Cutty

Tomorrow marks another year for me. Since my birthday almost always falls on the Holy Week, it is just apt to look back and reflect. I never thought that at this age, I'd be a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) to two toddlers. I used to think that by this time, I'd still be in the corporate jungle or be self-employed, making a name for myself. It all began five years ago. I resigned from work then a week later, Vic and I found out that we're having our first-born. I didn't realize that several years later, I am still managing the home and anticipating the birth of our third child. Though I still yearn to become a more successful person outside the home, I am glad that, in the future, I will not regret spending enough time with my family. There is comfort in knowing that I haven't failed (YET) in the most important thing. I do miss the financial independence. Sometimes, I wonder, what I did with all the money I earned. I realized that I could've bought myself a n...

I'm curious. I wonder how much I'd have to spend to enjoy the treatments.

These days, I spend an average of 6 hours in front of the computer in a day. Back when I worked for an IT firm, I averaged at 14 hours. Spending that much time staring at the screen got me worried. It gave me headaches at first. Someone suggested that I protect my eyes with anti-glare glasses. I just needed an ungraded pair with the anti-glare coating. I spent nearly $30 just for that. The pair I got was so blah, it even made me look like a school principal. Well, at least it served its purpose at that time. Imagine my disappointment when I read this article from examiner.com. I could have gotten a pair of eyeglasses for $8 plus $4.95 for the anti-glare. That is less than half the price I paid for! On top of that, I don’t even have to get out of my seat to place the order. Eyeglasses will definitely be in my list of necessities in the future. I am glad that there are affordable options in the market. I take pride on my 20/20 vision and I want to keep it that way, without...

I am not sure if the term is used with material possessions. Nonetheless.... This morning, it seemed that Lolo Vic sold the toy car that is parked in our garage. It was Johann's favorite. Somebody came by to pick it up. Just a few minutes before that, the little boy was pestering his dad to take it out for a drive. He already had the key in his hands. When the car drove away, the little boy went back inside. Vic said Johann seemed "malungkot." I asked the little boy if he said goodbye to the Porsche. His response was a quivering face. Then, the tears that he was trying to hold back flowed. He was bawling as if he lost his favorite toy. All I could do was hug him and offer him his "security blanket." Hay, if only we knew it was being sold, we could've prepared him for this.

How would you describe a person who parked right beside you but didn't even remember to put enough space for the driver to get into the car? Last Sunday, I was so mad because I parked at the last designated slot to ensure that I won't have problems getting in. Dang! Even Kate Moss can't slide into the gap. I doubt if I left enough scratch marks when I slid my key along the sides of that two-toned Civic. In my fury, I called the guard and reprimanded him. Di naman niya kasalanan pero hello lang, bakit niya pinabayaan. Ganun daw kasi pag puno. To which I replied, "Wala ba kayong towing dito?" Wala daw. Dun na lang daw ako pumasok sa passenger side. Siyempre, nagalit ako lalo. "Nakita mo bang buntis ako?!?!?" Ano pa nga bang magagawa ko? I needed to leave. I manoeuvred myself carefully into the driver's seat, trying to hold back every curse I know. I have an echo riding at the passenger seat, after all. I desperately wanted to thrash the ca...

Javi is now 16 months old. Like any other kid over 1, he is still unintelligible. He mumbles a lot and tries to sing whenever he hears his Kuya sing. He can call his Daddy, ask for his " dede ," count to two, and point to his eyes, ears and nose. He'll show you his tongue if you ask him to. He knows the difference between a truck and a jeep. He'll also show you what a bus looks like. There are also times when we do not understand what he's saying. So far, this is what I have decoded: Mama - this could refer to me or to something that he wants boding - building broom - car mak - milk err - ear (blame it on the Bisaya yaya ) manny manny - Handy Manny mouse - Mickey Mouse moon - moon or street lamp -------------- At 16 months, he still sucks his thumb. He knows how to put up a fight when his Kuya attempts to snatch his toy away from him. He enjoys walking on his own though his yaya is afraid to let him. Even if he's more mobile, I'm glad that ...

Ever since I got my first pair of buttery-soft TB flats, I've been wanting to get a second pair. I was hoping to get any of the following in time for my birthday. Unfortunately, my local importer of Tory Bs have a limited selection this month. Sadly, these are also not available at the local TB store. Their shoe display is also quite sparse. It is such a disappointment. So, I got this instead. They're lightweight and water-proof. Most importantly, it allows me to exercise while I walk in them. I hope I don't get cramps in them.

Believe me, mapapabili ka even if you don't have plans on buying. Towels are buy1take1 for 500, bathmats are buy1take1 for 300, 300 thread count pillowcases are buy1get1 for 250. Expect long lines getting into The Fort branch. The lines were much shorter at the Congressional branch.

Last weekend, we were invited to PAREF Rosefield's Open House. We've been meaning to formalize our intent to enroll Johann there. It was a great opportunity for us to know more about how the school is run and how it differs from other schools. The Orientation affirmed what we believe, that the parents are the primary educators. They also share the same values that we'd like to foster in our kids. Their method of instruction is not too limitting . It seems to have the right mix of structured and unstructured instruction. We were also informed that the kids got into the big schools of their choice. That speaks well of their effectiveness as a school. I also like the fact that they give formation and skills classes to yayas while they're waiting for their alagas to finish class. -------------------- We brought Johann with us so he'd be more familiar with the faces and the school grounds. There was one kid who wanted to drag him to the play area. She was ...

I am about to pop in less than two months. This baby's delivery seems to be the one I am least prepared to handle. I was and still is, too preoccupied with domestic concerns. There are so many things to figure out, from baby essentials to child-care schedule for all three kids. I am not sure if I can get it done in 7 weeks. I haven't decided on what feeding bottles to get for this one. There are so many in the market that it is so confusing already. I want to stick to Avent and Born Free but I'd have to purchase them in the States. I don't think I would have enough time to ship them to Manila. I just started purchasing clothes last week, after we confeeeermed the baby's gender. I was lucky that Mothercare decided to go on sale again. The onesies I got were adorable, all pink and purple. Most of the items got were 40% to 70% off. They turned out to be cheaper than the department store price. I'd have to stock up on new essentials like plain shirts, c...

Summer has begun and I am not liking the idea that I can't bring my two boys anywhere to escape the heat. I am about to pop and I can't take long drives. I figured, we'll explore what's in Manila. I thought the Ocean Park was a good idea to waste the afternoon away. I haven't been to the Ocean Park in HK so I didn't know what to expect. But, I have been to Ocean Adventure in Subic and to Sea World in San Diego. Adults pay 450 to enter. Kids above 2ft pay 350. Kids below 2ft may enter for free. Taj mahal in my opinion.The yayas were left outside, by the entrance, so they can eat lunch while the Daddy and Mama take the kids in their strollers. We got through the main entrance with no problems. After several fish tanks, it seemed that we had to take the stairs to get to the other side. Hmmm . Parang di ata good idea if this attraction was meant for kids. We asked around and found out that there's another door we can pass through. Buti na ...

Before my husband left for work today, someone from GMA wanted to talk to him. They wanted to ask his permission to film in the house. Unfortunately, they wanted to use a big bedroom, meaning the our bedroom. Nyek, wag na lang. Kahit si Piolo pa or si Matt Mendoza mag-shooting dun. It is far too personal to let a stranger in our room. I don't even let the help clean it without supervision. If they wanted to use the ground floor/lanai/den area, we would've been more willing to let them. Anda din yun noh! ---------------- To be honest, we've been waiting for this opportunity since we moved back. The top two networks have been filming in the village since we moved here. They've always been on the look out for newly-constructed homes to showcase in their films or shows. Oh well, I hope we'll have another opportunity in the near future... para mabawasan na yun items sa wishlist ko =).