our first post for 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!

i hope last night was a joyous occasion for you and your loved ones.

we also had fun though we just had a simple and solemn celebration in welcoming the new year. merrymaking was limited only to blowing of torotot and jiggling of coins in our pockets and coin banks . we couldn't light any fireworks as iñigo was already suffering from sniffles for almost a week now.

poor kid... he couldn't go out of the house. he could only look at the fireworks thru the windows...

but he was more than happy with the foods we prepared and cooked. it's just a little of everything as i don't want to stock a lot of left-overs again inside the refrigerator.                    

our media noche table

my table centerpice churva

he was all set to eat in this picture... 

thanks God that his appetite is back. he wasn't eating that much as he was suffering from cough and colds since last christmas. the doctor said it's only a viral infection but i also think that his allergies are attacking. but am glad that the little boy is well now--on the first day of 2009...

what a way to greet the new year! =D

 

christmas ranting

i'll join the league of grumpy donald duck because of this:

my litany...

24th of december... i woke up realizing that my labandera didn't arrive earlier that morning as we have agreed upon the last time she was in our house. it shouldn't really be a big deal but i already had some clothes soaked with detergent powder inside the washing machine for two nights already... nangangamoy na yun... argh! ...and where was jude? he told me he'll already be on leave that day but will just drop by in his office that morning. it was already past 10 a.m. and he's not yet home while the son was already awake and was as usual making my hands full with his demands (mommy, lactum... mommy, watch backyardigans... mommy, cookies... mommy, where car?). i was still drowsy as i slept at 3:30 a.m. to finish wrapping all the gifts (my routine for three consecutive nights before christmas), sluggish as i haven't yet taken anything for breakfast, in pain as tonsilitis was attacking, and confused on what task shall i do first. but i as optimistic that i will accomplish everything on time so i can get my much needed manicure and haircut before christmas eve... yun na lang ang kaligayahan ko! hehe.

jude arrived at 11:30 a.m. and what's supposed to be my breakfast was already my lunch. i did the dishwashing and house cleaning after the meal and got my hands on with the laundry until 2:30 p.m. i thought i can already have my bath when i realized... syet, the tuna wasn't yet marinated and it's already afternoon!!! tuna steak was what we planned to bring in the reunion of torres clan (jude's maternal side) later that night. the tuna wasn't even thawed... my goodness! i got my hands busy again.

so it was already 3:00 p.m. and i still have to drop by the nearby hospital to check on what's bothering my throat; and of course, in the salon for my manicure (can't do my own nails) and haircut. i went to the hospital first and i was ushered to the emergency room as it was already 4:00 p.m. and there were no more doctors holding clinic that time. i was asked to go back again as an EENT should be the one to see me. that visit was a breeze and i was a happy... ayan na, makakapagpamanicure na ako sa wakas!  i went first to a beauty parlor, it was packed and it can no longer accommodate me as they were about to close an hour after. i went to a ricky reyes branch, it's closed as the staff were having their christmas party. i went to a neighborhood salon, it's also closed. to say that i was disappointed when i went home is an understatement... i was close to tears. ang babaw ko noh? hahaha. fatigue must have taken its toll on me.

i can't feel the spirit of christmas that night. i was not in the mood during the reunion as i was really dead-tired with all the preparations we did (shopping for gifts and wrapping each of them, cooking, etc.) and i asked myself, "do i really need to stressed myself with all those...?", i was sleepy all the time i can even sleep while walking, and we weren't able to hear the mass completely as some of the churchgoers were coughing and sneezing and the church we went to near jude's family's house isn't that well-ventilated and iñigo might catch one of those viruses. unluckily, he did... ).

even our son has his own concept of christmas: it's all about gifts and parties.  i was telling him it's the birthday of jesus but he ignored me; either he just can't understand why there's a birthday without balloons and jollibee mascot, or he's so occupied with all the merry-making and the toys he received.

i hope it's not too much for an asking but i wish to have a different christmas next year; i wish that we celebrate it the way it should be... solemn and definitely unstressful, so we can focus on its essence.

everything can come after anyway.

***

i was really busy that i didn't even have time... and i hope it's not yet late that i greet...

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!!!

- from jude, marie, and iñigo

feedbacks...

can be biased when it comes from someone related or dear to you. but when it's given by a complete stranger, it's something else.

it was last night when jude attended their high school reunion in edsa shangri-la hotel. while the daddy was having a shindig, the little boy and i passed time inside sm megamall. i tried to shop but iñigo was not to keen on looking at ladies clothing or accessories. it was already past 8 p.m. when my tummy groaned and a pang of hunger hit me, so i along with iñigo who was still full from his last snack looked for a place to eat. iñigo was tugging me to a jollibee outlet but i was able to outsmart him and we landed in max's.

we just sat down when an old lady, which i think is already in her 60's since she and her husband presented their senior citizen cards upon paying their bill, asked me on how old the little boy is, and i promptly answered, "two po". she nodded with a smile and went back to her own business. their table was adjacent to ours and i was able to see her glancing at iñigo from time to time. meanwhile, iñigo was in his usual self--bubbly and talkative--while heartily eating his meal.

after a while, i saw the old couple stood up from their chairs and left their table. but before they head on to the door, the old lady stopped in front of our table, caught my attention ,and said, "nakakatuwa naman s'ya, he's a very smart boy".

i didn't have any idea on what made her say that but still, her comment was a music to my ears. i responded with a smile and a "thank you"... thank you for telling me that my son is very smart... for implying that i'm doing a good job in raising him... and most of all, thank you for validating that my way of raising him is not at all bad, as some people (i won't tell, hehe) either questioned it or just passed it off without acknowledging.

i just hope the old lady didn't hear what iñigo said shortly after she left our table: "mommy, manang there..." =D

iñigo at the lobby of edsa shangri-la hotel before we left for home

wazzup?

i realized that i've not been blogging for some time now. i got a lot of chika and pix to share but everytime i attempted to make a post, my fingers were already busy with something else OR i was already dead tired and my mind was no longer working. that's what i get for deciding not to have a yaya or helper (heaven knows till when) since we disposed our last one. making my situation worse, iñigo is at his naughtiest these days, AS IN! i wonder if this is just a phase... i do hope it is.

even weekends find us busy. we raid clearance sales which i got to learn from the forum i belong with, drop by malls and tiangge-lands in the metro, and visit some old friends who are here in the country for christmas.

speaking of christmas, what a way to celebrate it but have a mini-reunion with friends who we rarely see and i'm very excited as there are several dates (i.e. days-off) which is already in my calendar. jude is also extra busy as his friends in don bosco are meeting up regularly now to accommodate their balikbayan friends.

we're also busy attending christmas parties. for tonight alone, we will attend two (and shell out some bucks for the exchange gifts and foods--heck, it's part of the fun!) and by tomorrow, there's another two and one of these is the party of p&g for its employees' kids. then the christmas parties in our office next week... and another christmas party by the homeowners of our subdivision, where i will sit as a secretary of the board next year.

christmas is really a joyous occasion. i wonder what this season has to prompt us to reconnect with people who are/were dear to us, be extra generous, be more cheerful and kind. is it because of the cold weather? or the 13th month pay and bonuses? or is because of a yearful of blessings which make us pay back thru our loved ones and other people, strangers included? i guess it's probably one reason why christmas is on the last month of the year, to conclude the year with kindness and goodness.

thank GOD for this year, thank GOD for this christmas, and thank GOD for the coming new year, especially now that a very big blessing awaits us in 2009.

next year ko na lang ikuwento, baka maudlot... hehe.

hint: it's not a new baby... not yet. =)