T i m e O u t s

New Style Peg

2012-01-27T14:57:00.002+08:00

Tilda as the White Queen in Narnia

I first saw Tilda Swinton as the White Queen in Chronicles of Narnia and thought she was so cool in costume. In real life though, she has a very masculine style and can look androgynous even. Then I rented the movie I Am Love on iTunes and fell instantly in love with the look.

The film is set in Milan where Tilda plays the Russian immigrant wife of a prominent and wealthy Italian family. She later falls for and runs away with the chef. There's a bit more to the movie than that but it's not what I want to focus on on this post. Unfortunately, the movie was never shown in Manila and I have not seen it in any of the DVD stores hence the rental.

What she wore to lunch with the equally chica mother in law.

She wore this with a very light white cardigan. Wish there was a shot of the back of the dress available because it has a low square back. Very sexy and feminine but not at all slutita levels.

She wore the above ensemble while going around the city doing errands -- picked up the dry cleaning, etc. Totally un-Manila like. But super love it!

Evening gown. Sigh.

Very cool and classy. Makes me think of Grace Kelly.

Casual look

A lot of women can take a lesson in dressing appropriately for your age from this movie. There's nothing worse than a woman in her fifties trying to look like she's in her 20's. It IS possible to be that age and still look classically beautiful and well put together. I think it's great that this classic look epitomized by Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Onassis is making a comeback thanks to series like Mad Men. At last a respite from the Madonna, Lady Gaga, Nicky Minaj styling. No offense meant.

Walking Dead

2012-01-19T10:02:00.001+08:00

We are right smack into the terrible twos. This one, kept me up the whole night. And on a go-to-work day too. I blame the loopy DVD player.

First I found her drinking her milk from the bottle cap like an 18 year old drinking beer from a mug. She had CHEWED through the bottle nipple (it was raggedly cut in half with a small sliver of silicone attached) and was oh so casually pouring milk from the broken nipple into the bottle cap. All while watching a Barbie Princess Charm School video for the nth time. So I washed her sticky hands and brought her back into the room with a warning not to chew the bottle nipples (she had already chewed through 5 nipples this week).

I then realized that the movie had been looping over and over again. It would reach a certain part and then go back to the beginning of the video. So I turned it off as it was bedtime. That's when it all started. She cried so hard she threw up. I got her to the bathroom in time, so, okay, no biggie. But the crying brought on a very runny nose and she woke up intermittently every 10 minutes or so to get me to wipe her nose. The.whole.night. She finally stopped at 4:40 am. I know because the hubby got up to go to the bathroom and I asked what time it was. Sleep deprivation is the pits when you have to get up at 6am to go to work.

So if you see a half dead person with sunken eyes staggering into Starbucks for a cup of coffee, yeah, that would be me.

Score!

2012-01-18T18:39:00.000+08:00

Yeah, yeah. I know. I just wrote about my New Year's Resolutions. BUT. This one was 85% off. Are you kidding me???? From PhP8850 to 1650. Seriously.

2011 Revisited

2012-01-17T17:54:00.000+08:00

Photos! Just some highlights from the past year.

2011 Family Photo shoot

Wacky shot!

Everyone's playing nice

Faith celebrated her 7th birthday

Another birthday shot with her cake

Last year's attempt at Home Organization culminated in the cleaning up of the second floor toy area. It took four full days (long weekend in August) and another extra weekend where I did nothing but sort and clean up.

Before

After

I also turned the big 4-0 last year. No big celebration (yet! ha ha!), just a simple dinner with the people I love.

Posterity shot for my 40th birthday dinner

The hubby and I managed to travel together for a quick vacation with two of my friends. Turned out to be quite memorable since he got the flu and stayed pretty much in the hotel for the duration of our stay. So here's a shot of myself in Macau, sans hubby.

Note to Self: Bright red bags work really well in pictures!

Faith participated in a ballet recital of the Sound of Music late in December. I just love this stolen shot of her.

Stolen shot of Faith during their recital photo shoot

I also saw Wicked in Singapore! Love!

Just a random New Year's Eve picture I thought I'd throw in. Lucia was crying, as I remember and didn't want to go with anyone else.

I had a really nice holiday season and I'm obviously still in withdrawal. Lots to look forward to this year. We'll be visiting Hong Kong again but this time with the kids. Lucia will be starting pre-school in June. Another year of milestones to look forward to.

On technology and the Tooth Fairy

2012-01-16T16:41:00.000+08:00

My kids wholeheartedly believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. I actually go to great lengths to perpetuate this belief because I think this is one of the most enjoyable things about being a child. Last year, they got a personal video message from Santa. There were also email exchanges and handwritten notes from the Tooth Fairy.

Sadly, the advent of technology also translates into more ~~smartass~~ sophisticated kids who question everything. Case in point, Joshua had a friend over for a play date a couple of days before Christmas. He very excitedly asked me to show the video from Santa to his friend and so I did. Imagine my dismay when while the video was showing, said friend told my son in a deadpan voice -- "you do realize that people make this up, don't you?".

To his credit, Joshua stood up to his friend and said no, it's real. Gulp. To end the magic for Joshua would mean ending it for Faith and little Lucia too!

So my son is a little bit naive for a 9 year old. He doesn't get to surf the net (only for homework and he is supervised). He plays computer games but with limits on time and what kind to play. He doesn't have a PSP or a WII or whatever techy gadget kids are into these days. Most of the grown ups in the family own an iPhone and/or iPad which the kids can borrow for limited periods. But that's it. I suppose, compared to his friends in school, Joshua is still a little bit sheltered. And I like it that way.

I don't know how long I can keep this up but I'm hoping for a few more years. I've already told Joshua that I think Santa stops giving presents to kids when they reach the age of 13. I still don't know how I'm gonna go about it but there's still time. Meanwhile, I'm already bracing myself for a slew of visits from the Tooth Fairy this year.

Pretty Baby

2012-01-04T20:18:00.000+08:00

With Daddy at the company outing

In one of her Halloween costumes last year

My pretty baby at her cousin Sophia's birthday party

Playing with her zhu zhu pet from Tita Lara

I've written a couple of times on this blog about my two older kids but not much about my third. Poor Lucia! Apart from the birth post, I don't think I've written much about this little girl of mine.

She's growing up to be quite a character, this one. The naughtiest and funniest of my brood. She makes me laugh without even trying and is a joy to watch. When you find yourself bored, just quietly watch her play and be entertained for a good long while.

A very good eater (16+ kilos and counting!), she eats by herself and chooses her own clothes (most of the time). Loves wearing pretty dresses like her older sister and likes sharing Mommy's lip balm. She's stubborn and very articulate and can understand Tagalog very well. Loves babies and kittens and Goodnight Moon. A chocolate monster after mommy's own heart.

Has all the members of my family wrapped around her little finger, especially her kuya Joshua. She's also half toilet trained by now, which, according to my mom, happened when I was away on business travel. So, fine, maybe another ten days in Singapore and she'll be fully toilet trained mommy?

Maybe it's the birth scare, the thought that we almost lost this little one, that makes me want to hug her all the time. I cannot imagine our lives without her. Out little family has grown thanks to her and it's not always easy to manage three kids and a full time job but so totally worth it.

Post Christmas

2012-01-04T13:04:00.002+08:00

Pardon the bedraggled look in this photo. This was taken after a swimming session at a get together with friends. This was one of my favorite days in December -- it was the day after the last day of work for the year and was mostly concentrated on spending it with the kids. So apart from catching up with good friends while they were swimming and enjoying their presents from their titas and Tito Maroy, it was a completely gremlin inspired day. We had ice cream before I let them play some video games. Then Lucia happily hopped into the carousel. We ended the day with the light show at Ayala Triangle.

It was still a busy holiday season though, with all the get togethers and ballet recital for Faith. Thankfully, none of the kids were sick this year except for a little sniffle or two. New Year's Eve was a fun filled videoke night.

I didn't get to reach my reading goal of 150 books for 2011 but I came pretty close at 130 books. I don't think I will do this again this year -- I much prefer not having any pressure to finish a book. Plus one of my 2012 goals is to take up something creative like knitting or crochet. Other goals -- think of a possible business venture. Get more healthy. Spend less. More quality time with the gremlins. Play outdoors.

Seems like I'm being tested on my the strength of my New Year's resolutions as we speak. I just got a confirmation from a friend that the Zara sale is starting tomorrow. Aaaaarrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! Hyperventilate. Deeeeeeeeeeep breath.

I can do this. (I think). Help me God!

2011-12-20T15:13:00.000+08:00

So just learned that you can no longer import your blog posts in Facebook. What a relief! I went into FB today to figure out how to stop that from happening. I can't remember the number of times I've thought about posting only to stop when I realized it would go into Facebook. And yes, I turned on that feature months ago but the thought of bombarding everybody with my musings put the kibosh on possible blog posts for a while.

Now I realized it's been months since my last post. Think that's the longest I've ever gone without writing anything. It's almost Christmas and I am currently working from home. In a few minutes, I will be cooking tuna pasta for the kids to eat at snack time. Lucia is about to wake up from her nap, Faith just got in from her ballet rehearsal and Joshua has a playdate with his best friend.

Work isn't as crazy anymore as more and more people are going on leave. I just have a couple more things to take care of and then it's freedom! At least for a couple of days. Christmas presents are more or less completed, get together schedules straightened out, ballet rehearsal skeds marked and I am officially ready for the holidays!

Am I old or am i old??

2011-07-14T13:23:00.000+08:00

Age is just a number, right? That's the fashionable adage that women in their late thirties or entering into their forties like to say. You don't hear young people say that. Well, unless you're a 16 year old begging your mom for a tattoo. So yes, it is a number. But nothing that should stop you from having fun, living life to the fullest or from being fabulous. I wouldn't trade myself now for my 23 year old self. Except for the waistline. Sigh.

Why the thoughts about aging you say? I've been through a couple of grade school and high school reunions in the last couple of weeks. Our 30th homecoming for our high school batch is coming up in 2013 so there's been a spate of planning and meetings for that event. Yeah, 30 years. Kind of freaks me out a bit. A lot of my colleagues at work were toddlers while I was in high school. I am still in touch with a lot of my high school friends so the shock value of seeing most of them again wasn't that big. But grade school?? That's another story. The two get togethers so far have been so much fun. I'd forgotten how nice it is to be surrounded by people who have known you since kindergarden. It gave me so much insight of how much we have grown since we last played patintero in the school basketball court. And yet it was comforting to see the little bits and pieces of the kids we once were and to realize that hey, I know you. You're not a stranger.

Date a girl who reads

2011-05-24T16:41:00.000+08:00

A friend of mine sent me this link today and I was so glad I read it. Something I wish I had written because it felt like the writer was referring to me. Uhm, except for the closet full of books (mine has clothes....aaaand more clothes...and shoes). But still, my books are scattered all over the house instead, and the car. Anyway. Click on the link and read. NOW! I'll wait..

http://themonicabird.com/post/3273155431/date-a-girl-who-reads-date-a-girl-who-spends-her

All done??? Now then, wasn't that nice?

Jun will so be able to relate to this. He married one, after all. I can't remember all the times he has caught me crying over something in a book I was reading. And he never once laughed at me or called it silly or stupid. But he does give me funny looks when I suddenly laugh out loud while reading. He's also used to being ignored over long periods of time when I am engrossed in something. Like the Stieg Larsson trilogy or when Mockingjay came out. Now the kids are zoning out on me and I completely deserve it. I think I also read while breastfeeding. ha ha ha!

2011-05-20T10:20:00.000+08:00

Last night was game night -- Josh and Faith have been bugging us to play Monopoly Deal since Tuesday. We each had our game face on as we played on the floor of our bedroom while Lucia flitted around, alternately hugging me and Jun and trying to swipe the cards we put on the floor. We only had time for two games though as we started at 9pm. First round was mine while Jun took game two with a deal breaker card that stole MY set, the rat! (Thanks Irish for the xmas gift! We are really enjoying it!) We all love that freaking card game. Josh is now asking, so when can you teach me to play poker mommy?? Ha! Then I remember that mommy taught us to play pekwa when we were little kids. And Blackjack (no money involved though, just bragging rights). I have very fond memories of those fun times. Maybe next summer then. Note to self: teach Jun how to play Pekwa.

On summer reading updates, Joshua is on his 15th book. Faith is on her 6th which is ok since she's only 7. I promised them some Timezone time if they read at least 10 books this summer. Television's not too much of a priority nowadays in the household. The kids actually BEG me to get a bit more reading done before bedtime. Can you imagine??!!

For the rest of the summer, we've still got Faith's birthday party and Joshua's birthday to celebrate. May is a huge birthday month with all the gremlins' birthdays. Lucia looooves birthdays. She made us sing three times just so she can keep blowing her candle. There are also four huge water guns with our names on them that we ABSOLUTELY have to try before the summer ends.

Random Things

2011-04-26T13:32:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I wandered into my favorite store and realized that there was nothing I was even remotely interested in buying. Either I've gotten the stuff that I really want or am just bored. Maybe both.

I've been meaning to get Faith a "hip" outfit for her Club Princess bday party next month (she's turning 7!) when I walked into Gap and saw this gorgeous confection of a dress. It's peach, it's floaty, and oh so soft! Goodbye hip, helloooo princess!

Do you ever feel relieved to be alone with your hubby and get a short break from the noise and the fighting only to miss your gremlins so much it aches??? You don't??!!! Me too!!! ha ha! Joke!!!

I am at a stage in my life where I literally could not ask for more. Except for carbs. I waaaaaannnt rice dammit!!!

The lack of sugar is making me CRANKY!

I've read a total of 40 books so far this year. Was doing 12-13 books a month in Jan-Feb but slowed down a bit since March. So I am eating my words. I love ebooks na!

Getting a free lunch is always nice. But a surprise free lunch is even better!

What if I stop buying clothes until I lose 20 pounds?? Who wants to bet I can do this???

Gremlins, come home na!!! Promise I won't sing the Big Bad Wolf song! Cross my heart!

Am in the mood to play a trick on someone but the hubby isn't home. Rats!

Been busy with...

2011-03-25T19:23:00.000+08:00

Home Organization. My small home office is done and I am loving working from home around twice a week. The inner OC in me is filled with glee. Am loving the fact that there is a place for everything -- school supplies, important documents and files as well as pictures, board games and yes, even scratch paper! You know how when you have kids and you find crayons everywhere BUT the box? Well now I've collected all the loose crayons, put them all in a big box and whip it out whenever Lucia feels like drawing. I am finally getting the most out of the iHome that the hubby so thoughtfully got for me. I figured out that I can link it to my iPhone via bluetooth and voila! Instant speaker phone! I can take my phone meetings at home in a very quiet place.

The other half of the room (it's a really small room) has a place for the printer. I have one big window which provides a lot of natural light in the daytime. And because the room's small, just one stand fan makes it comfortable enough to work in. The window seat doubles up as a place to put files in -- I saw this in a magazine and decided I didn't need to buy a mobile drawer which looks too "industrial". This has a LOT of space inside where I put half used school notebooks for scratch paper and other school supplies like folders/brown envelopes/etc. And, oh yeah, that window seat is also good for naps! Ha ha ha!

On the right, I had a narrow shelf made to put other heavy business books (Jun has lots!) interspersed with decorative boxes which holds loose photographs which I have yet to put in albums and other important keepsakes (Joshua's first communion kit, etc). And, of course, the board games I am currently collecting. They used to be everywhere and we could never find one when we wanted to play. It figures I have two Taboo! games -- I bought a new one in desperation for an out of town trip because I couldn't find the previous one I got. I just got Jenga today to replace the one the kids messed up when they were little. I know I have Word Factory somewhere but I haven't seen it lately. I'd like to add a really nice Backgammon game to the collection soon.

It took me and the hubby two weekends to get this small room in shape when the carpenter and painter were done but it was worth it! The whole first floor of the house is fixed. Used up four XXL trash bags for all the useless stuff.

Lastly, this is my new shoe and bag closet. Not quite Carrie Bradshaw standards but I love it just the same. My bathroom's all organized after about two trips to Muji. Now it takes about one third the time to get the bathroom all cleaned up. This exercise also forced me to edit a lot of things. Am thinking of holding a garage sale or something. But only after I've tackled the nightmare of the kids' toys which are all in the second floor of the house.

After all this activity, I got sick for a couple of days. Still don't know when I can get to doing the second floor and the bedroom but maybe next weekend since the kids are on summer vacation and there's no need for homework supervision next weekend!

Faith moment

2011-02-05T00:54:00.000+08:00

Joshua was at a classmate's birthday party and I was preparing to go to the concert when Faith decides she has had enough of being by herself.

I was in the bathroom putting on makeup when she starts making kulit -- endless questions about what time I was gonna be home (she's worse than my mom!), who I was going to be with, what's the concert about, who is Janet Jackson. Then she asks if it was the same music like the concert in church (Bukas Palad) and I said no and did she want to listen to the music I was going to listen to at the concert? Yes daw.

I made her listen to parts of Together Again and she goes, "I want to come with you Mommy!"....uh oh.

So I said, you know what? Come over here and play with mommy's make up. That kept her quiet for a while.

Then the tears started when I was about to leave. She calls me twice on my cell phone while I was on the way to the concert just to tell me she wanted to be with me. This despite being with her the whole day today.

Then I thought, I am going to remember this moment when she's sixteen and I'm the one begging her to spend time with me.

It figures...

2011-02-04T12:18:00.000+08:00

I spoke too soon. Lucia is sick too. She was the one who started it all when she got sick on New Year's Day. It's gone full circle. Back to her. I love my pediatrician but last night I told him I hoped I never see him again for the next six months. Then I remembered the kids have their flu shots scheduled this February. Faith has been dreading it. And I also have to bring Lucia back Saturday morning if she still has fever. Last night the doctor couldn't find a focus for the fever so he couldn't prescribe any antibiotics. He'll have to check her again on Sat and if still no focus, then we'll do a blood test. Suki kami for the month of January. Even his assistant commented, "wow, na kumpleto sila a."

Meanwhile, the little gremlin has had her fever off and on. She's so active when the fever's down that I'm not TOO worried. YET. We'll see. I really hate it when the kids are sick. I woke up at 5am to take her temperature and gave her Calpol. Then I couldn't go back to sleep till about 6am.

The hubby was in Ilocos for a short trip last night. I missed him. Especially when Lucia threw up all over the blankets at around 11pm. Wished you were there Jun. You missed cleanup. Which I am sure you will be happy about. Since she threw up all over the blankets, Rose and I just wrapped her in it and brought her to the bathroom. No cleanup necessary except for changing Lucia. Di bale, next time ulit. he he. Her hair smelled like vomit -- she had her head under my nose the whole time she was sleeping.

Listening to Janet Jackson while working today. Preparing for her concert tonight. :D

2011 Updates

2011-02-01T10:55:00.000+08:00

It's a disgrace, I know. What's the point of starting a blog when you don't even write? So what's my excuse? Um, let's see.....I've been traveling for work, Lucia is such a handful, kids have been sick on and off, Christmas was crazy, I got conjunctivitis, resigned from my job, got a new job, and I've been reading a lot. Oh, and it's also Facebook's fault. It's much, much more convenient to post a quick status update here and there on facebook. The hubby and I were discussing how revenues for the telecom companies went down as a result of facebook updates rather than the usual practice of text to all Christmas and New Year's messages. That's technology for you.

Anyway, I am sitting here in my unpainted but newly renovated home "office" and thought, I have a blog! So I am giving in to the urge to write. Not that I expect a lot of people to read all my bs. I suppose a couple of my friends still do but well, never mind. I just need the practice of putting thoughts to paper while I wait for my internet connection to kick in once more.

So, yeah, am having some minor renovation work done at the house. I'm having a small room fixed to be a home office as I my new job is flexible enough to allow me to work from home occasionally. Rather than my usual practice of using my bed for a desk (hurts my back), I'm going to have my very own office! (yippeee!) It's all done now, just needs painting so it will probably be done by next week. It'll also give the kids a place to do their homework and reduce the school clutter in the dining room which was where they usually do their homework.

I'm also taking the opportunity have my own shoe cabinet and I am soooo excited to have it finished. Apart from that, we're gettting some much needed bookshelves. I'm in organizing mode folks! I can't wait till everything's finished. Then it's a matter of putting up our sleeves and being tough on all the junk and clutter at the house.

On other fronts, kids are sick again. Will be bringing Faith to the pediatrician at lunchtime today. Joshua just went back to school today after being out for a week. I am crossing my fingers and praying hard that Lucia gets spared this round.

I've just finished 13 books for January. Using the Kindle for Iphone application makes a huge dent on my reading list as I can read literally anywhere. I think it's loads better than a kindle cause the phone has backlight that allows me to read in the car or in the shuttle going home.

Ok, I gotta go send some emails then am off to the pediatrician at lunchtime. Janet Jackson concert this Friday!!! Can't wait! :D

On Angry Birds and other things

2010-09-20T18:06:00.000+08:00

I just spent the better part of last night playing Angry Birds on my phone. Till two in the morning. Couldn't let go until I got past 6-12, which I had been on for the past week. When the hubby told me he had gotten past me and was already on 7, I couldn't stand it. I finally got past the darn level at around midnight....and kept on playing. I've had three cups of coffee already since this morning, so you can guess at my current state of mind.

Now...Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games). Finished the book the same day I got it. Of course, the minute I got my hands on it, I peeked at the ending. Disgusting habit, I know. But I couldn't wait to find out who Katniss ended up with. I can't write it down because the hubby is currently listening to the audio book and he will kill me if he accidentally reads it on my blog. So, because I would like to continue to be in his good graces, I will remain silent on that account. Needless to say, I loved the book. It wasn't what I (and probably the rest of the fans) was expecting. It wasn't romantic and no, it didn't totally focus on the love triangle. I'm happy to say that it didn't go the breaking dawn road, which I hated. It was real, and gritty, and ugly, and will totally capture your attention until the last page. I also thought the epilogue was done quite well. I was reading the reviews at Amazon and was surprised at some of the comments expressing disappointment over the way the book turned out. I guess some were expecting a more "Twilight" approach where everything turned out perfectly and the pages were filled with drool worthy moments between Edward and Bella. Oh well. Am still trying to find people to convert to being Suzanne Collins fans. My mom is now one of them.

I have a copy of Emma Donaghue's book titled Room: A Novel burning a hole on my desk. The reviews are excellent and it's a finalist for the Man Booker Prize. It's told from the point of view of a five year old little boy whose whole world is the room where he and his mother stay. Check out the description in Amazon and you'll want to read the book yourself.

Recent books I just finished reading:

Tim Gunn's Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work is a great light read (finished it in one day) full of Tim's little witticisms as well as juicy tidbits about the fashion world. Believe me, he doesn't pull his punches when it come to identifying which fashion personas are divas. Super fun read!

Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern is an even quicker read (like in an hour) but worth it. I found myself chuckling aloud while reading the book.

Am also re-reading Erich Segal's Doctors which is one of my all time favorite books. I had to buy a new copy as my old one was so dog eared from being passed around to friends.

I've got tons of videos of Lucia and the other kids which I have not had time to upload to Facebook -- am blaming it all on Angry Birds. If I'm not playing it, then either the hubby is or one of the kids. Jun still holds the record for longest time spent playing Angry Birds in one sitting. He once stayed up till two thirty in the morning just playing the darn game. So I'm not the only crazy one.

Panic time!

2010-07-16T11:56:00.000+08:00

I've got so many things on my mind at the moment, it's a wonder I haven't gone off the bend yet. I wish time would go by more slowly, just so I could fit in what I need to do.

Lucia still has a cold and cough so we're managing that and praying it doesn't spread to the other two kids. It's exam week plus we have a parent-teachers conference scheduled tomorrow. I have to pack for 5 people for an upcoming family trip, do the groceries, fix the closets and make sure all the documentary requirements are in order for the trip. And I've got an appointment on Sunday for a check up.

I've managed to squeeze in a mani-pedi while waiting for the hubby to finish work yesterday. Yay, me! LOL! So I just look at my pretty red painted toes whenever I get stressed.

I've finished reading Justin Cronin's The Passage and I'm desperately wishing the hubby would go on and finish the audio version ASAP! I'm dying to discuss the book with somebody! Lots of loose ends when I finished it but I found out it's a trilogy so of course there will be cliffhangers. It was an engrossing read, especially the first third of the book. Very interesting premise though -- what if, in mankind's search for the ultimate biological weapon, he triggers the end of the world as we know it, instead? Said weapon comes in the form of a virus which stimulates a certain gland in humans that trigger increased human strength and invincibility to diseases, etc. Unfortunately, it also turns said human guinea pigs into vampire like creatures that can influence the minds of other humans. When these specimens escape from the US facility where they were being kept, everything goes to hell. I was only partially listening to the audio book while the hubby was listening to it in the car and decided, what the heck, I'll read it. I have ADD when it comes to audio books so I had to get the heavy, doorstop version of the book.

Right now, I'm halfway done with The Red Pyramid, book one of the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan. He's the author of the extremely successful Percy Jackson series. The book has many parallels with the Nicholas Flamel series (which I love, love, love!) which is not to say it's not an enjoyable book. While Percy Jackson is about Greek mythology, in this new series, Riordan focuses on Egyptian mythology. It's not a popular as the Greek or Roman mythology but it's fascinating just the same. Am enjoying reading it and am sure many fans of Percy will love it too. Joshua cannot wait to read it but I'm making him finish the Percy Jackson series first before he starts in on Red Pyramid. He also wants to start the Nicholas Flamel series -- what an impatient boy! But am glad he likes to read and is excited as I am about books. I'm also starting to get him interested in Children's reference books, which I also enjoy reading. At the Powerbooks sale, I was able to get a books about the recovery of the remains of the woolly mammoth, which I have wanted to watch in National Geographic, but missed out on. There's also one about the ruins in ancient Peru and the recovery of an ancient Greek shipwreck.

And since I'm preparing for a family trip, I decided to get activity books for the older kids to keep them occupied on the plane. I got Faith the Everything Kids Princess activity book and Joshua the Everything Kid's Mazes book. Oh, and the Time for Kids Almanac 2011. Now if I could only decide what book to bring for the trip......

Back in school

2010-07-01T11:20:00.000+08:00

It's been a very busy two months. We celebrated 3 birthdays in May and got through preparations for school opening. The two older kiddies are in school for most of the day which my mom is very thankful for. LOL! More quiet time for her and the baby. Lucia's been so naughty --- all part of being a toddler, I guess. It's rather fun, actually. She makes us laugh and she knows it, the little ham!

I love the way she tries to join in on her siblings. When the two kids are in bed, she immediately gets down from my lap and toddles over to the bed to cuddle with her sibs. And generally mess up their bedclothes. And play peek-a-boo and can't-catch-me with me and the hubby when we try to pick her up from the beds. It's tiring especially on weekdays when all I want to do is lie down with a book after work, but totally worth it when she squeals with laughter.

As usual, I'm swamped with books! You're looking at a very happy camper here. I'm currently reading Justin Cronin's The Passage which the hubby has been listening to on audio. It's weird when he's the one asking which part I'm already in since that's my usual line. It's rare for the two of us to actually be "reading" the same book at the same time. If you're into sci-fic/horror, then this is the book for you. The author tells a compelling story and gets the reader absorbed from the first chapter. It's got vampires, but not your usual run of the mill Twilight hot vampires.

Other books I got recently were Rick Riordan's The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles) -- another series from the author of the very successful Percy Jackson series. I just got Joshua the Diary of a Wimpy kid series and Tales from the Odyssey by Mary Pope Osbourne, author of The Magic Tree House series. I read the two books of Tales from the Odyssey and finished it in an hour. It's a great introduction for kids to the classic The Odyssey and covers the most important parts of the tale. It's perfect for kids aged 7 - 10 years.

Some other titles I finished recently:

The Ark by Boyd Morrison -- fantastic action packed book with a very cool hero. If you miss Indiana Jones, then try this one. It's about the search for Noah's Ark set in an age where technology and engineering will make you fascinated with tidbits about the legend of Noah's Ark. The author provides engineering insight to the construction of the ark and the context of the biblical flood.

Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth -- Vampires again but no romance this time. The lead character is a vampire tasked to protect the President of the United States from all forms of threat. He's been protecting US presidents since Andrew Jackson. Lots of action and links to paranormal activities/research done during World War 2. I couldn't put this book down.

So run, don't walk, to the bookstore now!

2010-05-04T15:40:00.001+08:00

One time I asked the hubby to get a book for me from our room. "Which tower?", he asks, and I giggled. Because in our room, there are four piles of books which we have since christened Jenga Tower 1 to 4. I need to seriously organize my books. I've got piles everywhere. Most have been read (and reread) and, well, there's a lot on my to be read list. I'm a fast reader though, so I constantly get new books. So my books are literally everywhere -- on the sofa in the upstairs living room, in the car, in shopping bags on the bedroom floor.

There are a couple of titles I've read recently that I really, really loved. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is one of them. I've read it twice already as well as it's sequel Catching Fire. It's a fantastic three part series set in the future. The writing, character development is excellent. The story is simply riveting. I don't normally have the attention needed to listen to audio books but I've been paying attention every time the hubby listens. Yes, I have finally gotten him to "read" fiction books -- through audio books. He's loving it so far. Too bad I've just lent my copies to my niece. The audio book is too slow paced to me and I wanted to reread the ending. Needless to say, I am already antsy to read Book 3 Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) coming this August. So, run, don't walk, and get to reading books 1 and 2. You won't regret it.

2010-04-23T14:31:00.002+08:00

The heat this summer is unbearable! I just bought an inflatable pool for the kids to play in. I did think of next month's water bill but justified the purchase with the thought that the water could be reused to water the plants, wash the cars, etc. Plus, it's a couple of hours without the air conditioner or tv on so I also save on electricity. And my baby Lucia is turning out to be such a water baby. She loooooves being in the water. In fact, just getting her to leave the sink when she's done washing up for bed will trigger a mini tantrum. The pool was also on sale so I suppose it's totally worth it.

Speaking of worth it, I just got the package I was expecting thru Johnny Air. I've been eyeing some dresses for the girls at Gap but couldn't bear the exorbitant prices. So I ordered the stuff on sale at gap.com and had it shipped via Johnny Air. I ordered it on April 12, the New York office received it on the 16th and I was able to pick it up today. Pretty fast huh? Their service is terrific and very customer friendly. No need to wait ages for packages from the US to arrive. And no need to deal with lines and custom officials at the post office.

Am loving the dresses I picked for the girls. Can't wait to see them try it on. Have a nice weekend!

Flu Season

2010-03-22T14:27:00.002+08:00

It's that time of the year again. It just sucks big time when your kids are sick. Triple sucks in my case because all three of them were sick last week. Lucia still is, actually. I had to take off early from work last Thursday to bring all of them to the pediatrician. Cough and colds are the culprit. And because the two eldest are stubborn little gremlins and could not bring themselves to stay away from their baby sister, well, now Lucia's miserably sick too.

And there's nothing worse than a sick baby. At least older kids can tell you what's painful, etc. I always feel helpless whenever my babies are sick. I spent the past weekend with Lucia plastered to my body. I could only put here down for bathroom breaks and mealtime. Otherwise, she refuses to settle down unless I carry her. Consequently, I've mostly been covered with snot and vomit, sometimes at the same time.

It's been a true test of my immune system -- I very very rarely contract illness from the kids. The hubby is frequently amazed that as soon as the kids are done then all who came in contact with them get sick. 'Cept me.

Is it a mommy thing or is it just me?

Lately, I've been...

2010-02-24T09:59:00.000+08:00

- getting a triple venti extra hot caramel macchiatto with one splenda at starbucks. every day. either i need a vacation or six STRAIGHT hours of sleep.

- delighting at Lucia's milestones. Clapping. Waving bye-bye. Babbling mama. taking her first steps. and making faces. that last one is a bonus. even faith didn't do faces at almost 10 months. it's really impressive. and super funny!

- singing the Cookie Monster song ("...c is for cookie, that's good enough for me..") in opera. never fails to get lucia's attention. and makes the hubby crack up.

- feeling depressed every time i enter a clothes store. need. to. lose. weight. easier said than done.

- thinking about my pilates instructor telling me she's going to make me hang from a bar with my legs and arms hooked on restraints. it is very, very scary.

- wanting to go to divisoria to get a wading pool and those giant water guns at outrageously cheap prices. then have a water fight with the kids this summer.

2010-02-23T15:10:00.003+08:00

Books into movies...I never learn. The books tend to be so much better than the movie. And so is the case with Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief. What a disappointment. At least Joshua liked it. Faith was covering her ears while I covered her eyes almost the whole time. I told her I wouldn't bring her to those kinds of movies anymore. Only Disney cartoons for her from now on.

Lately I've been thinking of a way to wean Lucia from nursing before going to bed. It's been really difficult because, well, I'm not producing any more breast milk so what she does is more for comfort or a sleep aid than anything else. Second is because the little gremlin likes to bite. She gets a kick out of hearing me yell in pain. I know because she smiles every time she does it, the little imp. So I put her in her crib, she screams bloody murder, I pick her up after a few minutes and she roots in my shirt then we start the process over again. It's exhausting. And very painful. I've tried giving her a pacifier but she just plays with it for a while, then starts rooting in my shirt. Giving her a bottle also doesn't work. And she only does it with me. Not with my mom and definitely not with the hubby! ha ha! Someone help me please!

2010-02-12T12:10:00.002+08:00

So many movies, so little time!

Lot's of movies opening this Valentine weekend. Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief and Valentine's Day. I was supposed to get free tickets to the premiere of Percy Jackson but declined it because it was for two people only and I wanted to see it with the kids. In case you're not familiar with the movie, it's based on a series that's a bit like Harry Potter but based on Greek Mythology. It's a great series and I loved reading it. But since it's opening weekend, we'll pass on this one and probably watch it next week. Joshua has long tests scheduled next week and has to study.

So that leaves Valentine's Day. We'll see if the hubby and I can sneak in a quick movie date for this. And Faith still wants to watch The Princess and the Frog.

I'm also in the middle of the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth. I'm "in the middle" because I can only watch one hour increments when I get home from work. So I watch it while I rock Lucia to sleep. Not a bad way to unwind after a tiring day.

Tomorrow's a busy morning for me with Pilates class and a doctor's appointment for Lucia. I hate waking up early on weekends but I'm really trying to make time for exercise.

Meanwhile, I am going to spend the remainder of the day going through book catalogues. Sigh! I love my job!

What the...????!!!!!

2010-02-10T15:37:00.002+08:00

Serves me right for not checking my blog. Imagine my surprise at finding an ad by a presidential candidate in my ad sense below my last post. I immediately changed my ad sense settings. I have not decided who to vote for yet so I don't want any politically inclined ads in my blog.

Work is great! Busy, but really really interesting. Between work, a baby and two kids, I haven't had time for anything else. February's been a busy month and all our weekends are accounted for with school events and doctor's appointments. I've managed to squeeze in a trial class of Stott Pilates and enjoyed it. It's the perfect activity for my injured knee with the added benefit of hopefully making me lose the extra weight after baby number three. I can only manage a once a week class on Saturdays because of work on weekdays which means I'll have to supplement with diet and some cardio. I really hate the after pregnancy and delivery part! After three babies, it's sheer hell to lose the weight.

But Lucia is perfectly adorable. So totally worth the difficult birth and the sleepless nights. She's nine months old now and is equal parts angel and little gremlin. I love it. She's mastered cruising in her crib and is starting to stand up from a sitting position without support. Teething doesn't seem to be a problem except for the part where she likes to chomp on my shoulders and breast. She's got one little tooth poking out from her lower front gums.

And I know, I need to post pictures. Am probably the only blogger mom who rarely posts pictures. I know it's easy but I don't have the pictures in my laptop. It's all stored in the laptop at home which I don't have time to open when I get home because Lucia latches on to me like a panda bear to a bamboo tree.

So all's well on the home front. I'm currently nursing a mild headache from coffee deprivation in the morning due to an early meeting. Figured I'd rush a quick post. Only two days before the weekend! Yay!

Contest!

2010-01-04T09:46:00.002+08:00

Happy New Year everybody! Haven't made up my mind yet about new year resolutions to make. One of those will probably be to lessen the retail therapy. After yesterday's therapy at the Gap sale, what better way to start this by winning something for free?

Someone is giving away a whole slew of Kerastase hair products -- all you have to do is post in your blog or Facebook account.

Here's the link:http://hairinmanila.com/2009/12/30/new-year-contest-win-a-complete-kerastase-minis-set/

This contest isn't just limited to Philippine residents so go! :D

2009-12-28T10:58:00.002+08:00

I hope you and your family had a great Christmas celebration. We spent ours the usual way with close family members. It was just dinner, then a rousing game of Guesstures (boys vs. girls -- girls won, of course!) followed by mass then more food and presents!

The kids were ecstatic -- Santa really followed thru with their wishes this year (yay mommy! he he). Below is a picture my cousin took of Lucia with her beanie and pink cape (it was a bit cool that night). Too bad the view's on the side. She's 7 and a half months old now and crawling pretty fast. She's also mastered pulling herself up (sometimes with her mouth -- ha ha ha!) and has taught us to get everything we don't want to end up in her mouth out of the way. This includes fingers and hair.

Now we have New Year's Eve to look forward to!

2009-12-21T15:55:00.004+08:00

I just remembered I had a blog!

It's been ages and ages since I last posted. I wanted to at least post something before Christmas.

Lucia is 7 and a half months old now and is healthy, happy, super adorable and has everyone wrapped around her pinky! Including her older brother and sister who think the sun rises and sets on their baby sister. And still without pictures! he he. It's all in the digital camera or in the personal laptop at home which I never use because it's the hubby's and I really don't have time to touch it when am home with the baby. Soooooo, no pics. Unless my hubby finds time to download everything in my notebook, hint! Hint!

School's out for the holidays, and the weather's nice and cool. Unfortunately, the change in weather also means sniffles and the like. Joshua is just now recovering from a very bad case of tonsilitis, Faith, I just learned this morning, has a low grade fever -- she's been nursing a cold the past few days. Thankfully, the baby has been spared -- lots of scolding not to go near her of course because they cannot help it. Am hoping that everybody will be ok by Christmas eve. It would be a bummer if any of them will still be sick.

This Christmas is probably the first time I finished my shopping waaaaay ahead of schedule! It gives me a lot more time to spend with the kiddies. Only ones left to buy for is the hubby, my mom and my sister who opted to wait for the Zara sale for their presents from me. The hubby I will take shopping for a much needed wardrobe upgrade. What can I say? He trusts my taste. :D

The only downside this holiday season is i have to forfeit my usual two week holiday because I'm new at work. Though, seeing as I am surrounded by books at work, it's not much of a hardship. I am LOVING the new work environment! There's nothing better than being surrounded by and having access to books for a bibliophile like me.

I hope you all enjoy the holiday season with your loved ones!

Movie Talk

2009-08-26T09:54:00.003+08:00

Sometime last February 2007 I posted about how I loved reading The Time Traveler's Wife. Last weekend I saw the movie and fell in love with Henry and Clare all over again. I am such a fangirl.

I'm not so sure the movie did justice to the book (they almost never do, 'cept for the 1st Harry Potter film) but I liked it just the same. I thought they did a good job with the casting -- Eric Bana was the perfect Henry and I loved the little girl who played Clare. And all the naked shots of Eric every time he travels didn't hurt, ha ha ha! Now if I could just find my copy of the book I'm going to reread the whole thing. And get the DVD. In blue ray.

Since it was a long weekend, I also got to watch The Proposal with my mom this time. It was a fluke cause we were supposed to see this Filipino film (And I Love You So) but it wasn't showing at the SM Malls. I'm the only one who sees local films with my mom, I see it as a bonding opportunity. So rather than go home, we just saw the Sandra Bullock film. It was ok, nothing spectacular. Except for Ryan Reynolds. Scarlett Johansson is one lucky girl.

Next movie in the to watch list is Up. it's another long weekend and we're seeing it with the kids. I can't wait.

2009-08-17T15:03:00.002+08:00

You know you have to get a mobile for the baby when she starts talking to the dangling ribbon from a bookmark. My poor baby! Absolutely shameful, I know. But I was expecting to unearth the old crib mobile which I swear I put away from Faith's baby days. It's been three months and still no mobile.

Lucia's 14 weeks old and is charming everybody in the household. Her smile lights up her whole face and makes it impossible for you not to smile back. Our life with three children has settled into a sort of controlled chaos which I have grown quite comfortable with. It's still a struggle especially when we have to go out but nothing that a bit of planning ahead can't solve. You could say we've sort of hit our groove.

The two older kids are doing surprisingly well. No jealousy over the new baby. I have never seen such total adoration. It's been nonstop fights though -- they fight over everything from who gets to sit/lie next to the baby to why the baby doesn't look at him/her. Sometimes it drives me crazy. There are times when I just want some space -- just me and Lucia, with no cartoons blaring in the background or fights to referee.

Nowadays I treasure weekends when the baby and I can lie in till 8 or 9 am. Joshua and Faith are both early risers but they're old enough to get out of the room by themselves and eat their breakfast. Most times when we finally get up, I find them peacefully finishing their food while watching cartoons. They are also considerate enough not to make noise (most of the time) so we won't wake up. That's when it hits me that they're no longer babies and are perfectly capable of fending for themselves for an hour or so without needing mommy so much. Sniff!

And when I look at my newest baby, I feel a certain kind of sadness at the certainty that this will be the last newborn that I will hold and cuddle. The way my Lucia is growing so fast makes me want to hold time still so I can enjoy her babyhood for a little while longer. But the excitement of knowing what she'll be like as a toddler and little girl sometimes makes me wish she'd grow up faster.

I'm schizophrenic that way.

Bits and Pieces

2009-07-02T15:34:00.004+08:00

Since I have a few minutes to myself again (Lucia is with Grandma!), just a few things I thought I'd post:

My new toy:

I love, love my HP Mini Vivienne Tam edition! Don't you think it's gorgeous? And it has the same features as my old IBM Lenovo T60 without the weight!

Zara sale has started and I had a chance to visit the store yesterday when I was out for a meeting. Sadly, it's not the same as being there the first day. I spied a pair of shoes I wanted but there was only 1 shoe left. The supposed pair was a different size. Sigh! Maybe next year. Treated myself to a Krispy Kreme donut instead. Ok, it was actually two Krispy Kreme donuts. I was hungry!

Breast Milk Envy

2009-06-30T10:28:00.003+08:00

Yes, I've got it. I'd stare in envy at the milk coming out of mothers pumping it out in the breastfeeding room at the hospital. The lot of them filling up 6-8 oz at a time, some of them the color of ripe mango shakes. Talk about colostrum overload. While I struggle to produce 1 measly oz of milk for my baby.

Sigh. I obviously have issues. I've tried everything to increase my production -- natalac tablets,drinking more than 3 liters of water everyday, trying to eat right. Heck, I'm even taking anti vomiting tablets because the pediatrician told me one of the side effects is increased lactation. Lucia's just not getting enough judging by her grunts of frustration when she's been at my breast for some time. I can tell. And I feel so guilty for not being to provide enough for her.

So despite my best intentions of pure breastfeeding for Lucia, I've caved in to giving formula. I don't think it's evil like a lot of pediatricians do (thank goodness mine doesn't). I just believe in the good effects of breastmilk. I still put Lucia to my breast first before giving her breastmilk. It makes me feel a lot better plus it keeps my meager supply running, so to speak.

I resign myself to the fact that I will never be able to pump like those mothers do. I'm just glad that Lucia continues to thrive and gain weight. Now excuse me while I go take my Plasil tablets.

At lunch yesterday....

2009-06-29T10:14:00.006+08:00

Someone wanted to play games on a cellphone and wasn't allowed to.....

Meanwhile, here's me with Lucia in her orange sling given to me by my good friend Melay. :D

I wish I could carry her in a sling all the time since it frees my hands but it's just too hot at home. This is only possible at the mall or restaurant but since we've refrained from going out with her (too scared of the swine flu that's going around), I've only been able to carry her this way a couple of times. Mostly to restaurants that are stand alone and not crowded and never at the mall.

I've got a slew of pictures we took at lunch yesterday (my dad's birthday) but I don't have them all in my laptop yet. Maybe next time.

My Miracle Baby

2009-06-25T10:12:00.004+08:00

Finally got around to posting some pics of my baby Lucia. Not everyone knows (at least, those who aren't in hubby's facebook circle) what happened during the birth.

We got a nasty birth surprise called Placental Abruption -- below is the wikipedia entry:

Placental abruption (also known as abruptio placentae) is an obstetric catastrophe (complication of pregnancy), wherein the placental lining has separated from the uterus of themother. It is the most common cause of late pregnancy bleeding. In humans, it refers to the abnormal separation after 20 weeks of gestation and prior to birth. It occurs in 1% of pregnanciesworld wide with a fetal mortality rate of 20-40% depending on the degree of separation. Placental abruption is also a significant contributor to maternal mortality.

It was a very scary moment -- they couldn't find Lucia's heartbeat while I was writhing in pain at the delivery room. As a result of this, her Apgar score was only 3 and she hardly breathed when they finally got her out. She had to stay in the Neonatal ICU (NICU) for 10 days before she was well enough to come home. There were other conditions that she was being treated for but I don't really want to go into all that. Suffice it to say that we are very thankful that she (and I!) survived the trauma and what could have been a very tragic event had a happy ending.

Here are some pictures of Lucia -- pardon the poor quality as these were taken thru our cellphones:

Here's one taken at the NICU while doing kangaroo care. I loved kangaroo care.

Taken at home -- around 3-4 weeks old.

This was taken last night at just about 6-7 weeks old. She's filling out! :D

I've popped!

2009-06-03T18:15:00.003+08:00

Yes, I've given birth and there's a story to it (not a very happy one) with a good outcome, thank goodness. But, between changing diapers and feeding Lucia, I hardly have time to really sit down and put it all in writing. So thank you to all the well wishers and please know that I really appreciate your kind words (in this blog and in Facebook and emails and text messages). I will try to update when I have had more sleep, when Lucia loses a bit of her pre-occupation with me (and my breasts) and when I have more time than the bathroom breaks I allow myself due to necessity.

Some random stuff I want to throw out:

- Why doesn't anyone make strapless nursing bras?? Why? Why? Why?

- Why do nursing bras have to be so darned ugly? Isn't it enough that you have a post pregnancy belly to deal with? And now you can't even have decent underwear.

- Babies poop a lot, I get it. But why does Lucia have to do it in the middle of a feed? Every.single.time.

And hey, people don't really need to sleep. I know, cause I'm still alive aren't I?

Distractions

2009-05-08T17:07:00.002+08:00

Well I didn't win the make-up brush set, too bad. I probably wouldn't know what to do with those brushes anyway.

Anyway, I've been trying to distract myself from the aches and pains. I've just ordered a couple of books from Amazon and had it sent to Johnny Air Retail which I learned about from Chuvaness' blog. Great alternative to paying the enormous international shipping fees! They charge $6.00/lb + $5.00 handling fee. And you don't have to wait for weeks for your shipment -- it arrives in 6 days. Perfect for when I'm already on maternity leave.

I'm off to check out the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam edition! Some women get jewelry when they give birth, I get techie products! (I got an Ipod when Faith was born). Then we're watching Wolverine.

Have a good weekend!

36 weeks and 4 days

2009-05-05T15:19:00.002+08:00

Me modeling my new dress in our messy bathroom. I figured I might as well take a picture for posterity.

I just realized how huge my tummy is.

Just a few more days!!!! Bought a crib yesterday and I think we're ready.

But I haven't packed for the hospital yet!

Shu Uemura Make - Up Brush set

2009-05-03T10:54:00.007+08:00

I was never a make-up sort of girly girl until a few years ago. I was just an Ivory soap and water kind of girl when I first started working. I remember one job interview when the

interviewer (female) even advised me to wear makeup because I looked too young.

Fast forward to 2009. I have since learned the merits of a good moisturizer especially if you have no plans of resorting to plastic surgery (or botox!) in the future. I now have a more than passing acquaintance with makeup thanks to fashion magazines and a gay friend who taught me the basics. I still don't know what color eye shadow to use except neutrals but

I can at least apply foundation and blush!

Which brings me to why I am writing this post in the first place. Some generous soul at Beauty for a Living is giving away a free set of Shu Uemura brushes in a very pretty Mika Ninagawa kit.

According to the blog: Shu Uemura describes this super pretty set: "Carry your brushes in a portable Mika Ninagawa work of art! Purple on the outside with a special Mika red rose photograph lining the inside, the limited-edition brush case includes a set of four Shu Uemura brushes, each handmade in Japan by professional artisens for optimal makeup application for the face, cheek, eye and lip." The set includes 4 brushes: goat brush for the face, pony and squirrel brush for cheeks, sable and kolinsky brush for eyes, and sable brush for lips.

Now all you need to do is write about the contest, link the author's post and leave a comment on her blog that you've posted about the contest. It's open to all (not just the Philippines) and she will ship anywhere in the world.

Just because I'm pregnant and about to pop doesn't mean I can't still be vain, right?

What's on TV?

2009-04-29T21:22:00.002+08:00

It's a rare night when I can watch tv uninterrupted. Most days it's all you can watch Playhouse Disney channel. Tonight I'm left behind as everyone goes to my brother's exhibit.

Right now I'm watching Gordon Ramsay yelling at some General Manager on Kitchen Nightmares. First time I've seen this show and I am loving it! I've been enjoying Nigella and Curtis Stone earlier. And also seen Sex and the City on DVD.

On the Tyra Banks show, they were talking about how this "expert" can tell whether a couple is likely to get divorced or not. Apparently, an example is how couples can still be positive while having an argument. Upon being asked for an example by Tyra, he said that some couples can sit back from an argument and say something positive like, "I like the shoes you're wearing tonight." WTH!!!! So next time you have an argument with your spouse or significant other, take a break and say something nice about their shoes...or hair. Whatever.

I think I still have room for some Disney cartoons. They make more sense to me.

Sunday scare

2009-04-28T15:19:00.003+08:00

Quite possibly the most frightening thing that you can think about happening when you're pregnant happened last Sunday morning.

We were spending the weekend at the Mandarin Oriental and we were going to have breakfast downstairs. So after extricating myself from Faith's death grip on my neck, I went to the bathroom. (Warning: TMI!!!) Imagine my horror when I looked at the toilet bowl to flush after peeing and seeing blood. Lots of it. I actually had Jun take a picture so we could show it to the doctor. And no, am not going to post it here to spare you the gory details.

I made a frantic call to my OB and was instructed to head straight to the Delivery Room. I called up my parents to pick up the kids at the hotel and bring them home then we hurriedly packed and checked out.

I was immediately hooked up to a fetal monitor and sure enough, I was having contractions although there was no more bleeding. They gave me a shot of medication to make the contractions stop and kept me there for a while. So, long story short, I am now under instructions to stay in bed for a week with a follow up check up with my doctor on Saturday.

It's been two days and I never thought I'd say this but it is soooo boring. The grass really is much greener. If I was at the office, I'd be wishing I was at home. But, there is only so much tv and reading you can do before you get a headache. Plus I have a bad cough and cold too. The kids, meanwhile, are very happy I am home. My mother hardly get to see them which is probably a welcome relief from being with them the whole day while I am at work.

Anyway, Lucia seems to be allright. I am hoping there will be no repeat of the Sunday morning episode for the rest of the week. I would like to get back to work to finish commitments so I won't have anything hanging over my head while I am on maternity leave.

Meanwhile, I'm just hanging around our room, watching endless Handy Manny and Ben Ten cartoons with the kids. Oh, and eating belgian chocolate covered raisins. Yum!

35 Weeks and counting

2009-04-24T09:32:00.002+08:00

At 35 weeks....

- I cannot stop eating chocolate. Ever try Royce's Nama chocolates in Cacao? To die for! But since they are ridiculously expensive, I calm my cravings with Maltesers. Anyone who comes close to getting my precious maltesers from me has to be very brave. Except my fellow chocoholic Faith, of course.

- I keep dreaming about Tsunamis. Small ones, not the gigantic Deep Impact movie kind of thing. Totally weird. And going to Sydney.

- Every morning when I wake up, I say hello to my feet. It's the only time I see them normal looking. Most of the day I have bloated little sausages that pass for toes.

- I miss -- my nose, wearing high heels, being able to carry Faith, sleeping on my back, wearing my wedding and engagement rings.

- The other night I had to go pee three times in 5 minutes. That must've been some sort of a record.

Quick update

2009-04-20T12:51:00.003+08:00

I have just passed the 34 week mark in this pregnancy and now I just cannot wait until this baby pops out!

The heat is killing me! I can't sleep anymore, turning over is a major undertaking, walking is torture and my feet are HUGE! I've been going to work wearing birkenstocks as these are the only things that fit anymore (can't wear flipflops to work).

So far, everything is ok based on the ultrasound and Saturday morning check-up with my OB. I just really have to wait and keep my cool until I get to meet baby Lucia. My ob has tentatively set my CS procedure on the 16th of May -- just four more weeks. The kids are very excited to meet their little sister and have been heard arguing about who's going to get to push the stroller.

I still have tons to do at home. Still have some baby clothes and stuff (burp cloths, cloth diapers, bibs and towels) to get, work is still hectic and I'm too tired all the time.

Oh, and the million dollar question from Joshua: "mommy, will you still have time for me and Faith when Lucia arrives?". You gotta hand it to the kid. Gets straight to the point.

2009-03-15T14:21:00.002+08:00

What a busy morning!

Ran out of the house today at just before 10am just to get a replacement for a leaking bidet which flooded the upstairs bathroom. The planned 20 minute errand run morphed into something else entirely.

I decided to nip by Beauty Bar to find a replacement Tweezerman for the one that mysteriously disappeared from my vanity. And of course, my inner Becky Bloomwood "forced" (ahem) her way out. I got out of there with facial cleanser (which I was about to run out of! Swear!), facial blotting paper (45 bucks for a hundred sheets, sheesh!), and bronzer (um....have no excuse for this one). Off to the hardware store then!

Every time I wander into a hardware store am amazed at how much interesting stuff there is. Who'd have thought? Anyway, got the bidet replacement in under three minutes then decided to move around a bit. Ended up with two plastic storage cabinets which were on sale -- one for the kids' clothes for when I have the time to organize their overflowing closets and another small one to hold the junk in our bathroom. And plastic shoe boxes for 60 pesos each.

It's the drugstore next for Joshua's vitamins, then I dropped off a dress that had to be shortened, picked up the dry cleaning from the cleaners and then went grocery shopping. Last stop was the hospital to pick up some lab test results from yesterday's test.

I did all this in two hours. Was back home in time for lunch.

Anyway, it's been a very busy past few months for me. Work has been hectic but hopefully will slowly taper off by end of the month so I can focus on the things I need to transition before I go on maternity leave.

The pregnancy's going well so far. I had another ultrasound yesterday just to check the baby's weight and my amniotic fluid levels (all ok! whew!). Then had my Oral Glucose Challenge Test where they make you drink a disgustingly sweet orange flavored glucose conconction to check your glucose levels. This was also ok according to the result I got earlier.

So then, I believe I am going into my nesting phase where everything at home is driving me crazy because of the mess and I AM ITCHING TO ORGANIZE EVERYTHING!!!!!!!

I just FREAKING HAVE NO TIME.

Am supposed to finish some work today but the bedroom's still a mess, the stuff I bought has to be put away, kids need to have a bath, have some washing to do and I can't close Faith's drawers properly.

Which is why I am in front of my laptop, posting this, going through my reader and checking facebook. I need to calm myself.....

Check your child's homework....

2009-01-30T15:13:00.002+08:00

Got this thru email from a friend today........

(Here's the reply the teacher received the following day)
Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.
I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.
From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.
Sincerely,
Mrs.Smith

You just gotta love kids. I sometimes live in fear of what mine will eventually reveal to their respective teachers/classmates/etc. Faith just loooooves to draw. The other day she drew a picture of me...with boobs clearly depicted the size of which is clearly not in proportion to the reality. I found it really amusing. Now I wonder where she put it.

Aren't you just happy it's Friday??? I know I am. :D

2008-12-31T14:08:00.003+08:00

Boy, it's been a while. It hasn't been the easiest of pregnancies which I attribute to my age (ugh!). I spent Christmas Day curled up in bed all alone while everyone went the rounds of family reunions due to a premature labor scare. Guess I kind of overdid it with the driving and walking around. So I've mostly spent the past couple of days resting and taking things easy.

It's been a different Christmas altogether. Not much of the rush since I finished shopping early and didn't really go to a lot of parties. I've kind of relished the alone time - the kids are old enough to amuse themselves most of the time with their Christmas loot. And I keep thinking that when the littlest one arrives, there's not going to be too much of that.

Highlights of the season for me were the looks on the kids' faces when they opened their presents from Santa. Joshua got the coolest Optimus Prime and Megatron robots (which I got on sale!!!!!). Should have captured on video the way the hubby and my brother got so engrossed with transforming the robots I had to put a stop to it at two in the morning. Faith got Princess Liana and the guy doll partner. I just had to laugh when I heard her say, "Wait a minute, you mean this (man) doll doesn't do ANYTHING??? It doesn't even sing???"

I also got to spend the day with a beloved cousin from Sydney whom I seldom talk to except for the occasional email. I had a lot of fun just catching up and shopping with him. Am still waiting for the pictures he took of our day together.

Oh, and I got to hear Charisse Pempengco sing live at mass last Saturday night. She is phenomenal! No wonder they're getting her to sing in Obama's inauguration. Or so I heard.

So anyway, we're gearing up for the New Year's Eve celebration later tonight. The hubby is getting the kids' baths and naptime going while I quickly finish post off.

I hope the new year brings peace and joy and a lot of good possibilities and opportunities to everyone. Happy New Year everybody!

It's Friday night and I'm bored (and nauseous)...

2008-10-03T17:06:00.003+08:00

Thought I'd post some new pictures from a new batch of photos we had taken recently. My kids look all grown up.

This one is mischievous as ever. Saucy and sassy and sooooooo naughty! She's doing great in school though she still misses going to school with her brother.

And this cutie has been getting tremendously high grades in school -- math, science, english, etc. He's a candidate for a first honor award in October. If that happens, someone's going to have a Star Wars Light Saber before Christmas. :D

Please forgive me if I'm less chatty lately. Not feeling too good (translation: I feel like death) these days. My gag reflex is working overtime -- every time I smell something, I gag. Even water has a smell.

Baby number three's gender remains a surprise for now. I'd be happy with either but I must admit to having a preference. I'd kind of like to have another girl. So she and Faith can talk to each other while growing up. Because, you gotta admit, you don't tell your mother everything.

I'd like for them to have someone to confide in, assuming they won't want to constantly kill each other like some siblings I know.

Anyway, I'm being maudlin. Excuse me while I gag.

Something's up

2008-09-30T22:25:00.002+08:00

It's been a looooooooong time. Admittedly, I've been swamped with all things domestic and work related which is something I've written about before.

Really, nothing special in the past two months except for my birthday. But, just in case you missed it, I have news.

Take a peek over at the right side.

Yep.

I am.

2008-07-08T11:08:00.003+08:00

At church last Sunday, I noticed a little boy, not more than 3 or 4 years old, staring at my daughter. At first I thought he was looking at both Josh and Faith since they were giggling about something. But no, his gaze kept staying at Faith. I just smiled inwardly, thinking, there goes another admirer.

About 15 minutes later, while Faith was sitting on her dad's lap, I saw the little boy slowly walking over to us with his hand outstretched. He stopped in front of her and grunted, "Uh", all the while holding out his hand to her. It was a dried leaf. Faith just looked at it and smiled then turned back to her brother. Poor little boy. My whole family was watching by now. To my surprise, he once again went back to Faith, this time clutching a bigger green leaf in his hand and once again giving it to Faith. She was looking at it when the boy's dad came over and got him with an apologetic smile.

Goodness, she's only four. What will it be like when she's 16?

***************************
Yesterday when we dropped off Joshua at school, I kissed him at the gate and murmured "I love you", as I always do every morning before he walks off with his humongous stroller bag. And, like every morning, he yells back (yes, he actually yells) "I love you too mom!!"

I remember thinking as I walked back to the car, will he ever stop yelling I love you back?

Will I ever be prepared for that to happen?

Heard in the car today

2008-06-30T14:39:00.001+08:00

"Yay! School!!!"

This from the boy who spent the first two weeks in tears and clinging to my leg. Things got a lot better since we let him watch the Sneezing Panda video before he got off. I am happy to announce that he doesn't even need that anymore. As I suspected, he only needed to make new friends to make him comfortable.

Now if i can only muster enough enthusiasm to announce....."Yay! Work!!!"

Nope......can't do it.

Couple of things on my mind

2008-06-27T18:29:00.000+08:00

Why do schools assign homework for pre-schoolers that they know they can't possibly do by themselves??? On top of everything else I have to keep track of, I've got homework. Which sucks, by the way.

Zara sale is ON! My shopping gene is doing the dance of joy....

Check out the sneezing panda on You Tube (just search for sneezing panda). It is the sole reason why Joshua finally stopped bawling on the way to big school. Just make him watch it on the PDA before he gets off and its no more tears mommy! Frankly, I didn't think it was ever going to stop. It was something I never experienced when I was little and I was kind of at a loss in terms of knowing how to make him stop. Endless pep talks did NOT work. I was late for work for two weeks! Did your kids cry when they went to big school? How long before they stopped???

My weekend's pretty full starting with dinner with girlfriends tonight (can't get even a little bit tipsy as I am driving tonight). Tomorrow's my dad's birthday and we're having a bunch of people over, mostly family. Then there's the groceries and supervising the kids' homework. Wonder if the hubby and I can fit in a movie somewhere......

Easing....

2008-06-17T12:46:00.005+08:00

...back into blogging! It's been ages and ages!!

A recap of what I've been up to...

- Both kids' birthdays celebrated without much fanfare, just a one on one day with me ending with dinner and cake and presents at home. Check out this pic of Joshua blowing his cake in our messy kitchen/dining area.

- Faith's ballet recital. Pics below. There was a bit of drama that day, when I left the backstage after the 1st half break, she fell to pieces and refused to dance in the second half. But oh, she danced beautifully during the first half! My bad, actually. I shouldn't have gone backstage to check on her. She was totally ok during the dress rehearsal. My mom already nailed my hide to the wall for that little bit of stupidity.

Faith, Joshua and cousin Tina before the recital

Costume for the second half

During rehearsals

- School's just started last week for Joshua and yesterday for Faith. You will not believe the document I received from Joshua's teacher yesterday. It's his curriculum for the first quarter (june - august). All seventeen freaking pages of it! I kid you not. And he's only Prep! He's got six subjects and is expected to take his first long test in Filipino next week.

Hard to believe I've stayed away from the blog for so long. But I think I needed the break. I got to focus on other things that needed to be done and others that I just wanted to do for the heck of it (like watch all the movies I wanted or make a dent on my pile of books).

Check out my new toy...

2008-05-07T15:29:00.007+08:00

So yes, I have been busy tinkering with my Palm Centro the past few days. So has the hubby (as the overall-techie-geek-in-charge). He has been constantly needled and wheedled to figure out whatever I want to do and make the thingie do it. He even figured out how to make an MP3 file into a ring tone.

The verdict? I love it. I was originally bent on getting an Iphone as a replacement for my old phone but I got some feedback from friends who said that you can't do a lot of things with it (can't send group text). Plus the price is a bit prohibitive. The cute little phone above answers all my needs -- I can edit worksheets, read ebooks, take pictures, surf the web. It's got all the features of the Treo except it's sleeker, smaller, lighter and has a better camera.

New toy aside, I've been pretty busy at work too. Then there's housework and the kids. This month's got Faith's ballet recital, and their birthdays.

I've missed visiting my daily dose of blogs so expect me to pass by soon. :D

Three Guesses on How I Spent Last Weekend.....

2008-04-21T10:47:00.000+08:00

2008-04-14T15:44:00.002+08:00

Guess who conked out in the middle of her dessert Saturday night??

One minute she was chattering about getting gummy bears and the next moment she was asleep. Didn't even wake up when her brother got all her leftover marshmallows.

Maybe next time she'll listen when I tell her she needs a nap. :D

2008-04-09T11:32:00.012+08:00

This is where we spent the day last weekend. One glorious day spent swimming, playing frisbee and volleyball and my favorite part, just stretched out on a lounger with a book. I was in heaven.
The kids, of course, had a blast at the kiddie pool. They were sooooo brown at the end of the day (no sunburn! Yay!).

Waiting for breakfast....

Thumb wrestling while waiting...

Someone felt like taking a nap....

My cousins and brother on their PSP's (too much glare)...

And this is how the day ended.....

Can't wait to come back.

To the one who...

2008-04-07T16:32:00.000+08:00

- makes me laugh until I can't breathe

- brings out the tease in me

- likes all my ugly faces

- kisses all of us goodnight

- shares all my secrets

- taught me how to do the moonwalk and the running man

- holds my hand in the car

- gave me my beautiful babies

- doesn't get mad when I wake him up at 3am because the stupid "vlookup" function won't work

- makes me forget there is a world outside the one we made

Yeah.

You.

Happy Birthday.

When You're Bored....

2008-04-02T14:22:00.008+08:00

What do you get when you have one bored-out-of-her-mind almost four year old hell bent on destroying your concentration as you're trying to finish work on a Saturday morning?

You get a camera phone photo shoot, of course.

Didn't distract her for very long but we both got a kick out of it. :D

Still a lot busy with work and household stuff to go online much. I've been visiting and reading your posts from my Google Reader but don't have much time to comment. Am hoping to catch up real soon.

And Just Like That....

2008-03-24T16:02:00.000+08:00

It's summer! The heat has been unbearable the past week.

I've been out of town last week and then spent the rest of the Lenten holiday at home. We did squeeze in a day trip to the beach which was thankful for. See, I originally didn't want to go cause I was planning on doing a lot of house cleaning. I was very obviously demented that day. It was guilt that eventually made me go and I had a great time with the kids.

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

I got pooped on by a bird at Sunday mass. It was warm and gooey and green! Gross! I wondered about the green color though. I usually see white stuff on cars and windshields. Then my brother told me that particular bird probably had a bum stomach. Ew! Ew! Ew!

Nothing special about this news, I know. Just thought I'd share the grossness.
----------------------------------

We bought the kids new bicycles. A Disney princess one (what else??) and a suitably masculine one for Joshua. Those were supposed to be birthday presents for their special day in May but hubby and I thought that with the rainy season kicking off on that month and school being near to starting, it would be a shame if the kids can't enjoy them during the summer. Ergo, they are in bike heaven.

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

I was supposed to post pictures I took of Faith while she was clowning around refusing to let me do my work peacefully. So I took a photoshoot of her on my camera phone. Darn phone won't connect to the laptop. And I've got too much stuff open to bother rebooting. Bugger!

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

My google reader is overflowing with unread items. I'm afraid my online time has taken a backseat to work, and, after that, to just spending time with the kids and catching up (a little) with the housework and my books.

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

Happy Easter! :D

2008-03-07T17:29:00.000+08:00

There is nothing creepier than hearing a dog howling (horror film-like) in the middle of the night while you are the only one up. I had to turn up the music on my laptop just to drown it out.

So those energy drinks really work. I took one at 11:30pm so I could work and I was still bouncing off the walls in the car at 7:30am. So I took another one for good measure. Because, well, I still had a two hour presentation to go through.

No warning about the crash when it wears off though. My eyes kept crossing while trying to stay awake. I have now fortified myself with a double caramel macchiato. Two shots of espresso and two packets of brown sugar. If that doesn't keep me awake, I don't know what will.

Sigh. I still have to work this weekend. Bugger.

It's Just Too Early.........

2008-03-05T09:39:00.003+08:00

Santa will laugh my ass out of the North Pole. It's only March, for goodness sake!

Yeah, like it matters to the five year old who asked me last night if Santa got his letter....

Right in the middle of......

2008-03-03T14:49:00.000+08:00

-- Spring cleaning. STILL. There's too much junk in the house. I am wishing for three whole days with nothing to do but clean. It's official. I've turned into my parents.

-- Treating the kids for severe asthma. Each kid has to be nebulized FIVE TIMES A DAY. Nebulizer = My Best Friend.

-- The busiest time at work. Talk about HELL WEEK. Hopefully, everything will be done by Monday next week. Crossing my fingers, legs and toes.

-- Fantasizing about a day off. Just me and a book. No brooms, mops, and laptops.

2008-02-22T14:31:00.000+08:00

People will probably never look at me the same after my last post. LOL!

Didn't mean to gross anyone out. That conversation just struck me as very amusing. It really does represent what usually takes place in our house. Which probably makes our family one step away from the loony bin. Ah, but we do have lots of fun....

Anyway, can you tell I'm upbeat? Yep.

I'm bursting with excitement and quivering to the tips of my freshly pedicured toes. Uh, no, I am NOT pregnant.

Because it's FRIDAY. Yep. You can tell it's been a long week when just the thought of Friday sends me into paroxysms of delight. Or maybe it's the white cheddar cheese popcorn I'm munching.

It's Friday, it's a long weekend, I have a heavenly banoffee pie saved up for Sunday dinner, and a tub of Chef Tony's popcorn to last me till the drive home tonight. I also have a ton of feeding bottles to wash, a wedding to go to, and a whole lot of cleaning to do but that's beside the point.

I'm just disgustingly bubbly and happy right now. And I haven't even eaten any chocolate.

Weird, huh?

2008-02-20T16:51:00.001+08:00

One of our typical conversations during breakfast:

Faith : (with a proud smile) I swallowed my vomit Mommy!

Me: that's great, baby!

Joshua: You know mommy, sometimes I swallow my vomit too!

Me: Really?? Me too.

Hubby: Yuck! That's gross!

Me: What?? You've never swallowed your vomit before??

Well? It's normal, isn't it??

Let's Play I Spy!

2008-02-19T09:05:00.003+08:00

I hadn't realized it's been three weeks since I last posted.

The truth is, I'm drowning. In housework (see above). And in work. With no end in sight.

I've been trying to finish cleaning up the house the past few weeks. Trying being the operative word. Above picture is a sample of the toy area which I was able to partially clean up one weekend. It took me the whole day and I was very very tempted to throw the whole lot out the terrace. But since it would quite negatively affect my mommy polls, I contented myself with occasional bouts of really loud screaming and pounding on the xylophone. It was a good thing the kids were hijacked by the grandparents again. They would've thought their mom was crazier than they already think I am.

I know that other people are not used to having help around. I salute you. I really do. I don't know how you do it. My current household situation is driving me nuts.

Don't get me wrong. I've been liking cleaning up and organizing the house but the lack of time to do it is very frustrating for me. In between a four hour commute, caring for the kids and the day to day housework, well, you get the picture.

So I've been denied my daily pleasure of visiting your blogs and I'm sorry. I'm also sorry for this rant after three weeks of being gone. I just had to get it out of my chest.

*Holds breath* SIIIIIGGGGHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

There.

I'm okay now.

Time to go visiting.

2008-01-30T10:40:00.000+08:00

We had already walked past it. A good 10 steps past it. But the brief glance that I took stayed with me. I obviously have self control issues.

I am such a SUCKER for Haagen Dazs strawberry ice cream.

After the brief detour from the ice cream counter and while I was scarfing down my cone, I happened to look at the poster for the Armani store -- the usual gorgeous guy wrapped around a super skinny model. A question popped up.

Me: Do you mind very much that I'm not super sexy? (Don't ask where the question came from. I am an expert at asking these types of questions.)

Hubby: No.

Me: So you agree that I'm NOT super sexy?

Hubby: (with an ooops! expression on his face) Was that a trick question?

Me: Yup. And you just failed miserably. (Honestly, you'd think he'd be used to trick questions by now.)

And we laughed ourselves crazy on the way back to the car.

Eleven years, two kids and the occasional let's-just-have-a-quick-dinner-cause-I-need-to-unwind date but we still have such a fabulous time with each other.

So, nope. Can't complain.

A Two Second Post

2008-01-28T15:19:00.000+08:00

There is a reason (besides the obvious one) why you should NOT text while walking.

You are liable to get a faceful of dry, hanging coconut leaves.

Let me tell ya. It is VERY embarrassing. Especially if happens on the road two minutes away from the mall.

I know, I know. It's Monday.

Click This!!

2008-01-25T18:05:00.000+08:00

http://www.linein.org/media/screenclean.swf

I obviously have no time to blog.

It's the weekend!! Yay!

2008-01-18T14:38:00.000+08:00

I took a short trip to the bookstore today and was followed by a group of kids (around 5 or 6) with their nannies. One of them was crying while the others were chattering to each other.

So I was browsing through the "Fresh from the Box" section when they came in, and this little old lady (a foreigner) suddenly exclaimed, "You shouldn't be bringing children in here!".

Frankly, I was surprised at her outburst. Since when are children not allowed in a public bookstore???!!!! Especially a bookstore that has a huge and delightful children's section with tiny tables and chairs to play and browse in???

Crabby old lady. She didn't stop muttering to herself as she walked further into the store. It kind of upset me a little -- enough to contemplate actually going up to her to tell her to go to a bar where she will definitely NOT encounter any kids. Hmmpppff!

Anyway, here's what I got:

1. The Black Book of Hollywood Diet Secrets. Because I really need to lose weight. And because I hate reading traditional diet books. Who am I kidding??? I'll probably read it with a bag of Doritos right next to me. And chocolate.

2. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. For dreaming about getting away from it all.

3. Samantha James CD. Because I like her music.
Anybody see Bee Movie yet? Thinking about bringing the kids to see it this weekend. If I can still function after the "Daddylympics" at school tomorrow afternoon. I um, tend to get very excited and worked up about games and stuff.

2008-01-11T17:37:00.000+08:00

*Yawn*

Am so tired. But I'm back to posting. I think.

Have not touched my laptop for non-work related purposes since Christmas so I know it's been a while. Personal circumstances have changed quite a bit since last month and I have less time for personal stuff, even reading. It's been chores, chores, chores for the past two weeks.

I hope you all had a nice Christmas and New Year's break. Judging from the sporadic visits I've been able to squeeze in, you guys had a rocking holiday!

I DID have a lot of fun during the holiday -- the to-do list kept growing since I usually dropped the serious stuff for blowing bubbles in the yard and a no mercy, kick-ass water spray fight with the kids and the hubby. I got ganged-up on more times than I liked but I got them good with face shots while they were in the middle of refilling, heh heh.

And speaking of no mercy, that was my mantra as I went through our closets for my annual it's-January-so-we-have-to-organize time. So far, I've got more than a dozen trash bags piled up in the second floor of the house, ready for charity and a possible garage sale.

I smell changes in the air this year, one of which is the fact that my sister is now married and will be moving out of the house. Such a beautiful wedding and I will post pics as soon as I muster enough energy (and time) to fiddle with the camera. My younger sister and I got teary eyed when the doors to the church opened and my sister walked in with my parents.

Have a good weekend folks!

2007-12-20T09:24:00.000+08:00

Too many late nights, two kids who had colds and here I am -- completely miserable with a bad headache, a cold, and achy muscles.

I should be in bed. But am obviously not.

It sucks to be me right now.

In the meantime, since I am such a ray of sunshine today, let me cheer you up a bit with something a friend of mine forwarded.

Not sure if this will be my last post before Christmas but if it is then I'd like to wish you a Merry Merry Christmas with your loved ones.

P.S.
If you get a chance, watch Avenue Q. It's hilarious! Totally worth it.

Me Time

2007-12-11T20:03:00.000+08:00

Alright, thinking totally selfish here. Just in case my siblings or the hubby are still in the dark....

Top five on my Christmas wish list:

1. Shopping spree at Zara (with a spending limit, of course!)

2. Gift certificates from my favorite bookstore.

3. Philosophy's Amazing Grace perfume. Or Satsuma body butter. Or the complete Calvin and Hobbes collection. HA HA HA!!! I'm cheating!

4. Video iPod. With the complete seasons of Sex and the City, Buffy, and Ugly Betty already loaded. Hey, it IS a wish list!

5. 30 minutes alone with Gerard Butler. Just to talk, of course! LOL! What?????!!!! (If you get me this present, I will be your willing slave forever!!!!)

What's top five on your list??? :D

Just watching

2007-12-11T19:04:00.001+08:00

This morning, I just waited.

And watched.

Without a book or any kind of reading material (not even a brochure).

It wasn't as bad as I always thought it was.

Sipping my peppermint mocha frappucino, I waited for the mall to open so I could replenish my vitamin stash.

I'd forgotten how fascinating it was to people watch. Or how peaceful it is to just sit still.

I watched a cute little girl with her mom and grandmother eat her belgian waffle and drink her iced tea. Then she spilled her water all over her pretty dress. Her mom was so cool and calm. No scolding. Just wiped her down and gave her her tea again. I wished Faith was with me.

I used to be uncomfortable with waiting by myself. I used books as my armor.

Maybe I'll deliberately forget to bring one sometimes.

2007-12-06T16:56:00.000+08:00

"It's that time of year, when the world falls in love..."

This line is from one my favorite Christmas songs (The Christmas Waltz). And despite the hustle and bustle, the heavy traffic and the never ending deadlines at work, I find I really love this time of the year. I even like listening to the piped in Christmas music in the malls.

My weekends in December are already fully booked with get togethers, a baptism, a wedding, and the usual family reunions. Thankfully, all of my shopping's done and I've wrapped half of the presents already. I'm looking forward to seeing old friends, midnight mass and the kids opening their presents.

I've got a ton of tags to do and forgive me if I forget to do a couple of them. I promise to get to them over the next two weeks.

Right now, I'm just taking the time to breathe and think about what I want for Christmas in case the hubby is wondering..... :D

Anywhere but here

2007-11-29T17:42:00.000+08:00

It seems all I have time for nowadays are once a week posts. It's been a busy week and thankfully, my weekend's starting early. Tomorrow's a holiday commemorating one of our national heroes.

Right now, a military group has taken over a local five star hotel protesting the current government. It's the same group that took over the Oakwood hotel couple of years ago. They've allegedly been joined by two bishops (not sure, haven't been listening to the news at work). This is happening right at the heart of the business district and people have been let out of work early due to safety.

EDSA, the main thoroughfare, has been closed to traffic and people expect the police to storm the hotel shortly. My husband is already on his way home, having found someone to hitch a ride with (the car's with me) since I doubt I will be able to enter the area. Traffic, as expected is already bad everywhere. In fact, I'm wondering how I'm going to get home.

Things are really looking bad. Can't blame the group for protesting. The country's going to pieces -- poverty is at an all time high (two children have committed suicide citing severe poverty as the reason), the government's greed and corruption is vulgar (they're not even bothering to hide it well).

So sorry for the doom and gloom post. It's times like these when I really think about migrating to another country. This situation is what my kids and my (future) grandchildren will be growing up to. That's just sad.

Waiting for the Weekend

2007-11-23T16:58:00.000+08:00

This is what was right next to me since yesterday. Have no idea how many I've eaten.

Am tired from lack of sleep and a tantrum from Faith that involved a lot of crying and screaming and me cleaning up her vomit from the floor. The smell of sick never fails to make me gag. I'd rather pick up a dead cockroach (which is the hubby's job -- after I kill it).

Thank goodness it's Friday and time for me to head for home. Now I just have to wade through rush hour traffic. How fun.

Tomorrow is Joshua's exam for the Prep level so am keeping my fingers crossed. Then we are watching Enchanted in the afternoon.

Have a good weekend folks!

2007-11-20T11:24:00.001+08:00

I can already feel the cool wind blowing every time I exit the office building to get to the parking lot. It's only 6pm but it is completely dark outside.

Yep, it's that time of the year again.

Despite the explosion that killed several people at the mall around a month ago, the malls are bursting with holiday shoppers. I'm glad I'm 73% done with my shopping. So it says in my excel spreadsheet. Hmmpphhh. Yeah, so I'm OC about making lists. My worksheet goes back to...(checking spreadsheet)... *gasp* 2002?

I'm trying not to run around like a chicken without a head (ever seen one do that? I have. Darn funny once you get over the ICK factor) this year. I've got school stuff to take care of , toys and clothes to sort and give away, a garage sale to organize, remaining presents to buy plus work.

I'm trying to savor the last few weekends of November before it gets really hectic next month. Meanwhile, I wanted to share pictures taken last weekend from a Grandparents' Day at school and two birthday parties the kids were invited to.

Josh and Faith clowning around while waiting for the program to start. Only the Nursery and Pre-Nursery class are included in the program.

Inside the classroom where the grandparents had to do an activity with their grandkids. That's my mom.

Faith's number about to start.

They did the Five Little Monkeys song. I was able to videotape the whole thing. It was so cute!

She had her face painted at the birthday party.

The two of them had fun at the playground at the other birthday party the next day.

Weekends are getting crazier and crazier!

Happy thanksgiving to those who are celebrating it this weekend! :D

The one with the ring

2007-11-12T14:26:00.000+08:00

Something Diesel said in a comment in the previous post made me remember an incident that happened three years ago.

You know how women tend to bloat when pregnant? Well, unless you're Heidi Klum, of course. Anyway, I usually stop wearing my engagement and wedding rings at the onset of the 6th month of pregnancy cause they don't fit anymore.

It was about four months after giving birth to Faith that I decided to try on my rings. It was only 5:15am and I didn't have to leave for work for another 15 mins. The kids and the hubby were still deeply asleep in the bedroom.

You kinda know where this is going right?

I took out my rings from the jewelry box and put the wedding ring on. So far, so good. Then I put the engagement ring on top of it. It fits!! I looked at my hand and noticed it still looked a bit tight. Maybe next month, I thought and decided to take it off.

I pulled and pulled and pulled. Could. Not. Take. It. Off.

I washed my hands and soaped the finger thoroughly. Nuh uh. Tried baby oil. Still not working.

It was when my finger started getting really red that I woke up my husband. He couldn't believe what was happening at first then I showed him my finger. He suggested soaking in cold water. Then hot water. My finger (the top part) now looked like a small Hungarian sausage. I had visions of my ring finger getting amputated.

I ended up in the emergency room at 6:15 in the morning. I felt so stupid when the nurse asked what was wrong and I had to show her my finger. And no, I don't need a wheelchair, thank you very much.

What are the chances of an emergency room doctor having a contraption that cuts rings off? It looked like a plier only it had something round that cuts the metal off the finger. How lucky am I???? Pretty darn lucky for a stupid girl who should've known better. The orderly who assisted said I was lucky Dr. Ring-plier was on duty. The last time someone's ring had to be cut off (*sniff* I'm not the only one, I guess), they had to use a steel saw. And there was blood.

The hubby, now that he knew the finger was not going to be amputated, started to laugh in the car on the way back to the house. No amount of dirty looks and slaps could stop him.

I took the day off from work. Better than having to explain the angry red finger that still looked like a sausage.

2007-11-08T11:17:00.000+08:00

I was just thinking that seven years ago, I was on my honeymoon. By this time on that week (Nov 8) hubby had already lost his wedding ring on the beach. AFTER I warned him not to wear it as it might get lost in the surf. He was understandably upset and for posterity, I took a picture of him searching in the sand for the ring. Tomorrow would be the day that we went island hopping. I remember throwing up in a (thankfully empty) shopping bag that belonged to a Japanese girl sitting next to me when we stopped for snorkelling just off the beautiful beach in Phi Phi Island. Very embarrassing.

Sometimes it feels like we've been married forever. And I mean that in a good way.

We still make each other laugh. A lot. And we still fight very rarely.

It's been a great seven years.

Ummmmmm......

2007-11-06T13:23:00.000+08:00

The road to weight loss has never tasted this good.

- Japanese Sesame Dressing
- Romaine Lettuce
- Mandarin Oranges
- Crunchy Cashew Nuts

I've been having this for lunch for the past two days. Really, really yummy! I don't even feel that I'm on a diet.

First dress fitting for the wedding in three weeks! Aaaaarrrgggghhhh! Maybe watching multiple episodes of Ugly Betty wasn't such a good idea.

All Saint's Day

2007-11-03T10:41:00.000+08:00

Every 1st of November, people flock to the cemeteries to visit their departed loved ones. I'm sure this isn't unusual but over here, it's more than just a short visit and a prayer. It's an occasion to gather and eat and talk. It's like a party actually.

I remember when we used to go to North Cemetery in La Loma. We'd have to park somewhere far because roads would be closed to accommodate the crowds. Then we'd walk for more than an hour through crowds so thick, you don't even have to walk on your own sometimes. The press of the crowd would keep you moving.

We transferred our grandfather's remains to a nearby memorial park and it became easier. Now I have both sets of grandparents and an aunt in the same place. I left the kids at home this year with the hubby. I didn't think the crowd and the heat and hanging out the whole day at the cemetery would be good for them.

We still had to park a short distance away, below are my siblings while they walked behind me and my mom (she had an umbrella!). You can see we try to dress for comfort as the heat can become unbearable! Cars are lined up going inside (it's hardly moving, I don't know why they bother).

Scenes from the cemetery. Tents like the ones below lined up as far as the eye can see.

You can see how crowded it can get with a lot of people cramped over a small plot of land. Despite this, people stay from morning till night, even spending the night sometimes (Oct 31 to Nov 1).

Lunchtime! Typical Filipino food -- Grilled liempo (pork), diced tomatoes and onions with red egg, the ever present green mangoes, my Dad's bopis (don't know the english name for this) and tuna pasta that I prepared. The one below is what we call talangka. I don't eat it now (though my mom says I used to) but they like it. Ewww!

Is it too weird that I didn't take pictures during my vacation but I took pics of the cemetery trip?

Trick or Treat!

2007-10-31T09:06:00.000+08:00

Thought I'd show you what the kids wore to their Mid-Year party at school last Friday. The theme was Enchanted Forest. I took a half day off work and played hooky with the kids till lunchtime. It was so hot and humid but I had lots of fun ogling the costumes!

Take a gander of my own fairy princess Faith in her fairy princess costume courtesy of my fabulous aunt who sent it from the U.S.

Joshua got a Buzz Lightyear costume which he couldn't wear to school so I had to scramble for another costume at the last minute. He went as a bear, which he thought was cool, thank goodness.

Here's Faith's Nursery class.

And Joshua's Senior Kinder class. Take note of the kid in the bird costume. Heard he just got out from the hospital the day before but insisted on going to school to wear his costume. I would've gone to school too if it were me.

Have a Happy Halloween everyone!

Book Meme

2007-10-23T11:03:00.000+08:00

I've been tagged by Princess Shin and Pacha for this meme and since I love doing book tags, this was a cinch for me to do.

Total number of books
I really don't know. I used to have a card catalogue (that's how OC I was with my books) and the last count I remembered was over a thousand. That was more than fifteen years ago. So maybe, five thousand?

Last Book Read
Autobiography of a One Year Old. Really amusing.

Last Book/s Bought
Skinny Bitch -- I thought it was a diet book. Very direct way of saying things but I skipped through to the end and found they were espousing a vegan way of life. Totally not going there (I like my meat).

101 Things to Buy before you die -- Lots of stuff I will NEVER be able to afford. Frankly, I won't buy it even if I HAD the money. But a really interesting and amusing read.

5 Meaningful Books
The Little Prince - I was quite young when I first read it and it made quite an impression on me. Then I read it again as an adult and I was as entranced as when I first read it.

Wuthering Heights - I loooove Heathcliff.

Bram Stoker's Dracula - This is what hooked me to the horror genre. A great story, but I think I will hold off reading it as a bedtime story for the the time being.

The Arabian Nights - I've lost count of how many times I read this collection when I was a little girl. I read it from cover to cover every time and never got bored.

Baby ER - This struck a deep chord in me because of how I felt when Joshua was born premature. I cried buckets while reading this.

Another bedtime story

2007-10-16T09:51:00.000+08:00

Just another comedic bedtime in our never boring household.

Both kids were slowly drifting to sleep when Joshua asked me to sing "The bear went over the mountain." I liked singing this to them because personally, I think it is one of the most boring songs in the planet. Heck, it even makes me want to fall asleep and I'm the one singing it. Really, try singing it over and over and over and over......preferably in an undertone....you get the drift.

Faith took exception because she wanted another song. She wanted me to sing the family patented (my mom and grand aunt used to sing this to me) "Sleep my darling, Baby." Which is kind of not a song because those are the only lyrics. And you sing it over and over and over again in any tone you want. I used to sing it to them when they were babies while nursing or rocking them to sleep. I was really surprised she remembers it.

Anyway, the point is, they wanted different songs. Then Faith starts crying...the full monty -- copious tears, enough to make her shirt wet.

What to do? Hubby is already asleep despite the escalating noise. Joshua is looking at me expectantly, probably wondering what I was going to do. It is already past ten pm, we've been in bed for more than an hour, three of us not even remotely close to sleep.

So in the interest of fairness (Joshua asked first), I explained to Faith that Joshua asked to be sung to first and she has to take her turn. So she has two choices, if she doesn't want to hear mommy sing to Joshua she can go to the corner of the room and continue to cry there or she can stop crying, lie down and wait for mommy. She keeps quietly sniffling for a minute and when I asked if she wanted to lie down, she nodded. Finally the crying and kicking stops.

So I sang for about five minutes more to Joshua and asked him if it was ok for me to sing Faith's song. The sweet boy said yes. Then he proceeds to scratch various parts of his anatomy while I was singing Faith to sleep. She was half asleep when I noticed Joshua's hand inside his pajamas furiously tugging at something. Still singing, I tried to get his hand from wherever it was and he resisted.

"Mommy! My pwet (butt) is eating my jockey!" he exclaimed indignantly before going back to what he was doing.

I snorted with laughter mid-song, glad that Faith was already asleep. Joshua followed soon after, apparently done with fixing his undies.

I was left staring at the ceiling.

Wide awake.

2007-10-11T10:41:00.000+08:00

It's been quite a heavy week for me work wise hence the lack of posts.

Ever since my vacation, I've been thinking about my grueling work commute. Three to four hours (sometimes five hours!) every day is sapping my energy. The hubby and I get home late, the kids stay up later than usual since they wait up for us then have a hard time waking up in the morning for school. I am seriously considering making a major change.

So I've no time to post or write something when I get home cause mostly I'm rushing to get the kids to bed so they won't have to stay up so late. Lately, I get to spend a little morning time with them as I've been giving them their baths in the morning before school but that's basically it.

Change is inevitable and I've never been afraid of it. However, I know that whatever happens will involve not just me but my entire family and how we live right now. So I know I have to be careful before I decide to take a step.

Half of me is saying, Stop, think about it a hundred times and the other half is daring myself to go for it.

Too many decisions to make and I'm not giving myself enough time to think about it. Someone I love always said not to make decisions when your emotions are too strong and I totally agree.

I'm too conflicted right now so I will probably let my thoughts simmer for a while.

Tomorrow is a holiday so I have a long weekend to distract myself from negative thoughts. No specific plans except to spend tomorrow afternoon at my favorite place (the bookstore!) with the kids and probably take a look at fabrics for my sister's wedding with my mom. Hopefully after this weekend, I'll be in a more positive frame of mind. The hubby thinks everything's boring when I'm not in a happy mood.

Quick! Distract me! Any good books you've read lately? Tell me.

Ice Cream Series

2007-10-04T11:31:00.000+08:00

One rainy and lazy weekend night, I decided to take the kids to Haagen Dazs for ice cream (actually, I was craving for some coffee ice cream). So while their dad took care of some errands, the kids and I just sat and chilled. (And I took photos from my camera phone).

Gonna get me some ice cream now.

Have a great weekend!

Missed Blogging!

2007-09-30T13:41:00.000+08:00

You know what they say about the best laid plans.

In my case, they remained just that. Plans. I had planned to post twice before leaving for vacation. I even had the pictures prepared and all.

But the day before I left was so hectic with last minute stuff at work and errands plus a visit to the pediatrician cause the kids were under the weather that my blogging plans went poof!

So anyway, I'm back from a five day trip to Singapore. It wasn't all that I had planned it to be. For one thing, kids took a turn for the worse with a nasty virus when we left and I was mostly worried during my stay. Racked up a huge mobile phone bill with calls to my mom checking on how the kids are. What rotten timing, huh?

Then I had a list of all the places I wanted to visit and things I wanted to do. But I ended up just walking around mostly and staying by the pool trying to make a dent in my pile of books (some I brought and a lot was bought!). While I lament the fact that I missed a lot of places, I appreciated the time spent alone with no schedule to follow but my own. The hubby was out during the day for work so it was just me and whatever I wanted to do. But of course I hit Borders and Kinokuniya (largest bookstore in SE Asia?). I was in heaven.

But, um, don't have much pictures. I'm not too big about taking pictures myself. I'd rather have someone else take them (the hubby, of course). On our last day, when we were finally determined to take pictures, camera battery ran out. Pathetic, I know.

The hubby and I went to the Funan IT mall for electronics and other techie stuff. He was entranced. While I could feel my eyes glazing over within five minutes of stepping into the place. Now I know how the he felt the night before as my friend and I happily scoured through the night market in Bugis.

I could tell the kids missed me. They were finally ok by the time we got home. Got super nice presents for my parents, of course! Have to make up for all the sleepless nights they spent taking care of sick kids (you cannot imagine how guilty I was the WHOLE time I was there).

I missed the kids, I missed blogging. But I totally cherished the alone time. Now reality intrudes but I feel more than up for it. This morning Faith woke me up and said, "love mommy". And it felt good to be home.

Spooky!

2007-09-21T08:12:00.000+08:00

Something weird happened last night.

I was fixing the bed and telling the kids to turn the tv off as it was time for bed. About five seconds after I said it, the tv was turned off. By itself.

I was in the middle of the bed, hubby was sitting on the big bed tapping on the laptop, Faith was lying near me and Josh was sitting on the floor a little to the left of the tv. The remote control was lying very near the tv. No way it was one of us. I looked at the hubby and asked, "What was that?!". He didn't know. The kids just said the angels turned it off, mommy.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep very well last night. I remember thinking of all the unexplained instances that have happened to me in the past. And I dreamt about a ghost in the house.

I can't count the number of times something like this has happened.

There was the time the hubby and I were napping in the afternoon (no kids yet) and the radio was on. We both woke up when the volume was turned to maximum level. Remote was on top of the stereo. The volume dial was turned all the way to maximum. Whoever it was wanted us to wake up, I guess.

Several times when I was alone with baby Joshua, I felt a presence. Usually happens when we were napping. I'd suddenly be very aware, all the hairs on my arms would stand on end and I absolutely knew I didn't want to open my eyes. So I would just cuddle closer to the baby.

It lessened after Faith was born. Maybe because there was more noise. But appliances being turned off kept happening (even at my parents' house). There've been too many instances to write them all down. Things that happened when I was still living in my parents' house with my sisters. A frightening incident at my dorm when I was awakened by a sharp pinch on my chest and saw two pairs of small glowing red eyes hovering over me and I couldn't move. I don't know if it was a nightmare but I always felt uncomfortable and slightly scared in that room. The feeling stopped when I transferred to the adjacent room.

Of course, there could be an explanation for all of it. Most of the time, I just shrug it off.
Last night I remembered my grandmother's death anniversary is on Monday. So maybe she was helping me get the kids ready for bed.

Angry Mama Bear Post

2007-09-14T14:36:00.000+08:00

Lately, Joshua and I have gotten into the habit of talking about school before bed. I love the quiet, intimate talk, sometimes whispered, between the two of us. I am happy that he opens up about who his friends are, what games they played in the playground, funny things he or his classmates said or did.

But last night's conversation worried me.

Are some of your classmates naughty?
J: Not all. J is sometimes naughty but sometimes not. D is naughty because he hurts me. And calls me names.

D hurts you??!!
J: Yes. But you know what mommy? It doesn't hurt anymore because I have an invisible shield around my body.

Why does D hurt you?
J: Because he said I'm new in school.

I couldn't sleep right away. He fell asleep a few minutes after while I was stroking his head and pushing his curly hair out of his face.

I was angry and sad that this has come up so early. That my little boy has conditioned himself not to feel the pain being inflicted by someone else. I didn't think I would have to deal with this situation at this early stage. They're only in kindergarden, for crying out loud!

So I'm at a loss. The school doesn't encourage hitting back (of course). My first instinct is to teach him how to fight back and I know there are conflicting schools of thought about this. Yes, I know violence begets violence. I've read the literature and the experts' opinions on it. And of course, I forbid the siblings to hurt or hit each other. We don't believe in spanking and have enforced discipline through time outs. This has worked for us and the kids.

But faced with the reality of my child being bullied, well, makes me angry. Really angry. But I decided last night to swallow my instincts and work with the school. I told Joshua to tell D to stop hurting him. I believe his mentor used the words, "verbalize". I hope it works. And of course I will have a talk with the principal and the teacher about these incidents.

Because if it doesn't and I learn that it is still happening, then all bets are off.

What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Birthday Post

2007-09-11T11:11:00.000+08:00

Isn't it cute? It's a card my brother and his fab girlfriend made for me. It's supposed to be me, the hubby and the kids -- Southpark version. I love it....even though it's not supposed to be blue! (I can't freaking figure out why it's blue.)

I celebrated my birthday yesterday. My 36th. There, I've announced it to the whole blog world. To those who sent their birthday greetings by way of this blog, text, snail mail, email, YM, etc., etc., thank you!

I told my dad that in four years time, he's going to have a 40 year old daughter. Ha ha. I couldn't quite grasp the idea. He just laughed. Then I thought, does that push me out of the mid-thirties category into the late thirties one? Or do I still qualify for mid-thirties? What's the cut-off?

I don't feel any major change except for the fact that I don't think I'll ever be asked to show my passport the next time I try to get into a bar in Sydney. That was embarrassing. Especially when I was 24 at the time.

On an aside, the hubby and I attended a 25th wedding anniversary celebration and were asked to say a few words for the couple. I just said congratulations to the couple and let the hubby take over the talking (a rare occasion, I know! I was shy! *cough* *cough*). He basically said what we talked about on the way over. That he was thankful to the girl for setting us up on our blind date and that we were glad to be in an event that was celebrating 25 years of togetherness at a time when so many of our friends' or acquaintances' marriages were not going so well. We then spent the rest of the evening taking multiple versions of the picture I posted here and generally just enjoying ourselves at our table.

I know how truly blessed I am. There really is nothing else I'd ask for (except for everyone to be forever in good health). Everything else is just fluff. Nice to have but not really needed.

Back from the dead

2007-09-06T11:28:00.000+08:00

I had good intentions last night. I was going to relax and post something as soon as dinner was over and the kids ready for bed.

Just five minutes on the couch, I thought. Two hours later, the hubby had to pry me off it (literally) so I could get ready for bed.

Both kids have been sick since last weekend. Faith had a really bad cold and cough then Joshua's fever started 2am on Monday. I've been up in the wee hours of the morning everyday trying to get his fever down and checking (and rechecking) his temperature. The on-off cycle of the fever finally stopped yesterday and he's back in school today. Which is probably the reason why I suddenly felt all my energy drained last night. My body decided it could afford a break since everybody else was ok. Huh. Nobody to use the nebulizer on, no nose to wipe, no back to rub, no fever.

I find it weird that I rarely get sick or catch anything from the kids. With the way Faith rubs her runny nose against my mouth, you'd think I'd be down with it immediately. But noooo, I've got mommy immunity. Which is kinda cool. Makes the hubby envious cause unlike me, he catches everything.

Things are crazy at work too. Coupled with my Mandarin classes (which I am running behind on), I've hardly had time to do anything else. Am going on vacation in a couple of weeks so I have more work to finish before then.

On brighter news, my birthday's coming up! I'm getting waaaaay old but that hasn't stopped me from being excited about it. Who cares, right?

In a rush....

2007-08-28T21:37:00.000+08:00

Why did the banana go to the doctor?

-- Because he wasn't peeling well!

So says Joshua in his first stand up joke.

Nothing much to say except I'm out for two days (including today) for an offsite work thingie.

Miss the kids, miss the hubby.

Been inactive for the past three days, by choice. I've caught up in my reading, the hubby was sick and other things that needed doing.

Thank goodness for wireless connection in my hotel room.

Hope to catch up with you guys soon.

Impromptu Date

2007-08-23T10:18:00.000+08:00

On a very rainy Friday night last week, the hubby and I decided to hold off fighting the traffic on the way home and have dinner.

Off we headed to High Street, where we spent a few minutes browsing through the stores (he browsed, I bought crocs for Josh) then went to this quaint little restaurant that's famous for its pastries -- ensaymadas and the softest cheese roll you've ever tasted.

It was a beautiful night despite the rain. I could feel the stress of the week draining away as we sat at our table enjoying steaming plates of pasta and just quietly talking. It's a relief to be in a restaurant where you don't have trouble having a conversation.

In the picture you'll see what I had for dessert. The cheese roll, of course, and a cup of steaming Mint Hot Chocolate. Perfect for a cold rainy night.

I lost something...

2007-08-20T12:12:00.000+08:00

My wallet was stolen yesterday. *Grrrrrrrr!*

We were having lunch and the hubby and I were busy feeding the kids and talking. My bag was on the seat next to me. When I looked over I saw it was wide open and my wallet was missing.

I lost quite an amount of cash. My driver's license, ATM card, social security card (which is soooooo inconvenient to get) , a lot of my discount cards, and family pictures (which i regret losing most of all). It's a good thing I keep my credit cards in a different purse.

What's funny is that I passed on buying two pairs of shoes which I really, really liked. I told myself I'd think about it some more so I left the store to meet the hubby and kids at the restaurant. I should've bought the shoes. That way that thief would have gotten very little cash and I would've had two pairs of shoes. (My dad laughed when I said that, wonder why??).

Needless to say, I was bummed out the rest of the day. And the three day weekend had started so well. I feel so violated...like my whole life is being dissected by a complete stranger. It was one of those big wallets where you can put a lot of things.

To the person who has my wallet....can i have the pictures back please???? Pretty please???

UPDATE: (About 5 minutes after I posted this)

Well what do you know? After I posted this, I checked my cellphone and there was an SMS that said my wallet was surrendered to Customer Service by a janitor at a different mall from where I lost it.

I called the number and everything was intact. Except the cash, of course.

I remembered that Joshua prayed that my wallet be found right after I lost it.

Still wish I bought the shoes, though...

Me being a Baby

2007-08-16T08:24:00.000+08:00

Hokay. Knee taken care of. Still feeling a bit tender but nothing to complain about. Don't look if you're squeamish. Have I mentioned how I HATE needles?

We went through several stops and starts before the doctor was finally able to stick the needle in. I kept yelling, "wait, wait, wait!" every time he was about to start. It wasn't too terrible, really. Just a sting from the humongous needle and pressure once it was in. Still, I hummed, drummed my fingers on my chest, clutched the hubby's fingers and blurting out an occasional OW! when the pressure got a bit too much.

The hubby refused to look. I tell him to take a picture. Now???!!!, he says. No, in the middle of it, and only if I'm not screaming in pain, I said.

So I obviously was not screaming when he took this...

Anyway, knee feels loads better though now I can feel the injury. Nothing broken showed up in the xray so now I'm thinking, what am I going to do about it?

Acupuncture? (Gaahhh! more needles! Noooooooooo!)

Weekend plans

2007-08-10T18:27:00.000+08:00

I'll be seeing a doctor tomorrow about my left knee. The hubby's getting upset that I've kept postponing the check-up for three weeks already. I don't really remember how I hurt it but I'm thinking now that it must have happened during boxing.

Anyway, I can still walk and everything but it hurts when I straighten it and put my weight on it. I can feel a strong twinge of pain when I go up and down stairs. And it was hurting yesterday after I drove a manual transmission.

That's number one agenda early tomorrow morning. Then we have a birthday party at 2:30 and a dinner party at 7.

It's going to be a busy weekend but the prospect of a grown up party with just the hubby and me is enough to perk me up. But first, I've got to wade through Friday night traffic. Not fun.

So have a good one folks. Whatever you've got planned this weekend.

Milestone

2007-08-08T09:44:00.000+08:00

My daughter Faith hasn't been able to pronounce the letter F.

So everything F becomes a P.

Her name is "Pait" (can't pronounce the th either). She hurt her "poot" (foot). It drove her older brother crazy!

Josh: Not Pait! Faith!
Faith: Pait
Josh: Not P!!! F!! Ffffffffffff. Faith!
Faith: Pait

So I am very happy to share that she can now pronounce her name properly. I knew it was only a matter of time. And she's very proud of herself too!

Me: What's your name?
Faith: Faith.
Me: Very good! Ok, Faith, say Elffffff.
Faith: Elf
Me and Josh: Yay!!! (clapping our hands)

A few days later...

Me: Ok, which dvd do you want to watch? Nemo? Lion King? Cinderella? Happy Feet?
Faith: I want to watch Haffy Feet!!!

Oh well.....

Too much stuff happening

2007-08-07T09:22:00.000+08:00

Weather's depressing.

Too busy to post.

Anxious about Joshua's 1st quarter evaluations.

In the middle of Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse.

Be back soon.

My Other Mommy Moments

2007-07-31T14:58:00.000+08:00

Don't you just love those cutesy pictures of babies? I swear, I'm a sucker for those Anne Geddes images in different poses and costumes. Made me want to have a baby desperately, even when I was still single.

Then you see glamorous images of Hollywood mommies looking fabulous with their equally fabulous babies in tow. All those cute baby stuff and gear that they sell in stores. Really, it seemed easy. Even the parenting magazines which I devoured while pregnant with my first child were chockful of advice about how to deal with almost anything that you are "supposed" to encounter when you have a child. Easy, right?

All I can say is, it ain't all true. Babies/kids are the most unpredictable creatures in the face of the earth. What makes them laugh one day will set off a tantrum the next. What they happily eat today could end up on your dress tomorrow.

So what's the real score??? Here's what I experienced:

Sleep? I used to do that...
I thought the sleepless nights would end when they reach six months. When it didn't, I thought maybe when he reaches two. Then I had another baby and it started all over again. Note to children today who hate taking naps -- when your mother tells you that you will CRAVE naps in the future, BELIEVE HER. My mother must have been psychic. Being a mom has made me such a light sleeper that I wake up at the drop of a hat - or make that at the drop of a foot or fist on your face.

The Ewwww Factor
I've been barfed on, peed on and pooped on so many times it doesn't even faze me anymore. I've touched boogers and snot, have held my hand out for whatever they chewed that they didn't like and have even caught wayward poop that surprised the heck out of me when it suddenly came out while I was changing Joshua's diaper. He was standing. It was very, very warm. *shudder*

I can't remember how many times I have held a sick, crying child while said child was vomiting and refusing to let go of your neck. I can't decide whether I prefer the poop catching or the vomit bath. But I can tell you that all my maidenly sensibilities are GONE. Forever.

This Body used to be mine
I'm not a particularly modest person. Growing up and sharing a room and bathroom with two sisters made me comfortable with my body, you know, like in an all girls locker room or gym. Then I got pregnant and was twice subjected to the indignities that women go through when being examined. I thought it ended there. But nope, the kids have ownership of certain parts of my anatomy and more. They've got first dibs on my hands at bedtime, one each (what will happen if I have a third child? he/she's gonna end up with my foot). I have to lie on my back cause they fight when I face either one of them (please go back to Sleep...I used to do that).

There's also the unending fascination with breasts. Not sure if my kids are the only ones like this but they grab and pinch and pull out my shirt and say with glee, "I saw your bo*bies, mommy!". One time Faith surprised me while she was sitting on my lap. In church. Her Daddy was not amused.

So there. That's my reality. I'm not even going into how much you go through hell if your child is even seriously sick. My tip - get a really, really good pediatrician who picks up at 3 in the morning to answer questions about your nine month old's fever. Mine does.

But lest you think I am complaining, I'm not. In fact, I've never been more happy.

They at least got that part right.

I Thought So.....

2007-07-30T12:30:00.000+08:00

You Are a Realist

You don't see the glass as half empty or half full. You see what's exactly in the glass.
You never try to make a bad situation seem better than it is...
But you also never sabotage any good things you have going on.
You are brutally honest in your assessments of situations - and this always seems to help you cope.

Are You An Optimist or Pessimist?

I'm not surprised at all.

I'm good at analyzing situations and coping with problems. Which is not to say I don't get emotional about certain things. But most of the time I see it like it is.