Cutty

It has been a week and 2 days since I first felt labor pains. I've been walking, doing mundane chores and baking just to wear myself out. Kulang pa din. I'm still at 1cm though the baby has engaged herself even lower into my crotch. Mag-mall na lang daw muna ako sabi ng doktor. At the rate I'm going, I'll end up going broke even before I give birth. ---------------------- Pagkapanganak ko, simple lang ang pangarap ko... makapag-tuck-in ulit ako. LOL! ---------------------- I can't wait for my O Magazine to start arriving. I've been waiting since January. After several correspondences with Hearst, I hope I'll receive the May issue. If not, I'll demand for a refund again. ---------------------- Johann's slot in the AM Junior Kinder class is now reserved. I am glad to know that we don't have to shell out additional anda for the bond. They took out the bond years ago. Yey! ---------------------- Every time I go shopping, I buy for each me...

WARNING: Major RANTING about to take place Remember my super-lost all-around help? I sent her home over a month ago because she's been giving me headaches. She begged me several times, with matching tears, that she can't go home without her sister and that she'd have to wait for her sister to bring her home. I gave her two weeks to deal with it. I presumed that she'd save up her money for her trip home. Then when it is convenient for her, she tells me her mother is sick and she is being asked to go home. I told her that is not problem with me because she is scheduled to leave anyway. I just told her to leave on the date we agreed upon. I also gave her one condition: She can't stay at my in-law's place, where her sister is working, because she doesn't work there. (You see, even if I am pregnant and about to give birth, I'd rather deal with house chores than with people who lack iodine in their system.) Two weeks before I let her go, I told her tha...

Chef Aileen is one of the chefs I watch out for on TV. Apart from the fact that I always find her desserts mouth-watering, she is one of the few chefs who really knows how to communicate. There are quite a lot out there who turn me off just by the sound of their voice, not to mention their grammar and pronunciation. When I read that she launched a cook book, I got myself a copy from our favorite bookstore. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they sell it $10 cheaper than the online price. Aptly titled, this book helps a home-baker come up with a menu for his/her own cafe. It has a wide selection of drinks and desserts to choose from. I was hoping for more chocolate-based drinks rather than espresso-based ones. Browsing through the pages, here are some of the recipes I'd like to try out I am so psyched to try out her recipes that I got some adorable teddy bear-shaped silicone cups and a bottle of authentic Mexican vanilla. I can't wait to use them. I don't know...

Yesterday afternoon was all about Mimi. There was a small gathering of friends and a very meaningful mass celebrated in her honor, by our celebrity priest. It is a very fitting way to send-off a dear friend to her new life with her husband. I was a bit confused why the ACS kept on creeping into Father's sermon. Then, I realized, ACS is there because of Mimi. Though she is our choir manager, she IS the foundation and the binding force of the group. Other members came and went, but Mimi stayed. I've known her since 1997. I've never known Ateneo, GC or ACS without Mimi. We survived Joel's verbal tirade, emerged victorious in several competitions, bled through tour preparations and planning sessions. Her maturity, decisiveness and strength will be missed as she starts a new chapter in her life. -------------------- With the Cry-ola Queen in our midst, it is difficult not to shed a tear during the mass. I've never known Panalangin sa Pagiging Bukas Palad to be a ...

*photo taken from Starbucks.com A few weeks ago, I ordered the very light and refreshing Tazo Black Tea from our neighborhood favorite Starbucks. The Barrista asked if I have tried it with their Valencia Syrup. I said that I haven't, with a face that says "I'm not interested in trying it out." She was very insistent that I try it out. She gave me a sampler cup to see if I like it. Lo and behold, masarap nga ! Now, the iced tea tastes like it is infused with oranges. Try it out.

Our most-awaited has arrived... THE Meralco bill. For the same amount of consumption from last year, our bill hiked up by three thousand. Huwaw talaga! That is when we've already converted our A/C to the inverter type. In the past few days, social networking sites have nothing else to talk about BUT the rising Meralco charges. I, somehow, understand that the rise in prices are inevitable. We have to pay for the generation charges of non-hydro electric power plants plus the maintenance of the hydro-electric power plants that frequently over-heat and are lacking in water. But what can we do? It is a necessary evil. I can't let my kids suffer. Johann woke up from his nap with a bleeding nose. Javi takes a bath 3x daily. Both kids can already finish a 1-liter bottle of cold juice in one day. In addition to that, the summer heat, El Nino and pregnancy is not a good combination. In the end, there is nothing else to do but pay. So, what do you think will be easier on the...

When Javi's full-time nanny went back to her hometown for her son's graduation, Javi and I spent a lot of time together. It was during that week that I noticed some changes in him. He walks more confidently since Vic and I can't run after him all the time. We let him roam around our room. He got some bumps and bruises but they all healed eventually. He can call on almost everyone in our household. He can already call on Daddy and his Aya ( Kuya Johann, though we're not Chinese). I think this is because we let them play together as opposed to the yaya who just lets him play by himself. He can also name what he wants. He added a few more words to his vocabulary like water, truck, bus, jeep, bike, toy, book and others I can't remember. I also noticed that he likes repetitive words. I never realized that he acquired so much of the traits of the yaya and how much she has stunted his development. I am not sure if it is laziness and lack of imagination or ini...

I am on my 38 th week of carrying Baby Glur . As expected, I'm already having difficulty because of all the loose joints and heavy tummy load. We're hoping that she'll stick to the below-7-lbs category like her elder brothers. Yesterday, I was informed that Baby Glur isn't as big as my tummy makes it seem. Mother examined my tummy to make sure that the early stages of labor haven't started. I've been feeling contractions throughout the weekend though I have not moved as much. As useless, my hospital bag isn't ready yet. I will have it ready by the end of the day. Most of Baby Glur's items are washed already. I got a new bassinet for her so the wooden crib is kept for now. I'd just have to vacuum the new pillows and cushions, assemble the bassinet, prepare the feeding bottles and breast pump and find a place to dump Baby Glur's stuff. I think I can spend the remaining waiting time getting ready for her arrival. She is due to come out...

Yesterday was Johann's first day of summer classes. I enrolled him at Rosefield's summer program. It is a short course that lasts one-and-a-half hours. This was Johann's third visit to the school so he is quite familiar with the place already. We've gone around but he hasn't been inside the classrooms. Before entering the classroom, students and aides are required to remove their shoes. Johann didn't want to remove his even after several minutes of showing him where to put it and showing him that other kids wore socks inside the rooms. Everybody else was encouraging him to come inside but he refused. I was forced to carry him inside and to stay with him throughout the session. Once inside, he didn't sit with the kids. But he answered when Teacher asked him a question. He even showed off his knowledge of circles and butterflies. The session started with a prayer. It is followed by a short story then a song-and-dance activity. They were also given a...

When we moved out of my in-law's house, we left some of the stuff in the rooms we stayed in. Last weekend, I decided to go through the pile. Most of which are Javi's birthday and Christmas gifts. To our surprise, several packages were empty. Looks like somebody decided to "shop" thinking that we wouldn't notice. There goes another HAY NAKU moment for me.

While the yayas were eating their dinner, I amused Javi by letting him ride on a tandem bike. Lolo saw him and wanted to get him a bike he can ride with Kuya Johann. As they were paying for it, the rest of the cousins swarmed around them. Somebody said that the birthday celebrant should get her pick already. She declined because she's getting a lechon for her party. One asked how much spent for my boys. It's as if they didn't get to spend time with Lolo earlier in the day. It's as if they didn't get their toys c/o Lolo , that same morning. Hay naku . Once again, the pleasure of giving and receiving was marred by envy. Some people receive more than their fair share of gifts without any reaction from us. Why can't they just be content?

Maundy Thursday Our family spent a big chunk of the day resting. I and Johann's yaya particularly needed the rest after taking turns looking after two toddlers.* The whole battalion left for Visita Iglesia just as the afternoon heat was fading. Unfortunately, we didn't get to finish all seven churches because most of them had services scheduled in the early evening. Parking spaces were hard to find. We just decide to go back home, have dinner and resume when the kids were about to sleep. Because there weren't too many cars on the road, we finished in less than two hours. Good Friday Vic and I woke up early to talk to a priest this morning. We left really early so the lines won't be too long. We were so early that we were literally first in line. I am glad we decided to go today. I was amazed at the priest. He seemed to have read my mind. He verbalized what has been bothering me and he told me what I needed to hear. Black Saturday I've been itching to go ...