Random Things

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...

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

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...

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

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

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!

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

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!

 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.

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

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...

- 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.

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!

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...????!!!!!

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!

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

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!

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

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.

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.