You definitely know...

1. It's time to lose weight when your mom looks like a teenager beside you, wears your pre-pegnancy pants and look good in it

2. It's time to start buying Mario B, skin care products even if it costs an arm and a leg..actually more like 2 arms and 2 legs..when they card you...for your senior citizen card and AARP card.

3. It's time to schedule botox and whatever dermatologic invention when they ask you if your mom is your daughter.

4. ..Or when they ask you if your husband is your son.

5. It's time to stop eating your kids leftovers when they start charging you 2 seats on the bus..or the train..or the airplane.

6. It's time to log in some vacation time, when all you can think about when you see your kids having their usual morning emotional breakdown...is that you could go back in time and have those damn tubes tied.

7. It's time to cut down on the shopping, when you can only afford Ramen noodles. For breakfast, lunch and dinner. Including midnight snacks.

8. It's time to sleep when you are sleepy. DUH

California Road trip..from San Francisco to Las Vegas

We left murky,damp and gloomy New York and landed in sunny California! Although I would not advise travelling with small children for health and mental reasons...we had no choice, unless we can check-in the little critters in a "kid hotel" like they do for pets for 1 week. We had 2 checked in bags and most of it was for the baby. The bottles, milk formulas, bottle sterilizer, little odds and ends, two strollers, two car seats...like I said, after this I need a vacation. Doing NOTHING. Some travellers don't care for young kids, they act like they were never little brats or maybe their parents never travelled with them. It's fun. Like the kind of fun you have in hell. We flew Delta. Cheap snacks, all of us squished like sardines in a can. In real estate lingo...quite cozy. My 3 year old twitching and bouncing around like she had coffee, steroids and candy...all at the same time. Finally she wound down and dropped to sleep, 30 min within landing!

Going through security was also another nightmare worth blogging about. I had to strip the children's shoes, coats, jackets, fold the strollers and the car seats on top of removing my own stuff and putting them in gray boxes. Going through security by yourself is already torture, but going through it with two babies in tow is beyond beyond beyond my imagined idea of hell. The worst thing is..when you get on the plane, it doesn't end there, it is just the start of a 6++ hour torture. I need a drink. But I can't. Need to be sober. Kinda jealous of my neighbors in the plane with earphones and drowning out the baby screams.

Keeping healthy this Flu season

It's kinda scary. You turn on the TV, and everything is about pain, death and the downward spiral of the economy. Sometimes I just have to steel myself, because as a mother, one should be informed of current events. Knowledge is power, information is key! As a mother, one should know what is happening around her, and not just who is dating who in Hollywood all the better to make informed decisions.

I have a lot of friends on facebook posting their dilemnas on the swine flu vaccine. To get? or not to get? (the vaccine)..that is the million dollar question. I try not to impose my will on anyone. But if someone asks, I will try to give my opinion, not just as a pediatric nurse, but also as a concerned and INFORMED mom. Like I said, information is key. ANd mind you, not just any information, the world wide web is a treasure chest of info, but there are also a bunch of sewage floating around. One has to dig and sort through the junk and get the golden nuggets of useful information that is reliable, proven and not hearsay or gossip.

So will I advise to vaccinate a child who is in the high risk group to get it? Yes. Even if the child is not high risk and the pediatrician offers it, I will still advise it. At this point in time, the pros outweigh the cons. I work in an area that exposes me to viruses most of the time. I don't want to bring it home. If 3 yrs from now, my family will turn into one of those characters from the movie "I am Legend", well...at least we didn't get the swine flu. Looking at the bright side, I probably won't care at that point in time. Some would counter that the government is encouraging it coz it's a conspiracy. Oh puleeze. Believe what you want. But I have seen really really sick kids, and it's not a picnic either.

Although I would have to post a disclaimer. I don't work for a pharmaceutical company, there ARE side effects of the vaccine. Getting the vaccine DOES NOT GUARANTEE that you will not get sick with flu since there are a lot of strains out there floating around and those little buggers are just eagerly awaiting being introduced to your nasal passages and mouth. But it would definitely decrease one's chances of being debilitatingly sick and passing it on to more vulnerable targets like pregnant women, children and those with underlying medical condition. I just heard the news. Another 19 children dead from the swine flu. Enough said. Go watch the news then

All Hallow's Eve

It's Halloween again, it's like Christmas for the kids and adults alike. I was the chaperon to several pre-teens and of course my own KK who is dressed up this year as Dora. She was insisting on dressing up as a princess, but I'm like NO NO NO! You will get more candy if you dress up as Dora! So I searched and got a Boots costume for the little sibling. I overestimated her growth rate so the costume was a little bigger..even after 2 months. I ordered the costume 2 months ago. That's how excited mommy was about this one night.

In the Philippines, I remember we did not celebrate the 31st of October, we stayed in the house and did not go out..at all. My mom would scare me with stories of the dead roaming and spirits a-haunting. And it was a solemn occasion for most. We visit our dead relatives, offer prayers and masses. The one time of the year that we come back, clean up the weeds from the headstones and whitewash tombs. Some enterprising kids make money by collecting the candle wax from the forgotten candles left by the well-meaning relatives, they sell it per kilo.

Over the years, it has evolved into a much festive holiday. The cemeteries are packed with people, visitors and hawkers. With radios blaring and tents set up, most had food and it's like one big party.

Initially when we first came to America, we did not participate in these activities but when the kids came, it is more for their benefit rather than us. So we walked..and walked...and walked. Knocked on houses, got treats and continued on. It is really heartening to see, despite all the turmoil in our country, that people do take time to participate in this occasion. It is not just the candy that they get, but most of the house owners wait outside and individually hands out the treats. They get enjoyment from seeing little kids and adults alike dressed in whatever their imaginations can conjure and like I said, for a few hours, forget about the depressing economy.

We walked for over 2 hours, and it was a workout. I was wearing a light vest over a long sleeved shirt and my shirt was soaked. I was carrying an Ikea recyclable bag where my little Dora dumps her haul when her pumpkin gets too heavy to carry. And we had to cut out our foraging coz it started to rain..HARD. It sucks. But maybe deep inside I was thankful..I was tired and hungry and how much freaking candy can one eat? I grabbed Dora and ran for home. We got home, I ate a big plate of spaghetti, five pieces of garlic bread, and of course my lions share of the candy. So much for the calories I burned in the last two hours. I got it all back..with interest. Calories came back like a money lenders high interest rates.

We sorted the stash, I weeded away the small hard candies that can cause choking, took out the bubble gums and kept all the chocolate bars. After that it was trading time! All the cousins and aunts started trading and bartering for their least liked and favorite treats.

All in all, the next day, my daughter already forgot about her hoard, but I try to emphasize to her while we were trick or treating, to appreciate whatever someone gives. Small candy or big choco bar, the act of giving should be enough. Also always remind her to say "thank you" and of course sharing. There are values to be learned even during Halloween. It is not just horror movies and partying.

The holiday is over, costumes in the dirty laundry bin, pictures taken and posted and the candies hidden away, and parents all over the country heave a sigh of relief that their children came home safely, maybe a little sick from eating too much candy, but safe nonetheless. And me, getting that much needed sleep, coz I'm exhausted after that chaperoning bit. Now all that is over..time to plan for Christmas. I just love being a mom

Everybody is panicking, stores are running out of alcohol-based hand cleansers and bleach. I even saw on the news that somewhere in Maryland, thousands line up for the "swine flu" vaccine. What could a mother do?

Take a deep breath, and try to relax. I know it's hard when it's your children's health and life at stake. But, there are solutions and ways to get around this. Remember, PREVENTION is key. Although it is not 100%, it is still best way to avoid getting sick this season.

It's very hard to prevent kids from getting sick. But it doesn't mean that you will freak out everytime another kid cough and sneezes in your child's face. Not only impossible but also not practical. Unless you put your children in a bubble for let's say, till they are teenagers? That is crazy.

What to do:

Don't panic. Prevention is key. If there are small children in the family, all caregivers should get vaccinated. Especially if caring for "at risk" population 0-5 yrs of age. Or for people with underlying risk factors like asthma, diabetes, cardiac problems (which pretty much like half of the population already). And for some reason the virus targets pregnant women. Just get the damn vaccine!

Handwashing is very important. The virus can live on surfaces and can be infectious from up to 8 hours after being deposited on the surface. So whip up the cleansers and just wipe down kitchen counters, bathroom surfaces and I do clean door knobs, light switches, phones and cellphones. These items are the most used in the house and are often overlooked. Throw used tissues in the trash can and either wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizers.

This is the flu season. I am not telling you to hibernate or hide away from the world. But if it's not necessary? avoid crowded places. Try not to bring your kids to a crowded mall or gatherings. Once in a while, yeah but, if you are bored and maybe having cabin fever then short trips will be enough. Good for the pocketbook too. They have hand sanitizers that are small enough and would fit right in your Prada or Coach bag. You don't have to be slouchy just because it's the flu season :P

If somebody does get sick. Just stay at home. Never mind the deadlines and whatever that needs to be done at the office. I am pretty sure the world will not end if you rest for a few days. Believe me, your co-workers will thank you for it. Spread the love..not the virus.

Avoid touching your nose, eyes and mouth. The virus is spread that way. WASH your hands I could never emphasize it enough.

If your kid does get sick, observe and give comfort and call your health provider. It may not be swine flu but regular old fashioned flu. As a mother, sometimes we dither whether to call or not to call. But trust your instincts, if you feel that something doesn't feel right? or the child looks worse to you? just follow it. Even if the doctor thinks you're crazy for calling in the middle of the night..hey that's what they are being paid for right? besides, I would rather be wrong and look crazy than have my child take a turn for the worse because I was afraid that the doc would think I am too paranoid. I'm a mother. I am supposed to be paranoid. I did not suffer and carry this child for nine months just to be pooh poohed by some doctor.

For more information click on the link. This will take you to the CDC website.
www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/qa.htm

Better to be safe. Be informed. Call your health provider. Take all of this with a grain of salt. This is not meant to be a bible for swine flu prevention. But just a reminder. GET THAT FLU SHOT!!!!!!!!!!

Playing NOT too softly on my guitar

I was able to find an article on the web about our former band "Furies" which was formed way back when.. I lifted the address and hope Rakrakan magazine won't mind :)



Wish I had the pics to go with it...

I looked so young and innocent then...


www.rakrakan.com/2005/10/03/furies/

Playing softly on my guitar

I picked up my guitar today after a long hiatus. I got inspired to start playing again. Probably all those you tube videos I watch..where everyone is covering someone else's song.

I got the guitar as a gift from my husband 2 years ago. Both are birthdays are in December and just 2 days apart. So suddenly he said, he wanted to buy me a guitar as a birthday gift. I was initially surprised and thrilled at the same time. I left my electric guitar, and bass in the Philippines coz it won't fit in my overweight baggage 1 piece. And I didn't really think about music at that time. So when he said he wanted to get it for me..I was excited.

We went to a guitar store in Milford and oohhhlala the choices are endless. This was a different buying experience than going to 'Raon. So I settled on a shining chestnut beauty and was looking forward to playing..and playing...

It seems that I really didn't have time to play. With everything else going on I probably picked up the guitar once a week. And besides, guess who is taking up my guitar time? My hubby. He was constantly playing on MY guitar every night to the point that it drove me nuts. I finally discovered who the guitar was really for, it was for him. And I was just the excuse. Oh brother.

So going back, I started playing a few tunes, little rusty, a little stiff, and all my calluses were gone so I had throbbing fingertips. Just belted out tune after tune, remembering my band days. Late nights at Club Dredd, Mayrics and all those small anonymous bars that frequented and played at. I think we played at every party that was ever had. Small birthday parties, big outlandish debuts as long as there was space to set up amps and the drums, we were there.

Looking back, I still cannot believe I had the nerve to get up on stage and rock out. Headbanging and belting our original songs to a crowd that would be inconsistent...loving one moment and uninterested the next. So many experiences like having crowd dissolve in a mosh pit while we're playing, or the crowds initially cheering coz when five women walk on stage, they think we are cute or we are gonna play cute songs, just because we are women. But as soon as Aleth's drums start banging, my bass riff ripple through the crowd, Nadine's guitar solo screams out and Lovella's vocals demand to be heard, all in one cohesive moment Alda's melody on the keyboards brings it all in..yeah we rock!

So, today, I picked up the guitar again after sooooo long. I guess I got inspired by a friend of mine who is an accomplished piano player. He has been playing since he was 5 yrs old. I guess you would call him a protegee, graduate of Julliard. And he is doing what he loves. I am no child protegee. I didn't get formal training in piano, or guitar or bass or drums. I do it all by ear. But bottom line, it really doesn't matter. Coz music transcends that. It transcends age, time, and sometimes life. Life often times gets in the way of music and especially when one can barely find the time to get 4 hours of sleep in 24 hours of the day. But I just realized that it kinda soothes my soul. And quiets the beast inside. Music does tame the beast.

So I spend a few minutes strumming my guitar, a little rusty..but who cares? I don't.

What could have been

Do you ever play that game in your head, sometimes you think about what could have been?

I see my life as a line branching in many directions, something like if you watch a lot of sci-fi shows, or even twilight zone, sometimes I feel or think about my self "self", living my other lives if I had made a different choice. It's like whenever I am at an important crossroad in my life, another self separates and lives the life or with the choice that I have not chosen. I visualize myself spread out and separated into millions of "me" living out the lives that I have not chosen.

I actually remember one article by Jessica Zafra, she is one of my favorite authors, biting wit and her style of writing is outrageously funny almost to the point of being offensive but just a shade below it. I appreciate her nasty humor coz she calls a spade a spade, and man..she makes it very funny. Back to the article, she mentioned something about time-space continuum and living our lives differently at the same time..like a parallel universe. Guy meets girl, they date, guy dumps girl end of story. But in a parallel universe, guy meets girl, they date then guy proposes to girl, get married and have kids. So on and so forth. Every major decision in the guys life, creates a tangent life of what ifs...

I am not the type of person to regret decisions. I think it over, I may spend a lot of think brooding and thinking and basically asking for advice and every one's opinion, but after I decide. That is that. I never look back and I never regret. Feeling that it is a waste of time and emotion. But a lot has happened in the last 5 years that I feel like everything is happening so quickly that I barely have time to lift my head, look around and take stock of what is happening in my life.

Maybe instead of regrets, maybe it's time to contemplate on what direction should I be heading. It's kinda hard to do that since I am a mother now. I am responsible for raising my kids to be happy and well rounded and able to contribute to humanity. Tall order. It's hard to be selfish and put oneself first. Often I see moms letting themselves "go". They start to dress in jogging suits, comfortable but not fashionable clothes,have less time to put on makeup and basically take care of themselves. It's kinda hard to squeeze in ME time in between driving kids to soccer practice and ballet, cleaning house, making meals and trying to be a good wife and mother.

Sometimes it's ok to be selfish. Take time to go to the gym, or have a ladies night out a few times. Go shopping for your own wardrobe and actually avoid going into Children's Place or the kiddie section.

Mommies need their breaks. One must find a way to find happiness that is hers, and hers alone. Coz let's face it, when mommy has a nervous breakdown...not good for the kids. When mommy has had it up to her ears with stress and demands on her time..and starts swinging the knife and hears God talking to her about dumping her kids in the lake...well you get the picture.

Somewhere out there, in a parallel universe, I probably don't have kids, or I'm a famous newscaster or covering breaking news as a news reporter, or dead. I swear I did a lot of dumb things in my life that could have gotten me killed. And I look at this life, I look at my family, my career, my friends...then maybe, just maybe, somewhere along the way, I did make the right choices.

Suggested Books

Some books that I love and authors I follow..

Dresden Files By Jim Butcher
Codex Alera series also by Jim Butcher
The Vampire's Assistant (Cirque de Freak Series) Darren Shan
Maximum Ride series bTwilight series
Vampire diaries
The Looking glass wars by James Patterson

My daughter Mikayla loves these books..for toddlers and pre-schoolers..

The Bear snores on by Karma Wilson
If you give a pig a pancake by Laura Numeroff
If you give a pig a party
If you give a mouse a cookie..all by Laura Numeroff
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Me the Bookworm

I read a LOT of books. When I say a lot, I probably read 3-4 books a week. And if I have the time, I would actually prefer to read rather than sleep, which is good for the body but I feel so good just being able to read. I went through most of the books in the adult section and now I am a lurker in the young adult section. You wouldn't believe the range of topics and stories one can find in the yound adult section. Initially I couldn't believe it myself but sometimes the descriptions are sooooo gory that I have to look at the cover twice and remind myself that it came from the "young" set and is meant for the teen population.

I love our library, we usually go to the Norwalk Public library on Motts St. and for me it's a goldmine of information. They have DVD's, VHS for adults and kids alike, new movies, documentary or fiction. Name it, they have it. And ooohhlala..the books, I am in heaven! They have new books, bestsellers, kids books and even parenting magazines. Some of you may hohum..about me going on and on about A LIBRARY. Coming from the Philippines, our libraries are not this well funded and not well supported. So I walk into this one, and again I say I am in heaven.

Give me a book anytime, I can read 1 book in one sitting. I will read it all! But right now I am interested in fantasy and the scary stuff. Thanks to the Twilight series, the vampires are very popular right now. I have read the Vampire Diaries before it was converted to the tv series as we know of now. Another movie is coming out "The Vampire Assistant" Cirque de Freak series by Darren Shan. I am pretty curious how they are gonna go about with the movie, if they are gonna tone it down, coz from what I remember, there are like 10++ books in that series. And like I mentioned before, when you start reading it, you kinda think twice if it's really for teens. Gory, violent and kinda scary if you kinda contemplate that this is supposed to be a kid book.

How did I get started with my love for reading? All I remember was during my childhood, I spent it growing up with my grandparents. We didn't have cable TV back then, so after sesame street in the afternoon there was nothing to watch. I read whatever is on hand, most of the time my aunts books, love stories with lots of torrid kissing and groping, which at that very young age, I never fully understood. I discovered my grade school library and it was like a door opening to wonders. I started borrowing one book at a time, Bobsey twins..then I graduated to Nancy Drew..then Hardy boys. I pretty much read whatever I could get my hands on. Now I have the Norwalk Library.

How do I get my child to love reading and learning. We read 3-5 books before nap time everyday, and 1-2 books at night. I take her to the library and let her choose her books. And I think I did a good job coz Mikayla gets excited going to the library. And she loves books, she reads to her baby sister. Well, not really read but she makes up stories and pretends to read from the book. She already knows her alphabet when she was 18 mos old and her numbers also at that age. I am not really rushing her with learning to read coz, I feel that she will learn when she is ready..

Oh well...I love the Library! Go support the library and start reading :)

 

LBC will ship Balikbayan boxes for free for Ondoy relief goods

I was browsing LBC website today trying to find out how much to send a box and came across their way of helping out Ondoy victims. Anybody can drop off their balikabayan boxes in ANY LBC office. For the tri-state area box size should be 28x18x17 only. And they will not accept used clothes, that's the only catch. Here is the list of things that are needed and can be shipped for free. The box should contain the name and address of the sender.
canned goods
rice (bigas)
new clothing
towels
blankets
cookware
utensils
toiletries (soap,toothpaste, toothbrush, detergent)
antidiarrheals
tylenol and motrin for adults and kids
water purification tables
oresol
maybe some kids coloring books and new toys
childrens clothes

They will send the boxes to the LBC foundation and they will be responsible in distributing the relief goods to the charities. One receipient is the ABS CBN foundation. Remember, shipping is free all you need to do is pack it in the box and drop it off at the center.

Here is a list of drop off centers in the NJ area. Unfortunately, there is none in Connecticut but my hubby works in NJ and is willing to drop off your boxes.

LBC
480 West side Ave.
Jersey City, NJ 07304
#201-4348454

LBC
601 Penhorn Ave. unit 4
Secaucus NJ 07094
tel # 20108678889

LBC
69 1/2 Belleville Ave.
Bloomfield NJ 07003
tel # 9737487998

LBC
384 South Washington Ave.
Bergenfield, NJ 07621
tel # 2015018928

If you have any questions just call the office or go to LBC.com

Toddler survival tips

I have never been a woman of patience. I will be the first to blow up, the first to walk out and the first to start screaming...in any order. So I think having a very intelligent and very talkative toddler is the universe's way of getting back at me. Kaykay as she is fondly called is a teenager in a small toddler body. It's her way..or the highway. From the moment she wakes up, to what she will wear to school, to what is in her lunchbox and what song is playing on the radio. I have devised ways to cope with this madness coz it's either this...or I start chomping down on little arms and legs..
1. When dressing them in the morning, only give 2 choices... they want to be independent at this age, and I can be ashamed to admit it but yes it's kinda suckering her into thinking that yeah..she's the boss...not hehe. So it's either the shirt that I really want her to wear, or something that she will never wear. And she always makes the right choice. I mean it's a pink shirt!
2.There are moments that we encounter what we call "temper tantrums" actually it sounds more like a Mt Vesuvius erupting and earthquake scale on a 9. And don't you notice that these breakdowns usually occur in the most inconvenient of places..like hmmm the middle of the supermarket. And all because you won't buy her the tummy gummy whatchamathingy which wrecks havoc on teeth, after all, you just want the little buggers teeth so survive till adulthood and not have to hock the house and car to pay for dental work. Anyway, these eruptions can be avoided most of the time...ummm half of the time..ok sometimes. All that is needed is a little prepwork. Schedule the errand when the child is not hungry, not sleepy and basically in a good mood. (I told you rarely right) Before you leave the house, tell her what is expected. From the moment she gets out of the car, to what kind of cart she can push and what you expect her to do. Also explain consequences, you hear a peep from her, don't be afraid to drop it and go home. It maybe inconvenient but she will learn.
3. Hold your ground. If it is something that you really want to teach her, like no putting plastic bags over her hear or her baby sister's head, you have to be stern and firm. Just like tofu. There maybe times that you can let her get away with little things, but when it comes to safety. NO compromise. Hold hands while crossing the street. Look both ways when crossing the street. No chewing on the electrical cords. ANd No picking up the baby and trying to give her a bath in the toilet bowl!
4. Let's face it, being a parent is very hard, most of the times we feel like we don't know what we are doing, seeing our baby cry makes us want to cry too. But you just have to harden your heart a little, coz if we will not set the limit..no one will. It's actually easier to let them do whatever they want and give them whatever they desire, but when they are all grown up and are on reality tv blaming their parents for not disciplining them, self-explanatory.
5. You are a parent, you are not a friend, you are not their peer. A lot of parents lose track of this sometimes trying to be cool and allowing their kids to do the hell the want. Whenever my mom or grandmother scold me and they go like "Papunta ka pa lang, pabalik nako". (Your journey just started and Im already returning from the journey". I never quite understood where they are coming from. But now as a mother of two and 30+ years of experience under my belt, I can definitely comprehend what they were telling me. As I just roll my eyes when my 3 yr old tries to pull off something that will definitely earn a scolding.
6. And lastly, enjoy this time, coz it really goes very fast. Last time I looked my Kaykay was just a giggling baby with chubby cheeks and chubby legs. Now she likes to wear dresses, she loves dancing and swimming and painting her toenails. I dread her being a teenager, fending off boyfriends and I am mentally and emotionally preparing myself for what lies ahead. Although I cannot protect her from all the hurts and disappointment she is gonna encounter, I can only hope and pray that whatever values and teachings I instilled in her, it will be enough. That I would be enough. Even when Kaykay is grown with kids and going through the same things I went through, in my eyes she will always be a baby, my baby.

Boston team tournament 2009

I was looking forward to the tournament in Boston last weekend for several reasons. One, it will be a mini vacation since I gave birth 6 months ago, and secondly, I will be doing something I love..play badminton. It's crazy that I am sooooo crazy with this sport. I will sacrifice life and limb...well..maybe not life, but I will tolerate pain, just to be able to play. I wrote before that I have pain-free knee envy. I am jealous of my co-players bouncing, jumping and doing lunges without pain. For me, especially in certain weather I feel like an old lady, pain in both knees climbing up and down the stairs, even slow jogs makes me a little teary.

The explanation for all this is not early onset arthritis. I went to a orthopedic/sports medicine specialist after my knee swelled up like a grapefruit, and my problems are still rooted from my ACL surgery 2 yrs ago. It seems that my hamstring and thigh muscles are still weak, and its those muscles that kinda keeps the kneecap moving smoothly in its place. My post acl reconstructive surgery PT was ok in the sense that I was able to get 100% of my range of motion back, I had to request additional PT sessions coz my left leg was so weak, and if you compare my leg side by side, it doesn't look like it's from the same person. Left leg looks like a chicken leg and the right looks like a sumo wrestler's leg since it was compensating all those times. So I went for the next batch of PT and I felt that it was working. Then I got pregnant, I was spotting and bleeding the first few weeks so I had to decide to stop the treatments. I got fat, I gave birth and here I am again trying to play the sport that I love so much. Now I truly believe that love is PAIN. AFter I started playing I started having problems with the right kneecap, then the left kneecap until the time it swelled up and I went to the specialist.

So coming to this tournament is very special for me. I would have a chance to play against players of different and most often than not higher level than me. And I did. Some of the games I felt like I was beating my head against a brick wall, and I never won any of my games. There must a world record out there that I can break right? NO win, flawless loser haha. Should I cry and tear my heart out? should I curse and break my racket while wailing and kneeling on the floor dramatically? I don't think so, although let me tell you, it's hard to put on a happy face and be optimistic when you don't win a match, your heart just feels like lead and most of the time feels like it's gonna crawl up my chest and choke me. But I still played. I played several games that I felt that I did pretty well, considering I was playing with kids half my age and have all their kneecaps and body functions, functioning well, and here I am 35 and still playing pretty competitively. I was the one walking around smelling like Bengay and chugging down Alleve pills before the games. I was joking that I have 2 lovers with me, Mr. Bengay and Mr. Alleve. I must have sounded like a drug pusher asking my teammates if they wanted painkillers, the non-narcotic kind.The had players from Canada, Olympians, from DC and several varsities of known universities like Cornell and MIT.

Looking at these people from all races and roots, all I can think of is, what is the underlying commonality among us..of course, the love of the sport. People who don't know of the sport, they imagine badminton as more of a backyard sport during lazy summer days barbecuing and hitting a few plastic birdies on the lawn. I think my surgeon swallowed a few snickers when he heard I injured myself playing badminton. But the truth is, it's a very fast game, the player should know how to move and from my experience very dangerous also. As a matter of fact, one lady from a mixed doubles game got hit squarely on the bridge of the nose by the birdie. My teammate smashed and it hit her right where the sensitive part of the nose is and would even make big boys wail for their mamas. A little off ways she could lose an eye and of course, I have seen that too, had to bring the guy to the emergency room since his eye was bleeding. If you are thinking that it's not supposed to hurt, let me tell you this, there is a hard cork holding those frail feathers together and if it's going @ 200mph, you either learn to duck or learn to better defend yourself. Coz when that shuttle hits you, it's gonna leave it's mark.

So why am I still happy. I lost all my games in this team tournament, we placed 7th out of 8 teams ,at least we beat out 1 team and my body is complaining loudly that I think my coach can hear me all the way from NY city. So again I ask myself the question, why am I still happy? Was it the excellent crabcakes and wine we had at Legal Seafood restaurant? Was it the company of people who share my love of the game? Was it the eat-all-you can sushi/sashimi and tempura? Maybe, that was a part of it. Good food, good beer, good company and good games. I am happy coz despite my age, despite my injuries, despite all my pain, I am still playing, and I am still planning on getting better, inspiring me to take more training and do better. I lost all my games, and it's a cliche,but in the end, it's kinda true. Winning isn't everything anyway :) Till the next Boston team tourny in '10 watch out kiddies.

Health is WEALTH

I do feel envy, not for money, or for love or for material things. I feel envious of my badminton friends playing without pain, I look at them and think, did I do something wrong in my past life to be burdened with pain? (Heaves a great sigh) I really don't have a right to whine, but I have a Japanese friend who has been playing for probably 30 yrs, older than Mohammad and still jumps, lunges and prances about like a 18 yr old on steroids. He is still fast, stamina like a stallion ehehe (Japanese Stallion) and eats rice like it's still the in thing since the low carb diet. Again, I don't have the right to complain, but after tearing my acl, mcl and all the l's (anterior cruciate ligament, medial and lat ligaments) in '07, my love-hate relationship with my knees started. It just felt like it was neverending, non stop doctor appointments, excruciating rehab post surgery. ANd believe me I have a very high threshold for pain, I was on plain tylenol post knee surgery, motrin after both baby deliveries and hmm let me see a sucker for pain and suffering especially after the 1st URban Jungle Adventure race which I was part of the 1st all girl team, we actually placed 3rd out of 20+ teams in a grueling 24 hour race around Metro Manila. Rockwell was the starting point and I will never look at Rockwell as just a MALL. Since we had to rappel down from the roof, traverse a rope a few hundred feet above and walked around it's periphery 10x tied to my team mates. While the beautiful people of Makati and yuppiedom watched and sniggered and wondered..what the hell we were doing. My team consisted of Janet Belarmino, Noelle Wenceslao and a girl who was part of the Philippine national team for kayaking. It was long, hard and brutal by the time we reached the finish line, my knees would not bend, the soles of my feet were unrecognizable because it was one big blister. To the point that my mom had to take me to the ER the next day since I could not walk my feet were swelling and Doc Dave Gamboa had to debride and tape up my poor feet. I can't even climb up the stairs. I CRAWLED up the stairs. Needless to say, I had a very high pain threshold... TO BE CONTINUED

wendy shawn wedding

Click here to view this photo book larger

It's that time of Year...

Humming the old Nescafe commercial where this couple were cozying up to each other on front of a fire with cups of steaming instant coffee.."It's that time of year..lalalalala" etc. etc. and No I don't mean Christmas, although if it was up to my daughter, everyday will be Christmas and her birthday too. I mean the flu season. Just goes to show that time really passes so quickly, last time I had the flu shot, I was 5 mos pregnant and in a blink of an eye, I have a 6 month old daughter and it's time for the shots again. I am encouraging people to get their flu shots, especially this season the CDC is predicting to be worse than ever, with the swine flu virus adding to the mix. Some might not want it coz they swear it make them more prone to being sick, or they have experiences that after the shot they get sick.

FACT: There is more than 1 strain of flu, getting the flu shot doesn't mean you are not gonna be sick, but if you do get sick, this will be a milder version compared to getting the full blown flu.

FACT: children 6 months to 18 yrs old, caregivers of children, pregnant women, or would get pregnant this season..pls just get the freaking vaccine. Even if you think as a healthy adult you will survive the Flu, if you have little kids or babies, they are more susceptible and might not be able to fight off the infection. So for the sake of the little ones, even if you are afraid of the needle, It's just a little, teensy weensy needle! suck it up and get it! get it! get it!

Have seen too many children suffering getting transferrred to tertiary care because the parents don't want the vaccine. I can't stress it enough. Get it.

Here's link for all procrastinators and non-believers out there
http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/protect/keyfacts.htm
Don't wait till it's too late, coz there might be a shortage of vaccines this year, don't put it off to the point that it's like a refugee line. Walgreens offer the shots from am till around 4pm for $24.99

And remember folks, aside from getting the vaccine, keep in mind the usual ways of disease prevention, handwashing, using purell or alcohol gels, try to stay clear of crowds. And if the kids are sick with fevers and symptomatic, don't send them to school. Keep them home, so at least whatever they have won't get spread around.

Crunch Time!!

I got in touch with my lawyer (who's kinda cute in an old dignified kinda way) but not my type hehe (just in case my hubby is reading), and we went over the terms of the contract. I was a little dismayed and unsettled since the date they set when they finally get their mortgage and cannot backout is Oct. 15, and they want to close on the 30th..of OCTOBER. So let's see, that's freaking hello of a 2 weeks time for use to find an apartment, get the credit checks done and over with, sign the lease, start moving stuff and all the crap my family accumulated in 5++ years not to mention all my daughter's clothes, shoes and handbags that she purloined from her Ate Indy's closet (but that's another story). Change of addresses, calling all banks, companies with our change of locations. Hmm, what else, DMV, SS, HR, IRS, and all the alphabet soup companies that has been a part of our lives one way or the other. Call the electric company, cable, telephone co, rent the moving van, hire movers, start boxing boxes and packin' away! All in 2 weeks. I told my husband, you better take a vacation, coz NO WAY can I do this by myself. Just to give you an idea about how involved my hubby is in the planning, implementation and evaluation process. I talked to him on the phone..while driving (oops but I swear I had hands-free gadget thingamajig) and I was telling him what's gonna happen, how fast it's gonna be and what I need him to do.. there was a pause and he was quiet for a few seconds..finally he asked.."So where are we going?" I'm like, Lord Almighty! I thought we were on the same boat, prepping the condo, putting it up for sale, finally finding a buyer and then...surprise..where are we going???!!!! I honestly don't know. Trying to look into the Westchester area, definitely NJ is not an option since I love my job and the flexibility of the hours since I only work weekends, I can be with the children weekdays. And before anybody comments that I'm so lucky and I can't appreciate that. STOP. I do. I do appreciate working only weekends, caring for my kids instead of hiring a babysitter who would probably earn more than I do and that is basically the reason I cannot leave Connecticut. I appreciate this job so much I am willing to commute longer just to keep it. Trying to move into an area with a good school system, but Westchester is sooooooo expensive. Property taxes are like $20-30,000 a year. And that is just taxes. HUWHATTT? It's NY baby and everything skyrockets! I really love Norwalk, diverse, alive and besides that free entry to Calf Pasture beach, which is a pretty nice stretch of beach considering it's the long island sound. My house is a hop,skip and a jump away from Stop and shop, Shoprite, Walmart, Home depot and TJ maxx and still be peaceful enough that we are not on a busy street. I love it that there are a lot of businesses in Norwalk, several dance schools, museums, stepping stones museum so it's not a monopoly of anything. I'm gonna miss all my fast food restaurants that kept me alive all those years (KFC, Wendy's, Burger King and of course Mickee D's) all just around the corner. It might sound unhealthy coz there are really some people with kids who have never even stepped foot in a fast food resto, but rushing for night shift, no sleep after taking care of 2 kids, I just wanted something hot, fast and I dont have to park. Yay for drive-thru. Enough of my ode to Norwalk. time to move on, I think I'm gonna cry when I finally turn over the keys, it's just that this place was not just a condo, it was our home, and I hope the people who will live there after us will take care of it like we did. Time to move on and am really looking forward to a house with a backyard. I'm sad and sentimental..oohhh ikea catalog, I think this would look nice in my new house.....

Got car... Can drive

Woke up early to accompany my niece to Yorktown,NY so she can take her practical test and finally get her driver's license. I am praying that she will pass, coz it's the 3rd time. The first time she and her dad went, to their dismay, when daddy handed the DMV officer his license, it was expired... hmm funny. Second time I went with and it was wintertime and Mikayla and I were FREEZING! This testing center doesn't have a building or even a shelter for the adults that accompany the kids. i was so surprised, in corporate America where there is a Dunkin Donut, Starbucks on every street corner, this street doesn't have ANY..AT ALL. You just part at the side of the street behind the line of cars with sweaty, nervous and jittery teens waiting for their exams and wait.. and wait... and wait. Finally Indy got her turn, I did try my best to suck up to the officer but no avail, after 5 mins. they came back, my niece with her lips and shoulder drooping, she failed. I felt bad for her and I was thinking maybe I'm a jinx since I remember I also accompanied her mom when she took her test and she failed that too..Oh well. Anyway 3rd time is the charm, passed her test with flying colors with just some minor mishaps. I was sitting on the park bench freezing (again) despite the thick sweatshirt,jeans and thick socks, weather report said it would be like around 60's but it felt like 50's waiting for Ate Indy, and was seated next to a blonde mom wearing a thin cardigan, summery sandals and shivering her ass off hehe. She was very talkative, basically I learned about her 2 teenagers, her job, her opinions on teen driving, her fears on her teens driving, all within 5 mins. I was about to contribute my 2 cents when her daughter drove up and the test was finished, she looked at me and said "That was fast... what does that mean?" I just gave her a sheepish smile and didn't say anything... based on experience, usually if the test was over that quickly, then the kid failed. And I was right, mommy walked up to the officer and the lady told her that her daughter Stephanie needs practice. Oh well. So mommy and daughter drove off and still I sat there waiting. Again wishing for a cup of Joe. But the wait was well worth it, Indy parked and got out of the car, started jumping up and down screaming she passed. And even though she is not my kid, I felt like a proud mommy. I got a glimpse of my future and what my kids will go through. There are a lot of unknowns and I have a lot of fears as a mother to two daughters, but with moments like this, I feel that it will be all worth it.

I received a message from a classmate wayyyy back in highschool, actually elementary pa lang ata classmate ko na sya and since transferee ako from QC, I was only in Colegio de Sta CAtalina for 3rd grade then I went back to St. James. HS I returned to Sta Catalina where I graduated and went on with my nursing degree sa UP manila. She wrote me a very long letter hehe kakagulat pero it was funny and nice to hear from someone. She remembered little things about me and ang nakakatawa, I can't even remember it. Carol remembered me as tomboyish, makulit and madaldal and laging nakatayo sa upuan as a punishment for being talkative. Hehe, sabi nya start pa lang ng class madungis na ako kase takbo raw ako ng takbo. Come to think of it, wala namang nagbago hehe madaldal pa rin ako, lots of energy and although wala nang teacher na nagpapatayo sa chair, I still let my sense of humor surface despite the difficulties. Carol also went on about her life now and she shares the difficulties of being a full time mom. How trulili!!! Hirap kaya! I love to complain, but when you verbalize complaints, it just sounds whiny, but if you blog it..sosyal ang dating hehe. So here was my reply to her, just thought to post it kase initially it was just a reply to the message, but I found it funny :)

8/29/09
Hello Cayoy :)Wow gulat ako haba ng message mo hehe, I can totally relate kase most of the time when puro kids kasama mo almost 24-7 minsan naghahanap ka na talaga ng kausap na hindi bata :) And I find it funny kase ikaw naaalala mo pa yung elementary days hehe para mo nang sinabing meron akong ADHD haha sa totoo lang elementary days ko and actually pati HS passed by in a blur . Defend ko sarili ko tsaka daughter mo, ang mga smart daw na tao,talagang madaldal mula pagkabata kase sobrang bilis daw mag-isip and ang thought processes hehe kase nung time natin nun hindi uso ang diagnosis na ADHD. And frankly I don't approve of this diagnosis especially sa mga bata, sad pero it's really prevalent dito sa US na medyo active lang ang bata, dinadala na sa pediatrician and kung ano-anong medications na. Sa atin kase palo lang ng sinturon and katapat nyan :) And what can I say about having kids and being tomboyish? Even during that time hindi ko rin na envision sarili ko, having a family pero ika nga it just happens. To be honest, mas masaya sa pinas, mas relaxed and buhay especially if your earn enough and marunong kayong maghandle ng finances. When you mentioned about how you live within your means and your kids get a good education, it's not where they go to school but I think it's more important that the parents are there to supervise and follow up with assignments, awareness kung ano na nangyayari sa buhay ng mga anak mo. Oo nga nasa exclusive schools anak mo, pero both parents have to work to support the expense, pag uwi ng mga bata sa bahay, yaya lang ang andun, eh sino ba naman ang magmamalasakit sa mga anak mo...syempre magulang lang talaga. Di alam ng parents nag dru-drugs na pala yung anak nila..asus. Actually akala ng mga mister natin madali ang maybahay? sometimes when I complain to my hubby na pagod ako etc etc he would look at me like "Ano ginawa mo?" Malinis pa bahay diba? Meron pa syang briefs na naisusuot di ba? Buhay pa mga anak nya diba? Nakakakain ng maayos ang mga bata diba? Maayos ang schedule, extracurricular activites ng mga bata diba? Bayad lahat ng bills at hindi pa napuputulan ng kuryente, tubig, cable at telepono di ba? Ayos pa ang budget sa bahay at grocery diba? Meron nang nakahandang gifts para sa aatendang birthday party ng mga bata diba? etc etc etc and not to mention During the time we were breastfeeding, para tayong mga baka..taga-alaga ka na nga ng bata, daig mo pa Nestle sa production ng milk. Tiisin na lang ang nipples na dumudugo at parang equivalent ng circumcision sa guys. Buti nga sila once lang, tayo every 3-4 hours aruyyyyyy!!!! Mabuhay tayong mga INA! hehe ngayon ko lang napansin, mahaba na pala ito, pati ako natawa kayo post ko sa blog ko hehe wala lang :)

Selling in a Buyer's Market II

Just got of the phone with my realtor, Tom, and it's only 8am but I am physically and emotionally drained. If I had known how hard it is to sell, grrrrrrrr.....I would have thought ahead with my purchase in terms of resell. But like I said, I fell in love with my condo, it had me at hello...hello..hello. With house buying sometimes it's not just the layout or even the wall color, it's the feeling you get the moment you walk in the door, enough to ignore the 70's grandma decor and the G0d-awful eye crossing wallpaper or even the pet smells. Like my title above, it is a buyer's market.I am selling my place at a loss. But I told my realtor I am drawing my line at this certain amount, although I did receive an offer less than $500 of my bottomline, and my bottomline is waaaayyyyy bottom already. So I have to be logical right? it's just $500, but thinking of the amount of money we put in this place, not only that but our sweat equity, ika nga "Bathroom reno...$2500, Wood floors..$2500 SWEAT EQUITY..Priceless. So basically if we factor that in the selling price we should put up our listing price +++$100000 but that is the emotional side speaking..rather it is screaming. So we did the comps and real estate "research" and that's how we ended up with this number. We did the counteroffer and it seems like everything is gonna go well, keeping all my toes and fingers crossed.

Advice for all house sellers:
1. When you buy, think about the resell. it may be 10-15 yrs from now, but always keep in mind
that nothing is permanent. But if that highway beside the house is a problem now, it will still
be a problem 10 yrs from now.
2. De-clutter! De-clutter! De-clutter! enough said
3. Store excess furniture to make the place seem larger
4. Make sure everything is spotless clean. Windows, surfaces, no dirty dishes in the sinks, no
hairs in the tub drain or bathroom floor
5. If you have kids, tell your realtor to put a note of 24 hr notice. Believe me, it is not funny when
people are coming in 30 minutes and you are up to your neck in dirty diapers and the floors
are smeared with baby food.
6. If you have a lot of close friends..(very close) or relatives make arrangements in advance for
your brood to stay in their house while it's showing, let me tell you it beats being trapped in
the car with a screaming infant and toddler in the parking lot
7. Get a realtor that you trust, someone who knows the area, has a lot of experience under their
belt. A good working relationship is ESSENTIAL.
8. I didn't even consider doing FSBO, I was scared to advertising my number and letting
strangers in my house, especially since my hubby works weekdays so it's just gonna be me
and the babies. There are a lot of psychos out there. Just look at all those aggressive
tailgaters on 95
9. And lastly, swallow your pride and emotions, even if you want to pound some rude people to a
pulp, like some realtors who are rude and annoying, they are really doing you a service by
showing your listing so smile and say yes, they can show the place in 30 mins despite the fact
that I am currently sitting in a dentist chair in a middle of a ROOT CANAL and I have to call
my mother-in-law to get her and the baby out of the house before the clients came.
10 . And finally, prepare to learn hor to deal with frustrations and the ups and downs of selling
your place. Coz it's and insane ride and it's the only way to save your sanity.

Hope this deal pushes through or else I will be blogging from the psych ward..dunno if they allow blogging???? Give me my valium pls..

Selling in a Buyer's market

We have been debating for years when to put our condo on the market. It seems like a simple decision, get a realtor, decide on the price and wait for the offers. Accept offer and ka-ching money! money! money! But wait, this is 2009, in the midst of the wallstreet and stock meltdown, highest unemployment rates and basically despair over an unstable real estate market. In 2004, usually condos will be on the market for 1-2 days and then it's bindered, never mind that it looks like c**p but since inventory was very low, there's bidding wars left and right. And yes, we decided to put our condo on the market. We just decided that the same way one cannot time the stock market, it's much the same with real estate. There has to be a motivation for the sale whether it's for money for retirement, or selling to relocate or even to downsize. We cannot rely on timing the market like is it the best time to sell or to hold, but rather is it the BEST time for our family to move on..is it in my family's best interest to sell..will the stress and pain of moving and putting our house on sale be beneficial to my family at this time? These are the questions that we pondered and debated for a long time before we came to our decision. We kinda kept postponing selling coz of a lot of reasons, some reasonable and some unessential..like the condo is not yet spiffied up for spring season..then I got pregnant we wanted to wait for the baby to be delivered so I was literally painting the master bedroom when I went into labor and delivered 4 hours after that. Finally we put up the place for sale..it's hard setting a price on a HOME, it's not just a apartment with 4 walls and a roof..but it was our first place, being immigrants in this country, being able to buy your own home is an american dream come true. We poured our love, sweat and hard earned funds into making this strange house into our home. Ripped out carpets smelling of cat and God knows what else. My first child was born and raised here and so did my second baby girl. By now we are sure that we want more for our family, and believe me, no McMansion for us. Just and additional bedroom and a little backyard. I always joke around to my friends that kids need to be let out in the backyard once in a while.

So our home is on the market, we had to "de-personalize" it first. Remove pics of the family, and believe me those HGTV shows doesn't really show the reality of the hardships of selling your house. Realtors calling 30 mins before they show your place..trying to keep it clean and de-cluttered, we cannot cook coz it's gonna smell. I was initially addicted to watching those designer shows but after a few months on the market, it just gets tiring. House selling shows on tv doesn't really convey the emotions the sellers go through. It's an internal emotional war between dread and anticipation, hope and despair, highs and lows. The first few weeks on the market everytime I get a call to see the property, I was so elated, and let me tell you this, I put a lot of effort in cleaning and sprucing up the place. In my mind I am thinking.."Is this it?..are we gonna get an offer?" And I pack up the kids and wait somewhere till the realtor and his clients leave. Most of the time it's inconvenient, like it's my babies naptime, or I just came from my night shift work and instead of sleeping, I would be cleaning coz someone is coming in an hour. I can't count the number of times I have slept in the car in the parking lot while waiting for the people to leave. And each and everytime I wait anxiously if this time I'm gonna get a call that we have an offer. It's been 133 days. And we had several offers, too low to even mention. When I say low, ridiculously, insultingly low that even my realtor was upset. But now, the anticipation is gone, all I can think about is "When is this gonna end?!!!!" I don't mean to whine or rant..but hey this is my blog after all. We finally get an offer that seems reasonable, despite the fact that we dropped our price already, and the offer is less than our listed price. But it's doable, negotiable. And the only thing is to weigh which is more important to us. After this, I think we are gonna take our time before buying a house, if you visit us and the apartment looks a little cluttered, well I did promise myself I am going to let my OC side go on a very long vacation and the rest of me to take a vacation from intensive cleaning. I'm gonna fry and cook all my favorite strong smelling foods..and lastly have more time to blog.

Jon minus Kate divide the 8 +alimony

I am not a fan of this show. Seriously...I am not a fan of anyone who tries to use children for fame or rather infamy and fortune( Octuplet mom) but that's another rant. I did see some sneak peaks and at that time I was happily surprised that this family was working it out. Before it was just, "Oh, they have 8 kids, how cute." But after having my own two kids and my eldest going through the screaming three's phase, (she just graduated from the terrible two's) I cannot wrap my mind around the difficulty and emotional stress having 8 kids almost all at the same age! I am hyperventilating with the thought these little ones screaming all at the same time, crying at the same time, demanding attention ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!! When I cannot even begin to cope with a toddler and a newborn. Just thinking of the logistics, the scheduling and the expense, I do not envy the parents. Kate must be a drill sergeant because to make anything happen? it's with the force and power of a general. So it did not come as a surprise that they broke up. Although Kate has been getting the flak for coming across as a "nagging, controlling biatch" I sympathize and emphatize with her. And I cannot help but compare her difficulties with mine. It's hard enough to maintain a romantic and loving husband-wife relationship with 2 small kids..but a small basketball team it's like being on a 24-7 reality show. Oh yeah, I forgot they are on a tv show. All you want to do at the end of the day is play "pass-the-baby" and when the music stops whoever is holding the baby...is keeping her. And at the end of the day you just want to close the door, fall in bed, close the lights and forget the world outside. But of course it does not end there. There is still the night time feedings and the toddler tantrums. I kinda admire Kate for trying to keep it together and if she turns into a ranting psycho..well I can't blame her.

And then here's Jon, on the covers of magazines, tabloids..pictures of him holding hands with a young girl. The articles are full of him spending this, buying that, splurging for a vacation for this homewrecker..and deep inside I feel anger at this. Ummm let me remind you Jon, that you have 8 kids that need money for college? At this point I am happy and grateful, thankful that my family is still a family, we may not have fame or fortune but hopefully just enough to get by.

I see this family's life splattered and smeared all over reality TV and I pity these kids who doesn't even have the luxury of privacy to get through this divorce in private. Their dad's affair flaunted for everyone to discuss and dissect by the watercoolers. And this is the price they pay, too expensive for my taste, I'll pass.

I have been running around like crazy this afternoon..well that seems pretty much a normal afternoon for me. Packing for a 3 day 2 night trip to Niagara Falls,NY. With a 5 month old, it's like I'm packing everything except the kitchen sink, actually if I could squeeze it in..I would have. So I kept going around..and around, trying to trim the stuff to basics since I don't want to be walking into the hotel looking like I'm staying for 6 months instead of just 2 nights!

Things to bring:
Change of clothing for me
Change of clothing for the baby and Kay
Extra change of clothing on top of the change of clothing for the kids
tioletries
laptop and power cord
cellphones and charger
bottle sanitizer
bottle warmer
extra diapers
extra bottles of milk
extra bottles
detergent
sunblock
camera and videocam
food and chichiria for the looong trip
breastpump and paraphernalia
extra wipes

I was able to book a hotel for 2 nights at a great rate through hotwire. I love that website, it's like hotel roulette, you never know what you're gonna get but so far it never failed me. Probably the greatest deal I had was in Woburn,MA for a Radisson Hotel for $40/night, and that was the most comfortable sleep I've had. Also in Washington DC, I was able to book Hyatt hotel for like $90 something. And it's DC :)

Diversity and all that..

At my workplace we usually have discussions about diversity, race and differences in culture, and there is one particular person that I noticed would always contradict or have very strong opinions on other people's culture. Come to think of it, she not only contradicts me on those topics but on everything else. She mentions that she needs to buy a swimsuit I would try to suggest stores like TJ maxx or Kohls and she woulds say "I don't like those stores.", or the topic is ikea and she would butt in and ssay "I don't like Ikea..it's so cheap". It has come to a point that whenever she opens her mouth I tune her out. Come on! not everybody likes to spend or can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a stupid couch or sofa. And besides who cares if your furniture is from Ikea? who cares if you buy clothes at discount stores?!!! who f***ing cares! well , I guess she does. I have reached my limit when she started talking about how bad the Filipinio culture is..that we encourage our kids to become nurses or "force" them to have an education which is "USEFUL". Or when she started ranting about dating and marriage traditions of my Indian friends or my Chinese friends and their "non-healthy" food. I just looked at her and asked her directly does she have any Indian or CHinese friends? I didn't think so, she said she talked to some..and I'm like...so this is a perfect example of talking while being ignorant. And the sad thing was, she thought she was pretty smart and open minded. I kinda pity her, because it kinda reflects how she doesn't really like her own cultural identity. If you ask her where she's from,she would say she's a US citizen. She won't deny where she came from, but all the foul things coming out of her mouth pretty much sums up that she did not have a happy childhood, she was not reared appreciating her OWN culture.
I am Filipino born, my husband..also Filipino, we may have taken the mantle of US citizenship but more for our children than for us. But in our hearts we will always be Filipinos. The US is an immigrant country, it was enriched and prospered on the backs of immigrants. And I think that's what makes this country special. My children will know where their parents came from, will learn the language..will EAT manga and bagoong, dinuguan and karekare. Will learn to play sipa,patintero and agawan base. They will have the Filipino values of respecting and loving their elders, mano po lolo, mano po lola. They will appreciate the fact that we have cars since they will be exposed to riding jeeps and tricycles..and what it feels like without central air with a 102F summer in the Philippine Islands.
Children of immigrants are unique because they are multicultural, I agree that they have to go to school in the US coz on the end they will have to deal with people born, raised and educated here. But I do not believe in turning your back on your own culture coz of being ashamed or whatever reason one drumms up. Instead of being citizens of the US, I want my kids to be citizens of the world. So I say again, so what if you live in a small house with a lot of furniture from Ikea or shop at discount stores, and they speak English-Tagalog with a smattering of Spanish, but they are happy..they say po and opo, go to mass and eat what their parents eat. I see their closeness with their grandparents, and we enjoy our diverse group of friends. And then let me tell you this..I would not exchange this for the world.

A time for one's self..

Everyone is asleep..it's been a hectic day in the household which always been the case since I gave birth 5 months ago. What with trying to schedule around pumping milk and feeling like the proverbial cow, keeping up with a toddler like an energizer rabbit, lack of sleep, working nights and selling a house at the same time..just makes one want to take a hike and jump of a nearby cliff. No reason to complain at all, beautiful healthy children, loving hubby (hmm will blog on that topic another time) and stable job. Especially in this economy. With all this happening sometimes just sitting down and putting thoughts to paper (in this case blogging) is such a release.

So right now..house is quiet except for the taptap on my laptop and I make a list of what I can be thankful for...

I am thankful for..
My hubby for makking breakfast today..never mind that is egg whites and no fat (ugh he is trying to convert me to live healthy).
My daughter going to daycare and telling me in the car.."I'm going to big girl and big boy's school today and I'm not crying..di ba?"
Little 5 month old Micah smiling everytime she sees me approaching..don't know it's really coz she's happy to see mama..or coz she know's it's chow time!
My mother in law (love her) for helping out with the baby..she is carrying her so I can do the chores..
For small things ..like.. CENTRAL AIRCONDITIONING!!! no explanations needed.
Having dental insurance..I would go broke for all the high tech thingys needed for my aging teeth

I could go on and on coz seriously, there's a lot to be thankful for and now I will just relax and listen to everyone's breathing..peace.