Cray Cray Carrillos: The Booger

Image Source

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.

Image Source

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.

Image Source

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!

Image Source

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,

Calli's #GlycoCake By Glyco Sweetshop

Calli's only request for her birthday was a cake with Queen Elsa, Princess Anna and Olaf on it. You know naman how little girls (and some little boys) are addicted to Frozen these days. I got a little worried kasi 'kala ko walang gumagawa ng fondant cakes dito sa Baguio. My family never had a fondant cake ever before. It's a good thing that my officemate knew someone who knewa bakeshop that specializes in fondant cakes - Glyco Sweetshop.

She suggested that I immediately checked their Facebook page. So I did. Agad-agad! #excited

In fairness, I was impressed and delighted with their works. Honggaganda mga 'teh! Amazing talaga!

That very afternoon, sugod agad ako sa shop nila sa DPS Compound (near Victory Liner Terminal in PNR). I brought with me the design that Calli chose among the designs I showed her that I got off of the Internet.  

I just thought of it now, I should have taken at least a photo of the shop or maybe the cupcakes displayed. Maliit lang 'yung shop nila to dine in. There were only three, small two-seater tables inside the shop na 'pag nagkasabay-sabay ang mga tao sa loob e super crowded na.

Going back.

Calli Turns 5!

Whenever I look at my kids, I can't help to think where have all the years gone. Parang kelan lang talaga, si Nikki pa lang ang anak namin ni Elmer. Then Calli came...unplanned. Then Trace came not too long after...also unplanned. Haha! Then there are three li'l terrorists in this family.

Actually, unplanned naman silang lahat. But I don't regret having them at an early age. I'm only 30 (Okay fine, 31. Sabi ko kasi 'di ba I'd stop at 30. Just for this one time) and I'm already a mom of three and my eldest is 10 years old. Five, six, seven years from now, Nikki will already be dalaga. I'm pretty sure she will already be taller with fuller body than I will be by that time. Nasa lahi niya ang matangkad e.

Calli, on the other hand, is payatsy ever. But she used to be super tabatsy naman when she was a baby.

Maybe just her cheeks. 

It was Calli's birthday on July 27. She's 5 years old now. Before her birthday, Elmer and I asked her what she'd like to have on her birthday. Walang kagatol-gatol, ang sagot, "Frozen cake!". And then I started to get worried. I didn't have any idea where to have a character cake ordered. She didn't care what else she would have on her birthday basta may cake ni Elsa, Ana, and Olaf, 'yun na! 

And then the search began. 

I mentioned Calli's special request for her birthday to an office mate. I got lucky, may alam siyang bakeshop here in Baguio that specializes in making character cakes - Glyco Sweetshop! (Thanks, Ana!) I will make another post about that.

Elmer and I never really planned on having a birthday party for Calli. She might have another party soon. Details later. So we just had a lunch together at home - no guests. We had spaghetti, macaroni salad, a bucket of chicken joy, the Frozen cake and iced tea. Solb! 

Medyo nalungkot lang ako when Calli said to me, "Mommy, bakit walang mga iba-ibang tao tulad nung birthday ni Trace?" Aaaw! She wanted guests to share with the celebration. I hope matuloy the other party for her in August. Balitaan ko kayo. 

Here are some more of her arte photos. 

She's grown up na talaga, 'no? 

Ciao! ♥