Anything goes...

When my very own favorite grandma and grandpa died, we weren't there in Antique. We were not even there to pay our last respects because of school and financial limitations. But before we came here in Mindanao to join our parents, my Lolo and Llola cared for me since birth and until I turned Grade 5.  Entering Grade 6, I left them for Mindanao to join my sister and my parents. It was a heartbreak.  They were already in their Septuagenarian days when we left them. And I remember my Tatay Salus, as we fondly called him, roaming the streets near our house and peeing in his pants; he was already in his incontinent state.  My grandmother, sickly and with an enlarged heart at that time, would carefully and patiently dress my grandfather, bathe him and turned him smelling good again. I still remember the two of them going to church together, and leaving church separately. Nanay Connie would bring me home, expecting Tatay Salus to be home earlier until we had...

Forgive me if this blog seemed ignored for like a century already. I have been so busy with so many things work-related plus the thesis and kids and house chores that need attending to.  But seriously, there are a just a lot of things I have to be thankful for, like having wonderful children who help me cook breakfast in the morning, and a daughter who, while there may be tantrums at times, keeps me sane as she joins me in bed while her father is away for work. So, children. I have a 15-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter and I am almost but not quite my forties. I have been very eager to watch Bamboo In Demand Concert here in Gensan because as many would actually know, I am such a fangirl of Rivermaya, a 90's band with Bamboo as the vocalist in their most famed years.  Came Saturday, and I tagged the kids along with the hope that they get to enjoy Bamboo because they see him as a judge in The Voice, a singing competition aired over the TV on weekends....

I've been asking for it, praying for it. And it has come. As the secretary to the Regional Director, my role is to place incoming and outgoing files on my boss' table and check whether some papers placed on it has been signed so I could have it routed back to where it belongs. That being one of my routine activities, I had to rummage through stacks of documents on my boss' table to check which ones are signed and those which need to stay for her appropriate action. But last Thursday when I had to check, I couldn't get my eyes off that sheet of paper bearing my name, in bold letters. I never placed that document inside her office because it was something confidential but I saw it right before my very eyes. The RD was to sign my appointment!  I have been waiting for it, in fact I have asked others to pray with me for that intention, and it has come. After 3 months of waiting for the answer, I got promoted! 3 months in feat for that sweet moment when the...

4 days including the weekend and we already call it the long weekend, but it is not as long as you thought it is. You see, it just zoomed by. And I already miss it. July and August have been very good months for me, and I am considering 2011 as a year of blessings for me and my family, more so for me personally. The 4 days of no work, and nothing to think of, seemed so short a time for me and my family. So at a friend's invitation, last Monday, we headed to the beach with some friends. We were there from 8 till 3 in the afternoon, but I swear, it was a superb weekend. We left all troubles at home, thought nothing but food, bonded with kids and friends, and we counted nothing but the blessings that came our way. It was a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday activities, and it was then that i enjoyed the sea breeze and slept at the grass with my mat spread on it. What glorious day. But it's September now, and I can only wish for more relaxing days. But the...

Today's morning conversation with the husband: Me: 11 years na tayo, 11 years na tayong nagbobolahan, nagtitiisan. 11 years and wala pa rin tayong pera. *laughs at self* Rs Dee : Di ba nga, 11 years na tayo. Siguro kung marami tayong pera, baka di tayo umabot sa 11 years. Happy 11th Year Anniversary to me and my one and only .

We always stay with the husband's oldies at MIL's place some 15 kilometers away from our very own house. It is because these olds, 4 of them all senior citizens, have no one to be with them and look after them, so as very responsible children, we shouldered the task of looking after them and being with them during the weekdays, only going home to our very own house during the weekends, sometimes, even only once a month. So the long weekend of Lent made us go home, have a small getaway to our very own abode, and enjoy the silent of no senior-citizen-whining. I opened the small box that happen to hold the kids' rubber pool. We had this rubber pool for more than three years already and get to enjoy once a year, only during the Holy Week. As you can see, our simple getaway to home, and not from home is satisfying. It made the husband and me rest, did a movie-marathon finishing at least 5 movies a day that we all enjoyed, when it is Dad's choice, the kids go to their rooms ...

Nothing beats the happiness of a mother who walks up the stage and pins her children ribbons of excellence. Proud as I may of my children, I still want them to be enjoying life in a balanced state. There must be work and play, education and some fun. And despite their staying in the honors list, I want them to stay as humble and as low profile as possible. That is happiness for me. To God be the glory for all things HE has done! Tabebs, First Honors in Kinder 1 Biboy, Academic Honors in Grade 4 Now, what to do this summer? Hmmm... Suggestions please.

I fear death. Who does not? Death is the end of enjoying all things you like to do, and the end of seeing your dearly beloved alive, kicking and breathing life. But death comes as a thief in the night, or even in the day. Rey is a healthy guy, or so I thought. He is chubby, at his forty, with a wife and two sons, and a budding personal business in t-shirt printing and garments industry. No vices, no drinking, no smoke. He is our neighbor and friend; we just talked last week, and on Monday, I was informed he was admitted for high blood and ulcer. The following day, he is gone. He left his two young kids and his unemployed wife to leukemia. His death came as a surprise, and a realization hit me. His work killed him. he has been doing his job as a shirt-painter for more than ten years. It is what fed his family. But the poison he breathes with his paints slowly crawled into him, eating him up. His work got the best of him. This comes as a reminder. Never take your health for granted. Alwa...

Well, I'm really kind of busy because of so many things and all these are important. first and foremost, today starts my second month in Dept.of Labor and Employment. We will be having a jobs fair this coming December 6 and 7, and I have been busy calling employers for their vacancies. This make me active in trying to reach out to employers in order for unemployed people to be given jobs, doing this my way, I can at least be part of giving them better future without them knowing it. This Friday, December 3, my kids will be up on the stage again, I was told that the daughter maintains first honors in her class, and the son, who placed 4th (with 3 ties) was able to place third this time. I was actually expecting a different scenario since he is not that dedicated with his studies and I don't see him exerting efforts with it. So that means, am gonna be a stage mother again tomorrow. Proud momma! This Saturday, I will be hosting the family day for the school, as VP of the PTCA, we ...

Ngayon lang ako magyayabang, eto po ang aking mga anak, Biboy, 9 and Tabebs, 4. They're into school na, and doing well in their studies. In fact, this Friday, I will be pinning their ribbons again, for doing great! This was taken during the culmination of their Buwan ng Wika, Biboy was part of a chorale recitation while Tabebs was part of the kids' choir. May binata at dalaga na ako in a few years, hayyyyy. Kaya ngayon pa lang, todo bonding na kami, kasi ang bilis ng panahon. I take great pride in my kids, and I want to share them with you. Kayo, what's your greatest pride?

This is my 4 year old daughter. Tabebs as she is called. She's our baby. And she's SHY! NOT! Tabebs, our baby model While we were having a photo shoot for a blog anniversary contest, we made her pose for the dad who was busy with the shutter. And look how she has displayed her poses, and she has all the faces that could melt a heart. She is just a darling. Everything is her own display of character, her own actions, no cue from me or the dad. She's done it with poise and carried herself well in front of the camera, methinks. So, do you think I have a model in the making?

What can be more fascinating than after a day's work, you close your eyes and think of what you have accomplished, count how many people you made happy and how many people made you smile. Each day, when I arrive home, I ask her what achievements she did in school, and she'd just close her mouth and say nothing. She wouldn't tell me the things that kept her busy and activities they had in school. One day, I surprised her in school while they had their lunch break and found she was wearing a medal. I asked the teacher what the medal was for, and she told me that my daughter's been the most behaved girl during the day. And funny thing is, she's been wearing the medal for days already for different reasons at all, like she was the only one who answered the teacher's questions or she was the only one who was quiet that day. These simple joys, after a long tiring day, makes my heart leap. She's me. Physically. She's dad's. Behaviorally. Well, to those who...

Dear Dad, For the longest time, I have kept silent about what I feel. There may be times, a lot even, that you feel I have abandoned you after I got myself a family. But that is just not true. I may have missed on important events in our own family, I am sorry. I was busy tending for my kids and there are times I just cannot leave the kids. For some reasons unavoidable, life seems to be out of luck, an up and down battle. But we are surviving Dad, I am like you, I got the principles you have taught me. I will emerge successful. I may not be there to celebrate every occasion with you, but in my heart, my wish is that I celebrate it with you all. And be with you and Mommy and my siblings. Dad, let me tell you this much, I love you. Life may be hard, and I may have made myself invisible for you but I hope you know how much I miss you and with everything you have made me become, and for all the love and concern you have for me and my family, THANK YOU. From the bottom of my heart, I love y...

I'm kinda' queasy today, for tomorrow, my daughter will be heading to school already. This is her first ever formal schooling, we had enrolled her on summer classes before, Vacation Bible classes too, and the teacher who dealt with her in school recommended her to mid-morning session (the A section). Tomorrow is my daughter's first day of school. Tabebs is entering Kinder 1, we have decided not to enroll her on Nursery because we decided on teaching Tabebs everything that they teach in Nursery. We gave her books and at 3, she already knows how to write her name, better than those who have passed Nursery. She can already count from 1 to 20, and has memorized every color in the color wheel, and even knows a little of addition. But why am I anxious for tomorrow? Because for the first time, Tabebs will be settling for school. And she, being our youngest is still a baby for us. Biboy is entering Grade 4 tomorrow. Look how fast time has sped. In due time, I will be guarding him, ...

Ten years. We survived ten long years. It seemed so fast. It was only yesterday when we were walking hand in hand enjoying the cool blue sky, and dining at barbecue restos after office hours. It was only yesterday when we got to the church and vowed ourselves bonded by a love so unique, only the two of us can feel for the other. It was only yesterday when I carried a bundle of joy, and we were trying our best to become good parents. And then came another bundle of joy after six years. And was it only yesterday too, when our marriage was blessed with a house, and God blessed us with a car? Ten full years, and today, we are a complete family with two cute kids completing our lives. A home we could cherish and a relationship to strengthen. Ten full years of love, only love. Ten full years of steadfast love.Our love may have been tested, but look, 2 days will pass and we're back to okay. I have never gotten mad at you for a deep reason. Well, other than not answering your phone often ...

It's been a promise I have to keep, I plurked about this landscaping job, and some friends wanted me to post it. So here it is, I will now share with you what I and hubby have busied ourselves with, over the start of summer. After the long months of doing extra work with school souvenir programs, we gave ourselves one project that we must complete before all our earnings fail to give us evidence that we worked. So that holy week, when most people were on the beach and enjoying the waters, we were enjoying the dust and the grass. We were doing our very own landscaping job. Before pic - tall grasses surrounding the house On our area are grasses tall and standing proud. We are both busy with our day jobs that even during the weekends, we couldn't find time to arrange things as we busy ourselves with laundry, ironing and cleaning inside the house. But after much deliberation as to how we can clean the lawn and how we cam improve the landscaping, we came up with using bricks and c...

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. ~Jewish Proverb Dear Biboy and Tabebs, I miss you. While you are only 45 minutes away from me vacationing with your grandmother, I feel an empty space in my heart. It was only Thursday when you left, but I already feel the drowning silence inside our house. You wished for a vacation to meet your friends, one you don't always meet on regular days because of your parent's works. And now that I allowed you to go, it seems as if a hole is tearing me apart, I miss your laughters and shouts. I miss your kisses and hugs, and I miss reading bedtime stories to you. I miss cooking for you, I miss everything about you including you nasty acts. I just want you to know that I may never be the perfect mom for you, but I swear I am doing everything I can to give you the best things life can offer you. When you were still babies, I have kept you softly and securely in my arms, never allowing a single insect to come near you. Now ...

Have you noticed the increase in your electric charges lately? It's surging high! Even we here in General Santos, who by the way experiences brownouts to the tune of 9-12 hours daily are victims. With daily brownouts of last month, we were billed P612. As of yesterday, we were billed P750. Last month, we stayed home longer than this month since we had the longest vacation because of the holy week. Meaning, last month could have spelled higher electric charge than this month considering our usage. Just last week, I had the kids enrolled. The cashier told me they increased the P890 to P980 as monthly tuition. Gosh! And I am now paying for two since Tabebs is already ready for school in Kinder 1. Our water consumption is just the same as before but we were billed 312 when for many months now, we have not even reached their minimum of P192. Hayyy, I can only sigh at thea searing prices of basic commodities today. And gas prices is increasing daily! Gahhh. It is depressing to know that ...

My Ode to the Sea And with a stroke of luck I am handed a few extras, i will surely want to stay for a day or two by the sea, to be content with only you and me. The good sea, in all its majesty, Awaits for me patiently. But for now it cannot be, since the 2 of our offsprings, to school they will be. This June, it's the 2 of them I mind, I cannot dig up my pocket as deep as I can find. So the good sea will remain to me, one desire my heart longs for, But when the kids are fine and God opens the door, The sea I will conquer and maybe even more. Days of rest are days of best, When I am with you, the kids in our nest. These happy days are here to stay, and will bring to me the better pay... You, me, and them...just living, simply happy. And with the good sea, I mean: 1) Coron, Palawan 2) Bantayan Island, Cebu 3) Boracay Island, Aklan So, soonest as I hope, i will conten...

There's only one thing i'd like you to know. YOU complete ME! Happy Birthday! I'm so thankful to have A husband like you There is no other Who could fill your shoes! I love you very much!