Trick or Treat!

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

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

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.

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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....

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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.....

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.

What we're reading

Caroline has a lovely pile of books to be read. And because KJ is begging me to post something new so she won't have to look at the disgusting picture in my previous post, I thought of letting you see what our bedtime reading is like....




Above are Faith's choices. I've been reading Five Ugly Monsters straight for two weeks already. I don't really mind. To tell you the truth, I have fun reading it. It's a very simple book that goes:

"Five ugly monsters jumping on the bed,
One fell off and bumped its head
Called for the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more monsters jumping on the bed!!!"

You get the gist. Both kids love it so much they've memorized it.

Joshua's choices are no big surprise. It's Transformers all the way. Imagine the hubby's chagrin when Joshua got the movie storybook before we saw the movie.




This is mine. I love, love, love Paullina Simons. I'm done with Harry (was so sad when I finished the book). This is the third and last book in the series that started with The Bronze Horseman. I'm savoring it.


So what's your bedtime reading like???

You Want Some?

Every morning, my husband prepares this for me:


My daily dose of antioxidants. That's my five pieces of pitted dried prunes, in case you're wondering. Um, after it's been mashed by the various contents of my humongous bag. But hey, it's still clean. And tastes the same even if they've been smushed beyond recognition into one big piece instead of 5 little ones.

Nobody but me wants to eat it. Unless they're really, really hungry. But only when there's no other alternative.

My friend says it looks gross. I kinda agree.

It looks like a lump of (fill in the blank).

P.S.
I'm feeling (and looking) like that little lump. Caught Joshua's bad cold and have a splitting headache. I knew I shouldn't have gotten up this morning.

On Weekend Mode already

Yaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!! It's Friday!!!!!!

I went to the bookstore again last night to pick up some books that have arrived for me. Lazily browsed for a couple of minutes before leaving to pick up the hubby from his office. I was waiting for the traffic light to turn green, totally immersed in the CD I was playing when I heard it -- beep! beep! beep! beep!. The car on my right was impatient to move, I thought. Beep! Beep! BEEP! BEEP! Freaking irritated, I turned to look and saw three men staring right at me. I thought I left a car door or the trunk open. But I didn't. I checked to see if the doors were locked and sped away the minute the light turned green. Creepy!

It'll be a late night for me -- first parents meeting in school from 5 till 8pm then we will hopefully be able to catch the HP movie late at 9. Kids are sleeping with their grandparents tonight. Joshua was a bit feverish this morning but I hope he'll feel better later otherwise I will feel too guilty to go out for a movie.

But I will definitely be up bright and early tomorrow morning for Harry Potter 7. Bookstore opens at 7:01 am.

Me and Harry this weekend. Everyone else will just have to talk to the hand.

My Happy Place

I was at my version of Disneyland last night. The grand opening of Fully Booked's flagship store. This one really rocks -- five whole floors filled with yummy book goodness. With a Starbucks on the third floor. The whole building surrounded by glass. Heaven. To think I almost didn't go (I obviously wasn't in the right frame of mind at the time). This is our version of Barnes & Noble.

So...last night. Free flowing red and white wine, starbucks coffee (frappuccinos in little espresso cups - cute!), hors d'oeuvres and goodies in every floor. I loved this huge tote bag (left) they gave away to guests with a quote from Seinfeld. Other goodies included a small booklet (A Short Introduction to Everything), pens and assorted CDs. I also consider an eyeful of the very good looking owner one of the goodies (tee hee!).


All in all, a very good night despite the heavy rain. My haul apart from the freebies? Jane Green's new novel Second Chances, two Kaskade CDs and because of my purchases, a free copy of this Lonely Planet book: A Journey through the best cities in the World.

My kudos to the owner for realizing book sluts like me need a place to haunt. I've been praying and praying for a place like B&N and now they've been answered.

I'm already planning my next time out -- more than just the usual hour of in and out browsing. Just myself, with no worries about having to leave right away or little ones getting bored or hungry or rowdy.

Me and books, coffee and my ipod.

Maybe on my birthday.

Just a couple of things that made my weekend special:

A copy of Paullina Simon's The Summer Garden found at the bookstore last Friday night. The third book after The Bronze Horseman and Tatiana and Alexander. Again, I am almost reluctant to start reading, because it'll be over when I finish. I am forever grateful to the Book Bitches for introducing me to this author.

Black patent leather peep toe flats after weeks of searching for the perfect black flats. Not high at all, but not too flat. Believe me, it means something.

Listening to the fabulous choir singing at the wedding we attended last Saturday. Holding the hubby's hand throughout the ceremony and after.

Waking up late Saturday morning. Darn kids almost choked me to death with hugs cause they didn't want to get up yet. I liked it.

Piping hot pepperoni and cheese bread sticks from the Tea Square. Heaven. Must.get.more.

Car ride with just my siblings yesterday. Nothing special but it was to me.

Long emails from friends. Google reader set up by my darling, darling hubby.


How was your weekend?

The other night I found myself wide awake, unable to go back to sleep. It was too dark to see the clock on the wall, the dim light of the small lamp too far from it, but it felt like the quiet of 2 or 3 am. I sat up and studied the three sleeping figures on our makeshift bed on the floor. It was cold in the room. I smiled slightly at the sight of my husband hunched in his small space at the corner next to Joshua, completely covered by his Marvin the Martian wool blanket. He insists on sleeping with us on the floor in spite of the big empty bed in the middle of the room.

Our family bed on the floor is like a nest, made of two long foldable mattresses laid side by side, flanked by the foot of the bed and the couch and completely surrounded by pillows.

Joshua moves a bit to where I usually lie, feet searching for me. I am often awakened at the sensation of his cold toes burrowing under my tummy, which means he has kicked off his blanket yet again. They hate having their feet covered -- no footsie pajamas for them.

He moves again, and hugs my legs. I marvel at his size now, tall for a 5 year old and remember when I could hold him in the crook of one arm and hardly feel the weight. His cheeks are like porcelain, cool and smooth as I nuzzle them. He doesn't wake up despite my attentions.

I look at Faith sprawled in complete abandon, arms and legs every which way, hair tangled on the pillow, mouth slightly open. Her toes are tiny and pink. Her breath still smells like a baby's, milk combined with her unique scent.

I could stay up watching them for hours, then briefly thought of getting up and finishing my book. Then a creaking noise spooks me. So I squeezed myself between the kids, burrowed under my blanket, turned my face into Faith's sleeping one and closed my eyes.

When I got pregnant for the first time, I was naturally very excited and immediately bought the requisite What to expect... series. Pored over it, surfed countless websites, subscribed to Baby Center, you name it.

And since we lived near my mom and grandmother and my great aunt who raised me and my three siblings from babies, I had a wealth of advice that was immediately accessible (whether I wanted it or not), twenty four by seven. Not all of the advice is based on scientific fact by the way. Examples of which are:

Superstitious belief #1: Never bring the baby out of the house until it's been baptized. Not sure if it makes the baby susceptible to possession of evil spirits or something. No one ever comes out with a reasonable explanation. Just a vehement "Basta!" (tagalog word for "just take my word for it, you ignorant fool"). Ok, take out the ignorant fool part, I was just kidding about that.

Superstitious belief #2: People visiting the house and seeing the baby must dab the baby with a little bit of their saliva (I know, altogether now, "EWWWWWWWW!!!"). This is to prevent "usog" which makes the baby cry non-stop in the wee hours of the morning. The dabbing must be done on either the foot, the stomach, or the forehead.

Superstitious belief #3: Filipinos have a healthy respect and belief in elemental spirits. Which is why, whenever my sisters and I came in from playing outdoors with unexplained bruises on our legs, my grandmother or aunt would say, "kinurot ka ng ingkong" (you've been pinched by an old elemental spirit cause you're cute). Ha ha, just added that last part. This has been so ingrained in me that when my kids play outside, I have to bite my tongue before I blurt out "tabi po, ingkong" (please stand aside).

Imagine what my very un-superstitious hubby has to put up with in our household. After he had to grapple with superstitious beliefs for newlyweds which makes me chuckle everytime I remember those days (and which can take a whole new post altogether).

They mean well, they really do. And I love them for it. It's something I can laugh about with my sisters and hubby. But I guess the point is, there are a lot of instructions and advice out there and for a new mom, it can be quite overwhelming.

I would say just go with what feels right for you and your baby. Because I find that what works with one baby doesn't necessarily work for the second one. And most of the time, what's practical works best.

Three day weekend! Yay!!!!!!!!!!

Monday is the Foundation Day celebration of the city where I work so it's a non-working holiday for offices in the area. Cool!

I've already planned to do the school run on Monday which I am looking forward to -- got to have a talk with the school administrator but I don't want to get into that right now. Then have a long nap with the kids after school. On a Monday. Wow. (It's so much nicer to be on holiday when everyone else has to go to school or work, isn't it?

A run at the Zara sale this lunchtime (new shoes!), a night out with my girlfriends at work tonight plus three whole days with no work. What more can I ask for?

Have a good weekend everybody!

School Tales

Pictures finally saved in my laptop.

Here's my little girl on her first day of school. Doesn't she look adorable in her uniform? The hubby and I took a half day off from work for two days so we could bring the kids to school and stay until they got off.

It wasn't hard to wake her in the morning (thank goodness). School is a twenty minute drive away (if there's no traffic) so they will have to get up at 6:30 at the latest to give time for breakfast and any tantrums (we've had two so far) before my mom or dad drives them to school before 7:30 to make the 8 am time. Have I mentioned I've got saints for parents??? :D

I had a lump in my throat as I watched her showing off her school uniform to her grandparents. I couldn't believe my baby girl is old enough to go to school. My husband says he suddenly felt old as we drove into the parking lot and, together with the other parents, trooped to the school entrance with Faith and her tiny backpack and snack bag.

The school was filled with parents and nannies anxious to see how their little ones are going to fare on their first day. That day, only the nursery and pre-nursery students were in school -- it was probably less chaotic than if all the levels went in on the same day since they were only allowing parents and nannies to stay outside the rooms during the first week.

As expected, there were kids who wouldn't let go of their parents' hand and others who insisted their parents/nannies stay inside the room. One child kept going outside the room asking for his nanny. A few kids kept bursting into tears.

Faith was a little trooper though. When we brought her inside the classroom, she went with her teacher and started playing with the toys. Her daddy and I stayed outside the glass windows, alternately recording and taking pictures. It was pretty obvious she was enjoying herself. I knew we could've left her without issues but my husband and I both stayed until they were dismissed. I think it was much harder for me than for her. She came out of class out happily carrying a pink balloon, chattering in the car the whole time.

Here they are on the second day of school all dressed and ready to go. It's been three weeks since school started and I was so happy to learn that Joshua always brings his sister to her room before going to his. Okay, gushing. I know. Can't help it. Sorry. It's a proud mommy moment for me. *sniff*

Now that school's started, routines have changed a bit. We now spend a chunk of time during weekends to go over Joshua's lessons. They don't have daily homework yet but I go over their weekly bulletins and plans for next week and try to prepare both of them for future lessons. I'm trying to manage my schedule so I can still go boxing twice a week and be home early enough for the kids.

I've also heard from my mom that Faith has a habit of walking around in class and not paying attention. Oh dear. But I'm not too worried. YET.

I mean, c'mon, it's her first time in school and for someone who more or less plays all day long, it would be hard to just sit still with all those toys and interesting things around. Like the teacher's bell (her favorite - teacher had to eventually keep it where she couldn't reach it), or the toy bowling pins, and the different colored balls in the baskets. And before my dear hubby pins this on me, no, I DON'T have a short attention span.

I wanted to post about the kids' first week of school but I don't have the pictures loaded in my laptop yet so I decided to hold off until I have them.

Last Friday's traffic was just terrible -- I left the mall (just 5 minutes away from the office) after shopping for groceries at 7pm and was still on the road at 10. I hadn't been feeling well the past week and my cough was definitely acting up by the time we reached home at 10:30. My work commute is just crazy. I hate, hate, hate driving! It was not a good start to the weekend.

We had a lovely visit from my good friend Lisa and her daughter Lara who are on vacation from Austin, Texas. It was a play date for the kids who hadn't seen each other in two years. It made me wish we lived close to each other so the kids can play together more often.

The weekend passed by in a blur. The heat was unbearable despite the on and off drizzles. I was busy preparing the kids' stuff for school (books labeled and wrapped in plastic cover), Father's Day cards and presents prepared, family gathering and all that.

It's lunchtime on another blah Monday. The coffee hasn't gotten rid of my headache, I was kept up half the night by my cough and I find myself feeling too sluggish to go boxing yet again.

I hope your week's starting off better than mine is. In the meantime, gonna go grab some lunch and the copy of People's hottest bachelors for 2007. Sue me. I need a pick me up.

Just last week my co-workers and I were talking about our childhood and how we grew up without computers and Wii and playstations. And how my co-worker's 7 year old is the unbeatable CounterStrike champion in their neighborhood.

Things were a lot simpler then. As soon as we woke up from our afternoon naps, my sister and I were out of the house, playing with whatever struck our fancy (mostly removing the leaves from my mom's fern plants and scattering them around) and fighting with each other, of course, at which point our grandaunt would come out, break us up and make us go inside. Then we'd fight over who cheated at jacks or pick up sticks.

Summer was something to look forward to as we were usually with our cousins in the province where we would play the more traditional Filipino games like patintero or just play tag or hide and seek. Or just race up and down the pigsty which was located on top of a hill and where you get a view of the river on the other side if you didn't mind the muck and the stink.

In grade school, it was not unusual to see groups of girls sprawled in the corridors during breaks playing chinese jackstones and jacks, and as we got older, chinese garter. I once sprained my ankle playing this game in our back yard while trying to jump over the garter which was raised to shoulder length -- and I was already a freshman in college.

The streets outside our neighborhood would usually fill with children at around 4 pm and wouldn't empty until nightfall. Nowadays, it's quiet apart from the people sweeping fallen leaves off the front of their houses. There's the occasional nanny taking a child out for a walk in a stroller but no more children playing on the streets.

So yesterday, I thought up a quick game of hide and seek in the afternoon with my brother, husband and the two kids. And I learned the impossibility of keeping a three year old quiet while hiding. Faith kept giggling which is why I immediately found her and her dad hiding behind the coconut tree in the yard. And she couldn't keep quiet even when I held a hand over her mouth while hiding with my brother behind a wooden chair, prompting me to push her into view so her dad could see her. I crept over to where Joshua had previously hidden which was fortunate for me because Faith pointed out my previous hiding place to her dad gleefully. Cripes! I guess I have my work cut out teaching her the basics of playing hide and seek. We ended up throwing a frisbee around for the rest of the afternoon.

I know it's naive of me to think that my children will be able to resist the lure of computer games. Joshua is already fascinated with computers and using paint and playing Super Mario. I can't keep them from technology. But I also realize it's my role to teach them they don't have to be indoors all the time. That it's possible to have fun without high tech toys and gadgets and tv.

So call me a killjoy but I'm definitely holding off from getting a playstation or a Wii. And I'll be happy if Joshua remains ignorant of Counter Strike for the meantime.

I saw the third installment of Pirates of the Carribean last weekend and frankly, I don't know what all the fuss is about. I should've listened to my instincts and skipped the movie altogether. But since it was an opportunity for a movie date with the hubby, off we went Sunday afternoon to see it.

What's wrong with it? First, it was an hour and a half too long in my opinion. When I start squirming in my seat and looking at my watch to check how much time is left during a movie, then it's taking much too long to get to the good part. I actually asked my husband if we could go about two thirds into the movie and I was only half kidding.

Second, maybe it's just me but I couldn't even follow the plot about halfway into the movie. There were too many instances of characters switching ships and getting captured and switching ships again that it gets boring after a while. And can somebody tell me what the big build up of Calypso is all about? All that hoopla and then she just turns into a giant mound of crabs --- hellooooo??!!!!

I couldn't even get interested for the sake of the eye candy. Johnny Depp, though he was a bit funny (and walked funny too), isn't really my type. Forget Orlando Bloom, he's prettier than Keira Knightly who mysteriously developed sword fighting skills and is good enough to fight *gasp* burly pirates and British soldiers.

Plus call me fastidious but one other thing I don't like about pirate movies is the dirt factor. It's just gross, ick and yuck. Johnny Depp has seriously big pores on his nose.

So Pirates 2 won the awards at the MTV Movie awards. Go figure. I still think it's one sequel too many.

I'm fairly certain that it was a happy birthday for Josh...take a look at the boy when he saw his present (I think you can see his tonsils)....



Aside from the Spiderman lunchbox in his hand, we got him this....

The mask can be inverted to the black spiderman costume and comes with a web shooter canister that shoots webs and darts. I'm actually jealous, it looks like so much fun to play with, which is why I sneaked a sample of the mask...


I'll give you three guesses what my Halloween costume will be this year (assuming Joshua gets tired of it, by then).

Monday morning bits and pieces

Have I blogged about how much I don't like Mondays??? Don't think so.

Well, I don't like Mondays. Always feel disoriented and grumpy and frumpy and...you get the picture. Thought I'd write down some bits and pieces, some from the weekend and some that happened this morning...

It's Joshua's birthday today!!!! He's five! I am wishing I could be with him the whole day today. And hoping that the weekend we spent together was enough (which I know wasn't -- to me, at least). I can't wait for Joshua to see his Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles cake!

I almost hit a man on a bike this morning. Hence my foul mood. The freaking idiot was on a death wish -- the light had been green for some time when he went careening out of nowhere on his bike (which shouldn't be allowed on a main street anyway!) trying to beat the oncoming cars. The car brakes squealed as I furiously rammed my foot on the brake. I missed him by a couple of inches....%^&$^$&!!!!!

We saw Shrek 3 with the kids last Saturday and I thought it was the funniest of the three. One and two were ok but most of the jokes I thought were a bit slapstick and I hate slapstick and jokes that deal mostly with bodily functions.

I already know how the Pirates movie ended -- I made my brother tell me. Now I'm thinking whether to still see it cause I didn't like the ending. Not mentioning how it ended here because the hubby will kill me when he reads this and I put a spoiler here. *zipping mouth shut*

The other day Faith was being a gremlin in the car on the way to church. She kept growling hard and swiping Joshua with her hand (she was pretending to be a dinosaur) while he was peacefully playing with this Spiderman toys. I was shaking my head and telling the hubby, "look at your daughter...she's being so naughty!" . He looks at me, smiled and said point blank, "don't you see yourself in her?"...well, I never! The nerve! Hmp! Hello??!! I never growl and swipe at the same time!!!

Did you know that I work for a food company? Today I went to a coffee tasting -- my very first food tasting experience. Don't know if I made a very good test subject as I never take my coffee black -- everything tasted bitter and sour to me. Now I wonder when's the next food tasting for pizza??

It is customary to kill a chicken on the day of one's birthday - a life in exchange for continued good health. So for Joshua's birthday, my dad bought a live chicken yesterday and chased me and my sister around the breakfast table with it under his arm. My husband said the screaming might have passed the phobia to the kids -- I don't really mind, at least they won't be bringing home any stray chickens!

Date Night!

It's not my typical Friday night. I find myself in the rare situation of being free to do whatever strikes my fancy. My parents have taken the kids out of town for the day and won't be back till tomorrow. I've already been to the boxing gym three times this week and my knuckles are a bit sore so I'm laying off it tonight. Hmmmm....what to do??

Choices:
a. Shrek 3 -- Nope. I'd prefer to see with the kids this weekend.
b. Pirates? -- It's Friday night (albeit a rainy one) and the first weekend so it's gonna be crowded. Plus I'm color coded (plate number ending not allowed on main thoroughfares from 7am-7pm) so can't leave till late. We might be able to catch the late night show but I don't relish getting home at 2am. *gasp* sign of old age????? nooooooooooo!!!!!! I just need my beauty sleep...*hmp!*
c. Dinner and shopping for hubby -- Possible. He needs new work shirts (and my expertise, of course, :D). But...raining, not so in the mood to shop (maybe I'm sick), crowded mall.
d. Dinner and a video -- Liking this. Plus I can always read a book if I don't like the movie.

Of course, this is totally crazy but I miss the kids already. Faith has been especially affectionate lately, repeatedly kissing me and saying she loves me every time we lie down in bed.

So typical of me. One night in two months without the kids and I still feel the guilt.

Have a good weekend folks!

It rained hard yesterday afternoon, signaling the end of one of the hottest summers we've ever had. School starts in a few weeks and it's a new school for my two kids and Faith's first time.

I remember grade school when the first thing they made us write as soon as school starts is an essay on "How I Spent My Summer Vacation." I'd rack my brain for what to write and end up writing inanely about some trip to the beach on a half sheet of writing paper.

It's typhoon season again (we've already got one!) so time to put away the summer stuff -- the wading pool and toys, swim goggles and bathing suits. Haven't been in school for years and no vacation for me and the hubby but here's our summer, in pictures.



Above is where we spent the most part of the Lenten break -- three lazy days with the whole family just being alternately noisy and quiet, blowing bubbles on the terrace and enjoying our dad's cooking. Some weekends are also spent here but these trips are quick ones given the different paths our lives take which is why pictures like the ones below with my siblings, are rare. Well, rare also because we hardly agree on a picture we all like enough to show people -- what do you expect with three girls?? These two are the only ones that passed muster.



Then the amusement park trip which the kids and I loved. It was a hot and sticky morning till afternoon trip but we didn't want to go home.




Our first family ferris wheel ride. The kids were beside themselves with excitement, while the hubby and I had a death grip on each one of them. These pictures were taken just before the hubby realized he was afraid of heights and before the kids started wriggling, hence the death grip and tense warning to sit still or else!



We rode all the kiddie rides (where the hubby and I could fit) from dinosaur eggs to the carousel, Joshua liked picking the gorilla's nose and you could see from the third pic taken after the water ride how much I enjoyed it while Josh hated getting wet!



And of course, what's summer without spending some time by the pool? It took me a while but I finally figured out how to keep bored, hyperactive kids out of trouble and away from the television on lazy Sunday mornings when we have nowhere to go.

So that's how my summer went. How was yours?

Questions and Answers and a Happy Birthday!

First off, Happy Mother's Day to all my mom blogger friends! I hope you had a fabulous Mother's Day like I had. And thank you to all who sent greetings my way, you guys are so sweet! :D

It's been crazy busy the past few days and I've missed blogging so I thought I'd do the Q&A meme that I first saw over at kj's. She has graciously provided me with five interview questions about myself. If you like this idea and would like me to ask five questions of you, let me know and I will send them to at least the first three people who respond, by way of email or blog comments.

So here goes:


1. What aspects of your work do you enjoy most?

I like finding solutions to problems and that is the aspect I enjoy most about work. I especially like working with groups of people and brainstorming ideas and making the process fun for everyone. My former colleagues used to enjoy my staff meetings so much that they looked forward to it every week.


2. If you could plan a dream vacation, what would it be and who would you include?

I've always wanted to take a tour of Europe with my husband so that would be my dream vacation. I would love to experience Europe the way a local would -- so, no quickie tours for me! I'd hate to have to be on a schedule -- two days in France, one day in Vienna, etc. Places I would linger at would be Tuscany, Hildegarde promised me a walking tour of Flanders so I can see firsthand all the awesome places in her photographs and then lots of time in Greece and Rome.

3. What is it like to live in the Philippines and how have you been influenced by Filipino culture and traditions?

I found this to be a really tough question to answer. I like living here because it's home, I've never lived anywhere else. There are a lot of things to like...the weather, the people are warm and friendly (and have no difficulty communicating in English -- just in case my blogger friends from abroad are thinking of visiting), the food and all the beautiful places and beaches to go to. The culture is a mix of Spanish and American but still retains some aspects that are purely Filipino. It's a predominantly Catholic country so most of the religious norms and traditions that I grew up with are Catholic. However, we have a very rich folklore that has seeped into our everyday lives so completely that sometimes we're not even aware of it. I believe Ces wrote a post about some of the predominant superstitious beliefs that a typical Filipino child would grow up with.

Family is held sacred and while a lot of other cultures also have this value, Filipinos take it one step further with our extended family system. It is not unusual for grandparents, siblings, in-laws, cousins to live under one roof. A child is not expected to leave the family home when he/she turns 18 and grandparents are taken care of until their dying day which means we don't have a lot of nursing homes in this country.

That being said, it is still a third world country. Corruption is rampant in all levels and basic services like hospitalization and good schooling for those who cannot afford to pay are barely adequate. More than half of the population do not get to eat three full meals a day and politicians' children go around with a police escort in luxury cars just to go to the mall. On the last election alone, millions are spent on print and tv advertising for their campaign when thousands do not have enough to eat. It's really sad but it is understandable why most of the educated population want to leave the country.

4. What do you do when you are really mad and disgusted?

I have a colorful vocabulary that gets unleashed when I'm really mad and disgusted. You wouldn't want to be in the same car with me when I'm driving and get cut by an idiot driver or stuck behind another politician's brat on their way to the mall.

5. You have just been awarded $ 2500, no strings attached except you can't save it or use it to pay bills. How will you spend/what will you do with the money?

My family and I used to travel when we were younger and I really miss the extended time together especially now that my sisters and I are busy with our own lives. I would love to treat my family to a vacation in Boracay and spend several days just being together.

If you'd like five questions from me, here's how it works:

DIRECTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW MEME:
1. Leave a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. Please make sure I have your email address or I can list the questions on your blog.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.


So let me know. :D

Incidentally, it is my daughter Faith's 3rd birthday today!!!!! :D

Why, when I see and interact with the kids everyday, did I suddenly find myself thinking I missed them last night while I was sitting on our bed, in the middle of a scuffle between the two?

So last night, I wallowed in their noisy presence, touching and kissing as much skin as I can, inhaling their smell and gripping their fingers and toes whenever they came near me. Faith kept tackling me from behind, wrapping her arms around my neck and forcing me to lie down. Then proceeded to sit on my head -- and I didn't even mind 30 pounds of toddler parked on my face. Until I couldn't breathe anymore, of course, at which point I would tickle her bottom and she would scramble off, shrieking the whole time. And then she would do it all over again.

I kept telling Josh to give me a hug and he would come over (he was watching cartoons), give me the tightest hug and go back to the couch. The evil mom in me kept asking him to come back and give me another hug, waiting to see if he would get tired of the game. But he never did.

Then Faith started eating my hair (she really likes it) and making me eat hers (I just put it in my mouth and pretended to chew it off in chunks -- makes her giggle every time).

We were all in our nightclothes and so noisy while their dad took an unscheduled nap (one minute he was sitting on the bed, the next he was fast asleep). He didn't even wake up at the worst of it, the poor dear. He finally got up when it was time to read the bedtime stories (we read one book each), then he kissed the three of us (and Faith's toes) goodnight.

Back for more Torture

Last weekend at the video arcade I got distracted by this game where bulldogs come out of a hole and you hit them with a hammer to score a point. Faith was too small to play so I had a go at it. And then another one. At which point while I was determinedly wielding the hammer with two hands and hitting the dogs with all my strength, my husband sauntered over and remarked, "I wonder who you're thinking of?" Honestly? No one. It just felt so good to hit something.

Which is probably the reason why I loved my boxing session last Monday night. It was around 6:30 by the time I was changed and the trainer (a short, rotund Visayan guy who insisted I called him Ferrer) wrapped my hands and put on whatever they called those mitts that you have to hit. And then I was in stress release heaven. This is what I've been looking for. Nothing I have tried before matches the sheer physicality of boxing. My mind was blank except for listening to Ferrer's instructions...jab, hook, straight...again...and again. He kept asking me if I was alright since he knows it's my first time. And I just kept nodding...the three minute intervals between rounds with 30 seconds of rest and a drink of water was ok. For the first half hour, at least.

The next half hour was spent rotating among the different boxing equipment. My arms already felt like lead, then he handed me a skipping rope. I was utterly conscious of the fact that I couldn't do the boxer type skipping rope thingie. So I skipped rope like a little girl does which was the only thing I knew. Hey, at least I knew how to skip rope, right? I couldn't look at myself in the mirror for fear of laughing hysterically at how ridiculous I looked while skipping. I had to stop at intervals to catch my breath...it was hot and I felt like I had sweat buckets.

It was during the mat work (for abs) that I thought I was going to die. Really. There were crunches while doing the bicycle with your legs, crunches for the obliques and about five other different types of ab related torture designed to wring the last vestiges of strength and energy you have. When we finally finished off with stretches, I didn't think I could drive the car to pick up the hubby. I had to sit down for 10 minutes because I was sure I was going to throw up.

So it's two days after the torture, my whole body still hurts and I can't even put on my bra without wincing. I have no idea how I can even do the rudiments but guess what?

I am going back there tonight.