positivity

a colleague sent out his requisite farewell email to the group today. it was his last day at work.

it was a string of thanks and good memories shared with the whole group. it was really heartwarming.

until i came to the part where he said his thanks to me. he thanked me for all the positive feedback i gave him for all the projects that were assigned to him. i didn't realize that this would have a positive impact on him and how massive a simple gesture of good job, great work had on him. and me.

it felt good that i did something good and made an impact on someone. gosh! this is such a great feeling! so amazing and overwhelming at the same time. so this is what it feels like on the other side of the fence.

now i;m sending all this positive energy to whoever gets to read this. i am happy now and i hope this lasts until the next week. what a good feeling this is!

LP#55: Tulay

sa tahimik na gabi, ikaw lang ang bantay

ang nagiisa kong kasama sa aking paglakbay

ito ay kuha kagabi nang kami ay pauwi galing opisina. ito ang tulay sa may sta. ana. minsan lang namin maabutan na halos walang kasabay na mga sasakyan sa aming pag uwi. na ikinatuwa naman ng aking asawa dahil makakasama siya sa aking lahok ngayon.

happy LP sa inyo!

*ang laki rin ng tulong ng aming di pag linis ng windsheild ng sasakyan at ito'y nakatulong sa pag dagdag sa dramatic effect. hehe

fare thee well, grissom

so grissom now leaves csi. for fans like me, this is one of the saddest episodes ever. next to sara leaving the team.

csi will not be the same without the quirks and eyebrow raises of the one and only grissom. but seeing him happy is more than enough.

now, mr. lawrence fishbourne has to size up to my viewing standards (haha). first day on the job starts in tonight's episode. can't wait to go home!

kyle and the art of whining

thank god for parenting.com and i am somehow prepared for the whining sessions. i admit even if i prepared myself for this, it is still quite annoying and irritating. but dealing with it comes easy.

to share a few tips and tricks:

> give them a few mintues of your attention or time. give them more hugs, tickles or even a cracker or two. the whining may just be a small bout of hunger or boredom.
> let him hear that the whining sound he makes is not nice and turn it into a funny scene. in short laugh it off, your toddler might not notice that he is in fact whining. (this one works between kyle and i)
> do the exact opposite of what they're doing, if they're whining loudly, answer them back in a whisper. or as if you're telling a secret. this would hold your toddler's attention.

or just give it to them straight. let them know that when they whine, you can't understand them and the only time you can talk to them if they stop whining. this one also works for me and kyle. just keep your calm voice so that your toddler can replicate your mood and everything will flow smoothly. but there will be days that you do get to slip and cave in to the anger and answer back to your kid and a war ensues. it's ok, we're moms, they're kids, we're just human. it's part of the mommy-kids cycle. we get to live with it.

and of course, you have to reward your kid for the good behavior be it an affirmation of him being able to follow your instructions or a hug or a kiss. something that reinforces their good behavior/attitude.

but you won't get it the first time. it's a trial and error thing until you and your toddler gets used to it and before you know it, the whining is over and you're conversing with your toddler like an adult. :)

scream for ice cream

i'm sure the lot of you have been craving these 3 temptations. i'm sure i am and my quest to try out these creations is still ongoing. (you know, funds..)

i got to read chuvaness' latest blog entry and it convinced me even more.

on top of my list, i'm going to try this one:



sis in law said it tasted almost like nutella with brownies. how amazing is that?

oh please sweldo, come to me so that i can buy this temptation...

EDIT:

homaygaaad! was able to try the chocolate truffles and the hazelnut brownie and i am now in chocolate heaven!! this is too sinful for words. now i must have one tub each to share with hubby while watching tv.

i may not win the mother of the year award...

because...

1. i let my kids sleep late on weekends. and let them watch tv with me and hubby.
2. i let them have a taste of coke, chips, ice cream and the other stuff that falls under the junk food category. better let them experience it than deprive them.
3. when i'm tired or wanting to get more sleep, i ask their yayas to look after them for a while.
4. i let them stay longer when we give them baths. a few minutes of playtime with water.
5. the tv with cartoons are our savior when the kids have tantrums.
6. it doesn't hurt to have dirty hands, feet or faces once in a while.
7. if i'm not in the mood to feed them, daddy or yaya takes over and i get to sneak in a few minutes of me time.
8. we've taught kyle to sit properly in the passenger side of the car - with his seat belt on when he turned 2. now it's keon's turn.
9. i let them whine and cry until they get tired.
10. i learned to be a mom not from books, but how i see them growing up and learning from my mistakes.
11. i let them sleep without brushing their teeth if they don't feel like it.

if that makes me unqualified as mom of the year. it's ok with me.

credits to Jen for the inspiration for this post. read hers and see that there are a lot of non mothers of the year but still the best moms ever!

Preggy Updates #4: waves and the big reveal

now that the little one is on her 27th week (still praying for a girl). the kicks have evolved into more intense movements. the kids and hubby can now see the kicks in action through waves in my tummy. hubby has been witness to these waves from the 2 boys and my dad would fondly associate with the aliens movie. (har har).

and this little munchkin is quite the mover. i would feel those waves and kicks more than 20 times the whole day. majority of the movements can be felt at night or after i have a full meal. so i guess it's a sign that i do have a happy baby in my tummy.

and we've finally decided to end this mystery of whether this little one's a girl or a boy. so on may 9, i've been scheduled by my ob to have my routine ultrasound and to finally determine baby's gender. and to finally put a rest on the ongoing bet here in the office.

a lonely home

this is what greeted me when i left for work this morning:


an empty house. no toys on the floor, no screams of "mommy'. no disney channel on cable. just a bare and quiet home.

day 1 and i miss my kids terribly. 3 weeks to go. 3 weeks of silence.

LP#54: Gusali

Paumanhin po at bigla nanaman akong nanahimik sa LP. kasalukuyan po akong nagdadalang-tao ng aming ika-3 anak at medyo ito ang kumakain ng oras ko maliban sa trabaho.

eto na po ang lahok ko para sa linggong ito:


sa iyong ganda at lapit sa dalampasigan, tiyak, balang araw, magkikita tayo muli. salamat Microtel Inn Cebu sa iyong pagtanggap sa amin.

us, and a bag of beans

obviously this is a very late post.

hubby and i were invited to attend my former boss' wedding in tagaytay one saturday in january. it was a fun wedding even if majority of the guests were freezing in the cold cold breeze.

after the church ceremony, we had a few hours to spare before heading to the reception. so we decided to grab a steaming cup of coffee - hot choco for preggy old me. and we found ourselves at bag of beans. i've been hearing a lot of reviews about the place. reminds me of a smaller version of sonya's garden that serves good batangas coffee.

hot choco for me please

we opted to stay in the garden area. aside from the steaming mugs, hubby and i ordered some food. we were quite hungry, with the reception a few hours away, we decided to order something light and something we can share. we decided to order this:

their breakfast sampler

something light huh? oh but it is! and up to now, hubby and i can't stop raving about this feast! the bacon was crunchy-right, the sausage was divine, the eggs cooked just right, the hashbrowns needed a little more salt, and the ham could pass for christmas ham. it was that good! and it is good to share for 2 and priced around 200++ if i'm not mistaken. a good deal or what?

for sure, we'll go back to bag of beans for this. even the kids i'm sure would love to have a bite of this breakfast sampler. :) we finally found a new haunt next to starbucks and mushroom burger. :)

i wish lunches were like these

then i would stare at it for a few minutes thinking should i eat it or not? haha

whoever did this is a genius! this is bento love. :)



SOURCE

how cool is that? :)

a woman...

a repost from my friend Tina which i got when she posted this in our mommy threads. :)

Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of sh!t.

to all the women out there, this is so true!!

black buttons for eyes?

your not so typical children's book gets a new life though stop animation in this latest movie coming this 2009 in cinemas. to all neil gaiman fans, i know you've been waiting for this!!



can't wait for this!!

adidas opens its newest flagship store

last thrusday, i was invited to attend the grand opening of the adidas store in greenbelt 3. as some of you are familiar with greenbelt, the previous adidas store was the one beside coffee bean and tea leaf, now that space is occupied by la senza. the new store moved a few units away inside the mall, just beside the nike store.

the event started around 4 with a little fashion show of the different product categories the store carries. by far, the greenbelt store now replaces the sports performance store in trinoma as its newest flagship store and now hails as the capital of the 3-stripes nation.

the store is categorized into 2 divisions: sport performance, where anything and everything to do with sports and athletics can be found to support an athlete's passion. sports under this category include: football, running, training and basketball.

the second division named sport style houses, originals, fashion group and style essentials. making that essential link of sports with fashion only adidas can offer.

and in line with the store opening, the mi adidas philippine collection was unveiled. top running and basketball shoes embodying the filipino spirit and nationalistic pride. imagine wearing your counrty's colors on your shoes! but here's the catch, only 60 pairs are available, so if you're feeling nationalistic, better reserve your pair now.

and of course, we the people who work for the media, didn't leave the event empty handed. we were given the token press kits and as a welcome surprise, GC worth P2,000.00 which we can use on that day itself to purchase anything we wanted from the store. and to my glee and happiness, i was able to finally purchase something from adidas originals. with this purchase, i hope this is going to be the start of more adidas originals apparel and footwear.

here's my lovely purchase. finally! i have a neat, big white bag to lug around (added a few pesos since the price is a little over 2k). :) thank you adidas!
so visit the new adidas store in greenbelt and explore the biggest flagship store of adidas. so far. :)

weekend photos

daddy blogger? nah. just doing some work using my laptop. that's hubby, the one without ANY social networking account or blog. give him his email and he's good to go.


the boys bonding, a candid moment. genuine laughs. blame wipe out on axn for these happy faces.

yey! ninang's here! yey! finally saw my bestfriend after a month of hibernation haha.

why hello there bebe # 3! working the 6th month tummy. pardon the tummy peeking, it was a hot day and my sandos are in order.

a purple themed wedding

purple wedding affair by hazehung featuring Converse shoes

yes, and that's how i envisioned it to be. white wedding gown (simple please - no lace, no frills, no beads) with purple bow accent to show off the color motif. some purple accents here and there. purple heels (not to high please) or hi cut white chuck taylors with purple laces please!

i'd rather be the not so typical bride who goes all out white. =)

next up, potential maid of honor dresses and bridesmaids. can't wait!

Happy Easter!

I hope you guys had a blessed Holy Week aka long weekend! How did you spend yours? With the family at home or on a roadtrip to somewhere?

Our family spent the holy week just lazing around at home with a few visits here and there to the inlaws. We were too lazy to even move because of the heat and the slightest movement would leave us, especially me in fits of sweating.

Good Friday was spent with the kids just watching a special preview of Playhouse Disney, which sadly would end this Wednesday. I know good Friday is supposed to be solemn and observed. But with toddlers in the house and can get restless in a matter of seconds, we have to find something that would catch their attention. And Playhouse Disney is the way to go.

Black Saturday was spent the same thing as Friday but with trip to the inlaws. MIL was missing the boys too much and we brought the kids to her. As much as we would want to spend the night there, it just wasn’t possible since there were/are too many kids and adults in the house. Staying over would make things more complicated and well, chaotic. Which I am trying to avoid.

Come Easter Sunday, hubby and I decided to finally get some work done in our little bedroom. We’ve finally cleared the cabinets and drawers of unwanted and unused stuff. It was a good day indeed. The room looked cleaner and more bright. Next on our agenda is if we are to purchase a 0.75 HP aircon unit and Venetian blinds since the blinds in our room are slowly giving up.

So, that’s how our Holy Week went and so far. Now, hubby and I have to start planning ahead for the coming months and for next year. Now I’m off to make those lists in my planner.

Happy Easter!!

Kitchen God

hubby, as most of my friends know is the better cook between the two of us. to date, he has his signature dishes that friends rave about and request to have it served during get togethers or if they just crave it.

and as i had pluked over the long weekend, hubby's creamy tuna pasta was a hit at home. as usual.

so how does he do it? simple, it's all in the taste. no measurements at all. call him mr. unconventional chef.

basically, the ingredients are:

garlic, chopped
onions, chopped
pepper. to season
salt, to season
nestle cream, the one in the tetra pack
milk, full cream or non fat. we use nestle milk
cheese, quickmelt preferrably
and century tuna, in vegetable oil.
the tuna's vegetable oil used to saute the garlic and onions.

unfortunately, i don't have the photos to show the creamy goodness that it was. but there's going to be a next time.

at least now, during the holy week, we won't suffer from eating mackarel in glass noodles every good friday. now we have an alternative! yey!

thursday night laughs

last night before we went to bed, hubby and i were discussing our wedding preps for next year. it was a serious conversation which turned downright funny.

hubby: wag na tayo mag reception, chruch na lang ang pag gastusan natin. tapos yung gwon mo saka suit ko rent na lang. haha
me: paano kaya yun? ayos ah.
hubby: madali lang tsaka tipid pa.
me: paano nga?
hubby: after ng reception, mag aabot na lang tayo ng juice at mamon sa mga guests. ok na yun.
me: langya, ang labo nun. (at this point i was laughing my heart out at the thought and the mental image)
me: tapos iaabot natin zesto saka goldilocks mamon.
hubby: pag ninong at ninang, c2 saka ensaymada naman para may distinction. (when he said this, we couldn't stop laughing anymore to the point we were almost crying)
me: oo nga, ganun na lang noh? tipid pa.

but of course, i had to have the last statement:

me: buti na lang joke lang yan noh?

a new baby

after years of trying and prayers, it has been answered. my only wish was that my lola was able to see and touch her latest apo. the youngest (so far) of my mom's side.

and what an angel he is! i am sure lola honey's his guardian angel.

be good ramboy (aka ram godfrey), you have a long way to go. =)

even your nephew kyle, loves you this much already!

to the graduate!

i just could not imagine that my little boy has now finished one chapter in his life. his first graduation/moving up day/recognition day. it has been a joy to see him excel and become such a big boy in a span of a year.

he has improved a lot ever since he started school and his teacher told me. what was once a shy, clingy, stuttering boy is now a confident, brave, independent and oh so talkative little man that he is now.

to our first graduate, my kyle xavier, mommy and daddy couldn't be more proud of what you have become.

to more milestones and graduations my dear boy. =)

Pregnancy updates #4: 9 pounds heavy

bebe shobe as kyle would fondly call the baby is growing. fast! as of last check up, i gained 9 pounds. i guess with the baby's growth spurt and my nonstop eating escapades, i didn't imagine i could gain that much over a month or so. but the good news is, and according to my OB my weight is still right on track. so no need to worry yet. (or until the next lab test results are in)

the little one has been doing ok. mostly awake towards the evenings and when i'm idle or just watching tv with the boys.

as much as i am worried about the sleepless nights ahead like a first time mom, i think i'm ready for the challenge. i didn't raise 2 boys for nothing and the ongoing nightly wakings and feedings are still in progress. but this time with "mommy dede" from keon with fake crying or "mommy i want dede" from kyle with urgent tappings on my tummy. and where is hubby? fast asleep like a baby. haha

this time i am bargaining with him that if this one's a girl, he better make sure to take care of his "princess". i've done my share with my 2 princes (haha). but yeah, looks like it'll be mommy and baby #3 with the night feedings, changing at rocking to sleep. :)

anyway, here's what babycenter says:

Your baby is still on the skinny side with no body fat but his brain is growing rapidly and he's starting to fill the space in your uterus. By now, you probably have a definite "pregnant" shape and the linea nigra, a dark line of pigmentation, may appear down the center of your abdomen. Your baby's taste buds are also forming and, believe it or not, his sweet tooth. Could that explain your sudden craving for doughnuts? No one knows for sure but it's a good excuse, next time you find yourself visiting the bakery.