gifts ... gifts ... gifts ...

Thank you! I have the biggest smile now.

B's 5th Bday Celebration

The day did not start out well because it was the aftermath of Typhoon Basyang. There were moments where I was worried that we would not be able to push through with the day's plan. Thankfully we were able to; we just needed to alter some plans since there were no lights that day. Here are some of the pictures we took of that day.










It was fun and I'm sure that my son had a blast and that's what mattered the most.

dear B

You are now 5 years old ... you are cultivating your own personality and sometimes, I feel so lost. I don't know how to handle you. You have become so hard headed that I feel like I am a failure as a Mom. I do want to be there for you all the time B but I also need to work and I also need some me time to survive.

They say you are better behaved when I am not around but lately, you seem to be testing the waters so much. You are stretching the limits of the people around that I worry how we will be when its just us in a house.

I hope that this is just a phase. Am I lacking in showing you that I love you? Do I lack quality time with you? What am I doing wrong B? I hope you can tell me what exactly you need from me. I so want to be the Mom that you need me to be.

I want you to grow up with respect for others and love for yourself. I want you to be a good, brave boy. I want so much for you B; all good things. I hope I am able to give it to you. I hope that no matter how many mistakes I may be committing now, I am still able to teach you what you need to learn.

I love you B. So much ... Happy 5th birthday my son ...

TGIF surprise ...

I had a pretty good surprise for dinner ... I was sitting in my cubicle whiling away the hour and thinking of the long commute home as well as the dinner that I will have ... when someone told me that he would be picking me up so I won't have to commute. Of course I was happy with that information. Much to my surprise, we ended up eating at TGIF, one of my favorite places to go to for comfort food. I immediately got soup and he got salad (which I also loved) and I ordered my favorite, mushroom chicken and mushroom.

BUSOG!







Best part, he gave me some notebook to add to my massive collection, jeans, and a purple hat which is totally useless but oh so pretty. LOL!

affirmations ...

I might not be the most beautiful, or the sexiest, nor do I have the
perfect body. I might not be the first choice, but I am a GREAT choice.

I don't pretend to be someone I'm not because I'm too good at being ME. I might not be proud of some of the things I've done in the past but I am proud of who I am TODAY.

Take me as I am, or watch me as I walk away.

signs that I am loved

gifts from L

gifts from Amy (above and below)

gifts from L again .... love it!

I guess I am loveable after all. =p

the search for the nanny ...

Ever since B was born, I've had my fair share of nannies and nannies from hell. I do not know what it is ... we're very nice to our nannies ... I provide for their basic needs ... we share our food and we do not treat them like maids.

Still ...

Nanny # 1 was I think the most decent. She was with us for almost 2 years but then my baby's Dad did not want her returning anymore. She was okay overall save for the fact that it was mandatory that we let her have a vacation for one month flat every year and she had day's off too. It was a wee bit much because it was so hard finding someone to be the temporary nanny for a month.

Nanny # 2 was someone' who's name I could not remember. She was a nightmare. She would often watch tv and refused to go out in the sun. She said the sun would darken her skin and make it rough. WTF?

Nanny # 3 was Judy. She was pretty okay but she just took her salaray for 3 months then left to go on vacation and never came back.

Nanny # 4 was Anna. Anna would have been pretty okay except for the fact that she was a kleptomaniac and she was having a thing with her "cousin." She was also the one who left January 1 with our house keys.

Nanny # 5 was MayAnne. This one would have been okay save for the fact that she couldn't swallow her pride and admit she was wrong to have picked a fight with the neighbors over something she wasn't even involved in.

Lastly, Nanny # 6 Milette. She just left, like minutes ago as I write. She stayed for a month and then asked to advance money (which thankfully I did not allow.) She left because her "father" supposedly had a heart attack. The other day, it was the 2nd boyfriend (she had 2) who stabbed someone accidentally. The lies ... the lies ... they should be creative writers.

Why is it so hard to find a decent worker nowadays? Why is it such a struggle? What is in the minds of these women who yearn to have work and when it is there, they go all ballistic and Paris Hilton on you?

So my search for the nanny continues ... I just want someone who will love and care for my child ... someone who won't steal ... someone we can trust ... and someone with a dead libido if possible.

Thank you.

shopping, dinner, and coffee

mom with the final dress ...

K with her dress ...

free dinner LOL ... at Pizza Hut

B showing off his new book ...

with Lans

after dinner coffee ...

where we had coffee ...

We went out today to get a dress for my Mom and my little sister since they will be attending a wedding this Sunday. We had fun today and we went to Booksale and got some books as well.

Lans followed and treated us to dinner. We ate at Pizza Hut and once again, ordered way too much. It's a habit already. We always order too much. Sigh.

Afterwards, Lans and I went to Domo Cafe in BF which is near where I live and tried out the coffee there. I have been wanting to visit this little cafe since we moved in the neighborhood but has never had the chance to do so. Tonight, I was able to. Yey!

Coffee was pretty okay and they serve it with a small biscuit which added some character. I had the white chocolate mocha and I liked it. Enough to even go back for more in the future.

Overall, it was a pretty good day. =)

missing ...

Someone made this for me.

a princess I once was

I met him at a forum. He said he found me interesting and it seems that I have a good head between my shoulders. He asked if he could send me flowers. I gave him my office address but did not really take it seriously ... He asked me what kind of flowers I liked and I said, the assorted kind.

I proceeded to completely forget about it.

3 days later ... I get to my office and from the door which is about 25 steps away ... I see this MASSIVE bouquet on my desk. MASSIVE ... like the ones they give out during pageants but WAY BIGGER.

It had a card that said "to someone with a mind that works quite well ... never be scared to show how smart you are."

I was pleased.

2 days later, an even bigger bouquet was delivered. This was brought by 3 people because it needed 3 people to carry it. It was THAT big.

2 days later again, I received some Care Bears which I love love love. This one had a card on it asking me to dinner ... like a formal invitation.

I relented and said yes, but I get to bring a friend with me. He said okay.

He picked me up from an office party and he had nice wheels. It was a CAMRY. I was a wee bit impressed. However, his looks left much to be desired. I'm not that superficial but he really just wasn't my type.

We went to MOA and headed over to that big Chinese resto ... and upon getting to the door, I saw that it was closed. I told my friend that the resto was closed and my friend told him. He said, no its not.

I was like eh? And the door opened.

We were greeted by the entire staff and the place was empty. It seems that he was able to book an entire resto on a busy Saturday night just for us. All my favorite food was there and everything was prepared the way I liked it.

Afterwards, we went to Bagaberde where we were given the VIP treatment as well. I was already wondering why that was the case when I finally learned that he was apparently one of the owners of Marina and Bagaberde.

So it wasn't the best date but it was memorable since he got an entire resto closed down just so I can dine in peace. Gosh, I felt like such a princess.

why North and South matters

So my date picked me up ... he was just on time since the dinner with my team was wrapping up already ...

He picked me up and we went to Mall of Asia. We parked on the SOUTH side of the mall. Take note of this as this will be the key point of the story later.

We played billiards and he paid for everything which was good. I got Vodka Cruiser and he got Beer. We played and I lost every single game. I had fun though and he was fairly easy to chat with. I was comfortable.

Afterward, we went to Seattle's Best and had coffee. We originally planned to drink but I changed my mind. We had coffee instead where we chatted about stuff. It was pretty easygoing and laid back. It was my kind of night.

At 1130 pm, we had to go since I had a curfew. Yes, I have a curfew. Get over it. So we started walking and I asked him if he remembered where he parked and he seemed confident. So we walked, and walked, and walked. Did I mention I was wearing 3inch heels?

When we finally got to the parking lot, we went looking for his car. Mind you, the parking area of MOA is huge ... massive. So we walked ... and walked ... and walked. Again, did I mention I was wearing 3inch heels?

We finally realized that his car was not there and that we were on the wrong parking spot. We were at the North area and his car was on the South area. NORTH, SOUTH. NORTH, SOUTH. My feet was starting to cuss like a sailor.

I kinda felt bad for him though so I tried to make light of the situation. I laughed and told stories but let him know that my feet hated him with a vengeance.

Finally, he was able to take me home just in the nick of time. Thank God for that.

So was it a good date? Yeah, I would say. As I told him, from the knee up, I had fun. From the knee down, my feet will never forgive him for until now, as I type this, it is cussing like a sailor.

Team Oli: teambuilding at Dampa

where we had dinner at Dampa

our team

my Team Lead, Oli

the hot chicks of the group LOL

They say that team building is all about building the bonding of a team, strengthening it and ensuring that everyone gets to know each other. I can say that this team building that we had was able to partially achieve that for me tonight.

I was able to talk to some of my team mates and build a bit of a bond with them which I think will help greatly in the coming days. I'm glad that my TL forced me to join them. Hehe ... thanks TL!

I normally keep to myself when we are on the floor but tonight, I felt that they made an effort to make me feel welcome and ensure that I do not feel out of place. I appreciate that. I really do.

Cheers to team building!

smooth skin ...

I can say that I am very proud of the fact that I have smooth skin, even on my back. I can't understand how some girls can wear backless outfits with little pimples on their back. Eeeww much? LOL ...

Just having a vain moment here ... forgive me people. =)

dinner at Kirin in the Fort

before the dinner

with Lans who treated us to dinner

Sonya's Cupcakes ... YUMMY!

Mommy at the Fort

where we ate ...

We were supposed to watch the Bench Fashion Show but changed our minds when we saw the crowd. It was jampacked and the crowd was a little bit too much for us. It didn't look too safe nor did we feel too comfy with the people gathered there.

Change of plans and we decided to go to The Fort and have dinner there instead. My Mom has never been to the place so it was something new for her. Good thing she loved the place. We strolled around and had a look at the different stores and restaurants.

We finally decided to eat at Kirin. YUM-O! We were so full. I'm kinda happy that we did not push through with the fashion show and ended up there. I think it was worth the travel that we did just to eat out.

the maxi dress

What do you think?