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.

3rd world pyro olympics

The 3rd world pyro olympics concluded last May 31 with the fellowship of fire and the pyromusical exhibition by the team La Mancha from the Philippines, and this year's 3rd world pyro olympics winner is the team from Italy. We were not able to watch all teams, but we were able to see China and Germany on the first Saturday and the fellowship of fire and team La Mancha's exhibition on the final Saturday. The pyromusical show by the Philippines was spectacular. The sky on the Manila Bay area lit up with a wonderful display of colors dancing to the music.

I was glad that they scheduled this year's contest on all Saturdays of May, as this gave a chance for more people to watch all teams. We got a good view of the fireworks display from one of the veranda restaurants in SM Mall of Asia. We chose Tagaytay Highlands Steakhouse on the first Saturday where they charge 1,500/pax with their set menu specifically for the spectators of the pyro olympics. This included a soup, salad, main course and dessert. Drinks are not yet included. I do not think that this really had the best view of the fireworks, but the steak was delicious ; )

Last Saturday we watched the fireworks with Joaqui! It was his first time to watch fireworks display and even though it was really way past his bedtime, he really watched the show and was trying very hard to keep himself awake. This time we tried the view from Italianni's and for me it was much better than from Tagaytay Highlands, although my husband Jeff preferred otherwise. Their set menu was much cheaper at 1,000/pax with soup, salad, main course, dessert and a drink. We were not supposed to watch that Saturday, but at the last minute decided to and made reservations only that afternoon. I have been watching the pyro olympics since its first year and this year was a memorable one for us because we were able to watch it with Joaqui. Next year, if it will be held here in the Philippines, we are planning to watch it on a yacht cruise ; )

choosing the right school

This is my entry for the Pinoy Parenting Blog Carnival 2nd Edition hosted by the working mom.

When I was still younger, it was one of my plans that if ever I would have children, I would send them to the best schools for them to get the best education. Now in a more technologically advanced age and living in a competitive world, education now plays a very important role in the progress of an individual's mind and country. Personally I believe that learning is a lifelong process and education does not begin and end in school. A person's well-being is more than the intellect, and education should provide a holistic approach for balancing the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual growth.

In elementary and high school, I was in a non-exclusive Catholic school. It was a parochial school and most of the students live in Rizal area and thus, almost everybody knows everybody. It gave me a sense of communion with my community and it helped me grow in my Catholic faith.

Since Joaqui would be approaching the preschool stage, my search for a school opened my mind on the different teaching methods such as Montessori, Waldorf, Progressive, Multiple Intelligence, Community/Religious, etc. They all have their advantages and disadvantages and many schools offer one or two methods.

Starting early or not, I believe the readiness to start should also come from our children and this is where I think toddler schools help. It exposes children to the informal school setting and they learn to socialize and develop age-appropriate skills. Joaqui is now in a play school and he enjoys the activities and shows eagerness to learn. This is also a time for us to bond since the moms and dads are able to join in these activities.

As parents we have our best intentions for our children's education and as much as we give importance in choosing the right school, we should also give importance to the kind of learning environment we provide at home.

Onamae wa nan tu desu ka?

This was a tag by Joanne ; )

For the instructions, add your name on the list and simply spell out your name using the given Japanese letter- translations below. Tag six of your friends and inform them of the tag. Have fun.

TRANSLATION: A - ka ----- G - ji ----- M - rin -----S - ari----- Y - fu B - tu ----- H - ri -----N - to ------T - chi -----Z - zi C - mi----- I - ki -----O - mo -----U - doD - te----- J - zu -----P - no ------V - ru E - ku -----K - me ----Q - ke ------W - meiF - lu-----L - ta ------R - shi ------X - na

1. OSWALD - moarimeikatate (sounds like american and states har....har...har...)

2. JUNELLE - zudotokutataku (Thank God I’m a Filipino! sounds like sadako. nyay! hehehe)

3. JACQUELINE - zukamikedokutakitoku (Ayay!! Unsaman ni perti mang taasa..wa ko kasabot nyahahaha)

4. LIRA LUZ - takishika taduzi ( sounds like a title of an anime show) it's cute!

5. Gracey - Katakamikuari (oh my, i'm glad i'm not japanese. Nothing sounds like it!

6. Vannie - Rukatotokiku (huh? ruka sounds cute!) hehehe

7. Farah - Lukashikari (hahaha! it's cute!)

8. Patricia - Nokachishikimikika (ang haba naman! ) : )

9. Jade - Zukateku (parang ang asim)

10. Jade - Zukateku (parang ang asim)

11. Issa - kiariarika (parang ang pangit pakinggan, hahaha!)

12. Joanne - zumokatotoe (ang kulet ng name..parang sumo =P)

13. Jeng - zukutoji (I'm turning Japanese, I'm turning Japanese..I rather think so!)

Why don't you find out your Japanese name: Happy, Sujee, Pheng, Dada and Lizette

my hands are full

We are now in week two of having no yaya. Yaya Rose went on vacation for two weeks that is why my hands are full in juggling my work and taking care of Joaqui. I'm blessed that my mother-in-law is always here to help us. On the first week, she stayed in our house to help me take care of Joaqui, so that I can at least have some time to work. Although I am home based, I still need to produce lines or else "wala akong sweldo." Now on the second week, we are staying in Valenzuela with Jeff's family, again so that I can still continue to work. This is one of the disadvantages of me being a subcontractor, I do not have LOAs unlike a regular employee, and it is for this reason that I am always saving a part of my income in cases like this, but at least this is only temporary. I would still not trade my status as a work-at-home mom. ; )