On A Wonderful Day Like Today

From babycenter.com -- "Toddlers live large, play hard, and love big. When they get upset, they can start acting irrationally, just like adults do. And they often use emotional outbursts to clear out the bad feelings — which may feel good to them but isn't always easy for you. Before losing your cool, remember that your child's lack of self-control is normal and that he'll eventually learn what's socially acceptable by the way you and others react to his antics. Try to respond calmly and enforce the limits you've set so things don't escalate." Zoe has been keeping us awake all week, playing endlessly, plus shouting and crying and looking for her yaya even at bedtime... Now, I try extra hard to talk to her as gently as I can. Plus I learned that one of the effective tricks is to do a concert at night --- singing all my favorite songs (latin songs included) to her in order to put her to sleep. The songs "Salve Regina" and "Tantum Ergo...

Don't judge a book (mag) by its cover (since you just might be the next one in the cover). Hahaha. Got this from Ai's blog . Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com Subscribe to Fortune Magazine at a 76% discount!

Since I don't feel like writing about anything serious today, let me just list down random restos and the food which I usually order there (sometimes without needing to look at the menu): 1. Pancake House - Panchiken, tacos 2. Shakey's - Manager's Choice pizza, Bunch of Lunch (do they still have this?) 3. Teriyaki Boy - Tendon, Cali Maki 4. McDo - Mc Chicken sandwich meal 5. French Baker - Spaghetti carbonara or lasagna 6. A veneto - Chicken carbonara, Seafood pesto pizza 7. Mongkok - Salt and pepper spareribs, siomai and yangchow fried rice 8. Chowking (if I have no other choice) - Beef brisket rice topping 9. Subway - Roastbeef sandwich with the works (alright, except mustard) 10. Conti's - Lengua estofado, Baked Salmon and Mango Bravo Other restos which I like: Razon's, Lutong Macau (in Jupiter), Mandarin (Paseo Uno lunch buffet), Capricciosa, etc. etc. I've been thinking about starting a food blog but I don't know if this is such a good idea... just li...

I'm so happy for my sister. A few years ago, she was able to go to Rome. Then late last year, she was in Japan. Then this year in July -- Australia! I so envy her. Yup, she already officially enlisted herself to the WYD 2008 to be held in Sydney, Australia! How I wish I can be there too. I remember the WYD here in Manila. I was just in college then. We (the Stella Orientis Choir) won the Gregorian Chant competition and thus got the chance to sing for the then Pope John Paul II in PICC plus we got to be part of the big big choir who sang in the Vigil Mass and Sto. Nino mass at the Quirino Grand Stand. Remember the song, "Tell The World of His Love"? Yup, we sang that song (with matching hand-action) a million times during that event. I love it! That experience was so great, unforgettable and even life-changing for me. I felt that I could really make a difference in the world (and this still holds true, you know.) I still get teary-eyed when I remember that day when I saw ...

I've been subscribed to My Simpler Life for several months now and I always find her blog very interesting, especially for a scatter-brain like me. Just recently I read about her article, "Is Your Commute Worth It" and it struck me as very relevant to my daily struggles as a working mom. Our home is currently around an hour away from my office in Makati. On not so lucky days, this travel time extends up to 2 hours or more. So that totals to around 4 hours of travel going to the office and coming home. Reading the article, I realized that all the back-aches and stress I've been feeling lately may not only be caused by the workload I have but also by my long commutes daily. Worse, I also contribute to my hubby's stress since I often let him drive me to and from work. Poor hubby! If only I can do something about it. The article says it's not impossible. If there's a will, there's a way, right? Changing address may be out of the question for now, but the...

Thanks to dear online friends Abie , Pam and Tet for sending something to smile about! :-) I'm passing this award to paid-bloggers Apols , Kelly , Jody and Mari ! :-) I'm just waiting a few more weeks before I join the club! :-) *getting excited*

NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT. SOON. Someone very very very close to me will be saying " I DO" this May!!! Hush, hush muna about the details. :-) Basta, I gotta look pretty and slim enough to fit in a nice gown by that time. Plus Baby#2 awaits (but not until I gain back my fighting figure daw so tago muna ako from my OB LOL)... Help MEEEH!

Caution: Loaded with pichurzzzzz! Since I haven't been back to Iloilo since I was 2 months pregnant with Zoe, we decided to visit my Ate there again this year (thanks to Cebu Pacific's Piso Fare). We were there for just 2 nights and 3 days and was booked at Days Hotel (my first time and I love it there). And since yaya Cat is Illongga, I decided to bring her along and let her get some time off to visit her family in Maasin, Iloilo. Our flight going there was at 8:30 am. It was Zoe's first time to ride an airplance and travel with us. Ang hirap pala ng may dalang bata! I had to bring so many stuff!!! Anyway, we decided to leave the Maclaren behind because it was stressful enough to be bringing all those baggages, not to mention all of my sister's bilins. LOL. Here's Zoe at the Domestic Airport: Zoe and Daddy on board Cebu Pacific: The flight was very smooth despite the sky being a bit cloudy. We arrived with smiles! The new international airport is nice and clean! T...

Tet and Toni (and today also Maybelle - hi Maybelle!) tagged me on this. Sorry if this is super late. Here's the rule:Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag 8 people in your list, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged. Whoever does the tag will have blessings from all. 1. At what age do you wish to marry? 26-27 but I married at 29. 2. What color do you like most? Pink 3. If you can have a superpower, what should it be? Read minds 4. Where is the place that you want to go the most? go back to Europe especially Rome 5. Which part of you that you hate the most? bilbil LOL 6. When you encounter a sad moment, what would you do? Cry and move on (oh and pray too like what Maybelle said) 7. What are you afraid to lose the most? my state of grace 8. If you win $1 million, what would you do? Pay debts and save the rest for the rainy days 9. What do you loved the most...

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Before I forget, I would like to say thank you to Hailey , my new blogger friend and co-Iskolar ng Bayan, for giving me this award. Thanks sis and kudos to our being full-time (working) moms...(with you having 3 kids, at that). I'm beginning to think that all is manageable in the end and that yes, I still want more kids in the near future!!! :-) I'm passing this award to my co-working mommies Eds and Norm . And also to soon-to-be mommies Agnes and Nikki ! Good luck on your pregnancies!

Moving on to more positive things, I'm posting this tag from Doc Joey. Thanks doc! Cut and paste the following starting here. I have randomly selected 5 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog. You will have to tag 5 other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!)It’s real easy! Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially! The benefits of Viral Linking:- One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!- Increase your Google PageRank fast- Attract large volume of new traffic to your site- Build your community- Make new friends! The Strategist Notebook Link Addiction Ardour of the Heart When Life Becomes a Book The Malaysian Life Yogatta.com What goes under the sun Roshidan’s Cyber Station Sasha says Arts of Physics And the legend lives My View, My Life A Simple Life Juliana RW The Callalily Space Petr...

...your 16-month old baby (not 14-month as previously posted) rejects you and clings tightly to her yaya instead? I'll tell you. I felt frustrated and heart-broken. For several days now, Zoe wants to be with the yaya and only the yaya. When we arrive home and find her awake, I could already see that it's gonna be a tough night. She just wouldn't let her yaya out of her sight even if I'm there. She even prefers to sleep in the maids' quarters or in the playpen with the yaya instead of with us in the room. When I attempt to get (sometimes even grab) her from the yaya, she cries like crazy and push me away (masakit physically and emotionally ito grabe). Last night, I felt that I had had enough and in my helplessness, I tried to envelope her in my arms so that she will stay put and forget that she was seeking her yaya. No amount of distraction or sing-song could calm her. I thought after a few minutes this would stop but no, she shouts, cries endlessly and even pushes m...

Thanks Jane for this tag! ~ Start Copy ~ Here are the rules: 1. Please write your favorite love song, and what's the story behind it? 2. Please include your name and your URL blog. 3. Share this tag to your friends as much as you can. 4. Copy from "Start Copy" to "End Copy" *My favorite song is "Endless Love". Because I sang this song as a surprise for my love on our engagement party - Nyumix *With me, my favorite song is Korean Drama Soundtrack songs My favorite are Winter Sonata, Lovers in Paris, Full House, Love Letter, etc too much i don't remember the title. Why? Because they all nice to hear over and over again - Juliana RW *I have many favourite love songs, but for now I'd love to share with you "My Destiny" by Jim Brickman. I love the beautiful lyrics and melody. As hubby and I faced so many challenges during our wedding preparations, this song is just so perfect and became the highlight of our wedding. - Choc Mint Girl *...

Before I forget, allow me to post my personal recap of the year 2007. It was been an exciting year so it's just right that it be worthy for given at least one entry here. January Get-together dinner with Pat, Fred and other friends. Yaya no. 1 left to take care of mother in Aklan Got Cat, our present yaya on January 28 straight from Iloilo February MBA friend Arleen got married to her online bf from Virginia (hi Arleen!) Went to Bulacan to visit relatives March Overtime galore because of performance bonus project Bought Crocs for me and Hubby (join the club!) Hubby started his LMDP class at Ateneo Graduate School My mom’s 2nd death anniversary April Holy Week 2007 in UA&P Enrolled Zoe in Blow Up Babies My sister arrived from Iloilo for seminar May Birthday month of Vel, Tatay and Me Tia Kikay passed away Birthday treat at Brazil! In Serendra Family summer outing with Pat and friends at Tagaytay and West Grove June Birthday month of Hubby and ...

After a 4-day haitus from the blogging world, I'm back from our vacation in Iloilo. Sans the fact that Zoe got sick the minute she parted with her yaya (who left to go home to her folks for 2 nights), all went okay. I'll be posting my pictures and stories in a while plus will try to do my pending tags. Meantime, thanks to all blogger-friends who dropped by my site while I was gone. I hope you visit me often! :-)

What Vina Means You are very hyper. You never slow down, even when it's killing you. You're the type of person who can be a workaholic during the day... and still have the energy to party all night. Your energy is definitely a magnet for those around you. People are addicted to your vibe. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You...

Isang tulog na lang and we will be flying to Iloilo for our annual family vacation with my sister. I'm so excited to go! It will be Zoe's (and the yaya's) first time to ride the airplane!!! Our yaya will momentarily separate from us when we get to the city since I allowed her to go straight to Maasin where her parents and siblings live. Our yaya's been with us for almost a year and she deserves to get some time off to visit her family. But I told her to meet us 2 days after that OR ELSE!!!! Or else, lagot AKO! I might not be updating my blog while on vacation because I don't think my hubby will bring the laptop (sayang, our hotel pa naman has WIFI). Anyway, wish me luck!!! I hope I can handle taking care of Zoe on my own without getting any fits! She has been specially hard to handle these days. Ang kulit, AS IN! See you again (online) next week! :-)

A tag from Vannie, Prettylifeonline, Jean, and Abie (did I miss out on someone?): 1. I LOVE to eat : spaghetti 2. I HATE to eat : pork or chicken liver 3. I LOVE to go : on vacation (SOON!) 4. I HATE to go : to work on Mondays (ang traffic!) 5. I LOVE it when : it's payday! 6. I HATE it when : I get migraines 7. I LOVE to see : Paris, New York, etc., etc.! 8. I HATE to see : pimples on my face (icky) 9. I LOVE to hear : Zoe talk, talk and talk 10. I HATE to hear : loud music Thanks girls! Feel free to snag!!! Have a great day friends!

...Pope Benedict XVI's (aka Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) new book "Jesus of Nazareth". I'm not sure how much it is in National Bookstore but I've been eyeing on buying it online thru Betterworld.com (read about this in Tin's site ). I heard a lot of good feedback about it. So lemme think... Should I order it now? Hopefully I can decide and be able to buy it soon! It will be a great book to start year 2008!

For months, I've been wondering where Zoe inherited her thin-textured hair. I think I also used to have thin brownish hair but I don't have pics to prove it. My hubby also doesn't have much baby pics to show if they have a resemblance in terms of hair. Then while browsing my friendster, I stumbled into this pic of Zoe's cousin Dimple with her Chong (my hubby). It's cute how some things run in the family: Sans the eyes (which looks more like my sister's), Dimple and Zoe seem to have similarities in their hair and nose. Haha! So until I find a baby pic of moi showing that I look like Zoe, I guess these pics will suffice.

My friend Tinay arrived from Singapore this December to prepare for her daughter's baptism where I was one of the Godmothers. Godmother! Wow, compared to just saying "Ninang", the word Godmother sounds more serious, right? Anyway, about two weekends ago, we did go to Crista's baptism and birthday party at Della Strada / Cravings Katipunan. Same venues are Zoe's baptism and birthday party. They had a Tweety Bird-theme. It's actually kinda cute! :-) Zoe enjoyed the party! She was all over the place, dancing and chasing the balloons all around. And since they had a Tweety mascot, we had our usual photo ops for Zoe. Mareng Tinay, thanks for making me Godmother to Crista. I'll try to keep in touch with you even if you'll be back in Singapore soon. Hopefully we can visit you again there this year or the next. Maybe we can even plan a trip together with our babies to HK Disneyland. How about that? :-) Tinay and Alvin with baby Crista: Ninang and Crista: Tweet...

Wow, an award! Thanks Tet for sending me this: It's really great being able to get to know new friends from online. I salute all of my new online friends for being such good moms and/or wives. I get a lot of inspiration from your blog posts and kwentos. Hope to know you guys more in the coming days. I'm passing this award now to Abie, Jean, Toni and Maybelle.

My hubby and I decided to go out for dinner after work one Thursday evening. After deliberating whether to eat at either Korean, Chinese or what-not, our feet led us to the 3rd floor of Greenbelt 3 to a resto called Capricciosa (near National Sports Grill). My officemate has raved about this resto before so I thought we'd try it out. Nice Christmas decor and a big Santa Claus statue welcomed us at the entrance plus the air smelled GOOD!!! I couldn't exactly determine what it was but the place smelled like a mixture of garlic and other herbs. I immediately called up my friend and asked her for menu suggestions. She said that if we're going to have pasta and pizza, she suggests the Seafood Spaghetti and the Capricciosa Pizza in thin crust. The salads there, she added, taste great too. Since it was our first time, we ordered what she told us, minus the salad. After some time, the food was served and just in matter of a few minutes, our plates were squeeky clean. TAOB as in TAO...

I'm not really a cosmetics fanatic but I suddenly felt a bit sad upon learning that Shu Uemura had died in Tokyo last December 29 due to pneumonia. He was 79 years old. Maybe it's because I'm just beginning to like the Shu Uemura Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O which I bought last November. This product is a premium, anti-aging and anti-oxidant skin purifier that thoroughly cleanses the skin while protecting it against the internal and external aggressions associated with aging. It features Green Tea Extract, known worldwide for its anti-oxidant properties. It leaves skin smooth and protected without stripping it of its natural oils and removes waterproof makeup. It smells good too. Now do I sound like a commercial? LOL. I w as so surprised to learn that this product has been in the market since the 1960's. Gosh, why did it take me so long to discover it?

...at least for a dear friend of mine. I've known of some people whose marriages didn't work out but this is one is something that I know about from beginning to sadly... the end. I "accidentally" introduced the guy to my friend while we were walking along the street one morning on the way to work. But I didn't mean for them to actually get married!?! I guess some people can be really blind when it comes to LOVE and you can't seem to blame them for it. Even if all the bad signs are there, some people are lead to believe, to hope, to want that the LOVE they have is for real. Too bad it had to happen to a good friend of mine. Hey, I'll be here for you okay? :-)

On the last day of work for 2007, Zoe rode with his Daddy to pick me up in the office. She went up to my floor and saw where Mommy spents most of her day working (that's from 8:30 am- 6pm (or even later), M-F). I made her do the "mano po" to my bosses and wave "Hello" to my officemates. Maybe she was thinking, "so this is where you go when you wave bye-bye to me and disappear in the morning!". Being in a new environment, I was surprised that she wasn't cranky at all. She even made a lot of noise (shrieking, laughing, babbling) that I was afraid that the big boss (as in our company's owner) will go out of her room to see who's the one making the commotion in the room. Haha! While I arranged my things and turned off the computer, Zoe tried sitting on my chair and banging on the keyboards of the computer. Hala!! I think she felt right at home 'coz her Lolo would also make her play with his computer all the time. "Baby, if only you kne...