GRATITUDE JOURNAL

While I was at the salon for 2 hours to have my hair colored, treated and cut, Jake was off by himself to do his own thing... explore ALA Gym next door. Out of curiosity, he went inside where he was gamely accommodated by the men who manned the gym. Though he's fond of sparring and pretend-fighting with his school friends, today was his foray inside a boxing ring wearing real boxing gloves. After my primping, I went to find him. The Jake I saw was all sweaty and excited at his new-found activity... Here... He's got the form, don't you think?

In 2000, after 7.5 years in MIL's (mother-in-law) house, we moved out to transfer to our own condo. Then in 2007, after 7.5 years, we sold the 2-br condo for a small profit and moved to a newly-constructed 2-br townhouse. The space is just slightly bigger than the condo, but it is nearer the kids' school and our place of work. Plus, we now have a small plot of garden to tend and a separate space for the househelps. Yey! Lol. Now, 3.5 years later, I'm choosing from board swatches for the kitchen cabinetry and scouring the internet for ideas for the kids' bedroom furniture for our new project. This time, it is a modest-sized house that is being constructed and ready for the finishing touches. Hopefully, it will be completed in the next few weeks and ready for the "big reveal." God is good! the colors of pine, maple and wenge didn't come out correctly in the pic

We were in IT Park after mass to check out the diwal at Pier One. Alas, the resto was closed. Why it was closed on a Sunday after coming out with a newspaper ad about their diwal last Friday makes me wonder. So much for our diwal craving... Not wanting to go to the mall, we went to Mooon instead where we ordered tuna belly for Jerry, chicken mozzarella melt for Kyle, my spaghetti a la gambas and Jake's carbonara. I happily looked at how Jake finished off his meal. I guess our 6yo is now more adventurous to try new kinds of food to add to his usual fare of fried chicken, hotdog and spaghetti. Maybe he will share our craving for diwal next.

I heard somebody knocking loudly at the gate. Nobody opened. And then I heard a male voice yelling in English: "Somebody open the gate, because it is closed! Basura (garbage)!". That was when I curiously peered through our window to check who this man was. It was the same middle-aged man who knocked. Our garbage collector spoke not in Cebuano nor in Tagalog, but in English! Why not? Seriously, how cool is that?

That was the text message I received from Kyle who (as of this writing) is on a short flight enroute to Bacolod with teachers and 2 sections in 2nd year high school. They are going on an eco-tour to complement their classroom discussions in Biology. My sleep last night was not so restful, perhaps because I worried about this first time that 14 yo Kyle will be traveling (although with teachers and classmates) on his own. I worried whether he packed everything that he needed... toiletries, enough clothes (for all of 2 days. hehehe...), the spray-on insect repellant... or whether his cellphone was fully charged and had load... and so on. Ugh, I'm such a worrywart like that. I woke up ahead of the alarm this morning to make sure he did not forget the essentials. I prepared his breakfast while he got himself ready. By 645am, he was on his way to the airport. There shouldn't be anything to worry about, this is what I keep telling myself. It may be the first but this is n...

This is one of the benefits of having Matt in town, when he's on uni break. He becomes my personal bodyguard/assistant if I have to do my errands. Hehe. Yesterday noon, Jake was happy to see his Ahia Matt waiting for him by the school gate. And what a precious sight to see them walking together to the car with big smiles on their faces. Born 11 years apart, little Jake with his Ahia Matt

Eldest son, Matt, flew in from Manila last Saturday to spend his university term break at home with us. Jerry, the hubby, arrived from Manila as well, the following day, Sunday. Being in the same place gets a bit more tricky these days with all of us having different work and school schedules. So every chance we get, we try to make it special. Because the trusted cook was indisposed during the weekend and I was totally helpless in the kitchen (still am), we all decided to have breakfast in a nearby resto just before we heard mass. For a change... :) It wasn't our normal routine but that was exactly what made it more special for us all. Amid the noisy chat of the boys trying to upstage one another in telling his story, I was happily enjoying the moment as I feasted on my breakfast and tried to sample theirs. angus tapa, ham and cheese omelette, fried bangus, and corned beef hash

In Jake's school, the Beyblade has made a comeback after its popularity waned years ago. The Beyblade was first popularized by a Japanese anime series in the early 2000. The toy is actually a modified top that comes in expensive sets. However, there are cheaper ones that do not carry the brand but work just the same. Today, almost every boy in preschool has his own Beyblade, or in Jake's case, a version of it. Soon, when Jake has fully recovered from his viral infection, I would be seeing him playing with his peers again after school and screaming with them in unison... Let it rip!!! Jake, preparing to launch his toy top versus his friend's Beyblade

After a week of on and off low-grade fever with cough and cold, I allowed Jake to attend his school today. I make sure he is hydrated enough though, and still look out for the symptoms of dengue, as this disease can be tricky. He is not yet in the clear, but he is in a much better state (I guess), now that he insists on watching tv while having his meal, the way he normally does at lunch. He has also regained half of his energy level, judging from the way he flits from one part of the room to the next in a flash, or the way he sings "I'm in the Lord's Army" complete with marching movements and hand gestures. Though I could still hear his raspy voice due to cough, his cold and fever seem to be gone. I pray for good. I'd rather see him naughty, active and "annoyingly" noisy, than quiet and lethargic. If only I had a magic switch so I could fast forward the moments I want to just zip by. One thing about kids getting sick, it makes you wish it wer...

Honey has been very useful in curing Jake's brewing cough. Since we've started using it (fresh or bought from the grocery), it's been a while since we last had a pedia visit to consult about an infection. I guess the kid was exposed to a stronger viral strain in preschool because he got sick last Thursday. When I picked him up, I noticed he wasn't his usual talkative, active self in the car. And if you know him, you'd be alarmed that this was rather unusual. Normally, he would be bubbly and would keep on blabbering about his activities and his playmates, you'd be out of breath just by listening. Hehe. His low-grade fever with cough and cold caused him to miss 2 school days (Tue and Wed), 1 trip to the ER, 1 trip to the Pediatrician and 2 blood extractions. The doctor suspects it's dengue but we're not yet sure. We have until today to observe. Today he's still quite feverish... but cough is not as dry and his cold has abated. He's...