, arrive home earlier!

And oh, one more happiness for me! We are now close to a branch of Conti's!!! Drat, that wouldn't be good for my already-heavy weight. I need to start going on regular walks around the neighborhood! :)

Fit to Work...

2009-05-07T08:51:00.002+08:00

...but still need to consult our company doctor.

Much as I want to stay at home, I really need to go back to work (kasi mauubos ang sick leave ko hehehe). Anyway, I can function even if I my eyes get itchy once in a while. And I brought my eye drops with me :P

I was able to pack some more stuff yesterday and watch 3 episodes of Gossip Girl Season 1 (ep 9-11). Yep, that's how delayed I am in watching all these tv shows hehe. We're done with True Blood (season 1), no latest episode of House Season 5 yet, neither that of Chuck. But we've started a new series Leverage and have 1 last episode to watch to complete Season 1. Nakaka-addict. Hehe.

Okay, back to packing. We're almost done with the small stuff (yun ang mas mahirap i-pack e) siguro kaya na yun for tonight. Tomorrow night ewan ko lang kung makatulog pa kami hahaha. We scheduled our move on Saturday (pickup by the truck by 8AM)...dapat lang talga matapos namin. Although pwede pa naman kaming bumalik on the 10th to get whatever stuff we may leave behind. And drop off the keys to the landlady.

I'm starting to miss the house. Because it was our first home after we got married and it's the first house that Ethan knows. We stayed for 3 years din pala sa house na ito. Nakaka-miss but we have to move on. We'll always have our memories of it naman. Hehe. *Drama na ito*

On another note, gusto kong mag-shopping! Hehe. Sa Divi or sa Quiapo or anywhere na mura :P Kaso saka na lang pag nabili na namin ung mga priority na bilhin..like a dining table. Saka na lang ung iba :P

Gotta go to the clinic...sana hindi na ako pauwiin hehe.

Diagnosis

2009-05-05T14:00:00.003+08:00

Waahhh!

I'm being sent home because I have viral conjunctivitis a.k.a. sore eyes. I dropped by our clinic this morning and the nurse placed eye drops on my eye (of course, where else? Duh!) and asked me to come back after 2 hours.

The redness didn't subside after 2 hours so she placed something (I guess it was some eye drops that is intended for sore eyes) and told me to come back after lunch. If the redness subsides, that would mean that I do have sore eyes.

And so I'm sent home and made to rest until tomorrow. But I can't go home yet. A can't go home right away (he has a lot of stuff to finish first) so I have to wait for him until later.

Since I'm filing the afternoon as a sick leave anyway, I intend to do no work-related stuff a.k.a. surf the web until it's time to go home. Hehehe.

Sana lang talaga hindi ko mahawaan si Ethan. Please po, Lord.

2009-05-05T09:35:00.002+08:00

It was quite a busy weekend, and I feel that I still lack hours of sleep.

Friday had us waking up early to load all the stuff we'll be bringing to our new house (rented) in Sta. Rosa. We had to go there early so we can clean up a bit, transfer the stuff we brought from our plastic boxes to the cardboard box and leave it there.

But when we got there, the former tenant (who's my officemate) hasn't packed all his stuff yet so we couldn't really clean up the house much as we want to. So we just transferred our stuff, A cleaned the bathroom upstairs (since hindi pa sila nakakaligong mag-ama), and had our incenso smoking of the whole house.

After that we headed for Sampaloc since it was Lola Paz's birthday. We stayed there until around 3 or 4 in the afternoon and went home to Marikina. As soon as we arrived, I had to take our laundry and set-up the washing machine.

Then Saturday morning, A had to bring our car to the shop to have the gas tank cleaned and have the aircon fixed. Boohoo. The aircon needed a new...whoa, I forgot what it needed...but it took us down by P8T!

Not to mention our pagod during the whole day kasi kelangan ni A magpatay-oras para hintayin ung kotse. Ako naman, I still had laundry to take care off (had to handwash those) then give Ethan a bath, and basically take care of him the whole day. My mag-ama were sleeping by 9pm but not me. I had a call from Davao (parents) and talked to them and my tita until 1AM!

Sunday was much better, we got to sleep in the morning. Then came Pacquiao's fight which lasted for like a split second (haha exagg)...galing din. Mas matagal pa yung paghihintay haha.

On our way home, we dropped by S&R Alabang kasi wala lang. Haha. Gusto ko lang maglibot. Had our merienda and bought ice cream (sumakit lalo lalamunan ko kasi anlamig hehe). And when we reached home, no rest pa rin kasi I had to continue packing our stuff.

Monday, I took a leave from work but we still left the house at 6AM to bring some more stuff to Sta. Rosa. The former tenant has packed some stuff and cleaned up the sink kaso meron pa rin syang mga gamit so again, di pa kami nakapaglinis.

We left before 9AM kasi we needed to bring the little boy to his pedia for his monthly check-up. But when we got to Asian, hindi nag-clinic si pedia. Boohoo. We ended up spending the rest of the day in Festival Mall. Libot sa Ace, daan sa Booksale (still no crossword puzzles huhu), sa St. Paul's (I really want to buy Sacred Heart and something of Mama Mary, deciding if the Mediatrix or the Immaculate Heart for our altar - yes, meron na rin, finally), grocery nang unti.

THEN, when we got home, we still continued with our packing. And after dinner, I ironed our clothes pa.

Hay grabe, very very hectic. Pero oks lang, this too shall pass :P

This morning pa pala, when I woke up, nagmumuta ang aking eyes (sorry for the term) and namumula. I dropped by our clinic earlier, the nurse dropped some EyeMo. Buti na lang, nawala na ngayon ung pangangati at pamumula. Ayaw kong magka-sore eyes!!! :P

---
Read this from chuvaness blog: http://chuvaness.livejournal.com/597001.html waaahhhh!!! I want, I want, I want!

Swimming in Davao

2009-04-27T09:15:00.005+08:00

Before anything else, let me tell you another amazing story about the little boy.

Yesterday, we made a quick trip to SM Marikina to buy a gift for another cousin who had the same birthday as Sabrina's. While A was paying for our purchases, Ethan started pointing at the character pillows on the nearby shelves. I spied Dora and Spongebob on one shelf so we got closer.

I asked Ethan who it was (I was pointing at Dora). And he replied, "Do-wa" (or something like that, I can't really spell the word he said but you'd understand that he meant Dora).

I was stunned. And I couldn't believe my ears. So I tried moving his attention to other stuff. After a few minutes, we went back.

Mama: "Who's this again?"
Ethan: "Do-wa!" (again, same pronunciation, which I can't spell)
Mama: *stunned*
Mama: "This one?" (pointing at Spongebob)
Ethan: opens his mouth twice, mouthing something like pa-pa. Hmm.

Still can't believe it. By this time, A has finished paying so I called him.

Mama: "Pa, listen to this. Ethan, who's this?" (again, pointing at Dora)
Ethan: "Do-wa!" (it took him a few minutes this time, probably wondering why Mama kept on asking him hehehe).
A: *laughs* "Very good!"

Needless to say, we were amazed.

----

Okay, back to regular programming :P Here are a few pictures of the little boy when he made his swimming debut.

(Note: the pool's depth, if it can be called that hehe, is about up to my knees. So I had to crouch the whole time. The little boy had the water level up to his chest when he stands on the pool floor)

When we tell him to kick and try reaching us, he kicks with all his heart and flaps his arms as well :P It's really great to see him enjoying the water. We even bought him a lifesaver but got to use it for only a few minutes. He preferred being held.

Here we are posing with his Tito Jearl (yup, that's my cousin).

Ooh, that sweet smile on the little boy's face. It melts my heart everytime.

Projects

2009-04-20T16:03:00.008+08:00

(Note: started this post last week but only able to post it this week, had some problems in copying the pics...admin problems, not technical ones hehe)

Finally, the pics are here :P

The first project was a bag - hand-sewn po kasi wala akong sewing machine hehe. It's made of canvas and the design was conceptualized and hand-painted by moi, as well. It has a lot to improve on pa, kahit ako hindi masyadong masaya sa kinalabasan nung pic, sabi nga ng kid bro ko..."Parang ni-paste lang ung baby". Hehe, ganyan ka-brutal un.

This project took about a month to finish.

The second project was the Peter Pan costume for the little boy. This was made in Davao, and I was helped by Mama and Auntie Belen (since this time, I had sewing machine to use kaso hindi pa ako marunong gumamit hahaha).

I thought long and hard on how to make it with the least effort so I thought of using a ready-made green shirt and tights. Gaisano Mall (in Davao) was selling a Peter Pan costume but was quite big for Ethan...buti na lang din coz we didn't really like how it was made hehehe. Mama and T Belen just copied how the collar was made.

We started with 2 green shirts (the other one was for the hat and the collar), a pair of tights (we initially bought a white one and planned to dye it however we saw a green one in another mall so we decided to use that one instead), and red felt paper (for the feather)...

After all the cutting and sewing, here's his costume:

He had a great time at the party yesterday. Didn't want to sit still, was roaming all around the party area, picking up balloons, pushing on the high chair (which had wheels), requesting us to place him on the high chair and wheel him around the area, danced to the music (and got for himself a prize, when I say got, I mean it literally - inabot ung nasa mesa at diretso papunta sa akin para iabot ang prize, di na naka reklamo ang host hehe).

2009-04-17T08:34:00.002+08:00

I'm back in the office already (since yesterday) but didn't have the time to post an entry (as if someone cares! haha).

Anyway, as you've probably noticed, still no post on Ethan's costume nor that of my bag (both were already done, BTW). And, the pictures of our Davao vacation as well. Hopefully, I'll be able to upload those this weekend (when I'm done with the laundry and stuff hehehe).

Just would like to say that the costume turned out well (at least for me) -- Mama helped me with it hehe (actually, she did the sewing and the collar...all I did was cut the sleeves and the hems...and oh, sew the hat as well :P).

Will have to buy a belt and toy knife for the little boy so that we have the complete costume. Have one more week before Sabrina's birthday - plenty of time, I might say (that's the procrastinator in me who's speaking).

Still have plenty of projects to make - my bags (fabric is still waiting for me hehe - note to self: find a pattern!), and I'd like to learn crocheting as well. I know the basics (took it up during our H.E. class in Grade 5) but would really like to make something that is worth keeping. Haha.

To top it off, we will be moving house soon. Still finalizing stuff before we can schedule our move though.

That's all for now, back to work muna...

2009-04-07T20:38:00.003+08:00

Writing this post from my old room, now my brothers' room. Buti na lang may DSL na dito hehe, madali lang mag-internet. Hehe.

Already bought the materials for Ethan's costume, will start tomorrow. Kasi nagpagupit pa ako kanina..at nagpa-foot spa. Imagine this, haircut with hair spa + foot spa + pedicure + my mom's haircut...all in at P500! Hehehe. Kakatuwa.

I should really start posting the pics that I've promised to post. Sana magawa ko bukas.

Am a bit worried though kasi ang little boy walang ganang kumain. Not sure if naninibago lang kasi sya. Sana ganun lang. Hay.

Eto na lang muna...

2009-04-03T08:09:00.003+08:00

Just the other night, I was again amazed.

We were already about to sleep, lights were already turned off but the little boy can still see that outside our bedroom, lights were still on. Bumangon. I told him, "Halika na dito, tulog na tayo, tingnan mo o, madilim na. It's time to sleep." Ang sagot, "Di..im?" And he was able to repeat it. And I know that it was a question from his tone. So I replied, "Yes, baby, madilim na po. Tulog na tayo." And he proceeded to lie down beside me again.

It might be trivial for some, but for me, it was amazing.

Soon I will be able to hear him talk non-stop. Hear him ask never-ending questions. I just pray that we will be able to provide him with the best support to nourish this part of his development.

-0-0-0-

Last day of work for me before we head off to our vacation! :) We'll be flying to Davao this Sunday and will be back on the 15th pa. Hay sarap. Can't wait! :)

2009-03-30T16:08:00.003+08:00

THE bag project is finally done.

But I have yet to take a picture of it, so there. I'll post it once I've taken that picture hehehe.

The little boy turned 15 months yesterday. And we visited his pedia last Saturday for MMR shots (kaching! kaching! there goes the money again). He's now 79cms tall and 10kgs heavy.

It's amazing how much he responds to our questions like..."Gusto mo pang kumain?" (this is usually asked when he's really getting restless while we're still eating) to which he responds with a shake of his head. "Gusto mo nang maligo?" - an emphatic nod here.

Ooh the little boy is very much a waterboy. He loves to take a bath and play with water. Can't really wait to see his expression when he sees the swimming pool. Just the sight of a water fountain brings such a sweet smile to his face!

He has several books (the newest being that of animals) and he can identify the horse, duckling (where's the rubber ducky?), monkey (Pano ang sound? Hoo Hoo Aah Aah with matching shaking of his arms), fish (to which he makes the swimming gesture), lion, owl, rooster (to which he makes a high-pitched shriek when we ask him how the rooster sounds - his version of cock-a-doodle) and the cat.

From his book on shapes, he can easily point at the moon. This book also has pictures of monkeys and rubber duckies, which he also identifies.

He can point out the motorbike, car (Pano ung sound? Prrruurrt), airplane (wherein he gestures that the plane is flying up in the sky), train (San ung chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-choo choo train?) and the ambulance (San ung wee-yuu-wee-yuu ambulance?) from his book on Things That Go.

As I've said, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Not to mention how he responds when we ask him to show us his beautiful eyes (the blinking) and how a baby smiles (big smile with chinky-eyes) and how the dinosaur sounds (raaar).

Hay ang sarap :)

The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up

2009-03-18T08:41:00.005+08:00

Peter Pan, that is.

I have a new project in mind (hehe I haven't finished my bags yet) owing to the stage mother in me (What?!).

Yesterday, I learned from my BIL that Ethan's cousin, Sabrina, will celebrate her first birthday next month through a Tinkerbell-themed party. They already have her costume and he mentioned that he was looking for a Peter Pan costume for the little boy but couldn't find any. Para daw naka-costume silang dalawa hehe.

I offered to look for costumes through the net and told A as well (so he can help look hehe). But my very good hubby (who I now know to be my number one fan) suggested that I make one instead. Nagtatahi ka nga ng bag, kaya mo rin ung Peter Pan costume.

I was initially hesitant because I know I wouldn't be able to sew a costume! Hello, very very basic sewing skills - limited to sewing on buttons, mending a few tears on clothes or socks...but a full costume?!

And then the idea grew on me. I started Googling (hehe) for Peter Pan pictures and actually have an idea on how I can make the costume :) Excited na akong gawin, actually.

So good luck sa akin... :P

How's the Little Boy?

2009-03-13T09:10:00.003+08:00

Ethan can already walk on his own, although still a bit unsteady, but he's really getting the hang of it! According to grandma, he was even able to run once!

Needless to say, we've already covered our electric sockets and actually have some semblance of an exercise routine by constantly following Ethan around. When we get tired, we ask him to stay inside the playpen for a while - but we have to get in with him. Otherwise, he would be climbing the playpen walls (although sometimes he is contented to play with his toys, but that would be SOME times only).

We brought him to a pediatric dentist about two weeks ago just for routine checkup. We enrolled him through A's company's HMO so we didn't need to shell out any money for that visit (woohoo).

He still has his 4 front teeth, no new ones yet. According to the dentist, we need not worry about the underbite (we noticed that he has this habit) because it's natural to have one since he doesn't have a complete set yet. She also recommended to use tooth mousse to fortify his teeth given that babies have a high-sugar diet (babad sa milk).

We chose to purchase the tooth mousse (which costs a staggering P1000!) and we vowed to be diligent about applying the tooth mousse every night. Dapat lang, with how much it cost, sayang lang kung hindi namin mapanindigan! Hehehe.

BTW, when the dentist asked him to open his mouth, Ethan didn't want to open his mouth (uh-oh). And when the dentist tried to insert the oral mirror (or whatever that thing is called), he let out a wail!

But immediately stopped when the dentist stopped poking inside his mouth.

Then one of the assistants carried him (while A and I were left to talk to the dentist)...and before we know it, the little boy was giggling like there's no tomorrow! Hay, kids talaga :)

Say Cheese!

While I'm writing this entry, I suddenly realized...Uh-oh, mukhang hindi sya nakapag-tooth mousse kagabi *toink!*

Ethan is also very talkative - but we couldn't understand what he's saying :P He babbles on and on, sometimes some "words" he says sound like a real word (or namamalik-tenga lang ba kami? hehe).

But one thing's for sure, when we ask him if he wants to take a bath, he nods his head. Even if we ask him several times, he definitely knows what he wants.

He loves water so much and loves his bath. He even takes grandma's hand sometimes (during noon when the day is in its hottest) and leads her to the bathroom. When she asks if he wants to take a bath, he nods :)

That's one of the reasons why I'm excited to go home. Because I know we'll have a chance to go swimming - I just can't wait to see his eyes sparkle when he sees the pool and has a chance to swim in it!

Hay, it's almost 15 months since I gave birth to Ethan but with his developments, it feels like it's been years (hahaha). It's really amazing how a baby can go from being very fragile (and just sleeps for hours) to an energizer toddler in so short a span of time!

Breastfeeding is a two-way street

2009-03-12T17:03:00.003+08:00

Enough of the negativity *erase erase erase*

I just want to share this article that was also shared in our ygroups. It was published in the Philippine Star site.

It just makes me glad and proud to have chosen to breastfeed Ethan (exclusively until the 6th month and mixed feeding until today - I take about 20mins each day to pump while at work). It really builds a special bond between me and my child.

------
Two-way street
AT 3 A.M.
By James B. Reuter
Updated February 28, 2009 12:00 AM

The Armed Forces of the United States of America, after intensive investigation for two full years, came to the conclusion that babies,who were nursed at their mother’s breast, never got battle fatigue.

Battle fatigue, during World War I, was known as “shell shock.” It is insanity, brought about by the pressure of war. It was especially terrible, because those soldiers who “went off”, years later, in civilian life, from shell shock, saw the enemy everywhere. They fought, for survival.

The US Army was so disturbed by the high incidence of “battle fatigue”in World War II that they said to the medical corps: “Find out thecause of this, so that we can defend ourselves against it.”

The medical corps went at it. Their first report was: “It is nothing that we do to these boys! We take two boys from the same town. We feed them on the same food. We train them in exactly the same way. We put them in the same battle, under the same pressure, and one breaks, and the other doesn’t!. . . It is nothing that we do to these boys! It is something that happened to them before we got them!”

Then they investigated the homes from which they came. And they discovered that the boys who nursed at their mother’s breast never got battle fatigue! They were immune. All the boys who came down with battle fatigue were artificially fed!

When they had this finding, they did not know what to do with it. They did not release it, for two years. During that time they investigated what happened when a mother breast fed her baby.

In the middle of their investigations they felt they had it! It was basic metabolism! The transubstantiation of the food you eat, into your body and blood. They always thought that basic metabolism was determined while the baby was in the womb! But they discovered that it was determined only in the days, and weeks, and months, after delivery!

So they felt that their investigation was over. It was: mother’s milk!

They checked this. They took the real mother, with a breast pump, and fed it to her baby in a bottle. . . It did not work! . . .The basic metabolism of the baby came out very rocky. . . . Better than if it was purely artificial feeding, but far from normal!

The doctors thought: “What is this? We know it is breast feeding, but it is not the mother’s milk!”

They got their lead from this: some babies have insomnia. They lie awake at night, as tense as a drum. You can put these babies to sleep with injections, but the doctors do not want to do this, because the baby is a delicate little instrument. If you put too many chemicals into him, he will die.

In practice, every nurse, in every nursery, knows what to do. She takes the baby from the bassinet, brings him to his mother, and puts him on his mother’s breast. When he is pressed against her, when she is holding him, and talking to him, he relaxes, and he sleeps.

The doctors said: “What is it — about the mother — that does this to the baby?” They investigated this, for months. Now they have about five things that they can prove, scientifically.

It is the skin of the Mommy! The skin of the mother is the sweetest skin in all this world, to her baby. It is his safety blanket. That is why a baby, nursing at his mother’s breast, puts his hand on her other breast. The touch of his Mommy makes him feel safe, and secure.

It is the smell of the Mommy! To a baby, the scent of his mother is the sweetest scent in all the world.

It is her heart beat! The beating of her heart is the music of his life. He has been living to the music of his mother for nine months, in her womb. When he is separated from that heart beat, he is frightened!

It is the sound of her voice! Every woman has a frequency. The baby is tuned to that frequency. There is no chemical, known to men, that can relax a baby so completely as the sound of his mother’s voice.

When the baby breast feeds, the milk is the best! It is designed for the baby by God! He has the touch of his mother, the scent of her, the sound of her voice, the beating of her heart — everything is right! His basic metabolism comes out “normal”, which is the doctor’s word for “perfect.”

When a baby feeds in a bassinet, with a bottle, the food is only food and it is not as good as it ought to be. He is a delicate little instrument, and every door that slams frightens him. He does not have his mother — the touch of her, the scent of her, the sound of her voice, the beating of her heart. He feeds in panic, in terror. His basic metabolism comes out very rocky. Twenty years later, when these two boys go into battle, the one who fed at his mother’s breast comes out normal. The baby who fed in the bassinet comes out shattered.

When the doctors had this finding, they said: “This we know about war.. .How much pressure is there, in times of peace? How many boys blow up, who might not have blown up, if they were given a fair start by their mothers?”

What the United States Armed Forces discovered was that a baby needs his mother!

But the mother also needs the baby! . . . When her child is born, for the first time in her life, a mother is loved without calculation! Her husband, who marries her, chooses her out of all the women in the world, and this is beautiful, but he measures her beauty! He knows if she is as pretty as Miss Universe, or prettier, or not as pretty. He calculates!

Her baby does not calculate! A mother took the wrong baby home from the hospital. In the hospital, she only saw the baby when he was brought for breast feeding. And she was so happy with him, here! He was always hungry. He would consume all her milk. he would snuggle.

And he was a laughing baby. She never heard him cry.

But when she got him home, he would not breast feed! She was hurting!

She felt that she had to nurse, but the baby would not nurse! And he was weeping and wailing! And when she tried to hold him close, he would pull away from her! Finally, in the evening, he developed fever.

She thought: “Oh, my God! He is going to die,” She brought him to the doctor, and the doctor said: “You have the wrong baby!”

When they found her real baby, he was doing the same thing! He would not breast feed! He was weeping and wailing! He would not snuggle!. .. When she got him home, he consumed all her milk, and then - not only did he snuggle — he put both hands into her hair, and hung on to her for dear life, afraid that he would lose her again!

Mother, your baby is a one woman boy. He is not interested in any other mother. Only you. . . he loves you, without calculation. Because you are his, and he is yours. . . . And this is love.

Your baby needs you. . . And you need your baby. . . It is a two way street.

2009-03-12T12:37:00.003+08:00

it's depressing.

i am in the company of hypocrites, liars, and consummate drama stars.

it's tiresome. and pathetic.

i've learned a lot in a span of a few days.

Owel

2009-03-10T12:19:00.002+08:00

what goes up must come down, ika nga ng kung sino man un.

ansaya ko na sana kahapon. at kaninang umaga, todo smile ako habang bumabati ng Good Morning sa mga sekyu (kasi binabati rin nila ako ng Good Morning).

tapos, nabasa ko sa email. may memo na ni-release kahapon (maaga kasi akong umuwi kahapon kaya di ko na nabasa), dahil daw sa hirap ng panahon...walang increase ngayong taon na to.

bad trip.

kaso ganun talaga. hay.

Woohoo!

2009-03-09T16:13:00.003+08:00

Isa pa nga, woohoo!!!

Uuwi kami sa Holy Week sa Davao yey! :)

Nabanggit ko na dito na pumasa ang aking bunsong kapatid sa nursing board exams kaya magse-celebrate kami. Naisipan naming umuwi ng Davao para na rin makapagpahinga...at itaon na ng Holy Week para me libre kaming 2 days...hep hep...3 days pala na holiday (opo, holiday ang April 6 kapalit ng April 9).

Nung una, mejo ~~nagdadalawang-isip~~ nagwo-worry ako kasi syempre kahit libre pa si Little Boy sa eroplano, 2 pa rin kaming uuwi so mejo mabigat din sa bulsa. Simula na kasi this month ang aming monthly hulog para sa downpayment ng aming future bahay *tawiwit! dream come true ito!* pero syempre gusto naming umuwi para makasama sa celebration at para naman makabisita si Ethan sa Davao nang mejo malaki-laki na sya (wala pa kasi syang 3 months nung huling uwi namin).

Mabuti na lang at mejo natagalan bago nakapagpaalam si A sa boss nya na magli-leave...nakatyempo ako ng plane tickets sa CebuPac na nagkakahalaga lang ng tumataginting na....*drum roll* P882!!!!

Isa pa ulit...WooHoo!

Ang regular fare naman kasi pauwi sa amin e nasa 2k+, bale 5k ang balikan. At pag panahon ng kapaskuhan (nakakaamoy sila na maraming gustong umuwi na katatanggap lang ng bonus nila)...nasa 8k un!

Kaya sobrang saya ko talaga. Imagine, balikan namin at 1-way ticket ni mama, P5k lang!!!

Isa pa talaga...WooHoo! *hehe ang kulit pagpasensyahan nyo na*

Kaya excited na talaga ako ngayong umuwi.

Pero bago yan, kelangan ko munang matapos tahiin ang aking bag...in fairness, gawa na ung isang strap at ung body ng bag. Bwahaha. At nakabili na pala ako ng textile paint, so unti na lang talaga :D

Bibili din pala muna ako ng swim wear kasi sa isang resort ung celebration para sa kapatid ko. Hindi ako papayag na hindi makaligo sa pool lalo na alam kong gustung-gusto ni Ethan ang mag-swimming. Um-order na nga ako ng sunblock sa Indigo Manila e. Hehe.

Hindi naman ako excited.

WooHoo!

Nars

2009-02-23T09:45:00.002+08:00

Congrats sa aking bunsong kapatid na si Mico :) Isa kasi sya sa mga pumasa nitong latest Nursing board exams.

Naalala ko nung maliliit pa lang kaming mga bata, pangarap kong maging doktor. Ung sumunod sa akin (na si Soc), gustong maging engineer at ang aming bunso naman ay gustong maging dentista.

So, mukhang wala sa aming natupad ang aming gusto nung bata pa kami, ano? Nyahaha.

Ako, gusto ko pa rin ang medical profession kasi gusto kong makatulong. Walang biro yan. Siguro kung natuloy akong maging doktor, hindi ako mayamang doktor :P kasi sabi ko nga, bakit kelangan pang maningil ng consultation fee kung ang gagawin mo lang naman ay silipin ang lalamunan, pakikinggan ang dibdib gamit ang stethoscope sabay sabing..."hinga nang malalim"???

Naging diskusyon na rin namin ni A ang bagay na yan. Sabi nya nga, binabayaran ka dahil sa specialization mo, dahil sa alam mo.

Naiinis din ako dun sa mga nagpapa-follow up visit, pagkatapos nilang resetahan ka ng gamot at alam mo namang gumaling ka na. Pero dahil nga masunurin ka, punta ka naman sa kanya, at ganun ulit, silip-silip ng unti, kinig sandali...tapos...P300 na agad un! Pucha, siningil mo na naman ako dati di ba? Follow up na nga lang e. Babayaran kita ng P300 para lang sabihin mo sa akin na magaling na nga ako? Samantalang alam ko na naman un? Bad trip.

Kaya sabi ko nga, siguro kung naging doktor ako...di ako mayamang doktor :P

Si Soc naman, di nga sya naging engineer pero masaya naman sya sa napuntahan nya ngayon. Isa kasi syang IT graduate...ganun din ginagawa nya ngayon at meron pa syang mga sideline hehehe.

Si Mico, nagbago ang isip dahil ayaw na daw nyang mag-dentista. Ito na nga ung napili nya, maging nars. [Pero secret natin ha, may nabasa akong write-up nya dati. Sabi nya, di daw sya sigurado kung gusto nya ba talagang maging nurse nung nag-a-apply pa lang sya for college admission. Pero nung nasimulan na nyang mag-aral, nagustuhan na rin nya. Chismosang ate!] Ngayon naman, nakikita kong devoted sya. Lagi ko lang pinagdarasal na sana i-guide sya ni Lord para maging true sa kanyang vocation.

Kasi nga (ayan na naman, maglilitanya na naman ako), para sa akin ang pagpasok sa medical field ay isang vocation. Hindi lang sya bastang trabaho, kelangan lagi mong isasapuso na tao ang inaalagaan mo...may buhay. Hindi dapat padalos-dalos at dapat maging maalaga.

So ayan, mukhang okay naman ang kinalabasan naming tatlo hehehe. Maayos din kasing magpalaki ang mga magulang namin.

Kaya nga ngayon, gusto kong lumaki din si Ethan na alaga nila :D Yun, yun!

Moving Forward

2009-02-20T17:02:00.002+08:00

Yes, I've taken several steps forward towards reaching my dreams :P

We've already paid the reservation fee for our future home. It's still in the pre-selling stage and development is expected to be visible after about a year pa. Right now, it's still grassland :P

We're quite excited! Our location is quite near Tagaytay, around 15 minutes...looking forward to it! We'll be paying for the downpayment starting next month and that would go on for 18 months after which we should expect house turnover in 6 months or so :)

---

On the sewing project front, I've also purchased fabrics yesterday at Market! Market! I know that it's cheaper to buy in Divisoria but right now, I'm not yet aiming to buy in bulk so it would be more costly to go all the way to Divisoria.

I've also found several DIY sites featuring different techniques for making bags - for now I've chosen the simpler ones :) I'm really a beginner when it comes to sewing. Hindi po ako marunong gumamit ng sewing machine (nyehehe) so yung projects na gagawin ko...de-kamay.

I also have an image in mind for one of my bags. But I need textile paint to make it...saka na lang ako bibili pag nagawa ko na ung bag hehehe.

Libre nga ang mangarap kaya kelangan magpursigi para matupad :)

On House Searching

2009-02-17T14:30:00.002+08:00

It has always been a dream to have a house of my own, along with the dream to have my own family. Given a choice between having my own house or car, I wanted to have the house first. Because, as I've always argued, would I be able to live in a car? :P

Fast forward to the present, having my own family is now a reality. We've also been blessed with our own car...nauna nga lang kaysa sariling bahay.

Not that I'm complaining. It's just that I'm still fervently hoping to own a house someday.

One thing that kept us at bay for several years (well, except for the fact that we couldn't afford it yet) is that we are still waiting for something that might come by sooner or later (secret na lang muna namin un). With that pending decision, it's quite difficult to pursue my dream (house). There are those thoughts like...what will happen to our house? Will we be able to continue paying for it? Or do we need to sell it? If we do decide to sell it, would it be difficult to find a buyer? Blah Blah Blah...

I've done some deep thinking (naks!) and realized that I shouldn't let pending stuff impede me from doing what I want. I would like to move my life forward. As long as we choose properly, we need not be bothered by all those negative stuff that I've thought of several times in the past.

We can always choose to invest on property that would be financially manageable even if what we're waiting for (the pending decision), happens.

And that is what we've been doing.

The economic situation is prodding me to go and invest in real estate - this for me is a good time to buy because sales may not be that good because of the downturn [disclaimer: note my use of the word "may" because what I'm thinking may be wrong]. And historically, the price just goes up with time (again, if we choose the right location).

So, to make it short, we already have a property that we're eyeing and the payment scheme is manageable for us. Just need to iron out some details from our agent and hopefully, we're on the road to making our dream a reality.

Hopefully, hopefully (*cross fingers*), things would go as planned. :)

---

On another note, the little boy can now walk on his own. BUT, he still opts to hold on to us :P He chooses to walk on his own from time to time, depende sa sumpong hehe. Like last night, he was able to take a few steps towards the TV (and was able to repeat it) then take a few steps from A to me.

Nakakatuwang, nakaka-senti.

He has several tricks up his sleeve as well:
- beautiful eyes
- flying kiss
- high five
- align
- call the lizard (makes the *tsk tsk* sound)
- dance to "Igiling-giling..."
- wave goodbye
- raise his arms to "Hep Hep Hurray!"
- does the arm crossing gesture for "No Deal!" - he does the same when we ask him kung paano mag-swimming
- smile (when we ask him how a baby smiles - syempre pakita ang teeth nya)
- dances to any fast music (but usually we play Low)

And several other stuff that may have escaped my memory-gap-riddled brain.

---

May mid-life crisis kaya ako (hmm, ano na ba ang life expectancy ngayon? :P) at parang andami kong gustong gawin.

I want to exercise my creative side (I know I have one, modesty aside), have an outlet. Sana magawa ko. I'm just reading up on what I plan to do. And I just need to start gathering the materials that I'll need to start on this. Who knows, I might open my own online store someday :)

I think I'm also nesting kasi parang gusto ko ng home improvement stuff. Gusto ko ngang matutong manahi e. Hehehe. ~~Sana lang may time ako~~ I'll make time for that.

Being a Teacher

2009-02-02T08:18:00.002+08:00

About a week ago, I had a chance to go back to my previous profession - being a teacher. A former laboratory colleague (back in the National Institute of Physics in UP - Liquid Crystals Laboratory) who's now teaching in De La Salle Greenhills invited me to be a speaker to their Grade 7 class. He asked me to talk about, you guessed it, Liquid Crystals and its applications.

"What? La Salle? Yaiks, baka maubusan ako ng English nyan!"

"Ano ka ba, kaya mo yan. Mag-French ka para mawindang sila."

"Sure kang Grade 7 lang ang mga yan? Bakit liquid crystals na ang pag-uusapan? Ganyan na ba ka-advanced ang mga bata ngayon?"

Hehehe.

Needless to say, I went on to give the talk. They had 5 classes (a total of 10 sections, I think - they merged 2 sections per time slot) but I only gave the talk to 2 and a half sessions. Why a half? That's getting ahead of my story...

My friend asked me to be there at 7:30am (that's their first class) but I had to beg off. Utang na loob, manggagaling pa ako ng Alabang, isasama ko si Albert, si Mama at si Ethan. There's no way that we'll make it to Greenhills by 7:30 - Greenhills po ito at Friday pa! It's a good thing my former colleague agreed to my request that I start by 9:30am. He gave the talk to the earlier class.

I had to prepare the materials about a week before because I had to give it to him about a day before the talk (since he had to review on my material as well).

We left Alabang by 7am, and reached LSGH around 8:30am. We had time to eat breakfast (we had to drop by Jollibee along C5) in the parking lot (their STEEL parking lot, BTW). I purposely waited till 9am before I went in (hehe, masama akong friend, no? But I promised to be there at 9:30 so maaga na nga ung 9am hehe - and the blasted friend didn't even fetch me at the gate so I had to enter the campus alone and went around and asked around before I was told to go to Grade 7 Asst. Principal's office - di naman obvious na na-harass ako di ba?).

Anyway, I was able to attend the supposedly 3rd class (to be handled by the friend). I just sat in, (I wanted to see how the ~~kids~~ boys react first) but it came to a point where my friend asked for some help (actually, shot me a please-help-me-explain look) so I took the discussion from there. After that class, I discussed with 2 more, and then the Science Club which my friend moderated.

So, what was the feeling?

I felt great! If only teaching provides a salary close to what I'm receiving now, I'd gladly teach.

A long time ago, I always felt that I CANNOT be a teacher. I felt that I was so impatient, that I do not have the patience to teach people who need large doses of iodized salt (if-you-know-what-I-mean *wink wink*). But when I taught for two years in NIP, I felt IT.

I felt the satisfaction. That good, tingly feeling of being rewarded. Rewarded for your efforts, just by seeing your students' eyes light up (like a tiny bulb was switched on) and they bob their heads and say "Ah, kaya pala..."

It's a different feeling. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. Knowing that I was able to explain something so mumbo-jumbo as Gauss Law or the Right Hand Rule and make it mundane for them.

I felt those goosebumps again when I shared to these kids about the liquid crystals.

Not to mention marvelling at how their imagination can travel with the speed of light. Asking questions like...

"Was the first LCD TV fat?" - to which I answered, "What makes a fat TV, fat (with giggles from them here) is that it requires for some distance from your cathode ray to the TV screen for it to be effective. With LCDs, you don't need the cathode ray so you can make the TV thin. So NO, the first LCD TV was already thin"

"What if you drink the LC, will it hurt you?" - which I answered with, "Why would you drink LC in the first place" (snickers from them)

"Has a superweapon that uses LC been developed?" - Whew! I can only reply with a "What?!" but the kids just laughed and they knew that it was question not to be taken seriously hehehe.

But they also had serious questions like...

"Miss, which is better, Plasma TV or LCD?" - ehem, to be safe. I had to answer with "Depends on what you want. Both have their advantage and disadvantage....blah blah blah"

"Miss, do you think in the future, LCDs will cost cheaper" - syemps, pati economics pinatos na nila.

And so many more.

And what did I get from this? A De La Salle Green Hills jacket compliments of one of the teachers. Yep, that's it. Don't mind that I had to use 1 Vacation Leave to be able to share that with them. Oh, and free snacks and lunch. From their cafeteria :P

I also wrecked my shoes, reminiscent of this experience. Boo hoo. Good thing they had rugby in one of their Work Ed classrooms. It was EMBARASSING as hell, buti na lang game ung teachers mwahahaha!

As I've said, if only teaching offers a higher salary...I'd gladly teach. But for the meantime, I have to be practical. We're planning to buy a house pa kasi siguro pag mag-aaral na si Ethan, para miscellaneous lang ang babayaran hehehe.