Out With The Old, In With The New

Hala, mga momshie (or is it mumshie, whatevs)!!! May blog nga pala ako!!! My last post was on January 18, 2017. Oh well, may consistency naman pala ako. Once a year ako mag-post dito. Hahaha!

Sa sobrang tagal kong nawala sa blogging world, ang tanong, uso pa ba ang blog? Baka hindi na ha. Hahaha! Oo naman yata, although vlog na yata ang trend nowadays. Parang 'di ko keri ang vlog kasi introvert talaga ako. Truth! Anong masasabi niyo about diyan? Comment below (naks, may ganern)! Pak!

Before I forget mga momshie (I'm sticking with this spelling), I want to wish all of you a happy, happy new year! Sana this year, may all our dreams turn into reality and all our efforts into great achievements. Copy-paste from my New Year greeting post sa Instagram. Eh kasi 'yan naman talaga ang wish ko for myself and for all. Great efforts = Great achievements. Let's have an awesome 2018. Yaaasss!!!

Btw, follow me on Instagram --> @the.mina.mina.eh.eh #shamelessplugging

Image Source: abacusemedia.com

Ito talaga, I will try my very, very, very best, despite my nakakalokang schedule, to update my chika over here at my blog. Please help me, God. 

'Yung mga importanteng ganap sa buhay ko that I find worth making kwento here, I will write about them. Uso naman ang throwback eh. Malakasang throwback ang magaganap dito. So, stay tuned. Hahaha!

Thanks for reading. Stay awesome, mga momshie!

Cray Cray Carillos: Trace Says The Darndest Things

Image Source: oklahomacity.citymomsblog.com

One morning when Trace was busy eating breakfast while watching TV. Pagkasubong pagkasubo niya ng masarap at mainit-init na ramen noodles,

Trace: Mommy, bakit pangit si Ate Nikki?

Sobrang tawang tawa ako. Out of nowhere eh. May something kaya sa ramen noodles na nag-remind sa kanya sa Ate Nikki niya?

Saan galing ‘yun, Trace? Buti na lang nasa school ang mga ate mo that time. 

•••

One morning when Trace was taking a shower,

Mommy: Halika, Trace, lapit ka kay Mommy. Linisin ko ang titot mo. Madumi yata e.

Lumapit naman siya. As he watched me wash his titot,

Trace: Shape ng titot ko, hexagon. Kita mo, Mommy?

Hexagon? Hexagon talaga, Trace? Ano ka alien?!

•••

Thanks for reading. Stay awesome! :)

Cray Cray Carrillos: Fighting Dogs

Image Source: Dogtime.com

One afternoon when the Carrillo siblings and I were taking a walk around the subdivision, there were 3 dogs on the street, 2 of them, I’d say, were supposed to get a room. By the way, napansin ko lang, bakit ‘pag may 2 asong nagse-sex sa kalsada, parating may audience silang isa pang aso. Hindi niyo ba napapansin? Pansinin niyo ‘pag may chance kayo. Haha!

Going back.

Mommy: Trace, tignan mo ‘yung dogs oh, kambal sila. Magkadikit ang puwet nila. 

Nikki’s already 12, she knows. Medyo natagalan bago naka-comment si Calli.

Calli: Ah, Mommy, magkakampi sila. Kaaway nila ‘yung isang dog. 

Sobrang natawa kami ni Nikki. 

Trace: Power rangers sila, Mommy.

Mommy: Ahh, nag-volt in pala silang dalawa kasi kaaway nila ‘yung isa.

Then Nikki and I continued to laugh so hard as we walked away from the “fighting” dogs. 

Ah, kids. So young and innocent. 

•••

Thanks for reading. Stay awesome! :)

WAHM Life Rocks

Hello guys, girls, beks and all! How are you? How was your weekend? Ambilis ng araw 'no? It's Tuesday again, then tomorrow is Wednesday. Mid-week na naman. Grabe na 'to! Well, ganun daw yata talaga 'di ba 'pag busy tayo, time runs so fast. 

Image Source: Lifehack.org

The Kwento. Speaking of busy. I'm so happy to share with you na I started training na for a new work-at-home job yesterday. Well, I've been doing freelance jobs naman na ever since I quit my office job in July last year. Have you heard of Upwork? It used to be Odesk, and now Upwork na siya. That's where I've been looking for "rakets" since last year. I had the chance to work with a few clients. I did a little bit of VA (virtual assistant) jobs, cold calling, data entry, lead generation, web research tsaka mga iba. All of my clients, except for one, were very easy to work with, very mabait, very considerate. As in! Unfortunately, there was a time in, I think, May when I had a terribly serious problem with my internet connection. As in wala akong broadband dito sa bahay for 2 months. Nahiya naman ako sa mga clients ko kaya I had no choice but to make paalam to them. I had like 5-6 contracts in Upwork back then. Some of them have not ended my contract with them until now. They just paused it. Baka hoping pa sila na mag-work pa ulit ako for them. Hihi!

I became a firm believer that whatever's happening to me right now is supposed to be happening. (My family jokes every time something unfortunate happens to someone, even as simple as nadapa or natisod, na nakasulat sa book of fate ang unfortunate incident na 'yun, that it was destined to happen to that person that way on that day at that time. We would say, "Ganun talaga! Nakasulat 'yan!") And whatever is meant to be mine will be mine at the right time. Timing lang. Timing is everything eka nga.

So saan na nga ba patungo ang kwento ko na'to? Haha! Okay, speaking of timing. A little back story.

Rain, Rain, When Will You Go Away?

Image Source: CnMuqi

Hello mga mem! I'm back again. Pinapanindigan ko talaga ang pagbabalik ko dito. 

It's been raining a lot these days 'no? Kung makaulan eh parang bawal nang umulan next month. Ibinubuhos na yata ni Mother Nature ang lahat ng ulan for the rest of this year. Classes here in Nueva Ecija have been cancelled for three days na. 

On Sunday night, news came out na suspended nga daw ang classes ng Monday. Of course my daughters celebrated. Parang tayo lang nung students pa tayo. Aminin niyo 'yan! :)

Then came Tuesday, walang announcement na walang pasok pero sobrang maulan that morning. Nikki woke up, took a shower, ate breakfast and left for school. While Calli, on the other hand, eh parang mantika sa pagtulog. Dineclare ko na na walang pasok ang elementary sa Guimba, Nueva Ecija. Hindi ko na ginising, kawawa naman. But the truth really, tinamad akong bumangon. Ansarap humiga kasi anlami-lamig! Yes, I didn't wake Calli up and let her not go to school kasi tinamad akong bumangon para i-prepare siya. Huwag akong tularan! But wait, there's more! That morning, it was announced that afternoon classes were suspended. Walang pasok that afternoon. Whew! Parang nakaramdam ako ng konting relief at medyo na-justify ko ang "kasalanan" ko. Eh sobrang maulan naman kasi talaga. Dapat umaga pa lang na-suspend na ang classes. 

And today, Wednesday, I made sure to wake up early, like 5AM early. I woke Calli up. Shower, breakfast, dress up. The usual. Ang aga niyang naka-prepare, as in! Feeling ko bawing-bawi ako from my yesterday's indiscretion. Kahit tunog nang tunog ang phone ko sa mga notifications,  messages and all, deadma lang. Nagpaka-mother muna 'ko. Then Calli left for school.

I felt so good, ready to do some house chores. I had a little time to check my phone na. First message that I read, from Teacher Maribel. Nyaaah! Wala daw pasoook! I panicked nang beri beri light. Medyo natututunan ko nang 'di mag-panic nang sobra. Pag alam kong papunta na ako sa panic mode, I pause for a few seconds and clear my mind. Then I enumerate my options in my mind. 

Just a back story. I don't bring Calli to school. Actually, no one brings Calli to school. In the morning and in the afternoon, Calli goes to school together with her Ate Nikki in a tricycle. I make sure na kilala ko ang tricycle na sasakyan nila. Yung mga nakapila dito sa kanto dito sa subdivision namin (na hindi naman talaga subdivision). Then sa uwian, 'yung "family driver" namin ang sumusundo sa kanya using his tricycle. Hindi sila pwedeng sabay ni Nikki kasi Nikki's dismissal is always later than Calli's. Kawawa naman siya if maghintay siya nang matagal for her Ate Nikki. Today, it was supposed to be Nikki's periodical tests in the afternoon kaya wala siyang pasok ng morning. That's why Calli left for school alone this morning. 

Going back. Naloka nga ako ng slight. I was readying to go to school na to take Calli back home. Mabuti na lang, at talagang mabuti na lang, ibinalik siya ng tricycle dito sa bahay when the driver found out from the school guard na walang pasok. Haay, thank you!

Naaawa ako kay Calli. Sana natulog na lang siya. Pero natawa ako kasi sabi niya, "Sayang, Mommy, naligo pa ako." Parang may sama siya ng loob kasi naligo siya nang maaga.

Ano ba yan? Nung may pasok, di siya pumasok. Nung walang pasok, tsaka siya pumasok, ang aga pa! Wala sa tiyempo. Haha!

So 'yan ang mga ganap sa buhay ko ngayon mga mem. Kayo? Keep calm na lang sa loob ng bahay. Huwag gala nang gala ngayon, maulan. Delikado. 

Thanks for reading. Stay safe, stay dry, stay awesome! :)

Changes, Changes, Changes

Image Source: Unknown Poetry

Well, well, well (channeling Wacky Kiray in Minute to Win It: Last Man Standing, before nasampal siya ni Cristine Reyes). Have you watched that episode last week? Kung dapat masampal ang mga matagal na nagpabaya sa blog niya, sa tingin ko eh deserve ko ngang masampal nang magkabilaan. 

Akalain mo 'yan?! May blog pala ako?! 

Sobra sobrang daming ganap sa buhay ko mga mem! Of course, my friends already know all these, but just for the sake of those who still follow this blog (huwaw, umaasa ako, haha!), just a little update lang. To start with, wala na akong work kasi nag-resign na ako. Hindi na kami nakatira sa Baguio, balik probinsiya na kami, minus the daddy, dito sa Nueva Ecija. Don't worry, as I write new posts here, for sure maa-update din kayo.

For months since I resigned from my work in Baguio in July last year, I've been intending to "revive" this blog. Na-tsaka na, tsaka na. Kaya ngayon na lang naisakatuparan, after over a year. Well, huli man daw at magaling, eh magaling pa rin, haha!

Dahil nga sa sooobrang daming changes in my and my kids' lives, I was actually in a dilemma kung itutuloy ko pa ba 'tong blog na 'to. Most of its contents kasi are anecdotes of my "past" life in Baguio. I felt like I would want to start over a new one. Tinry ko, sa Tumblr. Tumatanda na talaga ako mga mem, kasi hirap na ako mag-adjust. I had a difficult time finding my way around Tumblr. Nahirapan akong hanapin ang mga buttons, kung paano mag-layout and all. I also realized, everything I have in this blog is part of who I am now. All the things I did, all the people I met, stayed with or left me, all the food I ate, all the places I went to, all the activities I enjoyed doing, all the problems I resolved, all the trials I overcame made me the person that I am now - stronger, smarter, braver and more confident. 

As I start a new career next week (this story deserves a separate post), I decided to revive this blog instead of creating a new one, to continue posting more stories here, to continue its life. Because this blog is an unedited story of my life written by me. Mas madali eh kesa gumawa ako ng bago, konting edit-edit lang. Tsaka sayang din ang stats. Aba eh may ilan-ilang visits na din ang blog na 'to at may 3 naman na yata akong followers dito 'noh! Sa mga followers ko diyan, patunayan niyo please na nag-e-exist kayo, comment na, now na! Haha!

 By the way, for those who still don't know, new readers perhaps, this blog used to be "Momma Mina! Adventures of a New Gen Mom" at http://mommina.blogspot.com. Para maiba lang ng konti (walang kokontra, blog ko 'to, haha!), it is now "The Mina Mina Eh Eh". May short story kasi ako behind that, pero tsaka na lang, sa separate blog post na lang. Eto na naman ako sa "tsaka na". 

So here I am, back to the blogging world! Tuloy ang kwentuhan natin dito mga mem! I'm praying really hard na mapanindigan ko 'to this time nang bongga. Haha!

Thanks for reading. Stay awesome! :)

Cray Cray Carrillos: The Booger

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Calli has this habit of wiping her booger onto, most of the time, the wall, sometimes, on any surface. One time while watching TV, I saw her picking her nose. I warned her not to do it that time. After niya masungkit ang kulangot niya, 

Calli: Mommy, tissue?

Deadma, kasi anlapit niya sa tissue. Ayaw niya lang tumayo.

Calli: Mommy, tissue please?

Ay, deadmadela pa rin!

After some time, during commercial,

Me: Calli! Saan mo na naman pinahid 'yung kulangot mo?!

Calli (whining): Binalik ko na sa ilong ko! Ayaw mo kasi ako bigyan ng tissue e.

Eeew!!!

Filipino: Wika ng Pagkakaisa

Hello, hello! How’s everyone? There are rains everywhere, again. Dito sa Baguio, we had five nice, warm, beautiful days with Mr. Sun. Pero starting yesterday, ay, rain rain again not going away. Other than that, keri naman ang mga bagay-bagay.

Oh-em-gee! It’s August 18 na today. Tomorrow, August 19. And the day after tomorrow, August 20. And the day after the day after tomorrow, August 21. Holiday ‘yown! Long weekend ang mga kids! Well, maybe not all kids, pero my kids, sure na ‘yun. Nakalagay na sa school calendar nila. Masaya ‘yun…sana if long weekend din ako, ‘di ba? Oh, well, asa na lang ako.

And another thing, hambilis talaga ng panahon. Imagine, in less than two weeks, September na! Ber months na naman. I love the thought that it’s almost Christmas season again. I love the weather here in Baguio (and everywhere here in the Philippines) ’pag Ber months, medyo malamig. Yay, excited na ako!

But bago tayo mag-fast forward sa Pasko, I want to share with you ang mga happenings sa mga kids ko ngayon August. Op kors, Buwan ng Wika ngayon, so, ‘yun.

Two Saturdays ago (sorry, super late post), their school celebrated Buwan ng Wika. This year’s theme is Filipino: Wika ng Pagkakaisa.

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There were presentations from different grade levels – song presentation for pre-school and dance presentation for grade school. All of the kids were wearing Filipiniana costume, like baro’t saya, ganun.

Calli's Kinder 2 class sang Bayan Ko by Freddie Aguilar. I never thought Calli could memorize the lyrics of the song. She amazes me at times. She was right at the center and the front most row. Feeling ko siya ang bidang bida dun. #stagemom

Cray Cray Carrillos: The Launch

How are you mga 'teh?!

Ako, keri lang. I have a new schedule, am assigned with a new task to a new team. It's just my second week. I am now team mates with one of the few friends I have at work. So far, I'm enjoying. So far.

And on Wednesday last week, my team had a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the client vendor manager. I'm so pleased to hear praises from her for the team. I don't remember her exact words. The only words she said that I could recall are, "you're doing the right thing", "the best feedback I received from Nesting since the last time I was here", "you got the right mix of people this time" to my manager. 

My manager was so happy! After the discussion, feeling ampogi pogi niya dahil sa magandang feedback. Sa sobrang saya niya, lahat kami in-I love you niya. He said to my coach, and they're both male, "I love you, p're!", and to my friend, "I love you, Nikki!", and to me, "I love you, Mina!". What a good feeling to end my Wednesday shift. Hindi 'yung "I love you" niya ha, but the good feedback from the client vendor manager. 

Okay, I'll go back na to what this post is really about.

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I'm pretty sure you already know by now that there's Team Kramer, Doug Kramer and Cheska Garcia's tag name for their family. I also have one for my family, Camp Carrillo. Why "Camp" 'ka niyo? Aside from the obvious, Elmer kasi is from a family of soldiers. I think nabanggit ko na 'to dati? Elmer's dad is a Navy Commodore, his uncle is a retired Marine, and his half-brother is a Navy Lieutenant. He also has distant relatives here in the Philippines and in the US na mga sundalo kung saan-saang branches. Kaya the "Camp".

I am launching this series here in my blog. Once in a while, may mga nakakaaliw or nakakabaliw na pangyayari or conversation sa bahay between me and the kids, or me and Elmer, or Elmer and the kids, or among the kids. Gusto ko lang i-share sa inyo here. Just like the other blogs that I follow. I'm calling naman this series Cray Cray Carrillos.

Haha! I know what you're thinking. Oo, gaya-gaya lang! Aliw na aliw kasi ako sa mga stories nila about their families, how they are sa mga bahay nila, sa work, with their friends. ^_^

I hope you enjoy my stories, too!

Ciao! ♥

To English or Not To English

I work in a call center. I have been around for about 10 years now. Oh yeah! Whoever says no one that works in a call center speaks in the vernacular while at work either 1. Has not worked in a call center ever, or 2. Is lying.

Strict EOP? Uh-uh, not so strict at all. Even managers don't strictly follow kaya. I'm telling the truth. So, sue me. That's At Work. Nabanggit ko lang naman. Plus, I'm really that not good with intros. Haha!

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At Home. Elmer and I bring up our kids using Filipino language as their main language. I know, super cute pakinggan ang li'l Filipino toddlers na umi-English. I don't have anything against parents who prefer their kids to use the English language as their main language. And there's nothing wrong with that. Different strokes for different folks ika nga. For Elmer and me, hindi namin kayang panindigan, especially Elmer, na umi-straight English sa harap ng mga bata all the freakin' time. Also, we're 100% sure na hindi lahat ng tao na makaka-interact nila at bagay na mae-encounter nila as they grow up ay umi-English all the time, like jeepney drivers, yaya, sari-sari store owner, Pinoy teleseryes, Pinoy TV shows etc. Elmer and I love Pinoy movies kaya especially the old ones from the 90's. We're 80's babies, 90's kids kasi, that's why. Anlakas maka-nostalgia ng mga ganung movies.Mas grabe si Elmer kasi aliw na aliw din siya sa mga movies na almost black and white na at parang umuulan palagi sa screen. You know what I'm saying. Ako, 'di ko na bet 'yung mga ganun.

Going back. 

We just don't want any confusion sa words, grammar, diction and all. After all, my siblings and I, as well as Elmer and Ate Pla, grew up na Filipino naman ang gamit namin sa bahay but we learned English just totally fine. Practice and loads of American movies, TV series and TV shows make perfect, I guess.

At School. Nikki and Calli's school promotes the learning of communication through English language by speaking only English language every Wednesday. Everyone (and the school head means EVERYONE from the guard, canteen staff, nannies, parents, everyone) inside the school campus, has to use the English language when talking to anyone. When the memo got out,