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Thursday, May 14, 2009

Boracay Break



During our short visit to Roxas, Hubby and I made it a point to squeeze in a trip to Boracay. We wanted to make the most of the vacation and since Boracay is only three hours away, we just had to go there and let the kids enjoy the white sand.

We stayed at Villa Criselda Resort. For only P2,500 a night, we got an airconditioned room with two queen-size beds, a refrigerator, a TV, a comfort room with hot & cold shower and a nice veranda. Now that, I think, is what getting your money's worth means. The place also has a wi-fi signal allowing us to surf the net for free. Villa Criselda Resort is also very near 'D Talipapa...where you can find the wet market, mini-grocery stores, kainans and souvenir shops. This, to us, is a big plus because we have a baby with us so we didn't want to go very far for our meals. Most importantly, and much to the delight of the Kuyas, Villa Criselda is a few minutes (as in super few!) walk to the beach. Because of this, they got to enjoy the beach the entire afternoon (even to early evening on day 1) and the entire morning (on day 2) of our visit.

The kids loved the clear water and white sand of Boracay! Here are a few pictures of the kids having fun in Boracay (more on my Facebook account). :)


Villa Criselda Resort (lobby)


Inside our room


The veranda











Although Hubby and I did not have the chance to really go around Boracay (i.e. bar-hop, resto-hop and shop), just seeing our kids have fun was more than enough for us. Besides, nag-enjoy naman si Hubby drinking beer and FB-ing while I savored my yummy oreo cheesecake. Hehe!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Tribute to Mama

Dearest Mama,

Mommy posted some of my old videos for you and Ninong Mark...hope you'll enjoy watching them!

Love and kisses,
Mako

- - -
MAKO'S FIRST MEAL


APPEAR, DISAPPEAR, ONE HALF, ONE FOURTH... ONE FOURTH, ONE HALF, DISAPPEAR, APPEAR! (Nasa appear pa lang po kami...hehehe!)


KISSING SCENE

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Close...Open!



Although Mako learned how to open and close his hand months earlier, he showed us that he understood the words "close" and "open" when he learned how to associate them with the actual hand movements at five months... much to the delight and pride of Daddy and Mommy.

Foto Fever

The kids had an unscheduled photo session last May 10 (Mother's Day). We passed by Great Image studio and initially wanted to have our family picture taken but decided to re-schedule so we can prepare for the shoot... as in wear color-coordinated shirts. :) I think (and the photos show) the kids had fun... including Mako who smiled generously at the camera.

Roxas after Ten



Ten random things, ten years after my last visit to my hometown…

1. Life will lead you to many places but no matter how far you go and how happy you have become, a yearning will grow and will make you want to go back to the people and places that shaped you. It’s a sign that you’re getting old. :)
2. Somehow, the years have mellowed down my father and the once strict dad had transformed into a doting “lolo” to his grandchildren.
3. The house that was witness to my childhood will always pull a few “senti” strings …no matter how old it has become!
4. The “ulams” that I once hated as a child now make a sumptuous meal for me ... I’m talking “alimango, pusit and hipon!”



5. Metro Manila salary can go places in Roxas. Hmmmnnn… will the simple lifestyle work for my family here in Manila???? Not! The malls and restaurants here in Manila are too hard to resist! Hehe! :)
6. The errands that I usually do for two weekends in Manila will only take one day to finish in Roxas! I can go around the city in just one morning because the place is essentially free from heavy traffic. It’s easy not to be late in Roxas where you don’t have to worry about traffic jams.
7. Further on that note, working people in Roxas are lucky because less travel time to and from work means more time to spend for other interests and hobbies. People in Manila spend hours just going to and from work.
8. No matter how many Ilonggo restaurants Hubby and I have visited in Manila, nothing compares to the taste of batchoy and puto in Roxas. Now our standards for these food chains are higher having remembered and experienced the original thing all over again!



9. For a moment, I thought that the cakes baked by Tracy’s in Roxas might not really be that yummy considering how fond I have become of cakes here in Manila (i.e. caramel cakes of Estrel’s, sans rival of Goldilocks and chocolate caramel cake of Red Ribbon). Baka naman mababa lang talaga ang expectations ko dati as a kid. Kahit ano, basta cake masarap. But having ordered a mango cream cake from Tracy’s for my youngest and having seen the satisfied look of my hubby and kids, I now firmly believe that Tracy’s can really compete with cakes here in Manila. They bake super yummy cakes and their cheese rolls taste great, too!!!



10. The quiet days in Roxas ironically made me miss the busy life in Manila. Hahaha! Manila lifestyle has gotten its way into my system, I guess. :)

I plan to, want to, need to and will visit Roxas more often from now on. Here’s wishing for more promo fares from servicing airlines!:)

Monday, May 11, 2009

Blessings



"Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good."

I often think about this line when I look at our three adorable kids and a warm feeling usually embraces me. I am amazed at the miracle of life... hubby and I brought in three wonderful persons in this world!

Miko (The Kuya; leftmost)was born last May 19, 1998. Nothing can compare to the happiness I felt when I first saw him...our firstborn. The exhaustion of having been in active labor for eighteen hours and the pain of childbirth were all forgotten the moment I held him in my arms. He was perfect. The joy of finally being a Mom was beyond what I had expected. Miko is turning 11 on Tuesday next week. My cute and adorable baby has grown into a good-looking kid. He’s a little shy but very “mabait” and generous. His sketches never cease to impress me…he got that talent from his Dad. Miko, who learned how to distinguish shapes and colors before he turned two, also excels in school. He is consistently in the honors list and recently joined the school's varsity team for basketball.

Maki (The Kuya Baby; center) was born last September 27, 2000. Labor pains were not as bad but I almost had a C-section because of coiled cord. Maki is our bundle of surprises...He was conceived at the most unexpected time and because of this, our OB Gyne initially thought we will be having a baby girl. Maki is our Kuya Baby because he was our bunso for almost 8 years. Maki is my "little me." He is very "makulit" but very sweet. He is also the "Mr. Congeniality" in the family. Even as a toddler, he easily made friends with other kids...kahit pa yung mga nakikita lang niya sa mall! He is also as smart as his Kuya. He recently won 3rd place in an academic competition against other schools in the city, on top of being consistenly part of the honors list. While the Kuya is busy with basketball, our Kuya Baby is part of the boys' choir. :)

Mako (Our Baby; rightmost) was born last September 2, 2008. He was an answered prayer. Giving birth to him was like reliving my delivery to Miko. The labor was long and the contractions were really painful. Twelve hours after the first contraction, however, he came and made everything worthwhile. When we held him for the first time, it felt like we were holding our firstborn again. He looked so much like Miko! He is our bundle of joy... always smiling, making us forget about our worries at work and reminding us how blessed we are to come home to him and his Kuyas.

So you see, this is how blessed I am and I still think that for me to deserve all these... somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.

Photo Ooops ala Vivas

The Wife is a big fan of Joey de Leon's Photo Ooops! It's a collection of his travel photos but with a twist as they still show how witty he is even through pictures! You can find them in PEP.

Anyway, the Wife hopes to have a similar collection of fun photos and her first attempt was during their recent trip to Boracay...



Need I say more??? :)

Big Dates for the Family


The family looks forward to these dates every year:
  • January 24 - wedding anniversary of Hubby and Wife
  • May 19 - birthday of The Kuya (Miko)
  • May 21 - birthday of Hubby
  • September 2 - birthday of The Baby (Mako)
  • September 23 - birthday of Wife
  • September 27 - birthday of The Kuya Baby (Maki)


Sunday, May 10, 2009

The Name

Twelve years back, Hubby (then BF who would write letters for Wifey-then-GF during days they did not see each other) handed Wifey a letter. Hubby wrote it after an inspiring afternoon at work. He and "H" had the chance to talk about life and relationships...the two agreed on the thought that a relationship is like a box and that everyday, you put in a little something to fill that box. Hubby, in his letter, shared this with Wifey and the two promised to take care of their "box" and to put in a little something everyday.

Fast forward twelve years, Hubby and Wife still believe that their "box" is witness to everything they have been through. Hence, if they are to share their life with family and friends, it would mean letting them have... a peek inside their box.