Overwhelming Presents

Summer is here!!!

And so are Ate Pla and her family!!! Hooray!

Ate Pla is Elmer's elder and only sister, sort of (don't ask me to elaborate on that please). She left for the US in 2008 and this year is the first time she's coming back since. This time, she now has a husband and two cute kiddos, Haeven and Neveah. They, of course, are Nikki, Calli and Trace's cousins. And of course, it's their first time to meet each other. They're only staying for two weeks. Very short stay for being gone for five years, you might say. So they have to make the most out of it.

 

They have lots and lots and lots and lots of pasalubong for my family especially to Elmer and my kids - shoes and clothes and toys and chocolates and more shoes and more clothes and more toys and more chocolates. Ako ang na-overwhelm nang tunay!

 

These are just a few of her pasalubong for the kids. 

 

These pairs of shoes are just some of them. There's a whole lot more that I didn't take photos of. Like I said in my Facebook post, I will definitely need more shoe racks for these. As in more na more. 

Hallelujah, I'm Still Alive

How are you my dearies? I know, I know. I suffered from writer's block. (Wow, writer lang talaga?) I have not posted anything since that post I had about the AI 11 finale. Because I was so much disheartened by its result. Charot!

Kidding aside, I felt like nothing interesting worth sharing to you guys happened to me these past couple of days. Reading all your new posts about your summer escapades, new gadgets, new outfits, collectible items, family gatherings, etc. made me feel that my life was sooo boring. Arte lang, pero there's a teeny weeny truth to it with konting inggit factor. So with this new post, does that mean there's anything worth sharing here? You tell me. ^_^

Let me do a li'l recap. What did I do these past couple of days? Lemme think. Hmmm. The usual. Work-home routine. Then there was my two days off. I didn't go out. I didn't accomplish anything productive during those two days. I don't wanna elaborate on that. Maiinis lang na naman ako. Then there was my feeling guilty about Calli and I not having any bonding activity last week so we went out to the mall and played again in Playmates. Then there was Elmer and I doing some de-cluttering and a lot of packing in the house. We are moving to another house soon. Very soon. Then there was the payday. Then I had my hair cut. Reading those back, I guess, there were things naman that were worth sharing pero tinamad lang ako. Yes, that's the keyword. Tinamad lang talaga ako. 

I Heart Guimba

Guimba is a humble town located in the province of Nueva Ecija.

Guimba is a 1st class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 96,116 people in 19,207 households. It was incorporated by the King of Spain by virtue of a royal decree in 1897. Source

Note that "1st class". Shala ha! ^_^ Let me also just say, it has 64 barangays. Oh yeah, that many.

People's primary means of living is farming. Thus the photo above.

Last time I set foot in Guimba was on my sisterful's birthday in December. Just for a li'l background, I was born and raised and spent 16+ years of my life in Guimba, Nueva Ecija until I moved to college and eventually found work here in Baguio after a short stint in Manila.

I revisited my beloved hometown on Wednesday because Calli's one week vacation was over. I had to bring her back here to Baguio. Elmer was wondering why I had to let Calli go down to Guimba for five days only and when I knew for a fact that the heat and humidity in lowlands these days were beyond imaginable. That made me think. I guess, I just needed a reason to be there even only for two days.

You know, despite Baguio's cool weather, I still miss Guimba's heat at times. And more than anything else, my (crazy) family and relatives are in Guimba. I love to see them once in a while and be crazy with my Muder and siblings.

My family now lives here in Baguio. Elmer and I have jobs here in Baguio. Nikki goes to school here in Baguio. I now have to accept the reality that Guimba is vacation, Baguio is life. *Sighs*

Image Source

Ciao! ♥
  

Calli And Barney And Friends

Who is that purple and green Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur singing along with neighborhood friends? Kids can answer that question with no sweat. Barney! 

Barney who? Doesn't ring a bell to me. If you're a mom and that's how you roll, then I'd say you're an alien. You must be from Mars. Who doesn't know Barney and the gang? Baby Bop, BJ, and Riff? 

At an age of a li'l less than two years old, Calli already met and knew Barney. I would let her watch videos of him on YouTube. She liked him, but I can't say she loved her already. I can still remember how Nikki, when she was about that same age, would spend the whole morning watching her entire collection of Barney DVDs over and over. That, I'd say, was love. But that's another story to tell.

Passe' Maundy Thursday

For my family no more.

  

But I have to say, I am a Catholic. I was born and raised in a Catholic family. I grew up in our barrio where senakulo or pabasa occurred (and still does) every Holy Week. I studied for eleven years in a Catholic school. I studied for four years in a Catholic university where I had taken religion classes. But  I guess those were not enough and as I got older and  mature, this is what I realized: I am not religious at all. At ayoko ipilit. Plastikada lang?! Fortunately (maybe unfortunately), Elmer and I share the same attitude towards religion. Our family does not go to church every Sunday, next to not at all. Oh no, I'm not proud. Just saying. I have to partly credit that to the nature of Elmer's job and mine. Well, that's another story to tell.

Every Holy Week, we still eat meat just like how we do mostly on regular days. This is how we spent our Maundy Thursday.

Big Daddy

Sister Love

"Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other."  ~ Carol Saline

Big sister-in-training Nikki

"A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit,

a golden thread to the meaning of life."

~ Isadora James

Sisters sharing a bowl of pancit canton

"A sister shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams."
~ Unknown

Let's Move: Forward And Up

My dear friend Golden shared to me this video clip - sewn-together video clips of a man walking towards the camera in different locations that he had been in. Like what Golden told me about this video clip, it really is very inspiring! 

"Get up and work your fat @$$ off!" To me, that's like what the video clip wants to tell the person viewing it, but in a so much more moderate and creative manner. Yes, we really have to keep moving towards a goal, and keeping on the move will bring us to different places, literally and figuratively.

Watch the video. Feel it and enjoy! 

Ciao! ♥ 

Li'l Critters Gummy Vites

Kudos to Northwest Natural Products, the manufacturer of this Li'l Critters Gummy Vites Multi-Vitamin and Mineral Formula! It's such a brilliant idea to make a dietary supplement for kids in this gummy bears form. (I'm just not sure though if they were the first.) It's very convenient to moms, very attractive to kids and cute!

The, shall I say, jar or container?
Whichever you prefer. 

BHGCS Recognition Day 2012

Recognition Day was one of the many school programs that I was always excited about when I was still in elementary and high school. Aside from getting my medals and ribbons every year (Oh yes, I was a smart kid ^_^), Recognitiom Day had always marked that it was officially school vacation. Yay! How I miss my school days.

It was Nikki's Recognition Day today. She ended this school year second in class. Aside from that, she was her class' Best in Mathematics, Best in Makabayan and Most Helpful. Nakaka-proud naman talaga si Ate Nikki ko. It came to me as a surprise. Of all subjects that she would excel in, Math and Makabayan pa?! Those were the two subjects that we had to allot the most time in reviewing for exams because I thought she was having a hard time with them. Akalain mo nga naman? She was the best pa pala in those subjects. Astig!

It slipped my mind that it was her Recognition Day today that I forgot to file for a leave 2 weeks ago. So I still had to come to work, but I was so thankful to my boss that he let me leave work early so I could attend. Thank you so much Boss Jan! ^_^

My New Errands Buddy

That's Nikki!

She's 8. And she now makes a very good and convenient buddy when running some errands. She can walk by herself, can eat by herself, has urinary control, has opinions on things I buy, reminds me of important things, etc. She has no complaint sa walk-a-thon. Only complaint I have about Nikki is that she gets hungry so fast. I have to feed her every now and then. Kids!

Nikki and I went to SM today to shop for shoes, white stockings and a cardigan for herself, for her class' presentation on her school's Recognition Day. I picked her up from school then we went straight to SM.

On the way there, one would hardly miss this!

Since when was this here?

Is it just me, or SM really has to put this up where this is the first thing people would notice when coming from that area to its building? Pa-good shot lang sa mga tao?

Moving on.

Kare-kare Take 2

I first attempted to make a kare-kare dish in January when I was itching to make something special for Elmer and my daughters on a day off work. I decided to cook kare-kare for them. According to articles I read online, because kare-kare traditionally uses beef which really takes a long time to cook, Filipino families prepare this dish mostly on special occasions like fiesta, family gathering, birthday party only and even served on Christmas lunch or dinner. I thought it was a special dish so pasok sa banga ang dish na 'to!

Yesterday, Elmer and I noticed that we didn't have a decent food this past week. Most of what we've eaten were fried. Hotdogs, fish, ham, eggs. He requested that I cook today. It's my rest day anyway. They must love my kare-kare at my first attempt because that's what they requested me to cook for today's lunch.

I believe that it does not necessarily have to use beef, and every Filipino family has its own version of this dish. Here's my version. 

We'll Come Back To You, Manila

Educational trips, often called field trips, are now a part of most schools activities. My school in elementary and the same school where I attended highschool (oh yes, that's 11 years in OLSHA, now OLSHCO), never had any field trip AT ALL...or that's as far as I can remember. I guess the school already had enough activities for the whole year kaya hindi na maisingit ang field trips. My brother still attends the school. He's now in 3rd year high school. Last time I heard, may field trips na din sila. Bongga! Baka nga hindi lang uso nung time namin.

Now that I'm 20-ish and have two kids which one of them already goes to school...okay fine, nahinto ako sa compound statement na ito at nakalimutan ko na ang thought na isusulat ko dapat.  

Going back. Nikki already goes to school here in Baguio. She's in Grade 2 na. (Akalain mo 'yan? May Grade 2 na pala ako.) When she was in Grade 1 in OLSHCO din, I didn't let her join the field trip na. Kasi Zoobic Safari sila noon e nakapunta na kami dun before. Just last week, they had a field trip. Some time late last year, nasimulan ng pagplanuhan ng school ang field trip na 'to. Since first time ni Nikki um-attend sa school niya ngayon, plus the fact na wala akong idea how field trips are done, wala din ako idea how the school does it every year. Every year daw kasi nila activity ang field trip. So, join si Nikki this time. Manila tour daw. Whatever.

I'm not sure if keri lang yung bayad. P4,000+ for two na 'yun - student and guardian. Swak naman sa day off ko so ako ang kasama niyang guardian (angel :P). One day tour, including the travel time? I thought it was gonna be so tiring. And I thought right. Despite all the puyat and pagod na inabot KO, kasi si Nikki naman ay pagod lang, sarap ng tulog niya sa bus kasi may dala kaming blanket and pillow and all. Going back. Despite all the puyat and pagod na inabot KO, I have to admit na nag-enjoy ako more than Nikki did. Andami kong additional knowledge na nakalap. Bits and pieces of knowledge lang about Manila na hindi ko alam before. Like --

Nikki's $1M Question

"The first and simplest emotion which we discover in the human mind, is curiosity." - Edmund Burke. Who the hell is Edmund Burke? Hindi ko din alam. Who cares?! Duk lan! I think this is him. Read on.

Did I already mention in my previous entries that I come to work at 3:30AM and end my shift at 12:30PM? Sometimes, I get to sleep late like 9:00-9:30PM na. Yes, that's already late for me 'no. Heller, gigising pa ako ng 2:00AM.

Okay, going back. Sometimes, I would sneak quietly into the room in the afternoon - so Calli would not notice I was gone from the living room otherwise she would run to the bed faster than I could to force me play her favorite video clip of her birthday party or jump up and down on the bed (Okay, that's another story) - to take power naps.

Yesterday was one of those times. I woke up before dinner time, around 5:30PM I guess. Nikki is usually already home from school by that time. There was Nikki and Calli in the living room and they had obviously been watching TV. As soon as I walked out the bedroom door headed to the bathroom to pee, Nikki asked me her $1M question.

Calli's "Duk Lan"

Calli, my younger daughter, is soooo funny, well, at least for me. At her age - learning to speak words, attempting to complete her statements, making funny gestures and facial expressions - she just knows how to make Elmer and me laugh, with very little or no effort at all. We love her puppy eyes whenever pinapagalitan namin siya. We pity her so much pag sobrang iyak niya kasi napalo siya at talaga namang wagas ang pagtulo ng luha niya na parang wala ng bukas. We are so delighted by her grins. Hindi lang smile, grin talaga, as in labas lahat ng ngipin pati gilagid. We always laugh at her signature moves and bulol lyrics of songs. On my past rest days, walang yaya so ako lahat (ako na lang lagi, lahat-lahat? So unfair! Haha) ang may gawa sa bahay. First night that we didn't have yaya with us, while on bed nagpapaantok (all lights out kasi hindi matutulog si Calli pag maliwanag) -- 

Mommy: Tulog na Mahal. Andilim na. Wag na tayo maingay kasi magagalit ang kapitbahay.(Lahat na ng pang-uuto, para tumigil na siya sa paglalaro).

Calli: Raaaaawr! (Alam niyo yung mga halimaw or nakakatakot na characters sa mga horror movies? Ginagaya pala niya yun as if tinatakot ako. Haha!)

Mommy: (Not paying attention)

Calli: Duk lan Mommy. Duk lan ha.

Mommy: (Trying to decipher...decipher...decipher)

Kayo ba na-decipher niyo na ang ibig niya sabihin?

Joke lang po!

Regret, Bittersweet Sundays And Celebrity Marriages

"I am sorry." - ala Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo nung nag-sorry siya. Remember the Hello Garci scandal? Mismo! Parang ganyan ang gusto kong sabihin sa dati kong blog site I mentioned I did not want to use any longer. Just earlier today, I was hoping that I could export my posts here to that other blog site. I decided I would start using that other blog site again at the same time as this. Unfortunately, there's no option just yet to export old posts here in Multiply to any other blog site. Only way is to copy-paste each one of them to that other blog site. And doing it that way would not keep the dates when the posts were originally created. That's sad! Sana soon meron na. *Fingers crossed*

I am at work as I write this. Yes, I have a lot of "free" time here at work. Idagdag mo pang today is Sunday. I hate the fact that I have to work on Sundays (at least until October). There's the missing the Sunday family activities, the usual Sunday masses, and the list goes on and on. But at the same time, pampalubag-loob na din na konti lang ang trabaho pag Sunday at wala pang maraming bosses. Isa lang ang manager-on-duty pag Sunday shift, at di pa masyado visible, figuratively and literally. Hihihi! That's another story. Aside from the fact na konti lang ang trabaho pag Sunday, walang masyadong ginagawa pero sulit sa bayad plus may time pa mag-blog. At mag-surf sa mga websites kahit blocked pa yan (isp tech support kami kaya dapat alam niyo na yan). At makipag-chismisan sa mga workmates na bored na bored na din kasi wala ding magawa tulad ko kundi maghintay ng end ng shift. Aarte pa ba ako?!

Isa sa mga ginagawa ko pagdating ko sa office, aside from the usuals na work-related, is check the new articles and my daily horoscope here. And Kirk Douglas, American film actor, quoted "You can tell a lot about a guy by the woman he marries." in one of the articles. But I think that does not apply only to married men. Kahit yung mga boyfriends din. It makes a huge impression on a guy the girl he is with, not necessarily the looks lang. You know what I mean. That made me think. What can other people tell about Elmer by me? "He could have done way much better than that"? Sh*t! I may not be a perfect partner but I think I am perfect for him. Ayeeee!

Ciao!

  

And The Countdown Begins. 85, 84, 83...

Today's October 1. Ambilis ng araw! 85 more days before Christmas. It's the waiting and preparing for Christmas that's really fun, and not Christmas at all, at least for me. For the past 6 Decembers, palagi na lang akong malungkot. Pag malapit na ang Pasko, I start to have this feeling again na gusto ko na talagang mag-resign. O kundi naman, winiwish ko na sana sa bangko na lang din ako nag-wo-work like my close friends Jona and Elley. O kahit anong trabaho na walang pasok pag legal at special holidays at pag sinabi ng presidente ng Filifins. Kasi every December 'di ba, there's this almost-a-week-long vacation from work dahil sa mga sunod-sunod na holidays. Kaya naman, pag December, uso ang lahat ng klase ng reunion (family, high school, atbp.), mga gatherings at of course, mga parteys! Most of the time, absent ako sa mga ganyan. Aheytchit!

Here in Baguio, I can already feel the Christmas vibe. Couple of times that I visited the mall this week that I heard Christmas songs playing. There are early Christmas promos in some stores, ads on TV and radio and Christmas decors in some places. Almost everywhere, I can see hints that Christmas is just around the corner. (Wag na magtanong kung saang corner ha?!)

And when we say Christmas, there also come the words family, togetherness, gifts, parties, and gifts, inaanaks, Aguinaldo, and gifts. Haist! I always want to be home every Christmas. My family has a home here in Baguio, that's for sho'. So I guess, I should say, I always want my family to be home every Christmas. And when I say home, I mean, Nueva Ecija or Pangasinan. Pero mas masaya sa Nueva Ecija kasi mas marami kami dun. At dun talaga ako. If I ask Elmer, for sho', Pangasinan pipiliin nun. Siya taga-dun e. Pero isa lang ng mama niya dun. Hindi masaya. But as he always says, "Yun na nga. Mag-isa lang niya dun, kaya mas dapat dun tayo mag-Pasko." Paano naman ang mga kamag-anak ko sa Nueva Ecija? Ma-mi-miss nila ako? (Siya kayang tunay?! Hmmm..)

Every year, I get to choose only one. Opo, isa lang sa dalawang mahalagang holidays ng taon. One holiday to be off work. Christmas or New Year. At di ko mapagtanto kung bakit ang mga kasama ko sa trabaho ay mga gaya-gaya! Gusto din nila ng New Year off. Parang nanalo sa lotto sa office pag natapat ka sa New Year off. Parang raffle draw kasi ang pag-decide. Hmp, kaloka!

I remember, nung 2010, Christmas off ako. As we all know, Christmas day and New Year's day always fall on the same day. Kung Thursday ang Pasko 2010, for sho', Thursday din ang New Year's Day 2011, yung ganun? So wala akong pasok ng December 24 at 25. The following week after that ginawa nilang December 31 AT January 2 ang off ko. Well, dahil tinamad ako at sa kagustuhan kong makasama ang pamilya ko, nagparamdam na ako sa boss na hindi na ako papasok ng January 1. Deadma siya at panay ang paalala na pasok sa banga ng suspension pag absent during critical work days. Pero mabait talaga si Lord at muli kong naramdaman, Ate Charo, na mahal Niya ako at ang aking pamilya. Ang pinakapuhunan ko sa industriya ng call center, ang aking malamig na boh-sehs, ang sumalba sa aking holidays. Minalat ako! Syempre secure agad ako ng aking medical certificate. Nakalimutan ko na ang tawag sa sakit. Basta may -itis sa dulo. Happy-happy ang Christmas 2010 at New Year 2011 ko.

And another good thing about Christmas ay ang kabi-kabilang mga Christmas parties. Photos below were something that I took last year in one of the Crhistmas parties that I attended. This was with Team Espinueva that I was assisting before.

Who gave me those horns?! ^_^

With my friend and choco mousse master Renj

Below are some photos naman that I took on December 25, 2009. This was the actual evening of Christmas. Elmer and I had dinner with Nikki outside. Baby pa lang si Calli dito. Five months. Elmer is not a fan of going out with a baby with us. He claims he's protecting the baby from possible sakit na makukuha niya outside. If I know, ayaw niya lang magbuhat, 'no!

Nikki was only 5 years old here

Elegant place pero sa SM lang naman 'to.

Bigla kong naisip, bakit ba itong sinulat ko? Ooh, I remember, because I was going through my photos in Facebook and saw some of the photos taken these past 2 Christmases which reminded me na malapit na nga na naman ang Pasko. Haist! Ambilis talaga ng araw. Siyang tunay!

And out.

Ciao! ♥

 

I Promise, Don't I, Really?!

I had known about this blog site (thanks to a friend) early this year and not been able to view it again until after a couple of weeks ago. For the past few days, I had been reading recent posts and even the old ones posted way back in 2008, 2009 and 2010. It's really entertaining for me to read her posts. Just like me, she also has two daughters. Although, hers are already in their late teens and mine are only 7 and 2. I enjoy reading her posts about how they are in their house as a family, what she is like as a mother to her daughters and as a wife to her husband. I think she is a cool mom, just like me. She is a good cook, or should I say, she cooks good. Whatever! I envy her because she could afford to give her career up to be hands-on with her daughters. Her family has since been a one-income family. She was a lawyer and her husband is a civil engineer. At this point, mine cannot survive in a one-income status. Or maybe it can but we have to sacrifice a some things where some might fall under the almost-a-necessity category.
'Nuff with the comparison. The real reason why I am again starting to make new post is because I am inspired by her. Her blog became like a diary of her everyday life. I also want something like that. So, I promise (fingers crossed) to post new entry everyday (even just a short one). Kahit non-sense. 

I Almost Forgot That I Have A Blog

I don't know what prompted me to write again. Those old blog posts that I currently have here prior to this one, they were written in 2008. I just imported them from my other blog site which by the way, I don't want to use anymore. (Bakit naman? Wala lang!) Going back..what prompted me to write again? maybe because my life now sucks! Hahaha.. I don't know what to do with my life. I live every day to survive the day. It is such a good thing to still have Calli with me. She just gives me the more reason to survive the day. But everyday, there's always something I cannot figure out what that's ugh! I don't know. I just know there's something wrong.

What I am trying to say is, I need this. I need some place to voice out my frustrations, my fears, my plans (kung meron man or meron na..), my whatever!

I thought I was strong. I guess I am not after all.

Ciao! ♥