Our Baby Puppy

Meet Cooper aka Coop, our family pet. He is a pure bred Bichon Frise. He is now 14 months old and we've had him for a month. He is so sweet yet he can be rambunctious too! Having a puppy is like having a baby in the house. We had to 'puppy proof' the house and make sure nothing is on the floor that he can choke on. So in the family room, we have the basket for the Wii-motes on top of the tv stands , he aleady chewed on the wire of one Nunchuck. He is a lot of work. Thank goodness that after only 3 weeks, he's already trained to go bathroom on the pee pads.

Prom Time

It's that time of the year again in Manila, where my nephews and nieces reside. Their end of the school year is next month so most of the schools have the proms at the end of this month. My niece is very excited to wear the custom-made dress that her mom ordered. She even went on one of those quick weight loss diets to look good in the dress. My nephew meanwhile is just excited to go with this girl from another school that he likes. The parents meanwhile are beyond themselves with the preparations and everything else. In a couple of years, it'll be my turn to feel this way.

Some Good News

I received some good news the other day. I heard from my niece that she's going to Manila for her fiancee visa interview this month. I know that she and her fiance have been waiting for this day for a long time. My niece is in her early thirties and has been very picky with her suitors. I'm happy for her that she found the right man. She will be going to Texas since that is where her fiance lives. I guess I'll be visiting that state sometime this year. She wants me to be in the wedding party. For the first time, I am going to be a Principal Sponsor in a wedding. It's kind of weird since I've always thought that position to be for 'older people'. LOL I guess I'm considered to be in that age range (although I don't feel like it). I'm sure she's going to have a Bachelorette party so I'll ask my sister and cousins to give her some sexy lingerie. One surely needs it for the honeymoon. My mom is excited that her family members here in the US is growing although they're all scattered across the US. At least it'll give her a reason to travel.

Pasalubong aka Care Package

Don't you just love your relatives? I do! They always have a care package for me everytime they visit other family members in California. My first cousin's wife and their son came for a short visit last Christmas. My aunt mailed me some goodies since I live on the East coast. When my mom went back for a vacation last year, she sent me all these stuff shown in the photo above. It contained some of my favorites like the Cornick (corn snack), prawn crackers and Chocnut (peanut milk chocolate). She also sent me a new kind of Sinigang mix (sour soup) and PJs and other clothing for the kids.

We are going to visit the Philippines this summer. This will only be the second time for dh to go there, the third time for my daughter and first time for my son. I plan to send a couple of boxes before our trip. This will save us the hassle of stuffing our luggages with gifts for relatives. The airlines also lowered the total weight of luggages and it is expensive when you go over weight. I already shopped for some gifts last month. I took advantage of the after-Christmas Sales. I still have a lot more shopping to do, mainly for make-up, perfume and cologne. My brother also asked for a sports watch. If only I have a lot of money, I would give him a choice of Luminox watches but I don't. So I'll look around for an affordable sports watch for him.
I am looking forward to this vacation since it is going to be a reunion of sorts for our family. My two cousins and their families from the UK are going back as well as my parents, sister and other relatives from California. Can't you tell, it's going to be a blast!

A Rare Shopping Day with My Family

I prefer to go shopping by myself with the exception of a rare outing with my BFF Mira and mareng Lanie. (Hey ladies, we haven't gone out for a long time! LOL) Dh does not enjoy shopping and I find it hard to shop with my kids around. Today however, we went to the mall to get a few things. The Christmas Pageant at school is this Thursday and I need to get a pair of dress shoes for my son and a pair of slacks for my daughter. Of course, we ended up getting more than that plus the kids had a rare photo with Santa. We don't do it every year since my daughter was scared of him when she was little. Dh saw a pair of knit sweaters and a Boston Celtics cap so we got that. We went to the GAP and found a nice shirt for my son and pair of slacks for my daughter. We saw a nice puff jacket with a hood and since she's been asking me to buy her one for a long time, I decided to get it for her. We also got her a scarf and a pair of ballet flats. Imagine my surprise when she asked if she can get a pair of metallic ballet flats. OMG, I can tell that my daughter is now a 'tween'. She chooses her clothes and shoes and does not let me do it for her. I don't know if I felt happy or sad or maybe I felt both emotions. My first born will be in the double digits next month! How time flies...pretty soon she'll start asking me about fat burners and make-up.

Early Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is almost here and I am starting to panic. You see, we will have Thanksgiving dinner this Sunday. Uhuh, that's in four days. Dh's parents are leaving for Florida earlier this year so they asked if we can have it this weekend. They're what you call 'Snowbirds', they spend their winters in the south and come back in April. We will be celebrating it in my house for the 4th year in a row. My MIL decided she's too old to prepare Thanksgiving dinner and she let us all know about it. LOL Anyway, since I'm the only daughter in-law who enjoys cooking, I volunteered. I'm having the regular menu for this day which is roasted Turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet yams, vegetable side dishes, some appetizers which includes Lumpia Shanghai and for dessert, Pumpkin Cheesecake. Just thinking of all these food makes me want to go on a diet and take Anoretix. I need to walk longer on the treadmill starting this week, or else I'll end up like the Pillsbury dough boy.

Good Bye to my Annuals and Whatever Else

I can feel it coming. It is only 6:00pm but the temperature already went down to 38.1 degrees(F). My goodness, there goes my annuals. The weatherman said we're going to have frost tonite, great! Maybe I should cover the planters with some kind of plastic sheets. I hope this cold snap does not last long. The kids will have their Halloween Trick or Trunk on Monday night in school. This is only the second year of this event. Since it is a Catholic school, the kids don't wear costumes to school. They used to do it before but they stopped it so they created this event. We participated last year and it was fun. The families who want to participate will decorate their car, suv or van trunks with Halloween decors and pass out candies to the kids. The kids assemble in the gym with their teachers while the parents wait in the parking lot. They will also have a Halloween dance on Wednesday but we might skip it. I'm glad Halloween falls on a Friday. The kids will have a good nite's rest and not wake up early to go to school. For the second year, we will be going to my good friend Mira's house and go Trick or Treat with her son Mikey and the daughter of our friend Josie. The kids had fun last year and am looking forward to next week. Just thinking about all the activities next week makes me tired! How are you celebrating Halloween?

Aging Parents

Just this past month, my dad had been to the hospital two times. The first time was when he felt chest pains, they had to check his arteries and the stent that was placed there three years ago. The good news is they did not find anything. The second time happened just a week or so after that hospital trip. This time, he slipped and hit his head on the corner wall. Good thing that my mom was back from her trip to the Philippines and she heard him scream. She called 911 and they brought him to the ER where he received more than 30 stitches. My goodness! My daughter even asked me "Why is it that bad things happened to grandpa?". My parents are in their early 70s and are living independently. I'm already worrying about their care when they get older. I just cannot see them living in a senior home.

Starting Anew

My mom arrived yesterday from her 2-month long vacation in the Philippines. She mentioned that her nephew's daughter traveled with her to Los Angeles. Apparently, this girl, who is deaf-mute came to California on a Fiancee Visa. She met her fiance on the internet and he also have the same disability as her. He visited her in the Philippines last year and they fell in love. Now, she is starting her life in this country. She is lucky because her fiance lives not too far from my mom's house. I think it is important to have some family support nearby. I also asked my mom about my brother and she replied that he is looking to get some discount furniture for his new flat in the province. I hope he will get the call from the U.S. Embassy soon. He is only waiting for his physical examination and after that he is good to go.

My Parents and Retirement

My parents are in their seventies are living in Southern California. Being retired, they live on a fixed income. They are seriously considering living in the Philippines for a part of the year. With the state of the economy these days, I think that it is a good idea. The cost of living there is much lower and they will have less expenses since the house is fully paid for. My parents are just waiting for my brother's petition to be finalized, so we hope he will be here soon since he's only waiting for the final approval from the US Embassy. My dad is also a believer in having a life insurance so he called me and ask me to look into life insurance rates for my brother. They own their house in California but this is a bad time to sell, he is hoping the real estate prices will go up again.

This is the house I grew up in. My parents had this house built when I was seven years old and I lived here until my early twenties after which, I migrated here in the U.S. Today, only my bachelor cousin who is a lawyer lives here. My parents did not want to sell this house even though there are people who want to buy it. It certainly holds a lot of good memories for all of us. My dad plans to have the house remodeled before they go back. He wants to convert the maids' quarters on the first floor into their bedroom and make it bigger by extending it to a part of the kitchen. He also wants to put air conditioning to the rest of the house since currently, only the bedrooms upstairs have it. My dad is already complaining of the expenses but I told him he will still save money in the long run.

Puberty?

It seems just like yesterday when I first saw my daughter in the maternity suite. Her face was like an angel. She was so beautiful that the doctor and nurses even commented that dh and I made good looking babies. Now, in a couple of months, she will be 10 years old. I can see that she is starting to show early signs of puberty. She is tall for her age and in year or so, she will definitely be taller than me. I talked to a couple of moms of her classmates and they told me that their daughters are in the same stage too. Kids grow up so fast these days and before we know it, it's time to get some acne products.

Balikbayan Box or Door-to-Door

Do you have a family member who lives abroad? If you do, then you probably have sent them a care package or two. This is popular amongst Fiipinos. We send them a big box full of 'stuff'. The stuff could be anything, from canned goods like corned beef, chili con carne, to coffee, creamer, artificial sweeteners, perfumes and colognes, shampoo and conditioner, bars of soap, toothpaste, clothes, shoes, etc. Of course, these are available for purchase back in the Philippines but we still like to send them these things. Most of my relatives are already here in the US except for a few cousins and my brother. I rarely send a box for him, instead, I give him money for his daily expenses. This time though, I am sending him a care package. Dh has a lot of clothes that does not fit him and they are of good quality that I don't want to give it away so I am giving it to my brother. I'm also sending him special shoes, it's called MBT shoes which improves posture and relieves stress on the back and joints. He's a Taekwondo instructor in a college and he's been having problems lately. I told him it's the effects of getting old. :) How about you, what do you have in your door-to-door box?

What's Happening this Week?

Well, I will be a single parent this week. Dh is out of town for some training so I have a full schedule. Usually, he drives the kids to and from school three times a week while I take care of the other two days. Tuesday and Thursday are usually my laundry day. Wednesday is now a busy day for me since I started my volunteer work at school. Friday is a long day since daughter's Gymnastics class is in the evening. I'm starting to use the TGIF phrase again. I haven't used this since I stopped working 9 years ago. Oh, I might have some friends over this Thursday, that is, if Mira and Josie have some time to come over for lunch. I am thinking of grilling a whole fish, yummy! I'll ask Lanie if she can come too. How about Carlota? Well, she lives too far. Maybe she can join us through webcam. LOL

Good news from my Niece

I received some good news from my niece, Lourdes. I wrote in a previous post that her fiance will visit her and he did, last month. They are already planning their wedding for next year. They hired an immigration attorney to help them process all the paperwork needed for her fiancee visa to the U.S. She also told me that she will not take any dietpill since he told her that he loves her just the way she is. Isn't that sweet?

Librarian, My New Job Title

I never thought I would be a librarian, not that there's anything wrong with being one. :) Starting tomorrow, I will be volunteering in my kids' school. Being a private school, they rely heavily on private funds and parent volunteers. The school does not have a full-time librarian. Since both kids are in school now, I can help out in their school. It worked out perfectly for me since my daughter and my son's class library schedule falls on the same day. I remember growing up that the school library is one of my favorite rooms in the school. I love the smell of books. Weird, I know. LOL I borrowed the first novel I read, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, from the school library. I also liked leafing through the Card Catalog, you don't see this anymore. The kids nowadays don't even know what it looks like and what it is for since everything is computerized. I don't even think that they teach kids how to use the Dewey Decimal System. Do you still remember how to use it?

It Has Been a Long Day

TGIF! Daughter started her gymnastics class tonite and what is only an hour seemed like two. Son wanted to go home after five minutes so I had to answer all his questions as to why we cannot leave. He's good though, he is not like some kids who throws tantrums if they don't get what they want. We could've taken the early class but daughter's friend is on this time slot. Her mom, who is also my friend works till 5pm so the earlier class wouldn't work for them. Daughter and M signed up together and each will go only if the other is there. We'll see if they would want to continue gymnastics after two months. If they will, I'm certainly not looking forward to winter driving at night! I'm just glad that I have a 4WD!

Ladies, Are You Ready for Some Football?

Uh, do we have a choice? Football season starts this Sunday and I'll bet my Dell XPS notebook that dh will be in his favorite seat and watching the first kickoff on his plasma tv. So what does football season mean to our household? It means that we schedule stuff around the Patriots' game schedule. No parties, shopping, errands for him on Sunday afternoon/evening. If ever he doesn't have a choice (because I said so LOL), then he'll listen to the game in the car. He's all ready for the season. He has chosen his players in the NFL fantasy game and he has some time scheduled to watch the game at his childhood friend's house. So what do I do when football is on? I'll sometimes watch it with him if my favorite teams are playing. If not, then I'll be up and about around the house, either baking, cooking or blogging.

Schedule Flu Shots

It's coming, flu season is upon us. It's time to call your family doctor/pediatrician and schedule the flu shots. It used to be that only children under 5 years old get the flu vaccine every year. This year, my kids' pediatrician wants all kids to get it. I've been doing this every year, I always ask for a flu shot for my daughter who is now 9. Even if they tell me that she does not need one, I tell them that I want her to have it. Dh and I also get ours, he gets it from work while I get it from my Primary Care doctor. Doing this every year spares our household from getting the bug each year. Believe me, it is worth it.

His First Day of School

My son did GREAT on his first day of school last Tuesday. He was so good and very confident. He didn't cry and wasn't 'clingy' like some kids in his class. I think it's because he has seen his sister go to school countless times. He knows that I will be there in the afternoon to pick him up. His teacher said that he listened intently and was not disruptive in class. I'm glad to hear that since he is the 'family clown.' I hope he will be an A+ student like his big sister.

Make It a Habit

It is a good idea to start teaching young kids the value of money. Everytime my son asks me to buy him something he saw on TV, my answer is always "We'll have to save money for that." It's not a good idea to buy them everything they want even though you can afford to. Whenever my daughter wants an item, she has to pay half of the cost herself. Even though I can get her the item, I don't want to do it. I want her to learn the lesson that to have something, she needs to save first. That's why she has her own savings account although she cannot get into this without my knowledge. It's an online account and I didn't ask for an ATM card. Having a card will just give her the idea that it is easy to take money out. Until she is old enough to be financially responsible, I will be the primary contact for this account.