The Journey. It’s Mine. [My personal take on love, life, parenting and blogging.]

It has been awhile that I haven’t talked about nor taken a picture of our house, where bulk of my blog money went into at that time when blogging money was at a sky high and we’ve been struck by several typhoons. There was no choice but to build and reconstruct.

We’ve been living at the said house even though it isn’t fully polished yet. Different storms struck us, the boys went back to school and Raine started the big school. The American Recession came and blog money went into a plunge. We had to tighten our belts. Besides, we just gotta eat and send the boys to school.

Miracles happen. After a series of trainings and loans my seaman brother is now a 3rd mate. That wasn’t easy, my mother has to suffer no allotment for six months. Angels came into our lives and helped us survive the trying times. We paid the loans (some we are still paying, but we’re getting there) and tighten our belts some more.

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Indeed better days are over. Starting tomorrow it’s back to my daily grind of waking up very early and preparing Raine for school. Not that I’m complaining. It’s just funny how time flies. Our 3 weeks of vacation is finally over.

What did I do without getting bored you might ask? I read books, novels. IN BED! Ha ha ha. For me that’s just the most blissful thing to do on a vacation, not even staying in cancun hotels will lure me out of that particular “vice”. Finally I had the time to just  read and read without minding the time. As Raine’s been busy with playing and other stuff that kids does on vacation while my mother whips up food in the kitchen. For once it is good to not think of what to eat next nor whether I will prepare the said meal or just eat out.

The highlight of our vacation is of course Raine’s 7th  birthday last December 29. (Pssst mga ninong at ninang, mga tito at tita…wala pa kayong gift kay Raine! He he he. Puede namang ipadala na lang, o kaya email me, laging naka-ready details ng bank account ko. Ha ha ha!!)

But then the summer vacation is something to look forward to as well.

Today is officially Raine’s last day of formal school this year. Tomorrow will all be merry making: Christmas parties and stuff. He doesn’t even have to wear a uniform tomorrow. Just one of his casual clothes.

While this blog don’t get updated in the next three weeks (classes resume January 11, 2010), that means we are having fun having a quiet holidays in the barrio.

So if I don’t get to greet you, I’ll do it already: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. All my best wishes through the coming new year.

Being sick was a blessing in disguise.

Even though we’re broke, I’m at my happiest with my family and my friends.

I wish the victims of Ondoy will find their happy times too even in the midst of a twin-typhoon threat.

We found happy times after milenyo.

On October 16, our family was blessed with this little bundle:

My first niece.

buti pa nung maliiit…di ka pa nag-uutos presentado na.

ngayon utusan mo…GRABE ANG MAKTOL bago sumunod!

kambal yan, di si raine.

Now that I’ve been spending lots of time with my family…I can feel the 15-year gap between me and kambal. Like if they say that some band sang some song. Nooooo…that’s an Apo Hiking Society original.

Then while watching Narnia: Prince Caspian…I was trying to figure out the voice of Asland. I think it’s Liam Neeson’s voice. (I’m not sure though). Then I asked: do you guys know who was the voice of Mufasa in The Lion KIng?

Ate…we haven’t seen The Lion King.

NYeh!

What???!!! You guys haven’t seen The Lion King????

Di nyo kilala si Simba??!!! James Earl Jones, annnnuuuuu baaaaaaa???

And I said all those like not having seen The Lion King is sacrilege.

And the two were staring at me like I’m from Mars.

2-day intrams.

weekend.

monday holiday.

woohoo.

we stay home that long.

for sure sleep.

for sure pig out.

maybe hit the nearest beach?

we’ll see…

Yesterday I received the greatest news ever.

My old time college dorm friend and her daughter has been approved for U.S. petition.

My friend got married (2nd time) earlier this year to an American Special Ed Teacher.

That friend of mind never had it easy with relationships. She had her first marriage (to a Pinoy) annulled years back.

The whole process was of course painful, stressful and not to mention uber-expensive. (Which she shouldered all of course because she was the one who filed for it.)

Eventually, she won full costudy of her very pretty and smart daughter.

Now they’re moving to the U.S. to start anew with family life. I’m sooo happy for them both.

Finally i have a group of moms in Raine’s school. After lunch time today, I hanged out with them for an-hour-and-a-half.

You know…just talking about life and parenting in general. Almost 3 months later and I finally belong.

It’s good hanging out with other moms. For one, you’ll finally find out that you are not alone. Today I found out that there are other kids worse than Raine. I mean mas malikot at makulit. Mahirap gisingin sa umaga. Maarte sa ulam, etc, etc.

I feel so relieved!

Besides, I need to hang out with others aged waaayyy over 6 (or 7).

Whatdoyouthink?

Raine’s first quarter examination started this afternoon. There’s another one tomorrow afternoon and the last part is on Saturday morning.

While that gives me more time to get online and finish my blogging committments, that means I cannot catch the Friday night teleserye at home.

Raine is raring to go home. He miss playing with his playmates in our neighborhood. He misses lola a lot too.

Oh well…he’s got YEARS of exams to go.

Si Glenn Carlo. 2 years younger than Raine. Will be turning 5 this coming October. He is Raine’s best playmate.

It’s just that they live far away from us. Raine can’t seem to get enough of him.

Super suplado nga lang ang batang ito!

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In lieu of Fathers’ Day…I’ve just realized that all my brothers are fathers now.

Read on to find out.

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I spent the weekend in Manila and Southern Tagalog. I flew on noon of Saturday and came back on Monday morning. I took the Ceb Pac 6 am flight to Legaspi City.

By 130 pm on Saturday I was at the SM Mall of Asia. Originally, I planned on catching a movie but there wasn’t enough time. I had lunch first at Tokyo, Tokyo and it was already 230 by the time I’m done. (Ang haba ng pila!) I was just killing time until a couple of my uplb chemsoc sisses arrived to pick me up at a little past 4. Before that I took a quick round at the MOA SM Department Store and killed the rest of my time in front of the Go Nuts Donuts store. I bought a box of their good donuts and sipped my iced tea for some 1.5 hours. Yes, mahirap maghintay but it was all worth it.

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Not that I forgot…Raine and I have been greeting Lola Happy Mothers’ Day since Saturday night. With matching hugs and kisses from Raine.

I was still asleep on Sunday morning when the txts keep coming in my cellphone.  Everyone, greeting me HMD! Thanks everyone, just in case I forgot to reply.

Another important day was last Saturday — would have been Papa’s 63rd birthday. Nagluto kami ni Mama, and we just celebrated quietly within the family.

Belated happy mothers’ day to all you moms out there!