Look at Us, Mom

you're my number one

Out

off to where i can eat yummy dishes without breaking my back (and arms and pocket), sleep in blissful peace, and talk and share stories and drink beer until dawn. hahaha.

tambo. leche flan. ubad. siomai. relyeno. strawberry cake. crinkles. chicken deli. oysters. nilaga with batuan. cadios.

don't miss me too much!

XOXO,

On Mobile Phones, Privacy and Sense of Urgency (?)

i am not so keen about people giving out my mobile number to other people, especially those i don't know. i would appreciate it if before sharing my number, you'd ask for my permission first. just out of courtesy, you know. yes, my current number is a company number so company-related callers with official business are welcome. but still, it wouldn't hurt to let me know you have forwarded my contact details to somebody who needs to get in touch with me or my boss. i more than understand that my position entails it. nor do i mind friends giving my number to other friends or acquaintances--people whom i've actually met and shared some conversations with. i guess my point here is, i don't like people just carelessly throwing my contact number around and sharing it with people i don't really know and don't even have a business-related agenda with me. it's a little annoying.

***

i don't mind getting calls from friends as early as 7am or as late as 12mn. they're my friends, they're always welcome. but non-friends aren't. yeah, i am such a priss but i value my privacy and family time that's why it irks me when i receive calls a little later than the decent hour (that's 9pm for me). again, my phone line is open 24/7 but i'd appreciate it if people would also try to think if their need to talk to me is that urgent (matter of life and death, if beyond 9pm, i say. haha) or not. if yes, then go ahead and give me a ring. if not, then you better wish i am not in a foul mood. even my boss doesn't bother me beyond 6pm not unless it's super duper urgent and he's very apologetic everytime he calls me after office hours or on a weekend. i guess it's just a matter of respecting one's time and privacy.

***

i have a full time career, and that basically means i am occupied for at least 9.6 hours everyday. there are days when i am swamped with work i can hardly comb my hair in place and there are also days when i get bored, i'm ready to jump off from my 8F window to entertain myself. these days though, i am most often busy and can't immediately reply to text messages or answer phone calls. i shuffle from one office to another every hour or so and since both phones are not tied to my waist, i miss a few calls. so my apologies if there are times when i can't get back to you as soon as you want me too. a higher being needs my attention more. and he happens to pay my salary. hahaha. i know, i know, you understand but there are some who cannot, and i wonder why the hell not. i don't think i am ever obliged to reply to every single sms i get asap (sama sa dili pod ko obliged mag comment sa tanang blog entries na akong basahon, but again, that's just me) so it's a trifle irritating for messages like "why aren't you replying?" to litter my inbox. sometimes i am tempted to quip, "because i have a life?" hahaha.

***

well yes, you may say i am somebody who has lots of issues and i don't deny that. and while here i am, ranting about some person's lack of ethics (because all it takes for me to spew a few not-so nice blog entries is really just one person), i am still quite patient and tolerant, if i may so myself. there are just some people who didn't pay attention to their GMRC classes.

Mickey Mouse, Lightning McQueen and Friends Attend Raf's 4th!

the happy birthday boy (s!)

checking out the gifts

raf raf and friends (notice how kiat my son looks?)

seems like lightning loves spaghetti, hmmm?

mickey mouse fan

it was a fun, food-filled day for raf. it wasn't a party "party," that's why i didn't invite anybody. it was just a little something that raf can call a "celebration" of him turning a year older. i cooked spaghetti, beef caldereta and whipped up fruit salad so i don't have to spend on catering. and we just ordered lumpia and buttered chicken from a resto near minglanilla. raf had 8 visitors all in all, and i brought leftovers to the office today so i can share it with my lunchmates.

lightning mcqueen cake, of course, from kusina habana.

yes, we may be struggling for now but the fact that all my family and friends are healthy and doing well, is more than enough for me to be thankful and happy.

1st of 30

Dear Raf,

maybe you'll already be five when you can read this letter on your own and maybe already 25 when you can fully understand what i am trying to say here. i should know, i never understood what nanay has been telling me the whole time not until i was old, and in deep trouble, enough.

first things first though. i just want to let you know that you are the most magical thing that ever happened to me and your daddy. you our are first miracle, and nothing, not even winning the lotto, can make us happier than the time we first heard your wail. nor the first time you cried out "mommy" and "daddy." you may hear sad, and painful, stories about your conception but let me, as your mother, tell you that we may not be ready when we first knew we'll have you but we did (and still be doing) our best to become the greatest parents for you. twenty two years old isn't the best time and age to be parents, not when you are struggling to find your own niche in this overcrowded world. i'm telling you this not only to subtly warn you that i'd definitely faint when you'll go home one day when you're 22 and say that you got a girl pregnant, but because i want you to know that i want you to fully enjoy life first before you embark on this journey we started when we're only 22.

you'll be a pre-schooler very soon, and daddy's already having separation anxiety. hahaha. we'll be the proudest parents when that time comes because you'll be hitting another milestone on that day. we'd take pictures you can show your friends when you're 15. remember that you're in school to learn, to have fun, to gain friends. you're not there to reap awards for us, although we'll be very happy to put them medals on you come graduation. you will not be in school to feed and fulfill our frustrations. you will be in school to strengthen and find yourself. school is the first step to your independence, i tell ya. be good in your early yours and pretty soon, you'll have our nod to take your education anywhere. as i always tell you, being in the honors list would only be a bonus, a plus, for us. i'd appreciate it more if you'd behave and be a good boy and refrain yourself from being called to the principal's office often enough for you and the officer to be on first name basis.

raf, please know that despite all the scoldings and shouting matches we have (and will have), it doesn't lessen my love for you. i only get mad when you're hard headed because i don't want you to grow up bugoy and disrespectful. we want to be cool parents but we are still your parents. and no matter what happens, we will always be here for you, ever willing to do anything for you. as early as now, i am already proud of you.

let's journey together. here's to another year of smart-ass quips, outrageous excuses, and mickey mouse dances. we love you.

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY!

xoxo,
mommy

Picture Perfect

how fast can u CTRL + C and CTRL + V this picture?

reading mai's entry about her picture made me remember one traumatizing memory when i was in college. i was a victim of one cruel prank which one of my friends said was "just for fun." but i don't think cropping girls' pictures and posting their heads on someone else's body and showing them to other people to make fun of is enjoyable, especially on the headless girl's part.

they were my friends, co-staffers in the university paper, and perhaps, if it wasn't my face on the screen, i'd find it a tad funny too, like the schoolmates who saw and giggled immediately. but since it was my 19-year old innocent smiling nawong glaring back at the four or so people clustered to see the photoshop wonder, i felt violated. and embarrased. and hurt. and betrayed. i didn't expect friends can and would do that to you. especially ones whom you've worked with for three years and more. if good friends are capable of making you a butt of their jokes, how much more strangers? or perverts who i must say are multiplying by hundreds everyday here in the internet?

my parents wanted to press charges. and they were petitioning for those students responsible to be barred from graduating. but after discussing the incident with the paper's adviser and other officials, we decided to let them graduate but they had to execute an affidavit and make a formal apology. things worked out in the end and i have forgiven them already. the picture wasn't like, spread or emailed or anything. it would've been a different story if it was circulated.

i am sharing this because as i've told mai, there are just weird-wired people out there who take advantage of today's technology. i guess we all have to be responsible internet users who should always be on the lookout. i've been telling my sisters not to post their pictures sparingly because it could be used anytime by anybody. we all just have to be careful. and alert. and ready to kick some ass when we have to. ;)

Not One of Us

when somebody asks me if i believe in supernatural beings (aswang, engkanto, and other non-human creatures said to also roam the earth), i don't readily answer "yes," though a "no" isn't in order as well.

you see, i grew up in a province where majority of the people strongly believe in these...dili ingon nato. we are civilized, yes, lest there's a question about that (haha!) but in a place where stories of tiktik being heard patrolling a pregnant woman's house gets shared from one neighbor to another almost every week, one is bound to "believe" that this world is not populated by humans and ordinary animals after all.

i have more than my fair share of engkanto and aswang stories, having had to offer several prayers and even food to dwellers of a bungsod (a small hill growing in some vacant lots, could be a kingdom of termites for all we know) where dwendes (elves, dwarves?) supposedly live. we asked them to find a home elsewhere because we're building our home in that lot. and i also had an uncle who was believed to be enchanted by an engkanta who lived in our town's college's rubber tree. he would go out at midnight every night and would be seen walking towards the infamous tree. but he didn't have any recollection of the rendezvous. when he was brought to an albularyo (witch doctor), the latter confirmed that an engkanta fell inlove with him and would want him to be his husband. the witch doctor tried then to heal him by chants and offerings and some concoction. the most amazing thing was, small bits of rock, plants, twigs and leaves fell out of my uncle's head while the albularyo was doing his "pray over."

why this eerie topic today? it's because last tuesday, neighbors were talking about an abat (i presume an aswang equivalent in our province) was felt and heard and smelled some days ago in our subdivision. according to the grapevine (this sounds so gossipy! hahaha), a huge, seemingly heavy object (could be a thief, don't you think?) fell and crashed on their roofs. i heard all those crashes too but shrugged them off because of course, what with our houses so built closely together, a neighbor's ka-blag can easily be mistaken as your own ka-blag. the story went that they knew it was an abat because right after the thumping on the roof, a disgusting, yucky smell permeated their walls. according to my officemate slash carpoolmate slash neighbor, a pregnant woman lives across them so she could be the creature's prime target. but what we're more scared of is that, evil minds might use these aswang stories to get through some houses undetected since people are afraid of the winged beings than the thieves that could break in.

nonetheless, i whisked holy water on our windows last night. as i've always said, there's nothing to lose when we try to believe in these things as long as we're also careful of more realistic perils. it might sound funny but i had developed my own "rituals" as well in trying to drive off spirits and the like. my mother has quite outgrown this too superstitious mentality of province-dwellers but she still has several tips for me. my faith is my foremost weapon against all things bad and evil. i know that as long as He is watching over us and i believe He is, nothing could go wrong.

March Marks the Spot

days, lately, no matter how fast the clock's hands move, can never go faster for me. i can't wait for march 23 and march 28 to come! as i've said, march is a month of celebration, not only because some of my favorite people are celebrating their birthdays (as well as rafael, yay!) but because the month marks another milestone in one of my sister's life. AhAh is graduating, and this occasion would bring another medal, another diploma on our wall. and i know, no one can be prouder but my parents. it's just sad that my father would miss his second college graduation (he wasn't present in mine either and it's heartbreaking, you know, to graduate without one of your parents who has sacrificed a lot to help you get there) but i know, he's the happiest of us all. of course, the graduation isn't really final not until the ceremony's done so let's all please cross our fingers and pray that AhAh does make it. hehehe.

so, i filed for a one-week leave so i can go home to sugarlandia and attend the event because yes, i am such a stage sister. hahaha. the homecoming is also a chance for me to see D, IFM, and perhaps gladita, and raenyberry. and most of all, the homecoming would allow me to smother ananda with lotsa hugs and kisses! AND we're bringing her home to cebu!

my nanay thankfully agreed to drive us home (it's weird how negros is home, and cebu is also home in my posts. hehe) so i don't have to suffer cebu pacific's heart attack-inducing propeller flights. besides, andi has tons of stuff so it would be better to just travel by land so we can bring all her things. i can't wait for all of these to happen, really. i can't wait to see my daughter again, i can't wait to be with my mother and sisters and aunts and friends, and i can't wait for the vacation, ever!

but with andi's homecoming is also my anxiety that you know, i might not be a good mom to her and kuya. i can feel the pressure, right now (spoken in janina san miguel tone. har har). motherhood they say, kicks in naturally. it's instinct. but i am not ashamed to admit that i am still groping. that almost 4 years of having a little one still doesn't make me an expert, as others claim they are. oh yes, i can take care of them, no question with that. we can provide all their needs. but they don't only need food, shelter and clothes, right? they need more than that. and the more than that aspect is what actually scares me. yes, i love them with all my heart, nobody can argue that. i am a mother first and foremost but i am someone, something, else, as well. and i guess, what makes me anxious is that i may not be able to cope with the changes fast enough that i might be leaving something else behind. i can never be superwoman!

i have come up with a revised daily routine once andi will be here. it's being a tad OC i know but one can never be too sure what with a preschooler and a 10-month old in the house. i want to give them my equal attention so that nobody gets sacrificed but me. isn't it so mature-sounding? being willing to give up some things for yourself so you can give more to others? hehehe. and before everyone forgets, i have a husband as well! i am wondering if my husband is also having these concerns. hehehe.

i'll take everything one day at a time. i won't strive to be the "perfect" mom but i know, i'll try my best to be the "best" one for raf and andi.

Lost Chance

i saw somebody in the bank today and i was pretty close to approaching and making small talk with her. i had the chance when the seat next to her was vacated. i was already walking towards it when a couple beat me to it. i took it as a sign that it wasn't meant to be? yet?

i wasn't actually sure if it was her, but then, her name was called and so my thoughts were confirmed. i don't know what i want to prove by going up to her. that her first impression wasn't correct? that contrary to what she (and everyone) believes, i'm not actually out to get her?

maybe it's the season. it would've been the perfect time to start anew. maybe, when IT IS the perfect time, our eyes would meet and i'd finally give that genuine smile.

Hair Envy

now, if only i'm not so intent in growing my hair long and straight (yeah, just like in the ads. hahaha), i'd want to chop it off to kinda look like katie holmes'.

i'm having what others call as "the shorter line" complex. you know how it seems you're always lining up for the slower cashier while the rest of the lines go faster? then as soon as you transfer counters, you end up waiting longer?

when i had a shorter 'do, i couldn't wait for it to grow so i'd have this lady-like, sunsilk hair. then now that i actually have it, i'm contemplating of having it styled shorter. but then I KNOW, as soon as the novelty of having this chic hair wears off, i'll be wanting a different one again. ppip often tells me that your life only gets complicated if you let it.

maybe i'll stick with long tresses for the meantime. anyway, i have the rest of my life to sport different hairstyles.

katie's picture courtesy of thehairstyler.com

But Of Course...

looking back, i always found it easier

to be righteous, to be judgmental, to make jokes about others because of course,
it is more fun and enjoyable than being a bigger person

we are, more often than not-
better, smarter, more composed, more fashionable, more well-brought up,
when we compare ourselves to other people

we are always doing the right thing,
even when you know, in the deep recesses of your heart,
that you can't be right all the time.

i am glad i know that i am not perfect. and that i don't have the license
to ridicule, to judge and to demean others because in fact,
pareho ra ta nagkaon kan-on. or kung nag diet, pareho ra ta maka-afford wheat bread.

Survival of the Fittest

lately, life has become a blur - a flurry of activities that mainly involve waking up, going to work, eating, coming home, worrying, sleeping, reading, little conversations here and there and few moments of cuddling with the kuya. i don't want this but i guess, i have to go through this. and maybe, just maybe, i'll learn my lesson.

i am still hopeful but i'm running low on faith - on myself, that is.

Chocolate Lurve!

discovered samba chocolates a year (or two, i can't remember) ago. i love 'em. and they're cheap! as in P31.50-for-a-box-of-8pcs cheap! only watson's had them before. now rustan's sells them as well.

now if only i don't have this weight issue to settle. tee hee.

If Only I Could

one thing i don't like being a "grown up" is that you have to make a lot of decisions and choices - painful, difficult, and maybe unfair to some, choices. but then, that's life. it's either you or them. your family or them. and yes, it would always be me and my family over them. family comes first. and somebody has to make that sacrifice. somebody has to be that sacrificial lamb. in my heart i know, i am doing the right thing. so help me God.

Because She's Not Just An Officemate

i've always been smug about the fact that yes, He loves me much,
because despite and inspite of, He has given me an army of true and loyal friends

Happy Birthday Marita aka Mayette

The heavens has granted your one great wish but i bet they're open to several thousand more wishes from someone as kindhearted as you.

I'll miss laughing and sharing secrets with you but my heart overflows with happiness that finally, you'll be where you are meant and dreaming to be - in your husband's arms.

Cakes.Ice Cream.Yeah, Softdrinks for a day!Pasta.Steak.Pizza.Hungarian Sausages.

Enjoy your day!

photo swiped from Mayette's multiply account

Birds of the Same Feather

self explanatory ☀

On Sensitivity and Dressing Up Appropriately

a good friend from manila visited this week and last night, we had dinner at one of the restos in the beautiful ayala terraces. now this friend has been trying to get pregnant since i've known her, which is almost two years now. and everytime she'd come and meet with our other friends, one of the main topics of our discussion would always be pregnancy and childbirth.

last night wasn't so different. we, the mothers, blabbed about how scary and hard giving birth is and how more difficult it is to raise these kids. the limelight was more focused on our other friend and while everyone's talking, i found myself observing hoping-to-be-a-mother-soon friend.

i don't know, looking at W and thinking of the way our conversations always went with her made me think if we had been a little insensitive to her feelings. yes, perhaps dishing out advices and maybe theories, on how to finally get that stomach round and happy with a baby is helpful and sweet. and also, orienting her on both the wonderful and not-so wonderful (i am saying sleepless nights, painful and hurting boobs during breastfeeding, etc, you, mothers i know can relate) aspects of motherhood, as well as the challenges of raising children, just goes to show how much we care for her. of course, we're all rooting for her to have that bouncing little boy or girl soonest! but then, she comes here to cebu twice a year. and in those two nights per year that we'd get together over good food and drinks, we hardly talk about anything else but her efforts and our bliss of being mothers. don't you think she might be a little tired about the issue? and that she'd want us to talk about something else?

i don't know. again, it's just me. because perhaps, i am a little worried that we're adding to her pressure of having a baby. yes, we know that she wants that little of bundle of joy and they're doing everything to make it happen but i reckon she can only take so much of the egging and the teasing? that she might just suddenly burst from all the things we tell her to do to help her get pregnant. hehehe. well yeah, she enjoys these baby discussions but i am afraid we might be getting...overly concerned.

i wish the next time she'd visit, aside from the good news of being at last pregnant, we'd share stories about other things. like maybe work, make up, even chismis and clothes or what we'd do with the money if we'd win the lotto. hahaha. and if she's still not with child, we'd promise to pray more for her, and move on.

***

now, now. i am afraid i'll be getting stoned for this but it has bothered and distracted me so much lately that i just have to take this off my chest. i feel a little sick whenever i see women in their 40s and 50s sporting tube tops, or short skirts, or leggings or any outfit that allows them to flaunt their not-so flawless skin, complete with headband and other horrendous, unmatched accessories. i'm always for "dress up" or "flaunt it if you've got it" fashion slogan but in this case when they obviously don't have it and let's face it, they're too old for whatever fad they're trying to follow, i'd gladly accept the job of being a fashion police and arrest them. hahaha.

don't get me wrong. i've always thought that age or status or motherhood shouldn't hinder you from wearing clothes that you feel comfortable in, or make you feel good. i don't have any problem looking at 40ish grandmas wearing short dresses and cute slip ons if they can carry it well. it's not an issue with me as well if you're in your 30s already yet can still pull off a casual short shorts and a baby tee with gladiator sandals. but if you're a lola already, wrinkled, with sagging, dark skin that badly needs exfoliation, i won't suggest going out in short shorts, a venus pink, striped blouse (with matching one shoulder exposed) and a pair of 3-inch sandals. while those who have all the K (karapatan) to bare a little skin, cloth themselves in demure plains and prints and flat shoes.

again, it's just me. i think the way you dress and carry yourself in public reflects so much of your personality. this is a free country, anyone can go out in the outfit they want to but i'm hoping they'd think hard first before deciding on donning something that's a little out of their league. it's hard to take somebody seriously who doesn't even put the effort to dress appropriately.

***

i swear, this is pms.

Happy

there's this sense of self-fulfillment. i never expected this, this...contentment. and weird as it may sound, this tingly excitement of seeing the money you've worked hard for working for you. yeah, just like the road signs they put on constructed and renovated streets - your taxes are working for you. in my and ppip's case, our salaries are working for us. we don't receive much every payday (not as much as some people i know. hahaha) but still, we got a project ticked off from our list. and it feels great!

now i know why my mother lately forgoes shopping for clothes and bags and shoes. now i know why the first place she'd spend her money on is in the house improvement section of the malls. you know why i am gushing about it so much? it's because i have never imagined, not even in my wildest dreams, that i'd enjoy dressing up our own home. that i'd have fun thinking of colors, decors and the best way to mix-match whatchamacaliits. well, i still suck at interior decorating but, i am proud to say that i don't have baduy choices. hahaha.

the house is still a long way from becoming this very pretty, almost-dreamy abode but the thing is, we're getting there. i now have one more reason to resist those shoes and bags aside from saving. as i've said, i've bought enough clothes and bags early this year (and it's only march, gasp!) to last me until say, october.

march is definitely a month for celebrations.

Just Thinking Out Loud

is it just me or do you also think it's a little inappropriate and insensitive to feature multi-million bags, shoes, and properties on tv while most of the world can hardly eat three times a day?

Couple Tag

i got this from facebook, i was tagged by K. it sounded interesting so im doing it here. hehehe.

It’s about you and your significant other, call it wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, domestic partner, your dog (if it makes you feel that warm and fuzzy feeling inside.).

We want to know part of your story! So read mine and answer yours as well!

***What are your middle names?
mine is Morante-Consolacion and his is Salangsang

***How long have you been together?
6 years this May

***How long did you know each other before you started dating?
oh, the question should be: how long did you know each other before you became an item because honestly, we never went through the dating stage. hahaha. honestly, we started texting feb (2003), he visited me in negros, march, then we decided to be together, may.

***Who asked whom out?
he was the one who texted me first. hahaha. but now i can't remember how he asked me to be his girlfriend.

***How old are each of you?
we're both 26, but he's older than me by 10 days

***Whose siblings do you see the most?
mine i think because lately, negros is our usual destination. but before, we used to go to bohol a lot more often.

***Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
we have more than a handful but i guess it was the time when i got pregnant with raf. we quite didn't know what to do then.

***Did you go to the same school?
nope. i attended binalbagan elementary school, colegio san agustin-bacolod and silliman university, dumaguete. i think he was with holy spirit (gawd, i honestly don't know! haha) in elementary then divine (now holy name university) until college.

***Are you from the same home town?
no, and im glad we're not. hahaha. im from the sugarcane fields of negros and he's from bohol.

***Who is smarter?
this is a little tough. i got higher grades (i actually saw his TOR in our file), and i would say i am more street-smart and practical. i have the diskarte. but he's smarter in the sense that he knows a lot of things, he reads a lot and watches all those news-and-current-events stuff on tv and the internet.

***Who is the most sensitive?
oh, that would be me, hands down

***Where do you eat out most as a couple?
we used to eat out a lot before. we tried almost all restaurants here in cebu. hahaha. but he's a fan of japanese restos. now though, hmmm...we'd just pick out a place we haven't gone to in a long time.

***Where is the farthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
as a couple, we've visited dumaguete and tagaytay. i know, lame, right? but all that's gonna change soon. woohoo!

***Who has the craziest exes?
gawd, i don't want to get in trouble again. no crazy stalkers for me, please. hahaha.

***Who has the worst temper?
mine, no doubt. but when he gets mad, he is scary.

***Who does the cooking?
the helper cooks most days but i try to cook every sunday, at least. he tries his hand in the kitchen though and im glad he accepts last-minute assignments. hehe.

***Who is the neat-freak?
funny and weird as it may seem, but he is. he threw some of my bags and shoes once because he can't take the mess in our room. i got so mad because i feel he didn't have the right.

***Who is more stubborn?
i would say he is because he feels he knows it all. but it feels good when he discovers i am right. hehehe.

***Who hogs the bed?
all fingers point at him. hehehe.

***Who wakes up earlier?
i do. i'm the alarm clock in the family.

***Where was your first date?
in our hometown? hahaha. but the first time we were together without chaperone was during our dumaguete trip.

***Who is more jealous?
okay, it's me. but it's not like i am an unreasonable crazy jealous wife. if you'd read some of those girls' text messages to him, you'd throw his cellphone at him too. hahaha.

***How long did it take to get serious?
i think it was when we got back after breaking up for two or three weeks. sometimes i'd get scared with his text messages, professing undying love and all. hahaha.

***Who eats more?
i know he'd say, "it's you." hahaha. but he eats a lot more. i just eat more frequently.

***Who does the laundry?
thankfully, the helper. but when i was pregnant and yaya-less, he did the laundry.

***Who's better with the computer?
of course, him

***Who drives when you are together?
i drive our car, he drives theirs. so when we're in negros, i am the driver. and when we're in bohol, he is. but here in cebu, i guess, i'd drive more often. but if we're together, i'd give him the wheel because he gets heart attacks with my driving style. hahaha.

An Excited Mother of a Soon-to-Be Preschooler

this is in response to chelo's question re raf's education

raf is going to school already come june. he is excited already and we are too! i've been making inquiries to several schools since last year but the shortlisted ones are those within the town proper of minglanilla. we're scheduled to visit the one that's inside our subdivision only and i am hoping raf gets into this school (meaning, pass their exam chorva) because of the following reasons:

1. it's near our place. on a good day, raf and the nanny can just walk either to or from the school. if not, we can just hire a pedicab to take them there. paranoid as i am, i don't want to take the risk of having only the yaya accompany raf to school everyday and they have to take at least two jeepney rides or even one taxi ride. besides, i don't want to impose unncecessary stress to my son, having to commute every single schoolday from our kabukiran to the city.

2. it's less expensive. i've discussed this with my mother before. there's no financial issue, we can afford to send him anywhere. and of course, if we're talking about our children's education, every penny is worth it. but then, i am thinking, why should i blow quite a hefty amount of money if there's something relatively cheaper and the training is basically the same? raf is going to nursery school, not med school! hahaha. it kinda pains me to pay almost half of my 13th month bonus when i know that raf would only pull his classmates' hair and run around with the boys. hahahaha.

3. the school has quite a good reputation. and upon inquiry, they only have 12 kids in one classroom and i think, that's small and manageable enough for the teacher. hell, we were 45 rowdy kids in one classroom before and we all graduated and landed cool jobs. hahaha. i've been telling ppip that although the school and its educational system has a big part in molding the children, 75% of the child's success is mainly: good genes and excellent upbringing. so kung bright, bright gyd. i attended this inato-higher-than-a-day-care-standard school for my nursery and kindergarten education. we were only 15, and before our recess, our teacher would spread this large banig and make us go to sleep while she prepared our snacks on group tables. our teacher was firm but very sweet, and we had extravagant and fun themed christmas parties. i was once ms spain, then that famed old woman who lived in a shoe, then at one point, a christmas alphabet. hahaha. i enjoyed those formative years so much. i'm hoping raf and andi would have that much fun in school too.

raf is bisdak as bisdak can get but he's quite fluent in ilonggo as well. he knows several english words and uses them sometimes when we converse. we do the usual alphabet and number drill before going to sleep but i keep telling him, "sunod na pd na raf, kay basin wala nay itudlo imong teacher nimo when you go to school." hahaha. i know, i know, i am not your outstanding mother awardee.

we might visit the school within the next week. it's amazing, isn't it, how time flies so fast. pretty soon, i'll have a pre-schooler. as much as it is exciting, it's also anxiety-inducing. my raf is growing up so fast!

2011

i want flowers as pretty as this bouquet on our church wedding

two of my closest friends are getting married this year. and ppip and i decided (more like i decided. hahaha) that we'd have our church wedding very soon (say, 2011 soon). C and i were talking that getting married these days is more expensive than having a house renovation that's why i opted for the latter this year. hahaha. presumptious as this may sound but i am slowly drafting our projects for the next five years. of course, this is with my husband's approval because in the first place, he's doing all the financing. planning ra ko taman.

it's exciting and inspiring - to dream and think of and plan. it makes every centavo we'd work hard for worth it. that's why i am kinda fighting for my own career. if we're both working, there'd be more we can accomplish, more projects can be achieved and done sooner. but i guess, not at the expense of my children's welfare, that's why i am considering his proposal as well.

back to the wedding. yes, i'd still want a church wedding because first and foremost, i want His blessing. i want that ppip and i will be bound not only by the ties of our laws, but by the ties of His love. it has to be soon because gah, i want to be blooming and young on my wedding pictures. and at the rate my weight is going, i might gain more weight by the time i reach 30 so i'd rather do it before we reach our 3rd decade here on earth.

it's gonna be a simple wedding but with lots of flowers and yummy food and all our closest friends and family. i hope we can afford fireworks. hahaha. but i vow not to be stressed over the preparations. it's quite a challenge to organize this wedding not only because of the cost but because our family and friends come from various parts of the country, and even abroad (yes supergirls, this is your invitation to come home. hahaha) so we have to make this occasion special not only for us, but for them who love us enough to spend and attend.

i want to be practical but i also want to indulge ourselves a little. thinking of weddings makes me giddy. i am crossing my fingers everything goes well. but then, even the best laid plans get disrupted. still, i want to take the chance so i am writing this down so the heavens would know they have an event to plan in two years' time.

El Nino

this picture is of course, not related to what im blabbering about.
i just feel like posting raf's picture here. taken by mai, 02/22/09

for some unknown reason, i can't think of anything to write about. and it's making me frustrated! maybe i can write about sarah and john lloyd's film, which made me laugh and cry like some lunatic last saturday night, but making a film review isn't really my thing. yeah, i think it's better than their first film just because this one kept up with the laugh-emote-laugh cycle. i didn't get bored, in fairness. you changed my life held my attention for the 2 hours and so it ran. and john lloyd didn't even look that hot there. his character suffered major stress because of work so of course, he had to look that part. tao din sya na pumapangit kapag masyado ng demanding ang work and ang lovelife. hahaha. but still, i love him there. there's just something about that boy that makes me smile whenever i think of him. hahaha.

but apart from the movie, i don't know what else to discuss to make your visit here in my blog worthwhile. it's like being on a date with a guy you really, really like and suddenly, your tongue quits on you. then perhaps, this is the time to just shut up and hold each other's hands?

maybe you, yes, you, loyal reader and maybe even you, random stranger who just got my link in another blogger's site, can help me end this drought. why don't you leave a comment and let me know what you think kaithuninterrupted should feature. but uh, no, "just let this blog die because nobody reads you anyway" isn't allowed. hahaha.

happy monday all! :)