Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Love ko to.

Hello, I'm still alive! 

I haven't had time to write here, obviously, but I just had to do up a quick post on this super adorable McDonald's commercial. It touched me so much because it reminded me of my mom and my Ally, who are both so kikay and really get along well with each other. Plus, Downtown is my mom's favorite song. 

I showed this to my mom this afternoon, and what do you know, she actually got teary-eyed after 1 run. And the first thing she said? "I will buy Ally a Happy Meal later," which she did much to my daughter's delight! Oh, and my mom kept watching it over and over again for about 15 minutes. She loved the commercial that much. 

Video taken from YouTube user Kiko Gonzalez

So, thank you McDonald's for such a touching and endearing commercial.  



Wednesday, August 14, 2013

I joined a stationery swap last Saturday, and this was one of the notecards I did that I wasn't able to give out. It didn't go with the theme of the other 10 sets that I made. So I might as well post it here because I find it so cute. It has some imperfections but I am still proud of my work.

Cute, no?

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

June-July 2013

So here's a quick overview of what we have been up to for the past two months:

Ally started going to her big school, which was my alma mater,
so it was (and still is, actually) all very emotional for me
We commemorated Fathers' Day by giving Jojo
a couple of pairs of John Lloyd Cruz-inspired pants - stylish, no?
My two little girls partied like adults when we attended our neighbor's 
birthday bash at The Gallery at Richmonde Eastwood. 

I can now fit into my pre-Ally jeans,
which were even kinda loose! Really major milestone!
I had lunch with Mamang and my parents at SM Fairview
to celebrate Mamang's 86th birthday

We had dinner out at Panciteria Lido
for our July celebrants, Mamang and Benj
The Paras clan had dinner at Cafe Via Mare
to conclude Mamang's birthday weekend
 
We had a nice weekend at Anvaya
to celebrate my godson Pepito's birthda
y
It was rather an eventful two months, don't you think so? And to think, I don't look as harassed as I ought to given my current domestic situation. All in all, not bad! I'm patting myself on the back now!

Now if only I can get more free time to blog more.




Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Artistic Ally

I just love the very creative and artsy-fartsy way Ally wrote her name!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

One Month

It has been a month since we have had househelps here at home. And we have survived. Yes, I am so tired, my hands are not as smooth as they once were, and my patience has been getting shorter and shorter, but we are surviving. Dare I say, we are kinda getting the hang of it actually. We have had to make adjustments, both big and small, and it certainly wasn't easy the first week. We still have a lot of adjusting to do and it still isn't easy, but we are getting things done a bit more efficiently now. Yay, us!

So how does a mom of a Manila househelp-less household with a toddler and a pre-schooler go about a normal week?

Basically, my schedule revolves around Ally's school schedule, which is right smack in the middle of the day, because I drive her to and from school. This means I have to do the house chores early in the morning, before everyone wakes up, and after Ally's school, when hopefully the kids are having their afternoon nap. Plus, I have to squeeze in all outside errands while Ally is in school. Seems typical enough for a SAHM mom, right?

I usually wake up at 8am, except on laundry days when I have to be up by 630. First task is to get Ally's school gear (ID, uniform, socks, undies, bag, assignments) ready. Then I prepare her baon for recess as well as her breakfast, while I eat my own breakfast. Then I take a bath and dress up before I wake Ally up. It takes about an hour to get Ally to eat her breakfast, shower and dressed for school. This is the most stressful hour of my day as it takes a lot of cajoling, bribing, threatening and a whole lot of patience to get Ally moving along. That little girl moves so slow and comes up with all sorts of excuses and reasons, it is so exasperating! Jojo has called my attention one too many times because I nag and easily lose my temper in the morning, but if I didn't, I doubt if Ally would ever get to school on time.

I use the drive to Ally's school to recenter myself for the day. Usually the two girls in the backseat are either quiet or I hear them giggling and amusing themselves. Sometimes I review Ally on her lessons, and sometimes Sofia and I just listen to Ally and her made up songs.

After Sofia and I drop Ally off at school, we basically have three hours to kill before we'd need to be back to fetch her. Oftentimes we'd go to my parents' place, which is closer to the school than our house. But there are also days when we'd need to do outside errands, like go to the bank or to the grocery, or my parents are out for the day. And it is on these days that my energy supply gets critically low. It is exhausting to have to do errands with a squiggly and hyperactive toddler in tow, I tell you. We tried once to just chill and wait at a nearby Starbucks. Major fail! Sofia kept going to the other customers and tried so many times to get their drinks. I think I apologized more than 10 times in under an hour. So embarrassing! We didn't last an hour there.

On the days that we kill time at my parents' place, my mom usually accompanies us to fetch Ally. Then we'd spend another hour at her house before we'd go back home. The drive back to our house is the most peaceful part of my day because more often than not, the two girls are asleep. I barely even mind if there is traffic! Sometimes the girls are so tired that when we get home they don't stir when Jojo and I move them from the car to the bed. I then use the 1-2 hours of quiet to finish house chores, usually folding the laundry or washing the dishes.

We usually go out to eat dinner so there is no cleaning up after, but there are also times that we have food delivered or we buy food from nearby restaurants and eat in. I'm in charge of the post-meal clean up while Jojo minds the girls. Bedtime for the girls starts around 10, but with all their excuses and delaying tactics and what-nots, it is usually midnight when I get both to sleep. I stay up another hour or so before I finally sleep.

Weekends are spent tidying up the house and spending time at the mall, both absolutely necessary for health and sanity.

Although having a routine helps a lot, I still get overwhelmed and have defeated moments, like when I scraped my knuckles cleaning the bathroom or when it rained just as I finished hanging freshly-laundered clothes to dry or when I had to run to the next street at 630am to give the garbage to the collectors. Yes, I still cry to let out my frustrations and tiredness, but I rally to put myself back together and face all problems head on. It helps to have Titanium (not the David Guetta version but the more dramatic Madilyn Bailey cover) playing on loop in my mind, because I'm ma-drama like that. And it also helps to accept that I am not nor I doubt if I'll ever be a domestic goddess.

I've matured a bit since last month and I am not as scared as I once was. Don't get me wrong, I'd jump at the chance of having househelps again, but I am happy that I know I can do without, that I am not as dependent on them as I thought. Growth, wow.

Oh, and all the chores, dealing with the kids hands-on, the very little time to just sit down and rest, and lack of sleep, it might have wrecked havoc on my hands, but it did wonders for the rest of my body. A lot of people have commented that I am noticeably slimmer! Now that's the best silver lining one can hope for!

Happy one month of househelpless-ness to the Battung household! Good job!

PS I apologize if this post seemed all over the place, I wrote it in bits and pieces over the span of a week. You obviously know why.





Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Staycation: Diamond Hotel

We weren't able to go out of town for a proper summer vacation this year. So sad! Between dealing with our help-less situation, Jojo's hectic work schedule and planning and preparing Sofia's party, there was just no time and energy left. Bummer of a summer, right?

Luckily, one of Sofia's birthday gifts was a voucher for an overnight stay and buffet breakfast at Diamond Hotel. We were so deprived and desperate for a vacation, we booked our stay the weekend after Sofia's party. Excited much, no?

Now, the last (and only) time I've been to Diamond was way back in 1996. My Barkadoodle Ethel had her bonggang debut there. She filled the ballroom with balloons, had so many guests (including all the Barkadoodle parentals) and we partied and danced the night away. Needless to say, I have very good memories associated with the place.

Of course the decor and ambiance has changed since my last visit. The lobby and the restaurants have a more modern and airy feel to it now. But the layout and architecture was what I remembered it to be. And I had to pause for a bit outside the doors of the ballroom. I could picture my barkada and the rest of Ethel's cotillion people dancing to C'mon it's a Choo-choo Train (at least I think that was the title). Major nostalgic moment for me!

Anyway, parking was not a problem as the basement parking was quite huge. Check in was a breeze as well. So we were inside our room within minutes of our arrival at the hotel, which was a huge plus pogi points for the hotel.

Our room was a deluxe suite and we liked it a lot! The entry hallway was wider than most hotels I've been to. I could stretch my arms out on either side of me, and I still won't be able to touch its walls. I guess it was because the hotel structure was old and the cuts of the rooms were bigger than what is norm now. I have to say though, the interior felt new, as if it was refurbished and redone in the last couple of years lang. Another plus for me! It had a king-sized bed, which we had requested, a bathroom with an average-sized bathtub, huge closets with a safe, a well-stocked mini bar, a sofa as well as a coffee table, a television set and good views of Manila Bay.




But, as much as the room was so nice and comfy, we only rested for a while before we got into our swimsuits and headed for the pool. It was an overcast afternoon and we rushed ourselves to get as much swimming done as we can before the rain started. Amazingly, the water was warm, which surprised me because I didn't see any mentions if the pool was heated or not. Anyhoo, we swam until it started drizzling and we were forced to go back to our room.


I perused the room service menu when we got back to the room, and I saw that their rates were slightly more reasonable than the other hotels we had staycations already (Edsa Shang and New World Hotel). But, Jojo suggested that we drive around Ermita/Malate area instead since we rarely venture into these Manila areas. So off we went. It was a rainy Sunday afternoon so the area was quiet and traffic-free. Very nice! We chose to eat dinner at a Korean resto, Korean Palace, which was just okay taste-wise. We went back to the hotel after a quick snack stop at one of the many, many 7-11s around the hotel. We spent the rest of the evening pigging out on our snacks and amusing ourselves with the TV (me and Jojo), coloring books (Ally) and the hallway mirror (Sofia).

Simot in under 15 minutes!
After a good night's rest and yummy breakfast (here), we went back and spent the rest of the morning at the pool. Odd though that the water was significantly colder despite the sunny weather. Oh well. I wasn't curious or bothered enough to try to figure it out. Another weird thing about Diamond Hotel pool was that the closest bathroom to the pool area was a floor down. You would have to go down a flight of stairs if you want to change out of your swimsuits or if you would need to relieve yourself. I found it weird because when you are dripping wet, going down the stairs is not exactly the safest thing to do, right?




We checked out of the hotel shortly after lunch and was back to our normal routine by mid-afternoon. But the short staycation was a very nice and pleasant change of pace. So, thanks Tito Junie for the gift. We had a fab time! 






Monday, June 24, 2013

Starstruck!

Sorry (again) for the lack of posts. It's just that life has been turned upside down yet again as our househelps left nearly three weeks ago. We are coping as best as we could but to say that I am exhausted is such an understatement.

Now that I get a rare moment of rest (both girls are already asleep, thankfully), I just want to share a special moment that happened a couple of days ago.

Remember that I shared here about my hope that Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games, write another book in Peeta's POV? Well, I googled her and found her Twitter account. She doesn't tweet much though, and she is fairly new with not a lot of followers. And although it is not a verified account, it seems legit. One of her tweets was to hash tag #asksuzanne for any questions. So I did. I asked her if she would consider writing The Hunger Games in Peeta's POV. And wouldn't you know, she replied! She actually replied! Here are the screenshots:

Isn't it just amazing? She is by far the most well-known person who actually replied to my tweet. And I am so totally kilig about it, even if the reply (her not making the book in Peeta's POV) was not what I would have wanted her reply to be)!

So thank you, Ms Collins for taking time to answer and giving me something pretty awesome to gush about. And thank you, Twitter for this amazing opportunity.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Books vs Movies

So I already watched The Hunger Games movie from start to end. Apart from the gory parts, it was a good and entertaining movie, but it was a pale shadow of the book in my opinion.

Some positives first before I go all nega. I liked the casting for and acting of Stanley Tucci for Caesar Flickerman. Spot on! I also liked how Lady Gaga-ish the Capitol people were made to be (and that was before I found out that she was actually the inspiration for the costumes). I also liked the visual they made for the opening ceremonies, from the chariots to the parade of the tributes as well as the flaming costumes.

That said, give me a few minutes to go nega. I didn't like how they overlooked some of the good parts in the book and how they changed some of the dialogue. I don't like how they removed Haymitch's line when he said "Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?" on the train going towards Capitol, how the movie made it seem that only Katniss had fire and Peeta was a simple-minded pushover. I didn't like how they downplayed the whole Peeta-is-in-love-with-Katniss thing and that they changed most of what had happened in the cave during the Games. I didn't like how they showed the alliance between Katniss and Rue as well as the whole scene between Thresh and Katniss at the feast (Clove didn't even mention the alliance so it was weird that Thresh didn't kill Katniss). I didn't like how the final interview was conducted and how disconnected with each other Katniss and Peeta felt at the end. Basically, what I disliked the most was how different the dynamic between them felt in the movie as compared to the book. In the book, it was a tug-of-war between enemies, friends and lovers. In the movie, it was just two strangers who happened to be from the same district helping each other survive.

When I finished watching the movie, I told Jojo that the book was so much better. He just laughed and said "always naman, diba?" Well, I realize now that I say that often enough. I said that to all 8 Harry Potter movies, to all 5 Twilight films and to a couple more movies here and there. Then he asked me "kailan ba naging mas maganda yung book?", and I had to pause to think about it. Because while films provide good visuals, I often find that they do not really capture a character's personality or essence. Take for instance Dan Brown's Da Vinci's Code. Sophia's character in the book was street smart, intelligent and brave, but in the movie, it seemed as if she was so clueless, everything had to be explained to her.

But you know what, I was able to give Jojo an answer! The movie A Walk to Remember (Mandy Moore, Shane West) was much better than the book. I read the book after I had watched the movie, and I was so surprised and disappointed with the book. Parang ang flat ng book! I mean, if I had read the book first, I would never have thought that they would make it into a movie.

Then there was Legally Blonde (Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair). Very few know that the movie was based on a book by Amanda Brown. Actually, even I didn't. I just happened to have read the book and realized afterward that the story was so similar to the movie. A quick Google search confirmed that the movie was based on the book. The movie was highly entertaining, the book, unfortunately, was not quite as fun. (Side note - I just found out that my favorite Amanda Brown book, School of Fortune, is being optioned for a film. I am so excited! My first thought when I finished reading it for the first time was that the story would make for a great movie. That was over 4 years ago, and now it may soon be a reality! Woohoo!).

Another movie that I liked better than the book was The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien (Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler). But this was mainly because I found it hard to imagine the world as told by Tolkien. I am no sci-fi geek, you know. Besides, I only read the book because the second movie The Two Towers was just so bitin.

What about you? Do you like books that are adapted into movies? What is your favorite?

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Shopping Find - Chippy Mild & Tasty

I get strong cravings for salty food every so often, and even though I know excessive amounts of salty food is so bad for the health, I almost always give in to my craving. It is bad, I know, especially since my family has a history of heart ailments and high blood pressure.

So imagine my surprise when I saw this in Puregold Jr this afternoon - mild and tasty Chippy with less salt! Of course I bought one to see if it still has enough saltiness to satisfy me. And what do you know, it does! It still has that salty barbecue flavor that the original Chippy has but it is not as salty. Mild nga e. And still tasty enough too. I just forgot to check how much less sodium it has compared to the original one though.

My verdict? It's as good as the original and so worth the Php5 retail value.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Books - The Hunger Games Trilogy

So I've already finished The Hunger Games trilogy. It has its good and bad points, but as a whole I think it was worth the read (and the re-read that I am actually in the middle of doing now). I still have yet to watch the movie though because our DVD is missing, but I plan to do so as soon as we find it, hopefully before the movie sequel comes out in November.

Anyway, this is not a review per se since I have no idea how to do an actual book review (that is not graded ala what was required back in grade school and in high school). I am just going to air out my thoughts about the book. Side note - does any of you know of a book club in Quezon City? I really am interested in joining one. Let me know if you have any leads please. Thanks!

Okay, back to my musings before I digress even further.

My favorite book of the trilogy was definitely The Hunger Games (first book), despite its sluggish start and obvious segue for the sequel. I was totally engrossed in the story and I pictured it easily in my mind. True, my mind's Katniss was still Jennifer Lawrence, but the arena, the fights and the desperate desire for survival were so well told that it wasn't all that difficult to be a part of their world.

I found Katniss to be a different type of heroine. Her progression from the strong and feisty girl in book one to the resigned and determined girl in part two made a lot of sense. However, her attitude/role in book three was so disappointing and confusing. It was as if she lost her spunk once the war started. And then I realized why. She was all about keeping her head down and just doing what she can to survive. She was fueled by her need to keep herself and her family and loved ones alive. Yes, she was angry at the Capitol, but she was no rebel. So it seemed as if she couldn't find her footing and her character sort of took a backseat once the war started. She was merely the face and symbol of the rebellion, but she was not instrumental in any aspect of it. She spent the better part of book 3 either hospitalized and drugged or helpless and apathetic. I would have preferred to see her involve herself more instead of the lost person she seemed to be.

I love the Haymitch-Katniss-Peeta dynamic and that they grew to care about each other like a family. Yes, Katniss already has her own family, but with Haymitch and Peeta, she is on the receiving side instead of the giving side of the relationship. She gets a father figure in Haymitch and an adoring friend in Peeta, and the three of them together made so much sense. Their weaknesses and insecurities were balanced with the strengths the others had. Very good stuff. The interactions among these three were my favorite parts in all three books.

What I really didn't like was how the third book, Mockingjay, ended. It was as if the author ran out of fuel and just wrote a draft and submitted it to her publisher. I get that Peeta, Katniss and even Haymitch would never be the same persons as they were before becoming Tributes, the war and everything in between, but I really wanted to know how they overcame all the demons that haunted them. I think it was in writing the memoir-type book that brought them a semblance of healing and peace, and I really, really wanted to know how they got the project started and how they went about immortalizing their fallen friends. I am so curious as to how each memory, each dead person was written and memorialized there. The resolution that Suzanne Collins gave me was just so vague and so devoid of details. Blah.

I was thrilled that Katniss ended up with Peeta and that they were able to build a life together (even if the short epilogue was just that, short). I knew it was either life with Peeta or a life of single-blessedness for Katniss since it never crossed my mind that she would end up with Gale, who wasn't significant enough in the series. I felt more connected with Finnick than with Gale actually, which was why the former's death in book 3 affected me a lot (I actually had to stop and regroup myself before I could read further, a lot similar to how I felt when JK Rowling killed off Fred Weasly in Harry Potter. A major what?!?! moment that was difficult to accept). Anyway, Gale was just a minor character and I didn't feel any of the romantic vibe between him and Katniss throughout the series.

Overall, it was a good and entertaining read. It could have been great but sadly it missed the mark. The parts were all there but the second and third books felt so rushed and sluggish at the same time. I know it doesn't make sense but it just had that feel to it. Maybe it should have been stretched to 4 books, or maybe we could have done away with the first parts of books 2 and 3. I don't know.

What I do know is that it would be beyond amazing if Suzanne Collins released a book in Peeta's POV, much like Midnight Sun was Edward Cullen's POV of Twilight. Wouldn't that be so amazingly awesome? I would love to know what he was thinking when Katniss volunteered at the Reaping and when he was called shortly after. I would love to know how he thought of and went about his short alliance with the Careers, how he felt when the rules were changed and Katniss sought him out, how their romance was set against death and survival in the arena, and how he dealt with the realization that it was all for show on Katniss's part. It would be so amazing if we knew what he was thinking when the victors were mandated to be tributes again, how he dealt with being in the arena again, and how he coped when he was captured by Capitol and separated from Katniss. I would to know how he was hijacked and how he sort of overcame and fought against it. Ah, so many things to clear up and expound on! It would be so awesome!

So for those of you who haven't read it, I suggest you get started right now. It is not a big love triangle set in war times, as is mostly hyped in the Team Peeta vs Team Gale debates after the movie was released. It is entertaining and unique and worth it.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Hunger Games

I've had my ebook of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins for as long as I have had my iPad2, and I have only finished reading the book today. Yes, just today. For some reason, the first few pages of the book wasn't interesting enough for me. And I'm weird like that. If a book's first few pages doesn't capture my interest, I ditch it. The movie based on the book didn't interest me either. I have watched a couple of scenes while Jojo watched it here at home, and I found it a bit too gory. 

So what prompted my sudden interest in the book?

Well, during our staycation at Diamond Hotel, there wasn't anything nice on the television. The girls were busy entertaining themselves and I didn't have anything else to do except watch tv. Hunger Games was on and I was able to withstand a few more scenes that made me curious. so when we got back, I read my ebook. the first few pages were still a drag but I persevered and was rewarded. Needless to say, I got hooked and could not stop reading.

The story was good and well-written. I wasn't too thrilled about the ending though because it was obvious that a sequel was on its way. Had I read this book before the sequel Catching Fire was released, I would have been really annoyed with the super bitin ending. As it was, I had a mild panic attack when I realized I didn't have the other books in the trilogy. I had to send an urgent order to my usual ebook supplier and I have the next books lined up now. Whew!

So, excuse me if I disappear again for the next few days. I am just really eager to finish reading the trilogy and who knows, maybe I might watch the entire movie too.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Sneak Peek - Sofia's 1st Birthday Party

We celebrated Sofia's first birthday by throwing a party on her actual birthday, which fell on a Sunday. I am still waiting for the pictures, but here are some I grabbed from the photographer's Facebook page. 





I originally wanted to have a nautical theme - navy blue, pink and white. But it was difficult to source out the balloons and the favors and everything else in these colors, so I had to change it. I thought of doing a sailboat theme, and I had great ideas for sailboat invites and dessert bar. But then our help-less situation at home made it very difficult to implement my DIY ideas, so I was forced to change themes again. What I ended up was a simple royal blue, fuchsia and light pink themed party. And you know what? I think it worked out beautifully. The color combination was something so different and fresh  and something only a crazy mind like mine would think of. Gotta love that!

Watch out for more kwentos about the party, ok? I promise to write about it as soon as I get the photos from the photographer.


Best of the West

I may not seem it, but I love watching basketball. It is probably the only sport I enjoy watching. I don't play (I am vertically challenged, you know), but I understand its rudiments and its rules. I am more than familiar with the teams and the players. True, I only watch UAAP and NBA playoffs, but I believe I still know and enjoy basketball more than your average girl.

So, this post is just to congratulate my favorite NBA team of all time, the San Antonio Spurs, for winning the Western Conference Finals! Woot, woot! Their main core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are perceived to be old and boring, but I love how un-superstarlike they are. To think, they have won several NBA championships (Duncan has 4 rings while the other two have 3), they still come off as humble as ever. 

They have been my favorites since early 2000s, when my then-favorite player Reggie Miller wasn't as entertaining as he used to be. I remember back in 2003 when my boss' son asked me which NBA team I liked. He gave me an incredulous look when I said the Spurs. He said they are not flashy. Which is exactly what I like about them. They are superstars by virtue of their accomplishments, but they don't flash it around. They don't do fancy-schmancy dunks worthy of being in the highlight reel. And when they are interviewed, they always give credit to another person or to their coach. Classy. Oh, and I love that they aren't as fashion conscious as the other NBA players are (seriously, I hate that these athletes wear those fake glasses and wear green paisley tops - oh the horror! - to their post-game interviews. It is just not right).

I also love their coach, Gregg Popovich,  and how snarky and sarcastic he comes off in interviews. His humor reminds me of an older Chandler Bing, my favorite Friends character. 

They are still four wins away from another championship, but I am very optimistic that they will succeed. They are just waiting for whoever wins between Miami and Indiana (series is tied at 2-2 as of the time I am writing this).

Go Spurs Go! 

Ginobili, Duncan and Parker
photo from bleacherreport.com



Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Breakfast Photos

Because I haven't posted anything for so long, here are our photos taken during our breakfast at Diamond Hotel. We had a staycation last Sunday, but most of the photos were taken on my camera and not on my phone. I haven't uploaded the photos yet.

I promise to write about the staycation soon!


Friday, May 24, 2013

Victorino's x Heny Sison

Worth every calorie!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Balance

I have whined here about our lack of househelps and how it has caused me so much trouble and misery. And you know how the universe replied? I was blessed to have won not one but two online contests over Mother's Day weekend! How is that for balance? Pretty cool, right? I won a Php5000 voucher from Cuzo bags and a Php1500 voucher from SM Kids apparel. The best part? The contests weren't raffles where I just got lucky. I won because the photos I submitted were deemed to be the cutest among the entries, and these were photos of my two girls! Nothing beats validation from strangers that your kids are the cutest, I tell you.

So, here are my winning photos:



So thank you universe for reminding me that despite practically driving me crazy, my kids still are my source of happiness and good vibes.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Worth

Last Mother's Day weekend, Jojo wanted to bring me to the Kate Spade store in Shang so that he could buy me the bag I fell in love with. And shock of all shocks, he was actually serious about it. Wow. But the oh-so practical me backed out. I can't quite remove the thought that the price of the bag is almost equal to a semester's tuition at Ally's school. Doesn't it take the fun out of owning such a frivolous want? Jojo still tried to talk me into getting the bag. I told him it was not worth it. His reply? He thinks I deserve the bag and that I am worth it. Wow. So, it was all sweet and touching, but my practical side still won. We didn't get the bag. I still don't have a Mother's Day gift until now. And I am left with a lingering thought - how does one know how much he/she deserves?

Blocked

It has been almost a week since my last post. I swear I am not slacking off yet again. It's just that between preparing for Sofia's party last Sunday, my messy and disorganized househelp-less house and dealing with the needs and tantrums of my two daughters, I can't seem to get my thoughts together. I might be having my first writer's block, but then again, I hardly have time to sit down these days let alone write a coherent and interesting sentence. And the rare times that I get a chance to write, that is the time when one (or both) of the girls will need me.

Please bear with me a few more days.
I have started several posts already, including my letter to Sofia on her 1st birthday. I hope to finish them within the week. So until then, wish me luck, a firmer hold on my sanity and endless amounts of patience.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Help-less

It has been a week since househelp number 1 left us. She said she had an emergency and had to leave for the province urgently. So she packed her things and was out in 15 minutes saying she'll be back after a week. My mom thought the whole emergency excuse was just a ploy. I was not as pessimistic as my mom. And who was right? My mom, of course.

Househelp number 2 had been with us exactly one week when househelp number 1 left. She was clearly worried that househelp number 1 wouldn't return so I assured her that we will find a replacement if that happened. I thought it calmed her a bit. I was wrong. She left for her day off last Saturday and hasn't returned since. Her stuff are still here though. I want to throw it away because I am so pissed at her. We were nothing but nice to her and it would have been so much better had she just said that she wanted out. It's not as if we keep her under lock and key here.

So we have been without househelps for 5 days now, which includes Mother's Day weekend so I wasn't able to have an "off day". Major bummer. It has been insanely crazy and tiring and just oh so depressing. Sofia's first birthday party is on Sunday and I can't seem to concentrate and focus on what needs to be done for the party because of all these.

So annoyed. Argh.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

The Mom in Me

Since today is Mother's Day, I want to share with you glimpses of what my life as a mom looks like. Of course I edited out those that depict real life, a.k.a those where I looked distressed, bewildered and ready to give my kids away. I know those are the ones that earn me respect (and possibly awe) but like I'd post them for all the world to see. Hello! I am not that crazy! No, these are the Norman Rockwell-ish type of photos that would trick you into thinking that everything is so smooth sailing and picturesque. Seriously, I don't think I know of any mom who finds the job easy and stress-free. Heck, if it were, then it wouldn't be so special anymore. Moms are so special and so revered because despite the moments of uncertainty, of desperation and of endless worries and fears, we moms still feel and believe that motherhood is the best job in the world. And that's the truth!