realizations

my heart feels heavy since the other night. one of our wedding sponsors, ninong dante de guzma, passed away last thursday morning and a mutual friend informed me thru a text message about this sad news. jude and i attended his wake last night to pay our last respect and his beloved wife, ninang zeny, was there to tell us what happened. ninong dante is just 57 years old and his passing really took us all by surprise.

i really feel sad... and i also feel guilty. i think i have shared here before that visiting wedding sponsors, particularly those we don't meet everyday, is a tradition jude and i have started since three years ago. but we missed this tradition last time and we were not able to visit ninong dante and his family last holiday season. the last time we've seen each other was december of 2007 and i promised to visit him again in the coming months as he'll teach us how to garden. he maintain a nice little garden in their house in ayala alabang, and he wanted us to have the same for our own house. i made promises but i broke them. i never had the chance to see and talk with my favorite ninong during his last days. it's only now that i realized that the time spent for people dear to us shouldn't be taken for granted.

one more realization i had over ninong dante's almost-sudden death is we should value our health as early as now (i already know this before but it's only now that i had that toink). ninong dante suffered from cirrhosis of the liver last december which eventually led to to his death. he drinks occasionally... could even describe it as very seldom... but it was his obesity that caused the disease. he was a hearty eater during his younger days and only changed his diet and lifestyle when he was already in his 50's. i take his death as a turning point to us to improve more our diet and lifestyle. gawd, i don't exercise anymore! but i am proud to say that our diet is better now than before. i serve more fish and vegetables in our dining table--even iñigo eats ampalaya. =D i buy more fruits and less of the junks. but still, we need to improve more which could mean no fats and sugar if possible.

sighs... we will miss ninong dante... especially me. it was me who chose him to be one of our wedding sponsors. i worked under him (his day job then was more like of a hobby for him) during my DTI days and we spent nights coming up with export analysis and finishing a box of pizza. =) to say that he is generous and kind is an understatement. together with his UP fraternity brothers, he established a foundation in his hometown in nueva ecija to fund the education of poor but intelligent students. he has the traits which could earn him a seat in the politics for he is known to be as mr. congeniality and mr. diplomacy. but for me, it was like i found another father in the office (they'll refer him as "tatay mo" for me =)). he gave me constructive criticisms and sound advices. i also felt comfortable confiding to him my family and love problems (wehehe). that's how close he was to me.

***

do i have the reason now to believe in omens? it's also last night that i remembered about the earthware i accidentally broke last week. ninong dante gave that to us last time we visited him and his wife. i know it's an antique (he's an antique-collector), or probably a memorabilia he found during his last trip to new zealand.

i refused to believe in omens... but i definitely feel bad when i realized that one of ninong dante's gift to our family is now gone...

just like him.

time-out scenes

time-out is our best armor right now in terms of disciplining iñigo. unlike before, he'd take it now more seriously and just hearing the threat, "i'll put you on a time-out again..." is enough for him to behave. although it usually works, there are still times when the kiddo is extra "naughty" and extra "assertive", which warrant me to put him on his time-out chair for a minute.

i already have a collection of anecdotes which happened during or after his time-out session at this start of the year and i'd say it's like a telenovela--all my emotions were stirred. haha.

scene 1

i forgot the reason behind his time-out but i know i was using the computer when this happened.

mommy: sit down on you chair... and don't play with your toys huh, you're for a time-out

iñigo: (sobbing) opo, mommy.

i left him in his room and went back to the computer and got myself too absorbed by the emails i was reading. i heard faint sounds from the other room but i ignored them thinking it must be iñigo again singing or just in his "talk and talk" mood.

but the kiddo... hinde na siguro nakatiis... walked out his room and approached me.

iñigo: mommy, finished na time-out?

the mommy simply forgot about him and his time-out session! bwahahaha.

i then remembered what i was hearing minutes before he walked into our room; he was like crying this: "mommy! time-out is finished!" over and over again. my poor son... to think that 10 minutes have already passed... hehe.

scene 2

i already put him on a time-out as he kept on playing with the food on his bwol despite my several warnings. he obliged and afterwhich asked him to finish his meal. but the kiddo was really makulit, he again started to pick and throw away the cookies from his bowl.

my patience was starting to wear out. but i managed to just tell with him, but with firm voice, "iñigo, stop that huh... i already told you many times not to play with your food as it's not good."

but the son went down from the dining chair and walked towards his room.

"okay, time-out again!", iñigo said with a casual voice.

no sweat for mommy! but wait... i was not asking him to have a time-out. he probably thought it's better to have a quiet moment in his time-out chair for a minute than to be nagged by mommy.

but, oh well, that did him good. =)

scene 3

this one is a drama scene. i didn't imagine my two-year-old son confronting me as early at his age. but i realized he probably got the idea from our small talks after the time-outs... i'd usually ask him, "let's have a talk, iñigo... why did mommy put you on a time-out?", and he'd usually give me the correct answer.

again, i couldn't exactly remember why i had to put him on a time-out. i recall he was insisting to do something alone, without mommy's help. but i opted not. i felt guilty with my decision to give him a time-out, i know my son was just trying to be independent... but then it already happened and i just had to learn my lesson.

iñigo: no time-out, mommy! (the kiddo was crying. he also probably felt that he didn't deserve the time-out)

mommy: no, sit down on your chair...  mommy will just tell you if your time-out is already finished.

fast forward...

mommy: okay, finished na ang time-out.

i decided to welcome him at the door of his room which i don't usually do. but i was still a few steps away when iñigo walked out crying...

iñigo: mommy, talk!

mommy: (puzzled, but was trying to suppress her laughter because of the little boy's facial expression). what?

iñigo: talk to iñigo! (he was in confrontational mood. gee... you should have seen his face--pang-famas!)

but i couldn't speak. i was already laughing. i was covering my mouth with my right hand to suppress my laughter but when i was already sure that i couldn't, i backed off and went to another room.

my son was just asking for us to talk about what happened, that's all... mahirap ba yun? hehe.

the infamous chair in the house--iñigo's time-out chair

 

meet our nanay...

nope, she's not my mom nor jude's. we're not even related by consanguinity nor law. it's just everyone in my old boarding house called her nanay, and so i adapted the same term of endearment for her when i came into the boarding house, and so did jude when he was already our regular patron. hehe.

we paid her a visit last week since we were already in the area and once again, my admiration to this 75 year-old woman was revived as she recounted the many things that have had happened to her since i left her house more than three years ago (i was with them for almost a year before jude and i got married).

she's one of the people who inspires me even until this day. her story is the typical rags-to-riches, but nanay as i know her would vehemently deny that she's rich. okay. she's not rich... she only has a 10-door apartment and several prime lots titles tucked under her belt and yes, she's not rich. it's because nanay, inspite of everything she has, lives a very simple life.

nanay of all =)

here's more on the qualities that i admire, and wish to emulate, about her:

nanay is hardworking. until now, nanay would wash and iron her own clothes. she'd tidy up her "part" of the house as she doesn't employ a househelp. nanay who only finished grade six (she doesn't mind telling this to all people she knows) was already used to a difficult life even during her early years. she stopped schooling and went on vending street foods to support her family; this was her life until she met her husband whom she bore five kids. they put a sari-sari store after the wedding and that was the start of her success.

and i must add... it's probably because of this lifestyle why nanay is still active and healthy until now. except for her hypertension, nanay has a clean bill of health. i read before that our body deteriorates once we started to retire... this i must say is true. =D

nanay is frugal and wise in spending. she's already happy with a tortang talong and rice for lunch. she doesn't have a car and the latest electronic appliances in her two-storey house as according to her, these things are not needed and would only require regular maintenance, which can also deplete savings. she wears daster at home and simple tunic blouses and pencil skirts during sundays. her daily source of amusement is watching wowowee and the mexicanovelas in the afternoon, that is if she's not in the parish church where she actively serves as a commentator.

i must explain: it's not because nanay is living like a miser... she just knows where to put her money.

but nanay knows when and how to be generous... =D i was still with them when nanay treated her family for a boracay trip. even i was inggit! hahaha. she also watches movie from time to time with some of her granddaughters. when birthdays come, nanay would invite all her close friends (most are neighbors) and treat them for dinner. she also helps the poor priests and seminarians in san carlos seminary by way of subsidizing their needs.

nanay has the financial wisdom and skills more than of an mba-graduate. jude was there when nanay recounted her first venture in real-estate business. it was like this: she bought a lot using her savings at 50k and re-sold it at 150k within one month. that was how nanay acquired her wealth. until now, nanay would trade on properties or lots but the value is no longer in thousands, but in millions.

but more than anything else, and inspite of what she already has, nanay remains humble and unassuming. she'd refer to her other neighbors as mayayaman, as if she has no right to say that for herself. when i'd kid her about her status, she'd gently admonish me and refutes the claim that she's rich.

because as she simply puts is, she's nothing but "blessed".

10 years in P&G

jude inside lisp's covered court

 

january 25, 2009 marked jude's tenth year in procter and gamble, phils., a toll manufacturing hub of procter and gamble (P&G) in the country and is based in light and industry science park 1 (LISP 1) in cabuyao, laguna.

P&G is jude's first job after graduation. nah, it didn't take him long to get a job... it's because he loved his course and alma mater so dearly that's why he took his sweet time to graduate from his undergraduate course, which is electronics and communications engineering (ECE). palusot... hehe. shortly after his graduation, he took the ECE board exam and passed it with flying colors (naks!)

jude holds the title "pollution control officer" of the company/plant for years now. and for three consecutive years, he's the elected president of the safety and pollution control officers association inside the park. (naks again!) oh btw, aside from these roles, he's also the environmental leader, fire protection system owner, and emergency management system owner of the plant. i've only come to know his multi-faceted roles when i updated his resume last year. dati pa kasi ako nahihilo sa trabaho n'ya... hahaha.

jude, together with his colleagues, in front of the plant's admin. office

 

but as the old adage goes, nothing in this world is constant except change. jude by next month will surrender his P&G ID and wear that of another company's. hmm... i've said enough for now... =)

but he will forever remain grateful to the company that trained him to what he is right now (okay, sounds so cliche), the seminars and training he had, the travel opportunities given to him, the perks and frills that go along with being a P&G employee, which reminds me, no more regular supply of ariel and/or tide, joy, downy, pantene, and safeguard for us...  and olay total effects for me during decembers--waaaaah!

jude proudly donning a fireman's suit in one of his fire protectection training

 

we are also grateful to the company as we acquired a car and a house and lot, and all were subsidized by the company in different means. =D

but for the last time, jude is grateful for the tenth year anniversary gift he received from the company...

bulova men's watch

binata na...

the kiddo would sometimes confuse us and make us believe that he's a grown-up trapped in a two-year-old's body.

go ahead mommy but i'll stay here and watch...

 

i'd better finish this fast before daddy looks for his burger...

(yup, sinalisihan ang tatay! =D)

 

"mommy, iñigo pol (fall) in line"

(okay, good, while i shop in the grocery. hehe)

 

"iñigo wear sandals and go to store"

(but with mommy of course)

 

and our favorite picture for the week... jude was saying he'll show this off to his officemates...

"shake-shake-shake!"

he's already peeing all by himself since the start of this year. he knows the drill... the drill taught by mommy (not the daddy), can you believe it? it's just simple... he'll pull down his bottom and put out his tweet-tweet, aims the target, and as he finishes he must shake first the tweet-tweet before pulling up his bottom so as not to wet it. so now, whenever i hear him say, "shake-shake-shake!" i know the son had been a good boy again and peed without asking mommy to assist him--wonderful!

i just hope this is also the case for the other one... but i know we'll get there... soon. =)

 

 

the song which i hope not to sing

i first heard of this song while i was watching eat bulaga last week. the singer, ms manilyn reynes, had to cut it short as she only sung it as a sample of her talent for a particular segment of the show. but boy... i was already moved! i promised myself to check the net if i have time for the lyrics and if possible, any video in you tube. i guess i'm lucky as there is a video.

here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM__4V0F3hA

the song is dedicated for the working moms particularly those working overseas. i am not a fan of manilyn reynes but i swear, there's something in her voice that made the song more sentimental, more heartfelt, and more tear-jerking. .

 

 

if you think your child is gifted...

i'd say read the article i copied from an internet site and pasted below.

Parents and their Children – you can feel confident.

First it is important to emphasise that a parent or parent's feelings about whether or not a child is gifted have been found by research to be the most reliable form of detecting a gifted child, other than by an IQ test.  I find that parents who contact me are often almost apologetic about daring to think that their child might be gifted. This is because there is a widespread stereotype in our community that parents have a greatly inflated opinion about their child's abilities.

However there is a definite distinction here.  When parents are bonding well with a baby or young child, they focus on, and are delighted by, each small new achievement or piece of progress which the baby or child makes. From the moment of the child's birth, they begin to enter partially into the amazing world of the development and growth of children, and in a way which can only happen if you are a parent or a very dedicated child psychologist, for the first time they begin to see the wonder and sheer astonishment of the details of learning and progress which the baby & young child makes.  They are fascinated with every detail of this process, as they well should be. It is one of the most amazing phenomena which takes place on our planet and one which not all the world’s technology can simulate to even the smallest extent.  So the parents talk about it.

Unfortunately any friends and outsiders who are not going through the same process of parenting, but are in the outside world of business, industry, work, and day-to-day living, don't have this wonderful insight. So they find the topic very boring and interpret the parents' talk as meaning that the parents have a ridiculously high opinion of their child's achievements.  In fact it is the world in general which has a ridiculously low appreciation of the almost inconceivable process that is taking place as a baby learns and progresses and grows into a child and eventually into an adult.

But the issue regarding gifted children is different.  In my experience, as human beings, most of us are not in reality over-confident and conceited, and most parents, while certainly thinking their children are wonderful, are if anything reluctant to begin to decide that their child may be gifted. So, if you think your child is gifted, you are probably right.

If you think your child is gifted, you need to begin to learn something about the issues of gifted children, and then to make some decisions and perhaps get some advice.  You can begin by reading all the information on this website, and on other links, sites and sources which this can direct you to.  One of the first decisions you may wonder about is whether or not to have an IQ assessment done for your child.

To Test or Not To Test:

If you believe your child is gifted, it's natural to want to have it confirmed, and to know exactly how gifted – you may feel confused or worried by the idea, and may well feel that the results of an IQ test would give you definite information, and some reassuring facts to work with – and depending on your circumstances this may well be true. Whether you should have your child tested or not is a matter of balancing three factors: the cost of the test, your child’s age which affects the accuracy of the test, and the extent of need for the exact IQ information which only the test can give you.

 

 

And to know if your child is indeed gifted, compare notes with this:

  Gifted children's behavior differs from that of their age-mates in the following ways: 

Many gifted children learn to read early, with better comprehension of the nuances of language. As much as half the gifted and talented population has learned to read before entering school. 

Gifted children often read widely, quickly, and intensely and have large vocabularies. 

Gifted children commonly learn basic skills better, more quickly, and with less practice. 

They are better able to construct and handle abstractions. 

They often pick up and interpret nonverbal cues and can draw inferences that other children need to have spelled out for them. 

They take less for granted, seeking the "hows" and "whys." 

They can work independently at an earlier age and can concentrate for longer periods. 

Their interests are both wildly eclectic and intensely focused. 

They often have seemingly boundless energy, which sometimes leads to a misdiagnosis of hyperactivity. 

They usually respond and relate well to parents, teachers, and other adults. They may prefer the company of older children and adults to that of their peers. 

They like to learn new things, are willing to examine the unusual, and are highly inquisitive. 

They tackle tasks and problems in a well-organized, goal-directed, and efficient manner. 

They exhibit an intrinsic motivation to learn, find out, or explore and are often very persistent. "I'd rather do it myself" is a common attitude.

the question now is: would you just shrug it off?

the sponge

iñigo is a "talker". he loves to talk and he talks a lot. there are only two instances when he is quiet, it's either he's asleep or he's in serious business with his play. for the rest of the day, he's talking. he was like a sports commentator as he'd keep us updated with whatever he's doing; and/or seeing around the house (even outside), or on the tv or dvd show he's watching. we are grateful though that he articulates even those smallest details he is into as even if we are busy with chores, we know what he is happening to our son. and of course, we are happy that our son's language skill is above average for his age. we are also glad that we can already converse with him sans the guessing game, making our life easier.

but there's one problem which we observe that comes along with his fast-developing language skills: he parrots every word he hears from us. i found myself stunned from time to time as i was like hearing myself thru him... "naku naman!"... "oh my god!"... "kasi naman"... "my goodness!" those are just some of my expressions. =P

one time he was calling his daddy to show something. he started with "daddy...", followed by "daddy... daddy!". but jude apparently did not hear him so he called him for the last time, "love! loooove! (with the tone as exactly as mine-demanding. hehe). it was a funny moment, but then it also made me pause and think, "shucks.. ganun nga ba ako tumawag kay jude?". nyahahaha.

but it was yesterday afternoon when jude and i promised to each other that we will guard ours word more carefully. iñigo was playing with his toys when one of these slipped from his hand.

"AWW, SHIT! the twactor (tractor) fall down.", he said.

both jude and i were in the sala where the kiddo was playing. our eyes met and both of us felt that one was accusing the other... yes, we're both guilty! hehe. but i was quick to pass on the blame,"uy, ikaw din yun, huh!". haha.

then another toy fell down from the sofa...

"OH, SHUCKS! the car fall down."

i nearly laughed. that's definitely me.

young minds are indeed like a sponge, so we now take the responsibility of filtering everything it will absorb. 

may god help us. =)

 

our 30-month old...

his name is inigo bus-ta-mante (with a twang), and he is now daddy and mommy's little buddy in the house.

he runs fast... talks a lot especially when in the mood... laughs and chants, "burger! burger! burger!" even for the smallest joke or antic... sighs with "my goodness" when reprimanded (harhar)... sings his favorite nursery rhymes, including the alphabet song, a lot... dances to any tune that catches his fancy... reads (or rather asks mommy to read) his favorite books often in a day until he already memorized the lines... wears his own clothes, socks and shoes... puts peanut butter or cheese spread in his sandwich... decides on critical issues in his life like how to eat his koko krunch cereal (with or without milk, depending on the time of the day)...

my goodness! we no longer have a baby... he's all grown up.

***

our little buddy also loves to take pictures, and has a collection of pictures of mommy's friends--most are his ninangs--who he asked to smile and pose for the camera, such as this one (his ninang joy/mommy's bestfriend)...

something to remind him that there'll always be a christmas gift every december... hehe.

 

 

puppy love?

the pictures were taken inside a pizza joint in caltex gas station along slex last weekend.

if you're the mom of the little girl... forgive us... but this is just for FUN. =D

"sshh... let's hide under the table so our parents won't see us."

"you're so cute... i'm going to marry you once i get older."

"mommy, mamamanhikan na kayo..." (mommy fell down from her seat)

iñigo, at two, has already an eye for cute or pretty little girls. it was jude who told me this and am just passing this info to you... yep, mas kunsintidor and tatay! he witnessed how iñigo who was contentedly looking at the neighborhood kids thru our front window forced his way out of our house to bike when he saw a mestiza-looking girl, who happens to be of his age, joined the playing kids.

this little girl lives a few meters only away from our house... someone to watch out for, don't you think?

 

 

retrospecting year 2008

last year was a year of accomplishments and failures, of good times and difficulties, of joys and woes... but as we have always said in our prayers, we thank the lord for all the things that happened this year, whether they are good or bad... each is considered a blessing. =)

1. our home sweet home was built

...and we moved in last may. though it's not yet finished (by my standard =P), there are some finishing touches (paint job, baluster for the porch, cornice touches, built-in cabinets for iñigo's room, fences, other kaek-ekan) that we still have to save for. but still, we're mighty proud of our house--our very first real-estate property!

 

2. the pregnancy that didn't progress

it was first week of march when i learned that jude and i were pregnant again. though we're not expecting that pregnancy, we were still overjoyed of the idea that a second baby is coming by end of 2008. but a miscarriage bursted our bubbles; i had my ultrasound on the 11th week and a blighted ovum (no embryo developed) was confirmed. initially, it was depressing, especially for me, but we were able to accept it in no time. after a month, god gave us one of the answers why it happened and i even took the miscarriage as a blessing in disguise. iñigo, inspite of his varicella vaccine, had chickenpox last june. and you know what this disease can do to a pregnant woman, which could be me, and to her developing fetus. meanwhile, iñigo was doing well and wasn't feeling sick, he didn't even get a fever. he was just scratching all the time. =)

3. family trips to malaysia and sagada (with la union as side trip)

inspite of the financial challenges we encountered last year, our family still managed to take a few trips. these were in malaysia (kuala lumpur, putrajaya, and malacca) and sagada and la union. my sss maternity benefits and a part of jude's bonus last october funded these trips respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

it was also last 2008 when iñigo had his first camping experience, which was in caliraya; and when we made a visita iglesia of the old churches in the remote towns of laguna.

4. the small business that we opened and closed.

i didn't mention it much here but we ventured into a food business in the first half of 2008. we named our store "bogzzi sizzling haus" with sizzling foods and goto as specialties. business was good in our first month of operation but the succeeding months coincided with the economic turmoil brought by skyrocketing rise of rice and fuel, and our sales went down, inluding the nearby shops (idamay daw ba? hehe). we also had a problem managing the business since we lost trusted helpers both in the store and in our house, while i cannot commit my time in tending the store as our house and son were all left under my charge... not to mention my job, which can also be sometimes demanding. i am not a superwoman so jude and i decided to close it.

5. the househelps that come and go

i remember making a lengthy post here about my sentiments on our househelps. it's enough to say that i really had a major headache when it comes to househelps and i hope that i won't have the same problem again this year... that if, we employ again a househelp. hehe.

6. a healthier and smarter little boy

"healthier" because unlike in 2007, iñigo never had any hospital confinement last year. except for the chickenpox, which i already mentioned, and a minor case of bronchitis last april, iñigo was well and active for the rest of 2008. it was me who was confined for three days in the hospital after i had a serious bleeding brought by my miscarriage and the d/c procedure, which followed afterwards.

there you go... the milestones and highlights of 2008 for us. we're optimistic that this year--2009--will be a better year for us, especially in the financial aspect... ehem... hehe. we are also looking forward to a few travels, one is already scheduled this march, but i hope there will be more... let's see na lang...

i'd also like to see a healthier and slimmer jude and marie this year... especially jude. haha!

...and if God wills, we will have our own baby girl na this year. *wishing* =D