Ofc na. Lab u.

"Ofc. na. Lab u."

Every weekday morning, I wait for this text from my Hubby (of course!). The message may be short and simple but to a wife and a mommy like me, this means her hubby was able to drop off the Kuya safely to school and arrived for work safe and sound as well. I say a quick prayer of thanks to Him who watches over me and my family.

So this morning, the most-awaited text came and now I can start working on my deliverables for the day with a happy heart knowing that my loved ones are safe. :)

What Kept Me Busy

I realized it has been more than a month since I last posted here. I would have wanted to write more often but these things really took so much of my time these past few months. Hindi lang time, lagi ko silang iniisip that I just didn't have the energy and the urge to write.

1) I still have my tinnitus and I really, really hate it. It has been three months! I have been to different doctors and lately, I've been spending a lot on medicines and consultation fees of a neuro-otologist for this. Everyday I pray for it to go away. I promise to write about my experience when I am well na. Sa ngayon, it's still a work in progress.

2) Ultrasounds and laboratory tests for my neck, thyroid, and breast = calls to ask for a schedule and hours of falling in line for the procedure and to get the results

3) I had a part-time job that kept me busy for about two weeks. Eventually, I realized it wasn't worth my time. I promise to make kwento next time.

Daddy and Mommy

Here's a picture of Hubby and me taken by Kuya (Son #1). We look happy because we are. =)

Son #3's Love-Hate Relationship with Jollibee

"Abeeee!"

Mako squeals with delight everytime he sees anything with Jollibee's face on it. He gets excited, flashes his uber cute smile, jumps up and down, and even makes silly faces just to show how happy he is to see Jollibee! Hubby and I love seeing our little guy this happy that we have started collecting Jollibee toys and stuff for our little boss via promos under these Jollibee clubs:



Recently, we got invited to a Jollibee kiddie party. Hubby and I looked forward to seeing how our little guy will react upon seeing his favorite character up close and personal. Here are some photos taken outside the Jollibee store while we were waiting for the party to start. Ayaw niya umalis sa tabi ni Jollibee!



Mako was well-behaved during the party. He's my little shy guy so most of the time, he was just beside his Daddy watching the other kids play. Finally, it was time to meet Jollibee!



Anak, anyare? Akala ko ba you like Jollibee? Nakakaloka, he cried when he saw the mascot and refused to have his picture taken with Jollibee! Look, we couldn't come near Jollibee because he was practically crying his lungs out!

Sa ngayon, he still likes his Jollibee toys and still gets excited everytime he sees Jollibee ads, stores, and pictures. Pero after what happened at the party, Hubby and I know na may hangganan ang pagkagusto niya kay Jollibee. Haha! =)

My July Wish List

If you happen to see my fairy godmother, please tell her that my heart wishes for...

... baby Keisha's speedy recovery. Please make her well again. We miss her already. She should be at home with us, her family.
... tinnitus to stop bugging me.
... carcinoma to stay away from me and my loved ones.

If she feels generous today, please tell her that these things will also make me happy:
(1) an unexpected bonus or raise
(2) more ads and readers for my blog, and
(3) high grades for the Kuyas

Thank you and good night!

Manic Mondays

Every Monday morning, as I drag myself out of bed at 4:15am, I always ask myself, "Where did the weekend go?" Then I start telling myself to get more hours of sleep during weekends so that waking up on Monday mornings won't be as hard. I go over these thoughts some more while in the shower.

5:15am - I prepare baons for the Kuyas and me. All three of us bring packed lunch and snacks because (1) there have been a lot of reports about food poisoning from cafeteria food, (2) the kids have super quick recess and lunch breaks making it more practical to bring their own food than waste time in the canteen line, and (3) it's budget-friendly. Son #1 and I also bring packed breakfast. He eats his breakfast while in the car on his way to school while I eat mine in the office. We prefer this over waking up super early (as if 4:15am is not super early) just to squeeze in breakfast.

5:30am - After making last minute bilins to our helper, we leave home. Son #1's classes and Daddy's office hours start at 7am.

6:00am - I clock in for work... 3 hours early. I don't mind. I have time to eat my breakfast, have coffee, do some reading (of blogs and news), and even write entries for my blog (Mommyholic and Our Little Family ). During days of heavy workload, I also get to have more time to work on my reports.

9am to 6pm - Work. Work. Work. 'Nuff said.

6pm - I leave the office. Everyday, I make sure I am done with my deliverables for the day before 6pm because I go home with Daddy and Son #1. We make quick trips to the supermarket if there are things that the Kuyas need to bring to school the next day or if Daddy wants to buy dessert for the family. Otherwise, we head straight home.

6:45pm - Home sweet home. Daddy usually plays with our 2-year old son # 3 while I check the Kuya's assignment notebooks.

7-7:30pm - Dinner time

7:30-8pm - I ask our helper how son # 3's day went (i.e., check if he was given his vitamins, what he ate, and how long his naps were today). I also give my little boy a quick bath. He sleeps better when clean and fresh. We all do, I guess!

8pm-9:30pm - Web time for me. I check my blogs and facebook account, help the Kuyas with their research works, and look for good running events to join. I stay up a little later if need be. Otherwise, I make sure I am done by 9:30pm so I can still have 7 hours of sleep.

9:30pm - I say my prayers (thank God because I have my Hubby and kids, ask Him to continue to watch over my loved ones, say sorry if I have been maldita today, etc), give quick kisses to my hubby and kids, and then sleep.

This is how I usually spend my Mondays. How about you? Do share! =)

... but wait, there's more!

I did not expect to find this at St. Paul's . Baka dahil sa issue sa RH bill kaya may ganito. The kit costs PhP80.00 only.


I have always wanted to know more about the Billings Ovulation Method. I did some research a couple of months ago but found the method too complicated. This kit caught my attention because it seemed to present Billings Ovulation Method in a much simpler and reader-friendly way. It also said that the method is 99% successful in avoiding pregnancy. Heto pa, the method daw has had considerable success in preselecting the gender of children. Hmmmnn... now that's interesting! I will need this for our baby girl project na ilulunsad namin three years from now. Hahaha!

Anyway, I will give you feedback about the kit soonest. =)

Towards a More Prayerful Me

This weekend, I also visited St. Paul's (SM North EDSA). Grabe, napakarami na palang klase ng mga novena! Lahat ng concerns, meron! Here are the prayer books I got for myself today:














The novenas were sold at only Php7.00 each. I bought the rosary guide for only Php30.00. Another great find , right?

Great Finds Over The Weekend

Hubby and I love to read and we would like our kids to develop the same love for reading. Pero kuripot din kami so we usually go to Book Sale for good books at more affordable prices. Today, we visited Book Sale at SM North EDSA and found these:

For Hubby: Ken Follett's Pillar of the Earth for only PhP97.00

For myself, I got: (1) Raising Self-Reliant Children In A Self-Indulgent World (Php25.00),

(2) The 30-Day Low-Carb Diet Solution (PhP 50.00), and

(3) The 90/10 Weight-Loss Plan(PhP 50.00)

For the little guy, we bought a look-and-find book, Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs (PhP 95.00)

We happily went home with five good books for only PhP317.00! Hooray for great finds! =)

Practice Lang Po!

"Practice lang po. Kailangan ko na po kasing masanay magsuot ng medal kasi pagpasok ko po ng school next year, siguradong magkakaroon ako ng maraming ganito. " - Mako (son # 3)

Feelin' Old

I feel old. Why?

(1) My Facebook status yesterday said, "These frequent visits to the doctor make me feel old." Oh, yes they do! Sa sobrang dalas ko pumunta sa St. Luke's Medical Center (QC) for check-up and laboratory tests, Hubby was asking me na if St. Luke's na ang bago kong paboritong pasyalan at hindi na SM. Nakakaloka, 'di ba? That's how frequent I had to visit my doctors lately. Take note, doctors, in plural form. Parang namakyaw kasi ako lately ng mga problema sa kalusugan. I feel old.

(2) I have been trying to lose weight but the scale just won't budge. As in. I admit, I have not really been following a specific diet for weight loss (although I have tried so many times) pero, I swear, I don't overeat! Plus, I went back to running since summer of this year. Dati, sisiw sa akin ang pagpapapayat. Dati 'yun. I feel old.

(3) Hindi na kaya ng powers ko ang pagpupuyat. I am usually asleep na by 9pm and awake na by 6am. Weekend ito ha! I feel old.

(4) Last night was date night for Hubby and me. Son #1 had no classes yesterday so without him around (Hubby usually drives him to and from school kasi), Hubby and I had the chance to go out after office. We were so eager I called home pa to tell the Kuyas that their Dad and I will be coming home late. We had dinner and a few drinks. We were on our way home na by 8pm, I think. 8pm?! Gimik na 'yun? I feel old.

'Nuff said.

...

Findin' it hard to write when there are so many things on my mind...

A Promise

Dear Blog,

Beginning today, I promise to spend more time with you.

Maan :)

A Prayer

Lord, I only have Praises for You. With You, all things are possible. I thank You for all the blessings You have so generously given me all these years. Thank You for watching over me and my loved ones and for keeping us all safe. Thank You for the gift of love and happiness You have so abundantly given my family.

My Dearest Jesus, You know what is in my heart. I have faith in Your unconditional love and I know that You will hear my prayer.

Mama Mary, please continue to look upon me and give me wisdom as I go through each day as a wife and as a mother. I know that You, too, know what is in my heart. I have the purest of intentions and I know that You will help me.

All these I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

My Thank You List

During the start of the year, I promised myself to stay away from negativity and always look at the brighter side of things. This means less complaining and more "thank you's" to Him who watches over me.

Today, I have these to be thankful for:

1. His unconditional love. Yes, napakalakas ko sa Kanya. I am not a saint but He loves me nonetheless. Because of that, I will always strive to become a better person. Bongga His blessings and I am always, always thankful.

2. My Hubby who loves me and works hard to give everything to me and our kids. My man drives me to and from the office every single day. Siya rin ang chauffeur ng aming panganay at taga-buhat ng aming bunso when we go out on weekends. Seriously, I feel very blessed to have married a very responsible man.

3. My kids. I'm really proud to have such smart kids. The Kuyas perform very well in school. Both are consistent honor students. Son #1 got accepted in a science high school. The family is enjoying all the perks (free tuition, books, school supplies, uniform, plus monthly stipend) while he is getting quality education. Son #2 excels in class and is very responsible when it comes to school requirements. When I get home from work, he is usually done na with his assignments and readings. Son # 3 naman is very sweet. He is our bundle of joy. He is only 2 years old kaya he stays at home lang. Hubby and I can see that he'll do well in school also just like his kuyas.

4. Ate Ging, our helper. Without her, I'll go crazy. She has been with us for three years already. She's not perfect (especially when it comes to cooking) pero she knows my hot buttons and understands my moods so we get along very well. Plus, she can be trusted and she adores son # 3. Okay na sa akin 'yun.

5. My family (my Mom, Dad, and my brothers). Their love and support for me are far beyond compare.

6. Recently, I had my my thyroid ultrasound and the result said that I had a lump in my left thyroid. I was feeling very low because I have history of thyroid CA and I was quite nervous... no, praning... that it recurred. Pero sabi ko nga, malakas ako kay Lord. He heard my prayers and results of my biopsy said I only have thyroiditis (inflamed thyroid). *insert sigh of relief here*

7. My job. Oh, Hubby's too. We're lucky we are able to do the things we love to do and get paid for it.

Dear Lord, thank You, thank You for all of the above. =)

My Period Tracker

See that pink flower icon labeled as PT? That's an application called "Period Tracker" which I got for free. I super love this app!



Ever since I got my period, I have gotten used to marking the start and end dates on my calendar. My Mom taught me that because she said it is important for a girl to know her body. The obedient me took her advice although that time, I really didn't see the significance of knowing when your period started and ended. Basta, I just followed.

Now that I'm married, I know na so I religiously mark my calendar every month. Problem is, I usually don't bring my organizer with me. There were times when I visited my OB-Gyne and I forgot to bring those precious notes with me. Kainis di ba so when I got this Period Tracker app, I was in Cloud 9!

Here, take a look! This is what you see when you open the application. It shows you the projected start date of your next period, and reminds you how many days are left before the projected date. Tap the screen for day 1 and tap it again to mark the last day of your period. Easy! Tap on the period log if you want to see your previous cycles and tap on the calendar for details.



This is what the calendar looks like. It marks your fertile days and approximate day of ovulation. Days with the pink arrow reflects the days you had your period. Wait, there's more!



You can input notes in the calendar (e.g. intimate days, moods, body temperature, pill reminders, and symptoms), too.







Cool, right?

What's In Maan's Bag?

I love the "What's In My Bag" feature of Cosmo so, for fun, I'll share with you the contents of my Rosetti bag.

Warning: I'm not "sosyal" so don't expect expensive stuff inside my bag, okay?

Here's a picture of my brown Rosetti bag with my Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer (Midnight Pomegranate in purple glow-in-the dark holder).



My phones (HTC Desire HD and Nokia E71) and "Mommy camera" (Samsung ST30)


Clinique Makeup Kit


Contents of my makeup kit: Revlon Two-Way Powder Foundation (Beyond Natural in Tawny Beige, PhotoReady in Shell), Ventolin Inhaler, Mary Kay mineral cheek color in Shy Blush, two blush brushes (Mary Kay and Estee Lauder), Revlon Matte lipstick in Fabulous Fig, Avon Glazewear Intense lip gloss in Rich Rose, Avon Simply Pretty Lip & Cheek Tint in Pink Blush, comb, CD-R King USB Drive, tweezers, 2 ponytails, brown paper bag, Paganini mirror, safety pin, mefenamic acid, and cetirizine


Pink Buxton wallet, black purse, and pink fold-a-bag


Office keys, results of my thyroid function tests and ultrasound, pens, and notekeeper


Sanicare travel tissue, hairclip, and umbrella


So there. What's in your bag? =)

Happiness Means...

... Them!


(Photo was taken last May 2009)

Bakunado sa Flu!

Ako na ang nanay na praning! When it comes to my boys, I don't take chances. I go for anything and everything that will keep them healthy and boost their immune system. And so, I constantly check if they regularly take their vitamins and make sure they get all the vaccines that they need.

My boys' baby books are kept in one file envelope and I'm proud to say that they have completed all their vaccines, including those that other moms decide to skip such as the vaccine for chicken pox and flu.

Yes, my boys get their flu vaccines every year. The Kuyas usually get vaccinated around May as part of our back-to-school preparations but we had to adjust it to June or July so we can avail of the flu vaccination program being offered by the company I work for. The program started about 3 years ago and we have been looking forward to it every year because it meant more affordable flu shots for me and my boys.

This year, the flu vaccination activity was conducted last June 25 (Saturday). By 9am, all 19 of us (me, hubby, our boys, our yaya, and my in-laws) went to my office to get vaccinated. Overall, we found the event to be well-organized. Everything went smoothly and in less than one hour, all 19 of us were bakunado sa flu!

Here's a picture of son #3 and his pout after the shot. =)



It has become our practice to have a family lunch after the flu vaccination. We rarely have the chance to do this... have lunch outside, all 22 of us. Here's a photo of my hubby, my boys, and my in-laws. Lunch was at Chowking because Hubby's mom wanted to try the Chinese-style chicken. His mom takes care of all of us so anything she says gets a yes from all of us. =)

My Everything

Everything that matters to me is on this bed right now...

Being a Mommy Means Being Your Child's No. 1 Fan

Aaawww... my baby knows how to pose for the camera. Look at him make pa-cute! =)

Told Yah!

This is Hubby with son # 2. We're blessed with smart kids. Clap! Clap! Clap!

This Teenager Rocks

Son #1 graduated from grade school last April and turned 13 last May. It became official. We have a teenager in the house. Okay, I have heard (and read) stories about how challenging it is to raise a teenager so when son #1 became one, I felt I leveled up to another stage in Mommyhood.

This photo was taken during my son’s graduation. I was teary-eyed the entire time because memories of son #1’s babyhood kept flashing through my mind and I could not believe my little Miko is not-so-little anymore. *sob*



Fast forward one month, son #1 is now a freshman at a Science High School (Yah, my kids are smart. It runs in the genes. Haha!). The Dad drives him to and from school everyday while the Mom helps him with assignments every night. One team!

(Some of) Mommy's Favorite Things

Here goes another list from moi:

My HTC Desire HD - Got this last May 8, 2011 (Mom's Day). Hubby really loves me! I love this phone because it has a big screen, super clear resolution, perfectly sensitive touch-screen, and it gives me easy access to all the applications and sites I love (Facebook, Twitter, Friend Stream, Tumblr, Reader, and Period Tracker). Plus, it's not as expensive as the iPhone.

My Nokia E71 - My ever reliable Nokia phone is another gift from my Hubby (Christmas, about 5 yrs. ago). The phone is also wi-fi ready and the battery life is longer. When in a hurry to send an SMS or make a call, I reach for this phone. I also use this phone to access Sun Cellular's free Facebook access via 0.facebook.com.

My CDR-King Music Player - All my favorite tracks are in this slim and inexpensive gadget. =)

My Timex Marathon Watch - I got this on sale! For a very reasonable price, I have a sports watch I can wear during runs and dress-down days.

My white Parker pen - A Christmas gift from a good friend, this pen is always, always in my bag. I think my handwriting looks better when I use this pen. Hahaha!

And of course, this:

My Samsung ST30. I call this my "Mommy camera" because:

It's very affordable and friendly to the family budget.

It's so small (the size of an average mobile phone), I can easily bring it with me and take pictures of my boys anytime, anywhere! Its size also makes it the perfect camera to bring during fun runs.

It's sooo girly... it comes in hot pink and with a nice-looking pouch.

Oh, for the techies.. It's a 10-megapixel camera with a 28mm lens and a 3x power optical zoom. It also has this cool Digital Image Stabilization System which allows me to take clear pictures even during runs. It has other features but you just have to go google it because this Mommy is not as techie as you are. =)

Back to Blogging

After more than a year, I'm back. I don't know for how long, though.