december happenings

it's been busy for the past 2 weeks. of course, this is the busiest month of the year! well, i didn't really spend my time doing some christmas shopping for gifts. so aside from the usual domestic errands and responsibilities as a mother of two kids, i had to research and make an itinerary for my visiting cousins from oz and the US. i also had to help my sister and mom in managing the other laundry shop since they are also busy with their work.

also this month, raya had a field trip with her class at avilon zoo. she enjoyed feeding the goat and guinea pigs and rabbits.

and during the school's christmas program, she played the part of mary.

as christmas gifts to her classmates and teachers, raya gave sugar cookies and red velvet cake in which she helped bake. so proud of her!

balikbayans, friends leaving, christmas parties/dinner... its not an unusual thing during the christmas season. even though i am not part of the corporate world, i also am blessed to experience it. thank God for friends!

what also kept me busy is my other business. i made chocolate truffles and some small cakes to sell.

pics were taken using my not-so-high-tech-camera and that's why these pics are not that good. but the quality of the products are at its best. :) i received good reviews re my chocolate truffles. i am hoping i could sell more on valentines day. actually, i received an order of 50 boxes of truffles just yesterday. timing is just off. so i had to postpone the making and delivery to next week. i plan to try other kinds of truffles as well. and hopefully (and prayng for it), this will really take off.

really got tired and stressed past weeks. had a few hours of sleep too especially since i have so do the baking at the wee hours of the night to avoid distractions from the kids. haha. 

to cap it off, i'll just enjoy my christmas break with my family in B.O.R.A.C.A.Y!!

life is beatiful!

robin's development

i'm so proud of our second daughter, robin! with my two daughters, i am finally starting to understand the phrase "my reason for living". it's so amazing how motherhood can brng such impact in a person, huh?

on rob's first year, we were so worried that she still couldn't walk on her own. when she was 18 months old, we were worried that she doesn't know a word yet. now, she couldn't sit still and would always like to go outside to walk around the village. she would also talk or babble a lot that i am actually begging her to be quiet even for a few minutes! she grows up so fast. so charming, too. smiles a lot. very strong personality. if it's no, its really no for her. if she doesn't get what she wants, she gets so frustrated. she is at the stage wherein she is trying to imitate us. instances such as when she would also put moisturizer after washing her face, she wants to put on make up as i am putting mine, loves to wear her daddy's socks and shoes, and though her hair is short, she wants me to 'fix her hair' after i do ate raya's hair. she likes to play her ate's toys and bike, likes to play with my laptop or her ate raya's laptop, likes to color and build blocks when her ate is doing it too. then she would proudly shows her 'work' to us and says "tada!". =) one funny thing is that she also taps the remote control to the wall because she sees us doing it [when the remote isn't working properly]!

when excited, she would sometimes express her emotion by pushing or slapping us. if we say "oww", she would point at the 'injured' part then she will kiss it as if to soothe the pain. when her ate raya falls, she would offer her hand to help her up. when rob sees her ate raya cries, she will get her bib and wipe off the tears from her sister's face. when ate raya is reprimanded for being naughty, robin will come to her defense by being "mad" at us. actually, raya is the same way too. when robin is being reprimanded, raya will go to her and comfort her and will say "it's ok. don't do it again. what you did was bad and very wrong. just go to mommy and say sorry".

these things, tugs my heart all the time. it means a lot to me, to us as parents. makes me think that we might be doing something right. it's hard being a parent. when we see that the values we try hard to instill in them are being practiced, that is the greatest reward one could ever ask for.

raya's development for SY 2011-2012

i'm proud of my daughter, raya gabrielle! last october, we had a parent-teacher meeting with regards to her development for this semester. of course i was scared again. i even told my husband that he should do it alone. he refused of course, cos he is afraid too. hehe. anyway, so we faced it together.

we couldn't be more proud. :) according to her teachers, she has developed a lot academically. she knows her numbers already. up to 100. also by 10s. she knows how to write her full name by herself. though mathematics is not her strength, raya seems to show more interest in the arts fields. i'll post some of her works next time. we also noticed that since she likes to color a lot and do some arts and crafts even here at home. she loves the show art attack and would always ask me to do whatever she sees on the show. i try since i am not really artistic. anyway, this is perhaps one of the reason why we want to enrol her first in a progressive school so that she could expand her wings and discover herself more.

there's more that her teachers said. but the ones that really stuck to me and almost made me cry was that raya is a well-mannered and well-liked kid. that means a lot to me. i always admire those kids who have good characters and as a parent, i try and pray hard that my kids will grow  up good. i guess my patience is paying off. i thought that all the things i say to them just goes in and out of their ears. you know how we always hate our moms for repeating themselves over and over. hehehe.  i would also like to believe that somehow me and my husband are not just teaching them but showing them some good, right?

i had hopes that raya will get the brains of her dad who went to philippine high school in high school and passed UP as a mechanical engineer (though finished as geodetic engineer) or her aunt (hubby's elder sister) who also went to philippine high school and graduated magna cum laude in her micro biology course also in UP or her other aunt(hubby's youngest sister) who is a cum laude in UP.  well, we don't know yet what her strengths are nor if she's going to change her interest. gelio and i will support her all the way. and the priorities are her faith in God and the building or strengthening her character. because that's whats really important.

we were surprised at her development. sometimes it's different at home. we would try to 'study' or do activities, but most of the time she doesn't like and would want to play instead. i thought i was not teaching her enough. i didn't know that she already knows a lot. :) even when we talk, so much that she knows too. so so proud of her!

such a nice blessing.  

a door is about to close

we received an email yesterday from our lessor that they need the space of our laundry shop for their new office. translation, we need to vacate the place.

this came as a surprise for us. more so, it saddened me. gosh, i was so down yesterday.

this was our very first laundry shop. this was the reason why we were able to set up two more laundry shops and even the failed food cart business. we've invested money and time on it. this was our guinea pig.

actually, for the past months, it has been having problems. low sales caused by the vacancy of the apartments surrounding the shop. the huge lot where a lot of apartments sits has been bought and up to now, it remains vacant. we have also failed to visit the shop regularly and wasn't able to manage it. we have plans to improve the sales. we agreed to manage it more despite our different priorities. and then... we receive the news...

i would want to believe the saying that if a door closes, another door will open. i was thinking that this might be a bllessing in disguise or the change that we've been waiting to start anew. the thing is, it would cost us not only sales but loss of customers. we are given a month to vacate and we haven't found a new place yet. we are hoping to find a place within that long road since its a commercial area. it is also not that easy to move since we also have to inform our customers, we need to release the unclaimed laundry, and if ever we find a new place, we need to renovate it (install gas and water pipes, exhaust, etc). we also need to report this to BIR and city hall. we are requesting from our lessor that they give us more time since the move is not that easy as looking for a residential unit and that this month will be quite busy for everybody else due to the holiday season.   

major decisions need to be made and needs action immediately. and i hope that window will open soon.

Lord, i'll leave for you to solve this...

how to choose the next school

the year is almost over and in a few months time, raya will be, or should be, in a big school already. guess what, we still don't know where to enroll her. ok, panic mode on! since the start of this school year, i have been thinkinng about it. i asked my friends for recommendation. the thing is, there's really a gazillion choices. then there's also the choice whether or not we should enroll her in a progressive (a.k.a non-traditional) school or the old school (a.k.a. traditional). a friend also advised me that the choice of school should depend on the character of the kid. hmmm, come again?

so how nga should i chooose? anyway, like all parents, we want the best for our kids. we want them to go to the best school that will help them develop their characters and talents so that they could make it to the real world.

i think we are gearing towards the progressive school FIRST. in raya's 3rd grade or so, we might move her to a traditional school. top list of course is the school where i came from since me and my sisters and my friends turned out ok naman :) its a good school wherein faith in God and simplicity are one of the priorities. most of my batchmates got into the 4 great colleges such as UP, ateneo, la salle, and UST.

we dont have much problem choosing the mid school and college. the 'starter' school is hard. well, its really always hard during the firsts. :) perhaps we should first consider the good schools near us. gather info, check the sites, curriculum, motto, location then schedule for interview and test/assessment if there is.

need to do it soon. as in now!

being jobless

quitting my job a few years ago took me awhile to do before finally doing it. the deciding factor was that i didn't like anymore what i was doing. there was no way my career was going somewhere up. in fact, there is no career at all. sheesh. really there is no bitterness here. i'm glad i was able to do it because it led me to the toughest but most rewarding job on earth which is motherhood.

being jobless-slash-unemployed-slash-non-earner has its downside which gets to me sometimes. i have no assurance that i'll have money (a.k.a salary) twice a month. so i have to watch my spending even the necessities. its scary especially when there's an emergency. i used to not worry about being hospitalized since the company i used to work for shoulders the employee's hospitalization 100%. i don't have those important benefits anymore. 

it really sucks sometimes, having no means and or security. like when i want to buy something for my husband or for the kids to surprise them. or like when i want to give to my parents. wala lng or simply to help them. or like when i want to buy christmas presents for family and friends. i can't just do that easily like i am expecting a bonus or even a salary every 15th and 30th of the month. not buying for myself is easy. i am not most girls who are into shopping. i am not hard to please and i have a generous husband :) i already know those things such as live simply, spend less, live within your means, you couldn't buy time, you can give yourself as a present,  pera lang yan,  etc. etc. blah blah. yup, i know, right?! it's really not about worrying what i will do with my time, it's about security and, i guess you can call it, financial freedom. and this is real.

for the past years, my husband's salary is the one supporting our finances. what i earn from the businesses have helped too. i want to help more. to put more food on the table. i hope that it will grow more.

how did we survive or how will we cope? i will rely on His grace and provisions.

new things

it's been a long time since my last post. aside from the fact that my old laptop gave up on me, my fingers can't seem to type the words that my mind want to say.

for starter, i just want to share that i have a new notebook care of my very generous and supportive husband. =) i'm so blessed. it's a lenovo s100. i still have to know the specs. my husband says it's good. he prefers mac though. as for me, the important thing is that it's fast and has big memory to hold all of our pics. hehe. that's the most important features for me.

second, we re-arranged most of our stuff at home. we threw some stuff that is of no use. we sold things that are still in good condition but we don't need. we organized things and even furnitures. we are still waiting for the carpenter to finish making the new screen to our windows and to build a nice cabinet. wow, talk about new. lastly,  i liked where my new 'office' is.

third, i also want to share that i've attended another class at heny sison last september. here are my creations....

 

it's so timing that a balikbayan friend gave me a new 19-tier cupcake tower! yipee! thanks so much jeanna!

now i have to perfect my cupcakes so i can use my 'new toy'.

typhoon pedring

last monday to tues, september 26-27, the storm pedring hits the country. it was scary. actually, with every storm that comes to pur country, scares me. with what happened to typhoon ondoy last year and the milenyo back in 2006, who wouldn't be traumatized. actually, i think i am more scared now because i am a mother. i honestly don't know what to do. i also don't know if i can handle everything if anything happens.

these typhoons, are proofs that anything can happen to anyone. how can one be ready, i don't know. even if i prepare the emergency kit that the experts require, even if i condition myself to be alert and not to panic, i know it will be different when i am in that situation already.

so my prayer goes like this: Lord i am glad for the rain that fills the dam and water the trees, but can it be just rain and not typhoon? please Lord, no disasters please.

the life of pi

i recently finished reading the book LIFE OF PI by yann martel which was recommened by  my good friend jeanne while browsing through the bookstore in seoul.

at first, i thought that i would not like it since it is about animals in which i have no interest of. anyway, i just read it. and when i finished it, i was blown away.

actually, it got me thinking. when i asked jeanne what's the story about, she said that "it depends on you on how you would take it" and she is so right! the book is really nice. it is about life's struggles. all of us have trials in life, right? i may have problems with money, others with family, some with matters of the heart, some with weight, and so many different reasons. and yet, each one's struggle is the same. a problem is a problem. every one has it. and to every problem, there is a solution. there is always a way out. the only difference is our perspective.

it is also our choice to drown in misery or to move on and see what else life has to offer.

the books talks about survival. sure we need food and shelter. most importantly, we need companionship to really survive. sad thing is, for some, we don't really know the importantce of the people around us, until they are gone. the lesson, every person that we know, actually even those acquaintaces, have a purpose in our life. so learn to appreciate.

the book also reminded me that in life, we don't really need much. you look around you and make good use of it. God provides what we need. we just have to learn to appreciate and to always count our blessings!

conversations with raya

some conversations with raya for the past months...

• [saw raya touching her breasts and i asked why] raya: because i want it big! (feb 2011)
• raya: mommy, you're harry potter and i'm ben ten and daddy is shrek (may 2011)
• raya: mommy, i want to go to disneyland. (june 2011)
• raya: mommy, i have an idea. after i finish eating, you can go home by yourself and i will stay with grammy, papi, kuya and ninang who are my family, then i'll wait for you here. (june 2011)
• raya: where did you go?    ME: i met up with tito rodel (bil).    raya: mommy, i told you, tell me when you will go to tito rodel!    ME: why?    raya: because i want to play with him.... [then she recalled something that they played months ago about jumping and her tito rodel catching her]
• raya: where are you going?    ME: i'm going to buy shoes.   raya: for me?!?! (with a big and excited smile).   ME: i'll check.   raya: i want pink shoes with light! pleeease!! (june 2011)
• [raya drew a picture of 2 people] ME: wow! this is me and you.   raya: no, that's me and daddy! (june 2011)
• raya: mommy, can i have a dog? (june 2011)
• ME: raya, mommy will go out tonight ok?   raya: are you going to the laundry shop?   ME: no. i'll have a date tonight with daddy.   raya: a date? whats that?   ME: its daddy and mommy time together.    raya: oh, i want to have a date too.  (july 2011)
• raya: mommy, when daddy don't have meeting, can he bring me to school? (july 2011)
• raya: teacher said i can't drink water because we need to save water everyday (july 2011)
• raya: mommy, kuya watched smurfs the movie.    ME: ok, we could watch it too over the weekend.   raya: no, not with you. daddy only. (august 2011)
• raya: mommy, can you buy me boots? so that i can wear it when its raining. (sept 2011)
• raya: mommy, will you marry me?    ME: but i am married to daddy. only mommies and daddies get married.    raya: but i want you to marry me.   ME: why?   raya:  so that you will love me...

the last one, gelio and i kept on explaining to her about marriage and love. hay, ang hirap! :) i just hope and wish that we don't love her less just because "i can't marry her".

my birthday

had a great time on my birthday. it started with my usual routine of bringing raya to her school and picking her up. afterwhich, we bought a cake. this time, i wanted it to be different. i dont want the usual chocolate cake nor in a bakeshop that we usually go to. it was good. then we went to hear Mass, rested in the afternoon while waiting for husband to come home from work. he filed for leave but he had to go work in the morning  for an emergency meeting. i made pancit by the way. first time to do that. not bad. hehe. anyway, we left early evening so we can make it to our reservation. the thing is, it took us 2 hours to get there. traffic was that bad!! anyway, we enjoyed the quiet time alone in the car talking. no kids! wow. quality time. and singing too. in the car, he gave me his second gift for the day. it was a chocolate bible from le cordon bleu. wowee!! the first gift which he gave was  a set of nike outfit for my yoga and jogging. i love the gifts! i have the best husband! i am blessed.

to cap off the night, we went to a casino. i like the place. its fun. its so vegas! i played in a game that i didn't understand. i won and then i lost. so before i lose everything, i let gelio play. he is good at it. in the end, we lost just a small amount. we are responsible :) it was just for fun. and we did had a great time.

birthday wish

in a few minutes, i'll turn a year older. OH NO!!! no plans whatsoever. perhaps hear Mass with the kids in the morning then lunch at home. husband needs to go to the office in the morning. then dinner for two in the evening. it's our 6th wedding anniversary too. what the hell was i thinking when i agreed to be married on the same day as my birthday?! the day should focus on ME and not US. sheesh. joke!

i am not really the type to celebrate my birthday. i mean, i don't want that too much attention :) really, i am the backroom type of person. 

on my birthday, i am reminded that i am a year older. of course! :) i am not scared to get old, rather, i am worried that i may have not gotten wiser and that i may have not done the things i wanted to do nor should have done. in short, i don't want a year to pass by without accomplishing anything! sayang naman diba? we only have one life. as the saying goes, live each day to the fullest as if its the last. but that's really hard to do. ey, i am not complaining. i just hope that ill get to the point wherein i would say "yeah, i've lived my life"!

i think that is my birthday wish.

speech delay

when our second daughter robin turned 1 last february, we realized that she doesn't know a word yet and this got us worried. so i consulted our pedia and some of our friends. they said that we worry too much. and to give it a few months more. they also said that according to studies, the second child and up have a tendency to have a delay compared to first borns. anyway, so me and husband gelio decided to wait until she is 18 months old before having her checked. a friend recommended we see a neuro developmental pediatrician.

since she is now 18 months old, we had an appointment with dr. mark reysio cruz from capitol medical center. the result: there is a slight delay because of lack of opportunities.  the good doctor, who happens to be husband's sunday school teacher when he was young, encouraged me to continue what i do to robin like reading aloud, pointing things and repeating it slowly, listen to music, etc. he also assured me that the delay is not my fault (got that? NOT MY FAULT!). it happens to some. and like what i read in books or magazines, the delay might just be at the beginning and as the child grows up, the child turns out to be  talented and becomes exceptional. wow! i cant wait. lack of opportunities also may also mean lack of interaction with kids her age. so he gave me a go signal to enroll robin in a class at kindermusik or at gymboree. and just to be sure, he prescribed rob to have a formal hearing test (BAER). we ought to do those soon.

im being extra patient with rob. reading more. walking with her around the village and acquaint her with the things around her. i want to research on activities online. she likes my laptop. that might encourage her more. at 18 months, she understands a lot of stuff. she know what she wants and dont want. when she wants something, she grabs my hand (or her daddy and whoever) and bring us to what she wants or points at what she wants. she nods her head when she doesn't want something. its really just the speech. she was born on a full term via normal delivery. she was exclusively breasfed for 4 months and mixed until the 6th. she eats a lot of veggies and have complete shots. so i am assuming (and hoping) that everything is ok. Dr. mark also performed some tests and asked questions. most things that an 18 month old baby should be doing at their age, robin can do it. so i am somewhat assured.

i really hope that i can help her more.  Lord, please help.

crazy, stupid, love

CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE is a funny movie worth watching. it seems light since it is a comedy, and yet, it speaks so much about family, marriage and love.

the story started when the character of julianne moore asked for a divorce from his husband, played by steve carell, of 25 years. the reason, not mainly because she had been unfaithful, but because she became unsure of herself and of her marriage.

when she told her husband that she did not know when it stopped being "us", it honestly scared me. i haven't felt that (oh my, i hope not--ever!), but fulfilling all the responsibilities of a mother, homemaker, wife and employee (or in my case, a struggling businesswoman) is one hell of a job that one could esily be lost in all of it. that is the truth especially when you have kids. i myself think of my daughters' needs first instead of me.  the husband is often forgotten. i am sometimes guilty of that.

julianne moore was also unsure of herself because she did not know if it is ok to enjoy watching a movie by herself. that is why ME time is so important! to love oneself and to, like what my friend nicole said, to love oneself without giving yourself away. thats so nicely put, right? even steve carell forgot to take care of himself. good thing that the character of ryan gossling was there to help him realize of his value.

i realize that to be able to function well, one has to love herself/himself first. this could be done by having ME time. to do what you love to do. to be with friends. to be alone sometimes. to splurge. eat healthy. be beautiful. thats the way to spread the love.

always remember that before you and your kids became a family, there was just you and the spouse. i think it is also in the Bible that a married woman is first a wife before a mother. so make time with husband. go on dates. have fun together. engage in sports. give each other gifts and love letters. flirt with each other. be beautiful for your spouse. or simply talk and be friends just like old times. communication is the key to a good relationship.

there's one scene that i didn't like. its when steve carell's officemates laughed or took it lightly when they found out that he is getting a divorce. they think its "just a divorce" and not as serious as having a cancer. maybe in their culture or country, its common. but divorce is divorce. people get hurt. family break up. its not that simple.

family, i think everyone knows that this is the reason why we live, because of people we love. there might be differences or fights, but in the end, our family will always be there.

and love, love will keep us alive :D

cool brods




beta epsilon with their families

husband gelio have this brilliant idea for the longest time and a few weeks ago, it has materialized. he organized a mini get together for his engineering college fraternity, the beta epsilon.  contemporaries, families, partners and even the fraternity sweethearts were invited. attendance reached 87. obviously, it was a success! clap! clap! clap! guests got to enjoy the games, raffle, swimming, badminton, lunch and of course the drinking afterwards. event was held at the al fresco side of the rockwell metro club.

venue is perfect for such private gathering. not too small and not too big. pool and courts are just near each other. shower area is clean too. no hassle, really. club membership really has its perks.

this fraternity, the beta epsilon, i am proud of them. i am happy that gelio is part of it. i have known my husband's fraternity brothers since i met him about ten years ago. before, i thought that being part of a fraternity will just make you look "cool" or be part of the "in" crowd. i don't really know the frat's objectives. but this much i can say. they, if not all then most of them, are a true gentlemen. they treat women especially their wife/daughter/sister/mother with respect and trully makes them feel like a queen. they give help in whichever way they can when somebody is in need whether monetary or materially, a referral for a job, when a brod's car broke down, when a brod had a car accident, when one needs to pass a resume, and even when somebody needs marital advice. they are always there. they live life by enjoying simple pleasures such as playing a sport, or playing bridge or poker, or watching a movie or basketball game, or  serenading a girl, or just playing the guitar or jamming. they can have a good time talking or discussing business over a few bottles of beer. i say of these admirable traits because i myself have witnessed it. i don't know if these are being taught in their fraternity. but they are who they are and we are blessed to have known them. and that's COOL enough for me

trying out yoga

i've always wanted to give yoga a try. thanks to my good friend nics who gave me my first taste of yoga when we were vacationing in seoul. and so about a month ago, i saw and purchased a discount coupon for a 5-day yoga class just to try it out. i've had 3 classes already. and i like it a lot. i like for a fact that i don't get to do strenuous activity and yet i sweat more. and i feel that my whole body, arms, legs and even the mind had been stretched to the max! what a workout, right? i believe that inner strength will also be developed through yoga. i need to read more about it since there are different types of yoga. but i think it all teaches about balance, flexibility and strength. right now, i just want to try whatever fits my schedule. feel it and decide later on. me and my friend attends the hot flow yoga. sort of like the bikram yoga wherein we practice yoga in a heated room. in our class, its not really heated, its just that there's no fan or aircon. :) after my 5-day class coupon  expires, i might enroll again for another week. the location is a bit far from where i live though. however, i do want to continue it. there's a bikram yoga class near raya's school. i could attend the class while i wait for raya everytime i bring her to school. suits our schedule and location. its like hitting 2 birds with one stone. let's see.

it is just about money

i've mentioned ealier in this blog that my sister is getting married this coming september. i think i failed to mention the location. it's going to be in hawaii. W-O-W!

i'm sorry but we won't be going :'( it saddens me to decline her invitation. i know i am the sister and it is just right to go. but we tried. fact is, we just don't have the budget for it. i know they announced the wedding a year ago and that i even had a year to save up. it is just not enough. last year was really difficult for us in terms of financial matters. i don't want to go through that again. God has been faithful and He has been providing. for the past months we are ok and i am trying to budget and save for the rainy days. if we have to go through that hardship that we experienced last year, i want to be at least ready.

yes we would love to go. she is family. it might have also serve as a vacation for the 4 of us. an adventure even, since it will be the first plane ride for raya and robin, the first international flight and the first travel wherein the 4 of us are togther. i guess that dream will have to be on hold.

our goal for this  year is to pay our debts. we are slowly doing that. thank you Lord! if we attend the wedding, we will be up to our necks in debts. even if i go alone without husband and the kids, it will still add up to our expenses such as tuition and other bills. to spend US$1,000-US$5,000 to attend a wedding is just not possible for a single-earner family like us.

flying cebu pacific

when i recently had a trip to seoul, it was my first time to take cebu pacific  for my international flight.  i had two local flights before and i think i didn't have problems unlike those we read in emails. well, thank God for that! it trully is a no-frills flight. no free food, no blankets and pillow provided and i heard, not even water. you have to pay if ever you want one of those. that's fine with me. my flight going to seoul was on time. going back, there's just a 30-minute delay which was fine with me since i was late going to the airport. hehe.

there is one thing that isn't quite ok with me. since this is a budget flight, passengers are only allowed 15kg of baggage. i admit that i wasn't able to shop a lot and that my luggage is huge but i was overweight. c'mon! my luggage only contains a few clothes, 3 boxes of choco pie, 2 bottles of kalbi sauce and some knick knacks. i swear thats it. and it reach 22kg! paying the excess baggage is not an option since its too expensive.

anyway, what i realized is that flying cebu pacific is ok for local flights or short flights. also, no shopping! but for people who goes to other countries to shop like in hong kong and vietnam, just choose a different airline who has better service and has a higher capacity for baggage. just book in advance to get a cheaper fare.

thats how it is. you do have to pay for those 'privileges'.

separation anxiety

right before my second daughter robin was born, we bought my first born raya a bed of her own. she was excited of course. happy that she now have her "own" bed. but she slept on it only for a few nights. then went back to sleeping with us after that.  

that bed was just right beside our bed in the room. so it's like 1 whole big bed. when robin was about 6 months old, she used raya's bed up until last week. the kids sleeps like crazy. they move a lot, talk, kick us, roll over and they like to have lots of pillows. its funny. but its getting uncomfortable already especially since they're getting big every day, kick getting harder and it really disturbs our sleep :) 

i think it is time.

so what i did was to put raya's bed in another corner of the room.  i told her to start sleeping there. i put some pillows with nice bedsheets and superhero blanket. we even encouraged her to put stickers on the wall on the side of her bed. i also helped her make a collage of her pictures. now its her corner.

i watch her read a book in her own bed. i was there on my bed on the other side of the room when it hit me. my first born, raya, is now getting big :'( time flies. i was the one pushing hubby to let raya "separate" from us. ako pala ang di pa ready. i wanted to back away from the plan of slowly letting them on their own. we plan on letting them sleep in their own room. but i know it is time. this is another first for me and once again, i didn't know how it is until i am right in that situation. 

in a few months, robin will also have her own bed. up until now, she still is so clingy to me. im used to it. i try to let her be close to her aunts and grammy. i think its going to take a long time before she lets go. and i know, i'll have a hard time too.

and this is just one of the many letting go situations.

where does our tax go?

i just want to share this... my good friend told me that there are free trainings and seminars given by their municipality. it is free and done on a regular basis. trainings include such as cooking, jewelry making, processed meats making, etc. it is offered to marikina city residents for FREE! thats what i call maximizing the funds of the city.

not to compare, but in quezon city, they keep on investing in the "beautification" of the city. and for what? for beauty?!?! c'mon!! 1 typhoon and thats the end of it.  seriously, are the plants and the useless lamp posts in the middle of the street cheaper than fixing the sewerage? or adding a more useful police post on the streets? or adding manpower that will do round the clock checking on the streets to avoid carnapping, robbery, etc? perhaps beautifying the city (and putting the initials of the government official on every corner) is a lot cheaper than making the city safer. maybe so. but there are more important things to be done and more constructive ways how to maximize the taxpayer's money.

really, i don't get it why government officials make it a habit of putting their names and/or initials in every outpost, waiting shed, streets, basketball courts, etc. did the funds really came from their own pockets?

i wish that all cities would unite. i wish that we will follow the footsteps of those who are progressing instead of outdoing them. anyway, it will benefit each one of us.

i wish that government officials will do their part. to lead by example.

fairy tales

i don't really know the history behind these fairy tales or why they were created in the first place. sure i like it. i watched it. and even when i am an adult already. the thing is, now that i am a mother, when i read these fairy tales to my daughters, i don't see the meaning in most of it. of course, as a parent, i would want to inculcate values to my daughters as early as possible and in many ways. i would also want to encourage the love for reading. i think its a wrong move to start them with fairy tales though. like for instance the story of snow white, what lesson can one get from it? perhaps, patiently waiting for the right man for you? maybe. how about cinderella? love for family? maybe. beauty and the beast is different and i like it. for the rest like princess and the pea, hansel and gretel,  jack and the beanstalk, red riding hood, three little pigs, etc. i just don't get it. maybe i have the wrong books. hehe.

well wikipedia explained it. maybe it was just really passed on from generations to generations that stories are somewhat changed already.

anyway, i am glad that there are now more books that are educational and stresses more on value forming, family ties and pure love.

the precious thing i got from the trip

i still can't get over my trip to korea with my 3 college friends namely nicole, boomy and jeanne. aside from the walks, jog, yoga, food trip , talks, a bit of shopping and sight seeing that we did, i can't forget the things i learned from these 3 whose worlds are quite different. nics being an island girl, boomy living a luxurious life in korea and jeanne always exploring the world and the seas.

funny, i don't remember the time how i met them. i know they are college friends and that they are special. and i love them. and thats how it will be.

nics gave me the push that i can help mother earth one at a time. i've always wanted to. i did my share by saving on water and energy. by participating in earth hour. by suggesting to our community re segregation of trash. but there is still more. and it can be done a step at a time. though i still can't find a supplier of earth friendly laundry soap for our laundry shops, we are putting a sign to our customers, encouraging them to bring their own laundry bag so that we won't use much of plastic. soon, we will totally eliminate it. i also make it a habit to bring with me a small bag (i have a couple at home) for small purchases like veggies, bread, medicines, milk, etc. so that the bagger at the grocery won't give me plastic anymore. like i've said, i have a couple of canvass bag at home given by friends. i guess, i just have to see somebody like nicole to see that it's actually being used before i use it myself. i don't know why. but i'm glad i'm somewhat helping. thanks nics.

boomy... i can't tell how much i admire her for being a mom. the way she lovingly communicates to her 2 adorable sons ollie and stan, its so refreshing. mind you, she is on her third trimester to their son and she remains cool. i remember, when i was on my third trimester with robin, i was irritated most of the time and poor raya always receives my bad temper :(  so i've seen boomy. now i try to be more patient with my daughters. to talk to them cooly just like boomy even if both of them are whining and crying. i try to be with them and play their games. to stay positive even if things go wrong. now its a bit manageable with the girls ;)

jeanne is living her life. when i asked what her future plans are, she said she was shocked by my question because she doesn't know. the thing is, she knows. she loves to read and spends her hard earned money buying books. she also loves pets/dogs. she have a couple back home and spends for their food. she loves to discover the world and so she has worked (and will go back) in a luxury cruise lines. she loves the water, and now she is a dive master. she even had a recent trip to tubataha! she claims that she doesn't have the money. but look at what she have purchased and accomplish? she had spent to live the life she wanted. what i learned from her? to love what you love... spend for love :D

i wish we'll have the opportunity again to be together and create a new adventure

application for a Philippine passport

my younger sister, ria, will get married in hawaii this coming september. the good news was announced to us early last year but due to hectic sched and scarcity of funds, we were only able to prioritize it at this time. so the first step is to renew my passport and get the girls their passport.

actually, it's so easy to apply since everything you need to know -- the process, requirements and even setting the  schedule of appearance in the Department of Foreign Affairs office -- are all there in their website.

so, i logged online, followed the simple procedures and went to the DFA office on time. it took the four of us 2 hours to complete the process. sure there's a lot of people but waiting isnt really an issue since there are staff guiding us. there were also signs everywhere. plus, there's a flat screen tv where movies are shown :) staff were also quick.

thank God some department in the philippine government such as the DFA shows progress. clap! clap! clap! i would just like to comment, though. when i went there, i came prepared with all the requirements, both for renewal (for my passport) and new application (for the kids). i had it in original and photocopy forms. when we got to the counter to submit our requirements, this is what was posted on the window:

FOR RENEWAL:

1) original passport

2) photocopy of first and last page of passport

FOR NEW APPLICATION:

1) NSO copy of birth certificate

that's it! i was just surprised since they seem to require more than whats listed above when i finished the online application and had set the appointment. weird. well, better be prepared than sorry.

oh, one more thing. though my husband's passport (not yet an e-passport) isn't expiring in 6 months yet, they did not allow him to renew saying that there are still more pages/space in his passport. he explained that he travels every april or may and if he travels next year, his current passport wouldn't be valid anymore. so he decide to do it now, with his family. the staff said that he should make a request letter with the reason why he wants it done now and have it notarized. then submit the letter to them. duh! well, if passports are still valid for more than 6 months are not allowed/qualified to apply for a renewal, i think they should have mentioned it in their website. what if that person only have the time now? sayang lang ang effort and ang pagpunta.

yun lang.

back to life

its been a week already since i arrived from my 6-day trip to seoul, korea and i am slowly going back to my senses. i totally missed hubby and the girls. but i know i needed that time off for my own sanity. i, along with my 3 college friends, were really on high. we had a great time catching up since its been years since we last saw each other. i went there to rest (no responsibilities, no work), go around at our own pace, no plans / itinerary, to recharge and to simply try it on my own (first time to travel without hubby and kids). and God has answered my prayers in more ways than one. thank you, God!

it was still summer when we got there. it's such a blessing since June is supposed to be a rainy month in korea. there were flowers everywhere.

i was able to jog and did some yoga with my friends. it was cool early in the morning so it was really such a nice way to start the day. and look whats in our path....

and, its just down the block to where our friend, boomy, lives!

we went shopping a bit. myeong dong is a street of branded stores. well, we just went into one store, the H&M, and went crazy over the sale. lucky us. hehe.

we liked insadong which consists of small shops in a long road. what i liked about this place is the uniqueness. all local shops, made in korea like clay pots, art works, etc. seldom will you see the usual souvenir shop of shirts, magnets,  flags, etc. in short, they support their own ;)

of course we visited tourists spots such as the seoul tower in which we were also able to watch a cultural show.

we also had a great time looking at the locks of love which became a symbol of the place of promising an everlasting love for couples with hanging a lock together.
.

isn't this amazing!

we were able to visit just one palace and was able to watch the changing of the guards.

we also went to mojeongyo. a lake in a middle of the city! it is hoped to be the symbol of harmony and communication.

 

i think what we did most during the trip was to eat and eat and eat over catching up.

grapefruit & pears for breakfast

affogato



green tea crust potato pizza

tuna kimbap

cotton candy

berries

fluffy waffles

papping su

papping su... again



and even  free and refillable drinking water





wine with a view of the seoul tower



kalbi

unlimited side dishes

bibimbap

we also loved the bookstore down the block.

 the trip was really memorable because of our kwentuhan while walking and walking around...

because of the very nice koreans



because of their creativity and uniquenes

because of strengthened frienships

and most especially because of these two adorable boys named ollie and stan =)