The Christmas That Was

"Santa" had to do a last minute trip to the mall just to be able to buy the kids' christmas wish...she even asked for a second choice if ever there was none, coz the game that the lil boy was asking was always out of stock. But "Santa" was lucky that day, was able to find both wish. It was 9 minutes before 12 when the lil boy came downstairs to check on the tree and found his wish card gone...it was a sight to behold when he found his wish under the tree...with all innocence, he was jumping with joy, first thanking Santa, then thanking the Lord...he is such a kid at 10 years old...

"Santa" granted my wish too...*jumping with joy*...but mine has green straps

Chistmas Day is usually spent attending family reunions. First stop: in-laws house...I cooked Pancit Molo for them, a specialty I learned from my Mom...Second stop: Auntie Glo's house...cooked lemon butter prawns for them...this year my aunt and uncle from the province spent Christmas with us, coz one of my Dad's sisters arrived from the States(her first time in 20 years)...

seated l-r: Auntie Glo, Auntie Trining, my Mom, Auntie Telly(aunties are dad's sisters) and cousin Aleli. Standing l-r: me, Uncle Ben, Uncle Nonoy (dad's bro), Uncle Sol...this pic was taken the day they (Auntie Telly & Uncle Sol) arrived the Philippines.

Third stop: movie house...it has been our tradition to watch a movie every Christmas Day. This year they opted to watch Mulawin instead of a Vic Sotto film which we usually do...they still like to watch it though, so we might catch it before the MMFF is over...

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To All...

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Anything Under the Sun

It's really hard to put things together when you've set aside blogging for a while, there's so much to say and yet so hard to gather all the thoughts, the others even forgotten already. I been reminding myself time and again not to go on hiatus or semi-hiatus for that matter. I guess that will be one of my New Year's Resolution...even if how busy I am, i have to find time and sit in front of the computer even for a line or two =)

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Anyhoo, the kids are off from school already and that means less internet time for me (grrrrr). Josh uses my laptop all the time and i'm not used to using the IMac, darn! Today as promised, I brought them to Ace Water Spa, and they had a great time. Lucky us coz we were able to avail of their buy 1 take 1, so the kids get another 4 free hours to be used maybe in a day or two.

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I've gotten some of my wishlist for year 2005 (photo finish). My brother-in-law arrived from the States and brought not just one but two knee length boots, it's pretty cool...my daughter went gaga over it and intends to wear it Christmas Day. She's fashionable, and whenever i think of buying some stuffs, I ask for her approval or rather I ask her first whether she likes it or not, and if she doesn't, i'm having second thoughts all of a sudden.

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I might be able to get my ultimate wish too for year 2005 *keeping fingers crossed*...A GUCCI BAG! Wahoo! I went to the Gucci Shop in Greenbelt this afternoon. Nope, they didn't have the bag i had in mind, but hopefully it will arrive either tomorrow or Thursday, so i need to be at their shop first thing in the morning on Friday...*still keeping fingers crossed*. I had a few choices though but couldn't make up my mind, so the sales clerk suggested that i really have to wait til their Cruise Collection arrives...oh well =)

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Today is our last belly dancing session for year 2005...and we're ending it with a blast! Blast, meaning PICTURES!

posing before the camera is a lot of fun...heehee...with Des and Teacher Gladys who have become our friends

We are the ever faithful students of Teacher Gladys, rain or shine =) And this is what we've become now...PRO Belly Dancers(only in pix)...geez...why am I ever so confident...haha

ooopppsss, what happened to the third lady...*points at Cuz* You owe us one GIRL...UNFAIR!

Des, Avi(one of our classmates), Regine Tolentino(studio owner), Cuz, Me, and Teacher Gladys
***the others didn't like to have their pictures taken and some were absent***

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Soo Little Time

Soooo much to do, but soooo little time...yes i've been very busy the past days to the point of neglecting my blog. I've been working on the signature guest book ( a freebie) of our clients, so far i've done two already for the past three days, sleeping at the wee hours of the morning. Nope, dilly dally is not it, it's just that our two weddings coming up have couples based in France and the USA, so they had their pre-nuptial shoot a couple of days back.

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I'm not done with Christmas shopping, presents for the adults that is. I'm done with the kids, thank God. I wonder if i'll have the time to do it since December is really a busy month for us. June used to be the marrying month right? but not anymore, for the past 6 years or so that we have been in the wedding biz, December it is.

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I've been hitting the road for the past 17 years, and would you believe i haven't driven the whole stretch of North Diversion, not until Friday of last week. Funny how i was able to drive in the States (Maryland to Philidelphia) and not drive either NLEX or the South Super Highway. Anyhoo, i was able to drive the whole stretch on NLEX in a little over an hour at a constant speed of 110 kph, could have been an hour or less, but half of the viaduct allows 1 lane only...darn!

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For those of you wondering where Cuz is, she is alive and kicking. It's just that Kuya Rey (husband) was hospitalized for 6 days for severe cough (asthma maybe?) and had his general check-up too. Now her puter has gone kaput...bad timing huh! So i guess that's about it...sorry for the marathon entry...

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Marked Down Not

Would you believe I got all these for only P1,500? Yeah, I'm not kidding! Call me cheap, who cares...but i like it very much. Knowing my love for shoes and bags which I sometimes get to wear once or twice, not bad eh? And besides, this fad won't last long, so i might as well not invest...right decision...yay!

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I finally got my Starbucks Planner, wahoo!

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Free Movie Premier Tickets

We had a client call today at Rockwell, and our client happened to be one of the sponsors of the movie In Her Shoes, and they gave us free tickets. It was simply a wonderful film, as one critic puts it, it'll make you cry and laugh in equal measure. Yep, i cried and laugh, and was kinda pissed off too. I just don't understand why some id**ts can't keep their mouths shut during the movie that Nelson had to remind them that we were watching a movie. *sigh*

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One To Go

To date, i only have to drink one red cup and i'm gonna have my starbucks planner...yay! But the planner is not as cool as last year's which was really beautiful...but nontheless i still want it. What for? I dunno! Honestly, i wasn't really able to make full use of last year's planner. But this time, i'm thinking of using it...you know, like write all my entries in the blog instead of printing it, that way i have a hard copy in case something happens to blogger or something (i hope not).

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Josh is turning 10 on the 15th, and guess what? He told us over dinner that he also wants to hire the "fat guy" (Austin from the Bernie Pasamba Strings). He also wants to have a birthday cake and make 10 01. He's soooo like his Dad in so many ways, or should I say he copies his Dad more than anything else.

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Togetherness

ooopsss...looks like i'm lost here...trying to copy the teacher's moves...

When CUZ unexpectedly found 500 bucks in her pocket right after our belly dancing session, I demanded a treat from her. So off we went to Seattle's Best with new found friends Teacher Gladys and Dez. Too bad Cuz had to leave ahead of us coz she was picking up Kuya Rey at Metro Walk. We stayed for a lil while, stories here and there that we didn't notice the time...until next time girls!...hope to do this more often with you!

me, cuz, teacher gladys & dez

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Back to Belly

I miss belly dancing all right...naaahhhhh, i miss it real bad...and i realized it just today. After being away from belly dancing for 2 months (i dunno why), I decided to go back...still had my form (hehe) considering that we have a new belly instructor, therefore a different style, and a new schedule. Oh it feels good, i feel more relaxed now, body aches were lessened, and i hope i get back into shape...got a lil beer belly you know *winks*

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Formal Introduction

He has learned a few obedience commands now like Assis (ah-see) for Sit, Coucher (coo-shay) for Down, Jump and Fetch. He has yet to learn the French command for Jump (Saute - soot), Fetch (Rapporte - aport) and Stand (Debout - da-boo). Yeah, i patiently trained him to the point of giving up coz he is really super duper stubborn. And he is now toilet trained...we bring him out to poop and to pee...yay!

P.S. Thanks CUZ for inspiring me to once again do some artworks using Photoshop.

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Happy Once More

We already got the report cards of the kids...and once again they did well. Josh was in the honor roll for english and chinese...Isha had impressive grades too but didn't make it to the honor roll this grading...Study harder Ish, i know you can make it =)

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We watched Harry Potter last Saturday...once again Josh was up with his usual uncollected remarks..."Hey Mom, I can tell that this girl (one who collects tickets at the entrance) wears fake skin." Yes, he said it in front of the girl...good thing she just laughed it off. Fake skin to him is stockings...nope he isn't familiar with stockings (black) coz nobody uses it at home...

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Went to Divisoria today to buy some stuffs for Christmas...the kids gave me a long list of names...Geez, there were a lot of people this early huh (or am i already late in buying christmas gifts?) This is usually the place i go to when i buy stuffs for birthday giveaways, christmas gifts for kids, etc. They have a wide variety of selections. This time i bought cute hardbound magnetic notebooks, at a very reasonable price...

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Happy Birthday Sweet!

What is a Husband?

A husband is a man
you really like - and really love.
He's the closest friend
you've ever had.
His smile can make you smile,
and just his being there
can cheer you up,
no matter what goes wrong.
A husband is that special man
who shares your dreams
and helps them to come true.
He gives the special meaning
to that beautiful word - together.


The birthday boy who turned not 04 but the big 4-0...it was celebrated at The Century Seafood Restaurant...music was provided by The Bernie Pasamba String Ensemble, with Jenny and Austin rendering 4 of Nelson's favorite songs...All I Ask of You, Amigos Para Siempre, Nella Fantasia and Con Te Partiro...this really made his day...

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What Do You Think?

I've been spending a lot of time on picking the right colors...it's really hard, with all the nice colors around, I wonder which one will we choose? I've more colors in mind, but it's really tiring doing it...hope to be able to come up with the right colors before they start on the painting job...i'm open to suggestions...help me please?

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Twister Fries Too

Isha decided to have her hair permed too, so I brought her to Salon de Manila last Saturday to have her hair done. Everyone liked it, she was getting stares here, there, and everywhere...my nanny even overheard a group of girls saying that she was a beautiful girl...but not today...she came home crying because of those envious girls in her class, she was told straight to her face that she looked like a witch, can you imagine that? And my poor lil girl just couldn't handle it, thus she came home crying. What touched me was the concern of her bro Josh...yeah they're like cats and dogs at home...always fighting, always picking at each other, when they're home we seldom have peace and quiet. But when Josh saw her crying, he immediately came to her and asked her what was wrong, and that touched me to the core. It was a very touching scene...coz sometimes it gets to a point of frustration, it seems like they don't love each other coz they always fight...but hey, Josh will always come to the defense of his sister, and that is simply G-R-E-A-T!

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PrettyInPink

Yipee!!! this is what i got from Cuz when she got back from Singapore, a pink silicone skin for my smartphone and a pink wallet. Thank you cuz! I love you! Mwah...

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Look! Twister Fries

"Waaaaahhhhh! you're not my Mom...Atch look, twister fries", said Josh. He didn't know that I had my hair permed earlier today. No, he doesn't go for curly hair, so when I decided to have it permed, Nelson asked me if Josh knew. Of course I wouldn't be telling, coz he'll get in my way...haha! Now he keeps on pulling my hair down, he really hates curls...he wants my hair long and straight, just like in the shampoo commercial...and he has this hobby of always touching my hair when I drive...but now it's gone, instead he's got "twister fries."

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The Beautiful VIGAN

We really didn't have any plans of going to Vigan, but since it was just a 45-minute drive from Candon, Ilocos Sur where we had a wedding coverage, we decided at the last minute to go and check out the place. It is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l! No wonder it is included in the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST. We're definitely going back there, and I hope it's soon, we only had 1 hour to explore VIGAN...to bad =(

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The Birthday Girl

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Thank You

Dear Leigh,

I finally got the stuffs I asked you to buy for me thru Mina. I really appreciate your effort in finding those things. I know you are a very busy gurl, even to the point of not updating your journal because of so much work, but you still found time giving in to my requests. With that I can never thank you enough.

brushes specifically for nail art...i have more reasons to go into one of my passions...NailArt

i love all the colors...it's really cool...maybe from now on, nobody would mistake me for a YAYA, teehee!

A trinket made in India, it's beautiful and one of a kind

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Trick Or Treat

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

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Oh Where, Oh Where?

boooo...boooo...anybody home? yooohooo...

Our home is never the same without the kids...they are spending the night at my in-laws. It's oh sooooo quiet here...

I miss their kisses whenever I get home, I miss Isha's "hello Mommy" and Josh's "Hi Mom", I miss their "mano" (yeah I am old-fashioned, aside from the kiss, i want the "mano" to follow)

I miss hugging them, and them hugging me back...I miss our small talks...I miss hearing them fight over nothing/petty things...I miss everything about them.



I miss Josh sitting in front of my laptop, playing his favorite online game...but on second thought...YES, oh YES, i have my laptop all to myself, i don't need to wait hours and hours...

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Just Maybe

Went to my kids' school today to watch the Singing Contest in Chinese. Both of them joined. As a proud and eager Mom, i went to take pictures. Then somebody held me by the arm (a bit tight) and pushed me a little, pointing to a spot where I should stay. Fine, I followed her so as not to create a scene. But right after the turn of my daughter's class, i went up straight to her.

Me: Next time, you can say it in a nice way without holding my arm and pushing me.
Her: No, no, you misunderstand, you cannot take picture there.
Me: I don't think so, I saw some parents earlier taking pictures there, so i just followed suit.
Her: (patting my shoulders) Oh sorry, sorry you misunderstand.
Me: You see that Mother taking pictures? You go do the same!

Just maybe, she thought I was a Nanny. I was in Jeans, Tee and flipflops (read:havaianas or rubber slippers to her) and it was a bad hair day (read: ponytail). But nevertheless, she shouldn't be doing that. I have been hearing a lot about that Elementary Chinese Supervisor. She is a MEAN FREAK! She TERRORIZES the students. She thinks she gains respect with what she is doing. I for one was a witness to that. She goes to the students, scold them (with her big round black eye-lined eyes) as if she's gonna eat them. But right after she turns her back, the students make faces, laugh at her and God knows what else. By the way, she is referred to a BLACK EYED SUSAN! I am planning to write the school's admin about it. If she was able to do that to me, what more to the students who are way way younger than me and helpless. Anyways...

Isha's class won 2nd Place (Grade Six Level)

Josh's Class won 1st Place (Grade Four Level)

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