toy collection

I've collected so many toys in my lifetime that I don't see the need to even buy toys for my baby ... biggest problem I have now is where I do put my toys to showcase it.




Ever had the same problem? What do you collect?

TGIF!

What are you looking forward to doing this weekend? My list includes ...

1) a wedding where I shall try my best to look like Paris Hilton ... see, I'm gonna be wearing all pink since it's the motiff ... pictures to be posted on Monday ...

2) going out with my brothers later ... poor credit card of mine ... hehe ...

3) visiting my Mom and Dad and showing off lil tornado's new talents like putting up his finger in his nose on command ... hehehe ...

What about you? Anything planned for the weekend?

Friday Feast: 100th Feast - Ed 4

Appetizer
On average, approximately how many times per day do you yawn?

- I would say about 4x ... when I wake up in the morning ... as I'm riding the bus on the way to work ... after lunch ... and at night before sleeping.

Soup
What was your most memorable school field trip?

- Ripley's Believe It or Not at Shangri La ... I was with my highschool sweetheart and I think that was the only "date" we ever had.

Salad
Fill in the blank: I was extremely __________________ this week.

- moneyed

Main Course
Which color do you think of when you hear the word "soothing"?

- sky blue ...

Dessert
What is something that, if you had to, you could save up the money to buy within one month?

- iPod ... love RnB music ... very invigorating and just plain chillin'

when I was 16 ...

Think back to when you were 16.

If you knew then what you knew now, what would you have encouraged yourself to do?

Tough question ... there would be a lot of things I would have encouraged myself to do ...
1) I would have gone for a lot of things ... tried out things that I thought were far beyond my reach ...
2) I would not have let my pride get in the way of relationships ...
3) I would have cherish my high school years more
How about you?

how the blind would describe me

June 27th, 2006 Question

They say the blind can tell a lot about you by the way your face feels in their hands.

Let’s experiment. Close your eyes. Touch your eyes, let your fingers graze your nose, your cheeks, the outline of yours lips, your chin. 

Take as long a time as you want. Open your eyes.

If a blind person were to have touched your face the way you just did, what do you think he would have said about you?

If the blind were to touch it, he would say that I have endured many trials in life. Trials that have made me a stronger and better person.

He would say that I have found some contentment in my everyday life but that I may be yearning for something that I cannot decipher just yet.

I am a wanderer, wanting to find a place where I can settle and just be.

Friday Feast # 3

Appetizer
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you like your job?

I'd say its a 7. I love the job, the pay, the schedule, and most people here.

Soup
When was the last time you think you were lied to?

Whoa! Hhmmm ... this is hard. Think think think ... I can't really remember ... is that a good thing?

Salad
Share some lyrics from own of your favorite songs.

For now:
sometimes a love goes wrong
sometimes a heart can feel it
sometimes a love goes wrong
just when you think you got it
look and love is gone

Main Course
What do you do/take when you are in pain?

physically? pain relievers
emotionally? I cry, blog about it, write

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: My __________ is very __________.

My list of things to do before I turn 40 is very long.

my Dawson Leery

How are you? I don't get to talk to you anymore. I don't know what's happening in your life now. Pretty weird since I've known you since we were snot nosed kids back in Kindergarten. I remember back in Grade 6, we'd hang out a lot. After our tutorials, we'd got to Masangkay and eat out or buy those WWF cards and fight over who gets Bret Hart. Those were the days.

I didn't know we were gonna end up like Dawson and Joey. I didn't know that I was gonna fall in love with you. And that you'd feel something for me too.

We kept in touch all through out until that one fateful night ... I wonder why fate did that to us? Why we had to see each other and be with each other that day? Why we had to have significant others at that moment? Why I felt so passionately for you? Why we kissed and the world just sort of faded into the background? Why we decided not to dump them and be together?

Why were we so scared? I guess I'll never know.

You promised to be in my life forever; to always be there for me; even though we have kids, that you'll be the Ninong and I'll be Ninang ... and now you're not. And I miss you so much. It's just not the same without you in my life.

I don't have anyone to call in the middle of the night or at daybreak just to have someone listen to me cry, rant, or rave. I don't have anyone who completely understands me.

So wherever you are, I hope you know that somewhere, someone is waiting for you ... not to be your other half ... but just to have that little space in your heart once more.

Joey Potter

Birthday Ideas Anyone?

Got this fab idea from Creature Comforts and I just need some reactions as to whether or not this would be a good idea so, to you, reading the blog ... what do you think of me doing something like this for my son's birthday? I can't believe that it's so near but I have not thought of anything to do yet ... sheesh! What is wrong with me? Lol!

I might not get a cake so I'm thinking of using cupcakes topped with funny pictures of B. Ideas? Comments?

Post it here please. It'll be much appreciated.

B at 11 months ...

This will have to do as I have not been able to get new pictures of him that's decent coz he got sick for a week and is just starting to recover. Though dim and fuzzy, he still looks adorable! Just a few more days and he's gonna be a toddler!

Friday Feast # 2

Appetizer
What is a word that you use that would not be considered common?

- "pokpokita" it's a word derived from "pokpok" which means slutty... its a term I use on people who try to act slutty coz they think it looks cool

Soup
What theme of calendar do you have on your wall this year?

- what calendar?

Salad
Name 3 people you speak with by telephone a regular basis.

- Flare ... college buddy of mine ...
- my Mom ... need those child rearing advice
- my hubby ...

Main Course
If you could buy a new outfit for someone you know - who would it be and what would you purchase for them?

- it would have to be my Mom and my mother in law ... they deserve it after all the hard work they've put in building a home ... man! it's hard to be a housewife ... never ending, draining, and most of the time, you're just not appreciated.

Dessert
What is the last beverage you drank?

- MILO, energy drink that tastes like real chocolate!

sick B

Sick Baby ...

Right now, I look mad and composed. Deep inside, I'm shattered. My baby is sick and I don't know how to make things right for him. I want to cuddle him and take away his pain but I am unable to. I feel so helpless. I hate it.

He was perfectly fine yesterday. Today, he's been throwing up non-stop. Anything he takes in, comes out. Save for Hydrite. I've brought him to two doctors already and they couldn't find anything wrong. One doctor wanted to have him admitted for further observation. Stupid woman! She obviously doesn't know what was wrong.

So I brought him to another one. This one said to let him drink Motillium. And that he was okay since he wasn't running a fever and was not dehydrated at all.

That was around 6pm. It's almost 11pm now and he has a slight fever. I don't know what to do. I wanna curse everyone in this world. I feel that life is so unfair. Do I not pray everynight that HE please bless lil tornado with good health? That I do not ask for anything grandiose except that my baby be healthy and normal.

I'm sorry, I know that I should not pick a fight with God but I am just so worried. I feel like crying but I can't since everyone keeps telling me to be strong. And I pretend to be. But I'm not strong. I never was.

tuesdays with morrie

" How can I be envious of where you are, when I've been there myself? "

All throughout our life, we've always wanted something that someone else has, not knowing that what we have is something that that person my actually be wanting as well. The grass isn't always greener on the other side. That's one thing I've learned from Morrie.

How about you? What book has touched your life and in what way did it change you?

B's First Forray in the Water

Here's a picture of B last Saturday when he went swimming for the first time. He got scared for the first minute but when he realized that he was going to be safe, he enjoyed being in his lil boat! Good job baby! Such a brave lil boy!

SMILE

Finally, a picture of B showcasing all of his teeth which sprouted when he was only 9 months old ... all of them in one blow!

1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 ... yep .. .got 'em all!

Swimming at Hyatt

Spent Saturday with my family at Hyatt ... they took Brent swimming and it was loads of fun just watching them together ...

Brent with hi A-ku and D-ku ...
B with Yaya Maricel and Ah-i Kianna ...

What's your favorite scary movie?

Endured a screamfest yesterday with hubby and SIL. We watched Scream 1, 2 , and 3. Big mistake. Got too paranoid to even walk from our gate to the village gate since I kept getting visions of a madman in a ghouly mask with a knife about to strike me. I knew that it was all in my head, but as they said, whatever goes in your mind is more powerful than any physical evidence that can be presented to you.

Ever experienced that? You know, your mind playing tricks on you due to too much watching of something? Or I'm the only one with an overactive imagination?

the talents of a Pinoy

Survivors!

Had a ym conversation with a friend and it just made me laugh till my tummy started hurting. He's Fil-Am who spent most of his life in the Us, ergo, he's more American than Pinoy. I asked him to tell me something intersting and here's what transpired.

friend: I'm always fascinated by the filipino ability to shove as many people as possible into one car

me: that's a talent!

friend: its like this country is full of clowns

me: no, we're just very flexible people ... we're survivors ...

friend: yes

friend: survivors that can fit 50 people into a 5 person car

me: yes siree!!! see, we can save our entire clan because we can do that ...

friend: If the titanic boat crew were manned by a filipino, all of them would have survived...on
one life raft

me: oo naman! (but of course!)

friend: then the would have taken the other 10 boats as pasalubong to bring to new york

me: mabuhay kaming mga pinoy! (Mabuhay all Filipinos!)

friend: this i'm gonna post in my blog!

me: this is too funny not too share!

friend: heh

So, any of you have anything interesting to share?

Holiday Weekend!

I was not able to go to work since I had a splitting headache. Luckily, around noon it went away so our weekend plan pushed through. We went swimming at Hyatt Hotel and it was a lot of fun. My son was not scared of the water at all. Same can't be said for his Mommy coz I'm dead scared of drowning seeing as I don't know how to swim at all and have had near death experiences with H2O.

Hopefully, we will be having lunch or dinner out later as a late celebration for the Twin's birthday. We weren't able to eat out then coz my Mom wasn't feeling well.

Tomorrow, I still don't know what I'll be doing. Hopefully, it'll be good.

Friday Feast # 1

Appetizer
About how much money did you spend on gas this week?

- none .. I don't have a car. Sigh sigh sigh ..

Soup
What is your favortite brand of toilet paper?

- Joy Bathroom Tissue. I dunno why but it's the one we've been using ever since.

Salad
When was the last time you discovered something that you thought was pure genius?

- last weekend ... they've invented baby knee pads and its such a smart thing since babies are prone to getting their knees bruised and cut ... just bought one for my baby ...

Main Course
What is the least amount of sleep you can get by on per night?

- 30 minute nap ... done it before ...

Dessert
June is a popular month for weddings. Do you know anyone who is getting married this month?

- hhmmm ... actually no!

Here's my Friday Feast ...

calendar wall decors

Found some old calendars which would be great as a gift. Just need to have these images framed nicely and voila!

pesky fax machines

I hate fax machines! They are the bane of my existence. I've never been able to learn how to use one and until now, I am fighting an endless battle against it.

See, I needed to fax some stuff earlier and it took me almost 30 minutes. It was just 4 measly documents and it took 30 minutes.

ARGH!!!!!!!!

Anyone else has a horror story to share regarding technical gadgets or am I the only person left in this world to be this dumb?

Happy Meal

Weee! Just completed 7 out of the 8 toys that McDonald's has in their Happy Meal toys featuring Cars. So giddy that I felt like sharing with you guys one of my Happy Meal collections ...

Here it is enclosed in another addiction of mine, Starbucks! If you look at it closely, you'd see the Snoopy series, the McDonald's boatm and many others.

You, what's your collection?

A Walk to Remember

Brent went walking inside the village yesterday. He wore his knee pads that I got for him for the first time. He looked so adorable that I knew I just had to document it. He was just wearing his diapers and a sando plus the knee pads. Hihihi ...

So here it is ...

shopaholic

Went on half day at work yesterday coz I wasn't feeling too good. Instead of going home though, I opted to rest at my Mom's place. Late afternoon I started feeling better so I went with my Mom to 168 mall and ended up splurging on DVD's.

Woe is me. I, apparently, have not recovered from being a shopaholic.

So here are the things I bought.

Season 1 & 2 of LOST and Season 2 of Desperate Housewives! Whee!!!!

Clothes for my baby ...

Shobe's Yaya got B a towel canister! Ain't it cute?

and my Mom got me some scrapbook materials ... life's good!

Sunday Afternoon with Mommy Lou

Yo! Whassup homie?

The picture above just makes me think of gangsters. Of course I don't want my baby growing up as a gangster but he does look sinister in here. We were on our way to MommyLou's house when I took this shot. I was really aiming for cute but it turned out like this. I'm not complaining though.

Here are some more pictures from his misadventures in Mommy Lou's house.

B picking a fight with the beanie since he couldn't move it as much as he wanted to ...

B's being given a bath here by Mommy Lou in the sink ... he really enjoys his bath!B wearing my headband as a bonnet! So cute!

B relaxing in the beanie coz he got tired after walking for more than 5 minutes! Lazy bum!

Dentist Day Out

We went to SM Manila last Monday to give support to Shobe coz she was visiting the dentist for her front teeth to be removed. Here's a picture taken before she went to the dentist. We look like twins no?

This is Shobe while having the first round of check up. Dr. Shane Martinez of Our Kid's Dental Clinic was the one who attended to my sister. I didn't like him at all. He was harsh and cruel in my opinion. I mean, come on! She's 6 years old. You don't tell a 6 year old girl to "cooperate" and just press her butt if it HURTS! You don't tell a 6 year old that you will lock her up in the clinic and have her family go if she doesn't behave (by behave, be fear free.) the sheer stupidity of his tactics amazes me. No wonder there was a screaming boy when we first went in. We thought that maybe the kid was just dead scared of dentists in general but apparently, we were wrong. It took 6 of us to hold down Shobe just so her tooth can be extracted!!! Stupid dentist.
This is all of us, eating at McDonalds after the harrowing ordeal that Shobe went through. We bought her ice cream to compensate though I worry for the trauma she went through. I hope she will get over it.

Love you guys!

mini tornado

We went to my Mom's place yesterday where lil tornado showed off his new ability of being able to turn into a mini-tornado. Luckily, his MommyLou is very enamored with him and therefore found this new skill endearing. Wait till lil tornado wrecks her figurine collection!

On another note, I need to go to the dentist today to accompany my lil sister. In all honesty, I don't wanna go to my house in Chinatown but I know that I should not let my sister down as well. I've let her down so many times before that I know I should make up for it. But really, does it need to be on a Monday?

Sleepy and tired ....

I get what I want ...

To make up for my being Ms. Nice Girl the other day, I bitched at McDonald's yesterday ...

I brought a Happy Meal because they were featuring CARS and I liked how it looked. Before buying though, I asked if they had everything since there were 8 models being shown. Clerk said yes. So it was much to my dismay that she informed me that the one I wanted was out of stock. This got me upset. Really upset. Think eyebrow raised, dagger eyed looks, and a really really huge pout on my pretty lips. This was not right. This was not justified. I asked earlier and one way or another, I will get my toy.

So I demanded, yes, demanded that they give me the one on display. They refused. I coerced them.

Guess who won?

Me of course. It feels good to bitch again. LoL!

My Mommy, My Inspiration

To say that I am lucky to have a mother like her would be cliche but I am. Just the other day I was with a friend (let's call her C.) who was a mother herself and she talked so candidly about leaving her kids behind and finding herself because she felt lost. She was talking of abandoning her kids and it seemed so easy for her to do that.

I felt hurt. Hurt for her kids, hurt for all the kids out there and the adults who had the same thing done to them by their mother or father. No kid deserves that. That's why I'm so grateful to my Mom.

We didn't have an easy life. We had our own family problems but she NEVER GAVE UP! She never gave up on us even during the times that I turned my back on them; the huge fights that we endured, the trip to the emergency room in the middle of the night because I've given up.

She is so strong and courageous.

I do know that from time to time she wants to let go, to pack up and leave, and I understand that. What I admire the most though is, she never did it. She managed to sort things out and make everything a bit better than what it really is.

She is everything that I could ever hope to be. She may not be the Mom that we wanted but she is exactly the mother that we need.

Hats off to you Mommy. Damn proud to be your daughter!

my precious stones

friend since Kindergarten ... went to Canada and we no longer keep in touch ... I miss you Nald!

Neri ... love this girl so much ..Pua ... my protector ... he always tried to shield me from heartache! Love you best!

Katrina, Karen, and me ... at Pearl Hotel for costume fitting

Jacque, my best friend in high school

Vida, the first real friend I made in the workplace ... the best!

It's been a while since we've seen each other ... some of you are abroad already, some may have changed email without informing me ... I just wanted to say that I miss you guys ... you guys have been my friends ever since ... some from elementary, some from high school, some college, while others I met at work.

I just wanna tell you as well thank you .. .thank you for being there for me during the times that I needed someone ... for bearing with my mood swings, quirks, and craziness. I appreciate it. More than you will ever know.

I don't know if we will meet up again or how soon we can ... but I do know that I want to let you know that I am just here, always a friend.

If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd finger-paint more and point the finger less.
I'd do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I'd run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd teach less about the love of power,
and more about the power of love.

By Diane Loomans



This is something that I hope I will never be able to relate to in raising my child. In a way, this will be a constant reminder to myself of the things that I should remember in raising B.

my baby ...

You're growing up so fast ... nearly 11 months now ... I wish I could keep you under my wings forever, but I know that I can't ... and I must not. I need to let you go .. .to venture out into this cruel world. But know that I will always be there to wipe away your tears, to support you in your dreams no matter how crazy, and to help mend the wounds you will get.

I love you anak.

Brent when he was barely a month old ...

To All The Mothers...

This post is for a friend of mine who is feeling lost right now but doesn't even know it. Girl, your a good person, a good mom. Don't let the hardships that is surrounding you right now get the best of you. Don't let yourself simply float. Hang on to something. Hang on to someone. Hang on to your dreams. Keep your kids smile and hugs and kisses alive in your mind. If someone did not return the love you've given them with all your heart, remember, there are two lil angels out there who loves you with all their heart. Don't do something you will regret later. And I promise you, you will regret it. Stay .. don't turn your back on them. They just maybe the reason left for you to continue surviving.



 



To All The Mothers...

This is for all the mothers who froze their buns off on metal bleachers at football games Friday night instead of watching from cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's OK honey, Mommy's here."

This is for all the mothers of Kosovo who fled in the night and can't find their children.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and made them homes.

For all the mothers of the victims of the Colorado shooting, and the mothers of the murderers. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TV's in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to School alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a school shooting, a fire, a car accident, a baby dying?

This is for all the mothers that sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the mothers who wanted to but just couldn't.

This is for reading "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then reading it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who mess up. Who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair and stomp their feet like a tired two-year old who wants ice cream before dinner.

This is for all the mothers who taught their daughters to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

For all the mothers who bite their lips -- sometimes until they bleed -- when their 14-year-olds dye their hair green. Who lock themselves in the bathroom when babies keep crying and won't stop.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse. This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for all mothers whose heads turn automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home.

This is for mothers who put pinwheels and teddy bears on their children's graves.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

This is for all the mothers who sent their sons to school with stomachaches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse and hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation. And mature mothers learning to let go. For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without. This is for you all. So hang in there.

coral necklace

Nope, I did not make this but I sure wish I did. Got this from my boss' wife! It's her business and I am falling in love. Must. Not. Buy. Any. More.

I wore it yesterday but forgot to take a picture. I'll take one when I wear the exact same outfit going to another place. Partnered with a black top and black pants, stilettos and light make up, this coral necklace surely make you look elegant.

I sound ike an info ad. Ugh.

conquering fears

Have you ever conquered your fears? Or at least some of it? I have, though not all of them. I think as awe get older, we tend to see things in a different way. Before, the sight of a roach, whether dead or alive, flying or just sitting there, would send me to hysterics. I.Hate.Roaches.

But now ... I still cringe at the sight of them but I know that I will be able to murder them when need be, like if they're on their way to my precious baby. Kill kill!

Another would be taking responsibility of my own life. I love relying on other people for my happiness, my safety, my everything. But now, I've come to the realization that I am responsible for myself, my happiness, and yes, my everything. The road to that realization was not a happy one though, but it was necessary.

I had to grow up and grow up I did. Everything does happen for a reason though at times we may not like the reason.

My quote for the day: "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I cannot accept, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill today because they pissed me off."

I read in my Mommy Journal that the reason we need to document the precious moments of our babies is because when we get older, we will forget these lil wonderful moments. So here's to a lifetime of memories ...

B feeling like he's Incredible Hulk!

getting over the guilt spending

Obviously, I got over my guilt. Spoke to hubby and he said that I can get some money and buy myself some new clothes since I lost a bit of weight and my clothes are a lil bit loose, therefore, making me look frumpy. And frumpy is not a look that goes well with me.

It's kind of funny, the rush that I get from trying on new clothes and shopping with friends. With my husband, it's always rushed. It's always "have you found one yet?" "are you gonna buy that?" "are you done yet?" How will I enjoy shopping?

But with friends, it's more of "let's go check this store ..." "this would be nicer ..." or "it doesn't look good ony ou, let's find something else." I'm such a girly girl. I can't believe I wrote that. If my friends from middle school would see this, their jaws would just drop. I used to be such a tomboy.

Funny how we change from what we were when we were kids to the present times ...

Officially Legal!

Happy birthday Kambal! Officially legal now to drink, drive, go out ... enjoy! Make the most out of life but not too extreme lest you end up way over your head!

I'm just here okay? Mwah! Love you!!!