while mommy was sleeping

Since Joaqui's previous yaya left, I was the one who is putting him to sleep, and so even with a new yaya (yes, we have a new AND better yaya) Joaqui still prefers me to put him to sleep. It is then that I discovered the early indications what Joaqui would become when he grows up during our before-going-to-sleep routine. When it's bedtime and he had his milk, we would play a little and then I would pretend that I am asleep and would just watch him secretly. My son never fails to amuse me with his antics before he dozes off. I don't know if he tires himself to sleep or bores himself until he falls asleep...; )
Joaqui can become a doctor. He has early fascination with anatomy. While I am quietly lying down and pretending to be asleep, he would identify body parts by poking my eyes, touching my lips or checking my nostrils (this one is a little gross).
Joaqui can become a priest. Sometimes I would catch him singing "alleluia" in different tones. There is the high-pitched alleluia and the low-pitched alleluia. This sometimes is accompanied by a gesture with his hands mimicking a priest giving a holy water blessing.
Joaqui can become an accountant. I never thought that he was listening to me when I teach him how to count. Just the other night, he was counting by himself...wan, tu, three, por, payv, veven, eight, ten. Now, I think just like mommy, Joaqui isn't good in Math...skipping the numbers six and nine...hehehe.
Joaqui can become a broadcaster. He would recite the things or the words that he would hear from us (especially from me) like "no, no, no, no!", "ma na" (tama na), "nap na" (enough na).
I think that as Joaqui will grow older, it would be more and more difficult to sell sleep, but I am enjoying this mommy moment and I can't wait to discover more before-going-to-sleep routine with him.

kwentong yaya

The story as to why I was not actively blogging lately....
It has been a week now since I have fired yaya Rose, Joaqui's nanny since he was almost 1 month. It was not easy, but the reason did not come from us. Yaya Rose was a relative of our family friend and we knew her way back. She now has two daughters, one in high school and one in college. When her husband was forced to retire early, she approached my mom and was applying to be a yaya since she was not doing anything and to have an income. We finally got her after having three nannies who either couldn't really perform well or was just really not competent enough to take care of a baby. Yaya Rose lives near from us so she comes in the morning and then goes home in the evening. She is really good in taking care of children, I even leaned a lot from her. She also does some household chores when Joaqui as asleep and helps my mom in some housework. We did not treat her as a yaya, we treated her as one of us. Sometimes when we go out and eat, I also buy something for her daughters. We give her a gift when it's her birthday. We also give her daughters Christmas presents. When my mother-in-law comes to visit, she would give Yaya Rose pasalubong also. I was also not strict with her time. At first she comes in at 8 a.m. and leaves at 7 p.m. Recently before the schoolyear begins, she asked if she could come in at 11 p.m. and go home at 9 p.m. I reluctantly agreed because I needed her at that time, but still she never heard any complaint from us.
I just realized now that the problem began when her husband went to Saudi to work. When she started to work for us, we knew she was an active officer for the PTA in a public highschool in our place. I knew that every May, she has to take a leave for a week to help in the school during enrolment, but this year she asked for two weeks of leave. I agreed that she would not be in for two weeks, but on the day that she was supposed to come for work, she said that she had personal problems, she was always dizzy, etc. and she could not come in until the next week. Eventhough I am a work-at-home mom, I still need someone to look after Joaqui so that I can do my work, especially now that Joaqui is so active. She is aware of my situation and I have asked her before to avoid being absent because if I could not work, I do not have an income. These episodes of not coming to work have become more and more frequent that almost every week, she has one or two days of absences. The reasons would be her daughter has fever (eh hello...college na kaya yun di ba...?!), or she has LBM, etc., etc. The one time that I really lost my patience was when she asked for an advance and then she did not come for three days (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)!!! She finally showed up only on Saturday and Sunday and then was absent again on Monday...arrrgghhhh! So I finally asked her...ako pa nag-ask...when she came in on Tuesday, she did not offer an apology or an explanation as to why she was absent on Monday. I asked her if she still wants to work for us, she just answered "ikaw ang bahala." I was waiting for more than that. I was waiting for her to say, "naku hindi naman, etc., etc..." So that was a signal for me that she does not want to work for us anymore. I asked her to stay for a month until we can get a replacement. She said she would give me until the end of July...o di ba sya pa nagbigay ng date. We had an agreement, which I thought we did. The following day she texted me saying her mother had an emergency and she could not wait until the end of July. Napamahal na daw yung bata sa kanya and ayaw daw nya maghiwalay kami ng ganitong paraan...duh?! We had an agreement until the end of July...she stil owed me money from her previous advances.
For a week, I was taking care of Joaqui and working at the same time. I do not know how I did it, but I did it. I was yaya-less but still working. What saddens me though is that hindi sya itinuring na iba. We treated her well. Everytime she has problems with money and she would come to me sometimes for a month's worth of salary as advance, she did not need to ask twice. I was thinking that because her husband is now working abroad that she does not need to work anymore...well I hope she is right. That's my kwentong yaya for now. She was a good yaya to Joaqui and I hope we could find someone as good as her.

Pinoy Parenting Blog Carnival 5

This is my entry for PBBC 5 hosted by Guardian Angel.

Topic: What would you like your children to be when they grow up, and why?

As parents, we all have dreams for our children - we want the best for them that this world can offer. Some of us may see our children as extension of our lives that we want them to be what we are and sometimes what we had hoped to become but did not.

I dream that Joaqui would be a musician. At such a young age, he loves to sing and dance. Whenever he hears someone singing, he would watch intently. When we hear mass, we would always sit by the choir because he likes to watch them sing. He now can sing alleluia, alleluia amen. When at the mall, he would stop and watch those people singing on the videoke and would imitate them. He is sensitive to the rhythm of the sounds that he hears, be it animal sounds, musical instruments or songs. I think he would make a great musician someday.


I also dream that Joaqui would become a chef. He is such a voracious eater and is fond of eating (like his parents). When he was learning to talk, one of the first words he said was "yum, yum." Since then, when he sees food he would say "yum, yum" and sometimes if he really likes what he is eating would add "charap." I would love to see Joaqui become a chef someday and he would be so cute in a chef's uniform ; )

I could dream a million things about my son and somehow wish that all of them would come true, but in the end, as a parent I would support whatever dream he wants to pursue. I dream that my children would lead good lives. I would want them to live a full life and reach for their dreams with act of kindness and love every step of the way.

something to ponder...why do you want to have children?

This question had been in my mind for quite some time and I really don't know why this came up, so I decided to post this question for my fellow n@wies (newlywedsatwork). I was overwhelmed by the many responses I got and the different insights into this question. Yes, there are women who naturally would want to have children and there are those who would plot out a game plan with regards to their family life, and that includes whether to have children or not, and when to have them. There was a question of being ready physically, emotionally, spiritually or financially, and there are those whose time has not come yet for them to bear their offsprings.
I wanted to have children even before I got married, but I was also afraid that I would not be the kind of parent that my family expects me to be and I also had fears of what kind of life can I give to my children. Jeff and I had plans to have children a year after our marriage, but our plans and my fears were conquered by a great need to nurture and love. When Joaqui was born, I was overwhelmed by the love that I have for my child that sometimes I could not believe the joy this kind of love brings.
Having children is a gift from God that we can accept or not - a choice that we have to make. If we accept this gift, it is our responsibility to nurture this gift not only to bring forth happiness for ourselves but also to God who gave it. It is a gift that is given in His time, and while some of us wanted to accept this gift, it is only God who knows when to give it to us. As I became a parent, I have learned to give the best of myself to a life not my own. I have experienced happiness in both the complexity and simplicity of being a mother. I have learned to give and make someone else's happiness and welfare my priority before my own.
It's never a simple question and for the hardships and sacrifices for having them, the heart has it's reasons that reasons know nothing of.

1.6 mark

Today marks Joaqui's 18th month birthday and we celebrated by eating at Mannang in Megamall after his gymplay class in Gymboree. So what's new with Joaqui? A lot! He is showing signs of near terrible two stage..hahaha. He knows now how to throw tantrums. He knows how to use his charm to get what he wants. His vocabulary is unbelievable. He can sing alleluia amen and do hip hip hooray! He knows where our chapel is and follows the word "pray" with "chapel." He surprises me sometimes of how bright he is and how should we be more careful of our language and actions because he can easily imitate us. He likes hotdog and he can say the word "at-dog" so clearly when he wants them, and he wants his at-dog with bread. He can sit still and watch Hi-5 DVDs for an hour before he goes back to being makulit again. Saying he likes Jollibee is an understatement...he adores Jollibee and can identify him even from a far. He knows that he is gwapo and Piolo is ugly...sorry for that Piolo, but I'm his mom, so I would definitely say that Joaqui is gwapo than you ; ) Happy 18th month birthday wookie!

moment of truth tag

This is a tag by Jacque : )

1. Sojourn. 2. Pinay Mom in Czech Republic. 3. See me for what you will. 4. Lainy's Musing 5. Our journey to forever 6. My paperless writings 7. As the world turns 8. My daily discourse 9. From this side 10. Our Family Adventure! 11. Shopaholic ties the knot 12. FunFierceFabulous 13. My precious 14. My wonderful life 15. Winged words 16. D'Cooking mudra 17. Married and happy about it 18. My one desire 19. We are family 20. Jengspeaks 21. You're next.

Are you deeply in love with your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend? If you do, let’s try how well you remember the moment of your life with him. But before you put yourself in the hot seat please read the rules of this tag first.
RULES:
1. This tag should be pass on to your friends.
2. Visit the blog of the person you’ve got this tag.
3. Leave a comment on her/his tag post. Be sure to thank her/him for this tag.
4. Highlight and link all the list of people who accepted this tag by visiting their blog site.
5. There are 10 questions that you need to answer but you will be the one to write the 10th question for the next person you want to pass this tag. Here are the questions. Be honest with your answers.
Lets Start:
1. How did you meet your husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend? Jeff and I were officemates in Makati. We became friends and then yun na.
2. Where did you go on your first date? I think at Mister Donut. Well, we used to go to Mister Donut during our breaks : )
3. When was your first intimate kiss? After ko sya sinagot. Sa house namin yun.
4. How many girlfriends/boyfriends he/she had in the past? Do you honestly know? Alam ko marami, pero hindi ko na inaalam ang mga details.
5. What is his/her ethnicity? Filipino.
6. What is his/her favorite food? Chicken curry and porkchop.
7. What is he/she like if he/she is mad? Stern yung facial expression.
8. What are the things he/she did you thought is the most romantic thing he’d/she’d ever done? He always brings me something kahit hindi ako nagpapabili. Like a cookie, chocolate or anything na alam nya na like ko.
9. Describe how he/you proposed to you. It was Christmas of 2004. We were going to hear mass and pagsakay ko ng car, tahimik lang sya. Tapos may pinaabot sya sakin sa may radio and then there was the ring.
10. What is he/she doing to calm you when you're mad? Tahimik lang muna. He will let me talk when I'm mad. Kapag tapos na ko and I'm not so mad anymore, maglalambing na sya.

I'm sharing this tag with Concon, Joanne, Joey and Happy. I hope you'll enjoy answering as much as I did ; )

Got a tag

This is a tag from Lissa, a fellow n@wie who I had recently met in person during the mommies night out.

Have you ever been gone on a blind date? No.
Skipped school? Yes. I was just in kinder when I first skipped a class. I thought the lesson was so boring that I went out and played instead. Hahahaha...
Been on a plane? Yes.
Been lost? Many times.
Swam in the ocean? Yes.
Cried yourself to sleep? Yes, when I was much, much younger and foolish.
Played cops and robbers? I don't think so.
Played dolls? Yes.
Recently colored with crayons? Yes. Joaqui is recently trying "dowding" (drawing).
Sang karaoke? Yes...I think no Filipino hasn't ; )
Paid for a meal with coins only? Yes but that was way, way too long ago.
Done something you said you wouldn't? Yes, a couple or more times.
Cheated on a test? Yes : 0
Made prank phone calls? Yes...hehehehe
Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose? Yes.
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? No.
Danced in the rain? Hmmm...I think not yet.
Written a letter to Santa Claus? No.
Watched the sunrise with someone you care about? Yes, but I like watching the sunsets more.
Been kissed under the mistletoe? No.
Gone ice skating? No.
Been skinny dipping outdoors? No..I'm not skinny enough to do so...hahahaha.
Favorite drink I'm allowed on a regular basis? Iced tea and soda
Tattoos? None.
Body piercing? None.
Vacation spot? I would love to go to Palawan.
Eaten cookies for dinner? Yes.
Ever been on TV? No.
Ever been in a car accident? Yes.
Favorite number and why? 12. I don't know, I just really like the number 12.
Favorite movie? Lots, but my all-time favorite is My Bestfriend's Wedding.
Favorite holiday? Christmas
Favorite smells? Joaqui and Jeff
What do you do to relax? Lie down and sleep or read a book.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Somewhere in Canada with my family, Joaqui would be 11 years old by then and hopefully he already has a baby sister : )

generation gap

Generations: The 3rd Pinoy Parenting Blog Carnival

When I was young, there were things that me and my parents did not agree about and promised to myself that when I have children of my own, I will do things differently. Now a parent myself, there are things that I realize my parents were right about and sometimes I even do not realize it, but I am raising my child the way my parents raised me.
One of the things that I would definitely follow is not to spank my child to discipline him. I was never ever spanked. My mom would talk to me, explain things to me but they never laid a hand on us. I do not believe that spanking would help to raise a more disciplined child. Now on Joaqui, even at his young age, I try to always explain the consequences of his wrong actions. Sometimes we would have our "kwentuhans" before bedtime, and through this "kwentuhans" with my son that I try to instill good values on him. Of course, being a good example is the best way to teach children. Another thing that I would follow, as my parents did, is to be open to my children. My parents always communicate with us, so that they know if something is bothering us. They also know who our friends are, who we go out with and takes the time to know us better as individuals. I like this about my parents, especially my mom, who until now I share my thoughts with.

I grew up with my mom working, so I was taken cared of by yayas. I admire my mom for being hardworking and trying to balance her work and family responsibilities, but I also wanted her to be at home, especially when I come back from school. Because of this, I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. This was difficult for me at first, but then I strived hard and made sacrifices to be always there for my family. Doing things differently, I made a choice to be a work-at-home mom.
Even though that there is a generation gap, there is still a lot that we can learn from our parents, and these are valuable lessons in life that made me the person and the parent I am now.

to an amazing dad

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an incident at Italianni's

Last Saturday we decided to watch the pyro olympics at SM Mall of Asia and made reservations at Italianni's restaurant. I made the reservation at about 5 p.m. and was accommodated by one of the staff. I specifically inquired a table along the bridgeway to have a good view of the fireworks display. She led me to the tables and asked me to choose which table I want. I signed my name in their record book, gave my contact number and the time of our reservation. Buti na lang before I left, I asked for her name. At about 7 p.m. we came back at Italianni's and at their reservation table, I was surprised na they could not find my name in their list. I had a feeling na somebody made a mistake. Dito medyo naiinis na ko...The lady from the frontdesk asked me the name of the staff to whom I made my reservation. Hindi pa naman kami makapasok sa area nun restaurant because the security guard was asking for a reservation ticket. We saw that the manager was talking to the person responsible for my reservation. It seems na mag-add na lang sila ng table for us. Kainis! They talked to me and explained na they made a mistake. At first syempre uminit na ulo ko. I said I want the table that I reserved. I explained na they should have told me that I cannot be accommodated so I could have reserved in another restaurant. At this point, mataas na tono ng boses ko because they were giving me a table right infront of a post na malayo dun sa table na originally pina reserve ko. They were apologizing and saying it was their mistake, etc., etc. The pyro olympics was about to start and hindi pa kami nagdidinner so I asked for a different table along the bridgeway. Buti na lang may extra table pa and we had no choice but to take that table. At buti na rin lang mabait pa ko because after ko mahimasmasan, nagsorry din naman ako dun sa girl kasi nasigaw-sigawan ko sya pero kasi naman nakakainit talaga ng ulo noh. We had it all planned and were anticipating a good view of the fireworks display tapos ganun pala mangyayari. Eh okay lang sana kung ka presyo lang ng Jollibee yung food nila...ang mahal kaya! In fairness, we were supposed to have a set menu but since they made a mistake, they did let us order ala carte and we can order what we want at a price of their set menu. They also gave us a free dessert which was a New York cheesecake worth 400 pesos. Hindi naman kami nagsamantala, but our order was a little expensive...hehehe. I even told them na last time, we had a reservation at Tagaytay Highlands and this did not happen to us. Well this was a not so pleasant experience with them. Next time, I will be having second thoughts on making reservations at Italianni's or better yet, I will always re-confirm my reservations in any restaurant to make sure na they don't forget.