@ 23 months

Zylan is now 23 months old and here's what he already does.

..says "wee-wee" when nature calls (even with his diaper on), sometimes able to hold it and then sit on his potty trainer.

..mimics the sound of some animals (dog, cat, cow, frog, bird, pig, duck, chicken, monkey)

..points his head, tummy, cheeks, nose, eyes, mouth, ears, t*n-t*n, and knees.

..talks a lot (but only he could understand).

..talk and laugh when talking with another person on the other line.

..mimics me when I say "No!" and Cesar Montano when he says "Singing bee" (his facial expression is amusing)

..sings (makes his own tune) with a magic sing and eyes on the lyrics (with feelings).

..wears a very big smile and even says "Yey!" everytime his favorite movies (Brainy Baby and Barney) start to play, and sobs when the end is near then make us play another one.

..when we sing "When You're Happy and You Know It", he (1)claps his hands, (2)stomps his feet, hands up for "hurray", and (3)do all three.

..he does the actions when we sing the "Itsy Bitsy Spider".

..gets his shoes and put them on (cries when he gets panicky whever we say "bye" and he isn't done yet).

..follow simple orders like "throw it", "give that", "kiss", "bless", "come", "return", "wipe face", "blow", "flying kiss", and more.

..holds the spoon to feed himself (more than half can be found on the floor).

..when go upstairs, he then (1) turns on the fan, (2) turns on the computer, moves the mouse and looks at us with a-please log in-face, (3) sits on the chair, (4) wait until the Baby Einstein's Mozart is played, (5) makes us open and play a computer game while his movie is being played.

..returns his toys to the designated area.

..recognizes numbers, colors, and letters.

..reads out loud (pero buot-buot ang show) when he sees letters/words.

..when he wakes up with only his Mama on the bed, he shouts "Daaaa".

..is affectionate (kisses and hugs and be cradled).

..cries everytime we leave for work but stops when he gets pieces of Stick-O.

..runs so fast that he sometimes stumble and fall to the ground.

..insists his wants and has tantrums (bites, spanks, screams) when he doesnt get them.

and so much more good and bad things..

Good luck Jurein and me. :)

Wish I May... Wish I Might..

I am a wanderer.
And most of the time, it characterizes my mind.
I want to do so many things in my life which I make them happen first in my daydreams.

- be a Chef (or at least enroll in short courses for culinary arts)
- be a Professional Photographer (or at least own a DSLR)
- be a Photoshop Artist (or at least learn the basics)
- be a traveler around the World (or least be in famous places our tourist spots in the Philippines)
- be a writer (at least I have this little cozy spot)
- be a Professional Ballroom Dancer (or at least do perform a Rumba)
- be a Singer (or at least have voice lessons to improve my voice quality)
- be a Painter (or at least enroll in an art class)
- be a Musician (or at least own a guitar)
- be a Craftsman (or at least learn Origami)
- be a Fluent English Speaker (or at least speak in English for one whole day)
- be able to try SCUBA Diving, Bunjee Jumping, Sky Diving, and other extreme sports/activities (I’ve already tried cliff diving once).
- be a Model (at least a photo model)
- be a Teacher (at least in pre-school)
- be in job or position which would really make use of my hard-earned PRC license as a Chemical Engineer.
- be able to bring my family and my extended family abroad (or at least somewhere in the Philippines where they’ve never been to)
- migrate to another country (or at least try to live there for a while)
- be able to eat every food I would crave and would really love to try.
- be awake early everyday
- be able to enroll Zyle to a good school (or at least coul make him a fluent English speaker at a young age)

These stuffs (and those left unsaid) will always be wished until they turn into reality some-lucky-day.

A Cake for Mais' 2xth Bday

I decorated a cake for the first time today.
The birthday celebrator requested me to bake a chocolate cake for her with a “happy birthday” written on it.
I’ve been mastering my chocolate cake but never have I tried to put decorations on it other than its frosting.
It was a pleasure to bake for her, but I was hesitant with the decoration part since I don’t know how to make an icing.
Nonetheless, how could I say NO if it would be my only gift for her knowing that she was the one who bought most of the ingredients?
So I asked my mom via SMS on how to make an icing, but her instructions was unclear.
I had no choice but to regard it as an experiment.
Since I only had a few hours to finish it, I only used candy decors.
And for added fun, I bought a magic candle ( A special candle which automatically relights after the flame is blown out. The flame will only be completely extinguished after the candle is put in water).
I was amused with my simple work and was very glad that Mais liked it.

She was very much amazed with the magic candle that she even kept it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAIS!

NINOY'S LETTER TO DAUGHTER BALLSY (1973)

This letter made my eyes misty.
Thanks to Febz for sharing this to me.

******************************************************************
******************************************************************
August 18, 1973
FortBonifacio
Makati, Rizal

Ms. Maria Elena C. Aquino
25 Times St. Quezon City

My dearest Ballsy,
I write you this letter with tears in
my eyes and as if steel fingers are crushing my heart because I wanted
so much to be with you as you celebrate your legal emancipation. Now
that you have come of age, my love, a voice tells me that I am no
longer young and suddenly, I feel old.
An old poet gave this advice very long ago “when you are sad, remember
the roses will bloom in December.” I want to send you bouquet of
roses, big red roses from my dreamland garden. Unfortunately for the
present, my roses are not in bloom, in fact they have dropped all
their petals and only the thorns are left to keep me company. I do
think it is fitting to send you a thicket of thorns on this memorable
day!
I am very proud of you because you have inherited all the best traits
of your mother. You are sensible, responsible, even-tempered and
sincere with the least pretenses and affection which vehemently detest
in a woman. I am sure like your mother, you will possess that rare
brand of silent courage and that combination of fidelity and fortitude
that will be the life vest of your man in the tragic moments of his
life.
During my lonely hours of solitary
confinement in FortMagsaysay, Laur, Nueva Ecija last March and April
with nothing else to do but pray and daydream, with only my fond
memories to keep me company, I planned a weekend barrio fiesta for you
in Tarlac for your 18th birthday. I fooled myself into believing that
my ordeal would end with the fiscal year. I planned to invite all your
classmates and friends and their families for the weekends.
The schedule called for an early
departure by bus from Manila and the first stop will be Concepcion,
where lunch will be served by the pool. And after lunch, you were to
visit the SantaRitaElementary School to distribute cookies and ice
cream to the children of that public school where you were first
enrolled.
I guess sheer nostalgia prompted me to include Santa Rita. We were
only three then: Mommie, you and I. Those were the days of happy
memories little responsibilities, tremendous freedom, a great future
ahead and capped by a fulfillment of love.. You are the first fruit of
our union, the first proof of our love and the first seal of our
affections.
From Concepcion we were to proceed to
Luisita for the barrio fiesta. I intended to invite a friend who could
roast an entire cow succulently. Swimming, pelota, dancing and eating
would have been the order of the day.
Sunday morning was reserved for a trip around the Hacienda and the
mill and maybe golf for some of the parents and later a picnic-lunch
on Uncle Tony’s Island. Return to Manila after lunch. I am afraid this
will have to remain as one of the many dreams I had in Laur.
Our future has suddenly become
uncertain and our fate unknown. I am even now beginning to doubt
whether I’ll ever be able to return to you and the family. Hence, I
would like to ask you these special favors.
Love your mother, whose love for you,
you will never be able to match. She is not the greatest mother in the
world, she is your sincerest friend.
Take care of your younger sisters and
brother and lavish them with the love and care I would like to
continue giving them but am unable to do so.
Help Noy-noy along and pray hard that
he will grow to be a real, responsible man who in later years will
protect you all.
You are the model for your three
younger sisters. Your responsibility is therefore great.
Please endeavor to live up to our highest expectations. Be more
tolerant to Pinky, more accessible to Viel, our little
genius-princess, and more charitable to Krissy, our baby doll, and
make up for my neglect.
Finally, forgive me, my love, for not
having been an ideal, good and thoughtful father to you all as I
pursued public office. I had hopes and high resolve of making up, but
I am afraid my destiny will not oblige.
I seal this letter with a drop of tear and a prayer in my heart, that
somehow, somewhere we shall meet again and I will finally be able to
make up for all my lapses, in the kingdom where justice reigns supreme
and love is eternal.

I love you,
Dad

The Little Door Man

Last night, Jurein and I arrived home from work at about 11:30 PM.
When I opened the gate to let Jurein (on a motorcycle) get in, I heard the doorknob clicked and slowly opened.
My aunt might still be awake, I thought.
It was so dark that we could hardly see.
After our eyes had adjusted to the darkness, we were very surprised to see our son by the door.
And when we entered to see who else was awake, we saw my aunt and uncle sound asleep.
Maybe he was awakened by our noise, or maybe he really was still awake.
Goodness!
The last time we knew, he could lock the knob.
We didn’t know he could already turn the knob and open the door successfully.
Good thing, though, is that we had placed a wooden barrier by the door when he was still learning to walk so that he couldn’t get out.
What we worry now is that he is getting taller and he’ll very soon be able to climb over it one day with nobody around to notice.
Oh, how time flies so fast!

Lear's Lavatory

When I’m at work, there’s never a day that I’d miss going to the lavatory with ten cubicles.
I haven’t heard of an employee who works for 9.6 hours without using it.
If there’s someone out there, you should be in the Guinness Book of World Records.

What amazes me is the unexplainable situation wherein I am always led to the cubicle that I’ve first used on that day.
The only exemptions would be if someone’s using it or there’s no supply of tissue.
I don’t know but my feet just drag me to that specific cube.

Is there something weird going on with me?
Or am I just used to utilizing only one at home?

Zyle plays Letter Sorter at 1 yr. 8 mos.

We shopped for another toy in Toy Kingdom two weeks ago to stimulate Zyle’s mental ability.
A wooden board with molded numbers from 1-10 and another with molded letters from A-Z caught our interest.
I don’t know what they are so I named them the Number Sorter and the Letter Sorter as they’re like the Shape Sorter.
The difference is that the letters or numbers are to be fit on a board.
The Number Sorter was half the price of the Letter Sorter (P300+).
Inasmuch as we wanted to buy both, we needed to choose only one due to budget constraint; hence, we picked the Letter Sorter as it was obviously more challenging.
Plus, it will also have further uses after the sorting course.

The letters were colored red, green, blue, and yellow. Colored paper were used on the letters.
Unfortunately, there were no colors on the molds of the board so I painted them (days after we bought it) according to the color of the letters to aid in his learning process.
I apologize for underestimating Zyle’s brain power because I thought it would take weeks for him to perfect it when in fact it only took him less than a week.

A brainy baby he really is, but not so gifted with verbal skills, though.


The letters have started to lose their color because Zyle not only loves to play with it but also loves to munch on them, too.

And the Mice Came Out To Play

-July 31, 2009-

Smart baby plays Shape Sorter

One of Zy’s favorite toys is the shape sorter given by his godfather, Carlo Cortes on his 1st birthday.
It has 12 different shapes and 4 colors. Each color has 3 different shapes.
When we showed him how to play with it, he liked the idea of the objects falling into the hole.
Since then, he’s been playing with it almost every day.
Most of the time, he puts anything (the shapes, toys, feeding bottle, foods, etc.) either through the shape holes or through the big hole (where his hand and other bigger items could get through).
Sometimes, he luckily fits the shapes into their respective holes, other times seeks our help.

Just last week, we have noticed that he already turns the toy (looks like he’s looking for the correct holes), and then tries to fit the shapes into the holes.
He has little patience, though, once the shape doesn’t get through right away because of either bad positioning or mismatching.

And so I taught him by saying these:
“Yellow (points to the shape) to red (points to the hole)? No!”, then turns to the next side.
“Yellow (points to the shape) to green (points to the hole)? No!”, then turns to the next side.
“Yellow (points to the shape) to blue (points to the hole)? No!”, then turns to the next side.
“Yellow (points to the shape) to yellow (points to the hole)? Yes!”, and then drops the shape into the hole.
“Very good Zyle! High Five!”, and then we all merrily clap our hands.

With just a few repeats, intelligent Zyle then got the technique.
After a day or two, we saw him putting the shapes into the correct holes (but still impatient when it doesn’t instantly get through because of bad positioning).
We are very proud of him as he is to himself.

Way to go zyle!

*************************************************************************************

By the way, I’ve searched the net on the advantages of playing such toy.
And here’s what I’ve found.

Shape Sorter Toys

These are amongst the favorite toys of toddlers, providing them with lots of challenge as well as fun.
These toys are quite simple in their making.
They have holes of different shapes, along with pieces that fit correctly into their respective holes.
All the kids have to do is to categorize these pieces according to their shapes and fit them into their respective holes.

The advantages have been listed below.

*Shape sorter toys help the kids learn the difference between different shapes. You can further make the kids learn the name of the shapes as well, such as round, oval, square, etc.
*Kids make use of their problem-solving skills in sorting out the shapes and thus develop them further.
*The pieces and holes of the shape sorter toys may be in different colors, thus helping the kids learn the colors and their names too
*Shape sorter toys teach the kids the concept of cause and effect, i.e., putting a piece in its right hole will have the effect of making it fit.
*The toys teach the kids about object permanence i.e. a piece that falls in a hole is not lost, but is there below the board.
*The animal shape sorter toy provides multiple levels of learning and stimulation and entertains baby for hours.

When I Grow Up I Wanna Be A Singer

Here's another Zyle moments...



Whenever he sees the Magic Sing, he would always ask us to set it up.
He then happily sings--makes his own notes and lyrics.
He tries to read the lyrics on tv and browse on the song book, too.


I wish he will have a voice of good quality when he grows up. :)








-pictures were taken on May 15, 2009-

Zyzy bah!

Zyle Nolan will turn one year and 8months this July 17th.

He still speaks very few words - Mama, Mommy, Dada, Daddy, Nanay, Tita, Tito, MaYang, Yeehah, Three (twee), Green (gween), Baby .

He's very uncooperative when teach him some more words.

Last week, we played peek-a-boo while Zyle was covering himself with the basket.

When I asked him "kinsa man ka bah?", I was amazed to hear him say "Zyzy bah!"

Before, he pronounced his name as"Dayday".

The next day, he had playmates in the house.

Jurein asked each of their names. "Daisy", said the girl. "Kenneth", said the boy.

He aslo asked Zyle "ikaw kinsa mn ka?".

"Zyzy", our baby boy replied .

Another time, he was noisily pulling his MaYang and asking her to help her open the fridge--it's where he does his shopping.

MaYang said "Samoka oi".

Zyle said "Saba Zyzy?" and walked away.

His new learnings always make us smile.

We are all very proud of him in every way.

Good job Zyle.

Subtitle Off

waaaahhh..
ebargs njd ka okadsh omang ngatushkis everloo!
nag astilshk si oks aninags jud.. as in superduperooooo...
idj na halos mapahilshk gd..nanovatchan njd c oks sa ka nagadj..
ay pagkadaval bah tawn oist!!!
asnuon nangal okang d90.. waaahhh..
arum idj jud oksh ka hello ani! waaaahhhh...
sa anuhanuh nangalsh guro oks mkapakih.. huhhu..
magdogushk nangal c oks kali8ch nors...

ang onalfs kay magdipitch sa namertch jd..
idj nangal mi mo noking sa namerch..
ebarg njd ka dyeta ang asluvsh ani..
idj tifafsh bsag asnu kung idj juhnanglans..
aw gaalings na.. huhu..
olutch sa namatch lang sa yabsh para idj or yamagsh nangal otsags sa feesow..
ebargs kaha ka atsils njd c oks sa mga pangtilafonsh, s sa mga dayavononsh..
gitahuvan jd kha atsilanansh ni oks oi para maatiksh jd kng a.s.a ang daditch..

hay! oyaams ta nga mkdadetch ims sa namertch..
julegs sa namertch ug bsag ashnu bah.. mga nokings..
hmmmm... paagaverns na ins sa ngoo oist..

aw raba jd tawn mkngavatch nials kundi imaksimaks ar ni anaveveh.. waaaahhhh...

so, good luck to us..

Sleepless Nights with Go Jun Pyo

When the Asian tele-series started coming out on Philippine television, I became one of the big fans.
Last week, I bought a DVD (in Korean but with English subtitle) on Boys Over Flowers--would have been great if it was already dubbed in Tagalog--which is currently being aired on Philippine television.

It’s a version of the famous Meteor Garden (Taiwanese version) which I wasn’t able to see because it was aired during our review and we didn’t have a TV in the dorm.

For the last three working days, I had been sleeping at 4 a.m. due to my very slight (?) addiction to the movie.
Since I watched in the wee hours when everyone else is sleeping, I do the giggling, grumbling, and crying without anyone to mind.
I love viewing it because I get to feel falling in love again.
Aside from that, Jun Pyo’s smile is truly breathtaking.

I am now looking forward to the THE END tonight-- another sleepless night.

Summer High - ASMS Batch '99

Karen Maestrado informed me last year through YM that a 10th Year Grand Reunion for ASMS Batch 1999 will be held on May of 2009.
I was very pleased with the invitation.



I graduated high school in 1998 but they were my batch mates in grade school.
Since I got accelerated--there was a 7th grade back then and I was very lucky to be one of those who skipped it—I must admit that I had somewhat lost my bond to the group.
Although I still know most of them, I was afraid to feel out-of-place because I haven’t been with their group for the past 14 or 15 years already.
I had thought of bringing along my family, but the registration fee was very costly (P500 for the participant, P600 for the guest), and I might end up just attending to them instead—not to mention that Zyle’s a hyper.

Karen had been pushing me to attend every time we meet in the net.
My indecision had gone until a day before the said event.
I only got my mind fixed when Mais confirmed that she’d go with me in one condition-- that
I'd shoulder P100 of the registration fee.



There were more or less 60 participants.
A few of us weren’t with the batch in high school--some were transferred to another school, two were also accelerated.
Mais and I hopped from one group to another and had our pictures taken with almost everyone.
A bar pin was given as a token, unfortunately, I lost it 2 weeks after.
There were also simple games—I won a BBW cologne in one game, although the answers were only coached by the girls near me.
Two fire dancers added to the excitement.
Also, there was a red carpet where each one of us had our pictures taken--courtesy of the photographers, Marlon and his friends.

Even a bit of regret didn't come to me when I chose to be present because it was super fun and way too different with our ASMS ’98 reunion.

Indeed, I felt high during the Summer High!

2009 Goals Update

Previous set of goals plus updates:

*discover Puerto Princesa, Palawan
-The trip was unfortunately cancelled and will be rescheduled indefinitely. :(

*go to the gym for at least a month

-Done! I enrolled in Dance Aerobics at JAM Gym last April 30 - May 30. Though I was only present for an average of thrice a week, I still lost 5 lbs. A cup of rice a day--except on the days with "pakals"--surely helped.

*cook for my family for at least once a week
-Well done! I'm even into baking (if weekends are spent at home).

*read one book per month
-I'm reading more. I've read Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, Midnight Sun (draft), Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Tuesdays with Morrie, and two Precious Romances books.

*write about anything
-I'm obviously consuming megabytes here in blogspot.

*eat healthy, include veggies in meals
-hmmmmm.. ???? I sometimes do. If healthy foods are available on the table/canteen. :)

*zero balance in all credit cards
-I still have a 5-digit balance with one of my cards--wish my Tita could pay really soon.

*review on Grammar and Syntax
- Occassionally, but not with the theories!

*learn to drive a motorcycle
-This is dumped. Hubby won't let me drive anyways--knowing my recklessness!

*save at least 10,000 pesos at the end of the year
-I'll count it on December!

*fullfill what all the little notes say
-I've decided that I'm not doing all of them--most are to buy Goldilocks products!

New set of goals:

*learn the basics of photography
*own a DSLR
*learn more on photoshop: make a photoshopped work at least once a month
*speak English for at least one whole day
*follow through on my naughty bro's school attendance/performance with CIT-CAS at least once a month.

My Sunshine

may 23, 2009

Upper Patao, Bantayan Is.

So Frantic to Get to the Sea

may 24, 2009

Sugar Beach, Bantayan Island

Summer in Bantayan Island

Bantayan Island, my mom’s birthplace, is where we often spend our summer vacation since I was born—I think.
I love the place for lots of reasons—the beach, fresh sea foods, friends, special friends, relatives, being away from home, and having new experiences.

I have made a special bond with a few guys and gals of my age--Cherry Villaceran, Elizabeth (Inday Palak) Relos, Niña Sarabia, Hazel Descartin (from Cadiz), Angie Descartin (from Iloilo), Big Boy Descartin(from Iloilo), Ramil Villaceran, Michael Alota, Ryan Despi.
I spend most of my summer days with them--chitchat, disco, games, swimming, boating, etc.
I remember one summer when I was strongly tied to two of my cousins that we even made and named our small group as BeZelBoy--a combination of my name (Bebe), my first cousin (Hazel), and my second cousin (Big Boy).
One more summer, I was hooked to another group—forgot the group’s name, though, but I remember that it was still a combination of our names--with Cherry, Inday, and Niña.

The first two boy friends I had were from this island.
Michael was the first one—Cherry was our “bridge”.
I think I was still 13.
Once, he climbed a Caimito tree just to give me a fruit—so sweet of him--which I didn’t eat as it was already overripe.
After a week or two, I broke up with him because I was told that his mother’s family name was Descartin—just like my Mom’s.
Ramil, a 3rd degree cousin, was the second one—Inday was our “bridge”.
I was in my sweet 16.
We dated in semi-darkness—only a lamp was lit-- at the place of Inday’s grandma and had look-outs for intruders.
When that summer vacation was over, we wrote each other for several months but broke up because I was stupidly eyeing someone else.
Despite the past I had with these boys, we remained friends.

Last month, we again spent our holy week vacation there.
Inday, Hazel, and I had a slumber party at Cherry’s mansion—sad thing, I didn’t have my digicam with me!
Cherry told me then that Ramil is getting married on May 23, and she was inviting me.
Jurein was very cool with the idea of attending but I was not sure of if I could come.
I informed Niña about the wedding but also said she's undecided.

Cherry had been convincing me to come.
Since I had the enough fund, Jurein, Zyle, and I were able to attend.
I was glad that Niña came, too--it has been almost 5 years since we last saw each other in Labangon.
When I saw Ramil—with bigger built and better-looking than the last time I saw him in 2003—finally married to this girl named Grace, I was happy for him.

For the coming summers, I look forward to another out-of-the-ordinary reunion.
I hope I could take as many pictures as I can.

w/ Cherry

w/my family

Ramil, the Groom

w/ Manang Neneng, Niña, Tin, Vem

The Shades of Three Generations

may 24, 2009

San Juan, Patao, Bantayan Is.

Fear Factor - Toddler Edition

-May 15, 2008-

A Taste of an Exotic Food

Have you ever eaten a frog (Betute Tugak)?

I ate 3 little ones yesterday.
My hubby caught them in the rice field, cut out the heads and ripped their skins, and cooked them for me.
I gave a pinch to Zyle. :)
The meat tasted like of the chickens.
It was actually delicious.

We were still dating when he first told me that he had eaten frogs several times already.
I was very curious of the taste so he swore to let me try.
Obviously, it took him years to fulfill this little promise.

I have also eaten a monitor lizard, his pet, and it was also yummy.
Now I’m thinking if I can tolerate a Tamilok, a woodoworm, or a Kamaro, a mole cricket. :)

A Bald Hair Day

Zyle Nolan is bald again after growing his curly hair for six months.
It was on his first birthday when his twisted hair was first ripped off.
As what Zyle’s fans often say, the curls make him look like a girl.
The baldness brings out the manly look of this handsome little man.

Goodbye Mushu

“huhu namatay c mushu...nligsan daw..waaaaa :(“
My eyes almost popped out when I read this shout out from my sister’s YM.

Mushu was a cross breed of Shit Zhu (Fruity) and Lhasa Apso (Bebe).
He was born on Decebmer 7, 2006.
We named him after the dragon in the movie “Mulan”.
He became my little furry baby after I got married.
Sometimes we call him “Yakmu” because he was an undershot.
He was a peaceful dog because he hardly ever barked.
He was also very playful and even had a favorite toy bear.
I remember how happy and excited he gets when we play “go fetch the bear”. (The thought of it made my tears unstoppable for nearly 10 minutes.)
We taught him some tricks but he forgot when we stopped checking his mastery.
We brought him along with us wherever we went-- from Mactan Island to as far as Bantayan Island.
Sad thing though, when Zyle came out, we left him to my Mom’s care because we couldn’t risk our son’s health.
Then, sometime last year, my sibling’s friend borrowed Mushu for breeding with their Pekingese named Daphne.
It took some time for Daphne to get pregnant, and had a miscarriage when she did.
Early this year, we asked her friend to return him to our care.
But since Daphne’s pregnancy was still unsuccessful, he pleaded for an extension.
The next thing we heard is that Mushu died because a car ran over him when he escaped from their house.
I’m really disappointed with the bad news, but I can’t do anything with it anymore.
I don’t know where his body was buried.
If he had died in our house, we would have buried him in our backyard together with our deceased dogs.
One thing for sure, though, is that Mushu is now in dog’s heaven and he will always be in our hearts.

Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle

I adore this song—always make my heart cry whenever it's being played.
It’s the father-daughter relationship that I wish I have.
I am optimistic, though, that Daddy Jurein and my child/children could realize this dream.

*****
There's two things I know for sure
She was sent here from heaven, and she's Daddy's little girl.
As I drop to my knees by her bed at night
She talks to Jesus and I close my eyes
And I thank God for all of the joy in my life, oh but most of all...

For butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer
Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair
Walk beside the pony Daddy, it's my first ride
I know the cake looks funny Daddy, but I sure tried
Oh with all that I've done wrong, I must of done something right
To deserve a hug every morning, and butterfly kisses at night.

Sweet sixteen today
She's looking like her Mama, a little more everyday.
One part woman, the other part girl
To perfume and makeup, from ribbons and curls.
Trying her wings out in a great big world, but I remember...

Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer
Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair.
You know how much I love you Daddy, but if you don't mind
I'm only gonna kiss you on the cheek this time.
With all that I've done wrong, I must of done something right
To deserve her love every morning, and butterfly kisses at night.

All the precious time, oh, like the wind the years go by.
Precious butterfly, spread your wings and fly.

She'll change her name today, she'll make a promise, and I'll give her away.
Standing in the bridegroom just staring at her
She asks me what I'm thinking, and I said I'm not sure.
I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl, and she leaned over...

Gave me butterfly kisses with her Mama there
Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair.
Walk me down the aisle Daddy, it's just about time.
Does my wedding gown look pretty Daddy?
Daddy, don't cry.
Oh, with all that I've done wrong, I must of done something right.

To deserve her love every morning, and butterfly kisses,
I couldn't ask God for more, than this is what love is.
I know I gotta let her go, but I'll always remember...
Every hug in the morning, and butterfly kisses.

*****

The Toddler's Job

No Missing Piece- New Year's Special

It was January of 2004 when my parents decided to tear and trash their marriage contract.
And after my sister got married on May of 2004, we didn’t have the chance to be reunited because she moved to Tupi, South Cotabato while my father went back to UAE.
The next complete headcount happened when I tied the knot last December of 2006.
I had guessed that the next get together would again be in a wedding ceremony of a sibling.

I was wrong.

The new year of 2009 was an unexpected reunion.
My father, from Dubai, and my sister, from Tupi, came home.
And we were all very glad to see everyone around.

Yet, it’s still not a happy ending, but we're positively looking forward to it.

MY FAMILY

L-R: Rosalie, Rosalio, Raquel, Ross Jann Loyd, Rina Rose, Lydia, Rochelle

youngest-eldest

also around were ate's hubby (Jun Tamayo), my hubby (Joey Tacoloy), my son (Zyle Nolan Tacoloy), our cousins (Maecell Ann Zafra and Hernan Descartin)

Oust Yaya Rose!

We were expecting Yaya Rose, our 16-year old house keeper and baby sitter, to arrive early last Monday since she promised to leave Campo 7, her hometown, by 7 A.M.
At past 8 A.M., I received an SMS from her informing me that she was already in Tabunok when she suddenly felt dizzy. I adviced her to take an anti-vertigo drug and drink plenty of water.
A few minutes later, she told me that her brother took her home because she was really not feeling well and could not work.

We were lucky and very happy that my mother had no other commitments for the day.
Thus, she was able to come to Aldea and baby sit.

The next day, we expected Yaya Rose to come for work because we think that vertigo is not that bad.
To our dismay, we received an SMS from her brother telling us that Yaya Rose is having a fever and will not be back for work until Sunday.

What? A week off?
My mom has other commitments!
What are we going to do with Zyle?
Is she oblivious that her employers are still employed?
How come she knows that she’ll only be physically fit on Sunday?

Tsk tsk tsk!
This is a bad joke!

We tried to negotiate with Yaya Rose but the next intriguing news pissed us both.
Her brother took her cellphone with him and will not be seeing Yaya Rose until Saturday.
This means that our message will not be conveyed to her not until Saturday!

We firmly believe that the sickness is just an alibi.
This already happened to us before.

And now, this left us with no other choice but to agree with my Mom’s suggestion—to bring Zyle with her to Lutopan, my hometown.

Oust Yaya Rose!

But who shall take her place?

Self-pity

When I give a moment to pity for myself, I think of the past, the present, and the future.
And frustrations at work never get left behind.
These pains me-- to know that there are some who cannot separate work from personal life, and some who take sides but haven’t even tried to look at the other side of the coin.

The Seven Habits-- where are these now?

I sigh.
I cry.
And I sigh again.

I have no control over their thoughts.
That’s what life is.

But, I have a choice not to be affected.

I embrace the feeling to make it as strength.
And then I choose to be happy.

I am happy again.

My Spice

My sunny and rainy days
Have been more fun in different ways
With you as a comic husband
My life will never be bland.

To My Only Valentine

For this season of hearts, I only have this song for you.
I love you from the bottom of my beating heart.

"Weak"
by SWV

I don't know what it is that you've done to me...
but it's caused me to act in such a crazy way.
Whatever it is that you do when you do what you're doing...
it's a feeling that I want to stay.

'Cause my heart starts beating triple time,
with thoughts of loving you on my mind.
I can't figure out just what to do,
when the cause and cure is you.

I get so weak in the knees I can hardly speak.
I lose all control and something takes over me.
In a daze, your love's so amazing, it's not a phase.
I want you to stay with me, by my side.
I swallow my pride, your love is so sweet.
It knocks me right off of my feet.
I can't explain why your loving makes me weak.

It's Time after time after time I've tried to fight it.
But your love is strong it keeps on holding on.
Resistance is down when you're around, starts fading.
In my condition I don't want to be alone.

I try hard to fight it.
No way can I deny it.
Your love's so sweet.
It knocks me off my feet.

I get so weak...
Blood starts racing through my veinsI get so weak...
Boy it's something I can't explain.
I get so weak...
Something 'bout the way you dothe things you do ooh ooh, it...
knocks me right off of my feet,off of my feet.
Can't explain why your loving makes me weak.

2009 Planner

I got a free 2009 planner from Goldilocks when I bought the December Issue of Yummy Magazine. When I took a quick scan of the planner, I was inspired with the little notes it contains. It’s like a continuation of our PAPE. I really love it because I get to revive my learning on “The Seven Habits”.

Here are some of the notes for January:
January 1 – Start the year with a prayer of thanks. Make a gratitude list.
January13 – Reach out to the friend you miss the most. Give him a call today.
January 16 – When you wake up, say out loud, “Today will be a happy day!”
January 22 – Have some talk therapy! Spend at least 30 minutes conversing with a loved one today.

I have done all these things and I felt good. Some were not done exactly on the said dates, though.

There’s also a page for 2009 Wish List.
Here’s my Wish/Goal List (still to be updated).

-discover Puerto Princesa, Palawan
-go to the gym for at least a month
-cook for my family for at least once a week
-read one book per month
-write about anything
-eat healthy, include veggies in meals
-zero balance in all credit cards
-review on Grammar and Syntax
-learn to drive a motorcycle
-save at least 10,000 pesos at the end of the year
-fullfill what all the little notes say

A million thanks to Goldilocks and Yummy. It makes me think I am a good person because I know I can make others happy in just these simple ways. J

..and I read again..

Twilight is a must-see movie but watching it in a movie theatre is too pricey for me. I think it has been 2 years since I grabbed money from my pocket to watch a good movie in a movie house. I only watched when it was for free. Hence, I only settled myself to watch it on a small screen. Yet, I need to see it again since I wasn’t able to see Edward's skin which “shines like diamonds” when he steps into the sun. Thanks to the unclear dvd-copy from the Moro’s store.

Last January 5, Mais sent me e-books of Twilight Saga--Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn. I must admit that reading is not my craze. I wasn’t even sure then that I could read them. If I remember it right, the last book that I read was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and mind you, it was 5 years ago. It’s a frustration that I haven’t even read the whole set. Maybe it’ll be soon. And guess what? In my lifetime, I think I have only read less than 10 books. I pity myself!

I remember when I was still in high school. My big sis was a book worm (I don’t know if she is until now) and I am her exact opposite. I envy her every time she gets to finish a book while I don’t even get myself to start a page. It’s not really my thing. But one time, she was able convinced me to read Sidney Sheldon’s Morning, Noon & Night—the first book I ever read. (Not until yesterday that I learned that the writer wasn’t a girl after I checked the net for the correct spelling of the writer’s name—I just felt so stupid!) After I finished reading, it was only then that I realized that it was already night and that I have skipped lunch. My mind surely got entirely lost in the story. It was no doubt a good one. Thanks to sis for the successful persuasion.

When I was in ELREW class (the English course I took early this year), I was inspired by Lora again. She is one of the best English speakers I've known. She was also the trainer for PAPE (Personal and Professional Excellence) that our department, IMDS, went through last July 2008 wherein I learned “The Seven Habits” but have not yet totally lived with it. The training has helped me see the two sides of a coin. This time, Lora was talking about the English skill we already have. We only lack the “one-two-punch” to get it going. She told us that the only way to enhance our skill was to read, read, and read. And this made me decide to read the Twilight Saga.

Sorry to say, Twilight Saga made be useless at home for the past 3 weeks. I was addicted that made my heart, my mind, and my soul got lost in the story. I guess it’s my weakness when I read a book. It really got into my system that even in my dreams Edward was one of the casts. It was a good thing that I have seen the movie first because I could picture out their faces—most especially Edward Cullen’s! (hahaha.. obsessed na!) I truly bow down to Stephenie Meyer and all the writers for having such creative minds--wild imaginations. They get to make a brilliant connection from one thing to the next. Just marvelous! Well, it’s really a talent.

Now, I miss reading Twilight . I miss Edward.

Refresher on Effective Letter Report and Email Writing at Lear-PETC

On the first day of work of 2009, I received an e-mail from Kuya Jerms, our training coordinator, informing me (on blind copy) that I was one of the Top (16) passers of the English Diagnostic Exam held last year for PETC employees. Because of this, we underwent a refresher on Effective Letter Report and Email Writing, and skipped the refresher on English Grammar and Business Conversation (latest news is that we will still have to go through this course). We were in addition to the other 11 trainees who have already taken the two refresher courses. Thinking back on the exam, I was really not confident of my answers. I could hardly believe the good news. As you may have noticed, I am not even a good writer—I am a lousy one! (Though Lora says I am--she’s actually the only one who believes in me.) I even asked jokingly the Helpmann staff if there might be a mistake—because of the two TACOLOYs in PETC-IMDS—but they assured me that there’s none. Hmmm… I guess I must be a lucky one! Nevertheless, I am very happy and proud of myself for this little achievement.

The refresher course took 16 hours. Four hours a day (1-5pm) for 4 days (Jan. 8,9,15,16). This included pencil-pushing and brain-squeezing individual and group activities. (bisan letter writing ragud.. wa nalang jud naanad ug gamit sa utok!) Each activity was graded. There was also vocabulary games wherein the members of the winning group gained 15 points that were added to individual scores. I was very happy that our group won the last game. It helped me pass. (142/200=71%, passing is 70%) However, there are still more graded follow-up activities to come. I hope I could have passing or even better scores.

I am deeply thankful to Lear for having included me in this training and to Helpmann for the knowledge they have imparted. I surely have learned a lot and it inspired me in some ways. This was but a good thing to start the New Year. Although, I still wish I could still go through Business Conversation course because I am no good at speaking—especially in English.

Rayna Rina’s classmates:

Tough Troy, Generous Gina, Conscious Consolacion, Cool Clyde, Intelligent Ivy, Kinakusgang Karol, Cheerful Cherry
Thoughtful Tita, Lively Lira,Vicious Vincent, Jolly JM, Jumping Jocoy, Trustworthy Toni, Insik Irene, Magnificent Macoy
Curly Cheche, Cute Cheyenne, Courageous Christian, Lovable Lorna, Good Giehraen, Mysterious Mike, Kalimtanon Karl
Industrious Isabel, Dreamy Dante, Kind Karl, Kolokoy Kuya Jerms

(Before the start of the training, we were asked to describe ourselves using an adjective that starts with the first letter of our names. )

Cebu-Manila-Cebu: the Petals-Tacs on Tour

Last October 1, 2008, PETC-IMDS floor had a little hullabaloo when I arrived at 1:00 pm. I looked around and saw gleaming faces chatting in groups. My curiosity was killing me, so I asked what has happened. They told me that Cebu Pacific was offering a promo fare for domestic flights with a-P200-less per flight for those who will check in without baggage. Yes, it was so tempting that 21 of my officemates immediately bought e- tickets (Nov.28-Cebu-Clark, Dec.1-Manila-Cebu) –thanks to the existence of credit cards. I was thinking that maybe my hubby and I could go with them. On second thought, I wanted us to go to another place. Besides, we had been to Baguio last Nov. 2003 together when I passed the board exam, so I wanted us to be in another place. My plan was to celebrate Dec. 9th which is our 2nd anniversary away from Cebu to make it a memorable one. Enchanted Kingdom then came into my mind. I have long dreamed of being on those famous rides—space shuttle, anchors away. Hence, I informed my Lalang of my plan plus the side trips to Batangas and Tagaytay. Thank God he agreed. On Oct. 2nd, I bought 3 roundtrip e-tickets (Dec.6-Cebu-Manila, Dec.10-Manila-Cebu) for me, Jurein, and Zyle. I anticipated that our 13th month pay will be released on Dec. 5th, so our trip should be more than okay. I informed the Tinkerbells of our plan. They wanted to go with us, for this reason, I purchased tickets for them, too. I was then imagining the trip to be extra fun.

However, weeks before the actual flight to Manila, Pepper and his guy backed out because of the “baby-in-tummy” news. Mais also wasn’t able to go with us because of her boyfriend –although she said it’s because of her sister’s birthday –whatever! I still was happy because the 13th month pay was given on Dec. 4th and my family’s health was of no hindrance to the planned tour. With or without them, we are good to go.

On Dec.6th, we arrived in Manila at 8:25am. We should have gone directly to my Maecell’s (my cousin) place but her directions were too complicated for us. Instead, we went to Glorietta mall –still closed when we got there –where we planned to meet Girlen, my college roomie and classmate, and Ensaymz, my best friend, at 12:00nn. Thereby, we told Maecell that we’ll just meet her at this mall. When we convened, we dined at McDo before we got off for EK. The original plan was to leave for EK at 12:30pm to enjoy most of the rides. However, it was already 6:00pm when we arrived due to the changes in plans –Ensaymz did not go with us –and other things –late meet-ups, FX left after it was full of passengers after an hour of waiting, and heavy traffic. We got together with Jurein’s uncle and his uncle’s family in the park. Since it was already late and the place was too jam-packed, we were only able to be on board on 3 of the best rides available (Jungle Log Jam, RioGrande Rapids, Anchor’s Away). One try with Jungle Log Jam didn't satisfy me --after 2 hours of waiting in line for our turn. The RigoGrande Rapids got us soaking wet. The Anchor's Away truly was breath-taking --I almost lost my voice because of shouting. For all that, the ride-all-you-can ticket that we bought which costs P400 was not maximized. I was a little disappointed because we would have enjoyed more if only we got there early. At some point, we were even running to make it to the other rides before the park closed. Good thing though, the park stopped the rides at 10:00 pm instead of the 9:00 pm to cater those arrived late. Well, I should learn from this lesson or still get frustrated the next time I will got there. From EK we went straight to Tiyo/Ninong Joseph’s place (Jurein’s uncle, our wedding Ninong) at Nasugbo, Batangas. Thanks to the comfortable 2-hour ride in a 3months-old Toyota Innova. We arrived at 12mn and ate our dinner/midnight snack before we slept.

On Dec. 7th, we watched “Pacman” Manny Pacquiao beat “The Legend” Oscar Dela Hoya. We then went to Picnic Groove in Tagaytay, Cavite City . When I, Zyle, Jurein, Maecell,and Girlen got out of the car, the super cold wind was blowing – I bet it was 15 deg.C, thus, I borrowed Maecell’s pink long-sleeved blouse and put it on Zyle. I bought a sweater that should have been for me but let my baby wear it instead because the chilliness was unbearable especially for my baby. We didn’t expect it to be that cold, that’s why we were not able to prepare the proper outfit. Jurein, Maecell, and I then tried the zip line. The locals said it was still operating for 5months. I don’t know why Girlen didn’t try. We paid P200 for one way only with a free 5R picture. Two way costs P300 pesos. Maecell and I regretted that we were in a sitting position. We should have tried the face down-lying position instead because it was not that scary after all. It was already quite dark, so the view was not that visible in the picture. After that, Girlen went home to QC while we went back to Batangas.

On Dec. 8th, we left early for QC. The plan for the day was to go to Avilon Zoo. I sent an SMS to Ensaymz but fell asleep while waiting for her reply. It was almost 11am when I read the message that we will meet at Gateway at 12:30 P.M. We assembled in Gateway at 2:00 pm already. She treated us with Dairy Queen ice cream. The Mud Pie was super yummy while the Pepper Mint was literally very cool –I wish there will be a franchise in Cebu soon. The regular size was P60, but it was worth the price. We left for Montalban on an FX at around 3:00 pm already because we still waited for Jim (Ensaymz MS classmate). We arrived at 4:00 pm. The worst part was --Avilon Zoo was already closed. It was tiresome to go back to QC and be in traffic-jammed streets again, so we preferred to for a place where we can stay for the night. However, there were only two choices: in a resort or in an inn. We first surveyed the room in the resort which costs P500 but there’s no TV and is ventilated only by an electric fan. We opted to stay at Montalban View Hotel (formerly Secret Love Inn) which costs P640 pesos for 12 hours thinking that it should be a better place. To our dismay, the room was not worth the price. It was motel-like –as if I had been in any –dark, and old. The first room we occupied had a love chair in it— my first time to actually see one. Its air condition wasn’t working, so we transferred to another room. With added bad luck, the air condition was making a noisy sound. Conversely, we had to bear with it rather than bathe in perspiration. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a picture of neither the room nor the love chair. The hotel is really incomparable to the cheaper pension houses in Cebu.

On Dec. 9th, our time of stay in the hotel was up by 6:45 am. We had our breakfast –lechon manok left over for Jurein and me, and Cerelac for Zyle –at the small cottage in front of the Hotel. Then we headed to Avilon Zoo which zoo is 7.5 hectares big and is the largest zoo in the country. A regular tour would take 2-3 hours. It took us 5 hours. We were so amazed with the diversity of its flora and fauna –more of the latter. Since there were so many animals that we wanted to capture on our camera, the memory card became full in middle of the tour. We had to delete some of the pictures including the nicely taken ones. I had even used the camera of Jan’s mp5 and my camera phone but the battery of both were unluckily empty after a few minutes of use. One of the interesting animals that we had a close encounter with was a 30-kg orangutan named Camille. She was very sweet and well trained. We paid P50 just to have pictures taken with her.
At around 1:00 pm, we headed to Cubao. We bought a usb-drive at the mall where we transferred the pictures to free the cam’s memory. We were unsure where to go next: to Divisoria or to MOA? Finally, we chose to shop at Divisoria first. We bought some goods for Christmas gifts. [To add to our list of bad luck, I didn’t notice that one pair of shoes which costs P200 were both left and of different sizes until we returned to Cebu.] At 6:00 pm, we left for MOA. Unfortunately, we chose to go Maecell’s place to rest, since it was past 8:00 pm when we passed by MOA due to heavy traffic. The plan was to go there early in the morning of Dec. 10th.

On Dec. 10th, Ensaymz informed us that Cebu Pacific was getting stern with the check-in time –two hours before the flight. She said that her mother in-law’s flight should’ve been 1:55 pm on Dec. 9th but when she checked-in at 1:00 pm it was already fully booked. She had to change the flight but the fare was higher plus there’s a rebooking fee. I was anxious of her experience so we didn’t bother going to MOA and checked-in early instead.
At 1:25 pm, we were back in Cebu.