Who's the Boss?

At mommy's office, on the last working day of 2010.

Fun at High Street

Okay, so High Street must have been about 3 years old already?
And last December was our first time there.

Me and Jared's dad (who is also my husband--haha) think Makati, or Taguig, is too far from where we live.

But it is pretty and kid friendly and that visit isn't going to be the last.

It's refreshing to have that greenery, and to actually be able to step on it and run around until you get tired makes it a double treat.jared happily runs in zig zag fashion while his tired dad looks defeated in the background

Jared had us running after him probably the whole 3 hours we were there. He wanted to:

throw his train in the fountain

to play with the cute dogs

to make friends with another kid (Heyo, wha chor name? I Jayed-translation: Hello, what's your name? I'm Jared)

to people watch

I think he wants to do everything he can think of--and is capable of doing--at the same time.

He was jumping for joy really.

We'll be back here, during the morning, to take a peek at Mercato Centrale.

I’d Take the Sun Anytime

December in the Philippines in 2010 was welcomingly cool. The type where you can put on a light jacket and still feel comfortable, where the air conditioner isn’t necessary to get a good night’s sleep.

That’s the weather I like. Cool but the sun’s rays still leave a tingling feeling on your skin.

Given a choice between extremely hot and extremely cold, I’d take the former.

I have not seen snow and maybe after the novelty of playing with it for some time, I’m sure it will wear off and I’ll be yearning for the heat and warmth again.

During a recent trip to China, it was winter time and even if the weather forecast said it's 4 degrees, the wind factor made it so much colder.

So, I wrapped myself in 4 layers of clothes... and I still did not feel warm enough.

Arrrggghhh, I'm really a girl of the tropics.

p.s. next time I should probably invest on those fur lines boots. My feet were freezing.

What was on the Table?

This is a belated New Year post.

Blame it on age. =) My reason for the delay in posts.

But better late than never, here’s what we prepared to welcome the new year.



On the table:
- Beef Steak : it’s the blackish looking dish on the picture. Doesn’t look appetizing but tastes divine. Sarap, exactly how beef steak should taste like
- Seafood curry: the first time I made this imbento dish, I used fish, squid and shrimp. This time, I omitted the fish because it became too soft the first time. This was also delicious and quite colorful, too.
- Mixed Vegetables with quail eggs c/o mama
- Lumpiang Shanghai: the few times I will eat lumpia, it should be like this. Small and in bite size pieces so the meat inside will be fully cooked.

We only had 4 dishes, yet preparation took the whole morning, I’m not kidding.

I was too sleepy to take pictures when the clock struck 12, and besides our little one is sleeping. He woke up 15 minutes after 12 and got scared of all the noise. Mommy’s main preoccupation then was to make him feel secure and put him back to sleep.

I hope next year, he’ll be able to enjoy the festivities more. This time, he's more excited to play with Thomas and friends.

Off to a Great Start

During a recent team building activity at Camp Allen in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, I braved the heights and successfully ziplined from 40 ft up.
I was one of the first to volunteer, not because I was brave, but because putting it off will give me more time to get scared.

But I did it, with all the yelling and gulping.

2011 is really off to a great start and I hope it ends the same way it started: in a great way, in all aspects of my life.

Picnic at Luneta After the New Year

I just mentioned here that our big family used to celebrate birthdays at Luneta. Sadly, we have not visited the place as a family in years (I sometimes jog around the area), not because we are unwilling to, but the place is looking more and more like a dump, and there is a proliferation of very "colorful" characters.

But word is Luneta is being spruced up again and last Dec 31, a lot of people gathered there to watch the dancing fountain, fireworks and to welcome the new year.

It was full of trash when we got there, its a sea of trash. But I won't post photos in case you get turned off. I'm thinking it's an isolated case, given the number of people there and the lack of trash cans... but it is a bit icky. We had to ask a sweeper to clean a bit of green/grass area so we can spread our blankets.

people watching

kite watching. too bad i don't have pics of the kites

playing ball with second cousin Daphne


amazed at the signs and sounds of Luneta

back to the base after running with Daddy

just lazing around

We'll try to ride the Thomas train going around the park next time.

Resolutions and this time, I hope I keep them

my new year resolutions are ultimately for this boy--yes even the make up part so he'll have a beautiful mommy =)

I’m not one to write resolutions—because I don’t like the burden at the end of the year thinking what I have not done yet.

But now that I’m the ripe, old age of 33, maybe now is the time to start writing down the stuff I want and been meaning to do. Maybe writing it down is the push that I need to start, maintain and achieve them.

I pray I’ll be able to accomplish at least half of what’s on my list come year-end. These range from the trivial to some important life goals (in no particular order).

Write – as in write more in this blog, write more for work, and write as in practice my penmanship. My handwriting is getting less and less legible as the years go by. I used to have really nice handwriting.

A brand new gray Toyota Innova- we’re happy with Ate Vi (our Vios) and it has served as well the past years but we almost can’t fit here anymore and we’d like to take road trips in the future. This is very specific because I read somewhere that when you pray, you have to really state what you want.

Wear make up- I want to learn how to apply make up and look polished at the office everyday. I can’t get away with the unmade up face already—my fine lines are beginning to show.

Be healthier- I’ve blogged about this goal and even bought outfits, rubber shoes and a gym bag to boot but we have not sustained this. I want to be more physically active, maybe even try Frisbee, start jogging again, and really, really plan healthy, home cooked meals.

Save, save , save- the past 2 years were spend, spend , spend. Not on ourselves but for the delivery, the vaccines, then house mortgage etc and other loans. This year, we can breathe a little, we’ve adjusted to our expenses, and now we’re projecting we can save properly again.

Take vacations- this year, I vow to take at least 2 3 or 4-day vacations. To where, I do not know yet…

So there, now that its finally out, I need to start working on them.

Happy New Year!!!

What I thought was a Healthy Dish

I have yet to finish my posts on some of our holiday season activities but I hate not posting, it being the new year and all so here's a short one to tide me over until I get the energy to write longer.

As a respite to all the cream-based, rich and often times cholesterol laden food over Christmas and New Year and all the days in between, I concocted a simple pasta recipe. This looked healthy to us and we wiped it off in one sitting, but just today, I found out shrimps are high in cholesterol, too. Sigh.

Shrimps with garlic and spices in olive oil
1/2 kg shrimps
a few parsley leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1/2 tablespoon of italian seasoning
around 4 tablespoons olive oil

1. heat olive oil
2. saute the shrimp (i only did this before the garlic because my shrimps were frozen)
3. add the basil leaves, parsley and italian seasoning
4. add the garlic
5. stir until cooked, careful on burning the garlic though
6. cook pasta according to package directions
7. place this on top of the pasta or mix the pasta with the sauce

Yummy!

Happy New Year.

p.s. the picture shows the last part of 3 servings of this heavenly topping, not the entire recipe

Blessed. Happy. Grateful. Loved.

That has been my YM status the past week, and it couldn't be more true.

In the frenzy of the holiday season, I always hark how things get so expensive (shrimps were expensive and it forced me to change our Christmas eve menu at the last minute), how I have so many cousins to give gifts to, how my cousins now have children of their own to give more gifts to, how traffic is crazy and how, in spite of the long weekends and holidays, we never get to just chill at home.

But still, I wouldn't trade running around the metro to meet friends, old and new; madly dashing to the bazaar and the mall, mall to the bazaar to buy some more gifts and staying up till 2 am to wrap gifts for anything.Dec 27 at High Street with college friends

Dec 19 at home with UP friends

Dec 5 playdate for south-based N@w mommies and kids

I see Christmas in our toddler excitedly tearing the gift wrapper to unearth yet another Thomas item.

I see Christmas in my extended family trying to keep tradition alive. It's not exactly easy gathering members from various families in one place on Christmas Day. But we do it, no matter how cramped the space, no matter where. When we were younger, we used to spend Christmas and birthdays at Luneta!

I see Christmas as the kids get bigger every year. I treasure this moment because sometime soon, these kids will have parties of their own and we'll not have a picture as priceless as these.

Merry Christmas to all and cheers to the coming year!!!

May 2011 be good to all of us.

Mad About Gift Wrapping: Polkadots

I know, i know. The true meaning of Christmas isn't in the gift/s we give, or receive. But I want my gifts to look pretty, period. So I made the extra effort wrap them up nicely, no matter how small they may be.

This year, I chose polka dots. They come in green, red and gold. Love it!

These are some of the gifts I wrapped until 2 am.

Now, on to the Christmas eve menu.

Start of Christmas Parties

Still groggy from the office party last night (not used to late nights anymore--traffic at Coastal Road was terrible at 1 am), I woke up still excited for our little boy. Today marks the first of the many parties we'll attend this holiday season.

This was a kiddie party sponsored by his lola's (former) office.

He still was afraid of many things-- the life size Buzz Lightyear standee, the loud party music, the mascot --and at one point I was so sleepy I was about to doze off. But as I stare at my son playing with other kids, I know I'll go to great lengths to bring him to many more parties no matter how tired I was.

This is Christmas in the eyes of my child.

Just When Did I Get This Big?

Looking at our party photos, I couldn't help but think: when did I get this big??? I should start doing something about this...soon!

p.s. look at my arms!

4 Years Together

It's our anniversary today and I can't wait to come home. I was browsing through FB this morning looking at old photos and saw this one taken about 2 years ago. Our boy was still a baby!

Happy Anniversary to my husband, the father of this adorable little boy. =)

Missing my Baby

I'm in the beautiful island, but I still miss my baby!
Mommy is coming home in a few days. See you!

Our House Blessing

After a month of living in the house, we had it blessed last November 20, a day after the man of the house's birthday.

I didn't want to labor in the kitchen so we had the little party catered. The priest was from the parish, a three-minute walk from the house and I gave Daddy the liberty of whom to invite since this was also essentially his birthday celebration.

I woke up at 2 am that day to finish attaching ribbons to the candles

Our photo nook

Patiently waiting for the event to start

The buffet table

The happy family

Father going out the back door to bless the back and side of the house

Our guests


We hope to fill our house with many, many happy memories.

The Jollibee Magic

My son loves their spaghetti and chicken and can eat one order in one sitting, without any help from me. He just loves this bee as seen from this photo.

I miss you baby! Mommy is coming home soon.

Choo Choo Train: His First MRT Ride

This has been a long overdue plan. My son is in love with trains and we figured the long holiday is the perfect day to ride the MRT.

We parked at Ayala and walked to the MRT station

The ride up the escalator gave him the thrill, as always

Buying the tickets with daddy

O, yummy! Donut stall at the station

Forgive the mommy for not arranging the shirt before taking the photo but it was hot!

Savoring the first few minutes. we felt he was a bit scared here.

Checking the view

We stayed at Trinoma for lunch and rode the MRT back to Ayala.

Ice cream to cap off the memorable ride

Ninang Claire was on the same train! Had this picture taken at SM Makati.