Cutty

It has been awhile since I last dipped in the pool. Yesterday, the pool was clean and looked inviting. I also had nothing better to do. I changed into my swimsuit and plunged into the pool. I was trying to remember the strokes I took almost 10 years ago. I guess I had too much fun because I stayed in the water too long. Now, I am nursing a cold and occasional coughs. My voice is a little raspy. My throat, a little sore. I thought I was doing myself some good. I can't come down with anything!!!! There are invitations to give out and giveaways to pick up.

Di naman ako kinilig sa kanila . But, I'm glad that they've decided to settle down after all these years. I admit, I do find their timing dubious. Vic even said that it was like a marriage of convenience, for both of them. I understand that it is very difficult to organize a wedding as large scale as theirs, considering that they're both public figures. I also understand that they have to welcome the public to their gathering. From an outsider, it looked like a circus. At a time like this, one would want this most special event to be solemn and perfect. I'd imagine that one would want to focus on her groom and not be distracted by the number of people who attended the wedding. About canceling the reception, I think it is a convenient way of limiting the reception to the closest family and friends. After everything that has happened, I wish them well.

Yesterday, the husband took a day off from work to accompany me to the land of Divi. I planned to get prizes for Javi's birthday. Vic wanted to buy stuff for the home. Right after breakfast, we trooped to Divi and searched for Anding's toy store. I got a lot of prizes, plus some decors for the Halloween Party. It was pretty difficult to look for Backyardigans items. So, I just settled for the farm animals and other non-farm-related toys. I got shirts for the boys. Even Vic got something for himself. I ended up not getting anything for myself. Vic urged me to get Christmas decors already. But since I had no theme in mind, it was difficult to weed through the variety of decors and colors in front of me. We decided not to get anything yet. After a quick lunch, we went to the nearby Soler/Alonzo Streets. We were looking for light fixtures for the part we're expanding and for the living area. We must've gone through every store in search of the one that's cl...

We're celebrating Javi's party in less than two weeks and I have nothing to wear!!! Other than that, almost everything is ready for the party. Hmm ...except for the cake pala ! The giveaways are ready and will be picked up tomorrow. The menu has been settled and the venue is also booked. I just have to distribute the rest of the invitations and try to get confirmation from the invited guests. I'll also have to finalize the order of the program. At this point, I am thinking that I may not have carried out the theme to the fullest. I just don't see any point wasting more money on tarps, additional balloons and standees. Other than those concerns, I have no more worries about the party. I just hope Javi will enjoy whatever we've planned for him.

This afternoon, as I was waiting for my lunch, I received a text message from Johann's former nanny. She was asking about him and about Javi . We exchanged several messages then came a reply, " Di pala katulad ni Johann, naglalakad na nun nag-birthday." That ticked me off. I set her straight that Javi is just like Johann at that stage. I got the feeling that she is proud of her alaga and is taking credit for her alaga's achievements. As a parent, I try not to compare my two kids. Every time I feel it creeping into my head, I remind myself that each child is different and develops differently. I know, it is easy for observers to succumb to comparison. Sometimes, I know, it can't be helped. As a parent, I want my kids to be their best selves. Their best may not be better than others'. Nevertheless, I'd be a proud mom because they did their best. Comparing achievements often lead to sibling rivalry or jealousy or a misplaced sense of competit...

In the few PRP episodes I've seen, I noticed that there's one judge who stands out. She doesn't sugar-coat her words. Like Simon Cowell, she is not afraid to speak her mind. She takes her title to heart with her constructive criticism. Because of that, she raises the bar. Her high level of standards forces the contenders to outdo their previous work. I wonder where she got her work ethics. Her work discipline is so refreshing in an industry where almost everything is ruled by artistic license. I am seeing Magis in action. Opus Dei ka ba? Or pinalaki ka lang na ganyan ng magulang mo? Or nakilala mo din si Lolo Joel sa isang bahagi ng buhay mo?

I agreed to meet with Mother in Magallanes this afternoon. That was before I was told (by Vic) that it was still part of Makati and that I couldn't bring my car. We figured, the quickest and most convenient way was to take the MRT. I got on the Shaw station, through Shangri-la mall. The train ride was pleasant. The AC was very cool and there weren't too many people crowding in the train cars. After one station, I got to sit down. I decided to get off at the Magallanes station. I didn't know I had to walk that far, to our meeting place, at noon. I crossed EDSA through a foot bridge. There was no shade along the sidewalks of Magallanes. I forgot to bring a fan, a hankie and an umbrella. Needless to say, I know I looked ngarag. I felt it. I also felt the dirt clinging to my sweaty skin. Ewww talaga. On my way back, I rode the cab to the Buendia MRT station. I no longer had the strength to walk back from Paseo de M to the MRT station. The heat was unbearable. Be...

Now that Johann is getting stronger and smarter, he is figuring out how things work like turning appliances on and off. He gets excited when he finds a new door to open. He manages to surprise us with his new skills. Just recently, I opened the ref only to find Javi's hairbrush cooling in the shelf. A week before, he parked his tiny toy car on top of his Jellyace. I wonder what other odd thing I'll find inside my ref in the days to come. Come to think of it, I've seen some really unusual things in the ref. > face creams - I once opened my aunt's ref to find a myriad of creams in the door shelves. This may not be unusual to some since there are cosmetic refs in the market. > blood supply - I used to go with my mother during her rounds in Rizal Medical. I was still very young, about 3 or 4y/o. As curious as Johann is, I tried to explore what is within my reach. I opened the chiller thinking I'd find food. I didn't find any. Instead, there were bags ...

The FIL came downstairs very agitated. It seems that he brought home his pocket money for his trip this weekend. He was inquiring about the help who he suspects got the dollar equivalent of 275K from his clutch. The other househelps said that she left 15mins ago and they don't know where she went. The police came within minutes to question the alleged suspect. She admitted to previous instances of theft, but not this one. I suggested to the SIL to have the bundle and clutch finger-printed just to be sure. At present, the FIL is fuming. I hope his blood pressure is normal. ------------------ Unfortunately, it is not my house to manage. Though I have some ideas on how to tighten up the management of the place, I don't think it's time to make such suggestions. I do hope this is the last time and I do hope it can be prevented next time.

To escape the rotating power outages in the Eastern part of the metropolis, Vic and I decided to stay at one of the unaffected hotels. It was pretty difficult to get a room in the Ortigas hotels. After all, they too were affected. Malayan had no power. Shangri-la's reservation system was down. We couldn't get any feedback from our contact from Crowne or Holiday Inn. On the second night of blackouts, Mandarin said that they had an available SMOKING room. Hmmm. That didn't sound appealing to me. I called again in the morning, they said they had an available Business Room (de luxe room with free wifi). That sounded good enough. On my way to Mandarin with the kids and yayas, I got a call that we also got a room in Crowne. Ngek. The rest of Vic's family was staying there. I for one, decided to stick to our reservation in Mandarin because they're going to bill me the same rate whether I showed up or not. We were quite happy with the breakfast selection. Joh...

They say that unfortunate events come in threes. I think I've already reached my allocation for the month. About a week before Ondoy hit, we had to bring Johann to the hospital for febrile seizures. We didn't have much time to breathe because Javi caught his fever. A few days later, our house was devastated by Ondoy. I barely had time to rest my arms from all the cleaning, I had to endure all-night fanning because of the rotating power outages. I couldn't let my boys sleep drenched in their own sweat. God knows, it may lead to another week-long stay at the hospital. It's been very emotionally and physically taxing. I dunno if I can take any more of this. Please let the good vibes come in. I hope the rest of October will be promising. I really am hopeful.

Right after breakfast this morning, Vic and I trooped to S&R to get some items. I wanted to stock up on items for the rainy days. Another reason is this... Needless to say, it was full of people panic-buying and people taking advantage of the good deals. Our carts barely had space to go around. There were lots of buy 1, take 1 items like sheets sets, pillow cases, bath sponges and dinner candles. I got several of the Martha Stewart candles (P29, buy 1 take 1) for the coming Undas. Sunbeam knife sets with stand were sold at P350. Vic was disappointed that the Webber outdoor grill he wanted was no longer available. One big boo-boo of the day was the Hagen Daaz strawberry ice cream that we thought was only P300. I was scanning my receipt earlier, only to find out that we paid WAY more than that. The promo tag was VERY misleading. As soon as I got back, I called the store to have them check the item at the shelf. Best buys from today: > Lifetime foldable tables at P2000. ...

We didn't finish cleaning up the house on Thursday. Vic and reinforcements went back to the house to clean up yesterday. However, due to the impeding arrival of Pepeng , I asked them to leave earlier than usual. I wouldn't want them to be stranded in the flood on their way back to Marikina . Needless to say, they didn't get much done that day. I chose not to go that day because Johann had fever the previous night. I was monitoring him for possible recurrence of febrile convulsions. Besides, I needed time to slip away to check out the party venue for Javi's first birthday. I feel so lucky that the Big Red Barn at the Fun Ranch is still available. I have some minor considerations but I am planning to book it for the party. Besides, I'm already running out of options. With only a month in my hands, I am hoping that the weather will cooperate when I shop for game prizes and party loot. ----------------- On a different note, the husband is contemplating on taki...

Our house was badly hit by Ondoy. We were the first row of houses in the subdivision that faced the Marikina River. The flood submerged the whole first level of our home. It left us with mud about a foot deep. The water pressure has been very poor so the clean-up is taking a long time. After all, almost half of the inhabitants of the subdivision are cleaning up their homes. We're hoping that we'll finish everything today. In the past few days, I bid goodbye to my cake boxes, some family pictures, appliances such as toasters, panini maker, coffee makers, flat irons (most of which are wedding gifts), my convection oven. I'm making arrangements to have the furniture re-upholstered. The unusued pillows would have to go. I am not sure if we can salvage the comforters, curtains and other heavy fabrics. At present, I am scrambling to get a party venue for Javi's 1st birthday. His celebration was supposed to be held in our home, together with the house blessing for th...