ON MY 2ND TRIMESTER-MY BEST LIFE PARTNERS

Hello Blog!!!! It's been a while since I haven't posted anything here... I missed blogging...I have just recovered from being nauseated because of my upcoming "BUNSO'". We are very happy for having another beautiful gift from above.

Yes! I am Four months preganant and thank you Lord for I was able to get through my sensitive paglilihi...

I am thankful for my partners in life----My Husband - who pampers and understands me as I go through my difficult stage of being grumpy. My Mom - who took care of St. Thomas Montessori while I was so tamad for anything, and for giving in for my food cravings. My Nanang - who never ceases to prepare meals for me kahit hindi ako makakakain ng kahit ano... And my twins, my Dannie and Gabbie who is always there beside me following all my utos-my very independent girls who I can rely on..

I am now on my early second trimester, now more calmer and relaxed. Happier, in feeling my little one kicking inside my tummy. I am now enjoying my pregnancy and counting the days until I see my bunso... I got the best partners in life, what more can I ask for?

Ba'jo

*photo image from http://www.babycenter.com/

lazy morning...

I finally found time strolling around the mall, and this time I am satisfied with what I bought... A clean white sheet for only P 500 pesos and matched it with 50 peso pillow cases... Our room transformed into a hello kitty themed girl's room...sorry for my hubby, girls rule...

We woke up late this morning because we enjoyed cuddling in this white sheet with candy colored pillow cases...This is the best part of my everyday, waking up stress free with my family...Thank you so much, Lord!!!

TIME

It is true that you cannot give what you do not have. I do believe in this saying…and as a mother it is very important for us to keep this in mind...You might ask what makes me say so??? These past few days I have been very busy, with the moving up preparation of our Salingket daycare center, going to office every day, tending the twins and aside from that, planning and budgeting for our soon to open car wash near our area. I have been rushing recently every morning just to meet all the deadlines. I almost forgot that I should also have TIME for myself…

Most of us moms feel guilty of spending time alone, strolling or shopping, chatting with our girlfriends because we feel that we need to be with our family always. I need to be with them after work, after planning for the business, etc… but after the day is through, I find myself giving my kids my time but not the quality that they need. I am present but I am not involved, thus giving them my superficial attention. I realized that I missed out one important point. That is to have time for myself… to rejuvenate from the tired weeks that passed, to keep myself healthy, and to go out so that I may be able to tell and share more stories with them… Sometimes it’s ok to be lazy and just to giggle with them… Sometimes, it is ok to forget about tomorrow and enjoy what we have today… We cannot give our family the time that we need if we cannot give it to ourselves… So, to all mothers out there, we also have our own individual life, so go out and get a foot spa that you deserve…ciao!

moving up

Time really flies so fast, we had our recognition/ moving up for our salingket daycare center. This is our first and very memorable occasion for us.. I am not a pro in making avp's , but I am pretty sure that I put my heart and creativity to it..After long nights of compiling the highlights of our efforts, this is the snippet of how salingket came to be... My mom's passion..my dwelling..our Pride....All for the Glory of God.

MISSING PIECE

In my growing years, I have always been astonished by families who go to church on Sunday and kiss each other as a sign of peace during mass.. Until now, I have always been touched during weddings as the bride marches to the altar to meet the groom, and a debutant on her last dance with a man so called “father”...I have been blessed all my life but I haven’t felt the true meaning of the word. This has been the missing piece in our life…

I can still remember when I was 10 years old when my dad left for the states to work. I’m really not close to him but I can still remember the short time I, and my brother had with him. For some reasons, our parents’ marriage didn’t work out. Since then, our father didn’t communicate with us anymore. My mom tread paths of raising me and my brother.. I felt anger and hatred at time because at our age that is the only feeling you need to have in order not to pain. I have lots of questions which in my young mind cannot contain. My brother and I grew up anticipating that somehow there will come a time to have a glimpse of dad… This never came…

The hoping years ended, and came the acceptance that it will not come anymore..

As years passed, mom reaped the fruits of her labor of being a single parent. We have our own families now, and where we are now is because of her.. She taught us to be strong and not to become a victim of any painful circumstances. She had perfectly filled the missing piece.. Time really heals, and as it passes, the thought and the hope of seeing or hearing dad didn’t even cross my mind..

Until August 2007 came.. I was assigned to go to US for an event. With that, I took the chance of searching for my dad. I went to Los Angeles with my cousins to search for him. I had mixed feelings. I am afraid that another rejection would relive my anger again. I don’t know the words which I have to say, a lot of things running my mind and I am continuously praying that at least he may have the guts to acknowledge me.

August 19, 2007 the plane American Airlines touched down LAX. Straight from the airport, we took a long drive to Lancaster. Mile per mile my heart is pounding faster and faster. I can’t seem to find a perfect sitting position as my cousin norjelyn drives. After two hours or so, we finally reached Lancaster. This is his place. It was a house at the corner of the street. I still can’t believe that it is happening.. my hands are sweating as my cousin parked at the front of his house. I prodded myself heavily as we come near the door of their house. This will end my years of anticipation.. I just wanted to have a glimpse of him.. Norjelyn knock into the door as I sit on the bench outside the door. A man opened the door and asked her to come in. It was him. He was ultimately shocked to see me.. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel anything. He was a complete stranger to me except for the fact that his face, hands, feet resembles mine. He welcomed us and introduced us to his partner..” ma, si nor, si ica, atsaka si JO.., Jo Kristine”. I don’t want to reveal any of my emotions but I finally heard my name from the man who gave it to me. It was a complete silence while we were on his house.. It was hard to bridge the long gap. I can’t even look into his eyes and ask him how he is. It was already late so we decided to stay overnight.

The next morning, he prepared breakfast for us. Both of us can’t find the right topic to even start a conversation. After eating, my cousin and I went to the room and I asked them that I wanted to talk to dad. I will never let this opportunity pass..

He was in the kitchen washing the dishes when I approached him. .It was this time that I have seen him this close and face to face. The lines on his face, the thinning hair and his teeth were a clear sign that he has grown old since the last time that I have been face to face with him when I was ten years old.. I broke the silence as I told him “ daddy, pwede ba kitang yakapin?” The stranger who opened the door when I came in broke down into tears, embraced me so tightly and said, “ anak patawarin nyo ako..” words that I have been longing to hear all my life.. with so many questions and so little time, the only thing that came in my mind is to ask him ” naalala mo pa ba kami ni osep?, twenty years na hindi tayo nag usap, baka hindi mo na kami kilala, kinalimutan mo na kami” . His voice breaks as he said, “ walang araw ng buhay ko na nawala kayo ni osep dito sa puso ko.” I broke down and felt his words sincerely.. There were a lot of questions unanswered, but these were his words that I am now holding on all the days of my life since I came to see him.. I know that my dad had a lot of hard times and pain, much more than what we had when he left us.. I don’t know if I will ever see or talk to him again. Only God knows. I talk to him in prayer where no boundaries can hinder. We have different lives now… but the words that he said are enough to say that I have found the missing piece in my life..

YOUNG AT HEART

It's our Nanang Orang’s 80th birthday.. It is very easy for me to find descriptive words to tell who nanang is and why is she so special to our family…

Our nanang is one of the not so famous people in this world that I admire..She is an epitome of a woman with joy and gladness in her heart. Every morning when she wakes up, she would prepare the hot water while whistling to her favorite tune..She never goes tired of making milk for my twins and coffee for me every single day.. At her age, she can still take care of our meals and prepare it lovingly..I hardly seen her being grumpy and complain about anything..She just enjoys every day that she is with us and she always hold on to happy thoughts and always proud of her pamangkins and apos here in the Philippines and in Dubai.. I am very blessed because at my age, my mom, my kids and my husband can still experience her love and devotion to us..

Orang, short for Maura is the sister of Tatay Freddie, my mommy’s father..Matandang dalaga ang aming Lola same with her two older sisters who passed away already.. She, and her two sisters were the ones who raised my mom and her siblings..

She is now 80 years old but she doesn’t look her age..she still wears a striking nail polish and dangling earrings whenever she wants..she laughs and always find something to be happy about...Sometimes when something worries me, she would always give the best advice,” may awa ang Poon…” Nothing worries her meek spirit because she firmly believes this..

Nanang is now 80 years old, her body gets old but not her young spirit..Every night I pray for more strength and health for our nanang, more coffee, more sumptuous and loving dishes to serve, more pocket books to read, more stories and laughter to share, more life and good health… We love you our dear nanang, our gratitude to you will forever be..

MY DANNIE AND GABBIE

This is my Dannie and Gabbie performing on stage at Montessori de sto nino. It's so amazing to see that they are now growing up smart. My heart leaps whenever I see them on stage..

disheartened

Al Jazeera English - Asia-Pacific - Witness: 'We just followed orders'.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/11/2009112654959580381.html

I haven't updated my blog for about a month now because of my busy schedule but, the news break about the Maguindanao massacre really dampened my spirit which I need to share in my blog. It is disheartening to realize that there are a lot of people now without conscience, no human spirit...they consider themselves most powerful and they are willing to trade lives for their hunger for power. Up to now I still can't believe of the gruesome incident that had happened. This is now the world and the country that we live in, it is so depressing...I pray that the victims will be given justice if not in this life, definitely on the next.Let us pray for our country especially for those who hold position in the government.

I got a link of the news exclusive interview of a witness..an eye opener.

PMS What is it???

I think this is one of the important things any guy and every husband should know about----PMS - Pre Menstrual Syndrome.. Every month, I am not spared of experiencing this syndrome. Aside from having my migrane which leads to vomitting, and disminorrhea, It is a point in my life that I feel very depressed, irritable, impatient. I feel that I am worthless and life seems gloomy. At times, I cannot even control my temper and emotions.. Sometimes, I even think I am nuts because of this unusual behavior, and this is one of the culprit, PMS!

What is PMS? Here's one of my research:

Premenstrual Syndrome: PMS is a disorder characterized by a set of hormonal changes that trigger disruptive symptoms in a significant number of women for up to two weeks prior to menstruation. Of the estimated 40 million suffers, more than 5 million require medical treatment for marked mood and behavioral changes. Often symptoms tend to taper off with menstruation and women remain symptom-free until the two weeks or so prior to the next menstrual period. These regularly recurring symptoms from ovulation until menses typify PMS, premenstrual syndrome.

Characteristics:

Over 150 symptoms have been attributed to PMS. After complaints of feeling "out-of-control", anxious, depressed and having uncontrollable crying spells, the most common complaints are headache and fatigue. But symptoms may vary from month to month and there may even be symptom-free months. No women present with all the PMS symptoms. Characteristically symptoms may be both physical and emotional. They may include physical symptoms as headache, migraine, fluid retention, fatigue, constipation, painful joints, backache, abdominal cramping, heart palpitations and weight gain. Emotional and behavioral changes may include anxiety, depression, irritability, panic attacks, tension,lack of co-ordination, decreased work or social performance and altered libido.

So women need not feel that they are going crazy for these two weeks every month. They are experiencing an exaggeration of normal function. PMS IS REAL--

So, guys and Husbands I hope that you will find patience and understanding to your partner during this period. I tell you it's not easy. You just have to be quiet and let time pass until these hormones regulate...hehehe....Ba'jo

BREEZE

Time really flies so fast. I woke up this morning and I can already feel the christmas breeze. Christmas carols are now starting to play in the air, and decorations are already out in the market. Set designs of our studios in GMA are now filled with christmas shades. I have lots of plans this season. I'm planning to go to Divisoria before the start of December and buy materials for my personalized gifts for the holidays. I hope to make it this time because every year I am always part of the Christmas rush. I wanted also to do a general cleaning and do the house make over.. I want to organize, together with salingket kids, a christmas party in an orphange or charitable institution to share some of our blessings and to impart to them the joy of giving..I'm not sure if I can make all these plans that is why I am putting it in writing, it will be my reminder..

BATIBOT

pagmulat ng mata,
langit nakatawa
sa batibot,
sa batibot
tayo nang magpunta
tuklasin sa batibot
ang tuwa, ang saya
doon sa batibot
tayo na, tayo na
mga bata sa batibot
maliksi, masigla. (2x)
dali, sundan natin
ang ngiti ng araw
doon sa batibot (2x)
tayo nang magpunta
tuklasin sa batibot
ang tuwa, ang saya
doon sa batibot
tayo na, tayo na
mga bata sa batibot
maliksi, masigla. (2x)

I am pretty much sure that anyone of my age is singing this song in mind while reading it.. Who would forget Batibot? This is a daily routine of any Filipino child, decades ago...It was when there were only five channels to choose from, and every pinoy child is glued to the tv screens around 9am in the morning..

I can still remember when me and my brother would watch for the colorful puppets Pong pagong, Kiko matsing, Manang bola, ate Ningning and Gingging, irma daldal, kapitan basa... we would always wait for the stories of kuya Bodgie and advice of ate Sienna for the kids..Who would forget manang bola and her perlas na bilog huwag tutulog tulog...isdadada isda, Ako ay kapitbahay, kapitbahay nyo laging handang tumulong sa inyo..bangkang papel, alagang alaga namin si puti, telepono telepono kay daling gamitin..

I still have vivid memories of Batibot,especially their uplifting songs which they have instilled in my young thoughts..It talks about simple things which any child of that time could relate. It is about innocence, friendship, and hope. I believe that it played a great role in our generation..Until now, I always sing their songs to my twins and tell stories of the characters.

It was sad to know that the sprout of cable shows from Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, the newer children’s show of local stations and the licensing problems swept Batibot from its regular airing.. I really wish that it will be aired again soon and hoping that it will be in our KAPUSO network, GMA 7.

a happy tip

I Love reading books of Andrew Matthews.Some of his works are: Being Happy, Follow your Heart and Happiness now.It tells about coping through life's difficulties, real instances and how to get over it. Here's some of his tips that is very true and should be applied on our day to day activities:

"YOU GET MORE OF WHAT YOU DWELL UPON" - when you are thankful to God for what you have- for the friends you have, and for the good things you got-you attract more good people and good things.

People who always complain about what they don't have, stay stuck. Complainers attract more things to complain about..

Just be happy with what you have now and more will come to you.. Everytime you say a silent word "thank you" to our Creator you become more peaceful and powerful.

This is a helpful tip especially if we have a bad day. I even post this saying on my signature emails. :)

OUR OUTREACH

outreach

nanang preparing for the repacking

twins helping to prepare the stubs

emon distributing the goods

sack of clothes that we solicited

They came one at a time

packs of goods already loaded

this is ruel and his daughter, husband of our helper years ago

This morning, my husband and I had our own outreach for the people in Northville, Lambakin, Marilao who are greatly affected by the typhoon Ondoy. This is our way of thanking our Creator for blessing us and keeping us safe.. I cannot also ignore the people from our community yearning for help..

Yesterday, we bought some canned goods and noodles at the grocery store nearby. I prepared 100 stubs so that everything will be in order, and emon personally distributed it to the houses of the affected families in the area... I also went to my Tita bubot's house to solicit their old clothes. It was a team activity of our family..My nanang and emon did the repacking of the goods while The twins and manang our helper did the repacking of the clothes..We ended just in time for our dinner..

Everything went well.. The smiles and the salamat po of the people coming are enough fulfillment for our efforts..

kapuso foundation and gma artist center

our team with vice mayor, councilor, and kapuso artists

artist center pips

with councilor shalani and my haggard look,hehehe

crowd

the crowd

truck of relief goods

This is a day worth remembering...thousands of typhoon victims from Polo, Valenzuela.. Artistas, Staff, friends with only one goal..to Help...

My eve of Ondoy's onslaught

It's an ordinary friday for me last September 25, 2009. I did my usual routine of waking up the twins, dressing them up for school and going to the office. I was tasked to go to Makati that day with our admin manager to observe a research for the primetime shows and artists of our network. After office, my friends and I will be going to a surprise birthday treat of our friend angie... We went to Manila Pavillion Hotel to watch Marissa Sanchez' show... Right after, we were really surprised because our next destination is... Manila Yacht Club.. It was a couple's night out, we went out with our husbands and were really excited, for it is the first time that were going to ride a yacht.. Rain is outpouring while we are sailing along Manila Bay going to the yacht.. We had so much fun that night while it is raining, we didn't bother, we didn't even know that there is a typhoon..Right after our ride, we went to Cafe Adriatico to eat lugaw to feed our empty stomach.. then we went home...

I was supposed to post our escapade last Saturday and was excited to upload the pictures of our adventure until Ondoy came..This post should be about the fun and the adventure that we had that time..Now I have to write it on a different note, the incident and the experience had hit me..I together with my friends who are also parents of young children, were to close to become the victims...We were at Manila Bay hours before its onslaught..The roads and the places that we passed hours ago were totally devastated.. I haven't uttered any word except, "thank You, Lord" for sparing me, my husband and my friends..

I cannot clearly describe how i feel until now...God is the only one in control of our lives.. and whatever blessings and any condition that we have been spared, we should acknowledge him..He made a point, and that bacame clear thru this calamity..This is the only way I can think of thanking HIM, to help those who are still left in the dark in my own little way, in whatever manner it may be...

-ba'jo^

knock, knock...

It was already 4am when my husband and i got home from a birthday celebration of our friend.. Since then the rain hasn't stopped..When i woke up i saw the dark clouds and heavy rains outside our window but didnt bother, I just thought that this typhoon will leave anytime soon..I then took our usual afternoon nap with my twins..Emon prepared lugaw for our merienda. While he's cooking, someone came knocking at our door..It was Indang's family, our helper years ago.. with her 4 year old daughter,two nieces,and her neighbor with a 3 year old boy..their clothes soaking wet, bodies chilling and starving for food..They came to ask for help because their house and all their belongings were literally washed out by flood..She told their struggle of how they left their town and save their lives.They went to the barangay and evacuation centers but unfortunately it was already crowded until they thought of coming to us..Raymond immediately served them with lugaw that he cooked, gave them clothes and prepared the bed for them to rest and sleep..We gave the children milk and biscuits..


I had a sudden mix of feelings this time..I was guilty of complaining all day because there was no electricity, i havent charged my laptop to access my facebook,i couldnt play farmville, had a bad network signal of smart, and i haven't had enough sleep..I felt bad because Im whining over these petty things while other families are struggling for their lives, lost all their belongings and clueless how will they start another day..It was then that I realized that I have so many things to be thankful for..I thank God that all of my loved ones and friends are safe.. More than that, there was a feeling of fulfillment for the capacity to help and extend a hand for other people in need..I pray for the victims of this typhoon..These too shall pass..

The foundation

These are our core values, vision, and mission...painted inside our classroom wall...Our foundation,desire,dedication...Let your child experience SALINGKET...your child's first step to the big leap..

one brave girl

This is a one lazy saturday for me and my twins, we woke up around 9am and go straight to the dentist for gabbie's pulpectomy session(root canal). I admire her for such a brave girl opening her mouth on the dental chair.. This is our weekend routine because she needs to see her dentist regularly to avoid of her toothaches.. We have been doing this for almost a year because her dentist doesn't want to extract her tooth at an early stage. This might bring her trauma in her next few visits to the dentist.. Because of my admiration of her bravery I couldn't help myself but to reward her for her character.. this time, she got dunkin donuts with icy choco which she shared with her ate dannie, kuya andrei, twins ate tania and toni..

MY BIRTHDAY BASH

friends since grade three with rhian

dannie and tita ninang

kikay, gabbie, and tita ninang

divine daldal

just the start

our nanang and krystal

the extrovert band

the gwapings and rhian

mga kapuso friends

legaspi's

It's past six days but I still haven't gotten over my birthday celebration last Saturday. It was really a bash that day because my husband and i prepared something extraordinary for our friends neighbors and our relatives.. As hours passed, my husband prepared the food, the chairs and tables, the drinks, the tent, the sound system, and the platform..yes! platform. we created a mini stage for the street party celebration.

Despite heavy rains, our guests were coming in, around seven in the evening...the buffet table was ready with lechon, steak ala pobre, lengua, pancit canton, shrimp, rice...puto on it. the extrovert band started playing while the guests were having dinner. Krystal Reyes, my anak anakan, also a child actress in GMA and Rhian Ramos surprised me in gracing my party.. Drinks were served as the guests started to party and bursting out with laughter because of my stand up comedian and a very good friend, Divine Daldal..Our relatives, friends, and colleagues from GMA started dancing as we partied all night long..

This is a very memorable birthday for me because I have gathered most of my friends and neighbors who are close to our family. More than just the celebration, my wish of somehow having a live band for my occasion was fulfilled. The music, the laughter and the gathering are more than enough gift for my special day.

EFFORTS

09.09.09 This is a stormy birthday for me...My husband dressed the twins and they went off to school. He didn't bother waking me up for my special day... The weather is so cold that I didn't even notice that they left.. I was still under my blanket and cuddling my pillows.. When I woke up, I read my mobile phone with 23 unread messages greeting me a very happy birthday...

I get off the bed and was surprised to see a gift from my hubby outside our room..It was wrapped in a pink wrapper and with a message on it. I was touched by his gesture because I know that it is an effort for him going to the mall and such an effort also picking a gift, having it wrapped and placing a message on it because he is not the type who loves to do such things. But surprisingly, he did and I am very happy... When I get down the stairs, I saw the white board of my twins with messages on it also. I noticed that my tears shed out of joy...I was walking outside and my nanang greeted, smiled and hugged me...I opened my facebook account and a lot of greetings were also there...My family from Dubai and my brother osep called to say that they remembered me on my day.. These are what birthdays are all about.. being able to see our worth..being able to feel that we are truly appreciated.

At this point in my life, I am very blessed to have a loving family who values me more than anything, a good health, a circle of true friends, a career, a growing business...I couln't ask for anything more...More than anything, I thank God for everything he keeps pouring my life...