Going Home

This is the longest trip I've taken after I got married. I thought 14 days will be long enough to have a slower pace at work, time in between meetings, and have time and energy left to try getting my feet wet here, literally. Because it definitely was a loooooonnnggg time away from my son.

Did manage to get my feet wet, but it was still for work and not leisure. But been doing this for the last 8 or so years and I've learned to just count my blessings.

Like on this trip, we were fortunate enough to see playful dolphins who surprised us with their appearance along side our speed boat. They are not known to be so plentiful in this particular bay. Or the very good salad with scallops and prawn tails we had one evening. Or going on the sunset cruise, a fitting cap to the flurry of activities the last 2 weeks. Or meeting my island-based friends for dinner one day. Or the tuyo, sardines, salted egg feast they prepared for our despedida.

The sweetest thing about going on trips, if ever there is one, is the look on my little one's face when he sees me later.

TagayTay-Canyon Cove-Nuvali Birthday Celebration: Tagaytay Leg

We planned it to be a road trip with designated stops. In celebration of the husband's nth birthday, we are going on this Tagaytay-Canyon Cove-Nuvali outing.

We left our place early, picked up his lolo and lola and went straight to Nuvali.

The backseat passengers.

Arriving at the destination, we went straight to the main attraction: fish feeding.

It was a bright and sunny day, perfect for this little family's outing.

Among the many meals we were to share on this adventure, the first was his all time favorite.

After finishing off that ice cream (which was a breeze), we were off to Tagaytay where we planned on having breakfast at Mile High Diner.

 This little boy enjoyed the entire trip the most.

The Diner.

 

We filled our tummies with Filipino and Continental breakfast fare. We have an hour more to go  before we reach our final destination that morning.

It's easy to please a man, or a boy for that matter, Give them food and look at their smiles after.

Of source we will not leave Tagaytay without this pic by the ridge.

Next stop: Canyon Cove

 

The Members of the Wedding Entourage

At a wedding last year, the three of us had special roles in the entourage. It was the first time the daddy and I were asked to be wedding sponsors, and the little boy, a veteran entourage member of probably 8 weddings to date, was a coin bearer.

You could just imagine the chaos in the house the night before when I was preparing our things, and on the date itself. I also need to mention that I volunteered to help the bride in some of the materials to personalize the wedding, as well as prepare the dessert buffet on the wedding day. Imagine that. =)


The dad was in charge of prepping the boy when we arrived at the church. It was a 3 pm wedding, but no matter how airy Nature's Church is, our boy is sure to sweat profusely so he just wore the black pants and the long sleeves inner shirt and only donned the jacket when we arrived at the church, which is just 5 minutes away from the house.

Some attempts at having a decent family picture.

No luck though. I wished the photographers were already present this time.

Then it was time to wait for the processional march. And the boy patiently waited...

 

The bride arrived and we were finally able to start. Our turn first.

Then the little boy who took little, robotic steps because the "manang" at the church asked the kids to walk slowly.

Taking his place at the pews.

  

Pawis but still pogi =)

 

During the mass, he found playmates.

 

 And before we know it, it was time for the groom to kiss the bride. =)

And then it was time for the pictures. Jared's default is the wacky pose/face. Look at him here hamming it up for the cam when everyone else was "formal"

After being told wacky shots will be for later.

The couple with their wedding sponsors.

It was a beautiful wedding and we're glad to have been part of it. After all the speeches were made, and people were preparing to go home, I also started keeping the empty plates and trays I brought for the dessert buffet. The father and son meanwhile went to the photobooth area.

I was surprised to see on FB that the little boy joined in almost all of the group's photobooth souvenir pics. Really, the wacky one!

Weddings are love.

 

Upcycle your Boxes and Create toys

Tech toys are restricted at our house in general.

Last year, the boy discovered the joys of playing games on the Ipad and cellphone and while our educational games outnumber the likes of Angry Birds by about 3:1, I have this fear he’ll grow up not knowing there are other ways to play. Specifically, other more enjoyable ways to play. So we've restricted the use of this tech toy. He does get a little play time on Saturdays.

I usually get a  "please , mommy just for 5 minutes" plea every now and then, but he usually follows. One time his dad have him a cellphone to play with on a Tuesday, he said "no dad, it's not a Saturday", and gave back the little toy to a flustered daddy.

 Probably because I have hand-eye coordination problems, or was just too impatient, I never really liked the family computer or the game and watch. It’s easy for me to say to Jared to follow mom because I can lead by example (ehem, ehem daddy it’s not you I was pertaining to).

So, what do we do and how do we keep this boy happy and occupied? We use of our hands and create. I've been trying to document the activities we usually do every weekend in the hopes I can refer to this when we have another child, and to show Jared he had a fun childhood =)

So, here's our exciting ways to upcycle a box.

Turn it to an airplane

Or, have tennis balls or a marble race with this -- I don't know how to call this

The above toys gave him hours of pure joy!

Whatta Year 2012 Has Been

Still not over the resolutions and the year in review posts on most of the blogs I visit, and just after posting my previous entry (a long one at that), here's to keeping with the tradition I started last year, an  entry on goals and the highlights of the past year

I don't have Photoshop here on my laptop so instead of placing my answers on the artwork, it's in plain word instead.

Here goes:

Greatest Lesson Learned: Gifts and blessings come when you least expect them

Hardest Part of the Year: 2 major projects during the 1st half of the year

Favorite memory: Jared"talking" to the baby in my tummy and my sister walking down the aisle

What I loved Most about 2012: How things just fell in its proper places

* * *

Want to Learn: a repeat from 2012, to take things slow. I do things fast: I talk fast, walk fast, I even run inside the office. I have to stop and smell the roses.

Want to get better at: Sewing! I hope to buy my sewing machine soon and make my own curtains and pillow covers.

Biggest Goal: Last year, I wanted to have a dragon baby. But 2013 is my year, I am a snake and maybe I'll get my little snake this year?

Happy New Year!!!

Our Portable Washing Machine

Household chores take up so much of our precious time on weekends that we decided to simplify our life and just send our clothes to the laundry. This means our work and house clothes, Jared's clothes, curtains, towels and linen. If only it's not gross and improper, I would have sent our underwear, too!!!!

It was working for us until I can't find some of Jared's clothes anywhere in the house. Clothes were missing and clothes for kids don't come cheap. I was obsessing over counting the clothes, checking and double checking them to make sure we receive the same number of clothes we send.

One day at the mall, we found this tiny washing machine that would be perfect for the only spot we can think of in the house where the machine can stay. It was a decision I've never regretted. While we do need to allot time to do several loads on Saturdays, at least it's less headache for us in dealing with lost clothes at the laundromat.

These are pictures of the first time we tried the machine: little boy thought we bought the greatest invention ever. Our machine is so light I can carry this out myself when its Wash Day Saturday.

P.s.
We still send most of our clothes to the laundry shop but the help this little and inexpensive machine brought us is money very well spent. I won't even think of buying anything bigger or more expensive for the meantime since this suits us very well now.