To Be, To Be. Tutubi.

Late last year, my son went home one day from school with a survey form and he wants me to help him fill it out. One question was whether we are poor, middle class or rich and my son asked me what to choose. I asked him what he thinks and he said middle class. He said we are not poor, but we are not rich either. I agree with Howie Severino that poorness(?) or richness is a matter of perception. My son thinks we are middle class, while I think we are poor. We have bills to pay, we send the kids to a private school, we have Internet access, we are paying for rent and a mortgage but we have no car anymore. While my son do not get everything he asks for, he has a bike (which was stolen just a month ago!), a PSP (a gift from his Ninang Elaine), a computer, Mommy's laptop and music player and a lot more so he thinks we are rich. He has more than other kids of his age has. And its because we work hard for it and I still think we are poor.

So I am just saying that I am tired of all this issue on whether Manny Villar was poor or rich. On his mind, he was poor and his mother says it too. So I agree that they are poor. Maybe their neighbors they were rich because they can see that they have more but that doesn't make it true. It is a matter of perception. As for his brother dying, I can relate to the helplessness that he felt because I had a brother who died too when I was young. I felt so helpless and angry that time. Maybe they could afford to pay for a private hospital and maybe they didn't. The fact remains that he died and the family felt helpless and poor because of it.

Having said all of that and accepting that Manny Villar was poor and all, I am still not voting for him. He may have come from a poor and hardworking family but Villar himself does not inspire me. His mother does. He has been surrounded with a lot of allegations that he enriched himself and his businesses using his positions and I have not been convinced, despite all the ads that my interest will be his priority if he gets elected. I am just tired of this who is poor and who is not issue when it should not be the issue at all!

Okay, that was a rant!

Red is Jollibee! When I found out that this week's theme is red, I searched for a picture of my kids with that icon of fun, Jollibee!

This picture of Ishi and Jollibee looks fun, wouldn't you agree?

And look how they hug the bug? Hi hi hi!


I was surprised to find out that Drexelle and Danniel do not have a decent pictures with the Bee, so it will be my project to make them pose with him next time!

Check out other Mommy Moments out there for more red-themed pictures!

Its only 83 days, 4 hours and 15 minutes and counting before our trip family trip to Boracay this July! Thanks to Cebu Pacific, I was able to buy tickets for my family, all eight of us for less than six thousand pesos, round trip! Yes, it was a steal. The only problem is our flight arrives 5pm in Kalibo, then we will travel to Caticlan on a van for maybe two hours then by ferry to Boracay. We would be exhausted by then to catch a glimpse of the ocean and the night life at the beach! Not that there will be much to see for 6 and 7 year-old's and 2 grandma's, ha ha!

This early, I am looking already at budget friendly hotels and restaurants so we can maximize our trip. For a party of eight, more than half of our budget will be on accommodations and food. Will I have enough money for travel insurance for all of us? I hope so. I also wish we can get good packages for our group on the activities that we can all enjoy like island hopping, banana boat ride and snorkeling. I hope my kids and my mother and sister and my mother-in-law enjoy this trip. We are all so excited already!

Do you know this fruit Kamatsili or Camachile? When I was a kid in Batangas, we use a long stick to get the kamatsili from the tree or just wait for it to fall. The body of this tree is thorny, so we don't usually climb it.

I cant remember why but I always associate duhat with uod and sineguelas with salagubang. I guess there are some good and funny memories there.


I took this picture last Sunday when we went to the QC Memorial circle and one of the booths there was selling this, along with duhat and sineguelas. And seeing these fruits evoke sweet childhood memories of climbing trees and playing on rice fields and flying kites and eating mangoes and other fruits and a lot, lot more! I wish my kids can experience those things as well. Too bad that we don't have much to come home to in our old house in the province now. But good thing that I can tell my kids these experiences when they got curious when I was taking the pictures!


Ah, fruits from my childhood!

My husband is a big sports fan. He follows basketball and boxing games religiously. You can see him glued to the television whenever his favorite basketball team or boxer has a game. He also loves watching live games (with our eldest son, thank God) and he would come home and give me an account of the game. Is it obvious that I am not much into sports? While my husband can quote statistics and even love life of his sports idol, I can't even remember their names! Good thing my eldest son is now showing interest in sports and father and son can now have a healthy discussion! But one thing I am curious about is why despite being a sports fan, he is not that much into sport bets. I know that boxing thrives on betting, correct me if I am wrong. I know that my husband would sometimes place a bet on a game called ending. Ending is a two digit game that stands for the last digit of the scores of the winning and the losing team. Whoever guess correctly, wins. As with any betting game with a bad rep, I think this is considered illegal. I really don't understand why this is so. I mean, you place a bet and take an equal risk of winning and losing so why is this illegal? It's just me of course because I will put food on the table first before gambling. I guess gambling becomes illegal and immoral, when you do it the other way.

We took time off last Sunday for some quality family time and went to the QC Memorial Circle. As you may already know, it is one of our favorite parks and my kids absolutely enjoy their time here.

Here are some of their pictures in the playground, in various color!

Pictured above is Ishi having a grand time at the red slide.

And here are my kids having a laugh at the purple slide!

Do you know how difficult it is to make them pose together? I have to threaten not to buy them cotton candy if they wont pose for me! And it worked!

Here is Danniel climbing these green things!

And Drexelle, trying to emote!

It is indeed heartwarming to watch the kids having fun. As for my husband and I, we were only able to run around the circle three times each before the kids were asking to eat breakfast already. And after they had their fill, they didn't want to leave the playground!

And she has a very pretty smile, if I say so myself :-)

And those are our slippers at the foreground, hoping to take some more trips around the country!

Kailangan natin talagang ipanalangin sa Diyos na bigyan nya tayo ng wisdom, lalo na sa darating na eleksyon para makapili tayo ng mga tamang lider ng ating bansa.

Kuha ito nuong graduation mass ng aking anak, at idinadalangin nila na sana ay kalooban sila ng Diyos ng wisdom para sa kinabukasan ng ating bansa. Tama, dahil sila nga ang pag-asa nating lahat.

My kids are bored! I am just on the phone with my eldest son who is 12, and he is looking after his 2 siblings at home today. When I asked what they are doing, he said nothing, just watching TV. You can hear from his tone that he wishes he were doing something else. While looking after his siblings teaches him responsibility, I know that he wants to be engaged in some summer activities. But since budget is limited because if the house we are building, I am looking at Article Alley for some activities that my kids could enjoy while at home. I saw this page about recreation and sports and I am thinking that they will enjoy this. I also some great article on basement waterproofing and was happily reading away when I realized that we do not have a basement, ha ha! So I took an inventory of what we have and we have badminton, hula hoop, wave board, scooter, PSP, computer, basketball and volleyball. I think we have everything covered and all I have to do is to schedule these activities for maximum enjoyment for my kids. And while they have all them time in the world and my husband and I have to work, we still have the weekends to enjoy these summer activities. Now all I need to do is to find someone to look after them while they are playing outside!

For last Friday's Mommy Moments theme of shoes, here is my very late entry. This was taken when we were at the QC Circle for some family time. They had to take off their shoes at the playground. Danniel and Ishi only have one pair of rubber shoes, but my eldest Drexelle has maybe 3. I just bought him shoes from Adidas which he said he doesnt like because its not "uso" and the pair below is what his classmates are wearing as well. I know, his personal style and tastes are evolving!


The picture below is Ishi's latest pair of sandals. We bought it last Christmas and she wore it during graduation. While we were fitting this at the mall, she wouldnt take them off anymore! And she has more sandals than I have. I hope when she gets older we can share shoes, ha ha!



Check out more shoes picture at Mommy Moments!

But remember the dream house we are building? Construction was until Holy Thursday and I was already excited about decorating the house. Since we had no work, I wanted to look for outdoor lighting on sale but all stores were closed. So I guess I have to try again this weekend.
In other news, we met with great friends last Saturday and went swimming with them. We also oohed and aahed at a friend's beautiful house! It was heartwarming to see them finally this near to their dream of owning a house.

We also had an Easter Egg Hunt at home, thanks to Auntie Luz. The kids had a great time and the adults couldn't resist joining. So we had a fun and tiring Easter, albeit not a holy one.

As a mother, I believe that eating a healthy breakfast is a must for my kids and my husband. I prepare a filling meal in the morning so that they have enough energy to jump start their day. And I do this for myself as well. I mostly eat rice for breakfast, and a cup of coffee. Sometimes, I eat oatmeal and tea, or bread. Sometimes I prepare tsamporado or sopas when I have enough time before work. I never deprive my self of a healthy breakfast even if I am on a diet. I know that skipping a meal will only cause havoc to my metabolism and will just ruin my day as well. Who wants to start their day hungry and cranky? My friend told me that another healthy breakfast or even snacks that I should try are protein shakes. She said that she gets everything that her body needs with just one glass. She does not worry about excess carbs or calories and she gets to choose a fruit a day. Well I guess that us something good to try. I have an office mate whose breakfast daily consists of seasonal fruits and she swears that it gives her a very great start on her day. So I guess that as long as we do not starve ourselves, it does not matter whether we load with carbs or proteins or fruits. A healthy breakfast is a great way to start a new day.

I have a confession to make. I used the Lenten season as an excuse not to exercise! I told my friends that since I love going to the gym and that lent is the season for abstinence and fasting, then I would abstain from going to the gym. Now, how is that for an excuse? Ha ha, I sure love my body not only because of how I want people to see me but for health reasons as well. If given the chance and the budget, I am willing to try this famous Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon and trust him with my body. I would love to feel like the rich and famous and have a Beverly Hills liposuction! I have always wondered, if these procedures are really as frightening as the media would want us to believe, then why are there lots of people who are doing it? These people are not uneducated or uninformed. These are individuals have access to information and can easily find out if these practices can cause them more harm. But we have to agree that these procedures have become a lot more safer given the breakthrough in the profession. So I really think that undergoing a Beverly Hills plastic surgery is a treat for your self confidence. So if you have the budget and the inclination, go for it!

I am sure you have lots of friends or family members who are graduating or celebrating their birthday or other occasions this month. So if you are looking for unique gift ideas, I would recommend these funny t-shirts. They are sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike. I fell in love with these unique t-shirts when I saw my friend wearing food tshirts with witty captions and great designs. They are indeed good conversations starters at parties and shows just how cool the wearer is! I was dying to get one for myself so she told me about Tcritic as well. I was browsing their website for some designs and my eldest son who recently turned 12 also loved theTwilight designs. No surprise there! Even my husband wanted a biker shirt! Haha, now I know what I will get him for his birthday this June. But they have other items as well, not just tshirts and clothing items, but even posters, mugs, caps , bumper stickers, home decors and the lovable tote bag pictured above. My friends can expect to get that tote bag for their birthdays! These are indeed unique gift ideas that everybody would love so check them out now.

Last month, Drexelle and Ishi graduated from elementary and kinder respectively. Danniel was in Grade One but he was an Achiever. Graduation are always sweet Mommy Moments indeed!


This year, Ishi was awarded Most Behaved. My officemate was telling me that a kid who is well-behaved at school understands and respects authority. And she does. She wants to be a teacher somebody!