communion

it was the little big man's 1st communion yesterday. 

dear santa claus

my friend was telling me the other day about how old her kids found out the truth about dear old santa.  and i was telling her how kids suddenly are no longer kids when they find out, to which she agreed.

and now, here i am, feeling like a kid again, jotting down my christmas wish list.  after all, i am still a kid at heart.  so here goes nothing...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

dear santa,

i know i've been good this year.  so please, please let me get what i want for christmas.  here's a list so you won't have a hard time thinking what to get me.

iphone 4g

you know i've wanted to replace my samsung d90 for some time now?  i love that it's dual sim but other than that, it doesn't really have anything else i like.  

macbook air

i have been considering handing down my asus eeepc to the kids.  and since i want an apple phone, might as well get anmacbook air right?  ok, santa, if you're on a budget, an ipad will do.  or an ipod touch....?

nikon d90

i know, i know... i'm selfish, i admit that i am.  i already got my nikon d3000 last august but you know i'd buy the d90 if i had more moolah.

and if you think that's still too much, a 55-200mm AF-S f/4-5.6G lens for my existing d3000 will do.

and if it's not too much to ask, dear santa, i wouldn't mind getting a brand new car.








so, that's basically what i want right now.  god, i love christmas!  it's the only time of the year when wishes come true!

love,
chari


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what we did on the 3-day weekend

and so, the last 3-day weekend before christmas has come and gone.  but the kids can't seem to get enough outings.  they're still rarin' to go wherever.  so we're planning more trips this december, a beach trip even, with the grandparents.

last saturday, we attended a family reunion with the hubby's relatives.  it wasn't very eventful but the big deal about it was that the kids met some of their cousins in that part of the family tree.  the little big man even found out he has cousins into taekwondo too and they had a blast performing a routine and some kicks as part of the talent portion of the program.

sunday was another taekwondo tournament in malolos, bulacan.  the little big man got a bronze.  he won 2 games then lost his third.  it was a little disappointing because he knew and we knew he didn't give it his best.  but then again, it's all part of the scheme of things, i guess.  but there's another story to this day worthy of another blog entry.

yesterday, we accompanied my mom and dad to my uncle's house (errr, mansion) in paombong, bulacan.  afterwhich had lunch at this small resto called yee fu.  then they bought stuff at sm marilao, being the mall closest to where we were.  then mom got some linoleum at that shop in karuhatan.  then more buying at that sort-of-like-divisoria place near our place.  

was generally a fun weekend.  tired but happy.

breakeven

this is too sad.... but why does sadness, and tears for that matter, have a healing effect on me? 

HOY

i was sick for two days and am back to work now but still feeling a bit woozy.  funny how everytime i don't wanna be away from work, that's when i get sick.  have a lot of things to do this week.  arggg.

anyways.

when i arrived home with fever the other day, here's a conversation i overheard between the hubby and the little girl:

little girl is going downstairs to do something i forgot that her dad told her to do.  as she was going down, the hubby called out to her:  HOY!

the little girl looked back and shouted:  baket mo ko tinatawag na hoy!  anak mo ko ah.  baket hoy ang tawag mo sa 'kin!

the hubby, shamefully:  ay sorry, anak... anak... (sweetly)

this sent me into fits of laughter while i put on warm clothes and snuggled under the sheets.  sort of eased the headache a bit and then i fell asleep.

stats

disclaimer:  i do not intend to brag in this blog post (although it may seem like it).  this post is for my own personal future reference.  just so i know and i will have something to look back on when i eventually lose count. 

this is what i call the little big man's taekwondo record, from april 2009 to november 2010 -- 19 months into the sport:

may 23, 2009 

lourdes school, valenzuela 

under sir achilles ponce

novice, group 0

BRONZE

june 28, 2009

m.h. del pilar high school, malolos, bulacan

under sir achilles ponce

novice, group 0

SILVER

july 18, 2009

waltermart, muñoz, q.c.

novice, group 0

under sir achilles ponce

september 20, 2009

region 3 cpj taekwondo championship

tarlac state university, tarlac

under sir achilles ponce

novice, group 0

BRONZE

october 11, 2009

seminary, guiguinto, bulacan

under sir achilles ponce

novice, group 0

october 18, 2009 promotion to high yellow

meycauayan, bulacan

promoted by sir moben angeles

october 25, 2009

sta. cecilia college, valenzuela

under sir achilles ponce

novice, group 0

 

november 14, 2009 

region 3 taekwondo championship

robinsons mall, cabanatuan city

under sir moben angeles

novice, group 0

GOLD

november 29, 2009

bagong bulakeño games

bulacan capitol gymnasium, malolos

under sir achilles ponce

novice, group 1

GOLD

december 13, 2009

camanava smart taekwondo championship

sta. cecilia college, valenzuela

under sir achilles ponce 

novice, group 1

SILVER

march 7, 2010

2nd mayor tito oreta taekwondo championship

oreta sports center, malabon city

under sir achilles ponce

novice, group 1

GOLD

promotion to low blue

march 21, 2010

region 3 new face taekwondo championship
megacenter, cabanatuan city

under sir moben angeles

novice, group 1

GOLD

may 16, 2010

san diego parochial school, pulo, valenzuela

under sir achilles ponce

novice, group 1

BRONZE

may 23, 2010

milo summer 

bulacan capitol gymnasium

under sir moben angeles

novice, group 1

GOLD

june 5, 2010

friendship games

greenfield subd, guiguinto

under sir moben angeles

novice, group 1 

GOLD

june 13, 2010

promotion to high blue

batallion fitness gym, meycauayan

june 26, 2010

carlos palanca jr. taekwondo championship

sm pampanga

under sir moben angeles

novice, group 1

GOLD

july 31, 2010

smart national taekwondo championship

rizal memorial coliseum, manila

september 18, 2010

hundred islands taekwondo championship

alaminos, pangasinan

under sir moben angeles

advance, group 1 (tried out the red belt)

BRONZE

october 3, 2010
region 3 cpj taekwondo championship
tarlac state university, tarlac city
under sir moben angeles
novice, group 1

november 14, 2010

tagaytay taekwondo championship
tagaytay city

under sir moben angeles

novice, group 1

SILVER

TO DATE:  7 GOLDS, 3 SILVERS, 4 BRONZES -- not bad, i'd say. :)

the backseat

last month, the hubby and i quit paying for the little big man's school bus service and started driving him to and from school everyday.  and eversince this new routine started, our little girl , whose class schedule permits it, comes along every trip.  never mind that she's in her jammies or her hair is all in disarray, she has to be in that car with us, wherever that car goes.

she doesn't like to sit in the backseat unless she is asleep so sometimes i let her sit on my lap in front and she wraps my arms around her so she has a human seatbelt.  so we threw in a pillow and blanket that's permanently in the car for her.  we also put in a couple of CDs of the music she likes so she won't get bored.  yes, justin bieber and taylor swift goes with us everywhere too.

recently, she has been insistent in staying in front with me.  her dad always tells her that it's against traffic rules and he might get caught but we still let her because she looks at us with her pitiful cow eyes that make us feel darn guilty.  so why not?  but today, we have come up with a resolution.

i realized that what she really wants is to sit with me.  not necessarily in front.  so i told her that beginning tomorrow, we will sit together at the backseat and let her brother sit in front.  which was so fine with her that her cow eyes turned so full of glee.  oh, i could hug her to pieces!

young mom

i am horrified in this bit of news i read today:

10-Year-Old in Spain Is Not the First or Youngest Child Mom

 how could a child so young possibly conceive a baby?  i am rattled and i need to check myself first for signs of a heart attack. 

blood pressure, check.

palpitation, check.

miracle water

so my friend andre just got back from korea and he was raving about how beautiful it was there, that he wanted to go back next year and explore places and the food more.  one of the many highlights of his trip was at naju to visit julia kim. 

i read about julia kim through forwarded emails from friends and family long ago and i was awed at the miracles that have happened to her.   andre, bless him, was so awed to meet her himself and i saw how happy he was as he related to me his experience.  then, he took from his pocket two small bottles containing miracle water from the spring at naju where julia kim lived.   this water brings healing to sicknesses.  he told me one was for my dad and the other for me.  i am thankful.

so when i told the hubby, little big man and the little girl about it, most excited was the little big man.  i tried to explain to them kids how it works.  that it's water that we will drink and we will be healed of whatever sickness we have, by faith.  of course, their young minds cannot grasp this completely yet and they ended up thinking that they can make a wish through it and their wish will come true.  i let them think of it as such forewarning them that God does not always grants wishes right away if He thinks its not yet meant for them.  i was concerned that they will be disapointed with the miracle water if their wish or prayer was left unanswered.  i was teaching them faith.

so on monday morning before going to school and work, the four of us gathered together and each said their own silent prayer with eyes shut tight.  then one by one, i dropped the water on each's mouth.  i felt the purity and sincerity of the moment. 

last night, on our way home the little big man told me what he wished for.  he said he asked God to take away his not so nice habit of letting his mouth hang open when in thought or doing something.  he also asked that he become an honor student.  and that he gets to have lots and lots of toys.  i had to smile at how innocent and simple his wish was, which i know for sure God will grant in some way.

then he asked me what i wished for.  i was hesitant but he insisted and told me that it's ok to share it with him.  so i told him i wished that everything they (i.e., him, little girl and their dad) wished for be granted. 

why? he asked, confused.

because it will make me happy if your wish is granted.

but this was your chance to wish for something for yourself and you gave it to us?

i just smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

yes, anak, because i love you too much i'd give anything for your happiness.  my wish is that someday you will pass it on and live a good life and make me proud that i have raised you well.

grace

 i strongly believe i was saved from imminent danger this morning.

i was in a cab with the little big man on our way to his school then to my office.  (tuesdays the car is coded so he and i are on our own without the hubby.)

driver:  ma'am anong oras na?  [what thime is it?]

he looked at me, not from the rearview mirror when he asked this.  he actually turned his head to me at the backseat so i saw his face and he didn't look pleasant.  call me paranoid but something about him made me feel uncomfortable.

me:  quarter to seven.

few minutes later.  he turned towards me again while driving.

driver:  ma'am smart ka?  

in my mind, he meant if i had a cellphone and if i used smart network?  and in my mind, why the f*ck did he need to know?  this made me more uneasy.

 me:  hindi po.  [no.]

the little big man and i talked quietly as we drove on.

after another few minutes, he turned to me again.

driver:  ma'am tapos deretso tayo quezon avenue?

me:  opo.

yes, that was my instruction the moment i stepped in his cab.  he knew i was just going to drop off my kid in school and then, go to quezon avenue where he will drop me off. why the heck did he keep turning with a weird look on his face?  

it was only a few minutes away from the little big man's school.  i decided to hold out till we're there and get off the cab.  i checked the meter, took out the bills to pay for how much it would cost and when we finally parked in front of the school, i handed it to him, took my son's hand and bag and got off.

driver:  hindi na kayo sasakay?

me:  hindi na po. dadaan pa pala ko sa tutor ng anak ko.

and i shut the door.

grace:  also called state of grace. the condition of being in God's favor or one of the elect.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/grace 

heart problem

it was too easy to find the doctor's clinic near the old city municipal building, in front of the signage that reads PULIS.  the weather wasn't too hot, a little bit windy in fact.  i was calm.

less than a week before, the bad news was spilled out to me and had to wait for this day to confirm the truth to this.  i had so many morbid thoughts about it.  one night, i couldn't even sleep thinking about it.  i even got teary eyed upon reading something about living only up to five years.  

so after one and a half hours, the secretary finally summoned me to the doctor's office as it was already my turn.  the heart doctor had a kind face with chinky eyes and a nice smile.  he asked me why i was there and i presented to him the medical findings and the ECG result.  he looked it over and asked me about my family's medical background, if i smoked, if i drank liquor, if i was into sports.  to all of which, i replied no.  he grinned.

he stood up and put his stethoscope on my back and listened.  then he asked me to lie on his examination table.  more listening.  and me breathing, in, out..... in, out.....

it turned out i wasn't sick at all.  the doctor and i with hubby ended up laughing at how paranoid i had been for the past week.  he even kidded, in exasperation, "your mom kept calling me, i was playing tennis!"  i realized my mom was probably worried about it too but didn't show it, just as i didn't let it show too.

and so, for now, i can rest assured that i will live to see the day my kids become adolescents to which a week ago, i almost thought i won't.  i will still have the chance to earn my first million.  i will still be able to go back to running and aerobics, maybe shift to kickboxing or something more rigorous.  i will still be able to do a lot of things i have yet to write on my bucket list.  for now, i am more than thankful that i am healthy and i am happy. thank God!

one sunday afternoon in orani

nothing beats a lazy sunday afternoon with family and close relatives.  at least, for me that's true.  it was a spur of the moment decision to drive up to orani, bataan and spend the day there and hear mass at the old holy rosary parish church where my dad got my name.

we sat with my cousins, brothers, aunt and mom around a table heartily eating, sans utensils, with bear hands!  there's sugpo (big shrimps!), rellenong bangus (yes, that's stuffed fish), roasted chicken and rice.  and what's that fish with the soup?  ice cold soda was passed around along with stories and funny anecdotes.  we were the same cousins who used to run around the big old ancestral home of our grandparents while our moms and dads chatted like they did forever about how each's lives have turned out over the years.

now it's our kids, who seldom see their cousins, who are running around the garden to the parking lot cum walkway, up the small nipa hut behind the house.   

 it was worth the trip.  at the end of the day, i felt a sense of peace and love as i entered the church -- the reason why we visited.  it always feels like a miracle is going to happen everytime i see the lady of the rosary perched behind the altar in all her sparkling glory.  it feels like i am in her warm embrace and nothing is going to harm me or my family. i am thankful for my family and my small group of close relatives who are in fact, the miracles in my life.