15 Years of Having an Online Journal

My blog turns 15 today, March 3rd. For a blogger who still manages to keep his online diary up-to-date, it is really something. I, for one, has abandoned updating my daily life account, for the past years.  When I look back at my "younger" posts, I come to appreciate the frequent updates I used to posts way back my early blogging years.  So I somehow envy the bloggers who still take time to record their day-to-day activities, which in time, will turn out to be memories.  My blog has been a witness of my life since 03-03-03.  Through the years that I haven't updated much already, a lot of things already happened.  But the most memorable ones were documented, at least in my year-ender posts.

Today I take yet another role of a dad, spending my day with my family and having so much priceless time with our youngest family member.  It's a delight to just stare at your little one tirelessly walk around the house.  Soon, he'll be more firm in using his feet and go even farther.

Here's to more years of parenthood... and hopefully, blogging more often! 

musings...

I've always wished to blog more often and whenever I get to post an update, like now, I am happy.  I feel I have accomplished a long-time backlog duty.  Blogging used to be a big part of my everyday life since it became a hot item online.  Today, blogging has gone a long way.  Most "surviving" bloggers are those who make it as a living.  Very seldom, from my bloggers friends list, that I still encounter updates that are diary-like, or an update of his/her personal day-to-day experience--- the primary reason of the web logs' existence when it began more than a decade ago.

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God's grace has been very evident this year.  For many, many times, my financial status has been on an all-time low and very often I struggle on how to make both ends of the payday meet. We've had a lot of unexpected expenses recently and the "emergency" fund I've been wanting to put up hasn't materialized yet.  I'm always longing for the next payday!  I've been trying some sidelines to supplement my income but these seem to be picking-up too slowly, or do they even progress at all?  I'm not removing publishing a book on my bucket list.  Not only I am thinking that it will make me some money out of it but more importantly, I can leave a legacy to my family, and to my country as well.  But yeah, it's a long work before I can have it running.  I've always thought that having a business is far better than being an 8 to 5 employee.  I hope I will soon have the courage to do just that.

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DJ & Daddy Jon :)

My son serves as my breather everyday.  Never does he frown on me.  Whenever I come home from work, and when he sees me, I'm thinking if I look like a clown.  Or maybe my son is just too jolly.  His smiles instantly take away my exhaustion from a day's work and hours of messy traffic.  His teeth are beginning to come out so recently he had a slight fever.  But this little boy is a fighter.  His appetite will not make you think that he is sick at all.  Reason perhaps why he recovered from his fever pretty fast.  Time flies... soon, we will all witness him walking already!  I'm looking forward to him growing up like a boy, and eventually a man, we dream of him to become someday.  I know what I've whispered to God in prayer before He gave us our little boy, and yes, His will be done!

On another note, my one & only favorite daughter now wears eyeglasses.  Her lens grades are 150-75, validating our suspect that she already needs to wear eyeglasses.  She often complained of having a headache and so, thanks to Aba, her eyes were already checked.  I hope there is still a possibility that her vision becomes better someday.  Too young for this thing. :(

Aya in front, the only kid who wears eyeglasses in their group.  Photo taken earlier today during their chorale practice.

Morning Bonding

after church services today and before i go to work, i passed by home and went to see how our little boy is doing this morning.  i'm too eager to spend a few minutes with him under the sun for his "paaraw" and i'm just glad he's awake when i reached home.  he's caught cough as well as the people surrounding him have cough caused by the changing weather.  but he's OK.  when i carried him today, he seems extra affectionate.  and he's starting to play with his saliva a lot.  teething?  this early? i don't know.  he's just turning two months on the 16th. noticeable though that he didn't cough even once when i was carrying him.  he's just staring a lot and playing with his mouth and hands.  this pogi little boy is heavy for his age.  he drinks a lot of (mother's) milk and nobody can stop him if he craves for it.  good thing, wifey has a lot of milk supplies :D

Still debatable up to this moment on who resembles the face of our baby boy.  i really think it's the PUIGs on my grandmother's side.  i'm pretty sure he's one of them, haha!  on my wifey's side however, they also identify our baby boy's face to some relatives.  but of course, he's too young to determine who really looks like him.  for as long as he's pogi all the time, it doesn't matter.  i'm really excited to see the future of my kids.  his ate Bones has grown up already and since his addition to the family, she takes good care of her baby sibling everytime there's an opportunity.  sweet sister.  feels good to be a dad, and i thank God for all of these blessings! :)

Little Girl and Daddy's Day Out!

roller coaster ride with my sweet girl :)

An extra day off turned out to be favorable for me as I was able to bond with my little girl before I come back to work tomorrow.  Today has been declared as an extra non-working holiday in order to "give the people full opportunity to celebrate the holidays with their families and loved ones" as per Proclamation No. 117 by the Office of the President of the Philippines.  So, wifey, our little girl, and my father-in-law went to Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall to spend the day eating, shopping, and for fun!  The baby in the tummy eats tremendously!  Wifey gets hungry every now and then but for as long as we have food to eat, just go and eat!  We bought a few baby items in the department store then afterwards, the little girl and I walked to Worlds of Fun to get a few rides and play some games!  I was thinking that my little girl would love riding the roller coaster but she enjoyed riding the bump car more.  Afterwards, we played a few machine games that dispense those tickets.  Spent just enough money for this priceless bonding time, then we called it a day!

getting ready for the bump car ride!

Some realizations today, our little girl is speedily growing up.  Reality is, she's going to be an elder sister very soon!  I crave for more time with my two girls, and soon with the baby boy.  It's just a blessing that I am not too fond of night outs with other people.  I prefer to  dedicate my time with my family whenever I am not in the office and/or I am not in church.  I'm not getting any younger either.  Now I am counting the years that I still need to earn for a living until our youngest graduates from formal school and gets his own job and have his own family.  I think it's what most parents consider as fulfillment--- when they get to enjoy their grandchildren being with them and seeing how their kids become contented with their respective families.  Wow.  All these flashed to my mind today and I am more determined to do better this year and onward.  "Para kanino ka bumabangon?" - asked one of the coffee TV ads and I think I just have a clear answer for that.

Now I'm asking, when will this coffee company get me as their endorser?  I'm willing to risk my heartburn and sip their coffee just to get that exposure I've been longing for.  Haha, kidding. :P

2016: Page 17 of 366

Today has been a tiring but great day.  Little Aya went with me in my Sunday school assignment in Dividend.  Then we had a short but worthwhile bonding at the mall in the afternoon.  I really love spending my time with my little girl.  She takes away my exhaustion and makes me happy even when I am tired.

Earlier after our officers meeting in the locale of EGM, we had a minor road accident going back to Taytay.  The van we were riding bumped into a vehicle crossing the roundabout of Kaytikling.  Fortunately, everything was settled by a calm talk between the two parties and one traffic officer.  Sad thing though, the bumper of the van we were riding fell off.  We have to tie it before we can proceed driving to our destination again.

Mentioning the officers meeting, I was so moved by the gestures of my former co-officers in the locale of Centennial.  Upon seeing me in the meeting, they all approached me and gave me that "we miss you" look.  Then most of them told me to come back already.  Two of them even had the guts to chant "Iiyak na yan! Iiyak na yan!" urgh! Miss these kids!

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There is this new juice kiosk that makes me want to drink until my tummy is "super full tank." Juice Avenue, which apparently is a part of Fruitas Group offers delicious, thirst-quenching all-natural juice drinks.  Looking at its website, it also offers a variety of fruit shakes but the one in SM Taytay only displays juices.  I don't complain not having shakes because I prefer juice over shakes.  My favourite flavour--- MELON!  Then of course, Buco comes in a close second favorite.  I have yet to try their Apple flavour which should be another favourite of mine, and they also have Watermelon & Yellow Mango flavours.  Next time. ;)

The Joys of July

in a few minutes, it's gonna be the 8th month of the year already. July seemed to be a long month but i am too busy to even notice how it flew so fast. July marks the start of the 'working' fiscal year. i thought we're not going to be busy at work this passing month since budget per department is still being approved. but no, i was definitely wrong. a series of opportunities opened up for me this month. first, i confirmed my promotion from an officer to an assistant manager. this month also gave me the opportunity to spearhead three events, two of which have media invitees. according to the execs' feedback, 'job well done' on the major events. well, thanks to my colleagues who made each event a success! speaking of promotion, it wasn't only i who have been promoted. Arn, our web & digital senior in the department also got a promotion. so we gave our team mates a dinner treat at Conti's one July evening.

Family Time Is Quality Time

in a week, i spend 9 hours at work for 6 days, plus a couple of extra hours daily for travel to and from the office. that leaves me more or less an even 12 hours a day to spend with my family or a total of 72 hours for 6 days. i try my best to squeeze in quality time with my two girls whenever i'm off from work. this month, i'm just a happy dad to treat my little girl (and the big girl as well) into the big screen twice. following the movie Monsters University which we watched last month, i took two nights this month to take my two girls in the movie house and see Despicable Me 2 & Turbo. Even if i'm already tired after work and just slept it out the whole duration of the movie, who cares? simply seeing your little girl giggling in joy everytime i am awakened by the moviegoers' laughs is simply PRICELESS. i can always catch those on DVD anyway. but your kid experiencing 3D (kid) movies with both her mom and dad is something that can not be replaced by anything.

Iglesia Ni Cristo: Countdown to the Centennial

July is always a special month for me, for my family, for all our brethren in the church. July 27, 2013 marks the 99th year anniversary of the Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo) all over the world. The church, as a yearly devotion, has celebrated it through thanksgiving worship services and thru the missionary work dubbed as "Kabayan Ko, Kapatid Ko." The missionary work resulted to hundreds of thousand people newly enlisted to undergo indoctrination through Bible studies. All brethren are excited and we're all looking forward to the church's centennial celebration. God's love for His church never fails. He's continuously keeping His promise to His nation. If one just sees how big the Iglesia Ni Cristo is today, he/she can not imagine how humble its beginning was. The Iglesia Ni Cristo story should be seen next year to its centennial movie offering, "Ang Sugo." The film, as i understand, will relate three generations of the church from its humble beginnings in 1914 up to where it is today through God's guidance and blessings. The movie is to star Albert Martinez as Ka Felix Manalo, Richard Gomez as Ka Erdy, and Bong Revilla as the church current Executive Minister, Bro. Eduardo V. Manalo.



Thanking God for all His blessings!

July na!

Ambilis lang ng panahon. O siguro, abala lang talaga ako sa trabaho. good thing. ito lang ang naging trabaho ko na talagang humihila ng mga araw. yung tipong papasok pa lang ang buwan, may plano na hanggang sa katapusan. at ito na ang tina-trabaho araw-araw. at pagkatapos nito, may susunod na kaagad. minsan sabay-sabay pa. ganito ang eksena sa buong isang taon. sabi ko nga, good thing. mas gusto ko nang ganito kaysa petiks at naghihintay lang ng oras sa opisina. well, sa nakaraang trabaho ko, wala rin namang petiks mode. pero ang trabaho, one day at a time lang. pagkatapos ng araw na ito, panibagong araw na bukas. kumbaga sa TV show, bagong episode na bukas. literal naman na ganun ang trabaho ko noon.

Nitong nakalipas na buwan, andaming okasyon sa pamilya. unang-una na ang birthday ni wifey. tapos birthday ng biyenan ko. tapos, birthday ng tatay ko. at syempre, birthday ng little girl namin! kasabay nya yung birthday ng uncle nya at pinsan ni wifey. nakapunta rin kami sa dinner celebration ng birthday ng lolo ko (na pumanaw na). puro birthdays. kaya siguro ang taba ko na naman :D

[caption id="attachment_3048" align="alignnone" width="300"] cup cakes for wifey's birthday :)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3043" align="alignnone" width="300"] birthday gift ni little Aya kay Lolo Daddy nya. plus... surprise visit! :)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3044" align="alignnone" width="300"] celebrating Apung Tino's birthday with family and relatives. happy day :)[/caption]

recently, nakapanood na ng pangalawang wide screen film si little Aya. ito ang dahilan kung bakit sobrang dalang na naming manood ng sine. gusto kase namin ni wifey, kasama namin si kulit sa panonood sa wide screen. unang palabas na pinanood nya sa sinehan... Alvin & The Chipmunks Chipwrecked. Familiar na kase sya sa characters sa kakapanood ng kiddie films sa DVD. at sa DVD rin nya nakilala at kinawilihan si GRU at ang kaniyang minions. Kaya naman, susunod na schedule naming papanoorin--- Despicable Me 2! Pero bago ito, nakapanood kami (nang hindi planado) ng Monsters University... in 3D! Enjoy kaming tatlo. haha, oo, kami talagang tatlo ang nag-enjoy kase bukod sa natuwa si little girl, maganda rin yung palabas. first time kong nanood ng installment nito (hindi ko napanood yung Monsters, Inc.) at hindi naman mahirap magustuhan yung palabas. ayun. sulit ang family bonding.

[caption id="attachment_3049" align="alignnone" width="300"] first 3D-movie experience ni little girl - Monsters University[/caption]

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andaming nakapilang aktibidad sa opisina. sumabay pa ang mga ito sa 99th anniversary ng INC. kaya hindi biro para sa akin ang buwang ito. sana nga lang madagdagan ko pa ang update ngayong July dito sa blog... kung may time at sisipagin! kasabay pa ng busy month na ito, magli-leave yung 2 kong team mates.. una si King, tapos si boss Nix. tig-isang linggo silang mawawala. huhuhu... ako naman magbabakasyon sa susunod. ang lunkgot lang kase ubos na yata yung leave credits ko. YATA. tignan natin.

looking forward din ako sa pag-uwi ng ate ko at buo niyang pamilya. pati si mamsi, uuwi rin. hmm... hay! makulay ang taon na ito para sa akin. mukhang magiging emo ang year-ender blog post ko ah. :D

end of day reward

i'm currently with my little girl, my sweet reward for a tedious day.

started the morning hurrying up, trying not to be late for my 7AM appointment with Tina. we shall be supervising the taping for the two business establishment owners in Cavite scheduled at 9AM for the show Open House. so i was pacing up my driving just to make it on time, and i did. before we went to the head office to meet the segment producer, i quickly printed some email items and gathered my things to bring them to our shoot location. anyway, we have a 30-minute allowance to spare which will cover the waiting time for the SP. clock ticked. i decided to just meet the SP along Shaw boulevard near EDSA so as not to spend more time waiting. an hour has passed already and she's still two crossings away from EDSA-Shaw. and traffic is NEITHER LIGHT NOR MODERATE. it is HEAVY. I was trying to calm myself with the time already being wasted and at the same time, my boss keeps on texting me things that i needed to follow-up other than the scheduled interviews for the day. my cellphone signals were fluctuating! BOTH GLOBE & SUN! barely fifteen minutes before our appointment time in Cavite, the SP showed up... in Greenfields! hate late? i can tolerate a few minutes but for over an hour... it's a different story.

good thing the interviewees were cooperative. we finished the two interviews before lunch time. but at this time, i was rushing the coordination of the script for the next interviewees. the first script made was mostly wrong as the questions intended to the other were mixed-up. to add insult to the injury, the script writer didn't show up for the day reasoning out that she's sick! (later on, Akina & Ren were destined to catch her in the MRT station)

the host of the program was giving us the very short time limit as he said he needs to leave by 230 in the afternoon. huwaaaaaaattt??? we're just starting the main interview for the segment! and he needs to interview 4 more people!

to make the stressful day short, the taping went generally well. yeah, in spite of all the hindrances! my boss gave us all a halo-halo treat afterwards. refreshing!
before going home, i dropped by Pancake House to pre-order clubhouse sandwiches for our event tomorrow.

now while wifey's attending church services, i'm with my little one, passing time here in the OFW center of the mall, enjoying the cool air, and the tranquility together. earlier i let the little girl grab her ice cream cup and then played in Worlds of Fun. these moments... are priceless. sooner or later, it's not gonna be the same anymore when the little girl turns to a lady...

updatesss...

so much for the daily updates... i really can't commit to the daily blog update. getting the context of a famous verse, it says "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." it's my 2nd failed attempt to update daily, first one was in 2011 when i launched my own 365 days project. then this one (for this year, actually). well, a lot of things happened and most of them occupied my time. it's either i'm too tired to update after a day's work or i just wanted to allot my time to my two girls when i get home from work.

1. ate B was confined in the hospital for some days. all of us, her family, relatives & friends, were all waiting for an update from my brother in law's FB status saying "Just experienced calling 911." the status was just left as is for almost a day and people started worrying what happened to them. so it was my sister. she had abdominal pains after arriving to work and the pain was too much for her to take already. they called 911 and we all waited for the results. after a day, my sister already commented and updated us through an FB comment: "from inflammed apendix to raptured appendix when they opened it up. messy and toxic so i have to stay in the hospital for a few more days. they are trying to clean up my system so pampered ako ng atibiotics."

2. a few days after, it was my brother in law's turn to get hospitalized. his foot was hurting real bad during his performance in church and later on diagnosed with renal stones... no medicines to cure it but he was advised to abstain from salty food. i was inquiring if they have buko juice there and my sister told me that they only have cranberry. tutyal! but both of us agreed that medical attention there seems lesser efficient than the attention we receive here from our nurses and other medical practitioners. iba pa rin ang alagang Pinoy! even my sister agrees that the succession of medical attention requests really take so much time. parang ayoko tuloy maospital dun sa bansa nila.

3. nairaos namin nang maayos at matagumpay ang Ilustrata Residences at PRO-FRIENDS ka rin ba? media launch. success din ang naging presscon ng Open House TV show na idinaos sa 9501 sa may ELJ building ng ABS CBN. ito yata ang unang totoong presscon na ginawa namin at natuwa rin naman ang invited media friends sa nasabing event. at the day of the Open House presscon, I have guested in Mornings @ ANC. I was a bit nervous when i was interviewed because i wasn't briefed on what questions will the host throw on me. true enough, i was asked a question that we (Open House producer) never discussed even before. here's the segment exclusively shared here in my blog:


video courtesy of ANC

4. highlighting the week-long activity and kicking-off our company's crystal year celebration, we ended the week with a blast! the Run for eLearning was a big success as over two thousand registered for the run and more than a thousand actually ran in the event. It was participated in by our employees, business partners, other sponsors and outside runners. it was really exhausting but the result of the event was very rewarding. congrats to the fun run team! we still have a FREE lunch courtesy of the big bosses :D


[caption id="attachment_2950" align="alignnone" width="300"] the Run for eLearning will benefit three schools thru Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc.[/caption]

5. brought home 2 choco velvet cakes for my two girls. been missing them since the busy weeks. and even our (Sunday) family day was cut short to give way to our holy supper choir practices. i'm just thankful that wifey is very understanding. i know how she misses our time together (just like i do). even my little girl can not hide how she misses daddy. whenever i get home, she just wanted me to stay by her side. she wanted to watch TV with me, she wanted to play with me, wherever i go in the house she's behind me... awww... how touching is that? and when i tell her "punta na nga lang si daddy sa office," she would beg me not to leave. *sniff* i hope Saturday work disappears soon. let's just have a compressed five-day work-week. go, HR!

looking forward to great days. we may not have enough to spend on grand vacations but the happiness we share everyday is priceless. but yeah, a good vacation should be rewarding. any sponsors out there? ;)

next long vacation: one month form now. i hope NO ACTIVITIES will pop-up at work during that time.

Day 19 of 365

came home early from work courtesy of my entitled offset. wifey's going to church and that means, the little girl and her daddy's going to spend bonding time again! that is my Saturday's consolation after a day's work. little Aya is always expecting our time together, mostly in malls, when her mom goes to church. that's why you can just imagine her frustration if i need to work overtime on an official business on a Saturday.

the little girl seems to grow very fast. wifey and i were talking earlier about sending her to school already next school year. yeah... next school year! ALREADY. aackk!!! i still don't have enough savings!!! but i know "blessings" will come. ;)

we're thinking of where to send her to school. i just don't want to think about the tuition fee. geez.. i can't imagine having a school girl already. i think thirdy should catch up soon. :D

after her hospitalization, the little girl again craved for a set of "doctor" toys...

[caption id="attachment_2905" align="alignnone" width="225"] for a girl who's always in the hospital, is this a sign of a soon-to-be-doctor?[/caption]

Day 18 of 365

was perked up at work today. i (think i) have accomplished a lot of things: met with my work team mate and cascaded our many activities, encashed a project budget, crafted (with my boss) and coordinated our print & TV plan for a project, emailed Knowledge Channel, email our three-month calendar of activities to team mates, register and entertain inquiries about our fun run, coordinated with the producer of our upcoming TV show, proofread some advertorials, and ate just 1 serving of rice for lunch! :D my new team mate works fast, i hope she learns a lot from her new job post in which i will have a big part of (her learning.)

anyway, i was rushing to get home after office to catch up with my two girls, especially the little girl. her mom wanted to buy her food (read: comfort food in between regular meals) for the next few days and i promised to get her also a new toy she requests. my little girl always calls me to play with her. i need to give her the attention she wants even if I need to do some things at home. moments like these won;t repeat in the next few years when she's already grown and choos to be with her friends more than us, her parents. :|

Day 9 of 365

Daddy duties this morning. I attended to our little girl and let wifey take (even just) a short sleep to catch up from last night's duty with the daughter. She was the one waking up round the clock to let our little girl take her dose of paracetamol every four hours. This morning, while her mother was asleep, I talked to my daughter and asked her to take time eating and drinking so as to avoid being confined (again) in the hospital due to dehydration. I guess she loses her appetite just like anyone else who is sick, but I let her understand the consequences of not trying to feed one's self. So she patiently chewed the cut of apple i prepared for her, sipped on her milk, and tried to eat some rice. Then i gave her the next dosage of paracetamol. i also prepared the ulam for wifey so that she's ready to eat when she wakes up.

i was carrying my lunch box when my boss asked me to go with her to meet a press person over (FREE) lunch. and who am I to say no? :P anyway, i was thinking about the pile of work that i need to do but thought that they can wait after the (FREE) lunch. LOL.

i was relieved to know that my little girl's fever subsided in the afternoon. when i got home, she was more lively compared to when i saw her last night from work. but here she is now, so active like she didn't have a fever this morning! wifey & i keep on telling her not to exhaust herself but she can't be stopped. well, at least she eats now, drinks more water, and takes her medicine on time. thank, God! ;)

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[pasintabi po... ang susunod na larawan ay maaaring hindi ikalugod ng ilan. wala pong personalan, pampaalis-stress lang po sa maghapong paggawa]

today is the procession of the black nazarene and as expected, many devotees flocked the area of Quiapo, Manila. But this year seems more intensed as the previous years' processions...

[caption id="attachment_2869" align="alignnone" width="210"] photo hooked from Facebook[/caption]

daddy's joy :)

i'm a dad for over three years now and i can say that the joys that your child brings are countless. yes, even if your fuse blows numerous times because of their stubbornness, it still doesn't equate with the happiness that you feel whenever you see them, much more bond with them. the early years of being with them to know them and letting them know you, the proper time to teach them what life has to offer, the perfect time to discipline them whenever necessary. the reward that you get when you see their happy face whenever you treat them a cone of ice cream, the priceless hugs & kisses they reciprocate for the unconditional love you let the feel. all of these are the joys of being a dad...



there goes daddy's girl! ;)

"I'll see you in September..."

"...when summer is gone,
have a good time but remember
i'll be waiting back home..."

^ one of the many "September songs" that i love, Gary Lewis' "When Summer Is Gone."

September is the start of autumn---my favorite season. Too bad, we don't have that in Manila. However, it's also an anticipated month here, since it signals the beginning of the "holiday season," so to speak.

The first of September validated my employment in the current company i'm into. It's the first day of my regularization. [caption id="attachment_2742" align="alignright" width="150"] "Basta Radyo... Bombo!" - with Henry Lumawag[/caption] It's my 2nd business trip in Iloilo. This time I don't have any colleague from Manila accompanying me. I'll be holding an event with the help of colleagues based in Iloilo... and i think it's all good. Lot of things to learn all by yourself. This isn't a new set-up for me, and i'm just grateful that everyone around are very helpful and accommodating. This morning, I went to Bombo Radyo to meet its Station Manager. Our company placed an ad in the station and it airs on separate (programs) time slots. It's an honor to have met the station manager of the popular radio station in the region. We chatted a bit, mostly talking about our placed ad, and how they do radio advertising compared to stations in Manila. With the request of my boss, I also booked them a schedule of lunch date next weekend. We value media a lot... we must, just like everyone else should.

[caption id="attachment_2743" align="alignleft" width="150"] little Aya and her medication. Made her well with prayers :)[/caption] I do miss my two girls, though. I'm not very fond of being far from them for more than a day and only the business trips can do that to us. I was touched with the gesture of my little girl when wifey called yesterday, saying that little Aya was inquiring if I brought an umbrella with me. She said it's raining hard back home. I miss my little girl. She always waits for me from work to play "budin" (baby talk for "bugbugin" where the action of beating up a person is retained but not to harm but to kiss the victim all over the upper extremities, mostly in the neck part and face.) Even if she's asthma attacks... she sees to it that she plays with daddy before going to sleep. I wish I can just take away her sickness because we don't want her having a hard time when the attack hits her... :(


longing to see the colorful trees again, the falling of leaves, the feel of the breeze of cold air, signalling the weather transition going to winter... the feel of autumn... just as the summer is gone...

kids (learning) toys

our little girl owns a bunch of toys (like most kids her age) and we've come to master what toys she loves playing with. we've also taken her to toy stores a lot of times and these are the top three toys she ALWAYS go to and take time playing: 1) ball; 2) bicycle (with support wheels); and 3) bubble toys.

her most recent toy (given to her as a birthday gift) is a kiddie SPALDING basketball worth P3++ (almost 400 bucks). she's fond of playing with balls at home, whether just passing it, tossing it, kicking it, throwing it, and lately, she's beginning to learn how to dribble. sounds boyish. but i personally think it's cute.

anyway, i'm thinking of toys that will be interesting to our little girl, and at the same time educational--- toys that'll make her think, or those that will enhance her creativity. she was bought a bag of building blocks (the cheaper alternative for LEGO) by her mama lola i think those kinds of toys are best at her age. the other day, i was looking at this and thought that she may already appreciate playing with it:



shaping clay is a part of nursery (or kindergarten) class. i remember having this activity in school when i was still a kid. i didn't really enjoy it because i simply do not have any artistic blood in my veins. making any good shape out of the mashed (or rounded) clay is always in vain. but well, i guess its just me. i loved writing and singing more back then.

wifey & i believe that our little girl is intelligent (just like any other parents to their kids) but yeah, she never gets tired of discovering things. even if we tell her not to do things that are dangerous to her, she still wants to learn by experience. sometimes her curiosity is adorable, and most of the time it's not. but kids are kids. they only pass this stage once and the least we can do is to appreciate everything. yes, EVERYTHING. even if she's already too big to play little, but still too little to play big. dig?

[caption id="attachment_2682" align="alignnone" width="300"] little Aya hoarding canned goods. panic buying? :P[/caption]

Happy (3) Kaarawan!

Our little girl turns three today! That also means that i'm already a father for three years. wow, it's that fast.. the time, that is. Can't help but look joyfully at our little girl as she grows and learn more new things that just make us awe effortless. some people are asking if she's enrolled to school already but wifey and i think that it's too early for her to go to school. she learns at home anyway with her mom patiently teaching her the basics she needs to know. well, as every pre-schooler tries to learn, our little girl already knows the A-B-C, she knows numbers 1 to 10, she can distinguish basic colors (with the color violet she refers to as "purple"), she knows the basic shapes including "star" and others such as the moon, sun, she can easily tell a boy or a girl if you point to the people she's familiar with, and much, much more tricks that can really surprise us.

earlier today, while mom & dad were at church, she woke up with her lolo daddy and we saw them waiting outside our house when we arrived from church. then when her lolo daddy grabbed the sweeper, she immediately followed and helped him. we prepared her for the children's worship service also but before cleaning up (taking a bath), we let her blow her first (small) birthday cake. well, the major celebration (which includes the REAL birthday cake) was to be served in the afternoon at my in-laws' place since the little girl shares her birthday with her uncle Jayson. so she gets to blow the three candles in the real birthday cake later in the afternoon.

[caption id="attachment_2669" align="alignnone" width="300"] her first "cake" today[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2668" align="alignnone" width="300"] blowing the "real" birthday cake[/caption]

looking at my daughter, i can just pause for a moment and wonder how i'd be preparing for her education. there's no backing out now. tuition fees especially for pre-schoolers are very costly. and all i can do is to hope for the best of everything.

i wanna thank the LORD God for everything... and the most precious blessing our family received is the existence of our little girl, Aya Camille.

I love you, anak! :D

don't you just wish that life is more simple?

eat, play, sleep, TV, DVD titles, malling...

------------

my little girl is so fond of taking pictures of us and anything that she sees around. below are some photos she took using my cellphone:

[caption id="attachment_2494" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="little Aya took a shot of her sterilizer"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2492" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="little Aya took a shot of short-haired Dora"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2493" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="little Aya took a shot of long-haired Dora"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2491" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="little Aya caught daddy taking a nap"][/caption]

i just noticed that my little girl has this "eye" for her subject. and she takes photos with proper framing. future photographer? hehe...

and here she is last night when we had our family date. she's having one of her favorite food: (nido) soup with quail eggs...

[caption id="attachment_2498" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="@ Savory having nido soup"][/caption]
things like these make me wish that life is more simple. ;)

January 1 Date

first day of the new year and i happily spent it with my two girls, right after church obligations. its our first time to take our little Aya in the BIG DOME to see Disney's Holiday on Ice.

[caption id="attachment_2419" align="alignnone" width="300" caption=""Ang tagal namang mag-start!""][/caption]

when we arrived in Araneta Center, parking spaces are full. even in Gateway's basement parking, they're all occupied. good thing Shopwise-Cubao offers a big space for parking and the big dome is just across it.

aside from our little girl, it was also my first time to see Disney's Holiday on Ice. I practically am a Cubao kid but we only get to watch those FREE COD shows during the holiday season. while i don't expect to be "entertained" with the show, i was excited for our little girl so i got busy taking photos of the show and her reactions, and caught on video some parts of it...















HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!
Next stop... Alvin and the Chipmunks 3... :D

my baby is beginning to become a little girl

iyan ang tsinelas na binitbit ng little girl ko. may kwento yan: nagpunta sa mall ang mag-ina ko kahapon. sa pagi-ikot-ikot nila, inalok ni wifey si little girl na pumili ng laruan. si little girl, may ibang kinuha... paglapit sa mommy nya, bitbit ang isang pares ng tsinelas. pag-abot nito sa mommy nya, inusal ang mga katagang "daddy... daddy.." marahil nakikita napapansin ng anak ko na pudpod na ang tsinelas ko na halos lagpas tatlong taon na. sila kaseng mag-ina, may mga bagong sapin sa paa. at ang little girl ko rin pala ang taga-abot ko ng sapatos sa tuwing gumagayak na ako para pumasok. ang sukli lang na hinihintay nya, isang matamis na kiss mula sa kanyang daddy.

ang anak ko, napakahilig makipag-jamming sa aming mag-asawa. noong linggo, sa pagdiriwang naming mag-asawa ng ikatlong taon ng aming kasal, nagpunta lang kami sa isang ktv. at doon, nagpalitan kami ng mikropono ni wifey. pero si little girl, sa kanya lang talaga yung isang mic. at lahat ng isalang naming kanta, alam niya--- na hunihin. :P

narito ang ilang mga larawan ni little girl....

[caption id="attachment_2267" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="kasama ang idol nyang si Mr. Bean (Johnny English 2)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2268" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="pagpapagupit ng buhok pero sa isang kundisyon---"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2269" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="---dapat may manicure & pedicure package!"][/caption]

:D

updating...

i haven't been updating very often now. it's perhaps i'm too tired to blog after work (around midnight) or too lazy to update before work (i just want to spend my morning in bed catching up some sleep). especially this week that we're holding our devotional prayer at 5 in the morning for the holy supper on Saturday & Sunday.

i've been feeling not-so-well since last friday. i think the aircon at work has caused this. i told wifey i needed a sweater with a hood so i can put it on when the air gets too cold. but lucky me, i can still count on neozep. i took two tablets of it--- one last night and the other this morning, then i took a nap and i feel better.

my daughter has grown. i'm now even hesitant to call her baby anymore. "little girl" is perhaps more appropriate now. she's learned a lot of things already. other people get awed upon seeing our little girl do things or say things that they think she's still incapable of. and funny thing, sometimes even i get really surprised. and don't look now, she got three wedding bookings in December as a flower girl. and yeah when i stared at her, her hair has lengthen already like a real little girl!

time sure flies so fast. i'm happy that i am with her in her growing and developing years. that is really priceless. ;)