Salma is now 2!

We celebrated Salma’s 2nd birthday by having a mini get-together at my parents’ house last August 9, Saturday. I put a Barney banner and some balloon decors to make the place colorful.

Mame and Mama were the ones in charge of the cooking. Of course, the most that I could contribute to that area is the egg sandwich I made which I thought nobody would eat because there’s rice already-but surprisingly, I lost sight of it just an hour after the buffet was opened. Harrold baked yummy cheese cakes, and Rocelle made fruit crepes which I didn’t get to taste, because like the sandwich, it disappeared immediately. I ordered Salma's barney birthday cake and cupcakes from Emie of Dynamic Impact.




We just invited a few family and closest friends, Salma’s ninong and ninangs, and some neighbors who have kids, just so Salma would have playmates on that day. Salma enjoyed playing with them. She keeps on singing and dancing to the tune of Barney’s songs. I could really say that she enjoyed that day.



Marlowe facilitated the parlor games I prepared. We asked everyone to do the “Rub Tummy-Pat head” thing that Salma learned from Sesame Street. Then we picked the best ones who could do it, then made them the players for the next game which was “Hep-hep Hooray!” from wowowee. I chose this game because Salma knows how that game goes and of course, who doesn’t right? After that, we had the usual “Bring Me” game and the “happy birthday greeting” game, but with a twist, wherein the best actor is the winner. ;)

agawan ng microphone

We were having so much fun even if we only had few guests. Although later that day, I saw Salma scratching her tummy and her face was also turning red- she had allergy attacks! She also had slight fever 38 degrees. She must’ve eaten something which caused her allergies, or maybe she got too excited with the happenings, maybe na-over fatigue or nabigla? So I put her to bed early, she still had slight fever the following day but she got better na when we gave her medicines. So, she became hyper-active again and we lit up the candle again, sang happy birthday to her and she blew the 2 candles once more, and keeps saying “Again! Again” after blowing the candles, so we lit it up again then sang happy bday again..and again and again. Hehe..

*sigh* I can’t believe my sweety salma is 2 years old now, I pray that I’d be able to be a good mom to her and guide and raise her well, the way God wants me to. I can’t believe that I’m worth this blessing, the blessing and responsibility of being able to raise a sweet and amusing child. I love you so much Salma.

Outback Treat

Sometime in June, Marlowe called the radio station Magic 89.9 to join their phone-in contest, and with that, he was able to score gift certificates from Outback Steakhouse! We dined there last Saturday with my MIL and SIL.

the winner

Salma with her tita

munching on the spare ribs

salma got hyped up after eating

My patience is being tested

Something strange happened to me, just a week after revealing to a priest that the focus of my affection right now is my family; that all I aim is to be the best wife and best mother that I could, a series of events followed testing my truthfulness to my goal.

First, I heard that one “friend” of mine hates my husband – to the point that she requested not to be seated together in the same table with him! Being a wife, I am so hurt and my instinct is to fight and protect my husband, in his defense he doesn’t deserve to be treated like that – I got a very responsible and loving husband, I know I will fight for him in any way that I can - whatever it takes.

But there’s a part of me telling me to extend my patience a little more, letting me see that this “friend” badly need help, she is a broken soul. I am just someone who has really high tolerance for arrogant people, but her being “matapobre” is now reaching my limits, all that she radiates is negativity all the way, her day wouldn’t be complete without badmouthing other people, you wouldn’t hear her say how nice or kind a person is, for her being nice and kind is stupid, martyr, and pitiful. Actually, she regards me as someone like that.

*Hint alert* People who know me surely knows who this person I am talking about because they’ve been a witness too with how this person’s attitude is.

I keep on praying for her (but not praying in a way like sana makarma sya or whatever-that’s bad ha! LOL), I am praying that she may find peace in her heart and that she realizes that she’s so blessed to have friends like us – or to still have friends at all! I pray that she may learn to treasure relationships, with her family, her husband and us-her friends, because it seems that for her, everything is all about money – that’s the only thing she treasures.

Oh well…then, I am just waiting for the right timing to confront her about my husband and her attitude. And at the same time I am conditioning myself so that I’d be able to control my emotions by that time and be as objective as possible. I am praying so much to be able to do this the right way.

Second test of my patience was an Anonymous comment on my blog “Yaya Chronicles” condemning me as mother. The poster said harsh words which made me really feel upset, I wasn’t able to keep myself from replying to the comment, but after thinking and praying and talking to my hubby about it (then connecting it to what my “friend” did) , we realized that it was the devil who’s working there. Something is provoking us to get angry, tempting us to say bad words and to hurt people as vengeance. This thing knows what my weakness is and it targeted me right on to make me feel hatred, anger, self-pity thus, hindering the HEALING that I am asking for.

Good thing my parents, especially my mom are always helping me get this through. I’ll be stronger and I will not let myself be defeated, with God’s grace I’ll be able to do this! Pray for me.

My home is where God is

If I had a choice I would live somewhere else, start a career which I’d truly enjoy, and surround myself with beautiful things.

But, God put me here. I feel that He is with me here. This is my mission place, my home. All I have to do is to have FAITH in God that this is where I really am supposed to be.

*inspired by Bo Sanchez' Make God your home article

He knows me better than I know myself

I want to have my own business, something that is also my passion, so I will take care of it not just for profit but because I love what I’m doing. But I want it to be just a small business, preferably home-based or at least something which wouldn’t require me to leave the house everyday because – as I’ve said a lot of times before in this blog – my ultimate dream is to be a housewife, a homemaker, a hands-on mom, a domestic goddess. The business part is just secondary – that dream is just to fulfill a small part of me: financial/career-wise, but I’m not aiming to be recognized in that field as someone gaining big revenues or something like that. What can really make me feel proud is to see Salma grow up well which would reflect how I am as a mother; and to see my husband happy and healthy because as his wife, I am able to give all the support he needs.

But with all that’s happening in my life right now, I realized that sometimes we really have to do things that we don’t have interest in doing to fulfill a commitment. And sometimes, I cannot avoid questioning if I’d end up being unhappy because of it.

Through prayers, I’ve come to realize that God is always with me in all my dealings, walking with me in fulfilling what I ought to do. I’ve learned that God knows me better than I know myself. He knows what I am capable of doing. He made me special and I have a mission. Maybe I just don’t understand some things right now, but I trust God and I’ll leave it all up to Him. I will sacrifice my wants for now and just work on the things I have to work on and let God use me as He will.

I now know that in making my suffering as an offering to the Lord, I will be able to experience true happiness and fulfillment.

We Won!!!

My entry for the part 2 of Jollibee Happy Moments photo contest won the consolation prize! I'm so happy because I submitted the photo just because..wala lang..trip lang...I wasn't really expecting to win, I just wanted to my cousins abroad (chise and yuri) to see the picture uploaded in the Jollibee website, since the photo was taken during their fun-fun-fun and memorable vacation here.

Here's the winning pic:

link to website: http://www.jollibeehappymoments.com/index.php?happymoment/winners/2/113

Sa Jollibee, pati kami bida!

Bata man o matanda, iba ang saya kapag si jollibee ang kasama! Kitang-kita naman sa picture na ito na kuha nung 26th birthday ng aking pinsan na buhat-buhat ni Jollibee, sa halip na ang mga bata ang sumali sa games at magpa-picture kay jollibee, nangunguna pa ang mga matatanda! Kahit na "nalipasan na kami ng panahon", sadyang nae-excite pa din kami kapag nakikita si Jollibee, kaya naman lahat kami ay naghahangad na makapag-birthday party sa Jollibee! Dahil sa Jollibee, hindi lang mga bata ang bida!

I know you'll agree...ang nagpanalo dito ay yung pagbuhat ni jollibee kay kuya yuri dibah?? =)

miko and i were chatting earlier on how we'll consume the 1k worth of GC. sabi ko baka kulangin pa samin, so I suggested we'll spend the 1k worth pero puro sundae lang! hahaha. 1k worth of Jollibee sundae in one sitting. :) :) :)

btw, thanks to camille for being the bearer of this good news! she left me an offline message sa YM, if she didn't siguro i'll never knew, because as ive said..i wasn't expecting this so wala akong balak to check the jollibee website to know who the winners were. thanks, camille!

The Yaya Chronicles.

One of the challenges that a mom faces in home management is hiring the services of a yaya/maid. I never thought that this part could be so complicated.

I grew up in a household with atleast 2 maids at a time, I am nice to them, I don't make utos at all, they just hear me calling them when I'm hungry to request them to cook something. I don't scold them when something in the laundry went wrong and one of my favorite clothes is stained. Most of the time, I give them pa nga my old stuff like my old blouses, pants, bags, earrings..even my kikay stuff like beauty creams, lotion, etc. It's just that simple.

That is why now that I have my own family, my own home, I sometimes couldn't understand why I'm having a hard time dealing with them. So, I thought of documenting my Yaya experiences since I got married to help me analyze things.

Yaya # 1:
Age: 22 years old
Origin: She was originally my parents' maid, actually a distant relative from Papa’s province. Kababata ko sya because her mother is my lola's maid as well...everytime we go to the province during my childhood days, this yaya is one of my playmates. When I gave birth, my father assigned her to be Salma's yaya, my father has plans for her because as I said, she's like a relative to us..Papa plans to enroll her to college to finish her studies when Salma is already 3 years old, so that time, salma wouldn't be too alagain na.

Story: She already has experience in being a yaya, she stayed 5 years in her previous employer where she took care of a baby who was 4 years old when she left there. Being a new mom, I believed that time that she is more knowledgeable than me. There was acually one time that Salma got choked and I panicked so much I didn;t know what to do, I just called this Yaya and she immediately performed some first-aid on my baby. She also knows how to calmly give Salma a quick sponge bath, unlike me looks harrassed after very bath of Salma (because the baby won't stop crying). She also talks to Salma in english without me asking her to do so, and mind you, her english is fine, if I'm not mistaken, I think she was an honor student during her highschool days. She also can make Salma laugh so hard, which I couldn't do that time, when yaya leaves the house, naghahabol sa kanya si Salma which of course makes me feel jealous but at the same time thankful because it means my baby likes her. She also doesn't let other people kiss or pinch salma's chubby cheeks, she's a strict yaya which makes me really look like a "tameme" mom. But that's ok with me, kasi nga I believed that she knows better.

Fast forward a year after. we have a Smart cellphone postpaid line whish is still under contract but nobody's using it anymore, it's Plan 1200. So Mama give it to this Yaya for the meantime while waiting for the contract to end. Mama said she can use it for emergencies and such, or to call her parents in the province. Mama explained to her that the cellphone usage will be billed monthly, blah-blah-blah-blah. When the bill came, it was (drumroll) 5000 pesos! But Mama dind't get instantly mad, she sort of blamed herself pa nga that she might not have explained it well. So they talked to the yaya, and the yaya is the one who volunteered to deduct it in her monthly salary as payment for that phone bill. But when the next bill came, (louder drumroll pls!)..it's 11000 pesos! That second bill was what made Papa so mad, not just because of the big amount, also because when Mama tried to call each of the called numbers listed on the billing statement..the numbers weren't even that of this yaya's relatives..but were numbers of boys..different boys from different places who were saying the same thing...that this yaya is the one who kept calling and flirting with them.

End of employment: So with a 16,000 total of payables, she was only receiving a minimal amount monthly from her salary, 3 months down the line, nagpakita na sya ng kawalang-gana sa trabaho. She absent herself from working claiming she has fever, cough or whatever..this went on for more than a week that I was already asking her to go with me to a doctor to have her checked-up, but she said she just needs time to rest. Of course I knew she was just making up her illness, so I told her that if she doesn't want to be a yaya to Salma anymore just tell me so I could find a replacement, and she said right then and there na hindi nya nga daw kaya alagaan si Salma. I felt so hurt because I like her as yaya and Salma likes her too! Pero ano pa nga ba, alangan namang pilitin ang ayaw, so we agreed na balik sya as my parents' maid and I will look for a new yaya, but a couple of days after talking to her about that, she disappeared na lang bigla. leaving just a letter addressed to my parents, saying goodbye and other blah-blah-blah..nilayasan kami. Tapos a month after nagpaparamdam kesyo gusto daw bumalik but when Papa came to pick her up in the place where she was staying, she changed her mind naman at hindi na lang daw babalik. Tsk..tsk. Sayang. Why do these things happen?

But looking on the brighter side, I was able to spend time with my baby for 2 months without Yaya, and during that time, I got to know my Salma better, what she likes, what ticks her off, her routines, etc. I also got to learn what strategies work best with regards to keeping the household. So, I was able to set rules and guidelines when the new yaya arrives. I also decided to require medical exam before hiring the applicant. And so, the search for the new yaya began..


Applicant # 1: 37 year old mother. Okay sana, nagpakitang gilas agad sa interview pa lang, and when I introduced her to Salma she talked to her in english. Pero bagsak sa medical, kagagaling lang kasi sa bulutong (chicken pox), and the doctor's findings say that she needs one more month to be completely healed and fit to be a yaya. I sent her back to her hometown witha greement that she'll go back here after a month. Pero pagkalipas ng isang buwan, biglang ayaw na syang payagan ng husband nya na mag-work. :(

Applicant # 2: 18-year old girl who tag-along another 18-yr-old. They said they want to work under one household. So the plan was to send the other maid to Mama. But when Mama was interviewing them (to figure out who should be the yaya and who should be the maid), their answers were not consistent and they were caught telling lies, etc. and they were not polite while talking to us (even to Marlowe --they're bastos). So bagsak na sa interview pa lang.

Applicant # 3: 32-year-old mother from Mindanao. She's okay, she's so OC in cleaning stuff, as in ayaw nya ng alikabok. She's a bit quiet at di nya masyado nililibang si Salma, but for me okay naman sya. But after the medical exam, we discovered she is pregnant!!! Waahh! So ayun..no way she can be a yaya to my super kulit and heavy toddler. Pinauwi ulit sa Mindanao.

Yaya # 2:
Age: 28 yrs old, mother of 3
Origin: Acquaintance of Applicant 3. She's also from Mindanao. Perfectly healthy (as in literally, malusog nga sya eh), she passed the medical. She was recruited by my uncle as replacement for the preggy one.

Story: However, when she arrived here, she said my uncle didn't tell her that she will be a yaya, ang sabi daw she will just be a housemaid. She has reasons like she misses her children everytime she's taking care of Salma - blah-blah - she'd rather do tons of house chores than take care of Salma. But I tried to talk her thourgh it, and made her stay enjoyable by bringing her top pasyal pasyal like malling, allowing her to watch TV unlimited, giving her kikay stuff, and telling her stories about my showbiz celebirty encounters and sightings (mahilig kasi sa showbiz ang lola), I tried to befriend her talaga..I even told her stories about my family and what our future plans are! Parang friend talaga, thinking that what she was feeling was some kind of homesickness...thus hoping that after a month or two, enjoy na sya being a yaya to Salma. But all my efforts failed..after one month, sinagot-sagot ako at sinumbatan!

End of employment: Oh well, I blogged about her here. So, Goodbye Yaya # 2.

Yaya # 3:
Age: 47-year-old breast cancer survivor.
Origin: Referred by the maid of my in-law’s neighbor. From Bicol.

Story: Medical exams (X-ray, ECG, Blood test, Urinalysis) are OK, except for her low blood count. So I gave her supply of ferrous sulfate supplements. She's a housewife back in their hometown but decided to work for the college education of her daughters. I like her, because she doesn't only take care of Salma but she also takes care of me and marlowe. She has this motherly concern like preparing our food even if we didn't ask her to. Suggesting remedies when she hears me complain my headache or stomachache. But because of my previous experience with Yaya 2, I didn't befriend her so much, I didn't want to feel attached to a yaya anymore, unless makatagal sila ng atleast 1 year noh. I occasionally talk to her during free time regarding her family and her hobbies but I limit it to those topics only. I don't make kwento about my family history nor my likes and dislikes because I realized they have tendency to ba pakialamera if they know too much about you. My only complaints about her, she's too quiet someimes, parang she's too shy, mahiyain sya magtanong pag kunwari meron syang hindi alam gawin..she's also forgetful, parati na lang may nakakalimutan, pero pinagpapasensyahan ko na because I know naman she's old na. Ok naman talaga sya..Salma loves her too..I sometimes see Salma hugging her Yaya # 3.

End of employment: 2 months after, bigla na lang syang nawala. I got so worried because I learned from the condominium guard that he saw the maid left the building at 1am! I prayed that I'd rather accept that she lied to me that's why she left at an unthinkable time, and still not yet back home after 12 hours, and her cellphone was off - I really wished that she really was hiding something from me rather than learning that something bad happened to her when she went out at 1am. i was really worried. then before the day ended, I received a text from someone - saying that she is the daughter of Yaya # 3 and her mother just has to go to their province because of an emergency. I was so relieved upon receiving that text! I told that to her daughter and asked her to just update me when her mother is coming back (I was expecting her to come back after 1-2 days). So after 2 days, I texted the daughter to ask, and the girl replied that her father didn't allow her mother to go back to me anymore because the cyst in her breast is recurring. I sympathize with Yaya # 3 and her family, but I can't keep myself from feeling bad about her too because I don't know what to ebleiev..was there really an emergency - as she claimed as the reason why she went to the province? why did she have to sneak out at 1am while I am not strict to her (she alwasys requests for day-offs, cash advance, sleep-over at her relative who lives nearby -- I let her do those things), so it was kinda hard for me to accept that she did not feel comfortable telling me the truth why she has to leave. Hayy..maybe sh'es just too shy. anyway, I'm still praying for her recovery.

---

Currently, we have Yaya # 4, referred to my MIL by her another neighbor's maid. She started last June 23. A 34-year-old mother of 6! Ang daming anak noh? Marlowe says expert na daw sa pag-aalaga..anim ba naman ang anak eh!

But the number of kids doesn't matter, it is not enough reason for me leave everything up to yaya with regards to taking care of Salma...sabi ko nga kay Marlowe, after ilang yayas, and after spending so much time with Salma alone (no yaya - no pakialamera), I know my daughter so well at ako ang nanay nya so dapat lang na ako pinaka-nakakakilala sa kanya, so even if I'm a young mom, 30-ish to 40-ish yaya's should still be willing to learn something from me. Hindi dapat matigas ang ulo nila, and not all the time ay masusunod ang style nila. Because I'm the one who knows what the proven, tried-and-tested styles in taking care of my child. I'm not saying though that I'm not open to their suggestions, of course I still appreciate what they have to share because I admit that I am not a perfect mom and still has a lot to learn, basta yaya, wag mo lang akong papangunahan. Hehe.

By the way, the approach I'm using with Yaya #4 is like the one I did with Yaya 3. I am nice and diplomatic, but I am drawing the line of employee-employer relationship. So far, this yaya is ok, madaling matuto at nage-gets ang mga instructions ko, but there are times mahilig syang magmarunong (anim anak eh!hehe) - like one time, pagtapos ko paliguan si Salma, she suddenly commented that the water I use to bathe Salma is too warm daw or there was this time also when Salma's diaper ran out she told me that I forgot to re-stock the diapers daw!! when it was actually her job to notify me when there are only a few pieces left so I can buy na before it runs out! Medyo ganun si Yaya 4, but I don't get "tameme" anymore and just answers her nicely that the water temperature is just right and I've been bathing Salma with that temp eversince, I was also able to tell her nicely that the next time konti na lang the diapers, sabihin nya sa akin agad para makabili na.

Siguro if I didn't have previous yayas before her..baka napikon na ko sa kanya agad sa pagsabi nya sakin ng ganun. Buti ngayon, I know better. I know how to extend my patience and I know kung ano dapat ang ikainit ng ulo at hindi. I also know na wag masyadong taasan ang expectations sa kanila, because in the end...ako pa din dapat ang primary na tagapangalaga ni Salma, hindi dapat lahat inaasa sa yaya.

Alam ko na din ngayon kung bakit dati, palaging mainit ang ulo ng Mama ko. House helpers can be sakit sa ulo at times. So, now that my brothers are big enough they can cook their own meals, clean their own bedrooms and bathrooms, my mama doesn't want to hire helpers anymore, kahit madami na nag-apply. Ngayon dun sa bahay, wala nang maingay at sigaw ng sigaw, wala nang mainit ang ulo...it is now easier for Mama to be nice. Peace and harmony in the household is easier to achieve. :)

I think I've lost it.

I've been intending to blog about what happened last fathers' day, what we did, where we were, and how we celebrated that day. But I can't start writing about it, simply because it passed up as ordinary day. But surprisingly, I didn't feel bad like how I did with the past occasions. Well, I don't know if it's a good or bad thing...because now, I've learned not to expect something from my hubby. I don't expect him to greet me or give me gift during our monthsarries, now I don't expect him to invite me to dine out during fathers day or to give me flowers during mothers day, and with my birthday coming, I am not expecting anything from him at all. But…I don’t feel sad, and I still feel loved by him.

Okay..now after reading what I just typed, I believe that's a good change, eh?

But here’s the bad thing, I also don't feel like giving a gift to him anymore, or greeting him sincerely and joyfully come 12midnight-the beginning of that day, and I also don't feel like eating out to just celebrate such days.

Have I lost the old me? the very enthusiastic and excited one whenever a certain occasion comes. the one who plans a surprise and thinks of a unique and sweet gift 2 months ahead. Did I change? Or maybe-I hope- it's just to early to conclude it. I should not be saying this, not until next valentines day or on until our next wedding anniversary.

Tagaytay Dacha Part 2

My family spent the long weekend (June 7-9) at Tagaytay Dacha again. This time we invited my Lola, Auntie Chat, my cousin Eumir, her gf and their 2-month-old baby to stay there with us.

the new baby in the family, Zahia!

On our day 1 there, our first stop was at Tagaytay Highlands with Marlowe's mom and sister and our friends Edu and Jill, Miko and Harrold also followed, they just came in a little late.

Carreon trademark (the cleft chin)

Went back to hotel to rest for a while, then Marlowe and the others went to the Casino. I didn't go along with them because Miko told the security that he's 20 years old! He's just actually 15, magsisinungaling na lang, mali pa! kinulang pa ng 1 year! LOL so I decided to just bring my brothers to Bag of Beans.

Papa and Mama prepared dinner at the villa, T-bone steak from Mahogany market (P155/kilo), and chicken miswa soup. By dinner time, our other guests (Phase F berks) were also there in the villa na. We all had our hearty dinner there at the tagaytay dacha's poolside.

After getting Salma to sleep, and asking "tito" Miko to make bantay to her, we went to Starbucks (I think that was past midnight na) with Edu, Jill, Mame (MIL), Rocelle (SIL), Aunty Chat and Mama. It was Edu's treat because he won 12k in the casino! Hehehe.. sayang lang I was sleepy and my tummy's full na that time, kung hindi sana, nag-order pa ko ng dessert!

Day 2, I thought at first that we're gonna go back to Manila na (we have a kiddie party to attend sana), but my driver-slash-lover said that we'll just go home early Monday morning (June 9) ...it made me a bit sad because I was looking forward to attending the kiddie party, I was sure Salma would enjoy eh. But of course, di ko na pinilit..nag-pictorial na lang ako with Miko to pump up and brighten my day. Haha!

We had lunch at Greek Mano's Taverna a.k.a. Hellenic Taverna. The greek owner, Mano welcomed us and even assisted us in parking our car, he is so accomodating. I've read and watched this resto being featured a few times na, but because of the foreign names on the menu, I was still clueless what to order, I just asked the server to give me their best-seller. I had Mousaka for the main course (lasagna-like but with veggies as fillings), and Baklava for dessert. While Marlowe had burger steak and rice. Half-way through my mousaka, I asked Marlowe for a bite of his food, that's when I realized I ordered the wrong food. Angs arap nung beef nung burger niya eh! Sa akin, puro veggies lang..waahh. di ako nabusog :( so, bumawi na lang ako sa Baklava..which is one yummy dessert.

Mousaka of Greek Taverna

We went to casino after eating, Marlowe didn't get lucky, but I did. Kaya lang, when I was just starting to win, Papa was calling my celphone na, pinapauwi na ko because they will go to the market for our dinner daw. So we went back to the hotel, dressed up Salma and attended the mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (church beside T-house).

We went home the following day, left tagaytay at 7am. We arrived here 8:30am :) natulog lang kami pag-uwi. Hehe. :)

more pictures here --> Click!

Caption This.

give title/caption to this photo. A few have already given their suggestions:

"How to deal with a smoker husband?" - banggecious

"One Night Stand" - erica evangelista

"Dyspepsia lang yan, mag-Motillium ka" - jay santos

LOL! keep 'em coming, guys! :)

Thank God for Girlfriends

Watching the Sex and the City movie is like seeing old friends..I couldn't describe my exact emotions I was having while watching it...it feels so nostalgic, I felt so happy and giddy that I'm close to crying coz I can't contain the emotions anymore. And the best part of it is that I was actually watching it with my old friends!

Seeing the movie was the perfect way to conclude the week that I had that, if I may call it, "girl friend week". That week started last May 24 - Saturday, Jen was in the country for vacation! with my inaanak and her fiance! So, together with Marlowe and my sweety salma, we met up with them plus Andeng and bf, Mike. Guess where we met up this time...? at McDonald's hahaha! Shempre may mga bagets na eh... :) see how time changed us:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Well? We're still as pretty and sexy, we're still the best of friends...it's just that, now we have those little cuties to carry na! hehehe =)

The second leg of my so-called girlfriend week was the EB of my mommy friends from Girltalk. I met these gals last year February 2007, I was just a new mom then, looking for people to whom I can relate to and ask advices from. When I became a mother, I thought I should be all serious and matured na, you know, someone stiff and straight. But these moms showed me how to balance mommy duties while having laughs with friends over yummy dinner and...dessert!

A month before the release date of SATC movie, I've already setup a "date" with college friends Jam and Wendy to watch it on the 31st-Saturday, but due to my Singing Bee taping, we suddenly moved it to May 30 and they decided to just watch me at the taping the following day.

It's funny how each of us could relate somehow in each of the character in the movie. though there may be some "unrealistic" parts, it's being unrealistic is what makes it real...don't we sometimes do unrealistic, irrational, really out-of-reason things (forgiving someone after all the hurt he has given us) just because of love? =) Now, how do you explain that?

dinner at Gerry's after taping

Having girlfriends and spending time with them is really necessary especially for a Mom/Wife. We need gf's to keep us sane! from time to time it is important to stop from all the mommy and wifey duties, grab a girlfriend and just think about YOU even just for a little while.

My Singing Bee Experience

Early part of this year, I saw a teaser on TV that says , "Di baleng sintonado, basta tama ang lyrics mo" (US version: "you don't have to sing it well, just sing it right!"), the teaser was asking viewers to text if we think we can sing the right lyrics. So, I texted. Wala lang, trip lang. Hehe!

---
After Holy Week, I received a message asking me to go to ABS-CBN for the screening of a new game show, The Singing Bee. During that time, the show was still unknown...I searched the net and watched it in Youtube (US Version), I nearly chickened out!

But still I went, and I still went on the subsequent screening levels, and on different taping dates! I was able to appear on 4 episodes as audience. All the qualified players were given a designated number to be raffled and if you got lucky and your number got picked, you'll play on that episode. Well, fortunately I just live near ABS-CBN kaya okay lang sakin magtaping ng mag-taping, at enjoy naman super fun pala ng showbiz life. haha! feelign ko nga dun ang calling ko eh hahahaha JOKE! but of course there were times na nawawalan ako ng gana at tinatamad mag-taping, but Marlowe was very supportive he keeps on motivating me every time I feel lazy to go to ABS-CBN, kasi frustration nya yun eh..kaya masaya na sya na sa akin matupad yun. LOL

with teddy of the band, rocksteady

with Michael Cruz (singer) - my 2nd favorite contestant in SIAM (you know who the 1st is rightt? haha!)

with whitney tyson

with Iya Villania

with Matt of PBB Teen Edition Season 1

with fellow players

Last Thursday, May 29, I received a call from a TSB staff telling me that I'm lined-up to play on their next taping day (May 31) and I was asked to bring 5 "kapamilya". Sadly, my real kapamilya were not available on the said taping day, thank goodness my "kumares" were all available and they're so game to cheer for me!! Haha!

me and my kumares with the Honeybees

Marlowe with a Honeybee

Mareng Jam, Mareng Wendy and Mareng Andeng

It was a really fun experience all in all. Even if I lost and only got 1k as consolation prize hehe, I still enjoyed..super saya ng experience..I remember tuloy when I used to join spelling bees and quizbees when I was younger. Haha! Ngayon matanda na ako, ibang level na ng "-bee" ang sinasalihan ko haha!

It was aired last night June 3, I feel sorry (naks!) for those who weren't able to catch it..I was too shy kasi to plug it eh. Haha! So friends, eto na lang for you: enjoy!!!

MY WINNING MOMENT!

Portraits of Salma

Salma is now 21 months old. It still amazes me when I watch her sleep, it seems so surreal. I still couldn't believe how fast she has grown, and that she came from my tummy! Oh, the simple joys of motherhood is so supreme - makes you forget the pains life brings!

At her age, these are the things that she does:

- can dress up alone; wash her hands and dries it with her towel; put lotion on her arms and legs
- wears shoes when going out, and takes it off upon entering our house, then wears her pangbahay (indoor slippers)
- can count one up to ten; names body parts; names pictures in a book; --though bulol-bulol pa
- imitates animal sounds; mimics lyrics of songs (from nursery rhymes to ballads, novelty songs and even hiphop!)
- helps in house chores (setting the table, wiping furnitures, sweeping the floor, throw trash)
- becoming possessive (of her stuff - when a neighbor rummaged through her toy box, she grabbed her toy and said "No! Mine!")
- becoming possessive (of mommy - when she sees daddy hugging mommy, she pulls away daddy's arms to let go of mommy. lol)
- becoming choosy (she says what she wants to eat, to wear, what toy to play with or what tv show to watch)

- she can eat using spoon and fork (though not successful yet hehe)
- she can walk up the stairs! (but doesn't know how to go down) *eeek!*

Salma and Mommy in Moms & Kids Magazine

Yehey!! Mommy's in it also. =)

Moms and Kids Magazine
April-May issue
"Moms Absolutely love their Kids" section

Mothers' day weekend

Mama invited us to join them at their reunion with their Family Encounter batch mates at Tagaytay (May 10-11). I was unsure at first because we had previous plans for the weekend already. But when I talked to Marlowe about it, he said he wanted to go and take that chance to unwind and get away from the city stress, as for me, I realized I wanted to go to 'cause that would mean bonding time with my brothers whom I miss much. It'd definitely be a perfect way to celebrate Mothers' day!

We stayed at Tagaytay Dacha Villas, the place is nice, their garden and landscapes have colorful flowers in different varieties, so refreshing to look at. Their pool is also nice, though we (salma and I) didn't swim because 1.) I still can't due to the hair rebonding..have to wait 2 weeks more; and 2.) the weather was a bit windy, Marlowe wouldn't allow Salma to swim, she might get cold.

More on the villa, my only negative comment would be that I think they need to renovate some of their facilities like the faucets and other toilet facilities. I just think it's old na and needs a little upgrading. But all in all, the villa is clean an well kept. They provide towels, shampoo, soap and toilet papers.

We stayed at the villa most of the time with our family and the other families from FE. When we went out, we just went to play Casino, coffee at Starbucks, and a little stroll at Tagaytay Highlands. We also got to try Bag of Beans...yummy cheesecake! The place is super nice we took lots of pictures. Hehe =)

goofing around at Tagaytay Dacha Villa

rockin' and rollin'! - Tagaytay Highlands

lambingan at Bag of Beans

complete set of pics here

Only Ben touches my hair

why girls want Rebond-ed hair:

(1) for convenience: wash-and-wear-hair; time-saving, no need to blowdry or plantsa before going out
(2) for beauty purposes: we look prettier and neat when we have straight shiny hair
(3) life is easier: magaan ang feeling! and it kinda gives you a new attitude = confidence

who should NOT rebond their hair:
(1) those who are not willing to care and maintain it...straight hair does not end on the rebonding, we must do regular treatments (note, you must have budget for that as well) because the Rebond process is damaging! though your hair looks soft and shiny, what the chemicals did to your hair is so complicated you would not want me to elaborate.

(2) those who cannot help themselves from tying their hair, wearing clips or headband; and those who are constantly exposed to the sun and/or other damaging elements (e.g. chlorinated pool)

Now, if you think you want and you think you can have your hair rebonded, contact Ben a.k.a. qt_ben17 a.k.a. Absolutely Straight Hair. I've never seen someone who puts so much passion in doing hair services, rebonding is Ben's craft, and our hair is his masterpiece. So..if I could borrow what my friend Erica said about Ben, "Only Ben touches our hair" LOL!

related entry: http://labyu-bebi.blogspot.com/2007/05/hair-rebond.html

Vote for our Jollibee Happy Moment

Go to this site:
http://www.jollibeehappymoments.com/index.php?/happymoment/entries

Look for our entry entitled: "who says only kids love jollibee?"

you have to register to be able to vote, it won't take a lot of your time don't worry.

thanks!!! muah!

"Anyone who babbled "ja-bi!" during their toddler years knows how much happiness it brings to see that red-orange cheery character. And once you're struck with that feeling, it stays with you, no matter how old you are. Just like my entry, it's a wacky picture of me and my cousins with Jollibee during my cousin's (long overdue-26th birthday)jollibee party. We all love Jollibee since we were kids but we were not given a chance to have a Jollibee party then due to our mother's budget reasons, but now that we are working and have our own income, we each vowed to save and make our dream Jollibee party happen!"

Salma in Moms Today Magazine

2nd time in Moms Today magazine!
Theme: "Me and My Alaga" --- so it's my 2 baby girls again!!! i love you Salma and Clover!!
May-June 2008 issue

Teribble Toddler Years

Are you familiar with the coined phrase "terrible two's"?

I don't get it, because Salma just turned 1 year old when she started making my life terrible! And as she grows older (and heavier!), it just becomes more terrible. So I now conclude that that phrase is very wrong..it's not just the terrible 2's, not even 1+, but terrible 3's, 4's, 5's, could be for life with highlights on the "teenage" part. *sigh*

Oh, Kids: parents can keep on complaining about their parenthood woes, but it's also the same thing that they're very proud of, and puts sparkle in their eyes. (I don't wanna sound like my Mom but when oldies say that "you'll only realize that (fill in the blank any sermon) when you become a parent yourself" -- that is so true.) Parenthood gives you a whole new perspective.

For those who really really know me, it's not new to you when I say that I just have a simple dream: to be a (smokin' hot) House Wife, a Domestic Diva, a Super Mom - that my kids' classmates wished they had. Well, to date, that dream of mine is hmm.. still at 18.47% in progress. Currently, I am a working, I can cook a few edible dishes - but still, super far from my Mother In Law's cooking! a Super Mom? well..if super means having physical strength, because I can manage to carry a 24-pound-Salma almost the whole day, well then yes I am super! hmm, and the "smokin' hot" part? never mind. LOL

But let's take it one step at a time, and right now, I feel like elaborating on my dream of being a Super Mom. So..how do we deal with this terrible toddler years? Here are the things that work for me:

TODDLER DISCIPLINE TIPS

1. Do not, at all cause, YELL and HIT your child. Being the "Ate" in our family, I got a privilege of being superior over my siblings, having a say on disciplining them. My Mama's style involves "yantok" (wooden stick), "kurot" (solid pinch) and "sinturon" (belt) thus, I follow her style, and when time comes that my brothers (especially Harrold), feels like retaliating, I tell you...it really gets violent and physical!

Growing up, I was so afraid I'd do it to my own child, that's why I keep on promising and reminding myself never to do it again, never ever. Hitting or yelling to a child sends her a message that says "it's okay to yell and hurt people when you're mad or frustrated." and one more thing, hitting and yelling teaches the child to be afraid of their parents. Well, I grew up just fine, no psychological effects whatsoever, but yeah I WAS afraid of my parents, i WAS keeping stuff from them and i HAD difficulty in expressing myself well.

When you disapprove something that your toddler wants to do, say a firm NO in your normal speaking voice. Communicate to her as if she's an adult. Talk to them with respect. And yeah, eye contact helps too.

But of course, sometimes kids really test our patience. When Salma really gets to my nerves and I'm so close to hitting her, I give myself a time-out and let the anger pass.

2. Distract, Divert, Time-Out. When Salma wants to eat something that she's not allowed to eat, I give her something else which she can and might catch her interest, for example, she wants to drink the iced tea that daddy is drinking and she throws a tantrum coz mommy won't let her, I try to give her fruit juice instead, or yakult, basta something else that I know she would also like.

But if that fails, I show/give her something that turns her focus to another activity (not drink-related), I may give her a toy instead, or I may sing and dance to her.

But if that also fails, it's time for a time out, I bring her away from the situation...bring her some place else, with the ice tea nowhere in sight. let her cry for a few more minutes until she forget about what she's crying about. hey, kids have short attention span, right?

3. Be consistent. When you say she cannot play with the electric fan, then don't let her play with it tomorrow or next week or any other days. Be consistent with your rules, wherever you are. Child may get confuse if you keep on changing your rules, or if you "give-in" to their whining sometimes.

4. Discipline is not negative all the time. There's what we call positive reinforcements. Reward and praise your child if they do something good. Moreover, try to keep notice more on good things they do rather than bad. Sometimes, when Salma thought mommy wasn't looking, she puts her shoes properly on the shoe rack. she puts away her toys and put 'em back where she got them. she dry her hands with the towel after washing (even if I didn't say so). she also picks up cookie crumbs that fall while she's eating and throws it in the trash can. It almost leaves me teary eyed whenever I see her do these things, so I always say either "thank you" or "very good" every time, then she claps her hand to applause herself. haha!


Keep in mind that toddlers are not yet capable of expressing their feelings well, and most of the time when you don't get what they want to say, it frustrates them so much so they express it in one way they know = throwing tantrums. The most important key in toddler discipline is to know your child. Knowing what your child wants or what she doesn't want will help spare you from that temper tantrum fit!

Marlowe's birthday

I originally planned to do a surprise bday bash for him but due to some reasons (having work the following day and yes, budget reasons. lol), we just spent it in a simple way..having figured out that he just likes it that way. =) I'm just gonna save my plan for next year: on his 30th! waah old!! =p

April 30 is the first showing day of Aga Muhlach and Anne Curtis's movie - When Love Begins - it was shot in Boracay, we love Boracay, and we find Anne Curtis hot, and i like Aga's acting..so we watched it (with globe friends and my SIL at Gateway). But honestly speaking, if you ask me about the story..it was so-so, typical love story, babaw lang..bitin ako. I could've appreciated it if they were in Boracay throughout the movie hehe pero carry na din..i love Anne's clothes! and she's so pretty.

anyway, that get-together was also for bebi's bday, after the movie, Marlowe treated us to dinner at Dencio's grill Araneta Center (wow himala..nanglibre!!! hehe) then we ahd coffee at Gloria Jean's (bebi's fave coffee place). it was there where my li'l surprise took place. lol I bought a mini-cake there and lit a candle for his bday! hihi! we left there around 1am..it was like we really waited for May 1 to arrive so we can actually sing to him "happy birthday" =)

Marlowe's other lover (hahaha!!!):