share-share

Just around the small neighborhood.
We were supposed to pose for the camera, but obviously someone ran away. hehe.
Og yes, dako jud kog tiyan. LOL! I may or may not be buntis. :hide:

These are just some of the things I am grateful for in the new place:

--Khandi found a playmate in the neighborhood. So did Jenny. =)

--The quiet neighborhood. It’s such a treat that you can go have a rest/nap anytime of the day. =)

--The little space we have in the side of the house where there are trees: lemoncito, mangga, and tambis. :hide: We’re loving the green mangoes as of the moment. =) Mao ni dali nako madalit sa inyo puhon. Aw, pwede pod lemoncito. Haha.

--Mga kurtina ni Mama. It’s happiness that we can finally do something with those windows without spending you know. =)

--Neighbor’s dogs. My family is really not into pets. So it’s nice there are dogs that watch the house for you, and you get to feed them, too.

--Short distance to and fro the office. I can finally report to work as early as 7am and be home by 4:30pm to cook dinner and have more time with the little one. This means Jenny will have more time for herself, too.

--Nearby churches.=)

--Nearby market, drugstores, etc. No need to go to Ayala or SM, even on weekends. Hehe.

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happy days

cousins

You know it's always happiness to see these kids together. They're going to miss moments like this as each of our families go back to where we're supposed to be for the moment. It's always a dream to be closer together. Someday.


sisters

Life is so much better with a sister. We may be different in so many ways but we always have this respect and understanding for each other. It deserves another blog entry. I'm going to miss her and her family terribly. =(


cousins

We always have this bond since we were kids until we had our own kids, and yes, we do love red lipstick. That night, all of us tried the same lip and cheek tint. You would have laughed at us, trying it on in public. toinks. :hide: But we were in "Handuraw", who would even care? =)


family

This is just one of those get togethers. But this is the first time we actually went out because we're more or less, mga around "homies". haha. After putting the kids to bed, we went to Handuraw kay naa kunoy "below zero" na beer. Naintriga kintahay ang mga boys. It was a fun, funny night.=)


Disclaimer: All pictures were taken using my sister's Sony Cybershot. Unya nangalagum ang mga tawo sa kapuwa tungod sa patid sa beer. Yes, we do drink beer once in a while. =) Pero usa ra ko ka-shot kay maningning ko sa palpitations. tsk.

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mix you

paella: a mix of this and that

The next two weeks will be all sorts and mix of things, and it’d make me crazier than I already am. I just know it.


Have a great week ahead. =)

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for the love of big band

I’ve always been a fan of big band music. I really can’t figure out how it all started but I bet this has got something to do with my parents’ love for Frank Sinatra, and then their Singin’ with the Big Bands album by Barry Manilow, which I chose to be played over and over again on our wedding reception. Maybe if Josh and I were rich, we could have hired a real “big band.”

But I realize I’m going a little off on a tangent now. Haha. :hide: Tonight, we watched Richard Poon’s concert at the Terraces for free, and I think I’ve mentioned before about going a little gaga over this big band crooner. Haha. So when I’ve read that we could get free tickets for his mini-concert, I just knew I have to find a way. Hehe.

Oh I would love to write everything in detail. But I’m just so high up there right now, starstruck that I might just as well top it all off in one sentence.

In the concert, I had the chance to meet and chat with Richard Poon in person (!) and won a minor prize! Hihi.

This has got to be one of the best Mother’s Day surprises ever. Definitely a surprise I didn’t expect or ask for. =) Share ko lang ang pics taken by my paparazzo husband. ;-)

He asked if I was Jane. Waaah. I appreciate his effort in making small talks. hehe.

He asked if I enjoyed the show. I said, "Yes, and I won!" So that's me showing him my GC. hahaha!

My kilig face. Wahaha!

Apart from being so talented, he was very sweet and nice. =) This is the part where he held my waist. haha! :hide:

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today at UCC

The ultimate aydol! =)

Pretty, fab, funny, warm. =)

the lovebirds. =)

I'm wishing all these beautiful people the best of life and love. =)

Chel, thanks for everything. I'll be missing you. *hugs* Wishing you a safe trip, and hope to see you blogging really soon. =)

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Surreal but Nice

I know I've been neglecting this blog for days now. :hide: Why? I don’t know. But I could give a couple of reasons.

First, I’m kind of busy. Haha! I know the line is kind of overused. But really, I am. Toinks.

Second, maybe it’s because I am in a state where everything seemed surreal. This has got to be the busiest summer of get-togethers ever. Not that I’m complaining. Hehe. It’s just that suddenly, I’m seeing and talking to friends whom I don’t get to see and talk often. It’s just surreal, definitely surreal. I couldn’t be more grateful. =)

Lee-bog, a long-time friend of Josh and I. One of the most talented writers I know. I wish she’d write more while in Dubai.



Two of my most favorite people in the world. That night when we surprised Aileen is still surreal to me. Ai, thanks sa pagtunga bisan naglain imo paminaw. *hugs* And Chel, thanks for making me a part of the surprise. *hugs*



That night when we were at the house of Chelo’s mom, I never expected to be that fun! We honestly really, really enjoyed it! Thanks again, Chel. Your family is very loveable and funny and warm! Did I tell you how I wish to be like you when I grow up? =)



Cym arranged a little surprise despedida party for our friend, Mayet. This despedida is way, long overdue. We’ve been wishing her this for a very long time so she could go and be with her husband, and of course, do “resting”. Hihi. *peace* Ayaw saba, Cym. :hide: Bon voyage, Mayet!

Third, the month of May has so many things in store for us. There seems to be so many things to do and so many things to think about. Yet it’s full of excitement. =) I just can’t wait. =)

La lang. Share lang ko. Nyok. hihi. Have a great, long weekend ahead! =)

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10 happy, happy

...when you finally find that something that’s almost is (if not) what you’re looking for

This is what’s keeping us busy. But I couldn’t tell you just yet. Hehe.

Like this, I never thought I'd ever find it. Miss you, Akio. =)

...when friends, new and old, trust you

Last Friday, my little family was invited to lunch at a friend’s home. It’s just heartwarming. We know the home is where the heart is, and everything else about a person.

The doggie.

...when you see your child in company with other children and happy

The picture says it all.

tua ra!

...when your husband surprises you by surprising the baby

Dada prepared one Easter egg for everyone to find.
May gani usa ra kay kung more pa to, gikusi ko na ang bugan kay nag-usik2x! hahaha.

...when it’s your first Easter Sunday away from your hometown, yet it was fun

All the people in the house had lunch together, enjoyed Magic Sing-ing, and had fun.

Gitripan ang bike ni imyat. haha!

...when your parents (no matter how kulit they can be) are here.

...when you hear mass at The Basilica

...and when the baby didn’t insist on buying toys

Nitan-aw ra jud siya. Hehe.

...when you hear live music in the front row for free

The band at SM Northwing.

...and when at the end of the day your body is tired, but your heart is happy

kapoy. hihi.

Have a great week everyone and two! =)

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almost Easter

tsismax na mga bata. hehe. jk.

It’s been a very tedious but contemplative and meaningful week. There are so many stories to tell. I wouldn’t even know where to begin or how to begin or if there really is a need to begin. :hide:

But in time, I will tell. I guess it would show anyway. =D

For now, let me greet you and your family a very, very…

Happy Easter! =)

PS No, I'm not pregnant. haha! Giunhan na lang ta mo! LOL!

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enough said

mga malipayong pasahero sa jeep. =)
gikuyawan mi kay basin papletehan si Khandi kay saba kaayo buyag.
pwerteng syagit. feel kaayo ang hangin. idol jud niya si "Bolt". haha!

Have a great week, everyone! =)

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hi-ers

tutok jud basin naa pay mugawas. hihi.

There’s really nothing much for me to write, except maybe in this certain corner of life, and I’m grateful, very grateful. =)

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Let me just leave you with one of those conversations (not really worth pondering on. haha!) we had on that Sunday night:

V: (looking outside by the window) Nindot jud naay pool diha dapita. Kana lang gung inflatable na gamay.
J: Mas nindot jud, ‘bai, kato ganing tub na naa sa movie ni Dolph Lundgren og Brandon Lee (sic).
V: Aw o. Katong wooden hot tub.
J: O katong naay (burning) coal or kahoy ba to sa ubos. Nindota siguro maghumol ato.
Me: Aw pagpalit na lang mog dako na kaldero. Ako pay magsugnog ninyo. Butangan pa tamo og vetsin.

LOL! La lang. Share ko lang. Have a great day, everyone! =)

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life's sweet prizes

Happiness! Gigukod ang anak sa amahan kay ang anak, abtik na gidagan ang premyo. hihi.

Believe it or not, I’m not really fond of parties (especially big ones) and mga kalaagan. :hide: I love to just stay at home. If only there weren’t any errands to run on weekends, I swear, I’d just be at home and still be busy. I remember in my hometown, my neighbors always get surprised when they see me out. They used to tease me, “Magmungha ka?” hahaha! :hide:

But for now, it has to change...for my daughter and husband, of course.

Last Saturday, we attended a birthday party and my little family had a blast. Khandi enjoyed being there. Nag-latas2x ra from our table to the front where they held the games. She fell in line like the rest of the kids (although mag-balhin2x. haha!) She laughed with the rest of the kids and even played with them. The clown named her, "Khandi, the flower" kay apil-apilon man. haha! She also laughed at her dad when he played hep-hep, hurray, and when he won, she went up to him and together they went to get their prizes. Thus, the picture above. That moment, I hold dear to my heart. It was a mix of feelings that would let you blush like a schoolgirl. One feeling was certain though: I was a proud parent and wife. =)

While Khandi was busy doing her thing up front, it was happiness to see happiness in my husband’s eyes not only because he was a proud parent but also because he was happy to see his friends whom he hadn’t seen or talked to in person for so long. =) I've also seen and felt that his friends were also so happy, excited, and surprised to see him around. They even didn’t get enough of each other that after the party, we went to one of his friends’ place so we (yes, including the wives na apil-apilon. haha!) talk some more and have to come back the next day for a sugba-sugba, and that would be another blog entry. Hehe.

It's just happiness to see your loved ones happy around friends (and other kids), even if that means for me to go out of the house more often than the usual. Toinks.=)

La lang. Share lang nako ang simpleng kalipay sa kinabuhi sa usa ka inahan og asawa. Bow. :hide:

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from where I stand

It's a long, long way to go. =)

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all in one day

playdate with cousin brye2x. (not enough light for the pic. tsk.)

creative cebu exhibit. tiris, this is for you. ask me why. hahaha. (not enough light pod.)

joy in strangers. kakita og kaki-at ang iyat. :hide:

happy birthday, chi! *hugs* this pose is for you. hihi.

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curlers

naka-curlers ang peligtoy. hihi.

These past few nights, I get really sleepy by the time I hit the bed, literally. Every time I sit on the bed, I just couldn’t wait to lie down. And when I do lie down, I doze off easily. :hide: So you can just imagine the struggle I go through when I watch over our little kiti-kiti at night. In fact, just the other night, while we were watching Bolt, I dozed off and woke up hastily looking for my daughter. She was just right there leaning near my head. When I looked up, she was looking down at me, pointing to the pc monitor and said, “Mimi (mommy), Bolt (the dog in the movie) yayay.” I felt relieved that she's okay and at the same time, felt a little sorry for my daughter because she could have just accepted the fact that her mother is always too tired/sleepy and felt a little sorry for myself because I just couldn’t seem to get enough sleep.

Then last night, my daughter and I were about to sleep when my husband got home. Tua ra! Na-alive og kalit among iyat. I had no choice but to let her play sa iyang giliwatan. Haha. So I lay in bed thinking it is okay to doze off a little since my daughter and husband would wake me up anyway if ever she’d get sleepy and need a little lullabying (this my husband cannot do. Haha.) But all I remember was waking up at dawn with my daughter already beside me, sound asleep. She must have just climbed up the bed and slept, or her father must have tucked her to sleep. Either way, it is so sweet. =)

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My husband is not perfect and no one is. But I just have to say that I’m proud of how he is to me. He talks sense every time I share with him some concerns. He just doesn’t take my side and say, “Yeah. You’re right. You should do that.” or without batting an eyelash say, “Yeah. I should do this and that for you.” And sometimes, I have to admit that I get a little angry because I feel like he’s not taking my side and he doesn’t understand where I’m coming from. I'm his wife, after all. But as always, my anger dies down, because deep inside me I know that more than anything, he is making sense. And most importantly, he has a good heart. He is not the type whom you can just twist around your little finger on, just because. I’m proud of that. =)

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that 7-minute

tren-tren

From the house, I take a 7-minute (brisk) walk to get to the highway. It is during this time that my eyes and my mind wander off in almost everywhere.

Seeing grade schoolers makes my heart jump every time. I always try to smile at them whenever our eyes meet, no matter how tired, terrible, and anxious I feel. Sometimes I get second-glances and sometimes I get a weird look. But most of the time I get giggles. If they only knew what they do to me, they’d probably walk with their head up high. They remind me of my past, of how I must have used to be: just a young student who just wanted to get to school on time. And they remind me of now: my dreams and the urgency to do more. And the future: my daughter’s of course.

I’d be a hypocrite to say I don’t rant and whine about every small to big bit of things. I do. But you know when you’re actually trying to be patient for something you couldn’t wait to happen but you know you must wait, it just shuts you up.

You just know you have to step on it but not step on someone’s toes. And you just know you might need to talk but not trash-talk to boast or insult. To quote my favorite Joey Tribianni of the old sitcom, Friends, “Seriously guys, the trash talk is embarrassing.”


Someday we’d get a house near our workplace, and my daughter’s school. Someday. Someday soon.

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happy thought no. 2

On Valentine’s Day, my husband and I just stayed home after running the usual weekend errands. We were so tired that even if we had planned to sneak out for a late dinner, we dozed off early. Besides, the weather was uncooperative. It was cold and raining heavily. So when we woke up the next day, my husband felt a little frustrated. He must have wanted to eat Alberto’s pizza that much! Lol! Tinuod, ingon ana ra jud kabarato among plano. Haha!

On Monday, I had to get off late from work. So I got to join the husband in going home. It was a great experience. I was able to see the route he takes everyday on his way home and the people (co-workers) he’s with. Then, we were dropped off at Tabunok to take another ride. Suddenly, we both saw a particular sign that made us look at each other and smiled. We finally had pizza (and drinks for only P270. haha!) Naka-date na jud tawn mi bisan kadiyot ra. Lol!

Ambot unsa pay lili-on aning pizza. haha!
On our way home, we were feeling a little sad. We thought for sure our baby is asleep since it was way past 10pm already. But surprise, surprise! She was still awake even so fully-charged by a 2-hour sleep. Toinks. Dah. Kaubo. We stayed awake until 2am, I think. And Khandi was such a darling. She was singing and dancing and talking na wa pay articles og conjunctions, haha. Hay. My heart was so full of happiness that night…that night which doesn’t have to be Valentine’s. =)

PS I wish to share with you the recorded audio to her singing na murag humming. Lol! Unfortunately, multiply won’t accept the sound file. I’ll try to get another site to share it. =)

Murag korek nga puja. hehe.

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happy thought

No stranger.

I’m grateful of yesterday.

It was happiness to have heard from two of my friends again whom I haven’t seen for a long time (3 years, I think) but have communicated with through chat and text. Both of them have joined me in that online stint two years ago.

My friend E is doing great and is happy with her life, love, and work. And what I really admire about her is her sense of empowerment. When I asked about how her boyfriend (of the longest time) was doing and if he was already a doctor, she said he would be soon and while waiting for that before getting hitched, she plans to get a law degree aside from the MBA degree up her sleeve. It’s really amazing to know of women who just don’t wait for their men and grow insecure of them. They do something.

Meanwhile, my friend P just confirmed he has a girlfriend. This makes me happy because despite the fact that he can be a little arrogant and can rub people the wrong way, I know he is a good person and deserves someone to love and love him back. However, I feel sad when he said he’s going through some tough times and that if I could include him in my prayers. But with that I have come to admire him because it takes courage in people to accept and say it, and to actually believe in the power of prayers. That’s really something.

I am simply touched, humbled, and proud of these friends. =) I can only wish and pray for them to be always well and happy. That’s the least I can do.

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feeling week-ling

I know. I know. I look more excited around Jollibee than my daughter. Hehe.

I am grateful for the chat Ayen and I had last Friday. It’s always happiness to talk with someone who’s a thoughtful, kindred soul. Thanks, yen. It meant a lot to me considering how busy you are with life. Always know I always look forward to hearing about you. *hugs*

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It was a pretty hectic first week of February. I had to adapt to a new schedule and you know how everything else in this part of my world follows. It was a little tough and frustrating week on my part. But I’m still up for the challenge.

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We visited the pedia. Two hours later, my daughter started wheezing. Now she has a cold. Natakdan jud namo. :hide: Og hanung wa na lang nigawas dayon samtang didto sa doctor? Toinks.

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There was a blind item about a local sexy star that is 4 months pregnant. And I think all clues point to Diana Zubiri. Haha! The clues were a giveaway anyway. Yes, I watch The Buzz, too, when I have time. =)

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fiddle duster

Because my daughter sleeps late and by the time she finally sleeps I couldn’t get myself to sleep anymore, I finally tried yoville in Facebook using my husband’s account last night (I don’t have a facebook account yet. :hide: ). My officemates have gone crazy about it and I think I am beginning to fall for it, too. It works just like The Sims (they say) though I haven’t really tried that game yet. Anyhoo, I would love to play yoville and relax. That is, if and only if, I have time. But time is luxury for me right now. Good luck. Toinks. Pero ingna nya ko ha if muduwa mo ani para manumbay ko sa inyo. Hahaha!

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Right now, I am at a phase where I play second fiddle to my husband when it comes to our daughter’s attention. I think one of the reasons why my daughter sleeps late is because she loves to wait for her father to get home. And when her father arrives, it’s a riot. Ganahan kaayo magpahamag and suddenly, I don’t exist anymore. Haha! And no, I don’t have any qualms about that because really, it’s happiness to see your daughter happy and your husband happy (and a doting father at that.) =D

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I always knew this week will be challenging. I am not getting enough sleep these past few days. So, I end up feeling very sleepy at work and that’s very, very bad.=( I just hope everything would turn out better next week.

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For now, this will do.

our fearless khankhankurnitz.

nagdamgo na nag-slide2x siya. bawd sa kabuhi muleng. haha! :hide:

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