Cutty

I know that this round-up is a week late.  How can I let it pass when it has brought me countless memories? It was a year of trials.  There were times when our household had to survive with one house-help.  It was in Q3 when I found out that the my most-trusted store supervisor was stealing from me.  Business was unstable.  Kids getting sick at the same time, specially when I couldn't be there to care for them.  Javi was physically abused by newly-hired nanny.  There were lots of late night meetings.   Monthly budgets barely covering expenses.  Lessons were learned, tears were shed BUT I have moved on.  I never realized I could overcome all those despite the judgement and opinion of envious individuals (wink, wink). It was a year of travel.  A summer trip to our favorite shopping destination during summer.  A trip to the World's Cultural Capital and it neighboring countries spear-headed by the ACS took place in Q3.  It...

I made it home in record time, 13mins to be exact.  Getting inside the house was another story.  It took me 15 minutes to wake the helper. I forgot my keys to the house, you see.  She forgot to turn off the phone. I had to resort to yelling their names using my barely-there voice.  Didn't work.  I hosed the windows from ground floor.  It didn't work either.  I ended up giving myself a shower instead.  Making the dogs bark didn't work too.  I found a plastic container to throw to the window.  That woke her up. Hay naku, award kami pareho.  Siyempre di ko mapagalitan kasi wala nga kong boses.

It has been two weeks since that telenovela drama took place.  Since then, every adult in our household has been preoccupied with chores and tending to the kids.  I do almost all the cooking and kitchen cleaning.  Our remaining yaya does the laundry and most of the dirty work (taking out the garbage, feeding the dog, poop cleaning, et al.)  We split yaya duties - looking after and grooming the kids.  When I can manage, I clean a specific area at a time.  I have sorted the pantry, the den and the master bedroom.  Next will be the kids' room.  I have put off ironing for so long, I have big piles of clothes ready for pressing. Fortunately, we still have clothes left in our closets.  Vic does his share also, to lessen our load. The kids are also becoming more involved in keeping the house orderly.  Johann has been helping me with washing the dishes and setting the table.  Javi and Bettina can bring their plates and cups to the sink....

One of our yayas has gone back to her province for her annual two-week vacation.  Times like this remind me to think of ways we can be more efficient at home.  It is also the perfect opportunity for the kids to learn new things. I admit, now that the kids have matured, they are less handful.  They still drive me crazy when they fight over toys and about who gets to pretend what during playtime.  However, they are more "independent."  Bettina doesn't need to be held all the time.  Javi can go up and down the stairs by himself.  Even Johann can be asked to watch over his younger siblings.  I am glad that they are all in that stage where they can play by themselves.  I am even more pleased that we no longer need to entertain each child all the time.  We no longer watch them with eagle eyes.  At this time, we only need one yaya to oversee the three children. I wonder how long should we wait till we allow our eldest to bathe all by...

It is hard to think happy thoughts when unpleasant surprises come my way.  I'm a planning freak so when something disrupts my plan, I get very upset.  I cope but I get upset. Impeding trips or online (window) shopping usually perk me up.  But it isn't working this time.

Our household woke up early to prepare for our trip to Batangas last Sunday. Apparently, our "loyal" yaya woke up much earlier to make her escape with her boyf, who happens to be our houseboy. The remaining yaya said she didn't notice anything or heard anything. Ang ganda nila! I can deal with the chores and additional load. What gets to me are Johann and Javi's questions of where Ate G is. For several days now, Johann has been bugging me to pick up his Ate from the airport. When I tell him that Ate G may not come back anymore, he'd say, "Sabi niya babalik siya." I asked him if Ate G said goodbye to him the night before she left. Hindi naman daw. Sayang, I offered to bring her HK with us and to send her to school next semester. I thought she was smarter than this. Oh well, you know how it is when you're young. You tend to make wrong decisions. ----------- Fortunately, we got our replacement the following day. I am really hoping this works o...

If health is wealth then I am soooo not wealthy. Not that I am wealthy to begin with. My two boys are sick. Johann started coughing last week. By Sunday, fever came into the picture. Javi started coughing yesterday morning. In the afternoon, he already had a runny nose. Last night, he already had slight fever. Today, Bettina started coughing. Hay, I hope it doesn't progress into what her brothers have. Then, one yaya is also down with fever. Anubuh?!? I can only handle so many patients at a time.

After some disturbances to our household, we've finally moved back to our humble abode. At first, I was very, very anxious for my family and for the help. But, how would we know if it is safe to go back if we haven't tried it? Our faith and our resolve have been tested numerous times. We first dismissed it as something psychological. In the end, it boiled down to "What do I believe in?" It has been a week and so far, so good. I hope and pray that it stays that way.

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...

I need to get out. I need an escape to keep my sanity. My extra-bobs help has been finding ways to get to me EVERYDAY. I've been having a hard time curbing my tongue. It is so easy to snap at everybody these days. I doesn't help that the eldest boy isn't being very cooperative also. He's been suffering from really bad cough since Saturday. I'm trapped.

You'll know that it's a lost cause when... ... you ask for your cellphone and she gives you the remote control. ... you ask for a " kutsara " and she gives you a " tinidor ." ... she cleans the tub for the 2 nd time and gets grounded for the 2 nd time. ... you ask for butter and she looks for it everywhere BUT the ref. ... you tell her to use plastic / silicone ladles for teflon -coated pans EVERYDAY. ... she mixes the fabric softener with the detergent when washing the clothes. ... up to now, she still doesn't know the basic colors. No wonder her old employer reprimanded her everyday. I don't blame the old employer. -------------------- I thought I was doing a noble deed of trying to train her and teach her the "urban" ways. I used to believe that everyone is trainable. Maybe she is. But after months of trying, I've run out of patience. I don't want my third child looking like her.

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...

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.

It has been a week since I became a full-time mom. Vic, our remaining help and I have been taking turns watching over the two kids. It was easier last week since there were several vacation days. Many days were spent with family who were willing to help look after them. Now that the little boy is with me most of the time, he has turned into a mama's boy. He has become very clingy. He always whines and cries until he gets what he wants. I'm afraid that I have given in too many times. I have learned to ignore the loud noise coming from my hyperactive toddler. I hope my next-door neighbor has learned that too. Johann eventually stops when he is tired or distracted. During the past week, Johann has also become more confident when it comes to feeding himself. I've found out that reading him stories and exposing him to Bob the Builder and Facebook pictures calm him down. I thank God that Javi doesn't mind the noise his kuya makes. He just smiles, shrieks and sl...

Despite the fact that I turned thirty, that is how I'd describe my birthday. Not that we didn't make an effort. It was all because of this darn flu. I woke up a bit better, still dizzy and weak. At least, the fever had gone. By noon, I was well-enough to go out for lunch. I didn't enjoy it much. My throat was sore, I had a hard time swallowing. I would have loved to go around and shop ( w/o guilt ), but I was starting to get tired. We just made a few stops to get some necessities. Then we left my "office." That evening, we could've gone out to get something special for dinner but Vic had meetings scheduled till 8PM. I ended up cooking our dinner, in between watching over Johann and Javi . I didn't have the energy to concoct anything special. All the activity that day drained every ounce of energy left in me. I went back to bed with a fever. ----------------- One of the greatest gifts I received was the newest addition to my household staff. (...

... before my birthday, I am nursing a flu. I caught it from Johann. He was irritable all night. Waking up every hour last night aggravated my condition. So this morning, I woke up to a sore throat, achy joints and a slight fever. Since both Vic and I didn't get to sleep last night, I asked my parents if they can take the kids today. Johann seems to have no trouble with his ailments. He's already playing with his cousins. He just refuses to eat and go to bath =) I, on the other hand, have sweat it out several times so my fever has gone down. I pray that I'll get better tomorrow. My lone yaya can't cope with two boys and her chores.

That is how I felt when I got up from bed this morning. There are just so many things to do and to look forward to this week. I'd have to... ... get hold of CCP to discuss a possible tie-up for the next Three Festival. I may need to get some contacts from Tito Bal. ... get the space application form from Ayala Malls. ... visit the furniture fair at SMX this weekend. ... get a new copy of our marriage certificate for Vic's Visa renewal. ... obtain franchise terms from my top two food chains. ... interview the new househelp prospect. ...see if we can finally sell our SUV to make room for a bigger one. I hope I can get started soon. I hope Javi's yaya gets well right away so I can slip and get some of these done.

I am thinking of a business to start-up. I already have two in mind. I have also done preliminary research on both. One is home-based and quite volatile. The other is more stable and would require an outlet accessible to the pedestrians. One would be completely mine. The other is shared with a friend. One is leaning towards luxurious items, while the other is on the practical and essential side of the spectrum. I just have to do the math and see it is worth the money I'm planning to invest. Sadly, I am not that good in math. --------------- I am happy to have acquired a new house help who has agreed to do both all-around housework and nanny duties in between. I am glad because I have time to sleep longer in the morning, surf the net and blog. I was so busy being a full time SAHM that I no longer had time to rest. I think I lost some weight due to lack of sleep. I have yet to brief her on my house rules and other responsibilities. I see initiative and maturity in her...

My son's yaya of nearly two years decided to leave our household. She asked permission to leave three months ago. I sensed that she was not fit to take care of a hyper-active toddler so I allowed her to. She doesn't have the patience to deal with that. Despite her numerous offenses, I have grown attached to her. Tonight, she said goodbye to my little boy. He had no idea that he wont be seeing his best friend in a long time. We'll be okay for now. I just hope he wont be a handful for us. I also hope that he wont look for her.

With a few days before Christmas, everyone is out and about. Traffic is so terrible. People spend so much time on the road instead of looking for gifts in the mall. I'm relieved that I have only a few parties to go to. However, there are still so many things to do.... I need to get gifts for the last few IMPORTANT people in my list. I am not worried about the less important ones. My first gift idea for Vic didn't work out. I am scouting for another one. I need to start packing for the HK trip. Johann still needs bottoms fit for winter travel. I need carrots and cream cheese. I need to prepare my documents for the ACS Tokyo trip...that is, kung makakasama ako. I need to get Johann and Javi their Christmas outfit. I need to make a list of chores for the househelp who'll be left behind when we leave for HK. I need to figure out what to wear for Bonnie's Filipiniana wedding.