Si Andi Na Mahilig Magpa-Picture

they're told to kiss daddy for both pictures but naughty andi, it seems, has objections :)

Mommy Love #1, Mommy Love #5

mommy: "mommy loves the both of you. you are my love number 1, and andi is love number 2. but i love you the same way."

raf: "okay, so raf is number 1. and andi is number...5."

***

raf to andi while andi's cuddling with mommy: "hoy andi, dili ka hulid ni mommy. ako lang hulid ni mommy. kay nanay lang ka."

***

the jealousy, of course, we have anticipated. raf loves and adores his sister so much, yes, until ananda tries to get mommy's attention.

raf isn't used to having somebody to share mommy's attention with, even daddy. mommy's always there whenever he shouts for her, mommy's always there when he needs to snuggle with her. now that the sister's here, and quite a naughty girl at that, he's finding it difficult to adjust.

now this little girl is a different story. she doesn't only want her parents' attention, but her brother's as well. she would even let him smother her with kisses if that makes kuya happy. she crawls to mommy's side as fast as she can as soon as kuya's attention is focused somewhere. she is not used to having another kid around, so i think it makes her excited to have someone who's more or less her age to play with.

to some, it might be a easy situation to handle. just explain to the kids, yada yada. well, motherhood expert i am not, that's why it's a daily struggle to maintain and make sure that both children get the same amount of attention. we have explained raf's role to him as a brother many times but i guess, it takes so much patience for the lesson to get to his head, especially that 10 months ago, andi is just the sister who's in negros.

i am hoping that pretty soon, raf would get over the newness of having a sister who's physically with us. so far, all is well. nobody has sustained any injury. hahaha.

Congratulations Tita AhAh

the graduate

dinner at l fisher hotel

during the clinical graduation

mother and daughter moment

getting ready to groove the night away

the trip to negros wasn't really a vacation vacation. it was more like a homecoming for my dearest sister's graduation. i was initially planning on being there only for the ceremony days (she had two since she's a nursing student -- the clinical graduation and the uh, normal graduation with the rest of the graduating batch of different courses). but then, yes, my company allows us to take vacation leaves and i have more than enough (i think) and my boss is flying to the US anyway so why not take the whole week off? yeba!

so yes, there are two toga pictures on our home's wall. our youngest is feeling the pressure as my mother already had the carpenter prepare a space for her own frame. she has to graduate so we don't waste the space. hahaha.

i attended both graduationS. during the ring and pin ceremony, my mother marched with her while i awarded her ring. the clinical graduation was solely for the nursing students and as every parent and child passed by the aisle, i can see the parents' proud and teary-eyed smiles. it's never easy to send someone to school, especially to nursing school when the school charges you for every activity and project imaginable. my sister was a scholar (since my tita's working in the school) but my parents still shell out a considerable amount for the miscellaneous fees, activities, accommodation and lodging (when they go on out-of-town hospital duties), etc. i wonder how many carabaos were sold and how many hectares of land were tilled so these children can finish their education.

i cried a bit during the baccalaureate ceremony, on the part where the parents bestow the hood on the graduating students. i am such a stage sister. hahaha. i cried some more during the speech of the most outstanding augustinian graduate of 2009 (yes, we're augustinians). he was recalling his and his mother's struggle just for him to get through, and how he would line up at the finance office every examination day so he can submit his promissory note. they may not be blessed financially but with his determination, strength and intelligence, i know they will have more than all the wealth in the world can provide for.

for the celebratory dinner, we had dinner buffet at l'fisher. then enjoyed the rest of the night at cafe breizh, singing our happy hearts out. our conservative, tired mother at least had fun seeing her girls sing and dance. hahaha.

nobody is happiest (and most relieved, i guess) about this achievement than our parents, despite our father not being here and all. there are more challenges for my sister to overcome, there's the nursing board exam on november, for one. but we'll all be praying and rooting for her.

again, congrats Tita AhAh! =D

Shots

this is where your taxes go. hahaha.

honestly, i think i should stop paying taxes so i can better feed my children. =P

angry taxpayer look. hahaha.

this is what andi does when i try to teach her to say "mommy"

cute daughter, yes?

Happy, Happy Breaking News

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEWEST LAWYERS!

Kirk is my cousin,
Ate Alvie was my big sister in the dorm when i was a college freshie
and Fel was my masscom batchmate in silliman

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,

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

We Love Our Children, Slow Down

raf clowning around after our sunday night walking session

when we first saw this road signage a few months ago, my carpool-mates and i bursted out laughing. really, our neighbors think of the most hilarious stuff.

we were discussing that well, it's a road and not a playground so it's the parents' responsibility to look after their children playing outside. there were several instances already when we would pass by a two- or three-year old kid, running carelessly on the street while the mother or the yaya animatedly discusses the current economic condition with her neighbors. and when we would try to make the kids stay on the side by honking our horn, they would turn their heads and glare at us as if we don't have the right to drive through. it's annoying, to say the least. and then they put up this sign.

i only got to appreciate this road reminder a few days back, when i saw how rambunctious kids can get when they're having fun, despite a yaya's watchful eye. raf, for instance, rides his bike as fast as he can, with the helper helplessly in tow. my son is too hyper for his own good and yes, he doesn't really heed warnings because he is stubborn like that. it bothers me how his yaya cannot seem to have the "power" to make him follow her instructions but no, it doesn't bother me that he's too active. kids will be kids and i'd only worry when he starts getting too quiet and obedient. hahaha.

now, i've also seen how some motorists can get too ruthless when plying the streets. cars and motorcycles zoom in and out of our block like kings of the road themselves. non-too alert dogs get sideswept and tires leave skid marks on the cement. paranoid as i am, i'm glad somebody had the audacity (it still cracks me up until now, my apologies) and the concern to create that makeshift road block. the drivers may or may not heed it but for me, it's a great deal of showing care for the kids who start crowding the streets as early as 4pm. but i still stand by the fact that the road sign shouldn't be any mother's or helper's excuse on not taking care of their wards. no child should be allowed outside without any nanny and the best way of ensuring everyone's safety is to give your full attention to the task at hand. conversations and discussions are not prohibited but your son or daughter or alaga is more important than the buzz's latest chismis, yes?

i'm glad somebody is taking this social responsibility thing seriously. i'm proud of my neighbors. sometimes. =P

Wishing Hard for Saturday Already

get togethers with friends help relieve the tension of a manic workweek

i've been terribly tired the past weeks. we had big shot visitors from the US so you can just imagine the preparation and yes, the stress! my boss and i heaved a big sigh of relief yesterday when the last of our visitors left and although it is so tempting to file for a sick leave today or tomorrow, we both can't because well, our meeting schedule dictates no.

i can't help it, the pressure's too much. there's the house renovation next week, the never-ending search for two nannies/helpers, plus my mother's condition. maybe i worry too much but whoever says managing a household is easy deserves a weeklong practicum in our home. and of course, on top of that is my career. although i am grateful that my work allows me to attend to personal matters when i need to. still, it's not easy taking care of three people who, yes, belong to the top management level. there's just very little room for mistakes.

it's so funny because since i am very exhausted lately, i've decided to skip tv-watching and subject raf to my "early to bed, early to rise" goal. i told him the other night that he has to get used to sleeping early because when he goes to school, he has to wake up early as well. no more crashing in anytime. so for two mornings in a row, he'd be up before i am awake and say, "i want to go to school now." things such as this help keep my sanity intact.

also, what makes the weekend very enticing is that i'll have time to snuggle under the covers with diana gabaldon's books. i'm still on the first book (mind you, all three books have 900++ pages, in small print!) and i can't wait to finish them. i am sometimes glad that raf has hobbies of his own now so i can also spend some me-time without feeling guilty. hahaha.

however

despite the rush, i am still feeling blessed because:

1. i have a job and i work 5 days a week.

2. my kids are healthy and doing well. i miss andi but i know she's in better hands with my mother than with us here, not having a good yaya and all.

3. we have enough to have our house semi-renovated. it's not much but at least, it will be more child-friendly and safer.

4. i have titas who love their sister-in-law and are willing to fight her battles.

5. my sisters are finally trying to be more responsible in taking care of our mother.

6. i have friends who are my support system.

7. i might have a long vacation and bonding time with my family come march and april.

8. there are problems but still, all is well. :)

Watch Out

i am proud to say that i have slowly learned to curb my anger but there are just things and situations that get to me. i just get raging mad when some people try to hurt my family - most especially my mother. that is something that i just can't let go and forget. and perhaps, if my mother is the bungangera and pakialamera type who just tries to meddle into others' business, it wouldn't be such a big deal. but she is not. my mother is not the very buotan type, no. she's feisty when need be BUT wala guid gamo not unless the issue involves her kids already. but even if she's already attacked personally, she wouldn't fight back. she wouldn't talk back. that's how peace-loving she is. so what do her daughters do when some old, ugly witch tries to stress her out, a few days after she left the hospital? no, i'll say this again, we don't do catfights.

we pray, for the soul of this soon-to-be food of termites and worms who just can't shut her mouth up. again, i am amazed at how envy can consume one's self and make her forget her dignity and self-respect. because honestly, what dignified and self-respecting woman would go from table to table and gossip about how her own car is more expensive than her officemate's?

gosh. there's no rest and peace for the envious and wicked.

Scandalized

my sister called me last saturday to report that her name was plastered in one of their school's restroom door. beside it is a not-so flattering adjective. she wasn't fuming mad when we talked, we were actually laughing so hard. we were joking that perhaps, the "suspect" doesn't have the guts to "confront" her thus, resorted to name-calling. ah ah is known to be feisty and a "terror" both in the school and in the dorm so it's quite understandable how nobody would want to collide head-on with her. isn't posting your enemy's name in the restroom CR so...1990s? hahaha.

last year, we almost sued a 19-year old single mother when she harrassed our youngest sister by texting her lewd messages. apparently, her ex-bf (the father of her baby) was texting alexis and now she thought that my sister would date him, therefore abandoning her completely. as if! he wasn't handsome to begin with so why would my sister even think of dating him? honestly. second, we don't accept recycled nor used goods. hahaha. besides, they weren't together in the first place so her anger and madness was really displaced.

the whole process of going to the police to initially report the girl and her cohorts (her friends even talked to my mother, saying really nasty things about my sister. ill-bred ones, i tell you), plus saving all those text messages, and finally meeting with the respective girls' (they were from various schools) college deans was grueling. at first, the girls thought everything was a bluff (we had a lawyer). then when face-off day finally came, they were crying and begging for forgiveness. i guess they never really thought that our family would take it seriously. but hell, the girl (let's name her I), was telling my sister that she'd go to their dorm and embarass her in front of her dormmates. nobody does that to any of us. my parents were bent on suing but our lawyer adviced that a court hearing might be traumatic for my sister as she's only 18! so we initially settled for a public apology and an affidavit from all the girls involved. in the end, they apologized to my sister and my mother and eventually, all haluballo died down.

this is not new to us. i guess that's what happens when you're pretty, smart, and happy with your life. it doesn't matter if you're rich or not. but as long as they see you are contented and has lots of friends and can afford a car and to live in an aircon room complete with a ref and all the comforts of your own room, some people turn green.

i am saying this in defense of my sisters because first and foremost, they are my sisters. i'd pull all the hair out of anybody who tries to hurt them. second, i know them. yes they can be loud, yes they can be arrogant but hey, we can afford it. my parents can afford it so i don't see any problem with that. third, i know them well enough to know that they wouldn't start anything with anybody because we are too well-bred to start a catfight. only ugly, uncivilized people do that. we have a mother who taught us good manners. fourth, they are too busy thinking of ways to extort extra funds from our nanay to do anything immoral and against the law of our parents. hahaha.

i guess we've learned which battles are worthy of a good fight. and besides, why give these envious monsters the satisfaction of getting back at them? the best revenge would be to just shrug our shoulders, pout our pretty lips and continue being dyosas. it's funny isn't it, how some people would go at great lengths to show their insecurity? writing my sister's name on the restroom cr wouldn't make you gorgeous, my dear. you're only helping her become more popular. and tough. but the next time you do it, i'll make sure i'll flush you down the toilet - from the roots of your unrebonded, dead hair to the tips of your unmanicured toes.

Little Boy Blue

raf has been too clingy lately. and although he has always been a mommy-or-daddy-only kind of boy, he had never been the type to cry whenever we would leave for work. we thought we have explained to him well why we are out five times a week to work (because work allows mommy and daddy to buy you milk, food, clothes and shoes and pay for your playroom and eventually, school). lately though, he would complain to the yaya whenever it's TV patrol already and mommy is not yet home. you see, i don't go home until 7:30pm every night because we have to wait for our carpool. even before, i haven't been the 6pm-on-the-dot mom because there are still errands to run, groceries to buy and bills to pay. when i need to stay up late because of a social obligation or get-togethers, i would let him know beforehand so he doesn't wait for me. raf didn't have any problems with that. until now.

for two weeks now, he would cry endless while waiting for me. and it so happened that ppip has to leave earlier than usual so there's an hour or two gap between his departure and my arrival. everytime he'd wake up from his afternoon nap, he'd ask his yaya if it's nighttime already so "mommy would be home soon." on weekends that ppip is out, he'd grumble "daddy's late. he's working late again. dugay muuli." ppip also said that whenever he's asleep, raf would just stay in our room, either playing or doing nothing, waiting, until he wakes up.

we find it weird because our son wasn't like that before. my mother said that perhaps, raf has gotten used to having somebody else around aside from the helper when he was in negros. my tatay is always home and my nanay goes home for lunch and logs out from work at 5pm. and andi's there so he doesn't feel left out. the word "gibayaan" is in his vocabulary now, i think thanks to the neighbors' helpers who tell him "gibayaan na pod ka raf" whenever they'd see me leaving for work.

every night before sleeping, raf would kiss my hair and cheek and playfully whine, "ayaw na work mommy." and again, i'd explain that i have to work or else, we can't afford to buy milk and chicken and fish and dvds and shoes and pay for school and well, go to disneyland to see mickey and minnie and donald and pete. if only we have a choice, it's nice to just stop working and get andi from negros and have all the time in the world to dilly-dally, go out and have fun with them. but then, life doesn't work that way for us. this time, at least. there's a house to fix and tuition fees and a wedding to save for so perhaps, raf would have to wait for another year or two before his wish comes true.

Stupid vs Smart

i think i made a pretty bad mistake yesterday.

raf and i were lying in bed as i wasn't feeling well and had to call in sick. i was telling him that whenever we go out and visit mommy and daddy's friends' houses, i expect him to be courteous and polite and answer questions. we attended a party last sunday and true to his anti-social self, he refused to say anything when asked by our officemates. i don't know if he's just shy or what around adults but he's quite talkative when he feels at ease already.

"raf, only stupid people keep their mouth shut when they're being asked. and you're not stupid right, you're smart." i felt a jab in my ribs. i knew it was the husband. apparently, stupid is a word not suitable for three year olds. but what exactly is bugo in english? hehehe.

"mommy, i don't want to be smart. i just want to be stupid." i knew it! he was grinning that cheshire cat grin.

"but stupid boys don't get to be pilots. and you said you want to be a pilot. so you have to be smart." ppip already butted in.

"ah. well then, mag ride na lang ko sa airplane. dili na lang ko mag pilot."