Bric's Bag of Tricks (April 2008)

Bric is now 1 year, 4 months and 9 days old. I totally believe that when nearing the one year old mark, babies become like a sponge, absorbing and assimilitating, observing and imitating everything (or almost) they see and hear. It's amazing how Bric has learned so much already. Sometimes, I am just so surprised and amused with his antics and actions. It's soo endearing. I wish I could capture these moments on video but they happen so spontaneously, there isn't enough time.

Of late, these are his bag of tricks and developments:
- Knows and calls us by our names:
-Daddy Boydee - "Dee"; Mommy Bangbang - "Babam"; Ama - Ama (he got this right!); Lolo Boy - "Dodo", or "Dodo Bon"; Mamalyn - "Mama"or "In"; Mama Rona - "Mama"; Daddy Rondic - "Dic"; not quite sure how he calls Japa and Lai :)
- Yaya Mila - "Yaya"; Yaya Sharlyn - "Yaya" or "Ning" because Yaya Mila calls her "Neneng"; Sinny - "Ni"; Lovelyn - "Dabdab"; Mirafe - "Pe"; Melinda - "Da", Lolo Willie - "Wiwi", Pulido - "Bo" for Kalbo... etc... :)
- Vocabulary for the moment - "bobot" for big bird; "ming" for swimming; "dob" for dog, "bips" for fish; "ayts" for ice
- can make the sign of the cross by putting his hand on his hand and tap tapping til he says "Men" for Amen and clasps his hands together
- "Yes Sir" salutes by raising his hand to his head
- dances to almost any song!!! :)
- kisses... yehay!!!
- when I say "Love you" to him; he says "Mwah!" - Awww... my heart melts each time he does this! :)

Caffeine Overload

We had a working lunch today - Boydee, Japa, Ate Rona, Lai and myself - while discussing about the columbarium management company we're setting up. Since I didn't have dessert, I asked Bang-boy for coffee. Somehow, Bang's coffee more often than not makes me hyper and restless. Today, its effect was negative. Somehow, caffeine doubles up whatever I might be feeling that day.

We finished our meeting and I proceeded to do some office stuff. Had a quick meeting with cousin Fritz to discuss about Sister Cel's vault inventory. Then it was back to work for me. My office table now is in such a messy state. Too much work this time. Isn't it funny how sometimes there's no work to be done, and all of a sudden, they all come and all at the same time. Pressure, pressure... plus the frustration of having to deal with inefficient people and the effects in the whole system thereof. Sigh... Hopefully, my pep talk and a few meetings can somehow improve the whole scheme of things, even if just a little.

Caffeine made me 'mataray' today. Or at least, that's how I feel because here I am feeling guilty again. It's hard to be an angel especially when I want to get things done. It isn't something that's 'for the sake of', but rather, it's driven out of passion. Sometimes, you just wish everyone had the same work ethics as a few of our staff. But then, it's reality that all men weren't created the same. For us, it's our duty and responsibility to at least lead them towards efficiency and dedication, although the latter is a little hard to teach. I just thank God that despite a few who make work a little harder, there are still a handful that make the job so much easier. So now, instead of being frustrated at those who test my patience especially during caffeine loaded days, I look at the brighter side and think of the people who give their heart to their work.

Moral lesson for the day: Don't drink too much coffee... especially Bang's even if it really, really tastes good, when there's a lot of work to be done to avoid collateral damage. :)

Bric Floated!!!

This afternoon, after a full lunch, I wanted to move around just to shed off a few calories. I was thinking of walking outside to buy sweet corn for tonight's dinner. Before I was about to go out, I played with Bric. Then decided to take him for a swim. Melchor bought the corn for us. Hehe...

Bric changed into his trunks and we put on his floating vest. We dropped by our room to show Daddy Boydee while I changed to my swimsuit. I urged Boydee to at least watch Bric in the pool because it isn't often Boydee's here when Bric and I take a dip. I told Boydee he doesn't even have to swim, just watch. He said he'll follow. I took his word for it.

Bric and I went inside the pool. His floaters went up to his face. It was too big for him but he didn't mind. He kept on giggling and smiling. After a while, I decided to switch his vest to arm floaters. So Yaya Mila and I took his vest off and put on his Pooh arm floats. He loved it. It was then that we saw Daddy Boydee come up wearing his board shorts. Daddy was joining us!!! Yehay!!! I was sooo happy!!!

We played around in the water and Boydee held him. When I did one lap, he let go of Bric. And to my delight, he floated!!! On his own, and he was still smiling!!! He would spit the water out of his mouth or cough. But he was treading water and kicking and giggling and smiling and laughing. Oh what joy I felt! I was soo excited and proud! So was Yaya. She couldn't contain her excitement and took A LOT of pictures!

So today is a milestone for Bric. Our baby can float on his own without fear! My! Maybe I'll enroll him in swimming class. :)

Happy Easter

Just finished 'celebrating' easter with the family. Our Easter Egg Hunt started at 3:30pm. This year was different. Instead of the eggs all hidden in the garden and with a particular color assigned to each kid, Japa made it scavenger hunt style. That way, the kids had to work together. They still had assigned colors but they had to help each other. First was the sample egg with clues inside that would lead to the next 'eggciting' destination which was the garden. Other venues were the nursery, the living room, movie room, game room, chapel and swimming pool. The hunt left the kids temporarily eggshausted! Hehe... But the lootbags Lai, Rejy and I prepared were so well worth the effort (I think!). I, for one, enjoyed playing with Bric's toys. And I'm sure Yaya Mila and Yaya Sharlyn will have a field day eating Bric's candies. Hehehe... Rejy set up the photo corner and we had our usual pictorials before and after the hunt.

Dinner was Kamayan with an all Filipino menu consisting of JT's manok and liempo, Melinda's prawns sauteed in garlic, palabok and lechon sponsored by Tito Rey. Halo Halo was the only dessert for that night. When all the guests left, and the tables cleared, the kids, or was it Tita Zhar proposed to play sack race. All kids joined and the 'adults' did cameos. At first, the kids were grouped in 2 teams of threes. Then, Zhar and Lai challenged the winner. I had no choice but to join since it was women vs the kids. Embarrassingly, we lost. Couldn't believe how slow I was! Lai was fast but mid way she couldn't resist the urge to pee. That's the result of having 4 kids. Hahaha... Go figure! :) Zhar, well, Zhar didn't finish because she kept complaining that the sack wouldn't fit her. So much so that she actually fell! Hahaha... It was a fun 'first round'. The next round, our men challenged the kids. It was Rod, Rondic and Japa. My hubby sat beside Dad and kept him company. The men won. Third round, it was adults vs kids. We won!!! Whew... We, the women, redeemed ourselves. There were many rounds thereafter but it was just kids. We grown ups were too tired already. It's just great how our kids have so much energy!!! The momentum waned when Mommy Lai asked the kids to help look for her missing gem from her shoe. She promised to reward P50 to the kid who'd find it. None of the small kids could find it in the garden. By that time, all the action of the running races caught up with the kids so they decided to rest. I found Mommy Lai's Nine West gem in the living room floor. So I earned P50 for tonight. hahaha... After a while, it was home bound for the Gavinos and Dizons and Carbonells.

Now, Boydee and I are in our room waiting for Mom and Ate Rona to arrive from their brief France trip. Today was a fun day. It's supposed to be the biggest celebration of the Catholic Calendar but the preparation and the hype isn't as big as Christmas. But it doesn't matter. What's important is what happens inside each of us. For kids, Easter is cool because of the Easter egg hunt and the prizes. My Dad used to hide eggs in the garden too and we'd get P100 for each egg we'd find. As I grew up, I learned more about the significance of Easter. It is Jesus' resurrection. Today is the day Jesus conquered death and sin and rose to heaven. With His sacrifice, we are saved. We have hope of going to heaven, of living forever. Today, we rejoice and celebrate Christ's resurrection and our salvation. Today, we thank Jesus for making that ultimate sacrifice of giving up His life to save us from eternal damnation. We better make His sacrifice worth it by doing our part too. Happy Easter everyone!

Scraps, finally!

After a pretty extensive hiatus from digiscrapping, I've finally returned to creatively keeping memories through these scraps.

Some are old pictures of Bric, some new ones. Kits are freebies from ikeagoddess' finds. I have to thank all these wonderful designers who give their beautiful kits so generously. Their kits alone inspire me to scrap again. Well, here's what I've done so far.

BRIC'S 1ST EASTER
Credits: Kit: Shabby Princess' Promise Collection

BLADES OF GRASS
Papers: Landscapes by Fran
Kathy by CanDesigns
Elements: Flower doodles by SJWright
Sun and clouds by Foxy Designs
Chick and Tulip by Coralee Evans
Bird by Spring Caprice by Cinnamon Designs

CHILD OF NATURE
Credits: Just for You by New Life Dreams


BABY: GOD'S BLESSING
Credits: Scraplift from Miam Miam by Gwadatiti
Papers: Bluish by Fei Fei's Stuff

WE GOTTA WEAR SHADES
Credits: Papers: A Work in Progress by Vicki Parker
Polkadots Papers by D'nia Stella Acauan
Circle Tags from Jump Kit by Digitreats
Hand Cut Paper Alpha by Lili
Template 014 by MadeByMitzie

ON LOLO BOY'S LAP
Credits: Relax kit by Summer Driggs
Template 101 from Templates N More by Trish Heffner

So far, these are what I have. :) Hope I can scrap some more this Holy Week. It's Thursday night and we just went to 7 churches for the Bisita Iglesia and had early dinner at Gloria Maris Hotpot. Burp...

Precious Moments

There are those moments when you are just happy with the world... and content with your life. Moments when your heart is just exploding with overwhelming joy; or instances you want to capture in your mind and heart forever. Priceless moments. And yet they don't even cost a thing.

These moments are what makes life worthwhile. Moments like:
- an unexpected wet kiss from my darling hubby. Even after 3 years of marriage, this one still doesn't fail to give me butterflies in my tummy.
- Bric hanging on to me while taking our first shower together since he was a few months old. This happened today and he wasn't scared of the water drops anymore. In fact, he loved it!
- swimming or water time with Bric in the pool!
- my hiking sessions around La Vista with my party of 3 or 4 namely Yayas Mila and/or Sharlyn, Melchor, Rod or Oca... and of course, Bric on his stroller or in our arms.
- morning cuddling sessions with Boydee underneath the comforter. This is rated PG :) Just hugs and more hugs with a shower of butterfly kisses. :)
- Jesus time. There are times when even if the world outside is noisy, it is silent within me and it's just me and Jesus. There aren't even words in my thoughts. Just feelings in my heart which I know Jesus "reads". It's like lifting to Him my heart and knowing He knows what's in it.
- 'connections' with my family, individually or collectively - with Mommy Nonie, Ahia Jojo and Dhia Louie. Even if we talk on the phone, it's still different not being with them physically so I am just thankful that when we're together, the bond somehow is still there, or if not, we're rekindling them and building new memories especially with Ahia and his family whom we've missed for a couple of years.
- Daddy Boy's 'thank you's'
- Daddy Boy's big, big smile when he sees Bric. His face literally lights up and I'm just so thankful that our son is so loved by his Lolo Boy and that Bric can make him happy.
- bonding sessions with our family (the Dizons) who are like barkada: the sisterhood, the brotherhood, the parenthood... and all of us together!

Little Way

Therese's relics just left our country. She was here for 58 days travelling all over Luzon and Visayas, performing miracles, touching hearts, inspiring lives and renewing faith. To those whose lives she has affected, her relics may have left us but her spirit, her miracles and most especially her teachings will have definitely stayed.

I may not have been as attached to her Pilgrim Relics as the entourage was especially the likes of Mario, Allan and Oel, but in her own little way, she has reached out to me. I do not cry tears of joy because of enlightenment, nor tears of sadness because of her departure. What I have is a quiet, humble joy. Joy at understanding her little way to spiritual childhood and at the renewal of her doctrine of the little way.

LOVE. The past few days, especially when we were busy with the preparations of the relics' farewell, I would find myself doing 'manual' labor like making flaglets, staying up late at night for some last minute stuff, braving the dust and pollution at the shrine (due to construction) and going up and down the stairs in heels just to make sure everything went well and errands had been done. Ate Rona and Elizza had their share of crunch time as they painstakingly 'designed' the photo exhibit of the Philippine tour of the Relics. Boydee and Japa went beyond the call of duty just to ensure the success of the relics visit. Our staff worked hard, doing overtime, handling tempers of bosses who were tense and stressed of the job ahead. But we all pulled through and with smiling, happy faces. That's because Therese was working her way in us. We did it out of love - for her, for each other, for our company, for our work.

I adopted a work mantra some time last year: If it's worth doing, then it's worth doing well. Through St. Therese's teaching, I have added an 'ad lib' of this mantra. "And doing it out of LOVE."

Any little thing that you do out of love is "like a petal, a flower that you offer to the Lord," this is what St. Therese's Mom, Zelie, instilled in her. I will try my best to offer petals to God by doing things out of love. I hope I will not stray nor forget this resolve.

Sacrifice and Suffering. When I was in elementary, our Christian Education teacher told us about St. Therese's teaching: that of offering your suffering to the Lord. She said, if we had a tummy ache, for instance, to offer it to Jesus if we love Him. At that time, I couldn't understand why I would want to offer or give or pass on to Jesus my tummy ache, but I did it anyway because I loved Him. I was thinking what kind of gift am I giving Jesus and if there were a lot of people who had tummy aches and offered it to Jesus, how tough it must be for Jesus to be suffering for us. Would it mean that Jesus would forever have some kind of ache?!

For years, that's how I thought. Give your tummy ache to Jesus so it will go away. Give your head ache to Jesus. Offer it to the Lord. Would you believe that it is only now that I fully grasp the concept of "offering" our suffering to the Lord?!? (blush blush).

To offer it to the Lord isn't to give it to Him. It is to embrace the suffering that our aches and pain entail and give to Jesus our sacrifice for bearing the pain. We take and endure the pain and dedicate it for our petition - be it for conversion of sinners, salvation of souls, healing of a loved one, or peace in the family. The pain will not go away but it will have made the suffering worth it.

Anything done out of love is an offering to the Lord. Love. It is the most important thing of all.

God doesn't call all of us to be heroes, martyrs or missionaries. He has different plans for all of us. Our universal calling is to love.

Therese said, 'My vocation is LOVE.' So is ours. Any simple thing, done out of love. That is her little way. To love God with abandonment like a child totally dependent on his parent. To use every opportunity to praise God. To be humble, to be little, to be selfless.

This is her path to God. It may sound simple but it is hard. There will be temptations. It will be a struggle. But I will try to live her teachings.

St. Therese may not have performed a great miracle in my life. But she showed me, taught me, made me realize the child-like, relatively do-able and accessible way towards going to heaven. This young girl who became famous only after her death; who was proclaimed Doctor or an Authority of the church even when she didn't earn a degree in her life; whose life story and teachings reached the whole world even if she was a cloistered nun from 15 years old til her death at 24. She taught me this.

More than a hundred years after her death, she is still very much alive, working her miracles in our lives. Thank you St. Therese for visiting us and sharing your Little way.

Bric's Bag of Tricks

Bric is now One year and Three months old. He's growing up to be a big, happy, talkative, curious, smart, healthy and lovable boy! There's hardly a dull moment with him. He is just so full of energy. I am also very impressed at how fast he can pick up on things. Just for my remembrance (and his too), I'll be constantly updating my blog for the latest things Bric has learned and does.

At 1 year and 3 months, Bric:
- can get his diapers from the drawer so that he can change
- can get his shoes so that he can wear it
- knows how to "love"; he leans on you in a lambing manner
- waves Hi and Bye on his own. He waves to animate and inanimate persons, statues and posters with people.
- points at his ouchy if he has any and when we ask him to
- knows his nose
- loves to ride in his stroller and go walking around the village with Mommy
- looooves the water and swimming with Mommy
- calls "Dada" everytime he sees Daddy in pictures
- knows how to call Melinda "Da" and Mirafe "Pe"
- sits still and behaves well when he sits on Lolo Boy's lap while Lolo is on his wheelchair
- mimics us
- knows the animals dog, horse, cow, cat, bird, duck, pig and sheep
- doesn't cry during vaccinations and blood samples
- still knows 'nam nam' for eat and 'nana' for banana
- says 'no more' when things get 'lost' with matching twisting of hands
- likes Barney and music and songs
- loves to dance
- made a walk like Lolo Boy's walk (on his own!!!)
- loves to clap and be applauded (actually solicits applause!)
- pats himself when asked 'who's guapo?'
- pronounces dog 'doog'
- moves his forefinger when we say 'no' or 'hala ka'
- favorite words "nam nam", "baby", "mam"
- favorite food: pancit or any kind of noodle

Out Where the Action Is

We just got home from the Welcome Mass of the Miraculous Pilgrim Relics of St. Therese at her Shrine in Manlunas. Before that, we joined the Procession starting from the Barangay Hall towards her shrine.

It was well attended and joining it gave me an insight of the Filipino culture. We walked ahead of the Therese mobile with the Wang wangs, the Talulot Winners contingent with their festive drum beating and the pick up of GMA's Jessica Soho Reports (no, Jessica wasn't there, only her crew).

As we were walking, we distributed white and yellow flaglets to represent the colors of the Catholic Church. This was so that when the relics pass, the people would wave at her as a sign of our warm welcome.

As a group of children passed by me, I gave one of them a flaglet. All of a sudden, like piranhas eating their prey, my flaglets vanished in a second as the rest of the kids grabbed them from my grasp. A girl, perhaps around 10 years old, belonging to their group, asked if I had any more. I told her I had none anymore. She then curiously asked me what was happening. I told her the relics of St. Therese had arrived. She gave out a grin and said, "Oh I thought there was a fire!"

I guess we Filipinos always go where the action is. Just like a band of blind mice, we go where the tide takes us not knowing exactly where we're headed.

We also more than always are curious if there's anything happening. I remember when I was a kid. A factory that was several blocks away from the house was on fire. As if there was anything I could do to stop the fire, I still went out of our gate just to see what was going on.

Lastly, we are a festive people. If there is the slightest reason to go out and dance, we would. With the coming of the relics, people were out on the streets. They were standing with their candles and flaglets. The kids were shouting Viva St. Therese. The people were dancing to the beat of the talulot drummers. A group of kids even followed the GMA pick up just shouting, "GMA, GMA" (not the president, but the tv station).

It is all these characteristics and more that make our people unique; and make planning a procession easier. You just know our kababayans will not hesitate to stop what they're doing when they sense a commotion or a parade and come out in the streets. What more the coming of a great Saint as St. Therese?

Brainless Activities

The title should've read 'Brainless Activities but Enriching Nonetheless' but it would've been too long. I'm talking about what I do when I come home from work and stare in front of the computer. By then, Bric's already asleep and Boydee's already into his game, all attention on his PC.

Since I don't like lying on the bed by my lonesome, I try to extend my sleeping hours to coincide with Boydee's. Sometimes, it works; most times, I still end up going to bed ahead of him.

Ever since Ate Rona introduced this kuripot-digiscrapper's dream site 'scrapping with ikeagoddess', I've replaced playing Bejeweled 2 with downloading freebies found in this site. This is one of those brainless activities, a past time used to do exactly that - pass the time, but after all the downloading is done, I get folders of new kits and templates to work with when I'm in the mood for some 'brain-ful' activities.

Patience is needed though especially since downloading can be s-l-o-w because of the internet connection. But otherwise, it's a great past time when my brain is too drained from working or thinking; or if I find the allowable scrapping time is too bitin.

Dowloading songs from Limewire is also one of those activities; and surfing the web. Less brain activity is needed but it's still an enriching activity.

It's a great way to pass the time. For now, I am going to bed since my DH has decided to call it a night too!

Mom Shalene's Predicament

Once over a meal here in La Vista, Mom was getting worried about Dad's condition. It was one of Dad's lazier and weaker moments. Scared he might have problems with his swallowing again which might lead to pneumonia again, she encouraged him to exercise his throat muscle.

One of these exercises is to vocalize, or shout loud enough to feel a pull on your throat. Dad wouldn't do it. Mom turned her attention to Rod, Zhar and me since we were at the dinner table at that time. Nurses Mike and Eldon hovered over Dad and sweet talked him to at least try to vocalize. Finally, Dad gave in and gave out a loud 'Aahhh'.

Mom stopped talking to us and turned to him and said, "Sweetheart! Yan! Sige, one more time." Dad, for his part, turned towards her and immediately creased his brows with an irritated look directed right at her.

It's a great thing that Mom is already an expert at handling Dad and his mood swings. She calmly said to Dad that she won't make him kulit na lang.

Although it was a moment made light by Mom's humor and good nature, it could very well have been a cause for hurt and self pity for Mom. But she's much better than that. I know, though, that it can be very frustrating at times. I know that inside, she may also have her moments of getting hurt. So I salute her for her strength, courage and positive outlook. I also want to console her with this:

When I find Dad by his lonesome (well, with Mike and Eldon), I try to make small talk, just to try to put a smile on his face. Being so lousy at small talk, I really don't know what to talk about. I remember during the times when Dad was a little more agile and alert, we'd talk about family. So usually, now, I talk about the past, his past. And of course, being the romantic that I am, I always go back to Dad and Mom's love story, their early stories with their kids, their wedding. And that would always, always bring a smile to Dad's face. He would also start to talk a little more.

So, Mom, even if Dad creases his eyebrows at you a little more often these days, please know that when you're not looking, you're really the reason for making him smile.

Ang Mamatay Ng Dahil Sa 'Yo

Watched Rielle's play in Assumption (where she was simply GREAT as the Little Prince) this afternoon and as school programs go, the start of the show is always marked by the singing of our national anthem.

Our red-blue and white flag peeked out of the side door and the music of Lupang Hinirang began. As I stood there with my right hand over my heart singing the song, this feeling of sadness swept over me.

I felt sorry for the state our country is in. I feel disgusted at our leaders occupying the highest posts in our land. How can I be proud to sing of our country when we have the likes of GMA, FG, Ben Abalos and Mike Defensor as our so-called caretakers? When the so-called truth is twisted to cover lies and robbery? When the likes of Jun Lozada who show love for his adopted homeland are condemned for exposing corruption? How can I pledge loyalty to a country whose AFP and PNP leaders serve and protect the highest bidder and not the common people and whose loyalty is for sale? How can people who call themselves Filipinos, who proudly call on the name of God and their Catholic faith, lie in front of everyone just to save the skin of the principal that they serve? How many souls will be sold to the devil just to dispute the truth and protect the erring powers that be?

As I was beginning to get teary eyed, I stopped myself. The flag and our song have withstood the tests of time. It stands, not just for the Philippines now or the leaders of today. It stands for our forefathers who fought against colonialism, tyranny, oppression and suppression of our freedom. Our flag and song stands for our country, and its people in general, not just of a chosen few. GMA is but a tiny speck of our country being the current leader. But she isn't the Philippines. She doesn't stand for the flag nor our song.

Gloria and her minions are the dominant ones now but they won't be there forever. Just like our heroes, they will be a thing of the past. But unlike our heroes whose lives will always be an inspiration to the future generations, our leaders of today will be an example of how power corrupts and how power can be abused. That perhaps is how Gloria will want to be remembered.

Our flag will stand and for as long as there is a thing called time, there will always be change and with that comes hope. I know things will only get better IF we just pray. I do not see myself standing in the streets of Makati asking GMA to resign. I will be the silent majority, but my prayers to God to save our country won't be silent. It is because of my love and pride of my Flag, my anthem, my being Filipino that pushes me to pray for our beloved Philippines and hope for better things to come. I will do my own part in making it happen.

I sang the final verses of the song a little more loudly. I sang for our country, its history, the land where I call home.

Relieving Trip to the Doctor

Our baby has been sick since Saturday night and just yesterday, his fever went up to 39.1C. Now that got me freaked out. I couldn't think well enough to make our agenda for our meeting with our staff. When I called Mila after a few hours, his fever had subsided but was still higher than normal.

After researching on the internet about dengue symptoms and soliciting comfort from my sisters, Ate Rona and Elizza, I finally decided to focus on getting some work done. I invited Lai to sit in with the Commissions Staff meeting to know and evaluate the workflow. I guess she got kinda bored, I'd see her turning her ballpen around her fingers... and a blank notebook in front of her. Hehehe... Nevertheless, I have to thank her for bearing with me. Hehehe... But I think we accomplished something. :)

When I got home, played with Bric for a while and then he was off to sleep.

The past 2 nights, I'd bring him on our bed in between Boydee and myself while he's fast asleep. Last night, I cradled him in my arms, both of us lying down.

Today was the visit to Tita Doc. Findings after CBC platelet count: it's not dengue (whew!). He's got a lot of phlegm inside that's probably causing the fever. He is now on antibiotics.

Met Ate at the doctor since Rainey had stiff neck. Poor girl! After the doctor, we dropped Bric home and proceeded to buy medicine at Mercury and grocery shopping at Rustan's.

Had a massage by Mang Romy and feeling kinda rejuvenated and sleepy at the same time. So, while waiting for sleep to conquer me, I'm downloading songs of my childhood from limewire and updating (sort of) my blog. :)

Powerpuff Girls

This day started and semi ended with the Sisterhood doing official work. Yup... you read it. The three of us girls went from the site to the MVC office all in the name of work. Of course, we never miss out on the lunch break which today was CPK, the occasional office of Ate Rona and Lai.

We all woke up at varying times within the hour of 7 to 8am. Then, I picked Ate then Lai then off we went to the Site Office. Meeting, meeting, meeting for Treasury flow. There were times our brains weren't absorbing anything anymore but fortunately, we accomplished what we set out to do. Hopefully we ironed out the kinks especially where the site is concerned.

Then it was time for lunch to recharge our energies and brain cells. We had Waldorf Salad, 5 cheese pizza, Creamy Garlic shrimp spaghetti (this was yummeeee!!!) and Portobello Mushroom Ravioli. I think we overcharged our batteries... we were all kinda sleepy after. Hehehe...

At 2pm, we were in our office. This time around, our queen mother joined us :) Again, meeting, meeting, meeting. Miraculously, we were done by 5:30pm. All of us went home together again with Manuel.

So ends another episode of the Powerpuff girls. Hehehehe... It's three times the fun when we're three-gether. So even if we're doing heavy thinking work, we never fail to insert fun, laughter and ka-kengkoyan. What's more, we still get things done. Right sisterhood?

More episodes to come... perhaps Stella and Zhar would be able to join us! Looking forward to it! :)

No Shame

Jun Lozada, star witness to the NBN-ZTE deal, has been on TV since he came back from Hong Kong and ever since he decided to tell the truth to the public, he has become an overnight star. He is the modern day David fighting the corrupt, power-hungry, money-driven Goliath that is the Arroyo government.

His credibility is being destroyed by the very people he used to work with and whose reputation he initially tried to protect. What lies they can concoct about him, I believe in his sincerity and the truth that he is saying.

Here is a man plucked out from obscurity but became high profile because he was caught in the crossfire of people who wanted to milk this country dry just to enrich their pockets. When is enough money and power enough? Now, FG, no stranger to controversy, has involved innocent, well meaning, sincere civil servants, country -loving individuals hoping they will be motivated and swayed by the weapons and temptations such as 'greed', 'power', 'influence', 'stature', 'money' and 'fame'. The 'tempted' get tempted and sell their soul; if they say no, their life and their name are destroyed.

When will the seemingly decent people like Ignacio Bunye, Romy Neri stop telling lies to cover up for this government? When will the other people who are supposedly in service start serving the people, the common good instead of serving just the President or the First Gentlemen? When will the wheels of justice turn for those who are in the echelons of selfish power?

For now, I sit and wait til 2010 and pray we will be given a better choice for a leader. I pray that our nation will still have hope through its leaders. I pray the future leaders will be strong enough to stop the bureaucracy and the corruption instead of joining the fray. I pray there will be more Jun Lozadas who will speak up and expose the evils of this government, not for political motives but simply because they want the truth out and want change. And lastly, I pray for Jun Lozada, for his protection and the safety of his family. His act, his sacrifice shouldn't be ridiculed or put under scrutiny. Rather, it should be lauded and hopefully it will inspire. May his tribe increase!

My Lenten Sacrifice

Lent came early this year with Ash Wednesday falling on February 6. Father Benny in his homily said Lent should be a time of prayer, sacrifice and giving.

I've decided to give up pork and beef. In addition to that, I will try to get on the treadmill at least 3 times a week. These 'sacrifices' are kinda selfish in motive because they'll also help me lose weight. But as St. Therese said, any little thing if done with love is already an offering to Jesus.

Temptations may abound but with God as motivation, I'll really really try not to give in.

As for charity, I'm looking for a Mother Teresa center here that helps the less fortunate children. Mother Teresa because it was she who enlightened Boydee when we were undecided on River's fate. Hope someone can give me leads as to where to find that center.

It's 40 more days to go but my sacrifice is nothing compared to what Jesus had to go through. Maybe I'll add more daily offerings as much as I can. All for Jesus. All for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of souls.

Another Milestone

Our Bric can walk!!! It's been 3 days now since Bric can walk unassisted all around the house. So now that he's discovered the joy of walking, he's like the Energizer Bunny. He just keeps going and going and going. His sleeping schedule during the day is disrupted because he just can't get enough of walking. He's so funny.

Starting on the 8th month, Bric has been learning so many new things. He is now like a sponge and he's developing his personality. He's got his Dad's happy disposition. It takes so little to make him smile. He got his Dad's friendliness. He savors and relishes being the center of attention - sometimes even looking for it. He solicits applause, and calls your attention if you're not paying him any. During our flights to Cebu and Manila, he never fails to befriend a stewardess or a fellow passenger (even flirting with them).

It's actually funny how tables have turned. When we'd fly before and we hear a kid screaming or crying, we get irritated. Now, it's our own baby making noises and being restless and though it's embarrassing sometimes, it's also amusing, and most times, we are helpless on shutting Bric up. He's got a mind and will of his own. So, we just beg for our fellow passengers' indulgence and hope we're not disturbing them too much.

Sometimes, when I'm with Bric, I am surprised at how much he already understands. He follows when we ask him to put his socks in his shoes. He says 'nam nam' when it's eating time. He says 'ba ba' (be bye) and waves his hand when he leaves us to go out. He knows how to 'love' by leaning and embracing us. He kisses us, waves at us and even statues or pictures. He jumps about when there's music (that's the way he dances). He claps his hands when he knows he's done something he thinks we expect him to do. He's a bundle of energy and amusement. He brings so much love and joy in our lives!

Grouchy!

Before leaving the office last night, I dropped by the desk of one of our staff to follow up on her report. This report has been due since 3 weeks ago. When I finally saw the report, I already saw an error on the first line. I was quite disappointed and frustrated since this was long overdue and I expected it to be accurate since it had taken that long for her to make, the least it could be was correct.

Out of frustration, I couldn't help but unleash my 'temper' 'moderately' towards her. My hubby happened to pass by when he saw my 'controlled outbursts', and he intercepted.

While waiting for the elevator, he told me not to be too hard on that particular person. She might just break down. I kinda felt bad after that, not so much because it felt like he was siding with her but more because of my guilt.

When we got home, I was still getting grumpy and irritable. I was restless. It felt like there was so much negative energy within me that had to find an outlet. Any little thing irked me. So, instead of boxing a wall or banging my head, I channeled all this pent up energy to treadmilling, hoping I'd feel lighter after that. I did but oh so slightly. Then I read Goldie Hawn's autobiography, A Lotus Grows in the Mud, which is a feel good book but I didn't totally feel good after.

When none of my escape tactics worked, I decided to go to sleep. Obviously, I couldn't right away, so I prayed. It was only after a quieting down within me that I got the courage to look inside me and really ask what was going wrong that night after that incident.

I blamed everyone and everything else at my irritability. Maybe I was sensitive because I'll be having my period soon; perhaps I was tired from a long day at work. None of those were acceptable enough. The underlying reason for my feeling irritable was my guilt!

I felt bad because I let my frustration get the better of me; I felt bad because I wasn't patient enough; I felt bad because I was perhaps rude to someone who despite her shortcomings still remained 'nice' and ever so patient in handling our outbursts. I had to deal with my own monsters. How have I become so mean and arrogant?

After admitting the real reason for my touchiness, I felt a little better. I told myself tomorrow, I'll treat that particular staff better and with more patience. I resolved to be more humble, stretch my patience and hold my temper in. I will try not to be too sungit.

As we grow older, although I believe we learn more about life, it shouldn't give us reason to be more arrogant and behave like a know-it-all. As we mature, we should instead be more compassionate towards others and be a better person. It isn't our egos that should grow bigger, but our hearts.

Cleaning Day

I just finished taking a shower and dressed myself in shorts and a plain white shirt. Today is cleaning day for me... more like organizing our room day.

It's been 3 years already since I moved in with Boydee in his room. And up to today, my closet space still remains at 2 1/2 closets. The rest of the 3 1/2 and a few more on top are his. 1/2 was Bric's but since Bric has a nursery already, that half reverted back to Boydee. So, thank God I'm not too kikay to have too many clothes.

Aside from closets, our whole room has always been in kind of a mess. Boydee and I aren't the most organized and oc-oc house people. Thank God we only have a room plus one nursery. Imagine if we had a whole house (but then again, there might be more space to store our stuff).

We've already placed boxes and boxes of clothes, collections, etc. in the attic but there's still a lot of things here to sort out. It seems I'm forever 'spring cleaning' but our room still gets messy.

So, the thing to be done is to ORGANIZE. Assign areas, drawers for particular categories. That way, when there's new stuff, we know where to put them instead of just on the massage bed at the foot of our bed, or on the floor where it stays for weeks, months, (gasp) years...

Keeping our room clean should also be a commitment and tidiness a lifestyle.

Hopefully today, I'll be successful in starting to organize. Hopefully starting today, I'll stay committed to keeping our room neat and clean. I know there will be lazy days, so then I'll just have to start again. Wish me luck!

Shopping Pressure... errrr.... Pleasure

After 4 days in Macau and 3 in HK, we come back to our beloved country where our son awaits us. Bric greets us at the airport. Our baby is growing up so fast. He's now walking more than 5 steps and he doesn't want to be held. Hehe...

Despite my drowsiness from having to wake up at 7am (having slept at around 1am) to catch our flight, I didn't sleep when we got to the house. I started unpacking and realized we didn't buy too many stuff... which is good because we didn't spend too much money.... but I'm thinking I should have bought another one of those 'pylone' reminder buttons for our bathroom mirror or the pylone passport holder. Too late for regrets since we're not in HK anymore.

I've often been teased as 'kuripot' (thrifty) by my hubby which almost had me convinced. But after giving it serious thought, I've made a conclusion about my spending habits. I'm "practical" more than I am "kuripot"; I decide which things to splurge on and which stuff I can do without. I am a 'moody' shopper; I have to be 'in the mood' to shop and it's not a switch that is 'on' all the time.

I spend on the following:
1. food!!! - This is so self-explanatory... When we travel, I like to try the different restaurants and the cuisine a place has to offer. There are just endless possibilities with food and my palate is just only too willing to explore what the gastronomic world has to offer.
2. Travel - I'd like to believe that traveling is an educational and humbling experience. In travel, we learn about different cultures, see how different we are from one another, on one hand, and so alike on the other. It is also an exercise in humility as we realize just how small we are, how we form part of an even bigger world outside our own familiar corners of our home cities.
3. Loved ones - Gifts, trips, scrapbooks - I don't hesitate giving those to loved ones specially to Boydee, Bric, our 2 Moms, Dad and our brothers, sisters and nieces and nephews. But when it's Christmas, now, that's another story. Hehe...
4. Books!!! - Ate Rona was saying she can spend hours and hours in a bookstore and I couldn't agree with her more. I was telling Boydz that if I had to work in the US, I'd be happy and content working in a bookstore like Borders or Barnes and Noble or Page One in HK. Oh, I'd probably be reprimanded for reading too much and not paying attention to the customers. :)
5. clothes (not really so much) - I do this as a one-time shopping spree or occasional splurges because I don't really go to malls often and most times, I'm too lazy to try something on especially if it's just one piece of clothing. If there's a particular style I like that suits me, I tend to buy all the colors. I guess I'm a lazy shopper when it comes to clothes. Moreso now that I am overweight and still plan on losing at least 20 lbs!!! I don't want to buy too many clothes since I might just successfully lose my unwanted bilbils and oil deposits... (crossing my fingers here)
4. shoes - My Mom used to say to me about buying my shoes: Because your feet are big, it's hard to look for your size so if there's a style you like, buy it. I'm more careful now because sometimes, I buy shoes I hardly get to wear. I used to buy fakes until my friend told me a top-seeded tennis player had her ankles damaged because she wore fake adidas rubber shoes. That scared me so from that time on, when it came to rubber shoes and walking shoes, no more fakes for me. Now that I type this, I'm beginning to doubt the story... I mean, why would an international top-seeded tennis player wear fakes???!!! But my friend's logic stuck. Don't mess with feet!
5. Other needs and some 'wants' - Needs are our family's essentials with some specifics/premium on some items... like soap has to be Dove because Boydee's allergic to some others; toilet paper preferred is the one from Rustan's because it's 3-ply so you actually use less because it's thicker, etc... Other "luxuries" are tech stuff (more Boydee's) and services like massage (this I absolutely LOVE!), hair highlights (once a year or even once every 1 year and a half), formal gowns (only if an occasion calls for it).

Shopping is an art and a skill. To be able to hunt for the lowest price for an item, or to be conscious and updated how much a particular thing costs is not easy and requires time. I humbly admit that this is a skill and talent I don't possess; which is just so fortunate that I don't have too many "needs" or "desires"; no tendency of keeping up with the Joneses. I am a stickler for 'saving for a rainy day.' We still have one son and plan to have 1-2 more so we have a lot to spend for in the future. So, we're saving up but that doesn't mean the quality of our lives is less. As cliche as it may sound, money and material things can't buy you happiness. But then again, having them sure helps. Hehe...