Eurotrip?

Our dream vacation would be in Europe. Even before we got married, Toni and I both longed to go there. There’s just something about Europe that makes us want to go there. Maybe it’s the old world architecture, the ambience, the sights.

I’ve done my share of traveling before and one of the hardest things to arrange is the hotel reservations. Luckily there’s a site that makes this easy to book. Just choose the destination, enter your arrival and departure date then they’ll present you a selection of hotels. You can even refine your search criteria to include the services and facilities you need (like special prices for children) and hotel ratings (1 star to 5 stars). Aside from the detailed description of room amenities and city attractions, they also include photos, a map to the hotel, and reviews by former guests. What I really find useful here is that they include in the sidebar the nearby available hotels, sites, landmarks, restaurants and even transportation. It makes organizing your trip so much easier. The site serves various hotels in Europe including Paris. They also feature hotels with special offers like this one. They offered a huge discount in some of their rooms. So if you’re planning to go on vacation, check out this site.

Golf Apparel

Whenever I watch sports on television especially golf, I normally look at the attire of the players. Hehe! For tennis, I find the clothes very athletic yet sexy while for golf, I find it nice and fashionable. I really like the clothes they wear, from the shoes, to the shirts all the way up to the golf cap, it’s as if you’re not going to play but will go in to modeling. Lolz!

I tried looking for golf apparel ladies wear to see other styles. I really like their shirts because even if I can’t play golf, I can wear their shirts to casual occasions or wherever I want to wear it. But for those ladies who are into golf, you might want to check the link to know the latest fashion.

Lance's 9th month pic at blow up babies

As mentioned here, we went to blow up babies for Lance's quarterly sched for photoshoot. The tea cup is the first theme that we chose and he didn't like it that much. I assume he felt confined and maybe he felt left behind kasi each time I try to fix him for the pose, I will then walk away from him for the solo shot but he will cry and will stand from the teacup. This is the best shot we had of him in the tea cup because all the rest are either he's crying or he's standing. lolz!



I just so love this next pic. In here naman, he really had fun as you can see from the pic that he's really smiling and even opening his mouth. hehe! He felt free and was crawling and playing the whole time we're at the studio. We had a hard time choosing which pics to order because Lance had nice shots with this theme. If it wasn't that expensive, we will order more. Hehe! Cute di ba!

Other pics from blow up babies can be seen here.

Feast One Hundred and Fifty Three

Appetizer

Describe a toy you remember from your childhood.

My dolls! I sometimes pretend my dolls are sick and I'm the doctor attending to them. Lolz

Soup

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how observant are you?

I would say 7, I'm pretty observant of other people's movements, attitudes and character.

Salad

Where would you rather be at this very moment?

At home playing and bonding with my boys.

Main Course

When was the last time you learned something new?

Just last week, how to copy a tv show from a dvd to a pc. pathetic! hahaha!

Dessert

Fill in the blank: I have ____________ but I haven’t ____________.

I have to lose weight but I haven't stopped eating a lot especially during dinner.

Join us with the feast.

Lance's Hair

I received a lot of comments about Lance’s hair and thought of posting these pictures. This is how he looks like when his hair is untied.

Now you know why I tie his hair even if oftentimes he's mistaken for a girl. Wawa naman eh. He can hardly see or watch tv whenever his hair is untied.

Lance at 9 months

here are the things that Lance can do:

• he weighs 10.3kgs and his length is 71cms
• can sit unsupported (from any position)
• can pull up to standing position from sitting
• can stand firmly
• can make a step or two by himself if he’s in his crib
• tries to get a toy if it’s out of reach
• looks for dropped objects
• crawls so fast, kaya in the morning we need to be wide awake while he’s playing in our bed coz if not, he might fall again
• makes paawa effect or sometimes cry when he wants to be carried and you won’t carry him
• shouts when he’s left alone in the living room
• has 5 teeth and another 1 about to erupt
• says mamama, mmmmmm, dadada, dedede (says this often when he wants milk), tatata, atetete (when he’s calling his nanny)
• knows how to make gigil but he doesn’t understand what it means yet
• loves squash, carrots, oatmeal, potatoes and marie (biscuit)
• likes looking out the windows and see what’s outside
• picks up anything and puts it in his mouth
• loves peak a boo!
• watches hi-5, backyardigans, lazy town, wonderpets and sometimes even dora

these are what I can think of right now. Though I may not see everything he does as often as I want to, I’m glad he continues to develop according to his age. :)

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix

Paul and I together with my sister and cousin watched Harry Potter 5 last Thursday at Glorietta. I would say I enjoyed watching the movie despite some inaccuracy and inconsistencies with the details on the book. I know for sure that for some people who haven’t read the book will find this movie really nice. Like my sister who hasn’t read any of the books enjoyed the movie. She requested that we watch with her so that if she has questions, we can answer her right away.

I won’t be telling you what happened in the movie in case you haven’t seen it yet. Of course the book is always better than the movie but still, this is worth watching.

Side note: Book 7 is now available and I hope I can buy one soon.

Mailboxes

While some think that gone are the days when people receive letters through snail mail delivered to their mailboxes some people especially those living in the provinces won’t agree with that thought. Even I who lives in the city think that we still need a good mailbox. Especially when there are times when I don’t get to receive bills since our house doesn’t have that nice mailbox. What we have in our house is just a slit in the front gate that serves as the mailbox. Paul and I considered getting a nice mailbox and look for suppliers that provides really good residential mailboxes.

My cousin who lives in a condominium is also concerned with her mails. She’s wondering why the building doesn’t have those commercial mailboxes that she often sees on the lobby of other condos. I’m not sure if she already experienced having trouble receiving mails or bills but she sure hope that their building have accessible mailboxes.

I do hope Paul and I will decide soon if we’ll be getting a mailbox or not. For the mean time, we’ll have to do with the slit on the gate for receiving bills and mails.

Our Weekend

We really didn’t have that exciting weekend last week. We stayed at home the whole of Saturday. We just had our bonding moment with Lance and played with him. Come Sunday, we went to church early in the morning. After that, we went to Gateway for his 9 month sched for photo shoot at blow up babies. I’ll be getting the pictures next week. I’ll share with you also how our session went when I got the pictures na. For the mean time, I’ll leave you with these pictures. These were also taken at the studio while we’re waiting for them to set-up the theme we chose. Lance was busy playing with the balls. He enjoyed eating them too. Lolz!

we had our pic with the simpsons too!

Feast One Hundred and Fifty Two

Appetizer

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how much do enjoy watching sports on television?

Hmm... i do enjoy watching sports on television so i'll give it a 9. I watch basketball, tennis, golf, swimming, badminton and baseball.

Soup

If you could completely memorize any one work of fiction, which one would you pick?

Harry Potter books

Salad

What is your favorite breakfast food?

Tapsilog. Stands for TAPa (dried or cured beef), SInangag (fried rice), ItLOG (fried egg)

Main Course

Name something fun you can do for less than $10.00.

Watch a movie or buy something for my son

Dessert

How long does it usually take you to fall asleep?

I don't really have a hard time falling asleep, in fact as soon as I hit the bed, i fall asleep and don't get to time it anymore

Join us in our feast.

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

i like sesame street so i tried this quiz

You Are Elmo

Sweet and innocent, you expect everyone to adore you. And they usually do! You are usually feeling: Talkative. You've got tons of stories to tell. And when you aren't talking, you're laughing. You are famous for: Being popular, though no one knows why. Middle aged women especially like you. How you life your life: With an open heart. "Elmo loves you!"

TheSesame Street Personality Quiz

My Uncle the Trucker

I was watching this gameshow the other day on TV, and one of the contestants said that she fancied pickup trucks (and actually drives one) rather than cars. Well, I just had a little trip down memory lane. You see, one of my uncles is a truck enthusiast. He likes trucks so much that almost all his vehicles are utility vehicles. He had a pickup truck, a couple of Jeeps, and a few SUVs. Some might say that he doesn’t use them offroad. Yeah he doesn’t go offroad but he does use them for its utilitarian uses. He travels a lot in rural areas, and sometimes pulls a trailer with him.

I just talked to him a couple of years ago and we had a little discussion about his vehicle preference. He said that if he was going to get another truck, it would be a 4WD extended cab, with trailer hitch, roll bars and brush guards, running boards, a transfer tank, and a few other things I haven’t heard before. Some of the accessories he wanted weren’t available locally so he ordered them online. Not a problem when you got internet. I haven’t talked to him again after that but I wonder if he had gotten his wish. I’d like to see that truck and take it for a spin.

Slumbook Style

I got this from joy and tried it.

1. Where is your dad right now? --- United States
2. Last time you kissed someone? --- awhile ago. kissed lance and hubby

3. Name 5 things you did today. --- bloghopped, work, chat, eat, surf
4. Last person you text messaged? --- my cousin jane

5. What kind of phone do you have? --- Nokia 6680
6. Where does your bestfriend work? --- I have a number of best friends, some of them are out of the country and some are working here in the Philippines
7. What are you listening to? --- Now? None.
8. What do you smell like? --- Gap dreams
9. What color are your eyes? --- black/brownish
10. Have you ever done a Chinese fire drill? --- Nope
11. What color is your bedroom floor? --- Brown / wooden
12. Do you have a chair in your room? --- Bedroom? Yup, computer chair and lance’s chair
13. What are you doing tomorrow? --- Rest of Year Planning at Astoria then watch Harry Potter after
14. Do you know someone named Betsy? --- Nope
15. What color is your mom’s hair? --- Black/brown
16. Do you have a dog? --- Nope
17. Do you remember singing songs as a kid? --- Yup, always
18. Are you married? --- Happily!
19. When was the last time you talked to one of your siblings? --- today
20. Do you play an instrument? --- Yup, keyboards
21. Do you like fire? --- A fire as in fire? Nope, but if it’s campfire, I like that.
22. Are you allergic to anything? --- Nope
23. Do you have a crush on anyone? --- Yup, wentworth miller and dennis trillo. Hehe!
24. Do you have a bestfriend? --- Yup
25. Have you ever been to a spa? --- Yup and would like to go to one again
26. Did you take science all 4 yrs. of High School? --- Yup
27. Do you like butterflies? --- Hmm.. ok lang. I don’t like it that much but I don’t hate it.
28. Do you miss someone right now? --- Yup, my parents and my brother and his family
29. Do you think they miss u too? --- I hope so
30. Have you ever seen your school counselor? --- Yes but not because I did something wrong (defensive ba?) lolz!

Go tag yourself if you want to answer it too. :)

Work

I have been pretty slack with my work now. I have a lot of things to do here in the office and I have a lot of projects in line but can’t seem to start doing it. As a matter of fact, I have to finish one project by end of the month but I don’t think I’ll be able to finish it. I’m not even close to the improvement stage. Haayy…

I don’t really know what’s wrong with me. Ok well, I might know what’s wrong but I don’t do anything with it. I just don’t have the motivation to work anymore. I don’t know if I’m tired of what I’m doing here since I’ve been here for 8 years already. I know it’s not the reason because I get to do different projects. The company sends me to training to implement new programs and I do my best to instill those programs to the culture of our company. So I don’t really get to do the same task every year. Of course I have the regular projects that I need to monitor but I also have new ones every year. That’s why I can’t understand myself why I’m feeling this now.

There’s something in me that says I move out and find another place to work but of course there’s still something in me that tells me to stay and continue what I’m doing. I really don’t know what to do. I pray everyday and ask God to enlighten me on what He wants me to do and in my prayers I also ask Him to help me when I’m at work. To let me do my job well and not just go to work for the sake of being in the office. I do hope I’ll figure this out real soon. Wish me luck and pray for me too. Thanks!

Home Theater

I was staring at my collection of DVDs the other day and thought about the other movies Toni and I plan to buy for ourselves. Then I had a thought, since we both love watching TV and movies so much, why not make a home theater in our house? It makes sense. We never pass up a good movie, and if we really liked it, we buy the video. Plus, we spend a lot of time in front of the TV, especially during the weekends. Oh, Lance likes watching TV too.

I have it all planned out, home theater seating at the middle of the room, a huge LCD TV in front, THX certified surround sound, rack for the media and AV equipment, movie memorabilia, maybe even a popcorn and soda machine. It’s going to be just like being in the movies. If I get all these, I might not leave the house anymore.

Window Blinds

Every weekend, I have my share of household chores to lighten the work load of our helper. Since I don’t know how to cook, what I often do is wash the dishes, sweep and mop the floor and clean our bedrooms.

And as I was cleaning our bedroom last weekend, I thought of changing our old-fashioned window curtain style to a modern look by using window blinds. I just thought of this because I think window blinds are easier to clean and maintain compared to the traditional window curtains. You just have to wipe them in case they get dirty and that’s it.

I haven’t told Paul about this yet but I do hope he’ll agree with me.

Transformers

Toni and I just watched Transformers last week. We waited for the crowd to thin out before going over to the cinema to see it. Unfortunately, it’s been shown for two weeks already and there’re still a lot of people watching. Anyway, I’ve seen the posters since 2005, and I thought “Interesting”.

I already followed the series when I was a kid so I had some background info on the characters. When I learned that Michael Bay was directing, I thought, “Even more interesting”, as he has been known to make action-packed movies like the Bad Boys films, The Rock, and Armageddon. Sure enough, it was. There’s the slow motion shot of the characters during the fight scene, the car chases, and the constantly moving camera. Hey, not that I’m complaining. I actually enjoyed the movie. My eyes were glued on the screen, and when I was answering some of Toni’s questions about the movie, I just answered her without even looking at her. It was just a little weird seeing robots in slow motion during some fight scenes (maybe I got used to John Woo and Wachowski brothers movies) And they changed some characters too, which is fine as to make it fit the period. There were also familiar faces in the cast. After checking out IMDb, I saw that the guy who provided the voice for Optimus Prime in the cartoons also did his voice in the movie. That was cool! I am definitely going to put this film in my “Must-Have-DVDs!”

Child Insurance

Since I got back home, I haven’t been doing much aside from taking care of Lance. Sometimes, I just find myself staring at Lance even while he’s asleep. Being away from Lance for months at a time, there is nothing I want to do more than to spend time with him and take care of him and make sure he grows up well and healthy. Toni and I have even talked about getting child insurance for Lance. This would really be helpful especially at his age where he is still very vulnerable. Just the other day, we heard that two kids from Toni’s hometown contracted dengue fever, and one of them was still in a critical condition. It’s news like these that worry parents.

Toni and I are lucky that Lance is healthy even if he doesn’t take vitamins and he hasn’t become ill; just the occasional coughs and colds. Other than that, he’s perfectly healthy. But still, that’s no reason not to get child insurance, right? Having insurance is having security.

Do You Shop Online?

If you do, then this is definitely something to keep in mind. I was just browsing the net when I stumbled upon Compare4.us. It’s an online shopping website that is powered by eBay, PriceRunner, and Amazon. So that would be like shopping in 3 different sites all at the same time. Just search for the item you’re looking for and then you now have a number of stores to choose from, as well as auction results and even accessories that go with your item. What I like about it is that the site is simple and neat and easy to use. Other online shopping sites bombard you with ads and have too much eyecandy you sometimes wouldn’t know where to go or even make you forget what you were originally looking for. I would definitely bookmark this site and check it out when I do my online shopping.

Feast One Hundred and Fifty One

Appetizer

What is your favorite fruit?

Mango

Soup

Who is someone you consider as a great model?

My parents. My mom gave her all in taking care of us and she did a good job. And my dad spent years out of the country. He sacrificed his time with the family to provide for us and he did a great job too. I love them both!

Salad

If you were to spend one night anywhere within an hour of your home, where would you choose?

Hmm.. If only New Zealand is an hour away... lolz! Anyway, I'd choose Manila Peninsula Hotel. I miss their spacious room and their sumptuous buffet.

Main Course

Name something you do too often.

Blogging, so that I can document what's happening in our lives, especially on Lance's developments.

Dessert

Fill in the blank. I really like ______ because _______.

I really like to go home now because I want to play and spend time with my two boys.

I Miss Them

Enough said...

I Want A Vacation

I was chatting with one of my cousins from the US the other day and he said he really wanted Toni, Lance, and I to come over there as he has only seen him in pictures I regularly send him. He started making plans on how we will spend the vacation there when we come over to visit.

One of his suggestions was spending a weekend in Orlando, Florida because of the many attractions there that Lance would enjoy. He said that accommodations wouldn’t be much trouble as we could look for some Orlando vacation rental properties. What excited us of course were the attractions in the area. Just imagine; Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World all within minutes from each other. Add to that the beaches and water parks and even Kennedy Space Center! I’ve always wanted to go there. It would be great to be there to see a shuttle launch. Sounds like I’m going to enjoy this as much as Lance would.

Just thinking about it gets me excited. I wonder when this would be.

What Time Is It?

I used to have several watches. I even pick the watch to use that will go with what I’m wearing for the day. Ok, it’s really not that plenty, let’s say it’s more than one. Lolz! Seriously, I really love watches and how it complements my clothes. Well, that was before!

What I usually use now is my ever reliable silver strap watch. I love how it fits in my wrist plus it can be used for formal and casual occasions. And it still goes with whatever I’m wearing because I can change the bezel that matches the color of the blouse or the dress I’m using. I also have this other watch that I use when I go out on field or when I’m on the sporty mood. And that’s it.

Now I’m thinking of buying another watch. Especially when I saw these Timex Watches online. And they also have Nixon, Seiko, Casio and G-shock as well as Prada sunglasses! The designs are nice and cool. I think it’s about time that I buy a new watch. Paging Paul!! :)

Movie Date

While everyone else is lining up to watch either Harry Potter 5 or Die Hard 4, Paul and I are going to watch Transformers. Hehe! I know it’s late but better late than never. I’ll come back with a post on how our movie date went and my short review of the movie.

We still have to schedule when to watch Die Hard and Harry Potter. I sure don’t want to miss both movies. Maybe we can watch Die Hard on Saturday and Harry Potter next week.

Movies at this time of the year are usually the blockbusters as it is summertime in the US. More people on vacation, more people trooping to the cinemas, not only in the US but wherever there’s the silver screen.

Paul and I miss going to the movies together because he was based overseas for the last 3 years. I sure am glad he’s home so we can resume our movie marathons! Lolz!

Paul's Ironworks?

Toni had an entry here about a week ago in which she said that we all went to Batangas to attend a procession. I remember her aunt telling me that Toni’s dad was some kind of a packrat. He would keep things that people would normally just get rid off. Well, I was told that there was a time wherein he sent home a huge box from the US that had a variety of stuff made from iron. He just told them to keep it just in case he would find a need for it at a later time. Some people might suggest on selling it at a junkshop but I (even with my lack of creativity) thought about building stuff out of it.

There’s a lot of things you could do out of things that seem like junk (is it beginning to sound like I'm a packrat too?). You could build let’s say a simple stool at the start. Maybe a corner table. Or if you’re really creative, make some art or sculptures out of iron. You see a lot of those now, modern art made of iron and steel. Nothing that a nice plasma cutter couldn’t do. When I go back to Batangas, maybe I could check it out and see what I can do.

Disposable Underwear

I remember when my grandmother was sick. All of us grandchildren made our way to take care of her. When she was bedridden, we take turns in dressing her up and changing her. We had a hard time though when she frequently urinates. Good thing my uncle from the States gave us a lot of disposable underwear. It really helped us since we don’t have to change her that often.

I bought one for myself too when I went out of town a few years back. I just want to try how it feels and I tell you, it’s comfortable. Plus I don’t have to bring back dirty underwear when I go back home. :)

Simple Joys

I never thought that being a mom could give me so much joy. I know all mothers will agree with me that just by seeing your child is such a joy already. What more when that child does something for you, whatever that may be.

I’ll give you an example. Lance, who is only 9 months old, gives me that joy. Being that young, you could just imagine the limited things he can do. But what makes me happy is that whenever I go home, even if Lance is already sleepy when I enter our room, he will still stand and will raise his arms so that I’ll carry and embrace him. We’ll play a little and then I’ll put him to sleep na. Simple as that but the joy it brings is so great. Like what they say, “nakakawala ng pagod!” That is so true! Another incident is when he wakes up in the middle of the night and we transfer him to our bed, he’ll crawl to my tummy or to my chest and that’s where he’ll sleep. Sweet no! There are other things he does that makes me wanna stay at home and take care of him na lang that I want to share pero eto na lang muna. I know most of you experienced these also with your child.

Haayy…. The joys of motherhood… :)

Travel Insurance

My parents who have been living in the US for quite some time now would like to visit us again this year. They haven’t seen my son and are both very excited to see him. They would also like to visit my brother’s family in New Zealand when they come over. But we’re worried of their insurance. Only few companies provide age concern travel insurance. And we’re glad we found one. It’s good that there are companies who provide insurance for elderly. My parents are already on the bracket of what we call “senior citizens” so it’s really important for us that they have insurance coverage when they travel. Not that we want them to get into an accident. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

The site is pretty easy to understand and they have several types of insurance that you can choose from. Just choose one that you think is applicable to your travel. Like for my parents, they offer travel insurance for over 65 years. They also have single trip, annual, family and long stay. You can even get an online quote to see how much your insurance will be. So for those of you who’re looking for travel insurance, you may want to check out this one. :)

Since I Was Kid...

Another one of my favorite shows on TV is American Chopper. Ever since I was young, I've already wanted to have a motorcycle. I can't explain why, maybe it's because of the sense of freedom you get when riding it, the wind in your hair, the bugs that get in your eye, haha. Or maybe it’s the laid back attitude that comes with choppers or the excitement and speed with racers. And my dad had one too when he was young. The closest thing I got to owning one is a bike. That's bike as in bicycle. I'd still like to have one though. The motorcycle that is.

If anyone's planning on getting one, you'd need the right protective gear as well. Given the driving conditions and style here in the Philippines, you'd REALLY need it. Jackets, especially ones made from leather, would be great protection against road rash. But that might be too warm and toasty here. And of course the helmet. There’s a law for that I believe. There’s a whole lot of items for the biker. There are motorcycle sunglasses, gloves, boots, and more I don’t know of. You know what, if you had all of those in black, you’d look like Darth Vader minus the cape. Now if only I could convince Toni...

Toni needs...

Other bloggers did this already so I might as well give it a try.

Toni needs careful daily monitoring. (oh yes, of my projects and my contractors!)
Toni needs to do a Live Concert DVD which would potentially be a 5 star best seller (oh really! But I don’t even sing!)
Toni needs surgery and a new club (uhmp! Surgery? I hope not!)
Toni needs to come back Girlfriends (Do I?)
Toni needs to watch Jeff (who’s jeff?)
Toni needs to get a new Manufacturer/Factory to make her products (I do hope I have my own products)
Toni needs to get some new friends in the biz and a can of Act Right (oh, I don’t like show biz)
Toni needs to stick to songs more on her level (I told you, I don’t sing)
Toni needs to go to Nassau and do the feeding scuba with the reef sharks (do I really need to do that? Cool!)

For those of you who want to try it, just go to google then type your first name followed by the word needs. And check out what’s in store for you. You may also want to try likes or wants. Good luck!

Dude, Where's My Bill?

Was there a time that you didnt't get your monthly electric bill, and had to go to the nearest office of the electric company? I did. Good thing that Toni keeps even the previous months' paid bills so we were able to call the company and ask them about it. They said their courier already delivered the bill, but we were like, "What bill?" Anyway, I had to go to their office to settle that since I can't go to the nearset payment centers because i didn't have the latest bill. It isn't really that far from our house, but given traffic conditions, it'll take you the better part of an hour. And when I got there, I was done in less than 5 minutes.

Maybe by having real mailboxes, we wouldn't miss a single bill or letter ever again. You see, most homes I see here have only a slit in the front gate as a mailbox. I think they contain more rust, rainwater and insects than letters if you ask me. More often than not, you would see these bills just twisted and placed in betweenthe grills of your fence. C'mon, don't tell me you've never seen the postman do that. If I ever miss a bill again, I would really consider having a real, working mailbox.

Thanks Ate Rose

This post is for my son’s nanny. I’m just thankful for having her and choosing us to be her employer and making our lives easy. Ate Rose used to work for my brother for 8 years but when they migrated to New Zealand, she chose to stay with me among all others who want to get her. My brother’s in-laws, my cousin, my brother’s brother-in-law and a whole lot more who knows her wants to hire her. But she chose to stay with me and my sister, and now she takes care of Lance. And is doing a really good job!!!

She’s not only a nanny to Lance but she’s an over-all helper as well meaning, she does the laundry, iron, cook, cleans the house, etc. (hmm… it seems ang tamad ko! Lolz!!) As much as I want to cook, I don’t know how,L although sometimes, I ask her to teach me how to cook. I just help her in cleaning the house during weekends and I wash the dishes whenever I can. That’s what I do lang at home aside of course from taking care of Lance. Everybody says “jackpot” kami sa kanya and I agree with them because we’re really lucky to have her. I saw how she took care of my nephews and my niece and she’s doing the same with Lance. She just does not take care of him because that’s her work but gives her love as well. I’m just really lucky!

Maybe you’re wondering why I’m posting about her. A few weeks ago, I heard pretty bad stories about yayas. From yayas who pinch the child, to yayas who gets pregnant and has to leave and a yaya who was already pregnant but did not inform her employer so that the employer will still provide the fare for the ferry to go to Manila. I also heard a story about a yaya who stole stuff from her employer like clothes, shades and what have you. But the most horrible one is one yaya left the child alone at home at 12midnight to meet a guy somewhere. Yup! You read it right! Who in your right mind will leave a child, a 2 year old child, alone just to meet a guy? And worse, the child woke up, and managed to go out of the house. Good thing the neighbors knew the child and there’s a barangay tanod roaming around. So the child was brought to the barangay and needs to be fetch by a relative. Well, don’t wanna share too much anymore on what happened after.

Anyway, this is kinda long already. I just want to share how lucky I am for having her. Thanks Ate Rose!!! :)

DNA

As I have just been staying at home for the past month, I've been watching TV a lot lately. I frequently watch Discovery and some other channels. One of my favorite shows in Discovery is Crime Stories. It's just so amazinghow the detectives are able to solve cases just when you think they've reached a dead end. One of their most useful tools is science, specifically forensics. Fans of the show CSI aren't strangers to forensics and the use of DNA analysis. Imagine being able to identify a person just by a strand of hair, or skin cells.

DNA analysis has a lot more uses than just by identifying perpetrators. It can be used to identify remains,tracing parentage, genetic engineering, and a lot more. Ah, the wonders of science.

Weekend Review

It’s Wednesday already and I’m giving you an update on how our weekend went. Hehe! Its one busy weekend we had that resulted to my son’s nanny getting sick. Here’s the recap:

Saturday morning, Paul and I went to Marikina Sports Center to support my company for the annual Lopez Group Palaro wherein our company/group was the overall champion for the past two years. Unfortunately, they didn’t win this year. (maybe because we watched! Lolz!)

We went home at 11am then prepared our things for we will be going to Batangas in the afternoon. We need to attend a procession for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We left the house at 1pm then headed to Tandang Sora to pick up my aunt who’ll be coming with us. It was also the first time I drove at 120kph at the Star Toll for we’re trying to catch the 4:30pm mass that will be officiated by the Archbishop of Batangas. I want to be there on time but I’m also scared to drive too fast because Lance is with us and I don’t want to get into an accident.

We made it to 4:30 but unfortunately the mass started at 4pm so we’re still late. It’s hard when your parents are out of the country for when there’s an event in the family, me and my sister has to be there to represent our parents. It used to be my brother but him and his family migrated to another country as well. Not that I’m complaining, hehe! It’s still nice to see relatives whom you haven’t seen for a long time.

We went back to Manila early Sunday morning because my sister needs to see her friends for lunch. We dropped by chow king at star toll for breakfast and this is where Lance had his first high chair experience in a restaurant. And he looks so cute and was seating comfortably at the high chair. We arrived at 11am and stayed home the whole day. It was one tiring weekend!

What's Your Learning Style?

You Are a Kinetic Learner

You learn best by doing, and you have a talent for complicated, physical tasks.You excel at athletics, drama, and fixing things.You would be an excellent Olympic athlete - or a Broadway star!

What's" Your Learning Style?

Diapers

When I was pregnant, Paul and I thought of using washable diapers for our son when he’s born. So when Paul was in the States, he bought dozens of washable diapers for Lance to use when he’s born. We thought it would be easy to use. And we’re wrong!!

We tried it during daytime and we kept on changing his diapers for he pee so often. It was really a hassle to us because we need to check if he’s wet so that his back won’t get wet too, then we have to wash the soiled diapers. Talk about too much work. That’s when we decided to use disposable diapers. These incontinence products made our life easy. We don’t have to watch out for him that often.

Rating and Addiction

I got both of the quizzes from cez, and here the results:

67%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Drug Rehab

We all know that one of the problems we have in society is drug addiction. This doesn’t limit itself to illegal or controlled substances, but also to alcoholism. This abuse can ruin careers, families and even lives. We have a family friend that was once a substance user. Thankfully, he entered and completed treatment in a drug rehab and recovered from his addiction.

Recovery is not easy, as addiction may have both physical and psychological effect. It’s not only about being sober, but also having the will and the control to stay off it. Essentially, recovering is like getting your life back. Having full control of your life is way better than having something controlling you, don’t you think?

Phone Counseling

Getting married and having a family is one big decision a person makes in his entire life. Like what they say, loving is not a feeling, it’s a decision. That you decided to love the person you’re with now and will stay with him for better or for worse. But what if that decision, that love and commitment you vowed to one another suddenly shatters? What if you found out that your partner is cheating on you? What are you going to do? What happens now to your family? To your marriage? To your children? And what if your partner is really sorry and regret what happened and he wants to save your marriage? Are you willing to forgive him?

Most people who experienced this and decided on saving their marriage go into marriage counseling. It helps both partners to be open and release their anger and resentment to one another. What’s even better is that there is phone counseling available and accessible to the public. There are listings of the counselors who are currently available and all you have to do is choose the one that you feel right for you. This is one easy way to help people with their marital problems. You don’t have to go to the clinic, just call the counselor you want and start your session.

Friday Feast 150

Appetizer

How many pieces of jewelry do you wear most days?

I wear 6: watch, necklace, bracelet, pair of earrings and my two rings, engagement and wedding ring.

Soup

What is your favorite instrumental song?

I like the Kenny G instrumentals and also the Flight of the Bumblebee

Salad

Who has a last name that you like?

Zobel de Ayala (naks!)

Main Course

Name a popular movie you've never seen

Star wars 5 & 6. Empire Strikes back and Return of the Jedi.

Dessert

Fill in the blank. Nothing makes me _____ like ______.

Nothing makes me smile and happy like what my husband and my son does when i see them play and bond with one another.

Join us with the feast.