Fun Ranch in Ortigas

We took the kids to the Fun Ranch (where the Big Red Barn is), right beside Tiendesitas for the first time last Saturday, May 24, 2008. They had LOADS of fun! They've been asking when we're going back to ride the boat, the train and go fishing again! =) The boat and train ride were reasonable, but the fishing was kinda expensive... But the kids had fun and, in moderation, it's not so bad. I'm looking forward to bringing them back! =)

shame on him...

Mom came home early last night and we had dinner at the table (me, tab, mom) and she was trying to get mikho to join us.  he was playing WOW (world of warcraft) on his computer, which is right beside the dining table.  you know what his response was?  "I'm in the middle of something, mom. go ahead and eat."  and when she insisted he join us, he just repeated himself more forcefully.  he didn't even turn around to speak to her.  how bastos is that?  i tried to make light of it by asking him nicely to join us - "mik, mom's here. join us naman."  but he just ignored me.  hay naku.

tab and i just turned the topic to something else na lang to save face.  kawawa naman our mom.  i wish that mikho learns manners.  after he finished his 'run', he stood up and joined us, but we were almost done.  kakainis.  i wanted to hit him for making mom bastos.  but i didn't want to upset mom.  shame on him.

Tagaytay Trip May 17-18, 2008

We stayed at my Tita's place in Royal Pines West and it was beautiful! When we got there on Saturday, the wind was blowing, the air was cool and there was no sign of rain! Of course, it started raining that night, but it was still nice because we were cozy and together =)

driving while pregnant...

I used to be horrified at the thought of a pregnant woman driving a car... Until I realized that I am that pregnant woman. It's almost comical, the faces on the drivers waiting in the driver's lounge in the malls when they see me come out from the driver's side of the car and that there's no one with me.  Also the face of the security guard in polo where i bring the kids for their soccer 3 times a week. It's like they're waiting for someone else to get out of the car and then when they realize it's just me (hugely pregnant me) coming down from the car, they're shocked!

It's not something that i plan to be doing (driving that is) until i give birth.  It's just that i have no driver, so it's a necessity for me to drive.  There are days when I get so tired just from driving around that I'm crazy sungit... and it doesn't help when people with the best intentions get on my back about how i shouldn't drive.  So... if you know of a driver that's looking for work, please contact me   I've been looking for one, but am not having any luck with it.

I enjoy driving! Honestly, I find it easier to anticipate the bumps on the road because I'm in control of the car.  This way, i don't get surprised and my tummy doesn't get jostled painfully.  I'm already braced for the impact of the pothole on the car... Don't get me wrong.  I don't drive very fast... My average is about 40kph!  haha  And even if I'm late, doesn't mean that i push the limit... my max speed is 80. 

I always think of a friend of mine who i had dinner with a few months ago - she was 7 or 8 months pregnant and i was horrified to find out she was driving herself home from greenbelt!  of course, she lives in sanlo, but still! just the thought that she was driving (alone!) to her place made me feel iffy... She just said that her in-laws, who live abroad, all drove themselves everywhere - even when they were pregnant.  In fact, some of them even drove themselves to the hospital to give birth!  So, if she can't drive herself home from greenbelt, kakahiya naman, diba?!  I kinda understood it then, but now i understand it perfectly.  I guess this is one situation where you have to be in it to fully understand

How do you measure your life?

random pics of my boys =)

My adorable godson =)

26 weeks and counting!

I'm getting a little impatient to give birth... I've gotten past the nausea (mostly), but now have wonderful heartburn and pains in my abdomen and back.  Also, I have that great thing - edema.  My feet and legs get really manas by early afternoon and by evening, it's almost painful to walk.  People ask how different this pregnancy is from my last 2 pregnancies and I tell them that it's different in almost every way!  It's a bit more complicated this time around... I'm going to take the Glucose Challenge Test - to see if I have gestational diabetes this week.  Hopefully, it will be negative (like my last pregnancies)...

I've gotten through some tough times - emotionally - over the last few weeks. Most of it can be attributed to the hormones running wild through my system.  But some situations were just... too much.  In order to save my sanity, I've had to distance myself from certain people.  I'm determined to hold them at arm's length so that I don't get too annoyed.  I'm moving forward.

Aside from that though, things have been good for me   If I don't count driving myself around because I don't have a driver yet (I'm looking for one, so if you have someone to recommend, please let me know! ), I'm enjoying my time with the kids.  That's basically all I'm doing now.  Bringing the kids to soccer, tennis and then resting in between... Hanging out with  Nikka, Ate, Tab and some other people... It's been relaxing and I'm totally enjoying myself!

My little one is active and I'm always happy to feel him move and kick! The kids loove feeling him kick!  They put their ears against my tummy and then when he kicks them, they laugh!  Such sweethearts, my boys...

What is Laminin? - Louie Giglio

http://jojolim76.multiply.com/video/item/76/What_is_Laminin_-_Louie_Giglio
Every living creature has laminin inside of them…the purpose of laminin is that it basically keeps our bodies from falling apart. It holds us as one united whole. It’s like the glue that holds our cells together.

God is really in the little details! =)

Trusting God

I've received this before and have sent it out as well.  But this time, I think that maybe God has something specific He wants to say to me that I haven't been hearing.  I think His message to me is about trusting Him.  I have to let go of those situations and people that hurt me and trust that He is taking care of me.  I have to trust that God will protect me and will always be on my side.  So... here's the message that is moving me now.

 

She jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room.

 

She said:
"How is my little boy ?
Is he going to be all right ? When can I see him ?"
The surgeon said, "I'm sorry. We did all we could,
but your boy didn't make it."


Sally said,
"Why do little children    get cancer ?
Doesn't God care any more ?
"Where were you, God,
when my son needed you ?"

The surgeon asked,
"Would you like some
time alone with your son ? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes,
before he's transported
to the university."

Sally asked the nurse to
stay with her while she said good bye to her son.
She ran her fingers lovingly through
his thick red curly hair.
"Would you like a lock of his hair ?" the nurse asked.

Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy's
hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.

The mother said,
"It was Jimmy's idea
to donate his body to
The University for Study.
He said it might help somebody else.
"I said no at first, but Jimmy said,
" Mom , I won't be using it after I die.
Maybe it will help some other little boy
spend one more day
with his Mom ."
She went on,
"My Jimmy had
a heart of gold.
Always thinking of
someone else.
Always wanting to help others
if he could."

Sally walked out of Children's Mercy Hospital for the last
time, after spending most of the last six months there.
She put the bag with Jimmy's belongings on the seat beside her in the car.

The drive home was difficult. It was even harder
to enter the empty house.
She carried Jimmy's belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair
to her son's room.

She started placing the model cars and other personal
things back in his room exactly where
he had always kept them.
She laid down
across his bed
and, hugging his pillow,
cried herself to sleep.

It was around midnight
when Sally awoke.
Laying beside her on the bed was a folded letter.
The letter said:

* Dear Mom ,
I know you're going to miss me; but don't think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just 'cause I'm not around to say
"I Love You".
I will always love you, Mom , even more with each day. Someday we will see
each other again.
Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy
so you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me.
He can have my room and all my stuff to play with.
But, if you decide to get a girl instead,
she probably wouldn't like the same things us boys do.

You'll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know. Don't be sad
thinking about me.
This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here
and showed me around some, but it will take a long time
to see everything.
The angels are so cool.
I love to watch them fly.
And, you know what?
Jesus doesn't look
like any of his pictures.
Yet, when I saw Him,
I knew it was Him.
Jesus himself took me to see GOD !
And guess what, Mom ?
I got to sit on God's knee
and talk to Him,
like I was
somebody important.
That's when I told Him that
I wanted
to write you a letter,
to tell you good bye
and everything.
But I already knew that wasn't allowed.
Well, you know what Mom ? God handed me some paper and His own personal pen
to write you this letter.
I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you.
God said
for me to give you
the answer
to one of the questions you asked Him
"Where was He
When I needed him ?"
"God said
He was in the same place with me,
as when
His son Jesus,
was on the cross.
He was right there,< /EM>
as He Always Is
With All His Children." Oh, by the way, Mom ,
no one else can see what I've written ...except you.
To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper.
Isn't that cool ?
I have to give God
His pen back now.
He needs it to write some
more names in
The Book of Life.
Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper.
I'm sure the food will be great.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt anymore.
The cancer is all gone.
I'm glad because I couldn't
stand that pain anymore
...and God
couldn't stand to see me hurt so much, either.
That's when He sent
The Angel of Mercy
to come get me.
The Angel said,
I was a Special Delivery !
How about that ?

Signed With Love from God, Jesus & Me.


Take 60 seconds and re-post this, within the hour, you will have caused a multitude of believers
to pray to God for each other. Then sit back and feel  the Holy Spirit...
Work in your life
for doing what you know .
God loves . 
"When you're down to nothing,
God is up to Something."

thought for the day...

If men had to go through the whole process from conception to being pregnant to giving birth (normal or cesarean) all the way to being responsible for taking care of the baby for the first 3 months of life, there would be very, very few children in this world.

Bravo to mothers!  There is no one who can replace you in the eyes of your children.  You are special and you are very much loved and admired!   Advanced Happy Mother's Day!

annoyance...

Once again, mikho annoys me.  I use the present tense because I'm annoyed until now.  Last night, i had some friends over - nothing fancy, just marge, anton and jay (tabby's friend from college who he hasn't seen in a while).  Tab grilled some pork tenderloin and beef short ribs.  It was really yummy.  Being the polite older sister that i am, i invite my younger brother.  The only thing i asked him to do was change into something more presentable than the ratty, hole-y t-shirt he was wearing with his jogging pants.  He said yes, so I was happy na.  He changed, then by the time everyone had arrived, he had changed back into his pambahay shirt.  Why?  So he could be "comfortable".  Ridiculous.

After dinner, we sat outside so they could smoke and have a few drinks.  Jay brought some Johhny Walker. Around the round table, it was me, marge on my left, jay beside her, tabby across me, anton beside him and then mikho on my right.  Since I'm very obviously pregnant, no one was smoking beside me.  I was upwind since the fan was behind me on my right (basically, right behind mikho). 
 
Jay doesn't drink much, a capful of Johhny in a whole glass of Coke is his choice of drink. Anton and Tab drink it on the rocks - taking things slow.  Mikho, on the other hand, makes his drinks like this:  2 inches of Johnny, a bottle of Red Bull and a splash of Coke. Then some ice.  It's not his party. Nor are any of these people his peers.  He drinks 1/4 of the bottle by himself.  Not to mention, since he's in his pambahay, he's in his slippers.  So he's making dekwatro and holding his feet with his hands while listening and talking to people, then will use those same hands to get more ice for his drink. GROSS!

I reminded him, very discreetly - tapping his leg (well away from his foot) and murmuring "use the ice tongs, mik"  And he used it naman.  But the thought that he was so freaking clueless annoys me.

He forgets that I'm pregnant (probably because he was getting hit na) and lights up beside me, but then with a reminder goes naman beside Tabby to smoke downwind.

Later on, he hears me telling the others that the name of my baby is Joaquim Uriel.  And he says "Kim's a girl's name. I'll cal him Wacky."  When i tell him, "No, please call him Kim. That's his nickname."  He gets this expression on his face that says that I'm being unreasonable.  HELLO?!?!?!  And insists and states very definitely that he "will call him Wacky".  I had had enough.  I told him, "If you can't call him Kim, call him Joaquim.  Those are his names. Nothing else."  And he just shuts up, but with the eye-rolling and shrug that stated very clearly that he thought I was being unreasonable and annoying.

He disappeared when Mom got home, and I assumed he was talking to her and didn't come out na.  I find out tonight (I asked him what happened to him last night) that he "decided to read na lang in his room because it was boring outside."  He didn't even have the decency to say good night to everyone.  Including the person who brought the alcohol he was consuming.  ARGH!

Then, I also find out tonight that, at one point, when he was smoking beside Tabby, he tells him: "Pare, hinay hinay lang.  Tama na the kids.  It's not like they're cheap, right?  Kids are expensive."  EXCUSE ME?!?!?!  What an ass!  He has NO right to talk to Tabby like that. NONE.  I'm so upset with him.  Who does he think he is?  Ang bastos niya. Tabby's response to his comment was: "God will provide, Mikho.  Anyway, all babies are blessings."  But he was/is also deeply upset by Mikho. 

I would never even think of speaking to my siblings like that!  It's so disrespectful.  Where did he grow up?  In the street?  In isolation?  When has it ever been ok to disrespect your elders?  Ugh. 

I have decided and am really making a HUGE effort to ignore him.  I will not ask him for anything, even if it means driving for myself and the kids.  I will be civil when he speaks to me, but will not engage nor encourage conversation. 

I thought that by treating him with respect, he would show the same respect due to me as his Dette, but apparently, I was wrong.  So now, it ends.  I am so hurt, upset and disappointed in him.


UPDATE:

I was inaccurate with regard to what exactly was said between Tabby and Mikho.  Mikho actually says: "You can't afford it naman."  and Tabby says that "Whatever God gives us, we take care of."  Doesn't it just get better and better?

I spoke to Mom about this and she's very upset by Mikho's "lack of breeding" (her words).  She apologized for his behavior and will talk to him.  She asked me "how could my son say something like that??"  And i told her that last night and the whole day today, i was thinking "how could my brother say something like that?"  and then i told her to please ask him and then tell me what he says.

Adorable Girls!

My adorable nieces! =)

Rafa playing soccer