you will always remember your first...

a few of my firsts....

first time ko sumakay sa eroplano noong mag migrate kami sa states, october 1997. nakaka excite pero kinakabahan ako kasi we packed our lives in suit cases and moved to a land far far away.

first time ko magbyahe papuntang manila ng ako lang mag isa, summer before 2nd year highschool...that was in 1994. 4 times akong nagpunta ng harrison plaza mag isa kasi i was taking guitar lessons then. e masyadong delicate ang aking fingers, hindi ko kinaya na pisilin ang mga strings na yan. so i gave up after 4 sessions. hanggang ngayon, i can only play 6 chords sa guitara... minsan nakakalimutan ng asawa ko na 'medyo' marunong nga pala ako kaya nagugulat sya kapag nakakatugtog ako. hehehe

first time ko magmove away from my parents, september 1999... i moved to davis to study there. actually nagmove away talaga ako 1997 pa, when i went to diliman...pero sa sobrang lungkot ko, araw araw umuuwi ako ng cavite kahit na may dorm ako. kahit na 4 hours ang byahe ko dahil sa sobrang traffic sa edsa, wa ako care! uuwi ako at kakain ng luto ng nanay ko!!!

first time ko magpunta ng disneyland...ang saya. naiyak ako sa tuwa. 1998 yun.

first time ko mag cruise with my dear husband and michelle, we went to mexico. it is still my most relaxing vacation ever! kahit na 4 days lang yon...it felt like i rested for a week. this was september 2004.

first time ko manood ng 3D na movie na wala ako sa loob ng disneyland.....AVATAR! medyo kakaiba ang hype sa movie na ito no, so i went into the theater na mataas ang expectations. naranasan nyo na ba yung hindi kayo gumagalaw at nakaupo lang for 2 1/2 hours???? first time ko maranasan yon when we watched avatar noong sunday. the movie had me captivated. masakit sa tuhod pagkatapos. para akong lola na aampang-ampang pababa ng hagdan sa sinehan. i was amazed at james cameron's vision. ang galing ng imagination nya to have created what he created! the story is somewhat different...syempre meron paring boy meets girl and they fall in love chuvaness, pero it's different. i highly recommend it kasi many future films will look to avatar for concepts and technology. nabilib ako kasi motion capture yung ginamit for the omaticayas, tapos pag magkasama yung mga tao at yung aliens, parang seamless, you don't know where the real ends and the cgi begins. galing!

this film is VISUALLY STUNNING! i'm sure that like me, first time rin bumilib ang viewers sa kakaibang ganda ng movie na ito. the story, i wasn't overly impressed with it. it's not a spectacular story. pero yung kabuuan ng pelikula...maganda. if you haven't seen it yet, you should. you won't forget this movie. gusto ko na nga bumili ng dvd at ng mapanood naman to sa bluray e!

sf ballet's the nutcracker

it was beautiful! the set was beautiful, the costumes were beautiful, the falling snow was beautiful...naluluha luha ako sa ganda kanina. i don't know much about ballet but i know the performance was not perfect, but wonderful nonetheless. it totally set the mood for christmas.

michelle really enjoyed the show, too. during the intermission while we were on our way to the ladies room, she kept dancing and twirling. natutuwa tuloy yung mga taong nakakakita sa kanya. it's like she had her own little world. but after the intermission and we went back to our seats, she began to lose interest. but she kept clapping when the crowd clapped sabay sabing, 'bravo!'. the music was really familiar to her too kasi she hears it a lot from episodes of little einsteins. after the show was over, she asked her dad, 'daddy, what was your favorite part of the show?' nang-interview pa.

here are some of our photos. we used our small, obsolete point and shoot kaya hindi masyado maganda ang pics.

papasko sa parents ko

my parents received what they have been fervently praying for.

my eldest brother FINALLY got his immigrant visa and he could be here before the end of the month.

totoo na ito!!!!

there was a delay of about 4 weeks before he finally received his visa. medyo nadiscourage din ang parents ko...my dad couldn't sleep. natatakot kasi sya na baka mapunta sa wala yung taon na hinintay namin bago sya makarating rito.

so now, after 12 years of waiting, darating na ang kuya ko! i am very happy na magkakasama sama kami. kulang parin pero i know that in God's perfect time, yung isang kuya ko naman ang makakarating dito. =D

pawis

parang galit sa pawis tong si michelle. tuwing papawisan sya, she would pause, pupunasan ang noo or leeg nya, lalapit sa akin sabay sabing...

'mommy, i'm getting pawis!'

:-(

was walking around macy's after work today when i saw an image of myself as i walked past a full length mirror.

what i saw was not just depressing...it was heart breaking.

you know that moment when something just clicks? well, that was it for me. everything clicked and i hope to never see myself like that again.

a new batch of michelle-isms

since my daughter doesn't baby talk anymore, i will introduce a new batch of michelle-isms....her tag-lish sentences na may pagka conyo-tic ang dating.

sample:

madaming kalat sa kama, 'letters' daw nya. sabi ko, itabi na matutulog na. sabi nya, "ok mommy. let's tago it!'

for the home

this would look nice in the dining room

keep dreaming!!!

ay amor!

ay amor! mas magaling kumembot ang lola!

pilapino

proud na proud sa pagka pilapino ang anak ko. obvious ba?

i'm not naughty...

after watching dora's christmas special on tv, michelle asked her lolo....

'lolo, are you on the naughty list?' (she asked because swiper was on santa's naughty list)

her lolo replied, 'no i'm not. are you on the naughty list?'

'no!' she answered back indignantly. 'i'm not naughty, i'm filipino!'

team pacquiao

paul is getting me this shirt (christmas gift ba ito???). panlalake, lang pero i really want a team pacquiao shirt. uniform namin to when we watch the pacman v. mayweather fight in march (dito lang kami sa bahay manonood).

kaya mo yan pacman!!!

pre-christmas conversation with michelle

we went to target today to buy a few christmas lights for the house. we also bought her a christmas stocking.

when we got home, i hung the stocking by the stairs, then i told her...

'michelle, jesus told santa clause to give you a present this christmas. what present do you want?'

'jesus? jesus mommy? i call him bro. bro told santa to give me a present?' she asked.

'yes, jesus told santa to give you a present because you've been a good girl.' i replied.

'mommy! it's bro!' she insisted.

ang kulit ko kasi e! bro nga naman! nood kasi ng nood ng may bukas pa e!

ovo

we watched ovo last night, opening night, in san francisco.

it was a good show, although not my favorite among the 3 others i've seen. i would have enjoyed it a little more if the guy behind me stopped shaking his leg. i felt like i was in a broken massage chair!

anyway, i don't have a lot to say about ovo. it would be good for a first cirque experience. if you've seen others, i think you'll agree with me that this is not the best. the costumes and the music were great. i'd still watch the next cirque when come to town or when we go to vegas.

i-boycott daw ang thanksgiving

'i don't like thanksgiving!'

tama bang sabihin ni michelle yun? she didn't get what she wanted before bed kasi kaya binoboycott nya na ang thanksgiving. she wanted lemonade at 9 pm. while i had some in the cupboard, i wasn't giving this to her. she knows she can only drink milk or water pag gabi. she insisted, and i put my foot down...she cried for about 15 minutes and decided that because she couldn't have her way, she's no longer fond of turkey day.

so i responded, 'hindi kita papaluin ngayon, kasi holiday. bukas, pag matigas parin ulo mo, hindi lang ako ang papalo sayo. pati daddy mo papaluin ka na.'

e di walang makulit! madali naman sya kausap e.

happy thanksgiving

i've been waking up early lately even if i don't have to go to work. hmmm, tumatanda na ba talaga ako?

yesterday, i baked 20 pies. today i'll be making my cheese rolls and i'll be making green bean casserole.

i've been too lazy to blog lately....i forgot na what happened the last week.

ay, we celebrated t and claire's bday. it was really nice to see the odm crew again after several months of not hanging out. talagang nagiiba na ang mga parties namin. ngayon, 3 of us have kids na - the two kids are 3 and 2 months. ngayon ang party namin, pot luck na, some wine, and the parents and kids went home at 10 pm. yung mga wala pang anak left at 1 am, but i don't think there was heavy drinking involved. =)

ovo this friday! excited na ako!!!!! =D

carmel and pebble beach

we took a drive down to beautiful carmel and pebble beach today. it was a cold but clear day. here are some pictures:

goodbye lemon

i don't know why junky cars are called lemons but we said goodbye to our lemon of a car over the weekend. just last month, we spent $2,500 to get it fixed and then last week, the engine light came on again and according to the dealer it will need another $2,500 worth of repairs with no guarantees that there will be no other breakdowns in the foreseeable future.

it was time to move on. my mom said, 'mamimiss ko yung mdx.' which i found really surprising because my mom is not the type of person who holds on to things for sentimental reasons.

anyway, this is what we got.

2009 Mazda CX-9

i think my mom needs to ride this car more so she can start getting over the mdx. i've read good reviews all over the internet and it is one good looking car. we got the 7 year bumper to bumper warranty so we should mostly be worry-free for that period of time.

paul has already requested a road trip.

it's not what i thought it was

just got home from the movie theater after partially watching hillsong united's i heart revolution documentary.

i went home early and didn't finish it.

it gave me a massive headache. i am not a fan of scenes blinking and frames switching rapidly or layering scene after scene after scene. that's a recipe for vertigo. i am not the target audience of this documentary because there's nothing in it that surprised me (and chel, and t) so none of it moved me the way i think they were hoping to move their audience. i understand what they're trying to do and i applaud them for their sense of purpose and their passion, but this is something middle school and high school kids should be watching (not the junk they see on mtv or cw). i don't know if in the end, they urge the kids to move and act and make this world a better place...i pray they do and they do it convincingly, otherwise, i think it's a futile effort.

more than 1 hour into the whole thing, chel said, 'ok so what now?' they showed one depressing scene after another and what they thought about it. it felt like it dragged on forever. 1 1/2 hours into it, i just had to leave. i just couldn't take any more of it. i guess this review makes it look really bad because i don't remember walking out of a theater in the middle of the movie (other than to pee).

i wish i just stayed home and spent time with my daughter.

i'm still a fan of hillsong and their music and the anointing that they have. but this documentary, well, not one bit.

pagkahaba-haba man daw ng prusisyon

sa amazon din ang bagsak!

i have been looking for an elliptical machine since my husband agreed last week that i can get one with the $500 rebate we received from our home's streamline with BAC.

my criteria:
-less than $500
-good customer reviews
-space saver / compact design
-easy assembly

after checking sears and sports authority and not finding one that i am happy with, i settled with a machine i have not tried using at a store. reviews on amazon.com and walmart.com have an average rating of 3.5 to 4.5 stars, customers say assembly was relatively easy, it's inexpensive (compared to most ellipticals) and amazon has free shipping, no tax. at $395 flat, i think i found a bargain. if i get a full year's use and lose 20 pounds using this thing, i would say the machine practically paid for itself.

i hope this arrives real soon so i can get started na.

Eclipse 1100 HR/A Elliptical Trainer

#bart on twitter

if you follow me on twitter, i've been tweeting alot about bart especially since the bay bridge indefinitely went out of commission (it's literally falling apart!), commuters are turning to my dear old...dirty...stinky...semi-reliable Bay Area Rapid Transit.

my 25 minute commute home this afternoon turned to a 55 minute train ride. only twitter kept me sane.

here's what other twitters are saying:

menniem_1213 so freaking tired 4rm crazy busy day @ work + bart got delayed sched sheeez have to wait 30mns took 4ever to get home. I need to sleep na

bohdi Friggin bart just "forgot" to stop at west oakland.

elimon @bean the homeless woman with her child at BART truly saddens me. There is a lot of struggle right now.

natalieannie I hate BART more now that the bridge broke. Dude across the median yelled at me to get off my phone too. Ugh so over this place.

kripto Just saw the ex mayor at the Montgomery Bart station getting a ticket :-)

MayaParadox There were these loud Polish people on bart and I could hardly understand a word they were saying. Sigh, I'm losing it!

mcqueenie23 Hey douchebag on BART nobody wants to hear your ghetto rap on your phone, get headphones a$$#0!€!

joelignacio Everyone on the BART train I was riding just got kicked off, then the train went out of service. This platform is hella crowded now...

lotormatic Standing room only on BART. Bring the bridge back already

BryanVonReuter No rehearsal. Thanks CC Meyers Inc for the bang up job you did repairing the bay bridge. Oh and thanks for making BART suck today also.

Tj_Texans @IsisLove what is bart?

to kill a mockingbird

i have not blogged about it but i finished reading 'to kill a mockingbird' sometime last month in a little over 1 week...which to me is pretty fast since i only have a chance to read during my commute to and from work (only 25 mins each way and when i'm heading to work, i stop reading 2 stations from my destination to avoid missing my stop and ending up late to work). twice i missed my station on my way home because i was so into the book. it truly deserves the pulitzer prize it won decades ago.


if you haven't read it, do yourself a favor and read it. i borrowed mine from the library but i'm planning to buy a hard cover on amazon because this is something i know michelle will read in the future. it is truly an american classic. i haven't read a book (other than the bible) that has moved me as much as this book did. it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will make you angry (oh and it did so many times!), it will make you think, it gives you hope, and reminds you of the beauty of childhood innocence. i borrowed the movie from the library today (starring the guwapong guwapong gregory peck). paul and i will watch it this weekend.

this is our goverNATOR

you don't say, 'kiss my gay ass!' to the terminator and get away with it!

he's more 'civilized' now, but not any more mature. here is what he calls pay back:

note: emphasis is from this blogger

kuya

michelle knows how to say kuya but the kuyas in her life she calls like this:

her 2nd cousin, john. she calls KU TOTOY.

her 2nd cousin, jude. she call KU JUDE.

kenneth, her big brother at church, she calls him KONA KENNETH!

gets ko pa yung first two. pero yung kay kenneth, ewan ko kung bakit!

happy hallow pumpkin

yesterday, we went to the local pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin to carve. michelle spent several minutes in the jumper with her ku-jude (will blog about this later).


my cousin and i carved a cross and fish design and one smiling jack-o-lantern. it was easier than i thought. will carve more next year...or next week. =) check them out.

gotta LUV it!

hubby is going to have a high school reunion of sorts in las vegas on a friday/saturday night in january. airfares are much higher flying on a friday kaya sya nalang ang mauuna on friday (reunion nya yun e). for us tag-alongs, i found an awesome deal via southwest for $39 each way flying in to LAS on a saturday and flying out on monday. beats driving 8-10 hours from san francisco. my parents hardly needed any convincing. this is the perfect time to take my brother to sin city and a perfect opportunity for them to enjoy one of their favorite pass times (punta ka sa indian casino in the west coast and half of the people playing the slots are pinoys aged 50 and up. di nila palalampasin ang vegas).

I LUV SOUTHWEST AIRLINES. i never have to worry about losing money when i cancel my flight because even if my plans change, i don't lose my money at all. i keep it as a credit when i book my next flight and since paul flies southwest 85% of the time, we know we'll use the credit the next time he flies. they were also very kind to us back in february when we were in portland and michelle got really sick and we didn't know when we could fly back to the bay area. we changed our flight 3 times because we went to the ER twice in 3 days. they didn't charge us for the fare difference (even though the fare rules clearly stated they would). who wouldn't LUV that?!

they almost always have the best priced flights. they don't charge you when you book your flight through a live agent, they don't charge you for checking your bags and the peanuts and sodas are still free. =) the only downside is there are no individual tv screens like they do at virgin america, but i'm not complaining. =D

since i love them so much, maybe we should buy southwest airlines stock (LUV on the NYSE) once the budget permits. kelan kaya yun e naibili na ng ticket at nagbook na ng room!?

we will be staying at caesar's palace, right smack in the middle of the strip. booked 2 nights for $119 each with a $50 food and beverage credit plus 2 passes to the roman baths at the Qua Baths and Spa which is a $90 value so parang we only paid for 1 night or $60 each night...winner! i'm hoping we can get an upgrade for little cost, maybe even for free. napaka kuripot ko na ba? these days, you have to stretch your buck as far as it would go. mura magpunta sa vegas that time kasi winter. desert nights can be freezing cold but i'll take las vegas in the winter over vegas in the summer. who wants to walk the strip when it's 115F outside!?

i need to sleep. vacation stuff gets me all excited. sana soon, yung big trip na ang i-book namin. =D

building a happy childhood

i feel very blessed and i'm very happy for my daughter sa dami ng mga naeexperience nyang mga bagay bagay. it brings me joy when the new things she that she discovers, kinukwento nya sa kung sino ang gustong makinig. nakakatuwa pala talaga to watch children grow.

she was thrilled to go to the president's cup and for days, that's all she would talk about. she says she really wants to play golf and insists on putting up on her wall the president's cup flag that i got from work.

she's been talking about how she saw the big jets (blue angels) fly across the sky and how loud they were.

she's excited na pupunta na dito ang tito joy nya next month. pupunta daw sila sa beach at sa universal studios. may bago nanaman syang i-eentertain.

she was singing her heart out at church during practice kanina singing, 'jesus we're living for your name, we'll never be ashamed of you. woh uh oh! our praise, and all we are today, take take take it all! take take take it all!' which by the way is one of her favorite favorite songs. kailangan pa hawak nya yung mic pag kinanta nya to.

she was watching celine dion's concert on tv kanina and she was fascinated by her singing and the wonderful choreography and stage design. nagagalit sya pag sumasabay ako kumanta, gusto nya si celine lang. tumutugtog din sya ng gitara nya habang nanonood ng concert...feeling nya talaga sya yung tumutugtog.

pero muntik na sya mapalo kanina. sinumpong ng iyak, bawat kibot iyak. pati lolo nya na number 1 fan at kakampi nya, naiinis na. naglabas ng sinturon! sabi ng lolo, 'pag di ka tumigil, baka magalit ako ng tuluyan, gusto mo paluin kita ng sinturon?' iling sya. biglang tahan. hehehe e di tapos ang drama.

ngayon tulog na sya. it's way past our bed time. i've been feeling dizzy a lot pag dating ng gabi. siguro nasasanay na yung katawan ko na maaga matulog. i better sleep now.

thank you Lord for everything. i am truly blessed.

tuesdays

i've decided to make tuesday night a movie night for me and michelle (and her daddy of course whenever he's in town).

michelle is watching finding nemo for the first time and eating clover at the same time.

next time maybe we'll try some princess movies. =)

does she have what it takes?

of course she does!

please click on her photo to vote for her in the GAP casting call

i've been quiet

because i have just been too busy. i don't usually blog about work, i try my best not to mix work with my personal life but last week was CRAZY busy for me. i typed a long story about how insane last week was, but better to really not blog about work, even though i know for sure what i write will not get me into trouble...but better safe than sorry, so let's just leave it at that.

my car broke down last week after already spending almost two thousand dollars to get stuff fixed. something else broke down and looks like i will be spending another several hundred bucks to get it working. i'm using chel's clunker of a car which i have no right to complain about because at least i don't have to pay for a rental but that darn thing is a pain in the rear to drive. my car is still broken. it's sitting in the drive way waiting for the dealer to call to say that the part we ordered has arrived.

the good news is, my coworker's back from vacation (hurrah!) and so i'm no longer stressed at work. i have normal days now when i can actually walk out of the office and grab something to eat and leave after i've put in my normal 8 hours. the project i'm working on is nearing its end and i'm hoping to see the presidents (current and former)at the president's cup at harding park. we're getting closer to closing on the house's refinance for a better mortgage rate (thanks to THE BANK).

i have some quiet time right now to write while michelle is with the grandparents at costco. church tonight!

our ceo is stepping down at the end of the year, but you didn't hear that from me!

build-your-own-pizza

i make a mean pizza DAW. pizza will be a staple in our household. michelle loved getting her hands dirty and spilling flour all over the kitchen floor, rolling her own dough and putting her favorite toppings on her pizza. i just need to take it easy and relax when it comes to the mess, that's part of growing up and that's what makes it fun, di ba?

cellphone drama

if you don't follow me on twitter or facebook, count yourself blessed! =D you just saved yourself from my ka-okrayan when it comes to buying a phone.

back in college, i wanted to have the 'it' phones. i never spent more than $400 on a phone (di ko kayang bumili ng $800 na cellphone no! laptop na yun!) but i made sure i bought the best that my money could buy.

after college, i lost my interest in phones. purses took its place. although i don't have that many purses and the ones i have are not super expensive compared to other women, i still bought the best that i could afford. mas kaya ng kunsensya ko bumili ng purse kesa gumasta ng same amount for a phone. (kanya kanya tayong bisyo, walang paki-alaman!)

i've had my current phone for about 4 years at nagsisimula na sya maghingalo. my cellphone drama began 4 weeks ago. i knew i needed a new phone kasi there were many moments when i wanted to throw my current phone out the window dahil sa dami ng dropped calls ko at pagfifreeze ng screen. but i kept holding back kahit na i am on my phone for at least 4 hours everyday talking to my husband. i know i should invest in a phone since i use it ALL the time. pero ewan ko ba...parang nagsusubukan kami ng cellphone ko kung sino unang susuko.


so ayan, ngayong gabi. bumili na ako ng kapalit! i was choosing between nokia e63 and nokia e71. it's a $100 difference...which to some might not be a lot but that's 50% more than the price of the e63. i would basically be paying for features i don't need (like the gps). so the cheaper phone won. i bought a 4gb memory card, car charger, and silicone case (i drop my phone A LOT, especially when getting out of the car) and paid an extra $18 including tax and shipping.

so, eto ang binili ko. peborit ko kasi ang kulay.

ok beb, yan na ang anniversary gift mo sa akin. tama na ang gastos!

michelle's quote of the day

scene: she had her flu shot at the doctor's office today

'doctor's visit, small awwie. hospital visit, big awwie.'

i, uhm...

need/want this....


want


want

i know they're expensive, but dreaming is free

inggit ang mommy at lola

hindi kami nagkaron ng ganito!!!

the dollhouse we ordered on amazon arrived yesterday. it was only today that i found time to put it together. it wasn't extremely difficult to asseble and i enjoy tinkering with things like this but my dad did help me (paul is in oregon).

the dollhouse is beautiful. it's made of wood, huge (mukha naman di ba?), furnished and michelle will get to enjoy it until she's much older.

like i've said to many people, michelle bought this with money she saved in her piggy bank. she was able to buy this and her little battery operated atv. both were not terribly expensive. it took michelle almost 1 year to save up and buy them. i'm encouraging her again to save up so she can buy what she wants for christmas. ibe-brain wash ko na at study table naman ang ipapabili ko sa kanya para meron na sya before she starts going to school.

note to lai

please read my blog before you see me or call me so i can answer all of your questions.

answers: (not in the order you asked them or reacted)

- the car's window is temporarily fixed. it involves a lot of duct tape

- michelle's nguso and eye movements were hilarious in the video i posted. i'll check the one you posted on youtube last night and post it here, too.

- cute ng jollibee dance eklat no? ginaya man nila yan somewhere....it still looked great and took the crowd by surprise. it's like a scene from a teen movie. hehehe

One Heartbeat At A Time

now that i am working again, i don't have enough hours in the day to do all i need to do. luggage from our recent vacation remains in our room, mostly untouched. sometimes i feel i don't have enough time to spend with michelle. but the important thing is TO MAKE TIME. it doesn't have to be ALL THE TIME, but the time has to matter. i really need to MAKE THE MOST of the time i spend with her and enjoy every minute of it.

father-daughter lucky duet

these are the loves of my life rockin' it to lucky. watch michelle's nguso as she sings. hahaha

Cirque du Soleil OVO

i can't wait to see this in november!!!! i showed it to michelle so she can get a preview, medyo natakot yata. oh well...it's three months away. a lot can change in 3 months for a 3 year old, right?

vacation/staycation: portland

michelle and i had a pre-planned vacation in portland prior to my accepting my new job. we arrived monday and our friends claire and jacob joined us from friday to sunday. here's a run down of where we went and what we did:

day 1: friday, historic columbia river highway, the grotto, and international rose test garden

we drove on the historic columbia river highway to see the beautiful columbia river gorge and the many waterfalls that line this stretch of road, most notably, the multnomah falls. the gorge is beautiful! napapa 'God is good' ako sa ganda ng view from the top of the mountain. we've been to multnomah several times before but it was our first time driving down the historic highway where there are several stops to see the gorge. the photo does not do the gorge justice. mas maganda sya sa personal!

after our drive, we went to the grotto and the international rose test garden. the grotto's gardens up the mountain was very pretty and well maintained. the grotto was really peaceful, too, except for a rowdy bunch of people who were chatting it up inside the meditation chapel. (oo kami yon! hehehe ang ingay namin sinita kami ng matandang babae na nagmemeditate ng binabasa nyang nursery rhymes...seryoso!)

after the grotto, we went to international rose test garden. buti nalang meron pang roses. two more weeks and there would be nothing but dead flowers. claire and jacob managed to see several gorgeous roses and a few more that smelled as wonderful as they looked.

day 2: saturday, oregon coast (seaside, cannon beach, tillamook)

it was a rainy saturday morning but we braved the rain and drove some 50 miles to seaside where the town was abuzz because of the hood to coast relay that was being held there. we had lunch at fultano's for amazing pizza and buffalo wings that were so good, they made jacob cry. =) because of the event, there were too many people and not enough to see or do so we drove to cannon beach to meet with our friends gracious and jay. we had a beautiful view of haystack rock and we all took a stroll along the beach. the sand was warm beneath our feet so we didn't mind the cold ocean water that softly swept the beach.

after cannon beach, off to tillamook we went for a tour of the tillamook cheese factory which is really just an excuse to eat some tillamook ice cream. sarap!!! oh, the cheese wasn't bad either (i really like their smoked black pepper cheese need to look for it when we go back home). the tour was pretty much non-existent...so really, it was all about the ice cream. small world, we bumped into paul's pregnant co-worker at the factory where she was having her ice cream fix.

next stop was a short shopping trip at nordstrom rack to take advantage of oregon's zero sales tax. then dinner at zab for some really good thai food.

day 3: sunday, woodburn premium outlet and japanese garden

zero sales tax is too good a deal to pass up for bay area folks who pay almost 10% for anything they buy. so we went to woodburn for amazing deals at north face. jackets at 40% and no sales tax! (i really should stop saying no sales tax!) sobrang mura kaya go, go, go!

after woodburn we went to the japanese garden. the garden is beautiful and i highly recommend going there during the different seasons so you can see how the plants change in color throughout the year. in the summer, the plants are a luscious green. when we first went in the winter, the mist and the fog added mystery to the already tranquil garden. i can't wait to see the burst of color in the spring and the fall.

we were supposed to go to the waterfront park before heading off to the airport to drop of the newly weds but the car's passenger window broke and wouldn't close so we can't drive off somewhere and leave the car vulnerable to thieves. we went home where the boys attempted to fix it without success. gracious and jay came to our rescue and dropped claire and jacob off to the airport. paul has scheduled an appointment first thing tomorrow morning to get the window fixed before we park it at the airport tomorrow.

that pretty much sums up our portland vacation. michelle and i will be back in the winter for some skiing and snowboarding. nyahaha!

will post pictures after i get them from claire. =D

i've been busy

after 6 months of doing mostly nothing, i can truly say that i have been busy this past week and will be busy for the next several weeks.

i started working again. yipee! the people i work with seem cool and they've all been really helpful. i hope to pick up a lot of the things i need to do asap so i can be totally productive. please don't ask me what my new role is because i have not fully understood what i am supposed to do. feeling ko, susubukan nila ang kakayahan ko. kung ano ang kaya kong gawin at pag kaya ko, yun na magiging responsibilidad ko. to that i say, 'bring it on!!!'

michelle and i will be in portland for 1 whole week beginning monday. yes, after my first week on the job, i'm already going on vacation! we've already made plans prior to my getting the job and employers here are pretty understanding about things like that. =) blessed di ba?

i have a lot of family and friends coming over for labor day weekend. my cousins from seattle are coming, my cousin and her son from guam have already moved to california, my ninang is coming and so will some of her relatives (they're all very close to our family), i have an old friend from canada coming over, too. it should be tons of fun, kailangan ko lang mag general cleaning para di naman nakakahiya ang bahay, di ba?

learned someone's secret today. secret! wag na itanong, di ko ibubunyag! haha

had a totally blessed week. the overwhelming kind of blessing. i'll write that in portland kasi mahabang kwento. God is god. sobra talaga. He is really taking me to the point where i put 100% of my faith in Him. the point where i will no longer ask why, or ask how. step by step, little by little, i know in my heart of hearts, that's where He's taking me. he's slowly revealing to me that i have nothing to fear about life and its challenges. we truly can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

jollibee forever!!!!

I LOVE JOLLIBEE. good food, and VERY creative advertising! maybe not original, but hey, it works!

hindi ko ito kayang palampasin

_____ for senator? (ayoko sabihin ang pangalan, sayang ang space sa cyberspace!)

ay naku! just thinking about it really makes my blood boil na. yung makita sya or marinig ang boses nya, di ko na masikmura...yun pang makita sya sa balita bilang halal na "kagalang galang" na senador ng bansa????? kakaiba na yun! SOBRA!

napakalaking katangahan naman ang sinabi ni manny villar. ano bang credentials at background nitong si ______ para maging qualified sya maging senador??? papayag si villar na gawing laro laro ang senado? ano, pagigilingin din ni ______ ang mga empleyado sa senado para makuha ang kanilang sweldo??? lalo lang lalaki ulo nitong taong to at bukas makalawa, magiilusyon na sya na pwede syang maging presidente ng pilipinas.

ang mga nanonood naman ng programa nya, iboboto sya kasi 'natulungan' daw sila nito. mga kababayan, hindi nya po pera ang napanalunan nyo sa tv show nya. pera po yun ng sponsors na inaakit ang pagtangkilik nyo sa mga produkto at serbisyon nila. yung pera nya, nabili nya na ng mga nakaw na kotse, mansion, at yate. kung ano man ang pinapakita nyang galing sa bulsa nya ay wala pa po sa 1% ng kinita nya sa araw na yon. at kahit sa bulsa nya galing yon, hindi parin ibig sabihin na pera nya yon.

naman naman! naman!!!!

wag iboto si manny villar. gusto kong presidente yung mahusay na judge ng character, marunong pumili ng matuwid. hindi mahusay na judge ng bank account! parang iniinsulto ni villar ang intellect ng mga pilipino. mayaman na sya, pinagmumukha nya ring pera ang sarili nya. obvious naman na kaya qualified si _____ sa paningin nya e dahil may pera ito na pwede nyang gastusin sa pangangampanya.

$#!$^$%^%^&%$*^%&*&^(&*(*&(^%^$^$%#$@$!$$^$%

GALIT TALAGA AKO!!!

king tut

i feel ripped off after paying $32.50 (plus an extra $7 for an audio tour) and not see king tut. i was expecting to see the mummified remains of king tut or his sacrophagus...but none of those where present.

on display were small items from the tomb, all of which could fit in 2 large balikbayan boxes. and because of that, i am terribly disappointed.

ok, so the items were 3,000 years old. many of them were quite beautiful. i particularly liked the senet because it was a glimpse of what ancient egyptian kids used to play. but still. masyadong mahal.

senet

not to be too harsh and not to discourage people from going...maybe my expectations where just too high. i'd still recommend you go visit, but get your tickets at costco, i think they have a better deal.

day 2

setback: a slice of egg custard pie i made for bible study last night.

wins: 30 mins on the elliptical and 30 mins on the stationary bike.

the scale told me i shouldn't worry about that slice of pie.

day 1

here goes nothing.

need to get crankin'

i have 3 1/2 weeks left to lose as much weight as i can.

i have 2 weeks left before michelle and i fly to portland. i had hoped to have lost 10 lbs by then so i can buy a few work clothes. i need to get moving!!! time's a tickin'!!!!!!

tsk tsk tsk

if she can do this in public, just think what she can do in the privacy of her home.

off the market

the job market that is!

i have a new job still with my former company. God is so goood!

i went to a job interview today for a different opportunity. as soon as i walked out of the interview, there was a message waiting for me in my voicemail. i returned the manager's call and after haggling on an annual salary, i formally accepted the job offer. i was ecstatic, jumping up and down and telling my family and my friends and my pastors the wonderful news!

but my scenario was very different just two weeks ago.

two weeks ago, i found myself desperately crying out to the Lord for some clarity, for some peace. as much as i enjoyed spending the last six months everyday with michelle, i knew in my heart that i was not ready to be a stay at home mom. we are not financially ready for it either. so along with my frustrations about my lack of career and our dwindling savings account and all the bills we have to pay, i spent several mornings weeping and wailing. michelle could see my tears and it broke my heart that it was my daughter comforting me when it should be the other way around. despite my moments of breakdown, i never lost my faith in the Lord. i'm sure there are times in other people's lives when they, too, felt desperate and very low. i am no different.

but God's promises are true and he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. it wasn't uncommon in the news to hear about people who were laid off from work who commit suicide, or go postal. those things never crossed my mind, but on some level, i understood their desperation (but in no way do i support their actions). i am blessed my faith has kept me hopeful and sane. i am extremely blessed to have the love and support of my husband who has never lost his confidence in me. he's always there to encourage me and listen to my frustrations. i am blessed to have a daughter who never fails to make me smile. i am blessed with parents who will do anything for their children. i pray i can do the same for my daughter. i am blessed with friends who do not hesitate to boost my self confidence, who spends time with me when they know that i'm feeling low, they are always there to cheer me up. i am blessed with a church family that prays for me and are there for me when i needed support. these people are my greatest treasure.

so if you chance upon this blog and you were laid off and are looking for a new job or facing some kind of problem right now, don't be discouraged. something good is waiting for you out there. pray, have faith. God is good to everyone. and like he said in His word, 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty." Haggai 2:9

in short, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

goodbye, madamme president

i was saddened by the news of president corazon aquino's passing. the world has lost one great champion of democracy.

i have so much respect and admiration for her strength, courage, wisdom, and faith. there are few women in philippine history that have rightly gained the respect of the people not only in the philippines, but around the world. to say that she was an amazing woman is an understatement.

my prayers of comfort to family and friends she left behind. the whole world mourns with you.

supermarket

everytime michelle hears the word supermarket, or when she knows we're going to the supermarket, she reiterates our rules:

no balloons.

no toys.

no candy.

of course the rules go down the drain for her as soon as we walk in because she would say: 'look mommy a balloon! wow! a bouncy ball! m&ms mommy!' she wouldn't ask for them directly because she knows the rules but she will look at me with puppy dog eyes and i have to make sure she doesn't break down my resolve before we exit the supermarket.

she only gets her ways SOMETIMES.

what's next

any suggestion on what i should read next?

ayoko ng vampire, vampire. di ko sya feel.

i finished reading wicked on my train ride to and from oakland. i liked the musical better than i liked the book. maybe it was because i thought the book was too wordy...like maybe a good portion could have been eliminated and was unnecessary or maybe i was just rushing it kaya di ko sya natutukan ng husto. or baka mali that i saw the musical first before i read the book. basta. maganda ang book. mas maganda lang ang musical. =)

so what should i read next nga?

Man builds toothpick city

awesome!

small victory

lost nearly 5 lbs from getting sick. there's always something to be thankful for!

20 more to go.

yikes!!

my boss

my boss is a workaholic, working from home on a sunday, even if she's sick.

Ponyo

i will be watching this with my daughter.

a twist on hans christian andersen's little mermaid. cute!

out next month. i am very curious.

the boss of me

on one hand...michelle is the boss of me.

that's how it is when you have kids. it's very rare that you get to do what you want. we parents still have the upper hand (most of the time), but who has the energy to debate and argue with a 3 year old?

i was enjoying my time with my parents while watching knowing on ppv when michelle calls from the master bedroom, 'mommy!!!!!' i get up and go in to ask her what she needs. 'mommy stay here.' do you argue with that? of course not. so now i'm stuck here in the room watching dragon tales on sprout. haaaaaay!

thank heavens for dvr, we are recording the movie as my parents watch it. saves us a trip to the video store, no late fees, and we can keep the movie until we want it. who knows when my boss will finally give me permission to watch the rest of the movie!

on the other hand, my boss is a real sweetheart.

she rests her head on my arm as i type this (and yes, it makes typing very difficult!). there are many times during the day when she'll kiss my hand, my cheek or wherever else she can kiss me and then she'll just smile. she's truly very sweet. we have our 'cuddle time', 'kwentuhan time', 'nosey nose', 'fish kiss' and many more moments that are especially ours. she knows how to apologize when she does something that's not acceptable. i try my best not to say, 'bad yan!' it's just me, but i don't want her to hear the word 'bad' all the time, then she'll use it and abuse it, then every little thing would be 'bad' like the answer to every question when she first learned the word 'no' was 'no'. so when she does something that i don't like...say, sticking her feet up my face for me to smell (yes, she does that and thinks it's funny). i say, 'michelle, stop that. that's very rude.' and she'll stop. madali naman sya pagsabihan and pakiusapan MOST OF THE TIME.

when she gets a scolding, she wont ask me if i'm upset or if i'm mad...she'll ask me if i'm happy. if i say no, she wont ask anymore questions. that means, 'galit talaga si mommy' and she'll back off. if i say yes to her question, she'll ask me to smile and if i smile that means, 'hindi na galit si mommy.' and she'll smile back at me or ask for a kiss and understand that she's already been forgiven.

elaborate sya magisip no?

the most annoying commercial currently being played

Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream and Cake Dance Commercial

in this case, did they think annoying = enticing? or where they going for retention?

either way, they lost one customer here due to baaaad advertising.

Praise You In This Storm

I will praise Him in this storm

kids say the darnest things...

scenario: i washed my face and was putting on my pm moisturizer and retin-a (to fight aging, di va?!)

michelle: mommy what's that? (pointing to the retin a)
mommy: this is an ointment so mommy can prevent getting wrinkles early and have beautiful skin like you!
michelle: (her face becomes sad, she cups her cheek) but mommy, i have wrinkles!
mommy: no sweetheart! you don't have wrinkles! you have wonderful skin!!!
michelle: oh! thank you!

it's funnier if you were standing next to us in the bathroom.

my opinion: your baby can read

i have seen a lot of informercials about the 'your baby can read' program and went looking online for blogs for unbiased reviews to see if this is something i should get for my daughter. i came across this blog and all its comments and they were very helpful with the decision i have decided to make.

here's my two cents...

if you don't know by now, i have a daughter who is almost three and i've been thinking whether or not i should introduce YBCR to her. like many parents out there, i think my daughter is pretty smart and naturally, i want to get her the best tools out there to enhance her gifts. and i have been going back and forth in my head whether or not i should get this for my daughter.

speech came early for michelle. i don't know if it's from reading and singing to her a lot from when i was still pregnant with her or from engaging her in conversation or the cartoons that she watches...i am guilty of letting her watch quite a bit of sprout and noggin and playhouse disney (no cartoon network, no nickelodeon, no disney after 10 am. these are my rules). i was raised a similar way (too much tv), and i didn't turn out so bad...i think. =D at barely 3 years old, she can express her ideas, thoughts, and memories very well. she 'sang' her abcs shortly after she turned one and can count up to 20 in english (most of the time), and count up to ten in 2 other languages (just for fun, no pressure, i swear).

sometimes we parents want our kids to be the best or ahead of everyone else. i think this puts a lot of pressure on the children and the parents. it is great to see a child reading at 2 years old and i'm sure it will help the child along the way, but i think, i should just let my daughter enjoy her cartoons and our own 'school time' where i try to teach her to write and read/recognize a few letters and numbers until she's really had a good grasp of the few characters. if it takes her a month to get there, then we'll do it for a month. if she learns them sooner, then we'll move on. if it's just connect-the-dots she wants to do for our school time, then that's all we're doing. i think the key is to make it fun for kids so they'll really enjoy school and develop a love of learning and hopefully, this will ensure their success later in life.

one other reason (not the main reason, but it's reason enough) why i wanted to get the ybcr program for my daughter is...to be honest...bragging rights. imagine, a child that can read before she even started school! my, my, my! how smart can this child be!? and i'm sure there are parents out there who think the same way too (aminin!). but i'm correcting myself and i'll just let her enjoy whatever it is that she enjoys. i think our children will give us cues that they are ready to start learning to read. i think michelle is getting there that's why i'm teaching her to recognize letters now. whenever she sees a sign like in a garden, she 'pretends' to read them and say, 'look mommy, the sign says, 'don't go on the grass!' (the sign says, keep of the grass). so i'll take that cue and teach her a little bit at a time. if she doesn't learn to read before she turns five (or starts going to regular school), i'm 100% sure that she'll learn everything in kindergarten and improve along the way.

so the pressure to learn to read is off my shoulders and off my daughter. if only i can say the same about potty training!