Remembering Ima

This day in "my" history, my family suffered a great loss. My maternal grandmother, whom we fondly call Ima (capampangan for mother), succumbed to complications brought about by the condition diverticulitis or ruptured diverticulum, check out full text on http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec09/ch128/ch128c.html.

She would complain about having persistent abdominal pains. The doctors initially diagnosed it to be Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), but even after medication the pain still won’t go away. They brought her to another hospital where she had an ultrasound. The OB-Gyn saw a small crescent-like image pushing on her uterus. Since she really won’t be using her uterus anymore, they decided to have it operated on. When they did, they saw the crescent-like thing was in fact solidified feces and puss from her ruptured diverticulum. They immediately decided to cut that portion of the colon and attached a colostomy bag. My lola had never been hospitalized before, not ever. So it must have been really scary for her. She wanted the bag removed the soonest possible time. With the doctors' go signal she underwent another surgery for the removal of the bag. But when they tried to sew the colon back together, it started to have perforations and leakages. And all attempts made to put them back together turned futile.

Being a lola and lolo’s girl, I was very spoiled by them. When we were kids, she’d cook all my favorites every time we’d visit her, and I can have any toy I want. A sleepover at their place was something I would really look forward to. When my parents decided to part ways, I initially stayed with my uncle and aunt, but I moved to my grandparents’ place when I started university until I got married. She would prepare my baon (lunch) to bring to work and it’s always yummy. I would even discuss my love life with my grandparents…over a game of tong-its (local version of gin rummy). She’s always been so supportive. I remember when I was job hunting, she’d get very excited when she’d tell me that a company or a headhunter called. She has always been proud of her kids and grandchildren.

It was the greatest loss I have ever experienced so far. It’s like a part of my heart, my entire being had been chunked off. She was 78 years old; some of you might be thinking hey she’s already had a full life at 78. That maybe true, but not for me, not for a loved one. When you love someone, you’d want to hold on as long as you can possibly could. That’s the first time I have gone through all the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. It’s like I could not believe it was happening. I’ve seen it several times, yes, terminal illness or death of a friend’s loved one or even that of a relative, but it was the first time for me, as an adult, to face something like that and I could not believe it happening to my lola. Why her? She’s always been a good, generous and loving person. Oh, my… I am actually crying while writing this. Why not the scums of society? Why should it happen to her? Why couldn’t the stupid doctors do anything about it? I felt rage. Then I started to bargain. Please take 10 years of my life, even just for a 6-year lease extension on hers. I’ll do anything, just please don’t take her away yet. It was my birthday month. Even just 3-5 years please. or 2 to 3? It was really depressing. I could not eat. I could not work. I could not sleep. My boss at that time was very understanding and gave me time off to be with her. We took shifts watching over her. But none of us would want to go home. So we ended up getting a private room for the family while she was in ICU. But seeing her suffer like that… with a surgical slice up to her chest (after 4 operations), we just had to accept that maybe like any other human being, it was her time to go. Time to do away with the tubes and morphine. But we continued to hope.

On November 28, 2004 Ima finally joined her Creator. No longer in pain. No longer suffering. It is said to be man’s ultimate reward…to finally be with God in His kingdom. It is only difficult for those who were left behind. It was never the same for me. For all of us she left behind. The wound has healed. But there’s this void inside of me, a numb feeling. Maybe it will always be there. Through time I have learned to move on and accept that it was nobody’s fault, because sometimes you blame yourself and others—like if only I had done this, if only the doctor had done that…it was her time, it is supposed to be as simple as that. The thought that she’s now in pure bliss with God gives me consolation. But there are times that I still cry for the loss of someone very dear to me. I would just say to myself that hey, she’s just on vacation, and they only have a one-way phone to heaven. I can talk to her and she can hear me, but like God’s voice I can only hear her through my heart and though other people. Every now and then I would dream about Ima, sometimes they seem oh so real, an occasional treat from God I believe.

As long as she sees us moving on, living our lives with the values we learned from her, I’m sure she is very happy. The greatest lesson I learned from her was: if it's for your family, it's always worth it. Give until it hurts. Ima, you will forever be in our hearts.

The Search Is Almost Over

I have been using Clinique 3-Step Skin Care System for the longest time. Not because I’m into expensive brands, it’s just that I have sensitive skin, I easily get break-outs and dry patches using incompatible products. They have products for all skin type. Mine is part oily, part dry so I use Type II (Dry Combination). Step 1: To cleanse my face, I use their Mild Liquid Facial Wash (PhP1200.00). Step 2: Toner (PhP1600.00/400 ml). And Step 3: Superdefense SPF 25 moisturizer (PhP2700.00). I get my stock from Rustan’s, sometimes my aunt would send me a jar every now and then. A set would usually last for more than 3 months. For further information about Clinique, you may want to call their friendly specialist at (632) 8943521-- Rustan’s Makati or visit their website www.clinique.com. Even with minimal make-up, as in Johnson and Johnson’s face powder and a little Estee Lauder Rose Desire blush and popgloss, you’re good to go.

In an effort to economize, I told myself and my good friend F that I am going to try out less expensive facial care products. The search for the best alternative began. I first tried the highly-advertised Olay Total Effects. Thinking it’ll be cheaper if I get from our local membership shopping store, I went to S and R and purchased Olay Total Effects facial cleanser and moisturizer. The sales person from S and R told me that since I have sensitive skin I should try the “normal” line. I said maybe she meant “gentle,” she said firmly “normal.” Spent PhP800.00 for both. Big savings, eh? Not! It was slightly scented. But with a Wolverine-like sense of smell, it was pretty strong for me. True enough, a week into it, my face started breaking out. And when I get pimples, they are usually BIG. So I gave them away. Then I tried Pond’s. The girl from Makati Supermart convinced me to try their line. I got a set for around PhP700.00 (facial wash, toner and moisturizer). The facial wash and toner were not really that scented, but the moisturizer! Oh, boy! I had migraine first time I tried it. So I gave them away again. F was already telling me to save myself the trouble and just go back to Clinique. But I still tried another brand, Celeteque, PhP300.00 for an entire set. Inexpensive. I did not like the moisturizer. Too gooey for me. It’s like putting KY jelly on your face. It’s kinda uncomfortable having KY jelly after a transvaginal ultrasound, imagine putting some on your face? Let’s just say yaya M was ecstatic when I gave her the set. I'm sure these are all good brands, just not for me. F was right, I should have just gone back to Clinique after 2 tries.

And I did go back to Clinique. As a birthday present to myself, I got a bottle of the facial wash I so love. But not wanting to give up that easily, I matched it with Olay Total Effects GENTLE moisturizer (price increased to PhP700.00 a bottle), totally UNSCENTED from Personal Care Exchange at ATC, the promo girl there was more knowledgeable than the one at S and R. It has been 10 days since, and so far new pimples stopped bobbing up. Still have a humongous zit on my nose and some dark pimple spots from the recent break out though. If my face breaks out again…then so much for economizing, I’m definitely buying the Superdefense moisturizer again. I’m not so much into clothes, shoes, bags or whatever. When there’s an urgent need for it I do shop for clothes... otherwise I get by with presents from my hubby, family and friends. For shoes, a once or twice a year trip to Bass and Aerosoles shop at ATC is sufficient.

Hey, we only have one face to show and it is the face we have to live with for the rest of our natural life. We should very well take good care of it.

*photo from www.clinique.com

Bratz Leah's New Look

The little girl's Literary Program was last Friday. While the hubby and I were having lunch at the house last Monday, Bea came down the stairs excited to show me something. She was like "Mom, have something to show you!" I'm like "Hey, what is it?" Then she showed me her Bratz doll given by my cousin. "Here Mom. She's also a cat."

Using her ballpen, she drew lines on her doll's face. Almost the same way I did her face last Friday! It was soooo funny! But I did not laugh of course or I might be shocked to wake up one morning with all her dolls and our faces looking like felines. My reaction was "Oh, wow. She's now a cat too." I complimented her work. Told her that we'll get something to remove it like the petroleum jelly I used to remove her make-up (Wipe Out, perhaps?) after Leah's "program" and next time ask Mommy first if it's okay to do something like that. I do not really want her to stop being creative and all. And it is HER toy. My long-haired "twirly curl" Barbie turned into a short-haired punk before I reached High School. ;-)

I guess we should always explain to the kids why, how we do things, when and when not to do them. And we should never get tired of answering their perpetual "why's?"

My Kitten

My Kitten

By Marchette Chute

“Kitten, my kitten soft and dear

I’m so glad that you are here

Sitting together just us two

You loving me

And me loving you.”

Our Little Feline

My cuddly wuddly's teacher sent us a short poem by Marchette Chute before they went on vacation last October. Each child was assigned a poem (about animals) to memorize and recite in the school Literary Program, looking like the animal assigned. The grannies (my mom and my Tita Rose) were fussing about the costume. Told them I will probably just use face paint and her ballet clothes. They would not have it. My tita then said she’ll just go to Divisoria to get her a cat costume. Two days before presentation she said she did not have time to go. She’s really busy at work. So I went around looking for one. Went to three malls, but they had only Disney costumes left. I did not really have time to go to Divisoria, I then decided to make our own kitten costume.

Got a black long sleeved leotard from Landmark for PhP150.00, a kitten ear hat at PhP24.00, and 5 yards of purple boa feathers (PhP35.00/yard @ Carolina’s in Glorietta) for the fluffy/furry effect, black tights and black ballet shoes. Hand-sewn the boa feathers to the leotard and put on a little facial artwork. The last time I tried my hand at sewing was in High School, and I cried buckets of tears doing my projects, some of my classmates would even help me finish them. Man, things you'd do for your child! Oh, well here’s my cutie little feline:

Here are pictures of her with her classmates taken during their dance number:

A funny shot of Bea with a schoolmate-- a mouse with a sinister plot:

Most of the kids performed well, much to their parents' delight. They were very eager to strut their stuff for Mom and Dad. The teachers were there to coach them in case they forget their lines and dance move. After the show we went to Jollibee, Madrigal as Bea's treat for letting me dress her up and participating in the program. Good thing about Bea though, she enjoys these things as much as we love watching her do them with great confidence and enthusiasm. :-)

Counting My Blessings

I usually find myself do some serious contemplating days before (and after) my birthday. I reflect on the year that has passed and more often than not I end smiling after. There were trying times yes, but they just make the good times stand out more. I am grateful to God for giving me a wonderful, loving, supportive family: my mom, my husband, my daughter, my sibling, my extended family (grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) and in-laws. Thoughtful, caring and supportive friends too! I am truly blessed.

I Like To Boodet, Boodet!

Bea would usually go to the office with me when she doesn’t have school. My mom and I would take her to Robinson’s Place Manila or Mall of Asia. One time, we were going around the mall while my mom was having a haircut. We dropped by Animaland to check out the stuffed animals there. And I told her she can choose one. She got a squirrel. It’s actually a “create-your-own” thing. So you just choose a skin then with the assistance of the sales peep, you can stuff it and add whatever trinket you want. Come to the funny part, we asked her what name she’d like to give her pet for the “Birth Certificate.” She stopped for a while and said “Budet!”. We were like “Ano daw yun?” (What was that?). She said “Budet, Mom. His name Budet.” I’m like okay, sure why not? Just told the guy to print it as “Boodette” to make it sound a little classy. I could not help it. I just had to ask her why that name. Her reply “Madagascar, Mom. I like to boodet, boodet!” LOL. I like to move it, move it! It was the squirrel-looking striped-tail lemur king from the movie Madagascar! She is just so cute!

We have been waiting for a good kiddie movie to come along for Bea’s first trip to the movie house. So when Madagascar 2 came out, it just had to be it. After my birthday lunch last Sunday, Bea, the hubby's niece, the nanny and I grabbed some Kettle Corns and trooped to ATC Cinema to catch it. The hubby dropped us off then went back for us after the movie, he was not feeling too well. And no, not from cholesterol overload, he’s got a cold. Bea was dumb stricken when she saw the big screen in front. It was much, much bigger than her dad’s Bravia at home. She was just staring quietly, in awe, at the screen. Monica and I were teasing her but she was not minding us at all. She’d look at me every now and then and giggle. It’s like she couldn’t believe there’s such thing as a ginormously huge T.V.! We all had fun watching it.

After the movie I asked her if she liked it in the movie house. She replied, “Can I sleep here, Mom?” :-)

My Birthday Surprise

I turned 32 last Monday. In cahoots with my mom, my aunt and uncle, the hubby surprised me with a luncheon treat at Gloria Maris last Sunday. Thinking it will just be the three of us, with our niece, we started the day with a mass at St. James the Great Parish and went to the restaurant immediately after. I was pleasantly surprised to see mom and aunt waiting for us there. Loving food as much as we do, we ordered a lot, as usual. We feasted on fish lip soup (you just have to put some balsamic vinegar to make it sing!), steamed dumplings (shrimp, spinach and polanchay), chicken feet, broccoli with garlic, crystal prawns, and the high cholesterol special-- a whole pecking duck cooked in 3 ways –wrapped, salt and pepper fried, and minced with fresh lettuce), and yang chow fried rice. Then we went to Starbucks at ATC after for another sinful indulgence…mocha and chocolate cream frapuccinos. Yummy surprise!

Deliberate Parenting

The hubby took the day off last Friday to go with me to Rosemont. I had to go to office in the morning to do payroll, but was home before 2 p.m. Our tutorial chat was scheduled at 3:00 p.m. I’m sure most of you are thinking “Tutorial what?” To understand better I got the exact text of what a tutorial chat is from the PAREF (Parents for Education Foundation) website www.paref.org:

“Parental collaboration, a must in the PAREF philosophy of education, is implemented through a series of periodic chats, of a tutor or confidante with the student, and also with his parents. Through these personal conversations, tutor and parents collaborate in the overall development of the child's growth and they assure greater harmony between the home and the school.”

Each child has his/her own tutor or “friend”. A “confidante” whose main task is to monitor the intellectual, socio-emotional and spiritual growth of the tutee. The child is encouraged to talk about the happenings in his life, his world outside school,home life. Some find this system intrusive. I mean it is like, OMG they will train our kids to spy on us! To be snitches! Moles! Or whatever. But it is not really as bad as it sounds. It’s actually good, my two cents.

When we became parents, we talked about the kind of parenting style we’d like to adapt in our home. Coming from families with different set-up and of course, different parenting styles, we both have our own take on how we’d like things to be with regards to the upbringing of our child. But you know what? Even with different family backgrounds, the husband and I are both for deliberate parenting. And being deliberate parents, we want to know what’s happening in Bea’s life, especially outside our home. As for the part wherein Bea will be asked about the happenings in the house, we are quite okay with that too. I mean, if you have nothing to hide, there’s really nothing to be afraid of. There’s no such thing as a perfect home, we all know that. If you’re not doing anything bad, then your child will only have good things to tell her tutor.

Last quarter it was just the tutor and I. I am glad that the dad was with me for the second quarter tutorial chat. We were so happy to find out that Bea’s doing very well in school. She aced her 2nd Quarter Math Evaluations and got 23/27 for Reading. For the 1st quarter she only got 1-3 mistakes for both subjects. Not bad for a 3 year old (July 23 birthday) Nursery student, eh? Like other kids, she still has to improve on her social skills. Like sharing, taking care of belongings, etc. which is quite normal for kids her age. I am not bragging or anything, okay? Just sharing. We’re just proud parents, that's all. You know how it is. :-) Her classmates are mostly a year to year and a half older than her. We were afraid that she might be too young for traditional school set up, for Nursery. She went to a play-based, developmental school, Toddlers Unlimited at Festival Mall, prior to enrolling at Rosemont. So far, so good. She seems to be adjusting well. And her developmental pediatrician at Asian Hospital, Dr. Bernadette Benitez, did say that most of her skills are advanced for her age. We closely monitor her schooling and its effect on her. We do not want it to be too overwhelming or stressful for her. We are just here for support. So long as she is happy in school and developmental goals are met, then we are good.

Deliberate Parenting is a term you will always hear in PAREF school talks and seminars (there’s a mandatory 5-module NPEP seminar for new PAREF parents). But I noticed that it’s a parenting style most people use nowadays. We do not call it exactly that. But boomer and gen x parents are pretty much hands-on with the upbringing of their children. We make it a point to be an essential part of their lives. And I mean both parents. Not just the mom, not just the dad. We do not just provide them with what we think they need, we are also interested in what THEY say or think they need. We do not just give them candies or chocolates, we actually squint our eyes in the grocery reading food labels to make sure it’s not contaminated with melamine or whatever “toxic” thing it may contain. We have their pediatrician’s personal number in our speed dial. We do not just buy the doctor’s Rx, we “googleize” first before we actually get them. We even googleize the doctor himself. We googleize a lot of things, actually. We encourage them to talk and we listen to what they have to say. We are involved parents.

This is not to say that other parenting styles are wrong or that parents before our time were not good.Hey, we did turn out well, right? LOL. Different strokes for different folks. No matter what our parenting style is, we all have to agree that we only just want what is BEST for our children.



"Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness; For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable."
- Kahlil Gibran

No Way, Jose

Was off from work yesterday to wait for the delivery of our Toilet and Bath fixtures. Waited from morning until delivery truck finally arrived at 3:00 p.m.. I went through all the goods with the foreman, and the Wilcon guys. Good thing we checked. All the stuff were in A1 condition, save for the bathtub which I refused to accept cause there was a teeny weeny surface scratch, though it came wrapped, like the plastic we peel from our mobile phone LCDs. The delivery guys were like "Sa plastic lang naman po,Ma'am." (It's just the plastic, ma'am). But I could really see that it went through the plastic wrapping, so I asked them to peel off that portion of the plastic. And there it was, the teeny weeny scratch. I told them politely that I want it changed and to make sure that all items they are going to deliver next should be in perfect condition. I am kinda OC about these things. I feel for the owner of Wilcon, yeah, I do. But hey, we paid in full. It was not on "bargain". We should get our money's worth.



I warned our contractor, Architect Alex P. Ramos, earlier on that I am very particular about these things. And I am pretty sure AGC Design Concepts, firm we contracted to do architectural and interior design, know this very well. I understand it can never really be 100% perfect in projects like construction, but sloppy, lopsided work is unacceptable. So far, so good. I mean something will come up every now and then, but with all parties working together closely (homeowner should be very involved), we manage to address each and every problem that arises. But we're not done yet, and real house woes will start to come out months or so AFTER turn over.

Tiles, Tiles And More Tiles

As early as December last year we started the search for our preferred materials. Criteria: good quality, visually pleasing, and friendly on the pocket---value for money.



Like I mentioned on my previous post, we are about to start with the finishing part of the home construction. Bitoy, our site foreman, has been asking us for the Toilet and Bath tiles and fixtures. Started purchasing items around February of this year. Wilcon Builder's Supply Depot can actually store them for you while waiting for delivery date, and the sales people there are just so friendly and accommodating. For all the fixtures we got Kohler and Karat (a Kohler subsidiary).

Choosing tiles can be a pretty vexing task. And you have to work closely with your architect on this, as they need to see the tile of your preference for them to design the "look" of each space. Word of advise: when you've made up your mind on an item, show it to the architect, and have him do the final wall and floor pattern right away and buy it immediately. When we went back to Wilcon to buy the tiles last Saturday, most of them have very limited supply already. And you really would not want to get tiles from different branches as they might have different manufacturing dates. I've been told that even if they're of the same brand and specification, sometimes there's a slight difference in the actual color. They should be of the same batch. We ended up not getting anything that day. And I had to go back to Wilcon yesterday with our architect and the contractor. This was our original choice for Bea's T & B, Rhapsody White and Green with multicolored accent from Indonesian brand Romangres:





It would have been perfect for her room. But they did not have much stock left in their warehouse.



There are just so many options. Price ranges from PhP20.00 to PhP2000.00+ per piece, some even at PhP10000.00 + per square, depending on brand, design and size. Spanish, Italian, Indonesian, Malaysian, China and our local brands. They're all nice. But we do not really like the "shiny" look. We prefer matte finish. We decided to mix brands and opted to use same items for Bea's and the extra room (for the twins? he he). Got Grespania's (Spain) Luz series(Pistachio for Bea's, Turquesa for the extra room) for accent and Arte Ceramiche's (China) Waal Blanco, as main tile. In doing so, we were able to cut down cost. Imagine one of Grespania's Blanco line costs around PhP112.00 per piece. So that's PhP112.00 x 600 pcs vs. Arte Cermiche's Waal Blanco's PhP28.00 x 600? Almost the same style and quality? For powder room and master's T and B, we want neutral colors. Opted for Romangres' Vulcano Beige and GT Natural Stone's mosaic slate in Multicolor or Autumn Mix. Living, dining and kitchen will all have Malaci's (China) Kairos. I kinda like our very own Mariwasa's Liberty Ivory for the service area.



So there, we're finally done with the tiles. Next decision to make: solid wood, engineered wood, or laminates for the second level and attic flooring?




*progress as of 08 November 2008

My Bad Eye

I have always had migraine. Known triggers of migraine are lack of sleep, food, strong scents and bright lights. For more literature on migraine you may want to check out www.migrainehelp.com.

For me, more often than not, very strong scent and glaring light are the usual culprits. And when I get unusual headache attacks, like one straight week of daily intake of Advil or Flanax (should not be taken on an empty stomach), I would usually see my ophthalmologist, Dr. Lionel Francisco, M.D. at Asian Hospital and Healthway ATC. Nice and funny fellow, that Dr. Francisco. In a check up more than 4 years ago, he noticed that my right eye iris does not constrict, the pupil is just a hole made by the iris, thus I easily get glared. I was advised to see a Neuro-Opthalmologist. I went to see one at Makati Medical Center, I forget the name as I only went to him once, and like any other neurologist, consultation fee’s higher than MDs in other field of specialization. The good doctor tried drops, reading, flashing light to my eye for hours, but it still won’t constrict. As it was not really something unmanageable, I was just given some drops. Pilocarpine Hydrochloride, I think. Not sure about the name, and DO NOT try medicine without checking with your physician first. And of course, dark glasses for daytime. I just used the drops for a while, as I try not to be too dependent on a medicine. Sunglasses and avoiding having to stay under the sun helps. It’s just kinda hard at night though. Especially when driving. Oncoming car headlights are equally glaring, high-beamers pay attention and take it easy on the beams please. ;-) Don’t look straight into the oncoming car and look sideway to the road instead, like what they advise in driving school, it’s actually in the Driver’s License test questionnaire you know.

Going back to my bad eye, until now we don’t know what is causing it to be like this. We even tried MRI (now that is another story, I had elevated prolactin level which suggests an abnormality in the pituitary gland function and osteoma) to check for tumor in the area, as the tumor can block the optic nerve thus resulting in malfunction of the iris or blindness…but initial reading showed no tumor growing in the area, thank God! I’m yet to go back to Dr. Francisco and a neurologist (for the prolactin and osteoma thingy) to show them the plates. I’ve been putting it off because they might suggest I get another MRI. I’m wearing braces and braces cause image artefacts (distortions), and they had to be taken off and put on again after the procedure. I’m almost done with these brackets. In the meantime… I just gotta wear shades!

*photos from vision.about.com and nymag.com

It Was A Good Weekend

The family and the household staff spent the day together yesterday. Except for Bea’s tantrum in the shower, it was a pretty good day. She was crying and crying, when asked what was wrong she said “I don’t like the shower because it’s too fast and I don’t like shampoo!”---Okay. You know kids, they have their own “logical” way of looking at things. So I just asked her to stop crying and told her if she didn’t stop we wont go out anymore. That calmed her down and they were done in 5 minutes.

First we went to the cemetery. We really avoid going on All Soul’s Day and All Saint’s Day. And I need not explain why. We usually go before or after. This year we went after. Got flowers and candles from my usual vendor just outside the cemetery. And visited our dearly departed.

Then we went to Mall of Asia for lunch. The hubby was craving for seafood and we decided to try their food at Marina.We ordered halaan (clam- ginger soup), calamares (batter fried squid rings), grilled prawns in lemon butter sauce, baked oysters, grilled pork liempo (country style ribs), lechon cebu (roasted pig, Cebu style), adobong kangkong (water spinach cooked in soy sauce and vinegar), and rice. It was okay. Food was good except for the oysters. The husband and I love oysters. I asked for Oysters Rockefeller, and the way they cooked it was pretty far from the Rockefeller I’m used to. Should have gotten Oyster on the half shell instead. We would have enjoyed it more. And their sago at gulaman drink (tapioca pearls and gelatine served with caramelized sugar, water and ice) is not something I would get from them again, give me the one from the chinese guy at Makati Supermart ATC or Goldilocks anytime!

Afterwards, we went around the mall. My hubby’s been asking me what I’d like to get for my birthday next week. Told him, he really doesn’t have to get me anything this year, as we are building our house, this year ONLY though. LOL. He insisted that I should get something, even a simple present. So I did. He got me a pair of Kenneth Cole sunglasses. Bea broke my Ray-Bans a couple of years back, and I shied away from eyewear since. Now that she is older it will be easier to ask her not to touch or break things. So thank you, my babbu love! Now my eyes have protection from the sun’s glare again! LOL. Seriously, I appreciate it! Thanks! Thanks! :-)

Little Imelda

Being the only child, and the only “apo” (grandchild) on my side of the family, Bea gets to enjoy being the recipient of attention, affection and numerous presents, not just from the dad and myself, but from our family and friends as well. Before she came along, my hubby and I only had each other to shower presents on. Now when we go malling, we just can’t help but get her stuff. And there are just so many tempting things out there to buy…especially for a little girl. Our little fashionista can really put a stylish outfit together. Even before she turned 2 years old, she’d choose which clothes to wear and with matching shoes to boot! And does she love footwear!

Sandals, flip-flops, sneakers, kitten heels, boots, etc. From the day she said goodbye to her baby booties, she’s had this on-going love affair with footwear. Owning more or less 40-50 pairs, there came a point when we just had to stop getting because there were like Bea’s shoes everywhere. She has outgrown, literally, most her shoes. Some were just worn once! Gave away most of them to friends, neighbors and whoever was in need of girl shoes. Kept the “firsts” though. First flip-flops. First mules. Something to show her when she’s older. Now it’s time to get new ones again, her feet are beginning to look “hulk-like” with her older pairs.

"Now when you go to New York, you see little posters (outside shoe stores saying) 'There's a little Imelda in all of us.' That’s quoting the Philippines' former first lady, Imelda Marcos.

Bea's Room

One of the fun and very exciting things about house building is space decorating. To actually witness something you've visualised be built from scratch, to slowly take shape, one can't help but feel giddy about it. The room I'm most excited about is Bea's. We do not have much shops here in the Philippines specializing in Kids' room. We have Color and Life at Mall of Asia, there used to be one at ATC and I guess there's also Sheridan at Shangri-La Mall. Good thing we have the internet...and Pottery Barn! I just love Pottery Barn stuff for kids. We already have some items ready like the Madison Touch Lamp with pink Gingham Bell Shade, the quilts and beddings, courtesy of her ninang (my cousin) and my aunt. They also have really nice wall decor, window treatment and other accessories. If they weren't that pricey, it would be nice to buy them all. I am thinking of getting her this clock:




Isn't it cute? The theme of her room is basically spring. Dominant colors would be kiwi green, pink and white. I'm scouting for a nice, sturdy, white twin bed, and so far we haven't found one yet (the hubby enjoys furniture hunting too). Will check out other furniture shops, if not we'll probably have one custom made. We want the room to be "fun" for her. So she'd want to stay in it. Until now she sleeps with us eventhough she has her own room at the townhouse. Maybe when we transfer to our new home she'd start sleeping in her own bed.

My 3rd post for today. Slow day, eh? Well it's Friday and no blogging on weekends.

Architect's Perspective

This is my second post for the day. Meaning? I'm quite excited about this blog thing. Novelty, I guess. Or just eager to share my thoughts and the happenings in my life. Well anyway, I attached here photos of the architect's perspective of our soon-to-be home. Construction is in full swing. We're looking into January or February move in. Just in time for our 7th year wedding anniversary. The husband and I are really excited about this. I will be posting more progress photos soon. We're still undecided though whether to use Autumn Mix Slate or Light Rustic Slate for the accent on the exterior wall. But the architect said either will be perfect for the exterior wall color we chose. For the roof, we'll be using CPAC Monier roof tile in Tropical Tan. Finishing will start pretty soon. Now I've been told that's the hardest part in building a house. I'm just glad that my hubby and I are in sync when it comes to our taste in a lot of things, like our preference for Modern-Contemporary design. Just imagine not wanting the same thing? Oh, boy.

Karate Kid In Pink Tights

Bea was barely two years old when my orthodontist gave us tickets to her daughter's ballet recitals at the CCP. Thinking that it would be a good time for Bea and her lola to bond, I asked my mom if she'd like to go instead. So they went and watched. She had a blast! She was the only one standing on her seat shouting, with her little voice, "Bravo! Bravo!", "More! More", "Next!, Next!", and clapping her hands. She's been doing that raising of the leg thing since. Then there were the Barbie movies: "12 Dancing Princesses" and "The Nutcracker". Bea's been wanting to go ballet for the longest time. I've been asking around for reputable ballet schools, cause hey, if you're gonna do it, better do it right. Ballet Phils. (CCP), Steps (Pasong Tamo), Halili-Cruz (QC) came up, but they're kinda far from where we are staying. There's one at Palm's, but the youngest they accept is 4 y.o.. My cuddle pup just turned 3 last July. Then I received a memo from her school, Rosemont, that they'll be starting ballet classes for girls and Tae Kwon Do for boys. I was putting it off until I could see that she's quite adjusted with her schedule and workload at school. We don't really want to overwhelm her. So my Mom and I said November's a good time. While we were buying her ballet stuff at Capezio, ATC I asked the people there if they know of other baby ballet schools in the area, they said BF and they have one at Alabang Country Club. Not that I don't want to enroll her at Rosemont, it's just that I think It'll be better if she could make new friends outside school. So I inquired at the Club and was pleasantly surprised to find out that it's the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet holding lessons there. So we signed up.

She was really excited when my hubby and I told her she's starting ballet lessons. November 4 was her first day. She was so cute in her ballet outfit. You could see that she's really interested as she was listening and following the teacher's instruction. But the execution was so "stiff". It was so funny. It's like karate kid-does-ballet LOL! Well, I guess for a first-timer, she did well. One kid was even crying. My daughter was really feeling it. She's like I don't care if I look stiff. I'm sooo loving this! LOL. In time I know she'll be a graceful dancer... or maybe we can also look into martial arts ;-)

Trick or Treat 2008

For the village Trick or Treat event this year, Bea went as a monarch butterfly. The pretty ensemble was a present from her sweet ninang. We just had to get matching black tights and white butterfy hat. Got her a pair of those inexpensive ballet shoes, but she opted to wear her black boots given by her my mom, which would have been perfect for night time trekking (with the lighting thingies). Her cousin celebrated her birthday at Verdana Clubhouse, just the cousins, that morning. They went swimming for almost three hours and she just had a one hour nap after. So she was tired already and asked to be brought home an hour into house-hopping. She was still able to get a lot of treats though, but she missed the halloween party after. She had fun just the same. Of course, we checked the candies together. She just kept around 1/5 of the entire loot and gave the rest to the household staff. It was good though that there weren't much "china" or unbranded candies given out. With all the melamine brouhaha people know better. Halloween is definitely one of those occasions kids, and adults, really look forward to... dreaded day for the toothfairy though!

A Time To Blog

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven. A time to give birth, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to shun embracing. A time to search, and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep, and a time to throw away. A time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; A time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; A time for war, and a time for peace." ---Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

But what does one do when one has spare time in between taking care of the household, running errands, working, chatting and spending time with friends, baby ballet, pre-school homework, appointment with hairstylist, masseuse and the mani-pedi girl? Try BLOGGING.

In this day and age, with all the gadgets and other techie stuff coming out and being used, I'm one those "semi-technophobic" people around. Believe it or not, I don't even own an iPod and the only phone that I have now is my not-too-old, child-battered Motorola Razor V3X... a gift from my hubby a couple of years back. My relationship with my Personal Computer is not really that "personal". I mean I just use it when I'm at the office. For work, doing my daughter's worksheets. And surfing the net. I help my mom run a landbased recruitment agency, so just imagine the amount of time I spend surfing LOL (but I only go to work 3 to 4 times a week, though). I get bored sometimes. My cousin K suggested I try blogging. I was like...blogging? She's like "Yeah, Ats. Try it. It's fun. You can even make money out of it." I was pretty skeptical about trying it, not the making money part ok, it's just the thought of you know spilling your guts or sharing to the world your thoughts, ideas, or whatever... I mean who'd be interested in how the view's like thru my optic lens? I have to admit that I enjoy reading blogs...like that of the Aussie dude Brian Gorrell, boy my eyes got sore spending hours and hours on his site. And to update myself on the happenings in my friends' or relatives' lives (those living in another continent), I visit their sites as well. Of course, there are also the social networks Facebook, Multiply and Friendster!

Going back, sorry if i get sidetracked every now and then, so I told Kat that I'll think about what she said. It's somewhat therapeutic. And now here I am starting this site...taking time to actually BLOG. :-)